The Times-Picayune 02-26-2026

Master conceptualist

Dawn DeDeaux emphasizes her ecological concerns in a self-portrait wearing aspace helmet-style bubble.

Big Chief of the young Seminole Hunters, has wonawards and recognition for his Mardi Gras Indian suits.

TwofromN.O.picked for‘Olympics of art’

Venice Biennale drawshundredsofthousands to Italy

BY DOUG MACCASH and JENNAROSS Staff writers

TwoNew Orleansartists have been invitedtoparticipate in what is arguably the art world’smostimportant event, the Venice Biennale. One artist’s poetic, conceptualist style taps into the prevailingtrends of the 21st century.The other artist’s work represents atraditional,only-in-New Orleans custom.

“It’san extraordinary honor.”

DAWN DEDEAUX, artistinvitedto participate in Venice Biennale

As revealed in aWednesday morning announcement, Dawn DeDeaux and Demond Melancon will carry the torchofCrescentCity creativity to the Olympicsof artinMay.Establishedin1895, the enormous exhibit drawshundreds of thousands of art lovers to the seasideItalian city DeDeauxand Melancon willbe among 111 artists featured in the Biennale’sprestigious central group show,titled “In Minor Keys.” That’sfar fewer than two years ago, when 330 artists were included.

“It’sanextraordinary honor,” said DeDeaux, 73, alongtime star of the New Orleans arts scene.

Their work reflects the cultural depth and diversityofNew Orleans, said Susan M. Taylor,director of the NewOrleans Museum ofArt.“To have two people who arefromthis place,who understanditintheir bones, and for whom it’s reflected in theirwork, is just really marvelous —because it’sa recognition of the importance of place.”

The Biennale is “the cornerstone event for the contemporaryart world,” Taylor continued, so their inclusion is “a testament to theartistic and culturalvibrancy of the city that has always been here and is now recognized in myriad ways.”

It’sbeen more than adecadesince

ä See ART, page 8A

Dawn DeDeaux’ssculpture ‘Free Fall’ is an installation of 64 abstract columns, inscribed with verses from

Street.

the

statement on

DeltaUtilities seeksto explainrising gasbills

effortsto reduce pricevolatility

BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer

Louisiana’slargest natural gas provider,Delta Utilities, sought to explain skyrocketing gasbills Wednesday amid rising anger fromcustomers and elected officials, telling state regulators that they work to prevent price volatility from squeezing ratepayers.

Adoublewhammyofunusually cold winter weather and high naturalgas priceshave caused gas bills to soar formany customers across Louisiana, in somecases reaching several hundred dollars. Those high costs —and the recent change of mostresidents now receiving aseparate gasbill afterDelta’sacquisitionofEntergy’s gasbusiness —have caused widespread angst. The saga is the latest affordability problem that Louisiana residentshavefaced in recentyears, after insurance and electricity bills have emerged as high-profile issuesfor customers, elected officials and regulators.

The Louisiana Public Service Commission—a

ä See BILLS, page 7A

Governor helping Letlow campaign to unseat Cassidy

Landry targeting fundraising, partyendorsement

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Not sinceHueyLongnearly100 years ago has agovernor triedtodefeat asitting U.S. senator from the samepolitical party

But that’swhat Gov. Jeff Landry is trying to do as Sen. Bill Cassidy,afellow Republican, runs for reelection.Landry is working behindthe scenes to raise money for the Senate campaign of U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and to secure an endorsement for her by the Louisiana Republican Party,according to GOPsources.

Landry has told associates that he has inserted himself into the race at the behest of President Donald Trump, who endorsed Letlow in January because of, it’swidely believed, his unhappiness with Cassidy.The senator is running for athird term in the May 16 Republican primary Also challenging Cassidy in the Republican primary is state TreasurerJohnFleming,who

ä See SENATE, page 7A

Louisianaschools preparetopostTen Commandments

Districts weighhow to comply with law aftercourt lifted block

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

Louisiana school leaders are grappling with theirnext moves after afederalappealscourtendeda pause ona state law requiring displaysofthe Ten Commandments in everyclassroom, with some superintendents moving quicklytodistribute theposters while others, waryofpotential lawsuits, wait for more guidance. The East Baton Rouge school system will send posters bearing thebiblical passages to classrooms “inthe near future,” aspokesperson said. In rural Grant Parish, Superintendent Erin Stokes said theSchool Boardiseager to comply with the law,and she plans to give donated TenCommandments posters to school principals this week. “We’ll probably be moving forward

pretty quickly,” she said. The school system in Caddo Parish is moving more slowly,with plans to wait until thesummer to distributethe postersand trainteachersonthe law, according to School Board President Don Little. Officials in other districts saidthey are seeking advice from their attorneys or thestate Department of Education, which has not issued any guidance and on Tuesday referred questions to theAttorney General’s

ä See SCHOOLS, page 5A

Posters bearing the Ten Commandments have been donated to nearly every public school in Louisiana.

Astronaut identifies self as reason for evacuation

NASA’s Mike Fincke identified himself Wednesday as the astronaut whose medical condition prompted the space agency’s first medical evacuation.

In a written statement, the 58-year-old spaceflight veteran revealed he was the ailing crew member last month aboard the International Space Station. He did not say what was wrong with him but explained that his condition quickly stabilized thanks to his crewmates and flight surgeons on the ground.

Fincke said he’s doing well now “Spaceflight is an incredible privilege, and sometimes it reminds us just how human we are,” he said in the statement.

Fincke launched with three others on a SpaceX flight last summer Their mission came to an early end on Jan. 15, a week after he experienced what he called a “medical event that required immediate attention” by his fellow astronauts The health concern also forced the cancellation of a planned spacewalk by Fincke and another NASA astronaut.

Mass.

Explosion at house injures mother and child

BOSTON Firefighters in Massachusetts were investigating an explosion Wednesday that left a house engulfed in flames and at least two people injured, authorities said. Emergency workers responded to the fire at the threefamily home about 9:50 a.m., fire officials said. Two injured residents, a 25-year-old mother with severe burns and a 2-yearold child with serious injuries, were transported to hospitals officials said.

The home was a total loss and eight residents were displaced, fire officials said. Two adjacent homes were also seriously burned, they said.

Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell told reporters on a street lined with piles of snow and emergency vehicles that she didn’t immediately know whether those injured were inside the house when it exploded Nearby residents, including some who live several blocks away, reported hearing a loud noise at the time of explosion.

Mexico passes 40-hour workweek, down from 48 Mexican lawmakers unanimously approved a workerfriendly labor reform that will gradually reduce the workweek, notching a fresh victory for the ruling leftist coalition.

The reform backed by President Claudia Sheinbaum will shorten the workweek from 48 hours to 40 hours over the next four years while also providing for one mandatory fully paid day off per week Critics argued that the changes would cause labor costs to spike while undercutting productivity, though some opposition lawmakers sought to go further by advocating for two days off each week.

Currently, Mexican workers are not provided with guaranteed paid time off.

The labor reform passed with 469 votes in favor and zero opposed — with no abstentions — in the 500-member lower house.

Earlier this month, Mexico’s Senate approved the bill unanimously Sheinbaum has argued that more than 13 million Mexican workers will benefit from it

The text of the reform specifies that the transition to a shorter workweek will kick off in 2027 with an annual reduction of two hours per week.

Power outages, piles of snow vex Northeast

BY KIMBERLEE KRUESI, LEAH WILLINGHAM and JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. Power failures, waisthigh canyons of snow and more flurries Wednesday bedeviled parts of the Northeast in the aftermath of a massive storm that dumped icy piles on streets and sidewalks from Maryland to Maine.

The fallout persisted across the region: In Rhode Island, where 3 feet of snow surpassed the record set in the Blizzard of 1978, people were stuck in their homes for a third straight day as residential streets remained unplowed, trash pickup got postponed in places and some schools went virtual.

More than 138,000 customers were still without power Wednesday afternoon, nearly all of them in Massachusetts and particularly in Cape Cod, according to poweroutage.us. Utility crews were working 18-hour shifts to restore electricity and people huddled in warming shelters for respite and to recharge phones.

Anny Enos took her three grandchildren to a warming station in Barnstable, Massachusetts, on Wednesday to charge their devices and get a change of scenery She said she hasn’t had power since Sunday afternoon and was afraid that she might not get it back until Friday

She threw out most of her fridge Tuesday and was just hoping for the best. “I hate to say it but it doesn’t seem like they were ready,” she said.

The storm created “thousands” of damage sites that required workers in some cases to remove big snow piles with backhoes before new poles could be installed or old ones repaired, according to Doug Foley, president of electric operations for Eversource in Massachusetts More crews from other states arrived to help on Wednesday Most unwelcome, up to 3 more inches

of snow fell early Wednesday, adding to slippery conditions before temperatures rose, creating slushy messes. Police said carbon monoxide poisoning killed a man in an area of Rhode Island that had lost power Joseph Boutrous, 21, had told a fellow Salve Regina student he was going to charge his phone in his car, Newport Police Capt. Joseph Carroll said. The exhaust pipe was obstructed by snow, police said, calling his death accidental. The sophomore from Bohemia, New York was an offensive lineman on the football team. A social media post said his teammates are heartbroken.

Massive amounts of snow

Monday’s storm blanketed the region with snow, canceled flights, disrupted transit and downed power lines.

Crunching the numbers, meteorologist Ryan Maue, former chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, calculated that all that snow held a total of 2.5 trillion gallons of water

If all the snow that fell from Maryland to Maine fell just on Manhattan, it would have towered over a mile high. If the snowfall blanketed only on Rhode Island, which got hit hardest, it would bury the entire Ocean State in more than 92 feet of snow, The Associated Press estimated. Melted, it’s enough to fill the Empire State Building with water more than 9,000 times. New York State got the water equivalent of 680 billion gallons, while Pennsylvania got 410 billion gallons and Massachusetts got 28 billion.

When it eventually melts, it will help mitigate the drought affecting parts of the Northeast, Maue said, but right now it’s adding misery to an already punishing season.

“I think this storm took a severe winter and turned it into an extreme winter or a record extreme winter,” he said.

Hungary’s leader orders extra security at critical energy sites

Orbán claiming Ukraine plans disruptions

BY JUSTIN SPIKE Associated Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary Hun-

garian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Wednesday ordered extra security at critical energy infrastructure sites after claiming Ukraine was attempting to disrupt Hungary’s energy system.

himself as the only guarantor of its safety.

‘An oil blockade’

Cuba says it killed 4 on speedboat that fired on its soldiers

Cubans living in U.S. were trying to infiltrate the island, it says

BY ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ, MATTHEW LEE and DÁNICA COTO

Associated Press

HAVANA Cuba’s government said late Wednesday that the 10 passengers on a boat that opened fire on its soldiers were armed Cubans living in the U.S. who were trying to infiltrate the island and unleash terrorism.

The announcement came hours after Cuba said its soldiers killed four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-registered speed boat that had entered Cuban waters and opened fire on the soldiers first, injuring one Cuban officer

Cuba’s government said the majority of the 10 people on the boat “have a known history of criminal and violent activity.”

Itidentifiedtwoofthemas

Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, who are wanted by Cuban authorities “based on their involvement in the promotion, planning, organization, financing, support or commission of actions carried out in the national territory or in other countries, in connection with acts of terrorism.”

The government said it also had arrested Duniel Hernández Santos, adding that he was “sent from the United States to guarantee the reception of the armed infiltration, who at this time has confessed to his actions.”

The Associated Press was not immediately able to independently verify that information.

Cuba’s government said it obtained the details about the passengers aboard the boat from the suspects detained following the shootout.

It identified seven of the 10 passengers, including Conrado Galindo Sariol,

José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló, Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara and Roberto Azcorra Consuegra. Cuba’s government said that one of the four killed was Michel Ortega Casanova. Three others have not yet been identified. “The investigation process continues until the facts are fully clarified,” the ministry said in a statement.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told reporters earlier that he was made aware of the incident and that the U.S. is now gathering its own information to determine if the victims were American citizens or permanent residents.

“We have various different elements of the U.S government that are trying to identify elements of the story that may not be provided to us now,” Rubio said while at the airport in Basseterre, St Kitts, where he was attending a regional summit with Caribbean leaders.

He refused to speculate on what happened saying that it could be a “wide range of things,” and that the U.S. will not solely rely on what the Cuban authorities have provided thus far He said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard are investigating the incident and stressed that he wants to verify the facts. He said it was not a U.S. government operation and that he wasn’t “going to speculate about whose boat it was, what they were doing, why they were there, what actually happened.”

Earlier, Cuba’s Interior Ministry issued a statement that provided few details about the shooting, but noted that the boat was roughly 1 mile northeast of Cayo Falcones, off Cuba’s north coast. The government provided the boat’s registration number, but The Associated Press was unable to readily verify details of the boat because boat registrations are not public in the state of Florida.

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Budapest has recently accused Kyiv of deliberately holding back Russian oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline, which cr os se s Ukraine’s territory Ukrainian officials have denied the allegations, saying the pipeline, which feeds refineries in Hungary and Slovakia, was hit in a Russian drone attack

Orbán has in recent weeks launched an aggressive anti-Ukraine campaign ahead of elections in April which will likely be the toughest he’s faced in his 16 years in power He has cast the neighboring country as a grave threat to Hungary’s security, and

In a video posted to social media, Orbán, who maintains the closest relationship with the Kremlin of any European Union leader said the Ukrainian government was using “an oil blockade” to exert pressure on Hungary and that Hungarian national security services showed Ukraine was “preparing further actions to disrupt the operation of Hungary’s energy system.” He didn’t provide details or evidence for his claims.

“We will deploy soldiers and the necessary equipment to repel attacks near key energy facilities,” Orbán said. “The police will patrol with increased forces around designated power plants, distribution stations and control centers.”

Nearly every country in Europe has significantly reduced or entirely ceased Russian energy imports since Moscow launched its war in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Yet Hungary and Slovakia, both EU and NATO members, have maintained and even increased supplies of Russian oil and gas, and received a temporary exemption from an EU policy prohibiting imports of Russian oil.

On Sunday, Hungary threatened to block a $106 billion EU loan for Kyiv, and vetoed a new round of EU sanctions against Russia on Monday Orbán has vowed to block any other EU measures to assist Ukraine until oil shipments resume.

Druzhba has been out of commission since Jan 27. Repairs are hazardous and the pipeline can only operate reliably if Russia stops targeting energy infrastructure, according to Ukrainian officials.

A crucial election

Orban has repeatedly accused Ukraine of “blackmail” to force him to give up his anti-Ukrainian positions, and of seeking to drive up energy prices in Hungary just weeks before a pivotal election.

Orbán, who retook office in 2010, faces the strongest challenge to his power in an election set for April 12. The EU’s longest-serving leader and his right-wing Fidesz party are trailing in most independent polls to an upstart center-right challenger, Péter Magyar His party has pushed the message that if it loses the election, the Tisza party will drag the country into the war in Ukraine, bankrupting Hungary and getting its youth killed on the front lines.

Surgeon general nominee faces questioning

BY ALI SWENSON Associated Press

NEW YORK Wellness influencer, author and entrepreneur Dr Casey Means on Wednesday shared a vision for addressing the root causes of chronic disease instead of feeding into “reactive sick care” during her confirmation hearing to become the nation’s next surgeon general.

“Our nation is angry, exhausted and hurting,” the 38-year-old said in Washington before the Senate health committee Wednesday “If we’re addressing shared root causes, we’re going to be able to stop the whacka-mole medicine that’s not working for us.”

It’s a message that dovetails with that of Means’ ally, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and his “Make America Healthy Again” movement. It also has some bipartisan support, with many Democrats and Republicans agreeing that the rise in chronic disease is a problem that needs solving.

But Means also faced tough questions from senators about topics that have become divisive in recent years, such as vaccines and hormonal birth control, as well as about her qualifications and potential conflicts.

The physician’s disillusionment with traditional medicine drove her to a career in which she has promoted various products, at times without disclosing how she could benefit financially. She has no government experience, and her license to practice as a physician is not currently active.

“I have very serious questions about the ability of Dr Means to be the kind of surgeon general this country needs,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the ranking member of the Senate health committee, said Wednesday Next, the committee will consider whether to advance Means’ nomination, in which case it would go to a vote in

can College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, hormonal birth control methods such as the pill, patch or ring are safe for most people but are associated with a small increased risk of deep vein thrombosis, heart attack and stroke.

Not a traditional candidate

of things that create life.”

Means said she thinks oral contraceptives should be available to all women, but raised concerns about what she called “horrifying side effects” that can occur in certain populations.

After graduating from Stanford University with a doctor of medicine degree, Means dropped out of her surgical residency program at Oregon Health and Science University in 2018. She later cited her belief that the health care system was broken and exploitative as the reason for her withdrawal.

the full Senate.

Means grilled on vaccines

As the nation’s doctor, the surgeon general is a leader for Americans on public health issues. If confirmed, Means could issue advisories that warn of public health threats. She also would be tasked with promoting Kennedy’s sprawling MAHA agenda, which calls for removing food additives, rooting out conflicts of interest and promoting healthier eating

Surgeons general also have sometimes used the office to advocate on issues related to vaccination though the office has no role in creating vaccine policy

While Means has largely steered clear of Kennedy’s debunked views on vaccines, senators from both parties grilled her on how she would approach the issue if confirmed.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Baton Rouge Republican who chairs the Senate health committee, asked Means whether she would advise Americans to vaccinate against flu and measles amid outbreaks across the U.S. She didn’t make that commitment, instead emphasizing the importance of informed consent between patients

and doctors.

Cassidy, a doctor himself, then asked Means if she accepts evidence that shows vaccines don’t cause autism. “I do accept that evidence,” she said, referring to the research. “I also think that science is never settled.”

Means said she looked forward to seeing the results of a federal effort to study environmental contributors to autism. The National Institutes of Health is funding such research, and it’s not clear when those findings will be made public.

Means also was asked about concerns she has raised about the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stopped recommending for all children in a move criticized by scientific and medical groups nationwide. She said she supports the CDC’s approach to the birth dose, but that promoting universal vaccination against the disease “at some point in childhood” was worthwhile.

Past comments

Sen. Patty Murray, DWash., asked Means to address her past comments that birth control pills were being prescribed “like candy” and showed a “disrespect

“Doctors do not have enough time for a thorough informed consent conversation,” she said.

According to the Ameri-

Means then turned to alternative approaches to address what she has described as widespread metabolic dysfunction driven largely by poor nutrition and an overabundance of ul-

traprocessed foods. Because she had completed enough postgraduate training to obtain a medical license, she did so and started her own functional medicine practice in Oregon, which later closed. She co-founded Levels, a nutrition-, sleep- and exercisetracking app that can give users insights from blood tests and continuous glucose monitoring. Financial disclosures show she made hundreds of thousands of dollars promoting wellness products, including specialty basil seed supplements, teas and elixirs, probiotic products and a prepared meal delivery service. An Associated Press investigation found that while recommending these products, she at times failed to disclose that she could profit or benefit from the sales.

Connectingrural Louisiana to opportunity and investment through CCS

Thisstory is brought to you by ExxonMobil

Fromtimberlands in St.LandryParish to farmland in AllenParish, rural Louisiana has longbeen definedby hardwork, naturalresources and close-knit communities.Today, rural parishes have the opportunitytoconnectwith multi-million-dollar investments across thestate Carbon captureand storage(CCS)isdoing more forLouisiana than reducing emissions.It’salsopositioningthe statetowin generational investmentsand ensuring that our rural communities sharethatsuccess

Louisiana leading the way

Louisiana has been adominantforce in national and global energy markets fordecades and continues to lead today. In 2025, Louisiana ranked amongthe topstates forbusinessinvestment,fueledbyrecord-breakingproject announcementsand acoordinatedstatewideenergystrategy focused on winning global investmentand unleashinginnovation.

Newand expanding industrialprojects across industries such as liquefied natural gas, data centers,advanced manufacturing and steel production representapproximately 17,000 potential newjobsand an estimated$76 billion in capitalinvestment according to a2025executiveorder from Governor Jeff Landry.

Animportantbenefitfor thoseprojectsin Louisiana?Carbon captureand storage. Global marketsare demanding lower-carbon products.Fromsteel and chemicals to fuels and building materials,companies increasingly need reliablecarbon solutions so theycan stay competitive bothdomesticallyand overseas.Inthe same wayheavy industry has historically soughtaccess to ports and rail when considering where to invest in futureprojects, accesstoCCS has become acriticalfactorinthe site selection process as well.

Louisiana’sunique geology, extensive pipeline network and experienced industrial workforce makeitone of themost attractive destinations in theworldfor CCS deployment.ExxonMobil’sLow Carbon Solutionsbusinessishelping build that

foundationbyconnecting industrial facilitiesalong the Mississippi River corridor to secure, permanentunderground storage sites.

In the last sevenmonths,ExxonMobilhas startedupCCS operationsatCFIndustries’ Donaldsonville Complex and at the New Generation GasGathering (NG3) natural gasprocessingfacility, both in Louisiana CCSconnects throughinfrastructure and investment

Carbon capturedoesnot happenwithout connectivity. It requires infrastructure —likepipelines to connect facilitieswhere carbon dioxide(CO2)iscaptured, and geologic formations where CO2 canbesafely stored thousands of feet underground.

Through pipeline networks, including ExxonMobil’sexpansive CO2 pipeline in Louisiana,CCS connects It safely connects major industrial hubs tostorage locations,and global manufacturerstoLouisiana communities

Many storagesites arelocatedinrural parishes thathistorically have not had the same accesstolarge-scale industrial investmentorinfrastructure. Through CCS, those communities become essential partnersin astatewide energy strategy and canexperience the fiscaland economic advantages historically concentratedinmoreheavily industrialized regions of the state.

Planned CCSprojects areexpected to generate tens and hundreds of millions of dollarsinpayments to landownersand substantial tax revenuefor parishes.Insome

cases, theseprojects could significantly increaselocal propertytax bases,strengthening funding for teachers, schools,roadsand public services

A2025economic impactstudy conducted by Gulf Engineersand Consultants (GEC) forAllen Parish found thatone proposed carbon storageproject alone could generate an estimated$80 million in labor income, $103 million in parish GDP,hundredsofindirect jobs and morethan $30 million in propertytax revenue over 20 years.

Forrural parishes seeking diversified long-term revenue streams,thatkind of investmentistransformative.

Opportunityfor landowners

Formanylandowners, CCS represents a familiar model with anew purpose. Louisiana landownershavelong leased subsurface rights foroil and gasproduction or pipeline rights-of-way.CCS porespace agreements operate in asimilar way: landownersvoluntarily enterintoagreements to allowthe securestorage of CO2 deep underground, while often continuing to usetheir land above the surface.

To date,ExxonMobil has signed carbon sequestration or CO2 pipeline agreements with morethan 1,500 landownersacrossLouisiana John Furlow, General Counsel and Vice PresidentofBusinessDevelopmentfor AuroraSustainable Lands,LLC,isone of them. His company manages historically industrial forestlands with afocusonsustainability andconservation.

“Asone of the landownersinvolved in ExxonMobil’sCCS projects,wesee this project as anatural fit with our mission to actively manageand conserveforestlands to maximizeimpact and remove and storecarbon from the atmosphere, Furlowsaid. “When done responsibly, CCS gives landownersaway to usesubsurface rights in amanner thatfits alongside ongoing stewardship of the land. It canbring steady,long-term investment to rural areas.”

When done responsibly,CCS gives landowners away to use subsurface rights in amanner thatfitsalongside ongoing stewardship of the land. It can bring steady,long-term investmenttorural areas

John Furlow

General Counsel andVicePresident of BusinessDevelopmentfor Aurora Sustainable Lands, LLC

Strengthening rural economies forthe long term

ForExxonMobil, carbon captureand storageisnot astandalone initiative. It is part of abroader strategy to modernizeLouisiana’s industrial base, protect and grow jobs and ensurethe state remains competitiveina lower-carbon global economy. By investing in CCS infrastructure, ExxonMobil is helping Louisiana attract and retain major projects thatsupport highwage employmentacrossmanufacturing, energy and technologysectors. Andrural parishes stand to gain newrevenue streams infrastructureinvestmentand long-term partnerships

This is howCCS connects rural Louisiana to global opportunity. It connects landownerstosteady income. It connects parishes to expanded tax bases It connects industrial facilities to markets demanding lower-emission products.And it connects Louisiana’slong history of energy leadership to its future.

With collaboration between industry, landownersand state and local leaders, CCS canhelpensurethe next generation of economic growth reaches every corner of Louisiana.ExxonMobil is proud to be part of thateffort.

Summers will resign from teaching at Harvard

BY COLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary

Larry Summers will resign from teaching at Harvard University as the campus reviews his ties to the late convicted sex offender

over 50 years, including five as Harvard’s president.

“Free of formal responsibility, as President Emeritus and a retired professor, I look forward in time to engaging in research, analysis and commentary on a range of global economic issues,” Summers said.

EPSTEIN FILES

New York. The two traded emails on topics ranging from politics and the economy to women and romance.

said little about Summers’ relationship. When Summers went on leave last year, the university said it was reviewing “individuals at Harvard” who were in the Epstein documents “to evaluate what actions may be warranted.”

tion as an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute but will continue to research and teach in his laboratory at the Zuckerman Institute in Manhattan.

Jeffrey Epstein, the university announced Wednesday Summers, who has been on leave since November and whose name appeared hundreds of times in newly released Epstein files, will step down at the end of the school year, according to a statement from Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton

“Professor Summers has announced that he will retire from his academic and faculty appointments at Harvard at the end of this academic year and will remain on leave until that time,” Newton said. In a statement, Summers said it was a difficult decision and expressed gratitude to the students and colleagues he worked with

The Justice Department’s latest release has rippled through academia, uncovering Epstein’s ties to numerous researchers who sought his funding and his friendship even after he became a convicted sex offender. Summers’ resignation follows that of Dr. Richard Axel, a Nobel laureate, who on Tuesday announced he would step down as co-director of Columbia University’s Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute. Summers served as treasury secretary under former President Bill Clinton and went on to lead Harvard for five years starting in 2001.

A trove of files released by the government cast new light on Summers’ relationship with Epstein, which spanned years and included visits to one another at their homes in Massachusetts and

Summers, who has been married for 20 years, consulted Epstein on a separate relationship with a woman he was tutoring in economics, according to emails from 2018 and 2019. Epstein described himself as Summers’ “wing man” and encouraged persistence. In a 2018 email, Summers said the woman was never his student but he had “known her father for 20 plus years as Chinese economic official.”

“I have a very good life w Lisa kids etc.,” Summers said in a 2018 email, referencing his wife. “Easy to put at risk for something that might not materialize at all or if it does might prove transient.”

Responding to previous revelations, Summers last year said he had “great regrets in my life” and that his association with Epstein was a “major error in judgment.” Harvard officials have publicly

Epstein’s ties to Harvard were the focus of a 2020 campus report finding that the financier gave more than $9 million to the Ivy League school, mostly for a center founded by math and biology professor Martin Nowak. The report did not mention Summers’ relationship with Epstein. Nowak was later disciplined by Harvard.

In December, Summers was dealt a lifetime ban from the American Economic Association, a nonprofit scholarly association dedicated to economic research, over his Epstein ties. He has also left the board of directors at OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT Laureate steps down

At Columbia, Axel said in a statement Tuesday that he regretted his association with Epstein, calling it a “serious error in judgment.” He said he is also giving up his posi-

Axel was one of the 2004 winners of the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for discoveries related to the human olfactory system. His name appears more than 600 times in Justice Department files reviewed by The Associated Press, including in emails he exchanged with Epstein and on schedules noting their meetings, dinners and lunches.

In a news article published in 2007, while Epstein was initially under investigation in Florida, the scientist praised Epstein’s intellect, telling New York magazine: “He has the ability to make connections that other minds can’t make. He is extremely smart and probing.”

The resignations are the latest fallout from the Justice Department’s recent release of millions of pages of records pertaining to Epstein and his longtime confidant and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

Clintons gear up for another Washington fight in Epstein hearing

BY STEVEN SLOAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON For some of their conservative critics, this is the scandal that could finally topple them. Their resistance to testifying proved futile And now, staring down another epic fight, they’re harnessing their considerable political skills to try and turn the table on their accusers.

For Bill and Hillary Clinton, the 1990s are back. The Clintons are slated to testify Thursday and Friday in a House investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, part of a deal with Republicans after it became clear that Congress — with the help of some Democrats — was on track to hold them in contempt if they refused to cooperate. For the battlehardened couple, it amounts to one more Washington brawl. And like so many of the battles that came before, this one is another mix of questionable judgment, sexual impropriety, money and power

During his 1992 campaign, Bill Clinton pitched his candidacy as “two for the price of one,” previewing a presidential marriage like none that had come before, with a spouse whose professional credentials rivaled his In the years since, that partnership helped the Clintons weather repeated scandals, including those so personal that many other relationships would have shattered. When his political career was ending hers was ascending when she was elected to the U.S. Senate from New York, then served as secretary of state before becoming the Democratic nominee for president in 2016. For those who have long watched the Clintons, this

moment is a reminder that the couple has never been far from the heat of a cultural fight. And with the Epstein case unfolding unpredictably around the world, the Clintons are once again ensnared in the scandal of the moment. There’s no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of either Clinton when it comes to Epstein, a convicted sex offender who committed suicide in 2019 while he was in jail awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

But Epstein had ties to Bill Clinton for years, visiting the White House multiple times in the 1990s, according to visitor logs. After Clinton left office, Epstein was involved in his philanthropy and the former president flew multiple times on his private jet.

“Traveling on Epstein’s plane was not worth the years of questioning afterward,” Bill Clinton wrote in his 2024 memoir “I wish I had never met him.”

Bill Clinton’s connections

By last summer, the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee issued subpoenas for the Clintons For months, Bill Clinton, 79, and Hillary Clinton, 78, largely ignored the matter in public but that became harder to sustain in December when the former president was featured prominently in the first batch of Epstein files.

Among thousands of documents made public, some photos showed him on a private plane, including one with a woman, whose face is redacted, seated alongside him with her arm around him. Another showed Bill Clinton in a pool with Epstein’s longtime confidant, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, and a person

whose face was redacted.

Yet another photo portrayed Bill Clinton in a hot tub with a woman whose face was redacted.

The oversight panel’s chairman, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, threatened to hold the Clintons in contempt if they didn’t comply with the subpoenas, a historic move considering a former president has never been compelled to appear before Congress. Between his first and second terms, Donald Trump invoked that precedent to fend off a subpoena from the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Fighting back fiercely

As each crisis surfaced, a pattern emerged: the Clintons fiercely denied the allegations and often dismissed women who came forward with claims. They villainized the GOP and re-centered the public’s attention on more favorable themes like the booming economy of the era.

Bill Clinton enjoyed some of the highest approval numbers of his presidency during his impeachment inquiry and trial, when about 7 in 10 U.S. adults approved of the way he was handling his job

Hillary Clinton similarly dispatched Republicans who sensed an opening in her handling of a 2012 attack on a compound in Libya that killed four Americans. She came out of an 11-hour televised congressional hearing in 2015 appearing poised. That experience has informed how the Clintons are approaching this week’s testimony Hillary Clinton has been especially vocal in calling for the proceedings to happen in public, rather than in private as Comer currently plans. “We have nothing to hide,” she told the BBC earlier this month.

Gates apologizes for Epstein ties, admits affairs

BY JESSICA SCHLADEBECK

New york Daily News (TNS)

NEW YORK Microsoft co-

founder Bill Gates issued an apology for his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a town hall for the Gates Foundation, during which he also confessed to having two affairs while married to his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, according to reports. Speaking to foundation staffers on Tuesday, Gates admitted to traveling on Epstein’s private jet as well spending time with the disgraced financier at home and abroad, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a recording of the town hall meeting He also denied any wrongdoing going as far as to say that he did not wit-

ness anything “illicit” while spending time with late billionaire.

“I did have affairs, one with a Russian bridge player who met me at bridge events, and one with a Russian nuclear physicist who I met through business activities,” Gates said on Tuesday

“I never went to the island, I never met any women,” the tech giant said.

Bill Clinton’s communication operation has taken a sharper tone, recalling the political “war room” popularized during the 1992 campaign to respond to negative

storylines.

One release accused Comer of “lying in every appearance he’s made this week.”

Another mocked GOP Reps. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania

and Andy Biggs of Arizona with a “hypocrisy award of the day,” noting how the Oversight committee members defied subpoenas from the Jan. 6 panel.

ORLEANS PARISHREGISTRAR OF VOTERS ANNOUNCES EARLYVOTINGFOR THE March 14, 2026 SPECIAL PRIMARY, STATESENATOR, 3RD

Orleans Parish RegistrarofVoters will conduct Early Voting for the March 14, 2026 Special Primary, State Senator,3rd Senatorial District Election from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm, Saturday, February28th through Saturday,March 7th, 2026, except Sunday,March 1st, 2026

AT THE FOLLOWINGLOCATIONS

City Hall—1300 Perdido St., Room 1W24

(Designated Parking on both sides of the 400 &500 Blocks of LaSalle and the 1300 Block of Perdido, Only Where Indicated)

Algiers Courthouse—225 Morgan St., Room 105 (Parking Available behind the Algiers Courthouse)

Voting Machine Warehouse—8870 Chef MenteurHwy (Parking Available at the Voting Machine Warehouse Parking Lot)

LakeVista CommunityCenter—6500 SpanishFort Blvd.; 2nd Floor MeetingRoom (Parking-Lake Vista Community Center Lot)

All Sites areAccessible to Persons with Disabilities City Hall/ One Entrance Only

Preview Your Ballot and Get Voter Information at: www.GeauxVote.com; www.nola.gov/registrar; or Download the GeauxVote Mobile App

Sample Ballots available at each Early Voting site and Online. Seniors, join the 65+ Program to receive Automatic ballots at home everyelection. Questions: Call (504)658-8300

Office. “I think for now we’re going to take asit-and-wait approach,” said Vermilion Parish Schools Superintendent Thomas Byler District leaders said they are acutely aware of the stakes of their decision,as they could find themselves under apolitical microscope whether they act quicklyor waitfor more guidance. A delay could be seen by Gov JeffLandryand Attorney GeneralLiz Murrill as noncompliance with the2024 state law. But posting the TenCommandments will almost certainly resultin some districts facing lawsuitsfromparents andcivil liberties groups. David Claxton, head of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, saidschoolsystems are “kind of in acatch-22.”

“You have to follow the law,”hesaid. “But if you follow the law and post them, then you wait to see if you’re the one that gets sued.”

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down asimilar law decades ago and alower court called Louisiana’s law unconstitutional, while critics say requiring public schools to post the text violates the principle of churchstate separation. Proponents of the law say the TenCommandments have historical and cultural significance beyond their religious foundation, an argument thatcould find purchase with thecurrent Supreme Court.

After last week’sruling, Landry declared the law “back in effect.” Leaders of conservative advocacy groups like the Louisiana Family Forum, which has sent TenCommandments posters to nearly every school system in the state, said they expectedschools to comply as well.

“The law is now in effect, so schools havetopost it,” said Gene Mills, the group’s president.“There is no waitand-see.”

Thelaw passed by Louisiana’s Republican-controlled Legislature givesschools clear marchingorders. The TenCommandments must be displayedin every classroom on posters or “framed documents” measuring atleast 11 by 14 inches and written in “large, easily readablefont.” The displays must includeanaccompanying statement that notes some early Americantextbooks featured the TenCommandments, and schools can choose to includeanadditional historical documentsuchasthe Declaration of Independence.

Act 676 also specifies which version of theTen Commandments must be posted in everypublicclassroom from prekindergarten through college. Therequiredtext begins with“IAMthe LORD thyGod. Thoushalt have no other godsbefore me” and ends with:“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’swife, nor his manservant,nor his maidservant,nor his cattle, noranything thatisthy neighbor’s.”

Thelaw gaveschoolsuntil Jan. 1, 2025, to comply but was quickly challenged in court byagroup of families from differentfaith backgrounds who said it violated their children’sconstitutional righttoreligious freedom AU.S. DistrictCourtjudge sidedwith thefamilies and blocked state officials from enforcingthe law through a temporary injunction. Apanel of judges on the 5thCircuit allowed theinjunction to stand,declaringthe law “plainly unconstitutional.”

ButonFriday,the full

5th Circuit voted 12-6 to lift the preliminary injunction, clearingthe law after ayearlongpause. Thecourt ruled that theparents’ lawsuit had been premature because the posters had not yetgoneup, but it said new legalchallengeswould be possible “once the statute is implemented.”

It remains to be seen whether the plaintiffs will waitfor theposters to go up or challenge the 5th Circuit rulingatthe Supreme Court. Their attorneys said they are “exploring all legal options.”

Last year,Murrill’soffice released guidancetohelp school districtscomply with the law, alongwith fourposter designs —including one featuringanimage of Moses and aphoto of U.S. House SpeakerMikeJohnson,RBenton, alongside the Ten Commandments.

TheLouisianaFamily Forum had theposters printed and shipped to nearly all of Louisiana’spublic school districts, which underthe law do nothavetopay for posters but must accept donated ones. In an email to supporters Tuesday,Mills said his group hadraised about $75,000 for the campaign.

“Now,the thousands of posters that LFF hasdistributed toschool districts across Louisianawill, by law,havetobeplaced in all publicclassrooms,” he wrote.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday,Murrill echoed that message.

“The law requires that the posters be put up,” she said. It’sunclear what will hap-

pen if schools don’tcomply Thelaw does notspecify penalties,and Murrill said enforcement falls to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The lawrequiresBESE to createrules for implementation. On Tuesday, aBESE spokesperson saidthat the board is “aware of the recentcourt action”and its rulemaking obligation but shedid notsay when that will happen.

AfterFriday’sruling, schools aretreading carefully

In 2024, theACLU of Louisiana and three other civil liberties groups warned schoolsuperintendents that posting theTen Commandments in classrooms would violate students’ constitutional rights and “could result in litigation being filed against your district.”

“Wewant to follow the law,” said Bossier Parish SchoolsSuperintendent JasonRowland,“but we don’t wanttocreate asituation where we compromise our

board and our district with further litigation.”

Some district leaders said they want to give schools clear instructions because studentsand teachers will likely have questions about the posters, while parents andcommunity members will be closelywatching where the posters are placed and how they’re addressed in class.

“Wehave to make sure that what’sdone in every classroom is the same,” said St. TammanyParish Schools

Superintendent Frank Jabbia. “The last thing we want is to put them up, thenhave to pull them down.”

Little, the Caddo Parish School Board president,said somestudents might feel alienated by the posters, but he thinks the TenCommandments can be presented in a neutral and nonproselytizing way. Still, complaints and lawsuits are always possible, he added.

“You have concerns for compliance,” he said, “and concerns for noncompli-

ance.” Charter schools also are bound by the law. ANOLA Public Schools spokesperson saidindividual charter operators are responsible for compliance. InspireNOLA, which runs several New Orleans charter schools, is “still evaluating what this meansfor our schools,” said CEO Jamar McKneely AJefferson Parish Schools spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions. The lawalsoappliesto public colleges and universities. Louisiana Community & Technical College campuses have been told to “move forward with posting any donated displays that meet the Attorney General’s guidance,” said system President Richard Nelson. LSU President Wade Rousse said in astatement that officials are considering guidance from the state attorneygeneral as they develop “the roll out across campuses.” Marie Fazio and Ashley White contributed reporting.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Discord postpones age verification rollout

Discord, the popular platform for gamers to communicate online, is postponing its controversial age verification policy after receiving swift backlash from users with concerns about their privacy

The global rollout of the system is now delayed to the second half of 2026, Discord’s Chief Technology Officer and co-founder Stanislav Vishnevskiy wrote in a Tuesday blog post acknowledging that the company “missed the mark.”

“Many of you are worried that this is just another Big Tech company finding new ways to collect your personal data. That we’re creating a problem to justify invasive solutions,” Vishnevskiy wrote. “I get that skepticism. It’s earned, not just toward us, but toward the entire tech industry. But that’s not what we’re doing.”

Discord, which says it has more than 200 million active users, will continue to meet specific legal obligations it has for age verification of users, the company said.

The company announced earlier this month that it would roll out an age verification policy in March that would include face scanning or requests for an ID upload for users it could not determine were adults This drew swift ire from users.

Many pointed to a recent security breach of a third-party provider Discord worked with that exposed government ID photos of up to 70,000 Discord users. Vishnevskiy referenced the security breach in the blog post, writing that he understood that incident added to users’ skepticism, but he emphasized the company no longer works with that vendor and has rigorous standards for its partners. Ozempic, Wegovy prices to be slashed

Weight loss drugmaker Novo Nordisk will cut the list prices of Ozempic and Wegovy by up to 50% beginning in 2027 the company announced on Tuesday Wegovy currently carries a list price of $1,349 per month, while Ozempic is listed at $1,028 for a one-month supply Both drugs will be listed at $675 per month beginning on Jan. 1, “representing reductions of approximately 50% and 35% for Wegovy and Ozempic, respectively,” according to Novo Nordisk.

The price cut will be designed to make Ozempic and Wegovy more affordable for people who receive the diabetes and obesity drugs through their health insurance, Novo Nordisk said Some insurance plans link coverage and out-of-pocket costs to the list price of medications The upcoming price cuts will be the most helpful for “individuals with high-deductible health plans or co-insurance benefit designs,” said Jamey Millar, executive vice president of U.S. operations.

Jelly Belly to lay off close to 70 employees

Jelly Belly, the San Francisco Bay Area-based candy company that’s more than 150 years old, is closing a corporate center in Fairfield and laying off 69 workers. Layoffs are expected to begin in June and will impact web developers, customer service representatives and accountants, among others, the company said in a government filing

The company’s corporatecommercial operations in Fairfield will shut down, but its warehouse and factory will remain open. The factory, which offers tours and a visitor’s center is a popular tourist attraction in Fairfield. Production there will continue uninterrupted, the company said. Jelly Belly is known for making more than 100 flavors of jelly beans.

Jelly Belly’s parent company Ferrara Candy Company acquired the brand in 2023 and also owns popular candy brands including Nerds and Sweetarts.

BUSINESS

NOLA.COM/BIZ

Tech stocks lead Wall Street higher

BY STAN CHOE Associated Press

NEW YORK U.S. stocks rose Wednesday and erased their losses for the week so far as Nvidia and other technology companies led the way Nvidia was one of the strongest forces lifting the market and rose 1.4% ahead of its highly anticipated profit report, which arrived after trading ended for the day The company whose chips are at the center of the artificial-intelligence revolution once again reported profit for the latest quarter that topped analysts’ expectations.

It also said it expects to make roughly $78 billion in revenue this quarter, when analysts had been forecasting less than $72.3 billion. Because Nvidia has grown to become the U.S. market’s largest stock by value, it has more influence on the S&P 500 than any other company Nvidia’s profit reports have become a bellwether for the market, not only because it’s so big but also because of how influential the AI boom has broadly become over the market’s moves. In past years, the AI frenzy helped stocks run to record after record amid hopes that it would revolutionize the economy

and make it more productive. More recently, though, concerns have climbed about whether companies like Alphabet and Amazon are spending so much on chips from Nvidia and other equipment that they’ll never be able to make back the investments through future gains in productivity If that leads to a pullback in spending, it would hit Nvidia directly Investors have also begun focusing on companies and industries that could get undercut by AI-powered competitors. That has led to sudden and swift sell-offs for stocks seen as potentially under threat, and spasms have rolled

through industries as seemingly disparate as software, trucking logistics and legal services.

That’s on top of other worries already weighing on the market, including new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump to replace ones struck down by the Supreme Court.

“While those concerns are real, we believe investors would be wise to balance them out with offsetting trends that may be underappreciated in the current wall of worry headline cycle,” according to Darrell Cronk, chief investment officer for Wealth & Investment Management at Wells Fargo.

Poll shows consumer confidence is down, despite Trump’s address

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and PAUL WISEMAN Associated Press writers

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump sought in his first State of the Union address to sell Americans on the idea of a booming economy, falling prices, and soaring jobs, yet he faces a skeptical public with a much gloomier view Barely 12 hours before his speech, in fact, The Conference Board, a business research group, released its latest consumer confidence report It showed that overall confidence in the economy remains historically low, and is barely above the level it plunged to in the depths of the COVID recession.

In February, its index ticked up to 91.2, which is noticeably below a four-year peak reached in November 2024 of 112.8. Americans remain dejected by high prices and see few jobs available, the survey found.

Other polling has yielded similar results:

Only 39% of Americans approve of Trump’s economic leadership, according to the latest Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey And the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment survey remains mired at recessionary levels.

Trump sought to overcome that gloom by pointing to economic data that paints a brighter picture, a tactic that President Joe Biden tried with little success. But on Tuesday night there were gaps between the president’s claims and the economic reality many Americans are facing.

“Inflation is plummeting, incomes are rising fast, the roaring economy is roaring like never before,” Trump said. To begin with, the economy is growing but it is hardly “roaring.”

It expanded 2.2% last year, down from 2.8% in Biden’s last year and 2.9% in 2023 To be sure, most Americans were deeply dissatisfied with the price spikes under Biden that pushed inflation to a peak of 9.1% in 2022, a four-decade high.

A roaring U.S. economy typically looks more like the late 1990s, when growth topped 4% for four years in a row, or in the 1980s, when it rose by 3.5% or higher for six years in a row

Inflation has slowed in the past year but many Americans still cite high prices in surveys as a key reason they are unhappy with the economy Trump correctly noted that core inflation, which excludes the volatile food and energy categories, fell to a five-year low in January

Yet other price measures show that inflation remains stubbornly elevated: A gauge of core prices closely monitored by the Federal Reserve was 3% higher in December than a year earlier, above the Fed’s 2% target. It places less weight on housing costs, which have cooled, than the measure Trump cited.

Nearly half of the people responding to the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment survey in February “spontaneously mentioned high prices eroding their personal finances,” Joanne Hsu, director of the survey, said in a statement.

Trump noted that the price of eggs has fallen sharply from its peak, which is true, but most necessities Americans rely on — groceries, rent, electricity — remain much more expensive than they were five years ago. And electricity prices rose another 6.3% just in the past 12 months.

Trump’s tariffs have also pushed up the cost of many imported items, including furniture, auto parts, tools, and clothes. And groceries such as ground beef, coffee, and bananas have risen sharply in the past year Ground beef prices, for example, are up 17%.

One reason for the consumer gloom is likely the sharp slowdown in hiring last year Employers added just 181,000 jobs in 2025 — or 15,000 a month — making it the worst year for job growth outside of a recession since 2002.

And despite Trump’s pledge to revive American manufacturing, factories lost 108,000 jobs in 2025 on top of the 202,000 lost in the last two years of the Biden administration. Auto and auto parts plants have cut nearly 74,000 jobs the past two years.

Hiring did come in unexpectedly strong in January at 130,000 new jobs, and factories added jobs for the first month in more than a year

Trump suggested his tariffs have directly contributed to an economic boom for the U.S., but most Americans have likely seen little benefit.

“Moving forward, factories, jobs, investment and trillions and trillions of dollars will continue pouring into the United States of America,” Trump said.

Trump once again made his tariffs sound painless, insisting that they are paid by foreign countries. In fact, they are paid by U.S. importers who often try to pass the burden along to their customers through higher prices. Foreign companies might take a hit if they have to cut prices to maintain sales in the United States. But import prices haven’t fallen significantly suggesting that overseas exporters aren’t feeling much pain.

A study by Harvard University economist Alberto Cavallo and two colleagues found that U.S. consumers were eating 43% of the higher tariff costs and that U.S. companies were absorbing most of the rest.

Climate tech is rattled amid Trump’s new tariffs

BY COCO LIU Bloomberg News (TNS)

The Supreme Court’s recent decision to strike down President Donald Trump’s global tariffs is shaking up the climate tech trade. The Feb. 20 ruling is good news for companies like Tesla, which have seen production costs soar since last spring. In the third quarter of 2025 alone, the tariff costs on its energy storage business stood at roughly $200 million, the company said in its October earnings call. Countries such as China, whose exporters will now face lower trade barriers, will benefit as well. But the relief could be short-lived as the administration threatens to use other policy tools to rebuild its tariff regime. Trump announced plans for a

15% global levy using a different mechanism in the wake of the court’s ruling. It rolled out that effort on Tuesday, setting an initial 10% rate. These twists and turns are adding to the uncertainty facing clean tech companies. Not every green technology will benefit from the Supreme Court decision. Tariffs on wind power equipment and electric vehicles and their components including batteries — were not affected by the ruling, according to Matthew Hales, a BloombergNEF analyst specializing in trade and supply chains That means they will remain largely unchanged.

While the high court’s decision lowers tariffs for solar photovoltaic cells and modules, India and Indonesia two countries that were supposed to benefit most from the

change — now face additional levies targeting their solar exports after the U.S. Commerce Department said Tuesday it preliminarily determined that the industry there received unfair subsidies.

But the high court’s decision will still benefit American companies seeking batteries for energy storage. The U.S. is racing to install more giant batteries to help power data centers, store energy from intermittent renewables and avoid blackouts. The country added 13.3 gigawatts of new storage capacity in 2025, up nearly 10% from 2024 levels, according to BNEF Under the court ruling, U.S. importers can seek refunds on struck-down tariffs paid over the past year, though that process is likely to be complex and Trump warned of “years of litigation.” In addition to the 15% tariffs

Trump announced, his administration is considering new national security tariffs on a half-dozen industries, including large-scale batteries. Energy storage developers in the U.S. also have to grapple with so-called “foreign entity of concern” rules, which prevent them from relying entirely on Chinese products if they wish to qualify for domestic tax credits. In the short term, Chinese exporters are among the winners of the court ruling, Hales said. Even if tariff rates reach 15%, the nation’s battery suppliers will still enjoy lower rates than before. Battery exporters in other countries won’t be so lucky, though. While the 10% rate that took effect on Tuesday will benefit Japanese and South Korean companies, that advantage will be erased if tariffs hit Trump’s full goal of 15%.

Continued from page1A

five-member elected body that regulates utilities agreed Wednesday to move up an audit to this summer of Delta’sbilling and costs. And the commissionwill let utilities spread the cost of skyrocketing bills over several months in abid to lessen the burden on customers, after aseries of votes Wednesday

Rahsha Williams, head of the LeoS.ButlerCommunity Center in Baton Rouge, told the commission that she’sseen adramatic influx of residents strugglingto pay their gas bills from Delta. Many are seniors on fixed incomes and are struggling to afford other essentials, like groceries or medication, she said.

“I see seniors on fixed incomes walking in with shaking hands because their gas billisnow higher than their grocery budget,” she said. Before last summer,most residents had asingle, com-

SENATE

Continued from page1A

spent eight years in the U.S. House and worked for the Trump White House during the president’s first term.

bined electric and gasbill from Entergy.Inthe summers, gas bills were low and electric bills were high.The reverse was generally true in the winter Delta Utilities CEOTim

Pochetold the commission that theseparategas bills from his company are contributing to customer alarm. He saidDelta is encouraging people to enroll in levelized billing, which spreads vola-

tility in prices throughout the year,making bills more predictable.

Delta buys some of its gas in thespringand summer when prices are low,then stores it in caverns for fu-

ture use in the winter when demand and prices are higher,Poche said. The company also signs contracts allowing it to procure gas at its firstof-the-month pricetoavoid wild price swings.

“While it is true we do not profitoff gas, that’sacomplete pass through to customers, we do exercise asignificant amount of strategy in ordertodefer andeliminate the volatility in that gas price.”

During Winter Storm Fern, about 11% of Delta’sgas supplieswere purchased at spot prices, which had soared to record levels, Poche said. That —combined with higher usagefrom coldweather —was enough to cause bills to skyrocket.

Documents filedwiththe PSC show the price of gas procured by Delta soared in January andFebruary to more than double its normal cost. Gas prices around the countryshotupamidunusually severe winter weather the past two months. Delta passes the entire cost of gas through to customers.

“That market price right in

the middle of the Fern event is alot of thecause forthat increase,” said Ryan King, Delta’schief regulatory and growth strategy officer The Advocate |The TimesPicayune reported in early February that skyrocketing gasand electric bills were likely coming after price hikes for natural gas in January and February In addition to ubiquitous gas-powered heaters and appliances,Louisiana has unusually high natural gas usage in powering itselectricgenerators. Those fuel prices are also passed on to customers.

Utilities here have long bet big on natural gas as acheap andabundant resource, with asprawling networkofpipelines making it easy to spin up power plants around the state. But periodic price shocks and storms over thepastfew yearshaveignited debates over how the state should best manage its power supply.Cyclical rising costs have prompted someadvocates to question whether thestate is overly reliant on natural gas.

No Louisiana governorhas opposed an incumbent senator from the same political party since 1932, when thenGov.Oscar K. Allen, at the behest of Huey Long,helped defeat the reelection of thenSen. Edwin Broussard, said Bob Mann, aformer LSU professor who is ahistorian of that period. In 1930, Long, then the governor,defeated then-Sen. Joseph Ransdell, as Ransdell sought a fourth term in the Senate.All of the men were Democrats.

John Breaux, a Democrat who won election s to the Senate in 1986, 1992 and 1998, said Landry’ s support for Letlow will add to Cassidy’schallenge.

“It’sdifficultfor an incumbent when the president of your party and the governor of your party are both opposing your reelection,” said Breaux, who had the support of aDemocratic governor when he ran. Landry did not respond to an interview request on Tuesday He has not formally endorsed Letlow.But on Feb. 13, he went on social media to say that Cassidy supported the confirmationof “liberal” judges —anaccusation that Cassidy promptly refuted.

Afterward,a spokesperson for Landrysaid,“He intends to followthe president.”

Cassidy endorsed Landry’s gubernatorial campaign in July 2023, three months before theelection. At the time, political insiderssaid Cassidy’smove stemmed more from wantingtorepair his standing among Republican voters than any affinity with thethen-attorney general. Thetwo menhave never beenclosepolitically An associateofthe governor who asked not tobe named said Trump asked Landrytointervene on Letlow’sbehalf when they met during theWashington Mardi Gras celebration nearly a month ago. Many political operatives say Trump is targeting Cassidybecausethe senator voted to convict the president on impeachment charges for theJan.6,2021, attack on the Capitolby Trumpsupporters. Cassidy had just won reelection in 2020 with Trump’ssupport.

Landry hasswung into actionfor Letlowinrecent days He convened dozens ofbig donors for aZoom call on Feb. 9toask them to raise money for Letlow,accordingto five people whowere on thecall.

Landry made hispitch and then made way forKyle Ruckert, apolitical strategist whosteppeddown recently asthe governor’s chiefofstaff,and Courtney Guastella, afundraiserfor both Landry and Letlow Ruckert described how the polls indicate Letlow is making astrong run, according to peopleonthe call.

In atextonTuesday, Ruckert said heisworking for the “Letlow for Senate” campaign

The callmostly consisted of business owners who have been big donors to Republicans butincluded at least two trial attorneys, peopleon thecallsaid.

“The headline to me: This

is very importanttoTrump,” oneperson on thecallsaidof Landry’smessage.

Not everyoneonthe call favors Letlow over Cassidy

Greg Hamer Sr., who lives in Morgan Cityand owns dozens of Taco Bell,Long John Silver’sand KFCrestaurants, saidhejoined it lateand realized only then thatitwas to raise money for Letlow

“Julia is afine lady,and Ihavealso supportedher in all her races, but asking me to vote forher against someone else that Ihavealways supportedisachange Iamnot willing to make,” Hamer said in an email. “I have alwayssupported Bill Cassidy; Ithink he has done an admirable job and should notbejudgedsolelyonthe fact thathevoted on one issue differently than the way Iwish he had.”

“Toput it bluntly,Louisiananeedsall the help we can get,” Hamer added. “For the Republican Party it does not matterwho wins, it will be aRepublican. As youknow, seniorityiseverything in the Senate. Bill hasalot of it, she hasnone. She will lack the ability to helpour state as muchashecan with his positions.”

Cassidy chairs the Senate Education,Health, Labor andPensionsCommittee, giving him enormous influence over healthcareand other matters. Hiscampaign declinedtocomment on Tuesday Letlow’s campaign,asked for acomment, said, “It’sno surprise that as Julia Letlow’sTrump-endorsed campaign gains momentum, Bill Cassidy’sliberal allies in the media are working overtime to stop her.”

Meanwhile, Landry’sassociates are calling members of the Republican StateCentral Committee to askthem to have the party endorse Letlow,according to two members whoreceived calls.

Otherstate centralcommittee members said Landry’smove is roiling the

230-personentity because Letlow,Cassidy and Flemingall have supportamong themembership. Fl emi ng cri ticized Landry’sefforts in an email to members of the state central committee on Friday “I requestthatyou make such choices for yourself, rather than attempting to please ahigh official,” Fleming wrote. “If voters or even membersofthe partyabdicatetheir rights to choose who leads and represents

them, we no longer have a representative democracy.”

Fleming said he hassubmitted 69 signedendorsements to the party leadership. In the past,statewide candidates who sought an endorsement had to obtain signatures from amajority of the state central committeeand thengot the formal nodfrom theparty’seightmemberexecutive committee. Landrydid thisduring his campaign forgovernor

One state party leader, who did not want to be named for fear of political retribution, said he is hearing that Landry is trying to get the endorsement for Letlownow by having just amajority of the executive committee agree to it. Party Chair Derek Babcock said, however,that neither Landry nor anyone else has pitched that idea to him “I wouldbevery hesitant to do anythinglikethat,”he said.

By Amanda McElfresh,amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

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Thecertificateprogram wasco-developed by LSU CollegeofEngineering,LSU Online andDigiTwin Global.Thiscollaboration blends academic insight with industry experience,creatingacurriculum designed for immediateworkplace application.

Thesubject matter expertswantedtocreate an accessibleand practicalprogram,sonocoding experience wouldberequired. They also wanted it to be acomprehensive programthatincludes contentthatnot only addressestechnicalskills andtools,but also thelegal,ethical andfinancial issues that digitaltwins raise.

Thefullprogram includes seven online courses totaling approximately140 hoursoflearning usingcasestudies,guidedtutorials andhands-on activities.The programisdesignedtobecompleted in approximatelyeight months andwilladdress

areasincluding:

•How digitaltwins arebuilt andthe technologies used in theprocess

•How digitaltwins track, monitorand improve real-worldsystems

•How digitaltwins aredeveloped usingcommon software platforms

•The benefitsand risksofdigital twins

•The skills needed to calculatedeploymentcosts andreturnoninvestment

•Key topics includingdataethics, intellectual property andlegal risks

“Noother school offers aprogram that is as comprehensive as ours.The LSUcertificate delivers insights from both academia andindustry andablend of thetheoretical andthe experiential approaches to digitaltwinningthatyou willnot findanywhereelse,”saidJames “Scott”Fargason, aDistinguished Instructor in LSU’sE.J.Ourso CollegeofBusiness’ Flores MBAprogram anda co-founder of Digi Twin Global

Thecertificateprogram hasbeenintentionally designed to be accessible to alllearners. No coding experience is required foradmission,and thefully online formatallowsindividuals to balancetheir busy scheduleswhile simultaneously gainingnew skills andhands-onexperience.

Thetargetaudience for thecertificateis broad, includingproject managers, engineersand business leaderswho need to understand thestrategic and financial implications of digitaltwintechnology

“Digital twinsare howweturnthe scaleofour commercial infrastructureintoa strategicadvantage,” said LSUalumnus Joey Coco,CEO of the engineeringfirmForteandTabladaandaco-founder of Digi Twin Global.“This certificate prepares the workforcethatwilloperate andmodernize these systemsthatkeepthe countrymoving, with LSU andLouisiana leadingthe charge.”

a New Orleans-based artist has been picked for the Biennale. In 2015, husband and wife team Keith Calhoun and Chandra McCormick were invited to show their photography For decades, DeDeaux has created spare, sophisticated artworks that, looking back, feel like premonitions.

In the mid-1970s, she hooked up telephone booths to CB radio channels, encouraging conversation across neighborhoods, races and divides. After Hurricane Katrina, she shaped shattered glass into glowing pinwheels, evoking hurricanes, galaxies or both.

And in 2021, she was honored with a retrospective exhibit at the New Orleans Museum of Art

That show, titled “The Space Between Worlds,” featured recreations of artworks destroyed in a post-Katrina fire, charred timber fragments standing like elegant, sculptural figures and one enormous, dangling wrecking ball. Her work, which grapples with climate change and calamity, feels like a natural fit for the Venice Biennale, partly because of its location.

“What is happening here is happening there,” DeDeaux said. “As we speak there’s a foot of water in St. Mark’s Square.”

Timeless art

While DeDeaux’s work represents the chic avant-garde style of the museum and gallery world, Melancon’s work touches on an age-old aspect of Crescent City street celebration.

also represents DeDeaux’s work — and in museum exhibits across the country

age 57, just days before she was set to announce the title and theme of the 2026 event.

Though the uniquely American art form is a New Orleans touchstone, it is little-known internationally

On Mardi Gras 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when Carnival street celebrations were curtailed, Melancon erected one of his suits on the empty platform that once held a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The intentionally ironic public installation became a sensation.

Melancon displayed his beadwork at the 2018 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, for several years at the popular Arthur Roger Gallery on Julia Street — which

Born in 1978, Melancon is Big Chief of the Young Seminole Hunters Black masking Indian tribe He began creating colorful, meticulously beaded feathered suits when he was a teen, joining a cultural tradition that blends aspects of African and Indigenous American customs. Melancon’s suits feature tributes to historical heroes that range from Haile Selassie to Sitting Bull to Shaka Zulu Mardi Gras Indians, as they are often known, take to the streets on Fat Tuesday to display their newest suits, perform chants and ritually confront other tribes. As Melancon explained in a “CBS Sunday Morning” broadcast, his masking rivals know “I’m going to sing against you. I’m going to dance against you. I’m going to show you how I’m better than you at sewing.”

“It’s hard to believe how excited I am to represents Black masking culture, and New Orleans and my ancestors,” Melancon said on Wednesday He said he’ll be displaying two full suits in the exhibit, plus four aprons — which tend to be the most elaborately beaded suit segment.

Greatest show on Earth

The 61st Venice Biennale will take place from May 9 to Nov 22 in various locations around Venice.

The curator of this year’s large, prestigious group show Koyo Kouoh, was the first African woman named to lead the exhibition. But in May last year, she died at

A few years before, she’d passed through New Orleans, visiting DeDeaux’s home base, dubbed Camp Abundance. It consists of a cluster of four buildings, including a corner store, that DeDeaux has transformed into a studio, gardens and residence for visiting artists.

At the time, the Cameroon-born Kouoh was leading the Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town. Over several nights under the stars, the two shared a rich conversation about art, life and the world, DeDeaux said. About industrialized agriculture, too, and the Anthropocene. DeDeaux is “forever the artist,” but at that moment, she had no grand ambitions.

“We were just talking as two people who love the arts,” she said. In 2025, DeDeaux was saddened to hear of Kouoh’s passing. Reading Kouoh’s concept for the show which includes references to second-lines and “artistic practices that open portals” — DeDeaux immediately understood why Kouoh had included her “It reflects so much of or conversation,” she said “What a gift, a gift from the grave.” Melancon said that Kouoh also visited his studio in 2023. Of course, he said, he hoped that she appreciated his work, but he had no idea “that she would be the curator of the Venice Biennale.” Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate.com.

NOLA.COM | Thursday, February 26, 2026 1bN

Action urged on Lake Forest Plaza

Progress slow on site demolished after Katrina

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

As redevelopment plans for longblighted New Orleans properties gain momentum, the site of the former Lake Forest Plaza is stagnant prompting some City Council members on Tuesday to urge Mayor Helena Moreno’s administration to make headway on New Orleans East projects.

Moreno names picks to lead RTA

Mayor pledges to take agency in new direction

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

Mayor Helena Moreno unveiled her picks Wednesday for the Regional Transit Authority’s board of commissioners in a shake-up aimed at revitalizing the agency’s partnerships with neighboring parishes following years of turmoil. The mayor appoints five of the seven authority board members Her new choices are Adler’s Jewelry owner Coleman Adler, former state Sen Ann Duplessis, Dryades Y MCA CEO Erika Mann and community organizer Barbara Major, a former authority board chair A fifth pick is forthcoming. Each will require City Council confirmation.

Moreno’s administration notified former Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s appointees on Tuesday that their last day of service would be Wednesday Leaving the board are Flozell Daniels Jr., Fred Neal Jr., Timolynn Sams, Mariah Moore and Arthur Walton.

“In line with the Mayor’s vision, the new board will build greater regional cooperation and a renewed emphasis on equity and accessibility in public transportation,” Moreno’s communications director, Isis Casanova, said in a statement Wednesday Mitchell Guidry Jr., who was appointed by Moreno when she was on the council, and Louis Colin, who was appointed by Democratic New Orleans state Rep. Delisha Boyd, were unaffected by the move and are remaining on the board.

The City Council’s Economic Development Committee on Tuesday heard from Moreno’s administration about a slew of plans to build out or restore the former Mercy Hospital, the Plaza Tower Charity Hospital and the River District apartments, among others projects that have received a mix of city bonds and private funding.

Included in that list but without a plan of action was the Lake For-

est Plaza, which was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and demolished after the storm. Council member Jason Hughes, who represents the East, quizzed administration officials about their plans to attract new development to the Plaza site.

“Progress on the Plaza mall site in the next couple years, respectfully, is just going to be too slow for me,” Hughes said.

Jeffrey Schwartz, director of the Office of Housing and Community Development, said that he couldn’t offer any concrete site updates, but they aim to hold accountable those who have been dragging their feet in moving progress forward. He said that up to 70 acres of the Plaza’s property is ripe for development.

“We could not be more bullish on that. And so it is a first 100-day priority to be able to have a strategy mapped out for how we were going to do that,” Schwartz said. The site is owned by Gowri Kai-

IN FULL BLOOM

las, who owes millions of dollars in back taxes that he’s trying to settle and has other obligations that are preventing him from redeveloping the space, he has said. Moreno was sworn into office on Jan. 12. She has identifi

Tulips bloom Tuesday along the edge of Big Lake in City Park. About 10,000 tulip bulbs are planted each season for the park’s annual spring display

Giarrusso Hankins

Among the biggest questions facing the board once it takes over will be whether to keep the agency’s CEO, Lona Edwards Hankins, who was hired in 2023. Moreno said she wanted to see “major changes” at the authority in an interview shortly before taking office in January, though she’s said little since.

Moreno’s circle of advisers, however, is filled with critics of the authority’s existing leadership.

Officials: N.O. finances remain in dire shape

Sales, property tax collections slow

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno’s administration is warning that city finances remain in dire shape as sales and property tax revenue trickles in more slowly than expected and payments on a $125 million emergency loan come due. Addressing the City Council Budget Committee on Wednesday, city officials said they’ve only collected 29% of projected property taxes and 10% of sales taxes as of Feb. 20. Chief Administrative Officer Joe Giarrusso said he expects those numbers to improve dramatically next month as procrastinating property owners meet the Feb. 28 payment deadline and sales taxes from Mardi Gras are accounted for Still, with just $27.5 million in cash on-hand, the city has almost no

margin for error in covering its $65 million monthly operating and personnel expenses. And that amount doesn’t include the loan repayment, which isn’t included in the 2026 city budget. The repayment with interest — is due in several installments before the end of June.

“There’s a critical issue the city is facing in terms of having enough revenue come in order to meet the expenses,” Giarrusso told council members.

The city already made one loan repayment this month, and another one for $55 million — the equivalent of nearly a full month of personnel and operating expenses — is due next month A full schedule of repayment deadlines was not immediately available on Wednesday afternoon. The city’s finance director, Alyssa Rambeau, assured council members the city will be able to make the next loan repayment Some council members said they were surprised the loan repayments aren’t included in the city budget, which Moreno devised with her transition team before taking office.

Man fired from Sheriff’s Office following arrest

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

A former Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy who previously worked for the New Orleans Police Department and was once commander of the New Orleans Police Department’s homicide division was arrested after authorities say he stole cash from a Metairie resident’s home. James “Jimmy” Keen 69 was booked Saturday with malfeasance in office, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Keen could not be reached for comment on Wednesday

Earlier that day, Keen, a patrol deputy with the 4th District, was sent on a call for service at a home in Metairie, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He is accused of taking $160 from the residence.

Keen was hired by the Sheriff’s Office in July 2020. From 1978 to 2006, Keen worked for the NOPD, becoming a detective and climbing rank to head of its Major Case Homicide Unit. After retiring from the NOPD, then Jefferson Parish President John Young hired Keen as chief administrative assistant of operations for the parish in 2014. Keen was booked into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. He was released Sunday on $5,000 bail.

“It is shameful for someone in a position of trust to abuse that trust,” Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto said “I will not tolerate such actions. We investigated the matter and arrested the employee.” Keen was fired on the day of his arrest.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com.

Warrant issued for driver in crash Jefferson Parish motorcycle deputy killed

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

An arrest warrant has been issued for the driver who killed a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office motorcycle deputy as he escorted a funeral procession last month,

the New Orleans Police Department confirmed Wednesday morning.

“It has been confirmed,” Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said.

“I knew (an affidavit support an arrest warrant) was being presented to a magistrate yesterday, and I am

confirming it was issued.”

PLAZA

Continued from page 1B

On her second day in office, she took to the East to announce a citywide initiative to repair the city’s streetlights and traffic signals, telling New Orleans East’s residents that they have “been ignored for way too long.”

The Plaza and Six Flags sites, however, remain stark symbols of post-Hurricane Katrina decline in the East.

“My fear is that it’ll be 2030 and we’ll still be having these conversations.”

JASON HUGHES, City Council member

The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority is working with developer Bayou Phoenix to turn the 225-acre Six Flags site into a sprawling redevelopment featuring a water park, hotels, a sports complex and other amenities The firm demolished the hulking abandoned amusement rides there last year

RTA

Continued from page 1B

Major, a 14-year veteran of the authority board, made it clear as recently as 2024 that she didn’t trust Hankins.

Hankins, in a statement Wednesday, said she remains committed to the authority and looks forward to working with the new board members “as we continue building the transit system that New Orleans deserves.”

The mayor’s announcement comes just days after the authority reversed course on a controversial plan to end paratransit service for portions of Jefferson Parish and New Orleans. The proposal, which has since been shelved, prompted an outcry among transit advocates and Jefferson Parish officials.

Hankins, at a board meeting Tuesday, said the agency’s communication about the proposed cuts was “less than stellar” and showed that the authority had room to improve.

Board shifts

The authority’s fleet of buses, streetcars, ferries and paratransit shuttles primarily service Orleans Parish, though the state agency

FINANCES

Continued from page 1B

Council members Aimee McCarron, Matthew Willard and JP Morrell urged administration officials to include future loan repayments in next year’s budget

“We cannot pay bills we don’t acknowledge are bills,” Morrell

And while the city has allocated $5 million toward priming the Six Flags site to attract developers, little movement has taken place to redevelop the former Plaza. At its peak, the popular Plaza

also operates a handful of bus lines into St. Bernard and Jefferson parishes and a ferry connecting Lower Algiers and Chalmette.

The mayor selects five of the authority’s board members, while the council and a rotating cast of state legislators select the two others.

But the board’s current makeup is a far cry from how it looked when Hankins took over, when three members hailed from Jefferson Parish, as the agency aimed to live up to the “regional” in its name.

Those ties were severed in 2024, after the Jefferson members resigned en masse and Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng formally withdrew the parish from the agency amid questions about whether authority leadership had been truthful with the board about a construction contract that ballooned in value.

The FBI later launched an investigation into the matter; it’s unclear as of now where that stands. Moreno, in the interview before taking office, said the agency was “under multiple investigations.”

Jefferson Parish, which operates a much smaller transit agency and took over the authority’s bus routes in Kenner after the breakup, won’t be rejoining the authority board anytime soon.

In an interview last month, Lee

made up 25% of all the city’s sales tax revenue, Schwartz said. That statistic alone “should have been the impetus needed for us to get that site back up and running,” said council Vice President Matt Willard.

“We definitely have to give the New Orleans East the attention that it truly deserves.”

Hughes also pointed to the old Kenilworth Mall site near Morrison and Interstate 10 that closed after Hurricane Katrina, the massive shell of the former Schwegmann Grocery on Bullard Avenue that closed in 1999 and the swaths of vacant land in the Lower 9th Ward as areas for improvement.

Sheng said she wants to partner with the authority to improve regional connectivity But she reiterated Wednesday that the best way to do that is through cooperative endeavor agreements, not by participating on the board.

Success and challenges

Hankins, for her part, has highlighted successes under her watch in securing federal grants, developing a fleet management and capital improvement plan, and overseeing updates in the agency’s financial management software and procurement processes.

On Tuesday, Hankins announced that the federal government had awarded the agency $27.2 million in competitive grants to purchase new buses and rehabilitate its operations and maintenance facilities.

In a post on LinkedIn on Wednesday, Neal, the outgoing board chair, praised Hankins’ leadership and noted that the agency is in a much better financial footing than it was when he joined the agency eight years ago.

“Yes, there is still more work to do, especially around reliability of service, but the progress is undeniable,” Neal said

The recent snafu around paratransit boundaries, however, put the spotlight on the lack of prog-

And any further delays on the highly anticipated Lincoln Beach reopening is “grossly unacceptable,” he said.

Hughes urged the Economic Development office to commit to twice monthly meetings with him and his team and to include residents in the discussion. He also urged Schwartz’s team to develop plans to boost the area’s network of small businesses and to hold absentee property owners accountable.

“My fear is that it’ll be 2030 and we’ll still be having these conversations,” he said.

Email Joni Hess at joni.hess@ theadvocate.com.

ress the authority has made in improving its service for disabled riders, which has faced repeated criticism for missed pickups and excessively long trips Those issues prompted federal regulators in September to conclude the authority was violating disabilityrights laws.

Hankins vowed to improve the authority’s paratransit service in December 2024, after The TimesPicayune reported on an internal audit that painted a dire picture of its operations.

But Major who also expressed skepticism when Hankins was hired in 2023, wasn’t convinced.

Speaking at a board meeting in 2024, she tore into the handling of paratransit service by the authority’s leadership.

“Now I hear all of what you’re gonna do, but I can honestly tell you, I don’t trust you,” Major said, turning to Hankins.

The council’s governmental affairs committee, which handles mayoral confirmations, is scheduled to meet on March 9. None of the incoming or outgoing board members contacted by The TimesPicayune would comment.

Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate.com or send him an encrypted message on Signal at blakepaterson.504.

Ohlmeyer was pronounced dead at a hospital. The driver was also treated for injuries at a hospital.

The NOPD did not confirm that the driver has been taken into custody

The NOPD has not yet stated the charges or identified the driver However, Erica Smith-Katsanis, 53, was booked into Orleans Justice Center on a count of vehicular homicide at 4:33 p.m. Wednesday, according to jail records. A crash report obtained by Fox 8 identified Smith-Katsanis as the driver Police believe she slammed her vehicle into Christopher Paul Ohlmeyer, 41, as he worked an off-duty detail in the 9200 block of Airline Highway shortly before noon on Jan. 30. Ohlmeyer, a 14-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, was traveling west in the center lane while the funeral procession moved in the far left lane, according to the NOPD. As he slowed to a stop, the sedan rammed the rear of his motorcycle, ejecting him from the bike, police said.

ST. CHARLES

Middle school band director arrested

BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer

Harry Hurst Middle School’s band director was arrested Tuesday and accused of inappropriate conduct with a child, according to the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office and officials at the school in St. Charles Parish. The Sheriff’s Office said Emma Katherine Prejean 29, of Belle Rose, solicited the child over the computer and later met with the victim in person She faces counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile and computer-aided solicitation of a minor Prejean is listed as Harry Hurst Middle’s band director on the Destrehan school’s website. Harry Hurst school officials confirmed that an employee was arrested in Terrebonne Parish and said the faculty member is on leave.

“We are aware that a Harry Hurst Middle School employee is currently in the custody of the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office on charges related to a minor in that parish,” school officials said in a statement. “Upon being notified by the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office of the arrest, the district took immediate action in accordance with policy and placed the employee on leave. No further information may be given as this is a personnel and legal matter.”

The victim was not a student of St. Charles Parish Public Schools, Harry Hurst officials said in an email to parents. The Sheriff’s Office began investigating the alleged online communications in February, meeting with the victim and a member of their family

The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office said Prejean also met with the child in person and had a “physical interaction.” Another witness confirmed the meeting, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Prejean was identified by the victim, according to authorities, and investigators uncovered further digital evidence that allegedly tied her to the child sexual abuse allegations.

Deputies questioned Prejean on Tuesday and she admitted to the inappropriate interactions with the victim, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Prejean was booked into the Terrebonne Parish Criminal Justice Complex and was ordered held with no bail by a local judge, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are unknown at this time, Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Tim Soignet said.

“As always, we ask for patience and privacy for the victims and family,” Soignet said.

“Our detectives are working diligently to bring this case to resolution and hold this offender accountable for her actions.”

LOTTERY

Another loan — known as a revenue anticipation note will be needed later this summer,

said. Giarrusso said the repayments aren’t in the budget because “the whole world knew exactly what the expense is,” referring to the highly publicized cash shortage in November that threatened the paychecks of nearly 5,000 city workers created the need for the $125 million emergency loan. The loan proceeds, which covered payroll expenses for three months, are now tapped, and the Moreno administration is transitioning from relying on the loan as a crutch to paying it off. Giarrusso said after the meeting that, so long as tax revenues catch up to projections, he does not expect another cash crisis like the one last year

although the exact timing and amount haven’t been determined. “What I’m focused on is, how do we make sure we get the RAN paid, how do we make sure we get city employees paid and then getting to the summertime in order to go for the next RAN,” Giarrusso said after the meeting. Email Ben Myers at bmyers@ theadvocate.com.

TUESDAY, FEB 24, 2026

PICK 3: 3-3-2

PICK 4: 1-6-6-8

PICK 5: 8-1-5-6-4

MEGA MILLIONS: 12-39-43-49-55

MEGA BALL: 23

N.O. Book Festival returningtoTulane

Organizers release celebrity-packed schedule

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

Fans of the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University can startmaking plans now thatorganizershave released the 2026 event’sdaily schedule —but choosing who to see won’tbeeasy

The free literary gathering,scheduled for March 12-15, willfeature more than 250 authors, creatives, cultural commentators, business leaders and political figures participating in more than 100 sessions on Tulane’sUptown campus.

The four days of literary conversations have been dubbed “Mardi Gras for the mind,” but it might be more accurate to call it “Jazz Fest for ideas.” Like that famous rite of spring and other multi-stage Louisiana cultural events, Book Fest often creates difficultchoices as interesting speakers are scheduled simultaneouslyatdifferent event spaces.

“It’sexciting to have so many extraordinary voices gatheredinone place, andwerecognize that this cancreate achallenge for booklovers,” said Cheryl Landrieu, festival co-chair “In our view,there are no wrong choices, just alot of new opportunities for discovery andinspiration.”

The event is expanding this year,stretchingfrom three days to four with a dedicatedfamily day on Sunday,and adding Tulane’sDevlin Fieldhouse as apresentation space to handle the record crowds that attended last year

At 5p.m. Thursday,Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-inchief of The Atlantic, will moderate aconversation called “America at 250”

12-15.

featuringfamed documentarian Ken Burns, Pulitzer Prize-winninghistorian Annette Gordon-Reed, biographer and festivalco-chair Walter Isaacson, and The Atlantic staff writer and bestselling author Clint Smith.

Then theprogramming revs up the next day. At 10 a.m. Friday,former Gov. John BelEdwards will interview Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, about McChrystal’s2025 book “On Character: Choices That Define aLife.”

At thesame time, Tulane professorNickMattei will interview SirTim BernersLee, the English computer scientist credited withthe invention of theWorldWide Weband the HTMLcode used to build websites Also at 10 a.m.Friday,

the Hungarian settlement known as Árpádhon about amile away from the Hungarian SettlementMuseum in Hammond. The president of Hungarywill visit the country’s largest rural Hungarian settlement in Livingston Parish in March

Hungarypresident to visitrural parish

Livingston settlement the largestinU.S

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

The president of Hungary is making his way to Louisiana in March to visit the United States’largest rural Hungarian settlement in Livingston Parish. Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok is visiting the Albany Hungarian Presbyterian Church at 5p.m. March 4. The president plans to talk to local residents and offer any support to the small rural community,according to officials.

Acontingent of Hungarian security officials visited theLouisiana settlement last week in advance of the trip to map out aroute for the president, according to Livingston Parish Council

member Joe Erdey,who is apartofthe Hungarian settlement.

“It looks big for all the people,” Erdeysaid. “I’m so excited.”

Thesettlement is nestledbetween the towns of Albany and Springfield in Livingston Parish. An estimated150to200 families of Hungarian descentlive in the area, but many of themare only part Hungarian.

The community has two Hungarian organizations: the Árpádhon Hungarian Settlement Cultural Association and the Hungarian Settlement Historical Society.

“Thisisawonderful opportunityfor ourcommunity! Please come and represent our beautiful Hungarian Settlement.

Allare welcome! Not just Hungarians,” the local ÁrpádhonHungarian Settlement Cultural Association wrote in an online post

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Rick Atkinson will talk to Burnsabout the American Revolution, and, in another space, celebrated novelist Salman Rushdie will discuss his 2025 book “The EleventhHour.”

Later that morning, tech journalist and podcaster KaraSwisher will take on thetopic “Who Shapes AmericaNow?” while Charles M. Blow, Imani Perry and New Orleanian ClintSmith discuss“Place, Power and Belonging.”

The busy schedule, featuring dozens of panels in multiple venues, continues throughoutthe dayand into Saturday,when more clusters of big names will force attendees to prioritize.

At 1p.m.Saturday, political commentator Molly Jong-Fast andauthorSusan Orlean will talk about theirnew memoirs; writer

Roxane Gay andscholar Imani Perry will discuss “Feminism, Cultureand Voice;” CNN journalistAnderson Cooper and actor/ podcaster Dax Shepard will tackle multiple topics;and financialjournalist Andrew Ross Sorkin will interview Adm. William H. McRaven about leadership. At 4p.m. Saturday,Maryland Gov.Wes Moore will speak at the same time as Stacey Abrams, the politician andvoting rights activist.

In other sessions, fatherand-sonchefs Emeril Lagasse and E.J. Lagasse will talk about New Orleans food, social mediastar Nicole Richie will interview two authors, andpodcaster TimMiller will interview journalistDon Lemon. Others scheduledtoappear at thefifth annual Book Fest includeTarriona

“Tank” Ball, David Brooks, Oren Cass, Kenny Chesney, Ibram X. Kendi, Erik Larson, Michael Lewis, Jon Meacham andVietThanh Nguyen. Adozen other Book Fest presentations this year will dig into the “America at 250” theme, addressing leadership, civil rights, public memoryand cultural identity Other topics include investigative journalism, presidential history,music, sports and contemporary fiction.

All sessions arerecorded andpostedonthe festival’s YouTube channel, andattendees have achancetointeract with authors during book signings. The signing schedule will be released next week.

Email RichCollinsatrich. collins@theadvocate.com.

Mother filessuitagainst St.Tammany school system

Sheclaimsclass dayshortened for sonwithautism

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

Amother is suing St. Tammany Parish Public Schools in federal court in New Orleans claiming theschool district violated federal disabilitylaws by shortening the school dayofher child, whohas autism, to two hours per day

Themother,identified only by initials P.A., filed thelawsuit in January on behalf of herself andher 10-yearold son, who is identified only by initials A.A. and is afourth grader at Carolyn Park Middle School in Slidell.

The mother alleges her son was excludedfrom approximately 20,737 minutes of school in the 2024-25 school year,spending more time out of school than receiving instruction. This led him to regress “academically,socially and behaviorally” and wasincompatible with federal law, including theIndividuals withDisabilities Education Act, the complaint argues.

Thecomplaint, which names theschool system andSuperintendent Frank Jabbia as defendants, alleges there arealsoother students withdisabilities in the St. Tammany Parish Public School System who have similarly been placed on shortened schedules.

Aschool system spokesperson declined to comment, citing the ongoing lawsuit.

“Weare interested in ensuring thatthis isn’thappening to other kids and that this practice, at leastinSt. Tammany, is put to an end,” said Lauren A. Winkler,a senior staff attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Cen-

ter,who is representing the mother.Sara Godchaux, an assistant clinical professor at Loyola Law School, is alsorepresenting the family

The lawsuit asks the federal judge to reverse astate administrative law judge’s ruling against the mother from October In herOctober ruling Administrative Law Judge StephanieE.Robin sided with theschool district, finding themother had not proven the district was denying her son afree, appropriate public education, the standard under the Individuals withDisabilitiesEducationAct, according to court records.

In Louisiana, parents of children with disabilities

can initiate adue process hearingwithanadministrative lawjudgetoresolve disputeswith theschool district.

Someofthe claims in front of U.S. DistrictJudge Darrel James Papillionare on appeal from the administrative lawjudge, while others are new discriminationclaims, Winkler said.

The mother is also seeking an improvededucation planfor herson going forward, as well as compensatory education andservices forthe instruction time allegedly lost during the2024-25 school year,in addition to other relief, according to the complaint.

The school district’sresponse is due at theend of March, Winkler said.

Bell, Eddie Brown, Wendall Buras,Annette De La Rose, Sonja Demas, Susan Devall, Josephine Dominick, Eddie Haack,Ann LeBlanc, Joseph Martinez Sr., Louis McClure, Rosella Mitchell, Lynn Oye, Maria O’Connor,Dottie Parker, Leona Robb, Glen Tierney, Bridget Tinson, Delores Trepagnier,Garland Tyson, Henry Waiters,Kang Ward, Paul

Area Deaths EJefferson Garden of Memories

Oye, Maria AultmanSr.,Dexter

Bell, Eddie De La Rose, Sonja Demas, Susan LeBlanc, Joseph Waiters,Kang

Boyd Family Charbonnet DW Rhodes

Mitchell, Lynn Tyson, Henry Tierney, Bridget

JacobSchoen

Devall, Josephine Haack,Ann Ward, Paul

Martinez Sr., Louis O’Connor,Dottie Robb, Glen

Trepagnier,Garland

Lake Lawn Metairie Littlejohn FH Majestic Mortuary River Parish HC Alexander West Bank

McClure, Rosella

Mothe

Buras,Annette

Robinson FH

Tinson, Delores

Obituaries

AultmanSr.,DexterCarl

On theevening of Mon‐day,February16, 2026, SMSgt (Ret)DexterCarl Aultman,Sr.,peacefully entered into eternallife. BornonOctober 3, 1947,in Oakvale,MS, to theunion ofJ.T.and Clarenda Pittman Aultman. Dexter was a1965 graduate of Booker T. Washington High School in NewOrleans.He enlistedinthe USAF and served20combinedyears ofactiveand reserveduty. Healsoworkedfor 28 years andretired from the NationalAeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)asa QualityAssur‐anceSpecialistinthe statesofLouisiana (Martin Marietta NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans East), Florida (Cape Canaveral),and Mis‐sissippi (JohnC.Stennis Space Center). Carl wasa memberofLivingWater Baptist Church.His legacy willliveonthrough his children: ShinellM.Ault‐man,DexterCarlAultman, Jr. (Nakita),and Tanya Poret (Kevin); grandchil‐dren–QuentinCarlArm‐strong, CamrynnJazlynn Aultman,Paris Ade’ Ault‐man,Tyron Matthew Evans,and Ronald Matthew Evans, Jr.; sib‐lings–BrendaAultman Ben‐nett, StanleyR.Aultman (Joann),Kendall M. Ault‐man,Sr.,Ivy S. Aultman, and MarvesterJ.Aultman; a specialcousinwho was likea brother, Gene Buck‐ley,and agodchild, Brandy Jackson Palao. He is also survivedbya host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends.Carlwas preceded indeath by hisparents;el‐destbrother,Javis C. Ault‐man,Sr.;grandparents, Gazzieand Carrie Arm‐strongPittman andJake and Betty McClendonAult‐man;sister-in-law,Wanda M.Aultman.Friends and familyaeinvited to attend the CelebrationofLifeSer‐viceonSaturday, February 28, 2026, for10:00 a.m. at LivingWater Baptist Church2401 ElysianFields Avenue,NOLA70117. Visi‐tationwillbegin at 9:00 am. Pastor JamesJ.Santa Cruze,Jr.,officiating. Inter‐mentMonday, March2 2026; 1:30 pm at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Ceme‐tery, 34888 Grantham Col‐legeDrive,Slidell, LA 70460 Guestbook Online:www anewtraditionbegins.com (504)282-0600. Linear BrooksBoydand Donavin D.BoydOwners/FuneralDi‐rectors

Bell, EddieLee

fullyservedonthe Deacon Board,Men of Valorand mentoring theyouth.Inad‐ditiontohis wife andpar‐ents, Eddieisalsopre‐ceded in deathbysiblings, Deborah Badon, Willie and AlbertBell. Survivorsin‐clude hischildren, Michael Bell(Monika)and Melissa Fleming;grandchildren Mariama andKylaFleming, Zakiria Mason, Zoeand Izaiah Bell; great-grand‐son,James Laughlin;de‐voted sister,RosaBreas‐hears;friends,Gwendolyn FayeDureseauand Calvin T.Spears, as well as ahost ofnieces, nephews, other relatives andfriends.A Celebration servicehonor‐ing thelifeand legacy of the late EddieLee Bell will beheldatMount Hermon Baptist Church,2153 N. Broad St., New Orleans, LA at10am. IntermentMount OlivetCemetery. Visitation 9 am in thechurch.Please signonlineguestbook at www.charbonnetfuneralho me.comCharbonnetLabat Glapion,Directors (504) 581-4411

Wendall "Polo" Brown, November 21, 1968February10, 2026

Wendall "Polo" Brown departedthis lifeon February 10, 2026, with his lovingfamilybyhis side. He was known forhis kind heart, warmspirit, and signature style. From the Ninth Ward to the Seventeenth Ward and back, Polo was known as one of the best dressers, always stepping out in his finest clothes, Ballyshoes, and of course aPoloshirt He was precededin deathbyhis father, Alvin Alonzo Brown, and hismaternal grandparents,Jack Johnson McElveen and Emma Drayton McElveen. He is survived by his lovingmother, Jacquelyn McElveen; his daughters, Danielle Lloyd and Wennisha Cambridge; and his granddaughters, Kylia Lloyd and Sanaa Mitchell, along with other relatives and friends.

Funeral services will be held Friday, February 27, at Gentilly BaptistChurch, 5141 Franklin Avenue,New Orleans, Louisiana. Visitation is at 10 am. Service 11am.

food,music,and thepeo‐ple sheloved most.An‐nette found joyinthe everyday: readinga good book,cookinga delicious meal, and, aboveall, spendingtimewithher family. Hercommitmentto those sheloved —espe‐cially Tommyand Jack was boundless andpure‐Professionally, Annette servedasthe Continuing Legal EducationCoordina‐tor forthe LouisianaState Bar Associationfor 33 years,a role shecherished deeply.Through herwork, she traveled,built lasting friendships,and met countless lawyersand judgeswhose respectand admirationshe earned.Her involvement with ACLEA (AssociationofContinuing Legal Education) waspar‐ticularly meaningful;she heldnumerousroles within the organization butfound her greatest joyinthe friendships that blos‐somed there. Thesespecial bonds ledtothe formation ofanunofficial grouplov‐ingly called "the Bs"— a circleofunwavering sup‐port, faith,and love that stood by herduringher ill‐ness. Annette also gave backtoher community in manyways. During Jack’s grammarschool yearsat Christthe King Church,she proudly served on the school boardand as aEu‐charistic Minister forthe church —roles sheconsid‐eredtruehonors. With a sense of humor that could light up anyroom,Annette was knownfor herability tomakepeoplesmile,her sincere listeningear,and her warm,comforting hugs. Shehad agiftfor lift‐ing others up —often with a prayer,a kind word,or simplyher presence.An‐nette leaves this world withgratitude in herheart forTommy,Jack, Margery,and theBs— whose love andsupport wereconstantstrength. She touchedcountless lives andlefteachone bet‐ter than shefound it.Fam‐ily andfriends areinvited toattend theFuneralMass onFriday, February 27, 2026 at12noon at Christ the KingCatholicChurch,535 DeerfieldRd. Terrytown, Louisiana.Visitationwillbe heldatthe church from 9am until 12pm. Interment, WestlawnMemorialPark Cemetery, Gretna, Louisiana.Wewould like to thank OchsnerMedical Westbankand OchsnerThe Gayle andTom Benson CancerResearchHospital for theiramazing care.Dr. Mizrahi andhis team were alwayshonestand truth‐ful.Inlieuof flowers, pleaseconsidersending a donationtothe Ochsner CancerResearchHospital. Annette will be deeply missed, foreverloved,and alwaysremembered. “Thereare some who bring a lightsogreat to the world,thatevenafter they havegone, thelight re‐mains.”REMEMBER:Hebe‐cameone of us,sothatwe could become likeHim

De La Rose,Sonja Foucher

Devotedwifeofthe late Calvin“Mr.D.” De La Rose, Sr.,for 35 years. Loving motherofShaylaand CalvinDeLaRose, Sr.Sis‐ter of Noel,Jr.,Thaddeus and AvaFoucher.She will berememberedfor her warmsmile,small talk,and generosity. In addition to her children Sonjaalso leavestocherish hermem‐ory ahostofnieces, nephews,cousins near and far,other relativesand friends.Relatives and Friends;Priestand parish‐ionersofStPeter Claver, Our Lady of Guadalupeand Immaculate Conception Je‐suitParishes; Staff andem‐ployees of St.Peter Claver School;AlumniofXavier UniversityPreparatory Class of 1960; membersof DisabledAmericanVeter‐ans andAuxiliary from Chapter #15, #17, #23and Unit#17; Autocrat Social Aid andPleasureClubare invited to attend thefu‐neral.A Mass of Christian burialhonoringthe life and legacyofthe late Sonja Foucher De La Rose will be heldatSt. PeterClaver Catholic Church,1923 St PhilipStreet,New Orleans, LA70116 on Saturday,Feb‐ruary 28, 2026 at 10 am.In‐terment Lake Lawn Ceme‐tery(AllSaintsMau‐soleum),5100 Pontchar‐train Blvd., NewOrleans, LA70124. Visitation 9am withrecitationofthe Holy Rosarytobegin at 9:15 am In lieu of flowers, please makeonlinegifts in honor ofthe late SonjaF.DeLa Rosetothe Dementia Soci‐ety of America, www.Dem entiaSociety.org/donate Please sign online guest‐book at www.charbonnetf uneralhome.com. Charbon‐net LabatGlapion,Direc‐tors(504)581 4411.

celebrationhonoringthe lifeand legacy of thelate Susan Demaswillbeheld atSt. Raymond/ St.Leo the GreatCatholicChurch, 2916 ParisAve NewOr‐leans,LA70112 on Satur‐day,February28, 2026 at 10 am. Intermentprivate.Visi‐tation9 am in thechurch Pleasesignonlineguest‐book at charbonnetfuner‐alhome.comCharbonnet Labat Glapion, Directors (504) 581-4411

Devall,Josephine Annette'Josie'

Josephine'Josie' AnnetteDevall, age11, of NewOrleans wastaken from us on Saturday, February 21, 2026, but she left us alifetime of memories.Josie wasbornon August 4, 2014, to Joseph "Joey" Devall, Jr andEileen Dunn Devall. A6th grader at the Academy of theSacred Heart, Josiemade many friends that sheloved deeply andmade alasting impression on thefaculty. Shehad apassion for reading,artsand crafts, andwriting stories.She also enjoyed swimming,tennis, and playingthe piano.

Josietreasured her summers spent at Greystoneand Riverview camps, whereher love for adventureand friendship flourished.Josie cherished thetimespent with her familyand friends, creatingcountless memories filledwith hergoofiness, laughter, andlove.

Josie'sbrightspirit will remain in theheartsofall whoknewher,a testament to the rich andprecious life shelived,albeittoo brief.

LA 70118 or https://rmhcsl a.org/donateand select Donation Optionstodedicate it to Josie. Mass intentionsatyourlocal church are also much appreciated

Dominick, Eddie Joseph

EddieLee Bell,age 90, a nativeofWoodville, MS, entered eternalrestonFri‐day,February13, 2026. Son ofthe late Willie,Sr. and MaryEliza Tolliver Bell.De‐voted husband of thelate LillieBell. Mr.Bellwas a 1956 graduate of Booker T. WashingtonHighSchool in New Orleans, LA and servedsix yearsinthe U.S. Army. He also attended Dil‐lardUniversity, wherehe receiveda Bachelor of Arts degree. Eddieworkedas aninsurance agentfor manyyears andlater changed careerstowork asa Stillman at Tenneco Oil refinery andMobil Oil Company.After retiring,he enjoyed hisfavoritepas‐times,huntingand fishing. Eddiewas adevoutchrist‐ian,who served faithfully atOld Zion BaptistChurch where he attended with his familyfor many years. He later unitedwithLiving WatersBaptist Church and finally Mount Hermon Bap‐tist Church,where he faith‐DavisMortuary

In Loving Memory of An‐nette C. Buras. It is with profound sadnessthatwe announcethe passingof Annette C. Buras, who left thisworld to join herheav‐enlyfather, on February 18, 2026 after acourageous and fiercely fought battle withpancreaticcancer. She wasdiagnosed on Nov, 5,2020. Born in New Or‐leans,Annette’s vibrant spiritand deep-rooted love for hercityremainedwith her throughout herlife. She lived,worked, andbuilt a legacyofcompassion, laughter, anddedicationin the placeshe called home Annette wasthe heart and soulofher family.She is survivedbyher beloved husband of 35 years, Tommy Buras, whose devo‐tionwas mirrored in her own unwavering love for him;her son, Jack T. Buras, ofwhomshe wasend‐lesslyproud of;her caring sister, MargeryGilbert; and brotherGuido Perez. She wasalsoa cherished aunt to Matthew Gilbert (Jessie) andKaelenOubre (Jeff), with whomshe sharedmanywarmand joyfulmemories. Herloving mother, Gloria Cam‐bronero,and loving father, IsaiasCambroneroprede‐ceased her. Family was everythingtoAnnette Whetheritwas camping under thestars,cheering atNASCARraces in Day‐tona, boatingon Lake Pontchartrain,orcreating magical memories at Dis‐ney,she embraced life’s adventureswithopen armsand an open heart. Her favorite gatherings werethe simple ones crawfish boils andback‐yardbarbecues sur‐rounded by laughter,good

SonjaFoucher De La Rose, 82, passedaway peacefullyonSaturday, February14, 2026 sur‐rounded by herlovingcare teamatOchsner Baptist ICUat8:42pmCST.Bornon December14, 1943 in New Orleans,Sonja wasthe el‐destoffourchildrenborn intothe union of thelate Noel, Sr.and Bessie (Moret) Foucher. She began hercareer as an eli‐gibilityCaseWorkerfor the State of LouisianaWelfare Office,after completing StraightBusinessSchool in Treme’, where sheinspired and managedcountless cases formembers of the New Orleanscommunity who needed herservices.

SusanAnn Keligond Demas peacefully transi‐tionedtoher heavenly homeonThursday,Febru‐ary 12, 2026. Shewas born onApril 19, 1948, in New Orleans,LA, to theunion of the late Herbert, Sr.and Bernice Morgan Keligond. Ata young age, Susancon‐fessedJesus Christ as the Lordand Savior of herlife. She received herearly edu‐cationatMcDonogh 42 Ele‐mentary School andwas a proud graduate of Joseph S.Clark Senior High School OnJuly24, 1976, Susanen‐tered into holy matrimony withthe love of herlife, the now late Osborn Elliott Demas,Jr.,affectionately known as Michael. From thislovingunion,one daughterwas born,Dawn‐Monique DemasLee. Affec‐tionately knownas"Nana," Susan's grandchildrenand familywereher heart. She was adevoted wife,loving mother, proudgrand‐motherand took great pride in herfamily. She was an inspirationto many, always greetingoth‐ers with awarmsmile, kindwords,openhands ready to help anda loving heart.She nevermet a strangerand waswell known forher cheerful greeting, "Hey,Baby."In addition to herhusband and parents, Susanisalso precededindeath by her siblings, MarieGiles and Herbert Keligond, Jr.; sister and brothers-in-law, Mon‐ica Demas, TerenceDemas and LouisCerre,Jr. In addi‐tiontoher daughter,Those who remain to cherishher preciousmemoriesinclude her soninlaw,Raymond Lee, Jr.; sisters, BeverlyK Wilkerson(Claude)and Marlene K. Murphy (Charles);grandchildren, Gabrielle Michelle Lee, Jaida Rae' Leeand Rayani Trebreh Lee, as well as a hostofnieces, nephews, cousins,other relatives anddearfriends.A Mass of

Josiewas preceded in death by hergrandmother, Kathy Devall. Survivors includeher parents, Joey and Eileen Devall; siblings, Haileyand Aidan; grandparents, Joe Devalland Diane and Angelo Marchese; aunts anduncles,Monicaand KennyDevall,Katie and Matt Devall, Rosemaryand Luke Ahearn, Jill andKeith Dunn;and numerous cousinsand friends. Relativesand friends are invited to attendthe visitation from 12:00 until 2:00 p.m. on Monday, March2,2026, at Lake LawnMetairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd,New Orleans. Thefuneralmass will follow at 2:00 p.m.,with theRev PatrickCarrofficiating Intermentwill be in MetairieCemetery To view andsignthe familyonline guestbook andshare yourmemories of Josie, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorialsand donations may be made to the Ronald McDonald House SouthLouisiana, Attn: GraceMcIntosh, 210 State St Bldg. 4, NewOrleans

EddieJosephDominick, 69, of Marrero,Louisiana, passed away peacefullyon February 14, 2026 at his home, surrounded by loved ones. Eddiewas born on November 9, 1956 in New Orleanstothe lateJoseph andBernadette "Lilly" Eddiewill be remembered for hiskind heart, hard work, humorand dedication to family. Eddieissurvived by hiswife,Cynthia Berthelot Dominick;father of Shantelle Dominick Rogersand Adam Dominick;grandfatherof KaylaRogers(Grant), Savannah Corse (Brandon), Brycen Dominickand Ava Rogers; great grandfather of Miaand Emree Bihm. Eddieisprecededindeath by hisfourbrothersand threesisters. In accordancewith Eddie'swishes, no formal service will be held. The familyencourages those whoknewEddietohonor hismemory in theirown way— share astory, enjoy afavorite hobby, or spend time with lovedonesas Eddiewould have wanted Thefamilywould like to extendheartfelt thanks to Passive Hospice andthe caregivers whotendedto himfor their compassion and support. MayEddie rest in peace, remembered always with love andgratitude

Ann KendallHobson

AnnKendall Hobson Haack died peacefullyat home on January 18, 2026. Shewas 96 years old. Born in Vidalia, LA, on November 9, 1929, Annwas thedaughter of William J Kendall and Mary Louise Netterville Kendall of Natchez,MS, whereshe grew up.Ann graduated from TheMasters School in DobbsFerry, NY,and attended Sophie Newcomb College, whereshe met John B. Hobson,III.Intheir early marriedlife, she and John lived in Natchez,MS, andthenmoved to New Orleanstoraise theirfive children. John Hobson died tragically on January 2, 1971. Oneworld endedbut anotherone opened in 1973 when Ann met

Frederick Haack. Ann and Frederick were soon married andmoved to Saudi Arabia. They lived an amazing life together for 45 years and resided in Saudi Arabia, India, London, and California and traveling extensively throughout five continents, before settling back in New Orleans 15 years later. Ann and Frederick immersed themselves in New Orleans life for the next 30 years, until Frederick s deathin2018 at 98 years old.Many summers were spent in Maine with old and new friends and family, but above all, they treasured their time together at their beloved farm in Mississippi.

Ann is survived by her son, J. KendallHobson of Murphy, NC and New Orleans; and her four daughters, Ann Soniat, Dodge Hobson (Ivens Robinson),Mary Louise Hobson, all of New Orleans; and Laura Hobson Larson(John Keith), of Alexandria, VA; 8grandchildren: Jessica Elder, John K. Hobson(Sarah), Lessley Fitzpatrick (Fletcher),William Feltus, Eliza Feltus (JP), Langley Robinson (Jo), Welles Robinson, and Emma Hobson Feltus (Dan), and7 great grandchildren, and by Frederick's children, Scilla Smith and Frederick L. Haack, Jr. and their children and grandchildren. Ann's sister, Mary Louise Kendall Robinson, predeceased her. Ann was amember of Garden Study Club of New Orleans, the New Orleans Country Club, the New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club the Biltmore Forest Country Club, NC, and the Colony Club, NY. The family would liketo thank Leobarda Yates Dolores Trejo, Nidia Zeledon, CarolynMayo, and Sandra Crawford for the kindnessand compassion they showed Ann. Amemorial service will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1329 JacksonAve in New Orleans, on Thursday, February 26, 2026,at1:30pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider making adonation in Ann's honor to Trinity Episcopal Church. To view and sign the online guest book, please visit LakeLawnMetairie.com

LeBlanc, Joseph Samuel

Commissary, nowlocated inBellchase,Louisiana Staff Sergeant Martinez lived awonderful life as he breathedhis last at the age of 91 yearsyoung Staff Sergeant Martinez was preceded in deathby his parentsMabel Morel Polkand John Martinez,a sisterDiane Williams, brothers, Donald,Benjamin and Ernest Polk,brothersin-law, Paul andJose’,his firstwifeDorisa, hislatter wife, Joyce, andstep‐daughters,Cynthia andAn‐drea. He is survived and greatly missed by hischil‐dren, Louis(Javonda) Mar‐tinez,II, Dr.Joy (Calvin) Slocum, Julie(William) Tumblin,WillieWalker, Jr Joseph(Lytaria) Walker, Debra,and Vernelle (Wyan) Dunn. He leaves to cherish his memories,his siblings, Shirley Ferdinand, Betty Salcedo,Michael,Blaise (Lizette), and Craig (Wanda) Polk.Also, sisters and brothers-in-law, sons and daughters-in-law,a host of grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Viewingofthe bodywilltakeplace on Fri‐day,February27, 2026 from 10:00 am -11:00 am at Lit‐tlejohn FuneralHome, 2163 Aubry Street,NOLA70119 The Intermentwillfollow atSoutheast LouisianaVet‐erans Cemetery,34888 GranthamCollege Drive, Slidell, LouisianawithFull MilitaryHonors. Profes‐sionalservicesentrusted toLittlejohnFuneralHome. Facebooklivestreaming: http//www.facebook.com/ viewfuneralnow

RosellaMcClure passed awayatWestJefferson Medical Center on Satur‐day,February7,2026, at the ageof61. Shewas a nativeofUtica,MSand a residentofMarrero,LA. LovingmotherofRenada (Nickol)Bush, RickyMc‐Clure,Diamond McClure, RubyMcClure,DirellMc‐Clure,JeremiahMcClure, AshleyMcClure,and Crys‐tal McClure. Grandmother ofthe late Chalsey“Shay McClure.Daughterofthe lateIsacc McClure, Sr.and Rosie LeeMcClure.Beloved sisterofIsacc McClure, Harold McClure, Joeann McClure, Yvette Coler, SharonSylvester,Emma McClure,LeKeritha Alleyne, LatoyaMcClure,and the lateBrendaMcClure and RobertMcClure.Aunt of the late Ronald andDonald McClure.Fiancée of the lateDessieBenardNew‐berry.Rosella is also sur‐vived by 40 grandchildren, 8 greatgrandchildren,and a host of nieces,nephews cousins,other relatives and friends. Relativesand friends of thefamilyalso employeesofJoEllen Smith LivingCenter, West Jeffer‐son MedicalCenterand Hospice areinvited to at‐tendthe CelebrationofLife atDavis Mortuary Service, 6820 Westbank Express‐way,Marrero,LAonFriday, February27, 2026, at 10:00a.m. Visitation will begin at 8:30a.m. until ser‐vicetimeatthe parlor.In‐terment:Woodlawn Park MemorialCemetery-West‐wego, LA.Toviewand sign the guestbook,pleasego towww.davismortuaryse rvice.com

Joseph Samuel LeBlanc, a native andresidentof New Orleans, LA,entered eternal rest on Friday,Feb‐ruary 13, 2026. ACelebra‐tionservice honoring his lifewillbeheldatGreater Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church,2771 Dan‐nellStreet,New Orleans, LA70113,onFriday, Febru‐ary 27, 2026 at 11 am BishopE.Craig Wilson,Of‐ficiating. IntermentSouth‐eastLouisiana Veterans Cemetery, 34888 Grantham College Drive, Slidell, LA 70460. Visitation 10 am in the church.Pleasesignon‐lineguestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com Charbonnet LabatGlapion, Directors (504)581 4411. Mitchell,LynnMarie

On February 6, 2026

Staff Sergeant LouisMar‐tinez,Sr.,a sonofthe Most High, Almighty God, en‐tered into eternalrest, peacefullyathis home Staff Sergeant LouisMar‐tinez,Sr. wasbornonJune 17, 1934, to thelateMabel Morel Polk andJohnMar‐tinez,inNew Orleans, La Heenlistedinthe United StatesAir Forceatthe age of17years old. After twentyyears of active mili‐taryservice,Staff Sergeant Martinezhonorably retired fromthe AirForce,and workedasanIdentification Verifier at theNaval Base

cial placeinher heart, and shelooked forwardtore‐ceivingher Musesshoe everyyear, atradition that broughther immensehap‐piness. Sheleavestocher‐ishher memory,her son, LouisRiley, III; hersiblings, RuffinMitchell, Jr Frances (Sylvester)Johnson and Talmadge Mitchell (Martha);and herbonus sister,Eva Washington An‐derson.She also leaves a host of belovednieces, nephewsand extended family memberswho adored herand will forever carry herspiritwiththem. Throughlife’sjoysand challenges,Lynnremained faithful,lovingand strong As theScripture reminds us,“Henceforth thereis laid up forher thecrown of righteousness, whichthe Lord,the righteousJudge, will awardtoher on that day” (2 Timothy4:8). Her life wasa reminder to cele‐bratefully,lovedeeply and nevermissa parade.She will be profoundly missed andforever remembered Relativesand friendsof the family areinvited to attend theCelebration of Life at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church,8282 I-10 Service Road (South), NewOrleans Louisiana70126 on Friday, February 27, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Visitation will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. until servicetime. Interment: Restlawn Park Cemetery andMausoleum,3540 US90, Avondale,Louisiana 70094. Arrangements by D.W. Rhodes FuneralHome, 3933 WashingtonAvenue Please visitwww.rhodesf uneral.comtoshare con‐dolences andsignthe guestbook

Parker, Leona Ann

LeonaAnn Parker departed peacefully on February 14, 2026. Leona was born November 2, 1940, in NewOrleans, LA. She leavestocherish her memories twosons, Leonis and PlassieOrdon; 8 grandchildren, 14 greatgrandchildren, and one great-great grandchild; her brother, EmanuelOrdon; hersisters, MaryAnn Williams, VirgieleeOrdon, and Iona Johnsonand a host of otherrelativesand friends. She was preceded in deathbyher parents, Emanuel and Emma Ordon; her son, BryceParker; her brother, Plasè Ordon; four sisters,Yvonne Diaz, MargieStewart,IolaAlexis, LoleitaOrdon(twin); her nephew, Johnny Ordon; great- nephews, Johnny Price and Jaheim Ordon Relatives and friendsof thefamily are invitedtoattend her Memorial Service on Friday, February 27, 2026, at 11:00 A.M. at DennisMortuary, 1812 Louisiana Ave,New Orleans, Louisiana 70115. Pastor LionelRoberts, Officiating.Privateburial. Arrangementshavebeen entrusted to Dennis Mortuary of NewOrleans, Louisiana.

Tierney, Bridget Katherine

Lynn MarieMitchell foughta good fight, fin‐ishedher race andkeptthe faith. Lynn transitioned peacefully on February 12, 2026, at thehomeofher sister andbrother-in-law Shewas born on February 7, 1950, to thelateRuffin Mitchell Sr.and Rosemary JohnsonMitchell. Awoman of deep joyand vibrant spirit,Lynnloved herfam‐ily fiercely andshowedup fortheminwaysbothbig andsmall.Whether it was aholiday gathering, a birthday call or simply sit‐ting andtalking for hours, shemadethe people she lovedfeel seen andcher‐ished. Aproud NewOrlean‐ianatheart,she livedfor MardiGrasseasonand counted down thedays each year to Jazz Fest.The KreweofMuses held aspe‐

MariaDelrobe Oye passedawaypeacefully on February22, 2026, at the age of 61, in RiverRidge Louisiana,the same com‐munity where shewas bornand raised.Maria was the belovedcompanion of Sammy Zito anda devoted mothertoRobertScheffof Santa Monica,California. She wasa cherishedsister toGenevieve OyeofSan Andresand JohnnyOye of Tampa,Florida.She is also rememberedwithloveby her sister-in-law, Patricia Schexnayder (Donald),and brother-in-law, C. Mack Zito. Mariahelda special place in theheartsofher stepchildren, CassidyJuno, Carey Daniel,and Caitlyn Dupre.She waspreceded indeath by herparents Amporaand HenryOye Maria will be deeply missedbyher dear friends, ToniSchexnayder and Maria Garcia,aswellas manyextendedfamily members andloved ones whose livesshe touched withher kindness, warmth and friendship.Maria’s life was definedbyher love for family, herloyal friend‐ships,and thecareshe showedtothose around her.Her memory will live oninthe hearts of allwho knewand lovedher.Family and friendsare invitedto attendher celebrationof LifeService on Friday,Feb‐ruary 27, 2026 for11AMat GardenofmemoriesFu‐neral Home,4900 Airline Dr.,Metairie, LA 70001. Visi‐tationbeginsat10AM. In‐terment will follow at Gar‐den of Memories Ceme‐tery. Pastor Dennis Watson ofCelebration Church,offi‐ciating

Glen AllenRobb, aka Lightning”,entered into restonSunday, February 15, 2026 in NewOrleans Louisiana at theage of 71 years old. He wasbornin Natchez,MSand later moved to NewOrleans,LA where hislegacystarted Son of thelateBeatriceLu‐cille Robb andSam Randal LovingfatherofJimmy Lee Robb, Sr.(wife Tamika Sul‐livan Robb), Dominique Schaffer, andManicka and Lanicka Rogers.Grandfa‐therofJimmy LeeRobb, Jr., Janeiro Robb, Ja’Han Robb Mia Perkinsand Di’Mare OneaSchaffer. Brotherof ThomasK.Robb, EthanJ Robb, Mary Robb andthe lateFrances JohnsonFos‐ter.Lightning wasalsosur‐vived by ahostofother rel‐ativesand friends. Rela‐tives andfriends of the family, also Pastors, Offi‐cers, andMembers of St James A.M.E.,Calvary TabernacleChurch andIs‐raelite BaptistChurch are all invitedtoattend theFu‐neral ServiceonSaturday, February28, 2026 at 10:00 amatIsraelite Baptist Church,2100 Martin Luther King, Jr.Blvd.,Rev.Duane Anthony Hill Officiating. Visitationwillbegin at 9:00 am. IntermentinLake LawnParkCemetery. Pro‐fessionalarrangements

BridgetKatherine Tier‐neypeacefully enteredinto eternalrestonFebruary12, 2026, surrounded by family Shelived herlifeanswer‐ingpoetMaryOliver’sen‐during question…“What will youdowithyourone wild andpreciouslife? by living fully,thoughtfully andgenerously.”She loved poetry andbelieveddeeply in reflection,meaning,and presence,qualities that shaped theway sheloved others andunderstood the world. Born on December 31, 1948, in Batavia, Illinois, Bridgetwas thedaughter of thelateClifford andthe late DorothyTierney.From an earlyage,her faithwas centraltoher life.Asa child, shefamouslysubsti‐tutedNecco wafers for communion,a smallbut tellingsignofhow seri‐ously, andcreatively, she took matters of thespirit. Sheleaneddeeply into Ig‐natian spirituality,and in 2003, shewas welcomed into theEpiscopal faithas apriest. Aplace whereshe found atradition that fully embraced herintellect, reverence, compassion andcalltoserve.Bridget wasprecededindeath by herbrother-in-law,Merwin Stroup,and hergrandson, GarrettVelasquez.She is survived by herbrother Larry Tierney(Mary Alyce); hersister, Sheila Stroup; herchildren, Jeff Johnson (Sarah), JennyVelasquez (Bobby), andGregJohnson (KateIonna); andher belovedgrandchildren Kirsten, Reagan (Brandon), Rachel,Andrew(Brianna), Reilly, Eamon, andMatias. Shewas also aproud great-grandmothertoAde‐laide, Rowan, andCecilly, whobrought herimmense joy. Awoman of conviction andsimplicity, Bridgetwas a firm believer in the Lenten traditionofre‐straint. In that spirit,and with acharacteristictouch of humor,the family strongly encourages chari‐tabledonations to the EpiscopalRelief& Develop‐ment Fund in lieu of memo‐rial flowers, noting that no oneinthe family cankeep flowersorplantsaliveany‐way. Bridgetwillbelifted up during a10:00 a.m. ser‐vice at Christ Church Cathedral, NewOrleans, LA,onSaturday, February 28. Herremains will be in‐terred immediatelyfollow‐ingthe serviceinthe cathedral’scolumbarium, anda receptionwillbe held at thecathedral there‐after. Bridget’slifewas marked by faith, curiosity, love,and laughter.She leaves behind alegacyof thoughtful living,faithful service, anda gentle re‐minder to cherishand re‐spondfullytoour ownwild andpreciouslives Arrangements by Jacob Schoen &Son Funeral Home.Condolences may be left at www.schoenfh. com.

DeloresTinsonwas calledfromlabor to reward and affectionately into eternal rest on February 18, 2026, at herhomeatthe age of 88, releasingher fromthe pain andsuffering ofthisworld.She wasborn onSeptember 24, 1937, to the late Theodora Williams Tinsonand Oliver Tinson Sr. Deloreswas anativeof Pointe-A-La-Hache,Louisiana.Fromanearly age, she demonstratednotable qualities of kindness, intel‐ligence,humor,and re‐silience. Shecarried out her daddy wishes in the caringfor hersiblings. De‐lores trainedtobea teacher after finishingher schoolinginthe Plaquem‐inesParishSchool System and furthering hereduca‐tionatSouthernUniversity Baton Rouge. Shetaught school formorethan40 years.Her teaching career began at PhoenixHigh School andlater she moved to NewJerseyand continued teaching.De‐lores dedication andhard workearnedher there‐spect andadmirationof colleaguesand clients alike.Delores movedback toLouisiana andwas well known throughout Plaque‐mines Parish andsur‐roundingareas.Beyond her professional achieve‐ments,Delores wasa woman of many passions and talents. Shefound joy incrafting, reading, and helping others.Whether it was projectmakingor spendingtimewithher family, Deloreslived life withenthusiasmand grati‐tude. Family wasatthe centerofher life.Delores was adevoted friend teacher to anyone who met her.she wasa pillar of strengthand guidance to her family, teaching them the values of hard work compassion, andintegrity Her familywas herpride and joy, andshe delighted inevery moment spent withthem. Sheleavesto mourn 3sisters:OliviaTin‐son,Ellestine Ellis, and Marie McNeil,3 brothers: Louis Sr., Nicholas and MartinTinson. onesisterin-law, AnnieMae Tinson aswellasa host of nieces, nephews,cousins and other relativesand friends. Delores is preceded in death by herparents Oliver and Theodora Williams Tinson, Sr.; four brothers, OliverJr.,August, Peter, and Joseph Tinson.Rela‐tives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend the Mass of ChristianBur‐ial which will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at St.Thomas Catholic Church locatedat 17605 Hwy. 15, Point-AlaHache,LA70082. Thevisi‐tationwillbegin at 9a.m and theservice will begin at11a.m.FatherSampson Abduliofficiatingand en‐tombmentwillfollowatSt. ThomasCatholicChurch 70082. Funeralplanningen‐trusted to Robinson Family FuneralHome, 9611 LA-23, Belle Chasse,LA70037 (504) 208-2119. Foronline condolences,pleasevisit www.robinsonfamilyfuner alhome.com

Dottie Louise O’Connor entered into rest on Febru‐ary 6, 2026. AFuneralSer‐vicewillbeheldonSatur‐day,February28, 2026 at 10:00am at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church,8181 Lake ForestBlvd.,New Orleans, Louisiana 70126. Visitation willbegin at 9:00am.Burial willbeprivate.Profes‐sional Arrangements En‐

Amid demand, La.should expand its fortified roof grantprogram

The Louisiana Legislature heads into the start of this year’sregular session nextmonth in something of an unusual position: ahalf-billiondollar budget surplus from the fiscal year that ended June 30, plus revenueforecasts that have been trending upward.

Of course, there is no shortageofneeds Teachers, infrastructure,debt andeconomic development have all been mentionedaspriorities, and understandably so In addition, Gov.Jeff Landry has signaled that he would like lawmakers to double theamount dedicated to his signature educationpolicy, the creation of education savingsaccounts known as LA GATOR scholarships. Last year,the program got$43.5 million, and this year,the governorhas asked for $88 million.

The scholarships have been thesubjectof intense demand, with far more clamoring for them than the funding allows.

We would like to see the same rationale applied when it comes to Louisiana’sfortified roof program, whichallows homeowners to applyfor $10,000 grants from the statetoward the installation of afortified roof.

Since 2024, when the state wenttoa lottery system to award the grants, there have been about 34,000 applicants. Butonlyabout 7,000 grants have been awarded

We are glad to see Landry tryingtoget more money for the program. Earlier thisweek,he asked the Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corp., which was created by the state, to make some of its reserves available for thefortified roof program. Details of how that mightworkare unclear, but it’sgood to see the program gettingattention at the highestlevel

The benefits of the program are clear. In addition to being more resistanttowind damage, fortified roofshelp keep people in their homes after astorm. They also nethomeownerssignificantly lower insurance premiumsand, if there are enough of them in one community,the entire community’srates can godown

But they are not cheap, so the$10,000grant is asignificant sweetener.The costs, even for smaller homes,can run between $16,000 and $17,000,according to William Stoudt of Rebuilding Together New Orleans, which helps cover the costs for lower-income homeowners.

State data show that even some who are awarded the grants are unable to getthe roofs duetothe upfront costs. There are efforts to help boost theprogram. Jefferson Parishhas worked withthe state to supplement it, for example. And homeowners who front the entire cost may be eligible fora state tax credit.

It’sarare government program thathas an immediate positive effect and is widely lovedby residents. That’swhy we urge legislators, even those who serve districts outsidethe coastal zone, to support its expansion.

of residence

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

It is difficult to listen to theTrump administration and its followers and understand the rationale for their numerouslies about immigration. One of themany lies is that Democrats want open borders and are therefore opposed to theU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol crackdowns, and that Democrats don’t want to conduct deportations. That is unequivocally false.

The facts (andyou can fact-check this)are that President Barack Obama deported 3million and Joe Biden deported 1.1 million. However,this isn’tabout which administration was tougher on immigration. The significance is that during theObamaand Biden deportations, did you see unrest in the streets? Did you see armed soldiers dressed like they’re in abattle?

Didyou see masked thugs gettingout

When thehistory of President Donald Trump’scruel and unusual mass deportation policy is written, there will be villains aplenty to spice up thenarrative. Stephen Miller,Kristi Noem and Greg Bovinocome readily to mind. However,Louisiana may well warrant achapter of itsown. Our Republican congressional delegation has backed thecrueltyunanimously.No profiles in courage in that group. Our statehas welcomed for-profitprisons and championed mass incarceration for decades. Municipal governments,

Oneofthe mostimportanttenets

of running asuccessful business is knowing your customers’ needs and desires and then trying to provide that service. It is and always has been thebest chance of success of your business. Iwould think in these online times, thegreat majority(75%-80%) of your delivered hard copy paper subscription readers are over 50 and conservatives or Republicans. Your paper and editor continue, year after year,rather than even trying a fair and balanced view,topush liberal opinions either by thecommentary or only printing liberal view letters to the

of unmarked vehicles, shooting people, tossing tear gas and otherwise terrorizing citizens and noncitizens alike?

Did you see armed troops breaking automobile windows to drag out anyone that they felt like, depending on skin color and accent, and regardless of status? Throwing citizen “grandpas” out on the street in their pajamas?

Obama’sand Biden’sdeportations did not incitefear and terror in American cities. My point is simple. Deportations can and did happen without all the violence heaped upon American cities. President Donald Trumpisn’tinterested in deporting thebad guys.His goal is to Make America White Again, and is using any means, unlawfulorotherwise, to justify that end.

NAHUM LAVENTHAL NewOrleans

like Kenner,have declared war on the Brown- and Black-skinned residents by inviting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to come to town and work hand in glove with their city police.

And, of course, our governor,that great diplomat toGreenland, would seem tobewilling to commit any heinous act that his culthero demanded. Moralitybedamned. Yes, our statewill live in infamy when this story is told.

LEROY CLOSE NewOrleans

editor.Inarecent two-day span, eight of eight letters were liberal-view comments

Iamwell aware that the newspaper business has alwayshistorically supported liberal views. But again, I remindyou that the majority of your readers would appreciate youbeing more conservative, or at least balanced.

Iamsure you have received similar type letterstothis one before, but just hoping this time you give another thought to the opinion of the majority of your customers.

DUKE TRUBY Mandeville

In my opinion, the governor and legislators need to put their thinking caps on and start solving Louisiana’s problemsfrom all angles. Everyone needs moremoney,including your voting public, but now the Department of Public Safety needs moremoney to build and house moreprisoners. The current Legislature and governor passed tougher penalties forcrimeand no-parole lawswithout regard for the repercussions of their actions. Criminal!

This state can’teven release prisoners whohave served their sentence on time, much less straighten out corruption in the system that wasalready in place.

No more money figure it out with what you have created. Youbowed to political pressure instead of studying the issue to make things better,and now you sleep in the bed.

KATHY ADERMAN Baton Rouge

Why do 700/800 MHz public-safety radios cost $8,000 to $11,000+ per unit? This technology has been around forwellover 15 years. These aren’tcutting-edge miracles they’re ruggedized radios with computers inside.

The real issue is aduopoly.Two major vendors dominate the market, lock agencies into proprietary systemsand leave cities and towns with no realistic alternatives. Once you’re in, you’re stuck —new radios, accessories, software and upgrades all come from the sameplace, at whatever price they decide. No real competition meansnoreal price pressure. And the people paying foritaren’tthe vendors —it’s the taxpayers and the agencies already struggling with tight budgets. This isn’tabout safety versus cost. It’s about accountability.Closed ecosystems, inflated pricing and zero transparency should concern everyone. Congress and regulators need to take aserious look at how this industry operates and whoit’s really serving.

Public safety should never be a blank check.

BEHIND THE HEADLINES LA. SENATERACE

Louisiana’sbig Republican primarybattleisshaping up

Stephanie Grace Quin Hillyer

Ron Faucheux

The candidates are off and running in the Louisiana Republican primary.Incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy faces aggressive challengesfrom U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow,who has President Donald Trump’ssupport and state Treasurer John Fleming. Adding to the intrigue is that they arecompeting under anew set of rules that replace Louisiana’s traditionalopen primary

Columnists Stephanie Grace, Quin Hillyer and special contributor Ron Faucheux gathered recently to discuss how things look ahead of the May16 closed party primary

Grace: We’re looking at aRepublican primary for the first time in many years, and we have three well-known candidates. Who has the upper hand starting out?

Faucheux: Ithink there are three things that’ll determine thiselection, and they’re pretty simple. Number one, Trump’sability to deliver Republican votes to Letlow.Can he deliver most of the Republican base? Can he get alot of money for her? Can he geta high turnout? We have seen him deliver everything, hook, line and sinker to some candidatesaround the country,and we have seen him in some places not do so well.

The second thing is Fleming Can he get enough votes to force arunoff, which could change the dynamics of the whole race? A few Republican elected officials in the state think he can actually make the runoff. I’d need to see some polling to show me that.

Grace: He’s put out his own polls that suggest thathecould.He’s got somename ID.

Hillyer: And he hasgottenvotes in important areas of the state before.

Faucheux: And then the third thing: To whatextent can Cassidy get non-Republicans to voteinthe Republican primary? And that’s a big question. But alot of voters in the state are going to be surprised when they get to the polls on May 16. They’re going to say,“Well, wait aminute, what? What canI vote for?” And so Cassidy has to overcome an information barrier and convince thesepeople to vote in aRepublican primary

Grace: These are people who would be registered as “noparty.” Also, Democrats can switch, but they’d have to do it amonth before.

Cassidy’sstrategy

Hillyer: But the interesting thing is, Cassidy so far has not runa race that would attract moderates and unaffiliated voters.All he’s done is run hard to the right,as if it’sonly aRepublican electorate, even though there are just over a million Democrats, and there are 800,000 who are unaffiliated.

Grace: He has reached out. He is sending textsand posting videos. From what Iunderstand, he’s tried to find Democrats to talk about this. But you’re right.In terms of the issues,he’snot running in away that would make them want to support him. He’s still running as verypro-Trump, despite what Trump did tohim in urging Letlow to take him on Hillyer: Idon’tthink he’splaying it right, because he’strying to

ignore the elephantinthe room, which is that hevoted to convict Trump(after thesecond impeachment over the Jan. 6attack on Congress), andthatTrump’smad at him because of it. He’s just trying to ignore it and say,“Idid all of this that Trumpliked, and Idid this that Trumpsigned, etc.” which isn’tgoing to negatethe impeachment vote for the people for whom it’simportant. Meanwhile, it doesn’tattract all theothers that might have liked what he did. What Ithink he needs to do is address it anddefend it and say, “Voters always say they want peopletovote their conscience. Well, this is what Ifaced at that time, and what my conscience told me to do,whether you agree with it or not. Iknewitwas politically risky andhere is why Idid it.” Maybe show some scenes of theCapitol Police getting beaten up andthen say, “That was my vote. Now,let’stalk about what I’vedonefor you since then.”

Grace: Onething that would do is put Letlowonthe defensive, because sheis running as kind of this above-it-all candidate. She is, on theone hand, theinstrument of Trump’svengeance —she would not beinthis race if not for Trumpwantingtoget back at Cassidy. Butatthe sametime, she’sgot this image. She’sprofessional. She’samom of young kids whowent to Congress when her husband unexpectedly died. She tendstotalk in avery positive way.At Washington Mardi Gras, shesaid she wanted to bring light to the process. ButTrumpand Trumpism are dark, so reconciling that,ifshe’s forced to talk aboutit, will be hard. Whatshe’sdone so far may endupbeingenough, which is to say,“I’m with thepresident,” without gettingintodetails about some of his behavior.But his behaviorinvolves family separation; it involves alot of things that Ithink someone like her would have troubletalking about in detail.

Faucheux: Butnobody is making that an issue. BothCassidy and Flemingare trying to run to the right.

Now,one thing Ithink Cassidy diddoright is that he attempted to define Letlowbefore she could define herself.

She’s not wellknown; she’s never beeninvolved in abig fight. That’snot discrediting her,it’s

saying she’sbeen able to succeed without it.

Grace: Remember,Cassidy took out asitting senator,Mary Landrieu. He’sbattle-tested.

Hillyer: Although he didn’thave to go too negative against Landrieu He just kept repeating the same talking point,which was that he’d votethe Republican Party line.

Grace: Andnow he’stargeted because he’snot enough of apartyline Republican.

Faucheux: The other thingisthat candidates don’thave to carry the attack burden theway they once did, because there will be many millionsofdollars spent in this race from super PACs and independent groups that will carry much of theattack load

Grace: With “independent”sometimes in quotation marks, right?

Faucheux: Cassidy may not like attacking, Letlow may not like attacking,but they may not have to do it.Letlow will have alot of help going after Cassidy,with Trump and Gov.Jeff Landry Fleming’sangle

Hillyer: Ialso think it’svery interesting how Flemingisplaying it, in that he picked a fight withthe governor,and thegovernor rose to thedebate. Fleming said the governor put Letlow in therace; what he’sdoing is he’slooking at the polls that show thegovernor right now not being popular

So if he makes Letlow as much Landry’scandidate as she is Trump’scandidate, at least it gets Fleminginthe conversation while helping knock her down.

Grace: Another thing that gets him in theconversation is he’s takingacontrary stance on carbon capture, which is absolutely abrewing issue in alot of rural areas that vote Republican.

Hillyer: He also has rather strong support among what used to be theChristian Coalition in Louisiana, and they vote.

Grace: Let’sgoback to Cassidy.I thinkalot of people know his story,that he’sinthis position where everyone’smad at him, either for theimpeachmentvote or for confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr as health secretary,when Cassidy is adoctor who is very much an advocate of vaccines and medical research and all these things that are now being dismantled.

So that’sa very tough position to be in. If his argument is that at least he’sindependent sometimes,

that will win somepeople over, but not everybody Butone area where he has support is in the Senate. John Thune, themajority leader,came and campaigned forhim right before Trumpendorsed Letlow.Hehas theendorsement of fellow establishment Republicans in the Senate. Andtome, that emphasizes theextent to which this is just not politics as it used to be practiced. The idea of challenging amajor committee chairman, atwo-term senator with areal track record, from within his party —it’snot normal. And I’mthinking these other senators don’twant to be in that position. Ithink it’sscary to them.

Hillyer: He’snot saying, “Well, I voted for RFK because Ireally needed to be able to deliver some thingsonhealth care, there are someimportant things Ican do.” Idon’tknow whyhe’snot talking about getting $200 million per year extra forthe state in that Medicaid provision.

Grace: He did say he got some concessions from Kennedy,but Kennedy’snot holding up his end of the bargain. Cassidy can’teven get Kennedytoappear before his committee, which wasabsolutely one of the conditions.

Faucheux: Quin and Stephanie, you have just made, Ithink, abrilliant case forwhy Cassidy should have run as an independent. The left’sangry,the right’sangry Well, if he had run as an independent,hecould have harnessed theanger against the status quo, against the system,against the perception that nothing’sworking. And at the sametime, Quin just pointed outsomething very important: He has delivered specificthings forthe state that need to be explained.

Grace: Right, and not just on healthcare. If you go back to another controversial thing he did in recent years, he wasinvolved in the bipartisan infrastructure bill under Joe Biden. He got grid hardening money forthe state after Hurricane Ida, he got broadband, which Letlow ran on and then she voted against the bill. He can talk about that. He is talking about it to someextent.

Faucheux: He’sgoing to need to talk about it, if fornothing else, to inoculate himself from the coming attack forworking with Biden.

Hillyer: And he also needs to make

adistinction between that bill and the other Biden one, the huge one that everybody blames forinflation.

Letlow’s challenge

Hillyer: Let’sswitch to Letlow.Is she making an impression on anybody other than as Trump’scandidate? What does she say that’s positive? What has she delivered, either legislatively,ingeneral or forthe state? What she has is this very amorphous image right now She needs to sharpen that and give people something to vote for, other than just Trump’slackey

Grace: When I’ve heard her talk, she has talked about being on the Appropriations Committee, and somethings that probably anybody on Appropriations would do. We’ve had big-timeappropriators in the past in Louisiana; Iwould not put her in that category.But she’sasmartperson. She’sgot a Ph.D.She has avery sympathetic story that has gotten her this far in politics. Again, no one’sever attacked her,and she has never attacked anyone.

But if you look at her track record next to Cassidy’s, there’sno comparison. If that matters, that’sthe big question.

Hillyer: Do you think she needs to sharpen herself,orisitbetter forher to stay amorphous but be identified with Trump?

Faucheux: Ithink she needs to do both. On the one hand, she needs to show she can be tough, she can be strong, she can get things done and she can fight forthe state. Louisiana does want that. Number two, Ithink she needs to show that she has agood facility with issues, that she can take on tough issues, so that’sall sharpening. At the sametime, Iknow alot of people in her district, Democrats, Republicans and independents, and they all think she’sgreat. So she has candidate appeal that exceeds partisan limitations, which speaks well forher overall ability to get votes. And that’swhy the pro-Cassidy PACwent after her Grace: Cassidy supporters are trying to associate her with Nancy Pelosi, which is comical, if you think about it.

Hillyer: Ijust don’tknow what Cassidy is doing. I’mnot sure that trying to be Mr.Hard Right is going to work. Because people also want authenticity,and Idon’t think he comes across as authentic when he does that.

with meteorologistDamon Singleton

Garland Joseph Trepagnier, 99, of Norco, Louisiana, passed away on Monday, February 23, 2026, from age-related natural causes Garland was born on October 15, 1926, to Paul Trepagnier and Lillian Brulte Trepagnier in New Orleans, LA. He was married in 1954 to the late Betty Jane Weber of New Sarpy, Louisiana.Hegraduated from Destrehan High School in Destrehan, LA, in 1946. Garland served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Japan immediatelyfollowing WWII. Garland worked at the Shell oil refineries in Norco and retired from there in 1983. Garland and Betty were avid travelers who visited almost every statein America. He took thousands of pictures which he enjoyed sharing with family and friends. Garland was an aviation enthusiast who took flying lessons in the 1940s,attended many air shows, and was activeinthe local model airplane club. Garland was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Weber; his sister Flossie Trepagnier Barfield and his brother Roy Trepagnier, both of Norco, LA; and by his sister Barbara Trepagnier Moody (the late Robert Moody) of Long Beach, MS. Garland is survived by sister-in-lawEva Thibodeaux (late Roy Trepagnier) of Baton Rouge, LA; nieces Lisa Trepagnier Lloyd (late Michael Lloyd) of Baton Rouge, LA and their children Erica and Myles; Tammy Barfield Whatley and husband Peter Whatley of Suffolk, England and their children Bethanyand Jay; nephews Keith Trepagnier and wife Patricia Rostetter of Springfield, LA and their children Amanda and

Matthew;Michael Barfield of Norco, LA; and Tab Trepagnierand wife GladysYandle of Metairie, LA. Relatives and friends of thefamily are invited to attend the visitation at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Norco, LA on Tuesday,March3,2026, from 9:00am until 11:00am. AMassofChristianBurial willbecelebrated at 11:00am. Interment with military honors willfollow thefuneral mass at St Charles Borromeo Catholic Cemetery, Destrehan, LA.

HenryLee “Red”Tyson, was born on March18, 1938 inMarionCounty, Missis‐sippi anddepartedthislife onSaturday, February 28, 2026. Henry(H.L.)was a special gift to theparent‐age of thelateS.W.Tyson and AlyceMai ConeyGoff. Henry attended public school andwas educated inMarion County. Soon after,hemoved to NewOr‐leans,Louisiana where in March 1965, he marriedthe loveofhis life,Emma Jean FrelixTyson.Hepursued a careerinconstructionand becamea Master Welder, graduatingfromJefferson ParishVocationalTechni‐cal School.Henry wasa memberofthe Ironworkers Local #58 andworked faithfullyasthe ownerand operatorofB&H Construc‐tionand awelderfor Boh BrothersConstructionfor morethan35years.Asa dedicated member of the Woodchoppers Social Aid and Pleasure Club andthe Fun Lovers Travel Club he loved life andnever meta stranger. Mentorship and helping others were his passions. Henryenjoyed working with hishands and creating ornamental ironworks.Hewas agreat cook andfocused on car‐ingfor hisfamily. Henry

acceptedChristatanearly age at theChina Grove Church in Kokomo,Missis‐sippi.His fellowship with God ledhim to become a memberand to worshipat HolyAnointedHouse of Prayerunder theleader‐shipofPastorLionel Roberts,Sr. in NewOr‐leans,Louisiana.Hewas precededindeath by his lovingwife, Emma Jean Felix Tyson, hisparents Alyce MaiConey Goff and S.W.Tyson,and hisbroth‐ers R.Cand S.C. Tyson. The memoriesof“Red” Tyson willbecherished by his daughters Tamika Elayna (Raymond) Duplessisand AshlynLa-cha (Brandon) Ayler.Hewas thededi‐cated GrandfatherofRay‐mondJames,Collin Alexandre,MaisonJeanHenri andAlaynaJanae Duplessis; RachaelFaith LaurenHopeand Nathan Tyson Ayler. Sister-in-law Deborah Gail (Matthew) Pittman.Heisalsosur‐vived by adevoted family friend, Cheryl Elaine Payne, and ahostofnieces, nephews,cousins,other relatives andfriends.Rela‐tives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend FuneralServicesatHoly AnointedHouse of Prayer located at 1447 Senate Street,New Orleans, LA 70122 on Saturday,Febru‐ary 28, 2026. Visitation be‐ginsat9:00a.m.Service beginsat10:00 a.m. Inter‐mentwillfollowatMt. OlivetCemetery, 2050 Caton Street,New Orleans, LA70122. Arrangements by D.W.RhodesFuneralHome, 3933 Washington Ave. Pleasevisit www.rhodesf uneral.comtoshare con‐dolencesand sign the guest book

Kang YopPak Waiters, age 91, peacefully entered eternal rest on Saturday February14, 2026. Shewas bornMarch 11, 1934 in Ky‐onggido, Koreatothe late

NamDak Pakand Sun-Yee KangCumon.Mrs.Waiters was adevoted wife mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and cherished matriarch. She was knownfor herkind spirit, resilience,humor deep faith andunwavering devotiontoher family. She was unitedinHolyMatri‐monytoJames Anthony Waiters,Jr.,who preceded her in death. Survivorsin‐clude herchildren, Kim Randall (Norman),Barbara Waiters,Carolyn Carter (Greg), Denise Poindexter (Eddie) andJames Waiters III, (Terrea).Proud grand‐motherofNormanRandall III (Sade),NealRandall, Jamar Waiter (Brittney), her “HeavenlyAngel” China Christiaan Carter Christopher Carter,Jade Hall, IndiaKilgore(John), HennessyBrown, Jasmin Waiters,James Waiters, IV, Tejah Waiters, Spencer Waiters andeighteen great-grandchildren.Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to attend thefuneral A Mass of Christianburial honoringthe life and legacyofthe late Kang Yop Pak Waiterswillbeheldat Our Lady of Guadalupe Church andInternational ShrineofSt. Jude,411 N. Rampart Street,New Or‐leans,LAonFriday, Febru‐ary 27, 2026 at 9:30 am.En‐tombmentSt. LouisCeme‐tery#3, 3421 Esplanade Ave NewOrleans,LA. Pleasesignonlineguest‐book at www.charbonnetf uneralhome.com. Charbon‐net LabatGlapion,Direc‐tors(504) 581-4411.

Paul AndreWardleftus unexpectedlyfroma fallon January 14, 2026, at theage of63. Paul wasborninGro‐ton,CTbut grew up in Ken‐ner attendingBonnabel HighSchool andUNO,but hewas along-term resi‐dentofNew Orleansand theFrenchQuarter.Tragi‐

callygonetosoon Paul en‐joyed family, friends, trav‐eling andhis passionasan antiquesdealerinthe FrenchQuarter.Having grown up in afamilyof dealers who begantheir careersinthe NewOrleans FleaMarket, Paul with his sisters andbrother would betiedtothe hipoftheir mothereachweekendat the market andestate sales around thecity. Paul had apassion fordollcol‐lecting alongwithhis mother, both membersof the UFDC andlocally with Les Poupee D'Orleans. Car‐nival Season wasa special timefor Paul who lovedpa‐rades,festivities andMardi Grascostuming.Enjoying the annualwalks with the PeteFountainHalfFast Walking Club.Inthe early 80'sPaulopenedMelrose antiquesonMagazineSt. which startedhis dream career towardsthismar‐velousadventure.Paul would go on to relocate to the French Quartertoopen Collectible Antiques that has been a fixt Lower Decaturf than25years.P tiful smile,fri comeand know can't know ever dearedhim to tionaland in customers,who turnagain anda whattreasures discoveredinh shop. Most endi great friends. Ec unique, Paul's mindedpeopleo grandma'shou

atticfrozenintime! Paul is precededindeath by his parents Clarence Eugine and DoloresWelkerWard; sisterinlaw JeanineWard. Survivedbyhis husband Jeffery Fountain,a brother Peter M. Ward of Kenner sisters ChristineA Ward Armstrong (Jerry Arm‐strong) of Arkansas,Susan K Ward Bond (Tammey Bond) of Moss Point, MS, aunts, uncles,nieces, nephews,cousins and friends.A celebrationof lifewas held on Tuesday, February24, 2026 in the ChapelofLakeLawn MetairieFuneral Home fol‐lowed by intermentin MetairieCemetery. In lieu of flowers, donationsto Project Lazarus, project‐lazarus.net/donate/ in Paul'shonor preferred.

Howt lAd OR An In Me loved one.This re sary of aloved to

SPORTS

Nov.

lookstomovethe

‘Horrific’ process

LSU’sBesselman provides valuedespite

BY REEDDARCEY Staff writer

The blowout win ticked down to its final minute, which signaled to Izzy Besselman that it was time for hertohop off the bench, shed her warm-ups and get on the floor It was March 2024. The LSU women’s basketball team was putting the finishing touches on its second-roundNCAA Tournament victory overMiddle Tennessee State. Besselman didn’t knowitthen, but this would be the last time she’d help her hometown Tigers salt away alopsided win.

“In my entire career,” Besselman said, “I’ve never had something that put me out this long.” Twoyears later,Besselman is about to celebrate her senior day at LSU. The No. 6Tigers (24-4, 10-4 SEC) will honor

ä See LSU WOMEN, page 3C

BY GUERRYSMITH

Contributing writer

Tulane held Tulsa to only one 3-pointer in the first 14 minutes on Wednesday night, takingaway what theGoldenHurricanelikes to do most. Unfortunately for theGreen Wave, almost nothing elseworked at either end of the floor.Ever. Getting good looks much closer to the rim,Tulsa went ahead 2616 with 6:21 left in the firsthalf, ledbydouble digits the rest of the wayand extended the advantage to as many as 37 points en route to a90-56 mauling of Tulaneat Devlin Fieldhouse. Otherthanan early scoring surgefromCurtis Williams, Tulane struggled to get anything going all night. Tulsa (23-6, 11-5 American) moved ahalf-game ahead of Wichita State for second place in the American Conference. Tulane (17-11, 8-7)suffered itsworst regular-season loss in coach Ron Hunter’sseven-yeartenure,its worst conference loss at home since an 85-50 defeat to No. 9 Houston in the final year of the Mike Dunleavy era, and its worst loss anywhere since a95-55 defeat to Memphis in the 2022-23 league tournament semifinals.

“Welost to areally good team,” Hunter said. “Wegot beat up today.They are trying to win a championship,and we were out of itfrom the moment we came out of thelocker room.” Tulane’soffensive numbers were ugly.TylerRinggold missed his firsteight shots before finally scoringon adrive midway through the second half. Scotty Middleton,who cameinona 17-of-28 shootingheater on 3s, missed badly on his first attempt and finished with twopoints. While Williams scored 14 on 6-of-9 shooting before the break, histeammateswere amiserable 5-of-20 shooting with acouple of air balls and several other lowpercentage attempts that led to fastbreak baskets for Tulsa. Point guard Rowan Brumbaugh had aparticularly rough night, hitting only 1of4attempts in the firsthalf with twoturnovers and sitting on the bench for a large portionofthe second half, finishing with aseason-low seven points. His second turnover typified the entire first 20 minutes. With achance to cutinto a 13-point de

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

Shortly after all of the congratulatory handshakes Tuesday night, Dejounte Murray already had rerouted his mental GPS to Salt Lake City

Murray had just played in his first NBA game in more than a year,bouncing back from atorn Achilles injury to help lead the NewOrleans Pelicans toa113-109 victory over the Golden StateWarriors.

“It was great,but that is over,” Murraysaid. “I’m ready forthe next game. That’stoprepare for Utah. Ihope the guys enjoyed it For me, I’m not enjoying it.I’m on to the next game. I’m hungry.I’m starving.

Murray was solid in his first game sinceJanuary 2025. He played25minutesand finished with 13 points, three assists (five turnovers),two reboundsand a steal.

“Impressive,”Pelicans interim head coach James Borregosaid. “Just to see him out there competing again. He looked like hisold self.Hedidn’tmissa beat.He’s only going to get better from here. For that to be his first game,I felt himonboth ends of the floor.”

Borrego inserted Murrayinto the staring lineup in his first game back. Theorganization made sure to makeitaspecial night for Mur-

INDIANAPOLIS —Rueben Bain is the new Will Campbell. Each draft cycle, there’satleast one prospect who’spicked apart for all sorts of factors he can’tcontrol. Last year,it was Campbell —the former LSU tackle whosearm length was amajor talking point before he went fourth overall to the New England Patriots. This year,even though he plays an entirely different position,Bain has been picked apart forsimilarconcerns afterhis arms reportedly measured slightly under 31 inches. That’sabout 2inches shorter than the preferredminimum length foredge rushers.

“None of the teamsseem too concernedwith it,”Bain said Wednesday “AslongasIjust talkthe talkand walk the walk.”

The pre-draft fervor didn’tend up hurting Campbell,who went as high as initially expected. But it remains to be seen if the sameappliestoBain, whose draft range has been projected to fall anywhere between No.2 andpossibly as far back as somewhere in the teens.

The NewOrleans Saints, if Bain really does slide, wouldbefaced with potentially having to pick the type of player they historically have avoided. The Saintslike theiredge rushers to be tall, athletic freaks. That’snot Bain. In additiontohis shorterarms, Bain is considered undersized at 6-foot-2 and 277 pounds. But he’sundeniably bendy andiscoming off aseason in whichhe solidified his status as one of the nation’stop edge rushers forMiami with 91/2 sacks.

The Saints have indicated they’re open to anew approach after last year’s change in schemeunder defensive coordinator Brandon Staley

“You’relooking at adifferent prototype of player,” Saints assistant general manager Jeff Ireland said at the Senior Bowl last month. “We’re looking at different length and size.Aroundhere with Sean (Payton) …wewanted big power guys, power rushers. We’re looking for

namewas announced.

ray, savinghim forlast when it came to introduce the starters. He received aloud ovation when his

“First or last, I’m in the NBA,” Murray said. “This is ablessing. A lot of emotions Iheld inside. Ihad my family here. I’m grateful, for

On TV

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

6p.m. Delaware at Jacksonville St.CBSSN

6p.m. Temple at FAUESPN2

6p.m.High Point at Presbyterian ESPNU

7p.m. Michigan State at PurdueNBCSN

8p.m. FIU at Sam Houston State CBSSN

8p.m. Wichita State at Memphis ESPN2

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

5p.m. Louisville at Georgia Tech ACC

5p.m.Tennessee at LSU ESPN

5p.m. Ole Miss at Florida SEC

6p.m. Villanova at Seton Hall PEACOCK

6p.m.Georgetown at UConn TNT/TruTV

Skenes hasfour strikes changed

ABSchallenges overturn callsfor NL Cy youngwinner

By The Associated Press

NORTH PORT,Fla. National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes lostfour strikes to challenges in his first spring training start.

7p.m. Florida State at DukeACC

7p.m. Missouri at South Carolina SEC

8p.m. Illinois at Iowa BTN

8p.m. Providence at Creighton TNT/TruTV

9p.m. Georgia at Texas SEC

MEN’S COLLEGE HOCKEY

5:30 p.m. Minnesota at Michigan BTN GOLF

1p.m. PGATour:Cognizant Classic Golf

8:30 p.m. LPGA Tour:HSBCChampionship Golf HORSE RACING

2p.m. America’sDay at the Races FS2

SPRING TRAINING

Atlanta vs. N.y.yankees

2p.m. Cleveland vs. Seattle

6:30 p.m.Houston at Orlando PRIME

8p.m.New Orleans at Utah GCSEN

9p.m.Minnesota at L.A. Clippers PRIME NFLSCOUTING COMBINE

2p.m.Defensivelinemen,linebackers NFL NHL

7p.m.Philadelphia at N.y.Rangers ESPN

9:30 p.m.Edmonton at Los AngelesESPN MEN’S SOCCER

1:55 p.m.FenerbahceatNott. Forest CBSSN

6p.m.Defence Force at Phila.Union FS1

6:50 p.m.Nicaragua vs. Martinique FS2 TENNIS

9a.m.Acapulco-ATP &Dubai-ATP Tennis

LSU catcher Arrambide injures foot vs. McNeese LSUcatcher Cade Arrambide left in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s7-6 loss against McNeese State with afoot injury,coach Jay Johnson said after the game. Johnsondid not know the severityofthe injury.FreshmanOmar Serna replaced Arrambide. “He said he couldn’tplay anymore,” Johnson said Tuesday. “And Idon’t knowanything else yet.” Arrambide has been one of LSU’s top hitters this season. He entered Tuesday’sgamewith three home runs, a.767 slugging percentage and a.486 on-base percentage. He went 0for 1witha flyout before getting replaced.

Johnson also saidhehopes left fielderChris Stanfield returns from an injury this weekend when the Tigers host Dartmouth and Northeastern beginning Friday

Hardenout for Cavaliers after breaking right thumb

MILWAUKEE JamesHardensat out the Cleveland Cavaliers’ game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesdaynight becauseofabroken right thumb.

Harden was injured Tuesday night in a109-94 homevictory over NewYork. X-rays Wednesday showed anon-displaced fracture of the distal phalanx. Harden will undergotreatment and evaluation. The 17-year veteran was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers to Cleveland on Feb. 4. He averaged 18.9 points, 4.6 rebounds andeight assists in his seven games with the Cavaliers. Cleveland also waswithout two otherstarters. DonovanMitchell is out with aright groin strain and EvanMobley is inactive because of leftcalf injury management.

Skenesstruckout four and walked four over 21/3 innings for Pittsburgh on Wednesday againstthe Atlanta Braves, whowere 4for 4against the right-hander on challenges to get called strikes overturned to balls —one of them by the slimmest of margins.

The 53-pitch outing is expected to be the only one Skenes has for Pittsburgh before he joins the U.S. for the World Baseball Classic.

He allowed one hit and onerun while facing 12 batters. He is going into his third season withthe Pirates.

“Winning gold is thebiggest thing,” saidSkenes, who was then asked if U.S. success in the just-completed Winter Olympics provides more motivation.

“Yeah, men’shockey,women’s hockey,all the other golds that we won in the Olympics.We’re America, we’ve got to assert our dominanceover everybody else That’swhat we do. It’sgoing to be fun.”

Skenesthrew27pitches for strikesagainst the Braves, along with four other pitches initially called strikes by homeplate umpire Chris Segal that Braves hitters challenged through the automated ball-strike system the so-called robotumpires.

“Today,that’show it is. I’ve just got to adjust,” Skenes said. “I think it will evenout over the course of the season, but ask me in June.”

Three of those challenges cameonconsecutive batters in the first inning.

Matt Olsonchallengedan82.3 mphcurveballthatwas called astrike, and had asmile on his face as replay showed indeed that the 1-1 pitch was only about one-tenth of an inch off the plate. He went on to draw awalk

“When the seasongets rolling, that’sprobably not the pitch that you’re going to be challenging, butyou’ve gottofeel it outa bit, Olson said.

“I figured, whatever.Itwas abackdoor sweeper that Ifelt kind of held up alittle bit.”

Jurickson Profar then challenged a98.3 mph fastball for astrike on the first pitchhe faced, and it was overturned to a1-0 count before he also walked. Austin Riley sought a replay when a99mph pitch on an 0-2 count was called astrike, but was above the zone, though on the next pitch he struck out swinging on a98.5 mph fastball just below that. In the Braves second, Ronald Acuña asked for areview and got aball on a97.6 mph fastball off the platethat had been called astrike.

While the overturned strike thrown to Riley was the fastest of the day by Skenes, his fastball was consistently in the upper90s throughout his outing.

COMING UP SHORT

Luka hesitates, LeBron misses on last possession of arough homestandfor slumping LosAngeles

BY GREG BEACHAM AP sportswriter

LOS ANGELES When Luka Doncichad theballinhis hands with achance to win thegamefor the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, the Slovenian scoring machinepassed

That’snot what anybody around the Lakers wanted or expected from theNBA’s leading scorer notevenLeBron James, the recipient of Doncic’spassonthe final possession of the Lakers’ 110-109 loss to Orlando.

“I thought he had agreat look, but that’smyPOV,” James said.

The finalplayworkedthe way coach JJ Redickdrew it up: James inbounded theballwith6.7 seconds left,and Doncic came off a screen to emerge wide open about onestridebehindthe 3-point line.

Doncic rarely hesitates to shoot from inside 30 feet when he’s as open as he was —but this time, he inexplicably hesitated before double-pumping into defensive coverage and finally bounce-passing the ballback to asurprised James.

“I know Iwas open, but Ijust thoughtIwas alittlebit far,” Doncic said.“Tried to takeone dribbletoget alittle closer.Probably shouldn’t havepicked up the ball, just tried to attack.”

James desperately launched a fallaway 3-pointattempt that got nowhere close, and the Lakers were stuck with a110-109 loss to enda4-4 homestandonwhich they looked nothing like an NBA title contender

The Lakers know they won’tget far if Doncic and James can’tcommand bigmoments, and they both came up short in the clutch after LosAngelesblew a12-point lead in thesecond half. TheLakers lost for the first time this season when leading after three quarters.

Doncic’shesitance to shoot was astunner,aswas hissuggestion that being astep behind the 3-pointline is too farfor ashooter whoregularly shoots from there.

Later,headmitted that it might have had something to do withhis 2-for-10performancefrom the 3-point line against the Magic.

When asked if his lack of rhythm from distance contributed to hissurprising decision, he said:

“Maybe alittle bit.”

James knew he hadnotimeto thinkwhenthe ball came back to him, but he couldn’tget off agood shot under perimeter defensive pressurefrom6-foot-10 Jonathan Isaac.

“Obviously you’ll have to ask Luka whathesaw on that,” James said. “I thought he had agood

By

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, and guard LukaDoncic talk during agameagainst the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb.4,2025, in Inglewood,Calif.

“Obviouslyyou’ll have to ask Luka what he sawonthat. I thought he had agood look, and it looked likehekind of just lost his balance. Didn’thavethe rhythm of the ball, whatever the case maybe, and it kind of allowed themtoget back in frontofhim. Iwas kind of off balancewhen he gave it to me.”

LEBRON JAMES,Lakers forward

look, anditlookedlikehekindof just lost his balance. Didn’thave therhythm of the ball, whatever thecase may be, and it kind of allowedthemtoget back in front of him. Iwas kind of off balance when he gave it to me.”

James and Doncic had connected on the previous possession, withDoncic’sbaseline inbounds pass finding James for ago-ahead dunk with 26 seconds to play.Orlando reclaimed thelead when Wendell Carter scored on aputback layup, puttingthe ball in Los Angeles’ hands to decide it

Doncic went 8for 24, and his 22 points were his lowest-scoring performance in more than three months in agamehedidn’tleave early due to injury.Hecould have erased it all witha final flourish, but he didn’thave it.

“I didn’twanttolose theball, andwedidn’thavetimeouts,” Doncic said. “Butlike Isaid, shouldn’thave picked up theball. Ishould attack. That’s on me.” Redicksaid he hadn’thad a chance to discuss the finalplay yetwith Doncic. He’llhavetime Wednesday on the flight to Phoenix, where theLakerswill face aSuns team that’sright on their tails forsixth place in the Western

Conference.

“Weobviously rana play for him to get alook,” Redick said. “I felt like he had adecent shot.” Lakers hire Bennettfor drafthelp

FormerVirginia coach Tony Bennett, atwo-time national coach of the year,joined the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday as NBA draft adviser to president of basketball operations andgeneral manager Rob Pelinka. Bennett was Virginia’s coach from 2009-24 and guided the Cavaliers to the 2019 nationalchampionship. Bennett compiled a364136 record at Virginia.

“As we refine and build out our NBAdraft and scouting processes,wecould think of no better basketball mind than Tony Bennett to have as aresource,” Pelinka said in astatement. “Tony’strack record of formingculture, with high-character, high-skill and high-IQ players is reveredand respected across all basketball circles. Tony will be an incredible assettoour basketball leadership, to our scouts and to our draft department as awhole. We are truly excited.” Bennett is Virginia’s career leader in wins.

Verlander,Valdez to get $31M in deferred payments

Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez will receive the final paymentsfromtheir newcontracts with the Detroit Tigers in 2039, withthe team deferring $31 million of the $128 million it committed to the pitchers. Verlander’s$13 million,one-year dealwill paythe 43-year-old righthander$2millionthis year.The $11 millionindeferred money due the three-time Cy Young Award winner will be paid in $1.1 million installments each June 30 from 2030-39

Valdez’s$115 million, three-year agreement includes a$20 million signing bonus paid in $2 million installments each June 15 from 2030-39.

He gets salariesof$17.5 million this year and $37.5 million in 2027.

Penguins star Crosby out after his Olympic injury

The Pittsburgh Penguins will have to start their playoffpush without Sidney Crosby

The club placed its longtime captain on injuredreserve on Wednesday.The move comes after Crosby suffered alower-body injury during the Olympic hockey tournamentatthe Milan Cortina Games

The 38-year-old three-timeStanleyCup winnerwent down in the secondperiodofCanada’squarterfinal win over Czechia.The Canadiansheldout hope Crosbywould be able to return, but he did not. Crosby, who is expected to miss at least four weeks, said he does not regret his decision to play in Milan.

“It’sthe Olympics and it’sanamazing experience justasanathlete, not just as ahockeyplayer,”hesaid. “Injuries are part of the game.”

Jaguars, Commanders set to hostgamesinLondon

The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to become the first NFL team to play twohome games overseas. The Jaguars andthe Washington Commanders on Tuesday were named hosts for three games scheduled for London in 2026. Jacksonvillewill playbackto-back games across the pond in October,with one at historic Wembley Stadium and the other at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

The Commanders also will host agame at Tottenham, the official home of the NFL in Britain. Specificdates and opponents will be announced later

The Jaguars are making the movebecause stadium renovations will reduce capacity in Jacksonville to 42,507 this fall. The Jaguars will be fully displaced in 2027, with most of their home games in Orlando, Florida.

UNOpowersuptokeep PelicanCup againstTulane

BY SPENCERURQUHART

Staff writer

UNO shortstop Jake D’Altrui madethe most of his at-bat with the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning in Tuesday’sPelican Cup matchup against Tulane.

D’Altrui hit athree-runhome run last year at Turchin Stadium, and he delivered again this year for UNO with agrand slam to deep left

field to put the Privateers upby five runs on the way to an 11-3win over Tulane at Maestri Field.

It was the first meeting thisseasonbetween thetwo crosstown rivals. UNO retained the Pelican Cup and has won four straightagainst Tulane dating back to the 2024 season

“The guys played well,”UNO first-year coach Andrew Gipson said. “Any time you hold ateam to three (runs), you have achanceto win,and we did that. Ithought we had quality at-bats up and down the lineup. Itwas areallygood night for us.”

Tulane led 1-0 in the top of the firstinning,but atwo-runhomerun to deep left by UNO center fielder Owen Smith gave the Privateers

PELICANS

Continued from page1C

their first lead in the bottom of the first.

“(The home runs) were huge,” Gipson said. “Wetoldthe guys from the outset that (Tulanepitcher Jude Abbadessa) is going to throw fastballs, let’sget to the front of it.

Owen (Smith) did that, and it was goodtosee Jake (D’Altrui)dowhat he did.”

UNO never trailed after the first inning, as D’Altrui’sgrandslam off of Abbadessa provided an insurmountable cushion. Areturning senior,D’Altrui finished 1for 3with four RBIs and tworuns scored “I just tried to getmyfoot down and(Abbadessa)threw me something over the plate,” D’Altrui said. “I got extended on it, andIhit it pretty good. To have the success we’vehad against Tulane is awesome.”

UNO thirdbasemanEli Tidwell went 3for 4withanRBI double and arun scored from theleadoff spot. Smith hit second in the order and finished 3for 5with threeRBIs and two runs scored.

Left-handerBryson Goff started andwon forUNO afterthrowing 51/3 innings while allowing three earned runs, four hitsand three

walks to go with fourstrikeouts

“Everything was working pretty well today,soIwas glad about that,” Goff said. “As thegame went on,mytwo-seam (fastball) andmy changeup startedgettingbetter.It just movedmore, andI gotmore swings andmisses.”

The UNO bullpen allowed no runs, which included starting catcher Karson Evans. He recorded the finalthreeouts of thegame.

Abbadessa allowed sixearned runs while recordingjust two outs in the opening inning for Tulane Left-hander Jake Toporek threw ateam-high 31/3 innings with five strikeouts.

Tulane designatedhitter Jason Wachswas 3for 4with twodoubles and an RBI. The Green Wave had just five hits as ateam.

“Wewere in between plans and pitchesand lookedlost on offense tonight,” Tulanecoach Jay Uhlman said. “Whenyou stemthe tide and can’tanswer back,that’s going to be the difference.”

UNO (3-5) recorded 11 hits.Tulane fellto5-3

Email Spencer Urquhart at surquhart@theadvocate.com.

LSUWOMEN

Continued from page1C

her, Flau’jae Johnsonand Amiya Joyner in the Pete Maravich Assembly Centerat5 p.m. Thursday (ESPN)when they’re scheduled to face Tennesseeinthe last home contestofthe regular season.

Besselman began her career as awalk-on.She’s been on scholarship for alittle more than ayear now,but she hasn’tdressed out for agameineither of the past two seasonsbecause she’sone of about 70 million people worldwide who are battling someform of dysautonomia —anervous system disorder that can cause abnormally high heart rates.

It took Besselman about 10 monthstoreceive an officialdiagnosis. She firstnoticed something was wrong in apreseason practice ahead of herjunior season. LSUwas holding arelativelylight sessionthatday,yet the5-foot-10 formerEpiscopal star “felt awful.” Her heart rate spiked. Her lips turned blue.

LSUtrainers pulled Besselman off of the floor and brought her to anearby emergencyroom, kickstarting what hermother,Kate Besselman,calls a“horrific” process. Initially,doctors lookedfor blood clots. Then they started to notice someabnormalities in her heart rate and oxygen levels. But none of them could pinpoint what was causing them.

Besselman visited specialists such as neurologists, pulmonologists and cardiologists. Her searchfor an answer began to follow apattern. As soon as she’d start to feel some hope, she would hear some disappointing news.

“It was alot of really scary things that it couldhavebeen,” Kate said, “and as it wasn’tthose things, we were thankful but also alittlebit frustrated because we really couldn’tdetermine what it was for apretty long while.”

Besselman didn’t findananswer until last summer when she visited the Cleveland Clinic with hermotherand LSUassociate athletic trainer Amanda Barbee. There,doctors told her she was battling something called an inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST). That condition is similar to theone called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, which is commonly referred to as POTS. It’s manageable. Besselman’s heart hasa normalrhythm. It just beats too rapidly,and when she exercises, itsrate can either intensifyordrop. Sometimes she can move around withnoissues. Other times,she can’t.

right day —and only if she wears aheart monitor that Barbee carefully watches on the sideline.

“I’m avery functionable patient,” Besselman said. “I’m just trying to do what alot of people aren’t, and that’splay basketball.”

But Besselman’s heart just won’t let her,which meansthat she’smissed opportunities to see the floor

LSU has picked up 20 wins of at least 40 points across the last two seasons. Those kinds of games are the ones that Besselman would have entered had she been healthy enough. The crowds likely would’ve greeted her with aloud ovation each time shecheckedin. Instead, shehas satonthe bench, watching each wincome and go and her playing career slowly slip by

“I don’tknow that she ever has really articulated the fact that it’s over,”Katesaid. “I think she knows it, but she’snever really, really gone there with us, her parents.

“I do feel like she feels that she is an integralpartofthe team, just not out on the court.”

Besselman and Johnson are the last twoholdovers from the 202223 national championshipteam. Besselman appeared in 19 games that season, including three of the six NCAA Tournament contests theTigersplayed. That runtothe title capped adream year forher —and not just because she could cut downthe net at the end of it.

When Besselman was growing up, herparents would bring her to the PMAC to watch LSU women’sbasketball games. She never thought then that she’d play on that court oneday,let alonecontribute to the school’s first national championship in basketball. But because she did, Besselman thinks she’ll look back fondly on her college basketball career even though adifficult medical ordeal took away half of it.

Shesaidshe hasdeveloped a newperspective while sidelined. Besselman, one of the team captains, now sees the gamethrough adifferent lens, which allows hertopullsomeofher younger teammates aside, show them how they can find aplaceincoachKim Mulkey’ssystem and answer any of their questions.

Besselman’smom thinks those leadership responsibilitieshave helped her daughter rationalize and accept the fact that adifficult medicalordealtookaway half of her playing career Theymay also have given Besselman arenewed appreciation for moments like the last minute of LSU’swin over Middle Tennessee twoyearsago Those chances were fleeting, even moresothan shethought they were at the time.

“I want the fans to know,” Murray said. “I ain’tsuiting up for s*** about me.I’m suiting up for this organization, for my brothersand the fans. We want to go build momentum heading to the offseason and next year.Sothe win is what matters.”

The Pelicans (17-42) are now 7-6 over their last 13 games and 9-11 over their last 20. They will try to keep trending upward on a six-gameroadtripthatincludes agameThursdayand Saturday against the Utah Jazz. The Pels have won two straight games, including their first onewith Murray It wasn’tjust the numbers Murray put on the stat sheet thatmade adifference. It also was his presence and veteranleadership

“Eventhough this is hisfirst game back in awhile, he has that approach for every game he goes into,” Williamson said. “It means something to him. When you have aguy like that with that type pf energy,it’sniceto have. Youcan’thelp butwant to share that energy.”

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com

Besselman triedto“retrain” herheart so it could allow her to play basketball again. She took EKG tests three times aweek. Pilateswas supposed to help.So, too, were IVs. Now all Besselman can do is practice in spurts on the

“Justbethankfulfor every day,” Besselman said, “because you never know when it’sgonna stop. Younever knowwhenit’s thelasttime you’re getting on that floor.” sure.” Some of that family included his teammates, who welcomed his return. “As abrother,it’sgood to have him back on the court,” Zion Williamson said. “Especiallyknowing what he dealt with dealing with that injury.Hestayed resilient the whole time. Even though we were checking on him,hewas checking on us twice as much making sure everybody’smental was straight, making sure everybody wasgood and checking on the state of the team.” Murray wasted no timemaking an impact, scoring the Pelicans’ first basket on areverse layup. He also delivered aclutch basket late to help seal the win, but Murray insists Tuesday wasn’tabout him.

STAFF PHOTOSByDAVID GRUNFELD

Pelicans guardDejounte Murraybringsthe ball up courtagainst the Golden StateWarriors during the first half of agameatthe Smoothie KingCenter on Tuesday.

Tuesday.

TULANE

Continued from page1C

dribble into the lane, and Romad Dean drained acontested, deep 3-pointer as thebuzzersounded for a45-29 Tulsa lead.

Tulane’sfour-game winning streak came crashing down.

“Wewerementally andphysically fatigued,” Hunter said. “We playedlike that. We practiced like that yesterday.”

Tulane’sbest stretch cameafter amedia timeout with 11:08 leftin the first half. AsherWoodshit a 3-pointertopull the Wave within 16-12. Williams scored after a Luke Rasmussen steal, and Rasmussentippedina missed shot to makethe score 18-16. Rasmussen had achance to tie thescore afterbeing fouledon thenext possession, but he fell to 3of11for the year on free throws, clanking two in arow Tulsa then wentonan8-0 run, and the Wave never challenged again.

With Tulane concentrating on defending the 3-point line, Tulsa scored nine of its first 10 field goals at the rim Ade Popoola sank an open 3to makethe score 48-29 on the opening possession of the second half, starting a14-2 spurt that gave the Golden Hurricanea59-31 lead Tulsa, the league’ssecond-worst offensive rebounding team, scored on back-to-back secondchance opportunities, including a 3-pointer from Miles Barnstable after his own rebound. Green led five Tulsa players in double figures with 19 points. The Golden Hurricane recovered from its slow start by finishing 14 of 32 from long range. Williams paced Tulane with 16 points, andWoodsadded14. No one else scored morethan seven. TheWave, which almost certainly will need to win itsfinal three games to have achance to get into the top four of the American ConferenceTournament, travels to first-place South Florida on Sunday

THE VARSITYZONE

TEARSOFJOY

Oneyearafter lost season,goalieJuneaumakes clinching penalty-kick stopsand Pope John Paul II holdsoff Newman forstate championship

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

LillyJuneau cried after every matchlast season. Her tearsthis time were joyful.

The Pope John Paul II goalkeeper stopped the finaltwo penalty-kick shots for a5-4 shootout victory against Newman after the teams played to a1-1 draw through overtime in theLHSAA Division IV girls soccerchampionship Wednesday at Strawberry Stadium in Hammond.

The championship came one year after Juneau cut short her junior season because of acyst discovered near her spine that required medical care,causing her to miss most of the season. She stopped the final kick and celebrated as herteammates sprinted in from midfield, the school’ssecond state championship fully cemented.

“I would never have expected this last year,” Juneau said. “We got cut short. Iwould cry after every game because it was so heartbreaking not to be with my team and help them make it far last year. But this year,weworked our buttsoff.

“Wedeserve it, we reallydo.”

Just before halftime,PJP II senior Avery Evans scored off acorner kick, and Juneau preserved that lead as best she could against an onslaught of Newman shots down the stretch.

With fourth-seeded PJPII(19-21) just seconds way from winning in regulation, Newman’sSarah Cordova made alast-chance free kick from just outside the18-yard box, the ball deflecting off the crossbar andbouncing across the goal line.

“When they made that one, Ireally did want us to go to PKs be-

cause IknewIcould do it,” Juneau said.“Ijustneeded them to push throughthose 30 minutes or whatever it was, andI knew we could do it.”

In the shootout, Juneau faced six shots. The first four gotbyher Then,withNo. 6Newman (13-8-3) kicking fora chancetoclinch the championship, Juneau correctly read thekicker’sbody language, divedright and batted away the shot with her arms outstretched.

Sophomore Isabella Milligan made thenextshotfor PJP II, and Juneau followed with another dive to her rightfor theclinching save.

“I was kindofdoing what my (goalie) coach Jason (Schexnaydre) has taught me,read thebody,” Juneau said.“Iwas kind of told by their hips,bytheir foot. Ireally justread them as muchasI could figure it out.”

In the second half, Newman attemptedmore thanadozen shots. Overall, theGreenies had three shots hit off thegoal frame, including one in overtime.

“Weknew she wasgoing to get tested,” PJP coach Maureen Homburg said. “Weknew Newman was going to get shots off and she came up ginormous in this game. Absolutely incredible.”

Thelosscut short Newman’s chance at four titles in arow

“Some nights the balls go in,” Newman coach DougFreese said. “Sometimes,you’re all over the frameall night long. That’swhat happened to us this evening. But credit to them, they made it hard enough that they’re off thepost as opposed to in the goal.”

Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@theadvocate.com

Jesuit AD Moreau to retire afterlong,

BY CHRISTOPHERDABE Staff writer

As Dave Moreau stood before hiscoaches, he toldthemitwas time. The longtimeJesuit athletic director andformer state title-winning baseballcoach told his head coaches Tuesday he would retire at theend of theschool year,stepping away after 43 years with the school. His reasons? He had three.

Onewas family Moreau, 67, has alacrosse-playing grandsonat aschoolinOhio thathehasn’tseen in person in nearly twoyears.

He hopes to watchhim compete before he graduates in 2027.

“Even though Ispeak with him once or twice aweek, notseeing him in 21 months andnever seeing him play,it’stough,” said Moreau, whose wife, Rosalyn, taught at Jesuitfor 33 years. He also would like to visit his retired father more frequently in Florida.Don Moreau is the Loyola-New Orleansbaseball coaching wins leader

“Everyday is aworkday,” Moreau said. “Not that that’sa bad thing.

“I lovethe work.”

Another reason is stability

When the school year ends in May,the entire roster of Jesuit head coaches will have been in place for at leasttwo full seasons.

“That’s15programsthat fall under athletics and allare expected to return at this particular time,” Moreau said.

Havingafull roster of coaches in placewilleasethe transition to whoever replaces Moreau as athletic director Moreau also serves as Catholic League district chairperson this year,arole that rotates annually among District 9-5A schools. Leaving now would give the next AD multiple years in the position before taking on that responsibility Then came the third reason.

“Jesuitnever sits still,”Moreau said.

“There’salways anew project,” he added.“Iwould never want to be the point manfor aproject if Iwasn’table to see it through.” Since becoming AD in 2007, Moreauhas overseen numerous projects. Jesuitexpanded its athletic offerings underhis leadership,adding bowling, bass fishing, rugby,lacrosse, gymnastics and powerlifting.

The most impactful endeavor was the funding and construction of John Ryan Stadium

“It’s hard to believe it’s been that long,I still look forward to being able to be partofthe school going forward, just in a more reduced role.”

DAVE MOREAU, Jesuit athleticdirector on retiring after 43 yearsatthe school

Used primarily forbaseball— but also for soccer matches and footballpractices —the venue transformedathleticsatthe school.

Moreau vividly remembers its opening night: March2,2012, with former big-leaguers Will Clark, Rusty Staub and Putsy Caballero in attendance.

Moreau said the school initially plannedfor it to be only apractice facility,but alumni donations exceeded expectations and expanded the vision.

“The real nameisn’tJohn Ryan Stadium,” Moreau said. “The true name of the stadium is Alumni Field at John Ryan Stadium because so many alumni came forth to get that stadium done.”

Agraduate of De La Salle High School,Moreau coached Jesuit baseball from1983 until 2005. He won three state championships, nine district titles, and tallied more than 500 victories. He moved into athleticadministration in 2006 and became AD the following year

Asked about baseball memories, one came in the mid-1990s, after an American Legion game at Kirsch-Rooney Stadium that stretched past 11 p.m.onaSaturday night.

“And we were going to have agamethe next morning,” said Moreau, who asked then-school president Fr.Anthony McGinn if upon the team’sreturn to the school he could say mass so that the players could get someextra sleep in the morning.

“Going back to the school that night with our guys sweaty,dirty, goingintoour smallchapelwith the parents there, the windows open,” Moreau said. “One of the mostmemorable nights Iever had.”

The sense of community,he said, has always been the heart of Jesuit athletics.

Although retiring from the athleticdirectorposition,Moreau figures to still have apresence at aplace that hasbeen home to him forfour-plus decades.

“It’shard to believe it’s been that long,” Moreau said. “I still look forward to being able to be part of the school going forward, just in amore reduced role.”

Contact Christopher Dabeat cdabe@theadvocate.com

Calling for uniformity

By The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel called on the NFL to increase staffing at its replay command center to ensure reviews from all games are treated equally.

Vrabel spoke at the NFL scouting combine Wednesday and was asked about comments earlier this week by league executive Troy Vincent that there were a handful of mistakes made in replay last season in games played in the early Sunday afternoon window when as many as nine games were played at the same time.

“We need to make sure every game is treated the same — from the prime-time game on Sunday night to the prime-time game on Monday or Thursday or whether it’s one of those (noon) games that is the lifeblood of our league,” said Vrabel, who is a member of the competition committee.

“So if it’s something we need to take care of in the offseason staffing issues that need to be taken care of so that those things are looked at, we need to be really good at replay because there’s going to be mistakes on the field We have to get to a system in re-

play that’s as close to 100% accurate as possible.”

Vincent said there were 322 stoppages for replay reviews this past season, including 171 that were made from the replay center in New York. He said five of those plays were mishandled, with the majority coming in the noon window when there are more games being played simultaneously “There were five after we kind of took a step back and breathed four of them (were) in the (noon) window,” Vincent said. “Just volume and you go, ‘Ah, if we had to do that one again, just looking at it.’”

At least one of those plays proved crucial in the playoff race. Vincent cited a replay review in a Week 14 game that overturned a ruling on the field of an interception thrown by Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers.

The decision cost Baltimore 46 yards in field position, and the Ravens eventually lost the game 27-22 when a potential go-ahead TD pass from Lamar Jackson to Isaiah Likely was ruled incomplete by replay That call was not one of the five Vincent referenced, but he did say it warranted more discussion about what is or isn’t a catch. A win

in that game for Baltimore would have given the Ravens the AFC North title instead of the Steelers

An increase in staffing at the replay command center during windows with more games would not solve all of the inequities in comparison to higher-profile games, which feature significantly more cameras used by the broadcasters. San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch, a former broadcaster and a new member of the competition committee, said that needs to be addressed as well.

“I do think that’s something we want to strive for as a league,” Lynch said “I think there’s some uniformity you can get by requiring teams to have fixed cameras and things. I know all those things are being discussed, but that is a reality that the 1:00 games, there’s multiple games going on at the same time. So, the New York headquarters, they’re not going to have all their attention on that game. And then within that, the element that I talked about just not having the amount of cameras and angles. That’s a reality and something that we have to figure out because every game is important in our league, not just the prime-time games.”

Saints scouting department wins award for best 2025 draft

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

INDIANAPOLIS The New Orleans Saints college scouting department was honored Wednesday as winners of the Best Draft Award for its strong 2025 class that included a potential quarterback of the future, franchise left tackle and several other starters. The recognition marks the second time the Saints have won the award, handed out by Inside The League and voted on by other NFL scouts and administrators.

New Orleans was named the inaugural winner for its iconic 2017 class The Saints drafted nine players last offseason, with many going on to become important contributors. First-round tackle Kelvin Banks, picked ninth overall, started all 17 games and ranked near the top among all rookies in snap counts. Quarterback Tyler Shough, a second-round selection, went 5-4 as a

SAINTS

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a little different athlete. Size isn’t a premium as much as the athleticism is.

“So that only helps us. That creates actually more bodies, more swings.”

Picking Bain would represent a departure from the Saints’ status quo. But that was arguably needed even before the scheme change, following a series of high-profile draft misses at defensive end that included Marcus Davenport, Payton Turner and Isaiah Foskey And though the

Jordan, Hamlin building winning culture at 23XI

BY JENNA FRYER AP auto racing writer

HUNTERSVILLE,N.C.—

There’s a sign that hangs on a wall in Airspeed, the headquarters of 23XI Racing, that clearly states the vision of the NASCAR team owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin.

“To be the world’s most recognizable motorsports team, winning on and off the track, moving forward together, and setting the standard for excellence,” it reads.

Any questions about how 23XI would emerge from December’s federal antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR have been immediately silenced at the start of the new year Tyler Reddick won the seasonopening Daytona 500 and last weekend’s race at Atlanta to open 2 for 2, while teammate Bubba Wallace led a combined 86 laps in the two events and easily could have been the winner Reddick and Wallace head to Circuit of the Americas road course in Texas for Sunday’s race ranked 1-2 in the Cup Series points standings. It’s made for a festive atmosphere at Airspeed, a 114,000-square-foot headquarters where personal touches like the 45 pairs of Air Jordan sneakers arranged to form a No. 23 wall display make it one of the coolest teams to work for in motorsports.

“All we’ve been doing since the season started is eating, drinking and celebrating,” 23XI president Steve Lauletta told the 100-plus employees this week during a luncheon to celebrate Reddick’s Daytona 500 win.

The 23XI culture Jordan, the Pro Basketball Hall of Famer, and Hamlin, a threetime Daytona 500 winner has created a culture inside 23XI designed to build a championshipwinning organization that will be the go-to destination for aspiring drivers, engineers, mechanics and anyone who wants to work in NASCAR.

A victory flag flapped in the wind outside Airspeed, where wins are celebrated with a pizza party when the team plane returns Then comes company-wide celebratory luncheons, and an end-of-day shot of Jordan-owned Cincoro Tequila.

Employees get preloaded cards each month to use in the vending machines, have access to a stateof-the-art gym equipped with a sauna, hot and cold tubs and a physical therapist, and work in a building many legacy NASCAR teams only dream of owning.

FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL DEMOCKER

Saints assistant general manager and college scouting director Jeff Ireland watches workouts during Tulane’s pro day on April 3, 2018, at the Saints’ practice facility

starter and finished as a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year The Saints also found defensive starters in third-round safety Jonas Sanker and fourth-round cornerback Quincy Riley Even the rookies who spent most of the year as backups had prom-

Saints had two pass rushers finish with 10-sack campaigns last season, New Orleans could still use another impact pass rusher after ranking 21st in quarterback pressure percentage.

Bain would welcome the opportunity He said it would be a “blessing” to team up with Chase Young, whom Bain said he “grew up” watching and has followed the trajectory of his career

“I can tell you probably every highlight he had his rookie year,” Bain said.

Bain also said he had a formal interview with the Saints, adding he felt it went “great.” He said he tried to be overly prepared for the meetings he had this week as

ising moments, including fourthround linebacker Danny Stutsman, sixth-round running back Devin Neal and seventh-round tight end Moliki Matavao.

Saints assistant general manager and college scouting director Jeff Ireland leads the team’s scouting process.

“To be honest with you, the process has really not changed since I’ve been here,” Ireland said in January when asked about the success of last year’s draft. “We’ve used the same process that we’ve used. I think the addition to the (then-new coaching) staff and their energy and their enthusiasm in the process helped, for sure.

“They gave us great vision for what they were looking for, and that’s important. We went after high makeup, high character, highly intelligent players that had production in college.”

Email Matthew Paras at matt paras@theadvocate.com

part of a schedule that has been almost nonstop since Bain competed in the CFP national championship game. With his college season ending only a month ago, Bain has had to resume his training at a slower pace than admittedly he would like. He reportedly won’t be participating in the combine drills this week.

But Bain still has a chance to make an impression. He spoke about also interviewing with the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans — the latter of whom would reunite Bain with his former college quarterback in Cam Ward. Bain said Ward, the first overall pick in 2025, has told him

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JENNA FRyER

A display of 45 pairs of Nike Air Jordan 11 sneakers form the No. 23 at Airspeed, the headquarters of 23XI Racing, on Tuesday in Huntersville, N.C.

put a strain on 23XI, which raced unchartered all of last season and won just once — Wallace’s win at the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — as employees worried a courtroom defeat would put the team out of business.

NASCAR settled the suit on the ninth day of the trial — a win for all the teams, but especially plaintiffs 23XI and Front Row Motorsports — and 23XI never missed a beat. Lauletta said part of the early 2026 success is because Jordan and Hamlin promised to pay employees through 2026 regardless of the lawsuit outcome. That vow put the company at ease as everyone focused on their jobs.

“The guys worked hard all summer I know we had our little ordeal, but they never gave up,” Jordan said after Reddick’s win at Atlanta. “They kept working hard, and this is the fruit of their labor You know, they put forth the effort, and for us to come out and win the first two races says a lot about our whole team.”

Reaching new heights

As 23XI attempts to become an industry leader, the organization has been thinking outside the box in marketing and partnership opportunities. San Diego State University wears Jordan brand and 23XI partnered with the basketball team the night before the Daytona 500 for a game against the University of Nevada. Recorded messages from 23XI’s drivers played on the big screen, a race car was displayed outside the arena, and branded rally towels were distributed. On race day, 23XI and Toyota hosted a watch party at a sports bar on Coronado Island, where NASCAR will race for the first time later this year

Employees are all given pairs of Jordan’s namesake sneakers and the pit crews for the 23XI teams debuted a custom shoe at the Daytona 500.

All this for a team that was only conceived in 2020, launched in 2021, and now ranks among the top in NASCAR with the likes of Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske.

“There’s no question that we’re building fast cars and cars that are capable of winning week in, week out. We don’t always hit the setup or things like that, but we’re working hard,” said Hamlin. “This team being nonexistent six years ago is just amazing that we’re able to do what we did with building this thing from scratch and now having the results week in, week out that is contending with the big guys.”

No quit despite legal fight

23XI has reached the top despite a two-plus year Jordan-led fight against NASCAR over revenue sharing. The legal battle

he would advocate for the Titans to pick him at No. 4.

There’s no guarantee Bain will go that high. As silly as it can seem, the concern about Bain’s arm length could be a legitimate obstacle.

When Campbell struggled down the stretch of his rookie season — including mightily in the Super Bowl his pre-draft narrative was reignited to the point that some analysts wondered whether the Patriots would be better off moving Campbell to guard.

But the arm length debate simply boils down to each team’s philosophy

“Some guys have shorter arms that play with great length and ex-

“We want people to go ‘That’s my team!’ ” Lauletta said “We had our partners there giving away prizes and then we won the race That’s the stuff that helps differentiate us and helps these casual sports fan who know who Michael is now know who our team is. We won the race and the place went wild.”

In Las Vegas in two weeks a replica of the Jumpman-branded car that Kurt Busch drove to victory in 2022 will be on Reddick’s car to celebrate Busch’s recent induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The car features the Jumpman logo on the hood and a black cement elephant print inspired by the Air Jordan III sneaker

It makes 23XI stand out while displaying the passion that Jordan, a lifelong NASCAR fan, has for the sport.

“His passion for this sport is just unreal and it’s so fun to be around,” Lauletta said. “In getting 23XI going, the most pleasantly surprising thing is his love for the sport. It is as genuine as genuine gets.”

tension all the time,” Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters told reporters at the combine. “Some guys have really long arms that don’t use that, their length as well So, you know, it’s great to have that length, but it’s also how they use it and how it comes out on the tape.” Bain said his film speaks for itself.

“When you’re the best player in the draft, in my opinion, I’m going to come in with the mindset to work every day, prove myself in the locker room and just be the person that I am,” Bain said. Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

Turn over anew leaf

Sayhello to sorghum, your newest cookingally

BY GRETCHEN McKAY Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

When you have afamily member with asevere gluten allergy,itcan be slim pickings when it comes to baked goods and other dishes madewith grains like wheat, barley and rye. Not only are menu choices often limited when planning dinner or dessert, but evenamild sensitivity can wreak havoconaloved one’s tummy if you don’tuse distinct cookware and keep counters, cutting boards and utensils super clean to avoid crosscontamination

One-to-one gluten-free flours and naturally gluten-free grainsand seeds like quinoa, corn, buckwheat, rice and oats make it easier at meal time, at an added expense. Anyone who’sshopped the glutenfree aisle at amajor grocerystore or perused the offerings online knows these specialty products are significantly moreexpensive than everyday products made with wheat. That’sthanks to economies of scale (it’samuch smallermarket), the rigorous testing involvedto achieve certification and all the experimenting that goes into making a product that actuallytastesgood.

A12-ounce loaf of Udi’sglutenfree white sandwichbread, for example, typically costs $6 or more at most grocery stores —roughly twoorthree times the price of a 16-ounce “regular” white loaf Still, gluten-free productsare a culinary lifeline for some, as well as afun way to add alittle variety to daily meals with different tastes and textures. With that in mind, we’d like to introduce you to sorghum, an alternative grain you might be unfamiliar with but should get to know Available both as amilled flour and apearled cereal grain,

BY LINDAGASSENHEIMER

Tribune News Service (TNS)

Inspired by the recent Chinese New Year celebrations, thiseasy steak stir-fryquickly came to mind

It takes just afew minutes to assemble and prep the ingredients, and only minutes more to cook, making it perfect for a busy day Iuse aready-made stir-fry sauce from the market for convenience, but if you

The cold weather keeps finding its waydown South, so fighting back calls for something warmingand soothing—soup. Of course, thereare always canned and premade soups,but making soupnot only warms the body,italso warmsthe houseand the soul.

It’salso ahealthy and vegetarian option, as much of Louisianabuckles downfor Lent.

Youmay have heardofthe cleanout-your-refrigerator soup that avoids wasting food. But it’snot the only way to make soup and useup leftovers.

1.

the cookie sheet in the hot oven while you fry the tortilla strips, but no more than 30 minutes.

3. Heat about ¼cup of the oil in asmallpan. While pan is heating, cutthe tortillas into strips (about4 to 6per tortilla). Cook the strips in theoil to crispthem, turning to allow them to crisp on both sides. This should take about 2to3 minutes perside Drain thestrips on apaper towel. Keepadding oil to the pan as the strips absorb the oil. Continue until all of the strips are crisped.

4. Removethe tomatillos, onion, garlic andchipotles fromthe oven andpureein ablender until smooth. Add the mixture to the simmering stock. Add the epazote or oregano.

5. Serve in bowls and sprinkle witha tablespoon or two of thequeso fresco anda grate or 2oflime zest added just before serving.

By The Associated Press

Today is Thursday, Feb. 26, the 57th day of 2026. There are 308 days left in the year

Today in history: On Feb. 26, 1993, a truck bomb built by Islamic extremists exploded in the parking garage of the North Tower of New York’s World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others, mainly due to smoke inhalation. (The bomb failed to topple the north tower into the south tower, as the terrorists had hoped; both towers were destroyed in the 9/11 attack eight years later.)

Five-Spice Steak Stir-Fry

Also on this date: In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from exile on the island of Elba, sailing back to France in a bid to regain power In 1998 a jury in Amarillo, Texas, rejected an $11 million lawsuit brought by Texas cattlemen who blamed Oprah Winfrey’s talk show for a price fall after a segment on food safety that included a discussion about mad cow disease. In 2012, Trayvon Martin, 17, was shot to death in Sanford, Florida, during an altercation with neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman,

2. Add stir-fry sauce to a small bowl and mix in the five-spice powder making sure it is well mixed.

3. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a wok or skillet over high heat until smoking. Add the onion, celery and broccoli and stir fry 2 minutes. Add the red bell pepper. Continue to stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the meat and stir-fry 2 minutes.

4. Draw the ingredients to the side of the wok and add the stir-fry sauce to the cleared area. Draw all of the ingredients into the sauce. Toss well for a minute to make sure all ingredients are coated with the sauce.

Toss with 1

plates.

5. Spoon the beef stir-fry over the rice and serve.

NUTRITION PER SERVING: 598

who said he acted in selfdefense. (Zimmerman was later acquitted of seconddegree murder.) Today’s birthdays: Singer Mitch Ryder is 81. Singer Michael Bolton is 73. Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Mullen is 69. Actor Greg Germann is 68. Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia is 68. Singer Erykah Badu is 55. Filmmaker Sean Baker is 55. Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk is 53. Olympic swimming gold medalist Jenny Thompson is 53. Singer Corinne Bailey Rae is 47. Tennis Hall of Famer Li Na is 44. Singer Natalia Lafourcade is 42.

calories (29 percent from fat), 19.6 g fat (6.1 g saturated, 7.7 g monounsaturated), 84 mg cholesterol, 42.5 g protein, 63.0 g carbohydrates, 6.6 g fiber, 587 mg sodium

Homemade stir-fry sauce

3 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar

2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder

3 teaspoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons honey 2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons cornstarch Mix vinegar, Chinese fivespice powder garlic, soy sauce, honey, water and cornstarch together in a small bowl.

Roasted Cherry Tomato, Kale and Sorghum Salad

Serves 4. Recipe is adapted from bobsredmill.com. I used grape tomatoes and lacinato (Tuscan) kale, but you could add any favorite green or veggie. Consider doubling the dressing if you prefer a really moist grain salad.

1. First, cook the sorghum: Combine rinsed sorghum and 3 cups water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to mediumlow.

2. Cook until sorghum is pleasantly tender but still has some chew, 55-65 minutes. You can wait until the sorghum is halfway cooked before proceeding with the next steps.

3. Roast cherry tomatoes and shallot: Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a small, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

4. Toss whole cherry tomatoes and shallot halves with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a sprinkle of salt Roast until the tomatoes are soft

plump and starting to burst open, about 18 minutes. Chop shallot into small pieces.

5. Make the dressing: Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper until emulsified. Taste and add more salt, red pepper flakes or lemon juice if not tangy enough.

6. Once the sorghum is done cooking, drain off any excess water and pour cooked sorghum into a serving bowl.

7. Pour in all of the dressing, all of the cherry tomatoes and their juices, shallots, chopped kale, Parmesan, feta and chickpeas (optional) Season to taste with pepper toss well and serve.

Sorghum Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes up to 2 dozen cookies, depending on portioning. Recipe is from cookiemadness.

cookies often have an “off” taste Thanks to the addition of brown butter,

won’t disappoint.

heat and add remaining butter Stir well and let cool while you weigh your flour and prep the other ingredients.

3. In a mixing bowl, stir together light brown, dark brown and granulated sugars. 4. Add cooled brown butter to sugars, along with vanilla. Stir until blended 5. Stir in the egg. Let mixture rest for about 5 minutes, then stir again

into large or small balls, then press them down slightly so cookies will have flat tops. Arrange on tray and chill for at least 30 minutes, or until firm. (I portioned the dough into 20 smallish balls, which resulted in Oreo-sized cookies.)

8. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

9. Arrange cookies a few inches apart on the baking sheet.

Red Bean Soup

1.

Continued from page 1D

sorghum is considered an ancient grain that is, it’s been grown for hundreds of years and largely remains unaltered through modern farming practices. It’s believed to have been domesticated in East-Central Africa at least 5,000 years ago. Today, it’s the fifth most produced cereal crop in the world after wheat, corn, rice and barley, making it an important dietary staple for more than 500 million of the most food-insecure people in the world. High-energy and drought-tolerant, sorghum’s leaves and stems

6 Mix together sorghum flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt, then add to egg mixture to make a soft dough.

7. Add chocolate chunks and nuts (if using). Shape

can be used to feed livestock and also to produce ethanol. In the culinary arena, it can be cooked into a cereal and porridge; used as a base in grain bowls, salads and soups; fermented in alcoholic beverages; and crushed like sugar cane or beets to produce a syrup. It also can be popped like corn for a nutritious snack. Why build out your pantry with a bag of soft white sorghum flour or a package of the golden, couscouslike grain? Not only is sorghum a natural source of hearthealthy antioxidants, but whole grain sorghum is a great source of

10. Bake cookies for 1518 minutes, or until crispy around the edges but still soft in the center (Large cookies will bake a little longer.)

But the main reason to try it if you don’t have a gluten sensitivity is that sorghum adds a hearty, nutty flavor to so many recipes. And it is just so versatile. Depending on whether you use it in grain, flour or syrup form, you can boil it on the stovetop, bake it in the oven in breads, rolls, cookies and pie crusts or bring it to fluffy life in a rice cooker or slow cooker To help you test the waters, we’ve gathered some easy recipes that

Sorghum products can be purchased from specialty grain suppliers or at

grocery

(including Whole Foods) and health food markets.

Serves

1

Vegetable Soup

1. Place the olive oil in the

over medium

When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onions. Cook, stirring as needed, for 10 minutes. Add the celery and cook 5 minutes more.

Add the garlic and stir

2. Add the stock, bay leaf, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, greens, mirliton and mushrooms. Stir and cook 30 minutes. Add the chopped herbs, oregano and half of the cheese Stir well. Cook another 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper

3. Remove the bay leaf with a spoon or tongs and discard. Remove the pot from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls to serve. Garnish each bowl with up to a tablespoon of grated Parmesan. Serve with bread and olive oil for dipping. Have a pepper grinder and extra cheese on the table for additional flourish.

SOUPS

Continued from page 1D

This Vegetable Soup reflects the basic recipe, and you can add extra vegetables with impunity Those few leftover pieces of cauliflower or asparagus will fit right in.

This is a complete meal vegetable soup. With beans and cheese, you have protein, as well as lots of good taste and fiber Serve this with crusty bread and a salad, and you can help soothe your insides.

To honor New Orleans roots, try a Red Bean Soup, which is packed with protein and fulfills the Monday promise of creamy red beans with a twist. You can cook dried red beans as you would for a batch of red beans and rice, using your favorite recipe and setting some aside for this soup. Or as a last resort, use rinsed, canned beans.

It’s also a great way to use up the last of your red beans, especially if you don’t have enough for everyone. Although it has its origin in New Orleans traditional red beans and rice, it is really soup. You can add ham, but I like green onion sausage or chaurice hot sausage. You can choose andouille or ham hocks. They are all very New Orleans choices, too. And for variety, I think Tortilla Soup is a good choice. It lets you use up tortillas that are going stale, and allows us to savor Mexican flavors. We don’t eat enough tomatillos, so this recipe uses those lemony cousins of the tomato. Be sure to use good chiles. I happen to like chipotles, but if you prefer a hotter chile or a milder one, just substitute. Like so many Mexican dishes, this one uses a blender to meld all of the ingredients together

The soup, warm by

temperature and warm by taste, comes together quickly It isn’t a longcooking soup, but it should be satisfying. And if you just can’t manage to crisp tortillas, don’t skip making the soup. Just use tortilla chips for the store. Remember, no matter how you fix your tortillas, don’t let them stay in the soup too long so they don’t fall apart. One soup tip: Keep in mind that vegetables must be chopped small enough to fit onto a spoon. This is soup, after all. Even with a large soup spoon, you want the vegetables and any other ingredients to be easy to transport to your mouth.

Liz Williams is founder of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans. Listen to “Tip of the Tongue,” Liz’s podcast about food, drink and culture, wherever you hear podcasts. Email Liz at lizwillia@gmail.com.

PISCES (Feb.20-March 20) Adjust your space to serve your needs.How you rearrange your furniture or configure your workspace will contributetoyour productivityand peace of mind.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Be honestwith yourself,and it will be easier to resolve the issues youhave with others. Keep situations in perspective; if you overreact, you'll encounter backlash.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Sharing your thoughts will promote progress. Join forces with like-minded people and make adifference. Let your actions lead theway andyour anger melt away.

GEMINI(May 21-June 20) Use your resources.Deal with situations that are standing in your way.Trust your instincts over what others say. Use your energyand choose your words wisely.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Be honest about what youare willingtodoorcan do Making astraightforward approach, accurately defining your capabilities and finishing what youstart will be the pathtoyour success.

LEO (July 23-Aug.22) Listen carefully, observe and honor your promises. There will be no wiggle room when dealing withothers. Do what you can andmove on. Be patient,and an opportunitywill surface.

VIRGO(Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Participation will lead to newbeginnings. What you do to make the world abetter place will change your lifefor the better. Volun-

teering your time will helpyou see firsthand what's necessary.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Avoid confrontations, tone downthe rhetoric and pay attentiontowhat you can achieve. Dedicationand loyaltyare in your best interest. Stick to aplan and do what's right

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Take the plunge, trysomething new,explore thepossibilitiesand put yourself in apositiontolearnsomething. Share your thoughtswith someone you want to spend more time with.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec.21) Maintain your momentum.Focus on functionality,fortitude and freedom to follow a paththat has purposeand meaning for you. Use your imaginationtooutsmart bullies CAPRICORN (Dec.22-Jan.19) Set your sightsonwhat you want to accomplish. Ahigh-energy approach will get you to thefinish line without delay. Create opportunities rather than waiting for someone else to make the first move.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Home improvements that lower your overhead will greatly improve your life. An opportunity to use talent, insight and desire to develop something creative can bring in additional income.

Thehoroscope, an entertainment feature, is notbasedonscientific fact ©2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrewsmcmeel 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

Whenyou look at all 52 cardsofsome bridge deals, it is not clearhow eitherthe biddingorthe play willgo. Thislayout aroseduring asocial game with strong players. What wasthe outcome in six clubs after West led theheart king?

The auction wasinvolved. North’s negative double showed his four-card spade suit.Then, when South indicated extra values by jumpingtothree no-trump, North bidhis long diamondsuit. South control-bid(cue-bid)fourhearts to suggestaslam. West’sdouble was futile.

And, finally,South chose six clubs. Both six clubs and six diamonds can be made, but each requires double-dummy play. (Declarer must knowwhere allof the cards lie.)

The expert in six clubs adopted asensible line. After winning with his heart ace, South ranhis diamond queen to East’s king.

East,thinking hispartnerwould have leda singleton if he hadone,returneda heart. Butdeclarer ruffed in thedummy, cashed the club king, crossed to the spade king, and drew trumps, squeezing East in spadesand diamonds (not that it mattered,because South could have established dummy’s diamond suit). East should have returned adiamond. If

Southhad had asingleton queen, he was unlikely to have rebid three no-trump Also,evenifhehad,the diamond lead probablywouldnot have cost. West would have needed atrump trick to defeat the contract, which was not likely to evaporate.

©2026 by nEa, inc dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

Each Wuzzleisa wordriddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. Forexample: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

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

toDAY’s WoRD REsuMED: rih-ZOOM’D: Returned to or began againafter interruption.

Average mark 20 words Time limit 30 minutes Can youfind26ormore words in RESUMED?

YEstERDAY’sWoRD —connIVEs

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.

PuzzleAnswer

info@scrabbleplayers.org.Visit

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 thegiven operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in thetop-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

WiShinG Well

HErE is aplEasanT

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EARLY LITERA EVENTS

TheNew Orleans Public storytimes for children 5and playtimes for ages of our locations. Visit nolalibrary early-literacy for more

LPO’S MUSICAL ST

LPO’sMusical Story Hour amusician from the Lo harmonicOrchestra who alongside the reading children’s book.

Saturday,March14 from 10:30am –11am Milton H. Latter Mem

Music &Mov

Dance,wiggle,and we use music and to practice earlyliteracy and build the foundat of reading and wri program is for children 2–5and their car

Friday,March13 from 4pm– 4:30pm Nora Navra Library

SENSORY-FRIENDLY

STORYTIME

SENSORYPLAY

Families looking for awelcoming and comfortable space forneurodivergent children can join us forinclusive and interactive sensory play and exploration activities

Register at nolalibrary.co/sensory-play

Saturday,March14 from 2pm–3:30pm Norman Mayer Library

CREATE &PLAY: ONCE UPON ARHYME

Practice developing early literacy skills with crafts, hands-onactivities, and snacks. Afun nursery rhyme-themed program forchildren ages 2–5and their families.

Friday,March20 from 10:30am–11:30am Cita Dennis Hubbell Library

CHILDREN’S

BLUE HOUSEMUSIC: CONNECTING MUSIC AND EARLYLITERACY

Explore natural connections between language and music throughsinging and storytelling during this musicand early literacy workshop.

Saturday,March21 from 10:30am–11:30am Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr.Library

LITTLE STEAMERSENGINEERING

Aseries designed for children ages 3–5 years old to explore Science, Technology,Engineering,Arts,and Mathematics (STEAM) at the Library.

Register at nolalibrary.co/kreyol.

First Saturdays in March throughMay from 10:30am –11:30am Algiers Regional Library

STEAMCLUB

Experiment, create,orcraft at this handson STEAM event for children ages 6–12.

This month’s activitiesinclude:

•Build-Your-Own Sand Timer (registration required)

•Art Smarts: All About Orange

•Binary Bracelets

•Game Day

•Dungeons and Dragons

Families looking for awelcoming and comfortable space forneurodivergent children can join us foran inclusive andinteractive storytime. Space is limited.

Register at nolalibrary.co/sensory-storytime

Saturday,March14

from 10:30am –11:30am Norman Mayer Library

Register at nolalibrary.co/little-steamers

Saturday,March28 from 10:30am–11:30am Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr.Library

•WeatherCycle in aBag

•Pequeñas creaciones: Esculpir en arcilla /Small Creations: Sculpting in Clay

•Sticker Making

•Scratch Art

•Clementine Hunter &Folk Art (registration required)

•Art Smarts: Retablos

Visit nolalibrary.co/STEAM for times and locations.

READINGBUDDIES XWEE

WRITEFOR KIDS WITH 826 NO Have fun while building literacy skills. Kids in gradesK-2 read, write, and games with teenmentors to stren en literacyskillsthrough creative telling, writing, and reading activit Light dinner willbeserved.

Register at nolalibrary.co/reading-buddies.

WednesdaysfromMarch 11 –A from 5pm –6:15pm Rosa F. KellerLibrary &CommunityCenter

DOGGIE DAY: DOG MEET& GREETBYLOUISIANASPCA WITH THEMED CRAFTS

Louisiana SPCAdogs andpuppies are headed to the Library.Kids and families can meet thesefluffyvisitors, craft toys to go back with themtothe shelter,and leave with an animalthemed book.

Saturday,March 14

from 2pm –3:30pm Central City Library

MATH FESTIVAL FORKIDS

WITH JULIAROBINSON MATHEMATICSFESTIVAL

BRAINDAY

Celebrate Brain Awareness Week with fun activities for kids around the brain and its function. For childrenages 6– 12.

Register at nolalibrary.co/brain-day.

Saturday,March21 from 12pm –4pm MiltonH.Latter Memorial Library

Hands-on math puzzlesand games for kids, teens, and their families. Plus, educators can try activities to take back to theirstudents. The festival isin town for oneday only!

Register at nolalibrary.co/math-fest to help us plan supplies.

Tuesday,March 17 from 3:30pm –5:30pm Main Library

MARDIDEMUSIQUE PERFORMANCEENFRANÇAIS

Don’tmiss the French-language musical group from Hynes UNO.These talented elementary school performers will preview their Jazz Fest debut with alively set oforiginal and belovedclassics.

Saturday,March28 from 11am –12pm Norman Mayer Library

reative,soservice-learning hours. oteens ages o/teen-volunteer-day pm –6pm pm –6pm brary m4pm –6pm 4pm –6pm

OPPORTUNITY:READING BUDDIESX WEEWRITE WITH 826 NOLA

Teens in grades8–12may sign up to volunteer as aBig Reading Buddy this fall to help early readers (in grades K–2)become more independent readers. Light dinner will be served. This opportunityprovidesaround 10 volunteer hours over 6weeks. Abriefphone interview and online orientation are required prior to volunteering with this program.

Register at nolalibrary.co/reading-buddies

Wednesdays from March4–April 8 from 4:45pm –6:30pm Rosa F. Keller Library &CommunityCenter

EXPRESSYOURSELF!

MONTHLY TRANS&QUEER TEEN HANGOUT WITH THENEW ORLEANSPRIDE CENTER

Enjoy games, activities, and pizza each month at this drop-in event for teens ages 11 –18. This month’s theme is Buttoned Up In Herstory: Elevating All Women’s Voices. Step up to our button maker and craft abadge that shines with the stories, voices, andstrength of womenacross time.Whether your messageisdaring,uplifting, heartfelt, or lighthearted, this is your canvas to share what moves you. Create, connect, and celebrate the power of women’s inspiration together.

Register at nolalibrary.co/express-yourself to help us plan supplies

Thursday,March 12 from 4:30pm –5:40pm Main Library

TEEN DROP-IN

Hang out, playgames, makeart, learn a new hobby,orexplorenew tech at this programfor teens ages 11 –18.

Register at nolalibrary.co/teen-drop-in to help us plan supplies.

Theme: CollageSelf Portraits Tuesday,March 17 from 4pm– 5pm Mid-City Library

Theme: Pin-Back Button-Making Thursday,March 19 from 3:30pm –4:30pm Robert E. Smith Library

ROBOTICS WORKSHOP FORTWEENS WITH JESUITROBOTICS

Design and programrobots to create a new and exciting city.Open to tweens ages 9– 12.

Register at nolalibrary.co/robotics.

Saturday,March 21 from 2pm –4pm Nora NavraLibrary

ADULT EVENTS

LEARNTOTYPEWITHOUT

LOOKINGAND HAVE FUN TOO!

Learn typing skills, including the ability to find keys on the keyboard.Increase your comfortlevel in using acomputer. For all ages 16 and up and all computer skill levels.

Registration recommended at nolalibrary.co/typing.

Tuesdays in March from 10am –11:30am Main Library

LOOKINGFOR AJOB?LET US MAKE IT EASIER

Drop By the Upstairs ComputerArea

Whether you’restarting fromscratch or just need asecond setofeyes, we’ve got yourback. Allwith assistance from Library staff and your fellow community members.

Wednesdays in March from 1pm –2pm Algiers Regional Library

CENTRAL CITY BOOK SALON

Read and discussavariety of fabulous, fun, fierce,and finely-crafted books. New members always welcome.This month we’ll be discussing Lincolnin the Bardo by George Saunders.

Tuesday, March 3

from5:30pm –6:30pm CentralCity Library

WATERCOLOR FLOWERS

Play with color and form by arranginga still life with silk flowersand recreating an abstract version withwatercolor paints. Beginners welcome

Registration recommended at nolalibrary.co/watercolor-flowers.

Thursday,March 5 from 4pm–6pm Algiers Regional Library

Thursday,March 19 from 11am –1pm

Robert E. Smith Library

LISTENING LOUNGE: FORTHE RECORD

Ashow-and-tell listening partyfor vinyl record fansand collectors. Bring your favorite or most special records to share and play at the Library.

Saturday,March7 from 2pm –4pm

Rosa F. Keller Library &CommunityCenter

PREPARETOCARE WITH THEAARP

No matterwhere you are in your caregivingjourney, agood framework, supportnetwork, and resources to guide you and your loved one can make things easier

Tuesday,March10 from 5:30pm –6:30pm AlgiersRegional Library

Thursday,March19 from 5:30pm –6:30pm

Robert E. Smith Library

ONE PAGE AT ATIMEAREADINGAND WRITING WORKSHOP WITH KATE BALDWIN

In this workshop based on George Saunders’ ASwim in aPond in The Rain,participants will analyze Saunders’work, followed by targeted writing prompts. All readers and writers welcome

Wednesday,March11 from 11am–12pm

MiltonH.Latter Memorial Library

STREET PERFORMANCE AND THELAW

WITH MUSIC ANDCULTURE COALITION OF

NEWORLEANS

Learn about the history of street performance in NewOrleans, the many (and sometimes confusing) laws they have to follow,and hear directly from some of theperformers themselves.

Thursday,March12 from 12pm –1:30pm Norman Mayer Library

Save the Date

SATURDAY,APRIL 11

NORDC’sMilne RecCenter (5420 Franklin Ave)

For more information, visit nolacityarchives.org/genfest

LAWTALK: EXPUNGEMENTS

Learn about expungements at this viewing of avirtual law talkwithanattorney from the Justice &Accountability Center of Louisiana. After the talk, ask questions as time allows. There will be no lawyersonsite

Wednesday,March 18 from 12pm –1pm Central City Library

TEATIME READING NOOKASHORT STORYBOOK CLUB FORBUSYFOLK

Read specially selected short stories and have acozyconversation overtea and cookies. This month we’llbereading Semplica Girl Diaries by George Saunders.

Saturday,March 21 from 2pm –4pm Cita Dennis Hubbell Library

AUTHOR NIGHTATNORA NAVRA: MYSTERYAND NOIR

TomAndes,Danny Cherry,Ariadne Blayde, and JonHébert will read aselection of mystery,noir, and crime fiction with aNew Orleans twist.

Wednesday,March 25 from 5:30pm –6:30pm Nora Navra Library

Feb. 26, 2026

Lana in L mp page

Broadway at the Saenger presents ‘Phantom’ page 8

don’tmiss don’tmiss don’t miss

monster jam echoes of innovation

Presented by The New Orleans Historic Collection and Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra,the annual freeconcertatSt. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square will celebrate19thcenturyCreole composers and innovators, curated by Alvin Jackson of Treme’s Petit Jazz Museum. Guest artists include Doreen Ketchens, OperaCréole, Oscar Rossignoli and Geovane Santos. Jackson will host apreconcert talk at 6p.m. at HNOC’s Williams Research Center, 410Chartres St. Cathedral doors openat7p.m.; seating is first-come, firstserved.

Awesome trucks and action-packed stunts can be found at the Stadium Championship SeriesWest on Saturday at the Caesars Superdome, featuring popular trucks like Grave Digger,ElToro Loco and SparkleSmash. The main event starts at 7p.m. APit Party will be open from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. for aseparate fee. Tickets start at $33.45. monsterjam.com.

‘loveletters’

Crescent City Stage presents a one-night-only presen saone-night-only performance of the A.R. Gurney play, starringNellplay,starring Nell Nolan and Michael Newcomer at 9:30 p.m. Friday at CCS Studio, 6063 Magazine St., Studio,6063 MagazineSt. New Orleans. Tickets start at $35. crescentcitystage.com.

wiener dog races

The cutest annual race at the New Orleans Fair Grounds, 1751 Gentilly Blvd., returns withfast and furious, hotdog-shaped dachshunds at 12:45 p.m. Saturday. Grandstand general

nola

nite market

❤

Celebrate the year of the fire horse at this event modeled after southeast Asian night markets withfood vendors offering everything from boba teas to Korean barbecue. Entertainment includes live musical and dance performances. The market is from 5p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and 2p.m. to 9p.m. Saturday at 484 Sala Ave. instagram.com/ nolanitemarket.

music music music

Lana Del Rey releases song co-written by husband about life in the La. swamp

BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer

Singer Lana Del Rey is feeling the Louisiana voodoo on her latest single as she playfully sings about the pull of her husband, alligator boat tour guide captain Jeremy Dufrene, and their domestic life down the bayou

It’s fitting then that Del Rey, 40, released her song, “White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter,” on Fat Tuesday The song was co-written by the 50-yearold Dufrene — the apparent deer hunter the song is named after. Del Rey sings about how Dufrene keeps her cool in the hot Louisiana summers and likes

to push her on his John Deere lawn mower She also admits on the orchestral ballad she enjoys being in the kitchen, cooking for her husband.

“I know you wish you had a man like him, it’s such a bummer,” Del Rey sings.

In the chorus, Del Rey brings up voodoo — an allusion to Louisiana culture — to describe the effect Dufrene has on her Del Rey and Dufrene got married in September 2024 in a ceremony near the spot where the pair first met in 2019, Airboat Tours by Arthur Matherne in Des Allemands.

In a 2025 interview with W Magazine, Del Rey revealed de-

tails about her life with Dufrene, who she said has been stoic in the wake of increased media attention. The singer spends most of her time in Louisiana from trips to her adopted hometown of Los Angeles.

Del Rey also said she likes to swim in the Louisiana bayou and has shared photos and videos of her marital bliss on social media. Del Rey said “White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter” is her “favorite” track from her upcoming album, “Stove,” Billboard reported. The singer said her album, which is expected to be a country-inspired album, will be released in the coming months.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Jeremy Dufrene, left, and Lana Del Rey attend the Valentino Womenswear Spring/Summer 2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week in October

ABOUT LAGNIAPPE

The Lagniappe section is published each Thursday by The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. All inquiries about Lagniappe should be directed to the editor.

LAGNIAPPE

EDITOR: Lauren Walck, lauren. walck@theadvocate.com

COVER DESIGN: Andrea Daniel

CONTRIBUTING WRIT-

ERS: Victor Andrews, Marco Cartolano, Dean M. Shapiro, Keith Spera, Poet Wolfe

GET LISTED IN LAGNIAPPE

Submit events to Lagniappe at least two weeks in advance by sending an email to events@theadvocate.com.

ON THE COVER

The Louisiana Baroque Chamber Orchestra will pay tribute to Venetian baroque composers in a performance at the New Marigny Theatre. Getty Images photo. Story by Dean M. Shapiro on Page 6.

music music music

Keith Spera SOUND CHECK

WAYNEHANCOCK

WEDNESDAY,ROCK ’N’ BOWL

Wayne “The Train”Hancock’s 1995 debut album, “Thunderstorms and Neon Signs,” was like somethingout ofa honkytonktimemachine.The Texasnative’s nasally,high-lonesome voice was reminiscent of Hank Williams. The overall sound and style of hismusicharkened backto an earlier era of Western swing, honkytonkand hardcore hillbilly country,with elements of Texas rockabilly andblues thrown in as well. His signature blend came to be known as “JukeJoint Swing,” and he is its undisputed king.Hancock manages to soundlikea throwbackand cutting edge simultaneously. Not surprisingly,the contemporary country establishment didn’tknow what to make of Hancock and hismusic. His most recent record was 2016’s“Slingin’ Rhythm,” released bythe indie label Bloodshot Records. Now60, Hancockhas spenthis entire career grinding it out at honky-tonks and barrooms,showcasing his unique sound during epic shows that earned him his nickname, TheTrain. The never-ending road brings Hancock to Rock ’N’BowlonWednesday.Tickets are $22.

Themusic optionsinNew Orleansthisweekinclude a throwbackhonky-tonksingeratRock’N’ Bowl andalocal singer-songwriterinwhatisfor himanunusual venue.

KYLE ROUSSEL

SATURDAY,SNUG HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO

PAUL SANCHEZAND THERUMPUS

TUESDAY,SNUG HARBOR

JAZZ BISTRO

During more than 40 years of music making in New Orleans, Paul Sanchez has peddled loud, electric rock ‘n’ roll songs, acousticsinger-songwriter folk songs and Broadwayworthy “Nine Lives” songs on manydifferent stages. But the only time he ever performed on the intimate stage at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro was years ago with fellow singer-songwriter Alex McMurray and the late drummer Carlo Nuccio. On Tuesday,Sanchez will makehis Snug Harbor debut with ajazz project. Dubbed the Rumpus, it features Martin Masakowski on bass, Meghan Swartz on piano and Gerald Watkins Jr.ondrums. They’ll showcase songs that have resulted from Sanchez’scollaborations over the years with John Boutte, Leroy Jones, John Rankin, Shamarr Allen and other jazz-leaningartists, as well as material from Sanchez’s2025 albums “The Best Bards IKnow”and “Love Always Finds A Way,”the latter of which was produced by Allen. Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.Tickets are $30.

Indicative of his range, pianist and composer Kyle Roussel works with boththe traditional Preservation Hall Jazz Bandand the decidedly modernHeadhunters. He took piano lessons as a kid growing up in St.Charles Parish.He’d replicate Beethoven and Chopin compositions at piano competitions, then follow thespirit when playing in church. He attended Hahnville High School in the morning, then commuted to the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts in theafternoon. He later came of ageonthe New Orleansmusic scene and has performed in dozens of countries. In early 2025, he released an ambitious album titled “Church of New Orleans.” Nearly threedozen musicians contributed to Roussel’sgrand statement of R&B, funk, jazz, gospel, Mardi Gras Indian music and more. It is acelebration of New Orleansmusic history that also sounds of the moment. On Saturday,Roussel will showcase musicfrom “Church of New Orleans” at Snug Harbor JazzBistro at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.Tickets are $40 plus fees.

music music music

CAMILE BAUDOIN, MIAB ‘PAPA’ GROS,GREGG HILL

THURSDAY,THE PAVILION AT THE

The “Songs and Stories From City” series at the Broadsid around robin-style singer-son in which multiple artiststake songs and the stories behind is amore intimate experien insights into the songwriting Thursday’sinstallment of Stories” at the Pavilion feat quartet of New Orleansmus who likely have never shared stage. They include Camile Baudoin, lead guitarist of th Radiators; bandleader and songwriter Mia Borders; keyboardist and singer John “Papa” Gros; and songwriter Gregg Hill, who curates the series. Showtime is from 7p.m to 9p.m. Thursday Tickets start at $22.

Più MossoBaroque

featuring TheNew Orleans ChamberOrchestra presents Harpsichord Concertos andComic Cantatas with conductor, harpsichordist Paul Mauffray

Bach &Rameau Concertos, Vivaldi, theTelemannCanary Cantata, and theBach-Coffee Cantata

SATURDAY,MARCH21,5:30PM•SUNDAY,MARCH22,3:00PM at the NewMarigny Theatre, 2301 Marais Street www.newmarignytheatre.com

MUSICALLOUISIANA:AMERICA’S CULTURAL HERITAGE featuring THELPO,OPERACRÉOLE,DOREENKETCHENS, OSCAR ROSSIGNOLI,GEOVANE SANTOS

WEDNESDAY,ST. LOUIS CATHEDRAL

The Musical Louisiana: America’sCultural Heritageconcert series, founded in 2007, is an annual collaboration between The Historic New OrleansCollection and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra to showcase Louisiana’s contributions to classical music. The 2026 Musical Louisianaconcert, the 18th overall and titled “Echoes of Innovation,” celebrates the contributions of several 19th-century Creole composersand “innovators,” including Dédé, Barès, Lambert, Gottschalk and Martin.

atre of St. Louis, will be joined by the OperaCréole ensemble, clarinetist Doreen Ketchens, pianist Oscar Rossignoli and guitarist Geovane Santos. Admission is free. Showtimeis7:30 p.m.

The cathedral doors open at 7, with seating on a first-come, first-served basis.

The LPO, guest conducted by Daniela Candillari of Opera The-

Before the concert, HNOC will host adiscussion at 6p.m. about the show’s cultural and historical context featuring program curator Alvin Jackson, of Treme’s Petit Jazz Museum.HNOCfamily historian Jari C. Honora will facilitate the discussion at the WilliamsResearch Center,410 Chartres St.

stages stages stages

GO FOR BAROQUE

The Louisiana Baroque Chamber Orchestra playsits debut concertat the NewMarigny Theatre in January.

Newchamber musicensembleinNew Orleanspaystribute

to 16th-and 17th-century Venetian composers

BY DEAN M. SHAPIRO

Contributing writer

The Old World similarities between New Orleans andVenice, Italy, have sparked anew chamber music ensem-

bleinthe Crescent City.

TheLouisiana Baroque Chamber Orchestra madeits debut at the New Marigny Theatre to afull house of classical music aficionados in late January. Encouraged by that success, areturn engagement is planned for Friday in

León-

ida, who was classically trained in violin at the Venice Conservatory and has lived in New Orleans for over 15 years.

“There are many things NewOrleans has in common withVenice,” Leónida said. For example, thecitiesare bothnear alarge body of water and have longstanding musical cultures.

With thenew chamber ensemble, he hopes to revive alongago musical style —baroque music.

“Over thelast 20 years, we’ve had this explosion of interest in baroque and playing witha baroquestyle bow for string instruments,” Leónidaexplained. “The way you play classical style is different than playing amodern instrument. Andthe idea is to recreatethe style and the sound that they used during theBaroque period.”

To theaverage classical musiclover, the term “baroque” is mostwidely associated with such revered composers as Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Antonio Vivaldi and anumber of others from the 16th and 17th centuries in western Europe. However,there are many morelesser-knownbaroque composers and manyvariations in baroque musical styling, depending on where they originated.

“The baroque repertoire is so large and so beautiful,” he said. “It’snot just Bach and Vivaldi. They were great, but there wereother great baroque composers as well. The new ensemble will be performing twoother concerts this spring, April 17 and May 17, both at the NewMarigny Theatre, as wellasaseries of concerts June 8-18 at ayet-to-be-announced location.

“Each concert will have asoloist performing,”Leónida said.“We’llbefeaturing different instruments like the flute, guitar,oboeand asinger.They will represent the city of Veniceand its history and culture.”

In addition to performing aVivaldi piece,the Februaryprogram, “The Sound of Baroque Venice,” will feature works by Venetian composers Tomaso Albinoni, Barbara Strozzi, Giovanni

Gabrieli, Andrea Gabrieli, Baldassare Galuppiand Alessandro Marcello. Members of the ensemble include concertmaster Kate Walter on violin, Gabrielle Fischler on violin, Sixto Franco on viola, Shelton Shugar on oboe, Dennette Derby McDermott on flute, Jack Craft on cello, Douglas Bakenhus on bassoon and Brian King on guitar.McDermott, King and violinist Victor Cortez are concert season

soloists.

OneofLeónida’sgoals is to engage diverse musicians of different ages and backgrounds. Participatingmusicians from theLABCO Training Program for Young Musicians include violinistsDanella Israel, Nohelia Gutierrez and Cecilee Mrtika and cellist Candela Martin. Vocal soloists from theLABCO for Young Talents Program are sopranos Jessica Francis Clayton

'THE SOUND OF BAROQUE VENICE'

WHAT: Louisiana Baroque Chamber Orchestra performs aconcert of baroque works by Venetian composers

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27; doors openat7 p.m. WHERE: NewMarigny Theatre,2301 Marais St. TICKETS: $22-$30

INFO: newmarignytheatre com

and Anna KateJeager.

Beyond concerts, Leónida also envisions an annual Baroque Festival, and he aspires to compose abaroque opera.

“This premiere concert confirmed the strong interest in baroque music performed with care, authenticity and community spirit,” he said. “The response from the audience wasdeeply encouraging, and it sets awonderful tone forthe season ahead.”

stages stages stages

GHOST MOSTWITH THE

RevivedBroadway classic‘Phantomof theOpera’atSaenger forextendedrun

Aspecter,agrandma and achocolatier walkedonto astage…

No, it’snot abad joke. Spring shows both new and tried-and-true are set for theaters across the metro area.

‘Opera Ghost’

From the lavish halls of the “Opera Populaire” in Paris to the fittingly elaborate halls of the Saenger Theatrecomes aghoulish love story that endswith chandeliers in pieces and alonely little monkey clanginghis cymbals.

Killian Donnelly and Lucy St. Louis are the leads in ‘Phantomof the Opera,’comingto the Saenger Theatre.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY JOHAN PERSSON

The touring production features the revitalized production that opened in Londonin2021 by the originalproducer Cameron Mackintosh.

“Phantom of the Opera,” the longest-running Broadway show in history and the masterpiece that coalesced Andrew LloydWebber’s star in the theatrical firmament, returns Wednesday for an extended run on Canal Street for 16 performances.

The almost three-hourmusical focuses on an elusive denizenofthe French opera house with a fixation on ayoung singer.What at first seems akindly hand to teachher to excel soon turns to an obsession that not only threatens Christine but the entire opera.

“The Music of the Night,” “All Iask of You” and “Masquerade” are someof the notable musical numbers that blend soaring operatic lines with rock-style drive and movement.

Runningthrough March 15, theshow is at 7:30 p.m.Wednesdays through Saturdays plus March10, 1p.m. Thursdays andSundays, 2p.m. Saturdays, and 6:30 p.m. March8

Tickets start at $52. Visit saengernola. com.

WhoDat whodunnit?

“Murder Most Meemaw” has acertain local accent, and that’sexactlywhatit is. Thebrainchild of Ricky Graham and Gary Rucker,the showisaclassic bitof New Orleans humor that mines the rich lode of local “isms” andideas.

The premise centers on Mari Macalusa, aka Meemaw “The Agatha Christie of Barataria Boulevard.” Of course Meemaw is an amateursleuth and writer who has penned New Orleansset versions of “classic British murder mystery,except in good ol’Yat talkthat peoplecan understand,” said Graham.

An old-time radio show is the format as Meemaw tells the stories of “Hercu-

PROVIDED PHOTO

Ricky Graham as ‘Meemaw’

lesPirogue And The JambalayaLiar” and“Miss Maple andThe Case of The KillerKing Cake”with herfriends and neighbors in starring roles. Graham andRuckerappear andare joined by the talents of Vatican Lokey, Lisa Picone-Love, JessieTerrebonne Thompson, Ryan Nocito and Emily Bagwill.

Catch“Murder Most Meemaw” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, through Saturday,Feb.28, andat2 p.m. Sunday, March1,atWestwegoPerforming Arts Theatre, 177 Sala Ave., in Westwego. Visit jpas.org.

Sweettimes

The storyofa young boyona magical trip through afantasticcandy factory comes to life at Cutting Edge Theater, 767 RobertBlvd.,inSlidell.

Based on RoaldDahl’sstory, “Charlie andthe Chocolate Factory, theNew Musical”follows young Charlie Bucket as he gets oneofthe magical golden tickets that offera tourofthe mysteriousWilly Wonka factory. The castof characters, fromWonka to theother kids on thetour, areasfull of flavor as thechocolatier’s handiwork. Andwhat happens to them is just as interesting. Directed by Joey Pruitt, withmusical direction by Abbie Pruittand choreography by Laurin Wilkerson, the showfeaturesa large castranging in agefromgrandparentstokids. Jason Wright is Wonka

Performances areat8 p.m. Fridays andSaturdays and2 p.m. Sundays through March15. Tickets startat$35. Visit cuttingedgetheater.com.

Email VictorAndrewsatvandrews@ theadvocate.com.

Stars reflect on surprisingly sweet BDSM romance ‘Pillion’

BY LINDSEY BAHR AP film writer

Alexander Skarsgård doesn’t usually watch his movies more than once with an audience. But “Pillion,” in which he plays the enigmatic member of gay biker club who begins a dom-sub relationship with a younger, more inexperienced man, Colin (Harry Melling), has been an exception. He’s seen it at least four times.

It’s partly because “Pillion” has been coming out for so long. The film premiered last year at the Cannes Film Festival before going on to play at several others and is just now arriving in North American theaters. But mostly it’s because it’s a film that is never not interesting to experience with a crowd: It’s both remarkably explicit in its depiction of sex and surprisingly sweet and comedic as Ray (Skarsgård’s character) and Colin navigate the dynamics of their unconventional relationship.

“It can play in so many different ways,” Skarsgård said in a recent interview. “It’s really fun to see and feel the energy in the room, how sometimes people really lean into the comedy and sometimes it feels more somber and heartfelt.”

Skarsgård was joined by Melling and filmmaker Harry Lighton for a lighthearted conversation about sex on screen, “Heated Rivlary” and why Melling, who since his days as Dudley Dursley in “Harry Potter” has become a bona fide character actor, would prefer to keep the word “breakthrough” out of this moment.

Remarks have been edited

for clarity and brevity

Was there anything you refused to compromise on?

LIGHTON: I had to fight for the odd piece of technical equipment or an extra day in the schedule, all that boring stuff. But not the stuff which I thought was really integral to the script, for instance, not sanitizing the depiction of sex. I was very keen on the fact that if we were going to take on this subject matter that the sex would be on screen, that it wouldn’t be like portrayed through ellipsis or the camera panning away because I thought would make it seem like I was judging the type of sex we were showing. But I was very well supported in that aim by all of our execs.

SKARSGÅRD: The screenplay was way more explicit than the final movie. You made sure that anyone who read the screenplay knew what they were throwing themselves into.

MELLING: You really did know what you were saying yes to.

LIGHTON: Actually, in a way, you didn’t because you thought you were saying yes to a fiveminute shot of an erection.

SKARSGÅRD: I’m like, what kind of Disney version of this movie is that?

Ray is pretty mysterious, but you do get glimpses of vulnerability and insecurity. How did you make sense of him?

SKARSGÅRD: I love the little clues that Harry put into the screenplay and the fact that it’s never really spelled out. There’s never a big cataclysmic moment where he’s opening up about his past or about a secret life.

It was a lot of fun finding little things that would add a flavor to the character of this dominant biker, everything from what book is he reading, what glasses is he wearing, to what are the tattoos on his body? Maybe they’re more effeminate. Maybe he’s listening

to like, “I Think We’re Alone Now,” you know, like pop music from the ’80s.

And I’m really pleased that he remains enigmatic.

Would you say this is a breakthrough role for Harry Melling?

LIGHTON: He’s done lots of roles which have merited attention and they’re all incredibly varied, which is what I found so fascinating about Harry as an actor. But I also did it in a slightly greedy way I thought it was really exciting that I would be able give Harry the opportunity to, I mean, this is your first lead feature film role. Is that fair, Harry?

MELLING: I’d say so.

LIGHTON: The success of the film lives or dies by Colin, so I think the reaction to the film is a kind of testament to Harry’s work in it.

MELLING: I’ll also add, this is like a side point, nothing about that, but like the idea of, you know, the word breakthrough

terrifies me. If you as an actor start considering this is, like, the moment or the breakthrough moment, you’re sort of done for

SKARSGÅRD: And can we steer the conversation back to me now?

LIGHTON: I knew I knew that was coming. As soon as I said, “lives or dies by Harry’s performance,” I saw your face drop.

SKARSGÅRD: You saw the vacant, distant gaze of an actor when the conversation isn’t about him.

LIGHTON: Anger It was anger on the face.

SKARSGÅRD: I was texting my publicist, “Get me out of this.” Do you think “Pillion” could be a “Heated Rivalry” kind of hit?

SKARSGÅRD: No. But I’m excited that it’s coming out, finally And the fact that people in the BDSM community seem to respond to it, but (Lighton’s) mom also loves it. Hopefully it can appeal to a lot of people.

MELLING: My parents also absolutely loved it. Sadly, I didn’t see it with them, which I would have loved to. I know to a lot of people that would be shocking.

SKARSGÅRD: I watched it with my dad (Stellan Skarsgård), and he loved it. But maybe that’s less surprising than like Lighton’s mom with her friends going to watch it.

LIGHTON: Yeah, my mum hasn’t made any films of Lars von Trier, as far as I’m aware. But I mean, “Heated Rivalry” is a good example of someone taking a risk on something which seems like it might be niche, and then suddenly it explodes into the mainstream. Independent films are obviously different and our film is different from “Heated Rivalry” but I think the sort of takeaway is that taking risks can result in not only exciting creative material but commercially viable results as well.

food food food

Magazine Street coffee shop closes after 5 years

Undergrowth’s vegan burritos earned award

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

When Alyssa Johnson and Zack Rescoe opened Undergrowth Coffee on Magazine Street, Johnson said they hoped to leave “the planet, our customers and our co-workers better than we found them.”

Five years later, the queer-owned coffee shop between Ms. Mae’s and Casamento’s Restaurant has closed, citing rising costs and a slowing hospitality market.

The owners announced the decision to shutter Feb. 19 and closed the next day The reason for closing on short notice, Johnson said, was to uphold a commitment to pay workers severance.

FACEBOOK PHOTO

Undergrowth Coffee on Magazine Street closed Feb 20 after five years in operation, citing rising costs and a slowing hospitality market.

That promise was among the reasons they opened Undergrowth Coffee in 2021 Before becoming a business owner, Johnson worked at another local cafe where Rescoe was a regular

Their relationship evolved as they began discussing a shared vision: to open their own coffee shop, shaped by their values.

When Johnson was laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic, they took it as a sign to make a move. Undergrowth Coffee joined the growing mix of local cafes, as coffee drinkers increasingly opted to support independent businesses over corporate chains. It also became part of the city’s small but developing vegan and vegetarian food scene, offering meatless breakfast burritos and plant-based milks and syrups made in house.

Beyond its menu, the decor inside and outside reflected the owners’ emphasis on sustainability: String lights lined the spacious outdoor seating area, tropical plants sprouted from terracotta pots near the bar, and clover-green walls framed checkered floors dotted with

tiny daisy-like designs.

The Uptown shop gained recognition for its food and atmosphere, winning “Best Burrito” in New Orleans’ Vegan Chef Challenge one year and “Best Coffee Shop” another year.

“It was a home for a lot of people,” Johnson said. “It was special.”

Now, Johnson and her wife are moving back to their hometown of Rochester, New York, where they plan to host “holistic and health-based” pop-ups at farmers markets, with breakfast burritos and plant-based milks on the menu.

Johnson said she does not plan to open another business. Yet, in a sense, she is still carrying forward Undergrowth Coffee’s mission more than a thousand miles away.

“We were a well-kept secret, and I loved that in a way,” Johnson said. “I think the people that knew us will know exactly what we are talking about.”

STACEY ABRAMS | TARRIONA “TANK”BALL | DAVID BROOKS | KEN

BURNS | KENNY CHESNEY | ROXANE GAY | WALTER ISAACSON

TAYARI JONES | JEFF KOONS | EMERILAND E.J. LAGASSE | ERIK

LARSON | DON LEMON | MICHAEL LEWIS | JONMEACHAM | MAYOR

HELENAMORENO

MARDI GRAS MIND