The Times-Picayune 03-04-2026 by The Advocate

‘HIS IMPACT WASINCREDIBLE’

N.O. celebrates life of Norman Francisatfuneral Mass

BY JOHN POPE Contributing writer

The stained-mahogany casket of

Norman C. Francis rested in its place of honor in the center aisle of St. Louis Cathedral. Around it sat mayors, judges, acongressman, civic leaders, artists, singers and an extendedfamily that took up theﬁrst rows of the historic church’spews.

Then the voice of Taylor White broke through, and “Ave Maria” soared through the cathedral,its somber notes opening afuneral Mass to honor one of New Orleans’ most inﬂuential leaders of the past half-century Hundredsofmourners attended the formalceremonies on Tuesday morning, where family members and political leaders praised the man who had helped shape Xavier University and thecity morebroadly overhis nine decades of life.

“We’re here not to mournyou but

to celebrate your life,” former New Orleans Mayor Marc H. Morial said of Francis, the longtime president of Xavier,who died on Feb. 18 at 94.

“He saw the future before anyone else did,” said Morial, one of three speakerswho pointed to thegenerosity and strengththat Francis imparted to generations of students and civic leaders. “His impact was incredible. …His legacy goes far and wide. God created aperfect servant in Norman Francis.”

Francis,Morial said, inﬂuenced important organizations in public and behind closed doors, in meetings with presidents andcaptains of industry

“When he spoke in these meetings, all eyes were on Norman.”

Thefuneral Massatthe cathedral, presided over by ArchbishopJames E. Checchio and other concelebrants, cameon the secondday of ceremonies to honor the life of Francis and

ä See IMPACT, page 4A

Israel stepsup airstrikes in Tehran

BY JON GAMBRELL and ELENA BECATOROS Associated Press

DUBAI,UnitedArabEmirates Israel said it launched airstrikes against Iranianmissile launchers and anuclear research site Tuesday,and Iran struck back against Israel and across the Gulf region, targeting U.S. embassies and disrupting energy supplies and travel.

ä Straits of Hormuz vital to global energy supply Page 10A

Officials fightover board financial woes

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

The Lafitte Area Independent Levee District, tasked with providing levees and flood protection to the residents of Jean Lafitte, Crown Point and Barataria, doesn’town anyequipment, not even alawn mower Even if it did, therewouldn’tbe

anyemployeestouse it In theseven months sinceKerry Lauricella took overthe state agency from father-sonpolitical duoof TimothyKerner Sr.and Timothy Kerner Jr who ran thedistrict and led the town for decades until last year —Lauricella has wrestled with severe operating deﬁcits, terminated agreements, layoffs,two lawsuits and millions of dollars in invoices from engineersand the Coastal Protectionand Restoration Authority of Louisiana that he says he cannotpay

As Lauricella, aBaratariaresident and former Harahan City Council member,now looks to parishand state ofﬁcials to help digthe levee districtout of its hole, Sen. Patrick Connick, R-Marrero wants to consolidate the district into thelargerSoutheast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West, which currently oversees West Banklevees located within the federal ﬂood protection system. Theturmoil hasbecome the

By SOPHIA GERMER ä See LEVEE, page 6A INSIDE

ä President Trump says someone from within regime could be best choice to lead Iran. Page 11A

ä Anxious travelers scramble to leavethe Middle East as war strands thousands. Page 11A

Four days into awar that President Donald Trump suggested would last several weeks or perhaps longer,nearly 800 people have been killed in Iran, includingsomeTrump said he had considered as possible future leaders of the country Explosions rang out Tuesday in Tehran and in Lebanon, where Israel said it retaliated against Hezbollah militants. The American embassy in Saudi Arabia and the U.S. consulate in the United Arab Emirates came under drone attacks. Iran has fired dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel, though most of the incoming fire has been intercepted. Eleven people in Israel have been killed since the conflict began. In other developments, the Pentagon identified four U.S. ArmyReserve soldiers whowere killed in adrone strike at acommand center in Kuwait. The strike also killed two other service members. The spiraling nature of the war raised questions about when and how it would end.

The administration hasoffered various objectives, including destroying Iran’smissile capabilities, wipingout itsnavy,preventingitfrom obtaining anuclear weaponand ensuring it cannot continue to support allied armed groups.

While the initial U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Iranian SupremeLeader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

JeffersonParishleaders’feudoverlevee district grows

The construction of asheet pilingwall continues under the bridgeinJean Lafitte on Friday

STAFF PHOTOSByCHRISGRANGER

The children of Norman Francis stand on the altar at St. Louis Cathedral as theyremember theirfather duringhis funeral on Tuesday.

Former NewOrleans MayorMarc Morial, bottom right, gives hugs to the family of NormanFrancis during Tuesday’sfuneral.

STAFFPHOTO

‘Deadliest

Catch’ deckhand dies

JUNEAU, Alaska A deckhand on the reality television show

“Deadliest Catch,” which documents the lives of crab fishermen working in one of the world’s harshest environments, died after he was reported to have fallen overboard, the U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday

The Coast Guard received a notiﬁcation shortly after 5 p.m. Feb. 25 from the Aleutian Lady that crew member Todd Meadows had fallen overboard about 170 miles north of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, Chief Petty Ofﬁcer Travis Magee, a spokesperson with the Coast Guard’s Arctic District, said by email Tuesday

“He was recovered unresponsive by the crew approximately ten minutes later,” Magee wrote.

Meadows, from Montesano, Washington, was in his first year as a cast member of the Discovery Channel show He joined the series last May but no episodes for the new season have aired

Plane makes emergency landing in Hudson River

NEWBURGH, N.Y — A small plane attempting an emergency landing crashed into the frigid Hudson River, where the pilot and a passenger escaped the wreckage and safely swam to shore, authorities said.

The crash occurred Monday night, shortly after the singleengine Cessna 172 took off from Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane’s two occupants were a flight instructor and his 17-year-old student, New York state police said Tuesday

The pilot, Liam Darcy, 31, had reported engine trouble shortly before the plane went down south of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. The FAA is investigating what caused the crash

Death toll in S. African collapse rises to 9

JOHANNESBURG

The number of people killed in a building collapse in the South African city of Johannesburg has risen to nine, emergency services and city ofﬁcials reported Tuesday while the government readies to demolish the building saying it was erected illegally.

Johannesburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson Xolile Khumalo said two more bodies had been recovered and one other body has been located in the rubble.

“The teams are busy extracting him from under the concrete rubble,” she said.

Johannesburg public safety ofﬁcial, Mgcini Tshwaku, conﬁrmed that a total of nine bodies had been confirmed from the fallen building at a business park in the south of Johannesburg.

Trinidad and Tobago declares emergency

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad Trinidad and Tobago declared a new state of emergency Tuesday only about a month after the end of the previous one, as authorities in the Caribbean nation continue to grapple with high levels of violent crime.

Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar cited credible reports of attacks planned against law enforcement officers in reimposing the emergency, which grants the government additional powers, including to make arrests and conduct searches without warrants

Trinidad and Tobago has spent roughly 10 of the last 14 months under an emergency, with the last one ending Jan. 31.

Bissessar said the country’s National Security Council has noted that ongoing crime has led to “multiple deaths due to mass shootings and that the continuance of reprisal shootings amongst criminal gangs, if left unchecked, would endanger public safety.”

Man who gave son gun found guilty of murder

Teen accused of killing 4 at Ga. high school

BY JEFF MARTIN Associated Press

—

WINDER, Ga.

A Georgia man who gave his teenage son the gun he’s accused of using to kill two students and two teachers at a high school was convicted Tuesday of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter

Jurors took less than two hours to find Colin Gray guilty of all charges in the September 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, northeast of Atlanta.

Gray now joins a growing number of parents being held responsible in court after their children were accused in shootings.

Colin Gray was found guilty of second-degree murder in the deaths of two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. Georgia law deﬁnes second-degree murder as causing the death of a child by committing the crime of cruelty to children.

Gray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the killings of teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53. Another teacher and eight other

students were wounded. Gray was also convicted of multiple counts of reckless conduct and cruelty to children.

Reactions to the verdict

Gray showed little emotion as the verdict was read and each juror was polled by the judge. Deputies then cuffed his hands behind his back as he stood at the defense table, speaking with his lawyer He will be sentenced at a later date. Second-degree murder is punishable by at least 10 but no more than 30 years in prison, while involuntary manslaughter carries a penalty of one to 10 years in prison.

Some relatives of victims wept as the verdicts were read. They declined to comment after court. Gray’s defense lawyers left without speaking to reporters.

“We talk a lot about rights in our country,” Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith said after the verdict. “But God gave us a duty to protect our children, and I hope that we remember that, as parents, as community members, to protect our children because that is our God-given duty.”

Texas voters head to

BY SARA CLINE, ALI SWENSON and NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press

Voters in two major Texas counties were turned away at polling locations and directed to different precincts Tuesday, after a recent change in how the primary is conducted created confusion and frustration.

In Dallas County, a judge ordered polls to remain open for two hours past the scheduled 7 p.m. closing time, citing “voter confusion so severe” that it caused the website of the county election ofﬁce to crash.

The judge was acting on a petition ﬁled by the local Democratic Party in a heavily left-leaning county. Democrats in Williamson County, north of Austin, said they succeeded in getting two precincts to stay open late.

In both counties, voters had been allowed to cast their ballot anywhere in their county for years. But for this primary, the local Republican parties opted against countywide voting. State law says both major parties have to agree to the countywide system for it to be in effect.

That meant that on Tuesday all voters could cast ballots only at their assigned precinct.

The campaigns of the two Democrats running in the primary for U.S. Senate denounced the effect of the change on voters.

“Both Dallas and Williamson county voters have grown accustomed to countywide voting, including on election day,” U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett ‘s campaign said. “This effort to suppress the vote, to confuse and inconvenience voters, is having the intended effect as people are being

The teen’s mother, Marcee Gray, wasn’t charged. She testiﬁed that she had urged her estranged husband to take any guns and lock them inside his truck so they would not be accessible to their son. She and Colin Gray were separated in the months leading up to the shooting, and Colt Gray lived mostly with his father during that time. She declined to comment when reached by phone after the verdict.

The shooting Prosecutors said Colin Gray gave his son the gun as a Christmas gift and allowed him access to it along with ammunition despite the boy’s deteriorating mental health. They said he had “sufficient warning that Colt Gray would harm and endanger” other people. Fourteen at the time of the shooting, Colt Gray has pleaded not guilty to a total of 55 counts, including murder A judge has set a status hearing for mid-March.

Investigators said Colt Gray carefully planned the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at the school attended by 1,900 students.

turned away from the polls.”

The campaign of James Talarico, a state lawmaker, said it was “deeply concerned” about the reports of voters showing up at polling locations and being sent elsewhere.

Adding to the confusion was the fact that voting locations also might be speciﬁc to someone’s party afﬁliation, said Nic Solorzano, a spokesperson for the Dallas County Elections Department.

“We’re seeing a lot of people that are going to their vote centers that they usually go to and not realizing they can’t do that anymore. They have to go to their precinct-based location,” he said.

The extensions in Dallas applied only to Democratic voting precincts. Voting also was extended for an hour in El Paso County after problems with voter check-in systems earlier in the day Texas was one of three states kicking off the 2026 midterm elections Tuesday, along with North Carolina and Arkansas. Voting otherwise went fairly smoothly, except for a problem with electronic poll books in one

Shooting suspects facing federal charges

9 injured in attack at Ohio nightclub

BY PATRICK AFTOORA-ORSAGOS Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two men ar-

rested Monday in a weekend shooting that wounded nine people inside a Cincinnati nightclub now face federal charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the southern district of Ohio said Tuesday Franeek Cobb, 24, and Derrick Long, 29, each face federal charges for illegally possessing a firearm or ammunition as an individual convicted of a felony Prosecutors said in a news release that surveillance footage from Riverfront Live, where the shooting took place, shows both men firing weapons early Sunday Cobb observed Long inside the venue, pulled out a firearm and began firing at him, according to an affidavit the statement said. Long fell to the ground, then allegedly began firing at Cobb. The office said ballistic evidence collected from the scene showed only two firearms were discharged during the shooting.

“Our top priority is protecting our communities and holding accountable those who threaten them,” U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said in the statement. “If you pull a trigger in an illegal act of violence or otherwise illegally possess a ﬁrearm or ammunition, rest assured we will do everything we can to send you to federal prison.”

Earlier Tuesday, Cobb was arraigned in Hamilton County Municipal Court on local charges of felonious assault in the shooting. He showed no emotion as he walked into the courtroom.

During the arraignment, Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor Connor Wood said Cobb had a “long-standing grudge” against an unidentiﬁed victim in the case, and when Cobb saw the victim inside the venue, he “immediately” opened ﬁre, causing injuries to multiple people.

ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION PHOTO By ABBEy CUTRER

Colin Gray, father of Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray, reacts Tuesday after a jury convicted him of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter at Barrow County Courthouse in Winder, Ga

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks during a campaign stop Saturday in The Woodlands, Texas.

Kennedypresses Noem on Homeland Security ads

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON U.S. Sen.

John Kennedy on Tuesday challenged Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on spending $220 million for television ads featuringher, then questioned why she blamed aWhite House aide for calling protestors killed by immigration ofﬁcers “domestic terrorists.” Noem denied blaming Stephen Miller,White House deputy chief of staff, for her calling the victims “domestic terrorists” and saidshe acted with President Donald Trump’sblessing to make ads made under acontract she had nothing to do with.

“I’m not sayingyou’re not telling the truth,” Kennedy, R-Madisonville, said about the commercials, with his hand over his heart. “Knowing the president as Ido, it’s hard for me to believe you said,‘Mr.President, here’s some ads I’ve cut and I’m going to spend $220 million running them,’ that he would have agreed to that.” Kennedy’sinterrogationof theheadofthe Department of Homeland Security was part of anearly five-hour Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

Democratic committee members revisited the killings of American citizens at the handsoffederal ofﬁcers enforcing immigration laws. Republican senators, on the other hand, largely praised efforts to rid the country of immigrants who entered the country illegally and blamed Democrats for shutting down Homeland Security’ssubsidiary agencies, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency

The only other Republican joining Kennedy with critical questioning of Noem was Sen. Thom Tillis, of North Carolina. He was

much louder and focused more on FEMA’sshortcomings in handling recovery fromHurricane Helene in 2024.

Later, during aspeech on theSenatefloor,Tillis said hewas so angry he would stall confirmations of Trumpnomineesand refuse to approve anylegislation,including hisown, until Noem adequatelyanswers questions.

America Media, was formed 11 days before being picked, he said. “The people thatyou ended up picking werepeople whohad formerly done your political work back in South Dakota. Is thatright?”

Kennedy asked. “No, that’snot correct sir,” Noem said.

“I think it is,” Kennedy said.

LouisianaEconomicDevelopment awardssitedevelopment funds

Agency has $150Mtohelp attractnew businesses

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

n England Airpark, Rapides Parish

n Esperanza Business Park, St. Charles Parish

n Franklinton Industrial Park,Washington Parish n Gulf South Commerce Park, St. Tammany Parish n Lake Charles Regional Airport, Calcasieu Parish

n McLeod Business Park, Lafourche Parish

for each individual project, “the state’sgonna see an upside well beyond the dollar investment we’re making.”

“The floor is dollar-fordollar repayment, but there isn’taceiling,” she said.

Bourgeois said having sites ready is one of the ﬁrst steps to ensuring that businesses seriously consider Louisiana as aplace to invest.

Kennedy was more polite and low-keywhen he drilled down on theTVcommercials, in which Noemwarned immigrants who entered the country without properdocumentation andthose in other countries thinking about coming to Am er ic a without permission that they would be deported.

“How do you square that concern for waste, which Ishare, with thefactthat youhavespent $220 million running television advertisements thatfeature you prominently?”Kennedy asked “The presidenttasked me with gettingthe message out to the country and to other countries where we were seeing the invasion come from with putting commercials out,” shesaid. “That has been extremely effective.”

Kennedy said his records showed The Strategy Group, one of the two agencies contracted to handlethe commercials, received the lion’s share of the contracts worth about $220 million. The firm’schief executiveofficer is married to Noem’s spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, and her top adviser,Corey Lewandowski,has worked with the firm. The other company,Safe

Noem said Homeland Security career officials, not political appointees,made the selections.

Kennedypivoted to her characterizing as “domesticterrorists,” Alex Pretti andRenée Good,two U.S. citizens who were killed by federal off ic ers whileprotestingimmigration roundups in Minneapolis.

“I think it would be safe to sayyou got some pushback on that,” Kennedy said.

“Whatgot my attention is you blamed those statements on Mr.Stephen Miller at the White House, did you not?”

“Nosir,where you’re seeing that is in anewsarticle of anonymous sources,” Noem said. “I have never said that.”

Kennedy read from aJan 26 article. “Are you denying that yousaidthat?” he asked

“Sir,I’m not going to speak to that situation that is relayed(by) anonymoussources,” Noem responded.

“You said it. They are quoting you on the record,” Kennedy said before his timefor questioning expired.

Kennedy was not the only senator to refer to Noem’s comments in news conferences after thekillings. Noem repeatedly declined to retractorapologize for suggesting Good and Pretti were domestic terrorists. She said she got the informationfrom federal ofﬁcers.

Louisiana ofﬁcialsonTuesday announced 19 industrial and business locations that collectively will receive $140 million of state money to developlandand infrastructure to attract newinvestments in energy, manufacturing and logistics.

Thelocationsare partof the inauguralround of the new FastSites program, a $150 millionrevolving capitalfund run by Louisiana Economic Development

The goal is to help Louisiana build development-ready sitestocompete with other states for new business.

“FastSites is about making sure Louisianaiscompeting nationally,” Gov.Jeff Landry said at news conference Tuesday

“Whencompanieslook at stateslike Louisiana, Mississippi,Alabama, Virginia or Ohio,theydon’t havea lot of time,” he said. “If the land isn’tready—ifthere’s no water,noelectricity,no roads,norail access or the infrastructurethat they need at the speed thatthey need it —theyjust scratch it off their list.”

Now,instead of waiting for companies to approach Louisiana beforepreparing asite, thestate will have land that is “shovelready,” Landrysaid. Thesites selected fordevelopment in the ﬁrst round are: n Acadiana RegionalAirport,Iberia Parish n ARQ RedRiver,Red River Parish n Avondale Global Gateway,JeffersonParish n Beaver Lake Industrial Park, Rapides Parish

Where moms aremade

n Natchitoches Parish Port Warehouse, Natchitoches Parish

n Naval Support Activity Site, Orleans Parish

n Port Dis-Tran, Rapides Parish

n Port of Caddo Bossier, Caddo Parish

n Port of Columbia, Caldwell Parish n Port Vinton, Calcasieu Parish

n Riverplex MegaPark Port, Ascension Parish

n ScaleBTR, East Baton Rouge Parish

n South MonroeIndustrial Park, Ouachita Parish.

LED did notimmediately disclose dollar amountsfor each project or other details, saying more information will roll out over the coming months as project agreements are ﬁnalized.

The minimum award amount is $1 million andthe maximum is $25 million.

The sites, which are scatteredthroughout the state in 16 parishes, were selected through acompetitive process.

Susan Bourgeois, secretary of Louisiana Economic Development,saidTuesday that projects werechosen basedonindustry demand, howquickly themoney could be put to use, aclear project scope and delivery timeline, anda measurable return on the state’sinvestment.

One of the conditions for a project awardisa100% return to the state fund within ﬁve years, Bourgeoissaid. But she also notedthat, under some of theagreements, which are tailored

“Companies eliminate sitesimmediately if gaps exist,” she said.

What is FastSites?

Last year,the Louisiana Legislature gave $150 million to Louisiana EconomicDevelopment fora newfundspeciﬁcally dedicated to “site investmentand infrastructure improvements for economic development purposes.”

The aim is to create “market-ready sites, places where businesses can build and grow quickly,” according to the FastSites program website. Parishes, cities, towns, redevelopment authorities, nonproﬁt groups, andlocal or regional economic development groups can apply forproject funding. Private landowners can apply for the money too butmustagree to certain conditions.

The moneycan be usedfor thingslike creating newaccess roads and intersections; land and property improvements like drainage, treeclearing,filling wetlands and building demolition; setting up utilities like water,power,sewer and internet; and creating railaccess, among others.

There were 50 applicants forthe initial round of funding, and19projectsworth $140 million wereselected. Bourgeoissaidbecause a portionofthe $150 million fund hasnot yetbeen awarded, the agency may open another roundofapplications to fund additional, smaller projects.

It’s well known hereinNew Orleans that Touroiswherebabiescome from, butit’s alsowhere moms aremade. The Joint Commission’s Maternal Levels of Care (MLC) Verification program, offeredincollaboration withthe American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), has namedTouroasaLevel IV maternalcareverified facility, becoming thefirst hospital in thestate to achievethis level. Thecertificationrecognizes ourefforts to achieve integrated, coordinated, and patient-centered prenatal through postpartum care,including both complicatedand uncomplicated pregnancies. Touro caresfor womenatevery stage of life, and moms-to-bechoose Tourofor abirthing experiencethatissecond to none.Learn more at touro.com/familybirthingcenter

CathedralonTuesday.

Continued from page1A

hiscontributions to New Orleans.

On Monday evening, XavierUniversity hosted acelebrationofhis life after his body laidinaplaceof honor at the university’sconvocation center so that members of the public could pay their respects.

The formal funeral ceremonies took place Tuesday,beginning with a visitation, then the Mass and ending with Francis’ burial in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3onEsplanade Avenue.

Pallbearers accompanied Francis’ casket into the cathedral before 10 a.m., and nearly all of the pews were filled for the 90-minute ceremony In his homily,CardinalWilton Gregory, theformerarchbishop of Washington, D.C., noted that while Francis’ life had been filled with honors, “he always managed to maintain the proper perspective and viewpoint. As apublic figure, he commandedrespect, he exercised authority,but he neverlost perspective.”

Morial, the president and CEO of the National Urban League, stressed Francis’ commitment to science,which has led Xavier to send more minority students to medical schools than any other college in the country

He called for the medical school being developed at Xavierbear Francis’ name, arecommendation that was met with around of applause.

Every speaker mentioned Francis’ devotion to his family,and on Tuesday,all six of Norman and Blanche Francis’ children gathered around the casket for one last look before the lid was closed.Blanche Francis died in 2015.

Christina Francis,the youngest of the Francises’ children, talked about how her father loved to tinker in the garage, and how he called home everynight when he wason the road.

“I hit the jackpot to have Norman and Blanche Francis as my parents,” she said as her siblings stood around her. “Heloved us unconditionally,and it’shard to lethim go We wanted to keep himforever.”

“Welove you, Daddy.Restwell.”

Among those in the cathedral who gave her astanding ovation were New OrleansMayor Helena Moreno; U.S. Rep. Troy Carter,DNew Orleans; Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams; singer John Boutté; U.S. DistrictJudge

Jay Zainey; andLibertyBank

founder Alden McDonald. Norman Francis was aformer chair of the bank’sboard.

Butnot everyone in attendance was aboldface name.Sadie Wiese said shewas therebecauseshe has been afriend of one of the Francises’ 11 grandchildren sincechildhood.

“This family hasmadesucha commitment to service,” she said.

In addition to speakers, there was music.Grammy Award-winning composer Terence Blanchard played asoulful, keening versionof “Amazing Grace” on his trumpet.

Twosingers won applause: Danielle E. Wilson for hersoaring solo of “Precious Lord” and Davell Crawfordfor his rendition of “If I Can Help Somebody.”

And Dr.Michael White, aclarinetist and retired Xavier faculty member,playedthe worshippers outthe door withthisrecessional: “This Little LightofMine.”

The ﬁnal wordscame from the archbishop.

“Weare moved by his life,” Checchio said. “The best we can do is emulateit. One day we shall meet him again.”

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Christina Francis gently places her hand on the casketholding her father,NormanFrancis, as she and her siblings taketheir seats at St. Louis

STAFFPHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Former NewOrleans MayorMitchLandrieu reaches hishand out to touch the hearse holding the casket of Norman Francis as it pulls away

STAFFPHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

holding Norman Francis as it makesits waytothe door of St. Louis Cathedral on Tuesday Floyd Knight Jr.gives the folded flag to Mabel Bailey, the sister of Norman Francis,athis final resting placeatSt. LouisCemetery No. 3on Tuesday.

STAFFPHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

ELIMINATE BACK PAIN AND SCIATICA

If youare over35and suffer from thefollowing •Sciatica•NeckPain• Disc Herniations

•Lower Back Pain •Radiating HipPain •Numbnessinthe Legs andFeet

Theremay be hope!Now localdoctors

We areDr. ScottLeBlanc andDr. Dana LeBlanc, ahusband andwifeteam, that ownLeBlanc Spine Center.Wehave helped thousandsofpatientsget outofpainwithSpinalDecompressiontherapy treatments,and we love what we do.Discissuesare common,and patients sufferingare usuallygiven limitedoptions of treatment. We runthese big newspaperadvertisementsto letpeopleinthe community know thereisanotheroptionoftreatment forpain- withoutmedication, injections,orsurgery! NON-SURGICALSPINALDECOMPRESSION is a breakthrough,non-invasivetreatment that hasbeen proventoreverse disc herniationsand relievenerve pain in theneckand lowback. During theprocedure,aspinaldiscisisolatedand aseriesofdistraction andrelaxationphasesoccur at averyspecific angle, targetingthe source of pain.A vacuum can be createdinsidethe disc andthe negative pressure delivers nutrients, oxygen,and fluidfromsurroundingtissues,toassistwithrepairofthe damaged disc Thetreatment is not painfulatall,and most patients read or even take anap whileontreatment!

PROOFTHIS TREATMENTWORKS There’splenty of researchtobackupthe claims of Spinal Decompression Therapyand itseffectiveness.Hereare just afew of thepublished scientificstudies

•“Patients reported amean88.9% improvementin backpainand betterfunction. No patientrequired anyinvasivetherapies (e.g.epiduralinjections, surgery).”-AmericanAcademy of Pain Management

•“We thus submit that decompression therapy should be considered first, before thepatient undergoesa surgical procedurewhich permanently alters theanatomy andfunctionofthe affected lumbar spinesegment.” -Journal Of Neuroscience Research

•“86%ofthe 219patientswho completedthe therapy reported immediateresolutionofsymptoms.” -OrthopedicTechnologyReview

•“Vertebralaxial (spinal) decompressionwas successful in 71%ofthe 778cases”-Journal of Neurological Research

•“Good to excellentreliefin86% of patients with Herniateddiscs”- TheAmericanJournal of Pain Management

•“Decompression Therapyreported a76.5% with complete remissionand 19.6%withpartial remission of pain anddisability” -Rio Grande Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery

At LeBlancSpine Center, we utilizeadvanced, FDA-clearedtechnologythatisproventoeffectively alleviatepain.

It’s importanttonotethatnot everypatient is a candidatefor Spinal Decompression, whichiswhy we prioritize athorough individual assessment foreachpersonwho walks throughour doors. Ourhighsuccess rate in pain relief stemsfromour commitment to only taking on patients whom we confidently believewecan help

IcametoLeBlancSpine Center with lowerbackand legpain that Ihad been dealingwithfor severalmonths. Before this,Ihad triedpain medicine andshots forthe pain,but they didn’t give me the relief Ineeded.Since startingcarehere, Ifeel100%better. Thestaff hasbeen very pleasantand friendly,and I’mreally pleased with theservice Ireceived. One of thebiggestchanges formeisthatI cansit down withouthurting, whichis something Icouldn’tdobefore. Idon’t have anything negative to sayabout my experiencehere. It’s agreat placeto come to,and l’ve alreadyrecommended someone here becauseofhow much it hashelped me BarbaraBrown (Retired) HometownDonaldsonville, LA

IcametoLeBlancSpine Center becauseI hadbeensuffering with extremebackpain andleg pain forseveral weeks. Ihad tried othertreatments, massage, NSAIDs and Tylenol, butIwas stillinpain. Ibegan Spinal Decompression treatments in April2024, andInow feel 100% improved! What Ilikemostabout my treatmentis that it is non-invasive anditeliminated my pain.Mytreatment appointments are notlong, andthe treatmentispain-free Sincebeginningtreatment at LeBlanc SpineCenter, Iamnow able to do allofmy previous activities andworkwithout pain Ialsohavemorerange of motion.I would highly recommend LeBlancSpine Center!

Dr.JohnBarksdale (Dentist) hometown- BatonRouge,LA

Forthe next 7days, we areofferingaspecial “Decompression Evaluation”offer,atnocostto you! What does this offer include? Everything we normally do in ournew patientevaluations:

•Anin-depthconsultationabout your health andwellbeing wherewewill listen really listen to thedetails of your case.

•Acompleteneuromuscular examination

•Afullset of specializedX-rays(if clinically necessary)

•Athorough analysis of your exam andX-ray findings

Youwill sitwiththe doctor oneonone to go over your x-rays,and you’ll gettosee everything first hand

At LeBlancSpine Center,weare honest with our patients andwegivepersonalizedattention and analysis to each case.Wetruly enjoymeeting with patients to answer theirquestions andtohelp find outifSpinalDecompressiontreatmentscould be theanswertotheir pain

Thereisnochargeatall andyou don’tneedtobuy anything.You have nothingtolosebytakingus up on this specialoffer andyou will getanswers to what is causingyourpain. If youhave seenour ads in thepastand have thoughtabout calling, don’t hesitate.You don’thavetogoonlivinginpain, missingout on activities andother part of life that youenjoy.Callustoday!

I first came to LeBlancSpine Center with numbness in my arms andlegs. I wasalsoexperiencinglower back pain andneckpain. Ihad been sufferingwith this forover10years.Ihad previously triedone epidural injectioninmylower back andphysicaltherapy,anIwas stillsuffering with thesesymptoms. Sincebeginning Spinal Decompression treatments,Ihavehad consistent improvementinmybackcondition, and Iamnow 70%improved! Iamlifting withoutpain, sleeping better,and Inow have theability to walk withouttiring! Iwould highly recommend Dr.LeBlanc andLeBlanc SpineCenter!

L. J. Dupuy (College Baseball Coach) Hometown -Addis,LA

IcametoLeBlancSpine Center with pain in my left arm, shoulder,and neck,and I hadtwo fingersonmylefthandthatwere numb.Ihad been dealingwiththisfor over 8monthsand hadtriedshots,therapy,MRIs, andX-raysbefore, butnothing wasreally helping.Sincecominghere, I’ve improved about90%.The staff is amazing-always knowledgeable,friendly, andhelpful, and theservice from thedoctors andteamhas been great. What Ilove most is thepain reduction,because it’s allowedmetotake better care of my dadand grandkids, cutthe grass,dohousework,and even fish again.I feel like Ihavemoremobilityand I’mmore relaxednow that Ican do more activities Honestly,the only thingI don’t love is the drive-weneed an office in Gonzales!They are amazing, though.Pleasegivethematry before anysurgeries

KimLandry (Photographer) Hometown -St. Amant, LA

latest focal pointofalongstanding, heated rivalry between Connick and the Kerners, who have exchanged biting words over the levee district both in public and over emails obtained by The Times-Picayune.

Connick contends that the Kerners were engaged in “pay to play engineering” among other misconduct whileleading thelevee district, and that his desireis to right their wrongs while ﬁnding ways to provide the areawith 100-year ﬂood protection, something theKerners have tried unsuccessfully to accomplish throughout their political careers

“The Kerners would like to make this personal, like a Connick vs. Kerner battle,” Connick said. “I’m not going down that road. I’m basing my decisions, and the board is basing its decisions,on the facts, the law and what’s best for the people.”

The Kerners denyany misconduct claims,and say Connick is “vindictive,” “obsessed” and only motivated by a“political vendetta” against them.

“It’snot about levees, Kerner Sr.said. “It’sabout killing us.”

‘Thrownintothe deep end’

Lauricella, appointed by Connick, joined thefivemember levee district board in July,two months after Kerner Jr.left it to become aJefferson Parish Council member.Lauricellawas voted as the board’spresident soonafter.KernerJr. had served as board president and mayor of Jean Lafitte since 2020 after succeeding his father,currently a Republican state representative.

LauricellahiredaCPA to review the district’sfinances and quickly learned therewas asevereoperating deﬁcit —the agency was spending around $450,000 per year, butonly taking in about $180,000inannual revenue, derived from a property tax of up to 5mills. Around the same time Lauricella discovered the deﬁcit, the agency’sadministrator quit.

“Here Iam, the president, with no administrator,no clerical person, no onethat knows which endisup,” Lauricella said. “I was literally thrown into the deep end of the pool, the bankrupt pool at that.”

The district has over $100 million of capital projects on the books for 7.5-foot levees and ﬂoodwalls to be builtaround thearea, with fundsprovided by the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority,the parish and other sources. But for operational costs like payroll and maintenance, only the millage can support those expenses, according to Lauricella.

The deficit was partly caused by adecision in 2022 to drastically reduceproperty taxes after Hurricane Ida to alleviate the financial burden on residents.

The district intended to roll the millage forward in Sep-

tember 2024, but later rescinded theactionbecause onememberimproperly votedbyphone, which Connick ﬂagged at thetime as aviolation of the bylaws.

Theboard couldnot roll the millage forward after that because it lacked enough members for asupermajority vote, according to its most recent audit.

The tax is set at 4.17 mills, theaudit states.

Kerner Jr.said the levee district hasalways operated within atight budget,and that the delayofthe propertytax increase, which he blames Connick for,coincided with rising materialand labor costs after Hurricane Ida. Both Kerners said the leveedistrictmaintained abalanced budget during their tenures.

“I really don’tknow what he’sgot that’scosting $400,000,”Kerner Sr. said.

Lauricellalaidoff the district’sthree equipment operatorstolower costs, and replaced them with one manwho worksasanindependent contractor instead. He sold the agency’s carand now runs its website out of hisown pockettoreduce costs.

Lauricella saidheplans to rollthe millage forward at the board’snext meeting, but even then the revenue will only increase up to roughly $250,000 per year

MARDI GRAS MIND

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Gas prices spike as drivers fill their tanks

NEW YORK The average price for a gallon of gasoline jumped 11 cents in the U.S. as war engulfed the Middle East and shipments of oil and gas were stranded in the Persian Gulf. A gallon of regular was selling for $3.11 on average in the U.S., according to motor club AAA, surprising some drivers at the pump.

Gasoline prices were already rising before the U.S. launched strikes on Iran as refiners switch over to summer blends of fuel. But crude prices rose sharply in recent days because of the war Anne Dulske paid $15 more than usual to ﬁll up her tank at a Jackson, Mississippi, gas station on Tuesday

“It’s going to affect everything in our lives,” she said “It’s very scary, and it does hit closer to home than people think.”

“We are knee-deep into the gas price increases,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, a technology company that helps people find cheap gasoline DeHaan estimates gasoline price could rise further but he doubts the price would reach $4 a gallon.

“Many Americans seem very panicked that prices could hit multiple dollars higher than that, which at this point, I wouldn’t say anything’s impossible, but certainly it’s quite improbable based on the current developments.”

Dow drops as oil prices climb even higher

NEWYORK A sell-off for stocks wrapped around the world and hit Wall Street Tuesday, while oil prices climbed even higher on worries about the widening war with Iran. But the big moves that rocked markets in the morning eased substantially as the day progressed By the end of trading, the S&P 500 had sunk 0.9% That would be a solid loss on a typical day but the index had been down as much as 2.5% in the morning because of worries that the war may do more sustained damage to the economy than feared The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 403 points, or 0.8%, after plunging more than 1,200 points earlier in the morning. The Nasdaq composite pared its loss to 1%. It was just a day earlier that U.S. stocks opened the morning with a sharp loss, only to recover all of it and end the day with a tiny gain.

Helping to drive that rebound was a record showing that past wars and conﬂicts in the Middle East have not usually meant long-term pain for U.S. stocks.

Target to invest another $2B to boost its sales

MINNEAPOLIS — Target is investing another $2 billion in its business this year to spruce up its store experience, remodel stores and invest in its workers as it tries to turn around a persistent sales malaise and reclaim its authority on style. The investment, announced Tuesday at its annual investor meeting at its headquarters in Minneapolis, comes as the discounter reported another quarter of declining sales and proﬁts amid its struggles to regain its footing with customers who are going elsewhere for fashion, home and other needs. Tuesday’s report offered some hope for the business.

The company delivered a solid annual proﬁt outlook that was better than Wall Street had been projecting. It also said it believes net sales will grow every quarter this year

Target said comparable-store sales rose to start the current quarter.

“This is a new chapter, and it’s all about growth,” said CEO Michael Fiddelke, a 20-year company veteran who succeeded longtime CEO Brian Cornell last month. “We’ll do so by playing our own game and making big changes to delight our guests.”

BUSINESS

NOLA.COM/BIZ

Consumers siding with Anthropic in dispute

Company’s chatbot outpaces ChatGPT in downloads now

BY MATT O’BRIEN AP technology writer

Anthropic’s moral stand on U.S. military use of artificial intelligence is reshaping the competition between leading AI companies but also exposing a growing awareness that maybe chatbots just aren’t capable enough for acts of war

Anthropic’s chatbot Claude, for the ﬁrst time, outpaced rival ChatGPT in phone app downloads in the United States this week, a signal of growing interest from

consumers siding with Anthropic in its standoff with the Pentagon, according to market research ﬁrm Sensor Tower

The Trump administration on Friday ordered government agencies to stop using Claude and designated it a supply chain risk after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei refused to bend his company’s ethical safeguards preventing the technology from being applied to autonomous weapons and domestic mass surveillance.

Anthropic has said it will challenge the Pentagon in court once it receives formal notice of the penalties.

And while many military and human rights experts have applauded Amodei for standing up for ethical principles, some are

also frustrated by years of AI industry marketing that persuaded the government to apply the technology to high-stakes tasks.

“He caused this mess,” said Missy Cummings, a former Navy ﬁghter pilot who now directs the robotics and automation center at George Mason University “They were the No. 1 company to push ridiculous hype over the capabilities of these technologies. And now, all of a sudden, they want to be for real. They want to tell people, ‘Oh, wait a minute. We really shouldn’t be using these technologies in weapons.’”

Anthropic didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

“You’re going to kill noncombatants,” Cummings said. “You’re going to kill your own troops. I’m not clear whether the military truly understands the limitations.”

The Defense Department declined to comment on whether it is still using Claude, including in the Iran war, citing operational security Cummings published a paper at a top AI conference in December arguing that government agencies should prohibit the use of generative AI “to control, direct, guide or govern any weapon.” Not because AI is so smart that it could go rogue, but because the large language models behind chatbots like Claude make too many mistakes — called hallucinations or confabulations — and are “inherently unreliable and not appropriate in environments that could result in the loss of life.”

Strait of Hormuz a key passageway essential for global energy supply

Closure could mean tanker disruption, rising prices

BY JON GAMBRELL and MAE ANDERSON Associated Press

DUBAI,UnitedArab Emirates The widening war in Iran has ground tanker trafﬁc through the Strait of Hormuz to a halt and oil prices have soared, highlighting the important role the narrow passageway plays in global energy supply

The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which about a ﬁfth of the world’s oil passes. Tankers traveling through the strait, which is bordered in the north by Iran, carry oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE and Iran. Most of that oil goes to Asia.

Any disruption to trafﬁc through the Strait of Hormuz is highly disruptive to the oil trade.

“The scale of what is at stake cannot be overstated,” said Hakan Kaya, senior portfolio manager at investment management ﬁrm Neuberger Berman He said a partial slowdown lasting a week or two could be absorbed by oil companies. But a full or near full closure lasting a month or more would push crude oil prices, trading above $75 on Tuesday, “well into triple digits” and European natural gas prices “toward or above the crisis levels seen in 2022.”

The Strait of Hormuz is a bending waterway about 21 miles wide at its narrowest point. It connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. From there, ships can then travel to the rest of the world. While Iran and Oman have their territorial waters in the strait, it’s viewed as an international waterway all ships can ply The United Arab Emirates, home to the skyscraper-studded city of Dubai, also sits near the waterway

Important for trade

The Strait of Hormuz through history has been important for trade, with ceramics, ivory, silk and textiles moving from China through the region. In the modern era, it is the route for supertankers carrying oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE and Iran. The vast majority of it goes to markets in Asia, including Iran’s only remaining oil customer, China.

While there are pipelines in Saudi Arabia and the UAE that can avoid the passage, the U.S. Energy Information Administration says “most volumes that transit the strait have no alternative means of exiting the region.”

Threats to the route have spiked global en-

ergy prices in the past, including during the Israel-Iran war in June.

Strait declared closed Iran has attacked several ships in the Strait of Hormuz and threatened any ships that try to pass through, effectively closing it. But a move by Trump on Tuesday to protect tankers in the strait could get things moving again.

“The Strait of Hormuz is closed,” declared Iranian Brig. Gen. Ebrahim Jabbari, an adviser to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, vowing that any ships that passed through it would be set on ﬁre.

Previously, Iran temporarily shut down parts of the strait in mid-February for what it said was a military drill. Oil prices jumped about 6% in the following days.

In past times of tension and conﬂict, Iran has at times harassed shipping though the narrows, and during the 1980s’ Iran-Iraq war, both sides attacked tankers and other vessels, using naval mines to completely shut down trafﬁc at points. But Iran had not carried out repeated threats to close the waterway altogether since the 1980s, even during last year’s 12-day war when Israel and the U.S. bombarded Iran’s key nuclear and military sites.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump pitched a plan aimed at getting oil and trade moving again through the Strait.

Trump said on social media he ordered the U.S. development ﬁnance arm to provide po-

litical risk insurance for tankers carrying oil and other goods through the Persian Gulf “at a very reasonable price.”

Political risk insurance is a type of coverage intended to protect ﬁrms against ﬁnancial losses caused by unstable political conditions, government actions, or violence. Marine insurers had been canceling or raising rates for insurance in the region.

Trump said that, if necessary, the U.S. Navy would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. The Navy has at least eight destroyers and three, smaller, littoral combat ships in the region. These ships have previously been used to escort merchant shipping in the region and in the Red Sea.

Global shippers suspend operations

Global shippers have issued service alerts saying they have suspended operations in the area. Danish shipping company Maersk, the world’s biggest shipping company, said Sunday it is suspending all vessel crossings in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice. Other ocean carriers including HapagLloyd, CMA-CGM and MSC made similar announcements.

“Those ships that got stuck in the Gulf are not going anywhere,” said Tom Goldsby, logistics chairman in the Supply Chain Management Department at the University of Tennessee. “There’s also a whole host of ships that were heading into the Gulf to replace them, and of course they’re anchored or going elsewhere now.”

Drone strikes on data centers highlight industry’s vulnerability

Amazon facility attacks create damage but little disruption

BY KELVIN CHAN Associated Press

LONDON — Damage to three Amazon Web Services facilities in the Middle East from Iranian drone strikes highlights the rapid growth of data centers in the region, as well as the industry’s vulnerability to conﬂict. The company’s cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services, said late Monday that two data centers in the United Arab Emirates were “directly struck” and another facility in Bahrain was also damaged after a drone landed

nearby

“These strikes have caused structural damage, disrupted power delivery to our infrastructure, and in some cases required fire suppression activities that resulted in additional water damage,” AWS said in an update. It said by late Tuesday that recovery efforts at the UAE data centers were making progress. Unlike previous AWS disruptions involving software that resulted in widespread global outages, these attacks involving physical damage appear to have resulted only in localized and limited disruption. Amazon Web Services hosts many of the world’s most-used online services, providing behindthe-scenes cloud computing infrastructure to many government

departments, universities and businesses.

The company advised customers using servers in the Middle East to migrate to other regions, and direct online trafﬁc away from the UAE and Bahrain.

“Amazon has generally conﬁgured its services so that the loss of a single data center would be relatively unimportant to its operations,” said Mike Chapple, an IT professor at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.

Other data centers in the same zone can take over and most of the time this happens seamlessly every day to balance workloads, he said.

“That said, the loss of multiple data centers within an availability zone could cause serious is-

sues, as things could reach a point where there simply isn’t enough remaining capacity to handle all the work.”

Amazon doesn’t typically disclose the exact number of data centers it operates around the world.

It says only that its data centers are clustered in 39 geographic regions, with three such regions in the Middle East, covering the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Israel. Each AWS region is split up into at least three data center availability zones, with each zone isolated and physically separated “by a meaningful distance,” although they are all within 60 miles of each other and connected by “ultra-lowlatency networks” that reduce the time lag for data transmission.

TNS PHOTO

Cargo ships and tankers are seen off the coast city of Fujairah, in the Strait of Hormuz last week.

Trump: Someoneinregimecould lead Iran

‘Mostofthe peoplewehad in mind aredead,’ presidentsays

BY AAMER MADHANI and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that “someone from within” the Iranian regime might be the best choiceto take power once the U.S.Israel military campaign is completed —but said“most of the people we had in mind are dead.”

The president, who four days ago had emphatically called on Iranians to “take over your government” once the U.S.-Israel bombardment ends, appeared to drift furtheraway from the idea that the war presentsan opportunitytoend thetheocratic rule that has beenin place since the country’s 1979 Islamic revolution.

Trump said that many Iranian ofﬁcials his administration had viewed as potential

new leaders for the country hadbeen killed in the U.S.Israelicampaign that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and many other top ofﬁcials.

Trump has not publicly identiﬁed anyone whom he views as acredible future leader for Iran. And it’sunclear what, if any,outreach theWhite House hadwith Iranian officials since the war started.

“Most of the peoplewehad in mind are dead,” he said in an exchange with reporters in theOval Ofﬁce. “Now we have another group, they may be dead also,based on reports. So you have athird wave coming.Prettysoon we’re not going to know anybody.”

Trump said Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince of Iran’slastshah who istryingtoposition himself for a return should Iran’sShiite theocracy fall, is not someone that hisadministration has consideredindepthto take over leadership in Iran

“It would seem to me that somebodyfromwithinmaybe wouldbemoreappropriate,”

Trump said, adding that it

PresidentDonald Trumpspeaks Tuesdayduring ameetingwith German Chancellor

Merz in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington.

maymake sense for “somebody that’s there, that’scurrently popular,ifthere is such aperson”toemerge from thepower vacuum.

Trump’scomments came as he hosted German ChancellorFriedrich Merz for his ﬁrst in-person engagement withaforeign leader since

theU.S. and Israel launched thewar against Iran.

Trump saidhewanted to avoid a“worst case” scenario where “somebody takes over who’sasbad as the previous person.”

“That couldhappen.We don’twant thattohappen,”Trump added. “You

go through this, andthen in five years you realize you put somebody in whowas no better.”

The White House has stepped up its push to counter criticism that it moved unnecessarily quickly to launch awar of choice against Iran.

Trump’sdecision to strike last week followed lengthy negotiations by thepresident’senvoy Steve Witkoff andson-in-lawJared Kushner withthe Iranians talks theU.S.increasingly viewed as an effort to stall any progress. After themostrecent round of discussions in Geneva,Switzerland, last week, Witkoffand Kushner toldTrump that reaching a nuclear agreement similar to one that former President Barack Obama struck in 2015 was possible,according to a senior administration ofﬁcial. The official, who briefed journalists on condition of anonymity,describeditasa potential “Obama-plus deal” andWitkoff andKushner believed such an agreement would take months, but was possible Still, even as they expressed theirwillingness to pursue diplomacy and “ﬁght forevery point that we can” if that’swhat Trump wanted, the negotiators stressed to the president that the Iranians werenot willing to make adeal thatwould be satisfactory to the U.S.

tens of thousands

Anxioustravelers scramble as warstrands

BY MATT SEDENSKY and STEFANIE DAZIO Associated Press

Frustrated and anxious travelers clamored Tuesday for ways out of the Middle East and beyond as the widening Iran war constrained commercial ﬂights through the region for afourth day, strandingtensofthousands of people.

The conflict that started Saturday when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran grounded airline passengersinmajorMideast cities as well as ones awaiting connecting ﬂights in countries far from the threatofairstrikes. With national airspaces closed or tightly restricted across much of the Gulf, many were unsure what to do and appealed to their govern-

ments for information and exit strategies.

“They say ‘Get out,’ but howdoyou expectusto get out when airspaces are closed?” said Odies Turner, a32-year-old chef from Dallas whowas stuck in Doha, Qatar.“They just have been cancelingevery flight. I want to gohome.”

TheU.S.State Department told American citizens to leave more than adozen countries in theregion right away using any available commercial transportation. Thecountries included Iran and Israel, as well as Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, the Palestinianterritories, SaudiArabia, Syria, theUnited Arab Emirates and Yemen.

But commercial options

$180,517.94

UNIONVERSUS KRISHELLKING

remained limited

About 18,000 flights, or nearly55% of allscheduled flight arrivalsand departures in the Middle East, have been canceled since Saturday,according to aviation analyticsﬁrm Cirium.

Thenumber included 3,800 cancellations on Tuesday The State Departmentsaid Tuesdayitwas “activelysecuring” military andcharter aircraft to ﬂy Americans out of the region.Itsaiditwas in contact with nearly 3,000 citizens seeking assistance or information.

“Weknow thatwe’re going to be able to help them,”U.S SecretaryofState Marco Rubio told reporters Tuesday, whilecautioningthat “it’s going to takealittle time because we don’tcontrol the airspace closures.”

PUBLIC NOTICESALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTION OF GROUNDBEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 1335-37 FRENCHMAN STREET,THIS CITY,INTHE MATTERENTI‐TLED: TOORAK CAPITAL PART‐NERSLLC VER‐SUS XAVIOR ES‐TATES,LLC CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-4226 By virtue of a WritofSeizure and Sale di‐rectedtomeby the Honorable JudgesofCivil DistrictCourt for theParishof Orleans,inthe above entitled cause,I will pro‐ceed to sell by publicauction, onthe ground ﬂoorofthe Civil DistrictCourt Building, 421 LoyolaAvenue, inthe FirstDis‐trict of theCity onMarch 5, 2026, at 12:00 o'clock noon the following described prop‐ertytowit: 1335-37 FRENCHMANST NEW ORLEANS, LA70116 LOT: 2, SQUARE: 511 THIRDMUNICI‐PAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: WRIT AMOUNT:

Seizedinthe above suit TERMS -CASH. Thepurchaser atthe moment ofadjudication tomakea de‐posit of tenper‐centofthe pur‐chase price, and the balance withinthirty daysthereafter Note: Thepay‐mentmustbe Cash, Cashier's Check,Certiﬁed Check or Money Order.NoPer‐sonal Checks FACE MASKS AND TEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING.

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans GH 13 JACKSON& MCPHERSON, LLC504-5819444

TheN.O.Advo‐cateDate (s): 1/28/2026 & 3/4/2026 JAN28-MAR42T

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-8699

sonalChecks. FACEMASKS AND TEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING.

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

RB 17 LAWOFFICESOF HERSCHELC ADCOCK, JR. LLC (225) 7560373

TheN.O.Advo‐cateDate (s): 1/28/2026 & 3/4/2026 JAN28-MAR42T

PUBLIC NOTICESALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTION OF GROUNDBERING MUNICIPAL NUMBER 4220 DALEST, CITY OFNEW OR‐LEANS,IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED: CTP FUNDING,LLC VERSUSDIVINE CAREGROUP LLC ANDRENE KEY

Seized in the above suit, TERMS -CASH. Thepurchaser atthe moment ofadjudication tomakea de‐posit of tenper‐centofthe pur‐chase price, and the balance withinthirty daysthereafter

cate Date (s): 1/28/2026 & 3/4/2026 JAN28-MAR42T

PUBLIC NOTICESALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTION OF GROUNDBEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 6141 VICKSBURG ST, CITYOFNEW ORLEANS, IN THE MATTER EN‐TITLED: HAN‐COCKWHITNEY BANKVERSUS WILSONHARRIS BARNES

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2023-13413

2NDMUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1138167 LAKEVIEW SUB‐DIVISION WRIT AMOUNT: $141,863.00

Seized in the above suit, TERMS -CASH. Thepurchaser atthe moment ofadjudication tomakea de‐posit of tenper‐centofthe pur‐chase price, and the balance withinthirty daysthereafter Note: Thepay‐mentmustbe Cash, Cashier's Check,Certiﬁed Check or Money Order.NoPer‐sonal Checks FACE MASKS AND TEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING.

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

BEARINGMU‐NICIPAL NO 2520-22 JENA ST, THISCITYIN THE MATTER EN‐TITLED: DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUSTCOM‐PANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR HOMEEQUITY MORTGAGE LOAN ASSET-BACKED TRUSTSERIES INABS2007-B HOMEEQUITY MORTGAGE LOAN ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES SERIES INABS 2007-BVERSUS JOHNFITZGER‐ALD TAYLOR A/K/A JOHN F. TAYLORA/K/A JOHN TAYLOR

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2020-4347

PUBLIC NOTICESALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTION OF GROUNDBEAR‐INGMUNICPAL NUMBER 5530 RED MAPLEDR, CITYOFNEW ORLEANS, IN THE MATTEREN‐TITLED: HOPE FEDERALCREDIT

Note: Thepay‐mentmustbe Cash, Cashier's Check,Certiﬁed Check or Money Order. No Per‐

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2024-6709 By virtue of a WritofFieri Fa‐ciasdirectedto mebythe Hon‐orableJudgesof Civil District Court forthe ParishofOr‐leans,inthe aboveentitled

cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by publicauction, onthe ground ﬂoor of theCivil DistrictCourt Building, 421 LoyolaAvenue, inthe FirstDis‐trict of theCity onMarch 5, 2026, at 12:00 o'clock noon the following described prop‐ertytowit: 4220 DALE ST NEW ORLEANS, LA70127 LOT7 -SQUARE 4 3RD MUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1461954 ROSEDALE SUB‐DIVISION WRIT AMOUNT: $52,400.00 Seized in the above suit TERMS -CASH. Thepurchaser atthe moment ofadjudication tomakea de‐posit of tenper‐centofthe pur‐chase price, and the balance withinthirty daysthereafter. Note: Thepay‐mentmustbe Cash, Cashier's Check,Certiﬁed Check or Money Order.NoPer‐sonal Checks FACE MASKS AND TEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING. SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

BD 7 DEAN MORRIS, LLC 318-3881440 ZACHARYG YOUNG

TheN.O.Advo‐

By virtue of a WritofFieri Fa‐ciasdirectedto mebythe Hon‐orableJudgesof Civil District Court forthe ParishofOr‐leans,inthe above entitled cause,I will pro‐ceed to sell by publicauction, onthe ground ﬂoor of theCivil DistrictCourt Building, 421 LoyolaAvenue, inthe FirstDis‐trict of theCity onMarch 5, 2026, at 12:00 o'clock noon, the following described prop‐ertytowit: 6141 VICKSBURG STNEW OR‐LEANS,LA70124 LOTS 11 &12SQUARE 287

RB 23

NEWMAN MATHIS BRADY & SPEDALEA PROFESSIONAL LAWCORPORA‐TION504-8379040 WAYNEA.MAIO‐RANA

TheN.O.Advo‐cateDate (s): 1/28/2026 & 3/4/2026

JAN28-MAR42T

PUBLIC NOTICESALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT PORTION OF GROUND

PALDISTRICT ACQUIREDMIN 894679 WRIT AMOUNT: $124,597.85

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

BD 29

THELAW OF‐FICES OF HER‐SCHEL C. AD‐COCK, JR.,LLC (225) 756-0373 COREYJ GIROIR

TheN.O.Advo‐cateDate (s): 1/28/2026 & 3/4/2026

JAN28-MAR42T

DAMIAN DOVARGANES

Trialagainst Meta in N.M. highlights videodepositions

Prosecutorsshow interviews of top executives

BY MORGAN LEE Associated Press

SANTAFE, N.M. Prosecutors began presenting never-before-seen video depositions of Meta executives at atrial in New Mexico on Tuesday to bolster accusations the social mediaconglomeratefailed to disclose what it knows about harmful effects to children on its platforms, including Instagram. New Mexico prosecutors are billing depositions from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram leader Adam Mosseri as centerpieces of the state’scase against Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Prosecutors haveaccused Meta of violatingstate consumer protection laws. Prosecutors say the dangers of addiction to social media as well

as child sexual exploitationon Meta’s platforms weren’t properly addressed or disclosed by the company.

Meta attorney Kevin Huff pushed back on those assertions during opening statements on Feb. 9,highlighting efforts to weed out harmful content from its platforms while warning users that somecontent still gets through its safetynet. He said Meta disclosesthe risks.

On Tuesday,the New Mexico jury watched avideo in which prosecutors pepperedMosseri with questions about Meta’sapproach to safety, corporateproﬁts and social mediafeatures. They also asked him about policies for young users that might contribute to sleep deprivation, unwanted communicationswith adults and negative effects of cosmetic beautyﬁlters.

Counsel for state prosecutors repeatedlyasked whether Instagram should do everything it can to keepteenssafe. “I think we should do what we

can,”Mosseri said.“Ithink that there’s over 2billion people on Instagram, which means thereare millions of teens on Instagram.So when yousay everything, Iwant to be clear that we arealarge enough platform thatsometimes some thingswill —sofor instance, problematic content will be seen.”

TheNew Mexico case anda separate trial playing out in Los Angeles could setthe course for thousands of similar lawsuits against social media companies. Zuckerberg testiﬁed last month in Los Angeles about young people’suse of Instagram and has answered questions from Congress about youth safety on Meta’splatforms.

During his 2024 congressional testimony,heapologizedtofamilieswhose liveshad been upended by tragediesthey believedwere caused by social media.

But while he told parents he was “sorryfor everything you have all been through,” he stopped short of taking direct responsibility for it.

St.Vincent denies giving U.S. permission forstrikes

3killedinattackon allegeddrugboat

BY DÁNICACOTO Associated Press

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica —The prime ministerofSt. Vincentand the Grenadines said Tuesdaythathis government did not give the U.S. authorization fora recent strike on an alleged drug boat in local waters that killed three people.

Prime Minister GodwinFriday said at apress conference that his administration found out about the deadly Feb. 13 strike through social media and online reports.

“Therehas been no direct communicationwith respecttothe strikes with us,” he said, adding that Caribbean leaders are concerned. “It was agreed that this is a serious matter because of the risk that it poses potentially to our people going abouttheir normal busi-

ness. People plying the waters want to know that they’re safe.”

The U.S. military said that three people were killed in the strikes, but did notconﬁrm theiridentities.

Relativesofa boat captain from St. Lucia recently told The Associated Press that they believe Ricky Joseph, a35-year-old father of four,was killedinthe strike because he remains missing and had departed in aboat like the one shownafter thestrikeinpictures posted on social media.

Friday said that Caribbean leadersrecentlymet to talkamong themselvesabout security and safety concerns of U.S. drone strikes “in our waters.”

He said Caribbeanleaders who met last week in St. Kitts for aregional summitthat U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended “agreed that this wasa serious matter thatwill affect allofus” and that they would pursue it with U.S. authorities.

Trumpadministrationto pursue fightoverlaw firms

BY ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON Aday afterabandoning its efforts to enforceexecutive orders that targeted some of the world’smost elite law firms, President Donald Trump’sadministration abruptly reversed course on Tuesdayand saiditwould proceed with the court fight. The unexplained about-face represents the latest development in ayearlong effort by theRepublican administration to impose sanctionsagainst major lawfirms whose attorneys had done legal work Trumpopposed or hadbeen associated with prosecutors who investigated him Judges whoreceived challenges to the executive orders from targeted firms uniformlyruled against the government, prompting an appeal from the Justice Department. In abrief filing Mon-

day in the federal appeals court in Washington, the Justice Department withdrew itsappeal, ending efforts to enforce executive orders against the ﬁrms of Perkins Coie, Jenner &Block, Susman Godfrey and WilmerHale.

Then, on Tuesday,the Justice Department, without any explanation, submitteda new court filing saying that it waswithdrawing its earlier one and was no longer giving up its appeal. It said that because the appeals court had not yetgranted itsmotion to dismiss, the firms were notharmed by the department’schange in position. The departmentsaidthatithad advised lawyers forthe four firms of its change in position and that they objected. The White House referred questionsabout thechangeinposition to the Justice Department, where aspokesperson declined to comment.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg leavesaLos Angeles courtFeb.18after testifying in alandmarktrial over whether social media platformsdeliberately addictand harmchildren.

Garage to become boutique hotel

Partners finalizing space above Dickie Brennan’s

visioned

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

2020 and comes after the city’s historic tourist center suffered a slow 2025 amid a nationwide travel slump. But the developers are betting on a rebound and on solid demand for their concept.

“Our decision to invest in this project is with a long-term view but it’s with some cautious opti-

mism around what we’re seeing in the city right now,” McEnery said. The plan to convert the parking garage, an unremarkable building from the street with a wall of aluminum-framed windows, is, effectively, a reversion

Ex-con found guilty of killing in N.O.

Man riddled thengirlfriend with bullets, ran her over

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

Henry Talley Jr got a new lease on life four years ago when he was released from prison after serving 25 years of a life sentence for his role as the wheelman in a 1996 drive-by shooting that killed a 12-year-old boy

But he squandered that shot at redemption in a ﬁt of rage in May 2023. He riddled his then-girlfriend, Asia Davis, with bullets and ran the 28-year-old woman’s body over with his SUV as he ﬂed the scene.

On Tuesday, an Orleans Parish jury found Talley guilty of Davis’ killing, a brutal murder that came in the midst of a particularly deadly spate of domestic violence in New Orleans. Davis was one of nine women murdered in New Orleans during a six-week period between late April and early June in 2023.

The jury of seven women and ﬁve men deliberated nearly seven hours over the span of two days to convict Talley 47, of first-degree murder, obstruction of justice and two counts of illegal possession of a ﬁrearm by a convicted felon The panel found him not guilty of a count of stalking.

Talley showed no emotion as the verdict was read. District Judge Rhonda Goode-Douglas set his sentencing for May 28.

The verdict concluded a sevenday trial inside the Orleans Parish Criminal District Courthouse Outside, Davis’ family members shed tears as they remembered her fondly as a “ﬁrecracker” who was a loving mother and the nucleus of their close-knit family

“Overjoyed and thankful,” her aunt, Linda Williams, said of the verdict. “It’s been difﬁcult. But we just kept in touch with the (prosecutor) and prayed that everything would lead to this point. But now we feel like Asia Davis got justice.”

It’s not the ﬁrst time Talley has faced a mandatory life sentence. He was a “juvenile lifer,” convicted of participating in a fatal drive-by shooting in March 1996, when he was 17. Talley was the getaway driver in what police described as a drugfueled homicide in the 2900 block of Palmyra Street. But Wendell McGruffey, a 12-year-old boy working on his bicycle, was shot in the head as an unintended target. A jury found Talley guilty of second-degree murder in January 1997, and he received a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. But a series of U.S. Supreme

Lighting

BY JAMES FINN and JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writers

A jury was impaneled Tuesday afternoon in the blockbuster staged-crash conspiracy trial of two New Orleans personal injury attorneys accused of scheming years of staged wrecks with big rig trucks. That outcome sets up prosecutors and defense attorneys to argue their theories of the case to jurors for the ﬁrst time Wednesday, kicking off the main portion of a trial that stems from a sweeping federal probe years in the making. On trial are Vanessa Motta, a Hollywood stuntwoman-turnedlawyer, and Jason Giles and the King Firm. They are accused of working with dozens of other defendants while paying drivers to ﬁll cars with passengers

and ram them into 18-wheelers on New Orleans highways. The lawyers then sued for big insurance payouts, federal prosecutors allege. As it dragged on for a second day Tuesday, the jury selection process highlighted the ubiquity of Louisiana’s rough roads and high auto insurance rates, as Chief U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter peppered prospective jurors with questions about their auto accident histories.

One man described a growing embitterment toward insurance ﬁrms over an accident he said had bloated his auto premium even though another driver was to blame Another said he had long assumed that fraud inﬂates auto insurance rates.

“I don’t like insurance companies,” said another who recalled having to pay after being

the victim in a hit and run despite having “put the Womac on ’em,” reciting the slogan of the Womac Law Firm.

Juror No. 94 expressed a similar sentiment.

“I understand the game. I just switch insurance companies every chance I get,” he said.

“They’re not for us. They’re not for our well-being. They don’t look out for us, the drivers. It’s a money grab.”

The sequence underscored how deeply the sprawling insurance fraud case intertwines with one of Louisiana’s most intractable quality-of-life issues: sky-high auto premiums and per-capita driver death rates to match.

Prosecutors and criminal justice groups say the alleged years-long scheme involved so Jury selection spotlights high auto rates in staged

BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

The New Orleans area’s ﬂood protection authority is considering expanding its police force and increasing its budget again, a plan that has drawn scrutiny from watchdogs who say

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

total lunar eclipse, known as the blood moon, is visible with the Crescent City Connection in the foreground in New Orleans on Tuesday. A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon moves into the Earth’s shadow, causing

darkened.

Residents weigh in on health priorities

Community meetings gather input for plan

BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer

The New Orleans Department of Health and Human Services

kicked off the ﬁrst of ﬁve community health meetings on Tuesday, part of an effort to collect data and public feedback to shape a new health improvement plan under the administration of Mayor Helena Moreno.

The meeting, held at Gernon Brown Recreation Center, is part of an 18-month process to understand the city’s health needs. It is the third time the agency, which until recently was known as the New Orleans Health Department, has undertaken the planning process, which typically occurs every ﬁve years.

“We really need your voice,” said Flint Mitchell, deputy director for community engagement.

“Your voice will help us determine what we want to prioritize in this round of the community health improvement process.”

Better food, safer parks

About a dozen residents sat in folding chairs in the community center responding to live polling prompts on their phones about what changes would make their neighborhoods healthier places to live.

The results, displayed on a projected screen in real time, showed that healthier food that is easier to get and repairs to public spaces like parks and playgrounds are top priorities for the group. Other common responses included safe sidewalks and trails, sex education in schools, more nutrition education, health care that is easier to access and safer shopping districts

Latonya Mason, 40, wanted broader access to fruits and vegetables, including for people who don’t quite meet the cutoff for state and federal programs that provide extra incentives for purchases at farmers markets.

“I know folks who don’t have low income, but they cant afford to get to those types of places,” Mason said.

She also wants regular neighborhood cleanups, saying that litter affects physical and mental health.

Another resident who lives near the Fair Grounds said the city has invested a lot in bike lanes, but they are not always maintained.

Attendees also described positive impacts to their health They cited the city’s culture of helping neighbors, walking paths, vaccine programs, free fitness classes and initiatives to plant more trees.

In a ﬁnal poll, attendees ranked what they thought were the most signiﬁcant factors affecting public health. Top choices included pressures related to rent, tourism shifts, job loss and short-term rentals, aging water infrastructure and climate threats

What’s next

A second round of community meetings will be held over the summer, when the department will present what they’ve learned from the meetings before ﬁnalizing three to ﬁve priorities ahead of a report to be published later this year

In the previous assessment, the department identiﬁed a lack of health care after giving birth as a priority As a result, they developed the Family Connects program, which offers three in-home visits to moms and newborns after birth. Residents are invited to attend any of the four remaining community health meetings over the next two weeks across the city’s council districts. District D will meet from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the New Orleans Mosquito, Termite and Rodent Control Board, 2100 Leon C. Simon Drive. District E will meet from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at New Orleans East Hospital, 5620 Read Blvd. District B’s meeting is from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday March 10, at Rosenwald Recreation Center, 1120 S Broad St., and District C will meet from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m Thursday, March 12, at Treme Recreation Center 900 N. Villere St.

GARAGE

Continued from page 1B

history In 1887, Fabacher’s was reportedly doing “the largest business in the city,” according to The TimesPicayune.

Following an expansion, it featured an 800-seat dining room with cutting-edge technology — a thousand incandescent lights to simulate moonlight and an in-house ice plant to keep its seafood fresh.

The restaurant shuttered in 1915 and its buildings were sold off following its operator’s bankruptcy Part of it was purchased by Iberville Garage Inc. in 1925 and turned into one of the French Quarter’s ﬁrst parking garages

In 1998, another famous name in New Orleans hospitality history set up shop on the block when Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse opened

From tenant to landlord

Huger got interested in the project when his New Orleans-based parking business, which has more than 1,400 locations in 125 cities, started faltering during the pandemic.

His French Quarter garage, he said, was particularly vulnerable to the downturn in tourism and increase in violent crime that followed.

“People just stopped going to the garage, and business plummeted,” he said.

Last year’s terror attack on Bourbon Street, which rekindled discussions about turning the street into a pedestrian mall, exacerbated the slump.

“People needed predictability, and they no longer had predictability that you could park there,” he said. “So they really weren’t.”

Typically parking lot operators lower prices if they need to fill spots. But the century-old garage has no stairs or elevators — only a man lift — so it requires an on-site valet, which makes it costly to run.

After trying unsuccessfully to get out of his long-term lease, Huger said he decided to buy the building with McEnery It’s the first hotel project for

GUILTY

Continued from page 1B

Court rulings that focused on juvenile brain science laid the groundwork for his release from prison. Supreme Court justices deemed life sentences too harsh a punishment for juveniles except in the most egregious cases, with young offenders deemed to be beyond rehabilitation.

Talley argued that his life term was too severe considering he wasn’t the triggerman in the 1996 shooting. Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams agreed to a deal that allowed him to forego the Pardon Board and plead guilty

BOARD

Continued from page 1B

That would mean spending over a ﬁfth of the ﬂood agency’s operating budget on policing.

The proposal would allow the agency to hire new police ofﬁcers, increasing the total headcount from 47 ofﬁcers to 65. Its police force would also buy a new computer-assisted dispatch system as well as tasers, in-car cameras and body cameras.

The budget bump follows a nearly $4 million increase in police spending in this year’s budget, a 45% hike.

If approved, the overall operating budget, excluding major infrastructure projects, will rise by about 8%, according to the agency’s ﬁnance director Denise Williams, from about $56 million this year to around $62 million next year. The agency will also hire additional employees in other departments to ﬁll staff vacancies.

The board is set to formally approve the budget with a vote at its March 24 meeting The agency’s board approved an effective tax hike in Orleans Parish in October following a property reassessment there, and committed to spending the additional revenue on infrastructure projects. That partially accounts for a 16% increase in total agency revenues next year

Regional Director Jeff Williams stressed that the budget’s main thrust would continue to be “direct investment in critical ﬂood protection infrastructure,” and he emphasized that the budget is balanced The budget draft proposes to increase spending on personnel agencywide by 16% and calls for ﬁxing erosion to the London Av-

both men, though each has completed other developments around the New Orleans area.

Speakeasy and suites

Floor plans submitted by the developers with the City Planning Commission call for building out a first-floor hotel lobby and filling the second floor with amenities, including a fitness room, party room and golf simulators, along with a 1,000-square-foot “speakeasy” above Dickie Brennan’s that will be accessible from both the restaurant and lobby

“You have to kind of know how to get there,” McEnery said. “A private entrance through an elevator to get up.”

Upper floors will include a mix of three-, four-, five- and six-bedroom units with kitchens, positioning the hotel as an option for group travelers who would otherwise end up renting out several rooms or an entire house.

Such hybrid hotels have grown in popularity in New Orleans in recent years, targeting families and friend groups that travel together for weddings, bachelor and bachelorette parties and festivals, among other things.

The developers say the hotel will also include an as-yet-undetermined number of one-bedroom units.

The seventh ﬂoor, with 14-foot ceilings and ﬂoor-to-ceiling windows, is slated to house a space for private events. Above that, the plans call for building out a penthouse level on the roof, which would be connected to the event venue and include a pool, terrace and rooftop bar

Dickie Brennan & Co. Sales and Marketing Director Lindsay Ross said it’s exciting to see new development in the French Quarter, where ongoing construction has hampered the hospitality industry in recent months, though a contract with the developers has yet to be ﬁnalized.

”We hope to have a role,” Ross said. “We’d love to partner as much as they’ll have us.”

McEnery said the two sides are ﬁnalizing details of the agreement. Permit recommended

to amended charges of manslaughter and attempted murder Talley, who had served more than 25 years by then, was released from the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola in May 2021. Nearly two years later, on the morning of May 11, 2023, Talley left Davis dead in a pool of blood outside her apartment complex in the 6800 block of Mayo Boulevard. Police said he pulled up on Davis moments after she put her 6-yearold daughter on the school bus and forced her into his vehicle.

He took her near the Interstate 10 Service Road intersection Witnesses recalled seeing Talley and Davis in a heated argument with him accusing her of inﬁdelity moments before they heard gunshots

enue Canal, conducting a survey of the Lake Borgne Storm Surge Barrier, and funding other ﬂood protection work.

The draft also proposes to increase spending on operations staff who oversee the ﬂood systems’ pumps and ﬂoodgates — by $1.9 million. But the largest yearover-year increase will go to the police department.

“We have more flood control assets than we had pre-Katrina,” he said. “Our first priority is protecting the flood assets, but we have fewer police officers to do so.”

He noted that before Katrina, the Orleans Parish levee board employed 75 police ofﬁcers.

The agency, formally known as the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East, is responsible for the ﬂood protection system on the Mississippi River’s east bank. It also operates a small police force, charged with protecting the levees, pumps and ﬂoodwalls, as well as policing in a handful of neighborhoods along the shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain.

The police force was founded in the mid-20th century, when the pre-Katrina Orleans Levee District, the precursor to today’s authority, ﬁlled in sections of Lake Pontchartrain and sold property to create new subdivisions. Though the agency is funded by parishwide millages, its police ofﬁcers work primarily in those neighborhoods.

“The police force has been forgotten about for years,” said board president Peter Vicari “They were understaffed, so we’re just getting it back up to the level that they’re supposed to be at.”

Residents in the lakefront neighborhoods have praised the increased police presence But watchdog groups have questioned whether the increase is aligned

The project received a green light from the City Planning Commission on Feb. 24.

While the property is on the French Quarter side of Canal Street, it is technically within a Central Business District zoning district. And though hotels have historically been allowed in the district without needing special permission, the City Council late last year established a temporary citywide requirement that any hotels, short-term rentals, bed and breakfasts, or hostels get a conditional use permit, even in places where they would have been allowed by right.

The move followed the expiration of an earlier citywide moratorium on new commercial short-term rental licenses. It was

ring out. Several witnesses identiﬁed Talley as the man behind the wheel when his gold SUV ran over Davis’ body But Talley’s attorneys sought to cast doubt on witness testimony, arguing the defendant wasn’t in the area at the time of the shooting. They claimed he was across town at Galatoire’s, the Bourbon Street restaurant where he worked as a bus boy

One defense witness said he saw another man driving Talley’s SUV the morning of the shooting, less than 30 minutes before Davis was killed and didn’t see Talley in the area.

But Davis herself twice called New Orleans police in the weeks

with the agency’s primary mission of protecting the New Orleans area from hurricane storm surge.

“The ﬂood authority’s core mission is flood protection — not building a larger police force,” said Blair duQuesnay of Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans, an organization that advocated for reforms after Katrina. “Our priority must be maintaining and strengthening the levee system that protects our region from catastrophic ﬂooding.”

Guns, cars and a drone

Already, the agency has increased its focus on policing since Gov Jeff Landry began taking an interest in the agency in 2024. Last year’s budget called for a substantial increase in spending on police that paid for 16 new vehicles, AR-15 style assault weapons, tasers, bodycams, a police drone and salary increases — including a large raise for police Chief Joshua Rondeno, who now makes $208,000 per year, nearly twice his predecessor’s $110,000 salary in 2023.

Rondeno has taken on an increased role at the agency and performs the duties of a chief compliance ofﬁcer, a position that did not previously exist. He and other agency leaders say the new equipment is necessary to professionalize the force

He also ﬁled a battery charge last year against former board member Deborah Settoon, with whom Rondeno had publicly clashed at board meetings Rondeno alleged that Settoon punched him in the arm in October which Settoon denied.

She said she believes the charges were brought against her to push her to resign. Rondeno dropped the charge earlier this month, on the day that Settoon

adopted ahead of the anticipated consideration of a revised regulatory regime for such rentals by the freshly seated City Council later this year

McEnery said the new hotel — whose name and operator have yet to be ﬁnalized — will be like nothing else that currently exists in the city

“There’s not another group travel-centric concept that has a food and beverage partnership like what we’re doing on Iberville,” he said. The project still needs ﬁnal approval from the City Council. The developers hope to start construction by midyear and open in late 2027.

Email Jonah Meadows at jonah.

leading up to her slaying to report domestic violence emergencies. In one of the calls, on April 6, 2023, it took officers nearly 12 hours to respond to her address and the responding officer left without speaking to Davis, marking the call “gone on arrival.” Jurors listened to both 911 calls in the courtroom Tuesday In both, Davis made reference to Talley’s “gold truck,” telling dispatchers she only knew his ﬁrst name, “Henry.”

“He was someone I was up front with, and he just lied about everything,” she said during one of the calls.

Email Matt Bruce at matt. bruce@theadvocate.com.

resigned.

New member Thursday’s meeting also marked the ﬁrst for new board member Ronald Schumann, appointed by the governor following the resignations of Settoon and fellow board member Randall Noel. Without Schumann, the board would only have had five of its nine members and could not have approved infrastructure projects.

Now, all board members have been appointed by Landry with whom Regional Director Williams and Vicari met briefly on Thursday during a visit to LaPlace from a high-level delegation from Washington to highlight a new initiative aimed at speeding up Army Corps of Engineers projects. Vicari and Williams said they only exchanged pleasantries with the governor, who has repeatedly declined to comment on ﬂood agency issues. The board president sought to distance the governor from recent controversies.

“All the BS that’s been going on, he’s not been involved at all,” Vicari said. “He asked me to take the chairmanship and do the right thing. That was it.”

Email Alex Lubben at alex. lubben@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

Pedestrians walk past the entrance of the parking garage above Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse in New Orleans on Friday.

BY MEGAN WYATT Staff writer

Ajury has foundformer

DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts guilty of carnal knowledge of ajuvenileand indecent behavior with ajuvenile, both felony charges, according to amediareport by KPLC.

The panel of six jurors deliberated for less than an hour Tuesday after hearing ﬁve days of arguments, witness testimony and evidence presentation in the case. Sentencing is scheduled for April 17.

The carnal knowledge conviction carries amaximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and indecentbehavior with ajuvenile carries asentence of up to seven years in prison.

Witnesses testified Roberts provided alcohol to her teenage son, nephew and their friends during aJuly 2024 birthday party before having sex with one of their friends. They saidRoberts got drunk at her teenage son’sbirthday party before disappearing to an upstairs game room with a16-yearold boy

The victim testiﬁed Tuesday that he wasdrunk the night of the party when Roberts told him he looked good, winked at him, danced with him, took aphoto with him, grabbedhim andkissed him, according to KPLC. Thevictimsaidhefeltdizzy and strange, and when Roberts said they shouldn’t continue kissing outside,he asked if they could go upstairs. The victim testiﬁed that they had sex upstairs in the game room, and it wasn’t

JURY

Continued from page1B

many faked wrecks and so muchmoney that it likely increased auto premiums statewide.

The wide-ranging investigation implicated dozens of defendants and had yielded almost 50 guilty pleas by the time Motta and Giles’ trial kicked off Monday.Analleged conspirator,Diaminike Stalbert, also is on trial Another,perhaps even moresensational trialis set for August: that of Sean Alfortish, adisbarred lawyer andformer Kenner magistrate, andanother man, Leon “Chunky” Parker,who stand accused of conspiring to murder Cornelius Garrison,who had admittedtobeing adriver in the scheme.

Garrison had been talking to the FBI for nearly ayear,providing informationagainst Motta, Alfortishand others, when he was gunned down at his grandmother’sGentilly doorstep in 2020. Before his killing, court

until afterward that he realized what washappening, KPLC reported. Roberts’ son, nephew and afriendtestiﬁed lastweek that they wentupstairs and saw the mayor and their friend having sex through blinds in awindowofthe game room.WhenRoberts and the victim came downstairs,Roberts and her son got into an argument, witnessessaid

The defenseportrayed a case built around rumors shared by teenagers in a small town.

AdamJohnson, adefense attorney forRoberts,asked hisclient’sson if he actually saw his mother having sex with his friend. Roberts’ son said he could not confirm it, but it looked like it from what hesaw Text messagesbetween Roberts and her nephew the dayafter indicate the mayor was“scared to death,” although defense attorney Todd Clemonspointedout that at no point in the exchange didshe explicitly refer to having sex with the boy.

ADoor Dashdriveralso testified last week that he delivered Plan Bemergency contraceptive for acustomer namedMistytoher address afew days beforeshe was arrested and accused of having sex witha teenager Duncan Clanton, Roberts’ ex-husband, testified last week that she told him directly that shehad sexwith the16-year-old boy, and that they were caught in the act, KPLC reported. Roberts resignedfrom her elected positionafew days before her arrest.

records show Garrison told FBIagentsthatAlfortish hadoffered him$500,000 if he “tookthe fall.”

Motta’sattorney,Sean Toomey,isexpected in his opening statement to try to pin her role in the fraud schemeonAlfortish, with whom she shares a2-yearoldchild Alfortishwas a“master manipulator” who inﬂicted a“terrible betrayal” upon Motta,Toomey said in arecentﬁling Prosecutors have described that approach as an “about-face” in Motta’s defense after she previously argued that sheand Alfortish were victims of circumstance, Vitter recently wrote.

Now,Motta appears to be arguing that “at some point she knew Alfortish was part of astaged collision scheme,”Vitterwrote.

The factsofthe case were barely discussed Tuesday as jurors sat throughhours of “voir dire” questioning —much of it focused on car insurance —before Vitter andthe attorneys ﬁnally settled on apanel of 12 jurors, plus alternates, around5 p.m

NewOrleans Area Deaths

Battiste,Eunice

Benson, Linda Custard, Milton DaltonIII, Walter Dickerson, Beauford Faucheux, Betty Hebert,Barbara Metcalf, Carol Olinde,Alfred Petty,Barbara Schloegel, Gay Seghers,Richard Thompson, Tiffany Troxclair,Heidi

Wallace Jr., James

NewOrleans

DW Rhodes

Custard, Milton Thompson, Tiffany

Estelle JWilson

Benson, Linda

Greenwood

Metcalf, Carol Petty,Barbara

JacobSchoen

Seghers,Richard

Lake Lawn Metairie

Hebert,Barbara

Schloegel, Gay

Wallace Jr., James

Majestic Mortuary

Battiste,Eunice DaltonIII, Walter

St Tammany

EJ Fielding

Olinde,Alfred Troxclair,Heidi

West Bank Mothe

Faucheux, Betty

Obituaries

Battiste, Eunice Lucille

Eunice Lucille Battiste transitionedtoher heav‐enlyhomeonTuesday February17, 2026, at the age of 87. Ms.Battistewas a lifelong resident of New Orleans,Louisiana.She leavestocherish hermem‐ory,son,Henry Battiste (Jackie); threegrandchil‐drenKimberlyB.Jefferson, Karen B. Jones(Jacob),and Branden J. Williams;six great-grandchildren Siera Battiste,Malik,Ariana, and

MalachiJefferson,Branden Jr. andBrayden Williams; two sistersMelba Dean and Yvonne Weathersby (Larnell);sister-in-law Lil‐lianWilliams; anda host of nieces, nephews, relatives, and friendswhomshe treasured.Precededin death by herfatherWilliam JosephWilliams; her motherNoraMadison Williams;granddaughter IreilleWilliams, greatgranddaughter Anaiya Jef‐ferson; ﬁve brothers, WilliamWoodson, Charles Smith,Leory,Willie, and LawrenceGeorgeWilliams; sisterClaylee WJackson; two brothers-in-law ThomasDeanand Daniel Jackson;and twosistersin-lawDorothy andCather‐ine Williams.Relatives and friends areinvited to at‐tendthe Mass of Christian BurialonThursday,March 5,2026, at 10:00 a.m. at BlessedSacrament/St. JoanofArc Church,8321 BurtheStreet,New Or‐leans,Louisiana.Visitation willbegin at 9:00 a.m. to 9:45a.m.Interment will fol‐low at Mount Olivet,2050 Caton Street,New Orleans, Louisiana.Professional arrangementsentrusted to MajesticMortuaryService, Inc. (504) 523-5872.

New

at Charity Hospital,tothe lateVirginiaCampbell Wombleand Willie Lee Cook.Atthe ageofeight she waslovinglyraisedby her devotedstepfather, the latePhilipR.Womble, Sr., who helped guideand shape herlife. Shepeace‐fully transitioned to her eternal restingplace on February21, 2026. Linda was alifelongresidentof New Orleans, Louisiana, where shewas educated in the NewOrleans Public School System.She gradu‐ated from Booker T. Wash‐

ington Senior High School earning herhighschool diploma alongwithher Cosmetology Technical Certiﬁcate andLicense Linda wasalwaysproud to say that sheand hersib‐lings grew up in theCal‐liope Projects,a foundation thatkepther humble, grounded,and strong Linda Marriedthe love of her life,JeroneEarlBen‐son,Sr.,and together they built alovingfamily. Through theirholymatri‐mony, they were blessedto produce theirchildren, Kalaina MarieBensonand JeroneEarlBenson, Jr Linda andJeroneSr. also lovinglyraisedher eldest son,Damon Campbell. The familyresided at Fort Polk, Louisiana,beforereturning hometo3431 ClaraStreet inNew Orleans, where they created alifetimeofcher‐ished memories priorto their separation.Linda was a pioneerand dedicated worker. Shebecameone of the ﬁrstAfrican American femalesecurityguardsat Mercy Hospital,later trans‐ferring to Southern Baptist HospitalonNapoleonAv‐enue.She then devoted over20years of serviceto the Hilton HotelonPoydras Street before retiring in 2005 during HurricaneKat‐rina. Lindalater returned toworkatTulaneUniver‐sity, where sheretired again in 2016, proudlywit‐nessing that same year her daughterearnher Master's Degree. Lindaleavesto cherish herlovingmemo‐ries: Herdaughter, Kalaina Marie Benson-Connor (RaymondConnorJr.), New Orleans,Louisiana;Her son,Damon Campbell; New Orleans,Louisiana;Her grandchildren,Aliah M. Benson, Madison, Missis‐sippi,Cashmir Connor, New Orleans, Louisiana, J'Renee L. Cooper, NewOr‐leans,Louisiana,Derrick Y. Benson(Karen),Madison Mississippi,BradColeman (ValeriearColeman), Baton Rouge,Louisiana,Damon Coleman,Dallas, Texas, IsaiahLewis,New Orleans, Louisiana,Anthony RedBeanLewis,New Orleans, Louisiana,and Kevontae Lewis,New Orleans, Louisiana,Her siblings, Joann FlorentPowell, New Orleans,Louisiana,Thelma Marie Walker,Ohio, Lavon‐dra Vernon (Shane Lee), Killeen,Texas,Shawanda R.Lee, Spring,Texas,and Phyllis A. Mason, Denton Texas.She also leaves be‐hind20great-grandchil‐dren, anda host of nieces great-nieces, nephews, cousins,aunts,uncles, ex‐tended family, andfriends

Lindawas preceded in death by:Her Mother,Vir‐ginia Campbell Womble; Her father,WillieCook Campbell; Herstepfather, PhilipR.Womble, Sr.; Her son Jerone Earl Benson,Jr.; Her brothers,WillieCamp‐belland Philip R. Womble Jr.;Her grandmother, Wil‐helmina BrownCampbell; and hergrandfather, McKinleyCampbell Sr Linda MarieBensonwas a woman of strength,faith, and unwavering love.Her lifewas atestament to perseverance, family, and grace.Her legacy will live onforever throughthose she lovedand thosewho loved her. Well done,thy good andfaithfulservant A CelebrationofLifeSer‐vicewillbeonFriday March 6, 2026 at Israel Bap‐tistChurch,2826 Jackson Ave.New Orleans, La.70113 at10:00 a.m. Visitation is from9:00a.m.until 10:00 a.m.service time.Rev.Mal‐colmBacchus (Pastor) ofﬁ‐ciating.Interment:Provi‐dence Memorial Park Cemetery, 8200 Airline Drive,Metairie, La.70003 Arrangement EntrustedTo Estelle J. Wilson Funeral Home, Inc. 2715 Danneel Street,New Orleans, LA 70113. Information: (504) 895-4903. To sign online guest book,pleasevisit www.estellejwilsonfh.com

Custard, Milton With sadnessweshare the

tardonFebruary21, 2026 Pleasevisit www.rhodesf uneral.comtoviewservice information,signonline guestbook,sendﬂowers and sharecondolences

Dalton III, Walter Richard

Walter RichardDaltonIII passedawayonFebruary

Benson,Linda Marie

LindaMarie Benson was bornonJune 20, 1950, in

Orleans, Louisiana,

8, 2026 at 11:55 a.m.,atUni‐versity Hospital in NewOr‐leans,Louisiana.A joyful soulwitha radiantsmile Walterwas born on May 11, 2010toWalterDalton and Danica White. Walter loved ﬁshing, which was his peaceful placeatBayou St. John. He wasa gifted and intelligentyoung man. Hegavesomuchloveand laughtertohis family and friends.Walterissurvived byWilliam Dalton III, MiquellaWhite,Dantrice Garner, KeithGarnerJr., WalterDaltonJr.,Da'Juan White, ErnetraSullivan, Pearl Dalton,Jameka White, Quanesha WhiteCojoe,Guy White, and AlexisDalton. He is pre‐ceded in deathbygrand‐mothers -PatriciaWhite and PearlieDalton, grand‐fathers -William Dalton Sr and Edward Welch. Private serviceswillbeheld. Pro‐fessional arrangements entrusted to Majestic Mor‐tuary Service, Inc. (504) 523-5872

Dickerson, Beauford Wayne

Beauford Wayne Dickerson, affectionately known to many as "Big Wayne," was born on March 6, 1950, and passed away on Monday, February 16, 2026, at the age of 75. He was preceded in death by his wife, Venita Irene Evangelister Dickerson. He leaves to cherish his precious memories:nine children, Lance (Natasha) Evangelister, Beauford Evangelister, LaWaymond Dickerson, Tyrrell Wayne Louis, JaWayne Washington, KaWaynea Washington, Keane Gregory Avery, and Lucinda Desmond; his loving companion, Karen Washington; one god-son, Todd Cooper; eleven grandchildren; five greatgrandchildren; three siblings, Bishop Roy (Jeannie) Dickerson, Ellis Dickerson, and Ola Mae Dickerson; and ahost of other relatives and friends. Acelebrationofhis life will be held on Friday, March 6, 2026, at Pilgrim's Rest Baptist Church No. 2, 2200 Louisiana Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70115. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by the service at 11:00 a.m. Interment will take place at Providence Park, Metairie, LA.

Faucheux,Betty Hymel

theevening of February 26, 2026, at theage of 94.Betty was born in Destrehan, Louisiana on November 8, 1931, to thelateOlidy Hymel andElise Schexnay‐dre.Betty is survived by her children,Elise Marie Faucheux, René Victor Faucheux, WallacePaul FaucheuxJr(Aimée),and Scott Matthew Faucheux (Deborah),14grandchil‐dren– BlakeMichael,Kerry Frank Jr,Heather Theresa, ErinLeigh,LaurenCasey MaryBrennan Colleen, Chase Paul,Jay Philip,Nor‐man Paul,Peggy Helen, Ryan Andrew,Stephanie Christine,Emily Michelle and Steven Paul,and 24 great grandchildrenaswell asnumerousnieces, nephews,and extended family. Sheisprecededin death by herhusband of 40 years,Wallace Paul FaucheuxSr; herdaughter; Deborah AnnPetit (Kerry); her grandson,Wallace Paul III; her parents, Olidy Hymel andElise Schexnay‐dre;and hersiblings, Elma Zeringue, Virginia Eliser BeatriceHymel,Harold Hymel Edward Hymel, Therese Cambre, Grace Pierson,NormanHymel and Nola St.Pé. Betty dedi‐cated herlifetothe wellbeing of herfamily. Her zestfor life andher deep Catholic faithstill serves asa guidinglight forher 5 children, 14 grandchildren, and 24 greatgrandchil‐dren. Shecapturedevery momentshe couldspend withthem, momentsthey willall cherish. Betty wasa loyal parishionerofSaint MarthaCatholicChurch in Harvey, Louisianaand was honored with theSaint Louis Medallionfor herex‐emplary servicetoher beloved parish.She hada special placeinher heart for theBlessedMother, and Bettyprayedthe rosarydaily.Betty wasa memberofthe Harvey GoldenAge Club formany years,serving in various roles within herclub. She thoroughlyenjoyed those special timesspent with her club friends. Betty loved football andcould be found on many fall nights ordayswatchingher fa‐voriteteams,the Arch‐bishopShawEagles, the Hahnville Tigers,and the TulaneGreen Wave.Betty was loveddearlybyher familyand hadmany friends andassociates who felt that same way. God hascalledbacka rare and beautifulgem.Rela‐tives,friends,and mem‐bersofthe Harvey Golden Age Club areinvited to at‐tenda FuneralMassfor Betty on Friday,March 6, 2026, at 11:30 am,atSaint MarthaCatholicChurch in Harvey, Louisiana. Agrave‐sideservice will immedi‐ately follow theMassat WestlawnCemeteryin Gretna, Louisiana. Visita‐tionatSaint Martha's Catholic Church will begin at9:00am. In lieu of ﬂow‐ers,the familyasksyou to considera contribution to the Archbishop ShawHigh School Chapel Fund in honor of Betty Faucheux Pleasecall(504) 340-6727 withany questions. Mothe FuneralHomes is assisting the family during this most difﬁcult time.Toviewand signthe familyguest book pleaselog on to www.mot hefunerals.com.

Barbara Shaw Hebert passed away on February 26, 2026, at 83 years of age. She wasborn on October 29, 1942, in Huntington Park, CA to thelate Col. Robert C. Shaw and the late EvelynBaumeister Shaw. She was amember of Chi Omega at McNeese University, where she met her husband,Jay.Barbara was abeloved long-time Bucktown resident and St. Louis King of France Parishioner. She was very devout and spent much of her time in servicetothe church; thisdedicated service was recognized when she was awarded the OrderofSt. Louis Medallion. She workedfor many years for Fr. Harold F. Cohen and Closer Walk Ministries. Barbara was also very activeindoing ProLife work,preparing and distributing"Monthly Prayer Requests for Priests" calendars, and making rosaries to send around theworld

Affectionately known as the"Neighborhood Cat Lady," she lovedall of God's creatures. She also enjoyed playing theorgan, sewing,and gardening whileshe was stillableto do so

Barbara willberemembered as beautiful inside and out. She was happy and smiling until her final breath. She wasloved by allwho knew her.

She cherished her family greatly. Barbara is survivedbyher devoted husband of 63 years, John E. "Jay" Hebert;her "favorite" daughter, Christine Hebert Sigle;her "favorite" son, Michael JayHebert (April); her "favorite" brother, Frank Shaw (Jan); her "favorite" grandchildren,Alexis Hebert Herring (Chris) and Michael Hebert, Jr.; and "favorite great-grandchildren, DJ Herring, Jace Herring, and AmalieHerring The family wouldliketo give special thanksto Heart of Hospice for all theircare and support.

The serviceswillbeon Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home,5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. New Orleans, LA 70124. The visi-

tationwillbegin at 10:30 a.m. until theFuneralMass at 1:00 p.m., with recitation of theRosary at 12:15 p.m. Interment willfollow the Mass at Lake Lawn Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers,please considera donationto allGodsbabies.org. To view and sign theonline guestbook, please visitwww.lak elawnmetairie.com

CarolLee Rice Metcalf passedawaypeacefully on January 29, 2026, in Metairie, Louisiana, at the age of 92. Born on April13, 1933, in NewOrleans Louisiana to BernardF Riceand Margaret Bernard Rice, Carollived along, blessedlife, of grace, faith and servicetoothers. She was preceded in deathby her belovedhusband of 64 years,ThomasL.Metcalf and hercherished son, Richard Metcalf. Aproud graduateand alumna of St Mary’sDominican High School,class of 1951, Carol Lee washonored as both Valedictorian andSenior Class President—areﬂec‐tionofher intelligence,de‐termination,and leader‐ship. Shemaintaineda lifelongmembershipinthe St Mary’sDominican Alumni Association enjoying years ofcamaraderie andfriend‐ship. Shelater builta ful‐ﬁllingwork-lifewithLykes BrothersSteamship Com‐pany, Floral Enterprises, and theHallmarkGold Crown Store, allwhile re‐maining devotedtoher familyand community Carol’s faith wascentral to her life.She wasa parish‐ioner of St.Benilde Catholic Church and School sinceits founding in1964, where sheactively participatedinparishac‐tivities, most recently the CherAmieClub. Her warmthand hospitality madeher acornerstone of her parish andneighbor‐hood,alwaysputting oth‐ers before herselfand lift‐ing spiritswithher care and concern. Both Carol and herhusband,Tom wereactivemembers of theEastJefferson YMCA in

theirlater yearswhere theycultivatedmanynew and lastingfriendships Happiestsurrounded by those sheloved,Carol found pleasure in sharing familydinners,tending to her backyard vegetable and rose gardens, walking bythe lakefrontand,car‐ing forher petcats. She enjoyed travel,theater and indulginginher fa‐voriteGulfCoast softshell crabdinners.A true “peo‐ple person,” shehad a warmsmile,a friendly spirit, anda gentle nature thatendearedher to all who knew her. Shelived by example,alwaysputting othersbeforeherself,a re‐flection of herheart.She is survivedbyher daughters Karen MetcalfWehman (Phil)and CindyMetcalf Trosclair (Brian); grand‐childrenMarkWehman (Victoria), andCarolyn WehmanBoom(Keegan); Kevin Trosclair(Saman‐tha), NicholeTrosclair Kaus (Phillip),and great-grand‐childrenIsaiahWehman, LukeWehman, Hayden Trosclair,and Olivia Kaus The familywould like to offerour specialthanksto the dedicatedstaff of Sun‐riseofMetairieAssisted Livingand Memory Care for providingCarol thecare needed during herlast year. Visitation will be held onSaturday, March7,from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Green‐wood FuneralHomeimme‐diately followed by afu‐neral mass with Rev. Matthew Johnston officiat‐ing.Inlieuof flowers, the familyrequestsmassin‐tentionsordonations in Carol’s name be made to St. BenildeCatholic Church,St. Mary’s Domini‐can High School,orthe EastJefferson YMCA.Mem‐ories andcondolences can besharedonlineatgreen‐woodfh.com.

Alfred "Al" A. Olinde,MD passedaway at the age of 93 years of old age February 24, 2026. He is survived by his3 children: Anna O. Oleson (Eric), Fred Olinde (Melanie)and Bill Olinde andhis grandchildren;Katherine Olinde, JamesOlinde and Anna M. Olinde;and step grandchildren MaxWild Oleson, JamesTracy andNick Tracy,aswell as 25 nieces andnephews. He is predeceased by hisbeloved wife VerlineChapman Olinde whopassed September15, 2021; father Humphrey Theodore Olinde and mother ElsieMarie Heck Olinde;aswell as hissiblings: Joseph B. Olinde Elizabeth Wilson, ElsieP "Pat" Laurent,Humphrey T. "Bubber"Olinde,and Henry"Heck"Olinde (Diane). Al wasborninand grew up in NewRoads, Louisiana. Al wasbestoweda Bachelor of Sciencedegree and Medical Doctor Degree from Louisiana State University. He also received apost doctorate degree in Psychiatry and completed trainingand credentialingin Psychoanalysis from the NewOrleans Psychoanalytic Institute He began hiscareer for abrief time in Connecticut, before movingand spendingthe majority of hislife in uptown NewOrleans.He also spent time at asecondhomeonTreasure

Hebert,Barbara Shaw

Olinde,Alfred A.

Metcalf, CarolLee Rice

Betty HymelFaucheux passed away peacefully on

member and leader in the New Orleans Psychoanalytic community where he served as President of the New Orleans Psychoanalytic Society from 1975 to 1977. He served as amember of the New Orleans Hypnosis Institute and the American society of Clinical Hypnosis. He was one of the 7Founding Medical Doctors of the original River Oaks Psychiatric Hospital. He founded Alternative's Clinic and then CenterFor Better Living,toinclude outpatient Partial Hospital Programs and the Serenity House group home. Al and Verline loved giving parties and having celebrations with others. He was active in many social organizations in New Orleans that enriched his love for Mardis Gras revelry and fun such as Knights of Babylon, Alexis, and The Round Table club. When he and Verline moved to Slidell in 1990, they became active in expanding the cultural arts in Slidell and participating in civic fundraisers, such helping to found the Slidell Symphony Society chapter of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.At Rotary Club in Slidell, he spearheaded an Octoberfest fundraiser and participated in many Rotary-led civic projects.

Al spent his retirement years in Mandeville Louisiana where he spent many hours writing short stories and poetry. He started alocal writers group and became an author, self- publishing several small books, including: Wheeling into Manhood, The Yellow Balloon, Mirror Lake, and Magical Memories Our father was agentle soul,a humanitarian and had many interests. With a vivid imagination and selfdetermination, his love of beauty and the cultural arts inspired creative pursuits in literature, painting, home renovations, and gardening projects where one could hear his opera and classical music playing as he worked. He was a loving and generous father and husband that will be cherished in our memory.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral services at E. J. Fielding Funeral Home, 2260 W21st Avenue, Covington LA 70433 on Saturday,March 7, 2026, at 11:00 AM with visitation on Saturdaybeginning at 9:00 AM. Interment will follow in Pinecrest Memorial Gardens.

E.J. Fielding Funeral Home hasbeen entrusted with funeral arrangements. The Olinde family invites you to share thoughts, fondest memories, and condolences online at E. J. Fielding Funeral Home Guest Book at www.ejfieldingfh.com.

CanalBlvd.,New Orleans, LA 70124, with aFuneral Servicetofollowat12:15 p.m. Burialwillbeat Greenwood Cemetery.We invite youtoshare your thoughts,fondmemories, andcondolences online at www.greenwoodfh.com

Schloegel, Gay Rhea Garner

Gay Rhea Garner Schloegel, born the daughter of Glenn Roswell Garner and Rhea Dinghaus Garner on April 20, 1944,in NewOrleans,LA, Sunday, March1,2026.She wasa graduateofBenjamin Franklin High School, H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial Collegewhere she received aB.A.in English, and later at Loyola University aM.Ed in Reading and aME+ 30 in Guidance and Counseling Gay taught at Fortier High School and John McDonogh High School and was the Directorof Guidance and College AdvisoratArchbishop ChapelleHigh School. She was aLicensed Professional Counselor and aNational Certified Counselor. Additionally, Gay served as the Grand Worthy Advisorofthe State of Louisiana in the Order of Rainbow forGirls, 1964,and was Miss Rainbow of Louisiana.She was maidinthe Spring Fiesta of New Orleans and the Eros Carnival Organization.Gay was married to Paul Albert Schloegel for 56 yearsand they loved to travel throughout the world and plannedmany tripsfor groups of friends, visiting 95 countries. Sheenjoyed reading, dancing, bridge and needle arts, especially knitting.Also,she always loved animals and had many shareher life. Per Gay's wishes, no services willbeheld. If youwould like to make adonation in her memory,she would ask that you give to the animalorganization of your choice.

Seghers, RichardEdward

family andpassedpeace‐fully.Richard wasbornin Milwaukee, Wisconsinto CharlesErnestand Annie B. SeghersonMay 17, 1935. He attended school in Pel‐ham, NewYorkwhere he played football at Pelham High School.After gradua‐tion from Virginia Tech,he marriedAlcedaMarie Vort on December 20, 1958 and served in theArmyfor four years. He worked as an in‐suranceunderwriter for themarineand aviation in‐dustry in Southern Louisianafor nearly 30 yearsuntil he retiredat55 yearsold.Heand Alceda enjoyedtravelling, square dancingand playing gameswithfriends.He wasa proudEagle Scout andremainedanactive alumni andfan of Virginia Tech,goHokies! He was also quitea harmonica player.Heisprecededin deathbyhis siblings,Mary Ann(McGunagle),Charles E. Seghers, Jr andRoberta (Lanza). Richardissur‐vivedbyhis wife,Alceda, hisson Richard, his spouse,Bill, sonBob,son Michael, hiswifeCheri,son Stephen, hiswifeNatalie; GrandchildrenSean, Josh Christina, Nick,Paul, Ali‐son, BobbyRay;Great‐grandchildren, Amelia,Vi‐vian, Ezra,Beverly and many extended family members. Therewillbea celebrationoflifeand Catholic mass on Thurs‐day, March5 at Jacob Schoen andSon Funeral Home;3827 CanalStreet in NewOrleans.Visitation from 10amtoNoon,fol‐lowedbya funeralmass andrefreshments. In lieu of ﬂowers, thefamilyre‐quests that youmakedo‐nationstothe Alzheimer’s AssociationinRichard’s name.www.alz.org

Thompson,Tiffany With sadnessweshare the passingofTiffany Thompson, on February 15 2026. Please visitwww.rho desfuneral.comtoview service information, sign onlineguestbook,send ﬂowersand sharecondo‐lences.

Troxclair, HeidiChatelain

Jackson HighSchool and a graduateofUniversity of NewOrleans where she earneda Master of Arts degree in English Education. She was an active member and parishionerofOur Ladyofthe Lake CatholicChurch in Mandeville. She wasdevoted to her family,especially to her husband and children. Moreover, she was a beloveddaughter, sister, and aunt.Heidi was incredibly intelligent and talented and couldhavebeenor done anything,but her calling was wife, mother and friend.She enjoyed the simplethings in life.She was truly selfless and always concerned aboutothersabove herself. She will be dearlymissedbyall who love her.

Relatives and friends of thefamily are invitedtoattend theMass of Christian Burial on Friday, March 6, 2026 at 11:00 am at EJ Fielding Funeral Home, 2260 West21st Avenue, Covington, LA.Visitation willbeheldfrom 9:00 am until 11:00 a.m. Interment willfollow in Pinecrest Memorial Gardens.

E.J.Fielding Funeral Home has been entrusted with funeral arrangements. Please sign the guestbookat www.ejfieldingfh.com.

James Alfred Wallace, Jr.a nativeofNew Orleans departedthislife at the ageof88, on Saturday, February 21, 2026. He was preceded in death by his parents, JamesAlfred Wallace, Sr. and Serena MinorWallace, his brother Melvin Robert Wallace and his sisterCelina Wallace Hobbs He was theloving and extraordinary husband of thelate Fay Smith Wallace for 51 years. He was the devotedand exceptional father of Constance D. Wallace and Darren J. Wallace.

James attendedJoseph S. Clark High School,and in his junioryear took an exam offered by theFord

Foundation to exemplary students. He aced theexam andearned early admission to Morehouse CollegeinAtlanta, GA. WhileatMorehouse he became amember of Omega Psi PhiFraternity,Inc., a distinction he cherished everyday of hislife. James earneda Bachelor's of ScienceDegreein Mathematics/Physics. Hisemploymentincluded more than 15 years as an Engineer/Systems Analyst for acontractor of theNational Aeronautics andSpace Administration (NASA), duringthe time of manufacture of theSaturn boosterrocket, usedinthe first human flighttothe moon.James wasalso employed for 20 years by contractorsofthe Department of Energy (DOE), as Manager/Administrator for theStrategic Petroleum Reserve(SPR) theagency that managescrude oil stored in Louisiana and Texas. Later,James committed 8yearsofhard work anddedication to Total CommunityAction, Inc. as the Supervisor of Energy Services, Jamesalso served as the interim Director of Operations.

Jamesleaves to cherish hismemory daughter Constance,son Darren,sister- in-lawsLinda Mott Wallaceand Kay Smith Robinson;nieces Darlene Hobbs, Sharon Hunter,Dr. Melvia Wallace, Dr.Monica Wallace, andSerena Wallace; nephewsClifford

Hobbs, WallaceMichael Hobbs, andShelby Wallace anda host of fraternity brothers, relativesand friends. Jameswas astrong familyman,a great leader, atrailblazer, teacher and mentor.Hewas humorous, generous, aman of great integrity anda true class act. Relativesand friends are invited to attendthe Funeral Service at Lake LawnMetairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd NewOrleans,LA 70124 on Friday, March6, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Intermentwill follow in Lake LawnPark Mausoleum. Visitationwill begin from 9:00 a.m. until service time.Toviewand sign the online guestbook, please visit www.lakelawn metairie.com

Featherweight Scooter

RichardEdward Seghers, 90 of Kenner passedawayonMonday, February 23, 2026 at home in Kenner.Hewas with Petty, BarbaraHarrison

Heidi ChatelainTroxclair passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 1, 2026. She was63. She is survived by her loving husband of 40 years, James P. Troxclair, and her children, Jim, Addie and Olivia Troxclair She is also survivedbyher parents, Murphy and LyndaChatelain, and her siblings, StephanieSaizan (Carl), MurphyChatelain, Jr. (Connie) and Kaycie Stewart(Drew). Heidiwas born at Baptist HospitalinNew Orleans, LA and was aresident of St.Bernard Parish beforemoving to Mandeville, LA in 2005. She wasa graduateofAndrew

BarbaraHarrisonPetty passedawayonWednes‐day, February 25, 2026,at theage of 81.BornonFeb‐ruary28, 1944, to thelate Emilyand WilliamHarri‐son, Jr.Beloved wife of the late CharlesE.Petty Mother of Joseph (Kasey) Laurent, Grace(Donnie) Kight, DavidLaurent,and thelateEdward(Sherri) Laurent, Jr andBrian Lau‐rent.StepmotherofLisa Petty andSamuelPetty Grandmotherof Frances Laurent, Austin (Amber) Laurent, Emma Laurent, RylanLaurent,Brittany Laurent, RoyMadere, Laura Turpin,JosephLaurent,Jr. andToriMadere. GreatgrandmotherofVanessa, Bruce, River, Jase,Emily, Natalie, Charlie, Remi,An‐toine, andMason.Sisterof Elizabeth(Godfrey) Trux‐illo.Barbara wasa member of theRed HatLadiesfor almost 20 years. Shespent herspare time sewing and beingwithher family and grandchildren, sheenjoyed everyminutewiththem. Barbaraalsotook to paint‐ing, in time,she became quitegood.She showed herkindnessthrough help‐ingpeopleinany wayshe couldand always amother to everyone.Barbara will trulybemissedbyevery‐onewho knowsher.Rela‐tivesand friendsare in‐vitedtoattend avisitation at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March7,2026,atGreen‐wood FuneralHome, 5200

WallaceJr., JamesAlfred

OUR VIEWS

La.’sankle monitoring programneeds to be mended or

ended

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill remains on amission to crack down on weak enforcementofankle monitoring systems for criminal defendants. She is quiteright to pursue that mission.

Indeed, the failures of the systems are so great that Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams makes sense in suggesting that the whole program should be paused until the repeated kinks can be worked out.Such amoratorium should at least be considered.

Even if over-incarceration is aproblem, it’s better not to let potentially dangerous criminals on the streets if they can’tbetracked and kept from violence.

The latest notable example of crimes committed by people who were supposed to be monitored happened Jan. 22 in the Village de l’Est neighborhood in New Orleans, when a juvenile wearing an ankle monitor,issued by the Ofﬁce of Juvenile Justice, repeatedly shot avictim in the back. Themonitor’sbattery had died four days earlier,but no ofﬁcials had done anything to ensure it was recharged or working.

Murrill for years has been trying to force responsible parties to make sure the ankle devices actually work and are monitored. Her latest targets, via aFeb. 4complaint tothe Louisiana Judiciary Commission, are all four Juvenile Court judges in New Orleans.

Most speciﬁcally,Murrill asked thecommission to investigate Judge Candice BatesAnderson for allegedly improper oversight of two juveniles connected withhigh-proﬁle killings when their ankle devices weren’tbeing tracked.

Similar problems have occurred in multiple areas of the state. A2022 investigation by this newspaper found widely varying performance among the companies that provide the equipment, along with poor or even nonexistent record-keeping in some communities.

And awhole, horrible string of violent incidents across Louisiana have occurred when monitoring failed. Perhaps the most notorious one occurred in St. Francisville in 2021, when aman named Marshall Rayburn, who already had been charged several times with raping his wife and ordered to stay away from her house, nonetheless continued to terrorize and ﬁnally kill her and then himself. The monitoring company had never notiﬁed law enforcement of Rayburn’smultiple violations of theprotective order.

We do not know how far the problem extends statewide, but this much is certain: Somehow, some way,the state andits judicialsystem and all local jurisdictions must ensure that the monitors work and are tracked and that transgressors will quickly be imprisoned. Order must be imposed on the chaos, with clear lines of authorityand no buck-passing.

If nobody monitors the monitors, more innocent people could die. Let’shope Murrill’s spotlight causes ofﬁcials tostopbeing so dangerously negligent.

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

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

Let’snot refuse to look into deaths in NewOrleans jail

Recently,Carmel Rhodesdied in the New Orleans jail, ajail under federal oversight sinceJune 2013. This is not the ﬁrst deathinthe jailsince then;it’s the 26th. Our cityconfronts death all thetime. We mournour loved ones in public. We gather for meals,homegoings and second-lines.And together,weshare our understanding of how that person lived and died. Yet, when someone dies in our custody in ajail, we know verylittle. Orleans Public Defendersand Loyola College of Law arecurrently working on aproject to understand how and why 23 people died in the New Orleans jail between 2014 and 2024. Much is left to be answered, but what we know so far is concerning. Atleast six deaths occurred within 48 hoursofbooking. Eightypercent of the people who died were Black. Nine people werestill waiting on thedistrict attorney to acceptorrefusecharges at the time of their death. Nearly all

It seemsthere are manyU.S. citizens who believe if aperson enters our country illegally,has ajob and hasn’t committed aserious crime, they have a right to remain here. Well, they don’t.

That’sthe mindset that encouraged thecaravans in which people gave their life savings to cartels to bring their children to America, only to have manyofthem raped, beaten and sold into slavery.Millions of young adult males (unvetted)entered illegally from countries all over the globe. Arethey all good people? The job they had was taken from a legal citizen (at areduced wage). They have put an enormous strain on our welfare, education and health systems, as well as our judicial system.

Youdon’thave to like President

We had eight years of LaToya Cantrell’sadministration. We had eight years of potholes, visitstoforeign countriesthat had nothing to do withNew Orleans,mismanagement and an absent mayor who was living in the Pontalba with her boyfriend while the citydeteriorated. Ionly hope Cantrell is prosecuted to the fullest extent for her wasteofcity moneyand her malfeasance.

never had ajudge or jury determine their innocence or guilt. People continue to die in custody,despite building anew $150 million jail that opened in September 2015. And no one —not the sheriff, the City Council, the district attorney, the coroner,the mayororthe police superintendent —has publicly looked at all of these deaths collectively to ﬁgure out what went wrong and why There should be afull investigation into Carmel Rhodes’ death in jail. That means going beyond the direct cause and manner of death to examining the events, policiesand laws that led to his demise. We as acommunity deserve answers. Thatmeans that any investigationmust be apublic process that provides accountability,builds trust and preventsfuture deaths in the New Orleans jail.

ANDREAARMSTRONG Loyola University,CollegeofLaw

DANNY ENGLEBERG Orleans Public Defenders

Donald Trump’sbraggadocio (I don’t either), but look at the results. He has sent themessage that illegal entry won’tbetolerated, stopping the caravans, thereby saving lives and preventing atrocities.

I, too, have aheart and feel sympathy for people who live in fear and poverty so terrible that they think their only hope is to ﬂee.

Ibelieve we need to help these desperatepeople, but we need to help them in their own countries so they don’t have to ﬂee.

That’sa big part of what President Trumphopes to accomplish in Venezuela, and it sends the message to the other Latin American countries.

BV BUTCH POLITO Hammond

Mayor Helena Moreno has started incredibly well. Isaw amiracle recently: Prytania Street near Touro Hospital, which had foxhole-size potholes, was repaved. Thatalone gives Moreno ﬁve stars in my book. Yes, thereishope for NewOrleans withgood management and good wishes from the taxpayers.

RICHARD LEVY NewOrleans

Iguess that Ishouldn’tbesurprised, but Iamvery disappointed in Attorney General Liz Murrill and Mayor Helena Moreno’soverthe-top reactions to the Barbielike dolls hanging from beads in the Tucks parade. They really wasted tax dollars on an investigation?

Instead of waiting forthe facts, they claimed that this was ahorrendous and disgusting racist act. Only later,after someinvestigation, it turned out that the riders were throwing both White and Black dolls with beads secured to their necks. Apparently,itwas much ado about nothing. No one wastrying to bring back the days of lynchings. They were just throwing Barbie-like dolls, both Black and White.

Once again, ahysterical, overthe-top reaction to get everyone worked up over what appears, after someinvestigation, to be nothing.

JOHN ANDREWS NewOrleans

There’sno escaping of the politicalsigns

Political signage is proliferating everywhere. City Hall, please check out KeyRegulations forPolitical Signs. They are prohibited on public property,including neutral grounds, street medians and utility poles. Improperly placed signs may be removed by the city with aﬁne of $25 per sign. Illegal posting of any signs on trees can result in aﬁne of up to $50 per sign. Add to the treasury by picking up these illegal signs and get $25 each forthem

DAVID PELTIER NewOrleans

Dr.Norman Francis meant the world to so many.But it was different for some. “When we were growing up, he was daddy,” Kathleen Francis told me during aWBOK Good Morning Show Monday before aseries of events honoring Dr.Francis at Xavier University’sconvocation center.“Growing up, we didn’trealize he was alegacy.We thought ourjob was to keep him humble. He would come home and ask us whether we were watching the news. We’d say no, we’re watching ‘The Mod Squad.’” Kathleen is founder andpresident of Oasis Management and chair and president of Women in Sports +Events (WISE).She’sone of six successful Francis adult children. Dr.Francis died the ﬁrst day of Lent, as if he wanted afull Carnival season before leaving. His funeral Mass was held at St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square in the New Orleans French Quarter.Kathleen and some of her siblings shared some of what they experienced as children.

Norman Francis, wife Blanche and their children lived on the second ﬂoor of atwo-story house, ahome with two parents, six children and one bathroom.

Things really got fancy when the house was renovated, giving them the first floor as an addition, adding asecond bathroom —but only one shower On any given day,the Francis kids didn’tknow who or whattoexpect. It was normal to bounce downstairs andsee their mom havingcoffee with 62-year Xavier employeeJoe Spencer, acustodian, mailman and keymaster,the one man on campus who had keys to every door on campus. It was normal to head downstairs and see a prominent elected official,business or university leader visiting. Kathleen Francis said they’d run upstairs to grab apair of shoes or shorts, or whateverwas needed at the moment.

Dr.Francis talked and walked with those of great note and those who few people knew.But his wife and family were most important.

With six children playing sportsand having other youth activities with the Carrollton Boosters, there were different activities, different sports, dif-

ferent teams on different days. Yet, he made time for his family

“He and my mother never missed one baseball game or one football game or whatever we were doing if he was home,” TimFrancis told me. Theirfatherwasn’tanavid kids’ sportsfan or adiehardparent telling coaches what they should do. No, he wasfocused on one player at atime.

“Timmy,don’tplay around. Don’t throw junk. Play it straight,” Tim recalled his father saying from the bleachers. “You could always hear his voice. He was always engaged.”

Dr.Michael Franciswanted to be ajournalist,but “Norman mademe go into medicine.” Norman?Iasked. “Well, Inever called him that to his face.” Michael likes saying Norman whentalking about his father,though his brothers and sisters do not.He followed his father’sadvice, went to medical school and became asuccessful pediatric anesthesiologistand medical school professor.Thesedays, he’sdirector of investigations for the Louisiana Board of Medical Examiners— and he loves it. “It’skind of like journalism,” he said. “Tell me your story.What did youdo? What happened? Why did it happen?”

Michael noted that none of his brothers and sisters live public lives

as their father did. “Noneofuswere running for ofﬁce,” he said. “Wedon’t have high proﬁles.…But we all have been apart of giving of some kind.”

Thereare other children of Blanche and Norman Francis. Christina Francis runs FranchiseEnterprises LLC, asports managementﬁrm. Patrick Francis is aformer associate vice chancellor at the University of Texas System. David Francis is co-founder of Verite News.

Since theloss of Dr.Francis, many have expressed appreciation and gratitude for his life and the ways he touched others. Many arethanking the Francis family for sharing their father and their grandfather with us.

Norman Francis loved God, Blanche, his children, his grandchildren and the larger Francis family clan.

Now that two daysofcelebrating his life have passed,the rest of us who want to honor his legacy can do a couple of things: “Live like Norman,” as former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu saidatthe program. And prove that Norman Francis isn’tgone by living our lives as he would. That’swhat his children aredoing. So should we.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@theadvocate.com.

Joe McCarthy wasfamously undone by the rhetorical questions at a1954 congressional hearing: “Have you no sense of decency,sir,at long last? Have you leftnosense of decency?” If the samequeries weredirected to Candace Owens at such aforum, she’d sail on unperturbed —since she has no idea what “decency” means.

The conspiratorial podcaster has embarked on an investigative series on Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk. In this context, “investigative series” meansa loosely stitched together collection of sewerish falsehoods and innuendo smearing Erika Kirk. Perhaps Owens can follow up with afranchise devoted to sullying the reputations of the widows of assassinated husbands throughout U.S. history.Are we sure that Mary Todd Lincoln wasasinnocent as she seemed? Didn’tJackie Kennedy act kind of weird in Dallas? What did IdaSaxton McKinley know and when did she know it?

The narrative and commercial logic always suggested that this is where Owens was headed. It didn’tmake any sense to libel TPUSA as being connected to the murder of its leader and founder —asOwens has formonths now without implicating its new leader,Erika Kirk. And, as the shock value of her anti-TPUSA campaign woreoff, Owens had to stoke outrage and interest anew with something even more perverse. And what is moredemented than portraying the wife of the victim of ashocking assassination as ablack widow?

Whereas mostofhave seen in Erika Kirk a Christian womanbearing up under an intolerable burden and stunningly forgiving the alleged murderer of her husband, Owens purports to see Clytemnestra, the mythical Greek ﬁgure whobetrayed her husband Agamemnon upon his return from the Trojan War.

The title of her series is “Bride of Charlie.” Getit? Like the “Bride of Frankenstein.”

Shortly after Nick Reiner pleaded not guilty last week to charges that he murdered his parents, ﬁlmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner,Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said he was still considering thedeath penalty “Wewill be looking at all aggravating and mitigating circumstances,” he said, “and we have invited defense counsel to present to us both in writing and orally in ameeting any arguments that they would like to make.” Nick Reiner’stwo siblings have saidthey do not want their brother put to death if he’sconvicted.Prosecutors in such cases, of course,work for the government, not for victims’ families, for whom the perpetrator’sdeath sentence can be yet another traumaon top of the loss of aloved one. Consider adecades-old murder case from Columbia, South Carolina, that has recently resurfaced thanksto avictim’ssister who, after years of silent suffering, has become an antideath penalty activist

whowas 19 when her sister was killed, to remember and tell what happened to her family during that time.

“My family disintegrated after Carlotta’smurder,” she told me. She has been coping through thedecades ever since, with the anguish and physical toll of both her little sister’smurder and her family’scloistered silence. Hartness’sfather ordered thefamily never to mention Carlotta’s name.

That command and decades of isolated suffering led Hartness, now 68, toasurprising conclusion and advice for prosecutors: Don’tmakeitworse for thealleged perpetrator’sfamily by seeking the death penalty. It almost always leads to appeals and forces the victim’sfamily —who are called murder co-victims —toendure the agony of the killing again

church, or work. This realization led Hartness to oppose the death penalty “I cannot be apart of something that brings suffering to families like my family suffered,” she said.

Hartness’sempathyhas offended somepeople, she told me, but she doesn’tcare anymore. “Let them be offended.” While many friends celebrated the executions, she said, “no one was celebrating in my house. We had to relive every detail of my sister’srape, torture and murder.”

As aso-called investigator,Candace Owens is like Perry Mason if the ﬁctional attorney had been aschizophrenic high on crack. Her method is to pile will-o’-the-wisp connections one on top of another,often buttressed by ﬂagrant factual mistakes, and insist that if she’s debunked, it just showshow she must be on the right track.

Her mantra is that “wedon’tknow-know,but we know”—inother words, her malicious, irrational intuitions are superior to actual knowledge backed by facts.

She now says that “Erika Kirk should be dragged into apolice precinct forquestioning,” and anyone whodisagrees is “a full-blown fraud.” According to Owens, “the amount of evidence that is now piling up, Iwould say, against Erika Kirk, is almost akin to an NBC Dateline episode.”

On Oct. 29, 1977, 14-year-old Carlotta Hartness and 17-year-old Tommy Taylor were in the wrong place at the wrong time —parked in acar when three males were on adrug-andalcohol-fueled mission to “find agirl to rape,” as one of the suspects testified in court. Spotting the teenagers, they drove up and shot Tommy dead. Carlotta was kidnapped and taken to anearby dirt road, where the trio repeatedly raped and tortured the teen before killing her.One of them returned later to mutilate her body.Two were sentenced to death and executed in 1985 and1986. The third, who testified against theothers, was sentenced to lifeand died in prison.

Carlotta’sparents and their son have died, leaving only Sherrerd Hartness,

Thedeath penalty “is thelast thing that victim family membersneed,” shewrote in an article for the State newspaper in Columbia. “The months priortothe executionsofmysister’s murdererswere ﬁlled with relentless news coverage.”

Hartness said she still suffers extreme physical pain, diagnosed as ﬁbromyalgia, related to Carlotta’s murder.Thiscondition is not uncommonamong victims of psychological or emotional trauma. Each time one of Carlotta’skillers was executed, aches andmuscle cramps gripped Hartness’s body,aphysical terror connected not only to thedeaths but to thesuffering of theperpetrators’ families.

Forthem, she thinks, it may be worse than for some victims’ families.Not only dofamilies of death rowinmates have to countdown theminutes and seconds until their son, brother,uncle or father is executed but they have to walk into school the next day,or

Hartness said no one called to check on her for weeks before or after the executions. (Oneneighbor brought a loaf of bread.) Lonelinessand lack of support were constants in her life, giving her time to think and contemplate vexing questions —how cycles of crime pass through generations, how childhoods of neglect and abuse create people ﬁlled with rage and bereft of coping mechanisms. She yearned to help, to stop the cycles, to interrupt the rage, but how? After decades of silence, she found her voice and began talking —oncollege campuses, on panels and even to garden clubs. The more she talked, theless her body ached. Though sometimes lonely,Hartness is far from alone. The Justice Department’sOfﬁce for Victims of Crime reported in 2018 that 1in10Americans will lose aloved one to homicide in their lifetime, covictimswhose suffering doesn’tend when amurderer’sheart stops. Killing, whether by arenegade trio of rapistsorbythe government,isn’tthe answer,itseems. Not even, Hartness would argue, for an alleged murderer such as Nick Reiner.Alife sentence spent suffering for his slain parents surely would be apunishment worse than death.

Email KathleenParker at kathleenparker@washpost.com.

Usually,conspiracy theories spring up around assassinations that are hard to fathom,orhave someambiguity about them. It is clear that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in killing JFK, but it’sunderstandable that there have been questions about the event. It is the depraved achievement of Candace Owens to makeabonkers true crime drama, with all sorts of mysteries and twists, out of an open-and-shut murder case.

Kirk’saccused killer,Tyler Robinson, had a motive, leftatrail of damning evidence and confessed to multiple people. To dismiss all this and call forErika Kirk to be frogmarched into apolice station is so mad it makes Owens’ conviction that both the moon landing and dinosaurs are fake look well-grounded by comparison.

It is asymptom of our time that such malevolent buffoonery is rewarded with ahuge audience. It is impossible to discredit Owens because she is not in the credibility business to begin with. In the attention economy,denunciations are just as useful as praise, especially if amedia ﬁgure is posing as abrave truth-teller —sobrave that, in this case, she’swilling to drag through amud amother of twowho saw her beloved husband murdered less than six months ago.

It’s not just that decency is not necessary in the Candace Owens business model; it would be an obstacle.

Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry.

Rich Lowry

Will Sutton

Kathleen Parker

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Christina Francis, center,isjoined by her siblingsatSt. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans as theyremember their father,Dr. Norman C. Francis, during his funeral on Tuesday.

will remain

Many Americans arefortunatetohave dental coverage fortheir entire working life, throughemployer-provided benefits. Whenthosebenefits endwith retirement, paying dental billsout-of-pocket cancome as a shock,leading people to put off or even go without care. Simply put —without dental insurance, there may be an important gap in your healthcare coverage.

When you’re comparing plans... “Medicare&You,”Centersfor Medicare& Medicaid

 Look forcoverage that helps pay formajor services. Some plans may limitthe number of procedures —orpay forpreventive care only.

 Look forcoverage with no deductibles. Some plans mayrequire you to payhundreds out of pocket beforebenefits arepaid.

 Shop forcoverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.

Medicare doesn’tpay for dental care.1 That’s right. As good as Medicare is, it wasnever meanttocover everything. Thatmeans if youwant protection, you need to purchase individual insurance

Early detection canprevent small problems from becoming expensiveones. The best way to preventlargedental bills is preventivecare. TheAmerican Dental Association recommends checkups twice ayear.

Previous dental work canwear out.

Even if you’vehad qualitydentalwork in the past,you shouldn’t take your dentalhealth forgranted. In fact, your odds of havinga dental problem only go up as youage.2

Treatment is expensive— especiallythe servicespeople over 50 often need.

Consider these national averagecostsof treatment. $274for acheckup $299 for afilling $1,471 foracrown.3 Unexpected bills likethis canbeareal burden, especially if you’re on afixedincome.

2 “Aging changesinteeth and gums”,

SPORTS

UNO securesSouthland tourneyberth

BY SPENCERURQUHART

Staff writer

UNO was at thebottomof theSouthland Conference men’sbasketball standingsat this time last season, but now ﬁndsitself in much better shape.

After overhauling its roster in the offseason offseason, UNO (14-17, 12-10 conference) is headed to the Southland Conference tournament in LakeCharlesasthe No. 5seed. ThePrivateershad ashot at theNo. 3seed before their losingtheir ﬁnal regularseason game on Monday to Southeastern Louisiana.

UNO’sloss to SoutheasternatLakefront

Arenawas unexpected considering the Privateershad won seven of their past 10 conference games, including an upetofthe conference’sﬁrst-place team Stephen F. Austin

which had been unbeaten at home.

SLU is tied for last in the SLC standings and didn’t makethe league tournament

“It’s never easy to lose agame, but you move on,” UNO coach Stacy Hollowell said.

“You put ateam together you feel like is

competitive, and Ifeel like (the conference tournament) is whereyou’re supposed to be. Ithought we could move to the middle (ofthe conference) pretty safely,and here we are.”

UNO was inconsistent to start conference play this season after abrutal nonconference road stretch that included somenationally ranked teams. However,apairof three-gamewinning streaks againstconference foes resulted in awinning record.

BeforeMonday’sloss to Southeastern, UNO faced McNeeseathome on Saturday andlost by three points, nearly pulling off asecond-straight upset of atop Southland team.

MISSINGPIECE?

U.S. ﬂexes itsmuscles in tuneup vs.Giants

Bregman, Skenes shine in 15-1 exhibition win

BY DAVID BRANDT AP baseballwriter

SCOTTSDALE,Ariz.

States wasted little time showing how potent its rostercould be at the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

TheAmericans needed just three batters to take a2-0 lead in the ﬁrst inning of their exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesdayafter Bobby Witt Jr.singled, Bryce Harper doubled and three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge hit atwo-runsingle. The U.S. won15-1 with a19-hit performance in the10-inning contest. RomanAnthony hit atwo-run homer,forme LSU starAlex Bregmanadded asolo shot and Gunnar Hendersonhad atwo-rundouble.

“We’ve got agreat group of guys,” Harper said. ”Bobby Witt starting it at thetop, being atablesetter up there for us. Obviously, onethrough nine we’ve gota pretty good dynamic.

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

INDIANAPOLIS Jeremiyah Love can envision what it would be like to be drafted by theNew Orleans Saints

“They’ll ﬁnd away to useme,” theNotre Dame running back said,“like they did Alvin Kamara.”

If it happens, Love’sselection would again see the Saints usher in atransition from one era to the next. When Kamara was taken in 2017, the electric rookie was paired with veteran Mark Ingram before eventually becoming the main back.And that passing of the torch was reminiscent of the one that happened between Reggie

Bush andDeuce McAllister the previous decade.

On thesurface, picking Lovecould mark the Saints’most tantalizingdraft choice since Bush in 2006. No player in this year’s draft arguablyhas moretalent. At Notre Dame, Lovewas adown-to-down home run hitter who became thefocal point of game plans —the sort of player missing from New Orleans’ offense.

But as enticing as Love is, do the Saints havethe resources in place to justifytaking arunning back in thetop 10?

The NFL has changed in the20years

since the Saints took Bush. Teams have becomemore selective about when to take theposition in the first round because of durability concerns and thevalue often found in later rounds. That’snot to say first-round running backs are awaste, but picking one requires amore thoroughexamination of thefitrather than the plug-and-play nature that Love’sskill set suggests.

“There is something to, OK, whenthe team is ready to really take off, then you drop in the running back,” NFLNetwork draftanalystDaniel Jeremiah said. “You utilize all of his carries. They all matterand they’re helping you get in the playoffs and

Coltsplace transition tagonveteran QB Jones

New york Jets slap franchise tagontop running back Hall

BY JOSH DUBOW AP pro football writer

“We’ve just got to continue to be good.”

NationalLeagueCyYoung Awardwinner Paul Skenes of LSU had asolid outing, giving up one runand one hit while striking out four over three innings. Therighthander gave up aleadoff double to Willy Adames,who scored on a groundout.

The 23-year-old retired his last nine batters.

“It’sa spring-training game, but it’sstill surreal,” Skenes said. “It’s going to be exciting when we get to Houston and it’sthe real deal.”

Left-hander Matthew Boyd followed Skenes,striking out four over 22/3 scorelessinnings.David Bednar,Mason Miller,Grifﬁn Jax and Gabe Speier each threwa scorelessinning. TheAmericans are trying to wintheir second WBC titleand

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MIKE STEWART

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

LSU’s Chio named SEC gymnast of the week

The Southeastern Conference gymnast of the week award, which could be called the Kailin Chio trophy, is back in the LSU sophomore’s hands.

Chio on Tuesday was named SEC gymnast of the week for the ﬁfth time this season. Florida’s Skye Blakely was SEC specialist of the week while Oklahoma’s Mackenzie Estep won freshman of the week, an award Chio captured a record nine times in 2025

Scherzer’s daughter gets her wish

Blue Jays re-sign the three-time Cy young Award winner

DUNEDIN, Fla. — Max Scherzer says the note his daughter composed asking the Toronto Blue Jays to re-sign the three-time Cy Young Award winner arose as his kids were writing letters to Santa Claus in December After Scherzer agreed last week to a $3 million, one-year contract to return to the Blue Jays, his wife posted on Instagram the handwritten note from their 8-year-old daughter Brooke.

“It’s the cutest thing you can possibly imagine when you read that, how much it meant to her to be in Toronto,” Scherzer told reporters Tuesday after his deal

was ﬁnalized.

Scherzer said his kids were writing letters expressing what they wanted from Santa when Brooke approached him and his wife, Erica May-Scherzer The 8-year-old asked for a stamp and then put it on a sealed envelope that she handed to her parents.

After Brooke went to bed, her parents opened the letter to see what she had written.

“Dear Blue Jays,” the note began, “I am so sorry that you didn’t win the World Series. I hope that you win next time. I hope my dad is back on the team. My whole family loves spending time in Toronto with our dad. We loved the aquarium, the (CN) Tower and of course the stadium. I am looking forward to come back next season. Love, Max Scherzer daughter.”

Scherzer noted he and his wife didn’t send the letter to the Blue

Jays.

“That’s a bad negotiating tactic,” Scherzer said with a laugh.

Scherzer, 41, wanted to return to Toronto after the Blue Jays came so close to winning the World Series last season. The Blue Jays led in the ninth inning of Game 7 before falling 5-4 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 11th.

“Obviously we came as close as you possibly can to winning the whole thing something you can never get over, forget or anything of that nature,” said Scherzer, who won World Series rings with Washington in 2019 and Texas in 2023. “That was a huge reason why I wanted to come back. This team can win. I wanted to be a part of it.”

Scherzer said he’s right on schedule for the start of the season after dealing with a thumb injury for much of last year “I feel healthy,” Scherzer said.

Scherzer went 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 regular-season starts last year. He also was the winning pitcher in Game 4 of the AL Championship Series with Seattle and made two starts in the World Series. He wanted to return to Toronto but understood the uncertainty that comes with being a free agent. His deal with the Jays includes $10 million in available performance bonuses for innings, “Free agency is a weird animal,” Scherzer said. “I’ve been through it many times. You think it’s going to go one way and it goes another way I kind of knew not to get my hopes up, but like I said, I was going to be picky about where I went. I wasn’t just going to sign with anybody There was only a couple of teams I’d sign with at this point in time, and obviously Toronto was one of them.”

Source: Braves’ Profar faces suspension

Outfielder to miss entire season after 2nd positive drug test

BY RONALD BLUM AP baseball writer

NEW YORK Atlanta outﬁelder Jurickson Profar faces a 162-game suspension by Major League Baseball for a possible second failed test for a performance-enhancing drug, a person familiar with the issue told The Associated Press on Tuesday

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the process, ﬁrst reported by ESPN, was ongoing.

Profar intends to ask the players’ association to ﬁle a grievance to appeal any discipline to baseball’s independent arbitrator, Martin F. Scheinman, a second person familiar with the process said, also on condition of anonymity, because no announcement had been made.

Because this would be Profar’s second infraction, an appeal would take place after a suspension was announced.

An All-Star in 2024, Profar was suspended for 80 games last March 31 following a positive test for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), a hormone that helps production of testosterone. He issued a statement then saying: “I would never willingly take a banned substance, but I take full responsibil-

MUSCLES

Continued from page 1C

ﬁrst since 2017. Manager Mark DeRosa said he was thrilled that all the starters stayed in the dugout well after being taken out of the game, talking with their temporary teammates.

“You look down the dugout, you’re seeing Bregman talking to Roman Anthony, you’re seeing (Tarik) Skubal and Skenes on the top step, you’re seeing Judge and (Cal) Raleigh talking,” DeRosa said. “That’s what I wanted to create, the coaching staff wanted to create — an environment where these guys didn’t want to leave.” Bregman — who lives in the Phoenix area — had several U.S teammates over for dinner last night. He said 23-time U.S. gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps spoke to the group for motivation.

“He just shared what it takes,” Bregman said. “Controlling the

ity and accept MLB’s decision.”

His agent, Dan Lozano, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Profar homered in his return from suspension on July 2 and ﬁnished with a .245 average, 14 homers, 43 RBIs and a .787 OPS in 80 games. He batted .280 in 2024, when he set career highs with 24 homers, 85 RBIs and an .839 OPS.

Profar said at the start of spring training that he had sports hernia surgery in November, requiring a six-week recovery time. He has appeared in four spring training games this year, going 3 for 10 with three RBIs.

A native of Curaçao, Profar had been set to play for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic.

Under the suspension, he would be ineligible for the postseason.

Profar would lose his $15 million salary for this year as part of a $42 million, three-year contract through 2027. He lost half his $12 million salary in 2025 due to the initial suspension.

He would be the seventh player suspended 162 games for a second PED infraction after New York Mets pitcher Jenrry Mejia (July 2015), Cleveland outﬁelder Marlon Byrd (June 2016), free agent catcher Cody Stanley (July 2016), Houston pitcher Francis Martes (February 2020) Mets second baseman Robinson Canó (November 2020) and Milwaukee pitcher J.C. Mejia (September 2023).

Mejia received a lifetime ban in February 2016 after a third positive test, the only player to be given a permanent ban since drug testing with penalties started in 2004.

Four players have been suspended previously this year for positive tests, including free agent outﬁelder Max Kepler for 80 games under the major league program following a positive test for Epitrenbolone.

Following the offseason signing of left ﬁelder Mike Yastrzemski to a $23 million, two-year deal, Profar had been targeted to be the Braves’ primary designated hitter

When catcher Sean Murphy returns from a hip injury perhaps in May, 2025 NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin could ﬁll in at DH when not behind the plate.

With Yastrzemski, Michael Harris and Ronald Acuña Jr in the outﬁeld, Eli White could be a DH option. The Braves also are without projected starting shortstop Ha-seong Kim due to a ﬁnger injury Mauricio Dubon, expected to serve a utility role, is scheduled to open the season as the starting shortstop.

The loss of Profar could create an opportunity for Dominic Smith, who signed a minor league deal on Feb. 17

“It’s a spring-training game, but it’s still surreal It’s going to be exciting when we get to Houston and it’s the real deal.”

PAUL SKENES, United States pitcher

San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb will start the opener against Brazil on Friday Twotime defending AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal is expected to start Saturday against Britain, followed by Skenes vs. Mexico on Monday New York Mets right-hander Nolan McLean is tentatively scheduled to start on Tuesday in the ﬁnal pool-play game against Italy, even though he’s dealing with vertigo-like symptoms and hopes to join the U.S. in Houston. DeRosa said after Tuesday’s exhibition that McLean’s health was improving. Skubal is expected to make just one start for the U.S. before rejoining the Detroit Tigers for the remainder of spring training.

Chio had another stellar week, winning or sharing four titles Friday against Alabama That included a perfect 10 on balance beam and a 39.800 to win the all-around crown. Sunday in the four-team Podium Challenge at the Raising Cane’s River Center, Chio had another 10.0 score on beam, her third straight perfect 10 in that event.

Kentucky’s Barnhart to retire as athletic director

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mitch Barnhart, the longest-serving athletic director in the Southeastern Conference, will retire in June and take on a new role with Kentucky university President Eli Capilouto announced on Tuesday “Mitch Barnhart has led University of Kentucky athletics for nearly a quarter-century,” Capilouto said in a statement released by the university Capilouto said he had “a profound mix of emotions” to announce Barnhart’s retirement. Barnhart, 66, was named Kentucky’s 10th athletic director in 2002, succeeding Larry Ivy Kentucky won six NCAA championships under Barnhart, including men’s basketball in 2012. Barnhart previously served as athletic director at Oregon State.

Iowa State discontinues gymnastics program

AMES, Iowa Iowa State is ending its women’s gymnastics program.

The decision, announced by athletic director Jamie Pollard on Tuesday, comes not long after the school canceled the remainder of its 2026 season because of what Pollard described as “unresolvable” issues between players, coaches and parents.

Pollard said the school will replace gymnastics with another women’s sport that “provides equal or additional participation opportunities” for female athletes. The school will honor the scholarships of any current or incoming gymnasts who opt to remain at the university, including making sure they will continue to have access to all departmental services available to Iowa State student-athletes.

Pitt fires women’s coach Verdi amid legal issues

PITTSBURGH Pittsburgh fired women’s basketball coach Tory Verdi on Tuesday, ending a threeyear tenure in which the Panthers struggled to find success on the court and Verdi potentially ran into trouble off it.

Athletic director Allen Greene announced the decision shortly after the Panthers missed the ACC women’s tournament after going 8-23, including a 1-17 mark in conference play

The decision comes just weeks after former Pitt players ﬁled a lawsuit against Verdi and the university, alleging they were subject to Verdi’s abusive coaching methods and their pleas for the university to intervene went unheard. The school has denied the allegations.

Tennessee Tech fires coach Pelphrey after losing season

COOKEVILLE,Tenn. Tennessee Tech has ﬁred John Pelphrey after his seventh straight losing season ended with the Golden Eagles failing to qualify for the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. Pelphrey, 55, posted a 79-138 record that included a 13-18 mark this season. Tennessee Tech’s season ended Saturday with an 89-73 loss to Southeast Missouri State. Tennessee Tech tied for eighth place in the Ohio Valley Conference but lost a tiebreaker with Eastern Illinois for the league’s ﬁnal tournament spot. Tennessee Tech was the third head coaching stop for Pelphrey, who owns an overall record of 228-264 in 16 seasons. He posted an 80-67 record at South Alabama from 2002-07 and went 69-59 at Arkansas from 2007-11.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ROSS D FRANKLIN

United States starting pitcher Paul Skenes, a former LSU star, throws against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday in Scottsdale, Ariz. The NL Cy young Award winner gave up one run and one hit while striking out four over three innings.

The Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GERALD HERBERT

Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin, right, is greeted by Jurickson Profar after hitting a home run against the Minnesota Twins on Feb 22 in North Port, Fla.

theLIV Golf tournamentatGrangeGolf Club on Feb 14 in Adelaide,Australia.

Rahm says European tour is ‘extorting’LIV players

BY DOUG FERGUSON

AP golf writer

Jon Rahm tore intothe European tour Tuesday over itsoffer for him and other LIV Golf players to rejoin, claiming the tour was “extorting players” by forcingthemtoplay additional tournaments.

Rahm, competing this week in LIVGolfHongKong, spokepublicly for the ﬁrst time since the European tour announced adeal that would require LIV players topay previousfines fornot gettingreleases and to compete in additional events designated by the tour Eight players from LIV,including Tyrrell Hatton, accepted the deal. Rahm did not.

“I don’tknow what gamethey’re tryingtoplay right now,” Rahm said. “But it just seems like in a way they’re using our impact in tournaments and ﬁning us and trying to beneﬁt both ways from what we have to offer.Ina way,they’re extorting players like myself and young players that have nothing to do with the politics of the game.

“So Idon’tlike the situationand I’m not going to agree to that.”

Players are required to play four tournaments, not including the majors, to keep membershiponthe European tour.Rahmsaid thedeal

would have required LIV members to playsix tournaments.

“And they dictate where two of thosehave to be, amongother things that Idon’tagree with,” Rahm said.

“I’ve been adualmembermywhole career —PGA Tour and DP World Tour NeveroncehaveIbeen asked for arelease to play either one of thosetours. So why is it now that we need to be offering thisand there’sall thesepenalties?

“I just don’tlikethe situation,” he said.“Ithink we should be able to freelyplaywhere we want and have the choice to play where we want and not be dictated what we do.”

The ﬁnes stem from playing LIV Golf events opposite European tour events without getting aconﬂictingevent release.Rahm wasable to usethe “hometour” policy on the PGA Tour to play in European tour events

Rahm said he toldthe European tour —known as theDPWorld Tour commercially —that if it lowered the minimum requirement to four tournaments, he wouldsignthe deal.

“They haven’tagreed to that,” he said. “Ijustrefuse to play six events. Idon’twant to, and that’s not what the rules say.”

Rahm and Hatton were among those who appealed theirﬁnes for

Floridacoach

BY MARK LONG Associated Press

GAINESVILLE,Fla. Florida coach Jon Sumrall has anew appreciation for the gator chomp. The former Tulane coach may have left the bayou but he has not left gators behind.

Sumrall got hissed at andsnapped at while posing for promotional pictures with alive alligator last week

It was enough to prompt Sumrall to

backpedallikehis collegeplaying days at Kentucky

“I’m pretty certain I’d look like Chubbs from Happy Gilmore if thealligator had gottenclose to my hand,” Sumrall joked Tuesday following his ﬁrst springpractice at Florida. “Yeah, that was cool,man.” Alittle nerve-racking, too.

“Inmymind, Ihad this visualimageofwe’regoing to have like a little baby alligator,like a1-foot al-

playing LIV.That case has not been heard, but the appeal allowed them to play in the RyderCup lastyear at Bethpage Black.

Now theSpaniard’sparticipation in the2027 matches in Ireland are in question.

An arbitrational panel in Britain, Sports Resolution, ruled in April 2023 the tour had the right to penalize players as amembership organization.Ifthe panelrulesinfavor of thetouragain, Rahm would be required to settle his ﬁnes or lose his membership, whichwouldkeep himoff the Ryder Cup team next year RoryMcIlroy said in January aboutthe ﬁnes Rahm andHatton were facing, “Wewent really hard on theAmericansabout beingpaid to play the RyderCup, andwealso said that we wouldpay to play in Ryder Cups. There’stwo guys that can prove it.”

Rahm fired back by saying his comment would make more sense if all12players wereaskedtopay, notjust him and Hatton.

“There’s more intricacy that goes into this whole situation,” Rahm said. “I’ll gladly pay my way to go on theRyder Cup, nothavetopay to still be amember of theDPWorld Tour and fulﬁll acommitment that I’m fully willing to commit.”

Lowryhas no choice buttopickup, move on afterPGA collapse

ORLANDO,Fla.— It’sOKtofeel sad for Shane Lowry He hadone hand on the trophy andthe other hand outstretched to hughis 4-year-old daughter when she ranonto the 18th green at PGA Nationaltocelebrate the ﬁrst time seeing herfather win. That was the plan, anyway.Lowry could practically picture the whole scene.

“Just to see her little ginger hair running downthe 18th green would have been the most special thing in the world,” he said. “I thought Ihad it.I thoughtI was going to win.”

in Bethpage and got through that ﬁne?”

It was areminder not just how ﬁckle golf is, but the extraordinary gap between the highs and lows.

Yes, it was only five months ago when Lowry birdied three of his last four holes, the last one from 6 feet to secure the half-point Europe needed to retain the Ryder Cup. What amoment! He pumped his fists and spun around the green while squeezing every teammate he could find.

Mondaywas arough one for LSU baseball. The Tigers dropped their second game of the year to NortheasternonMonday, falling 13-10 after an unimpressiveweekendofmatchups against Dartmouth and the Huskies.

LSU trailed by as manyas11runs on Monday before mounting alate comeback effortwith its backups in the game.

On Wednesday, the Tigers traveltoplayahot Cajuns team that has wonnine of their past 10 games.The game is sold out. Here’swhat youneed to knowabout the Tigers’ next matchup on WednesdayatUL.

HOWTOWATCH

WHO: LSU (11-2) at UL (9-3)

WHEN: 6p.m.Wednesday

WHERE: Russo Park, Lafayette

ONLINE: ESPN+

RADIO: WDGL-FM, 98.1 (Baton Rouge); WWLAM,870 (NewOrleans); KLWB-FM, 103.7 (Lafayette)

RANKINGS: LSU is No.2 by D1Baseball; UL is not ranked PROBABLE STARTERS: LSU— TBA; UL —TBA PREGAME UPDATES: theadvocate.com/lsu ON X: @KokiRiley

WHATTOWATCH FOR: LSU will likely startjunior right-hander Jaden Noot on Wednesday. Noot only threwsix pitches in his most recent outing Sundayand didn’t throwonMonday.Heholdsa 6.32 ERA on the season.The Ragin’ Cajuns took down UC San Diegotwice in athree-gameseries over the weekend.They’vealso swept Maryland and beaten Kansas State twicethis year KokiRiley

Thatwas before he hit 3-iron off the 16th tee and into the water and had to scramble for a double bogey justto stay one shot ahead. Before he could hit another shot, Lowry watched Nico Echavarria make birdie on the par-3 17th to tie him. AndthenLowry hit achip 7-iron —perfect number,perfect club, imperfect swing— into the water for another double bogey

Aﬁve-shot swing in two holes. It wascrueltowatch, and especially painful to hear him talk about how badly he wanted to win for 4-yearoldIvy,noone else.

Butthere’snoneed to feel sorry for Lowry

There will be other opportunities, perhaps morepainful outcomes, no promises. Such is sport. This is whatgolf does to playersatthe highest level. The game can turn on the best of them without notice, as it did Sunday in the Cognizant Classic

“Golf does strange things to you at times,”Lowry said, “and it certainly did it to me today.”

Lowry,ofcourse, has plenty of companyonfar bigger stages. Scott Hoch missing a30-inch putt to win the Masters in 1989 comes to mind. Later that year was an even greater gut-wrenching moment whenMike Reid lost athree-shot lead with three holes to play in the PGAChampionship. He was in tearsmeeting with the press, stopping six times to compose himself. Bob Verdi wrote in his column for theChicago Tribune that Jack Nicklaus sought out Reid in the locker room at Kemper Lakes and his voicecracked when he told Reid, “I just wanted to say I’ve never feltso badfor anyone in my life.” Butitwas something Lowry said late Sunday afternoon when trying to decipher how one bad swing on the16thtee could leave him unable to feel theclub face. Lowry said he toldcaddieDarren Reynolds, “How do Ifeel like this now when Iwent through what Idid last September

“Coolest thing I’ve done in my life,” Lowry said that day,strong words coming from an Irishman who won the claret jug at Royal Portrush

Jim Furykisthe only Ryder Cup player who was on both sides of the decisive match against Europe. He watched PaulMcGinley celebrate aEuropean win at The Belfry in 2002, and it was Furyk’swin against Miguel Angel Jimenez that clinched it for the Americans at Valhalla in 2008.

Lowry has suffered twice now at PGANational. It was four yearsago when he came to the 18th hole tied for the lead. Sepp Straka blasted a334-yard drive over the bunkers that lefthim a6-iron to the green. And then the sky opened with rain so hardLowry couldn’ttake the same aggressive line off the tee. “As bad abreak as I’ve got in a while,”Lowry said after ﬁnishing one back.

And it doesn’thave to be on a major stage, wherefans have witnessed the sudden calamity of Jean VandeVelde at Carnoustie in the 1999 British Open, the slow bleed of Greg Norman at the 1996 Masters and the perplexing decisions by Phil Mickelson when he made double bogey on the ﬁnal hole to lose the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot

That was Kyle Stanley at Torrey Pines in 2012 when he had athreeshot lead and was 77 yards from the 18th green. His wedge spun back into the water,hethree-putted for atriple bogey and lost in aplayoff to Brandt Snedeker.Stanley’slip quivered as he tried to explain what happened on No. 18. “I could probably play it athousand times and never make an 8,” he said. The next week, Stanley came from eight shots back to win the Phoenix Open.

Tommy Fleetwood lost the Travelers Championship on atwo-shot swing at the ﬁnal hole, and amonth later gave up atwo-shot lead with three holes to play in the FedEx Cup playoff opener.Two weeks later,hewas the FedEx Cup champion. There’salways the next tournament. There’salways another opportunity

ligator you might see on ariverboat cruise in Louisiana, mouth’staped,” he said. “I walk up and there’sthis 7-foot alligator “I’m like, ‘Hang on. What am Idoinghere?’ They’re like, ‘We’regoing to takesome pictures. Youcan getthis close.’ I’m like,‘Look, during COVID Iwasn’tallowedtoget this close to people. Idon’tknow about an alligator.’ The alligator was named Helena and wasfrom anearby gator farm.She may have been relatively friendly,but shewas far from trained. She walked in and out of shots while Sumrall ﬂipped afootball —and eventually turned on the former Troy andTulane head coach.

“Assoon as Istarted to get kind of comfortable …I’m like, ‘All right, this thing isn’tgoingtodoanything crazy,Idon’tthink.’ Iget 4or5feet away anditstartstokind of hiss alittle anditsnaps,” he said. “I’m like,‘What the hell is goingon? I’m outofhere.’”

He didn’t actually bail.Helena simmered down, andthey got the photos done.But it wasanexperience Sumrallwon’t soon forget “I’mnot necessarily looking forwhen that’scoming up on my scheduleagain,” he said. “But it was afun experience.”

Doug Ferguson

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATEOVILLALBA

Captain JonRahmofLegion XIII hitshis shot from the13th fairway during the third round of

STAFF PHOTO By HILARySCHEINUK

Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals plan to release the two-time Pro Bowler on March 11, according to a person familiar with the decision.

Cardinals expected to release QB Murray

BY DAVID BRANDT AP sportswriter

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals have informed two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray that they plan to release him at the beginning of the new league year on March 11, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the move can’t be ofﬁcially announced until next week.

Murray, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft, who is owed $36.8 million in guaranteed money in 2026 — will be free to sign with any team once he’s released.

The 28-year-old posted a goodbye message to Arizona’s fans on social media, expressing regret that he couldn’t have more success with the franchise. He led the team to the playoffs just once during his seven-year

TAG

Continued from page 1C

injury and then going down with a torn right Achilles tendon in a Week 14 loss to Jacksonville. The Colts lost the final seven games of the season and missed the playoffs for a fifth straight year, becoming the first team since the 1995 Oakland Raiders to miss the postseason after starting the season 8-2 or better Jones set career highs in passer rating (100.2) and completion rate (68%) as Indianapolis ranked fifth in the NFL in scoring at 28.9 points per game before he went down with the seasonending injury

LOVE

Continued from page 1C

chase the championship.

“I think there’s some other pieces to fill before you say that rocket’s ready to take off there in New Orleans ” Jeremiah initially had the Saints selecting Love in his first mock draft of the year But when updating his latest version, the former Baltimore Ravens scout flipped his prediction to the Saints selecting USC wide receiver Makai Lemon. Jeremiah, in a conference call with reporters last month, said he thought coach Kellen Moore would “know exactly” how to use Lemon, who he said would help find easy completions for young quarterback Tyler Shough and be a perfect complement to Saints wide receiver Chris Olave. Wide receiver is a piece the Saints they need to fill,

tenure a wild-card loss in 2021.

“To everyone that supported me and showed kindness to my family and I during my time in AZ, from the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Murray posted. “I wanted nothing more than to be the one to end the 77-year drought for this organization, I am sorry I failed us. I wish this community and my brothers nothing but the best.

He continued: “I am no stranger to adversity, I am prepared for whatever’s next. I trust in God and my work ethic I truly believe my best ball is in front of me and I look forward to proving it. Godspeed.”

Murray played in just ﬁve games last season throwing for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions — before suffering a foot injury against the Tennessee Titans. The Cardinals initially thought Mur-

Jones threw 19 TD passes with only eight interceptions, while also rushing for 164 yards and ﬁve TDs.

The Colts are uncertain when Jones will be ready to play again after getting hurt on Dec. 7 The team has 2025 sixth-round pick Riley Leonard on the roster, as well as 2023 ﬁrst-rounder Anthony Richardson, who has been given permission to seek a trade.

Hall, who turns 25 in May, was a second-round pick in the 2022 draft out of Iowa State, but didn’t receive a contract extension last offseason as ﬁrst-rounders

Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson did. That caused some uncertainty about Hall’s future with the franchise, and he was mentioned in trade rumors leading up

too. Based on conversations with people at the NFL scouting combine, New Orleans recognizes it could use another burner across from Olave and take the top off defenses. The first round, in particular could unfold nicely for the Saints in that regard between Lemon, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson and Ohio State’s Carnell Tate the latter of whom still plays fast, despite an underwhelming 4.53-second 40-yard dash. Any of those three could prop up Shough. The other question about Love and the Saints is whether New Orleans has the offensive line to make him effective. The Saints had one of the worst rushing attacks in the league last year, and the line didn’t do its backs any favors. According to Pro Football Focus, the Saints had the league’s second-lowest run blocking grade. ESPN found the Saints had a run-block win rate of 70%, good for

ray would only miss a few weeks, but backup Jacoby Brissett played well in his absence, creating a quarterback controversy Murray was eventually placed on injured reserve and missed the rest of the season. The Cardinals finished with a 3-14 record and ﬁred coach Jonathan Gannon. Murray arrived in Arizona with huge expectations after winning the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma in 2019, and at times he delivered.

He was the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, providing multiple electrifying highlights such as the so-called “Hail Murray” in 2020, when he connected with DeAndre Hopkins for a game-winning touchdown against the Buffalo Bills on the ﬁnal play of the game.

The pinnacle of his Cardinals’ tenure came in 2021, when the team jumped out to a 10-2 record by early December But Arizona faded

to last year’s deadline.

But coach Aaron Glenn insisted the Jets wanted to keep Hall as the engine of their offense. New York planned to use a three-running back approach with Hall, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis sharing carries, but Allen injured a knee and landed on injured reserve and Davis remained a clear No. 2.

The Jets, with new offensive coordinator Frank Reich, will be looking for a new quarterback this offseason but the franchise tag on Hall gives New York the chance to keep the playmaking running back in its backﬁeld while also trying to negotiate a contract extension.

Hall rushed for a careerhigh 1,065 yards in 2025 de-

23rd. Either way, the Saints’ running backs averaged only 3.7 yards per carry

“Certainly we’ve got to run the football better,” Moore said at the combine.

Maybe Love would be so good right away that he’d be able to overcome lessthan-ideal circumstances. He’s seen as that type of prospect And as poorly as the Saints’ run blocking appeared to be, there were yards that might have been left on the table. According to Next Gen Stats Kamara had 95 fewer rushing yards than expected, third behind San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey and Tampa Bay’s Bucky Irving. Kamara’s yards rushing expected per attempt of -0.7 were also tied for the league’s worst among qualiﬁed rushers.

Love has that sort of burst. To match the gamechanging speed he put on film, the 20-year-old ran a 4.36 40-yard dash. He per-

Falcons scheduled to play in Madrid vs. opponent TBA

By The Associated Press

MADRID The Atlanta Falcons will play in the second ever NFL regular-eason game in Madrid this year

The Falcons’ opponent will be conﬁrmed when the full season schedule is released later in the year The Falcons are expected to be the home team at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

The Madrid game is part of a record nine international games in 2026, including new host cities in France, Australia and Brazil.

The Saints will play in Paris on Oct. 25, likely facing the Cleveland Browns.

The Washington Commanders faced the Miami Dolphins in the inaugural game in the Spanish capital last year at the Bernabeu.

The Dolphins won 16-13 in overtime before a crowd of 78,610 fans.

This summer, Spain’s national soccer team will play two World Cup matches at the Falcons’ MercedesBenz Stadium.

Giants

VETERAN LB OKEREKE TO BE RELEASED: The New York Giants informed veteran linebacker Bobby Okereke they are releasing him, a person with knowledge of the decision said Tuesday night.

Cutting Okereke saves the Giants $9 million against the salary cap next season, instead of him carrying a $14.5 million cap number

They are expected to overhaul the position with new coach John Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson taking over Okereke, who turns 30 on July 29, led New York with 143 tackles, including 78 solo, last year and was tied for the team lead in interceptions with two. A 2019 third-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts, Okereke was also selected as one of the Giants’ captains in his third season with New York and seventh in the NFL.

down the stretch, losing four of its ﬁnal ﬁve games before getting bounced by the Los Angeles Rams 34-11 in the wild-card round.

The Cardinals signed Murray to $230.5 million, fiveyear deal in 2022 with $160 million guaranteed, but the honeymoon after that commitment was short lived. A few weeks after signing the deal, the franchise removed a strange clause in his contract, which mandated four hours of “independent study” during game weeks.

The kerfuffle called into question Murray’s work ethic, and his relationship with the franchise was never quite the same.

Murray tore his ACL against the New England Patriots in 2022, which caused him to miss the rest of that season and a big chunk of the 2023 schedule Coach Kliff Kingsbury was fired after the 2022 season and Gannon was hired to replace him.

spite missing the ﬁnal game with a knee ailment, becoming the first Jets player to top 1,000 yards rushing in a season since Chris Ivory in 2015. Hall has 1,000 yards from scrimmage in three straight seasons, just the sixth player — and ﬁfth running back — in franchise history to accomplish that feat The only three running backs in the NFL who have contracts with an average annual value of more than the $14.3 million Hall are former AP NFL Offensive Players of the Year Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry Pickens’ tag is worth about $27.3 million for next season as the Cowboys look to retain him.

Pickens, who turns 25 on Wednesday, had career

formed well enough that he might not even be on the board when the Saints pick at No. 8, with the Arizona Cardinals (picking third) and Tennessee Titans (fourth) recently mentioned as possible suitors.

“Running backs are very valuable,” Love said. “I feel like that’s being more and more recognized as of today I mean we had (Seattle’s) Kenneth Walker (win) Super Bowl MVP Running backs like him continue to pave the way for guys that are just coming into the league.”

One of the worst-case scenarios for the Saints and Love would be if the situation mirrors what happened with the Las Vegas Raiders and Ashton Jeanty a year ago. After Jeanty went to Las Vegas sixth overall in 2025, the former Boise State star couldn’t overcome a porous Raiders offensive line and averaged only 3.7 yards per carry on a whopping 266

“We are incredibly proud to be part of an NFL regular season game in Madrid at the iconic Bernabeu,” Falcons president and CEO Greg Beadles said in the NFL announcement on Tuesday “Atlanta and Madrid are a ﬁtting match as we will host two of Spain’s group stage matches in the upcoming FIFA World Cup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.”

It will be the Falcons’ ﬁfth trip to Europe, and fourth in six seasons. Atlanta played in Toronto in 2013, London in 2014, 2021 and 2023, and Berlin in 2025.

The NFL announced in February it reached a multiyear deal to keep playing regular season games at the Bernabeu. The league said Spain was “an important market globally” with 11 million fans. It said it will also focus on developing the league’s flag football initiatives across the country

highs in catches (93), yards receiving (1,429) and touchdowns (nine) for one of the best offenses in the NFL last season Dallas had one of the worst defenses in the league and finished 7-9-1, missing the playoffs for the second year in a row Pitts’ tag is worth about $15 million for next season. The fourth pick in the 2021 draft earned second-team All-Pro honors after he had a career-high 88 receptions and ﬁve touchdowns last season. His 928 receiving yards were the second most among NFL tight ends, behind only Arizona’s Trey McBride. Teams can sign players on the tags to long-term deals between now and July 15, otherwise players can only play on one-year deals for 2026.

attempts. And even if Jeanty feasts under new coach Klint Kubiak next season, the Raiders have plenty of holes elsewhere.

Even the Falcons have yet to make the playoffs since drafting Bijan Robinson, one of the league’s best backs, three years ago. The New York Giants also famously drafted Saquon Barkley second overall in 2018 but failed to maximize the roster around him.

Then again, there’s still time for the Saints to address their offensive line in free agency And New Orleans fielded one of the league’s most improved defenses last season, another plus when propping up a young quarterback.

If Love is still available, the choice is fascinating.

“I don’t know if there’s a wrong answer,” Jeremiah said.

Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate.com

Bears

CENTER DALMAN TO RETIRE: Chicago Bears Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman is retiring after ﬁve seasons, a person with knowledge of the decision said Tuesday The 27-year-old Dalman played a big role in solidifying the interior of the offensive line after signing a $42 million, three-year contract last March. He made his first Pro Bowl after spending his ﬁrst four seasons in Atlanta and helped Chicago win the NFC North at 11-6. The only Bears player to participate in every offensive snap, Dalman was a key figure in the transformation of the line. The Bears also traded for AllPro left guard Joe Thuney, signed guard Jonah Jackson and drafted Ozzy Trapilo, who emerged as the starting left tackle during the season.

Continued from page 1C

“I just feel like we pressed and rushed shots (against Southeastern),” Hollowell said. “We’ll go out and compete hard in the tournament.”

UNO will face No 8-seeded Houston Christian in a ﬁrst-round matchup on Sunday The Privateers lost to HCU twice in the regular season.

UNO senior guards Jakevion Buckley and Coleton Benson have shouldered the scoring load this season. Buckley scored a team-high 28 points in Monday’s loss to Southeastern.

Benson scored 21 points on Monday and is UNO’s leading scorer, averaging 16.2 points per game. He had an injury scare Monday after a Southeastern player’s knee collided with his thigh but said he plans to be available for the tournament in Lake Charles.

“We took two tough losses (heading into the tournament), and we’ve got to ﬁgure it out,” Benson said. “Now it’s do or die. We’ve shown ﬂashes; we just have to be more consistent.” Forward Kedrick Osby has emerged as a go-to option off the bench after scoring in double digits the past two games, including a team-high 16 points against McNeese.

Hercy Miller, the son of UNO president of basketball operations Percy “Master P” Miller, has seen minutes off the bench since joining the team in January “(Osby) has been a little more aggressive offensively,” Hollowell said. “He’s knocked down some 3s and defended better. (Hercy) has been fantastic to work with. He gets out and hustles for us, so it’s nice to have him.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By RICK SCUTERI

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray throws a pass against the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 5 in

THE VARSITY ZONE

Sacred Heart falls in semifinal to Rosepine

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Dribbling in the open court af-

ter a turnover, Libby Fitzpatrick made a layup that sent the Sacred Heart cheering section into a frenzy Once down by 11 points, the Cardinals cut the Rosepine lead to one late in the third quarter

That was the closest they would get Behind four 3-pointers from Case James, Rosepine rebuilt a double-figure lead and avenged last season’s Division III select semifinal loss with a 56-44 victory Monday at University Center in Hammond. James, a junior guard, ﬁnished with 25 points and made ﬁve 3-pointers.

“We let them get hot,” Sacred Heart coach Courtney Ward said.

“That was the difference in the game.”

Sacred Heart freshman Zoie Kelly scored a team-high 18 points and senior Leah Varisco ﬁnished with 12. Varisco and Fitzpatrick played all 32 minutes in their ﬁnal high school game together.

“To make it to Hammond two years in a row is amazing,” Varisco said. “Sacred Heart has never done that before. These coaches deﬁnitely helped so much with that. I just love this team so much.”

Rosepine (27-7) built its first double-ﬁgure lead in the second quarter, scoring nine secondchance points off seven offensive rebounds to turn a 9-all tie into a 27-16 halftime advantage.

Sacred Heart coach Courtney Ward says the progress the basketball program has made in the past four years has been ‘amazing.’

With a leaping steal near midcourt, Varisco sparked a thirdquarter rally that included several baskets off turnovers. Fitzpatrick’s layup in the open court drew the Cardinals within 37-36 late in the period.

“We knew we had to come out with energy,” Varisco said. “As always, defense brings the energy.”

Whatever momentum Sacred Heart (21-4) gained went the other way when James made a 3-pointer just before the third-quarter buzzer. She drained another one to start the fourth, and the Eagles regained control.

The lead reached double ﬁgures again when James hit her final 3-pointer, this time with too little time for another rally

“That’s the best feeling, when you get hot,” James said.

The loss capped an unprecedented run of basketball success for the school.

“We had to change the whole dynamic of the school,” Ward said about when she began at the school four years ago.

Varisco leaves as the only player in school history with more than 1,000 career points.

“Leah was a freshman and her classmates, Libby, Sophie (Lo), I think they all bought into what we were trying to sell as a coaching staff, and it’s a product of them buying in and then taking the underclassmen along,” Ward said.

“It’s been amazing to see from where we were four years ago to where we are now.”

Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@theadvocate.com

Country Day’s Kellen Brewer drives down the court during the LHSAA Division III select state championship game last March in Lake Charles. Brewer is averaging 19.7 points per game this

Country Day star Brewer takes his game to ‘such a high level’

Brewer trains with father, a Pelicans assistant coach

BY SPENCER URQUHART Staff writer

Country Day basketball standout Kellen Brewer has grown in more ways than one during his junior year.

Brewer now stands at 6-foot-6, growing three inches from last year after playing a key part on Country Day’s state championship-winning basketball team as a sophomore. He’s taken on an even larger role for the Cajuns this season as the team’s leading scorer averaging nearly 20 points per game

The son of former NBA player and current New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach Corey Brewer Kellen has started for Country Day since his freshman year

“(Kellen Brewer) plays at such a high level,” Country Day coach Mike McGuire said. “He’s done everything. Rebounding, guarding the other team’s best player, and he’s our leading scorer on top of that. He just has a better understanding of the game.”

Brewer’s averaging 19.7 points per game this season. He’s thrown down several impressive dunks while improving as a shooter from 3-point range.

“This year, I’ve been shooting way better,” Brewer said. “Hitting two or three 3’s a game, and that’s just really spaced the ﬂoor out for me. People can’t just back up and pack the paint anymore.”

be pretty good, and he now has a chance to be a really good basketball player.”

Kellen also played football for Country Day this past fall. It was his ﬁrst year playing football at the varsity level, which was also the case for Cajuns senior basketball standout Hermon Dyson.

Brewer and the 6-foot-3 Dyson had success as wide receivers. Country Day has won its past 11 basketball games with Brewer, Dyson and 6-foot-4 sophomore Curtis McAllister fully back from football.

pact,” Kellen Brewer said. “I don’t have any other trainers. He helps me a lot with scoring and what to think on defense while creating passing lanes and stuff like that.”

The Brewers have lived in New Orleans for the past six years with Corey serving on the Pelicans coaching staff since 2020. Kellen has attended Country Day ever since.

Martin 61 No. 11 Edna Karr at No. 6 Rummel, n No. 1 John Curtis 82, No. 16 McDonogh 35 70 Division II select No. 2 Peabody 69, No. 18 Booker T. Washington 36 No. 8 Hannan 68, No. 9 David Thibodaux 45 No. 11 Shaw at No. 6 Kennedy, n No. 19 Carver at No. 3 Washington-Marion, n Division III select No. 3 Country Day 76, No. 14 St. Thomas Aquinas 27 No. 2 Dunham 72, No. 15 Jefferson Rise 32 No. 4 De La Salle 80, No. 13 Episcopal 62 Division IV select No. 2 St. Martin’s 52, No. 15 Opelousas Catholic 42 No. 21 Crescent City at No. 5 Westminster Christian-Lafayette, n Division I nonselect No. 9 Northshore at No. 8 St. Amant, n No. 4 Denham Springs 58, No. 13 Destrehan 55 No. 1 Zachary81, No. 16 Covington 60 Division II nonselect No. 15 Pearl River at No. 2 Northwest, n Class C No. 7 Hornbeck 56, No. 10 Phoenix 55

Brewer has Division I recruiting attention from LSU and other SEC schools. He’s shown that he’s more than a scorer, averaging 8.5 rebounds per game this year with ﬁve assists and three steals.

Corey Brewer has trained Kellen since a young age, and the pair work out regularly at the Pelicans’ practice facility. The elder Brewer began noticing his son’s basketball potential in middle school.

“(Kellen) has always loved basketball,” Corey Brewer said. “Around the sixth grade is when he really started taking it serious. I started to realize in the eighth grade that he was going to

“It’s a different conditioning for football than basketball,” Dyson said. “Coming back, I was a little slow, but I got back up to my normal speed. I feel like we’re ﬁnally becoming the team we were last year.

The son of legendary Saints running back Deuce McAllister, Curtis scored 21 points in the Cajuns’ most recent win over Newman, which was second to Brewer’s 24 points Born in Seattle, Brewer lived in several places growing up with his dad having played in the NBA for 13 seasons for eight different teams.

“(My dad) has a really big im-

“It was the people at Country Day that made it the right fit,” Corey Brewer said. “Mike (McGuire) is a great coach I wanted (Kellen) to be coached hard and have him work to get better.” Country Day had a ﬁrst-round bye last week as the No. 3 seed in the Division III select boys basketball playoffs. The Cajuns defeated No. 14-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas 76-27 in a second-round playoff matchup on Tuesday at Country Day, advancing to the quarterﬁnals

“Coach (Raymone) Andrews does a really nice job at St. Thomas Aquinas,” McGuire said. “The whole bracket is really tough. I think our guys will be ready.”

Email Spencer Urquhart at surquhart@theadvocate.com.

After winning Big 12, No. 2 Arizona eyes deep March run

BY JOHN MARSHALL

Associated Press

TUCSON, Ariz. — Bill Self spent the morning before his team’s game at Arizona walking around campus, getting some exercise while enjoying the mild desert weather But the Kansas coach couldn’t seem to get very far without being stopped. Nothing derisive. Just basketball talk.

“There’s no telling how many people stopped me to

talk ball,” Self said after No. 2 Arizona’s 84-61 win over his 14th-ranked Jayhawks on Saturday night. “There was so many people who did that because they just love ball, much like we do.” Kansas set the Big 12 standard under Self by winning or sharing an NCAA-record 14 straight league titles from 2005-18. Arizona has made a quick imprint in a short time. A year after finishing tied for third in their first Big 12 season, the Wildcats

(28-2) stormed through the conference at 15-2. Arizona bounced back from consecutive losses to Kansas and No. 10 Texas Tech last month by winning ﬁve straight closing out their third conference title in ﬁve years the previous two in the Pac-12 — by beating the Jayhawks and Cyclones by a combined 29 points.

“We talk about vision a lot. What’s our vision, what’s our purpose?” coach Tommy Lloyd said after Arizona’s 73-57 win over No. 6 Iowa

State on Monday night. “We want to envision ourselves cutting down the nets. We want to envision hoisting that trophy Don’t get ahead of yourself, then you got to dig into like, what do we have to do to get that, what’s the most important thing today?” Lloyd’s ability to find players who fit his system and hone their focus has the Wildcats among the favorites to reach their first Final Four since the Lute Olsonled 2000-01 team. A long-time assistant under Mark Few at Gonzaga, Lloyd has recruited high-level talent in Tucson while developing a team-first mindset that’s led to the best start by any coach in NCAA history He was The Associated Press national coach of the year during his first season in 2021-22 and the Wildcats have kept winning, earning Lloyd 140 wins as a head coach in five seasons — one more than the NCAA record set by Butler’s Brad Stevens. Lloyd went against recent

conventional wisdom with this season’s roster, relying heavily on freshmen. The recruiting class, headlined by Koa Peat and Brayden Burries, was one of the best in the nation and has meshed well with the returning veterans. “Just doing it all with my brothers, just knowing stuff we talked about before the season, it’s clicking,” point guard Jaden Bradley said. “March is a special month in basketball. We still have a lot of room to go.”

FILE PHOTO By KIRK MECHE

season.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD Country Day coach Mike McGuire and junior Kellen Brewer react to a 3-pointer against De La Salle earlier this season.

Late Monday

Colorado playersgrieveafter deathofteammate

BY PATGRAHAM Associated Press

BOULDER,Colo. The Colorado Buffaloestold storiesMonday,like how Dominiq Ponder once jumped a10-foot fence to let arehabbing teammate into the hot tub. They chatted about his work ethic, too, and how he was in the quarterback room before sunrise.

It was achance to reﬂect on their teammate who died early Sunday morning in asingle-carcrash. He was 23.

The players were given the optionbycoach Deion Sandersto skip the ﬁrst day of spring practiceMonday.But in an emergency meeting the nightbefore —to grieve togetherand comfort one another —everyone agreed that taking the ﬁeld was thebestoption.

Because that’swhatPonder would’ve wanted. He wasontheir minds at practice as they broke the huddle with the chant of “Dom.” “Almostlike aboost of energy, like he was there with us,” running back DeKalon Taylor said. “That’s what it felt like.”

News trickles out

Some found out the news Sunday after church. Some later inthe day Offensive coordinator Brennan Marion said he receiveda phone call from Ponder’sfatherwhile Marion was playing with his own son.

“I couldn’tmove,” Marion said “I was speechless talking to Dom’s dad.”

Ponder was driving a2023 Tesla when he lost control on acurve

and hita guardrail,according to the Colorado StatePatrol. The car struckanelectricallinepoleand rolled down an embankment.Ponderwas pronounced dead at the scene in Boulder County.Police said apreliminary investigation “shows that speed is suspected as afactor.”

“God please comfort the Ponder family,friends &Loved ones,” Sanders posted Sunday on X.

“Dom was oneofmyfavorites! He was Loved, Respected &aBorn Leader.Let’s pray forall that knew him&had theopportunitytobein

his presence. Lordyou’rereceiving agood 1.”

Sanders is expectedtoaddress themedia on Friday

“It’ssad notbeing able to protect him (Ponder) off the ﬁeld,”offensive lineman Yahya Attiasaid Monday.“Istill don’treally realize it —Idon’twant to believe it yet.”

Samewith Taylor,who said Ponder was justshowing off his new tattoo to him Friday.Itwas surreal being at practice without Ponder

“Heavy at first,” Taylor said. “But we all boughtin. We hadno choice buttogohardfor him.

Everybody was running around and doing their best. And if we did mess up, we messedupatfull speed.”

Full speed

Because that’show Ponder operated —atfullspeed.The backup QB and special teams player was a leader who learned how to guide a team by watching the likes of Shedeur Sandersand HeismanTrophy winner Travis Hunter

“(Teammates) sawhow hard (Ponder) worked,how hard he wantedit, to prove that he could play at the collegiate level and be acollege quarterback,” Marion said of Ponder,a transfer from BethuneCookman.“In an era where you have to force people to work hard, you had to tell Domtostop working so hard.Just being around akid like that, his energy wascontagious as far as his work ethic.”

said. “Wecoached like you would coach your child.” Defensive back BenFinneseth became tight with Ponder since the 6-foot-5 sophomore from Opa Locka, Florida, transferred into theprogram.Hevisited Ponder and his family over spring break ayear ago.

“It’s sad notbeing able to protecthim (Ponder) off the field. Istill don’treally realizeit— Idon’twant to believe it

yAHyAATTIA, Colorado offensive lineman

It was difficult for Marion beinginthe quarterbackroomat 5:30 a.m., knowing that Ponderwas always there by that time.

“We’ll just save aspot forhim in theroom,” Marion said.

Catharticpractice

ThepracticeMondaywasn’t so much for qualityofwork purposes, but achance to simply be together

“Wedidn’tcoach with the same urgency,asfar as screaming at guys and losing our mind,”Marion

SCOREBOARD

8:30p.m. IndianaatL.A.

9:30 p.m.

basketball State men’s scores, schedule Monday’s games Texas-Rio Grande Valley 74, Northwestern State 62 McNeese 75, Nicholls 65 Southeastern 82, UNO78 Tuesday’s games Southern at Alabama State, n GramblingatAlabama A&M, n LSU at Auburn, n Sun Belt Conference Tournament At Pensacola, Fla. Tuesday’s games No. 12 UL 84, No. 13 GeorgiaState 75 No. 14 ULM vs.No. 11 Old Dominion, n Wednesday’s games No. 12 UL vs.No. 9JamesMadison,5 p.m. No. 14 ULM-No.11Old Dominion winner vs No. 10 Georgia Southern, 7:30 p.m. National men’s scores

Tuesday’s games

EAST Bucknell 65, Army55 Buffalo 72, Eastern Michigan 67 Hofstra62, Drexel 51 Holy Cross 82, Lafayette 77 Monmouth 89, Northeastern83 New Hampshire88, Bryant 83,2OT St. John s72, Georgetown 69 Towson 69, StonyBrook 57 UMBC 91, NJIT 52 UMass 94, Ohio 82 UMass Lowell 67, Maine 56 Vermont 69, Albany56 SOUTH Campbell 90, North CarolinaA&T 72 Dayton 65, Richmond60 Georgia 98, Alabama 88 Louisiana 84, Georgia State 75 North Carolina67, Clemson 63 Oklahoma State 111, UCF104, OT Tennessee78, South Carolina59 UNC Wilmington76, Elon57 VCU70, George Mason 65 Virginia 75, Wake Forest 70 William &Mary 94, Hampton 85 MIDWEST Akron 77, Central Michigan 64 Ball State 74, Western Michigan 71, OT Miami (OH) 74, Toledo 72 Seton Hall 77, Xavier 68 SOUTHWEST Oklahoma 80, Missouri 64 TCU73, TexasTech 65 TexasA&M 96, Kentucky 85 State women’s scores, schedule

Monday’s games McNeese 87, Stephen F. Austin60 Lamar 70, Southeastern 52 Tuesday’s games Alabama A&M 55, Grambling50

Florida Atlantic 61,Tulane 57 Alabama State 65,Southern63 Northwestern 81,UNO 65 Thursday’s games Southern at Alabama A&M, 5:30 p.m. Grambling at Alabama State, 6p.m. New Mexico State at Louisiana Tech,6:30 p.m. Sun Belt Conference Tournament At Pensacola, Fla. Tuesday’s games No. 12 South Alabama 68, No. 13 App State 57 No. 14 UL 71,No. 11 GeorgiaState 66 Wednesday’s games No. 9Coastal Carolinavs. No.12South Alabama, 11:30 a.m. No. 10 ULM vs.No. 14 UL, 2p.m. National women’sscores Tuesday’s games SOUTH Alabama A&M 55, GramblingState 50 Alabama State 65,SouthernUniversity 63 Alcorn State 67,Mississippi Valley State 56 Austin Peay 63, Lipscomb 56 Florida Atlantic 61,Tulane 57 Florida Gulf Coast 94,Bellarmine 28 Jackson State

—Car. Walsh (1), Rogovic

“Everything that we’re going to do moving forward is forhim,” Finneseth said.“It wastough, meeting together (Sunday), everybody,and knowing whathappened. CoachPrime askedusifweifwe wantedtowork (Monday). “Wedecided, as ateam, Dom wouldn’tmiss the day. He wouldn’t miss the day of workouts. That’s what he would’ve wanted for us. He wouldhave said, ‘Life’s gotto moveon. We’ve got championships to winand we still have goals, and the clocks are still rolling.’”

Finnesethsharedthe storyabout howafew weeks agotheywere hanging out at his apartment complex and wanted to use the hot tub. Finneseth, who’srehabbing his knee, didn’thavethe keysoPonderhopped over thetallfenceto get them inside.

“Always there for teammates,” Finneseth said. “Whatever we needed.”

Defensive back RJ Johnson felt the sameway

“That’swhatwehave to do this season,” Johnson said, “play for Dom.”

ss 51 10 Brownrf3 00 0 Feinberg lf 62 33 Yaminph/1b 322 2 Gerety cf 50 10 Curiel cf 321 0 Brinkerdh6 23 1Reavesph/3b 100 1 Bentley rf 51 21 Pearson1b2 00 0 Cha1b5 12 0Serna 1b/c

SignedGChris Youngblood and FJaysonKenttotwo-way contracts NFL CLEVELAND BROWNS —Hired Todd Monken as head coach, John Carr as chief of staff, Travis Switzer as offensivecoordinator, MikeRutenberg as defensivecoordinator and ByronStorer as specialteams coordinator. Terminatedthe contractofT Cornelius Lucas. Waived CJustinOsborne. NEW YORK JETS —TenderedRBBreeceHall. SEATTLESEAHAWKS —TenderedS Ty Okada and RB George Holani WASHINGTONCOMMANDERS —Signed OL Andrew Wylie to acontract. NHL CHICAGOBLACKHAWKS —RecalledEthan Del MastrofromRockford(AHL). COLORADO AVALANCHE —RecalledJason Polin from Colorado (AHL) DALLAS

Northeastern 046 001 200 —13152 LSU 000 101 323 —10104 E—Musacchia (4),Grifﬁn(2);Brown (2), Pearson (1), Ruckert (1),Williams (1). DP Northeastern 2. LOB— Northeastern 9; LSU 10. 2B —Feinberg(2),Gerety (2), Brinker 2 (3). 3B —Clauss (1). HR —Chr.Walsh (1), Yamin (1). HBP —Gerety; Pearson, Milam. SF —Chr.Walsh (1). SB —Aschettino (3). CS —Bentley (4). Northeastern IP HR ER BB SO Grifﬁn, W(1-0)5.1 42 12 2 Coniglio 0.20 22 20 Car.Walsh0.1

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By DAVID ZALUBOWSKI

Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder warms up before agameSept 14,2024, in FortCollins, Colo. Ponder died in acar crash Sundayat23.

BY IAN McNULTY Staff writer

Onasunny weekday morningin

theFrench Quarter, BlakeSunseri washosing down theconcrete floor at hisfamily’s P&J Oyster Co. as arefrigerated box truck full of oystersrumbled to ahalt, briefly mufflingthe hammering sounds of Willie Dove breakingopenmoreoysters at the shuckingtable.

It could be avignettefrom generations past, justanother hard-working dayatthe French Quarter’sold oyster house.

In fact,Sunseri is part of the sixth generation of family owners now gradually takingthe reins of P&J, along withhis cousin, Dominic Sunseri.

Oysterthemed items andmemorabilia includinga Muses shoe set the

It is also atime capsule to an older way of doing business around abedrock piece of Louisiana’sculinary culture, even in atime of great change for the oyster industry and Louisiana oyster culture.

Historyonthe half shell

The name P&J comes from the company’sfounders, John Popich andJosephJurisich, who were part of a19th century wave of immigrants from Croatia that have long shaped Louisiana’soysterbusiness.

TheSunseri family,whose rootsgo back to Italy,joined the company andwould eventually takeonfull ownership of the brand.

ABOVE: Ashucked oyster on ice at P&J Oyster Co ä See P&J, page 2D

This year,P&J marks 150 years since itsformation in 1876. The oyster processor and distributor is a bridge between ﬁshermenand farmerswho harvest Gulf oysters andthe New Orleansrestaurants that serve them. It claims to be theoldest such company in the U.S.

The fifth-generation owners, brothers Sal Sunseri and Al Sunseri, ran the company together beginning in the1980s.Al, 68,isnow retired. Sal, 65, is eyeing the samemove in afew years. They both have been engaged in a long-term succession plan with Al’s son, Blake,40, andSal’s sonDominic, 28, who now have ahand in every part of the operation. They’re absorbing the ethos of the P&J business model as much as the rhythms of its daily tasks. “Weneed to keep the sameformula, but adapt to anew generation of chefs and restaurant clientele,”

GW Fins continuestodeliver groundbreaking seafood

BYIAN McNULTY Staff writer

From dining room to bar, GW Fins waspackedduring my last visit, and it’snomystery why On one level, this is anice, upscale French Quarter seafood restaurant, and this cityisfamousfor seafood. It’s amagnet for visitors who want aﬁne-dining taste of New Orleans. But we were visiting with a more speciﬁc goal in mind. Now marking its 25th year in business, GW Fins has become the spot for Gulf seafood done differently,progressively changing and expanding the idea of what

Dryagedswordfish chop, servedwith blackgarlic bordelaise, is aperiodic specialty at GW Fins restaurant, apioneer of the technique in New Orleans.

ABOVE: Oyster shucker Willie Dove hands an oyster to Sal Sunseri at P&J Oyster Co. in NewOrleans.

RIGHT: Al Sunseri slurpsanoyster at P&J Oyster Co.in NewOrleans.

STAFF PHOTOSBy SOPHIA GERMER

RIGHT:

scene at P&J Oyster Co.

LEFT: The home of P&J Oyster Co., at North Rampart and Toulouse streets in New Orleans, seen in 1952

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM P&J OySTER CO

By The Associated Press

Today is Wednesday, March 4, the 63rd day of 2026. There are 302 days left in the year

Today in history: On March 4, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated for a second term. With the end of the Civil War in sight, and just six weeks before his assassination, Lincoln declared:

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the fight as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan — to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

Also on this date:

In 1789, the Constitution of the United States took effect as the ﬁrst Federal Congress met in New York.

In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated for his ﬁrst term as president; he was the last U.S. president to be inaugurated on this date (subsequent inaugurations have been held on Jan. 20). In his inaugural speech, Roosevelt stated, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

In 1966, John Lennon, of The Beatles, was quoted in the London Evening Standard as saying, “We’re more popular than Jesus now,” a comment that caused an angry backlash in the United States

In 1987, President Ronald Reagan addressed the nation on the Iran-Contra affair, acknowledging that his overtures to Iran had “deteriorated” into an arms-for-hostages deal.

In 1998, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that workplace sexual harassment laws are applicable when the offender and victim are of the same sex.

In 2015, the Justice Department cleared Darren Wilson, a White former Ferguson, Missouri, police ofﬁcer, in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, a Black 18-year-old, but also issued a scathing report calling for sweeping changes in city law enforcement practices, which it called discriminatory and unconstitutional.

In 2020, daredevil Nik Wallenda successfully walked across a 1,800-foot tightrope spanning the active Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua, completing the trip across the steel cable in just over 31 minutes.

Today’s birthdays: Film director Adrian Lyne is 85. Author James Ellroy is 78. Musician-producer Emilio Estefan is 73. Actor Mykelti Williamson is 69. Actor Patricia Heaton is 68. Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, of Minnesota, is 68. Actor Steven Weber is 65. Rock musician Jason Newsted is 63. Author Dav Pilkey is 60. Republican Sen. James Lankford, of Oklahoma, is 58. NBA forward Draymond Green is 36. NFL wide receiver George Pickens is 25. Singer Cameron Winter is 24.

GW FINS

Continued from page 1D

dry-aged cuts of blueﬁn tuna Executive chef Mike Nelson is pursuing new ways with seafood, breaking the local mold while giving a better measure of the depth and quality of local seafood.

A modern classic, modernized

On this visit, I shared one of the roomy booths with a couple who hadn’t been to GW Fins in so long it practically qualified as their first visit. The restaurant has changed that much from its start. The framework is still much the same, with a ring of plush booths, deep as opera boxes. Cypress columns still frame the center of the dining room. It always brings to mind the legs of the offshore platforms, where fish of the sort on this menu school and hunt in the Gulf. But after a thorough remodeling in 2024, the restaurant’s overall style feels more modern and refined, and more in step with its identity today

GW Fins opened on March 9, 2001, thanks to chef Tenney Flynn and business partner Gary Wollerman (whose initials lend themselves to the restaurant name) They came through the corporate side of the Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse chain together and their initial idea was to treat seafood in the venerated way that the best steakhouses serve beef.

Nelson started cooking at GW Fins shortly before Hurricane Katrina. He was back as the res-

P&J

Continued from page 1D

said Dominic Sunseri. “People eat different, what they want is different. The chefs want the quality but have to keep the costs down.”

Their focus is maintaining the company’s guiding philosophy: respect for the product and business relationships, from harvesters to restaurant customers, along with the trust built into their brand over time.

“I don’t know a lot of other companies that are 150 years old that aren’t big corporations,” said Blake Sunseri. “We have to keep doing what works for our customers.”

Changing oyster culture

The city once had hundreds of places serving oysters, from conventional restaurants to saloons, and the French Quarter was central to the industry, with many dealers and processors along its streets.

In 1921, when P&J moved into its current home at the corner of Toulouse and North Rampart streets, it was adjacent to the oyster docks of the Old Basin Canal a historic waterway (long ago ﬁlled in) that connected the core of the city to surrounding waterways.

Now, fresh oysters are more of a specialty at restaurants, and P&J is a rare vestige of the French Quarter’s industrial past.

The workday starts before dawn, usually around 4 a.m. Trucks that collected oysters from docks across Louisiana’s estuarine coast arrive with their first deliveries. The inventory is divided into

“shucking oysters,” meaning they’ll be opened for pints, quarts and gallons at the warehouse, and “half shell oysters,” bound for oyster bars where they’ll be opened at service.

Roughly 30,000 oysters will move through the building in a day during peak season, which is now

But that is a fraction of the volume P&J once handled. After Hurricane Katrina, many of the dockside processing sheds that helped supply the company were wiped out; many of the old-school restaurants on P&J’s customer list never reopened.

In 2010, the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster once again slammed the local oyster industry, and for a stint, P&J ceased shucking altogether

To survive, P&J scaled down its operation. Whereas 17 people might have shucked oysters at once inside its warehouse, there will be one or two per shift on an

taurant opened and eventually became executive chef, taking the helm from Flynn, who has retired. It remains a family restaurant with Wollerman, wife Patti and their daughters, Marin and Rhegan, running the restaurant alongside longtime manager Kyo Juttner

The early line on GW Fins was that it was the place to ﬁnd seafood from other waters — fancy imports like branzino, John Dory and Chilean sea bass (a.k.a. Patagonian toothﬁsh) At the time, this was a way to take seafood upscale in New Orleans, where the plentiful local catch was often an inexpensive commodity But there was a change in out-

look. The restaurant began pursuing the best fish from the Gulf, in many cases working directly with fishermen, and treating it with the refinement it deserves

“You realize all the best ﬁsh on Earth are here, we have the greatest ﬁsheries, so let’s present that,” Nelson recalled of the shift. Boucherie of the sea

With the restaurant butchering its own blueﬁn tuna, swordﬁsh and other large species Nelson faced the question of what to do with the off-cuts, the meat around the bones. His answer was seafood charcuterie.

“It’s like a boucherie, you have to ﬁgure out real fast what you’re

average day The owners took on more of the hands-on work of moving and distributing inventory themselves, and they diversiﬁed by adding live crawﬁsh and alligator meat.

Changes in the Louisiana oyster industry have only continued since 2010, as the industry contends with the environmental impacts of climate change, coastal land loss and the coastal restoration projects aimed at blunting it all.

There’s a new type of Gulf oyster on the scene, too. Sometimes called cultivated oysters or off-bottom oysters for the way they are grown in cages suspended in the water, these are typically smaller more delicate and pricier than the familiar wild reef-harvested oyster Over the past decade, they have rapidly become more prominent on restaurant menus, usually marketed under the brand name of the small farms producing them.

Still, the vast majority of the

going to do with all this meat,” he said “Now we have a plan for where all of it is going, the head cut and tail cut and everything in between.”

The chef taught himself about traditional charcuterie-making and found that the techniques for pork applied step by step to ﬁsh.

“It’s about the method, not as much the ingredient,” he said. Getting a taste

That’s why, at this dinner, my eyes went instantly to dishes listed on the menu with a ﬁsh skeleton insignia, indicating seafood charcuterie. It’s a selection that may change as often as the roster of fresh ﬁsh on the menu.

Swordﬁsh has proven versatile in Nelson’s kitchen. On this night, it was both a play on mortadella (“swordella”) and swordﬁsh pepperoni, which were stacked together with olive salad for mini seafood muffulettas.

Yellowﬁn tuna was turned into a ﬁsh pastrami with a pepper-crusted edge and tender texture. This went into tuna pastrami finger sandwiches with pickles on triangle cuts of rye bread.

It was so delectable, I found myself peeling back the bread. I could imagine it being sold by the pound at a ﬁsh market — and myself buying quite a lot of it. Age before umami

The most consistently available of the off-cuts are Fins wings. The type of ﬁsh changes, but these are always the collar ﬁns, clung with nuggets of meat in a sticky, sweetheat Korean-style glaze to pull from the bone.

Louisiana oyster harvest, and by far the most common at restaurants, is the reef-harvested oyster

This remains P&J’s stock in trade.

But the company long ago built a brand around its own name, elevating its piece of the Gulf harvest from a commodity product.

Bivalve branding

In the early 1990s, the Sunseri brothers approached restaurateur Dickie Brennan with the idea of labeling oysters on his menus as P&J product. The branding appealed to Brennan’s own sense of Louisiana culinary identity and food heritage.

“As a chef, I wanted people to know where I’m sourcing these from, like your other fine ingredients, that it wasn’t just a Gulf oyster but an oyster from specific people and a place,” Brennan recalled recently So “P&J oysters” started appearing on menus at Brennan’s thennew Palace Café. Commander’s Palace, Mr B’s Bistro and other influential restaurants in the Brennan family tree adopted the practice as well. Soon, P&J became a well-known local name among oyster lovers, not just industry insiders, and became a byword for quality Louisiana oysters on menus around the city

That is what P&J is banking on today as the next generation prepares to fully take the helm.

“You have to make your customers happy and know that they’ll make money with what we’re selling them. It has to be great quality, it has to be consistent,” said Al Sunseri. “I always tell the ﬁshermen we work with, I only want the oysters you’d bring to your parents or grandparents.”

It has the same appeal as chicken wings, and turns a too-oftendiscarded part of the fish into a crowd-pleasing highlight.

Dry aging is another sideline that’s become a signature, and the blueﬁn tuna is the highest expression of its potential from this kitchen. It’s not always on the menu (the aging takes time) but it’s well-worth making speciﬁc plans around availability

Under the grill-marked surface is a variation of color leading to the tender, pink nearly raw center

The meat is dense, but also meltingly tender and gives a richly meaty umami ﬂavor that seems to coat the back of the palate. Bearnaise and a lip-smacking housemade Worcestershire sauce ﬁnish it off. We also tried the dry-aged swordfish, which does similarly accentuate the flavor, though at a cost to velvet-smooth texture. This is a good cut for people who want to try dry aging but may shy away from the sushi-like qualities of rare tuna The black garlic bordelaise draping it elevated the umami nicely

Dessert is the one part of the menu that doesn’t change much. How many times have I ended a meal with the salty malty a pie of burnt caramel ice cream, chocolate-covered pretzels and caramel that is just the right bridge from savory to sweet? At least once that evening, and it won’t be the last. Add the “coconut on the half shell,” coconut sorbet in a chocolate shell, and the journey is complete, at least for the night. This restaurant is always coming up with fresh delights.

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

Al, from left, Dominic, Blake and Sal Sunseri pose with oysters outside P&J Oyster Co in New Orleans.

Willie Dove shucks oysters at P&J Oyster Co.

STAFF PHOTO By IAN McNULTy

A Louisiana marsh scene changes subtly with the reflected light inside GW Fins seafood restaurant in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Nell Nolan SOCIETY

Contact: nnolan@theadvocate.com

Thesceptered set

Oberon

Fantasy and “Favor” fused formality and fun when the Elves of Oberon celebrated their 132nd year with agala masked ball at the Orpheum Theater Legend reminds us, as does Shakespeare in “A Midsummer Night’sDream,” that Oberon was King of Fairyland and Titania, his queen Add to the merry mix Robin Goodfellow,Puck, anature spirit and trickster, who often causes trouble forhumans and fairiesalike In the ball’stableau, the players lamented the closure of acherished jewelry shop on CanalStreet, which supplied theball’s favors. “Can IGet aFavor?” was both the tableau title and the quest. Puck solvedthe dilemma by ﬁnding “The Violet Lady to See them all though.”

n Mystery

All sights turned to the masquerade’scynosure,Miss Caroline Staples Picou,daughter of Mr.and Mrs. David Louis Picou, who reigned as the2026 queen of the Elves of Oberon. Last year,Miss Sarah Elizabeth Fitzpatrick,daughter of Mr.and Mrs. BrianChristopherFitzpatrick, wore the glittering crown Maids to her majestyCarolinewere Misses Cameron Sinclair Andrews, Eleanor Katherine Cowan,Annabel Katherine McCarthy, Lucile McGlinchey Monsted, in absentia Elizabeth Kathleen Robert, and Helen Claire Thompson.Four pages completed the court:Masters Hayward Manson Adams,Thomas Jackson Bethune V, Christopher MichaelHodnette Jr., and Parker EarlKoerner Jr Mrs.Bruce Michael Thompson madeajoyfulreturn at the50-year queen, having ruled as Catherine Cunningham Barry.At therecentOberon ball, she was accompanied by lively kin and kith. She even got aspecial nod from theking, Oberon, whoseemed to be relishing his role.

Smiling throughout,and enjoying the music makingofthe JimmyMaxwell Orchestra led by RobertMaxwell, was theroyal mother, Meredith Picou,who was resplendentina gown by Katie Johnson of Royal DesignHouse. Made of lilac matelassé, it was embellished with aﬂoral pattern in shades of orchid, periwinkle, deep lavender,and shining metallic gold. Others in prominent seating were maternal grandmother Mrs. Martin ArchibaldMacdiarmid Jr and Mmes. Macdiarmid III,Alan Bartley Gorman, John August Batt Jr., RobertMichaelHardie,Adam Roy Wirth, MichaelOwen Barry,David Conway Kepper Jr., RobertLawrenceBarry,William Ward Watkin,Thomas M. Richard and WilliamG.Barry Jr Also, Lisette Milham Normann and CatherineLapeyre Barry

Many worethe queen’spin, which was amagnolia ﬂankedbypansies, as well as thekrewe favor an enameled peacock.Both were designedby Adler’s. Quite afew of the ball gowns were in the organization’s signature violet, or various shades of purple.

Theultimate visualswere provided by the radiantmonarch

Her A-linesilhouette gown by theabove Katie Johnson was of silver lame and lace and featured embroidery with an Art Deco scalloped motif. Amethyst Austrian crystal drops, set rhinestones, sequins andbeading embellishedthe lace on queen Caroline’sgorgeous gown.

Special guestswere able to get aclose-up of theregal robeprior to theball at the New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club. After the balmasqué,guestscrossed the street from the OrpheumtoThe Roosevelt, wherethe Blue Room was staged for the Queen’s Supper Pamela Dennis Flowers madethe ﬂoral statement; breakfast fare included Bananas Foster; late-nightbites pleased with cheeseburger sliders and mini grilled cheese sandwiches;and the show band, BRW, revved up the revelry

“It meant so much to me,” saidanappreciative and happy queen Caroline,who concluded with “(it)was anight Iwill never forget.” Somewhere, Oberon and Titania beamed in approbation.

Rings, roses and royalty! All this was offered within aCarnivalscape produced by theKrewe of Mystery The annual event, which now hails 115 years of merriment,isbilled Ball of the Roses, and for 2026, thethemewas “Le Cirque Magnifique.”Attendees applauded the adept performers within thecircus “ring” of the ball’stableau. They also clapped their gloved hands withglee at the appearance of the queen and her court.Miss Elizabeth McLundie Bolton Schmidt had the royal honor and dazzled in agown of white satin by Katie Johnson of Royal Design House. The overlay featured acustomdesigned lace of beaded roses madewith silvery and shining seed beads, sequins, andbugle beads. Maids to her majesty were Misses CecileAmanda Abbott, Suzanne Marie Brown, Hazel Kathryn Drury, Piper Katherine Franks, Elizabeth Adlynn Johnston,Vivian Bryce Jones, Madeline Francis Kessels, Catherine Carlise Martin and Lizette Anne Terrillion.Mystery lineage figures for most of them, as it does for Miss Jones, whose mother,as Cathryn Boyd Abbott,ruled in 1988. Lastyear,Miss Emily Elizabeth LeBlanc,daughter of Mr.and Mrs. CliftonDavid Le Blanc, reigned. The train bearers were Misses Elizabeth Abigail Childress and Jean Rose Murphy, and the page quartet,Masters Hayward MansonAdams,Thomas Jackson Bethune V,WiltonEllwood Bland V, and John Martin Roth. MarySchmidt,queen Ellie’smother,chose astunning gown by the above couturiere that was embossed with roses and artfully finished with asatin-faced capelet of deep crimson. She and daughters Conery and Anna, daughter-in-law Mrs. R. Calderwood Schmidt, and royal grandmothers Mrs. Robert C. Hassinger and Mrs. Michael J. Schmidt accessorized their ball gownswith the Adler’screated krewe favors featuring acircus seal on adrum balancing aball on its nose. They were ahit! Another favorite was the symbolic butterfly pin given by thequeen.

Noted, too, were Mmes. Catherine H. Drennan, H.Wood VanHornIV, Michael H. Schmidt, E. James Kock III,TimothyJ.Young,David C. Joseph, Peirce A. HammondII, Paul A. Connolly,MichaelQ.Walshe Jr., Shaun M. McCarthy, Edmund E. Redd,AndrewS Hovet, Paul J. Politz, EdmundR.Henry,JosephM.Guillot, and WilliamC.Gambel Jr Also, Dee McCloskey and Janet C. Morse Particularly recognized was Mrs. Peter Hopkins, who worethe crown at the Ball of Roses 50 years ago as Jean Ann Maumus.

“Thank Heaven for LittleGirls” was among the noteworthy tunes rendered by RobertMaxwell and the Jimmy Maxwell Orchestra. Another was“South Rampart Street Parade.”

Very near Rampart and forming a foot “parade,” many of the ball’sguests headed to The Roosevelt forthe Queen’s Supper in theWaldorf Astoria Ballroom

(They had gathered earlier,prior to theball, on St. Charles Avenue forthe Queen’sReception.) Katie Rafferty spearheaded thedecorations —aswell as the ball invitation and program —using papier-mâché tocreate circus animals. Steve Baker did theﬂowers of red roses that bedecked thepink-clothed tables; an ice sculpturewith redrosesserved queen Ellie’ssignaturecocktail; hats and lightup red-roses beads produced twinkly lagniappe; and, for Ellie’sentrance, Rockin’ Dopsie programmed ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.”

Later,her majesty joined him on the stage for more musical fun.

Amongher royal reﬂections were those of “sitting on the throne with her fabulous king during the ball,” and then dancing with her pals at the supper Concerning queen Ellie’sgratitude and enjoyment, there was no mystery about that.

PHOTOSByKENNy MARTINEZ

Caroline Picou

Lucy Monsted, Helen ClaireThompson

Eleanor Cowan, Odom Heebe, Annabel McCarthy

Cameron Andrews,Michael Bell

Christopher Hodnette, Parker Koerner, Hays Adams, Penn Bethune

Catherine Barry Thompson, Sarah Fitzpatrick

Nancy Walshe, Meredith Picou, MendyBarry

PHOTOSByJEFF STROUT

Ellie Schmidt

Vivian Jones, MadelineKessels, Catherine Martin

Lizette Terrillion, Dwight Acomb

Suzanne Brown, Hazel Drury

Piper Franks, Bubba Hines, Elizabeth Johnston

Cecile Abbott, Ned Bergin

Front: Jean RoseMurphy, Elizabeth Childress; back:Hays Adams, John MartinRoth, Penn Bethune, Wilton Bland

Lauren Carrere, Sallee Benjamin, Jean Maumus Hopkins, Mary Schmidt

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Let kind gestures be your calling card. How you treat others will set the stage for what you receive in return. A positive lifestyle change will promote unique encounters and unexpected offers.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Give yourself time to rejuvenate. Delve into something you find relaxing and enjoyable. Use your creative imagination and put your talents to work for you.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Take care of small but essential details. Your patience and willingness to go the extra mile will win you well-deserved praise. Be honest with yourself about your happiness.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Take charge, initiate change and focus on friendships, helping others and walking away from toxic situations. Take the plunge and do something that restores your faith.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Express yourself openly and make suggestions that help you gain recognition. A chance to expand your skills, interests and possibilities is heading your way.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Put your energy where it brings the highest return. Learn something new, travel, communicate and make special plans with those who inspire you to try new things and challenge you to grow intellectually.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) How you deal with people and respond to requests will influence your position and reputa-

tion among your peers. Step up and lead the way, and rewards will follow.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Consider some of the suggestions you receive and offer your input to those you feel comfortable working with. If you mix business with pleasure, positive options and an acceptable offer will unfold.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Attend functions that allow you to further your interests. Communication and learning are on the rise and will help you fine-tune your skills to fill fast-growing needs.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Be careful what you share with whom. Someone will be eager to twist your words and put you in a precarious position. Strive for better health, less worry and a simpler lifestyle.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You've got more going for you than you realize. Speak up, share your intentions and make plans that point you toward greater security. Self-improvements will give your life a positive spin.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Size up your situation, budget and the changes necessary to relinquish any doubt you have about your lifestyle and prospects. Invest in yourself, your health and your wealth.

FAMILY CIrCUS

zodIAC

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

toDAy's cLuE: I EQuALs J

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

nea CroSSwordS

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of thesudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER

Vinoba Bhave, an Indian advocate for human rights who died in 1982, said, “Innumerable actions aregoing on through us allthe time. If we started counting them, we shouldnever come to an end.”

Luckily, it is not that tough at the bridge table. But the more counting you do, the betteryou will play —our theme this week.

In today’s deal, look at the auction and theWest and North hands.South is in fourspades.Westleadsthediamondace. Howshould he continue the defense?

North,holdingalowdoubleton,reasonably chose to use Stayman. (If he had respondedthreeno-trump,thatcontract could alsohave been defeated.) South correctly rebid two hearts when holding four cards in each major. North jumped to three no-trump. And South, knowing hispartner had four spades, corrected back to gameinthat strain When the dummy comes down, agood defender first checks out the high-card points.Southindicated15-17,dummyhas 13,andWestholdsseven.Thatleaves3-5 forEast.SoEast could have one winner to go with West’s diamondace-king. But whereisthe fourthdefensive trick?

Now count the suitlengths. Dummy hasthreehearts,Southshowedfour,and Westhas five.Eastmust have asingleton. This is West’s bestchance. At trick two— not after cashing the diamond king, acard needed as an entry —West shifts to aheart.

Then, East can take the first or second round of spades, returnadiamond to his partner’s king, and receive aheart ruff to defeat the contract.

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

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed toDAy’s WoRD FREtFuLLy: FRET-fuh-lee: Restlessly.

Average mark22words

Time limit 40 minutes

Can you find 32 or morewords in FRETFULLY?

yEstERDAy’s WoRD —MARoons

wuzzles

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard fillmore

GramS

dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

Puzzle Answer ken ken

InstructIons: 1 Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. HErE is a

Scrabble

Get fuzzy

jump Start

roSe iS roSe

animal crackerS

DuStin

Drabble

Wallace the brave

breWSter rockit

luann

PUBLIC NOTICESALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THAT CERTAIN PORTION OF GROUNDBEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBERS 1201

03NORTH GALVEZSTREET, CITY OF NEWOR‐LEANS,INTHE MATTERENTI‐

TLED: RENAS‐ANT BANK VER‐SUS THEK &T INSTITUTE, LLC: MBR REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS, LLC AND MICHAELB REDMANN

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-9190

ﬂoor of theCivil DistrictCourt Building, 421 LoyolaAvenue inthe FirstDis‐trict of theCity onMarch 5, 2026, at 12:00 o'clock noon, the following described prop‐ertytowit:

ALLTHATCER‐TAINLOT OR PARCELOF GROUND, TO‐GETHERWITH ALL THE BUILDINGSAND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON, AND ALL THERIGHTS, WAYS, MEANS, PRIVILEGES, SERVITUDES, APPURTE‐NANCES,AD‐VANTAGESAND COMPONENT PARTS THEREUNTOBE‐LONGING OR IN ANYWISE AP‐PERTAINING LYINGAND BEING SITUATED IN THESECOND DISTRICT OF

DISTRICT OF THECITYOF NEW ORLEANS, PARISHOFOR‐LEANS STATEOF LOUISIANA,IN SQUARENO. 288, WHICHSQUARE IS BOUNDEDBY N GALVEZ,GOVER‐NOR NICHOLS, N.MIROAND BARRACKS STREETS, DESIG‐NATED AS LOT35ONA PLATOFSURVEY BYGILBERT & KELLY,SURVEY‐ORS,DATED JUNE18, 1937, ANDAC‐CORDING TO WHICHSURVEY SAIDLOT FORMS THEIN‐TERSECTIONOF N. GALVEZAND GOVERNOR NICHOLS STREETSAND MEASURES THENCE 29 FEET, 3 INCHES FRONT ONN.GALVEZ STREET,SAME WIDTH IN THE REAR, BY A DEPTH AND FRONTONGOV‐ERNOR NICHOLS STREET OF 82 FET,4 INCHES, THE SAME DEPTH ON THEOPPOSITE SIDE.

THEIMPROVE‐MENTS THEREON BEAR THE MUNICIPAL NUMBER 1201 N. GALVEZ STREET,NEW ORLEANS,LA 70119

WRIT AMOUNT: $542,879.53

Susan Hutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans GH 24 NEWMAN MATHIS,BRADY & SPEDALE, APLC504 837 9040

TheN.O.Advo‐cateDate (s): 1/28/2026 & 3/4/2026

JAN28-MAR42T

PUBLIC NOTICESALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTION OF GROUNDBEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER1300 ALVAR STREET, THISCITY, IN THE MATTERENTI‐TLED: CAMPUS FEDERAL CREDIT UNION VERSUS CHRISTTEMPLE OFNEW OR‐LEANS,INC ANDONASSIS F. JONES

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-3105

FOUR CERTAIN LOTSOF GROUND, TO‐GETHERWITH ALL THEBUILD‐INGS AND IMPROVEMENTS

IMPROVEMENTS THEREON, AND RIGHTS, WAYS SERVITUDESAP‐PURTENANCES AND ADVANTAGES THEREUNTOBE‐LONGING OR IN ANYWISE AP‐PERTAINING, SITUATED IN THETHIRD DIS‐TRICT OF THE CITYOFNEW ORLEANS, PARISH STATE

PARISH,STATE OFLOUISIANA, SQUARE 532, BOUNDED BY ALVAR URQUHART, PAULINEAND N. VILLERE STREETS, DESIGNATED AS LOTS19, 20, 21 AND 22 ON THE SURVEYMADE BYGILBERT, KELLY&

ALEXANDER SIDES SPAHT& MULLINS, LLC 225 761 0001

STACYG.BUT‐LER

TheN.O.Advo‐cateDate (s): 1/28/2026 & 3/4/2026 JAN28-MAR42T

THENEW ORLEANS PUBLIC BELT RAILROAD COMMISSION FOR THEPORTOFNEW ORLEANS MINUTES OF THEREGULAR COMMISSION MEETING THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2026

AREGULAR MEETING OF THENEW ORLEANS PUBLIC BELT RAILROAD COMMISSION FOR THEPORTOFNEW ORLEANS, HELD IN THEFIRST FLOOR AUDITORIUM OF THEPORTOFNEW ORLEANS’ OFFICES, LOCATED AT 1350 PORTOFNEW ORLEANS

PLACE, NEWORLEANS, LOUISIANA, WASCALLED TO ORDERBY CHAIRMAN MICHAELA.THOMASAT1:30 P.M.

MEMBERS Michael A. Thomas, Chairman

PRESENT:Jeanne E. Ferrer,Vice-Chair

Darryl D. Berger,Secretary-Treasurer

Sharonda R. Williams, Member

Todd P. Murphy,Member Dale S. Revelle, Member

MEMBERS James J. Carter,Jr.,Member

ABSENT: STAFF:B.Branch, Chief Executive Officer

T. Bryant,General Manager &Chief Strategy Officer

C. Kocur,Vice-President, Engineering

M. Scelson, Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel

C. Kocur,Vice-President, Engineering

G. Harris, Manager,Operations Support

GUESTS:J.Escudier,PortofNew Orleans

L. Marino, Port of New Orleans

Chief M. Montroll,HarborPolice Department

A. Laurie, Port of New Orleans

K. App, Port of New Orleans

M. Sulser,PortofNew Orleans

C. Gilmore, Port of New Orleans

G. Brown, PortofNew Orleans

T. Black, Port of New Orleans

C. Donze, Port of New Orleans

N. Dietzen, Port of New Orleans

C. Labat, PortofNew Orleans

K. Gilmore, Port of New Orleans

S. Abu Naser,Port of New Orleans

A. Dawson, Port of New Orleans

B. Bailey,Port of New Orleans

M. Austin, Port of New Orleans

A. Gulino,PortofNew Orleans

JGommel,Port of New Orleans

J. Passaro,PortofNew Orleans

Lt. C. Cummings, HarborPolice Department

Lt.C.Clark, Jr HarborPolice Department

E. Gondek, Port of New Orleans

K. Mills, Port of New Orleans

J. Fields, Port of New Orleans

K. Curth, Port of New Orleans

M. Singley,PortofNew Orleans

S. Hodges, PortofNew Orleans

A. Thompson, Stop the Grain Train

C. Nicks, Stop theGrain Train

P. Murano, Stop the Grain Train

C. Robles, Volkert

M. Moore, MOREO

C. Antrum, The Hackett Group

L. Averill, T. BakerSmith

I. Roll Call &DeterminationofQuorum

WEST

OF

Gauthé,seconded by Mr.Robinson, and unanimously approvedbythe Commissioners in attendance to approvebills for paymentand accept financial statements as submitted for the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority –West Bank, West Jefferson Levee District, and Algiers Levee District. Thevote on the motion was as follows:

YEAS: Mr.Ardoin, Mr.Galloway, Mr.Gauthé,Mr. Robinson

NAYS: None

ABSTAINED: None

ABSENT:Mr. Fogle

RECUSED: None

VACANY:One (1)

SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA FLOOD PROTECTION AUTHORITY–WEST BANK (SLFPA-W) Minutes of the Regular Board Meeting Tuesday,January 27,2026

The SLFPA-WBoard of Commissioners met at approximately 4:00 P.M., Tuesday,January 27, 2026 at theSLFPA-W –Office –Board Room, 7001River Road, Marrero, Louisiana

Mr. Burke welcomedMr. Kenneth Pickering to themeeting

Mr.Burke calledthe public meeting to order anddirected Mr Gauthé to call the roll.

Commissioners in attendance at theSLFPA-W –Office –Board Room: Mr.Ardoin, Mr.Burke,Mr. Galloway,Mr. Gauthé, and Mr.Robinson. Mr.Fogle was absent

Mr. Burke led all in attendanceinthe Pledge of Allegiance

Itwas moved by Mr.Robinson,secondedbyMr. Gauthé, and unanimously approved by theCommissioners in attendanceto affirm the agenda as presented. It was moved by Mr.Burke,secondedbyMr. Gauthé, and unanimously approved by theCommissioners in attendance toaccept and approve the minutesofthe December 16,2025 regularboard meeting.

There were no public comments.

Mr.Burke gave the President’sReport forthe month of January

Mr.Gauthé reportedonthe activities, meetings, and issuesof the Administration Committee during themonth of January.

Mr.Robinson reportedonthe activities, meetings, andissues of the

Mr.Noel presented the

Mr.Burke readthe

It wasmoved by Mr.Robinson, seconded by Mr.Ardoin, and unanimously approvedbythe Commissioners in attendance to approve the ArcadisU.S.Inc. Task Order to provide Construction Administration &Inspection(CAI) services for the WBV 16.2b Bayou Segnetteleveeliftproject in an amount not to exceed $183,886.00;and to furtherauthorize the President toexecute anycontracts,agreements, anddocuments to carryout theintentofthisaction; andtoamend the budget accordingly.The vote on the motion was as follows:

YEAS: Mr.Ardoin, Mr.Burke, Mr.Gauthé,Mr. Robinson

NAYS: None

ABSTAINED: None

ABSENT:Mr. Fogle

RECUSED: Mr.Galloway

VACANY:One (1)

It wasmoved by Mr.Robinson, seconded by Mr.Galloway, and unanimouslyapprovedbythe Commissioners in attendance to approvethe Digital Engineering &Imaging Inc. Task Order for continuation of services regarding the Harvey Canal Complex Fender Repair Project in an amount nottoexceed $276,960.00; and to further authorize the President to execute any contracts, agreements, anddocuments to carry outthe intent ofthisaction; andtoamend the budgetaccordingly. Thevote on themotion wasasfollows:

YEAS: Mr.Ardoin, Mr.Galloway, Mr.Gauthé,Mr. Robinson

NAYS: None

ABSTAINED: None

ABSENT:Mr. Fogle

RECUSED: None

VACANY:One (1)

It wasmoved by Mr.Gauthé,seconded by Mr.Robinson, and unanimously approvedbythe Commissioners in attendance to authorizethe payoffofthe outstanding West Jefferson Levee District LimitedTax Certificate of Indebtedness Series 2016 with aprincipalbalance of $4,601,000.00 plus alloutstanding interestdue to Hancock –Whitney Bank, andtofurtherauthorize the President to execute anydocuments to carry outthe intent of this action; andtoamend the budgetaccordingly. Thevote on the motion wasasfollows:

YEAS: Mr.Ardoin, Mr.Galloway, Mr.Gauthé,Mr. Robinson

NAYS: None

ABSTAINED: None

ABSENT:Mr. Fogle

RECUSED: None

VACANY:One (1) It wasmoved by Mr.Gauthé,seconded by Mr.Galloway, and unanimously approvedbythe Commissioners in attendance to adopt therevisions to the 2025-2030 StrategicPlanas presented for the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority –West Bank. Thevote on the motion was as follows:

YEAS: Mr.Ardoin, Mr.Galloway, Mr.Gauthé,Mr. Robinson

NAYS: None

ABSTAINED: None

ABSENT:Mr. Fogle

RECUSED: None

VACANY:One (1) It wasmoved by Mr.Gauthé,seconded by Mr.Robinson, and unanimously approvedbythe Commissioners in attendance to adopt therevisions to SLFPA-WPolicy #11-03-Overtime as

KELLY & COUTURIE,INC., SURVEYING & ENGINEERING, DATEDDECEM‐BER 31,1997, ACCORDINGTO WHIH LOTS 19, 20, 21 AND22 ADJOINEACH OTHER AND MEASURE AS FOLLOWS: LOT19MEA‐LOT 19 MEA SURES31FEET FRONT ON ALVAR STREET, SAMEWIDTH IN THE REAR,BY ADEPTH OF 118 FEET,6 INCHES, 2 LINES, ON THE SIDELINEAD‐JOINING LOT20, AND A DEPTHOF118 FEET,6 INCHES 4 LINESONTHE OPPOSITE SIDE‐

II. PledgeofAllegiance

Chairman Thomas lead thePledge of Allegiance

III. Public Comment

IV.Report of the General Manager

OPPOSITE SIDE LINE LOT 20 MEA‐SURES 31 FEET FRONT ON ALVAR STREET SAMEWIDTH IN THE REAR,BY ADEPTH OF 118 FEET,5 INCHES, 7 LINES, ON THE SIDELINEAD‐JOINING LOT21, AND A DEPTHOF118

Chairman Thomas called for agenda-related public comments but therewerenone.

Ms. Bryant reportedonthe Decembervolumes andproductivity statistics.

V. Approval of Meeting Minutes for December 2025

Chairman Thomas called for amotion to approve thepublic meeting minutes for December2025, as previouslycirculated. Commissioner Ferrer movedtoapprove theminutes andCommissioner Williams seconded. MOTION CARRIEDUNANIMOUSLY

Commissioner Berger joinedthe meeting at 1:32 p.m.

VI. Action Item:

A. Acceptance of the Financial Statement for December 2025

Mr.Lauriepresented theCommission’s financial statement for themonth of December, acopy of whichismade apartofthese minutes. CommissionerMurphymovedtoaccept the financial statement andCommissioner Ferrer seconded. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

B. Consider Approval of aResolution Authorizingthe Chief Executive Officer to Enter into an Industrial Track Agreement with the BoardofCommissionersofthe Port of New Orleans and Continental Cement Company,L.L.C. for the Property Located at 2315 FranceRoad, New Orleans, Louisiana, with a RailInvestmentNot-to-Exceed $1,300,000

Mr.Harrispresented andrecommendedapproval of the resolution. CommissionerFerrer movedtoapprove theresolution andCommissionerRevelle seconded. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

C. Consider Approval of aResolution Approving and Adoptingthe Proposed Amendments to the Commission’sBylaws. Mr.Escudier presented andrecommended approvalofthe resolution. CommissionerBergermovedtoapprove theresolution andCommissioner Williamsseconded. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

VII. Chairman &Commissioners’ Comments Chairman Thomas asked for Commissioners’ comments but there were none

VIII. Adjournment

Therebeing no further business to come beforethe Commission Chairman Thomas called for amotion to adjourn. Commissioner Williams so moved andCommissionerFerrer seconded. MOTION CARRIEDUNANIMOUSLY andChairmanThomas adjournedthe meeting at 1:35 p.m. 179217-623240-MAR 4-1T

presented with an effective date of January 27,2026. The vote on the motion was as follows:

YEAS: Mr.Ardoin, Mr.Galloway, Mr.Gauthé,Mr. Robinson

NAYS: None

ABSTAINED: None

ABSENT:Mr. Fogle

RECUSED:None VACANY:One (1) It wasmovedbyMr. Gauthé,seconded by Mr.Ardoin,and unanimouslyapprovedbythe Commissionersinattendanceto adopt the revisions to SLFPA-WPolicy #11-29-Dress Code, as presented with an effective date of January 27,2026. The vote on the motion was as follows:

YEAS: Mr.Ardoin, Mr.Galloway, Mr.Gauthé,Mr. Robinson

NAYS: None ABSTAINED: None

ABSENT:Mr. Fogle

RECUSED:None VACANY:One (1)

Mr.Burke announced the next public hearing and board meetingofthe Authority will be held Tuesday, February24, 2026 at the SLFPA-W– Office –Board Room,7001River Road, Marrero,Louisianaat4:00PM. Theagendabeing completed, Mr.Burke declared the meeting adjournedatapproximately 4:28 P.M.

VERSUS BRAD STEPHENBUCK‐NER

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-1448

SAME WIDTHIN THEREAR, BY ADEPTH OF 118

FEET,5 INCHES

5LINES,ONTHE SIDELINEAD‐JOININGLOT 22, ANDA DEPTHOF118 FEET,5 INCHES, 7LINES ON THE SIDELINEAD‐JOININGLOT 20

LOT22FORMS THECORNEROF ALVARAND URQUHART STREETSAND MEASURES 31 FEET,2 INCHES, 6LINES,FRONT ON ALVAR STREET,SAME WIDTH IN THE REAR BY DEPTHAND FRONTON

URQUHART STREET OF 118 FEET,5 INCHES

3LINES,BYA DEPTHONTHE SIDELINEAD‐JOININGLOT 21 OF 118 FEET,5 INCHES,5 LINES WRIT AMOUNT:

$490,638.42

Seized in the above suit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment ofadjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans GH 2 ALEXANDER

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 318 LAKE MARINA AV,UNIT116, CITY OF NEWORLEANS, IN THEMATTER ENTITLED: THE PIER 8CONDO‐MINIUMASSO‐CIATION, INC. VERSUS BRAD

ﬂoorofthe Civil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on March5, 2026, at 12:00 o'clock noon, thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: A CERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,SITU‐ATED IN THE STATEOF LOUISIANA, PARISH OF OR‐LEANS, SEV‐ENTH DISTRICT, WEST END TRACT, DESIG‐NATEDASLOT 56 A, BEING BOUNDEDBY NORTHLAKE AVENUE,RE‐GENT,STREET, WEST ROBERT E. LEEBLVD, AND THEHAZEUR TRACT, ANDIS MORE PARTICU‐LARLYDE‐SCRIBEDAS FOLLOWS: COM‐MENCES AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE SOUTHERLY RIGHTOFWAY LINE OF NORTH LAKE AVENUE ANDTHE WEST‐ERLY RIGHTOF WAYLINEOFRE‐GENT STREET,PRO‐CEED THENCE IN AWESTERLYDI‐RECTIONA DIS‐TANCEOF 764.95'FEET TO APOINT,THE POINTOFBE‐GINNING; CON‐TINUETHENCE ALONGSAID LINEOF NORTHLAKE AVENUE,STILL IN AWESTERLY DIRECTION, A DISTANCE OF 257.13' TO A POINTONTHE EASTERLY LINE OF THEHAZEUR TRACT, THENCE IN ASOUTHERLY DIRECTIONA DISTANCE OF 257.92'FEETTO APOINT; THENCE IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTIONOF 242.22' FEET TO APOINT THENCE IN A

THENCE IN A NORTHERLYDI‐RECTIONA DISTANCE OF 27.96' TO A POINT; THENCE IN ANORTH‐EASTERLY DI‐RECTIONA DISTANCEOF 60.83' FEET TO A POINT; THENCE IN ANORTHERLY DIRECTIONA DISTANCE OF 140' FEET TO A POINT, THENCE IN ANORTHERLY DIRECTIONA DISTANCE OF 106.55'FEETTO THEPOINT OF BEGINNING, ALL AS MORE FULLY SHOWNONA SURVEY OF WALKER & AVERY, INC., DATEDAPRIL 25, 1980 REVISED AUGUST 12, 1980 &MAY1, 1981

TOGETHER WITH ASERVITUDE OF PASSAGEOVER PARCELSC 1 ANDB 2IN FAVOR OF FORMER LOT 56 (NOW APART OF LOT56A) CREATEDBY ACTBEFOREIVY A. SMITH, JR.,NO‐TARY PUBLIC, DATEDAPRIL 24, 1960,REGIS‐TEREDINCOB 635, FOLIO 222, OF THE CONVEYANCE RECORDSFOR THEPARISHOF ORLEANS, STATE OF LOUISIANA.

BEINGTHE SAME PROP‐ERTY ACQUIRED BY BRAD

STEPHENBUCK‐NERBYACT BEFORE DAVID R.RIZZO,NO‐TARY PUBLIC, DATED JUNE 12, 2009, REGIS‐TEREDATCIN 436607, NA #09 25175 ("THE PROPERTY")

WRIT AMOUNT:

$17,278.29

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment ofadjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐l

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THEPORTOF NEW ORLEANS MINUTES OF THEREGULAR BOARD MEETING THURSDAY, JANUARY22, 2026

AREGULAR MEETING OF THEBOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE PORTOFNEW ORLEANS, HELD IN THEFIRST FLOOR AUDITORIUM AT ITS OFFICE LOCATED AT 1350 PORTOFNEW ORLEANS PLACE, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, WASCALLEDTOORDER BY CHAIRMAN

MICHAEL A. THOMAS AT 1:37 P.M.

MEMBERS

Michael A. Thomas, Chairman

PRESENT: Jeanne E. Ferrer,Vice-Chair

Darryl D. Berger,Secretary-Treasurer

Sharonda R. Williams,Member

Todd P. Murphy,Member

Dale S. Revelle, Member

MEMBER James J. Carter, Jr Member

ABSENT:

STAFF:

B. Branch, President &Chief Executive Officer

J. Escudier,Chief LegalOfficer

L. Marino, Chief of Staff& Vice-President External Affairs

Chief M. Montroll, Harbor Police Department

A. Laurie, Chief Financial Officer

K. App, Chief Commercial Officer

C. Gilmore, Chief EngineeringOfficer

M. Sulser,Director,Engineering

G. Brown, Vice-President,People &Culture

C. Labat, Director,Procurement

K. Gilmore, Director,Real Estate

S. Abu Naser,Controller

A. Dawson, Director,EmergencyManagement

T. Black, General Counsel

C. Donze, Staff Attorney

N. Dietzen, Staff Attorney

E. Gondek, Manager,Berthing

B. Bailey,InformationTechnology Specialist

M. Austin, Information Technology Specialist

J. Passaro, Manager,Engineering

Lt. C. Cummings, Harbor Police Department

Lt. C. Clark, Jr Harbor Police Department

A. Gulino, Deputy-Director,Waterfront Operations

J. Gommel, Manager,Berthing

K. Mills, Manager,Government &Community Affairs

J. Fields, Marketing &CommunicationsOfficer

K.Curth, Press Secretary

J. Guidry,Vice-President Terminal andWaterfront Maintenance

M. Singley,Executive StaffOfficer

S. Hodges, BoardSecretariat

GUESTS: T. Bryant, NOPB

C. Kocur,NOPB

M. Scelson, NOPB

G. Harris, NOPB

A. Thompson, Stop the Grain Train

C. Nicks, Stop the Grain Train

Parish of Or leans RB 26

SUTTON LAW FIRM,LLC 985 218 9358 CHARLESE.SUT‐TON, JR.

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 1/28/2026 & 3/4/2026 JAN28-MAR42T

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 6950-52

MILNEBOULE‐VARD,THISCITY, IN THEMATTER

ENTITLED: NEWREZ LLC D/B/ASHELL‐POINTMORT‐GAGE SERVIC‐INGVERSUS DENISP

VAMVORAS (A/K/A DENIS

VAMVORAS, DENISVAMVO‐RASSR.)AND THEUNOPENED SUCCESSION OF MILESP VAMVORAS (A/K/A MILES

VAMVORAS SR MILESVAMVO‐RAS)

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2024-10836

6950-52 MILNE BD NEWOR‐LEANS, LA 70124

LOTS:31& 32, SQUARE:60 SECOND MUNIC‐IPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 773291 WRIT AMOUNT: $174,099.62

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment

at the moment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans GH 12 LOGS LEGAL GROUPLLP 504838-7535 EMILYA MUELLER

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 3/4/2026 & 4/8/2026 mar4-apr8-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 501 VERRETST, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED: NUBRIDGE COM‐MERCIALLEND‐INGLLC VERSUS WRIGHT HOUSES NOLA LLC

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-3431

501 VERRET ST NEWORLEANS, LA 70114 LOTS A& BSQUARE 92

P. Murano, Stop the GrainTrain

C. Robles, Volkert

M. Moore, MOREO C. Antrum, The Hackett Group

L. Averill, T. BakerSmith

I. Roll Call &DeterminationofQuorum

SQUARE 92 5THMUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1412108 WRIT AMOUNT: $500,000.00

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, ParishofOr‐leans

RB 7 JACKSON& MCPHERSON, LLC504-5819444 CRIS JACKSON

TheN.O.Advo‐

cate Date (s): 3/4/2026 & 4/8/2026 mar4-apr8-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 2438 1STSTREET, THIS CITY,IN THE MATTER ENTI‐TLED:HSBC BANK USA, NA‐TIONAL ASSOCI‐ATION, AS TRUSTEE, FOR THEREGISTERED HOLDERSOF NOMURA HOME EQUITY HOME LOAN,INC ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-2 VERSUS ALBERT GIRARD,JR.

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S CaseNo: 2024-9740 By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by bli i

ceed to sell by public auction, on theground ﬂoor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on April9,2026, at 12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 2438 1STST NEWORLEANS, LA 70113 SQUARE 344, LOT17-A FOURTH MUNIC‐IPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN:873544 WRIT AMOUNT: $77,411.36

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

GH 8 LAWOFFICESOF HERSCHEL C. ADCOCK,JR. LLC (225) 756-0373 COREYJ.GIROIR

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 3/4/2026 & 4/8/2026 mar4-apr8-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 4631 ALBA RD,CITY OF NEWOR‐LEANS, IN THEMATTER ENTITLED:PEN‐NYMACLOAN SERVICES,LLC VERSUS KYLE JOSEPH GROETSCH A/K/AKYLE J. GROETSCH A/K/AKYLE GROETSCH CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No:

UNANIMOUSLY

Case No: 2025-5839

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans RB 9 LAWOFFICESOF HERSCHEL C. ADCOCK,JR., LLC(225) 7560373

Following arollcall of Boardmembers, Chairman Thomas confirmed aquorum and called the meeting to order at 1:37 p.m.

II. Public Comment

Chairman Thomas calledfor publiccomment and Ms.Singley

announced that three (3) individuals had requested to make public comment on mattersnot listed on the agenda.

Prior to inviting the speakers to the podium, Ms.Singley read the Board’spubliccomment parameters.

Cheryl Nicks, Amanda Thompson, and Peter Murano expressed opposition to the lease agreement withSunrise Foods International, Inc., the establishment of an organic grain terminal at the Alabo Street wharf, and the rehabilitation of the raillines along Alabo Street.

III. Reportbythe President and ChiefExecutive Officer

Ms.Branch presented an overview of the December 2025 volume and productivity statistics, along witha summaryofthe month’skey highlights.

IV.Approvalofthe Meeting Minutes for December 2025

Chairman Thomas calledfor amotiontoapprove the publicmeeting minutes for December 2025, as previouslycirculated. Commissioner Williams movedtoaccept the minutes and Commissioner Revelle seconded. MOTION CARRIEDUNANIMOUSLY

V. ActionItems:

A. Acceptance of the Consolidated FinancialStatements for December 2025.

Mr.Laurie presented the consolidated financial statements forthe monthofDecember,acopy of whichismade apart of these minutes. Commissioner Murphy movedtoapprove the consolidated financial statements and Commissioner Williams seconded. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

B. Consider Approval of aResolution Authorizing the President and ChiefExecutive OfficertoEnter into aContract with TetraTech, Inc. to Provide Debris and Waste Monitoring and Management Services for aPeriod of Three Years in an Amount NottoExceed $1,000,000 for the Full Contract Term

Mr.Gilmorepresented and recommended approval of the resolution. Commissioner Revellemovedtoapprove the resolution and Commissioner Ferrer seconded. MOTIONCARRIED

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 3/4/2026 & 4/8/2026 mar4-apr8-2t MATTER

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 4712 TULIPSTREET THIS CITY,IN THE MATTER ENTI‐

HEIRSOFGLO‐RIADONALD THOMPSON A/K/AGLORIA DONALD THOMPSON A/K/AGLORIAD THOMPSON A/K/AGLORIA THOMPSON

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE A NS Case No: 2025-442 By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground ﬂoor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on April9,2026, at 12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 4712 TULIPST NEWORLEANS, LA 70126 LOTS:22AND 23, SQUARE:11 THIRDMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT ACQMIN: 1085874 WRIT AMOUNT: $247,846.30

GH 19

THELAW OF‐FICESOFHER‐SCHELC.AD‐COCK,JR.,L.L.C (225) 756-0373 DENNISF.WIG‐GINS,JR

C. Consider Approval of aResolution Authorizingthe President and Chief Executive Officer to Amend the Contract with MiNO Marine LLC to ProvideEngineering Services for the Mobile HarborContainer Crane Project, to Increase the Not-ToExceed Amount by $46,500.00

Mr.Gulino presented andrecommended approvalofthe resolution.Commissioner Williams movedtoapprove the resolution andCommissioner Murphy seconded. MOTION CARRIEDUNANIMOUSLY

D. Consider Approval of aResolution Approving and Adopting the Proposed Amendments to the Board’sBylaws. Mr.Escudier presented andrecommended approvalofthe resolution.Commissioner Berger movedtoapprove theresolution andCommissioner Williams seconded. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

E. Consider Approval of aResolution Authorizingthe President and Chief Executive Officer to Amend the Consulting Agreement with Prime BusinessAdvisory Solutions,L.L.C.,for Financial Consulting Services to Increase the Not-to-Exceed Cost of the TotalAmount to $550,000 for the Full Contract Term Mr.Laurie presented andrecommended

TheN.O.Advo‐

cate Date (s): 3/4/2026& 4/8/2026

mar4-apr8-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 213-35 FRANKLIN AV‐ENUE,THISCITY, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:U.S BANK TRUST, NATIONAL AS‐SOCIATIONAS TRUSTEE FOR LB-DWELLING SERIES VI TRUSTVER‐SUSWARREN DYER

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-6390

Seized in the above suit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment ofadjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

GH 13 LOGS LEGAL GROUPLLP 504838-7535 EMILYA MUELLER

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 3/4/2026&

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 4962 PAINTERS ST, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:CAR‐RINGTONMORT‐GAGE SERVICES LLCVERSUS DMITRI VYCHKO ANDNOLARE‐NEWALGROUP LLC CI VI L

rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by publicauction on theground

ﬂoorofthe Civil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on April9,2026, at 12:00o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

4962PAINTERS ST NEWOR‐LEANS, LA 70122 LOTS -23& 24SQUARE 53 3RDMUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1326889 GENTILLY GAR‐DENS WRIT AMOUNT: $310,981.33

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACEMASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

RB 15 THELAW OF‐FICESOFHER‐SCHELC.AD‐COCK,JR.,L.L.C (225) 756-0373 COREYJ.GIROIR

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 3/4/2026 & 4/8/2026 mar4-apr8-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBERS2910

DICKEN DRIVE, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:CAS‐CADE FUNDING MORTGAGE TRUSTHB15 VERSUS BAR‐BARA JEAN SCOTTA/K/A BARBARA J. SCOTTA/K/A BARBARA SCOTT

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-9341

posit of ten per cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

GH 18

THELAW OF‐FICESOFHER‐SCHELC.AD‐COCK,JR.,L.L.C (225) 756-0373 DENNISF.WIG‐GINS

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 3/4/2026 & 4/8/2026 mar4-apr 8-2t

PUBLICNOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 6571 LOUISXIV STREET,THIS CITY,IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:U.S BANK TRUST NATIONAL AS‐SOCIATION, NOT IN ITSINDIVID‐UALCAPACITY, BUT SOLEYAS TRUSTEE OF THE TRUMAN2021 SC9TITLE TRUSTVERSUS GABRIELA CROWSONAND LILA ANN THOMAS CROW‐SON

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2024-11303

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 5879 MARSHALL FOCH STREET, THIS CITY,INTHE MATTER ENTI‐TLED:WILMING‐TONTRUST,NA‐TIONAL ASSOCI‐ATION, NOTIN ITSINDIVIDUAL CAPACITY,BUT SOLEYAS TRUSTEEOF MFRA TRUST 2015-1VERSUS KEITHC.LEE A/K/AKEITH CHARLES LEEAND MELISSA O. LEE A/K/AMELISSA ORTIZLEE

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2023-2373

By virtue of a Writ of FieriFa‐cias directed to me by theHon‐orable Judges of CivilDistrict Courtfor the Parish of Or‐leans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground ﬂoor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on April9,2026, at 12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 5879 MARSHALL FOCH ST NEW ORLEANS, LA 70124 SQUARE 379, LOTS 1& 2 SECOND MUNIC‐IPAL DISTRICT ACQ MIN:1438211 WRIT AMOUNT: $469,882.26

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS ARE REQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

RB 20 THESILVER‐STEINLAW FIRM,APLC504362-3692 IRLR.SILVER‐STEIN

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 3/4/2026 & 4/8/2026

cent of the pur chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks.

FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

RB 6 GRAHAM,ARCE‐NEAUX& ALLEN, LLC504-5228256 LOUISG.ARCE‐NEAUX

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 3/4/2026 & 4/8/2026 mar4-apr8-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 4790 EUNICE ST,CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE,LLC VERSUS MERY YOLANY LABORIEL PITIO A/K/AMERY YOLANY LA‐BORIEL A/K/A MERY Y. LA‐BORIEL A/K/A MERY LABORIEL A/K/AMERY YOLANY PITIO A/K/AMERYY PITIOA/K/A MERY PITIO A/K/AMERYLA‐BORIEL PITIO A/K/AMERYL PITIOAND VICTOR LENYN VELASQUEZ A/K/AVICTORL VELSAQUEZ A/K/AVICTOR VELASQUEZ

LLC (225) 756 0373 DENNISF.WIG‐GINS

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 1/28/2026 & 3/4/2026

JAN28-MAR42T

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 4818 KEEN COURT, THIS CITY,IN THE MATTER ENTI‐TLED:FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION VERSUS AISHEH ZAKKIYYAPOW‐ELLA/K/A AISHEH Z. POWELL A/K/AAISHEH POWELL

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-2722

NEARER TO HUNTLEEDRIVE, BY ADEPTH OF 118.36 FEET ALONGTHE SIDE LINE NEARER TO HUNTLEEDRIVE, BY ADEPTH OF 116.85 FEET ON THEOPPOSITE SIDE LINE

IMPROVEMENTS THEREONBEAR MUNICIPALNO. 4818 KEN COURT, NEWOR‐LEANS, LA 70131

WRIT AMOUNT: $208,444.98

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans GH 10 HALLIDAY WATKINS& MANN P.C. AT‐TORNEYSAT LAW

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 1/28/2026 & 3/4/2026

JAN28-MAR42T

Check or Money Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans RB 21 MCCABE LAW FIRM,LLC 504782-3436 RYAN MCCABE TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 1/28/2026 & 3/4/2026 JAN28-MAR42T

Seized in the above suit TERMS -CASH. Thepurchaser at themoment ofadjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans GH 2 DEAN MORRIS, LLC 318-3881440

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 3/4/2026 & 4/8/2026 mar4-apr8-2t

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

BD 4 HALLIDAY, WATKINS& MANN P.C. AT‐TORNEYSAT LAW

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 3/4/2026 & 4/8/2026 mar4-apr8-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 3547 ROGER WILLIAMS ST, CITY OF NEWORLEANS, IN THEMATTER ENTILED: NOLA FUNDING, LLC VERSUS WE REAL ESTATE IN‐VESTMENTS, LLCAND WILLIAMT GLASPER, SR ANDEVELYN BAUDDOIN GLASPER

mar4-apr8-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 1320 MENDEZ ST CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:HAN‐COCK WHITNEY BANK VERSUS KYONGYUN PORTER

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-379

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-8755 By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground ﬂoor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on March5, 2026, at 12:00 o'clocknoon, thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: 4790 EUNICE ST NEWORLEANS, LA 70127 LOT167SQUARE 8 3RDMUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1424104 DONA VILLA SUBDIVISION WRIT AMOUNT: $3,721.00

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice, and thebalance within thirty days thereafter Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

RB 19 LAWOFFICESOF HERSCHEL C. ADCOCK,JR. LLC(225) 756-

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground ﬂoor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on March5, 2026, at 12:00 o'clocknoon, thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: ONECERTAIN LOTOFGROUND, TOGETHER WITH ALLTHE BUILD‐INGS AN IMPROVEMENTS THEREON, AND ALLTHE RIGHTS, WAYS,PRIVI‐LEGES, SERVI‐TUDES ANDADVAN‐TAGESTHERE‐UNTO,BELONG‐INGORINANY‐WISE APPER‐TAINING, SITUATED IN THEFIFTH DIS‐TRTICT,CITYOF NEWORLEANS, PARISH OF OR‐LEANS, STATEOF LOUISIANA, IN THAT PART THEREOF KNOWNAS HUNTLEEVIL‐LAGE SUBDIVISION, SECTION“D” IN ACCORDANCE WITH SURVEY OF ADLOEORR, JR. & ASSOCIATES C.E.,DATED MARCH13, 1963. ACCORDINGTO SURVEY OF R. L. SCHUMANN & ASSOCIATES, LAND SURVEY‐ORS, DATED SEPTEMBER5 1974, THELOT IS FURTHERDE‐SCRIBEDAS FOLLOWS: LOT43, SQUARE 25, WHICHSAID SQUARE IS BOUNDEDBY KENCOURT, HUNTLEE DRIVE, ERKISON STREET (SIDE), BERKLEYDRIVE (SIDE),AND SOMERSET DRIVE (SIDE),AND THE SAID LOT43 COMMENCESAT ADISTANCEOF 120.00 FEET FROM THE CORNER OF HUNTLEEDRIVE ANDKEN COURT ANDMEASURES THENCE AFIRST FORNTAGE ON KENCOURT OF 32.67 FEET, THENCE ASEC‐ONDFRONTAGE ON KEN COURTOF27.39 FEET,A FIRST WIDTHACROSS THEREAROF 32.67 FEET, THENCE A SECOND WIDTH OF 27.56 FEET, BY ADEPTH OF 118.36 FEET ALONGTHE SIDE LINE NEARER TO

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 5315 LASALLEST, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:U.S BANK TRUST COMPANY, NA‐TIONAL ASSOCI‐ATION, AS TRUSTEE FORVELOCITY COMMERCIAL CAPITALLOAN TRUST2024-2 VERSUS 5315 LASALLE, LLC CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-1207 By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground ﬂoor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on March5, 2026, at 12:00 o'clocknoon thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: 5315 LASALLE ST NEWORLEANS, LA 70115 LOT5 -SQUARE 577 6THMUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1432231 WRIT AMOUNT: $449,136.11

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed CheckorMoney d

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 202 WARRINGTON DR,CITYOF NEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:NEWREZ LLCD/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SER‐VICING VERSUS SHAWNSCOTT (A/K/A SHAWN NICHOLAS SCOTT, SHAWN FELICIASCOTT)

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-625 By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground ﬂoor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on March5, 2026, at 12:00 o'clocknoon, thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: 202 WARRING‐TONDRNEW ORLEANS, LA 70122 LOT2 -SQUARE A 3RDMUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1121142 GENTILLY PARK WRIT AMOUNT: $70,399.21

RB 20 LOGS LEGAL GROUPLLP 504838-7535 EMILYA MUELLER

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 1/28/2026 & 3/4/2026 JAN28-MAR42T