The Times-Picayune 03-05-2026

Argumentsbegin in staged-crash trial

Sprawling government case outlined againsttwo lawyers

BY JOHNSIMERMAN

Staff writer

Once aHollywood stuntwoman, Vanessa Motta was shaky on her feet as a“baby lawyer” when she hookedup withthe wrong guy,her defense attorney told afederal jury on Wednesday

Motta had been fired from the Mike Brandner law firm in late 2016 and set out to open asolo practice when she met Sean Alfortish, an older, disbarred attorney who rented her office space in Kenner,where he once served as amagistrate. They fell in love, and Motta Law begantotake off, said attorney Sean Toomey Several victims in crashes with 18-wheelers signed on as clients. Life seemed good.

“She foolishly thought, ‘I’m thehottest newlawyer

in town. Look at me.I gota bunch of cases,’ ”Toomey said of Motta, who began appearing on billboards around New Orleans.

“Allthe while, Sean Alfortish is working behind the scenes, in the darknessto make sureshe’s successful So he gets to enjoy all the benefitsofthat,because he’s sleeping with her.”

An attorney for Motta’s co-defendant, personal injuryattorney Jason Giles, also pleaded ignorance over what they acknowledge in hindsight to be amassive, yearslongscheme to defraud insurance companies —and ultimately ratepayers— by filling cars with people and slamming them into trucks across New Orleans. Their denials came

ä See TRIAL, page 7A

Louisianapolicepension system clasheswithcity

Administration accusedofnot paying contributions

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

Louisiana’spolice pension system is accusing Mayor Helena Moreno’sadministration of failing to pay $3.5 million in required pension contributions, and hasasked the state TreasuryDepartment to strip the cityofthat amount.

The head of the Municipal Police Employees’ Retirement System said on Wednesday that the city owes the system $800,000 in employee contributions withheld from New Orleans PoliceDepart-

ment retentionbonuses awarded in January,plus $2.7million in employer contributions associated with thebonuses.

“Once employee retirement contributions are deducted from an officer’scompensation, those funds are no longer general municipal revenues and must be transmitted to the retirement system,” BenHuxen said. “Failure to remit employee contributions that have already been withheld raises significantlegal and fiduciaryconcerns.”

Huxen asked the treasurer to redirect $3.5 millionfrom city funding thatflows through state government, including federal grants. He said the city will be on the hook for accrued interest

ä See POLICE, page 5A

BY JON GAMBRELL, ELENA BECATOROS and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

DUBAI,UnitedArabEmirates Iran launched missiles at Israel earlyThursday as aerial attacksinthe Middle East commenced for asixth dayafteran American submarine sank an Iranian warship and Iran threatened the destruction of military and economic infrastructure across the region. Israel announced multiple incoming attacks, and air sirens sounded in TelAviv and Jerusalem shortly after the Israeli military said it had begun new strikes in Lebanon targeting theIranian-backed Hezbollah militant groupin Beirut’ssouthern suburbs.

The fighting continued after the U.S. and Israel intensifiedtheir bombardment of Iran on Wednesday

ä Hegseth: U.S.‘can’tstop everything’ Iran sends. PAGE 4A

The tempo of the strikes on Iran was so intense that state television announced the mourning ceremony forIranian SupremeLeader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whowas killed at the start of the conflict,would be postponed. Millions attended the funeral of hispredecessor,Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1989.

The U.S. and Israel launched the war Saturday, targeting Iran’sleadership, missile arsenaland nuclear program while suggesting that toppling the government is agoal. But the exact aims and timelines have repeatedly shifted, signaling an open-ended conflict.

President Donald Trumppraised the U.S. military Wednesday for “doing very well on the war front,toput it mildly.” FellowRepublicansinthe U.S. Senate stood with Trump on Iranastheyvoted down aresolution seeking to halt the war Iran fired on Bahrain, Kuwaitand Israel as the conflict spiraled. Turkey said NATO defenses intercepted aballistic missile launchedfrom Iran before it entered Turkey’sairspace.

The warhas killedmore than 1,000 people in Iran, more than 70 in Lebanon and around adozen

ä See WARSHIP, page 7A

Senate race heatingup with flurry of attack ads

Cassidystrikes at Letlow; Fleming counters Cassidy

BY TYLERBRIDGES Staff writer

that explains whyU.S.Sen.Bill Cassidy and an allied group are launching attacks on U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow now that the Senate campaign is formally underway Apro-CassidysuperPAC hasbeen hittingLetlow for amonth with

and to former President Joe Biden because of somevotes in Congress. The early beneficiaries of the attacks appeartobeCassidyand TreasurerJohn Fleming, who is pitching himself as the most conservative among the three Republican candidates. The pro-Cassidy adslabel her“Liberal Letlow”inaneffort to tarnish her conservative credentials in advance of the May 16 Republican primary Letlow hasrespondedwithanadthat plays her strongest card,her endorsement by President Donald Trump. For now,Cassidy’sside has ahuge money

ä See SENATE, page 5A

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

House panel launches probe of Rep. Gonzales

WASHINGTON The House Ethics Committee announced Wednesday it would investigate Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who is facing sexual misconduct allegations and intense public scrutiny over how he treated a former staffer who later died by suicide.

The committee voted to establish an investigative subcommittee, announcing it would also look into allegations that Gonzales had “discriminated unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges.” House rules prohibit members from engaging in a “sexual relationship” with a staffer After the New York Post published text messages last month it said were received by the late district staffer, a handful of Gonzales’ Republican colleagues called on him to step down. But Gonzales, who has previously denied wrongdoing, told CNN he would not resign, saying, “What you’ve seen is not all the facts.”

“We don’t leap to conclusions here, whether you’re talking about Republicans or Democrats, with regard to legal processes and all of that,” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, told reporters last week.

Johnson also said the allegations are “alarming” and that Gonzales needed to address them “directly and head on with his constituents.”

Johnson is navigating a tight majority, and a potential resignation by Gonzales would shrink that even further

The Ethics Committee announcement comes the day after primary elections in Texas, where no candidate in Gonzales’ race reached the threshold to secure the Republican nomination. Instead, Gonzales now heads into a runoff campaign against pro-gun activist Brandon Herrera, who is challenging Gonzales from the right.

Bodies of 2 half-sisters found buried in suitcases

CLEVELAND Authorities in Cleveland were working Wednesday to identify two young half-sisters whose bodies were found buried inside suitcases on the city’s east side

The bodies were recovered on Monday in the city’s Collinwood neighborhood after a tip from a dog walker according to police. One of the girls is believed to be between 8 and 13 years old, and the other between 10 and 14 years old.

Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said at a Tuesday news conference that it was not clear how the girls, who were both Black, died, but that their bodies had been there for some time

“We are hoping to find answers,” she said. “This is a terrible, tragic situation.”

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office used preliminary DNA relationship testing to confirm that the two girls were half-sisters, according to a statement. The office said further information would be released as it became available.

The circumstances didn’t appear to match any active missing persons cases in the area, Todd said.

Police: Parolee set man on fire at Penn Station

NEW YORK A parolee with a criminal record that includes 131 prior arrests in New York City was busted Wednesday for setting a homeless man on fire as he slept at Penn Station, according to police and prosecutors. Damon Johnson, 47, is charged with attempted murder and assault for the attack on Monday that left a 37-year-old man with second-degree burns on his arm and back.

The victim was dozing near an entrance to Penn Station’s Amtrak rotunda when three men approached him and one of them set fire to the man’s clothes around 8:30 p.m., cops said After the attack, the three men fled deeper into the station.

Officers with the Amtrak Police Department arrested Johnson on Wednesday Johnson, who is currently on parole for robbery until 2027, was first busted for a Bronx assault in 1995, cops said.

Report finds decades of abuse by R.I. priests House committee subpoenas Bondi

BY KIMBERLEE KRUESI, MARYCLAIRE DALE and LEAH WILLINGHAM Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. Catholic priests in Rhode Island preyed on hundreds of children for decades, and were protected by bishops more concerned with the church’s reputation than the victims, according to a new report on clergy sexual abuse that echoes findings elsewhere.

The report, released Wednesday by Attorney General Peter Neronha, follows a multiyear investigation into the Catholic Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island.

Neronha said the full scope of the priest abuse problem in Rhode Island — the smallest U.S state but the one with the highest Catholic population per capita at nearly 40% — had long remained elusive. He agreed with victims who say not enough has been done to address the problem long after it was exposed in the nearby Boston diocese in 2002.

“If you’re the Diocese of Providence and you’re listening, this is a scandal you need to own and you need to fix,” Neronha told reporters Wednesday “We can’t slow-walk solutions and we can’t slow-walk justice.”

Neronha hopes the report will spur legal reforms to boost investigative powers and help victims seek justice.

The investigation found that 75 Catholic clergy molested more than 300 victims since 1950, but officials stressed that the number of victimized children and abusive priests is likely much higher

The diocese, in response, acknowledged the scourge of child sexual abuse especially by clergy — but said the report reflects the church’s willingness to share internal records under a 2019 agreement with the state.

“The report presents this 75year history in ways that might lead the reader to conclude these issues are an ongoing diocesan problem or that these are new revelations. They are not,” the statement said.

3 priests awaiting trial Church records show the diocese transferred accused priests to new assignments without fully investigating complaints or contacting law enforcement, a practice exposed in investigations in Boston, Philadelphia and elsewhere.

AP PHOTO By CHARLES KRUPA

A statue of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus is displayed Feb 24 outside St. Mary’s Church in Cranston, R.I. An investigation by the state Attorney General’s Office found that 75 Catholic clergy molested more than 300 victims since 1950, but officials stressed that the number of victimized children and abusive priests is likely much higher

And, as in other cities, the Diocese of Providence opened a “spiritual retreat-style facility” in the early 1950s for accused priests to seek treatment. Later, when the abuse was deemed a mental health problem, priests were sent to more formal treatment centers.

By the 1990s, accused priests were sometimes placed on sabbatical leave.

Most accused priests, the report found, avoided accountability from both law enforcement and the diocese.

Neronha’s office has charged four current and former priests with sexual abuse for allegations stemming from 2020 to 2022. Three of them are still awaiting trial. The fourth priest died after being deemed incompetent to stand trial in 2022.

Only 20 people — about a quarter of the clergy identified in the report — faced criminal charges, and just 14 were convicted. A dozen others were laicized or otherwise dismissed.

Board member among accused

One survivor described being groomed more than a year before he was abused by the pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Cranston in 1981. The survivor, who is not named in the report, said the late Monsignor John Al-

Texas judge declines to close Camp Mystic

BY JIM VERTUNO and SEAN MURPHY Associated Press

AUSTIN,Texas A Texas judge on Wednesday declined to order the closure of Camp Mystic, the all-girls youth camp where 25 girls and two counselors were killed in catastrophic floods last year

While a lawsuit filed by one of the girls’ families is pending, District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble did order Camp Mystic’s owners not to alter or demolish the cabins where campers were housed during the floods and to avoid using the portion of the camp closest to the Guadalupe River where those cabins were located.

The family of 8-year-old Cile Steward, who was swept away in the flood and whose body still has not been recovered, had asked the judge to prevent the owners from reopening the facility and to halt any construction while the lawsuit is pending. Their request for a temporary injunction maintains that any changes at the camp could destroy evidence needed for their lawsuit.

The campers and counselors were killed when the fast-rising floodwaters roared through a low-lying area of the summer camp before dawn on the Fourth of July All told, the destructive flooding killed at least 136 people, raising questions about how things went so terribly wrong.

The camp, established in 1926, did not evacuate and was hit hard when the river rose from 14 feet to 29.5 feet within 60 minutes.

lard showered him with attention. By ninth grade, he said, the sexual abuse began in the priest’s bedroom.

“His comment to me was always, ‘You need a hug,’ and that’s something that I can hear him saying very clearly to this very day,” the survivor told officials in 2013.

While a review board deemed the abuse credible, the Vatican — at the urging of then-Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin — let Allard retire rather than be defrocked.

In at least one case, a member of the diocesan review board hearing abuse complaints was himself accused, the report says. The Rev Francis Santilli stepped down after the complaint, but remained in active ministry even after other complaints surfaced in 2014 and 2021. He was not removed until 2022. A message left at a possible number for him on Wednesday was not immediately returned.

Church disagrees with AG Neronha launched the investigation in 2019, a year after a Pennsylvania grand jury issued a landmark report that found more than 1,000 children had been abused by some 300 priests since the 1940s.

However, Rhode Island law does not allow grand jury reports to become public a hurdle that Neronha has long tried to change. Instead, he forged an agreement with the diocese to access its trove of records on clergy sexual abuse.

The church turned over 70 years’ worth of material, including complaints from its secret archives, civil settlement records, treatment costs and other documents. Yet Neronha called the diocese’s help limited at times, saying it refused to provide diocesan personnel for interviews.

Neronha criticized the diocese on Wednesday for treating the report as “ancient history,” arguing that more needed to be done by clergy leaders to address ongoing concerns about abuse. His office outlined multiple changes for the diocese, which include providing clear investigative timelines and guidelines. He also stressed the need for the diocese to abandon the practice of requiring victims take polygraph tests and to stop refusing to investigate third-party complaints about priests.

The diocese, in its response Wednesday, pushed back on that view saying the report would not have been possible without the church’s cooperation.

AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN PHOTO

Alli Naylor mother of Wynne Naylor who died at Camp Mystic, reacts Wednesday as attorneys at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Texas, argue for a temporary restraining order regarding the camp.

“The worst thing you can do is put a bunch of 8-year-olds on a bus and try to drive them out of there, They all would have drowned,” said Mikal Watts, an attorney for Camp Mystic and its family of owners.

In a packed courtroom Wednesday, family members of the deceased girls wore buttons depicting their images as lawyers for Camp Mystic displayed pictures of trees planted in their memory and architectural renderings of plans to rebuild parts of the camp outside a 1,000year flood zone.

Attorneys for Camp Mystic have expressed sympathy for the girls’ families but maintained there was little they could have done during the catastrophic flooding that quickly overcame the camp.

“Nobody had every seen a prior flood anything like we saw in 2025,” Watts said. More than 850 campers have already signed up to attend camp this summer, he said.

The camp’s decision last year to partially open and to construct a memorial on the grounds drew outrage from many of the girls’ families who are mourning their loved ones and who said they weren’t consulted on the plans.

BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press

WASHINGTON The House Oversight Committee voted Wednesday to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi to answer questions over the Justice Department’s handling of files regarding the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation.

Five Republicans joined Democrats to support the subpoena proposed by GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina in a sign of continued frustration among conservatives with the department’s review and release of a tranche of documents related to the disgraced financier The move amounted to a sharp rebuke of Bondi by Republicans who have been clamoring for information about Epstein’s abuse of young girls and his interactions with rich and powerful people.

“The American people want answers on the Epstein files, and so do we,” Mace said in a post on X.

The Epstein files remain a political headache for the Trump administration more than a year after Bondi sparked backlash by handing out binders of documents to conservative influencers at the White House that included no bombshells.

Bondi has defended the department’s handling of the files and has accused Democrats of using the Epstein files to distract from Trump’s successes, although some of the most vocal criticism has come from members of the president’s own party

The Justice Department said last week that it was looking into whether it had improperly withheld documents from the files after several news organizations reported that some records involving uncorroborated accusations made by a woman against Trump were not among those released to the public. That announcement followed news reports saying that a massive tranche of records released by the Justice Department did not include several summaries of interviews that the FBI conducted with an unidentified woman who came forward after Epstein’s 2019 arrest and claimed to have been sexually assaulted by both Trump and Epstein when she was a minor in the 1980s.

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CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Senate rejectslimitingTrump’s authorityonIranactions

La.’ssenatorsvoted againstresolution

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON The Republican majority in the U.S. Senate, on a largely party-line vote, rejected Wednesday an effort to limit President Donald Trump’songoing military campaign againstIran.

The resolution by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., would have stopped hostilities until Congress approves. The administration failed to show that the military actions were necessarytopreventimminent threats to Americans, he said

The House, whichalso has aGOP majority,isset to consider Thursday asimilar resolution —also expected to fail.

The Senate voted47-53 to defeat the Kaine resolution. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., joined theRepublican side.Louisiana’s senators, both Republicans, voted against the resolution.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-Baton

Rouge, said, “President Trump makes the case that Iran would have continuedtobuild up their arsenal,including eventually obtainingnuclear weapons, and used them against Americans. God bless the men andwomen in uniform who keep ussafe.”

The key point is the application of the WarPowers Act that became law after Vietnam. Supporters say onlyCongress has theconstitutional authority to declarewar Presidents since theact passed argue the lawinfringesonthe executive’sconstitutional authority

Presidentshave the ability to launch military actions when the nation’s safety is in imminent danger.Every president since the Eisenhower administration has orderedstrikes

Democrats claim thoseattacks were focused and differ significantly from Operation Epic Fury’s bombing of more than athousand targets in theIslamic Republic of Iran, the destruction of Iran’snavy and thekillingof itsleader Ayatollah AliKhamenei.Trump said the military action could last four to

six weeks but put no deadline.

Republicans in Congress argue theattacksonIran are not awar, therefore no congressional declaration is necessary

Cassidy saidadeclaration of war “typicallymeansyou’recommittingboots on the ground. Now Idon’tthink the American people want boots on theground.”

Sen. John Kennedy,R-Madisonville, declined to comment.

ButKennedy didcomment of the deathofKhamenei.

“He won the coin toss andelected to receive, and he got it,” Kennedy said. “Mayherest in pieces. The world’sbetter off.”

Democrats argue that Trump hasn’tarticulated whya massive deployment of military force was immediately necessary.They argue thepresident has given inconsistent reasons for the campaign, ranging from stopping the development of nuclear weapons to regimechange.

They point to 2002, when thenPresident George W. Bush gave speeches,sent officials to the United Nations, and briefed elected of-

ficials before Congress voted to authorize the use of military force in Iraq before invading in 2003.

Theefforttoinvoke congressional oversight of the Iranattacks shiftstothe House on Thursday Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky are using the rules to require afull chamber vote on their resolution that alsowould require congressional approval for Trump to continue themilitary operation.

House Speaker Mike Johnson,RBenton, described the attacks in Iran as a“military operation,” not awar

“This course of action wasnecessary,lawful and effective, and reversingitnow would weaken America,” Johnson told reporters.

“The administration hasdetailed itsrationale behind the operation and it bears repeating: The largeststate sponsor of terrorism Iran and its proxies —have killed more Americansthan anyother

terrorist regime on Earth.They are dedicated to it,” Johnson said. “They have been and they say the quietparts outloud. Theywanted to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth and they would like to take us out as well. We’re the ‘Great Satan’ in their analogy,intheir misguided religion, and there was no waytoappease them.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson,noted Wednesday that the Iranian government hasworkedfor yearsto build nuclear weapons capabilities. When Iran’snuclear weapons operationswerebombed early in the Trump administration, “they still went backand startedtrying to rebuild anuclear weapons program,continued enriching uranium. They were never going to stop,” Scalise said.

“President Trumpisthe leader, the commander in chief, whosaid, we are going to protect America against evil dictators who chant ‘Death to America,’”hesaid.

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.

BY HANNAH FINGERHUT, KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and REBECCA BOONE Associated Press

WEST DES MOINES,Iowa— The last two names of the six U.S. soldiers killed in aKuwait attack were released Wednesday by the Pentagon, and they are from California and Iowa.

The soldiers identified Wednesday were Chief Warrant Officer 3RobertMarzan, 54, of Sacramento and Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa.

The Pentagonsaid Marzan was at the scenewhen adrone strike hit the command center in Kuwait and is “believed to be the individual who perished at the scene,” according to the statement. Amedical examiner will confirm identification, the Pentagonsaid.

Four soldiers were previously identified by the Pentagon on Tuesday

They died Sundaywhena drone hitacommand center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, just aday afterthe U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones against Israel and several Gulf Arab states that host U.S. armed forces.

The other four soldiers identified were: Sgt. Declan Coady,20, of West Des Moines, Iowa,; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor,39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven,Florida; and Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska.

“Sadly,there will likely be more, beforeitends. That’s the way it is,” President Donald Trump said of the deaths. Trump will attend the dignified transfers of the soldiers when they arrivein the U.S., the White House

saidWednesday.The ritual honors service members killed in action.

Nearly 15 yearsofservice

Aweek beforethe drone attack, Amorwas moved offbase to ashipping containerstylebuilding that hadno defenses, her husband said.

“They wereinfear that the base they were on was goingtoget attacked and they felt it was saferinsmaller groupsinseparate places,” he said.

Childhood friend Natalie Caruso wrote on Facebook that shewas “absolutely heartbroken” about Amor’s death.

O’Brien was promotedto majorinAugust 2024,according to aFacebook post which shows him alongside two young children.He served in the Army Reserve for nearly 15 years, accordingtohis LinkedIn The signal officer and information systems engineer in theArmy Reserve was amanager of defensive cyber operations at an Iowa-based cybersecurity company, according to his LinkedIn. He had acareer spanning twodecades in information and cybersecurity

Awoman answering the door at O’Brien’saddress in Waukee, Iowa, did not immediately comment Wednesdaynight, sayingthe family would release astatement.

Amotheroftwo

Amor was just days away from returning to her husband and children.

“Nicole was always up for an adventure andshe had such acontagious laugh!”

Caruso wrote Wednesday

‘Heloved beingasoldier’

Coady recently told his father he hadbeen recommended for apromotion from specialist to sergeant, arank he received posthumously

He was among the yo unge st people in his class, trained to troubleshoot militarycomputer systems, but he impressed his instructors, AndrewCoady said Tuesday

“Shewas almost home,” her husband, Joey Amor, said Tuesday.“Youdon’tgo to Kuwait thinking something’s going to happen, and for her to be one of the first it hurts.”

Amor was an avidgardener who enjoyed making salsafromthe peppers and tomatoes shegrew with her son, ahigh school senior.She enjoyed rollerblading and bicycling withher fourthgrade daughter

“He trained hard, he worked hard,his physical fitness was importantto him. He lovedbeing asoldier,” Coady said. “He was also one of the most kindest people youwould ever meet andhewould do anything and everything for anyone.”

Coady, an Eagle Scout, was close to his family and often called, even if for only afew minutes. He was studying cybersecurity at Drake University in Des Moines, and he wanted to become an officer

Acallingtoserve country

Khork was very patriotic

and wanted toserve in the militaryfrom childhood, his family said in astatement Tuesday.Heenlistedinthe Army Reserve and joined Florida Southern College’s ROTC program “That commitmen t helpedshape the courseof his lifeand reflected the deep sense of duty that was always at the core of who he was,” his mother,Donna Burhans; father, James Khork; and stepmother,Stacey Khork; said in astatement. Khork, who loved history, had adegree in political sci-

ence. Hisfamily describedhim as “the life of the party knownfor hisinfectious spirit, generous heart, and deep care for those who served alongsidehim and foreveryone blessed to know him.”

Alovingfather, husband Tietjens, whocame from a military family,previously servedalongside his father in Kuwait. When he returned home in February 2010,he reunited with hisoverjoyed wife in alocal church’sgym

“I thought he wasgoingtobethe last person in, because he hates all this (hoopla),” his wife,Michelle Tietjens, told the Lincoln Journal Star at the time.

Tietjens’ cousin Kaylyn Golike asked for prayers, especially for Tietjens’ 12-year-old son, wife andparents, as they navigate “unimaginable loss.”

“Welost abrave soldier this weekend and many hearts are broken,” Golike wrote on Facebook Tuesday Tietjens earneda black belt in Philippine Combativesand Taekwondo andwas “an instructor who gave his time, discipline, and leadership to others,”the Philippine MartialArts Alliance said on Facebook.

Hegseth: U.S. ‘can’t stop everything’ Iran sends

Secretary says U.S. is gaining air superiority

BY KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press

WASHINGTON Defense

Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged on Wednesday that some Iranian air attacks may still hit their targets even as he asserted that U.S. military superiority is quickly giving it control of the Islamic Republic’s airspace.

The United States has spared “no expense or capability” to enhance air defense systems to protect American forces and allies in the Middle East, Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon days after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.

“This does not mean we can stop everything, but we ensured that the maximum possible defense and maximum possible force protection was set up before we went on offense,” he said

The acknowledgment that additional drone or missile strikes in the region could cause damage and harm to troops comes as President Donald Trump and top defense leaders have warned that more American casualties were expected in a conflict that began Saturday and

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint

take questions during a news briefing Monday at the Pentagon.

could last months.

Risk to troops ‘still high’

U.S service members “remain in harm’s way, and we must be clear-eyed that the risk is still high,” Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the news conference with Hegseth.

Six soldiers were killed when an Iranian drone strike hit an operations center Sunday in the heart of a civilian port in Kuwait, more than 10 miles from the main Army base. The husband of one of the slain soldiers, who

was part of a supply and lo-

gistics unit based in Iowa, says the center was a shipping container-style building and had no defenses.

Caine declined to answer a question about the possibility of deploying ground troops in Iran, which Trump has not ruled out.

“I’m not going to comment on U.S. boots on the ground,” Caine said. “I think that’s a question for policymakers. And I don’t make policy, I execute policy.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that it was “not part

of the plan for this operation at this time” but noted that “I’m not going to remove an option for the president that is on the table.”

3 weeks or up to 2 months

Hegseth also signaled a possible longer time frame for the conflict than has previously been floated by the administration, saying it could last eight weeks but that the U.S. has the munitions and the equipment to beat Iran in a war of attrition. He declined to set a specific time range, saying the specific duration of the

war would depend on how it unfolds.

“You can say four weeks, but it could be six, it could be eight, it could be three,” Hegseth said. “Ultimately we set the pace and the tempo. The enemy is off balance, and we’re going to keep them off balance.”

More forces are arriving in the region, including jet fighters and bombers, Hegseth said, and the U.S. “will take all the time we need to make sure that we succeed.”

U.S. has enough munitions

Supplies of weaponry are not an issue, Hegseth and Caine said, with the defense secretary noting that the military used more advanced weapons at the start of the campaign but was switching to gravity bombs now that the U.S. has gained control of the Iranian sky.

Stockpiles of the advanced weapons remain “extremely strong,” Hegseth said.

Caine said U.S. attacks on Iranian missile sites and other offensive targets have been successful enough that forces can strike deeper inland, allowing for the shift from sophisticated weapons that can be launched from far away to more traditional, precision bombs dropped by aircraft.

Caine said the U.S. has “sufficient precision munitions for the task at hand,

both on the offense and defense.” He noted that the military would not be releasing quantities, citing operational security

“Our air defenses and that of our allies have plenty of runway,” Hegseth said. “We can sustain this fight easily for as long as we need to.” Trump said this week the campaign is likely to last four weeks to five weeks but he was prepared “to go far longer than that.”

The number of ballistic missiles fired by Iran is down 86% from the first day of the U.S military’s campaign, with a 23% drop in the past 24 hours, Caine said Wednesday, and Iran’s use of one-way attack drone shots is down 73% from the opening days. The decrease could indicate that Iran is holding some weapons in reserve to prolong the conflict.

Scramble to leave Mideast

The State Department said it has assisted nearly 6,500 Americans since the start of the war and was working to arrange charter flights or other transportation. Caine said the military has opened up available seats as military transport planes arrive “to try to help folks get out.” The State Department said more than 17,500 Americans have returned to the United States from the Middle East since Saturday

BY SEAN MURPHY and MEG KINNARD Associated Press

The first round of primary elections is showing how this year’s midterms will be taking place on shifting political ground for incumbents.

That was particularly true in Texas — the first state to redraw its congressional districts last year — where incumbent members of Congress have been pushed to runoffs and another has been scuttled from the House altogether

Former Rep. Colin Allred, who abandoned his initial U.S. Senate run to pursue Texas’ 33rd Congressional District, is headed to a runoff with Rep. Julie Johnson, who holds the U.S. House seat that used to be his. Democratic Rep. Al Green, an outspoken liberal

Trump says

BY JOSEPH MORTON and GROMER JEFFERS JR.

The Dallas Morning News (TNS)

DALLAS President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded an end to the Republican Senate primary race in Texas, promising to soon endorse either incumbent Sen. John Cornyn or his challenger Attorney General Ken Paxton.

who has twice been ejected from President Donald Trump’s State of the Union addresses for protesting, and newly elected Rep. Christian Menefee will compete in the May 26 runoff for a Houston-area district Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Republican and former Navy SEAL with an independent streak, faced attacks from the party’s hard right that he was not in lockstep with Trump, and was the state’s only House Republican not to win the president’s endorsement.

Tight Dem contest in N.C In a North Carolina primary rematch from four years ago, two-term U.S Rep Valerie Foushee is angling to hold off a primary challenge from county official Nida Allam in a race testing the heft of Democrats’ progressive and establishment wings Foushee, a former local elected official and state legislator, represents the 4th Congressional District,

which includes liberal strongholds of Durham, Chapel Hill and Carrboro, as well as about half of Cary In the primary, she boasts backing from Democratic Gov Josh Stein his predecessor and current U.S. Senate nominee Roy Cooper Allam, a Durham County commissioner backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, is aiming to tap into discontent among liberals that Democratic Party leaders and elected officials haven’t been forceful enough in resisting the agenda of Trump and fellow Republicans. The daughter of Indian and Pakistani immigrants, she said she was driven to politics by the shooting deaths of three of her friends — Muslim university students in 2015. Whoever wins the Democratic contest should be a heavy favorite in November over Republican and Libertarian candidates.

Incumbents paired in runoff

The unusual primary be-

tween two sitting Democratic congressmen in Texas was the result of redrawn voting maps that Trump ordered ahead of November’s midterm elections. Green, 78, switched to run in the newly redrawn 18th Congressional District after his current district was redrawn to favor Republicans.

Menefee, 37, was sworn in to Congress only a month ago after winning a special election to fill the remaining term of Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died last year For some Houston voters, Tuesday’s primary was their third time casting ballots in a congressional race in four months, sowing confusion.

Green, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 2004, is one of his party’s most outspoken Trump critics and filed articles of impeachment during the president’s first term.

The primary is one of the generational competitions among Democrats this year, as younger candidates argue

it’s time for a new crop of party leaders.

Crenshaw ousted by Toth

Crenshaw, seeking his fifth term in Texas’ 2nd Congressional District, was the state’s only House Republican whom Trump didn’t endorse heading into the nation’s first big primary of 2026. The former Navy SEAL, whose independent streak sometimes clashed with fellow Republicans, spent the primary trying to fend off attacks from the party’s hard right that he wasn’t in step with Trump’s agenda.

Steve Toth, a state representative and member of the GOP’s hard-right caucus in the Legislature, picked up a big endorsement late in the primary from U.S Sen. Ted Cruz.

“This campaign has been a

referendum on representatives who campaign one way and govern another, and the people have spoken,” Toth said in a statement after his victory Crenshaw who lost his right eye when he was hit with an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2012, had clashed with Cruz over the senator’s support of Trump’s unfounded claim that he won the 2020 presidential election. He was one of the few Texas Republican candidates for Congress in 2022 who acknowledged that President Joe Biden’s victory in 2020 was legitimate, a position that occasionally found him at odds with fellow Republicans. Crenshaw also drew the ire of conservatives when a video clip went viral of him criticizing some Republican politicians as “grifters” and “performance artists” who simply tell conservative voters what they want to hear

candidate he doesn’t endorse in Texas Senate race should quit

After being locked in a bitter contest for many months, Cornyn and Paxton now face a May 26 runoff that promises to become an even more expensive and caustic campaign — which Trump said cannot happen. The race must end for the good of the party and the country, Trump posted on Truth Social.

“I will be making my En-

dorsement soon, and will be asking the candidate that I don’t Endorse to immediately DROP OUT OF THE RACE!” Trump said. “Is that fair? We must win in November!!!”

Cornyn held a slim lead over Paxton as the two were set for a runoff.

Cornyn has already promised to make the rematch Paxton’s “judgment day”

while the attorney general has slammed huge spending by Cornyn and his allies, saying they cannot buy the Senate seat.

The two have spent months bashing one another, pausing at times to direct their fire at a third candidate, Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston, who played spoiler and finished a distant third Tuesday

The contest between

Cornyn and Paxton could turn especially ugly as more Republican donor money pours in to help Cornyn. A continuation of hostilities could leave the nominee further bruised.

Democrats, meanwhile, have chosen their candidate, state Sen. James Talarico of Austin who defeated Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas in a primary that was domi-

nated by talk about electability

In his Wednesday post, Trump described his endorsement as “virtually insurmountable” in GOP primaries, especially in Texas. “We have an easy to beat, Radical Left Opponent, and we have to TOTALLY FOCUS on putting him away, quickly and decisively!” Trump said.

advantage, and the “Liberal Letlow” ads are drowning out her broadcasting of the Trump endorsement. Cassidy’sside “is making the smart play right now, said PearsonCross,a University of Louisiana at Monroepolitical scienceprofessor.“Right now,voters don’t know who Letlow is.”

The Letlow campaign did not respond to arequest for an interview Letlow’spublic support has dropped, polls show That might explain why Gov.Jeff Landry endorsed Letlow on Wednesday,after having said recently he would “follow the president” when it came to the Senate race “The D.C. swamp is spendingmillions of dollars flatout lying about JuliaLetlow because they knowthey can’t control her,” Landry said in anews release fromthe Letlow campaign. “I’m excited to join President Trump in backing Julia for the U.S. Senate.Iknow Julia’scharacter,and she has the kind of raw Louisiana grit that Washington desperately needs.I’ve seen her stand when others would fall.She has what it takes.”

The Times-Picayune |The Advocate reported lastweek that the governor had asked donors to support Letlow’s campaign, and he and his al-

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until the $3.5 million is paid, as well as penalties if the delinquency exceeds three months.

The Moreno administration has said the retention bonuses areexempt from pension contributions. It is not clear why —ifHuxen is correct —the administration withheld the funding anyway,orwhat it did with those funds. City officials did not respond to questions on Monday Moreno said in aFeb. 23 letter to Huxen that the system is unfairly penalizing New Orleans for its attempts to retain police and while it also imposes fines for its shrunken force. Moreno said “these positions arefundamentally at odds.”

The pension system also claimsthe city owes it $38.5 million in fines after the NOPD lost 200 officers in 2021 and 2022,arguing that theloss amounted to a“partial dissolution” of the force under state law “Retention bonuses are deployed preciselytoavoid force depletion and stabilize staffing levels,” Moreno wrote.

The city and the pension system have argued over these issues in court for years, though they have recently attempted to negotiate asettlement to resolve theirlegal disputes,including whether the $8 million in retention payments are subject to pension contributions.

lies have been pushing for thestate Republican Executive Committeetoendorse her. Thepartyefforthas stalled, several Republicans said Wednesday Fleming criticized Landry’s involvement in therace when he disclosedWednesday that Ralph Abraham,who stepped down last week from atop position at the federalCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, offered him that job ifhedroppedoutoftheSenate race.

“I politely declinedof course,” Fleming wrote on Facebook.“Nowwefind he is chairman of the Letlow campaign ” Abraham didnot respond to arequest for aresponse.

Askedabout the state of thecampaign, Fleming on Wednesday said, “So far,so good.”

Letlow and Landry have brought aboard Kyle Ruckert to oversee Letlow’scampaign. Ruckert, whojust stepped down as Landry’s chief of staff, has worked for the top Republicans in Louisiana over the pastdozen years.

Cassidy batted awaytroublesome poll results by others, saying on Tuesday that he has seen more favorable surveys.

“I am going to win,” the senator predicted.

An administrator at the Universityof Monroeat Louisiana, Letlow lived outside of Monroewhen shewas first electedinthe 5thCongressionalDistrictin2021 afterher

Moreno indicatedinher letter that thecitywould seek changes to state law in the upcoming legislative session to support its position, thoughshe didn’tspecify what thechanges might be. House Bill 26, sponsored by stateRep. AimeeAdatto Freeman, D-NewOrleans, would change the thresholds forforce reductions that qualify as “partialdissolution” of theforce. Huxen notified the pension system’smembership of the city’s actionsinanemail blast on Wednesday morning. Claude Schlesinger, a spokespersonfor theNew Orleanschapter forthe Fraternal OrderofPolice, said hisgroup is hoping to meet soon with theMoreno administration to resolvethe issue

“It is worth noting that the prior administration withheld and transmitted retirement contributionsonretention payments notwithstanding the pending litigation,” Huxen said in an emailto TheTimes-Picayune.“This issue therefore aroseunexpectedly,especially considering the ongoing global settlementdiscussions.”

Former Mayor LaToya Cantrellpromised the bonuses to officers, but outgoing Cantrell administration officialsnotified Moreno that funding set aside to pay them had been spent elsewhere. Moreno then paid thebonuseswith$8million in funding from the Sewerage &Water Board Thedisputeisheatingup as the Moreno administration attemptstodig the city out of adeep financial hole.

husband, Luke, who had just won theseat, diedofCOVID-19. She won reelection in 2022 and 2024 without facing astrong opponent She has never been under attack before.

Political pros are watching closely to seehow she handles it

Jim Brown said he still remembershis dismay when an opponent hithim hard in an insurancecommissioner’srace years before.

“You’re devastated by the attack on you,” Brown said. “You feel like everybody in the state is watching the ad.”

RodneyAlexander,who held the5th Congressional District seat from 20022013, saidLetlow knewshe would come under fire.

“You just have to ignore it as muchasyou can and go forward with your agenda,” Alexander said.

Polling indicates theproCassidy attackshavepulled somevoters away from Letlow

Asurveyof600 mostly Republican voters sixweeks ago, taken by NewOrleans pollster Greg Rigamer, showed Letlow led thefield with 27%,followed by Cassidy with21%, Fleming with 14% and the rest were undecidedorsupportedcandidates no longer in therace.

AnotherRigamer poll of 600 mostly Republicanvoters on Feb. 21-23 found Cassidy leading with 27.5%,Letlow with 21.3% and Fleming 20.8%,astatistical tie with thecongresswoman.

The administration last month started repayments on a$125million emergency loan obtainedinNovember after the city ran out of cash to pay employees. City officials arewarning that cash remains extremely tight,with a$65 million payment on the loan due at the endofthis monthand property and sales tax collections cominginmore slowly than expected.The loan is due to be repaid in fullbyMay 29 Officials say another loan will be necessary this summer State lawrequiresthe TreasuryDepartmentto redirect city funding when the police pensionsystem formally certifies adelinquency, whichthe pension system did on March 3. That could compromise Federal Emergency Management Agencyfunding for road projects after Morenosecured asix-month extension to FEMA’s spending deadline, through theend of June,for a$1.7billion Hurricane Katrina grant

Thetop two finishers in theRepublican primary will advance to aJune 27 Republican runoff, if no candidate wins more than50% in the primary

Unaffiliated voters can vote in the Republican (and Democratic) primary,although they willhave to fill out aform on election day to do so.InRigamer’s survey, 15% of those polledwere unaffiliated voters.

Still, for thesecond month in arow,the latest poll contained concerning results for Cassidy

He was what pollsters call “underwater”: Only 34% of voters viewed him favorably,while 50%viewedhim unfavorably

Head-to-head,Cassidy trailed both Letlow (3442%) and Fleming (32-43%). Meanwhile,Fleming led Letlow,36-27%.

Fleming,Rigamer said in an analysis, “isthe clear momentumcandidate.”

Rigamer conducted both surveys for prominent businesslobbyist Alton Ashy, who has dozens of federal and stateclientsand who helped organize amajor fundraiserfor Letlow duringWashington MardiGras in January

Another poll taken on Feb. 23-24, releasedbyQuantus Insights, had Fleming leading the race with 34.2%, followed by Letlow with 24.6% and Cassidy 19.8%.

This poll also had Fleming and Letlow defeating Cassidy head-to-head, andFlem-

The pension system also asked the TreasuryDepartment to redirect city funding in 2024 for thealleged NOPD partial dissolution, and again in 2025 over adifferent legal dispute over the conversionofunused sick leave to retirement credits. Treasuryofficials say they didn’tblock funding in either instancebecause the city filed legal challenges that are still pending.

Email BenMyers at bmyers@theadvocate.com.

ing beating Letlow

Jason Corley,the principal at Quantus, said his firm startedin2024, is basedin eastTexas andpaidfor the poll of 1,400 predominately Republican voters to show whatitcan do for potential clients.

During acall with reporters Tuesday,Cassidy highlighted the latest money he hashelped bring from Washington to Louisiana to improve the state’sroadways, drinking water and anti-flood defenses.

Cassidy also called on Democratstoapprovethe proposed budget for the Department of Homeland Security to end the partial shutdown of the federal agency.Democratsare insisting that Republicans agree to limits on immigration agents to prevent the violence in Minneapolis that led to the deaths of two protesters.

Echoing Letlow, Cassidy said he is backing Trump’s decision to attack Iran.

“Weshould back our pres-

ident and back our troops,” he said.

Answeringareporter’s question, Cassidy said he hasn’tdecided whether to support Dr.Casey Meansto be Trump’ssurgeon general Letlow is supporting her, while Fleming on Wednesday said he doesn’thave enough information yet on Means.

Fleming said he has been criss-crossing the state this week in his 2008 Toyota 4Runner to speak to various groups. Letlow held ameet-andgreet with metro New Orleanselected officials last week,where shewas introduced by Eric Skrmetta, amember of the Public Service Commissionwho dropped out of the Senate race andendorsedher Besides the three major candidates, Mark Spencer is also running as aRepublican.The Democrats competing in theDemocratic primary are Nick Albares, JamieDavis andGary Crockett.

BRIEFS

Warsh nominated for Federal Reserve chair

WASHINGTON The Trump administration has formally nominated Kevin Warsh, a former top Federal Reserve official, to be the next Fed chair when Jerome Powell’s term ends in two months.

Warsh’s nomination, which was initially announced Jan. 30, was forwarded to the Senate Wednesday, where it will be taken up by the Senate Banking Committee.

Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican on the committee, has said he will oppose confirming Warsh until a criminal investigation into Powell is resolved. Powell revealed Jan. 11 that the Justice Department had subpoenaed the Fed over Powell’s Senate testimony last June about the central bank’s $2.5 billion building renovation project.

Tillis said last month that the committee could hold a hearing about Warsh’s nomination, but he would vote to block confirmation. If all Democrats on the committee voted against Warsh as well, the nomination wouldn’t pass out of the committee to the full Senate.

Warsh has harshly criticized the Fed’s policies in recent years, including its low interest rate policies coming out of the pandemic, which he says contributed to the United States’ largest inflation spike in four decades in 2021-22.

Yet Warsh now has echoed President Donald Trump’s demands for lower rates.

U.S. issues permit for nuclear reactor

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Wednesday approved its first construction permit for a commercial nuclear reactor in eight years, one that will allow a Bill Gatesbacked company to build a sodium-cooled reactor in western Wyoming.

TerraPower filed for the permit in 2024 and construction is now set to begin within weeks. Completion of the up to $4 billion plant is targeted for 2030, according to TerraPower Microsoft co-founder Gates, who is eyeing nuclear generation as a power source for the electricity-hungry data centers behind artificial intelligence, is a founder of TerraPower and its primary investor

The TerraPower plant is set to be built near a coal-fired power plant that is being converted to burn natural gas outside Kemmerer, 130 miles northeast of Salt Lake City Gates and his energy company are seeking to develop a next-generation nuclear plant that would “revolutionize” how power is generated. The 345-megawatt reactor is expected to produce up to 500 megawatts at its peak, enough energy for up to 400,000 homes.

The reactor construction permit for a TerraPower subsidiary is the NRC’s first approval for a non-light-water commercial reactor in more than 40 years the NRC said in a statement.

Starbucks to open Tenn. corporate office

Starbucks has tapped Tennessee as the home of a new corporate operations office.

The Seattle-based coffee giant decided to expand into the Southern state’s Davidson County later this year, according to a Tuesday news release by Starbucks and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

Starbucks spokesperson Lori Torgerson said Wednesday that “Seattle remains our North America and Global Support HQ.” The new office will support the growth of Starbucks coffeehouses and “rising customer demand, in particular, the southeast region of the U.S.,” according to the news release

Starbucks said the location will house the company’s direct and indirect sourcing and sourcing operations teams to serve its North America operations.

Economic updates propel stocks BUSINESS

Market rebounds as oil prices stop spiking

BY STAN CHOE Associated Press

NEW YORK The U.S. stock market rebounded Wednesday from two days of punishing swings after oil prices stopped spiking and reports gave encouraging updates on the economy The strength followed a scary start to Wednesday, when South Korea’s Kospi stock index plunged 12.1% for its worst loss in history

Uncertainty about the war has sent prices in financial markets careening up and down this week, with most taking their cues from what the price of oil is doing. Oil prices moderated as trading moved westward from Asia to Europe and across the Atlantic. A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 0.1% to $74.66.

One report said growth for U.S businesses in the real estate, finance and other services industries accelerated last month at the fastest pace since the summer of 2022. Encouragingly for inflation, it also said prices for such busi-

nesses are increasing at a slower rate, at least before the war with Iran began. A second report suggested U.S. employers outside of the government picked up their hiring last month. That could be a hopeful signal for the more comprehensive report coming Friday from the U.S. government about the overall job market. In financial markets, worries are centered on how long the war with Iran could last, how high inflation will go because of more expensive oil and how much corporate profits will sink because of it.

The U.S. stock market has a history of shaking off military conflicts in the Middle East relatively quickly, though that comes with the caveat that oil prices don’t jump too high. That has some professional investors suggesting patience through the volatility, at least when it comes to financial markets.

Not everyone is optimistic.

“I think the Iran situation is getting out of hand, and I think that U.S. President Donald Trump miscalculated enormously,” said Francis Lun, CEO of Venturesmart Asia. “The situation is very grim.”

Apple’s ‘big week’ launches pair of $599 devices aimed at budget buyers

BY SHAWN CHEN AP technology writer

NEW YORK Apple CEO Tim Cook’s promised “big week” of product announcements has seen the introduction of a new budget-friendly iPhone trim, an entry-level MacBook tier, updated iPad Air models, refreshed monitors and higher-end chipsets — all put on display at hands-on media events held Wednesday in New York, London and Shanghai.

The tech titan recently saw quarterly earnings rise to a new record, thanks to strong sales of iPhone 17 models, even though it still hasn’t delivered on its 2024 promise to smarten up its Siri assistance with artificial intelligence.

Perhaps looking to capitalize on this sales momentum, Apple started the week off announcing the latest model in its more budgetfriendly phone lineup, the iPhone 17e, and the MacBook Neo, an entry-level laptop that represents the company’s most aggressive attempt at moving into the affordable laptop market. Everything announced is available for preorder iPhone 17e

This updated version of iPhone targeting budget-conscious shoppers will include the same A19 chip as the one powering the base iPhone 17 and offers double the standard storage space (256GB) as the previous 16e model (128GB). The camera has been updated to a 48-mega-

pixel system and its C1X modem promises faster cellular speeds.

As for display, the 17e clocks in with a slightly smaller screen compared with the base 17 model, has a slightly lower refresh rate and may be a little dimmer to the human eye, but you’re still getting the super retina display used in the rest of the lineup and Apple’s Ceramic Shield 2 system to guard against scratches.

Starting at $599, the iPhone 17e comes in $200 cheaper than the base iPhone 17. Colors include black, white and light pink.

iPad Air M4

The midrange iPad refresh runs the slightly older M4 chip — for reference, the topend iPad Pro model uses the newer M5 chip. But it’s still powerful enough to handle your streaming habits, web browsing, email and video editing. Cellular versions of the Air also include the updated C1X modem.

You wouldn’t think there’s a RAM shortage in the world with what Apple has announced this week. The company bumped the Air’s RAM up from 8GB to 12GB without a price increase.

The 11-inch iPad Air starts at $599 while the 13-inch version starts at $799, each with 128GB of storage.

Chip and MacBook updates

Apple’s high-end Pro lineup of laptops received newly announced chip upgrades (the

M5 Pro and M5 Max), which claim higher performance for intensive usage and battery efficiency But the new upgrades come with a higher price tag too.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip set comes with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. It’s priced at $2,199, a $200 increase compared with 2024 base M4 Pro. For an extra cost, you have the option to upgrade to a higher tier of the M5 Pro or jump to the M5 Max chip. You can also bump the system’s RAM up to 48GB.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro already comes standard with the highest tier M5 Pro chip set, and starts with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. It’s priced at $2,699, a $200 increase from previous model. You do have the option to upgrade to the M5 Max chip set and bump up the RAM.

The brand new entry-level MacBook Neo made its debut at the in-person event on Wednesday This new 13-inch laptop comes packed with Apple’s A18 Pro chip (also found in the iPhone 16 Pro), 256GB of storage, two USB-C ports but only 8GB of RAM The upgraded 512GB model includes a TouchID sensor With the Neo, it’s apparent Apple is trying to gain a foothold in the budget laptop field, which is currently flooded with Google Chromebooks and economy Microsoft Windows machines. The 256GB model is available for $599, while the upgraded model is available for $699.

Google settles with Epic Games with offer to cut commissions

MICHAEL LIEDTKE

2024. Google is seeking an April 9 hearing before the judge to answer any questions about the revisions, which are being backed by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, whose North Carolina company is best known for making the Fortnite video game.

“Epic has been advocating for open platforms for a long time

in Israel, according to officials in those countries. It has disrupted the supply of the world’s oil and gas, snarled international shipping and stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers in the Middle East.

Neighboring countries braced for potential dangers Thursday, a day after Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatened “the complete destruction of the region’s military and economic infrastructure.”

Qatar’s Interior Ministry said authorities were evacuating residents near the U.S. Embassy in Doha as a temporary precaution without providing further details.

Fighter jets could be heard overhead Thursday morning in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai.

And a new attack off the coast of Kuwait appeared to expand the area where commercial shipping was in danger

An explosion rocked the area early Thursday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center run by the British military

It said a tanker apparently came under attack, but the agency did not offer a cause. Iran in the past has attacked ships by attaching limpet mines to them.

Prior attacks since fighting began Saturday have happened in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which about a fifth of the world’s oil is shipped.

Oil prices have soared as Iranian attacks have disrupted traffic through the strait, and global stock markets have been hammered over worries that the spike in oil prices may grind down the world

economy

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a torpedo from an American submarine sank an Iranian warship Tuesday night in the Indian Ocean.

Sri Lankan authorities said 32 people were rescued from the ship, while the country’s navy said it recovered 87 bodies.

Israel said it hit buildings associated with Iran’s Basij, the allvolunteer force of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard whose bloody crackdown on protesters

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after Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Klebba outlined a sprawling government case against the two attorneys as a blockbuster federal conspiracy trial started Wednesday after two days of jury selection.

Several local attorneys watched from the courtroom gallery as Klebba told the jury that Motta and Giles were far from duped by a handful of prolific “slammers” who have admitted reaping hundreds of thousands of dollars from attorneys for scores of staged wrecks.

Instead, he alleged, Motta, Alfortish and Giles helped orchestrate the crashes and sue over them then desperately tried to cover it up once the FBI caught on Lynda Van Davis, an attorney who represents Giles, cast doubt on the government narrative. She claimed that a slammer named Damian Labeaud — who has pleaded

in January left thousands dead.

The Israeli military hit buildings associated with Iran’s internal security command Israel and the U.S. have said they want to see Iranians overthrow the country’s theocracy, and strikes against Iran’s internal security forces may be aimed at hastening that.

However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said his country’s forces have decentralized leadership, with units acting largely on their own, which could

guilty and is expected to testify later in the trial — didn’t let on that the cases he brought the firm were staged, or that he’d intentionally driven into those wrecks.

“What you’re going to find is clients lying to their lawyers about staged accidents,” Davis told the jury She described Labeaud and another implicated slammer, Roderick Hickman, as runners who went astray without Giles being aware.

“Their jobs are going out and finding accidents. I guess they decided, maybe we’ll stage. I don’t know Nor does my client know,” Davis said.

Unlike most conspiracies, she said, “in this conspiracy, the peons down at the bottom are controlling what happens at the top.”

The jury also heard about a since-deceased slammer Cornelius Garrison, who worked with Alfortish and Motta and was cooperating with the feds. But jurors did not hear about how he died. Garrison was gunned down at his mother’s doorstep in September 2020 in what authorities claim was

blunt the effect of attacks on top command and control hubs.

During his Pentagon briefing, Hegseth did not give a definitive timeline for U.S. operations.

“You can say four weeks, but it could be six. It could be eight. It could be three,” he said. “Ultimately, we set the pace and the tempo. The enemy is off balance, and we’re going to keep them off balance.”

Adm. Brad Cooper, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle

a hit job to silence him. Alfortish and another man, Leon “Chunky” Parker, are accused of orchestrating the killing, for which the two are scheduled to be tried in August.

Prosecutors accuse the implicated lawyers of working with the slammers and other recruiters, paying to fill cars with passengers for ramming into 18-wheelers on New Orleans highways. The FBI claims Garrison implicated Motta, Giles and Alfortish in the fraud.

Another defendant standing trial this week, Diaminike Stalbert, faces a conspiracy count and another charge for allegedly lying to the FBI. Klebba acknowledged to the jury that Stalbert is a lesser player at a trial centered on Giles and Motta.

Attorneys for Giles and the King Firm, which formed in 2016, claim its lawyers acted quickly when alerted to a possible fraud. But Klebba characterized their actions — seeking statements from clients and recording purported admissions from slammers — as an attempted cover-up.

East, said American forces have damaged Iran’s air defenses and taken out ballistic missiles, launchers and drones.

U.S. and Israeli military officials say launches from Iran have declined as the war has progressed Israel’s Homefront Command announced it was easing restrictions that closed workplaces nationwide. It said workplaces could reopen Thursday if there’s a shelter nearby Schools would remain closed.

Klebba described a close personal association between Giles and Labeaud, the slammer who has pleaded guilty, including code words captured in text messages retrieved from Labeaud’s phone.

Garrison, meanwhile, wore a wire for the government, Klebba said.

“Let me be clear: in this trial, there are no accidents,” he said.

“With greed as the motivating factor, the defendants developed a scheme that created an endless pipeline of 18-wheeler collisions

There was no waiting around for a client No uncertainty in the prospect of big money cases. The lucrative 18-wheeler cases kept coming and business was good.

Very good.”

Labeaud also worked with another lawyer, Danny Patrick Keating, the only attorney to plead guilty from a federal investigation dubbed “Operation Sideswipe” that has resulted in indictments against more than 50 defendants since 2019. Keating is also expected to testify.

Klebba portrayed Motta as a

Still, explosions sounded early Thursday in Israel, which said its defensive systems were moving to intercept Iranian missiles.

At least 1,045 people have been killed in Iran, the country’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs said Wednesday Eleven people have died in Israel. Six U.S. troops have been killed. The death toll has exceeded 70 in Lebanon, where the health ministry said Wednesday that three people died when drone strikes hit two vehicles on a Beirut highway. The Israeli military said it was targeting a Hezbollah member

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the offensive against Iran was originally planned for mid-2026, but “the need arose to bring everything forward to February.”

He listed events inside Iran, Trump’s positions and the possibility of “creating a combined operation” as reasons.

The protests in Iran put unprecedented pressure on its leadership. Trump threatened military action in response to the crackdown before shifting his attention to Iran’s disputed nuclear program.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that the U.S. launched its operation partly out of concern Iran might strike American personnel and assets in the region first. A phone call between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the airstrikes began was also “important with respect to the timeline,” she said.

Iran’s leaders are scrambling to replace Khamenei, who ruled the country for 37 years. It’s only the second time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that a new supreme leader is being chosen. Potential candidates range from hard-liners committed to confrontation with the West to reformists who seek diplomatic engagement. Mojtaba Khamenei, Khamenei’s son, has long been considered among them — though he has never held a government position.

In a sign that Iran’s leadership will only seek to consolidate its power, the head of the judiciary warned that “those who cooperate with the enemy in any way will be considered an enemy.”

Israel’s defense minister, Katz, said on X that Iran’s next supreme leader — if he continues to threaten Israel, the U.S. and others — “will be a target for elimination.”

knowing participant in the fraud scheme. He said another slammer, Ryan Harris, claims Motta offered advice, telling him “what insurance companies to use,” to “max out” the policies and fill crash cars with at least two passengers. Klebba said one passenger in a staged wreck will testify that Motta “convinced him to have unnecessary neck and back surgery because she said that’s where the big money is.”

Alfortish, 58, previously served most of a 46-month federal prison sentence he received in 2012 after pleading guilty to rigging the elections of a Louisiana horsemen’s group and raiding its coffers as its president for personal expenses. He was working in the “medical factoring” industry, helping finance personal injury litigation, when prosecutors say the scheme erupted.

An insurance defense attorney began testifying Wednesday afternoon as the government launched its case. U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter is presiding over a trial expected to run three weeks.

Board: Company violated ethics code

Firm owned by Jefferson aide tried to buy parish property

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

he believes the state Ethics Board’s opinion is erroneous, as Hesperus did not engage in any financial transactions with the parish, and that

Attorney expands presence in N.O. market

McKernan increases local footprint with $6M purchase of Metairie building

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

Gordon McKernan, the Baton Rouge-based personal injury attorney who announced his entry into the New Orleans legal market a year ago with a high-profile ad campaign, is continuing his local expansion with the purchase of a 30,000-square-foot office building in Metairie.

McKernan said he paid a little more than $6 million for the threestory building at 3900 Veterans Memorial Blvd., which is a few blocks from the temporary offices he currently leases.

“I want bricks-and-mortar and boots on the ground. I want to be a part of that community,” said McKernan by phone Wednesday “There are some other attorneys that don’t do that. They might just have a receptionist in one of those executive offices, and all the attorneys and staff are housed in one central city.”

The move by McKernan, a ubiquitous sight on Louisiana billboards and one of the state’s mostadvertised attorneys, injects a new element of competition in the big-money trial lawyer business.

While McKernan’s is the largest firm in Baton Rouge, the New Orleans market has long been dominated by Morris Bart, followed by Dudley Debosier, which recently spun off part of its business to a private equity firm.

Now one year into a five-year plan to compete in Louisiana’s largest market, McKernan expressed confidence his firm can continue to grow its local client list.

ä See ATTORNEY, page 2B

The board, however, did not elect to impose any penalties against Simno or his company and was instead

A company owned by the former top aide to Jefferson Parish Council member at large Jennifer Van Vrancken violated the state’s ethics code in 2023 by attempting to buy parish property while still employed by the parish, the Louisiana Board of Ethics ruled earlier this year The board issued a consent opinion in January stating that a company owned by Jeffrey Simno, a former chief of staff for Van Vrancken during her tenure as District 5 council member, violated the state ethics code in 2023 when it submitted sealed bids to purchase two parish-owned lots on Hesper Avenue in Metairie.

“resolving this matter amicably through the publication of this Consent Opinion.” Had the matter been referred to the Ethics Adjudicatory Board and found to be a violation, Hesperus LLC could have received a fine of up $10,000 for each violation of the ethics code, the opinion states.

“Accepting the consent opinion was a difficult decision,” Simno said in a statement. “I personally wanted a chance to defend myself on the record, but the case was emotionally draining and a waste of taxpayer resources. Ultimately, the ethics board agreed there should be no penalty and no fine.” Simno said he did not know the bid submittal was an issue and immediately sought to cancel the bid and receive guidance after a parish employee notified him of the issue, the opinion states. He also said that

“other local governmental ethics boards have investigated this matter and found no violation.”

“Shockingly, my self-disclosure throughout the bid application process and request for parish guidance is what kicked off this whole case. I never hid anything or deceived anyone,” Simno said.

HAVE GUITAR, WILL TRAVEL

Mother receives

Court issues protective orders against her

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

sentence in children’s

Landry urges schools to display posters

Governor vows legal support of Ten Commandments mandate

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

Gov. Jeff Landry is urging public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, which he says will “greatly benefit” students, as he vows the state will defend any schools that are sued for exhibiting the biblical text

In a new letter to school superintendents, Landry noted that a federal appeals court ruling last month allowed a contested state law to take effect that requires public schools and colleges to hang Ten Commandments posters in every classroom.

“The Fifth Circuit’s decision removes any obstacles to the implementation of Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law,” Landry said in the Feb. 26 letter, “and schools should now proceed with placing the posters in classrooms.”

Landry’s directive comes as some school district leaders have expressed concerns that displaying the Ten Commandments will expose them to litigation from civil liberties groups that already sued to block Louisiana’s law which they argue violates students’ constitutional right to re-

ligious freedom. The Feb. 20 ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a lower court’s preliminary injunction on the law, but the majority opinion did not take a stance on the law’s constitutionality.

Landry, who sent the letter a day after The Times-Picayune | The

and

Wednesday after a 30-inch water main break.

Water main breaks in Central City

Pressure drops but remains stable, S&WB says

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

Water pooled in the streets of Central City on Wednesday afternoon after a water main break, the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board said.

Crews responded to the 30-inch water main break at Magnolia Street and Jackson Avenue, according to S&WB spokesperson

SENTENCE

Continued from page 1B

The woman’s children, then ages 10 and 7, were in the apartment. Agents immediately recognized one of the children as a victim from the pornographic video, authorities said. McCord is not related to either child. Agents seized McCord’s cellphone and other devices. They discovered more than 40 videos and photos containing sexually explicit images of children, some of which had been created by McCord, authorities said. Investigators learned that the children’s mother met McCord at a local hotel. She told authorities

Ceara Labat. Water pressure dropped but remained stable, and no boil-water advisory had been issued as of 4:30 p.m.

“If pressures drop below 20 psi, we will notify the public,” Labat said in a statement.

The Central City water main break comes after multiple boilwater advisories were triggered by a major break in an underground pipe along South Claiborne Avenue last month.

The rupture flooded streets, knocked out water service and closed schools and businesses.

that she and her boyfriend would sometimes smoke methamphetamine with McCord, according to court records.

The woman and her children moved into McCord’s residence, and he began raping the children within about a week, authorities said.

Not long after, McCord told the woman he wanted her to leave, but he wanted to keep her children with him, authorities said.

The woman allowed McCord to care for her children, telling them that he was their babysitter Meanwhile, McCord told the children their mother had given him permission to abuse them, according to investigators.

The children told their mother several times that McCord was

rill said her office has issued guidance on the law to schools and provided sample posters.

“All public schools need to follow the law,” she said, “and I stand ready to vigorously defend them for doing so.”

State officials have not said what will happen if any schools don’t comply

The law does not specify penalties, though it requires the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to adopt rules for enacting the law

At their meeting next week, BESE members will vote to update state policy to incorporate the law, according to their meeting agenda.

Testament of the Bible.

“Our founders were undoubtedly influenced by the Ten Commandments,” he wrote, adding that, “it is my solemn hope that future leaders of Louisiana will be likewise inspired.”

Advocate reported on superintendents’ concerns, assured them that state Attorney General Liz Murrill “stands ready to defend schools” that follow the law

“Schools should implement the law without fear of litigation,” he wrote.

In a statement Wednesday, Mur-

ETHICS

Continued from page 1B

“The Ethics Board has publicly acknowledged that I proactively self-disclosed everything and was fully transparent at all times.”

Van Vrancken fired Simno in 2024, shortly after the news broke that the Louisiana Board of Ethics was conducting an investigation into the bids.

“When this matter arose, I acted with a ‘zero tolerance policy’ to protect public trust in government,” Van Vrancken said in a statement. “Knowing his character, I am happy to learn the consent opinion imposes no fine and includes Mr. Simno’s continued contention he did not inten-

ATTORNEY

Continued from page 1B

“New Orleans has a lot of attorneys, and some may say it’s saturated,” he said. “But I think giving people another viable choice is always a good thing.”

Swag room and studio

The lawyer’s long-term investment in East Jefferson follows feedback from clients and colleagues who favored setting up shop in a convenient suburban location, he said.

The law firm will inhabit the third floor of the neoclassical building at the corner of Veterans and Cleary Avenue, which was formerly occupied by Jefferson Financial Credit Union and currently consists of three large executive offices with wood paneling, fireplaces and a private shower, McKernan said.

The credit union — now operating as Keesler Federal Credit Union on the building’s first floor — and medical offices on the second floor will remain in place as McKernan’s tenants.

With its latest purchase, McKernan’s firm will own the buildings housing 13 of its 14 offices, with Alexandria its only leased space. McKernan also has various other commercial real estate investment properties owned separately from his law firm, he said.

sexually abusing them. The woman called her children liars and told them to shut up authorities said. At the time of McCord’s arrest in Louisiana, Pennsylvania State Police had been searching for him as part of an investigation into allegations that he’d raped four children while living there, according to court records. Relatives of the victims in the Pennsylvania case had reached out to the mother of the Jefferson Parish victims on Facebook after they saw photos of McCord with the children on social media, according to authorities. They warned the mother to keep her children away from McCord.

The woman’s own family members voiced similar concerns

Louisiana’s staunchly conservative governor has championed the law since the Republican-controlled state Legislature passed it in 2024, when he called on his supporters “to stand up for JudeoChristian values” after the law was quickly challenged in court.

In his message last week to superintendents, Landry argued that “Western Civilization” and the United States “are founded on the principles” of the Ten Commandments, which come from the Old

tionally act in contradiction of ethics guidelines.”

The opinion states that Van Vrancken requested Simno assist the parish administration in identifying parish properties located in District 5, which covers Metairie, that were no longer needed so they could be put up for sale.

In February 2022, Simno, acting on behalf of Van Vrancken’s office, requested the parish administration put several lots along Hesper Avenue up for sale, including 1124 and 1132 Hesper Avenue. The council unanimously approved declaring them as surplus properties and putting them up for sale the following November

Once the solicitations for bids went public in February 2023, Hesperus LLC, which Simno holds 50% ownership of, submitted two sealed bids above the appraised value for the two properties: $216,323 for 1132 Hesper Ave. and $281,323 for 1124 Hesper Ave., the

The law requires schools to accept donated Ten Commandments posters, which must measure at least 11 by 14 inches and feature “large, easily readable font.” The Louisiana Family Forum has shipped posters to 60 of the state’s parish school systems and plans to reach the other four parishes soon, said Gene Mills, who is president of the conservative advocacy group. In rural Grant Parish, Superintendent Erin Stokes said she received Landry’s letter and has distributed the donated posters to school principals.

She expects the displays to be up in every classroom by the end of this week.

“As with any new requirement, we are working to ensure the rollout is handled thoughtfully respectfully, and in a way that aligns with our responsibility as a public school system,” she said in a statement, adding that local community members have expressed “consistent interest and support” in the Ten Commandments law.

opinion states. A parish employee reviewing secretary of state business filings included in the bid discovered Simno’s name on the paperwork and notified him of the issue. Around the time of Simno’s termination, the Parish Council rejected all bids and moved to readvertise for the 1132 Hesper lot Hesperus did not submit a bid in response to the readvertisement and did not purchase either property Simno had worked for Van Vrancken since Jan 8, 2020, the start of her second term serving District 5.

“I love Jefferson Parish,” Simno said. “I loved working every day to improve the lives of its residents.” Lara Nicholson writes about Jefferson Parish for The Advocate | Times-Picayune. Email her at lnicholson@ theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Baton Rouge attorney Gordon McKernan closed on the purchase of a 30,000-square-foot office building at 3900 Veterans Memorial Blvd. for more than $6 million in February.

Remodeling of the new Metairie offices is set to begin soon and take four to six months. McKernan, whose slogan is “Get Gordon. Get it Done,” said the buildout will include a “swag room” with gifts for clients, a recording studio available for public use and a mock courtroom for trial preparation.

Once in use by his staff of about a dozen, half of whom will be attorneys, the new Metairie office

when they saw the photos on social media, as well, authorities said. But the woman ignored the warnings and the pleas from her children. She continued to allow McCord access to the children. Investigators found videos of assaults that were recorded after the warnings, according to authorities.

Judge Stephen Grefer, of the 24th Judicial District Court, sentenced the woman to 40 years in prison for each count of molestation. She was sentenced to 20 years for cruelty to a victim under 8 years old and 10 years for cruelty to a juvenile, court records said The judge ordered the sentences to run concurrently Grefer also issued protective

will also host the firm’s annual bike giveaway and Mardi Gras parties.

“We’re certainly going to take market share from other attorneys,” he added. “It’s a finite number of cases, and if we’re getting them, it just means we’re taking them from other attorneys that used to get them.”

Email Jonah Meadows at jonah. meadows@theadvocate.com.

orders barring the woman from contact with her children for 50 years, court records said.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com.

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Bronxman booked in 2023 killing

Manaccused of gang-related shooting on N.O. soccer field

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

More than two years after aman was shot dead on aVillage de l’Est soccer field, aBronx manisinjail accused of what authoritiesdescribe as aretaliatory killing stemming from gang activityinNew York.

Manuel Diaz, 34, was bookedinto Orleans Justice Center on Feb. 22 on second-degree murder, armed robbery,aggravatedkidnapping and illegal transmission of monetary funds, court records show. Diaz is a“key member”ofa New York-based criminal organization involved in murder,armed rob-

beries and smugglingstolen goods that has spread into New Orleans, according to amotion by the state seekingtoholdhim without bail.

New Orleans police believeDiaz shot 21-year-old Maynos LuisCastillo in the back asCastillo played soccer in aparkat13519 Granville St. onOct. 29, 2023. Diaz ran to his blue SUV and drove off, pursuedbysoccer players and bystanders whohurled beerbottles at his fleeingvehicle, according to an affidavit supporting his arrest.

“Witnessesidentified the victim as being from New York, and his murder mayhave been perpetrated by an individual from New

York who was in the New Orleans area,”statesthe affidavitsigned by magistrate Judge Jay Daniels in August The investigation stalled days after thekilling,until early2025, when theFBI’sViolentTask Force and New Orleans Police Department Detective Ryan Aucoin received information naming Diaz as thesuspect, theaffidavitstates. Diaz’scellphone records placed him at the scene at the timeofthe homicide,and an eyewitness identified him in aphoto lineup, police said.

Diaz’s cellphone records alsotied himtoaNovember2024armed robberyataLittleWoods apart-

ment, where he andthreeother armed men allegedly waited fora man andwoman they had offered to sell a$1,200 piece of jewelry,police said. Instead, police said Diaz forcedthe man to his knees, took his phone andtransferred $2,000 to himself, then took $1,200 in cash from the womanwaiting in the car

The transfer was made to Diaz’s Zelle account, police said,and his phone records placed him at the scene of the armed robbery.Asurveillance system photo also identifiedhim as an assailant, the affidavit states. Diaz was arrested in New York, where he is apermanent resident, and he wasextradited to New

Court says St.James held illegaltalks

Ruling:Officials triedtobypass transparency law

BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

ALouisiana appellate court has ruled that St. James Parish officials violated statelaw when they held closed-doormeetings about aproposedchemical plant, finding they deliberately structured the sessions to keep the public in the dark.

The three-judge panel of the Louisiana 5th Circuit Court of Appeal in Gretna unanimously affirmed a lower court’sruling on Feb. 25 that the parish intentionally circumvented the open meetings lawby splitting members of the Planning Commission and Parish Council into two back-to-back sessions on May 14,2019, each carefully arranged so that neither body had aquorum present. The meetings were not publicly noticed, were held at alocation not typically used for parish business, and were closed to anyone who had not been invited.

Parish officials testified that they wanted council members to be able to ask questions of the company “without being bombarded by any other opinion,” and that the meetings were closedtothe public to “alleviate the potential for bickering.”

The sessions were convened so that members of both bodies could privately receive informationfrom Wanhua Chemical,a Chinesecompany that had applied for aland-use permit to build a$1.25 billion polyurethane manufacturing facility in Convent.

Duringoral argumentsinthe case last month, an attorney for the parish, Tara Clement, told the courtthat the meetings were not “secret.” The doors to the meeting room were not locked, she said, and anyone could have attended.

JudgeJohn J. Molaison appeared unconvinced. If someone wanted to attend the meeting, he askedClement, “they would havehad to have wandered in by accident?” Clement acknowledged that was true.

The court found that avoiding bickering was not avalid reason for failing to providenotice of the meetings to the public, and that the

parish’sactions clearly showed an intent to circumvent the open meetings law.The ruling notedthatthe sessions wereheldjust six days before akey Planning Commission vote on Wanhua’sapplication, and that no public meeting was held afterward to sharethe information thatmembers had received privately “If Wanhua hadcome in,that would’ve meant morepollution,” said Sharon Lavigne, aSt. James resident and the founder of activist group RISE St. James. “So for them to do this behind our back,theyneed to be heldaccountable.”

Neither Clementnor aspokesperson for St. JamesParish responded to requests for comment. Wanhua ultimately withdrew its application in September 2019. The projecthad facedmounting community opposition, costly tariffs imposedduring theU.S.-China trade disputein thefirstTrump administration, anda near doubling of the plant’sconstruction costs, whichthe parish president at the time saidhad risen to more than $2 billion.

Had the facility been built, it wouldhave emitted more than 300,000 poundsper year of toxic pollution, including cancer-causing substances and phosgene, achemi-

cal warfare agent, according to the plaintiffs’ attorneys.

St.James Parish sitsinastretch of theMississippi River corridor between New Orleans and Baton Rouge that manyrefer to as “Cancer Alley” because of thehighconcentration of polluting industrial plants in the area. In aseparatefederal lawsuit, RISESt. James andtwo other groups allege thatthe parish hasfor decades steered industrial facilitiesinto predominantly Black neighborhoodswhile shielding White areas fromdevelopment. A federal judge ruled last month that the case can proceed on all counts.

The plaintiffs in theopen meetings case—longtime residentsGenevieve Butler and theRev.Harry Joseph Sr., along with RISE St. James andthe Louisiana Bucket Brigade environmentalgroup —were representedbythe EnvironmentalLaw Clinic at Tulane University.A student attorney with the clinic, Matthew Turnerargued thatthe illegal meetings were discovered largely by accident,through apublic records request thatturned up emails organizing the sessions.

The court declared themeetings illegal but declinedtoissue apermanent injunction barring the parishfrom holding similar meetings in

the future. The trial court had found that themeetings werenot held with “ill intent,” andthe appellate court agreed that theplaintiffs’ fear that secret meetingscould happen again wasnot sufficienttosupport an injunction. The court noted that the parish is now “well aware” of what constitutes aviolation.

“It is sort of a‘slap on thewrist,’” said Devin Lowell, an attorney with the Environmental Law Clinic at Tulane. “But it does make clear that what theparish did is illegal. So they should know nottodoitagain.”

Louisiana’sopenmeetingslaw requires that mostgovernmentmeetings be advertisedpublicly at least 24 hours in advancewhena quorum will be present. The lawalsoprohibits public bodies from using“any other means to circumvent” its intent —the provisionthe court found the parish hadviolated Attorney GeneralLiz Murrill has recentlysued local governments for failing to abidebyparts of theopen meetings law. Shesuedthe Caddo ParishCommission forfailing to vote on aresolutionwelcoming Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to Shreveport, andthe Livingston Parish Library Board for violating agenda requirements whenitvoted to oust itslibrary director.

Driver crashesintoDorignac’sFoodCenter

Customers,workers escape injury

BY CHAD CALDER Staff writer

Aman drove his vehicle across the parking lot of Dorignac’sFood Center in Metairie on Tuesday and crashedthroughthe wallofthe cafeteria in the front of the store, authorities and store owners said.

The crash occurred just after 6p.m. and there were no reported injuries among customers or employees, though the driverwas takentoahospital, Jefferson Parish sheriff’sspokesperson Sgt. BrandonVeal said.

Nicole Dorignac, whose family owns the VeteransMemorial Boulevard grocery store, saidshe and her husband had justgotten home when they gota callfrom the manager saying an elderly man

had cut acrossthe parking lot and “plowed right intothe cafeteria.”

“We’re not sure why he went off thebeatenpath,”she said. “No one was hit by thecar or damaged by thedebris, but… it looks like abombwentoff.It’smiraculous that no one was hurt and or killed because this parking lot has alot of people in it during theday.”

Dorignac said acashiersupervisor standing near thepoint of impact was knocked off her feet by

the force of thevehicle’s impact throughthe wall butappears to have escapedinjury

Ownership, employees and third-party contractors worked late Tuesday night to get the undamaged portionofthe storeopen for customers Wednesday

Veal said the cause of the crash is under investigation

Email ChadCalder at ccalder@ theadvocate.com.

Slidellcorrections officerarrestedinonlinesting

Manchatted with FBIagent posing as teen girl,policesay

BYWILLIE SWETT Staff writer

that the officer was chatting with online. The FBI arrested Nicholas Engolia, 31, of Slidell, on charges of transfer of obscene material to a minor and coercion andenticement of aminor,Slidell Police ChiefDaniel Seuzeneau saidina video on Wednesday Engolia was a10-year employee of the Slidell Police Department, Seuzeneau said, adding that paperworkhas been filed to terminate Engolia from his position. Seuzeneauesaid he didnot be-

lieve thatEngolia had previously committedany crimesofthis nature. “I am beyond pissed off right now,” Seuzeneau said in the video. “That is an understatementon how Ifeel, on how all the men and women of this agency feel.” Seuzeneau saidEngolia chatted online with someone he thought was 15 and decided to travel to apark in Covington to meet with her The teen girlturned out to be an undercover FBIagent.

SeuzeneausaidEngolia will “receive no favors.”

“In fact, he should be held to a higher standard because of what he chose to do as aprofession,” he saidinhis video.

“This is absolutely not whatthis department stands for.Weare not going to letthis oneincident tarnishwhatall of us put on every day because of what Mr.Engolia did,” Seuzeneausaid.

Email Willie Swett at willie swett@theadvocate.com.

Orleans, stateprosecutor Corbin Bates saidatDiaz’sThursday bail hearing in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. There, defense attorney Sarah Chervinskydescribed the evidence as circumstantial.Diaz, aU.S.citizen who works as atow truck operator,has five children and awife who waspresent in court, she said. “The state has madeallegations regarding him being adanger to the community,but Ithink at this point there is no concrete evidence being presented to the court to support those arguments,” Chervinsky said.

Daniels setbailat$960,000 and ordered Diaz to wear an ankle monitor should he post bail. If convicted of second-degree murder, Diaz faces lifeinprison.

Murder trialends with plea deal

Northshore man agrees to lesser charge as jury selectionbegins

BY BOBWARREN Staff writer

AWashingtonParish man pleaded guilty to a2021 homicide on Tuesday,halting jury selectionthathad begun in his trial in Franklinton, authorities said. JohnPaulSeals, 45,ofAngie, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and obstruction of justice in the 2021 killing of Kevin Bryce Blackmon, thenorthshore DistrictAttorney’sOffice said in a news release. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Judge Ellen M. Creel, of the 22nd Judicial District,sentenced Seals to 35 years in prison. Seals initially claimed that Blackmon’s deathwas theresult of self-defense. The Washington Parish Coroner’sOfficesaid Blackmon died of blunt force trauma.

But investigators determined that Seals killed Blackmon during an argument inside aresidence, then burned theinterior carpet to try and hide the crime.

UsingBlackmon’struck,Seals drove Blackmon’sbodytoa nearbycreek, whereheused accelerants to setthe vehicle and body on fire, accidentally catching his own clothes on fire as well, accordingtothe District Attorney’sOffice.

Prosecutors said forensic analysis confirmedthatBlackmon was dead before hisbody wasburned.

Seals submerged the victim’s 9 mm pistol in asandbarand discarded aknife that was used in the attack, according to the District Attorney’sOffice.

Washington Parish sheriff’s deputies discovered Blackmon’s body when they responded to a report of aburnedvehicle on MonroeCreek Road. The Washington Parish Sheriff’sOffice initially booked Seals with second-degree murder Blackmon’smother toldthe court that she does nothate Seals, but felt thatjustice was beingdelivered, prosecutors said. But Blackmon’ssister told Seals she hopes he sees her brother’sface every time he closes his eyes.

“The resolution of this case ensures that aviolent, repeat offenderisremoved fromour community forasignificant period,” northshore District Attorney Collin Simssaid in astatement. Assistant District Attorneys Tiffany Dover and Iain Dover prosecuted thecase. In additiontothe Sheriff’s Office and Coroner’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office lauded the investigative work of theLouisiana State Police Crime Lab, Louisiana State Fire Marshal’sOffice andthe LSU FACES Lab.

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Marque,Debra

LindaMarie Benson was born on June 20, 1950, in NewOrleans,Louisiana,at CharityHospital, to the late Virginia Campbell Womble andWillieLee Cook.Atthe ageofeight, shewas lovingly raised by herdevoted stepfather,the late Philip R. Womble,Sr. whohelpedguide and shapeher life.She peace‐fully transitioned to her eternalresting placeon February 21, 2026. Linda wasa lifelong resident of NewOrleans,Louisiana whereshe waseducatedin theNew OrleansPublic School System.She gradu‐ated from Booker T. Wash‐ington Senior High School, earningher high school diplomaalong with her Cosmetology Technical Certificate andLicense Lindawas always proudto saythatshe andher sib‐lingsgrewupinthe Cal‐liopeProjects, afoundation that kept herhumble, grounded,and strong LindaMarried theloveof herlife, Jerone Earl Ben‐son, Sr., andtogether they builta loving family Throughtheir holy matri‐mony,theywereblessedto producetheir children, KalainaMarie Benson and Jerone Earl Benson,Jr. Lindaand Jerone Sr.also lovingly raised hereldest son, DamonCampbell. The family residedatFortPolk, Louisiana, before returning home to 3431 Clara Street in NewOrleans,where they createda lifetime of cher‐ishedmemoriesprior to theirseparation. Lindawas apioneer anddedicated worker.She became oneof the firstAfrican American female security guards at MercyHospital, latertrans‐ferringtoSouthernBaptist Hospital on Napoleon Av‐enue.She then devoted over 20 yearsofservice to theHiltonHotel on Poydras Street before retiring in 2005 during HurricaneKat‐rina.Linda laterreturned to work at Tulane Univer‐sity,where sheretired againin2016, proudlywit‐nessingthatsameyearher daughter earn herMaster's Degree. Lindaleavesto cherishher loving memo‐ries:Her daughter,Kalaina MarieBenson-Connor (Raymond Connor Jr.),New Orleans, Louisiana; Her son, DamonCampbell; New Orleans, Louisiana; Her grandchildren, AliahM Benson,Madison,Missis‐sippi,Cashmir Connor, NewOrleans,Louisiana, J'ReneeL.Cooper,New Or‐leans, Louisiana, DerrickY Benson (Karen), Madison, Mississippi,BradColeman (Valeriear Coleman),Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Damon Coleman, Dallas,Texas, Isaiah Lewis, NewOrleans Louisiana, AnthonyRedBean Lewis, NewOrleans Louisiana, andKevontae Lewis, NewOrleans Louisiana, Hersiblings, JoannFlorent Powell, New Orleans, Louisiana, Thelma MarieWalker, Ohio,Lavon‐draVernon(ShaneLee) Killeen,Texas,Shawanda R. Lee, Spring,Texas,and PhyllisA.Mason,Denton, Texas. Shealsoleavesbe‐hind 20 great-grandchil‐dren,and ahostofnieces, great-nieces,nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles,ex‐tended family,and friends. Lindawas preceded in deathby: HerMother, Vir‐giniaCampbellWomble; Herfather, Willie Cook Campbell; Herstepfather, Philip R. Womble,Sr.;Her sonJeroneEarlBenson, Jr.; Herbrothers, Willie Camp‐bell andPhilipR.Womble, Jr.; Hergrandmother,Wil‐helminaBrown Campbell; andher grandfather, McKinley Campbell Sr LindaMarie Benson wasa womanofstrength, faith, andunwaveringlove. Her life wasa testament to perseverance,family, and grace. Herlegacywilllive on foreverthrough those sheloved andthose who lovedher.Welldone, thy good andfaithfulservant ACelebration of Life Ser‐vice will be on Friday March6,2026 at Israel Bap‐tist Church,2826 Jackson Ave. NewOrleans,La. 70113 at 10:00 a.m. Visitation is from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. servicetime. Rev. Mal‐colm Bacchus (Pastor)offi‐ciating. Interment: Provi‐denceMemorialPark Cemetery,8200 Airline Drive, Metairie,La. 70003. ArrangementEntrusted To Estelle J. Wilson Funeral Home,Inc.2715 Danneel Street,New Orleans, LA 70113. Information: (504) 895-4903. To sign online

Reginald "Rassie" Ceaserwas born on April 16, 1956 in NewOrleans,LA toVeronica"Clothile"Bi‐enemy-Major andGeorge "Georgee" Ceaser.Revered stepfatherofWillie "Bumpy" Major, Jr.Also survivedbydaughter, Regi‐nee' Ceaser;siblings, Catherine Williams Paulette B. Morgan (the lateHurist, Sr.),Carol M. Johnson,RegnieM.Butler (thelateRoland, Sr.),Lolita Major-Green (Curtis, Sr.) Loretta Colemanand Randy Major, Sr.; stepsis‐tersand brothers,Anna Waller, TerenthiaMajor-St. Prieux(Marvin)and Her‐bertMajor;aunt andun‐cles, MerelynM.and Feast Bienemy andJames Ceaser; Goddaughter, Conta Seal-Russell, as well asa host of othernieces, nephews,other familyand friends.Pastor, officers and membersofGreater Mount Olive, FirstAsia, SecondBaptist,Corinne MissionaryBaptist andall other neighboring churches in St.Bernard and OrleansParishes; em‐ployees of Walmart#909 The U.S. Mint,St. Bernard ParishSchool System and WiserSecurityare invited toattend thefuneral.A Celebration servicehonor‐ing thelifeand legacy of the late Mr.Reginald Rassie" Ceaser will be heldatGreater Mount Olive BaptistChurch,1904 Goodwill Drive, Violet,LA onSaturday, March7,2026 at11am, Pastor Merlin Flo‐res,Sr.,Officiating. Inter‐mentMerrick Cemetery Visitation9 am in the church.Pleasesignonline guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com. Charbonnet LabatGlapion Directors (504) 581-4411

Cherry,BrendaGoudeau

Brenda GoudeauCherry, aged83, lovingly knownas “Nana”, passedaway peacefullyonTuesday February24, 2026. Shewas surrounded by familyafter a courageous battlewith cancer. Brenda wasborn onAugust28, 1942 to the lateThomasand Lorraine Goudeau.She attended XavierUniversityPrepara‐toryHighSchool andgrad‐uated from Joseph S. Clark HighSchool.Brendawent ontograduatefrom StraightBusinessSchool (nowDillard University). She became aCertified Paralegal—anachievement thatset thefoundationfor her long anddedicated ca‐reer in legaland adminis‐trative service. Brenda’s professionalcareer began byserving as aLegal Ad‐ministrativeAssistantfor A.P.Tureaud andErnest “Dutch” Morial,where her talent, reliability, andpro‐fessionalism flourished.In 2005, Brenda relocatedto Snellville, GA,asa result of Hurricane Katrina. Brenda returnedtothe NewOr‐leans area in December 2024 to be closer to family asher health begantode‐cline.Brendaispreceded indeath by herparents, Thomasand Lorraine Goudeau;brothersThomas Jr. andAlbert; sister Linda; and former husband,Eu‐geneCherry.She is sur‐vived by hersons, Ryan Goudeau (Fern) andBran‐don Cherry (Ketura); grandchildren Jordan Goudeau Arnold (Deron), Kayla Goudeau, and Solomon GoudeauCherry; aswellasgreat grand‐daughter, Seraphim Arnold and GodDaughterLeahSu‐lony. Shealsoleavesbe‐hindher sisters, Cathy Goudeau andJoniRivarde (Louis).Additionally, Brendaissurvivedbyher devoted life partnerof thirtyone years, Alvin Washington, alongwitha hostofnieces, nephews, and lovedones. Relatives, familyand friendsare in‐

Home,9611 LA-23, Belle Chasse LA.70037. Thevisi‐tationwillbegin at 9AM followedbya 10AMser‐vice. Pastor Marc A. Napoleonwillofficiateand entombmentwillfollowin Mt. Olivet Cemetery 4000 NormanMayer Ave.,New Orleans.For online condo‐lencespleasevisit www robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com

ary18, 2026. Please visit www.rhodesfuneral.com to viewservice information, signonlineguestbook, send flowersand share condolences

Cherry,Brenda Clark-Fountain, Carolyn Gouzien, Robert D.

vitedtoa Mass of Christian Burialhonoringthe life of BrendaCherry at St.Martin dePorresCatholicChurch 5621 ElysianFieldsAve., New Orleans, LA 70122 on Saturday, March7,2026 at 11:00 am.Visitationat9:00 aminthe church.Inter‐ment: Private. In lieu of flowers, please send dona‐tions to theAmericanCan‐cer Foundation.Pleasesign the online guestbook at www.charbonnetfuneralho me.com. Charbonnet Labat Glapion Directors, (504) 581-4411.

Clark-Fountain, Carolyn Ann

CarolynAnn Clark-Foun‐tainofMarrero LA was bornFebruary18, 1961 to LawrenceClark,Sr. and Rosie Mathis Dillon.Her Christian journeybegan at anearly age. Sheenjoyed going to Sunday school and singinginthe youth choir.Her educationwas completed at AliceFoucher SeniorHighSchool.Asshe began to pursue herca‐reer,her passionlanded her in CharityHospital School of Nursingand Holy Cross Collegefor nursing Carolyn prided herselfin working in variousmedical fields,atOchsner Founda‐tion, ChateauNotre Dame and theActsHomeHealth Facility. Sheworkeddays and nights to providefor her children.She eventu‐allyhad to make some un‐expectedchanges when her daughter Brittany landedher anotherjob as a crossing guardfor 7 years at John Dibert Ele‐mentary School.Justlike someofuswould say, not mychild.Brittnaywasn't allowed to participatein any activities offthe premisesunlessher motherwas thechaper‐one.Carolyn enjoyeddanc‐ing,cooking, decorating dressingand beinga care giver forany age. With that infectiousnesslaugh,she enjoyed having agood time. Shewas adevoted mother, grandmother, sis‐ter andaunt.OnTuesday, February17, 2026 Carolyn Ann Clark-Fountain re‐ceivedher wingstoenter the PearlieGates.She was precededindeath by her parents,LawrenceClark Sr. andRosie Mathis Dillon, sisterKim Rose Dillon Mar‐tin andFelecia Clark, 2 nieces, KenyadaHarrisand KiffanyButler, brothers LawrenceClark IT,Gregory Clark,and KevinClark,sis‐ter ,and nephewsLarry Lewis,Jr. andTyrellWash‐ington. Carolyn'sloveand legacywillbecarried on through herdevoted chil‐drenBrandon andBrittany Fountain, grandchild Za RyahPretty Fountain along with herGod-fearing family. Lawrence Clark, Jr Steven(Rosalyn) Clark, RoseMarySmith of Texas, Dr. Jacqueline Clark, Mar‐quita,Johnatan, Justin Clark,Myron Clark, Deme‐triel Clark-Walker,Tanjia Clark-Berry,Sabrina ClarkByesand Kirk Clark, anda hostofnieces, nephews cousins,and herdevoted friend, Melvin Johnson. Rel‐ativesand friendsofthe familyare invitedtoattend the funeralservice on Sat‐urday,March 7, 2026 at Robinson Family Funeral

Custard, Milton With sadnessweshare the passingofMiltonCus‐tardonFebruary21, 2026 Pleasevisit www.rhodesf uneral.comtoviewservice information,signonline guestbook,sendflowers and sharecondolences

Dupre, AlvinJ.'Diego' With sadnessweshare the passingofAlvin J. Diego” DupreonFebruary 13, 2026. Please visitwww rhodesfuneral.comtoview service information, sign onlineguestbook,send flowersand sharecondo‐lences.

Selena Harris Everyen‐tered into eternalreston Sunday, February 22, 2026, atWestJefferson Medical Center, at theyoung ageof 99. Shewas alifelongresi‐dentofMarrero,LA. Daughterofthe late Eddie HarrisSr. andthe late Ce‐celia NobleHarris. Beloved motherofLeonEvery Sr AdamEvery III (Lana), ThelmaHunterand Maxine Every.SisterofDelores Every (Lloyd Sr.),and the lateEddieHarrisJr., SamuelHarris, Rev. Daniel HarrisSr.,Jacob Harris,El‐noraClark,ElmaColer,and Celestine Campbell. God‐motherofCamilla Cole‐mon.Mrs.Every is also sur‐vived by ahostofgrand‐children, greatgrandchil‐dren, nieces,nephews, cousins,other relatives and devotedfriends.Rela‐tives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend the funeralservice on Sat‐urday,March 7, 2026 at Mt ZionBaptist Church 701 HueyP.LongAve Gretna LA. 70053. Thevisitation willbegin at 9AMfollowed bya 10AMservice.Pastor T.LynnRobinsonSr. will of‐ficiateand intermentwill followinRestlawnCeme‐teryinAvondale. Funeral planningentrusted to RobinsonFamilyFuneral Home(504) 208-2119. On‐linecondolences at www Robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com

Freeman,Lou AudryDuckett With sadnessweshare the passingofLou Audry DuckettFreeman on Febru‐

Robert D. Gouzien passedawaypeacefullyat his home on December 20 2025, at theage of 77 after a shortbattlewithcancer. Robertwas born on De‐cember17, 1948, in NewOr‐leans,Louisiana andwas raisedinthe Gentillyarea. Hewas employed at Inter‐nationalAllianceofThe‐atrical StageEmployees (LATSELocal 39),a career which he loved. Robert was precededindeath by his parents,Mamie Logos Gouzien andAlexander Gouzien,brothers, Alvin Gouzien andMichael Gouzien,and sisters, Car‐olynG.DeLaughterand MarionG.Gabler. He is sur‐vived by ahostofbeloved niecesand nephewsand two sisters-in-law.Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to attend aMemorial Service on Friday,March 6, 2026, for1:00p.m.atJack‐son Avenue Evangelical Church,2221 Chippewa St New Orleans, LA 70130. In‐terment will immediately followatCypress Grove Cemeteryat3:30p.m.The familywould like to extend heartfelt thanks to the nursesand dear friends and familythatcared for Robertduringhis final days. MayRobertrestin peace andberemembered alwayswithloveand grati‐tude. In lieu of flowers, pleaseconsidermemorial donations to JacksonAv‐enue EvangelicalChurch or St. Jude Children’s Re‐searchHospital. Guest‐book Online:www.anewtra ditionbegins.com(504)2820600. Linear Brooks Boyd and DonavinD.BoydOwn‐ers/FuneralDirectors

Hanchett, June

June Cleggett Hanchett age 77, enteredeternal rest onWednesday,February 25, 2026, to be with her HeavenlyFather. Shewas precededindeath by her beloved parents, Robert J. Cleggett, Sr.and Dorothy HarrisCleggett; andher brothers, Mark A. Cleggett, Byron M. Cleggett (Va‐lerie), andRobertJ Cleggett, Jr.She leaves to cherish herlovingmemory her children,Ben J. Hanchett, Jr.and Benita Hanchett(Dominick); her devoted sister,Marva C. Tutt(Mance);her brother, Brent E. Cleggett (Felicia); and herthree beloved grandchildren. Shealso

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leaves ahostofextended familymembers and friends whowillforever holdher in theirhearts. A Celebration of Life honor‐ing June C. Hanchett will beheldatRhodesFuneral Home, 1020VirgilStreet, Gretna, Louisiana70053 on Saturday, March7,2026, at 11:30 a.m. Visitation will begin at 10:30a.m.Inter‐mentwillfollowatMc‐DonoghvilleCemetery, 520 Hancock Street,Gretna, Louisiana 70053. Arrange‐ments by D. W. Rhodes Fu‐neral Home,3933 Washing‐ton Ave. Please visitwww rhodesfuneral.comtosign the online guestbook

Hardy, William WilliamHardy entered intorestonFebruary15, 2026. AFuneralService will beheldonSaturday, March 7,2026 at 10:00 am at Cal‐varyTabernacleC.M.E., 3629 DryadesSt.,New Or‐leans,Louisiana 70115. Vis‐itation will beginat9:00 am.BurialwillbeinHolt Cemetery. Professional arrangementsentrusted to MajesticMortuary, (504) 523-5872.

OctaviaAlmaIrons,lov‐ingly knowntoher family as“Ockie” and“Aunt Ockie”, andtogenerations ofstudentsas“Ms.Irons”, passedawayonWednes‐day,February25, 2026. She was born December 27, 1940 in NewOrleans,LAto the late John JamesIrons and EssieFolse Irons. She was reared in theHolly‐grove community andedu‐cated in theOrleans Parish School System,attending PaulLaurenceDunbarEle‐mentary School,Alfred C. PriestlyJuniorHighSchool and Booker T. Washington HighSchool.Octavia con‐tinuedher educationat Grambling Collegeand SouthernUniversityin Baton Rouge. Shedevoted manyyears to teaching, touchingthe livesofcount‐lessstudentsbeforeretir‐ing.She wasa faithful memberofGideonChrist‐ian Fellowship Church and was knownbyfamilyand friends forher warm spirit and love forothers. Sur‐vivorsinclude four sib‐lings,Helen Rodgers, Charles Irons(Vivian), Li‐onelIrons,JoelIrons,along witha host of nieces, nephews,other relatives, friends andformerstu‐dents,who will miss her dearly. In addition to her parents,Octavia is also precededindeath by seven siblings,JohnJames Irons, Jr Mary EthelDaly, Willie Joseph Aulston Irons, Emmanuel James Irons, AlvinLutherIrons, Julia IronsWashingtonand Lydia IronsLindsey.A fu‐neral servicehonoringthe lifeand legacy of thelate Octavia Alma Ironswillbe heldatNazarethBaptist Church, 9108 Pritchard Place,New Orleans, LA on Saturday, March7,2026 at 11am. IntermentGreen Street (CarrolltonNo. 1) Cemetery. Visitation 10 am inthe church.Pleasesign the online guestbook at www.charbonnetfuneralho me.com. Charbonnet Labat Glapion,Directors (504) 581-4411

Jennifer;her niecesand nephews, Dominique, Donavan, Leonard Jr., Monica, and Maurice Jr.; one grandnephew, Andre' Jordan; and ahost of aunts, cousins, extended family, and dear friends. She waspreceded in death by herfather, Charles J. Jeanne II;her brothers, Keith and Christopher; and grandparents, Charles J. & Myrtle Jeanne Jr ;Ulyess& IreneBergeron, allofNew Orleans,La. Graveside Memorial Servicestobeheldat12 noon,Saturday, March 7, 2026 at St.Roch #1 Cemetery,1725 St. Roch Ave.,New Orleans,La. in Lieu of flowers donations can be made to St. Jude Children'sHospital. Please visit www.demby andson.com to sign the guestbook.

Kagler,Vernell Magee'GG'

VernellMagee Kagler (GG), wasbornonAugust 8,1945 in Franklinton, LA to the union of thelateRod‐ney andVonitaMagee.She departedthislife on Friday, February20, 2026 at the age of 80. She wasbap‐tized at NewJerusalem Baptist Church in Franklin‐ton,LA. Sheleavestocher‐ish hermemories, her beloved husband of 62 years Jimmie Kagler;three childrenVickieLajoice Thomas, Victoria Denise Kaglerand JimnellToniKa‐gler. Five grandchildren Vontrelle LillianKagler, Jer‐ica LauraBaker,Raynard Thomas, Jr JimmyRay Ka‐glerand Jacob Samuel Carter. Sixgrandchildren Richard Baker, Jamariyah ShantellBaker,Nevaeh Vernell Watkins, Ronald WilliamCarter, Victor Ali Carter, and Kyle Joseph Carter. Four Godchildren Barbara Kagler,BrendaKa‐gler, Jerome Learson, Jr and Da Alsosur nieces, ativesa precede parents and Richard Magee be reme warmth, ativity,a lovefor A View Friday, 6:00pmKingdom LouisaS Louisia tionofV heldonS 2026 at Jerusal 44030 Ma Franklint Friends vited to share me the be had on sionala trusted ary (504)

Greg tered in 22,

Latasha Jackson Jackson ana D. and ah tives an Service urday 11:00am Church King, Jr Visitatio 10:00am vate. Pr ments tic Mort

guestbook,sendflowers and sharecondolences

Marque,Debra Ann

DebraAnn Marque,born November8,1965, passed awaypeacefully on Febru‐ary 24, 2026, leavingbehind a legacy of love,strength, and devotion to herfamily. She wasa cherished mother, grandmother, sis‐ter,aunt,and friend who touched thelives of all who knew her. Debrawas the loving mother of her devoted son, Joshua Charles Marque.She wasa proud andadoring grand‐mothertoZachary and Christopher,who brought immense joytoher life She wasprecededindeath byher belovedparents, MaryMarqueand Charles Marque. Debraissurvived byher dear brothers: Charles Marque Jr.(Jeri), RobertMarque(Shelley) and TimothyMarque (April).She also leaves be‐hindher cherished nephews,Richard,Caleb Alexander,Kyle, andJaxon, and herlovingniece, Nicole. Debrawillbere‐memberedfor herkind heart,her unwavering love for herfamily, andthe warmthshe shared so freely. Hermemorywilllive oninthe hearts of those who knew andloved her. Nopublicserviceswillbe held. Foronlinecondo‐lences, please visitwww Robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com

Logwood,Jerome

NeelyMartin, Vivienne Clune

Vivienne Fay Clune

NeelyMartin passed away at 100 on March 2, 2026. Vivienne was born in Coleraine, MN on March 14, 1925. She attended University of Minnesota and received adegree in ArtEducation. She moved down to NewOrleans, LA in the1950s with her first husband, Harry Isackson. She is preceded in death by her second husband of 35 years, Willis AltonNeely andbyher third husband of 8years, LeslieKeith Martin andher son, Jonathan Will Neely. She is survivedbyher daughter, JaneNeely Moreau (Frank) and daughter-in-law Joy Constance Neely; four grandchildrenRyan Moreau (Caroline), Kyle Moreau (Jessi), WillNeely andSamantha Neely; two great-grandchildrenwhom she adored,Bennett Moreau and Pierce Moreau from Ryan and Caroline Moreau and ababydue in JulytoKyleand Jessi Moreau.

Belly”McGin‐hisearthly y, February eage of 59 eand resi‐LA.Beloved ateErnest Josephine nis. Grand‐eNathaniel rnes.Loving by (Edward) eShelvin wart,Elinor s, Margaret ia (Henry) (Richard) Forbes,Tom )Stewart, mary)McGin‐(Patricia) McGinnis ,and the en,Aubrey wart,Calvin, mitt, Ornal, ephMcGin‐lawofthe helvin and ;alsosur‐tofaunts, ,nephews, relatives lativesand amilyare in‐nd theCele‐fe at Davis ce,230 Mon‐,LA, on Fri‐2026, at 10:00 nwillbegin at servicetime .Interment: rk Memorial wego, LA nthe guest‐

Vivienne participatedin numerous activitiesand was an avid gardener and longtime member of the Shady Oaks Garden Club in RiverRidge.She was a member of Paradise Manor Community Club and Colonial Country Club and as atrue competitor,participated in multiple tennis leagues in NewOrleans, LA and Sylva,NC. She played tennisuntil she was 88 years old. In keeping with her competitive nature she was alifelongbridge player and continued playingwith longtime friends at theHarahan Senior Center at 100 years young. Lastly, aheartfelt thankstoCompassus Hospice and Laketown Village Assisted Living Facility forthe comfort and assistance providedinher final days.

Friends and relatives are invitedtoattend a memorial service commencing at 3:00pm on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at Parkway Presbyterian Church at 6200 Camphor St. in Metairie. In lieu of flowers,pleasemake contributions to theAmerican Heart Associationor JeffersonBeautification, Inc.,P.O. Box10658, Jefferson LA 70181 or on www.jeffersonbeautifica tion.org

Peltier,GeraldJ. Plumbers& Steamfitters Local Union60: Funeral services will be held for our lateBrother GeraldJ.PeltieronFriday, March 6, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home,911 Porter Ave, Ocean Springs, MS. By orderofJacob R. Newton, President Attest: Ronald R. Rosser, Business Manager

Phelps, Betty Jo Fishburn

Phelps, 94 of Mandeville, LA passed away on March 2, 2026 at Lakeview Hospitalsurrounded by her loving family.She was

lateR.H. "Tip" Fishburn andNellie Huffstetler Fishburn.Betty is preceded in death by herparents; herhusbandof33years JackD.Phelps; nieces, Cay Campbelland Melissa Tom. Born in Maryville,TN. Shegraduatedfrom KnoxvilleGeneral Hospital School of Nursingin1953. ShemarriedJack Phelps in 1955. Togethertheymoved several times, livingin Pittsburgh,PA(Twice), Little Rock,AR, and Ridgewood NJ,beforemovingtoMandeville,LAin 1972. SheworkedinhospitalsinPittsburgh andLittle Rock, before stopping out to raise hertwo children. When she returned to work in themid-1970s, sheprimarily workedasa Paramedical Examiner, doinginsurance exams, for therest of hercareer. She retiredfromthisonher 84th birthday. She wasa long-time memberofSt TimothyUnited Methodist Church. She volunteered for manyyearsat Southeast Louisiana Hospital, in the gift shop, andaccompaniedsmall groups of patientsonan outing for acookout before they were discharged.She lovedtocook, and she happilysharedfood and recipeswith friends, neighbors, andsometimes strangers. Shecookedfor herhusband'sand daughter'sworkpotlucks andfor otherevents. Sheparticipated in meal ministries with St Timothy. Betty is survived by herloving children,ConniePhelps, and Robert (Dana) Phelps; grandchildren, Dylan (Cameron) Phelps, and Logan (Sophia) Phelps; great-grandson, Taysom Phelps; siblings, Ann (Troy) Best, andJim (Brenda)Fishburn;nieces, Kellie Sharp,and Monica Mills. Betty also leaves behind to cherish hermemory ahostoffriends Visitation will be held from 2:00 pm until3:00 pm on Saturday, March7,2026 at the GraceFuneral Home (450 Holy Trinity Drive, Covington). Her Funeral Service will be held at 3:00 pm on Saturday, March7, 2026 at the GraceFuneral Home. GravesideServices will be held at 11:00 on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at Sherwood Memorial Park (3176 Airport Hwy, Alcoa, TN). In lieu of flowers, donations in Betty's memory may be made to St Jude Children'sHospital or to thecharity of donor's choice

Robinson,Dwayne Anthony

Dwayne AnthonyRobin‐son passedawaypeace‐fully,surrounded by love Hewas born on January2, 1967, to thelateJames and Inez Robinson.Dwayne was aman of resilience andcharacter.Hehad a

gift formakingpeople laugh andbrought joyinto every room he entered. He created momentsthatwill becherished forever. He was preceded in deathby the belovedmotherofhis children, MamieDuncan; his sister,JoannaRobin‐son;and hisbrothers, James Robinson,Edward Sr. Robinson,Antione Robinson, andAndre Sr Robinson. He leaves to cherish hismemoryhis children, Dwayne Duncan, Dwauna Duncan,and Ash‐ley Robinson;his grand‐sons, JacobAntione and Myles Perry; hisloving companion,TisaMullen; his sisters, Roulette Robin‐son,Aquanetta Robinson Yolanda Robinson,Rox‐anne Robinson,Karen R. Washington, andGinaR Moffett; anda host of nieces, nephews, cousins, extendedfamilymembers, and lifelong friends. Please joinusfor aMassofChris‐tianBurialonFriday, March 6,beginning 11:00 a.m. at St. Raymond–St.Leo Catholic Church,2916 Paris Avenue. Church visitation and tributes 10:00 a.m. until time of Mass. Father Stanley K. Ihuoma,SSJ,Cel‐ebrant. Professional ser‐vices entrustedtoLittle‐johnFuneralHome, 2163 Aubry Street,Cal K. John‐son,Manager-Funeral Di‐rector.Info: 504-940-0045.

Scott Jr., Sheila Davis, Kenneth Scott, KeithScott, Kevin Scott, Sr and GlynnScott, ahostofgrandchildren,great grandchildren, relatives, andfriends whom he treasured. Avisitation will be held from9:00 AM to 10:00 AM with funeral servicesfollowing on March6,2026 at Beacon LightInternational Baptist Cathedral,1937 MirabeauAve.Interment ProvidenceMemorialPark

L. ThigpenSr, affectionately known as "Big D" departed this life peacefully surrounded by familyonSunday, March 1, 2026. He wasbornin Chicago,Illinois on November 12, 1963. In 1982, he graduatedfromChicago Vocational School (CVS), then joined the U.S. Army in 1982, and washonorably discharged in 1992. In 1993 Darin joined theHarrah's Casino Familywhere he workedfor 33 years. Darin is survivedbyhis wife,

OUR VIEWS

Adubious rationale forshifting judicial districts

Gov.Jeff Landry’srequest to shift Louisiana’s federal judicial districts so that theLouisiana StatePenitentiary at Angola would be moved from the Middle Districttothe Western District might have been something reasonable people could support based on thefacts. Indeed, in his letter to Congress asking that West Feliciana Parish, where Angola is located, be put in the Western District,the governor cites the crowded caseload in the MiddleDistrict, which includes East Baton Rouge Parish. Angoladrives alot of judicial activity,asmany prisons do, so judges in the MiddleDistrict have seen a35.2%increase in filings since2020. Judges in theMiddle District also have 25% more newfilings per judgethan thoseinthe Western District,accordingtoLandry. So it might make sensetoshiftsomeofthat workload in the name of judicialefficiency But based on the words of Landryand others, there’salot more going on here. And that gives us pause. The ink was barely dry on Landry’sletter to Congress requesting the changebefore thegovernor took to Xlast week,excoriating“liberal judges” in the Middle District.His complaint was prompted by aruling by U.S. DistrictJudge Shelly Dick in acaseinvolving detainee at the Department of Homeland Security’s“Louisiana Lockup,” which is located at Angola. Landry apparently was angered that Dick determined theman, Roberto La Coss, anativeofthe Philippines who was living in Mississippi, hadbeen unconstitutionally detained.

Dick is the chief judge in theMiddle District, which is headquartered in Baton Rouge and covers nine parishes. Sheand thetwo other trial judges in the district wereappointedbyPresident Barack Obama. In the Western District, sevenjudges cover 42 parishes. Five of them were nominated by PresidentDonald Trump. There are also indications that theissue could nowplayintothe Louisiana Senate race, as Rep. JuliaLetlow,who is Trump andLandry’s pick to challenge incumbent Sen.Bill Cassidy,has introducedthe billtochange the districts in Congress. Letlow has also jumpedonthe bandwagon to whip up the issue,echoingLandry’s criticism of Dick.

All this might have Louisianaresidents wondering whether the proposed reform is driven by their needs and the courts’ mandate to provide impartial justice, or thedesires of those trying to score political points.

It is interesting to us that themove to quickly shiftthe districts came notbecause of longwait times for justice for Louisiana victims andfamilies, but because of casesinvolvingpeople from far-flung places.

This newspaperhas doneextensivereporting on the dysfunctional state court systeminNew Orleans and Baton Rouge. Real familieshave cried out for help for years. Wouldthattheir plight would get the same urgentattentionfrom officials elected to serve thecitizens of this state.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

OPINION

Armstrong Park is not just green space —itissacred ground. It holds Congo Square, thebirthplace of jazz and stands at the heart of Tremé. By launching aStrategic Master Plan that includes culture bearers,historians and neighborhood voices from the start,city leaders are recognizing one of New Orleans’ greatest assets and showing what collaborative leadership can look like.

This investment is cultural, historical and economic. It is also, importantly,aninvestment in public safety

From RampartStreet to the Claiborne overpass, Armstrong Park spans multiple blocks at the edge of theLafitte Greenway.It’sa uniquely verdant space equivalent of 24 football

fields, which encompasses lagoons, hills and multiple theaters in the heart of New Orleans. The revitalization of this consequential land masswould represent apublic safety boon forthe Treme, the French Quarter and the Claiborne corridor.Consistent foot traffic changes the energy of aplace. It creates natural guardianship, discourages crime and strengthens surrounding neighborhoods. Investment inside thepark will ripple outward to nearby homes and businesses.

Smart urban designand public safety go hand in hand. When we activate public spaces, we reduce crime. When we invest in culture, we strengthen community

This early focus by Mayor Helena

Mayor should reserveopinion untilfacts areknown

Iread Mayor Helena Moreno’s Facebook post regarding theKrewe of Tucks. Maybe she should have done her “investigation” first before going into apublic emotional rant,accusing someoneofracism without knowing any facts. What she did is also “not in thespirit of Mardi Gras.”

Investigation into what? As far as Iknow,there is no law against “racism,” against discrimination, yes, but not racism Who getstodefine what racism is or what it is not? It is asubjective opinion. Just because someone is offended doesn’tmake them right or make

somethingracist. The First Amendmentstill applies in the City of New Orleans. To quoteBlack educator and economist Thomas Sowell, “Racism is not dead, but on life support —kept alive by politicians, race hustlers and people who get asense of moral superioritybydenouncing others as ‘racist!’”Maybe Ican call anyone who disagrees withSowellaracist! On other matters, Moreno seemsto be off toagood start, but the city can’t be managed by subjective emotions and preordained biases.

TOMLONGMIRE NewOrleans

Moreno and the City Council signals an understanding that our greatest challenges often sit beside our greatest opportunities. Armstrong Park has always symbolized whoweare. This plan offers a chance to shape what we become—a city that honors its history while building safer,stronger neighborhoods for the future. On behalf of the Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice, Icommend the mayor and council forprioritizing one of our city’smost important cultural and civic spaces and doing the difficult work of creating spaces that will help prevent crime from ever occurring.

JASON ROGERS WILLIAMS Orleans Parish DistrictAttorney

Recently,I approached aparking lot in the French Quarter where I had leftmycar,only to learn the credit card machine wasnot working, requiring payment via cash only

Since Icarry very little cash, I knew it wouldn’tbeenough to retrieve my car.However,anextraordinary Napoleon House sous chef offered me $20 to supplement my cash. Iwas so grateful and amazed at his generosity and random act of kindness.

Several days later,mydaughter delivered arepayment formyhero. His thank you text message follows: “I only gave you $20 —thank you! Youdidn’thave to do that, but Iappreciate it. Have agreat day.“ So Iasked my daughter how much she leftfor him.Mygrateful son instructed her to up the ante to $100. Life’sgood turns deserve another random act of kindness.

VICKI FRAME Kenner

Ihad family with two little girls in town for theEndymion and Bacchus parades. We were disappointed with manyparadegoers who set up ladders by thecurb and many folding chairs behind them. When the parades started, all those who had been sitting in the chairs moved to thefront and left all the chairs empty,taking up space. No one sat during theparades, and everyone else wasforced to stand behind theempty chairs. Many of the float riders couldn’tthrow farenough to reach the people in the back. Is it too much to ask the people with thechairs to fold them and put them to theside? Needless to say,the girls were very disappointed.

Recently, Iread where one parish is considering afour-day-a-week school. Education is so importantfor our children. If anything, maybeweshould lengthen theschool year Ipresume that in China and Russia and other competing countries, they don’thave as many holidays as we

have in Louisiana. It seems like every other week, kids are getting out for some reason, such as spring and fall break, teacher conferences, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mardi Gras, Presidents Day,MartinLutherKing Day and variousothers. Iknow Iamold, but Iremember

BEVERLYW.DEVIER Ponchatoula

Thanksgiving andChristmasholidays were much shorter then they are now. Ithink ourchildrenwould benefit from more structuredschool time thansomanyholidays, especially if we aretocompetewith other countriesintoday’s complexworld.

DR. RONALD MARKS

Baton Rouge

An anti-Klanbodyguard and bouncer foundredemption

Redemptions come in different sizes and guises.

Politics included. Tommy Gaudet was acousin of sorts the adoptive son of the second husband of my widowed great-aunt. Twodecades olderthan Iam, he wasn’taround much when Iwas akid. At age 84,hedied of natural causes on Feb.18.

Thirty-seven years to the daybefore Tommy died, on Feb. 18, 1989, Ileft my Uptown New Orleansabode at 3:30 a.m. to drivetoa Metairie campaign headquarters. It was theday of aspecial election for astate House seat between businessman JohnTreen and former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. Iwas in acrewthat the Treen campaign was sending throughout thedistrict to put thousands of little Election Daysigns at every major intersection —you know, those placards that by law should beremovedagain within 24 hours.

The organizer pointed to aman with a pickup truck and said he wasmypartner for the morning. Bleary-eyed, in the dark, Iintroducedmyself —only to hear: “Ofcourse Iknow you; I’myourcousin Tommy Gaudet! Hop aboard;let’s go to work!”

Tommy was aformer Marine, starting offensive guard for the Vanderbilt football team and bar bouncer.(He also was smart,acompetitivebridge player,but that’sanotherstory.) He wasn’t tall, but he was astonishinglyburly,withawalrus mustache that addedtothe tough-guy effect —and he looked like he could knock somebodyinto another solar system. For three hours, while poundinghundreds of signs into the dirt, Tommy spokeinmartialterms.

“This is ashow of power,Quin,” he kept saying.“We’re gonnashowthose Kluxers we aren’tintimidated. We’ll show the voters there’senthusiasmfor Treen;it’s

aboutimpressions, about who’sgot the juice. People wanttobewith winners!” Alas, Dukeeked out a227-vote win. ButTommy was on the case. As anew member ofthe Republican StateCentral Committee, Tommy decided that state chairman Billy Nungesser (father of the currentlieutenant governor) needed protection from violent elements in the Klan. Nungesser,though 12 years Tommy’s senior,was atough guy himself and probably wanted no help, but that didn’tmatter: At every public event or Republican committee meeting for several years, Tommy,asself-appointed bodyguard, attached himself at thehip (figuratively speaking)ofthe chairman.

Referring to himself in thethird person, he’d tell me, numerous times:“If they wanta piece of Chairman Billy, they’regonna have to go through ol’ Tommy Boy here, and there’snoway they’re gonna getpast ol’ Tommy.”

My father at thetime was the state’s Republican National Committeeman, so sometimesTommy would add: “Now you tellyour daddythat I’ve got his back, too, if he needs anything on thecommittee; if

he needs someone totalk sense into other members, cousin Tommy is right here for him!”

Tommy was abundle of aggressively coiled zeal, and uber-loyal to family and to those he thought were “doing right.”

Well, the Duke threat finally,blessedly faded, and Imoved to Washington,D.C., and stopped seeing Tommy except at random family funerals. Butabout adecade ago, Isat with him in Bay St.Louis, Mississippi, for aburger and beer

For two hours, we traded old political stories, and he talked of his life.Hespoke movingly about how much he loved his sisters Michelle and Meg. He spokeof thingshehad done in his teensand 20s, somethat madehim proud, some that madehim agonizingly ashamed —some of the latter (details not needed here) of a racial nature.

“But Ihelped stop that Kluxer,Duke,” he said. “Maybe that makes up, at least alittle, for those things Isaid and did way back then. Those Kluxers are full of hate: They needed to be stopped. And we stopped them, didn’twe, boy? We stopped ’em good.”

In later years, Tommy Gaudetcraved lots of space.Achildhood friend owned major acreage15miles north of the Mississippi coast,and Tommy set up a trailer.The friend’sfamily,the Lukes, included Tommy at nightly dinners, andhe taught their grandchildren to drive.

At his funeral, one of the Luke grandchildren noted how Tommy had set up bird feeders all around his trailer,and how he would sit there in alawn chair in total peace. This man,who once was overly wound up with kinetic energy, now happily could sit so still that birds literally perched on his arms.

Tommy Gaudet found blessings.

Andwecan say to Tommy,touse the vernacular: Youdone good Email QuinHillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com

Living in theage of missiledefense

We officially live in the age of missile defense.

The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has been the showcase for missile-defense systems —interceptors, radars, and complex command and control —that areextremely robust and have largely defanged Iran’sforemost military threat to Israel, U.S. forces and other countries around the region If it weren’t for these defensive systems, the U.S. and Israel probably wouldn’t havedared launch thismilitary campaign,orat thevery least would have done it knowing Iran could exact an enormous cost on the Israeli population and U.S. forces.

We’ve seen the toll of onesuccessful Iranian ballistic missile strike. Amissile that hit asynagogue in the Beit Shemesh area where people were shelteringkilled nine people and wounded more than 40, accordingto the latest reports. It left a massive crater and destroyed cars and setfire to other buildingsinthe vicinity

Imagine that destruction multiplied dozens or hundreds of times aday in Iranian retaliatory attacks.

That’swhat Tehran has been going for withits massivebarrage. So far,it has fired more than 500 missiles andmore than 800 drones, and gotten tragic but minimal results from expending asignificant share of its overall arsenal.

That is thanks to the integrated, highly effective U.S. and Israel missile-defense systems —most famously,inIsrael’s case, Iron Dome —that have knocked down almost everything thrown their way These intercepts aren’tone-off tactical successes, but have amajor strategic effect. The purpose of the stocksofIranian missiles is to deter its enemies and to protect its regime, its weaponsprograms and its broader geopolitical project. By blunting the missile threat,defenses opened up avista for what President Trump hopes will be the most emphatic counter-proliferation campaigninrecent memory In other words, missile defenses may make it possible to ensure that theIran regime never gets anuclear weapon.

We now know that all thescorn that has beenpoured on missile defense over the years was perverse and wrong. Defenses were supposedtobetechnologically impossible. Not only do we see their practicality demonstrated every single day,Israel has begun deploying anti-missile and anti-drone lasers out of a 1950s-era comic book, although the technologyisstill in its infancy

Defenses were supposedbedestabilizing. In reality,they have allowed Israel room for maneuver —last year,when Iran launched missile barrages against theJewish state, it could carefully calibrateits responsesince the missile attacks weren’tmass-casualty events. Missile defenseissuch akey aspect of thecurrent war that one of the biggest questionsinthe conflict is whether the U.S., Israel and the Gulf states will run outofinterceptors before Iran runs out of missiles. All of this suggests that in theU.S., missile defense should be amatter of bipartisan consensus, like deploying radar or anti-aircraft weapons. Butinahangover from the1980s when they mocked Ron-

ald Reagan’svision of amissile-defense shield, progressives persist in believing that nothing is morepreposterous or dangerous than someone wanting to shoot down ICBMs directed at theUnited States.

The Trumpadministration shouldbe racing toget as much of its Golden Dome defense system —especially the spacebased elements—deployed as quickly as possible.

If aDemocrat gets elected president in 2028, he or she will be determined to stop the program in itstracks and keep theU.S. as vulnerable as possibletoan adversary’smissiles.

The age of missile warfare began dawning withthe advent of Nazi V1 and V2 rocketsinWorld WarII, and missiles featured prominently during the Cold War. Now,the interaction between offensive and defensive missile systems is an unavoidable part of warfare, and we should be very glad that in the Iran war,U.S. and Israel defenses havesofar proven dominant Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry

Irecently came across acurious headline:“The Retirement Crisis No One Warns YouAbout: Mattering.” Very few people leaving the workplace have preparedfor losing abig part of their identity,according to The Wall Street Journal article.Theylongto“feel seen”inthe next chapter of life

Muchhas been written aboutthe desire to “be seen”or“feel valued” or “to matter.” And not only for retirees.Muchsocial research centers on the “visibility” problems faced by so-called marginalized people. And YouTube is awashin“style after 50” videos for women who fear no onenotices themanymore.Certain skirt lengths and colorsare keytolooking younger,so theysay

The piece about“mattering” in retirement centers on acouple —aformer medical school dean andhis college-employedwife.Theyretiredand moved to their newhome in Sarasota, Florida, only to find little demand for their talents. The doctor,for example,triedbut failed to geta positionteaching biology Nearly athird of retirees report depressive symptoms, one study found. Anotherpoints to alikely driver: Many retirees feel “less valued, needed or connected.”

In aculture thatcan feel relentlessly impersonal, it’scommontofeel overlooked.Still, remedies exist. First on the list, if youwanttobeseen,see others. And notjust people youwanttoimpress but the cashiers at the big-box store, the mail personand the guy who delivers pizza Iwould venture that many who feel “unseen”treat these serviceworkers like inanimate objects. They barely look at them, much less smile and say “hello” andthen“thank you.” If you’re notseeing them, why should theylook back? Lack of recognitionisn’tjust impolite;it reflectsa lack of respect. It doesn’tmatterifyou never encounterthemagain. But if youdo, so much the better. Youhave made humancontact thatcan spark againand again. Ioncespent time in ahospital where most of the patients were American-born andmostofthe staff were immigrants. WhenIfirst went over my meals with adietitianfromEcuador,she kept her distance— perhaps because experience hadtaught hertoexpect condescension. Iaskedwhere she wasfrom as amatter of curiosity,and we took the conversationfromthere.Webothwarmed up, and Iwas treated to daily smilesinwhatcan be alonelyplace. She appreciated being treated with respect. Igot as many Fig Newtons as Iwanted.

Nowadays, people who do most of their socializing online canlosethe habit of seeing the flesh-and-blood person right in front of them. Theybreeze past those theydeem lowerinsocial or occupational rank, people who offer no advantage, failing to recognize the inherent worth of anyone who doesn’tmatter in the power hierarchy.Yet the simple fact thatthey showupfor us should make themspecial

Anotherfactor for the couple profiled andfor many otherretirees is relocation. Theyleavebehind the social network built over the yearsand land in a newplace where they must start from scratch. They’dhad friends and family back home —plus allthe small familiar tiesthatmakeaplace feel like yours: the mechanic who fixed their car,the waitress who servedwaffles, the dentist they’d seen for decades WhenIlivedinItaly,Ilearnedthat onedidn’twalkinto ashop without saying “buongiorno”(good morning) and making eyecontact with the proprietor or assistant. There was no ignoring that shopkeeper’shumanity,and the warmth was returned. If you want to be “seen,” try seeing others.

Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop. Email her at fharrop@gmail.com.

DEATHS continued from

Racquel Thigpen, two sons Darin L. Thigpen Jr. and Kyle Cummings, mother Flossie Thigpen, one brother Karl Thigpen, two sisters, Sonja Gorden (Lester) and Tanja Thigpen, ahost of nieces, nephews, cousins and devoted friends. Homegoing services will be held on Friday, March 6, 2026 at Starlight Missionary Baptist Church. 2100 Second Street Slidell, Louisiana 70458.Visitation 8am to 10am. Services from 10am to 12pm. Services will be live streamed. Repast immediatelyfollowing in church fellowship hall. Internment with full military honors will be Saturday, March 7, 2026 at Garden Memorial Park Cemetary 8001 US 49, Jackson, Mississippi 39209 at 12pm.

Thompson,Tiffany With sadnessweshare thepassing of Tiffany Thompson,onFebruary15, 2026.Pleasevisit www.rho desfuneral.comtoview serviceinformation,sign online guestbook,send flowers andshare condo‐lences

Wells, Alice G.

Alice G. Wellsentered eternal rest on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. She was born on August 14, 1948, in Yazoo City, Mississippi to the late AnnieBell and Dennis Gould. Alice leaves to cherish her precious memories her six children, Jeffery (Dale) Wells,Dennis (Kia) Wells, Jennifer (Joseph) Givens, Alisa Wells, Demitra (James) Smith and Belinda Wells; along with ahost of grandchildren, other relatives and friends. Relatives andfriends of the family are invited to attend the funeral service on

Friday, March 6, 2026,at 10:00a.m. at Richardson FuneralHome,11112 JeffersonHwy River Ridge, Louisiana 70123. Visitationwillbegins at 9:00 a.m. until the hour of service

Interment willfollow at JeffersonMemorial Gardens, St. Rose, Louisiana

Arrangements are entrusted to Richardson FuneralHome of Jefferson, River Ridge,Louisiana. www.richardsonfuneralho meofjefferson.com.

RalphMilton Wilderson passedawayinhis home onFebruary26, 2026, in De‐strehan,Louisiana sur‐rounded by family, friends and hisbeloved wife,Joyce Wilderson. Born Septem‐ber 14,1933, in NewOr‐leans,Louisiana andraised inLutcher,Louisiana.Son ofthe late FrankB.Wilder‐son,Sr. andValentean HarperWilderson.Ralph was 92 yearsold.Ralph’s early educationstarted in Lutcher where he attended Cypress Grovefor both ele‐mentary and high school Whileattending Cypress Grove,Ralph played Center for theCypress GroveBob‐cats, theschool’s football team. Ralph attended SouthernUniversityin Baton Rougeand spentone yeartowardhis higher ed‐ucation before joiningthe UnitedStatesAirforce. He was aLiaison Officerinthe UnitedStatesAirforcefrom 1956-60 and returned to SouthernUniversitywhere heultimatelyearneda BachelorofScience degree inSocialStudies.Ralph wentontoobtain aMaster ofEducation in 1975 from his belovedSouthernUni‐versity.Hebegan hiselab‐orate teaching career in Vacherie, Louisianaat MagnoliaHighSchool with theSt. JamesParishSchool

Boardin1963. Aftermarry‐ing hisbeloved wife,Joyce Wright, Ralphjoinedthe St Charles Parish School Dis‐trict where he matricu‐lated from teaching at MaryMcCloud Bethune HighSchool to teaching SocialStudies at Destrehan HighSchool where he started theBlack Culture Clubwithhis colleague. Ralph eventually became Assistant Principaland thenCo-PrincipalofDe‐strehan High School.He alsoservedasthe Princi‐pal of Harry M. HurstJunior HighSchool.In1990 Ralph retired from theSt. Charles ParishSchool District and the became an educational consultantwithArchery and ArcherySchool Educa‐tionAssociates until 1994 Ralph also served on the St. Chrles Parish CivilSer‐viceBoard.Hewas also a memberofthe NewSarpy Civic Association, aBlack Organization. Ralphand his wife Joycebuilt their homeinOrmondEstates in 1987 andsuccessfully helpedinintegrating their subdivision’s gulf club Mostimportant to Ralph was hismembershipat Lutcher Chapel United Methodist Church.Among his otheraccomplish‐ments,Ralph received the SouthernAlumniAssocia‐tionAward,the L.S.U. Writ‐ing ProjectAward,Princi‐pal of theYearAward for outstanding leadership in the St.Charles Principal Association,the Middle School MGAP Principal Bellsouth Foundation Award from St.Charles Civil ServiceBoard.Heor‐ganized theSt. Charles Mentoring Program with Phi DeltaKappa andwas awarded theMonte M. Leman Awardfromthe Louisiana CivilService League. Ralphmaintained his membership with the AmericanLegionoverthe years.Ralph wasa dutiful worker. Whileinhigh school he rose earlyevery morning to transportwork‐ers to thesugarcane field. Hewould return in time to attendclasses, practice football andultimatelyre‐turnedtopickupthose he had transportedearly that morning.Ralph maintained thisworkethic throughout his high school experience In lightofall of Ralph’s honorable lifetime accom‐plishments, he will be best rememberedfor beinga humblememberofthe community who wasal‐waysready to serveinany capacityifhewas helping others. Ralphwas im‐mensely respectedbe‐causeheled with an open

heartand treatedeveryone withthe same dignityand respect that he received fromeveryoneheencoun‐tered.Ralph wasthe hum‐ble voiceofreasonfor all thathad theopportunity to interactwithhim.Hehad a beautiful spirit of guidance and agenuine wayofsup‐porting everyone,making him arolemodel to his family, friends, community and church.Hemadea special impact on thelives ofJoyce’s younger cousins while living in NewSarpy where he lovedtotake themcrabbing andmen‐tored them into adulthood A faithfulservant of God, Ralph traveled thirty miles every Sunday to Lutcher UnitedMethodist Church never missinga Sunday.As a dedicatedMethodist, Ralph wastaskedwith opening thedoorsofthe church andturning on the lightsand heat while awaitingSundaywor‐shipers.Ralph practiced and read theselected scripture forthe congrega‐tion. He once sang in the choir andassistedwithVa‐cationBible School.He never took credit forhis dedicationtohelping newly assigned pastors transitiontotheir assign‐mentbut graciously wel‐comed them as if they werealwaysfamily. Ralph enjoyed travelingwithhis wife. He wasmosthappy whenheand Joyceopened their home to familyand friends forholidays, or just towhompassedthrough for good conversation, laughterand Ralph’sfa‐vorite, ahomemademeal byJoyce.Ralph wasan avidSouthernUniversity Jaguarfan andattended the BayouClassic before it heldsucha popularname. Ralph wasa Jaguar season ticketholderwho loved traveling to allthe football games,especiallytothe awaygames on thebus withspecial friendswho werelikefamilytohim Ralph left this life as he lived it,withpoise anddig‐nity. In hislastdaysthe voicesofJoyce andhis caregiverssinging “yes, Jesus love me...” brought him greatcomfort.Heis survivedbyhis beloved wifeof61years,Joyce WrightWilderson.Heis alsosurvivedbyhis sib‐lings Althea Armstrong (Merrell),NormanWilder‐son (Ella)and Lorraine Clement anda host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relativesand friends. Ralph wasprecededin death by hisparents,Frank B.Wilderson,Sr. andValen‐tean Harper Wilderson, his

brothers, FrankB.Wilder‐son,Jr. (Ida-Lorraine, de‐ceased),and Thaddeus W. Wilderson(Beverly);his fa‐therand mother in law, WalterWright, Sr.and NeothaWrightNorris; his sisterand brotherin-law, WalterWright, III (“Tar”) and Emelda Cammon Wrightand DeloresWright Price andJohnnyPrice and his greatnephew, Hunter LaGrange. Relativesand friends of thefamily, Pas‐tors, officers andmember ofLutcher Chapel United Methodist Church andall surroundingChurches alsoemployees of St Charles Parish School Board andPost#509 Fur‐lough Robinson American LegionofAma,Louisiana are invitedtoattendthe FuneralServicesat 11:00am on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at St Charles United Methodist Church,1905 Ormond Boulevard,Destrehan, Louisiana 70047. Rev. Willie Laws-Officiating. Visitation willbegin at 9:00am until the time of serviceatthe above-named Church.In‐terment St.Charles Borre‐meo Cemetery andMau‐soleum, 13396 RiverRd., Destrehan,Louisiana 70047. FinalArrangements entrusted to PatrickH Sanders FuneralHome& FuneralDirectors,LLC.605 MainStreet,Laplace,LA 70068. 985-359-1919. “Pro‐

Ryelle Williams entered intorestonFebruary22, 2026. Sheissurvivedbyher lovingparents,grandpar‐ents, familyand friends. A FuneralService will be held onSaturday, March7,2026 at10:00 am at GentillyBap‐tistChurch,5141 Franklin Ave NOLA 70122. Visita‐tionwillbegin at 9:00 am IntermentwillbeinHolt Cemetery. Professional arrangementsentrusted to MajesticMortuary(504) 523-5872.

LSUfalls to UL,drops second straight

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LAFAYETTE Ayear ago, JayJohnsonwas proud of his defense.

The Tigers finished the season witha.981 fielding percentage, and they wereeven better in Southeastern Conference play.Only Texas finished conference play withamark better than LSU’s.985 percentage. But 2026 has been a different story forcoach Johnson’s team. LSU’sdefense has struggled, entering Wednesday’s game at UL having committed 15 errors. Its fielding percentage has dropped to a.965 mark. And the trip to Lafayette didn’t do anything to assuage LSU’sdefensiveconcerns

The Tigers committed three more errors on Wednesday at Russo Park, falling 7-2 to the Ragin’ Cajuns in what became theirthird loss in six games.

LSU’sstruggles defensively atsecond base and third base have been talking points since the preseason. But its defensiveissues went beyond two infield spots against UL, as the Tigers began making errors almost immediately

With arun in and one out in thefirst inning, redshirt junior right-hander and starting pitcher Gavin Guidry committed the first error, tossing an errant pickoff attempt to second base that allowedthe runner to

AP PHOTO By ROSS D. FRANKLIN

United States starting pitcher Paul Skenes throws against the San Francisco Giants during the first inningofanexhibition game TuesdayinScottsdale, Ariz.

JapanatWorld Baseball Classic

BY RONALD BLUM

AP baseball writer

Aaron Judge is tradingpinstripes fora plain jersey with red, white and blue letters.

“Getting the chance to wear that across my chest is going to be pretty powerful,”the U.S. and New York Yankees captain said of the WorldBaseball Classic. “I think alot of people have alot of pride for their country.”

After losing 3-2 in the2023 final when Japan’sShohei Ohtani ended the game by strikingout Mike Trout, theU.S.will be trying for its first championship since 2017 when 20 nations competefor thesixth championship starting Thursday.

Australia plays Taiwan at the Tokyo Dome in the opener,and action starts the next day in Houston, Miami and San Juan,Puerto Rico. The final againwill be at Miami, on March 17.

Amuch-improvedpitching staffincludes Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal and Mason Miller,and the batting order likely will include Judge, CalRaleigh,KyleSchwarberand Bobby Witt Jr Having watched the last two tournaments, Skenes has hopedtoreceiveaninvite from U.S. manager MarkDeRosa.

“When DeRo called, it was like, just,‘Yeah, I’m in. Youdon’tneed to talkmeinto this or anything,’”said Skenes, who played two

Stayingorleaving

Predicting Saints’upcomingfreeagencyand offseasondecisions

Decision dayisapproachingfor theNew Orleans Saints. Whenthe league’s negotiating window for free agency opensMonday, theSaints areslated to have 17 free agents hitthe market —barringa last-minuteextension that would keep them under wraps. And depending on howthe next few weeksunfold, this offseason couldmark theend of an erafor anumber of longtime Saints contributors.

“Obviously,wegot abunchofveterans that we’d love to keep here andbeapartofthis,”Saints coach Kellen Moore said at the NFLscouting combine last week.

Let’s takealook at themore notable decisions the Saints have to make, and whether those players will be stayingorleaving.

DEMARIO DAVIS: Davis and the Saints have amutualinterest in getting a deal done, but the 37-year-old linebacker might reach themarket first to officially see his options. Even at his advanced age, Davis is still playing at arelatively high level and would be anice fit for acontender.Could the Denver Broncos, fresh offanAFC championship game appearance, be afit? Former Saints coach Sean Payton,now in Denver, haslistedlinebackerasa need, but the Broncos typically have skewed

younger as they’ve fleshed out the roster. The Bearsare also remodeling their linebacker room, but based on feedback from thecombine,a reunion with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen doesn’tappear likely If Davis leaves,second-year linebacker Danny Stutsman would be in line to seemoreplaying time but there’sasense the Saintswould missDavis’veteran presence. And, as well as New Orleans’ defense playedlast season, would theunit see asignificantdrop-off without Da-

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

For thefirst time all season, the New Orleans Pelicans were at full strength Tuesday night Zion Williamson returned after missingthe previous game with aright ankle sprain andwas joinedinthe starting lineup by DejounteMurray,Herb Jones, Trey Murphy and Saddiq Bey

That lineup was good enough to put a scare intothe Lakers midway through the fourth quarter,but not good enough to finish them off. ThePelicanscollapsed late andfell110101 at Crypto.com Arena. The Pels (19-44) have now lost nine straight games against LeBron James and the Lakers. The Pelicans’ last win against L.A. came on Dec. 31, 2023. They were close to ending that skid Tuesday,building a94-86 lead with 7:20 remaining. But theLakerswent on a14-0 run and outscored the Pels 24-7 the rest of the way Williamson led the Pelicans with 24 points. Murphy scored 21 points to go with eight rebounds and four assists. Murray

vis? Throw in the fact that Davis has been in NewOrleansfor eight seasons, and there are alot of reasons forthe relationship to keep going, so long as price doesn’tget in the way Prediction: Staying

CAM JORDAN: At the end of his season media availability,Jordan made clear he wouldn’ttake another “halfoff” contract after aresurgent 101/2sack season. But was that simply

had 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. But it was the final stretch that did the Pelicans in. The Pels committed 19 turnovers in thegame, and theLakers took advantage andscored 29 points offthose mistakes. “We’ve talked about it four straight games,” Borrego said about the turnovers. “Individually,we’ve got to take ownership of it. …This is individual accountability right here. Notaplay call. Notadefensive effort. Not a50-50 ball. We are flat out turning it over.There has to be somepersonal pride about that. Value every possession.” TheLakerswerejustassloppywith22 turnovers that ledto21Pelicans’ points. But the Lakers (37-24) executed when it mattered most. Luka Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer, finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and sevenassists.LeBronJames had21points, sevenrebounds and seven assists to ruin

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Brawl in Sun Belt game hurts ref, forces 8 ejections

PENSACOLA, Fla. — A brawl between South Alabama and Coastal Carolina in the women’s Sun Belt Tournament on Wednesday left eight players ejected and knocked a referee to the ground where she required medical attention. There was less than six minutes left in the fourth quarter when South Alabama’s Cordasia Harris and Coastal Carolina’s Tracey Hueston began fighting under the basket. Harris appeared to bump Hueston slightly from behind before Hueston turned around and began pushing and swinging at Harris, who pushed back.

Coaching icon Holtz dies at 89

Hall of Famer led Notre Dame to 1988 national championsip

BY ERIC OLSON and TOM COYNE Associated Press writers

Lou Holtz never met an opponent that couldn’t beat him. Somehow, he squeaked out nearly 250 wins and a national title while cementing himself both as one of the most lovable and unlikable characters in college football — a one-of-a-kind iconoclast in a profession brimming with originals.

The pint-sized motivator who restored greatness at Notre Dame and demanded it everywhere else he went died in Orlando, Florida, Notre Dame announced Wednesday He was 89.

Spokeswoman Katy Lonergan said the family did not provide a cause of death.

“Notre Dame mourns the loss of Lou Holtz, a legendary football coach, a beloved member of the Notre Dame family and devoted husband, father and grandfather,” Notre Dame president the Rev Robert A. Dowd said in a statement. His son, Skip, who followed Holtz into coaching, said in a post on X that his father died and was “resting peacefully at home.”

“He was successful, but more important he was Significant,” Skip Holtz wrote

PHIL SANDLIN

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By

Arkansas coach Lou Holtz is carried by his players after defeating Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 2, 1978, in Miami. Holtz went 249-132-7 over a career that spanned 33 seasons and included stops at Minnesota, Arkansas, South Carolina and Notre Dame.

Holtz went 249-132-7 over a career that spanned 33 seasons and included stops at Minnesota, Arkansas, South Carolina and, most notably, Notre Dame.

It was there that he won his lone national championship, in 1988, capped with a win over West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl but highlighted by a 31-30 victory earlier in the season over Miami one of the notable meetings in the socalled “Catholics vs. Convicts” rivalry of the 1980s.

For all the big personalities coarsing through college football during the day, none stood bigger than Holtz. He was only 5-foot-10,

but commanded the sideline like someone much bigger The leadup to the big games were sometimes his best theatre.

Armed with a homespun brand of folksiness that could trickle into corny but always contained a kernel of truth, Holtz lit up bulletin boards and motivational posters with dozens of memorable quotes and pithy observations, virtually all of them constructed to inspire:

n “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.”

n “When all is said and done, more is said than done.”

n “You’re never as good as everyone tells you when you win,

and you’re never as bad as they say when you lose.”

He could make any team — from Akron to Army to Alabama — sound like a world beater on any given week. More often than not, his Fighting Irish figured out a way to scratch out the wins.

Restoring Irish to greatness

Before Holtz arrived in South Bend, Notre Dame was wallowing in mediocrity — a mere shell of the program built on a foundation of Knute Rockne, Ara Parseghian, the Golden Dome and Touchdown Jesus. Holtz turned things around quickly and had the Irish in the Cotton Bowl in Year 2 and winning the national title the season after that.

His 1988 and 1989 teams won a school-record 23 consecutive games and he beat three teams ranked No. 1 — Miami in 1988, Colorado in 1989 and Florida State in 1993.

The Irish finished No. 2 in the AP poll in 1993. Holtz left South Bend after the 1996 season with a record of 100-30-2.

“Lou and I shared a very special relationship,” said current Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, who led the Irish back to the national title game in 2025 — a contest Holtz attended and spiced up with some trolling of the Ohio State program that beat the Irish that day “Our relationship meant a lot to me as I admired the values he used to build the foundation of his coaching career: love, trust and commitment.”

Chiefs agree to send CB McDuffie to Rams

BY GREG BEACHAM Associated Press

LOS ANGELES The Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams have agreed on a trade that sends star cornerback Trent McDuffie to Los Angeles in exchange for several draft picks, three people with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the trade has not been finalized. Kansas City will receive the 29th overall pick in the upcoming draft, and fifth-round and sixthround picks this spring along with a third-round pick next year

The deal would fill the Rams’ biggest roster need by adding an elite cornerback to their mediocre secondary Los Angeles finished

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

posturing — or a hard-line stance that could derail negotiations?

Regardless of whether Jordan returns, the Saints would like another pass rusher to add to the fold. That addition could, in theory, move Jordan down the pecking order even further Would Jordan be OK with a reduced role after his best season in years? That’d be a tough ask.

But Jordan was content to prove the Saints wrong last year and he could do it again while on the roster for another year Though he’s another year older, Jordan showed he at least could finish at the right moments something that had been missing for New Orleans over the last few years

Keeping Jordan, a franchise icon, would make sense.

Prediction: Staying

ALONTAE TAYLOR: The gap between what nickel cornerbacks are paid and what Alontae Taylor wants to be paid could be too much for the Saints to overcome.

Taylor saw former teammate Paulson Adebo get a three-year $54 million contract from the

19th in the NFL in pass defense last season, undercutting the work of a strong defensive line and the NFL’s most productive offense.

A two-time Super Bowl champion and a strong coverage defender who also excelled in pressuring quarterbacks and delivering big hits during his first four NFL seasons, McDuffie was a first-team AP All-Pro slot cornerback in 2023 and a second-team choice in 2024.

McDuffie, a first-round pick in 2022, is entering the final year of his rookie contract and will make $13.6 million this season, though the Rams already are likely working on a long-term deal.

The Chiefs would have been unable to fit a long-term contract with McDuffie under their salary cap, having already doled out big contracts to quarterback Patrick

New York Giants last year, and in the prime of his career, he can’t be blamed for seeking a comparable deal. That said, Taylor has played most of his snaps in the slot — a position whose highestpaid player (Kyler Gordon) earns only $13.3 million per year That dynamic creates a tricky negotiation, and the Saints and Taylor haven’t seen eye to eye yet. Perhaps the sides can reach a common ground, but there’s bound to be other teams interested in Taylor The Las Vegas Raiders have tons of cap space and a coaching staff that’s familiar with Taylor The Dallas Cowboys, according to Sports Illustrated, are also expected to be in the mix.

Taylor has shown plenty of versatility throughout his career so a team may very well be fine with paying — or even playing — him as an outside corner

ThefactthattheSaintstriedtoget an extension done during the season and couldn’t also doesn’t seem to bode well for Taylor’s return.

Prediction: Leaving

LUKE FORTNER: Acquiring Fortner

from the Jacksonville Jaguars in the preseason proved to be such a prudent move that owner Gayle Benson touted it as one of Mickey

AP FILE PHOTO By MATT PATTERSON Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Trent McDuffie takes the field in a game against the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 27.

Mahomes, defensive linemen Chris Jones and George Karlaftis, and offensive linemen Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith. With this extra draft capital, the

Loomis’ accomplishments when defending the longtime general manager And Loomis did deserve credit. Fortner became a dependable starter after center Erik McCoy went down, so much so that the Saints are anticipating he’ll receive an opportunity to start elsewhere next season. That opportunity, as well as the price tag that comes with it, makes Fortner’s return for another year unlikely

Prediction: Leaving

ALVIN KAMARA: Kamara isn’t a free agent, but he’s worth including in this discussion because of the uncertainty around his situation. Seen as a popular cut candidate, Kamara holds an $18.2 million cap hit for next season which has led many to assume the Saints would be willing to move on from the 30-year-old. New Orleans could clear $8.5 million in salary cap space with a post-June 1 release. But what the Saints will do is anyone’s guess. New Orleans has been tight-lipped about whether it is willing to move on, or whether it even sees Kamara’s cap hit as too high. Would Kamara be willing to take a pay cut if the Saints asked? And what happens if he’s not open

Chiefs will attempt to pry open a second Super Bowl window for Mahomes by boosting the talent around him. Kansas City will also continue its recent tradition of parting ways with its best defensive backs when they reach eligibility for their second contracts: Two years ago, Kansas City traded L’Jarius Sneed to Tennessee. The Rams’ cornerbacks were a clear flaw in last season’s powerhouse team, which reached the NFC championship game before falling to the eventual Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks. After failing to land any significant help for the secondary during the season, general manager Les Snead said last month that cornerback was “a position group that we’ll attack over the next few weeks.”

to such a move? The Saints could very well bring in another back, but that doesn’t mean Kamara’s time in New Orleans is automatically over There’s still a lot here to play out.

Prediction: Staying on a reduced cap hit

TAYSOM HILL: Like with Kamara, the Saints haven’t said much about Hill’s future. They’re giving him the space to decide whether to retire. If he does hang up his cleats, Hill’s performance against the New York Jets was a perfect send-off. He not only set a league record by becoming the first player since the NFL-AFL merger to record at least 1,000 career yards in passing, rushing and receiving, but the Saints specifically made sure he went out with style in his last home game. That’s a great memory to go out on, even if Hill’s 2025 campaign wasn’t what he expected coming off a torn ACL. Barring an unexpected extension, Hill will be a free agent come next week. That makes him eligible to sign with another team. But is there even a market if he wants to keep playing? It would be helpful for the Saints if Hill announced his plans soon. Prediction: Leaving (retired)

Two referees, multiple teammates and staff members quickly worked to separate the women and a referee was knocked to the ground in the melee. She appeared to be hit in the head or neck area by Hueston.

Judge crushes long homer in preparation for WBC

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Aaron Judge looks ready for his first World Baseball Classic.

The U.S. captain crushed a 453-foot solo homer in the first inning of the team’s exhibition game against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, drawing a roar from the crowd and then “U-S-A!” chants in a packed stadium at Salt River Fields in Arizona.

Judge’s no-doubter to left field was off lefty Kyle Freeland, leaving his bat at 115.9 mph. The threetime MVP is trying to lead the Americans to their first WBC title since 2017.

It’s the second of two exhibition games for the U.S. team, which will travel to Houston for Friday’s opener against Brazil.

Tourney teams face fines for not reporting injuries

INDIANAPOLIS — Schools participating in the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments could face fines starting at $10,000 if they fail to submit player availability reports required for the first time this year, the NCAA announced Wednesday Player availability reports are intended to combat betting-related pressure, solicitations and harassment athletes receive from bettors connected to playing status Conference availability reports have become common in recent years.

The requirement for the NCAA basketball tournaments is a pilot program.

The reporting system will not be used for other NCAA championships in 2025-26 while the program is evaluated.

Patriots tell Pro Bowl WR Diggs he’ll be released

The New England Patriots have informed wide receiver Stefon Diggs that he’ll be released when the new league year begins next week, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.

Diggs posted a goodbye on social media, thanking the Patriots for the season and saying: “We family forever.”

Diggs led the team with 85 receptions and 1,013 yards receiving with four touchdowns in his only season in New England, helping the Patriots reach the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Seattle Seahawks.

Diggs became the go-to target for Drake Maye, who finished runner-up to Matthew Stafford for the AP NFL MVP award.

QB Rodgers noncommittal about playing in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH Aaron Rodgers made his first public comments of the offseason on Wednesday in an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” and anyone hoping for news on his playing status for the 2026 season were disappointed. Rodgers talked glowingly of his year in Pittsburgh with the Steelers and of his relationship with new coach Mike McCarthy But when it comes to whether he’ll be the quarterback for the Steelers in 2026, things remain murky

“Free agency starts in a week,” Rodgers said. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with my wife. I’ve talked to Mike and Omar (Khan). There is no deadline. There is no contract offer “I’m a free agent. I’m enjoying this time with my wife at this point in the offseason.”

THE VARSITY ZONE

Karr keeps turnaround season alive

Cougars KO league rival Rummel in Div. I select playoffs

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Their bodies collided under the rim, with a Rummel defender knocked to the floor as Kahlil Fisher turned to celebrate with his Edna Karr teammates.

Fouled as he went in for the layup, the ball dropped through the hoop and Fisher went to the freethrow line. The 6-foot-2 junior completed the three-point play, ending Rummel’s late hopes for a playoff comeback.

Fisher scored 20 points and senior Kaleb Williams added 16 as Karr’s turnaround season continued by defeating Rummel 66-59 in the Division I select regionals on Tuesday in Metairie.

The pair combined to go 18 of 21 from the free-throw line in a win that advanced the Cougars to face No. 14 Captain Shreve in the quarterfinals following Shreve’s 11-point upset of No. 3 St Augustine. With No. 11 Karr (26-9) as the higher seed, the Cougars will host Shreve with a chance to reach the state tournament for the first time since 2022. That was the last season Karr played as a Class 4A school. After leading by 10 points in the fourth quarter, Karr fended off a

late rally that drew No. 6 Rummel (20-10) within four points. The win avenged Karr’s six-point loss to Rummel late in the regular season.

“The last time we played them, Rummel kind of outworked us a little bit,” Karr coach Taurus Howard said. “Tonight, I can say we kind of outworked them We got more loose balls than them We controlled the

Coleman’s 3-pointers spark Kennedy past Shaw

Cougars advance to quarterfinals after holding off No. 11-seeded Eagles

BY SPENCER URQUHART Staff writer

Kennedy‘s home crowd went wild after senior Cahri Coleman made three consecutive 3-pointers in the final minutes of the first half against Shaw No. 6-seeded Kennedy was facing No. 11 Shaw in a Division II select regional matchup and took the lead after Coleman’s first of three straight 3-pointers The Cougars led until Shaw tied the game with less than two minutes remaining. Kennedy regaine lead after Kernell Brown made a pair of free throws and held on in a 55-49 win on Tuesday, advancing to the quarterfinals.

“Our guys had a good week of preparation to get to this point and executed the way that we needed them to,” Kennedy coach Anthony Boyd said. “We were pleased with the defensive effort we gave tonight. (Cahri) shot lights out.” Boyd served as Kennedy’s head coach on Tuesday as Wilfred Antoine was out because of a personal matter Shaw took a 6-0 lead on a pair of 3-pointers from Jackson Williams and Christian Clair but Kennedy’s 11-0 run to end the first half swung the momentum. Coleman finished with a gamehigh 21 points, shooting 7 of 8 from the field with seven 3-pointers. He’s in his first season at Kennedy after transferring from the now-closed ML King.

“Once I saw one (3-pointer) go in, I just knew it was going to be another,” Coleman said. “I saw the crowd hyped, and I said, ‘I’m going to shoot another one.’ I like it (at Kennedy). We play big competition.”

Kennedy point guard Malik Lon-

zo had a team-high six assists, several of which led to Coleman scoring. He scored 11 points and made 3 of 4 free throws with less than a minute in the game.

Forward Joseph Bernardez was Kennedy’s second-leading scorer with 14 points. He also pulled down seven rebounds to go with three steals and a blocked shot.

Kennedy’s five senior starters scored all 55 points. Elijah Carter had seven points and six rebounds, and Brown finished with two points and five rebounds.

Clair finished with a team-high 17 points for Shaw, which included three 3-pointers Junior Triston Naquin had 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, and the LSU football signee Williams scored nine points with eight rebounds.

“(Kennedy) did a great job of executing their game plan,” Shaw coach Mithcell Johnson said. “We were just trying to find a way to claw back in the game and couldn’t make the shot that we needed to make.”

Kennedy (23-8) was on a 16game winning streak before a loss to St. Augustine in its last regular-season game. The Cougars will play at WashingtonMarion (19-8) in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Friday

“We’re just trying to get better each day,” Boyd said. “We’ve just got to be able to defend and make shots when it counts. We’re confident in our guys. We trust them.”

Shaw (24-10) saw its season end in the second round in Johnson’s first year as coach. The Eagles will return Clair, Naquin and Allen Shaw III, who missed the season’s final weeks with an injury

Email Spencer Urquhart at surquhart@theadvocate.com.

boards. That was the difference in the game. And we made our free throws when we had to.”

Rummel sophomore Joe Morgan scored a game-high 22 points and made six 3-pointers. Sophomore Ronald Nararre added 15 points with three 3-pointers and senior Harrison Chatagnier finished with 11 points and three 3-pointers.

Down by seven points in the second quarter, Karr closed the half with a 7-0 run that tied the score at 27-all heading into the break. Rummel scored first to start the second half, but Karr’s Tahj Turner made a 3-pointer that put the Cougars ahead for good in the third quarter

The lead swelled to 10 in the fourth quarter before Morgan

made a 3-pointer and then went to the line for a pair of free throws to make the score 51-47.

Fisher’s and-one came during a scoring spurt that let Karr rebuild its lead to double figures. He scored after a long outlet pass by junior Delvin Jordan from near midcourt.

“When Delvin made that pass, I had to make it for him,” Fisher said. “He didn’t make that pass for no reason. I had to finish it.”

The turnaround season for Karr came after winning only seven games and missing the playoffs last season.

“Right after we lost the last game (in 2025), we had guys the next week coming in working out, lifting weights,” Howard said. “They did a good job over the summer It wasn’t nothing I did — it’s credit to them understanding what they want to do. They talk about wanting to make a run for a state championship, and we talked about what it’s going to take and all that, and the guys bought in.”

For Rummel, with multiple sophomore starters and contributors, it was “a tremendous year of growth for us with so much youth,” coach Scott Thompson said “We got better and better.”

“I’m very proud of this basketball team,” Thompson said.

Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@theadvocate.com

Curtis seeks redemption in semifinals

Patriots face Huntington, which beat them in last year’s semifinals

BY SPENCER URQUHART Staff writer

John Curtis came up two points short of reaching last year’s Division I select girls basketball state championship game.

A semifinal loss to eventual state champion Huntington ended an eight-year streak of the Curtis girls reaching the state title game. No. 1-seeded Curtis (23-1) can get some redemption as it faces No. 4 Huntington (19-7) in the semifinals again this year

The rematch is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. Thursday at the University Center in Hammond Curtis has won its past 18 games and is undefeated against in-state opponents.

“(Our team) gets along on and off the court,” Curtis coach Alendra Brown said. “They all want to

win, they all work hard and they all take care of their bodies outside of practice and outside of school. Our focus is to continue to play together.” Curtis won both of its playoff games by more than 20 points, most recently defeating No. 8 Captain Shreve 59-37 in last Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Four Curtis starters return from last season, including senior guards Bailey Timmons and Ke’Sonja Nelson. A UL signee, Timmons finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the quarterfinal win.

Curtis sophomore guards Jayla Albert and Janiyah Williams are the other returning starters. Albert scored a team-high 18 points against Captain Shreve.

First-year starter Raven Bolds scored 14 points with seven rebounds. She’s emerged as 6-foottall post presence for Curtis.

“(Our guards) really do look for the post,” Bolds said. “It helps me score and look for the ball more.”

Bolds took Imani Daniel’s spot in the starting lineup. Daniel, who’s currently a freshman at UL, was named most outstanding player in Curtis’ most recent state title game win in 2024. No. 4 Huntington graduated star player Carley Hamilton, a freshman at McNeese State. The Raiders return key players such as senior Kyndal Graham and junior Kaylie Dupree. The Curtis-Huntington winner will face either No. 3 St. Joseph’s or No. 7 Teurlings Catholic in the Division I select state title matchup, which is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday at the University Center With redemption on its mind and several key players returning, Curtis is only two wins away from an eighth state title in 10 years. “I’m ready to be back (at state),” Albert said. “I want to make sure we get (the championship) this time.”

Email Spencer Urquhart at surquhart@theadvocate.com.

Tulane,Templebothlooking to bounce back from losing skids

BY GUERRYSMITH

Contributing writer

It would be amassive understatement to say Tulane and Temple are not brimming with confidence entering Thursday night’s men’sbasketball matchupinPhiladelphia (6 p.m., ESPN+).

The Owls (15-14, 7-9) have lost six in arow since starting 7-3 in the American Conference and are not even guaranteed to qualify for the league’s10-team tournamentif they win. Their skid startedwith an 11-point defeat in NewOrleans on Feb. 11.

The Green Wave (17-12, 8-8) has lost back-to-back conteststoTulsa and South Florida by acomposite 62 points —its most lopsided two-game stretch since 2000-01

Although Tulane cannot fall outof the tournament field, it can slide to the 10th slot without aturnaround. Both teams desperately need an energy boost only the winner will get.

“Mentally we just kind of broke down at the end (againstTulsa and SouthFlorida), and in both games we just didn’tmake shots,” said Tulane coach Ron Hunter,who noted the Wave’sonly three lossessince January were to the top three teams in the league. “That’sbeen aproblem for us all year.”

Temple has been close in almost allofits lossesduring its slide, falling by an averageofseven points —but it is adramaticdropoff for ateamthat beat leagueleading South Florida on Jan. 31.

Although the Owls have not done anything uniformly terrible in that stretch, four opponents have hit at least 50% of their shots. Tulane connected on aconferencebest 51.2%.

Arepeat performance would be agodsend for the Wave, which has shot below 40% four times in its past seven games.Preseason American player of the year Rowan Brumbaughis32of80(40%) from thefloor and 7of33 (21.2%) from 3-point range in that span. Backcourt mate Asher Woods is five of 18 in Tulane’slastthree losses, averaging 8.0 points.

“Wehave to get our backcourt playing well,” Hunter said.“When our backcourt’splaying well, we’re reallygood.”

TheWavenolonger canearna double bye in the tournament, but it still has plenty of incentive. A

UNO forward Kedrick Osbydefends Tulane guard Curtis Williams during agame on Nov. 14 at Devlin Fieldhouse. Williams and the Green Wave travel to Philadelphia looking for to snap its two-gamelosing skid.

ä Tulane at Temple

6P.M. THURSDAy,ESPN+

winagainst Temple andanother one against free-falling Memphis at homeonSunday potentially could move Tulane up to thefifth seed, guaranteeingafirst-round bye and no game against one of the top three teams until the semifinals.

CurtisWilliams, whotied his conference high with 27 points on Sunday at South Florida and hit 7-of-12 shots against Tulsa last Wednesday, insistedthe Wave had not lost anyconfidence in theblowouts.

“Wejusthave to keep doing the little things and preach what we practice withoutgoing on those eight-minute droughts like we had last game,” he said.“It’sjustlittle stuff like that to head into March strong. Every team has off games. I’d rather get them outnow than in the tournament.”

Williams has grabbed ateamhigh 35 rebounds in the past six games, bringing energy on both ends of the floor.For the Wave, it is about getting production from everyoneinthe lineup.

Hunter played Scotty Middleton in place of Luke Rasmussen at the start of the second half against

SouthFlorida, but will continue to bring Middleton off the bench afterhemissed awide-open 3-point shot —ararity in the last month andscoredonlythree pointsin14 minutes after the break. He sank 15 of his 24 trey attempts when Tulane won five of its first six games in February

“Nomatterwhat Ido, Iamgoing to keep Scotty in thatposition,” Hunter said. “It’salways nice to getabout 14 or 15 points off the bench, so we’ll continue to do that.

I’ve used theword‘consistency probably since thestart of the year.We’ve been up and down. We haven’thad (Williams, Brumbaugh andWoods)all play well together I’ve been waiting for it, and this would be agood time—starting this week and next week.”

Lagniappe

Tulane can snag the 5seed by winning twice, having Florida Atlantic lose at Wichita State on Saturdayand having Wednesday night’s UAB-Charlotte loser drop its final game (the49ersplay at SouthFlorida;the Blazers host East Carolina). …Tulane is looking for its record sixth road win in American play The Wave is 3-2 against Temple in Philadelphia under Hunter

Stewartsaysplayers still unified amid CBAtalks as WNBA executives meet

Turnoversdoom LSUinlatestloss

BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer

Max Mackinnon darted from the right corner to the left wing, flying off acustomary off-ball screen set by Mike Nwoko.

The LSU guard receivedthe pass, curled to the middle of the floor with his dribble and seemed destined to firehis patented short jumper Mackinnon’sgo-to shot was denied. The senior transfer from Portland lost the handle of the basketball, and Auburn’sKeyshawnHall and Kevin Overton tag-teamed forthe takeaway The duocreated afastbreak opportunity that endedwith Hall throwing an alley-oop pass to 6-foot-8 Elyjah Freeman fora dunk. This momentwas the third turnover that ledtoanAuburn transition score in less than five minutes into the contest. Sequences like this happened repeatedly anddoomed coach Matt McMahon’steam in a88-74 loss to Auburn on Tuesday at Neville ArenainAuburn, Alabama.

LSU(15-15,3-14 SEC) tied aseason-high with 16 turnovers to Auburn’snine in the game. LSU also shot 13 fewerfieldgoals,mainly because of thegiveaways.

“When we executed offensively andthe ball moved, I thought we playedwithefficiency there,”McMahon said on theLSU sports radio network. “You comeonthe road andshoot 55% from thefloor and47(%) from 3, 73(%), at the line,you wouldhopethatwould be good enough to win. But thenthe (11) first-half turnovers really hurt us, not only because we didn’tget ashot on goal, (but) it led to sometransition3sthat they hit.”

The fourth-year coach also

spotlighted how his group gave up early offensive rebounds in the secondhalfthatmadeita challenge to climb back into the contest.

In aseason where the Tigers are tied forlast in the SoutheasternConference, it’snot surprising thatmoststatistical indicators will have their name near the bottom. One area that wasn’tthe case wasball security as LSU enteredits most recentgame eighth in turnovers pergame (10.5). It eclipsed that mark in the first 20 minutes. The 16 turnovers were created by 13 steals by Auburn, via snatching the ball away from players’ hands and jumping passes lanes.

In itsprevious three road games, LSU had 10 turnovers in a double-overtimewin at Ole Miss, fiveturnovers in alosstoTexas and three turnovers in adefeat to Tennessee.

AgainstAuburn(16-14, 7-10), LSU had four players with at least two turnovers. Freshman pointguard JalenReece hada career-high five and junior center Mike Nwoko, whohad ateamhigh 19 points, had three. Mackinnon, RashadKing and Marquel Sutton each had two turnovers.

McMahon said returning to form in taking care of the ball will be needed in itssecond meeting against Texas A&M at 5p.m Saturday at thePete Maravich Assembly Center

“You saw thepressure in the half court fromAuburn bothered us at times tonight,led to someturnovers,” McMahon said. “You’ll see that amped up, as you know,withthe full-court press from A&M.”

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The SEC unveiled itsannual end-of-year women’sbasketball awards on Tuesday,and four LSU players were recognized Avoteofthe league’s coaches gave MiLaysia Fulwiley the SEC’s sixth woman of the year award. Mikaylah Williams and Flau’jae Johnson were one of 10 players named first-team All-SEC, while ZaKiyah Johnson earned one of five spots on the conference’sall-freshman team.

Fulwiley also took home the SEC’ssixth woman of the year award lastseason,which means she’snow only the third player to win it multiple times. Just two other LSU players have received the honor.Sylvia Fowles earned it in 2005, and Allison Hightower landed it in 2008.

Both Williams and Flau’jae Johnsonwere also named to theAll-SEC first team last year.Because ZaKiyahJohnson was given aspot on the all-freshman team, LSU has now had at least one of its players earn that distinction in three of the past four seasons Vanderbilt’s MikaylaBlakeswas named Playerofthe Year with her teammate Aubrey Galvan named Freshman of the Year Ole Miss’ Cotie McMahon was named Newcomer of the Year while South Carolina’sRaven Johnson was voted as Defensive Player of the Year Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph was named Coach of the Year

TheTigers will begin their postseason at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina

They’ll face either No. 5seed Oklahoma, No. 12 seed Florida or No. 13 Mississippi Stateinthat matchup.

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

MEDLEY,Fla. —Breanna Stewart, who teamed with fellow WNBA star Kelsey Plum on aletter to the players’ association this week expressing concerns about the state of labor talkswith theleague, said Wednesday shefeels better aboutwhere things standand is convincedplayers are still unified in what they want in the next collective bargaining agreement. And the union, later Wednesday, released astatement saying the league’slatest offer “is not worth taking”— with less than aweek remaining until the deadline for getting adeal done and preservinga full 2026 WNBA season. Stewart was part of acall with other members of the players’ executive committee on Tuesday night, hours after the letter that she and Plum wrote to WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson —one where they expressed “serious concerns about how (the union) is handling thecurrent negotiations.”

Several media outlets, including TheAssociated Press, obtained copies of the letter,which was dated Monday “The call made me feel better,”Stewart told AP,speaking after herMistteamfinished its final shootaround practice in advance of Wednesday night’s Unrivaled championship game against thePhantom team that features Plum. “Sometimes hard conversationsneed to be had. I feltbetter after it and know that we finished that call understanding that we’re representingthe larger body (of players) andwe have worktobedoneand we’re goingtodothat work.”

Theunion —inastatement from itsexecutive committee,ofwhich Stewart andPlum are members —echoed Stewart’scomments in its statement, saying it remains “united and focused on deliver-

ing atransformational CBA and arecommitted to negotiating for as long as it takes.”

There is obvious urgency to get adeal done.

TheWNBAhas told theplayers’ union that it needs to get adeal in place by this coming Tuesday to start theseason on time. That would allow thenew CBA to be written andsigned by the endofthe month,which would in theory be followed by expansion draftsfor the new franchises in Portlandand Toronto during the first week of April. Freeagency would follow, signings could start on April 12, training camps would open aboutaweek later andthe season would begin May 8.

Theleague andthe players have been unable to reach anew collective bargaining agreement sincethe union opted out of the previous deal

Stewart andPlum are in unique roles; both are vice presidents of the players’ association, both are among the biggest names in women’s basketball, andboth have been dealing with the CBA uncertainty while on Unrivaled playoff runs with their clubs.

“I’vealways approached anything in life, any adversity,by staying in the game,” Plum said after shootaround Wednesday, when asked aboutsimultaneously dealing with an Unrivaled title push amid theWNBA’slaboruncertainty.“I’m ahuman being. It’s hard. Idefinitely have moments, but at the end of the day,Iknow my heart. Iknow I’m super excited about tonight, and when you workall year for something, you wanttofinish it.”

AddedStewart: “We’ve been in CBA negotiationsfor more than just the past two weeks. It’s been 17, 18 months. Idon’tknow exactly how long. And to be able to compartmentalize thathasn’t been easy.”

PELICANS

Continued from page1C

the night of aPelicans team that hadall of its players healthy

“Goodbattle,”Borrego said “First timewith this lineup. Newrotations.It’snew foreverybody right now. We had a shot to winanNBA gameinL.A. and we just did not close to our capabilities.” Borrego had been looking forward to getting his full roster.Hedecided to play with a smallerlineup, moving center DeAndre Jordan back to the bench after starting the 37-year-old veteran the previousfive games.

“It’s agood problem to have andthis is where we wanted to be allyear,”Borrego said before the game. “Our group is trending the right waywhen we’ve been healthy.Now we’re fully healthynow.Let’ssee what we look like. My job is just within the game to manage this and findthe right combinations as thegamegoeson. I’ve gota lot of options here.Wecould play bigorsmall. We’ve gotsome firepower outthere. Now it’sjust aboutfinding the right pieces together.” For 31/2 quarters, thepieces fit as the Pelicans had the Lakers on theropes.

The Pelicans are now 2-2 on this six-game road trip. They finishthe tripThursday and Friday when they play back-to-back games against the Sacramento Kings andPhoenix Suns. “We’ve gottoget ourheads

PELICANS ADD

ODURO TO ROSTER

The Pelicans have added another big man to theirroster Josh Oduro, a6-foot-9power forward/center,was signed to atwowaycontract, the team announced Wednesdayafternoon.

Oduro has spent thisseason playing with the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans’ G-League affiliate. He’splayedin35games, averaging 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds 1.7 assists and 1.3 blocked shots. The Pelicans had room on their roster for atwo-wayplayerafter Bryce McGowens was given astandard contracttwo weeks ago. McGowens was originally on atwo-waydeal. Oduro, whoplayedincollege at GeorgeMason before transferring to Providence, went undrafted in 2024. But he began playing with the Pelicans’ Summer Leagueteamthat year

With the signing of Oduro,the Pelicans nowhaveafullroster of 18 players, includingthree two-way players.The other two-wayplayers are Trey Alexander and Hunter Dickinson.

—Rod Walker

back right and get our spirits back up andget to Sacramento andget awin there,” Borrego said.

Email RodWalker at rwalker@theadvocate.com.

Weiss remainingpositiveafter Profar suspension

BY CHARLES ODUM AP sportswriter

Atlanta Braves managerWalt

Weisssaid Wednesday he was disappointed but determined to keep apositive outlookafter Jurickson Profar’s suspension forthe 2026 season.

Profar was suspendedbyMajor League Baseball onTuesday followinghis secondpositive test for aperformance-enhancing drug.

Profar,anoutfielder and designated hitter,was expected to be aregular,perhaps as the No. 2 hitter behind Ronald Acuña Jr in Atlanta’slineup. Weiss, speaking to reporters before Wednesday’s exhibition game against Team Colombia in North Port, Florida, said the Braves could overcome losing Profar just as they won the 2021 World Series after losing Acuña to aknee injury

“The moral of the story is something good is likely to come from the bad news,” Weiss said. “It just tends to happen that way Someone’sgonnastep up, someone’sgonna get an opportunity. In 2021, the day we lost Ronald, nobody’spicking that option. And nobody’staking this option. But guess what, and Itruly believe that something good will come of this.” Weiss had been the Braves’ bench coachsince 2018 before he

wasnamed themanageronNov 3, followingBrian Snitker’sretirement

Profar tested positive forexogenous testosteroneand its metabolites, thecommissioner’s office said, which means testosteronethat was notproduced by his body.Becauseitwas asecond offense, thelengthofProfar’s suspension was 162 games. Weiss said he has to prepare to be without Profar all season even though Profar willappeal thesuspension.

An All-Starin2024, Profar was suspended for 80 gameslast March 31 following apositive testfor Chorionic Gonadotrophin(hCG), ahormone that helps productionoftestosterone. He issued astatement then saying: “I wouldnever willingly takeabanned substance, but Itake full responsibility and accept MLB’sdecision.”

CatcherDrake Baldwin, the 2025NLRookie ofthe Year,was thedesignated hitter on Wednesday. Weisssaidheexpects his designated hitter spot to be “fairly fluid” without Profar Weisssaid“Ifeel really good” the Braves signed left fielder Mike Yastrzemskitoa $23million,two-yeardealinthe offseason. Yastrzemski,Acuña andMichael Harris are expected to be theteam’sstarting outfielders. Profar might have sharedtime withYastrzemski in left field on

Japan’sShohei Ohtani, left,stands during agroup photo session along with other team members before their practicesessionahead of the WorldBaseball Classic games in Tokyo, on Wednesday

Ohtani is theshow againinJapan forthe WorldBaseballClassic

BY STEPHENWADE AP sportswriter

TOKYO— It’sofficially named the World Baseball Classic.But for the Group Cgames in Japan,simply call it the world according to Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani’slife-size image is all over the Tokyo Dome, and racks of Ohtani jerseys —about$125 each —dominatethe adjacentmerchandise center.Japan begins play on Friday against Taiwan with South Korea, Australia and the Czech Republic also in the group.

Japan is the defending champion and is expectedtoclaimone ofthe two spots for the quarterfinals in the United States.

Ohtani skipped batting practice on Wednesday,surely disappointingseveral hundred fans who were in the stadium expecting a show.He’sjust saving himself and is 0-for-5 since arriving in Japan and playing in exhibition games against Japanese league teams

“Every time Ijoin (the Japanese team) there are youngerand younger players —younger players are increasing,” Ohtani said, speaking in Japaneseata brief new conference.

“So Ifeel I’m getting old,” the 31-year-oldsuperstar added.

Japan is not only afavorite to advance, it’salso possible it will again meet the United States in the final in Miami. Three years ago, Japan defeated the Americans3-2 when Ohtani struckout Mike Trout to end adramatic game thatgave the WBC ahuge popularity boost Ohtani is expected to only bat for Japan,not pitch as the LosAngelesDodgers want to save himfor the season. But he left the door slightly ajar beforeleaving spring training in Arizona.

days Baldwin was the designated hitter.Now Eli Whitemay serve as thefourthoutfielder Mauricio Dubon will open the season as thestarting shortstop while Ha-Seong Kim recovers from afingerinjury.WhenKim returns, Duboncould be another option in the outfield.

Weiss insisted Profar’s suspension “doesn’t changeanything we do here. We’re getting ready for ourseason,and it doesn’t change anything about our camp. There’llbeopportunities created because of this. It’s not something that we would choose but that’swhere we’re at, and it’s onward. That’s the message, and we have aprofessionalgroup. They’re handling it really well and veryfocused.”

Weiss said he has not talked with Profar,who he recently praised for his leadership after returning from last year’s suspension.

“Look, Isaidthatand Italked abouthim winning me over last year and he did,”Weiss said. “I’m notgonna change that. The fact of the matterishewas areally good teammate last year,and was agood player for us, was aleader in our clubhouse, you know? And that’swhat Isaid. None of us saw this coming. So yeah, Istand by what Isaid at that point in time. Andagain,we’lllet this (appeal) process play out.”

WBC

Continuedfrom page1C

seasons at Air ForceAcademybefore transferring to LSU. “It was aquick yes.”

Players have beenincontact with each other long before reporting this week.

“The group chat’sbeen firing away for the last couple of months,”Philadelphia’sBryce Harper said.

Rotation boost

Logan Webb is slated to start the Americans’ Fridayopeneragainst Brazil in Houston, followed by Skubal on Saturdayagainst Britain, Skenesvs. MexicoonMondayand top Mets prospect Nolan McLean against ItalyonMarch 10.

The foursome has acombined 19.8Baseball ReferenceWAR last season. The Americans’ four starters in 2023, Adam Wainwright, Nick Martinez, Lance Lynn and Merrill Kelly,combined for a7.8 the previous season.

Skubal intends to makeone start,then return to theTigers.

Apitcher is limited to 65 pitches in first-round games,80inaquarterfinal and 95 in asemifinal or final. If aplayerthrowsmorethan 50 pitches in an outing, he can’t pitch for the next four days. If he throwsmorethan30, he can’t pitchthe next day. No onemay pitch three days in arow

manager Mark DeRosa said.

Trying to do it again

Japan is trying to winits fourth title and becomeonly the second repeat championafter the2006 and 2009 Samurai Warriors.

Shohei Ohtani andYoshinobu Yamamoto have someexperience at consecutive titles after helping last year’s LosAngeles Dodgers become the first repeat World Series champion sincethe 1998-2000 Yankees wonthree in arow

“Going back to back, that is ouronly goal,” Yamamoto said through atranslator Yamamoto, the World Series MVP,isscheduled to start Japan’s opener against Taiwan on Friday Los Angeles is allowing him to pitchfor Japan after he threw 211 innings last year,including thepostseason.

“The Dodgersunderstand how big theWBC tournament is, big in Japan,” he said. “The Dodgers and the WBC, they both are very important to me equally.”

Japan’spitching staffismissing Ohtani, who won’ttake the mound, along with Roki Sasaki, who remainedatDodgers camp following an injury-interrupted rookie season, and Yu Darvish, sidelined following elbow surgery Star-filled Dominicanroster

on aroster that includes pitchers Sandy Alcantara and Cristopher Sánchez.

“It can be aheadache also because youhavesomuchtalent. Youwish thatyou can make everybody happy,” Dominican manager Albert Pujols said. ”The DominicanRepublic has been blessed with so manytalent.” Venezuela, with theDominicans in Group D, is led by Ronald Acuña Jr., Jackson Chourio, Eugenio Suárez andWilliam andWillson Contreras.

Playingthrough politics,war Judge says there’ssignificance representing the U.S. in atournament starting days after the U.S. and Israel launched aMiddleEast warwith joint strikes on Iran. Skenes and reliever GriffinJax played college ball at Air Force.

Asked if he might attempt to pitch, he replied:“It’shardto say.But if (Mike) Trout shows up, it’stempting,” he said, speaking throughinterpreter Will Ireton.

Trout will not be playing this time for the United States because of insurance issues, which have kept several players on the sidelines.

TravisBazzana will be the second baseman for Australia. He was selectedbythe Cleveland Guardians as the first overallpick in the 2024 MLBdraft, the first from his country to occupy that spot.

Ohtani is his role model, as he is for many other younger players.

“I personally believe he is the greatest of all time,” Bazzana said. “He epitomizes the work ethic and mastering his craft in baseball. Thatissomeone Ilook up to, but when it comes to that game in acouple of days —you can’t focus on who’sacross the field.”

Japanhas apowerfulbatting lineup led by Ohtani and other MLB big hitters: Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto and Seiya Suzuki.The pitching staff has lost some stars from 2023 including with Roki Sasaki, Shota Imanaga and Yu Darvish

The pitching anchor will be WorldSeries MVPand Ohtani’s Los Angeles Dodgers teammate YoshinobuYamamoto.

“It’sachancetogoupagainst the bestteam inthe world and it’saspecial event going against Ohtani,” saidAustralian manager Dave Nilsson, aformerall-star catcher with the Milwaukee Brewers.

“It’sgoing to be abig moment for the fans and for Japan,” Nilsson added. “We’re not going to get caughtupinthe sideshow.”

“There are obviously guardrails for thetournament to begin with, pitch-count wise, but there’salso guardrails for guys having to throwoncertain days to getready fortheir team’sopening day,”U.S

Seeking its first title since its only previous winin2013, the Dominican Republic has arosterthat includessix players who finished amongthe top 10 in MVP voting last year:JuniorCaminero,Jeremy Peña. Geraldo Perdomo, Julio Rodríguez, Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado and Ketel Marte also are

“Thereare individualsout there that have sacrificed everything for this country to allowmeto have my wife safe at home, my daughter safeathome and Iget a chance to come out here and play akids’ game,” Judge said. Israel is also in this year’stournament. Outfielder Assaf Lowengart is the only player on the roster born in the country Venezuela, with whatappears to be amongthe strongest rosters, plays in Miami two months after the U.S. military captured former Venezuela President NicolásMaduro.Following his ouster, Venezuela elevated the autocrat’s vice president,DelcyRodriguez, to serve as acting president. Eight members of Cuba’sdelegation were denied U.S. visas, includingapitching coach and federation executives, the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation said

Continuedfrom page1C

reach third. It wasthe first of twobad throws in the inning. The samerunner scored on the next play,when GrandCanyontransferZach Yorke at first base made an errantthrow home that allowed first baseman Lee Amedee to score. Secondbaseman Rigoberto Hernandez, who hit the grounder,also reached first on theplaybecause Yorke didn’ttouch first base before he went home. Everyone was safe, and theinning eventually ended with UL holding a3-0 lead. LSU’smiscues continued into the fifth inning. Following aleadoff double, third baseman Drew Markle bunteddownthe third base line,forcingseniorrighthandedrelieverConnorBenge to hopoff themound and make aplay. Markle likelywould’ve been safewhether the throw was on target or not, but Benge still rushed thethrow and tossed it into theoutfield. By thetimethe runner from second had scored, UL took a4-2 lead. The inning ended withthe Ragin’ Cajuns holding a6-2 advantage. None of the errors LSU committedonWednesday resulted in an unearned run, but its struggles poured morefuel on the fire. LSU’sdefensewasn’tthe only unit at fault on Wednesday The Tigers’ offense struggled for asixthconsecutive game, as hitters 3-9 in the lineup combined for one hit through the first

Dahmen works his way into $20M event at Bay Hill

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

ORLANDO, Fla. — Joel Dahmen was down to his last chance to keep his full PGA Tour card at the final tournament of the year He missed the cut, headed home to Arizona to be with his newborn son and had a month to ponder a future that didn’t look terribly bright.

To be sure, teeing it up in a $20 million signature event at Bay Hill was not in his plans.

The new year of fewer cards — top 100 instead of 125 and shorter fields left Dahmen uncertain about where he could play and how much. But he was reminded that good golf still pays off, and it earned him the final spot in the 72-man field at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

“It’s nice to hang out with the big kids this week,” Dahmen said Wednesday “Incredible event Really hard golf course. It’s definitely elevated, signature event. You can feel it, and I’m just super excited to be here.” How did this happen?

It wasn’t the gift of sponsor exemptions. Dahmen has asked for one every week, but he has received only one — at the WM Phoenix Open and that was the only cut he missed this year Instead, he barely got into the field at Torrey Pines and tied for seventh, and he was among the last to get in the Cognizant Classic last week and tied for ninth by going bogey-free his last 27 holes.

It was enough — by five FedEx Cup points — to get the last spot over Jordan Spieth, who already had a sponsor exemption to Bay Hill.

“No, I could not see myself here,” the 38-year-old Dahmen said. “It was the first time in a long time that there was a lot of unknowns in my career I think most players didn’t really know the schedule, we didn’t know what we were going to get into. So I think for me the biggest thing was that every single

start is a big start

“It was just taking advantage of the opportunities, and so far I’ve done that.”

These next two weeks — Bay Hill and The Players Championship are huge for a guy in Dahmen’s position. He is not eligible for the three events after The Players, and only his good play kept him from

having off five straight weeks.

But it’s a strong field. Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, has won twice at Bay Hill in the last four years. The field features 19 of the top 20 in the world, and that includes Justin Thomas, who is competing for the first time since the Ryder Cup after back surgery

SCOREBOARD

Men’s national scores EAST LIU 79, Chicago State 75 La Salle 87, Fordham 84 Marquette 78, Providence 56 Mercyhurst 70, Fairleigh Dickinson 61 Rhode Island 64, Duquesne 52 Robert Morris 68, Youngstown State 53 Stonehill 81, Le Moyne 71 Wagner 70, Central Connecticut 60 SOUTH Bellarmine 82, Jacksonville 79 California 76, Georgia Tech 65 Florida Gulf Coast 69,

2-2 10, Ayton 6-8 1-1 13, Doncic 10-22 4-5 27, Reaves 4-15 5-5 15, Hachimura 0-4 2-2 2, LaRavia 2-4 0-0 5, Hayes 3-4 2-2 8, Kennard 3-5 1-1 9. Totals 39-83 21-26 110. New Orleans 33 18 27 23 101 L.A. Lakers 31 23 22 34 — 110 3-Point Goals—New Orleans 8-29 (Murphy III 3-7, Murray 2-6, Bey 2-9, Fears 1-3, Jones 0-4), L.A. Lakers 11-37 (Doncic 3-10, Kennard 2-3, Smart 2-6, Reaves 2-7, LaRavia 1-2,

L.James 1-5, Hachimura 0-4). Fouled Out— None. Rebounds—New Orleans 41 (Murphy III, Murray 8), L.A. Lakers 48 (Doncic 10) Assists—New Orleans 29 (Murray 8), L.A. Lakers 29 (Doncic, L.James, Smart 7). Total Fouls—New Orleans 24, L.A. Lakers 17. A—18,248 (18,997) College basketball

State men’s scores, schedule Tuesday’s games Southern 71, Alabama State 64 Alabama A&M 77, Grambling 63 Auburn 88, LSU 74 Sun Belt Conference Tournament At Pensacola, Fla. Tuesday’s games No. 12 UL 84, No. 13 Georgia State 75 No. 11 Old Domin. 87, No. 14 ULM 80 Wednesday’s games No. 9 James Madison 87, No. 12 UL 72 No. 11 Old Dominion vs. No. 10 Georgia Southern, n Late Tuesday Auburn 88, LSU 74

LSU (15-15)

Nwoko 4-6 11-13 19, Sutton 4-6 1-2 10, Tamba

6-9 0-2 12, Mackinnon 1-6 0-0 3, Reece 3-8 4-5 12, Carter 3-5 0-0 8, King 0-0 2-2 2, Miller 2-2

1-2 5, Mosley 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 24-44 19-26 74.

AUBURN (16-14) Hall 6-12 5-6 17, Murphy 3-7 3-4 9, Pettiford 10-16 3-4 27, Freeman 4-6 0-1 10, Overton 6-10 5-5 21, Williams-Adams 0-2 0-2 0, Jovic 2-3 0-0 4, Muschalek 0-0 0-0 0, Trapp 0-0 0-0 0 Williams 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 31-57 16-22 88. Halftime—Auburn 41-34. 3-Point Goals—LSU 7-15 (Reece 2-3, Carter 2-4, Sutton 1-1, Mosley 1-2, Mackinnon 1-3, Tamba 0-2), Auburn 10-24 (Overton 4-6, Pettiford 4-7, Freeman 2-3, Williams 0-1, Williams-Adams 0-1, Hall 0-3, Murphy 0-3). Rebounds—LSU 26 (Tamba 9), Auburn 25 (Hall, Freeman 6) Assists—LSU 15 (Reece 6), Auburn 15 (Pettiford 6). Total Fouls—LSU 19, Auburn 16. A—9,121 (9,121)

77, Minnesota 47 Northern Kentucky 85, Oakland 84 Wright State 90, Cleveland State 61 SOUTHWEST Arkansas 105, Texas 85 Miami (FL) 77, SMU 69 State women’s scores, schedule Tuesday’s games Alabama A&M 55, Grambling 50 Florida Atlantic 61, Tulane 57 Alabama State 65, Southern 63 Northwestern 81, UNO 65 UL 71, Georgia State 66 Thursday’s games Southern at Alabama A&M, 5:30 p.m. Grambling at Alabama State, 6 p.m. New Mexico State at Louisiana

THURSDAY’S FAIR GROUNDS ENTRIES

“I’ve got to be realistic. I haven’t played a tournament in six months,” Thomas said. “I feel like I can do anything I want with the golf ball at any given time. It’s just going to be the concentrating for four-anda-half, five hours on a very difficult test.”

Austin Smotherman, who graduated from the Korn Ferry Tour last year, also played his way into the field with a runner-up finish last week.

“That’s part of why people love seeing maybe slightly bigger fields, seeing the underdog story, is that on a given week there’s a lot of guys in the world that can play golf,” Collin Morikawa said. “But at the same time opportunities aren’t just handed out to everyone. You have to go and earn it.

“Joe was given an opportunity He’s taken that opportunity and turned it into something great.” It didn’t start out that way There was joy being around his newborn. There was Thanksgiving dinner to host. And then there was time on the couch. The golf clubs were put away It was Dec. 27 when his wife casually asked him if he thought about his immediate future and Dahmen realized he should probably practice.

“Yeah, the path to the tour is rougher The path to stay on tour is tougher than it’s ever been,” Dahmen said. “There’s a lot of talk about being more of a closed shop. But on the other side I’m proof that in four events you can play well enough and earn your way into these events. And if you play well in one of these next two, you keep going on the upward trend.”

Bone-in chicken thighs thesecret to flavor

BY LINDAGASSENHEIMER

News Service (TNS)

onion from the produce department can be used to save preparation time.

n Any typeofchorizo can be used. Or ham cubes can be used instead.

Spanish Style Chicken (Tender Chicken and Savory Rice)

Yields 2servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer 2teaspoons

sausagecut into ½-inch cubes

½cup long-grain white rice

2cups no-salt-added chicken broth Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2tablespoons cilantro leaves

1. Heat oil in alarge skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onion. Cook 3minutes. 2. Turn chicken overand add garlic and green bell pepper to the skillet. Cook 3moreminutes.

3. Add tomatoes, chorizo, rice and chicken broth. Stir to combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce to asimmer,cover with alid andcook20minutes. Liquidshould be absorbed and rice soft. Cook afew more minutes uncovered if needed. A meat thermometer should read 165 F. 4. Addsaltand freshlyground black pepper to taste. Divide in half and serve on two dinner plates. Sprinklecilantro leaves on top.

NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 624 calories (33 percent from fat), 22.9 gfat (6.4 gsaturated, 9.3 gmonounsaturated), 181 mg cholesterol, 47.7 gprotein,53.1 gcarbohydrates, 5.2gfiber,562 mg sodium.

Catholics around the world abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent as aform of sacrifice and spiritual discipline.Historically, eating meat is considered aluxury and is connected with times of celebration. In Louisiana, practicing Catholics and everyone else rejoice that fresh, seasonal seafood is an abundant liturgical exception to meatfree Fridays during Lent. Lately, whenI drive around town, it’shard not to notice signs forFridayfish fries. While we’re lucky to have so many optionsfor going outto eat seafood, it can be difficult to find fresh local seafood to cook at home. Grocery store fish counters aren’tvery inspiring. Recently, though, Iread about Porgy’sSeafood Market

BY GRETCHENMcKAY PittsburghPost-Gazette (TNS)

Shrimp Cake Salad with Blanched Asparagus and Lemon GarlicSauce

Serves 4

4cups of mixed greens

20 cherrytomatoes (sliced in half)

Liz Faul

in the Mid-City neighborhood of New Orleans, run by two “lady mongers” whodecided to open aneighborhood fish market. It’s part of their mission to teach people moreabout fish and how to prepare fish forhome cooking. So Iwent to Porgy’s Seafood on Carrollton Avenue to buy some fresh local seafood to cook. The smell of boiling crawfish welcomed me at the door. As Iperused their fresh seafood selections, Iwatched the fishmonger butcher a whole amberjack into steaks. After considering my seafood options, Idecided to buy fresh Louisiana shrimp. At home, peeling and deveining the shrimpfelt like a penance, but it was worth it in the end because the taste of freshly caught shrimpis

See FESTIVE, page 2D

12 blanchedasparagus spears (see recipe) 4tablespoonsof toasted pumpkin seeds (or slivered almonds)

1. In alarge salad bowl, add the mixed greens,slicedtomatoes, blanched asparagus and toasted pumpkin seeds.

2. Add the mixed greens,tomatoes andblanchedasparagus to aplate. Add two shrimp cakes on top of each salad. Garnisheach shrimp cake with a lemon wedge. Place asmallbowl of the lemongarlicsauce on the side to use as adressing.

2D

Makes 8tacos. Recipe is byGretchenMcKay,Post-Gazette

FORFISH:

1teaspoon chili powder

1teaspoon cumin

1teaspoon smoked sweet paprika

2teaspoons kosher salt

½teaspoon black pepper

1teaspoon garlic powder

Juice of 1lime

1pound thick white fish filet, such as cod or haddock, cut into strips or chunks

Olive oil, for pan

Shredded green cabbage

8 flour tortillas, warmed Lime wedges, for serving

FOR SALSA:

5canned pineapple slices, diced (about 1cup)

½red bell pepper,diced (about ½cup)

½red or yellow onion, diced (about½cup)

½bunch chopped fresh cilantro (about ½cup)

½jalapeno pepper,seeded and diced

Juice of 1lime, or more to taste

Olive oil

FOR AVOCADO CREMA:

1avocado, seeded Juice of 1lime, or more to taste

½cup plain Greek yogurt

½teaspoon garlic powder

Kosher salt, to taste

1. Prepare fish: To alarge pan or bowl, add chili powder,cumin, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic powder.Use a fork or your fingers to mix together

2. Sprinkle lime juice over

Recipe adapted by Liz Faul. Makes 6-8 servings

2cups all-purpose flour 1cup whole wheat flour

1teaspoon baking soda

½teaspoon salt

1teaspoon ground ginger

1teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)

1¼ cup buttermilk

3tablespoon molasses

Butter (optional for serving on the slices of bread)

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.Prepare abaking sheet by lining it with parchment paper

2. In alarge baking bowl, combinethe flours, baking soda, salt, ginger and caraway seeds (if you choose to add them), and combine these ingredients with aspoon.

3. In amedium bowl, combine the buttermilk and molasses and mix together

4. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Mix together to form adough.

FESTIVE

Continued from page1D

far better than frozen shrimp from the grocery store. Once the shrimp were peeled, it was easy to chop them into abowl with mayonnaise, panko breadcrumbs and spices to form individual shrimp patties. Like crabcakes, shrimp cakes offer amild flavor profile that pairs well with atangy lemon sauce

Shrimp cakes are a versatile dish that can be served as appetizers or on abun. On this day,served the shrimp cakes on aspring salad with mixed greens, crisp asparagus, sweet cherry tomatoes and adrizzle of lemon-garlic sauce. Serve thisdish with friends or family,orsave it for yourself to have leftovers. Either way,this is aseafood dish worth celebrating during Lent or all year long.

Ahearty Irish brown breadisa tasty addition to serve with this seafood salad. In Ireland, brown soda bread is served at almost every meal.

St. Patrick’sDay is just around the corner,sothis easy recipe is for those who may want aculinary celebration. Wear green and treat yourself to a slice of brown bread with Irish butter this St. Patrick’sDay.Slainte!

Liz Sullivan Faulisa registered dietitian nutritionist who enjoys cooking and sharing meals with her friends and family

McKAy Cod Tacoswith Pineapple Salsa

the fish, addtothe panwith seasoning and tosswell to combine.Remove fish to a plate, shaking offexcess seasoning

3. Prepare salsa. Combine pineapple, red pepper,onion, cilantro and jalapeno pepper in amedium bowl. Stir until well combined.

4. Add lime juice and a drizzleofolive oil. Let it sit at room temperature, or in thefridge, for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend

5. Prepare crema. Addavocado, lime juice, yogurt and garlic powder to afood pro-

cessor or blender.Pulse until thesauce is silky smooth. Removetoabowl,and seasontotaste withsalt and morelime juice, if needed.

6. Prepare tacos. In alarge pan over medium heat,add adrizzleortwo of olive oil. When hot, add fish to the pan and allow to cook until fish is golden brown, opaque and flakes easily with afork, about 3minutes per side. (You want aslight crust so thefish holds together in the taco.)

7. Build your tacos: Warm flour tortillas in adry skillet over medium-high heat until soft and slightly charred, about 15 seconds.

8. Layer warmed tortillas with shredded cabbage, and add afew chunks of seasoned fish. Topwith pineapple salsa and adollop (ortwo) of avocado crema. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

TACOS

Continuedfrom page1D

The tacos are best served warm, but my husband also ate one cold for breakfast. Youalso can deconstruct thetaco and serve it in a bowl over rice instead of tucking the ingredients into ataco shell.

5. Prepare afloured surface, then transfer the dough to the flouredsurface. Knead the dough to shape around loaf. Do not overwork the dough. Transfer theloaf to the prepared baking sheet.

With aknife,gently score the topofthe loaf intoquarters.

6. Place the dough into the oven,and bake for about 35 minutes. Take outofthe oven andlet it cool.Serveit warm with butter

Shrimp Cakes

Recipe by LizFaul.Serves 4-6 people.

1pound rawshrimp(peeled and deveined and cut into smallpieces)

½onion (finely chopped)

2cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

3green onions(finely chopped)

½cup mayonnaise

2tablespoonsfresh lemonjuice

1cup pankobreadcrumbs

2tablespoonsfresh parsley (chopped)

½teaspoon salt

½teaspoon smoked paprika

½teaspoon cayenne pepper

½teaspoon dried thymeleaves

2tablespoons canola oil FOR THE LEMON-GARLIC SAUCE:

½cup mayonnaise

¼cup plainGreek yogurt

2cloves garlic (finely chopped)

1teaspoon of lemon zest

2tablespoonsfresh lemon juice

1tablespoon fresh chopped parsley (fresh choppeddillworks, too)

Salt and peppertotaste

1. In alarge mixing bowl, placethe chopped shrimp pieces, onion, garlicand greenonions. Stir the onions andgarlic into theshrimp, then add the mayonnaise and lemon juice and stir Next,add the breadcrumbs, parsley,salt, paprika, cayenne pepperand driedthyme leaves. Mix the breadcrumbs andspicesintothe shrimp. Place the shrimp mixture in

12 asparagus (trimmed to removethe woody ends) ½teaspoon salt (optional)

‘Congratsonthe award,you oldgeezer!’

Dear Miss Manners: Oneof my novels received aprestigious award. Upon learning this from amutual friend, an acquaintance approached me and said, “Congratulations, but what a shamethis didn’t happen years ago when you were still young enough to enjoy it.”

Igathered my 70-year-old wits and politely thanked theperson without apologizing for my failure to achieve success earlier in life. Since then, two other people have expressed similar sentiments.

the refrigerator (this makes forming the patties easier). While the shrimp mixture is chilling, makethe lemongarlic sauce.

2. In amixing bowl,add mayonnaise, yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and zest and stir all of the ingredients until combined. Then add chopped fresh herbs, salt and pepper.Taste and add moresalt if needed.

3. Removethe shrimp mixture from the refrigerator and formthe shrimpcake patties.Start by shapinga 3-inchballofthe shrimp mixture and thengently flattening the ball into apatty Transfer each of the shrimp cakes onto aparchmentlined baking sheet.

4. Heat theoil in alarge nonstick pan over medium heat.Place shrimp cakes in thepan in batches to give themspace to cook. Cook each of the shrimp cakes for about 4minutes per side or until each side is golden brown.

NOTE: Iput the cooked shrimp cakes on aclean bakingtray lined with parchment in awarm oven set at 200F to keep them warm while Iprepare asalad to serve with theshrimp cakes.

Blanched Asparagus

1. Fill alarge bowl withice and water.Place it close to where you’ll cook the asparagus.

2. Bring alarge pot of salted water to aboil, add the trimmed asparagus to the boiling water for about one minute. Then use aslotted spoon to transfer theblanched asparagus from thepot to thebowlofice water. Letthe asparagus chill in the ice for aboutone minute.

3. Drain the asparagus and pat them dry to be usedinthe shrimpcake salad.

So far,I’ve held my good manners in front of melike ashield, but Iwonder if there is apolite way to respond to thenegativity implicit in these statements. Youare my guiding light of good manners. If you say it is best to continue to respond to thecongratulationsand ignore therest,I shall do so.

Gentlereader: The optimists among us are inclined to thinkthese speakers are well-wisherswho think you should have gotten the award sooner,but do not know how to express themselves tactfully The pessimists will see

the phrasing as an insult. Since at least one speaker was only an acquaintance, there may be no way of knowing which was actually intended, but the response should be the same: Treat it as ajoke —not the laugh-out-loud sort, but gentle teasing. Answer with a broad smile and say, “Yes, if only it had come before my dotage.” This response rewards the tactless well-wisher.But it also punishes the person whointends insult by refusing to accept it.

Dear Miss Manners: Iwas in amuseum cafe, searching foraplace to sit with my husband. There weretwo remaining tables, but no chairs.

Alovely father and son at one table saw my dilemma and immediately offered me their spare chair.I then turned to awoman at the table on my other side, who had twoempty chairs, one of which washolding her purse. Isaid, “Could Iborrow one of your chairs?” She said, “No, my husband is coming.” Ireplied, “Will the two of you be needing three chairs?” looking at the chair that held her purse.

She said “no” with a flounce, and hung her purse over her own chair, allowing me to take it while glaring at me. WasI rude to push for the chair? Or wasshe rude to think achair forher purse wasmore important than achair foraperson? Isee people doing this all the time —oncrowded trains, in airport lounges and other places. How can they look around a crowded room with people standing and think their purse or workbag is more deserving of aseat?

Gentle reader: That extra chair is seeing alot of action. Youwere not rude to ask forit, but the woman wasrude twice: when she refused to give it up the first timeand again when she flounced about it. Perhaps the chair has somethoughts on whythe womanthinks her purse is moredeserving than yourself.Miss Manners cannot help with that one.

Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@ gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO64106.

Dear Heloise: When our family of 30 gathers together,every outlet fills up with phone chargers. By theday’send, everyone’sasking, “Is this mine?”Toprevent mix-ups,each person marks their power adapter and USB cable with the initial of their first namebyusing a permanent marker We also assign different ink colors so that chargers are easy to spot at aglance. This simple system saves time, preventsaccidental swaps, and makes cleanup much easier when guests are heading out the door.A little identification goes a long way! —RubyKent, in New Boston, New Hampshire Silverware smarts

unloading adishwasher or wantless contact with eating surfaces, having the handle up is moresanitary

The real key?

Clean the drain basket often! Food and water collect underneath, so wash and disinfect it weekly to prevent buildup and odors. In summary, choose the best utensil position based on your cleaning method, but always keep the drain basket clean. I hope this helps put your household debates to rest.

Wishing you manyhappy and efficient days in the kitchen! —Lizabeth Ellison, in Miamisburg,Ohio DIYwastebaskets

Dear Heloise: Iwanted to write in with my thoughts on two common household debates. First,the silverware debate: In the dish drainer, should they go up or down? For everyday use, Ithink you should place forks and spoons withthe handle down (tines and bowls up) to improve air circulation and drying. If you are

Dear Heloise: Iuse 7-by10-inch paper giftbags as small, lightweight wastebaskets forbedrooms, bathrooms, and my home office. They’re perfect forholding tissues, bits of paper,orother light waste. When abag is full, Itoss it and replace it; there’sno need to scrub or disinfect aplastic can. The bags can sit on the floor or hang from adrawer pull or a cabinet knob to save space,

TODAYINHISTORY

ByThe Associated Press

Today is Thursday, March 5, the64th day of 2026. There are 301 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On March 5, 1770, the Boston Massacre took place as Britishsoldiers who had been taunted by a crowd of colonists opened fire, killing five people. The killing fueled colonists’ outrage in the run-up to the American Revolution.

Also on this date: In 1856, amajor fire destroyed Covent Garden’s royal theater and opera house in London, marking the second time fire destroyed atheater on thesite since1808. (The theater was rebuilt and has since undergone major reconstruction and modernization.)

In 1933, in German parliamentary elections six days after the Reichstag fire, theNazi Party won 44% of the vote; the Nazis joined with aconservative nationalist partytogain aslender parliamentary majority

In 1946, Winston

Churchill delivered a speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, in which he marked the onset of the Cold War, saying: “From Stettin in the Baltic, to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent.”

In 1953, Soviet dictator Josef Stalin died from a stroke at age 74 after nearly three decades in power

In 1963, country music performers Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins died in the crash of their plane, aPiper Comanche, near Camden, Tennessee, along with pilot Randy Hughes (Cline’smanager).

In 1979, NASA’s Voyager 1space probe madeits closest approach to Jupiter,sending back photographs of the planet and its moons.

In 1982, comedian John Belushi wasfound dead of adrug overdose in arented bungalow at Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont hotel; he was33.

In 2004, Martha Stewart wasconvicted in NewYork of conspiracy,obstructing

which is helpful in small rooms. Gift bags come in many colors and patterns, so you can match them with your decor or swap them seasonally foranew look. Functional and decorative —awin-win! —DoryM., in Camarillo,California Keepingmiceout

Dear Heloise: Vehicles that sit unused forweeks can attract mice that are looking forawarm nesting spot. They often build nests and chew wiring, leading to expensive repairs. To help deter them, Iplace afew mothballs inside vehicles that aren’t driven regularly.The strong scent repels mice and other small pests. Ikeep the mothballs in small breathable containers so that they stay put and are easy to remove. Before driving, Isimply open the windowstoair out the smell. Be sure to keep mothballs away from children and pets as they can be harmfulifswallowed. —JeffWilkins, in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

justice and lying to the government about why she’d sold her Imclone Systemsstock just before the stock’sprice plummeted; her ex-stockbroker,Peter Bacanovic, also wasfound guilty in the scandal. (Each later received afive-month prison sentence.) In 2022, apromised ceasefire in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol collapsed amid scenes of terror in the besieged town. The number of people fleeing the country reached 1.4 million just 10 days after Russian forces invaded. Today’sbirthdays: Actor Fred Williamson is 88. Magician Penn Jillette is 71. Actor Adriana Barraza is 70. Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin is 60. Actorcomedian Aasif Mandvi is 60. Rock musician

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Work hard and play hard. Get into the swingofthings anddoyour part. Your contributions will attractattention, new friendships andopportunities you don't want to miss.

ARIEs (March21-April 19) Check out suggestions, offers, grantsorfunding that can help youturn your dream into areality. Simplify your plans to meet your budget. Partnerships require equality.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Consider what you can do to makeyour lifeeasier. Surroundyourself withpeoplewho share your plans, and work toward acommongoal. Achange will require time andenergy.

GEMInI(May21-June 20) Say little and do alot. Show compassion and understanding, but don't take on someone else'sproblems. Offer suggestions and getback on track.Livinguptoyour expectationsand reputation will help youexcel.

cAncER(June 21-July 22) Thereisaprice foreverything; make sure your aspirations don't cause you to go over budget. Time, patience andplanning are all called for. Personal growthlooks promising.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Delve into new possibilities; study, research and include what you discover into your routine and plans. Achange will lead to an interesting alternative or connection.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) You have plenty going foryou, so don't let negativ-

ity stand in theway of your desires. Speak up and act fast if you want personal,emotional and financial growth to unfold.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Try not to involve yourselfincircumstances thatcan get you in trouble. Don't exaggerateyour qualifications; update your knowledge and grow your expertise.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Instigate what you wanttosee happen. An encouraging word, hands-on help andmixingbusiness with pleasure will fuel your success. Focus on theimportant relationships in your life.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Look inward and prepare to change whatever is no longer working for you. Dismiss those whocontinually disappoint or take advantage of you. Make choices that protect you from riskand scammers. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Put more thought into your investments and how you earnaliving andspend your cash. Honesty and transparency are essential to avoid problems. Use your energy to fine-tune your agenda and make it flow.

AQuARIus(Jan.20-Feb. 19) Putyour energy to work, and you can bring in more cash.Sellunwanted belongings,develop aproduct that you can turninto alucrative business or become aminimalist.

Thehoroscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. ©2026 by nEa, inc dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms arecreated from quotations by famous people, past and present. Eachletter in thecipher stands for another toDAy'scLuE: PEQuALs K

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle basedona9x9 grid with several given numbers Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squaressothat eachrow, each column and each3x3 box contains the same number only once.The difficulty levelofthe sudoku increasesfrom monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

By PHILLIP ALDER

Eric TempleBell, amathematician and science fiction writer who was born in Scotlandbut lived most of his lifein theUnited States, said, “Euclid taught me thatwithoutassumptions there is no proof. Therefore,inany argument, examinethe assumptions.”

That certainly applies at thebridge table. Duringany deal, each participant makes assumptions based on the bidding andcardsplayed. The more accurate these assumptions, themore likely that person is to win.

When this deal was originally played, Westmade an assumption that proved to be invalid and cost his partnership a game contract

AfterWest openedone spade and two passes followed,Southleapt straight to four hearts, thecontract that he hoped he could make West led thediamond queen. East overtook with his ace, droppingSouth’s king. Then East shifted to thespade jack When South played low, West,assuming that hispartner had asecond spade, encouraged withhis 10. Now East did the best he couldby shiftingtoaclub. PerhapsWest could ruff, or maybe this would cutSouth off fromthedummy.Here,though,declarer won with dummy’sace, playeda heart to his ace, returned the trump three to dummy’s eight, and ran the clubs for an overtrick. West did not need to assume thatEast had twospades. It couldnot have cost to overtake thespade jack with hisqueen andcash the spadeace. Then he would have given East aspade ruff to defeat the contract ©2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOngOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

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

toDAy’sWoRD EncoREs: ON-kors: Additional performancesdemandedbyan audience.

Average mark 19 words

Time limit

Can you find 30 or more words in ENCORES?

yEstERDAy’s WoRD —FREtFuLLy

dIrectIons: make a2-to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words arein the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

Formoreinformation on tournamentsand clubs, emailnaspa– north

sCraBBlE playersassociation:info@scrabbleplayers.org. Visitour website: www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzle inquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com. Hasbro andits logo sCraBBlE associated

ken ken

InstructIons: 1 -Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1thorugh 4(easy) or 1through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 -The numbers within theheavily outlined boxes called cages, must combine using thegiven 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.

WiShinG Well

HErE is aplEasanT liTTlE

the numberofletters is

left

447-6767. 179402-Mar5-6,2t $124

179314-Mar 4-6, 3t $85

today! Health andWellness DENTAL INSURANCEfromPhysicians Mutual InsuranceCompany Coverage for400 plus procedures Real dental insurance- NOTjusta discount plan.Donot wait!Call now! GetyourFREEDental InformationKit with allthe details! 1-855-268-0108 www.dental50plus.com/morning #6258 Home andGarden No more cleaning outgutters Guaranteed! LeafFilter is backed by ano-clog guarantee and lifetime transferrablewarranty. Call today1866-846-0785 to schedule aFREE inspection and no obligation estimate.Get 15% offyourentire order. Plus,Military &Seniors getan additional 10% off. Limited time only.Restrictionsapply, see representative forwarranty and offerdetails Home Improvement Replaceyourroof with thebest looking and longestlasting

CEMETERY PLOTS Lakelawn Metairie Cemetery TerraceMausoleum,Corridorof Solace,TierF,Crypt 68, Double Length Crypt, TwoInternment's $14,395 (504) 460-6554 CEMETERY PLOTS Lake Lawn Park NorthUnit5 North Corr. 11. True companion2 interments.TierE Crypt26. $20,000 504-628-9247

COMMENTSCONCERNING THEPROPOSEDCHANGES AREENCOURAGED.

CPCHAS ESTABLISHED

WITHIN ITSADMINISTRA‐TIVE RULES, POLICIES,& PROCEDURES,WHICH AREAVAILABLE ON THE CPCWEBSITE: WWW NOLA.GOV/CPC.YOU MAY ALSO SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENTSTOTHE EX‐ECUTIVEDIRECTORIN ADVANCEBYMAIL(1300 PERDIDOSTREET,7TH FLOOR,NEW ORLEANS, LA 70112) OR EMAIL CPCINFO@NOLA.GOV.ALL WRITTENCOMMENTS MUSTBERECEIVEDBY CLOSEOFBUSINESSON THEMONDAY, EIGHT DAYS PRIORTOTHE HEARINGDATE. February 26 and March5,2026 Robert Rivers ExecutiveDirector NOCP 8900 178697-feb26-mar5-2t $69.50

p thisnotice,stating the conditions underwhich such writtenwaiverisre‐quested. 178502-feb26-mar5-12-3t $56.73

Bu‐reau of Purchasing on theCity’ssupplierportal. If this solicitation is fed‐erally funded,prospec‐tive bidder/respondent must payparticularat‐tentiontoall applicable laws andregulations of theFederal government andthe Stateof Louisiana. TheBureauofPurchas‐ingusescommodity codestonotifysuppliers of therelease of asourc‐ingevent andsubse‐quentmodificationsvia addendum. Note that you wouldreceive thosenoti‐ficationsifyou selected thefollowing commodity code(s) before there‐leaseofthe sourcing event: COMMODITY CODE(s): 906-54, 918-72, 918-75, 925-28

DBEOPPORTUNITY: YES(35%) RELEASED ON: February 26, 2026

DEADLINETORESPOND: March25, 2026

PRE-BIDCONFERENCE viaTEAMS:

Doctor DepartureLegal Notice: In accordance with Louisianastate regula‐tions, notice is hereby giventhatDr. Kevin Kasovich of EyecareAs‐sociates is leavingthe practice locatedat4324 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Suite102, Metairie,LA 70006. Allpatientsmay retrieve theirmedical recordsfromEyecare As‐sociates locatedat4324

also describesantici‐patedactions or changes that mayoccurasa re‐sult of theoutcomesout‐linedinits annualperfor‐mance. Thedocumentis availablefor fifteen (15) day: public review and commentperiodbegin‐ning Monday,February 23, 2026 thru Monday March9,2026 at thefol‐lowing location: City of NewOrleansOffice of Community Development 1340 PoydrasStreet Suite1000 NewOrleans,Louisiana 70112 Citizencommentswillbe acceptedinwriting no laterthan Tuesday, March10, 2026.The The Office of Community De‐velopmentwillpublish thesecommentsinits finalreportwhich will be submittedtothe U.S. De‐partment of Housingand UrbanDevelopment (HUD)nolater than March31, 2026. If you have anyquestions please contactOCD’s Planning &ResourceDe‐velopmentStaff at (504)658-4347. Helena Moreno Mayor JeffreyE.Schwartz Director of Housing, Community Develop‐ment andSpecialProjects d

TheCityofNew Orleans strongly encourages mi‐nority-owned and women-ownedbusi‐nesses, socially andeco‐nomicallydisadvantaged businessesand small businessestorespond to this solicitation,orto participateinsubcon‐tracting opportunities pursuant to this solicita‐tion

Formoreinformation aboutthissourcing event, go to www.nola. govand clickon“BRASS SupplierPortal” under “BIDS& CONTRACTS” Once on theSupplierPor‐tal, search “Open Events.” Thankyou foryourinter‐estindoing business with theCityofNew Or‐leans. JamesC.Simmons,Jr. ChiefProcurement Officer AdvertisingDates: February 26, March5 and 12, 2026 NOCP 8901 178699-feb26-mar5-12-3t $109.32 AT PRIVATESALE WHEREASthe adminis‐trator of theabove es‐tate,has made applica‐tion to theCourt forthe sale at privatesaleofthe immovableproperty hereinafterdescribed as follows: ACERTAIN LOTOF GROUND,situatedinthe Parish of Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in SQUARE ”B”ofMADISON PARK bounded by MADISON and49THSTREETS, EL‐DRED AVENUE andthe East Line of theSubdivi‐sion,designatedasLOT NO.5 on thesurveymade by ErrolE.Kelly,Sur‐veyor, datedSeptember 21, 1966, acopyofwhich is annexedtoact of pur‐chasebyFrenchMarket HomesteadSavings As‐sociation, pass before John Hammel, III, N.P. datedSeptember 26, 1966; andaccording to said survey,saidLOT NO.5 commences at a distance of 50 feet from thecornerofMadison and49thStreets, and measures thence 50 feet frontonMadison Street thesamewidth in the rear,bya depth of 110 feet,between equaland parallel lines. Thebuildings andim‐provements thereonbear theMunicipal No.925 MadisonStreet UPON THEFOLLOWING TERMSAND CONDITIONS

PUBLIC NOTICE 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURTFOR THEPARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOFLOUISIANA NO.873-059 DIVISION “I RE:SUCCESSION OF WILBON JBORDELON NOTICE BY PUBLICATION FORAUTHORITY TO SELL IMMOVABLEPROPERTY

SUBSCRIBE TODAY PUBLIC NOTICE

don’tmiss don’tmiss don’t miss

Theculture, heritage and cuisine of the Canary Islanders whosettled in southeast Louisiana is celebrated at St. Bernard’sLos Isleños Museum, 1357 Bayou Road, this weekend with food, crafts, livinghistory, rides and authentic dancing.Musicwill be provided by Javier Olondo &AsheSon, Cypress Pop Trio,Rockin’ Dopsie Jr.and the Zydec and more fro to 10 p.m. Saturd and 11 a.m. to 9p.m. Sunday Admission is $5, with parking from J.F. Gauthier Schoo losislenos.org

losisleños fiesta louisiana food truck

festaitaliana festival festiva

legends of laughter

Thenational tourofsomevery funny people makes astopSaturday at University of New Orleans’ LakefrontArena when Sommore, Lavell Crawford, Earthquake and Arnez J. keep the laughs going. The legends takethe stage at 8 p.m. at 6801 Franklin Ave. Tickets start at $80.50. arena.uno.edu. Sommore

The three-day event highlighting Italian food will be accompanied by live music from groups like the Bucktown Allstars, Cowboy Mouth, LenaPrima, TheMolly Ringwalds and Ryan Foret Tradition. Visit Rivertown on Williams Boulevard from Kenner Avenue to the Rev.Richard Wilson Drive beginning at 6p.m. Friday and at noon Saturday and Sunday.Admission is $10. kenneritalianfest.com.

faithin

harmony

NewOrleans’ interracial Gospel choir marks aquartercentury with aprogram featuringguestartists at 3p.m. Saturday at the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, 1901 Bartholomew St. Tickets are $5. shadesofpraise.org.

Slidell’s Harbor Center, 100 Harbor Center Blvd., will be jammed withmore than twodozen mobile restaurants offering everything from barbecue to seafood and more. The free event from 11 a.m. to 6p.m. will also include craft and art vendors, music by Flow Tribe and Witness, aKids Zone and pet adoptions. harborcenter.org.

‘the

Relic, an ensemble thatuses period instruments, will perform the music of George Frideric Handel, Claudio Monteverdi and Jean-Philippe Rameau in anarrative-driven program to tell the ancient Greek story by Homer.The concert is at 7 p.m. Friday at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1329 Jackson Ave. Tickets start at $20. trinitynola.com.

food food food

Frozen custard shop planned in Freret neighborhood

BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer

A new frozen custard shop is coming to New Orleans later this year, adding to the Freret neighborhood’s restaurant corridor.

Ruthie’s Frozen Custard will open at 2506 Jena St., near the intersection at Freret Street and popular restaurants like Pigeon and the Whale, Bearcat Cafe Uptown, Rook Cafe and High Hat Cafe.

According to the upcoming dessert shop’s Instagram account, the owners are planning to open in the spring or summer

“Ruthie’s is being built with a simple focus: be a place people want to go. As funny as it sounds, we believe in the

power of dessert,” Ruthie’s website states. “We believe in the power of normal, everyday joy, and we’re working every day to bring that joy to you very soon!”

The shop will sell frozen custard, a treat similar to ice cream that is usually thicker and creamier because of its higher egg yolk content and its different churning method.

According to the shop’s Instagram account, Ruthie’s will make the custard fresh every day It plans to serve vanilla, chocolate, a vegan flavor and a flavor of the day. Custard will be available in scoops, sundaes, milkshakes and more.

Shop owners plan to announce details on a soft opening to subscribers of their newsletter

Frozen custard is a treat similar to ice cream that is usually thicker and creamier because of its higher egg yolk content and its different churning method. Ruthie’s Frozen Custard on Jena Street in Uptown, opening either in the spring or summer, will serve vanilla and chocolate custard as well as a vegan flavor and a flavor of the day.

ABOUT LAGNIAPPE

The Lagniappe section is published each Thursday by The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. All inquiries about Lagniappe should be directed to the editor.

LAGNIAPPE EDITOR: Lauren Walck, lauren.walck @theadvocate.com

COVER DESIGN: Andrea Daniel

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Victor Andrews, Marco Cartolano, Doug MacCash, Ian McNulty, Alex Rawls, Keith Spera

GET LISTED IN LAGNIAPPE

Submit events to Lagniappe at least two weeks in advance by sending an email to events@theadvocate.com.

ON THE COVER

A reveler gets a helping of Lucky Charms poured down his gullet from a float rider in the 2024 Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New Orleans. Photo by Scott Threlkeld. Parades around the metro area are welcoming spring in March and April. Story by Doug MacCash on Page 8.

food food food

Partyfowl

Chicken restaurant hosting neighborhood party with offeringsfrom around thecity

Ablock party should have tasty food, music that makes you want to dance and, well, agood block, preferably one not covered in construction barriersand torn-up pavement.

Fried chicken withCalabarian chiles is a Fridayspecial at Here Today Rotisseriein New Orleans.

With fortuitoustiming, and help from friendsin the industry,that’swhat the restaurantHere

Today Rotisserie is presenting with its inaugural Cluck Fest Block Party.

The specialty for Here Today Rotisserie is right in the name,and in addition to whole rotisserie chickens —and chicken bowls, chicken fat potatoes and chicken rice —there’sa terrific specialty fried chicken, brushed with chicken fat spiked with Calabrianchiles.

Here Today opened last year as anew casual spot from Mike Stoltzfus, chef/owner of the upscale Coquette. It’sona tucked-away block, the kind of place you have seek out. Getting to its door became abit more complicated when itsblock went under reconstruction. This lasted

Passionfruit chicken wings from Haitian restaurant Fritai, which will bringits repertoire to Here TodayRotisserie’s inaugural ClukFest Block Party.

months but was recentlywrapped up, clearing the way for the party.

TheLower Garden District restaurant is inviting ahalfdozen other local restaurants to bring theirbest chicken dishes to the eventbilled as more of ablock party than a festival.

The short list of participating restaurants brings in alot of diversity,between young, buzzy restaurants, food festival champions and street food vendors. They’ll

Korean fried chicken wingsare a specialtyatChi-Chi’s Chicken &Beer, another eateryset for Sunday’sblock party.

servechicken andother dishes as well. That includes:

n Southerns, thefood truck with restaurantsinMetairie and Hammond

n Chi Chi’s, theKorean chicken specialist on Freret Street

n Bonafried, the food truck with a new restaurant by theFair Grounds

n Fritai, theHaitian restaurant in Treme

n Johnny’sJamaican Grill, the food truck and fest vendor

Here Today will have itsown stand for fried chicken, while therestaurant

will serve its full menuaswell. Coquette will handle the bar.

The party will have live music and DJ sounds from:

n Big Freedia

n TBC Brass Band

n Ha Sizzle

n Raj Smoove

n Dawn Richards

It’s planned as afamily-friendly event with akids zone and lemonade stands. Admission is free, with RSVP required at cluckfestnola.com forattendance planning.

STACEY ABRAMS | TARRIONA “TANK”BALL | DAVID BROOKS | KEN

BURNS | KENNY CHESNEY | ROXANE GAY | WALTER ISAACSON

TAYARI JONES | JEFF KOONS | EMERILAND E.J. LAGASSE | ERIK

HELENAMORENO

MARDI GRAS MIND

THEHITSKEEP COMING

Wrestler Mick Foleysharesstories behind theaches and pains in one-manshow

BY ALEX RAWLS Contributing writer

MICK FOLEY: ‘40 YEARS OF FOLEY’ TOUR

WHEN: 7p.m. Monday WHERE: Southport Hall, 200 Monticello Ave., NewOrleans INFO: southporthall. com; (504) 835-2903

TICKETS: $40-$150

Nobodygets outofprofessional wrestling unscathed, least of allMickFoley.He spent more than 30 years wrestling andtook some of the most memorable bumps in wrestling history.Asa result, “Everything kinda hurts,”hesaidrecently by Zoom from Pensacola, Florida

“But Iremember 21 years ago, Ihad trouble walking withoutanantiinflammatory,” he said. He hasn’t needed onein15 years, and“now Iactually pass people when I’m walking in the airport,” he said, laughing.

Foley will visit New OrleansonMonday to tell the stories behind the scar tissue when he brings his “40Years of Foley”one-man show to Southport Hall. He has asoft spot for New Orleans because during his years in the WWE, he livedinNavarre, Florida

“New Orleans was oneof the few cities Icould drive my family to,” he said.

Foley haslonghad aspecial relationship with his fans. His style came to be known as hardcore, whichmeanthewould go to great lengths to do something fanshadn’tseen before.

Today, wrestlers takedives from the ring to land on op-

ponents on thefloor allthe time, but in the early1990s, no oneelse jumped from the ring apron to the concrete belowtohit an opponent with an elbowdrop.

He has livedwith the tollthat crashing to the floor nightlytakes on abody, andthe moves gotmore extreme from there.

His signature match is 1998’s “Hell in aCell,”whenhefaced The Undertakerinaring enclosed inside alarge, chain-link cage. Foley envisionedsome extreme moves for that match, includinga 16-foot dropoff the side of thestructure, but he didn’tplanonthe ceiling giving way after The Undertaker choke-slammed him on top of it, whichmeantFoley dropped20or so feet to the mat below.

The match hasbecomehis “Free Bird,” andheknows fans want to hear him talk aboutit. Oneofhis storytelling tours focusedonitexclusively,and it comes up in almost every Q&A session at his shows because fansremainfascinated by oneofthe most remarkable matches in WWE history

Thatstory is consistent with Foley’saesthetic. Many wrestlers focustheir storiesofgloryand grandeur,but Foley’sfavorites are the ones with amore human scale, where things didn’tgoasplanned.

“I remember the match Ihad with Shane Douglasinfront of 26 fansinPoca, West Virginia,in 1986 almost as wellasIremember winning the WWE from Dwayne Johnson,”hesaid.

Foley’sjourney to storyteller started when he wrote his 1999 memoir, “Have aNiceDay:ATale of Blood andSweatsocks.”Hehad been pairedwith aco-writer to tell his story,but it didn’tfeel right to Foley

“I may not be able to write any book,but Ican write this book,” Foley recalled, andheknocked out

16 pagesinhis own conversational style.HeaskedpublisherJudith Regan to considerletting him writethe book himself, andafter seeing his work, she lethim take over theproject. The result was a New York Timesbestseller, oneof twothatFoley wrote.

Foley creditshis successasa writer to his mother,who passed away recently. “Without herinstilling aloveofwriting andreading in me,I neverwould have even thought aboutwriting abook,” he said.

The successof“Have aNice Day” and2001’s“Foley is Good” made him an in-demand speaker on college campusesincluding Notre Dame, Syracuse,the UniversityofAlabama andMIT.When thosespeaking engagementsran theircourse,hetook ashotat stand-up comedy.

“Overthreeyears, Irealized that thebestplace formetoput my piece of thepuzzle was being theguy who tells humorous, sometimes touching storiesabout oneof theoddest vocationsinthe world,” he said.

Historically,wrestlers fiercely protected “kayfabe,” thepublicfacing fiction that wrestling promotions askfanstobelieve.“Have aNiceDay”and Foley’s booksand storiesreveal what goes on behind thecurtain, but he said he hasnever gotten blowback from othersin thelocker room. He believesthat’s because of what he shows.

“I think whatI did was make people realize howdifficult it was, andthe drive that goes intothe hopesofbeing aprofessionalwrestler,” Foley said. “If youput someoneelse in my body,they’dthink it was hell on Earth, whereas Ithink Ifeel pretty good thesedays.”

Contact AlexRawls at alex@ myspiltmilk.com.

events events events

KEEPING GOINGTHE PARTY

From St.Patrick’s DaytoEasterand beyond, paradesare welcoming spring with flair

Amember of the Irish Channel Corner Club marches in the 2025 Gretna ItalianIrish Parade.

STAFF FILE

By SCOTT THRELKELD

Revelerstaketo the French Quarter for the 2016 Gay Easter Parade.

New Orleansmust be theworld capital of parades. After MardiGras, the citybarely ch itsbreath processions Here’salist of all in thearea. ver-shifting ding road construction and eroutes of parades can up untilthe lastminute. For second-lines specifically, eroutes can be found on WWOZ’s“Takin’ It To The Streets” page at wwoz.org as paradetime approaches.

ä Weekend parade maps. PAGE 10

ä See PARADES, page 10

LEFT: The NOLA Holiparade proceeds through the French Quarter in acloud of colorful dust in 2024.

PROVIDED PHOTO BELOW: Black MaskingIndians will come out for Super Sunday in various locations around New Orleans.

PARADESTHIS WEEKEND

A float rider in the2024 Slidell St.Patrick’sDay parade tosses acabbageintothe crowd.

Promenadegirls and their families roll along NorthRampartStreet during aNew Orleans Spring Fiesta Presentation and Parade.

PARADES

Continuedfrom page8

Sunday

n NOLA HOLIPARADE

Noon,French Quarter and Marigny

SLIDELL ST. PATRICK’S PARADE ST.PATRICK’S

The Holi (pronounced holy) marching parade is thecenterpiece of aHindu springtime festivalthat celebrates, love, good’s triumph over evil and color, color,color.Parade participants will splash one another (and willing crowd members) with brilliantly hued powder.Expect traditional and Bollywood-style dancing thatcontinues after the parade at the FestivalofColor in Washington SquarePark, which continues until 5p.m.

Arider hands out largebeads to ayoung girl during the 2025 Metairie Road St.Patrick’sDay Parade in Metairie.

The NOLA Holi Parade begins at the corner of Royaland Touro streets. It follows Royalinto the French Quarter,turning left on St. Philip Street, left on Chartres Street, returning to the Marigny and ending at Kerlerec Street. nolaholi.org.

n GRETNA ITALIAN-IRISH PARADE

Noon,West Bank

Established in 2023, theGretna Italian-Irish Parade features floats, marching groups and school bands,concluding with an

after-party from 5p.m.to8p.m at the Gretna Market. facebook. com/Gretnaitalianirishparade.

n SLIDELL ST.PATRICK’S DAY PARADE

1p.m.to5 p.m.,Slidell

Presented by the Olde Towne Slidell Merchants Association, the half-century-old paradewill include school bands, walking groups, dance troupes and small floats. Expect to catch cabbages and assorted produce, as well as beads and toys. The paradestarts and ends at CityHall, near the corner of Second and Bouscaren streets. visitthenorthshore.com/ events.

March14

n IRISH CHANNEL ST.PATRICK’S PARADE

1p.m., Irish Channel

Debutingin1947, theparadeis named for New Orleans’ historically Irishworking-class enclave. The procession,including30 floats andhundredsofmarchers, dispensing paperflowers, beads andcabbages, gets rolling at the conclusionofnoon Mass at St Mary’s Assumption Church,2030 Constance St.irishchannelno.org

events events events

n COVINGTON CELTIC CLUB ST. PATRICK’S PARADE

Noon, downtown Covington

In its eighth year, the foot parade promises bands, marching groups and dancing troupes, concluding with a block party at the end of the route. A founder of the Covington Celtic Club was the great-grandchild of John J Sheahan, chair of New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade from 1939-58. covingtoncelticclub.com.

March 15

n METAIRIE ROAD ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE Noon, Old Metairie

Founded in 1971, the huge procession features over 100 elements, including floats, trucks, marching groups and bands. Catch beads, baubles and cabbages along the unique Metairie Road route.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Members of the Krewe du Fool April Fools’ Day parade

are available in the park and along the trek. wwoz.org.

n DOWNTOWN SUPER SUNDAY MARDI GRAS INDIAN MARCH Noon, Bayou St. John

visitjeffersonparish.com/ events.

n UPTOWN SUPER SUNDAY MARDI GRAS INDIAN MARCH

Noon, Central City

At 11 a.m., Black Masking Indian tribes gather in A.L.

Davis Park, 2600 LaSalle St., at the corner of Washington Avenue, where they display their suits before marching on a circuitous route. The event blends incredible craftsmanship, age-old ritual and unique music.

The traditional route begins at LaSalle Street and Washington Avenue, heads downtown on LaSalle, turns left on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, left on South Claiborne Avenue, and left on Washington, before returning to A.L. Davis Park. Drink and food vendors

The Circle of Chiefs “Indian Cha Wa” Downtown Super Sunday parade is part of a three-day festival. Black Masking Indian groups gather on the banks of Bayou St. John near Orleans Avenue to display their spectacular feathered suits before the parade that treks from Mid-City to the 7th Ward. The date of another march, the West Bank Super Sunday Mardi Gras Indian parade in Algiers, has yet to be announced.

n SINGLE MEN SECOND-LINE PARADE

2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Central City, starting at Tapp’s II tavern, 2800 S. Rocheblave St.

ä See PARADES, page 12

events events events

PARADES

Continued from page 11

The history of New Orleans second-lines begins in part with a 1864 parade celebrating the abolition of slavery, which allowed broader public celebration for Black residents. The tradition continues to this day, with neighborhood parades that often blur the distinction between participant and spectator

n SPRING FIESTA PARADE

3 p.m., French Quarter

The New Orleans Spring Fiesta Association’s annual procession features members in spring attire riding in flower-decorated, horse-drawn carriages through the French Quarter. This year’s theme is “Les Beaux Chapeaux.”

The parade begins at 826 St. Ann St., heading toward the Mississippi River It turns right on Bourbon Street, left on Barracks Street, left on Dauphine Street and left on St. Ann Street, to 826 St. Ann St., where the parade pauses to toast the queen. The parade then continues to Chartres Street where it turns left, then left on Ursulines Street, left on Royal Street and right to the Sheraton Hotel, 500 Canal St. springfiestanola.com/parade.

March 17

n DOWNTOWN IRISH CLUB PARADE

6:30 p.m., Marigny, French Quarter and Central Business District

Celebrating its 50th year, the night parade was founded by downtown barkeeps on the principle that “Everyone is Irish for a day.” downtownirishclub.com.

March 19

n ST. JOSEPH’S DAY NIGHT MARDI GRAS INDIAN MARCHES

Various locations and times near sundown

Black Indian Maskers, who are also known as Mardi Gras Indians, create new, elaborately beaded and feathered suits each year, which are

her death in 2022. frenchquartereasterparade.com.

n PIGEON TOWN STEPPERS SECOND-LINE PARADE

1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Uptown, starting at 8815 Hickory St.

Named for an Uptown neighborhood that borders Jefferson Parish, the Pigeon Town Steppers travel from the Carrollton area to Broadmoor.

n GAY EASTER PARADE

4:30 p.m., French Quarter

worn only during a few special events, including an outing on St. Joseph’s Night. The various tribes emerge from residences in neighborhoods across the city and set out on unpredictable routes, attempting to encounter other groups for stylized competitions.

March 22

n LOUISIANA IRISH-ITALIAN PARADE

Noon, Metairie

The 44th annual Louisiana Irish-Italian Parade on Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie will include 120 elements, including floats, trucks, bands and marching groups. The customarily large crowds will catch beads and tots, as well as tons of vegetables. lairish-italian org

n REVOLUTION SECOND-LINE PARADE

1 p.m. to 5 p.m., 7th Ward, starting at the corner of Louisa and Benefit streets

The origin of the term second-line parade is uncertain. It may be a description of the members of the parade audience that joins in the procession. In Louis Armstrong’s autobiography, “Louis Armstrong: In His Own Words,” Satchmo offered this definition: “The second-line is a bunch of guys who follows the parade,” Armstrong wrote.

“They’re not the members of the lodge or club. Anybody can be a second-liner, whether they are raggedy or dressed up. They seem to have more fun than anybody.”

March 28

n ST. JOSEPH’S DAY PARADE

6 p.m., French Quarter

Part of the largest St. Joseph’s celebration in the nation, the 500-marcher parade commemorates a deadly drought in medieval Sicily that was broken by prayers to St. Joseph. The annual float and foot parade features a rolling St. Joseph Altar, lucky beans painted in the color of the Italian flag, paper carnations and beads. italianamericansociety. org/parade.

April 1

n KREWE DU FOOL APRIL FOOLS’ DAY PARADE

7 p.m., Marigny

In its 10th year, the Krewe Du Fool parade is a foot, horseback and small-float procession with participants dispensing bars of wooden “Fool’s Gold” to the crowd. This year, look for the new Solid Gold dancers. krewedufool.com.

April 4

n NOLA BUNARCHY BARHOP

6 p.m., Marigny

This punky pre-Easter barhop, attended by a few hundred

The Original Pigeon Town Steppers celebrate their 25th anniversary second-lining through Uptown on Easter Sunday 2019.

costumed partiers, is a benefit for animal rescue organizations. NOLA Bunarchy founder Dan Sheridan said the event, which first took place in 2009, was inspired by a similar romp in Detroit, but it swiftly took on a glittery New Orleans character. Find the group on Facebook or Instagram.

April 5

n HISTORIC FRENCH QUARTER EASTER PARADE

9:45 a.m., French Quarter

Established seven decades ago by Germain Wells, the flamboyant stepdaughter of the founder of Arnaud’s Restaurant, the parade features convertibles and mule-drawn carriages bearing riders tossing plush bunnies. Parade participants attend Mass at St. Louis Cathedral and later show off their summer suits and fancy bonnets in Jackson Square.

n FRENCH QUARTER EASTER PARADE

1 p.m. French Quarter

Not to be confused with the other older parade before it, the French Quarter Easter Parade was once known as the Chris Owens Easter Parade, after the legendary Bourbon Street entertainer who presided over the event from 1983 to

The family-friendly parade is a celebration of the city’s LGBTQ+ community. It features carriages, vibrant Easter costumes, dance troupes and, of course, music. The parades was founded in 2000. gayeasterparade.com.

April 11

n THE ST. BERNARD IRISH ITALIAN ISLEÑOS COMMUNITY PARADE

11 a.m., St. Bernard

The parade commemorates the Irish and Italian influences on the culture of New Orleans’ neighboring downriver parish, as well as the contributions of the Isleños — descendants of Canary Islanders who settled in south Louisiana in the late 1700s.

With the theme “Catch It, Cook It, Eat It,” the 50-float procession promises to shower the crowd with tons of produce. Visit Facebook for information.

April 12

n SINGLE LADIES SECOND-LINE PARADE

1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Central City

Expect umbrellas, standards, banners and fabulous color-coordinated costumes.

April 19

n OLE & NU STYLE FELLAS SECOND-LINE PARADE

2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Treme

Founded in 1997, The Ole & Nu Style Fellas parade is a family-oriented procession focused on introducing children into second-line culture.

Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate.com.

music music music

Abig week forguitaristsinNew Orleans

Keith Spera SOUND CHECK

It’sagood week for guitar fans, internationally renowned guitaris through New Orleans the week of

as three ts pass fMarch 5-11.

GARY CLARKJR.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY,MAPLE LEAF BAR

GaryClarkJr. hails from Texas, so predisposed to be ablues-rock guitar his major-label debut with the2011 E Lights,” introducing himself as apow based guitarist whoeasily veered int andother styles. He expanded his ran tation and lyrical subjectsonhis four albums: 2012’s“Blackand Blu,” 2015 Sonny Boy Slim,” 2019’s“This Land” “JPEG RAW.”

Clark typically headlines amphithe aters. But this spring,aspart of his “ Global Tour,” he’sspending multiple er venues. This weekend,he’ll plugin Maple Leaf Bar on Oak Street,where barely above shin level andnot much bathroom. Laterthis month, he’ll log at the Belly-Up Tavern in Aspen,Colo by three consecutivenights at Herna WayinMemphis, Tennessee.He’ll sp daynight in May at Antone’s, his hom blues club.

At only $47, tickets for his three-nig Maple Leaf —the bill also includes Iv —sold out quickly.The ticketsare ad nontransferable,soexercise caution buy one on the resale market.

in away,he’s hero.Hemade P“The Bright erhouse bluesopsychedelia ge,instrumenfull-length ’s “The Storyof and his latest, atersand theJPEGRAW nightsatsmallat theintimate thestage is biggerthana acouple nights rado,followed ndo’s Hide-Aendevery MonetownAustin

ht stand at the ille

ANOTHER (NEARLY)SOLD-OUT GUITAR OPTIO

Blues Hall of Fame inductee Matt Sc his band hit the New Orleans Jazz & B ket at 7:30 p.m. Friday.At press time few resale tickets, priced at $71 apiec were available viaTicketmaster.

PATMETHENY

SUNDAY,ORPHEUM THEATER

As ajazz guitar prodigyheavilyinfluenced by WesMontgomery,Pat Metheny has endured as ajazz-fusion guitar icon for more than five decades, win-

ning Grammys in 10 categories along the way.For a couple of decades, his primary vehicle was the Pat Metheny Group. Butinrecent years, he has worked with smaller combos stocked with young players.

On Feb.27, he released “Side-Eye III+,”the latest installment of his Side-Eye project, which spotlights next-generation musicians who have impressed him Keyboardist Chris Fishman and drummer Joe Dyson —aNew Orleansnative and New Orleans Center for Creative Arts grad —form the core of his touring Side-Eye ensemble. Butthe “+” on the title of“Side-Eye III+” indicates how the core trio is augmented by additional musi-

nce Igot in the studio with the Irealized that while the trio concept was perfect for us as alive ensemble,the music Ihad written askingfor something bigger,” Metheny has said. “I ended up adding 15 other musicians to the trio —expanding the sonic world of the record farbeyond what we had done before.”

At 71, Metheny is still aroad warrior.Hehas morethan 90 concerts scheduled between now andSeptember throughout

the United State magic Sunday at 7:30 p.m.Tickets

s and Europe. Metheny works his the Orpheum Theater.Showtimeis start at $49.50.

KEVINLEWIS & T

THEPALMCOURT JAZZ BAND

FRIDAY,SNUGHAR

BOR JAZZ BISTRO

For manyyear Augustine High Creative Arts al in jazz performa in Ohio and Quee Friday night ban Decatur Street n theearly 20th ce leans jazz and fo Buck. Meanwhil leased 1,400 reco genres through J labels.

s,trumpeter Kevin Louis —aSt. School and NewOrleans Center for umnus whowent on to earn degrees nce from Oberlin Conservatory nsCollege in NewYork —led the d at the Palm Court Jazz Café. The ightspot, which evoked asaloon of ntury,served up traditional NewOrodunder the auspices of host Nina e,Nina’shusband, George Buck, rerdings of traditional jazz and other azzology,GHB and his other record

George died in Court in the sum Palm Court alum In 2024, Kevin L featuring vocalis Chance to Dance vorites from the Palm Court Jazz 9:30 p.m. at Snug Street, just afew the PalmCourt.

v t a t s b a p p 4:30 p.m.Saturd served basis afte

2013, and Nina closed the Palm mer of 2024. But Louis and other s continue to keep the music alive. ouis &the Palm Court Jazz Band t Yolanda Robinson released “Last ,”anewly recorded selection of faPalm Court. On Friday,Louis &the Band will reunite at 7:30 p.m.and Harbor Jazz Bistro on Frenchmen blocks from the former homeof Tickets are $35.

ALSOATSNUGHARBOR: Sally Baby’sSilerDollars is aNew Orleans combo hat blends early jazz with rhythm ndblues. The band wasrecently feaured on NPR’s“Tiny Desk” concert eries. Ascaled-down version of the and, featuring Sal Geloso on guitar ndvocals, Nathan Wolman on trumeter and Zach Valentine on bass, lays afree show at Snug Harbor at ay. Seating is on afirst-come, firstr doors open at 4.

raatkspera@theadvocate.com.

stages stages stages

ä Forshows in production, visit nola.com.

Localtheatersspringforward with ‘Frozen’,more

Take aroll of the dice this week and certainly find something worth seeing as live theater swings into high gear with musicals,social dramas, murder mysteries, new works and some cherished favorites.

From “Phantom” to “Frozen,” “Guys” to “Raisin,”itmight just be a realcase of “Catch (a show)IfYou Can.”

‘Frozen: TheBroadwayMusical’

The greater New Orleans areaseems to have skipped the brutal freezelast month, but things are getting really chilly at Jefferson Performing Arts Center as Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Sven and company drop the temperatures and raisethe roof for “Frozen: The Broadway Musical.”

Based on the 2013 Disney animated film that turned frostbite into afashion statement,the 2018 Broadway brought the story to life. The storyrevolves around apair of royal sisters,one cursed with the ability to free anything (including the entire country) and the other cursed withaloveablebut naive spirit that ends of getting her in trouble but saving the day

Packed with singable songs like the anthemic “LetItGo,” the show also features “For The First Time in Forever” and “Fixer Upper.”

For the JPAproduction, Scott Sauber takes the helm as director,with Kaitlin Zelon as choreographer and music direction by Linden Uter. while Micah Desonier “lets it go” as Elsa and Melissa McKenzie is Anna. Colin Richardis Kristoff, with Avery Gerosa as crafty reindeer Sven and Rachel Abbate is the lovable snowman Olaf. Other cast includes NathanLong,NathanParrish, Allee Peck, Ty Robbins, Luke Sirinides, Emily Breaux, Ryan Kelly-Moore, Donnie Lawson, Anna Kramer,Olivia Yi,Juliette Banquer,Ellie sander,Emory Farber,Daniela Vazquez, Sasha Munchak, Kelly Amstutz, Ariyana Reed, Alyssa Daigle, BenjaminBenigno, Adriel Aviles, Noah Smith, NinaBallon, Brandon Garza and Clark Long.

Organizers for the show promise “stunning costumes, imaginative scenic elements, and alive orchestralsound that elevates the magic of this wintery

and

is

Elsa in the Jefferson PerformingArts’ productionof‘Frozen: The Broadway Musical’ opening this week at Jefferson Performing Arts Center on Airline Drivein Metairie.

adventure.” The stage show also adds to the story of thesisters.

The is at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2p.m. Sundays through March 15 inside theauditorium at 6400 Airline Drive in Metairie. Ticketsstart at $39. Visitjpas.org.

‘Guysand Dolls’

The colorful denizens of journalist Damon Runyon’sNew York in the 1920s and’30s are the stuff of Broadway legend and one of the most popular shows set to open this week at Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré.

“Guys and Dolls” opened on Broadway in 1933 with such interestingcharacters as Sky Masterson,Sarah Brown, Nicely Nicely Johnson, Miss Adelaide and Nathan Detroitas amélange of gamblers, showgirls and members of the Save-A-Soul Mission. Shake them up likeapairofdiceata mobile craps game, throw in some love and some great FrankLoesser songs

LukeBoucvault as Chad leadsthe companyofRivertown Theaters forthe PerformingArts’ production of ‘All Shook Up’ in the song ‘C’monEverybody.’

andscore a7or11. “Lucky Be aLady Tonight,” “A Busheland aPeck”and “SitDown,You’re Rockin’ the Boat.”

From the sewers of the BigApple to the hot spots of Havana, the show is a whirlwind of interesting characters and the power of love.

A.J.Allegaand Janué Buisson co-direct, with the latter also choreographer. Stephanie Abry is Sarah, Donald Jones Jr.isSky,with Leslie Claverie as Miss Adelaide, Michael Paternostro as Nathan andKeith Claverie as Nicely Nicely.Other cast includes Andrew Michael Antoine, Anna Laura Birbiglia, Chrissy Bowen, Aaron Brewer, Donavan Allen Davis, Bob Edes Jr., Rahim Glaspy, Craig Leydecker, JordenBrue Majeau, Deiveon V. Martinsen, Daniel Rigamer,P.J. Ruffins, Adrienne Simmons, Knox VanHornand Camille von Hoven.

Theshow is at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2p.m. Sundays through March 29, as wellasa 2p.m. showMarch 21, at 616 St. Peter St.Tickets start at $82. Visit lepetittheatre.com.

‘All ShookUp’

ThemusicofElvisPresley has entered the building at Rivertown Theaters for thePerforming Arts as the

companygets“All Shook Up” with a jukeboxmusical featuring The King’s tunesand atouch of WilliamShakespeare, opening this week.

Setina small town, aguitarplayer arrivesonthe sceneand, much like Presleyinreal life,becomes the talk of the town. Comedy,romance, dance numbers andmorecome aboutand the showusesElvis’ songs to move the story along.

“Heartbreak Hotel, “Jailhouse Rock” and“Can’tHelpFalling in Love”are some of the classic pieces thatfittogetherwith the showtomovethe story along.

Gary Ruckerdirects, with Michael Civitano as musical director andBelle Tudoraschoreographer. Luke Boucvalt is the guitar-playing Chad, Maddie Plunkett is Natalie andthe castalso includes David W. Hoover,Mitchell Samuel Kogan, Shana Hill, AmberRayne Lemelle, Laurie Reinagel, Michael JohnSmith, JenniferDelatte,Alicia Amedee, Sophia Rose Blasio,BrandonBui, Savannah Chiasson, Shelbi Copain, JordanDavis, Tessa Demers, Christina Early,Mary Clare Eastland, AndrewEastland, Joan Frilot, Rachel Gagnard, Brielle Hebert, DiavianJanaé, MasonMorgan, Beau Moss, CaydenPecoraro, Raegan Jolie Rozas, LaurenSmith, Donnie Stafford andMaria Zeringue

The showisat7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, plus March19, and2p.m. Sundays through March22at325 Minor St. in Kenner. Ticketsstart at $52. Visit rivertowntheaters.com.

‘Carlota’

stages stages stages

Cuba pops up in two shows opening this week, once in a Broadway classic and again in a new play with music to open by Goat in the Road Productions

“Carlota” is based on a fictional character with ties to the island nation as well as New Orleans by the name of Carlota Ruíz de González.

Spawned from a concept by Denise Frazier, show information describes the lead character as “a grandmother, a revolutionary, a healer, and a bad ass. She stabbed a Spanish colonel (maybe), survived a flood, crisscrossed Cuba, abandoned her son (no she didn’t), played the lotto, saved lives, survived enslavement and laughed when she wanted.”

In addition to the concept, Frazier is also listed as the lead composer, with Chris Kaminstein as the lead writer.

The show moves through the 19th and 20th centuries while featuring AfroCuban and Creole musical influences

Taking part in the production are Claudia Duran, Lilian Lombera, Mariola Chalas, Cristina “Cuba” Hatheway, Claudio Venancio and Katerin Ferrer

The show runs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Caribbean and New Orleans Arts, 4210 St. Claude Ave. Tickets start at $25. Visit goatintheroadproductions.org.

‘A Raisin in the Sun’

The 1959 play “A Raisin in the Sun” was groundbreaking in many ways. It was the first play written by a Black woman to be produced on Broadway. It was also the first time a Black director had directed a show

Almost 70 years later, the story of the Younger family of Chicago still resonates as a story of self perception, discrimination, financial security and assimilation. In the show, the family has come into some insurance money, and how it is to be spent and how it eventually changes the family are central issues

Slidell Little Theatre will bring the story to the contemporary stage this week, with Jennifer Baptiste directing. The show also features Rodina Harrison, Thomas Baham Jr., Leo Harris, Melanie Banks, Jeremiah Baham, Chris Frazier, Reginald McNeil, Kevin M. Page Sr., Kevin McCormack and Alonda Cooper.

The show will run at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays through March 15, as well as at 2 p.m. March 14, at 2024 Nellie Drive in Slidell.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Rodina Harrison is ‘Mama’ younger, Jeremiah Baham is her grandson Travis younger and Melanie Banks is Ruth younger in the Slidell Little Theater production of ‘Raisin in the Sun’ opening this week.

Tickets start at $25. Visit slidelllittletheatre.org.

‘Catch Me If You Can’

Evangeline Theater Co. of Mandeville moves into a new space at 2635 N. Causeway Blvd. and leads off 2026 with a musical about a chameleon fraudster who leads the FBI on a merry chase.

“Catch Me If You Can,” the 2011 stage show based on Steven Spielberg’s 2002 movie, follows a young man with a talent for forgery and masquerade as he is pursed by an FBI agent who wants to make him pay for his crimes.

Emily Carmadelle is the director and choreographer with Jonathan Sturcken as the musical director.

Zachary Van Zandt is Frank Abignale Jr., the lead mystery man, with Barrett Baumgartner as FBI Agent Carl Hanratty Other cast include John Carambat, Elizabeth Burris, Casey Lipscomb, Michael D. Graves, Cat SchullyWilliams, James Bevolo, Matthew Price, Meagan Harris, Chauppette Fontenot, Patricia Guevara, Emily Carmadelle, Taryn Terrell and Marli Freas.

The show is at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through March 22. Tickets start at $32. Visit evangelinetheater.com.

‘Dial M for Murder’

The classic thriller, “Dial M for Murder” continues its run at Playmakers Theater in Covington.

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Cast members for Evangeline Theater’s production of ‘Catch Me If you Can’ include, from left, Emily Carmadelle, Zachary Van Zandt, Patricia Guevara and Sarah Chauppette Fontenot. The show opens Thursday.

With plot twists and turns, Frederick Knott’s story, about a former tennis player who plots the demise of his wealthy wife, ran on Broadway and then Alfred Hitchcock made it into a film with Grace Kelly Derek Thrush directs the St. Tammany Parish production with Jaclyn Krottner as the wife and Daniel Laurent

as the husband. Other cast includes Robert Fielding, Larry Bergeron, Martin Booda, Code Wren, Aisha Sophia Johnson and Michaela Lauer Tickets start at $23 at bontempstix. com.

Email Victor Andrews at vandrews@ theadvocate.com

THURSDAY,MAR