Issuu

THREE KEYS FOR LSU WOMEN TO GET BACK TO THE FINAL FOUR 1C

N O L A.C O M

T h u r s d ay, M a r c h 12, 2026

$2.00X

Resignation deepens ﬁght over judicial discipline Letter accuses improper action taken against judges

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

The colorful flotilla that is the most unique part of Bayou Boogaloo is not officially part of the fest this year.

Bayou Boogaloo scaling back

A former state Supreme Court justice resigned in dramatic fashion last week from the Judiciary Commission, accusing the body of failing to hold judges accountable for wrongdoing, days before Gov. Jeff Landry urged the Louisiana Legislature to pass legislation to rein in judges. “I have realized that I serve no purpose as a member,” former Justice Chet Traylor wrote in a letter to Landry explaining why he resigned from the commission, which investigates complaints against judges and can recommend their discipline to the Supreme Court. He called for more transparency around judicial discipline and alleged that complaints against judges often go unaddressed. “Judges need to be aboveboard and accountable as their actions determine the way our citizens view our government,” he wrote. “I only wish that my serving could have turned the tide.” Traylor’s scathing remarks stand out in a state

ä See DISCIPLINE, page 6A

20th anniversary festival will take place in two smaller locations and without an official flotilla of colorful watercraft

Av e.

llt

Bayou Boogaloo is celebrating its 20th birthday at a crossroads. The semiaquatic music festival that has been held on the south end of Bayou St. John each May since 2006 is scaling back and relocating. Founder Jarad Zeller said that a combination of financial risk, permitting struggles, a drop in sponsorship revenue and personal fatigue have combined to cause the popular event to “take a pause” this year. “We’re not in debt, we’re not entering bankruptcy,” he said, but the festival has to take a new tack. “You have to ask yourself if you want to keep hitting your head against the wall,” he said. The most unique, most conspicuous part of the event has been the attendees borne on kayaks, canoes, homemade boats, inflatable rafts and pool toys. The colorful flotilla is not officially a part of the fest in

2026, Zeller said, and he does not The second location of Bayou Booplan to appeal to the state for a ma- galoo 2026 will be a considerable distance from the bayou, at the landrine activity permit. Though, the bobbing crowd may locked Broadside event space at 600 appear “organically” anyway, Zeller N. Broad St. Most of this year’s consaid. certs will take place The 2026 fest, there. Food trucks City Park Av E s e. pla scheduled for May and art booths may na de 15-17, will take place be present during Mo at two locations. The The Broadside conss first is the Historic certs, though Zeller Pitot House Musesaid that specific Pitot plans are still up in um at 1440 Moss St., Tou House lou the air. which lies on Bayou se Bayou La The festival was St. John about a half fit St. John te Or founded after Hurmile from the origiGr l ea ee ns nal Bayou Boogaloo ricane Katrina with nw ay Av e. location. the mission of proThe small foot- MID-CITY viding entertainStaff map print of the Pitot ment and improving House property will be used as a the condition of the then-neglected “super intimate” experience, Zeller urban waterway of Bayou St. John. said, with music, a crawﬁsh boil and In 2010, the fest planted oaks on possibly other food vendors. Keep- what had been the barren banks of ing a venue, even a small venue, on the south end of the bayou and has the bayou was crucial to the purpose ä See BOOGALOO, page 6A of the fest, Zeller said. ro

Staff writer

Ca r

BY DOUG MacCASH

2026 LEGISLATURE EDUCATION

Bills target new state rules for private pre-K BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

Competing bills in the Louisiana Legislature that aim to quell the uproar over a new state law regulating private preschools take starkly different approaches: One proposal would revise the law, while the other would gut it. Passed unanimously by the Legislature last year, Act 409 imposes stringent licensure rules on prekindergarten programs at private schools but exempts programs at public and Montessori schools. Proponents say the law strengthens protections for young children in private settings, but critics — including two private schools that unsuccessfully challenged the law in court — call the regulations excessive and unnecessary due to

ä See BILLS, page 7A

Iran targets ships, oil facilities as economic concerns mount BY JON GAMBRELL, SALLY ABOU ALJOUD and LISA MASCARO Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran targeted the world’s busiest international airport Wednesday and attacked commerCO ONFLICT cial ships as U.S. and Israeli strikes IN THE T MIIDDLE rocked Tehran and the U.N.’s most EAST AST powerful body demanded a halt to Iran’s strikes on its Gulf neighbors that threaten the world’s oil supply. The latest attacks marked an escalation in the Islamic Republic’s campaign aimed at generating

WEATHER HIGH 68 LOW 51 PAGE 8B

INSIDE

ä U.S., other countries will tap strategic reserves. Page 4A ä Trump unclear on explaining Iran endgame. Page 4A ä Outdated intelligence likely led to U.S. strike on school, sources say. Page 5A enough global economic pain to pressure the United States and Israel to end the war that started 12 days ago. But there were no signs that the conﬂict was letting up. The ﬁrst week of war with Iran cost $11.3 billion, according to the Pentagon, which provided the es-

timate to Congress in a briefing earlier this week, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting. The military reported spending $5 billion on munitions alone in the war’s first weekend. Both sides have dug in, hoping to outlast the other as the conflict upends trade routes, chokes supplies of fuel and fertilizer coming out of the Gulf and threatens air traffic through one of the world’s mosttraveled regions. Iran has targeted oil fields and refineries in Gulf Arab nations and effectively stopped cargo traffic

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By HASSAN AMMAR

Flames rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, ä See IRAN, page 7A on Wednesday.

Business ......................3D Commentary ................7B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................8D Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....4D-7D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C

13TH yEAR, NO. 212

2A ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Thompson wins Miss. Democratic primary

BOLTON, Miss. — Longtime U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson won the Democratic nomination for Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District on Tuesday, beating back a primary challenge from a young antitrust lawyer with experience working in Washington. The 78-year-old civil rights leader who chaired the House Jan. 6 Committee has held his seat for more than three decades and serves as a ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee. He is one of several long-serving representatives who have recently faced opposition from younger members of their party. He was opposed by Evan Turnage, a 34-year-old who formerly served as counsel to then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. However, Thompson easily defeated Turnage, much like he has with other primary challengers in the past. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in a separate primary election.

lll

Epstein’s accountant testifies

up friendships with some of aware of Epstein’s sexual abuse according to Democratic Rep. SuHouse lawmakers dig struck the world’s most powerful men. and had not seen any of his victims. has Subramanyam. Barak has not Kahn “was under the impression Comer, R-Ky., also said that been accused of wrongdoing and into financial portfolio that Epstein made his money as a lawmakers conﬁrmed during the has said he regrets his friendship

BY STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press

WASHINGTON — House lawmakers were digging into Jeffrey Epstein’s sprawling ﬁnancial portfolio on Wednesday as a committee deposed his former accountant and tried to understand his connections to some of the world’s wealthiest men. Richard Kahn, who worked closely with Epstein for years and now serves as an executor of his estate, appeared for the closed-door deposition on Capitol Hill. He told lawmakers that he had not personally seen evidence of Epstein’s sexual abuse, but provided a fuller picture of how Epstein acquired his wealth. The wealthy ﬁnancier made hundreds of millions of dollars over two decades, during which he

tax advisor and a financial planner,” said Rep. James Comer, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee. Lawmakers argued that a fuller picture of Epstein’s finances could help the public understand how, for years, he was able to get away with trafficking and sexually abusing underage girls. “Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring would not have been possible without Richard Kahn, who managed Epstein’s money for years, authorized payments, including payments to victims and survivors,” said Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., who added that Kahn told them he was unable to recall details of some of the transactions and communications that he was asked about. Kahn has said that he was un-

deposition that Epstein received significant amounts of money from former retail shopping chain executive Les Wexner, hedge fund manager Glenn Dubin, tech entrepreneur Steven Sinofsky, investor Leon Black and the Rothschilds, a wealthy banking family. None of those people have been accused of wrongdoing in their relationships with Epstein, but Democrats on the committee argued that anyone with ties to the wealthy ﬁnancier should be scrutinized. Wexner was deposed by the committee last month, and Comer has also called on Black, among several others, to appear for transcribed interviews. Kahn also told lawmakers that Epstein had ﬁnancial ties to Ehud Barak, who was the prime minister of Israel from 1999 to 2001,

Social Security watchdog opens probe into alleged mishandling of data

4 fined, banned from park after vandalism DETROIT — Four people from Illinois accused of vandalizing the cliffs at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Lake Superior in Michigan were fined and banned from entering the park for a year, the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday. The punishment comes after park rangers on patrol came upon several vessels along the cliffs of the Pictured Rocks lakeshore, where the visitors had been carving large letters into the cliff faces and collecting over 100 pounds of rocks with the intent to take them home, according to the announcement by Timothy VerHey, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Michigan. The rangers cited the Illinois visitors for defacing and collecting park resources, and in December, they were ordered to appear in U.S. District Court in Marquette to answer for the violations. Each was ordered to pay a $500 fine and was banned from Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore for a year. One of the four individuals was ordered to pay an additional $250 fine for taking the rocks, according to VerHey’s office.

Head priest accused of stealing baseball cards PITTSBURGH — The head priest and dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Pittsburgh is facing charges after being accused of stealing more than $1,000 in baseball cards from a Walmart. The Very Rev. Aidan Smith was arrested Feb. 27 by police just after leaving the Walmart in Economy Borough, just outside Pittsburgh, with 27 packs of baseball cards concealed under his clothing and in a cardboard box, according to court records. Smith, 42, was charged with receiving stolen property and retail theft. Police responded to a call from Walmart security, who said Smith was in the store again after having stolen from it in previous days. Police said Walmart security video shows Smith also taking baseball cards each of the four previous days and leaving without paying.

Old science satellite plunges back to Earth CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — An old NASA science satellite plunged uncontrolled from orbit and reentered over the Pacific on Wednesday. The U.S. Space Force said the Van Allen Probe A came in west of the Galapagos Islands. NASA expected some of the 1,323-pound spacecraft to survive entry, with most of it burning up in the atmosphere. The space agency put the risk of bodily harm at 1-in-4,200. Its twin, the Van Allen Probe B, is still orbiting Earth, but no longer functioning. Launched in 2012, the two spacecraft flew through the Van Allen radiation belts that surround Earth, studying them for seven years before ceasing operation.

with Epstein. Comer also said Wednesday that the committee has reviewed over 40,000 documents that it subpoenaed from JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank. Epstein was connected to at least 64 business entities, according to Comer. Republican President Donald Trump has strongly denied any wrongdoing in his own ties to Epstein, and Comer said that Kahn had never seen any financial transactions between Epstein and Trump. Comer said that Kahn is the latest witness to testify that they had never seen Trump doing anything wrong with Epstein. “The investigation’s about getting the truth to the American people, trying to ﬁgure out how the government failed, answer questions we all have,” Comer said.

BY FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON

President Donald Trump poses for a photo Wednesday during a visit to Thermo Fisher Scientific in Cincinnati.

Trump touts lowering drug prices, slams Massie

what was happening in Iran was “an He’s endorsed challenger that excursion that will keep us out of a war.” added of Tehran, “for them, it’s a war. of Republican who has He For us, it’s turned out to be easier than thought.” vocally opposed him weLater, at the Kentucky rally, Trump

BY WILL WEISSERT and SAGAR MEGHANI Associated Press

HEBRON, Ky. — President Donald Trump on Wednesday touted lowering prescription drug prices in Ohio and campaigned in the Kentucky district of Rep. Thomas Massie, calling his fellow Republican a “nutjob” he said should lose their party’s upcoming primary. It was a full day on the road as Trump attempted to project economic and political strength even as war in Iran has scrambled financial markets and hurt his poll numbers. Massie is one of the few remaining Republicans who has dared defy Trump in Congress, and the president took the unusual step of holding a rally in Massie’s northern Kentucky district. He gleefully told the crowd, “I just can’t stand this guy” and called him “stupid” and a “disaster.” “We’ve got to get rid of this loser,” said Trump, who has endorsed Massie challenger Ed Gallrein in Kentucky’s primary on May 19. The event felt like vintage Trump from his reelection bid in 2024 — so much so that he briefly called Gallrein, a farmer, businessman and retired Navy SEAL, to the stage. There, Gallrein declared, “Tom Massie stands with the ladies of ‘The View.’ Mr. President, we stand with you!” The trip was a test of Trump’s ability to cleanse his party of those who oppose him, but also to try to stay on an economic message increasingly strained by the military action launched by the U.S. and Israel against Iran. Polls show that Americans were increasingly wary of Trump’s handling of the economy even before the conflict began, and fighting there has derailed Trump’s messaging, as the low gas prices he once bragged about are now surging and stocks that had set record highs have slipped.

Iran looms large in Ohio and Ky. stops Trump’s swing began with a tour of Thermo Fisher Scientific in suburban Cincinnati. There, he discussed his administration’s efforts to persuade major manufacturers to lower prescription medication prices so that they are closer to what is charged abroad. “I used some very strong negotiating talent to get every single country to almost immediately approve,” he told reporters. But the president also told reporters

suggested the conflict wasn’t about to end, saying, “We don’t want to leave early, do we? We’ve got to finish the job.” He said that Iran was on the verge of rebuilding its nuclear capabilities, saying that fighting needed to continue so, “We don’t want to go back every two years.” That contradicts many previous Trump claims and justifications for the U.S. and Israel launching strikes on Iran — not the least of which was Trump saying U.S. strikes last summer had obliterated that country’s nuclear capabilities. Also Wednesday, Trump did an interview with Cincinnati’s WKRC-TV and said he planned to tap the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve, in an effort to bring down gasoline prices. “Right now, we’ll reduce it a little bit, and that brings the prices down,” Trump said, without providing details. “We’ll be back on track in a pretty short while,” Trump said. “Prices are coming down very substantially. Oil will be coming down.”

Trump laces into Massie At the rally, the president stressed the importance of Republicans winning the midterms, ticking off his administration’s accomplishments while telling the crowd, “The midterms are going to be very, very important to keep it going.” But that doesn’t extend to Massie, who Trump called “the worst.” Massie is an outspoken Trump critic who opposed the White House-backed tax and spending measure and bucked Trump by pushing to have ﬁles related to the sex trafﬁcking investigations into Jeffrey Epstein released. He’s also criticized the U.S. strike on Venezuela that toppled then-President Nicolás Maduro and, most recently, the war in Iran. Massie told the Cincinnati Enquirer that Trump’s endorsement is “all my opponent has going for him.” adding that Gallrein “has promised to be a rubber stamp when he gets to Washington D.C. and I don’t think people here want a rubber stamp.” Since November, the president has made stops in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas — though his speeches have sometimes been more focused on his own political grievances than on his plans to help lower everyday costs across the country. Even on Wednesday, Trump spent long stretches mocking his Democratic predecessor, President Joe Biden.

WASHINGTON — The Social Security Administration’s internal watchdog is investigating a whistleblower complaint into what it describes as a former Department of Government Efﬁciency worker’s potential misuse of data obtained from the Social Security Administration. According to a document the Associated Press obtained Wednesday, the SSA’s inspector general informed the leadership of four congressional committees that it was launching the probe after receiving an anonymous complaint. The Washington Post on Tuesday reported that a former DOGE software engineer had allegedly told several co-workers that he possessed two tightly restricted databases of U.S. citizens’ information and had at least one data set on a thumb drive that he would share with his new employer. The SSA said the allegations have been refuted by the agency, the former em-

ployee, and the company. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said in a statement that the allegations, if true, would represent “one of the largest known data breaches in American history” and called for a “full public accounting.” The Social Security Administration maintains records on hundreds of millions of people — including health diagnoses, income, banking information, familial relationships and personal biographic data. The agency has faced lawsuits over alleged mishandling of government data and DOGE’s access to sensitive personal information. Last August, whistleblower Charles Borges, who worked as the chief data officer at the Social Security Administration ﬁled a disclosure to the special counsel’s ofﬁce, stating that more than 300 million Americans’ Social Security data was put at risk after DOGE officials uploaded sensitive information to a cloud account not subject to oversight.

GET IN TOUCH Customer Service: HELP@THEADVOCATE.COM or 504-529-0522 News Tips / Stories: NEWSTIPS@THEADVOCATE.COM Obituaries: 225-388-0289 • Mon-Fri 9-5; Sat 10-5; Closed Sun Advertising Sales: 504-636-7421 • Mon-Fri 8-5 Classiﬁed Advertising: 225-383-0111 • Mon-Fri 8-5 Subscribe: nola.com/subscribe E-Edition: nola.com/eedition Archives: nola.newsbank.com The Times-Picayune (USPS 18530) is published by Capital City Press at 840 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130 and at additional mailing offices. Periodicals postage paid at New Orleans, LA. ISSN: 2379-0008. Capital City Press, proprietor. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Times-Picayune, Circulation Accounting, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588. Newspaper carriers are independent contractors and not employees of Capital City Press.

All home delivery subscription sales are non-refundable. Should you discontinue your subscription during term, the subscription will end with the expiration date on your subscription, and there will not be a refund of a prorated amount. Subscribers who purchased their subscription before Feb. 1, 2023 and wish to cancel can request a refund of a remaining balance at https://www.nola.com/app/forms/refund-request-form/. Refunds are considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of Capital City Press, LLC or its designee. All subscriptions purchased that include a special edition will have the special edition value deducted prior to any refund provided to subscriber upon cancellation of service. Standard subscription rates may be effective upon renewal. All standard subscriptions include digital access and e-Edition, a digital replica of the printed Advocate edition(s). The apps are free for tablets and smartphones. Smartphone apps may not be supported on all devices. The Times-Picayune standard subscription rate is $80.89 per 4-week period, plus tax. Standard digital subscriptions include e-Edition with the rate of $31.15 per 4-week period, plus tax starting 1/1/25. Special editions included in home delivery subscriptions are 1/30/26, 3/11/26, 4/15/26, 5/27/26, 7/8/26, 8/19/26, 9/30/26 11/26/26, 1/22/27, 3/10/27, 4/14/27, 5/26/27, 7/14/27, 8/18/27, 9/29/27 and 11/25/27 and are billed at $6.23 each. The Thanksgiving Day edition will be billed at your regular Thursday rate plus $6.23. To opt out of special edition delivery, email help@theadvocate.com or call 225-388-0395. By opting out of special editions you will not receive that day’s newspaper. Thanksgiving Day is not a special edition and opting out for that edition isn’t permitted. Prices shown are in U.S. dollars. Prices subject to change. Other restrictions may apply. We no longer provide credit for temporary delivery stops of 14 days or less. During a temporary delivery stop donations are made to our News in Education program. This program provides newspapers and digital access to schools across Louisiana. This program is paid for by sponsors and temporary stops so that students may use the newspaper for educational purposes in the classroom. During a temporary delivery stop of the print edition subscribers have unlimited digital access to theadvocate.com, nola.com and the apps for tablet and smartphone. Seasonal delivery times from August 2025 through February 2026 will extend to 8:00 a.m. on weekends. Subscribers may also choose to access our digital replica e-Edition of the printed Advocate, Times Picayune and Acadiana Advocate only. As a highly valued customer, we also value your privacy. All personal information collected by The Advocate will be used for administration and customer verification; it may be used for promotional purposes in accordance with The Advocate’s privacy policy. Please refer to our policy located at https://www.theadvocate. com/new_policy/ for information regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. By providing your phone number and email address you agree that we can call or email you to confirm delivery service, satisfaction and/or sales promotions as they may occur from The Times-Picayune. The Times-Picayune: 840 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130 St. Tammany Bureau (NEWS only): 321 New Hampshire St., Covington, LA 70433 • 985-276-5054

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 3A

lll

Trump, House GOP disagree on strategy for midterms President insists voter ID law will ‘guarantee’ victory in November

Johnson suggested on Tuesday that there were ways for lawmakers to continue their work amid Trump’s threat to not sign legislation. The speaker noted that the Constitution allows legislation to become law if it’s sent to the president but isn’t signed within 10 days.

BY STEVEN SLOAN Associated Press

DORAL, Fla. — President Donald Trump insisted he had the answer for Republicans anxious about losing their congressional majority this year: build on an already strict national voter identiﬁcation law to ban mail ballots and restrict transgender rights. “It’ll guarantee the midterms,” he told Republicans gathered in the ballroom of his golf course just outside Miami on Monday. “If you don’t get it, big trouble.” Less than 24 hours later, House Republican leaders highlighted their priorities. And the voting bill, which Trump has rebranded from the SAVE Act to the SAVE America Act, wasn’t high on the list. Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan, the House GOP conference chair, spoke of tax cuts for families, energy independence and the socalled Trump accounts for newborns as she described “real results for real people.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Jefferson said his colleagues were working with Trump to “make life more affordable for working families.” Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the House majority whip, recounted “win after win” as he proclaimed “working families are keeping more of their hard-earned money in their pockets.” As House Republicans close out their annual ideas conference on Wednesday, an election year disconnect is emerging. Just a few seats shy of losing their majority, senior Republicans are eager to emphasize the party’s work to lower costs, none of which is easy to accomplish with only a few votes to spare. Trump, mean-

Johnson aims to shift focus

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

President Donald Trump gestures as Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn.; House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton; Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson; and Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., applaud Monday at the Republican Members Issues Conference at Trump National Doral Miami in Doral, Fla. while, is often focused elsewhere. The war he initiated in Iran has disrupted the party’s message on affordability, with GOP leaders here facing frequent questions about the rising cost of gas, which House Speaker Mike Johnson, RBenton, described as a “temporary blip.” The voting bill Trump is pushing is rooted in his insistence that he won the 2020 presidential election, claims rejected by dozens of courts and his own attorney general at the time. At times, the president was even dismissive of the traditional pocketbook issues other Republicans preferred to highlight. “Every time I go out, save America, sir. SAVE America Act,” Trump said at the GOP event. “That’s all they talk about. They don’t talk

about housing. They don’t talk about anything. That’s what they want to talk about.” Johnson, who is close to Trump and appeared onstage with him this week, is hardly distancing from Trump’s push for the voting bill. On Tuesday, he denied there was any daylight between his colleagues and the White House. “We’re all on the same page,” Johnson said. “The president and I are exactly in lockstep.”

Challenging path ahead for GOP But the path ahead is rocky. In an effort to gain leverage over lawmakers, including some Republicans, Trump said he won’t sign other legislation into law until the voting bill is passed. That raises the prospect of Congress grind-

ing to a halt just as lawmakers are asking voters to send them back to Washington. Passing legislation that comports with Trump’s demands will also be challenging. The House has already passed a version of the bill so the changes Trump is seeking would require fresh action by the chamber. The dynamic isn’t any easier in the Senate, where Republicans are struggling to pass the measure without Democratic support. And that was before Trump asked for additions, saying Republicans should “go for the gold.” In the meantime, other high-proﬁle work lies ahead for Congress, including reopening the Department of Homeland Security and conﬁrming its new leader.

Faced with a tough political calculus, Johnson is trying to shift focus to Democrats, in particular over the DHS shutdown, which has prompted security lines to swell at some airports over the past few days. “If you missed a wedding or funeral or are worried about missing your flight for spring break this weekend, you have Democrats to blame,” he said. Republicans spent much of this week trying to remind voters of what they didn’t like about life before Trump returned to office. There were frequent mentions of inflation and border crossings under former President Joe Biden. The question that may animate this year’s election, however, is whether voters are more interested in the shift from Biden to Trump or are more focused on what’s ahead. If voters are more future-oriented, that could represent an additional hurdle for the GOP. About one-third of Americans mentioned inflation or personal finances as topics they wanted the government to address this year, according to an AP-NORC poll from December. Hardly any mentioned concerns about voting laws or election security. Under a blazing Florida sun on Tuesday afternoon, a handful of House Republicans gathered to make the case that they were listening and deserve another term in power. “We’re not sitting back on our laurels,” said Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas. “We recognize there is still plenty for us to do and we’re working on that.”

U.N. panel says hate speech by Trump, others has led to human rights violations BY STEFANIE DAZIO and TERRY TANG Associated Press

GENEVA — A U.N.-backed panel of independent experts focusing on racial discrimination says racist hate speech by U.S. President Donald Trump and other American political leaders, along with a crackdown on immigration in the United States, have led to “grave human rights violations.” The Geneva-based Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination issued its decision Wednesday. The decision, made under the committee’s early warning protocol, is not legally binding but seeks to hold a country — in this case, the U.S. — to its own international commitments. The committee said it also was “deeply disturbed” by the use of derogatory and dehumanizing language around migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers. Committee members attributed a reported rise in racial discrimination to “racist hate speech” targeting those groups but did not point to any specific data. Besides speech, there is also concern about the impact of politicians and other public

figures weaponizing stereotypes to incite hate crimes and discrimination. “Portraying them as criminals or as a burden, by politicians and influential public figures at the highest level, particularly the President,” the committee said in a news release, “may incite racial discrimination and hate crimes.” Trump, as well as Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, have been in office when the U.N. condemned systemic racism, hate and discrimination. But the panel this time specifically cited Trump’s speech as part of the problem. They did not single out Biden or Obama for their rhetoric. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with U.S. Customs and Border Protection also were singled out for racially profiling people of color and conducting identity checks that often seemed arbitrary. “This United Nations assessment is just as useless as their broken escalator, and their extreme bias continues to prove why no one takes them seriously,” said White House spokesperson Olivia Wales, who noted Trump’s work reducing crime and securing the U.S. border. “No

one cares what the biased United Nations’ so-called ‘experts’ think, because Americans are living in a safer, stronger country than ever before,” she added. In the report, the committee alleges the U.S. is not living up to its obligations as a party in the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which the U.N. adopted in 1965. The report noted incidents involving “discriminatory, dangerous and violent methods” have left eight people dead in the last three months, including two U.S. citizens protesting in Minnesota. The use of lethal force in those two cases was tantamount to “arbitrary deprivation of life and other gross violations of international human rights law,” the panel stated. Migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers who are detained also deserve humane and equal treatment free from discrimination under the Convention. But, these groups have been denied basic essential services, including health care, education and social support, the report states. The committee is calling on the U.S. to review wheth-

Find Us on the List of “FORTIFIED” APPROVED Contractors & Schedule a FREE ESTIMATE!

Get A $10,000 Tax Credit • Schedule Your Inspection Today

ScogginsRooﬁng.com

er its immigration policies abide by international human rights law. This should include suspending immigration enforcement op-

erations, including around schools, faith-based institutions and hospitals, repealing “discriminatory measures” related to asylum

procedures and putting up safeguards so immigration agencies cannot access personal data in government databases.

40TH ANNUAL MARCH 25-29, 2026 For a complete schedule of events and to purchase tickets: www.tennesseewilliams.net

CELEBRATING TENNESSEE AND NEW ORLEANS’ BOHEMIAN SPIRIT Back to where we began for our 40th anniversary Opening Night. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25 7:30 PM – 9 PM—Theatre KIND STRANGER…A MEMORY PLAY— OPENING NIGHT This critically-acclaimed one-man show explores the life of legendary playwright Tennessee Williams and is adapted directly from his autobiography. Kind Stranger explores Tennessee Williams’ life, his loves, and his art, portraying the troubled but deeply human soul behind some of America’s greatest plays. Rick Simone-Friedland stars as Tennessee Williams with wit and unﬂinching honesty as he writes his last chapter, revealing how his plays were his life and his life was his plays. Using only his words, Kind Stranger could be called the last Tennessee Williams play. Conceived and Performed by Rick Simone-Friedland Rick Simone-Friedland Adapted and Directed by Steven Simone-Friedland Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré, 616 St Peter Street, $35 or VIP Pass. THURSDAY, MARCH 26 6:30 – 9 PM—Special Event TRIBUTE READING: FUGITIVE BEAUTY, TENDER FEELINGS, & SPARTAN ENDURANCE:THE WOMEN OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS Over the last 80 years actresses around the world have regularly expressed how deeply they relate to and appreciate the female characters created by Tennessee Williams, and at this year’s Tribute Reading you will hear their voices. While there are a few “Southern Belles” (who bear no resemblance to stereotypes of what a Southern woman might once have been), Williams created dozens of glorious female characters, some who you know well such as Blanche, Stella, Amanda, Alma, and Maggie. As well as many whose names may not be as familiar

such as Leona, Bodey, Myrtle, Carol, Flora, Zelda, Clare, and Jessie. Yet in one way or another all of them are powerful, intuitive, witty, loving, ferocious survivors. This years’ readers include Festival authors Jewelle Gomez, Robert Olen Butler, and Skye Jackson; playwrights Martin Sherman and Jamie Wax; Maureen Corrigan, NPR’s Fresh Air Book Reviewer; and actors Gideon Glick and CCH Pounder. The evening is curated by Festival Director Paul J. Willis and Williams editor Thomas Keith, and hosted by Keith. The annual Tribute Reading is presented by a grant from the New Orleans Theatre Association (NOTA). Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar at 6:30 PM; Performance at 7:30 PM. New Orleans Jazz Museum, CCH Pounder 400 Esplanade Avenue, $45 or VIP Pass. SUNDAY, MARCH 29 2:30 – 3:45 PM—Special Event FROM PAGE TO STAGE: CALL MY IZZY ROUNDTABLE Adam Lozoya, ragtime virtuoso and composer, will play from the score of the play Call Me Izzy. The original score was composed by Grammy and Oscarwinning musician T-Bone Burnett and David Mansﬁeld, a long-time collaborator of Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. Playwright Jamie Wax and two-time Tony award nominee Johanna Day will present some selections from the poetry and monologues from the script. They will be joined by producer Charles Urstadt for a lively conversation hosted by Festival fave and Obie winner Brenda Currin. Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, Jamie Wax Free and open to the public.

This year’s literary offerings include a plethora of literary discussions to choose from, over a dozen writer’s craft sessions, and an afternoon of mystery! The program features over ﬁfty of New Orleans’ ﬁnest published authors.

HAND NAILED ROOF • STATE LICENSED • CLASS 4 IMPACT SHINGLES

Addie Citchens

Skye Jackson

Rodger Kamenetz

The premier media sponsor for the TW&NOLF

Delaney Nolan

Angélique Roché

Our Premier Festival Sponsor

Joshua Wheeler

4A ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST Oil shock prompts countries to open strategic reserves Trump says U.S. will tap stock ‘a little bit’

known as the Strategic Petroleum Reserve — despite there being no requirement. But for other countries, tapping their reserves means that they will eventually need to replenish what was removed. “Because of that, countries tend to keep reserves for a last-resort scenario, should the disruption be prolonged,” said Maksim Sonin, an energy executive who works with Stanford University’s Hydrogen Initiative.

BY MATT SEDENSKY and WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS Associated Press

NEWYORK — A widening war in Iran has halted oil tankers, made targets of refineries and spooked investors worried about the cascading impact of spiking energy prices. In response, the International Energy Agency agreed on Wednesday to release the largest volume of emergency oil reserves in its history, with the Paris-based organization pledging to make 400 million barrels of oil available from its member nations’ stockpiles. The announcement marked a shift in momentum in government response to the war upending the flow of oil, with other global leaders previously indicating reluctance to tap into stockpiles. Since war erupted in the Middle East on Feb. 28 with the U.S. and Israel’s joint attacks on Iran, the flow of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz has all but stopped, cutting off a vital passageway where roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil sails through on a typical day. Major producers in the region like Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have also cut production because they are running out of storage space. And Iran, Israel and the U.S. have all struck oil and gas facilities, worsening supply concerns. That has sent prices soaring with

Timing a release is tricky PROVIDED PHOTO By U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGy

A section of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve facility is pictured in West Hackberry. dramatic swings almost every day. On Monday, Brent crude oil surged to as high as nearly $120 a barrel, before falling to under $90 after President Donald Trump suggested the war could be near an end. But attacks have continued to escalate since. Countries around the world hold vast quantities of oil that they can use in the event of a crisis. Because oil is a global commodity and ﬂooding the market with a sudden stream of new supply has international implications, countries often talk to one another before tapping reserves. That includes coordinating with the IEA, an organization created in the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis. It has 32 members — including Germany, Austria and Japan, all of whom

confirmed Wednesday that they would be tapping parts of their reserves. The U.S., Mexico, Australia and other major countries are also part of the IEA. IEA members currently hold over 1.2 billion barrels of public emergency oil stocks, with a further 600 million barrels of industry stocks held under government obligation. The largest-ever previous collective release of emergency stocks by IEA member countries was 182.7 million barrels following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Each of the IEA member countries promises to have a reserve at least equivalent to what they import in a 90-day period. The U.S. exports more than it imports, maintaining its own reserve —

Opting to use oil reserves is never a simple calculation, particularly when linked to a war with constantly shifting parameters and no clear timeline. When nations tap into strategic reserves in situations like the war in Iran, the oil is sold into the global marketplace, theoretically increasing supply and thus, lowering prices. “The key question on drawing down these reserves remains one of, ‘How long will this conflict last?’ ” said Tom Seng, an energy ﬁnance professor at Texas Christian University. “And, more importantly, ‘How long will the Strait of Hormuz remain blocked?’” Oil reserves have been tapped when the market has faced major disruption in the past, including wars in Iraq, Libya and, most recently, in Ukraine. Kenneth Medlock, senior director of the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University, said it’s not a matter of whether the current conﬂict is serious enough to merit

intervention, but whether the precise moment has arrived. “The price is up but it could get worse,” Medlock said. “What happens if this drags on for two, three months? Then you run into a situation where you lose your buffer.”

Shift in discussions Before Wednesday, countries were reticent to tap reserves. Over the weekend, Trump downplayed the idea of turning to the U.S. reserve, maintaining that supplies were ample and prices would soon fall. But that’s changed. On Wednesday, the president told WKRC-TV in Cincinnati his administration would tap into the SPR “a little bit” to bring down prices. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright later conﬁrmed the U.S. would release 172 million barrels as part of the IEA’s effort. Representatives from the Group of Seven major industrialized powers met earlier this week and also previously held off on using strategic reserves. Still, French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said Monday the group was “ready to take necessary and coordinated steps in order to stabilize markets, such as strategic stockpiling.” Crude prices ticked up after the withdrawal was confirmed Wednesday, with Brent rising 4.8% to settle at $91.98. That is far higher than the roughly $70 it was selling for less than two weeks ago. Analysts maintain the IEA’s release of 400 million barrels is a short-term bridge, making up for just a few weeks of lost supply.

Trump says U.S. is winning, is less clear in explaining endgame BY AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Facing jittery global markets and drooping poll numbers since launching a war with Iran, President Donald Trump has cycled from calls for “unconditional surrender” to sounding amenable to an end state in which Iran trades one hard-line ayatollah for another. Shifting comments from the Republican president and his top aides are adding to the precariousness of the 12-dayold conflict, which is impacting nearly every corner of the Middle East and causing eco- Trump nomic tremors around the globe. With neither side budging, the war is now on an unpredictable path and a credible endgame is unclear. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday it was up to Trump “whether it’s the beginning, the middle or the end” of the war. Trump, during the course of one speech at a House Republican gathering Monday, went from calling the war a “short-term excursion” that could end soon to proclaiming “we haven’t won enough.”

“We have hit them harder than virtually any country in history has been hit, and we’re not ﬁnished yet,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. The vacillation has fueled criticism from those who say Trump lacks a clear goal. “They didn’t have a plan,” Sen. Mark Kelly, DAriz., told reporters. “They have no timeline. And because of that, they have no exit strategy.”

Constantly shifting goal Since ordering the Iran bombardment, Trump has continually shifted his timelines and goals for the war. Over the past few days, Trump has called for the “unconditional surrender” of Iran’s leaders, while suggesting he had already succeeded in achieving his objective of decimating Iran’s military. At the same time, Trump’s team has sought to soothe anxious Americans that the war will not be long and drawn out even as the president has insisted he has not ruled out the option of using U.S. ground troops. The U.S. military says it has effectively destroyed the Iranian navy and made huge strides in defanging Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones at its neighbors. Yet the critical Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world’s

oil passes on a typical day, remains essentially closed to business, and Iranian leaders are unbowed. The Revolutionary Guard said Iran would not allow “a single liter of oil” through the vital waterway until the United States stopped its bombing campaign. Ali Larijani, Iran’s top national security official, offered a menacing message on Tuesday after Trump had threatened to attack Iran “TWENTY TIMES HARDER” if Tehran stopped oil flowing through the strait. “The sacrificial nation of Iran doesn’t fear your empty threats,” Larijani wrote on X. “Even those bigger than you couldn’t eliminate Iran. Be careful not to get eliminated yourself.” Trump ally Newt Gingrich, a former Republican House speaker, said the administration should have moved on securing the strait on Day One of the conflict. “If they can’t keep it open, this war will in fact be an American defeat before very long, because the entire world, including the American people, will react to the price of oil if the strait stay closed very long,” Gingrich said in an appearance on Fox Business.

tion against Iran was necessary and how it squared with his pledge to keep the United States out of the “forever wars” of the past two decades. Thus far, seven U.S. troops have been killed and about 140 injured in the retaliatory salvos from Iran. One of several reasons Trump has offered to justify launching the war was that he had a “feeling” that Iran was getting set to attack the U.S. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt slightly amended that position, telling reporters that the president “had a feeling” that was “based on fact.” But Pentagon officials have told congressional staffers in private brieﬁngs that the U.S. does not have intelligence indicating that Iran was planning to preemptively attack the U.S. Recent polling shows Trump’s decision to attack Iran has not come with the rallying-around-the-ﬂag effect that has typically accompanied the start of recent U.S. wars. About half of voters in Quinnipiac and Fox News polls said the U.S. military action in Iran makes the U.S. “less safe,” while only about 3 in 10 in each poll said it Making case to Americans made the country safer. A Trump has struggled to CNN poll found about half make his case to Americans of U.S. adults thought the about why preemptive ac- military action would make

STAY IN THE HOME YOU LOVE WITH A STILTZ HOMELIFT

NOW WITH

$555 OFF LIMITED TIME OFFER

Our home elevators can ﬁt in almost any home

A Stiltz Homelift is a safe, attractive, & affordable alternative to stairlifts. It requires no supporting walls, has a small footprint and uses less power power than a coffee maker.

Affordable Small Footprint Full Safety Features Low Power Consumption Freestanding Design Wheelchair Accessible Fast Installation Full Warranty

For a FREE BROCHURE or no-obligation home visit

Call 1-844-813-0691

Iran “more of a threat” to the U.S., while only about 3 in 10 thought it would lessen the danger. In that CNN poll, about 6 in 10 U.S. adults said they trusted Trump “not much” or “not at all” to make the right decisions about the U.S. use of force in Iran. European allies are treading carefully after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez faced the wrath of Trump, who deemed them not sufﬁciently supportive in backing his war of choice. Trump on Wednesday lashed out again at Spain, which has said it will not allow the U.S. to use jointly operated bases in southern Spain in any strikes not covered by the U.N. charter. “I think they’ve been very bad — not good at all,” Trump said. “We may cut off trade with Spain.” Even German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has been broadly supportive of the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran, said on Tuesday that “more questions arise with every day of war.”

Trump on Saturday blamed the attack on Iran, saying its security forces are “very inaccurate” with munitions. On Monday, after the investigative group Bellingcat posted verified video that showed a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile hitting a Revolutionary Guard facility near the school, causing the explosion, Trump again insisted it could have been Iran’s fault but said that he would accept whatever a U.S. investigation into the matter might find. The president erroneously claimed that Tehran had access to Tomahawks, a U.S.manufactured weapon system that is only available to the U.S. and a few close allies. Asked by a reporter, Leavitt did not directly answer why Trump falsely asserted that Iran has access to the U.S.-made missile. Instead, she responded in part that “the president has a right to share his opinions with the American public” while noting “he has said he’ll accept the conclusion of that investigation.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters that Trump’s Claims on school bombing claim “is beyond asinine.” “Again, he says whatever Trump has chosen to deflect responsibility for the pops into his head no matter bombing of a girl’s school what the truth is,” Schumer in southern Iran on the first said. “And we all know he lies, day of the conflict, killing at but on something as formidaleast 165 people. ble as this, it’s appalling.”

T N E M E C A L P E R ROOF & REPAIRS WE’LL BE AT 30 YEAR

NEW ROOF $

ANY WRIT TEN ESTIMATE!

5,13000*

WITH SYNTHETIC FELT * BASED ON 1800 SQ. FT.

Fully Insured

ACME ONE CALL FIXES ALL NEW ORLEANS ROUGE EXTERIORS LLC BATON HOUMA 504-913-6535 2500 Houma Blvd., Metairie, LA

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 5A

lll

CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Sources: Outdated intel led to school strike Democratic senators demand answers

BY AAMER MADHANI, JULIA FRANKEL, MICHAEL BIESECKER and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Outdated intelligence likely led to the United States carrying out a deadly missile strike on an elementary school in Iran that killed over 165 people, many of them children, in the opening hours of the conflict, according to a U.S. official and a second person briefed on findings of a preliminary U.S military investigation into the incident. The bombing of the school and its casualties involving children has become a focal point of the war, and if ultimately confirmed to be at the hands of the U.S., would also stand among the highest civilian casualty events caused by the American military operations in the last two decades. President Donald Trump initially blamed Iran for the attack, later said he wasn’t certain who was to blame, and then said he would accept the results of the Pentagon’s investigation. The issue took on added urgency on Wednesday after the New York Times first reported that a preliminary investigation found that the U.S. was responsible. U.S. Central Command relied on target coordinates for the strike using outdated data provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency, according to the person familiar with the preliminary finding. The agency did not respond to a request for comment. The preliminary finding prompted immediate calls for more information from the Pentagon. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “the investigation is still ongoing.” Both the U.S. official and the person familiar with the matter spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss

PHOTO PROVIDED By MEHR NEWS AGENCy

Rescue workers and residents search through the rubble in the aftermath of a strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran, on Feb. 28. the sensitive matter. Dozens of Democratic senators demanded answers from the Trump administration on Wednesday as a growing body of evidence suggested that the U.S. was likely responsible for a strike at an elementary school in Iran that killed over 165 people, many of them children. The letter from more than 45 senators pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on whether the U.S. was culpable for the strike and what previous analysis of the building had been done. The senators also raised concerns about the Pentagon hollowing out a congressionally mandated ofﬁce set up speciﬁcally to reduce civilian casualties. “Under this administration, budgetary and personnel cuts at the Department have robbed military commands of crucial resources to prevent and respond to civilian casualties,” the senators wrote. Those include cuts at U.S. Central Command, whose forces are leading the military campaign against Iran, and the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, which was signed into law in 2022 as part of a Pentagon ambition to reduce death tolls from strikes.

The revelation could threaten to erode public support in the U.S. effort against Iran at a time when Trump, who as a candidate railed against American involvement in “stupid” overseas wars, faces persistent questions about the purpose and of the conﬂict and what would bring it to an end. One former Pentagon official said the Feb. 28 strike that hit Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School, which is located near a neighboring base for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, came as a natural result of changes made by the Trump administration to reduce staff to mitigate civilian harm and Hegseth’s emphasis on lethality over legality.

Evidence mounts There are several indications that the strike on the school may have been avoidable. It happened Saturday morning, the start of the Iranian school week, when the building was full of young children. Satellite analysis by the AP shows that the school, as well as other targets struck the same day, had characteristics visible from the air that could have identified them as civilian sites before they were struck.

The AP reported last week that satellite images, expert analysis, a U.S. ofﬁcial and public information released by the U.S. military all suggested it was likely a U.S. strike. That evidence grew stronger on Monday, as new footage emerged showing what experts identified as a U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missile slamming into the military compound as smoke was already rising from the area where the school was located. Publicly available satellite imagery shows the school building was part of the military compound until about 2017, when a new wall was added to separate the two. A watchtower on the property was also removed. Around the same time, the imagery shows the walls surrounding the building were painted with murals in vibrant colors, primarily blue and pink, so bright they’re visible from space. The school was clearly labeled as such in online maps and has an easily-accessible website full of information about students, teachers and administrators. International law governing warfare bars strikes on structures, vehicles and people that are not military objectives and combatants. Civilian homes, schools, medical facilities and cultural sites are generally off limits for military strikes. The proximity of a school to a valid military target does not change its status as a civilian site, said Elise Baker, a senior staff lawyer at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based nonproﬁt think tank. If the U.S. is found responsible, said Sen. Tim Kaine during a briefing with journalists on Wednesday: “It’s either we’ve changed our traditional targeting rules or we made a mistake.” “If we’ve changed our traditional targeting rules and we no longer provide the same level of protection for civilians, that would be tragic,” Kaine said. Some Republicans, too, are sounding alarms. Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota told reporters that an investi-

THE NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART AND THE GARDEN STUDY CLUB OF NEW ORLEANS INVITE YOU TO

PRESENTED BY

THURSDAY, MARCH 19 — SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2026 Floral displays will be on view to the public 10 am – 5 pm

noma.org/artinbloom2026

gation needs to “get to the bottom of it,” and then “admit if you know whose fault it is.” If the U.S. was behind it, Cramer said, the military must “do everything you can to eliminate those mistakes going forward.” He added: “But you also can’t undo it.”

Guardrails have been gutted Congress directed the Pentagon to create the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence in late 2022 as part of the wide-ranging annual defense authorization bill, which passed both chambers with broad bipartisan support. The bill said the center was to “institutionalize and advance knowledge, practices, and tools for preventing, mitigating, and responding to civilian harm.” The measure put into law an initiative that had already been started by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier that year. The 36step action plan was “ambitious and necessary,” Austin said at the time. In April 2023, that office had a full-time director hired by the Army and an initial core staff of 30 civilians, according to a 2024 Pentagon report that said that the workforce was expected to grow. Wes Bryant began working there in 2024 as the Branch Chief of Civil Harm Assessments. One of the things the ofﬁce was discussing was updating the “no strike list,” he said, a series of civilian targets in other countries that the Pentagon keeps. When he was working at the Pentagon, it was well known that the list was out of date, he said. But under Hegseth, the ofﬁce’s size was slashed and the work on updating the no-strike lists stopped, he said. “They have no budget. They’re just sitting there trying to maintain any semblance of the mission,” he said. Capt. Tim Hawkins, the spokesman for U.S. Central Command, denied reports that the military command only had a single person assigned to the mission but would not offer any further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

6A ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

BOOGALOO

Continued from page 1A otherwise regularly spruced up the waterway. At ﬁrst, the fest was comparatively small and free, but over the years it grew, booked bigger acts, imposed an admission charge, closed roads, erected fencing and blockaded the bayou to be sure that those who floated onto the site were paying customers. At its height, the fest drew 15,000 patrons. As it grew, so did complaints from some residents of the otherwise quiet stretch of the city. Some — though not necessarily the majority — felt the crush of crowds and lack of dedicated parking made the area unsuitable for a major event. Last year, thenCity Council member Joe Giarrusso threatened to prevent the fest from taking place until Zeller improved relations between the event and the surrounding communities. “We worked it out,” Zeller said. Neither Giarrusso’s office nor City Hall responded to requests for comment. Part of the headache of producing Bayou Boogaloo is that Bayou St. John is regulated by a handful

DISCIPLINE

Continued from page 1A where judges often close ranks and rarely speak publicly — and are forbidden from doing so about active cases. His letter paints Louisiana as rife with judges who are “incompetent or so arrogant that they think they are above the law,” and it says there is a lack of “meaningful action” against them. The former justice’s comments are one of the starkest signs of a push for stronger oversight of the judiciary by lawmakers, Landry and some judges. The movement has even spilled over to a race for a Supreme Court seat, with one candidate seizing on Traylor’s comments and promising to bring accountability to the bench. “As a sitting judge, what I have to say is not going to be popular and may get me in trouble with some of my colleagues, but it has to be said,” 22nd JDC Judge Billy Burris, who is running to represent the northshore on the Supreme Court, said in a video posted to Facebook on Tuesday night. “The Supreme Court is in charge of holding judges accountable, and as your next Supreme Court justice, you can count on me to do exactly that. It is time to bring transparency to this process.” Burris is running against 1st Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Blair Downing Edwards for the seat vacated by Justice Will Crain, who is now on the federal bench. Both candidates are Republicans. In an interview, Edwards also committed to holding judges accountable. “I do believe that the judiciary commission should be ﬁrm. We want to be very firm, and we want consequences for people’s actions,” she said. “Certainly

Kayakers take to the water as the sun sets over Bayou St. John on Wednesday. of government agencies, each of which must sign off on the festival individually, Zeller said. Every year, the time-consuming permitting process repeats. “I’ve never had a long-term

judges need to be held to a higher standard.” Currently, judges can only be sanctioned or removed from the bench by order of the state Supreme Court. The judiciary commission can recommend discipline to the high court, but the justices do not have to follow their suggestions. Judges in Louisiana are not subject to recall elections. Removal from ofﬁce is an extraordinarily rare step that the Supreme Court has only taken twice in the last 16 years.

Disciplinary process While Traylor and lawmakers allege that the system is failing, some former judges have described an honorable commission that became more transparent in recent years. “I didn’t find the commission did anything wrong the whole time I was there,” said Ed Walters, who served on the panel between 2017 and 2021. “I never met nicer or more well-meaning people who worked hard to do the right thing for the public and do the right thing for the judge.” The state Supreme Court announced changes in 2020 to the judicial discipline process, making it more open by allowing cases to become public once the Judiciary Commission files a notice of hearing against a judge. Before then, judicial discipline cases remained cloaked in secrecy unless the Supreme Court weighed in on them. An investigation from The Advocate | The Times-Picayune found that just 2% of cases the commission investigated between 2008 and 2018 reached the threshold to become public. Still, complaints against judges remain confidential in their early stages, and the Supreme Court has maintained rules that complainants, judges and witnesses

lease,” he said. Underlying all other challenges have been the rising costs of producing the event — presented by the nonproﬁt Friends of Bayou St. John Foundation — and reduced

are not supposed to discuss them unless the investigation leads to a notice of hearing against a judge. The Judiciary Commission also maintains ways to privately handle a complaint against a judge, including sending them confidential “reminders, cautions or admonishments” that are never publicly disclosed. Judges and others who favor the current system have warned that pending legislation could put judges under pressure from the governor and throw off the balance of power between the judiciary and executive branches. One of the most controversial proposals geared toward judicial accountability comes from state Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, who has long complained about the efficacy of the commission and raised concerns that the state relies too heavily on the judiciary to police itself. Morris’ Senate Bill 123 would ask voters to approve a constitutional amendment giving the governor the power to remove judges and district attorneys from office, pending a trial and twothirds vote from the state Senate. Landry has expressed support for the measure, though he has also said the new oversight power need not necessarily go to him. “It doesn’t have to be me; they could give it to the Senate or attorney general or whomever, but something has to be done to bring everybody under control,” Landry told reporters on Monday, the opening day of the legislative session. In 2024, Morris successfully sponsored a constitutional amendment that enabled the governor, Senate president and House speaker to appoint five new Judiciary Commission members. Previously, panels of judges selected all commission members.

Cleaner, safer water for healthier living. Reduce contaminants in your homes water and enjoy the beneﬁts of whole home ﬁltration.

– Softer, cleaner water. – Removes over 99% of harmful contaminants. – One-day installation.

Better Water in 3 Simple Steps

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

funding, Zeller said. To launch the festival each year is a gamble, and in recent years, the gamble hasn’t paid off. Everything from the economy to the weather is in play. Zeller said that New Orleans’ drop

Questions over conduct Over the past year and a half, Louisiana has seen several high-proﬁle cases of judges accused of misconduct or incompetence. Most recently, Attorney General Liz Murrill asked the Judiciary Commission to investigate how Orleans Parish Juvenile Court judges were handling teens in electronic monitoring programs. In one case, Malik Cornelius failed to comply with his monitoring program for months leading up to the killing of Jacob Carter, a tourist in New Orleans. Cornelius was convicted in connection with the killing. Carter’s family also ﬁled a complaint with the Judiciary Commission, asking it to investigate the judge who assigned Cornelius’ ankle

monitor. That complaint was dismissed. In his resignation letter, Traylor said another judge, who was implicated in multiple instances of misconduct, got off too lightly with “what amounted to an eight month paid vacation.” His statement refers to 19th JDC Judge Eboni Johnson Rose, who was subject to a monthslong investigation by the Judiciary Commission. It found that two convictions were thrown out due to mistakes made in her courtroom. She also convicted a man of malfeasance in ofﬁce, and then acquitted him three weeks later; the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal later reinstated his conviction. In a split decision, the Supreme Court approved a deal in which Johnson Rose accepted an unpaid, two-

2. Get a custom water analysis

Plans start at $20/Month. AWARD-WINNING CUSTOMER SUPPORT 16 TIMES IN A ROW.

Emmy Robins Homeowner

100% U.S. BASED CUSTOMER SERVICE. All of our support teams are just a call or click away.

3. One-day installation

Save up to

“As a mom with two young daughters, and a doula who stresses the importance of hydration, providing my family and clients with safer, cleaner water is very important to me. I’m grateful for companies like Leaf Home that understand my needs and can provide the right solutions.”

month suspension, agreeing that she deserved a second chance because she showed contrition. That happened eight months after she was placed on paid leave. Johnson Rose also drew heat for using a racial slur during a sidebar, when she accused East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore’s office of unfairly targeting Black men. State investigators found she “applied impermissible pressure on the state to alter its plea offer.” In December, the Supreme Court did take the unusual step of removing 19th JDC Judge Tiffany FoxworthRoberts from the bench because she lied about her military service while campaigning for ofﬁce. Ofﬁcials also accused her of a fraudulent burglary insurance claim for about $40,000.

BIG WIRELESS COVERAGE, WITHOUT BIG WIRELESS COST.

We’ve been ranked “#1 in Customer Service among Wireless Value MVNOs, 16 Times in a Row.”

1. Schedule an appointment

in population hasn’t helped. A federal COVID-19 grant kept the aquatic festival afloat earlier in the decade, Zeller said, but that nest egg has run out, and the scope of the festival has been steadily whittled down. In 2024, the Boogaloo cost $850,000. In 2025, a slimmed fest cost $500,000. This year, Zeller said, the reconfigured Bayou Boogaloo will spend a mere $200,000. After last year’s fest, Zeller said, he’d gained sufficient public support that he may have been able to stay put in 2026, but decided against it. Instead, he and festival board decided to take a breather, with a much reduced place-keeping event in new locations. Zeller said that “by no means” is the Bayou Boogaloo organization folding. Zeller said he’s hopeful to find a spot on Bayou St. John to reproduce a version of past festivals — maybe Deutsches Haus, which lies across the waterway from City Park. He suspects that perhaps, when the fest doesn’t materialize in the usual location this year, “people will feel a sense of loss.” Certainly, he said, the vendors and contractors who build the fest will lose some paydays. Hopefully, he said, someday, the Boogaloo can eventually return to its former glory.

25% oﬀ

A custom whole-home water system*

Schedule your free in-home water test

1 (855) 456-5212 Promo: 402 - Exp: 06/30/26 *Promotional offer includes 15% off plus an additional 10% off for qualified veterans and/or seniors. One coupon per household. No obligation estimate valid for 1 year. MI 262100627, MN PC799379, NC 87823, L.33946, PA PA172050, TX 44085, WI 1423690

Switch & Save Today.

855-337-6197

© 2024 Consumer Cellular Inc. Terms and Conditions subject to change. For J.D. Power 2024 Wireless Customer Care Value Mobile Virtual Network Operator Study award information, visit jdpower.com/awards. Plans shown above include $5 credit for AutoPay and E-billing. Taxes and other fees apply. Credit approval required for new service. Cellular service is not available in all areas and is subject to system limitations.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 7A

lll

BILLS

Continued from page 1A the schools’ existing safety protocols. Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, who authored the original legislation, responded to the complaints by ﬁling a bill last month that would ease the regulations while also requiring public preschools to be licensed. But Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, introduced a competing bill this week that fully exempts private and religious preschools from the regulations — effectively voiding the key component of Act 409. Her proposal, Senate Bill 402, will come as a relief to private schools that warn that complying with the new regulations will be costly and complicated and could trigger tuition hikes and pre-K closures. “I don’t see it being feasible, plausible or practical,” said Russell Marino, head of Hosanna Christian Academy in Baton Rouge, adding that the school might shut down its 120-student pre-K program if the law stands. That “would be devastating to the community we serve.” The bill caused a stir in the Capitol this week when Mizell introduced it at the start of the new legislative session. Barrow said she hadn’t been consulted about the bill and denounced it as a “step backward” for child safety, and a Senate Education Committee meeting Wednesday where Mizell’s bill was up for debate was abruptly canceled. Mizell did not respond to phone calls or emailed questions. Baton Rouge Republican Sen. Rick Edmonds, who chairs the Education Committee and helped craft SB402, said he canceled the meet-

IRAN

Continued from page 1A through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of all traded oil passes. In response, the International Energy Agency agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil, the largest volume of emergency oil reserves in its history, in a bid to counter the war’s effects on energy markets. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the U.S. will release 172 million barrels of oil next week from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve to combat steep oil prices. The U.N. Security Council voted Wednesday to approve a resolution demanding a halt to Iran’s “egregious attacks” on its Gulf neighbors. Among the most recent attacks, four people were wounded after two Iranian drones hit near Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates, though flights continued, the Dubai Media Office said. On Thursday, Dubai authorities said a drone fell on a building near Dubai Creek Harbor, a luxury waterfront development. At Oman’s Port of Salalah, firefighters battled a blaze at fuel storage tanks after days of Iranian attacks, according to the Oman News Agency. “The international community is resolute in rejecting these Iranian attacks against sovereign countries that are threatening the sta-

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, and Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, seated, have introduced competing bills to address private schools’ concerns with a new law regulating private pre-K programs. ing to allow for changes to the bill, which he said is a routine part of the legislative process. Roger Williams, a Metairie parent who has fought for stricter oversight of private preschools, said he believed Barrow’s bill addressed most of the concerns raised about Act 409. He said he was not included in the development of Mizell’s bill, which he argued leaves private pre-K students with fewer protections. “With this type of rollback,” he said, “kids will not be safe.” Act 409 closed a loophole in state law that allowed pre-K programs inside schools to be unlicensed. Williams and his wife drew attention to that gap when they testiﬁed at a legislative hearing last

“The international community is resolute in rejecting these Iranian attacks against sovereign countries that are threatening the stability of the peoples, especially in a region of strategic importance to global economy, energy, security and security of global trade.” JAMAL ALROWAIEI, Bahrain’s U.N. ambassador bility of the peoples, especially in a region of strategic importance to global economy, energy, security and security of global trade,” said Bahrain’s U.N. ambassador, Jamal Alrowaiei. The 13-0 vote in the U.N.’s most powerful body reﬂects Iran’s isolated position as it has aggressively responded to Israeli and U.S. strikes. China and Russia — two Iranian allies — abstained from the vote. Their U.N. ambassadors called the proposal “extremely unbalanced” in not mentioning the strikes against Tehran that began the war. Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, said it might leave the impression that Iran, “on its own volition and out of malice, conducted an unprovoked attack on Arab states.” Iranian U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said the resolution “deliberately ignores

year that their 3-year-old daughter was assaulted by another child at their private preschool, which did not need a license. The school denies the allegations and says it complies with all state laws. Barrow’s legislation established some standards that apply to all preschools, such as minimum stafﬁng levels, and required preK programs at private schools to obtain the same “early learning center” license as freestanding preschools and day cares. Barrow said that she did not include public and Montessori schools because they already are held to higher standards in certain areas, such as staff-to-student ratios. The law, which Gov. Jeff Landry signed, stirred outrage among the

the root causes of the current crisis.” More attacks in Gulf countries were reported Wednesday. Drones were launched toward the cities of Irbil and Sulaymaniyah in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, while in the southern part of the country, an oil vessel flying the Australian flag was struck near Khor Al-Zubair Port, according to two Iraqi navy officials who also spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. The official said 25 members of the crew were rescued. It was not immediately clear whether any others were missing. On Thursday, sirens wailed and loud explosions were heard shortly after midnight in Jerusalem and other parts of Israel. The Israeli military said it was responding with another “wide-scale wave of strikes” in Tehran. The fallout across the Middle East widened as Israel struck what it said were targets connected to Iranbacked Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Blasts shook Beirut’s southern suburbs Wednesday, producing fires and plumes of smoke. Israel’s military said the strikes were in response to Hezbollah firing dozens of rockets fired simultaneously across northern Israel. It marked some of the heaviest fighting between the two since the war began. One rocket hit a house near

roughly 250 private schools with pre-K programs that had to apply for day care licenses by Jan. 1. School leaders said it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to comply with the new staffing and training requirements, background checks and site inspections. Two Christian schools sued in federal court, arguing that the law unconstitutionally targeted religious schools, but a judge dismissed the lawsuit last month. Barrow’s new proposal, Senate Bill 240, would make some major changes to the law. It eliminates the exemption for public and Montessori schools and creates a new type of license specifically for preK programs inside schools. That license would allow school-based pre-K programs to follow the same rules as schools when it comes to health inspections, background checks and training, rather than day care rules. In a brief interview Tuesday, Barrow said her bill maintained strict safety standards while fixing problems that private schools identified with Act 409. “We heard them,” she said. “We tried to address all of their concerns.” Rather than dial back the new restrictions on private preschools, Mizell’s bill would remove them entirely. It extends the licensing exemption that Act 409 gives public and Montessori schools to private schools, effectively restoring the gap in state law that had allowed school-based pre-K programs to be unlicensed. It goes further, saying that other types of programs that serve young children also do not need day care licenses. The exempted programs include summer camps that enroll children as young as 3 years old, Bible camps

the Israeli town of Karmiel, lightly injuring two people, according to Israeli rescue services. At least 634 people have been killed in Lebanon since the latest ﬁghting began, the Lebanese Health Ministry said Wednesday. The U.N. refugee agency said at least 759,000 people have been internally displaced in Lebanon. Iranian authorities say more than 1,300 people have been

serving children of any age and afterschool or weekend dance, cheerleading or sports programs. Barrow said she believes the bill would jeopardize the stricter safety and school-accountability measures established by Act 409. “That is deﬁnitely not a direction we need to go in,” she said. “And it’s one that I would personally get up and speak very heavily about.” While Mizell has not yet spoken publicly about her proposal, it’s already garnering support. A private school advocacy group put out a call to parents to speak in favor of the bill at Wednesday’s committee meeting before it was canceled. Marino, the Hosanna Christian Academy executive director, said he believes Mizell’s plan is the only real solution because the day care regulations simply won’t work in a school setting. The rules would require separate spaces and staffers within the school solely for pre-K students, which Marino said would be unaffordable and contrary to the school’s model. “It’s really untenable what they’re asking schools to do,” he said. “It’s a totally different environment and structure.” In a statement provided by a spokesperson, the Archdiocese of New Orleans said Catholic schools already “operate under strong and well-established safety standards,” including health and safety inspections, employee background checks and mandatory reporter training. The Archdiocese’s statement also said that the licensing rules would keep pre-K students from being fully integrated into the school community, “which is what parents have chosen when deciding to send their children to early childhood programs in a Catholic school.”

killed there, and Israel has reported 12 people dead. The U.S. has lost seven soldiers while another eight have suffered severe injuries. The United States has pledged to keep the strait open and has led intense airstrikes targeting Iran’s navy and the port city of Bandar Abbas. The U.S. military said Tuesday it destroyed 16 Iranian minelayers near the strait. At least 12 incidents involving vessels around the

strait have been conﬁrmed since ﬁghting began, according to two global trackers, and at least seven mariners have been killed. A projectile hit a Thai cargo ship off the coast of Oman in the strait, setting it ablaze. Authorities are searching for three missing crew members from the Mayuree Naree after 20 were rescued by the Omani navy, according to Thailand’s Marine Department.

FIRST FINANCIAL GUARANTEE “Where Your Interest Comes First!”

6-MONTH 6MONTH CD

6.01%

APY*

Insured & Guaranteed Greater New Orleans

504-901-8758 Ask about our SIMPLE ROTH CONVERSION

40 Locations Nationwide Annual percentage yield. Yield and deposit amount, subject to availability. Penalty for earlywithdrawl. *Promotional incentives included to obtain yield. Certain restrictions apply. Rates may vary depending on deposit amount.

Call 504-553-1235 to schedule your free quote today!

8A ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

U.S. will permanently close a consulate in Pakistan BY MATTHEW LEE AP diplomatic writer

WASHINGTON — The State Department will permanently close the U.S. consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, which has been America’s closest diplomatic mission to the Afghan border and was a primary operations and logistics point before, during and after the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. The department notified Congress this week of its intent to close the consulate and said it would save $7.5 million per year, while

not adversely affecting its ability to advance U.S. national interests in Pakistan, according to a copy of the notification obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday. The move has been under consideration for more than a year since the Trump administration began downsizing nearly all federal agencies and is not related to the Iran war, which has sparked protests in various Pakistani cities, including Karachi, where the U.S. consulate has suspended operations. The Peshawar consulate

employs 18 American diplomats and other government personnel and 89 local staff, according to the notice, which is dated Tuesday and said the department would spend $3 million to close it down. More than half of that amount, $1.8 million, would pay for the relocation of armored trailers that had served as temporary ofﬁce space, it said. The rest will go toward moving the consulate’s motor pool ﬂeet, electronic and telecommunications equipment and office furniture to the U.S. Embassy in Is-

lamabad and the remaining consulates in Karachi and Lahore, the notice said. Because of its proximity to the Afghan border and Kabul, the Peshawar consulate had been a key jumping-off facility for overland travel into Afghanistan as well as a point of contact for American citizens in northwestern Pakistan and Afghan nationals seeking U.S. assistance. The notiﬁcation said consular services for American citizens and others would be handled by the embassy in Islamabad, which is about 114 miles away.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALI RAZA

Shiite Muslims burn representation of U.S., Indian and Israeli flags during a procession Wednesday in Karachi, Pakistan.

States challenge policy requiring colleges to collect race data BY MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press

BOSTON — A coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general ﬁled a lawsuit in Boston on Wednesday challenging a Trump administration policy that requires higher education institutions to collect data showing they aren’t considering race in admissions. President Donald Trump ordered the new policy in August after he raised concerns that colleges and universities were using personal statements and other proxies to consider race, which he views as illegal discrimination. In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled against the use of afﬁrmative ac-

tion in admissions but said colleges may still consider how race has shaped students’ lives if applicants share that information in their admissions essays. “This Administration’s unlawful and haphazard actions are threatening the well-being of Massachusetts students and the prosperity of our colleges and universities,” Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said in a statement. “There is no way for institutions to reasonably deliver accurate data in the federal government’s rushed and arbitrary time frame, and it is unfair for schools to be threatened with ﬁnes, potential losses of funding, and baseless investigations should they not ful-

ﬁll the Administration’s request.” Ellen Keast, an Education Department spokesperson, defended the data collection. “American taxpayers invest over $100 billion into higher education each year and deserve transparency on how their dollars are being spent,” Keast said in a statement. “The Department’s efforts will expand an existing transparency tool to show how universities are taking race into consideration in admissions. What exactly are State AGs trying to shield universities from?” The new policy is similar to parts of recent settlement agreements the government negotiated with Brown University and Columbia

University, restoring their federal research money. The universities agreed to give the government data on the race, grade-point average and standardized test scores of applicants, admitted students and enrolled students. The schools also agreed to be audited by the government and to release admissions statistics to the public. The memo directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to require colleges to report more data “to provide adequate transparency into admissions.” The National Center for Education Statistics will collect new data, including the race and sex of colleges’ applicants, admitted students and enrolled students. McMahon said

the data must be disaggregated by race and sex and retroactively reported for the past seven years. If colleges fail to submit timely, complete and accurate data, McMahon can take action under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which outlines requirements for colleges receiving federal ﬁnancial aid for students, according to the memo. Campbell argues the survey is rushed and “leaves institutions vulnerable to inadvertent errors and unreliable data that could lead to cost penalties and baseless investigations into their practices and that jeopardizes student privacy and could lead to individuals being easily identiﬁed.”

South Africa summons new U.S. ambassador over criticism of nation’s policies BY MICHELLE GUMEDE and GERALD IMRAY

Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG — The new U.S. ambassador to South Africa has been summoned to explain his criticism, the country’s foreign minister said Wednesday, as a diplomatic rift continues over foreign policy that the Trump administration describes as anti-American and domestic policies it calls anti-White. Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III was summoned after speaking at a meeting of business leaders on

Tuesday, where he challenged the South African government over its diplomatic ties with Iran and its affirmative action laws that advance opportunities for Black people ahead of other races. The rift has grown between the former allies since President Donald Trump returned to office. Ties have plunged to their lowest point since the end of apartheid, or White minority rule, in 1994. Bozell, a conservative activist appointed by Trump, took up his role in Pretoria last month. In his first detailed public com-

ments on U.S.-South Africa ties since arriving, Bozell said South Africa should change some of its afﬁrmative action laws that were designed to redress the inequalities of South Africa’s decades of racial segregation under apartheid. He compared the laws to race laws that oppressed Black people during apartheid. Bozell also called for changing a land law that allows the South African government to expropriate land without compensation in some circumstances. “While South Africa welcomes

active public diplomacy and the strengthening of bilateral ties, we emphasize that such engagements must remain consistent with established diplomatic etiquette and international protocols,” Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola told a news conference. “In this regard, we have called in the ambassador of the United States, Ambassador Bozell, to explain his undiplomatic remarks.” Foreign ministry director-general Zane Dangor said Bozell met with South African officials and the ambassador “apologized and

expressed regret.” There was no immediate comment from the U.S. government. Trump’s central allegation against the South African government is his baseless claim that minority White farmers are being targeted in a campaign of violence and killings. Even some conservative White Afrikaner groups denied the Trump administration’s claims. Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with those claims at a dramatic White House meeting last year that underlined the strained relationship.

SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATIONS AT VOTEJEFFERSONPARISH.COM

© 2026 The Times-Picayune & NERUS Strategies LLC. Best of Jefferson Parish and the unique Logo is a service mark of The Times-Picayune and may only be used with express permission. Best of Jefferson Parish is powered by Optimum by NERUS.

JEFFERSON • NEW ORLEANS • ST. TAMMANY • RIVER PARISHES ST. BERNARD • TANGIPAHOA • PLAQUEMINES

METRO

N O L A.C O M

T h u r s d ay, M a r c h 12, 2026

1BN

Family still searching for answers Photographer’s disappearance frustrates police

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

Samuel Easterling followed a well-worn tributary of Louisiana talent when he left his hometown of Rayne in summer 2024, a starving artist bound for New Orleans. He set up in Bywater, living under the name “Saint.” Easterling drew fans to his photography: vivid, high-contrast im-

ages that straddle the neon-lit intersection of street, fine art and fashion. At 31, he’d attracted 82,000 Instagram followers, unlocked corporate clients and Sam Easterling shot celebrities, including quarterback Jayden Daniels, the LSU and now NFL star.

“I think things are starting to look up for me,” he texted his father in August 2024 after repaying a $60 debt. That was the last his family heard from him. Two weeks later, Easterling’s social media accounts went silent. Soon, a ﬂyer appeared on poles across Bywater. “Last seen on 8/29/2024 at 4:20 AM walking alone toward Marais St. from Poor Boys Bar,” it read.

“Has tattoos on forearms and shoulder-length light brown hair.” Easterling’s parents were in a hospital, waiting for their daughter to give birth, when they learned their son was missing. “Your body just goes in limp mode,” Scott Easterling said. “If you’ve given blood before and felt you were fainting, that’s how it felt.” “It has been a nightmare since then,” Sandy Easterling said between sobs. Police opened a missing persons

investigation on Sept. 2, 2024. The case soon moved to the homicide section after police ﬁelded some disturbing tips. One claimed that Easterling had died over a drug debt, his throat slashed and his body tossed in a waterway. Male bodies later turned up that police thought may be his, in Bayou Sauvage and in a Mississippi forest, but both hunches proved wrong.

ä See ANSWERS, page 2B

PANE-STAKING DETAIL

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Workers replace windows at the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court building in New Orleans on Tuesday. The historic courthouse is undergoing a major exterior renovation that includes replacing more than 275 historic windows, reinforcing 14 large Grand Hall windows, cleaning limestone facades and replacing interior casings. The work is being done while ofﬁcials try to minimize disruptions to court operations.

Moreno says she has ‘no choice’ on hikes

budget and her administration’s City plans to raise priorities during a wide-ranging conversation Wednesday morngarbage, recycling fee ing with Becky Mowbray, CEO of

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, right, talks with Rebecca Mowbray, president and CEO of the Bureau of Governmental Research, during a Wednesday Q&A breakfast briefing in downtown New Orleans.

The city of New Orleans at one point last week had just $30,000 in its general fund, Mayor Helena Moreno said Wednesday, a low balance for an account that’s budgeted to fund $800 million in operating expenses this year. But Moreno, who took office in January, said that “with some very aggressive moves,” she predicts that City Hall will dig itself out of its budget crisis by 2027 — much sooner than the four years that Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack has said he expected it will take. Moreno discussed the city’s

the Bureau of Governmental Research, a local good government nonproﬁt. The mayor laid out the city’s financial picture days after she announced plans to seek an increase in the $24 per month fee that households pay for once-perweek garbage and recycling pickup. The fee covers only a fraction of what it costs the city to pay its contractors, requiring City Hall to spend $24 million out of this year’s general fund to ﬁll the gap. “Politically it’s horrible,” Moreno said of the increase, adding that she’s had to stay away from social media because “people hate it so much.”

BY CHAD CALDER Staff writer

The Louisiana Supreme Court has overturned lower court rulings that disqualiﬁed John Fuller from running for a vacant seat on the Orleans Parish Criminal Dis-

trict Court bench. The decision paves the way for the veteran criminal defense attorney to run for the Section J seat, which opened up Fuller last year when veteran judge Darryl Derbigny stepped down. Fuller will vie against Andre

Gaudin Jr., a prosecutor in District Attorney Jason Williams’ office who also qualified. The election will be held May 16. Lower courts had found Fuller had not properly accounted for his 2020 state income tax filing. The Supreme Court did not immediately issue an explanation for the decision to overturn those rulings, saying it would follow. Candidates must certify that

Convention Center hotel slated for site

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

they filed state and federal income tax returns for the past five years or filed for extensions. The challenger, a voter named Andrew Bradley Towbin, cited an affidavit from the state Department of Revenue that found no evidence Fuller filed a return for that year. Fuller testified last month that

Plans for a new “headquarters” hotel for the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center cleared an early hurdle Wednesday, when city regulators endorsed the demolition of a pair of historic warehouses within the footprint of the proposed 27-story Omni New Orleans Hotel. The Central Business District Historic District Landmark Commission voted 6-2 to recommend that the City Council grant demolition approval for 1000 S. Peters St. and 1040 S. Peters St. — the building commonly known as The Sugar Mill — overruling a recommendation from its professional staff of architects and preservationists. The recommendation was nonbinding, as the commission does not have authority to approve or deny the $600 million

ä See CANDIDATE, page 2B

ä See HOTEL, page 2B

ä See HIKES, page 2B

Court overturns ruling disqualifying judicial candidate John Fuller cleared for Orleans race

Plan to raze Sugar Mill advances

2B ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

HOTEL

Continued from page 1B

project, which Convention Center leaders and tourism boosters have said is critical for New Orleans to remain competitive in attracting major events to the facility. Still, the group’s endorsement was seen as key to helping pave the way for additional regulatory approvals that developers will be seeking in the near future. The commission’s vote “marks an important step forward for the redevelopment of the site,” according to a statement provided by Tammy Austin, a spokesperson for the Convention Center. “We thank the commissioners and staff for their thoughtful review and appreciate the substantial project input from neighbors and community stakeholders throughout this process,” the statement said.

Long time coming A new headquarters hotel has long been a priority of Convention Center leaders, who have said they need a 1,000-room dedicated hotel adjacent to the exhibition hall in order to keep up with peer cities taking an ever bigger bite out of the city’s convention business. But debate over location, scale, and ﬁnancing for the hotel stalled its progress. Last fall, Omni Hotel and Re-

lll

sorts and the Convention Center board ﬁnalized a deal for the project, which would be the ﬁrst new high-rise hotel built in the city since the 1980s and tower some 315 feet over the edge of downtown. The hotel will also serve as a vital anchor for the River District, the planned mixed-use neighborhood that the Convention Center is developing on 40 acres of vacant riverfront property next to its facility. The hotel will be funded by a variety of public and private sources, including $90 million in cash from the Convention Center, not including the $21 million it spent last year to purchase the South Peters Street warehouses on the site of the planned hotel.

Staff objections Built around 1912, 1000 S. Peters St. is a one-story building that previously served as a tire warehouse and the headquarters of an industrial engineering and repair company, according to reports from commission staff and the developer’s architect. At 1040 S. Peters St., a two-story structure completed before 1947 housed a welding and manufacturing company before becoming an event space — ﬁrst as the Sugar Mill and more recently as the Warehouse at the Convention Center. In its report, the HDLC staff said the two warehouses are rated as “contributing” structures that

add to the Warehouse District’s architectural and historic character. Both are reminiscent of the type of industrial and commercial buildings that were common in the area near the riverfront and port, the report said. Commission staff cited design guidelines that call for the adaptive reuse of historic buildings instead of their demolition and described the Sugar Mill building as “a viable opportunity” for incorporation into a new project. “However, based on the materials submitted to date, the project team does not appear to have meaningfully explored incorporating these structures into the overall development proposal,” staffers wrote. But a demolition study commissioned by the developers declared that 1000 S. Peters St. should be torn down due to potential safety issues from failing concrete. In the case of 1040 S. Peters St., modiﬁcations made to modernize the building make it “visually inferior” to adjacent historic buildings like the Fibre Mills and Bakery Condominiums, according to architect Jack Sawyer, of EskewDumezRipple, the author of the study. “In my professional opinion the building lacks the historic character of its neighbors and could be demolished without impacting the historic sense of place found in this neighborhood,” Sawyer wrote. Mike Sherman, who is serving as Omni’s land use attorney, said that

while the primary structure was marketed as a 19th-century sugar mill, historical research conﬁrmed it was neither from the 19th century nor a sugar mill. “We never believed this review pitted historic preservation against economic development,” he said. “We are grateful the commission agreed that the structures are appropriate for demolition and redevelopment.” HDLC staff warned of a slippery slope for the Warehouse District’s historic status if city ofﬁcials continue to allow the demolition of its warehouse buildings. Multiple representatives of the hospitality industry and local economic development officials attended the landmark commission’s hearing and endorsed the project. Leaders of the Warehouse District Neighborhood Association and the Preservation Resource Center of Education of New Orleans opposed it.

More approvals needed

Despite Wednesday’s approval, the project still faces several hurdles. The hotel’s next hearing is expected to come before the City Planning Commission as soon as April 14. The developers have also asked city planners to approve a special two-block district for the hotel in order to allow it to rise to 326 feet — more than twice the maximum Email Jonah Meadows at jonah. height of 125 feet the zoning code meadows@theadvocate.com.

ANSWERS

Continued from page 1B Last April, the New Orleans Police Department moved the case to its Cold Case Homicide Unit, though it remains active, Detective Ryan Aucoin said last month. At a January vigil in Crescent Park, the Easterlings memorialized their missing son as they clung to slim hope, the police trail having gone cold.

Murky data on missing people

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, right, talks with Rebecca Mowbray, president and CEO of the Bureau of Governmental Research, during a Q&A breakfast briefing Wednesday in downtown New Orleans.

HIKES

Continued from page 1B “But we’re to the point where we have no choice,” she said. Moreno reiterated that it will be up to the City Council to iron out the details of that fee increase and whether it will pay for additional services. She said New Orleans should follow Jefferson Parish and tie the fee to the cost of its sanitation contracts. Moreno said she’ll also seek permission from state leaders later this year to issue another bond, after depleting a $125 million short-term loan the city secured in November to cover payroll expenses. Instead of securing another revenue anticipation note, Moreno said her goal will be to secure a longer-term bond that can be paid off over several years. New Orleans’ finances have been hanging by a thread since before Moreno took office, thanks to overly rosy revenue estimates, failures to account for overtime spending and new state laws limiting traffic camera revenue. The City Council at Moreno’s direction approved a 2026 budget that included $150 million in spending cuts to City Hall departments and once-per-payperiod furloughs for 14% of the city’s workforce, roughly 700 employees. The spending plan also relies on $75 million in new revenues, though there’s no guarantee all of the money will materialize. Moreno said she has cash management meetings three times a week where she reviews every expense, and that both she and her Chief Administrative Officer Joe Giarrusso are losing sleep over the city’s finances, often texting about it as early as 3 a.m. City leaders have also continued to search for excess cash. On Tuesday, council Budget Chair Lesli Harris announced a deal with the Municipal and Traffic Court of New Orleans to

“We have one of the most amazing cities, not just in this country, but in this world. And if we just make it function, the sky is the limit.” MAyOR HELENA MORENO transfer $5 million in reserves to city coffers. Moreno, in an interview following Wednesday’s event, said she also expects the New Orleans Building Corporation — a public benefit corporation that owns, leases, develops, and manages real estate assets for the city — to approve sending $15 million from its reserves at its meeting next week. Moreno also provided an update at Wednesday’s event on the city’s efforts to secure an extension with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on a June deadline to spend down around $500 million in federal infrastructure grants. Moreno said extending that deadline to 2028 has bipartisan support among Louisiana’s congressional delegation — including from House Speaker Mike Johnson — but nobody can seem to figure out how to get the application in front of the correct FEMA officials. “We are stuck in this black hole of FEMA right now with our extension request,” Moreno said. Moreno also detailed her plan to improve the city’s credit rating, which suffered a serious blow in February when Moody’s Ratings dropped it near the bottom of its investment grade and warned investors of moderate risk on future bond sales. To receive an upgrade, Moody’s said the city needs to boost its reserves close to 40% of revenue and show it can operate without cash flow borrowing. Moreno said Wednesday she hopes to replenish the city’s reserves by offloading unused city buildings and renegotiating the city’s longterm lease agreements to receive

upfront payments. On public safety, Moreno said she supports a New Orleans Police Department proposal to use drone technology to remotely respond to 911 calls, pointing to similar efforts in Jefferson Parish. A pilot program is planned for the French Quarter, and Moreno said she expects it to expand to New Orleans East. She’s also asked NOPD to come up with a plan to beef up recruitment efforts beyond “putting up billboards and making commercials.” Moreno told Mowbray that New Orleans “has to stop counting” itself out. She said that all too often, when she suggests reaching out “to whatever billionaire from another part of the country to do certain types of investments,” she’s met with resistance locally from folks who say New Orleans doesn’t have the market to attract their interest. “With that kind of attitude, of course not,” Moreno said. Moreno said she talks to Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois daily, describing her as an “absolute rock star,” and echoed her call to reshape the narrative about New Orleans and Louisiana. Moreno also said she wants to see major changes at the Regional Transit Authority. She said she’s spoken with Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng about rejoining the RTA but said she doesn’t expect that to happen “until they see some real reforms, and until they see that the RTA is truly a regional transportation agency.” Moreno said agencies like the RTA and the Housing Authority of New Orleans are in need of reform, but that she needs to focus on putting out the biggest ﬁres ﬁrst, namely stabilizing the budget and improving city services. “We have one of the most amazing cities, not just in this country, but in this world. And if we just make it function,” Moreno said, drawing chuckles from the audience, “the sky is the limit.”

allows in that location. The proposed Convention Center Hotel Overlay District would also include exceptions for rules governing loading spaces, signage, exterior lighting, bicycle parking and allowances for curb cuts onto Convention Center Boulevard. On Tuesday, plan commissioners deferred consideration of the new district until next month’s meeting. Final approval of the demolition of the two warehouses will have to come from the City Council, which has ﬁnal authority over the request because the Convention Center is a state-owned entity. Developers will also need the City Council to sign off on their acquisition of a block of John Churchill Chase Street between South Peters Street and Convention Center Boulevard. Plans call for the building to directly abut Mississippi River Heritage Park, which is slated to remain intact after the developers revised a controversial earlier version of the design that called for the hotel to be built atop the public green space. Omni Hotels & Resorts, which has inked a 60-year ground lease with the Convention Center board with an option to buy after 30 years, aims to begin construction on the project early next year and be ready to open in 2030.

Samuel Easterling was among 1,523 adults reported missing in New Orleans from 2020 to May 2025, in addition to 1,774 juveniles, according to NOPD data. Just 20 of those cases ended with the discovery of a body. A few dozen brought an arrest. Neither has happened in Easterling’s case. How many remain missing is far from certain. Families who report missing loved ones often don’t alert authorities when they return, and the government doesn’t track those cases like it does homicides or sexual assaults. National data is “limited at best,” said Michelle Jeanis, a professor of criminology at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette who has researched missing persons cases for a decade. Jeanis has found a rise in cases since the pandemic, while a 2015 sample database found that barely half of missing adults and juveniles came home in any capacity. Substance abusers, sex workers and people with transient lifestyles are historically likeliest to disappear, she said. Samuel Easterling checked at least two of those boxes. Listed as “homeless” on a missing person report, he was “hung up with the curse word I call drugs,” his father said.

‘A good kid’ More than a year later, Scott Easterling falls into the past tense when talking about his son, “a good kid” he expected to succeed.

CANDIDATE

Continued from page 1B

“He ended up going to New Orleans, and from that point on, we would keep track of him through social media,” the father said. “Every now and then he would call us.” Samuel graduated from Ovey Comeaux High School, a wrestling lightweight who went on to attend Crossroads College in Lafayette. He lived in Austin, Texas, and Portland, Oregon, with his thenwife, the mother of his 8-yearold daughter, before returning around 2018. He bounced among friends and family in the Lafayette area as he built a freelance photography business. His daughter lives with her mother and stepfather near his parents’ property, a manufactured home tucked behind crepe myrtles on a neatly fenced country lot. On Sundays after church, she visits. “She reminds me of (Samuel), her silliness,” Scott Easterling said of the 7-year-old. “But she is one of the smartest little rascals that I know.” She doesn’t yet know the full story behind her father’s disappearance. Her grandfather harbors plenty of suspicions. Scott Easterling fears his son misplaced his trust in a man who had provided him a place to stay. The same man pleaded guilty to seven counts of simple burglary and faced bank fraud charges but stopped showing up to court a month after Easterling disappeared. Police have not named him as a suspect in Samuel Easterling’s disappearance, and the newspaper is not identifying him. Attempts to reach him were not successful. Scott Easterling said his son owed the man money. Now, his parents pray “Saint” is alive for his child’s sake. Scott Easterling said he is “not pleased at all” with the police investigation and paid $3,000 to a private investigator, who turned up no new leads. “I want justice,” he said, “and I want my son.”

known for his sartorial ﬂair, is perhaps best known for his defense of local tow truck driver Cardell Hayes in the killing of retired Saints star Will Smith after a vehicle crash in the Lower Garden District in 2016. Back then, the high court had appointed Fuller to serve as a pro tem judge in a vacant section of the courthouse, but he relinquished the assignment before taking the bench to continue to represent Hayes.

his tax returns for that tax year got a refund and that he had never been notified that he had failed to file. He said he watched his secretary take an envelope with the tax return to the mail room, his accountant testified that he completed the return and the secretary testified that she mailed it. Towbin’s lawyer, Stephen Petit, Email Chad Calder at ccalder@ could not be immediately reached theadvocate.com. after Wednesday’s ruling. In court, Petit pointed to a Supreme Court decision from 2014 LOTTERY in the case of Lon Burns, who was disqualified as a candidate for Orleans Parish district attorney for TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2026 lack of proof that his tax returns PICK 3: 2-3-5 reached the state. PICK 4: 4-7-5-3 Yolanda Grinstead, a fill-in judge PICK 5: 4-1-4-5-5 in Civil District Court, ruled in MEGA MILLIONS: favor of Towbin, and an appeals court panel upheld it. 16-21-30-35-65 The order was signed by Chief MEGA BALL: 7 Justice John Weimer. Justice John Michael Guidry and pro tem JusUnofficial notification, keep your tickets. tice Allison Penzato dissented. Fuller, a prolific trial lawyer

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 3B

lll

Neuty, La.’s celebrity Gallery owner Andy Antippas dies swamp rat, has cancer BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

Neuty, the pet nutria that became a local sensation in 2023, has been diagnosed with cancer, according to his keeper, Denny Lacoste. A week ago, Denny and his wife, Myra, noticed an eggsized lump behind one of the hefty rodent’s back legs. The animal’s regular veterinarian suspected cancer, which was conﬁrmed by a biopsy. According to Lacoste, state Sen. Cameron Henry Jr. — a devoted Neuty fan — swiftly arranged for an appointment at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, where a vet examined a second tumor. Happily, that lump is not cancerous, but the celebrity swamp rat is still in dire straits. On Wednesday, vets will perform a CT scan to determine if the cancer is operable. The fear, Lacoste said, is that it has spread to involve Neuty’s spine. If so, there’s little hope for recovery, and he may only have a couple of months to live. In an Instagram post, Neuty’s keepers asked for prayers from the public. Lacoste said the family is grief-stricken, of course, but also stunned at the speed of the illness. During Carnival, Lacoste said, Neuty

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

Neuty the nutria has been diagnosed with cancer, according to his keeper, Denny Lacoste. rode in Metairie’s Mad Hatters parade and attended the Bacchus parade in New Orleans, and he has otherwise has behaved normally. Lacoste said he estimates that Neuty is about 5 years old. Neuty was rescued by the Lacostes as a baby — he could ﬁt in the palm of a hand — and raised as a pet in the couple’s Bucktown home. The ostensibly wild animal had the run of the house like a dog or cat and even swam in the family pool. Neuty gained notoriety by traveling with the Lacostes in their pickup. That notoriety led to trou-

ble in March 2023, when the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries got wind the Lacostes were harboring a wild animal, which is against Louisiana law. Armed Wildlife and Fisheries agents arrived at the Lacoste’s home to seize the contraband creature, but — with the help of a human accomplice — the swamp rat had gone on the lam. Public outcry and intervention by politicians saved Neuty from being taken, but the controversy rocketed him to regional and even national celebrity. Since then, he’s settled into a comfortable life of moderate fame.

Oil terminal spill in Gulf reaches La. barrier islands Refuge a critical bird habitat

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer

Crude that spilled late last month from a key deepwater oil terminal has traveled 18 miles across open Gulf of Mexico waters and affected three islands that are part of a coastal wildlife refuge noted for its recreational fishing and critical bird habitat, the Coast Guard conﬁrmed. State and federal officials also issued a warning Wednesday for mariners to stay away from continued oil containment and cleanup work in the affected wildlife area, the Isle Dernieres Barrier Islands Refuge, and in the open water and coastal marshes north of the refuge’s barrier islands in the southwestern corner of Terrebonne Bay. The affected islands — Trinity, Whiskey and Raccoon islands — are south of Cocodrie and form the outer fringe of Terrebonne Bay’s southwestern edge before it reaches the open Gulf. Emergency workers had collected 90% of the spilled oil by Tuesday and laid out more than 12 miles of protective boom along shoreline, coastal marshes and other sensitive areas, according to the Coast Guard. The refuge’s barrier island chain is critical for protection from hurricanes and has been the focus of repeated projects to rebuild and protect them over the past 30 years, according to the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The spilled oil also reached the northern end of Lake Pelto, which is another popular recreational fishing area north of the barrier islands that ends in the marshes ofﬁcials now want mariners to avoid. The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port released an estimated 31,500 gallons of oil when a cargo transfer hose sprung a leak and appear to have reached the Isle Dernieres Barrier Islands Refuge days later. LOOP is a deep-water facility that takes in crude from deep-draft tankers and sends it by pipeline to its onshore storage site in Galiano. The terminal’s oil feeds half of the nation’s

refineries, according to the LOOP consortium. Coast Guard officials said they couldn’t provide the spill’s dimensions or area on the water and coast Wednesday, but said that “the majority of the product remaining is affecting shorelines.” However, the volume of oil released is a little more than a quarter of the size of the largest spill off the Louisiana coast in the past few years, the Well 59 blowout in Plaquemines Parish’s Garden Island Bay last spring, Coast Guard officials have said. Coast Guard officials said the response effort through Monday has involved 552 people and more than 60 oil skimmers and other vessels to try to mitigate the environmental impact of the spill. The cleanup effort, which also includes Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office and two Coast Guard cleanup contractors, has collected 675 barrels of the 750 barrels estimated to have spilled. The collected amount is equivalent to 28,350 gallons. Last week, Gov. Jeff Landry pointed out that the leak “was stopped in minutes” after it was identified Feb. 26 and that LOOP and other responders “immediately” went into cleanup mode. Despite those efforts, the leaked crude was able to reach the three islands inside the 1,900-acre coastal refuge miles away from the LOOP terminal. The state wildlife department says one of its primary goals for the refuge has been “to provide and protect habitat for nesting waterbirds.” “Raccoon Island is one of the most important waterbird nesting areas on the coast,” the department’s website states. Through the years, dozens of bird species have been spotted on Raccoon and the other islands, including egrets, herons, teal, ducks, brown pelicans, other kinds of pelicans and terns, according to ebird. org. The refuge islands, for instance, are home to a large and important royal tern breeding colony in coastal Louisiana, a 2020 study published in “Marine Ornithology” says. Coastal Louisiana is home to 26% of the global population of

royal terns. The study found the colony of about 7,000 nesting pairs ranged on average about 18 miles from the islands to forage for food, both off the coast to the south and into the marshes to the north that are now in the northern fringes of the new oil spill marine advisory. Researchers behind the six-year-old study noted that their bird foraging data could be important one day for “assessing damages associated with major disasters, such as oil spills and hurricanes, which may impact core foraging areas.” A wildlife department spokesperson referred questions Wednesday about the status of the sensitive islands, as well as the wildlife the public agency manages, to a LOOP spokesperson coordinating public information on the oil spill response. Wade Tornyos, the LOOP spokesperson, said the number of affected birds remains at 17, a total that was reported last week. The state and Coast Guard have noted the spill has been under regular monitoring by airplanes, helicopters and drones, but neither the Coast Guard, involved state agencies nor LOOP had previously identified the affected islands before Wednesday. Coast Guard ofﬁcials added that the latest spill recovery ﬁgures were adjusted after they were able to gather “more precise data after extracting oil from oily water mixtures and separating oil from sand during shoreline cleanup.” LOOP says it’s the single largest point of entry for waterborne crude in the nation and, according to the state, handles 13% of the nation’s foreign oil. With 72 million barrels of oil storage onshore in aboveground tanks and underground salt dome caverns near Galliano, LOOP feeds refineries along the Gulf Coast, including several on the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Formed in 1972, LOOP is a joint venture of Marathon Pipe Line LLC, Shell Oil Company and Valero Terminaling and Distribution Company. David J. Mitchell can be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

Andy Peter Antippas, a New Orleans art gallery owner who fostered the careers of folk artists and avant-garde artists alike, died of organ failure in hospice care at home on March 8 at age 84. Born in the Washington Heights section of New Antippas York City, Antippas came to New Orleans in the early 1970s to take a job as associate professor of English literature at Tulane University, specializing in the works of John Keats. For 44 years, Antippas operated Barrister’s Gallery, which began as a curio shop on Royal Street in the French Quarter. He said the gallery was named for the antique legal documents that it stocked, but it soon became a crowded trove of everything from Central American and African art and artifacts, to Eastern Orthodox Christian icons and creations by untrained Southern artists. The shop was a magnet for adventuresome lovers of unusual collectibles. Ogden Museum of Southern Art Senior Curator Bradley Sumrall said that when he ﬁrst moved to New Orleans in 1993, Barrister’s was always one of the spots he visited. “Barristers was mind-blowing. I’d never experienced a space like that. It seemed like he was speaking directly to my soul,” Sumrall said of the eclectic atmosphere. Sumrall was particularly drawn to the paintings by New Orleans outsider artists the late Roy Ferdinand, the late Herbert Singleton and Welmon Sharlhorne that were always prominently on display. Antippas did more

than exhibit the artwork, Sumrall said, “Andy nurtured those artists. He provided them with material and gave them space to work in the courtyard. He created a little scene. He did that for so many people.” In the 1990s, Antippas helped curate the folk-art collection displayed at the House of Blues chain of restaurant/ nightclubs. In the same era, Barrister’s earned an edgy reputation with an exhibit that included paintings by rock star Marilyn Manson plus a macabre collection of art by serial killers, lent by a Baton Rouge collector. At that time, Hugo Montero was an artist, creating aerosol paintings on Decatur Street near Jackson Square — he would later become a renowned restaurateur. Montero said that when he ﬁrst began visiting Barrister’s in the French Quarter, he discovered a wonderfully strange society. “There would be a power lunch with all of these crazy personalities,” Montero said, referring to well-known Vieux Carre characters and artists. Antippas would be holding court, Montero recalled, and “we listened to the master.” “One day, I met Jimmy Page, from Led Zeppelin, there,” Montero said. “Andy was like the real godfather of the underground New Orleans scene,” Montero said. “He was an amazing colorful personality, but I knew he was a Ph.D. too. He was cool dude, a cool cat.” In 2000, Antippas moved the gallery from the French Quarter to a larger space in a former grocery store on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard. In the new space, he began exhibiting works by a generation of up-and-coming contemporary Crescent City artists including Blake Boyd, Jeff Cook, Dan Tague, Myrtle

Von Damitz III, Eden Gass, Heather Weathers and others. The gallery included a central wall made from a collection of old wooden doors. Which was fitting, since Barrister’s was a doorway for several artists whose careers would later soar. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Barrister’s was one of the first art showplaces to reopen. Antippas proudly claimed that he’d bribed power line repairmen with beer to turn the gallery lights on. Not long later, Antippas left the huge Oretha Castle Haley location and reopened a smaller version of the gallery beneath his home on St. Claude Avenue. It was one of the first links in the chain of small galleries that formed a then-new downtown art scene. Artist Charlie Hoffacker, who is also a New Orleans Police Department officer, said that Antippas immediately welcomed him into the fold. “I wanted to be an artist,” Hoffacker said. “So I showed my work to Andy, and he was like, ‘Yeah, these are great.’ ” “Maybe they weren’t; who knows,” Hoffacker said, laughing, “but he plugged me into the art world. He was the father of my art.” Collectors and the bohemian crowd followed Barrister’s to St. Claude Avenue. Opening receptions were often like salons, with artists of all stripes seated in the courtyard discussing art. To Antippas, the conversation seemed to be more important than any commerce that might be taking place. Antippas closed the gallery in 2020, slowed by health issues. He is survived by his wife, Tricia Moss; daughters Artemis Antippas and Athena Antippas; and his first grandson, Theodorus Antippas, born in January. A memorial will be from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. March 28 at New Marigny Theater.

New Orleans officer fired for drunken crash wins job back

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

New Orleans police officer Denzel Millon won his job back Tuesday, nearly a year after being fired for drunkenly crashing a marked unit into multiple cars in the Warehouse District. Civil Service Commissioners Andrew Monteverde and Ruth Davis found his termination “arbitrary and capricious,” noting that years elapsed between Millon’s August 2022 wreck, the ensuing criminal and administrative investigations and his firing in April, the decision states. During that time, Millon went through rehab, and NOPD returned him to full duty — a decision that undermined the department’s later move to fire him. “NOPD’s argument about the danger Millon poses evaporates in light of the fact that the NOPD returned this officer to full duty, armed and in

a marked police vehicle, thus indicating NOPD did not consider him a risk,” the decision states. Chair Brittney Richardson dissented, saying Millon’s drunken driving endangered himself and others. Commissioners downgraded Millon’s firing to a demotion, from senior police ofﬁcer to police ofﬁcer, and a suspension, which he served in 2022. “Following the conclusion of NOPD’s investigation in September of 2022, NOPD displayed a lack of urgency about imposing additional discipline,” the ruling states. “Instead, NOPD returned Millon to active duty for 18 months before the penalty phase of his internal hearing.” Deputy Superintendent Hans Ganthier told commissioners he would have “strongly considered” a lesser penalty had one been available on the department’s penalty matrix, the decision

states. “Ganthier … believed NOPD failed Millon because of the absence of a robust Employee Assistance Program following the shooting of Millon’s partner,” the decision reads. NOPD officer Marcus McNeil was shot and killed in October 2017 while investigating a suspicious scene near Cindy Place and the Interstate 10 Service Road. In a social media post, Millon identified McNeil as his partner of two years. Millon admitted to drinking before starting his shift with the Special Operations Division Traffic Division on July 28, 2022. He blew more than twice the legal limit and was booked for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and driving on a roadway laned for traffic. In 2023, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, according to the Civil Service decision, though court records weren’t available.

Inogen® Portable Oxygen Concentrators

Leave the tanks at home.

Convert the air around you into medical-grade oxygen. At just under 3 lbs.*, Inogen® lightweight and compact portable oxygen concentrators easily deliver your prescription oxygen on-the-go. * Inogen Rove 4 weighs 2.9lbs. with a standard battery

CALL US NOW 1-877-760-2294

SM250015 EN_EX_USA | Rx Only. © 2024 Inogen, Inc. 859 Ward Drive, Suite 200, Goleta, CA 93111. Inogen® is a trademark of Inogen, Inc. The usage of any Inogen, Inc. trademark is strictly forbidden without the prior consent of Inogen, Inc. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners or holders.

4B ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

New Orleans Area Deaths Armstrong, Nelvia Bazile, David Broadway, Ruby Burthlong, Barbara Coleman, Vantrelle Dorothy Jr., Louis Elliott, Earl Jackson, Roselee Johnson, Joan Kaley, Ursula Lewis, Willie Marshall, Lisa Mayronne Jr., Louis Pendleton, Barbara Reddick, Jerome Rout Collins, Alice Saul, Shona Short, Adelaide Tharp, Delores Veal Sr., Frank Williams, Amanda

lll

the host Pastor. Rev. Glenn Allen will ofﬁciate.

Bazile, David G.

With sadness we share the passing of David G. Bazile on March 7, 2026. Please visit www.rhodesf uneral.com to view service information, sign online guestbook, send ﬂowers and share condolences.

Bazile, David G.

Family, Friends, and Members of the IBEW Local 130 are invited to attend the Graveside Service at St. James Catholic Church Cemetery, 6613 LA18, St. James, LA 70086 on Friday, March 13, 2026, at 11:00am.

Broadway, Dr. Ruby L.

New Orleans

pillar in both her church and community. She de‐ voted many years to the Archdiocese of New Or‐ leans as a food service leader, nurturing children not only with meals but with kindness, encourage‐ ment and God’s word. Bar‐ bara was preceded in death by her longtime Sammy companion, children, Em‐ Braddy; manuel and Christopher Sr.; siblings, Bordere, Emanuel, Jr., Everett, John, Emma, Joyce and Lois. Mother Barbara leaves to cherish precious memo‐ ries, son, Ira Bordere, Jr.; daughters, beloved Jacqueline Bordere and Jimesha Alexis (Anthony); Bryan, grandchildren, Christi, Christian, Christo‐ pher, Jr. (Tahitian), Jerald Bordere and Lojoy Alexis; eight great-grandchildren, as well as a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, church family and friends. Her legacy is one of unwaver‐ ing faith, quiet strength and unconditional love. A Celebration service honor‐ ing the life and legacy of the late Barbara Ann Burth‐ long will be held at New Salem Baptist Church, 1530 Alvar St., New Orleans, LA 70117 on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 10 am, Reverend Warren Jones, Jr., Ofﬁciat‐ ing. Interment Providence Memorial Park, 8200 Airline Dr., Metairie, LA 70003. Visi‐ tation 9 am in the church. Please sign online guest‐ book at www.charbonnetf uneralhome.com. Charbon‐ net Labat Glapion, Direc‐ tors (504) 581-4411

Boyd Family Dorothy Jr., Louis Reddick, Jerome Veal Sr., Frank Williams, Amanda Charbonnet Broadway, Ruby Burthlong, Barbara Marshall, Lisa Mayronne Jr., Louis DW Rhodes Bazile, David Coleman, Vantrelle Lewis, Willie Tharp, Delores Estelle J Wilson Pendleton, Barbara Jacob Schoen Kaley, Ursula Lake Lawn Metairie Johnson, Joan Short, Adelaide Majestic Mortuary Jackson, Roselee

West Bank Davis Mortuary Saul, Shona Robinson FH Armstrong, Nelvia Elliott, Earl

Obituaries

Dr. Ruby L. Broadway peacefully accepted her heavenly wings and en‐ tered her father’s presence on March 10, 2026 at the age of 71. Ruby was born September 18, 1954 to the late Bonnie Dickens in Washington, DC. For more than four decades, Ruby devoted her life to the ad‐ vancement of science, the empowerment of students, and the strengthening of Dillard University’s mission as a historically Black in‐ committed to stitution academic excellence and social progress. Ruby also worked as an adjunct pro‐ fessor at Southern Univer‐ sity at New Orleans for over 20 years. Ruby was a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, In‐ corporated. She was also a member of Alpha Beta Omega Chapter in New Or‐ leans before transferring to general membership. She leaves to cherish her aunt, Lucille Covington (Dr. Johnny); Elizabeth Broad‐ way; sister/cousin, Gwen‐ Thomas; broth‐ dolyn ers/cousins, Johnny Cov‐ ington III and Kevin Broad‐ way; along with a host of relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her mother; brother, Omar stepfather, Dickens; Shirley Dickens; and grand‐ parents, Henry and Cora Broadway. Relatives and friends are invited to at‐ tend a Celebration of Life honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Ruby Broad‐ way at Bethany United Methodist Church on Sat‐ urday, March 14, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. An Ivy Beyond the Wall Ceremony (Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, In‐ corporated) will begin at 9:00 a.m., followed by visi‐ tation at 10:00 a.m. The Final Homegoing Service will be held at Fairview Church of God, Burnsville Community, Polkton, North Carolina. In lieu of ﬂowers, please consider donating to Dillard University in the name of Ruby L. Broadway. Please sign the online guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com. Charbonnet Labat Glapion Directors, (504) 581-4411.

Armstrong, Nelvia Jean 'Lil Nel'

Burthlong, Barbara Ann

Nelvia Jean Armstrong "Lil Nel" of Harvey LA., de‐ parted this life peacefully at West Jefferson Medical Center on Tuesday, March 5, 2026. She was 58 years old. Beloved daughter of Nelvia Jean Randel Arm‐ strong and the late Ernest Devoted Armstrong. mother of Troy, Derrick, De‐ troit, and Tierra Armstrong. Sister of Gregory Arm‐ strong, Rodesia Rufﬁn and the late Craig and Charlie Armstrong. Lil Nell is also survived by her nieces, nephews, cousins, other and devoted relatives Relatives and friends. friends of the family are in‐ vited to attend the funeral service on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at Israel Baptist Church 1612 Esther St., Harvey, LA. 70058. The visi‐ tation will begin at 9AM follow by a 10AM service. Rev. Darrell McKinnies is

Barbara Ann Burthlong, age 79, peacefully entered eternal rest on Friday, Feb‐ ruary 27, 2026 and was wel‐ comed at the gates of Heaven. Mrs. Burthlong was born on September 13, 1946, in New Orleans, LA to the late Lena and Em‐ manuel Burthlong, Sr. She was raised in a God-fearing home grounded in faith, love and service. At an early age, she gave her life to Christ, beginning a life‐ long journey of ministry and devotion. Barbara was a faithful and devout mem‐ ber of New Salem Baptist Church, serving over 10 years on the usher board. Known for her powerful prayers and gentle wis‐ dom, she was a spiritual

Coleman, Vantrelle

With sadness we share the passing of Vantrelle Coleman, on February 28, 2026. Please visit www.rho desfuneral.com to view service information, sign online guestbook, send ﬂowers and share condo‐ lences.

Dorothy Jr., Louis

Louis Dorothy, Jr. passed away on February 28, 2026, at the age of 97. He was preceded in death by his beautiful wife of fifty years plus, Carolyn Ann Gusman and their eldest daughter, Cathy Ann Dorothy, sib‐ lings: Audrey Peters, Geral‐ dine Ford, Donald Dorothy, and Darrow Dorothy. He is survived by three children: Louis Michael (Stephanie Ancard) Dorothy, Tia Paul (Robert) Perry, and Terri Jackson; eight (Wade) grandchildren: Jaelyn, Lau‐ ren, and Larissa Dorothy, Caanan, Alex, and Shelley Paul, Zachariah and Is‐ abella Jackson; five sisters brothers: Lorraine and Chatman, Barbara Brown, Brown, Vernal Shirley and Bobbie Dorothy, Dorothy; and a host of nieces, nephews, other rel‐ atives and friends. Louis served in the United States Army. He loved to fish, crab, dance, and party. He was the life of every party. He lived without regrets. Rest in Peace, Popcorn. Family and friends are in‐ vited to attend the Memor‐ ial Service on Friday, March 13, 2026, for 1:00 p.m. at The Boyd Family Funeral Home, 5001 Chef Menteur Hwy., New Orleans, LA 70126. Visitation will begin at 12:30 p.m. Pastor Deme‐ trese Phillips, officiating. is private. Interment Guestbook Online: www. anewtraditionbegins.com (504)282-0600. Linear Brooks Boyd and Donavin

D. Boyd Owners/Funeral Di‐ rectors.

Elliott, Earl Daniel

Earl Daniel Elliott of Gretna, LA., was born on January 13, 1952, in Water‐ proof, Louisiana. He de‐ parted this life on Tuesday, February 21, 2026, leaving behind a lifetime of memo‐ ries with those who loved him most. Earl was a hard‐ working man and a tal‐ ented mechanic who was known for his ability to ﬁx just about anything. Above all, he was a devoted fam‐ ily man who took great children, pride in his and the grandchildren, many loved ones who sur‐ rounded him. Earl enjoyed life to the fullest. He loved to dance, sing, and cele‐ brate with family and friends, always bringing laughter, music, and joy wherever he went. He was preceded in death by his beloved spouse, Doris D. McGee, his son Timothy McGee, his grandchildren Tamericke Byrd and Timo‐ thy Byrd, along with sev‐ eral siblings who have gone on before him. Earl leaves to cherish his loving his children, memory Theresa (Andre) McGee and Calvin Davis. He also leaves behind his cher‐ ished grandchildren: Jas‐ McGee, Ronika mine (Larry) Harvey III, Devon McGee Sr., Leon McGee, Janika McGee, Tia Byrd, Tremaine Byrd, and Calvin Mackey. He was also blessed with many greatgrandchildren who will for‐ ever carry on his legacy and remember the love he shared with them. Earl also leaves behind his loving siblings Lucia Jordan and George Elliott Jr., as well as his devoted godson Lloyd Davis, along with a host of nieces, nephews, extended family members, and dear friends who will miss him greatly. Earl Daniel Elliott will always be remem‐ bered for his loving heart, his lively spirit, and the joy he brought to those around him. His legacy of love, laughter, and family will continue to live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him. Relatives and friends of the family are in‐ vited to attend the funeral service on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at Robinson Family Funeral Home, 9611 LA-23, Belle Chasse LA. 70058. The visitation will begin at 9AM followed by a 10AM ser‐ vice. Interment will be pri‐ vate. For online condo‐ lences please visit www. Robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com

Jackson, Roselee Phipps 'Rose'

relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1959 where she built a family and legacy. She lived a life full of love, service, laughter, and generosity. She was a devoted wife to Louis Jack‐ son and proud mother to her children: Daniel Phipps, Ernestine Phipps, Antoni‐ ‘Monkey’ Lewis, ette ‘Black’ (Will) Sheranda Crews, the late Tanya Phipps, and Tamara Phipps (the late Kerry) Parker. She was preceded in death by her parents Daniel Patter‐ son and Margie Dillon, her daughter Tanya Phipps, Niece Sharlene Patterson, son-in-law Kerry Parker, brother-in-law Ralph Jack‐ son, sister-in-law Annie ‘Mah’ Johnson, and grand‐ children Jamaal and Jarvis Gray, She leaves behind her beloved grandchildren: Tiffany Carter, Octavious Lewis, Ivan ‘Tavious’ Phipps, Renard Phipps, Zion Lewis. Great grand‐ children: Troyanna Milro, Milro, Treasure Taylor Milro, Troy Milro, and Uri Lewis. Sisters Margie Pat‐ terson, Deondra Nettles. Nieces Umeka Patterson, Darlene Patterson, Sombi Shannon Patterson, Davenport, (Wayne) (Alec) Scott, Chelsey Natasha Smith, and Ebone Thomas. Nephews Alton Patterson, (HotBeezo) Rasheed Patterson, and a host of close nephews, nieces, cousins, friends, inlaws, and loved ones. Rose will be remembered for her giant heart and nurturing spirit. She found joy in car‐ ing for others through her passion for cooking deli‐ cious meals for her family and friends. She even treated strangers like fam‐ ily; opening her doors to anyone in need of a place to live, feeding them and asking for nothing in re‐ turn. She has touched many lives with her unwa‐ vering love, patience, and empathy for everyone she She was encountered. quiet but mighty in spirit. Her legacy will live on in the meals she shared and the countless lives she touched. Relatives and friends of the family are all invited to attend the Fu‐ neral Service on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 11:00 am Calvary Tabernacle at Church, 3629 C.M.E. Dryades St., NOLA 70115. Visitation will begin at 10:00 am. Rev. Duane Hill Sr., Ofﬁciating. Interment will be in Providence Memorial Park. Profes‐ sional arrangements en‐ trusted to Majestic Mortu‐ ary Service, Inc. (504) 5235872.

Johnson, Joan Gisevius

Joan Gisevius Johnson of Metairie, Louisiana, peacefully passed away on the morning of Sunday, March 8, 2026, at the age of 82, surrounded by her loving family. A woman of deep and abiding faith, Joan was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, educator, and

friend whose life was marked by service, compassion, and unwavering dedication to Catholic education. A proud graduate of Ursuline Academy, Joan was a member of the Merry Mac Class of 1961. Her love for Ursuline remained steadfast throughout her life. She generously gave of her time and talent as a board member for both Ursuline Academy and the National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, and she was honored as Alumna of the Year in recognition of her faithful service and commitment to the Ursuline mission. She continued her education at Loyola University New Orleans, graduating summa cum laude in Business. While at Loyola, she was an active member of Phi Phi Phi sorority and was named Miss Wolf, an honor bestowed upon a senior woman who exemplified outstanding scholarship, leadership, and service to the university community. Joan later earned a Master's degree in Counseling from Loyola as well as a Master's degree in Educational Administration from Xavier University of Louisiana, further preparing her for the vocation that would define her life. Joan began her professional career in the student finance office at Loyola but soon discovered her true calling in education. She joined the faculty of Sacred Heart of Jesus School, where she taught religion, business math, and typing. Over the years, she touched countless lives as a teacher, guidance counselor, and eventually principal. When Sacred Heart of Jesus School became Seton Academy — proudly located on Canal Street, as she often reminded everyone — Joan's leadership helped guide the school through years of growth and change. She later oversaw the merger of Seton Academy and Redeemer High School, forming RedeemerSeton High School, where she continued to serve as principal with vision and dedication until the school's closing after Hurricane Katrina. In 1996, she was nationally recognized with the prestigious National Catholic Educational Association's Principal Award, a testament to her exceptional leadership and lifelong commitment to Catholic education. Joan was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Thomas E. Johnson; her father, Frederick J. Gisevius, Jr.; her mother, Valda Hernandez Gisevius; and her twin sister, Jane M. Gisevius. She is lovingly remembered by her children, Jennifer Johnson Molina and Michael Thomas Johnson (Alicia); her sister, Carol Gisevius Waguespack (Roland); and her six cherished grandchildren: Dexler Steven Molina, Juan Manuel Molina, Jr., Dylan Davis Cummins, Aida Molina, Lydia Lynne Cummins, and Clancy Jane Johnson. Her family was her greatest joy, and she took immense pride in each of them. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Funeral Mass on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 11:00

Davis Mortuary Service, Inc Roselee “Rose” Phipps Jackson was born on Feb‐ ruary 4, 1945 in Liberty, Mississippi to the late Patterson and Daniel Margie Dillon. She transi‐ tioned home to be with the Lord on March 3, 2026. She began a relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, at an early age, as she was baptized at Lib‐ erty Baptist Church in Lib‐ erty, Mississippi. She later

Gretna, LA (504) 361-8649 Woodlawn Park Memorial Cemetery and Mausoleum (504) 362-3091

lll

a.m. in the chapel of Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m., and a graveside service at All Saints Mausoleum will follow the Mass. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that Masses be offered in Joan's memory or that donations be made to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, 2701 State St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 or to Ursuline Academy, 2635 State St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70118. Joan's legacy of faith, education, and loving service will continue to live on in the countless lives she shaped and in the family she cherished so deeply.

Kaley, Ursula Elizabeth Armstrong Huete

Ursula Elizabeth Arm‐ strong Huete Kaley passed away the evening of Satur‐ day, March 7, 2026, at age 94. Ursula, the “Little SheBear”, was born on March 31, 1931, to Neil August Armstrong, Jr., and Ursula Wilhelmina Meyer Arm‐ strong. She spent most of her life in the New Orleans area, having grown up in Chalmette, attending the Academy of Holy Angels in the Ninth Ward, and gradu‐ ating as a Medical Technol‐ ogist from Loyola Univer‐ sity. It was at Loyola where she met, and subsequently married, her ﬁrst husband F. William Huete, DDS, to whom she presented six sons. In addition to taking care of her family, Ursula had a full life: tennis with the Goo-Goo’s, tap danc‐ ing, sewing, gardening, traveling, beaching, and socializing with her posse. Following Bill’s sudden and untimely death in 1989, Ur‐ sula re-entered single life and busied herself with her interests. But the Fates re‐ united her with one of Bill’s old Navy buddies, and she subsequently wed Donald C. Kaley. Ursula lived with Don in Savannah, GA , then Diamondhead, MS, but re‐ turned to River Ridge in her last years. Ursula was predeceased by her parents, her brother Neil III, and her husbands Bill and Don. She is survived by her sons, Rev. Francis William Huete, SJ; David Armstrong Huete PE (Maria); Commander Michael Charles Huete, USN (Ret) (Janice): Deacon Marc Huete Stephen Lieutenant (Dorothy); Colonel Timothy Hopper Huete, USMC (Ret) (Nora); and Captain Patrick Niles Huete, USN (Ret) (Kris). She is also survived by sixteen grandchildren, six greatgrandchildren, and multi‐ ple nieces and nephews. Ursula’s family would like to thank all of the care‐ givers who helped her over the last few years, espe‐ cially her Visiting Angels, TraCie and Fontella. Your lessened ministrations Mom’s burdens and gave us comfort. A funeral Mass will be offered on Friday, March 13, 2026, at 11 a.m. in the J. Garic Schoen Chapel at Jacob Schoen & Son Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 9:30 a.m. until Mass time. Condolences may be left at www.schoenfh.com. Arrangements by Jacob Schoen & Son Funeral Home, 3827 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119.

Lewis, Willie Mae Peterson

With sadness we share the passing of Willie Mae Peterson Lewis, on March 4, 2026. Please visit www. rhodesfuneral.com to view service information, sign online guestbook, send ﬂowers and share condo‐ lences.

Marshall, Lisa Marie

Lisa Marie Marshall, age 66, was called home to glory on Saturday, Febru‐ ary 28, 2026. Born January 13, 1960 in New Orleans, LA, Lisa was the eldest of eight children born to James and Elenora John‐ son. A devoted Christian, she accepted Christ as a child and remained stead‐ fast in her faith as a mem‐ ber of Franklin Avenue Bap‐ tist Church. A 1979 gradu‐ ate of Francis T. Nicholls High School, Lisa served as captain of “The Dancing Bobcats.” While working at Schwegmann’s, she met Henry Marshall, whom she married in 1980. Their union was blessed with two daughters, Crystal and Inspired by Courtney. Courtney, Lisa became a passionate special needs advocate and Special Edu‐ Paraprofessional. cation Her career brought her back to her alma mater and later to Riverdale High School, where she was af‐ nicknamed fectionately “Cookie”. Lisa had a mag‐ netic spirit and warm heart. She enjoyed cook‐ ing, reading her Bible, dancing, decorating her home and fashion, often wearing her favorite color, red, and leopard prints. In addition to her daughters Lisa is also survived by her siblings, Rhonda Charles, Jamie Johnson, Troylynn Carley, James Johnson, III, Shannon Goodie, Sabrina Gibson, Craig, Krystal, Ray‐ mond, and Shane James; companion, Ernesto Mar‐ tinez, as well as a her Saint and grandpups, Mochi, a host of other relatives and beloved friends. In addition to her parents, Lisa is also pre‐ ceded in death by James Johnson, Jr; former hus‐ band, Henry Marshall; sis‐ Yvette Johnson; ter, Michael brother-in-law, Goodie; great-niece, Nia Vanderpool and grand‐ pups, Yoshi and Beignet. Her love, faith and vibrant spirit will forever live in the hearts of those who knew her. A Celebration service honoring the life and legacy of the late Lisa Marie Marshall will be held at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, 8282 I-10 Service Road South, New Orleans, LA 70126 on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 10 am. In‐ Mount Olivet terment Cemetery, 4000 Norman Mayer Ave., New Orleans, LA 70122. The service will also be livestreamed at www.franklinabc.com, Facebook.com/fabcnola and YouTube.com/fabc‐ nola. Please sign online guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com. Charbonnet Labat Glapion, Directors (504) 581-4411

Home, 1615 St. Philip Street, New Orleans, LA 70116 on Friday, March 13, 2026 at 10 am. Interment private. Visitation 9 am in the chapel. Please sign on‐ line guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com. Charbonnet Labat Glapion, Directors (504)581-4411

Barbara "Barb" Fender‐ Pendleton entered son eternal rest on February 15, 2026 in Seattle Washington, at the age of 87. She was born on December 11, 1938 in Muleshoe, Texas. Daugh‐ ter of the late Henry Fluellen, Myron Young Sr. and Earnice Young. Re‐ membered as an excellent cook and a loving mother, who stayed home for her loving children. She was a Deaconess at Nancy Mis‐ sionary Baptist Church for most of her life and a member of Bonnie Bell Collins #81 under Electra Grand Chapter O.E.S. of the A.R. for the State of Louisiana for more than 50 years. She was a skilled seamstress and an avid volunteer for many good causes, such as feeding the homeless. She loved her children; she is sur‐ vived by her daughter Mary Phillips Bowen and son Benny Lee Phillips, her brother, Myron Young, and Paulette sister-in-law, Hebert. Barbara is also sur‐ vived by many loving grandchil‐ stepchildren, dren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her son, Nathan Bem‐ mer, and her previous hus‐ bands, Samuel L. Fender‐ son and Robert Pendleton. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend a Celebration of Life Ser‐ vice on Saturday March 14, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Es‐ telle J. Wilson Funeral Home, Inc. 2715 Danneel St. New Orleans, La. 70113. Visitation from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. service time. Rev. William Brent Jr. ofﬁciating. Interment: Mt. Olivet Cemetery, 4000 Nor‐ man Mayer Ave. New Or‐ leans, La. 70122. Arrange‐ ments Entrusted To Estelle J. Wilson Funeral Home, Inc. 2715 Danneel Street, NOLA 70113. Infomation: (504) 895-4903. To sign on‐ line guest book please visit www.estellejwilsonfh.com.

Mayronne Jr., Louis 'Juan'

Jerome Reddick passed away on February 28, 2026, at the age of 72. Jerome Reddick is survived by his spouse Amelia Reddick, parents of the late Jesse Reddick, Sr. and the late Ruby Manuel Reddick, chil‐ dren: Raquel Reddick Dil‐ Roxanne Reddick lon, Glasper, Gerald A. Reddick, Jerome D. Reddick, Libra Anthony and Moses An‐ thony, grandchildren: Jas‐ mine S. Crockett, Gerald‐ lynn T. Stewart, Breonna Aimes, Jai Reddick, Lionel Glasper, Maunce Glasper, RaMya Jackson, MyWish Anthony, and 9 great grandchildren. A sister In‐ grid Manuel and a brother the late Jesse Reddick, Jr. Also survived by a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. Family and friends are in‐ vited to attend the Cele‐ bration of Life Service on Saturday, March 14, 2026, for 10:00 a.m. at The Boyd Family Funeral Home, 5001 Chef Menteur Hwy., New Orleans, LA 70126. Visita‐ tion will begin at 9:00 a.m. Pastor Malcolm Collins, of‐ ﬁciating. Interment will fol‐ low at Providence Park and Mausoleum, 8200 Airline Metairie, LA Highway, 70003. Guestbook Online: www.anewtraditionbegins. com (504) 282-0600. Linear Brooks Boyd and Donavin

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 5B Short, Adelaide Agnes

Rout Collins, Alice

Pendleton, Barbara Fenderson 'Barb'

Reddick, Jerome

Louis “Juan” Mayronne Jr., entered eternal rest on March 6, 2026, at the age of 77, surrounded by family at Ochsner Medical Center. He was born on March 4, 1949, in New Orleans, LA, to the late Louis Juan, Sr. and Lucille Blache Mayronne. Juan was the beloved life‐ long partner of Goldie Bates; devoted father of Carla Ann Mayronne; lov‐ ing grandfather of Jamie Ann Miskell and Louis An‐ drew Mayronne; bonus fa‐ ther of Gerrad Bates; cher‐ ished brother of Lisa May‐ ronne Jones. He also leaves to cherish his memory his godson, Ashton Christo‐ pher Jones; niece, Ashley Christine Jones, along with a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, other relatives, and dear friends. Juan was a hardworking and de‐ pendable man who dedi‐ cated many years of ser‐ vice to Bunny Bread before retiring. He enjoyed auto‐ mobiles, jazz music and faithfully cheering on his New Orleans beloved Saints. Above all, he will be remembered for his gentle spirit, quiet strength and deep love for his family. A Celebration service honor‐ ing the life and legacy of the late Louis “Juan” May‐ ronne Jr. will be held in the of Charbonnet Chapel Labat Glapion Funeral

D. Boyd Owners/Funeral Di‐ rectors.

Alice Rout Collins went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 in Lithonia, Georgia. She was born on July 9, 1954 in New Orleans, Louisiana to the late Lawrence Sr., and Della Rout. She was also preceded in death by her grandmother, Mary Carnard and brother, Lawrence Rout, Jr. Alice received her Certified Nurse Aide training from Sidney Collier Technical College. After 30 years of service, she retired as a Certified Nurse Aide from Charity Hospital. She is survived by her son, Edward Anthony (Charrie), granddaughter, Camry; three sisters: Rosemary, Linda, Charmaine; brother, John Rout and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the Homegoing Celebration at Professional Funeral Service, Inc., 1449 N. Claiborne Ave. on Friday, March 13, 2026 at 10:00am. Visitation at 9:00am. Interment to follow at Providence Memorial Park & Mausoleum, 8200 Airline Dr., Metairie, LA 70003. Services entrusted to Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory, Decatur, GA and Professional Funeral Service, Inc., New Orleans, LA.

Adelaide Agnes Short passed away on March 9, 2026, at the age of 88. She was born January 2, 1938, to the late Alice Horridge Farrell and William S. Farrell. She was preceded in death by her brothers, William A. Short, Jr., John F. Short, Arthur C. Short, Joseph T. Short, and Roy E. Short and her sisters, Miriam Short Horn and Irene A. Short. Adelaide is survived by her sister, Alice Short Boudreaux and over 60 nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. She was a graduate of Redemptorist Girls High School and earned her bachelor's from Southeastern Louisiana University. Adelaide worked for the United State Department of Agriculture until her retirement. She was responsible in ensuring food imported into the United States was safe and up to the standards for consumption. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Funeral Mass in the chapel of Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. New Orleans, on Friday, March 13, 2026, at 10 am with a visitation beginning at 9 am. Interment will follow the Mass and take place in Metairie Cemetery. To share fond memories and leave condolences online, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com

Saul, Shona

Tharp, Delores A.

Shona Saul departed this life peacefully on Tues‐ day, March 3, 2026. She was a native and lifelong resident of New Orleans, LA. Shona was a woman known for her strength, warmth, humor, and deep love for her family and friends. She lived her life with a bold spirit and a that welcomed heart everyone, earning her the beloved nickname “ShoN‐ uff.” Shona will be remem‐ bered for her vibrant per‐ sonality, her strong will, and the unconditional love she gave to her family. Whether through laughter, wisdom, or simply being present, she made a last‐ ing impact on everyone who knew her. Her legacy of love, strength, and fam‐ ily will continue to live on through those she leaves behind. Beloved mother of David Balthazar (Rosezel), Jennifer Saul, Johnathan Saul, Sr. Loving grand‐ mother of Jasmine Saul, Balthazar, and Gavin Johnathan Saul, Jr. Daugh‐ ter of the late Uriah Frazier and Dolores Causey. Sister of Zirece Fraziers. God‐ mother of Octavia Boles (George) Wilson, also sur‐ vived by a host of nieces, cousins, ex‐ nephews, tended relatives, and many friends whose lives she touched in countless ways. Relatives and friends of the family also pastors, ofﬁ‐ cers, and member of New Light Baptist Church and all neighboring churches are invited to attend the Celebration of Life Service New Light Baptist at Church, 1435 Feliciana St., New Orleans, LA on Friday, March 13, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. Pastor Gregory Davis ofﬁciating. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. until ser‐ vice time at the abovenamed church. Interment: Will be private. Arrange‐ ments by Davis Mortuary Service, 230 Monroe St., Gretna, LA. To view and sign the guestbook, please go to www.davismortua Following ryservice.com. the services, family and friends are invited to gather for a repass at 4200 Elysian Fields Ave., New Or‐ leans, La. 70122.

It is with deep sorrow and immense admiration that we mourn the passing of Delores A. Tharp, of New Orleans, on February 28, 2026, at the age of 93. She soft-spoken but was known for her compassion‐ ate nature. Preceded in death by her parents, Oscar and Ruth Harrison brothers Oscar Tharp, Tharp, Jr. and Marvin Tharp. She leaves to cher‐ ish her memory, a host of devoted family and friends. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the Funeral Service at Mt. Hermon Baptist Church, 2153 North Broad St., New Orleans 70119 on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 10:00am, Rev. John Jackson, Pastor ofﬁciating. Visitation be‐ gins at 9:00 AM 10:00am. Interment: Mt Olivet Mau‐ 4000 Norman soleum, Mayer Ave., NOLA 70122. Arrangements entrusted to D.W. Rhodes Funeral Home, Washington Ave, 3933 NOLA 70125. Please visit www.rhodesfuneral.com to sign the online guestbook, share memories and con‐ dolences with the family.

dedicated educator in Or‐ leans Parish Public Schools for over 40 years, touching lives as a countless teacher and coach. A de‐ member of St. vout Katharine Drexel Catholic Church and a proud Holy Ghost Catholic School, St. Augustine High School, Grambling State University, and Southern University graduate. Relatives and friends are invited to at‐ tend the Homegoing Cele‐ bration on Friday, March 13, 2026, at St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church, 2001 Louisiana Ave., New Orleans, LA. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Mass of Christian Bur‐ ial will begin at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow Mt. Olivet Cemetery, New Or‐ leans, LA. Guestbook On‐ line: www.anewtraditionbe (504)282-0600. gins.com Linear Brooks Boyd and Donavin D. Boyd Own‐ ers/Funeral Directors.

Williams, Amanda Elizabeth

Our beloved matriarch Amanda Elizabeth Williams passed away on 2/27/2026, at the age of 94. Miss Williams was a longtime resident of New Orleans, Louisiana. She is the loving daughter of the late Mr. Rowan and Mrs. Amy Wade Born in St. Williams. Louisiana and Joseph, passed away peacefully at LCMC Health. She leaves to mourn behind a legacy of cherished memories that spans ﬁve generations, survived by two daughters Jackie Williams, Barbara Williams, two sons Darryl Williams, Arthur Wade Sr. She also leaves sixteen grandchildren, thirty-seven great-grandchildren, nine great-great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grand‐ child on the way Miss Williams. She was prede‐ ceased by her loving daughter “Sue Mae Dallas,” two grandchildren: Arthur Wade Jr., Angela Monique Williams, and great grand‐ daughter-Keshonda Marie Polk. Family and friends are invited to attend the Celebration of Life Service on Saturday, March 14, 2026, for 10:00 a.m. at Hope Baptist Stronger Church, 2401 South Galvez Street. New Orleans, LA 70185. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. Ofﬁciating Pas‐ tor Nicholas Kevin Der‐ ouen, Sr. M.DIV. Interment will follow at Providence Park Cemetery, 8200 Airline Metairie, LA Highway. 70003. Guestbook Online: www.anewtraditionbegins. com (504)282-0600. Linear Brooks Boyd and Donavin D. Boyd Owners/Funeral Di‐ rectors.

Veal Sr., Frank Joseph 'Nutch'

MOM

ON YOUR BIRTHDAY

Frank Joseph Veal Sr., "Nutch", age 85, born No‐ vember 13, 1940, passed March 4, 2026. away Beloved husband of Mad‐ lyn Wesley Veal. Devoted father of Tunisia N. Veal, Veal Roy Natascha (Ronald), Frank J. Veal, Jr., and Nicholas D. Veal (Mon‐ ica). Loving grandfather of Sydnie-Renee´ Veal, Dylan and Sumayra Veal and Tatum and Logan Veal. Cherished great-grandfa‐ ther of Jeremy Hightower and Weslyn Falconer. Son of the late Cyril and Thelma Veal. Frank was a

We are sending a dove in Heaven. Be careful when you open it. It’s full of beautiful things. Inside are a million Kisses, wrapped up in a million hugs to say how much we miss you and to send you all our love. Happy Birthday Mom Greatly missed by Sons, Grandchildren, Family and Friends

6B ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

OPINION N O L A.C O M/opinions

OUR VIEWS

N.O. water system’s crisis demands urgent response One boil water advisory is an annoyance. Two could be written off as a freak coincidence. But three in less than three months is an alarming trend that demands a muscular response. That’s the reality facing the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans in the wake of the third massive water line break this year, the latest early Monday morning in the same area as a prior one in late January. There have been additional breaks during the same period that did not cause water pressure to drop enough to trigger boil water orders, but that still flooded streets. While the water board is a separate city and state agency, the city’s mayor serves as its president. And Mayor Helena Moreno has made it clear she’s as frustrated as her constituents are. “I very much sympathize for the residents in that area,” Moreno said. “What is the plan? What (is the board) doing to rectify this situation right now that is clearly a significant emergency? What is the short-term plan? What is the longterm plan?” All good questions. With guidance from Steven Nelson, her deputy chief administrative officer for infrastructure and the water board’s former general superintendent, Moreno called on S&WB executive director Randy Hayman to take preemptive steps such as conducting an acoustic analysis of major pipes in the Uptown area to identify vulnerabilities before they become crises. She’s also asked for a financial estimate to fix the system’s most dire shortcomings, which she says would enable her to seek help cobbling together the money to do as much of the work as possible. Hayman told City Council members that at least $200 million is needed. He said his staff started working on an audit after the second major break. We are dismayed that it wasn’t started sooner, but urge him to keep the public informed on its progress. We’re glad to see City Hall pushing for answers and also looking for longer-term solutions to the agency’s many long-running challenges. On the legislative front, we believe Moreno is on the right track in pushing House Bill 573 by state Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, which is aimed at making the agency more nimble. The bill would allow the City Council to make operational and other changes without having to wait for state lawmakers to go into session. The challenge of bringing old, broken pipes up to modern standards is not new, but these frequent disruptions are simply not acceptable, not to residents who’ve seen cars and homes damaged by floodwaters, not to parents who’ve had to scramble when schools unexpectedly closed, and not for restaurants that rely on clean running water to serve their customers. Moreno took office in January, having promised to move fast and fix things. No part of government is more in need of that urgency than the city’s water system.

Moreno striving to put city on path to fiscal independence To the Black community leaders in New Orleans who were, and still are, not happy about the election of Helena Moreno, I suggest you take pause and acknowledge that she is doing something that no previous mayor has attempted to do. She is trying to free New Orleans ﬁnancially from being nothing more than a ward of the federal government. Over the years, the most signiﬁcant improvement projects in New Orleans came about because they were paid for by federal funds and, sadly, once those funds were depleted, many fell into disrepair again because the city had no funds to maintain them. And this process has been repeated year

after year after year in New Orleans. Louis Armstrong Park is a perfect example. Just look at how many times it has been restored with federal funds, only to fall into disrepair again because the city couldn’t maintain it. With the mayor’s new plan to restore Louis Armstrong Park once again, along with the Municipal Auditorium, she is including an avenue for the city to maintain both these structures, breaking the “ward dependency” syndrome. And for that revolutionary plan, she needs to be congratulated by all.

JIM ANDERSON Ponchatoula

Barricades cut off Mardi Gras revelry People with chairs and ladders formed another layer of blockage along the barricades. We were unable to cross and met many others who voiced the same frustration. We gave up and retired for lunch. Our group did come back later, after Zulu had passed, and found that an opening in the barricades had been made where Basin meets Canal Street. So we were able to enjoy the afternoon in the French Quarter, but we missed our march with the Krewe of Cosmic Debris! I hope the city can devise a way to return access to foot trafﬁc into the Quarter in the future.

It was Mardi Gras morning and a beautiful day as I, with a few friends in full costume, prepared to cross Basin Street between Iberville and St. Louis streets on our way into the French Quarter to meet up with a marching krewe. Zulu was just beginning to proceed down Basin Street, but we’ve always been able to easily and safely pass through this parade between bands and ﬂoats. However, this year, extensive barricades had been erected along both sides of the riverside lanes of Basin Street where Zulu was passing. These barricades extended at least as far as Claiborne Avenue (We walked there).

GEORGE CAWLEY New Orleans

Some conservatives may find it hard to support Trump

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published

identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone 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.

YOUR VIEWS

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

To the subscriber that wrote, “Letters should cater to views of customers.” I agree. I, too, have noticed many of the opinion letters are more liberal. And yes, you are correct that the majority of readers of our state’s major news publication are likely conservative and/or Republican. But please take into consideration the unprecedented state of our country at this time. Also, take into consideration that the newspaper has to work with the letters they receive. I imagine it would be difﬁcult to compose an opinion letter that defends many of the policies being implement-

ed by our current Republican leaders. Think of the grossly unqualiﬁed appointees who are currently serving at the top levels of our government. Think of the inhumane treatment of immigrants and everyday Americans that we are witnessing. Think of the tariffs being imposed (most illegally) and the resulting high cost of living we are experiencing. I could go on and on, but I can’t help but think that many conservatives are not satisﬁed with the current state of events. And if they are, they may not be proud of writing a letter stating such.

Why does road construction in this state take so long? The state Department of Transportation and Development and/or Livingston Parish should be required to explain how it is taking so long to complete the Juban Road and U.S. 190 connection. Driving Juban twice a day, five days a week, I am mystified at the manner of the construction taking place. It seems there are subs doing the majority of the work with very little getting done. Work goes on in small spots and will take place for a day or two, maybe three, then no work for weeks on end. Expensive equipment just sits idle during this time, and one has to wonder who is paying for this equipment to sit idle for weeks on end. Probably taxpayers who also probably pay for the time and materials are being charged for their spot work. Juban is one thing, but U.S. 190 is a major road left to sit like it is for years on end. Whoever designed or planned the work schedule should be questioned, as the roundabout on U.S. 190 was the last to be started when it should have been first. It is hard to understand how payments to the contractors are being made with such a haphazard work schedule and the completion of any project. The installation of the forms for the concrete on the drainage boxes is a prime example of how all the work has been done, with two pickup trucks with about five to seven workers installing one or two a week. No company names on anything. It’s a typical Louisiana project, which is taking years longer than it should, so one has to wonder who is getting the kickbacks for extending a project for so long.

EDWARD DAIGLE Covington

JENNIFER WARD Baton Rouge

FIVE-TIME WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE

KEVIN HALL

JERRY DICOLO

FRED KALMBACH

JENNIFER BROWN

ARNESSA GARRETT

KRISTIN ASKELSON

EMMA DISCHER

President & Publisher

Deputy editor/News

RENE SANCHEZ

Deputy editor/Opinion

VP/News, Executive Editor

KARYN KEARNEY EVP/Strategic Partnerships

JUSTIN MITCHELL

Deputy editor/Audience

Managing editor

Managing editor, Acadiana

BARBARA LEADER Managing editor, Shreveport

Senior Editor Senior Editor

ANDREA GALLO Senior Editor/ Investigations

JESSICA WILLIAMS Senior Editor

ROGER HOLMES Executive VP, Operations

LOU HUDSON

VP/Majors & Nationals

JIM MYERS

VP/Finance

ROBERT STOLL

VP/Distribution

ASHLEY WHITCHER IT Director

KYLE WHITFIELD

VP/ Consumer Sales

ROBERT YOUNG

General Manager/ Advertising

GEORGES MEDIA GROUP JOHN D. GEORGES Owner

JUDI TERZOTIS

Chief Executive Ofﬁcer Editorial Page

DAN SHEA

Chairman

ARNESSA GARRETT STEPHANIE GRACE WILL SUTTON QUIN HILLYER FAIMON ROBERTS

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 7B

lll

COMMENTARY Economic development in Louisiana is (r)evolving well adds a major extra element. Most govIn an underappreciated advancement, Louisiana, as of March 3, is a ernment revolving funds dole out loans leading innovator in industrial recruit- for economic development projects but rely on the borrowers to do all the work. ment. This is great news — a credit to FastSites is far more proactive. state legislators, to Gov. Jeff In this program, the state Landry and to Susan Bourgeois, recognizes properties that offer the secretary of Louisiana Ecogreat possibilities for economic nomic Development. projects but suffer from some The great news comes via a major drawback, such as a lack brilliant new program called of water service or access to Louisiana FastSites, which is a Quin high-transition power lines or particularly creative form of a Hillyer adequate access roads. Without “revolving fund.” A revolving waiting for some private invesfund is a financial instrument that spends or loans money at the front tor to find the money, buy the property ends of projects, then secures repayand pay for the missing element, Fastments (of one sort of another) from the Sites instead pays to provide those ultimate buyer or user of the property missing elements on the front end so as or entity involved, and then uses the re- to make the properties “market-ready” for rapid conversion into productive paid money to finance another project enterprises. — and so on. The initial FastSites fund has $150 The additional capital, therefore, can million to be used in increments of bejump-start an almost endless series of projects without requiring any new tween $1 million and $25 million. Applifinancing after the initial investment. cants are required to put up matching Private charitable organizations use refunds, show that their project offers a clear benefit to the state and likely volving funds to buy up and refurbish return on investment and pay back abandoned houses to help bring whole neighborhoods back. Government enti- the state’s outlay (and possibly more) ties in various states use them (but not within five years. The state’s arrangeas creatively as Louisiana FastSites) ment could even include a permanent as economic development tools. Forrevenue-sharing arrangement so that money keeps flowing back into the mer U.S. Rep. Richard Baker, R-Baton FastSites fund, allowing it not just to Rouge, proposed a massive revolving be made whole but actually to grow fund of sorts as a way to recover from without additional appropriation of taxHurricane Katrina, but the George W. Bush administration, alas, thought payer funds. the managerial oversight would be too “It’s clear that speed-to-market is complicated and opted for more costly a primary driver in decision-making straight grant programs instead. for investors,” Bourgeois said. “How So, it’s not as if a revolving fund is a quickly you can get from consideration new concept. It has proved successful to decision to execution on a project is in numerous contexts, all across the fundamental to winning projects right country. now.” But Louisiana FastSites, created by Meanwhile, she said, “most states Act 365 of the 2025 legislative session, will not have an endless budget to just

go buy property. There are lots of private and public entities that would love to own property but plenty lack that critical element that make it so-called ‘shovel ready.’” By identifying the critical element and providing it, FastSites makes it possible to move to project execution in a more timely, and therefore, more economically viable way. “Speed and repayment are the keys here,” Bourgeois said, while crediting her deputies Ileana Ledet, chief of economic competitiveness, and Landon Lemoine, director of strategic investments, for so quickly turning last year’s legislation into a working program. On March 3, her department announced the first 19 site investments, spanning 16 parishes, with examples ranging from projects for the Acadiana Regional Airport to the Port of Caddo Bossier to Jefferson Parish’s Avondale Global Gateway maritime industrial center. “‘Site readiness’ is the secret sauce of economic development,” said Michael Hecht, president of GNO, Inc., in celebrating the first site investments. Think of it this way: Louisiana now has a revolving fund with site readiness as a beneficial twist. If you use AI to ask what revolves and twists at the same time, the very first answer is a gyroscope. Gyroscopes are most famously used to keep ships or aircraft moving steadily forward even while rocked by crosscurrents. If FastSites works as an effective gyroscope to keep the state’s economy moving forward, well, that makes it a tremendously useful, job-creating device. Email Quin Hillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com

What’s next for Cuba after collapse? The Museum of Socialism, aka Cuba, is plummeting in a tightening gyre. The 67-year-old Communist regime, which has existed during 14 U.S. presidencies (counting Donald Trump twice), might not survive into a 15th. Its iron fist grips an island prison that has fewer than 11 million — perhaps under 9 million — inmates. In this decade, more than a million have escaped; the regime considers this George partly a safety valve, exporting dissidents. Most Will have gone into America’s Cuban diaspora. “Cuban society is a rudderless, drifting hulk,” writes Juan Antonio Blanco, president of a Madrid-based think tank, in the Journal of Democracy. “Amid the institutional anomie, ordinary citizens endure a daily hell of ever-increasing hardships.” Fidel Castro, who perhaps was a billionaire when he died in 2016, was proudly anti-bourgeois, telling Cubans: “We are not a consumer society.” He got that right. Cuba, a threadbare geopolitical irrelevancy, was once famous for cigars and sugar. It has had to import tobacco from Spain and sugar from Brazil. The Financial Times reports that drivers wait hours to fill their gas tanks. Garbage accumulates in streets because refuse trucks lack fuel. Airlines avoid Havana because fuel is unavailable. Abandoned hotels, built for tourism that never materialized, line Havana’s waterfront. Soviet-era oil-fired electricity generators fail from lack of maintenance. People trek from the provinces to Havana to buy expensive candles that burn for about an hour. Patients who need operations are told to bring to the hospital their own sheets, gauze, bandages, even scalpels. Writing in Foreign Affairs, Michael J. Bustamante, chair in Cuban and CubanAmerican Studies at the University of Miami, says “an outbreak of dengue and other mosquito-borne viruses has reached epidemic proportions.” In the 1930s, apologists for Josef Stalin’s use of terror and engineered famine to produce socialism, complacently said, “You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs.” George Orwell’s acid reply: “Where’s the omelet?” Mendicant Marxism, dependent for decades on

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RAMON ESPINOSA

A baker sells baked goods along the streets of Havana last week. Soviet subsidies, then on Venezuelan oil from the Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro regimes, is discredited everywhere outside Western universities’ humanities departments. When Castro came to Manhattan in 1960, novelist Norman Mailer swooned: “One felt life in one’s cold, over-argued blood.” Director Oliver Stone, emblem of Hollywood progressivism, advised of Castro in 2003: “We should look to him as one of the Earth’s wisest people.” Castro may have been the last charismatic totalitarian to enchant the Western left. In the 1960s, Jean-Paul Sartre, France’s celebrity existentialist (existentialists believed that life is absurd, so they should be, too), said Castro exemplified “direct democracy.” Cuba’s democracy has indeed been unmediated by elections. Castro promised elections at his trial in 1953, and in his manifesto from the mountains in 1957, two years before he got to Havana. Cuba has had only two presidents since Castro, then 81, retired in 2008: his brother Raúl (who is 94 and still influential) and, since 2018, Miguel Díaz-Canel. Blanco argues that since Castro’s death, Cuba has transitioned from a Communist state to a mafia state. The distinction is without much difference. Under communism, the dominant class was the bureaucracy. Now the country’s main sources of wealth have been privatized to serve essentially the same oligarchic interests. Today, as before, writes Blanco, “nothing works

except the system of repression.” According to the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights, 89% of Cubans consider themselves living in “extreme poverty.” Seventy-two percent consider power outages Cuba’s main problem; 71% say food shortages. Only 15% have constant access to running water. Seventy percent do not regularly eat three meals a day. On Jan. 29, President Donald Trump declared Cuba “an unusual and extraordinary threat.” This absurd finding enables a U.S.-enforced oil embargo that might tip Cuba into, at best, social entropy. Then what? Cuba’s internal security apparatus has reduced society to a dust of individuals. There is no latent capacity for organic democratic expression, as Solidarity became in Poland in the 1980s, when, suddenly, a third of the nation joined it. If Cuba soon completes its collapse into the status of a failed state, flotillas of the desperate might sail 90 miles north. Eleven months before he was murdered by a Castro admirer, President John F. Kennedy, author of the feckless 1961 Bay of Pigs attempt to overthrow Castro’s regime, spoke in Miami to survivors of this fiasco. They gave him a Cuban flag. He vowed: “I can assure you that this flag will be returned to this brigade in a free Havana.” Planting that flag there will be easier than planting the institutional structures of freedom. Email George Will at georgewill@ washpost.com.

Hometown high school athlete does a good deed SWAMPSCOTT, Mass. — “No star fades faster than that of a high-school athlete,” the author John Grisham wrote in his 2006 book “The Innocent Man.” Today’s column is about a high school athlete whose star never faded — and whose star is casting a gentle light over the community he electrified as a football halfback, basketball guard and baseball shortstop for the Swampscott High Big Blue more than a half-century ago. I suppose that calling Dick David who later was a Yale Shribman Jauron, gridiron standout and played and coached in the NFL, a high school athlete probably minimizes his achievements. But for those of us who grew up in this small town north of Boston with the shimmery harbor a commentator prone to exaggeration and with a fanciful imagination once compared to the Bay of Naples, Jauron will always be remembered for his exploits on the green fields and perspiration-encrusted gym of our hometown. Now, just a year after his death, Jauron — who played for the NFL’s Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals, and was head coach of the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills — has added another garland to the memory of perhaps the town’s greatest role model. That’s because what will endure long after the deaths of those of us who watched him play high school and college ball, and all of us who have dined out on Dickie Jauron stories for more than a half century, is the $2.2 million posthumous gift he and his wife, Gail, made to Northeast Arc, the local social-services agency for those with disabilities and for children at risk of developing them. “This is a transformative gift,” said Jo Ann Simons, who heads Northeast Arc. “We’ll use it to expand our recreation and sport programs for people who don’t have access to existing community recreation programs.” Mr. Jauron wasn’t pushed out of football following being fired, in 2009, as the coach of the Bills. He simply left football. He did it to care for Mrs. Jauron, who had early-onset Alzheimer’s, and everyone in town knew that was why he suddenly departed the gridiron game. Jauron was known for being taciturn in the New England way; it may have been no coincidence that he romped on the fields in the very town where Calvin Coolidge, not known for his garrulousness, spent his 1925 presidential summer at 35 Littles Point Road, down the street from where my Aunt Eileen and Uncle Herman lived in my childhood. Gail Jauron was much the same. Even those who noisily advertised that they were in the know — and we know who they are — didn’t know that Gail, who died in January, had a Ph.D. in philosophy from Harvard. Her thesis, pointedly, examined how people with intellectual disabilities were treated. Later, she taught people with disabilities basic life skills at local community colleges. “For 11 years, because of her condition, my mom was stuck in time,” said Kacy Jauron, the former director of special events for Northeast Arc and part of its development team. “Now she comes into clear vision, along with how she found the great opportunities that my dad’s life in football gave her — the platform to be involved in community service.” From the stores at Vinnin Square to the sands of Phillips Beach, Jauron still is remembered as the quiet fellow whose principal characteristics weren’t his contribution to a football dynasty but instead his modesty and generosity. For he was the boy who climbed a ladder to help his neighbor Roz Stone paint her house, only to be ordered down to the ground when Coach Stan Bondelevitch saw him as he drove down Bay View Avenue; he worried that his star player might fall. Dick hardly knew me; he graduated from our three-year high school just before I entered it. Yet he called one day after he returned home and moved next door to my mom to say he’d keep an eye on her as she slipped into memory loss. He offered to shovel her walk when it snowed. It was important to Jauron that he resisted going uptown, leaving his hometown friends behind for the allure of the glamorous people athletes he met on celebrity golf outings or in the green rooms of network interview shows. Simons, who was in high school with Jauron, is struck by a great irony. “The thing about Dick was how quiet he was, how he never looked for attention,” she said. “But because of this, he is getting attention, and of course, it is out of looking out for others.” The star still shines. Email David Shribman at dshribman@postgazette.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the

writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone 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, SCAN HERE

8B ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

with meteorologist Damon Singleton

TODAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Mostly sunny, windy and cooler

Nice with plenty of sunshine

Mostly sunny and pleasant

Partly sunny

Mostly cloudy and breezy

Pleasant with partial sunshine

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

68° 51°

LOW

HIGH

74° 54°

LOW

76° 65°

HIGH

High/low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

Beaumont 69/47 Port Arthur 69/52

Baton Rouge 68/41

Lake Charles 68/43

10s

20s

30s

Houma 69/43

40s

50s

LOW

60s

70s

80s

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

90s 100s 110s

NEW

MAR 18

City

Atlanta Austin Boston Charlotte Chicago Dallas Denver Houston Las Vegas

Shown are areas of precipitation and high temperatures for the day.

24-hour total Month to date Normal month to date year to date Normal year to date

HIGH

2:10a 9:07p 4:33p 5:58p 5:19p 4:21p 6:27p

FT.

7:15 a.m. 7:07 p.m. 3:03 a.m. 1:00 p.m.

FIRST

MAR 25

57 68 55 68 47 66 68 70 84

TODAY Lo

37 39 30 36 39 48 44 46 58

FULL

LAST

APR 1

r s sh sh s s pc s s

APR 9

69 78 42 63 44 78 71 76 86

FRI. Lo

45 51 37 43 29 55 45 56 60

LOW

0.5 1.1 1.6 1.4 0.9 1.2 1.1

s s pc s pc s pc s s

YESTERDAY

TODAY

READING 45 MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

GOOD

PRECIPITATION

83°/73° 71° 54° 85° in 2019 35° in 1998

TODAY’S TIDES Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) Shell Beach South Point, Marsh Island Cypremort Point Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) Wine Island

New Orleans 68/51

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Hattiesburg 65/37

Alexandria 64/40

Lafayette 66/43

HIGH

72° 61°

New Orleans through 5 p.m. Wednesday

Jackson 64/39 Many 67/41

LOW

59° 44°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 65/43

-0s

LOW

Monroe 63/41

Shreveport 65/43

-10s

HIGH

81° 53°

Well, most of the turbulent weather we experienced last night continues to move to the east away from southeast Louisiana. There may be another shower or two this morning, but it shouldn’t be much. So today, expect the cloudy morning skies to clear nicely later this morning and this afternoon. I’m expecting a sunny, cool and windy day. Temperatures this afternoon will rise to the mid60s. Winds will be north at 15 mph with gusts as high as 35 mph. Tomorrow, we will wake to temperatures in the upper 30s to the upper 40s.

0.01” 1.45” 1.60” 6.65” 10.91”

FT.

HIGH

3:17p -0.2 9:16a -0.3 3:57a -0.1 8:14a -0.1 4:25a -0.2 2:43a -0.4 5:27a -0.3

---------------

FT.

---------------

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

LOW

---------------

FT.

---------------

The solunar period schedule allows planning days so you will be fishing in good territory or hunting in good cover during those times. Major periods begin at the times shown and last for 1.5 to 2 hours. The minor periods are shorter. MAJOR MINOR MAJOR MINOR

Today 6:55a 12:42a 7:21p Friday 7:43a 1:30a 8:09p Saturday 8:30a 2:17a 8:55p Sunday 9:14a 3:02a 9:39p Monday 9:57a 3:45a 10:21p Tuesday 10:39a 4:28a 11:03p Wednesday 11:23a 5:11a 11:46p

City

Los Angeles Miami Nashville New york City Philadelphia Phoenix St. Louis San Francisco Seattle

91 86 55 59 61 92 56 70 44

TODAY Lo

64 70 41 32 30 61 46 50 35

s sh s r r s s s r

GOOD

91 82 68 45 51 94 61 65 41

1:08p 1:56p 2:42p 3:26p 4:09p 4:51p 5:35p

FRI. Lo

59 71 43 41 42 64 37 50 35

pc t pc pc pc s pc pc r

Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

MISSISSIPPI Memphis Vidalia-Natchez Red River Landing Baton Rouge Donaldsonville Reserve New Orleans OHIO Cairo COMITE Near Olive AMITE Near Darlington Denham Springs Port Vincent TICKFAW Montpelier Holden ATCHAFALAYA Simmesport Melville Krotz Springs Butte La Rose Bayou Sorrel Morgan City

FLOOD STAGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

WED. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

17.00 25.60 27.80 12.70 7.10 5.51 3.40

+2.14 +0.36 +0.20 -0.30 -0.20 -0.39 -0.09

34.91

+1.33

1.13

-5.29

18 29 8

2.84 28.66 4.87

-4.75 +0.76 +0.40

13 15

5.32 9.35

-0.69 +0.07

47 34 29 20 12 6

11.94 8.32 7.68 5.78 4.20 2.60

+0.46 +0.20 +0.25 +0.06 none -0.04

data as of 7 a.m. Wednesday

Tornadoes kill 2 in Indiana and raze buildings in Illinois BY NAM Y. HUH and KATHY McCORMACK Associated Press

KANKAKEE, Ill. — Major storms whipped up tornadoes that killed at least two people in northwest Indiana and leveled buildings in Kankakee, Illinois, authorities said Wednesday, as another round of rain, hail and strong winds made its way through the region. Several intense supercell thunderstorms moved across northern Illinois and northwestern Indiana on Tuesday, including one responsible for at least four tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service ofﬁce in Chicago. The storms shattered windows, tore off roofs and smashed vehicles in Kankakee. Wood planks and other debris littered yards, streets and parking lots. A landscape and garden center was seriously damaged, some parts completely destroyed. Storms also dropped 1 to 2 inches of rain and left piles of hail in the Grand Rapids area in western Michigan, said Alex Manion, a weather service meteorologist in Detroit. Streets ﬂooded, leaving a cars stranded with water up past their doors in some places. The weather service said crews are determining the strength and number of tornadoes, and that parts of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio remain under a tornado watch Wednesday. Suspected tornadoes last week killed four people in southwestern Michigan and two in eastern Oklahoma.

Community left in tatters The storm spawned a tornado that killed an elderly couple in their home in Lake Village, in northwestern Indiana, Newton County Coroner Scott McCord said. Their names have not been released. Crews rescued some who were trapped in their damaged homes, at least 70 utility poles were knocked down and many roads are unpassable, Newton County ofﬁcials said Wednesday morning. “Please do not come here. Do not try to help right now,” Sheriff Shannon Cothran said in a video update Tuesday night in front of a destroyed Lake Village home. Laurie Postma, a spokesperson for the Lake Township Volunteer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NAM y. HUH

A person searches through his belongings in Aroma Park, Ill., on Wednesday amid debris in the aftermath of a powerful storm that ripped through the area a day earlier. Fire Department, said the storm injured less than 10 people in Lake Village. Cothran said Wednesday that no other significant injuries have been reported but that search and rescue operations continue. Lake Village is about 60 miles southeast of Chicago and 25 miles west of Kankakee County, Illinois, where at least one tornado struck Tuesday night.

Rode out storm in bathtub David Ferris, of Lake Village, said he, his wife, and their dogs “rode it out in our downstairs bathtub.” They were unscathed, except for losing power. Ferris, who is a paramedic, helped to rescue and treat injured people. “We had another house where a

guy crawled out,” Ferris said. “He was having some trouble breathing because he was covered in house insulation.” Ferris said a Family Dollar store and a gas station were destroyed, and multiple large trees were uprooted. Jennifer Telford, 49, said she hid in her basement in Lake Village, from where she followed news reports of the storm. She didn’t hear the tornado that struck to the south, but said she heard the hail as it pelted her roof. “The siren in town didn’t go off,” she said. “The sirens outside town did.” She said power had been restored at the truck stop where she works Wednesday morning but that else-

where, “everything is closed due to the downed trees and power lines.” About 4,300 customers in Lake Village and surrounding communities were without power late Wednesday morning, the Northern Indiana Public Service Co. said on its website.

Giant hailstones fall In Kankakee, the storms produced exceptionally large hail, ranging from 3 to 5 inches in diameter. One 6-inch diameter hailstone may have set a new state record, the weather service said. A tornado touched down near the Kankakee fairgrounds before traveling northeast into the small suburb of Aroma Park, where it caused extensive damage, the Kankakee

County Sheriff’s Office said. Nine people in Kankakee County suffered minor injuries, officials there said at a news conference Wednesday. Kevin Birk, a meteorologist in the NWS Chicago office, confirmed at least one tornado touched down in the area Tuesday evening. Newlywed Cassidy Sinwelski, 23, said she and her husband were aware of the tornado watch in their Kankakee neighborhood and were expecting a run-of-the-mill storm until her husband spotted dark clouds barreling toward them. “We went into the bathroom, got a piece of plywood and within minutes, I closed my eyes, the lights flickered, and we just — there was nothing,” Sinwelski said.

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

SPORTS

N O L A.C O M

T h u r s d ay, M a r c h 12, 2026

1cN

Frisky LSU fails to prolong season LSU and Kentucky (20-12) played needs to answer is whether Matt Kentucky pulls McMahon will remain as coach. a back-and-forth matchup until the fourth-year coach is 60-70 game ﬂipped thanks to a 12-1 run away as McMahon’s The overall and hasn’t made the NCAA that gave the Wildcats a 77-65 lead with 6:54 remaining. During that future in doubt Tournament. “Thought it was an entertaining run, 6-foot-10 Kentucky forward

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The LSU basketball season was on the line Wednesday. A loss to No. 9-seeded Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference Tournament would end the campaign, and No. 16-seeded LSU played spiritedly in a Bridgestone Arena that was dominated by Kentucky fans. It wasn’t enough as the Tigers fell 87-82. The next question LSU (15-17)

college basketball game,” McMahon said. “Really admire the ﬁght and resiliency of our players. I thought they prepared the right way all week and came in here ready to ﬁght, compete at a high level. Played with great togetherness. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to knock down enough shots there in the second half, nor get enough stops.” When asked about his future, McMahon said he’s grateful to be the coach and that he will “certainly respect whatever decisions” the athletic administration makes.

Brandon Garrison, who had 17 points, made two 3-pointers. Entering the contest, he was 2 of 14 from beyond the arc this season. The back-to-back Garrison threes put Kentucky up 71-64 and made it sound like a home game for the Wildcats. LSU didn’t give in, as a fastbreak layup by Jalen Reece cut the deficit to 79-74 with 2:53 remaining. But the Tigers couldn’t get enough stops to overcome the Wildcats. Max Mackinnon had 28 points

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU guard Max Mackinnon, left, drives past Oklahoma guard Dayton Forsythe on Feb. 28 in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mackinnon scored 28 points Wednesday in the SEC Tournament, but the Tigers fell ä See LSU MEN, page 4C 87-82 to Kentucky.

LSU women need to improve in these areas for title run BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray gets past Toronto Raptors guard Ja’kobe Walter during the first half of a game at the Smoothie King Center on Wednesday.

PELICANS POP N.O. hands Ingram, Toronto loss with strong second half

BY LES EAST

the Smoothie King Center. Zion Williamson added 19 points and Herb Jones scored 16 for the Pelicans Trey Murphy scored 28 points, De- (22-45), who surpassed their victory tojounte Murray added 27 and the New tal from last season. Murphy made ﬁve Orleans Pelicans defeated the Toronto 3-pointers and Jones had four. Raptors 122-111 on Wednesday night in New Orleans will visit the Houston

Contributing writer

Rockets on Friday night before starting a four-game home stand with a game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night. Former Pelicans All-Star Brandon

ä See PELICANS, page 4C

The conference tournaments are over, which means it’s time for the LSU women’s basketball team to push for another national championship. The Tigers are certainly capable of returning to the Final Four. They’re expected to get a No. 2 seed when the NCAA selection committee unveils the full bracket at 7 p.m. Sunday on ESPN, and that seed would ä Selection be the highest one Sunday, they’ve earned since 7 P.M. SUNDAy, ESPN 2008. LSU was a No. 3 seed in each of the first four seasons it played under coach Kim Mulkey. One of those runs ended with the national title. This one could extend that far, too, but only if the Tigers improve in some key areas. Let’s examine what Mulkey needs to emphasize to her team before it begins its NCAA Tournament run inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center next weekend.

Defense, rebounding To be clear, LSU excels in both areas. It led the SEC in rebounds per game (46.4) in league play, and it allowed its conference foes to score only 88.3 points per 100 possessions, according to Her Hoop Stats. That was the third-best rate in the SEC. What’s important to note here, though, is that when the Tigers don’t defend or rebound to their standard, they usually lose. LSU is at its best when it’s forcing missed shots, grabbing them off of the defensive glass and kick-starting its transition attack. The Tigers tend to

ä See LSU WOMEN, page 4C

Zurich, N.O. brace for impending PGA Tour changes

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Rory McIlroy tees off on the 13th hole during the first round of the Zurich Classic at TPC Louisiana in Avondale on April 24.

Changes are coming to the PGA Tour. Big ones. It’s not a matter of if the PGA Tour is going to be overhauled but when — and how signiﬁcantly. CEO Brian Rolapp made it clear Wednesday that the PGA Tour is in the process of being reimagined and Jeff Rolapp’s Duncan redeﬁned. PGA Tour will not be your father’s PGA Tour. During a sweeping 45-minute news conference at The Players tournament in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Rolapp laid out the broad framework for his strategic plan to overhaul the PGA Tour. The plan remains a work in progress, but he provided enough insight and detail to get a sense of where

it is headed. Six key facets of the plan emerged: n A new season schedule, featuring 21 to 26 “first-track” events from January to September, a significant reduction from the current 35-event schedule. n Standard fields, consisting of 120 players with a cut. n A schedule start in late January, preferably at an iconic west coast venue. n An emphasis on expansion to major markets such as New York, Chicago, Boston and Washington, D.C. n The implementation of a promotion and relegation system between “first- and second-track” events. n The enhancement of the postseason, with potential match-play events during the playoffs.

The changes, Rolapp said, would be implemented “through a rolling approach” over the next two years, with “more significant change likely to be implemented for the 2028 season.” So what does this mean for the Zurich Classic? It’s too early to tell. Rolapp did not address individual tournaments or indicate what criteria PGA Tour officials would consider in determining which events are elevated, relegated to “secondtrack” status or eliminated all together in the new schedule. It seems clear, though, that New Orleans’ tournament will be affected in some way. We won’t know the details until Rolapp and tour officials finalize their strategic plan in the months ahead.

ä See DUNCAN, page 3C

2C ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV

AUTO RACING 9:30 p.m. Formula 1: practice APPLE TV WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 6:45 p.m. World Cup: Puerto Rico vs. U.S. TruTV COLLEGE BASEBALL 6 p.m. Georgia Tech at Clemson ACCN MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOURNEYS 10:30 a.m. Atl. 10: G.Wash. vs. Fordham USA 11 a.m. Big Ten: TBD vs. Ohio State BTN 11 a.m. ACC: TBD vs.Virginia ESPN2 11 a.m. Big East: TBD vs. St. John’s NBCSN 11:30 a.m. Big 12: TBD vs.Texas Tech ESPN 11:30 a.m. SEC: Kentucky vs. Missouri SEC 1 p.m. Atl. 10: TBD vs. George Mason USA 1:30 p.m. Big Ten: TBD vs.Wisconsin BTN 1:30 p.m. ACC: TBD vs. Miami ESPN2 1:30 p.m. Big East: Creighton vs. Set. Hall NBCSN 2 p.m. Mount.West: TBD vs. Utah St. CBSSN

2 p.m. Big 12: TBD vs.Arizona ESPN 2 p.m. SEC: TBD vs.Tennessee SECN 4 p.m. Atl. 10: Rh. Island vs. Duquesne USA 4:30 p.m. Mou.West: TBD vs. G. Canyon CBSSN 5:30 p.m. Big Ten: TBD vs. Purdue BTN 6 p.m. ACC: TBD vs. Duke ESPN 6 p.m. Big 12: TBD vs. Houston ESPN2 6 p.m. American: TBD vs. Charlotte ESPNU 6 p.m. Big East: TBD vs. UConn FS1 6 p.m. SEC: TBD vs. Georgia SECN 6:30 p.m. Atlantic 10: TBD vs. Davidson USA 8 p.m. Big Ten: TBD vs. UCLA BTN 8 p.m. Moun.West: TBD vs. S.D. St. CBSSN 8:30 p.m. Atlantic Coast: TBD vs. N. Caro. ESPN 8:30 p.m. Big 12: TBD vs. Kansas ESPN2 8:30 p.m. American: TBD vs. N.Texas ESPNU 8:30 p.m. TBD vs.Villanova FS1 8:30 p.m. SEC: TBD vs.Texas A&M SECN 10:30 p.m. Moun.West: TBD vs. N. Mex. CBSSN

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL Southland championship ESPNU GOLF Noon PGA Tour: Players Champ. Golf 10:30 p.m. LIV Golf: Sentosa FS1 HORSE RACING 2 p.m. America’s Day at the Races FS2 MLB SPRING TRAINING Noon Boston vs. Minnesota MLBN 5 p.m. Atlanta vs. Pittsburgh MLBN 8 p.m. Kansas City vs. San Diego MLBN NBA 6 p.m. Philadelphia at Detroit PRIME 8:30 p.m. Boston at Oklahoma City PRIME MEN’S SOCCER 6:55 p.m. Tigres UANL at FC Cincinnati FS2 8:55 p.m. Seattle at Vancouver FS2 TENNIS 1 p.m. ATP,WTA: Indian Wells Tennis 4 p.m.

GOLF

TPC set to deliver major excitement

Houston Astros All-Star closer Josh Hader will begin the season on the 15-day injured list, manager Joe Espada told reporters Wednesday. Hader, who dealt with biceps tendinitis while throwing bullpen sessions in the offseason, didn’t pitch after Aug. 8 last year because of a shoulder capsule strain. He had progressed to throwing and playing catch, but the 31-yearold left-hander has not appeared in any spring training games and his buildup will extend past the Astros’ opener against the Los Angeles Angles on March 26. Hader was 6-2 with 28 saves in 29 chances with a 2.05 ERA in 48 appearances last season, his second since joining the Astros as a free agent for a $95 million, ﬁveyear contract.

Syracuse basketball fires Autry after three seasons

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Major or not, The Players Championship rarely lacks for entertainment. Still fresh is Rory McIlroy going from a four-shot deficit to ä The Players a three-shot only to Championship. lead wind up in a NOON THURSDAy, playoff that GOLF he won last year when J.J. Spaun failed to find land on the island green. That kind of drama has been more rule than exception over the years on the ever daunting, never dull Stadium Course at the TPC Sawgrass. “Exciting” was the one word Adam Scott chose to describe The Players Championship, the premier tournament on the PGA Tour that has all the trappings of a major except the label. “I grew up watching this, seeing a lot of birdies and a lot of dramatic stuff happening,” Scott said. “I think that’s exciting, and I think that’s why people like watching this tournament. You go out there with the dream that you can shoot 10 under somehow and spin balls back off slopes. And it’s not that easy once you’re out there.” Scott won The Players in 2004, and he recalled being at the bar of a restaurant with his girlfriend after opening with a 65. Some fans were talking about the day’s action when one asked who was leading the tournament. “The guy looked at him and said, ‘Some expletive no-name.’ And it was me,” Scott said. “My wife, or girlfriend at the time, was ready to jump in there and let him have it. So it was good to go on and win and maybe get out of the no-name category.” The Players has had plenty of surprise winners. Craig Perks won his only PGA Tour title at Sawgrass, memorable for his three-hole finish when he chipped in for eagle, made a 30foot birdie putt and then chipped in for par. The Players has rewarded everything from the power of Tiger Woods to the precision of Fred Funk. “You see a variety of winners, and you also don’t see one style of player winning this tournament a bunch of times,” said Scottie Scheffler, the only player to win back-to-back at the TPC Sawgrass. His win in 2024 required a rally from five shots behind, holing out with a full wedge for eagle on the fourth hole and a 64 to post the lowest final round by a winner. This was after he nearly withdrew because of a neck injury. There’s always drama. “The way modern golf is trending, I think this place you kind of take some steps back where the areas to hit into are small,” Scheffler said. “And there’s certain holes where you can definitely take advantage of your length if you’re a longer hitter. But there’s also some holes where you’ve got to get the ball in play, and you have to be able to curve the ball both directions.” He then took everyone on a tour — a fade off the first tee, a draw for the approach. Next hole, a draw off the tee and a fade for the long shot into the par 5. Fade, fade, draw, draw. On he goes.

Astros All-Star closer Hader to miss opening day

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By REBECCA BLACKWELL

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo is congratulated by forward Keshad Johnson after reaching 83 points, the second-highest single game total in NBA history, against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday in Miami.

Historic night

Adebayo’s 83-point scoring outburst was one to remember in Miami, but not everyone was pleased with how he got there

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

NBA’S HIGHEST SINGLE-GAME POINT TOTALS

Player (team) Points Date MIAMI — The Miami Heat led the Washington Wizards by 25 points Wilt Chamberlain (Warriors) 100 March 2, 1962 with 2:56 left. The game was esBam Adebayo (Heat) 83 March 10, 2026 sentially over, the outcome decidKobe Bryant (Lakers) 81 Jan. 22, 2006 ed. And Bam Adebayo got called Wilt Chamberlain (Warriors) 78 Dec. 8, 1961 for an offensive foul that, under Luka Doncic (Mavericks) 73 Jan. 26, 2024 normal circumstances, would not have mattered. David Thompson (Nuggets) 73 April 9, 1978 These were not normal circumWilt Chamberlain (Warriors) 73 Jan. 13 and Nov. 16, 1962 stances. Adebayo already had 77 points on Tuesday night and the Heat teams at Adebayo in the final minwanted more. So, coach Erik Spoel- Miami 150, Washington 129 FG FT Reb stra emphatically challenged that WASH. utes. They fouled Heat players Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS offensive foul call. Every Heat Coulibaly 34:39 2-7 6-8 0-6 7 3 10 just to keep Adebayo from scoring, 39:35 6-13 6-7 0-4 2 4 22 player, assistant coach and staffer Riley though they saved most of their Sarr 19:40 12-19 0-0 2-6 1 3 28 jumped off the bench, celebrating Carrington 35:58 5-7 2-4 0-4 6 1 12 fouls for Adebayo himself. He was 22:38 7-12 0-1 0-2 2 4 17 that decision. The challenge failed T.Johnson Gill 25:08 3-4 0-0 1-5 3 5 6 fouled 26 times — the most any 23:00 5-12 4-4 0-1 0 5 17 player has been fouled in at least — refs got the call right — but it Hardy 18:00 3-7 2-2 1-5 2 3 8 was clear what the moment meant Chmpgnie Cooper 14:41 2-5 2-3 0-0 1 1 6 the past 20 seasons, and 12 times Vukcevic 6:41 1-3 0-0 0-2 1 5 3 more than he had ever been fouled. to Miami. 240:00 46-89 22-294-35 25 34 129 Adebayo wound up scoring 83 Totals “The fourth quarter just turned Percentages: FG .517, FT .759. points. It was the second-highest 3-Point Goals: 15-36, .417 (Riley 4-7, Sarr into not a real basketball game,” T.Johnson 3-7, Hardy 3-8, Vukcevic 1-2, total by any player in any game 4-7, Wizards coach Brian Keefe said. Carrington 0-1, Cooper 0-1, Coulibaly 0-1, Champagnie 0-2). in NBA history, passing Kobe Adebayo had 31 points in the first Team Rebounds: 12. Team Turnovers: 1. Bryant’s 81 and trailing only Wilt Blocked Shots: 3 (Sarr 2, Hardy). quarter, 12 in the second quarter Turnovers: 23 (Carrington 7, Cooper 4, Chamberlain’s 100. and 19 in the third. He had 62 Hardy 3, Champagnie 2, T.Johnson 2, Vukpoints going into the fourth. The “The thing you love about it, and cevic 2, Coulibaly, Gill, Sarr). Wizards couldn’t stop him, no matwhy everybody roots for Bam, is Steals: 6 (Carrington, Champagnie, Cooper, Coulibaly, Riley, T.Johnson). because he does all the winning Technical Fouls: Coulibaly, 4:49 third. ter what they tried. things,” Spoelstra said. “He does the FG FT Reb “The whole first 31/ 2 quarters ... I Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS things that aren’t recognized. He MIAMI was like, all right, they’re just going Gardner 25:43 2-4 0-0 3-8 2 4 4 puts his body out there, he’s avail- Larsson 24:26 3-7 4-5 0-2 1 1 10 to let me go,” Adebayo said. “And Adebayo 41:54 20-43 36-43 1-9 3 3 83 then, you turn around and you’ve able, he is a rugged competitor.” Jakucionis 29:45 2-3 1-2 1-5 6 4 5 The Heat, who won 150-129, obvi- Mitchell 24:06 5-9 2-2 3-7 5 1 12 got four people guarding you.” Jaquez Jr. 27:53 2-5 0-0 2-6 8 1 5 ously loved it. Not everybody did. Everything the Heat did in the Smith 22:46 2-4 0-0 0-3 5 4 5 There were immediate detrac- Fontecchio 22:17 6-7 3-3 3-6 1 3 18 fourth quarter was about getting 18:54 3-6 1-4 1-1 0 1 8 tors who pointed to Adebayo’s K.Johnson Goldin 1:08 0-1 0-0 1-1 0 0 0 Adebayo points. Bryant’s 81-point 1:08 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 game wasn’t different in that reabsurd, one-of-a-kind stat line — Keels 240:00 45-90 47-5915-483122 150 43 field goal attempts, 22 3-point Totals gard. Percentages: FG .500, FT .797. attempts and, most of all, NBA 3-Point Goals: 13-43, .302 (Adebayo 7-22, 3-4, Jaquez Jr. 1-2, Smith 1-2, Parallels to other big nights records of 36 free throws and 43 Fontecchio K.Johnson 1-4, Gardner 0-1, Jakucionis 0-1, Larsson 0-3, Mitchell 0-4). attempts — as proof of stat-padOn Jan. 22, 2006, the Los Angeles Team Rebounds: 13. Team Turnovers: 1. Lakers took 38 shots in the second ding. Some even went as far as to Blocked Shots: 5 (Adebayo 2, Jakucionis, half and Bryant took 28 of them. question the integrity of the game, K.Johnson, Larsson). Turnovers: 16 (Adebayo 5, Mitchell 3, though to be fair, many also cel- Smith 3, Gardner 2, Fontecchio, Jakucionis, They took 17 shots in the fourth Larsson). that night; Bryant took 13 of those, ebrated Adebayo’s night. Steals: 16 (Smith 4, Gardner 3, Adebayo 2, including all 13 of the Lakers’ free“Look, bruh had 83 points. Bruh K.Johnson 2, Larsson 2, Fontecchio, Jakuthrow attempts in the final 12 minshot 43 foul shots,” former Heat cionis, Mitchell). Technical Fouls: None. point guard Jason Williams said in Washington 29 33 35 32 — 129 utes. It’s not terribly uncommon; 40 36 37 37 — 150 when a guy really has it going, his a video posted to social media. “I Miami A — 19,700 (19,600). T — 2:30. don’t know if I shot 43 foul shots teammates just keep giving him “We had three guys collapsing the ball. in one season.” (Williams, for the record, attempted only 41 free around him to keep him from get“We left him in,” then-Lakers throws in his final two NBA seating close to the basket, but he took coach Phil Jackson said that night, us with him with his tremendous “until he got to 80.” sons combined.) When Adebayo’s game went fistrength,” the Knicks’ Darrall ImA crazy finish hoff said that night, as quoted by nal, not everyone seemed thrilled There were at least four instanc- The Evening News of Harrisburg, by the point total. “A rather melancholy footnote es of Heat players fouling down Pennsylvania. “Late in the game, the stretch, with a big lead, to ex- the Warriors fouled us deliber- in NBA history occurred,” the tend the game and get Adebayo ately to regain possession and that legendary Lakers public address the ball back. That’s also what the guy really tore down the floor to announcer Lawrence Tanter said to the crowd before a game in Los Philadelphia Warriors did in the keep his record assault going.” Angeles, as he revealed that Adefinal moments against the New Sounds familiar. York Knicks on March 2, 1962 — The Wizards threw double-, bayo had passed Bryant. A few the night Chamberlain scored 100. triple- and sometimes quadruple- people booed.

Adrian Autry has been fired as head basketball coach at Syracuse after three seasons. The school announced the decision Wednesday, one day after the Orange lost 86-69 to SMU in the first round of the ACC Tournament. Syracuse lost its final six games and 12 of the last 15 under Autry to finish 15-17. Autry was 49-48 over three seasons after replacing Jim Boeheim and failed to reach the NCAA Tournament. The four-year Syracuse starter under Boeheim and later his associate head coach took over for the retiring Hall of Famer in 2023. Syracuse finished with consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 1968-69. Autry was 2434 in ACC regular-season play in his three seasons.

Masters wins third gold of Winter Paralympics

The medal count is now at 22 for Oksana Masters, the most decorated American winter paralympian. Masters won the para crosscountry 10km interval start sitting race on Wednesday for her third gold in four events at the Milan Cortina Games. She had won the cross-country sprint on Tuesday and the para biathlon sprint on Saturday. Masters just missed out on the podium on Sunday by ﬁnishing fourth in the para biathlon individual sitting. Wednesday’s feat allowed her to equal the three golds she won at the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games. Masters now has eight Winter Paralympic gold medals to go along with her four victories at the Summer Paralympics.

Vertigo to keep Bowman out of 2nd NASCAR race

Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman will miss a second consecutive NASCAR race because of vertigo and will be replaced by Justin Allgaier at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “Alex continues to work closely with doctors toward being medically cleared, but he’s still experiencing some lingering symptoms,” said Jeff Andrews, president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports. Bowman was too ill to continue during the March 1 race at Circuit of the Americas in Texas and was replaced midrace. Allgaier won in NASCAR’s second-tier series at Las Vegas a year ago while driving for JR Motorsports, an afﬁliate of Hendrick Motorsports.

Bills quarterback Allen restructures his contract Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has agreed to restructure his contract in a move that frees up approximately $12 million in muchneeded salary-cap space for the team entering the NFL’s new year. The move converts $15.2 million of Allen’s salary this season into a signing bonus, and it comes a year after he signed a $330 million contract extension that runs through 2030. What is essentially a move on paper for Allen is signiﬁcant for the Bills because it provides general manager Brandon Beane payroll ﬂexibility to add players in free agency. The Bills were projected to be about $4 million over the cap entering the day. They were about $32 million over the cap a week ago.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 3C

lll

THE VARSITY ZONE LHSAA STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT John Curtis guard Autrail Manning drives to the basket against Brother Martin on Jan. 26 in River Ridge. Manning’s 18 points helped the Patriots beat Catholic of Baton Rouge 47-39 in a Division I select semifinal game on Wednesday at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.

BY SPENCER URQUHART Staff writer

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

No. 1 Curtis tops Catholic, moves to championship game BY CHRISTOPHER DABE

Staff writer

LAKE CHARLES — Autrail Manning scored a game-high 18 points and Jonnie Walker had 10 points and 12 rebounds as top-seeded John Curtis defeated No. 12 Catholic-Baton Rouge 47-39 in a Division I select state semifinal Wednesday at Burton Coliseum. Walker’s 3-pointer with just over two minutes remaining put Curtis (27-2) ahead for good after Catholic (18-12) closed a seven-point deficit and tied the score. Marlin Johnson’s steal near midcourt made it a five-point game — and Curtis sealed the win by making five of six from the free-throw line. The win advanced Curtis to face No. 11 Edna Karr in Saturday’s championship game.

“These two guys by my side, I’m fortunate,” Curtis coach Biko Paris said as he motioned toward Manning and Walker during the postgame news conference. “I got two guys I can put the ball in their hands. I don’t have to call a lot of stuff for them. I just got to kind of put those guys in position and let those guys use their natural instincts and make some plays.” Manning, a senior, was at his best during an early scoring spurt that included a lead-changing 3-pointer in the second quarter. He scored 11 points before halftime. His next basket broke a tie with a driving layup in the fourth quarter, and he helped seal the game with a jumper followed by a pair of free throws in the ﬁnal two minutes. “Me and the team, we’ve been grinding for this,” Manning said.

“It’s time. Last year we went to the semiﬁnals. We lost at the buzzer. We came back better this year. We came to win.” Walker, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, showed a strong physical presence near the basket with several key rebounds along with a 3-point play just after halftime. His 3-pointer that put Curtis ahead for good made the score 38-35 with just over two minutes remaining. Curtis eliminated Catholic from the playoffs for the second year in a row, after last season’s quarterﬁnal triumph in Baton Rouge. This was the third year in a row they met in the postseason. “Every year it’s been a war,” Paris said. Against Karr, Curtis will face a team it defeated 71-55 when the teams met in the regular season.

Karr overcomes an early deﬁcit, advances to face Curtis in ﬁnal BY CHRISTOPHER DABE

Staff writer

LAKE CHARLES — Khalil Fisher scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as No. 11 Edna Karr clamped down defensively over the final three periods against No. 2 Alexandria in a 44-39 victory in a Division I select semifinal Wednesday at Burton Coliseum. Alexandria opened to a 17-7 lead and made six of 16 shots in the first quarter but struggled to score from that point forward, making only six of the next 31 shots over the final three periods. The win advanced Karr to the state final one year after the Cougars won seven games and failed

Brother Martin pitcher Tingstrom too much for rival Holy Cross

to qualify for the playoffs. Karr (28-9) will face No. 1 John Curtis in Saturday’s state final. “I’m not going to say I knew we were going to get to this point,” Karr coach Taurus Howard said. “I knew we were going to be very good. From the week after we lost (the final game last season), the kids have been putting in the work.” In addition to Fisher’s output, senior Kaleb Williams came off the bench for 10 points and made two 3-pointers. Delvin Jordan had four assists and three steals. Kenvon Riley had five rebounds. Fisher put Karr ahead for good when he scored on a put-back off a teammate’s missed free throw for a 31-29 lead before the third

Brother Martin senior starting pitcher Blaise Tingstrom had his eye on Tuesday’s District 9-5A opener against Holy Cross for months. That’s because the right-hander Late allowed just one Tuesday run in seven innings against Holy Cross in second game of the May semifinal series but fell short after Brother Martin was no-hit. The Crusaders’ bats backed Tingstrom on Tuesday in a 7-0 win at Kirsch-Rooney Stadium. A three-year starter at Brother Martin, Tingstrom avenged last season’s postseason loss against Holy Cross by pitching six shutout innings Tuesday, allowing three hits and four walks while striking out six. “We knew we needed to get ahead early,” Tingstrom said. “Pitching against (Holy Cross) last year in the semifinals, not a good taste in my mouth after losing 1-0, so this game has been marked on my calendar for a long time.” Brother Martin started fast with three runs in the bottom of the first. Junior center fielder Brady McCluskey led off with a triple, and the Crusaders went up 3-0 after drawing four straight walks. Roux Guerra relieved Holy Cross starting pitcher Colin Tallet in the bottom of the third. Brother Martin added three more runs in the inning on three hits to take a 6-0 lead, which included an RBI double by junior left fielder Luke Gab. “We strung together some good at-bats early, and we applied some pressure,” Brother Martin coach Jeff Lupo said. “Brady (McCluskey) started it off with a big hit, and then we had guys after that who strung together some at-bats, got free passes and then capitalized with some two-out hits.” Brother Martin’s seventh run was scored in the bottom of the fifth after an RBI single to center by senior third baseman

“Pitching against (Holy Cross) last year in the semifinals, not a good taste in my mouth after losing 1-0, so this game has been marked on my calendar for a long time.” BLAISE TINGSTROM, Brother Martin pitcher Bronson Leaumont, which drove in McCluskey. McCluskey was 1 for 2 with two walks and a stolen base. He and Brother Martin junior shortstop Brody Shannon scored two runs each, with Gab and sophomore second baseman Kamber Keller each recording two RBIs. Holy Cross sophomore catcher Gavin Corne was the only player to record multiple hits against Tingstrom, finishing 2 for 3 with two singles. Senior shortstop Dom Pellegrin, a Tulane signee, was 1 for 3 with a stolen base. “There are a lot of good hitters on (Holy Cross),” Tingstrom said. “Dom (Pellegrin) has been a tough out the past three years I’ve faced him. We were just getting them uncomfortable in the box.” Leaumont and Tingstrom were the only Brother Martin seniors to see the field Tuesday. The Crusaders graduated a large senior class last season after reaching the state finals. Brother Martin (17-2) is off to a strong start despite having several new starters. The Crusaders entered Tuesday ranked No. 2 in the Division I select power ratings. “Our transition (to this season) really started last May,” Lupo said. “We played 30 games over the summer, and that really helped us. The newer guys got acclimated to our culture and how we expect to do things and the expectations that those guys last year set.” Holy Cross (13-4) was ranked No. 9 in Division I select entering Tuesday. Email Spencer Urquhart at surquhart@theadvocate.com.

quarter ended. He scored the first two baskets in the fourth quarter, including a baseline drive for a 3529 advantage. Tahj Turner’s jumper capped Karr’s 9-0 run for a 37-29 lead. Alexandria (28-4) never drew closer than five points as Karr made five free throws down the stretch. Fisher’s contributions came after he missed most of the quarterfinal when he and a Captain Shreve player bumped heads. He watched the entire second half with a bandage across his forehead. “My guys had my back, and they had to keep fighting for me and kept fighting,” Fisher said. “I had to step up when I needed to in this game.”

REPORT At Burton Coliseum, Lake Charles

Tuesday’s games

No. 1 Lincoln Prep 58, No. 4 Central Catholic 42 No. 3 East Iberville 59, No. 2 Lakeview 42 No. 1 Ferriday 64, No. 4 West St. Mary 56, OT No. 3 Brusly 72, No. 2 Northwest 56 No. 1 Wossman 55, No. 4 Bossier 49

Wednesday’s games

No. 12 Northside 65, No. 1 Madison Prep 61 No. 1 John Curtis 47, No. 12 Catholic-BR 38 No. 11 Karr 44, No. 2 Alexandria 39 No. 1 Marksville 66, No. 5 Mamou 47 No. 2 Peabody vs. No. 3 Washington-Marion, n

DUNCAN

Continued from page 1C Rest assured, Zurich ofﬁcials are watching with keen interest. “It was interesting to hear directly some of the thoughts on the future direction of the PGA Tour, and we, like many others, are anxious to hear more details,” said Steve Worthy, the CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, which operates the Zurich Classic for the PGA Tour. Worthy has to be guarded with his comments. A lot is at stake here, and the next few months likely will deﬁne the Zurich’s future.

Thursday’s games

No. 3 Country Day vs. No. 2 Dunham, 1 p.m. No. 1 Calvary Baptist vs. No. 4 DeLaSalle, 2:45 p.m. No. 11 Green Oaks vs. No. 2 Madison, 4:30 p.m. No. 1 Zachary vs. No. 4 Denham Springs, 6:15 p.m. No. 6 Central vs. No. 2 Ruston, 8 p.m.

John Curtis 47, Catholic 39

No. 1 Lincoln Prep vs. No. 6 Southern Lab, noon No. 1 Gibsland-Coleman vs. No. 2 Pleasant Hill, noon No. 3 East Iberville vs. No. 1 Ferriday, 4 p.m. No. 4 Lacassine vs. No. 2 Zwolle, 6 p.m. No. 1 Wossman vs. No. 3 Brusly, 8 p.m.

Catholic 9 10 5 16 — 39 John Curtis 9 11 11 15 — 47 SCORING: John Curtis Christian: Autrail Manning 18, Johnnie Walker 10, Tory Walker 7, Zaveon Shepard 5, Jewellz Tapp 4, Marlin Johnson 2, Jakyri Martin 1; Catholic: Tyler Brazier 10, Charlie Mosely 9, Jude Chamberlain 8, Bradley Fife 4, Trey Coleman 3, Luke Moreau 3, Channing Briggs 2. 3-POINT GOALS: John Curtis Christian 3 (J. Walker 1, Manning 1, Shepard 1) Catholic 3 (Moreau 1, Coleman 1, Mosely 1) RECORDS: John Curtis 25-2, Catholic 16-12

“We are blessed to have a committed 20-plus-year title sponsor in Zurich and are focused on continuing our momentum and putting on the best event possible for all our constituents,” Worthy said. “Continued success will put us in the best position possible for the future, and we look forward to our event week in ﬁve weeks.” You have to think New Orleans will be a part of the PGA Tour’s future in some form. The tour has held a tournament here for most of the past seven decades. The tournament’s title sponsor, Zurich, is one of the most loyal and charitable on tour. New Orleans’ professional golf future will be determined by one thing — money. It’s the impetus

for the looming change. In a rapidly changing sports landscape, the tour is trying to position itself as favorably as possible for the future. To do that, it must make itself a more attractive product for sponsors and media partners by increasing the number of eyeballs on its events. Rolapp noted the PGA Tour has a presence in only four of the country’s top-10 media markets and said it is evaluating cities such as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington and Boston, among others, as potential host sites. Rolapp came to the PGA Tour from the NFL, where he was the league’s chief media and business ofﬁcer. Media rights are his

Friday’s games

FILE PHOTO By KIRK MECHE

Brother Martin pitcher Blaise Tingstrom delivers against Catholic-Baton Rouge during the LHSAA Division I championship series on May 16 at McMurry Park in Sulphur.

expertise. His comments about the NFL’s desire to double its 40% share of the current $30 billion market for U.S. media rights were enlightening and foreshadowed his strategy. With the NFL planning to renegotiate its media contracts in the next year or so, Rolapp clearly wants the PGA Tour to get a seat at the table as soon as possible, knowing that the NFL will eat ﬁrst. “If you start doing that math and you’re anyone other than the National Football League, you start to ask yourself the questions, ‘Next time I go to the media market, how do I make sure I have the most compelling product for fans and for our media partners, so that we can compete in what is a very

complicated media ecosystem that’s changing all the time?’ ” he said. “It’s a very dynamic time in media. If you are in the sports business, it behooves you to put your house in order as much as possible.” In a nutshell, that’s what this is about. Eyeballs. Media rights. Corporate sponsorships. Money. Where New Orleans and the Zurich Classic ﬁt into the equation remains to be seen. Only Rolapp and tour ofﬁcials know the answer. But if their goal truly is to “build the best version of the PGA Tour, one that better serves fans, players and partners,” then New Orleans and the Zurich Classic should continue to be a major part of it.

4C ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

LSU MEN

Continued from page 1C

SEC TOURNAMENT GLANCE At Bridgestone Arena Nashville, Tenn.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints tight end Foster Moreau starts the ‘Who Dat’ chant before a game against the New york Giants at the Caesars Superdome on Oct. 5.

Former Saints tight ends Moreau, Stoll sign elsewhere BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Two tight ends who played for the New Orleans Saints last season found new homes Wednesday. Tight end Foster Moreau agreed to sign with the Houston Texans, according to an NFL Network report. The former LSU standout and New Orleans native played three seasons for the Saints. Earlier Wednesday, Jack Stoll left the Saints after one season to sign a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns, a source with knowledge of the situation conﬁrmed. Despite losing two players at the position, the Saints previously had ﬁlled the void by agreeing to sign

veteran tight end Noah Fant on Monday. Moreau, 28, caught just seven passes for 59 yards in 11 games last season after coming off a major knee injury that he spent most of the offseason rehabbing. Moreau, a Jesuit High School graduate, was a well-liked player who carried a strong voice in the locker room. He and the Saints also shared a bond after team doctors discovered an enlarged lymph node upon his initial physical with the team in 2023. Moreau was then diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, causing the tight end to put his career on pause until he was cleared to sign a three-year, $12 million contract that May. He an-

nounced his cancer was in remission in July 2023. Moreau, who spent the ﬁrst four years of his career with the Raiders, appeared in 43 games with 36 starts in New Orleans. He had his best season in 2024, when he caught 32 passes for 413 yards and ﬁve touchdowns. Stoll, 28, joined the team last offseason after being coached by Kellen Moore in Philadelphia when Moore was the Eagles offensive coordinator. Stoll served mostly as the Saints’ second tight end behind starter Juwan Johnson. He caught six catches for 46 yards in 15 games. He played 205 snaps, roughly 19% of the offensive plays. Stoll missed the last two games with a knee injury.

Mulkey says assistant Redus won’t coach in NCAA tourney BY REED DARCEY

and roster for the 2026-27 season, Mulkey said. “As I told him,” Mulkey said, Coach Kim Mulkey told ESPN “ ‘You can’t be married to two 104.5-FM on Wednesday that Gary wives.’ I said, ‘Get out of here, go Redus, the LSU assistant who will to work, get your staff in place, get be the next head women’s basket- your kids that are there to stay.’ ball coach at Rutgers, will not ac- He hasn’t even visited Rutgers. company the Tigers on their NCAA He took the job over the phone or whatever. Tournament run. “I know his love for our proRedus instead will spend the next few weeks focused on assembling gram and our team, he’d want to his Scarlet Knights coaching staff be on the bench for us, too. But as

Staff writer

a mentor, I can’t be selﬁsh and ask him to stay with our team because this could be a long three- or fourweek process with the playoffs. You need to be working.” Mulkey also suggested that Redus may add LSU assistant Daphne Mitchell to his Rutgers staff. She’s worked under Mulkey for 11 seasons, and she played college basketball with Redus’ wife, Tiffany, at Georgia Tech from 2006-08.

on 11-of-17 shooting and four rebounds for LSU. Mike Nwoko had 16 points and 12 rebounds. Reece had 11 points, seven assists, six rebounds and only one turnover. Nwoko played one of his best games of the season despite being the only center available for the Tigers because backup big man Robert Miller missed his first game of the season. “He was suspended for violation of team rules and was not with us on the trip,” McMahon said about Miller. Nwoko was a reliable paint force. The junior transfer from Mississippi State did well cleaning the glass, and he was the early aggressor on offense for the Tigers. He scored the team’s first two baskets around the basket. His second score was an improbable putback where the ball bounced off the top of the backboard and through the net. LSU took a 12-11 lead after Nwoko made a pair of free throws. He had a team-high 13 points and six rebounds at halftime. Kentucky wing Kam Williams played for the first time since Jan. 21 when he suffered a foot injury. The former Tulane player and Lafayette native drained a transition 3-pointer, his first shot attempt of the game, to cap the Wildcats’ 7-0 run, extending their lead to 23-17 with 10:09 remaining in the first half. W h i l e t h e Ti g e r s h e l d steady in the rebounding battle, they were not shooting at a high percentage from the field early. Several of their looks were contested, and some layups rolled off of the rim. The Tigers didn’t let the game get out of hand, though. Their paint-oriented attack returned after Pablo Tamba drove to the basket for an up-and-under post move on Kentucky 6-foot-11 forward Andrija Jelavic, who jumped on the fake. That was followed by a Nwoko jump hook, cutting the deficit to 25-24 with 7:58 remaining before halftime. “We were trying to be faster than them,” Tamba said. “They did a good job of taking advantage of the mismatch.” Reece commanded the LSU offense. The freshman point guard’s best play was a drive and kick to Mackinnon for a 3-pointer that cut LSU’s deficit to 46-43 at halftime. Kentucky kept a one-possession lead as it leaned on the scoring from second-team All-SEC

First Round

Wednesday Kentucky 87, LSU 82 Auburn 79, Mississippi St. 61 Ole Miss 76, Texas 66 Oklahoma vs. South Carolina, n

Second Round

Thursday, March 12 Missouri vs. Kentucky, 11:30 a.m. Tennessee vs. Auburn, 2 p.m. Georgia vs. Ole Miss, 6 p.m. Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma-South Carolina-winner, 8:30 p.m.

Quarterﬁnals

Friday, March 13 Florida vs. TBD, noon Vanderbilt vs. TBD, 2:30 p.m. Alabama vs. TBD, 6 p.m. Arkansas vs. TBD, 8:30 p.m.

Semiﬁnals

Saturday, March 14 TBD vs. TBD, noon TBD vs. TBD, 2:30 p.m.

Championship

Sunday, March 15 Semiﬁnal winners, noon

guard Otega Oweh, who had 13 points in the ﬁrst half. “Oweh, just such a difficult cover,” McMahon said. “He’s so good there in the mid-range.” Early in the second half, Tamba had six points and four rebounds, including the highlight of the day. He was given space near the free-throw line area and took off for a vicious driving dunk with one hand over 7-foot defender Malachi Moreno. The officials reviewed the play as Tamba hit Moreno in the face with his off arm during the dunk. Tamba was given a Flagrant 1 foul, which was his third personal foul. After two free throws for Moreno, Kentucky took a 49-47 lead with 18:24 left. Mackinnon’s aggression as a shot creator increased in the second half. The 6-6 guard scored over shorter defenders in the mid-range and decisively drove for layups after off-ball screens. He scored 18 in the second half. “Everyone screened for each other,” Mackinnon said of his second-half play. “Knocked down some shots … (but) I would take a win (over scoring) any day, and I mean that.” Oweh, who finished with 23 points, made clutch baskets after Garrison’s spurt. “Great credit to Kentucky,” McMahon said. “Game they needed, and they found a way to make the plays to get it done there in the second half. But I thought our players came to play, competed at a high level. They were connected as one. Thought that the spirit was where it needed to be. Kentucky was just a better team at the end of day.” Kentucky advance to play No. 8 Missouri at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at Bridgestone Arena, while LSU waits to see what direction its program is headed.

LSU WOMEN

Continued from page 1C

get stuck on offense when they’re forced to play slower games. Just look at the two SEC Tournament games LSU played this season. In the quarterfinals, Oklahoma missed 46 shots and turned the ball over 22 times. LSU erupted for 112 points — the second-most points any team ever has scored in the event. The next day during a semiﬁnal clash with South Carolina, the Tigers scored only 77 points. The Gamecocks rebounded nine of the 21 shots they missed in the second half, taking away most of LSU’s transition opportunities. They also turned the ball over just four times. “There’s just a small margin of error that you can have to beat elite teams,” Mulkey said. “We think we’re an elite team, but we’re not there to win those close games against the South Carolinas, the UConns.” Defense and rebounding are always Mulkey’s top two priorities. Those two facets take on added importance when March rolls around and the matchups become do-or-die.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, right, denies Pelicans forward Herb Jones a basket during a game at the Smoothie King Center on Wednesday.

PELICANS STAFF PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS

LSU’s Mikaylah Williams drives the base line for a score as Missouri’s Abbey Schreacke defends in the second half of LSU’s 108-55 win over Missouri on Feb. 22 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Gamecocks switched to a zone defense, slowing down the game and forcing LSU into some tough shots. “I’d have to look at film to see,” Mulkey said. “Did we really get away from (attacking the rim)? Or did they take it away from us? They started playing a lot of zone, and that takes away some things in there. “So give South Carolina credit. They didn’t stay in man, and so maybe that changed it a little bit.” LSU shouldn’t be so reliant on Half-court offense its transition attack. At some point When the Tigers were forced in the tournament, the Tigers will to play half-court offense in their run into a team that can execute its losses to Texas and South Carolina offense even when LSU is playing this season, they struggled to find sharp defense. The Tigers will need to counter with some ball movehigh-percentage looks. Things were clicking for the Ti- ment, dribble penetration and outgers in the first half of Saturday’s side shooting in the half court. matchup, when they were forcing missed shots, getting out in transi- Free-throw shooting tion and attacking the rim. Then the It sounds trivial, but free-

throw shooting can decide games. In 2023, a couple of key misses at the stripe propelled LSU through a Sweet 16 matchup against Utah. Would the Tigers have beaten South Carolina in February had they not missed nine freebies? Potentially. Flau’jae Johnson went to the line late in the fourth quarter with a chance to give LSU a 74-73 lead, and she missed both of her looks. The Tigers are shooting an acceptable 74% from the freethrow line this season, but in their last four games, they’ve converted only 67%. For perspective, Tennessee has been the SEC’s worst free-throw shooting team this year, and it’s converting 67% of its free throws. LSU can improve at the line, and it will need to after the Big Dance begins.

Continued from page 1C Ingram, playing his first game against his former team since they traded him in February 2025, scored 22 points for the Raptors (36-29), who were completing a back-to-back after losing at Houston 113-99 on Tuesday and fell for the fourth time in five games. Immanuel Quickley had 25 points and RJ Barrett added 16 for Toronto, which will host New Orleans on March 27. Jones had five points, Murray scored four and Murphy added two during an 11-0 run that expanded the Pelicans’ one-point lead to 77-65 midway through the third quarter. Ingram’s jumper ended a scoring drought of nearly four minutes for the Raptors, but New Orleans increased the lead to 18 points before holding a 93-83 edge at the end of the period. Toronto scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter, but Yves Missi and Williamson scored four each as the Pelicans

took a 103-93 lead with eight minutes remaining. The Raptors crept within six points, but Murray scored on a drive and Missi on a tip-in for another 10-point lead. Jakob Poeltl made a tip-in for Toronto, but Williamson’s dunk punctuated a 6-0 run that gave New Orleans a 113-99 lead with 4:12 left. The lead reached 18 in the final two minutes. Ingram was cheered when introduced before the game and received a standing ovation after a tribute video was played during a timeout midway through the first quarter. Quickley scored 11 of firstquarter points as Toronto took the biggest lead of the period, 24-17. Murphy had 14 points to help the Pelicans surge to a three-point lead before the Raptors scored the final four points to grab a 30-29 lead at the end of the period. New Orleans took a three-point lead in the second quarter, but Ingram scored seven straight points in a span of 53 seconds. The Pelicans scored the next six points on their way to a 60-58 halftime lead.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 5C

lll

Ravens pivot from Crosby, land Hendrickson BY JOSH DUBOW

AP pro football writer The Baltimore Ravens landed their star pass rusher in Trey Hendrickson, Maxx Crosby is back in Las Vegas for now, and Daniel Jones is staying in Indianapolis as part of a busy start to the new league year. The biggest move Wednesday came when the Ravens agreed to a four-year, $112 million contract with four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson a day after backing out of a trade with the Raiders for Crosby over a failed physical, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. Hendrickson, who was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 2017, was an All-Pro for Cincinnati in 2024 when he led the NFL with 171/2 sacks. He played in only seven games because of injuries last season and had four sacks, but he has reached double digits in sacks four times in the previous ﬁve seasons. It was a quick pivot for the Ravens after the surprising develop-

ment Tuesday night when Baltimore pulled out of the trade that was supposed to send two firstround picks to Las Vegas. Crosby had surgery in January to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He missed the final two games of the season because of the injury despite wanting to play through it at the time. The Raiders, who have been among the biggest spenders in the opening days of free agency, now must figure out what to do with Crosby. Las Vegas still has plenty of cap room to keep the five-time Pro Bowler on the roster with his $30 million salary if the team can’t find another trade. Jones and the Colts agreed on a two-year contract that is worth up to $100 million. He will receive $88 million over the next two seasons with $50 million guaranteed instead of playing on the $37.8 million transition tag. He can make an additional $12 million through incentives. Jones led the Colts offense to a productive 10-game start. But following the bye week, he played through a hairline fracture in his

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEFF DEAN

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson looks on during a game against the Detroit Lions on Oct. 5 in Cincinnati. left leg and then wound up suffering a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon in early December. Jones set career-highs in passer rating (100.2) and completion rate (68%) as Indianapolis ranked ﬁfth in the NFL in scoring at 28.9 points per game before he went down for

the season. Buffalo reached a three-year agreement with pass rusher Bradley Chubb, who agreed to terms with the Bills shortly after the Miami Dolphins announced his release. The 29-year-old Chubb has eight

Brumbaugh, Tulane bury Memphis in second half

LATE TUESDAY

BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer

STAFF PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS

Creighton runner Ben North slides safely into home as LSU catcher Omar Serna waits for the throw in the second inning against Creighton on Tuesday in Alex Box Stadium.

Freshman catcher Serna comes up big for LSU baseball BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

The first 41/2 innings on Tuesday for Omar Serna weren’t pretty. The LSU freshman catcher struck out in the first and grounded out to shortstop in the third. Behind the plate, he had trouble catching pitches and corralling them in the dirt. And that was before he threw a ball into center field on a stolen-base attempt in the fifth. But all it takes is one swing to change the course of an evening, which is exactly what happened for Serna at ä LSU at Alex Box StaVanderbilt, dium. 6 P.M. FRIDAy, SECN+ With the Tigers trailing 4-2 to Creighton in the fifth inning, Serna launched a 455-foot grand slam that breathed life into an offensively attack that desperately needed it. LSU won the game 8-4 to snap a skid of four losses in five contests. “I walked out of there, and I was like ‘Let’s go,’ ” Serna said. “This is exactly what we needed.” Serna isn’t a finished product, but his talent is undeniable. He has a tremendous arm behind the plate and can hit the ball a country mile. The latter skill was on full display Tuesday when he smacked the first home run of his collegiate career. He entered the at-bat with a batting average below .200. Tuesday also isn’t the first time he’s struggled on defense this season. But there was a reason why MLB had interest in drafting the Houston native out of high school. He was a top-135 player in ESPN and MLB.com’s draft rankings. “Obviously, there are some growing pains,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “It’s a tough position to play, but I think his improvement is remarkable from fall scrimmages until now defen-

Late Tuesday

LSU 8, Creighton 4 Creighton (5-8)

LSU (13-5) ab r h bi ab r h bi Gump 3b 5 0 0 0 Curiel cf 4 1 1 0 McHugh dh 4 0 1 0 Brown rf 4 2 2 2 Deters rf 4 1 0 0 Dardar 2b 3 0 0 0 North ss 3 2 2 0 Ruckert 2b 1 0 0 0 Capece c 3 1 1 1 Milam ss 4 1 1 1 Wachsmann cf 3 0 1 2 Yorke 1b 4 1 2 0 Baillargeon 1b 3 0 0 0 Braun dh 1 0 0 0 Rice lf 3 0 1 1 Yamin ph/dh 1 1 1 0 Venteicher 2b 4 0 0 0 Serna c 3 1 1 4 Reaves lf 2 1 1 0 Stanﬁeld pr/lf 1 0 0 0 Caraway 3b 3 0 0 0 TOTALS 32 4 6 4 TOTALS 31 8 9 7 Creighton 022 000 000 — 4 6 3 LSU 100 140 02X — 8 9 2 Creighton — 2B — Lew Rice (1) SF — Lew Rice (1) SB — Ben North (1) HBP — McHugh (1); Capece (1) E — North (2); Capece (1) DP — 2 LSU — 2B — Brown (1) HR — Brown (1); Serna (1) SB — Brown (1) HBP — Milam (1); Yorke (1); Yamin (1); Caraway (1) E — Serna (1); Ricken (1) Creighton IP H R ER BB SO Ruhl 1 2 1 0 2 1 Burke 1 1 0 0 0 2 2 Stratton 1 ⁄3 2 1 0 0 1 1 Curtin (L, 0-2) ⁄3 1 3 3 0 0 Hauser 1 1 1 1 2 0 Wendt 2 1 0 0 1 2 Prindl 0 1 2 2 1 0 Adams 1 0 0 0 0 1 LSU IP H R ER BB SO Ricken 1 2 2 2 1 1 Dathe 0 0 0 0 1 0 Plog 11⁄3 0 2 2 2 1 Rizy 12⁄3 2 0 0 0 1 1 Sheerin (W, 1-0) 2 ⁄3 1 0 0 1 4 Garcia (S, 1) 22⁄3 1 0 0 0 4 HBP — Burke, Curtin, SheaWendt, Plog, Sheerin PB — Capece (1) Umpires — Home Plate: James Ainsworth First: Kevin Kennedy Second Base: Zachary Edgens Third Base: Blake Thames Start — 6:35 pm Time — 3:43 Attendance — 10,287

sively.” Serna’s big blast was the highlight, but Tuesday also was a step forward for the offense overall. The Tigers had nine hits and walked six times. Grand Canyon transfer Zach Yorke went 2 for 4, and junior Jake Brown smacked his ninth home run of the year in the eighth inning, a two-run shot that stretched LSU’s lead to four. Tuesday night was also the return of senior outfielder Chris Stanfield, who has been out since the third game of the season with a left-hand injury. He replaced fifthyear senior Tanner Reaves in the fifth inning and finished the game as the left fielder.

seasons of NFL experience. He spent the past three-plus years in Miami, including missing the entire 2024 season because of a torn knee ligament. He had 81/2 sacks last season. All-Pro safety Kevin Byard left Chicago to reunite with his former coach Mike Vrabel, agreeing to a one-year, $9 million deal with New England. Byard played under Vrabel for ﬁve-plus seasons in Tennessee. Washington agreed to terms with edge rusher and former LSU standout K’Lavon Chaisson on a one-year contract worth $12 million, with $10.3 million guaranteed. The Commanders also reached deals with linebacker Leo Chenal, safety Nick Cross, cornerback Amik Robertson and tight end Chig Okonkwo. Jacksonville agreed to a two-year deal with former Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez, giving the Jaguars another option in the backﬁeld after losing Travis Etienne in free agency to the Saints. Rodriguez rushed for 500 yards and six TDs last season for Washington.

Stanfield struck out in his only at-bat, but he also caught three fly balls, including the final out of the game. Johnson said LSU will still need to ease Stanfield back into the lineup before he reassumes his everyday role. “There’s an arc to doing this responsibly that I’m trying to manage,” Johnson said. “But man, I love having him back.” LSU (13-5) needed a combined effort on the bump to finish off Creighton (5-8). Freshman right-hander Reagan Ricken earned his first career start, but it was short-lived. He couldn’t escape the second inning as Johnson turned to five more pitchers to record the last 24 outs. The most impressive outings were from redshirt sophomore right-hander Deven Sheerin and Oregon left-handed transfer Santiago Garcia. Sheerin tossed 21/3 scoreless innings after entering the game in the fifth. Garcia replaced him with one out in the seventh and ended the game on his own. “That’s a massive weapon,” Johnson said when he was asked about Garcia’s performance. “And I’m really proud of him. He maybe didn’t have the first outing that he wanted to have, but his last three have been really good. That was electric tonight. That’s a big-time, game-changing piece for our bullpen.” Garcia and Sheerin combined to strike out eight batters and allowed just two hits in five innings. LSU didn’t give up another run after surrendering two in both the second and third innings. LSU’s next game Friday marks the beginning of Southeastern Conference play as the Tigers travel to Nashville, Tennessee, to take on Vanderbilt. First pitch is set for 6 p.m., and the game will be available to stream on SEC Network+.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Bent on avenging an excruciating loss to Memphis three days earlier, Tulane rode a total team effort to an eight-point halftime lead. Rowan Brumbaugh drove the bus from there. Brumbaugh scored 25 of his career-high-tying 35 points in the second half as the No. 9-seeded Green Wave cruised past the No. 8-seeded Tigers 81-69 on Wednesday night in the American Conference Tournament opener. The Wave (18-14), which never had beaten Memphis (13-19) in a conference tournament, advances to a second-round meeting with No. 5-seeded Charlotte at 6 p.m. Thursday. “We came in here with a little edge after the last game,” Tulane coach Ron Hunter said. “We wanted to come and really win this game.” Brumbaugh set the tone, draining a 3-pointer the first time Tulane had the ball after the break. Then, when Memphis pulled within 42-40 on a transition dunk that forced Hunter to call a timeout with 17:38 left, Brumbaugh drove for an easy basket that sparked a 10-1 run that gave the Wave a comfortable margin the rest of the way. He was nowhere near finished, hitting a 3-pointer in transition to put Tulane up 55-43. A minute later, he put his head down and drove one on three on a fast break for a layup while drawing a foul. He completed the three-point play after a timeout and kept punishing the Tigers, drilling another 3 to make the score 65-48 before finishing them off with a long, buzzer-beating 3-pointer that banked off the backboard at the end of what appeared to be a lost possession. “I guess I was just feeling it in the second half, and my teammates got me the ball in the right places,” Brumbaugh said. “It was my day.” Memphis never came closer than 11 points the rest of the way. “It seemed like they wanted it more than us,” Memphis coach Penny Hardaway said. “It was the same problems we’ve had all year. We started making turnovers and not passing the ball, and then we stopped defending.” Tulane hit 14 3-pointers — its most since making 19 against

Texas-San Antonio on Jan. 10 — in 34 attempts. Brumbaugh had five, with Curtis Williams and Scotty Middleton sinking three. Williams was the only other Wave player in double figures with 11 points while adding seven rebounds. Brumbaugh had a teamhigh eight rebounds, but this was not a one-man effort. Getting balanced scoring plus points from unlikely sources, Tulane almost duplicated its halftime lead against Memphis from three days earlier, going ahead 39-31 this time instead of 40-31. The Wave was up 1-0 at tipoff after Asher Woods sank a technical free throw assessed to the Tigers for submitting their starting lineup too late. After that unusual start, Tulane trailed for only 1:18 before the half, with six players hitting 3s. Brumbaugh started the 3-pointer party to tie the score at 6-6. Tyler Ringgold hit one off an inbounds pass from Brumbaugh less than a minute later. Middleton, who was scoreless Sunday, connected on his familiar 3 from the corner off another feed from Brumbaugh and added a second one after an offensive rebound. Backup point guard KJ Greene made his first 3 since Jan. 21, having missed eight in a row since then. Williams hit one to give Tulane its largest led, 36-27, and the half ended fittingly with Luke Rasmussen’s deep trey at the buzzer from beyond the top of the key. He had sank only one of his last 17 from long range. Tulane’s proficiency from outside made up for its struggles in the paint. Memphis blocked five shots in the first half while limiting the Wave to 5-of-21 shooting from inside the arc, but the Tigers were done in by sloppy turnovers. They committed eight before the break, contributing to 11 fewer shot attempts than the Wave. Memphis finished 22 of 61 from the floor. Julius Thedford led the Tigers with only 13 points, but they were a miserable 5-of-22 shooting from 3-point range. “The kids played relaxed,” Hunter said. “The whole routine was to make sure they were relaxed. When you get in a conference tournament, everybody gets really tight.” so we made sure we were loose especially after the emotional game we played three days ago.” The Wave lost that one 96-95 in overtime.

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

Tulane Green Wave guard Rowan Brumbaugh goes up for a layup against UAB at the Devlin Fieldhouse on Jan. 14. Brumbaugh scored 35 points on Wednesday as Tulane beat Memphis in its American Conference Tournament opener.

6C ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

SCOREBOARD Hole-in-one

College softball

Will Handjis

State scores, schedule

Course: Webb Memorial Hole, yardage: No. 3, n/a Club selection: 7-iron Witnesses: Brian Barger, Dane Hupp, Craig Rhodes

Tuesday’s game

LSU 12, Nicholls 2

Wednesday’s games

Southeastern 11, Southern Miss 3 Nicholls 10, Jackson State 0, 6 innings

Odds

Thursday’s games No games scheduled

NBA

World Baseball Classic

FAVORITE LINE O/U UNDERDOG at DETROIT 14½ (220½) Philadelphia at OKLAHOMA CITY 6 (216½) Boston

Tuesday’s games Japan 9, Czech Republic 0 Canada 3, Puerto Rico 2 Israel 6, Netherlands 2 Italy 8, United States 6

College basketball

FAVORITE at MIAMI (OH) George Washington at VIRGINIA Iowa Kentucky Iowa State at TOLEDO at GEORGE MASON Alabama A&M at WISCONSIN Louisville at SETON HALL at TENNESSEE at ARIZONA at UTAH STATE at AKRON at DUQUESNE at NORFOLK STATE Middle Tennessee at KENT STATE at DAVIDSON at SOUTHERN at NC CENTRAL at UT ARLINGTON at W. KENTUCKY College basketball

LINE UNDERDOG 7½ UMass 5½ at FORDHAM 5½ NC State 1 at OHIO STATE 3½ at MISSOURI 4½ at TEXAS TECH 1½ Bowling Green 3½ Saint Bonaventure 1 at TEXAS SOUTHERN 6½ Washington 2½ at MIAMI (FL) 3 Creighton 6½ Auburn 15½ UCF 6½ UNLV 13½ Buffalo 1½ Rhode Island 7 South Carolina State 1½ at LOUISIANA TECH 3½ Ohio 7½ Loyola Chicago 4½ UAPB 1½ Mary.-Eastern Shore 5½ Southern Utah 1½ Kennesaw State

Wednesday’s games Canada 7, Cuba 2 Italy 9, Mexico 1 Dominican Republic at Venezuela, n

Friday’s games

South Korea at Pool D Winner, 6:30 p.m. Pool A Runner-Up at Pool B Winner, 8 p.m.

Tennis BNP Paribas Open

At Indian Wells Tennis Garden Indian Wells, Calif. Purse: $9,415,725 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor

Men’s singles

Round of 16 Cameron Norrie (27), Britain, def. Rinky Hijikata, Australia, 6-4, 6-2. Daniil Medvedev (11), Russia, def. Alex Michelsen, United States, 6-2, 6-4. Carlos Alcaraz (1), Spain, def. Casper Ruud (13), Norway, 6-1, 7-6 (2).

Women’s singles

Men’s college basketball

Round of 16 Iga Swiatek (2), Poland, def. Karolina Muchova (13), Czechia, 6-2, 6-0. Jessica Pegula (5), United States, def. Belinda Bencic (12), Switzerland, 6-3, 7-6 (5). Elina Svitolina (9), Ukraine, def. Katerina Siniakova, Czechia, 6-1, 1-1, ret.

State scores, schedule Southland Conference Tournament At Lake Charles Semiﬁnals Tuesday Stephen F. Austin 60, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 58 McNeese 84, Texas-Rio Grande Valley 80, 3 OTs Championship Wednesday McNeese State 76, Stephen F. Austin 59

Golf PGA Tour statistics

SWAC Tournament

At College Park, Georgia Second round Tuesday Prairie View 65, Alcorn St. 56 Jackson St. 68, Grambling 65 Quarterﬁnals Wednesday Prairie View 71, Bethune-Cookman 67 Florida A&M vs. Jackson St., n Thursday Texas Southern vs. Alabama A&M, 2 p.m. Southern vs. Ark.-Pine Bluff, 8:30 p.m.

Conference USA Tournament

At Huntsville, Alabama First Round Tuesday Missouri St. 75, FIU 72 New Mexico St. 68, Jacksonville St. 63 Quarterﬁnals Wednesday Missouri St. 77, Librty 69 Sam Houston St. vs. Jacksonville St., n Thursday Louisiana Tech vs. Middle Tennessee, 5:30 p.m. W. Kentucky vs. Kennesaw St., 8 p.m.

SEC Tournament

At Nashville, Tennessee First Round Wednesday Kentucky 87, LSU 82 Auburn 79, Mississippi St. 71 Ole Miss 76, Texas 66 Oklahoma vs. South Carolina, n Second Round Thursday Missouri vs. Kentucky, 11:30 a.m. Tennessee vs. Auburn, 2 p.m. Georgia vs. Ole Miss, 6 p.m. Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma-South Carolinawinner, 8:30 p.m.

American Conference Tournament

At Birmingham, Ala. First round Wednesday Tulane 81, Memphis 69 FAU vs. Temple, n Second round Thursday Charlotte vs. Memphis-Tulane-winner, 6 p.m. North Texas vs. FAU-Temple-winner, 8:30 p.m.

National scores TOURNAMENTS

Atlantic 10 St. Bonaventure 99, La Salle 80 Loyola Chicago 75, Richmond 67 Atlantic Coast North Carolina State 98, Pittsburgh 88 Louisville 62, SMU 58 Big 12 Iowa State 91, Arizona State 42 UCF 66, Cincinnati 65, OT Big East Providence 91, Butler 81 Big Ten Iowa 75, Maryland 64 Washington 83, USC 79, OT Mountain West UNLV 73, Wyoming 70 SEC Kentucky 87, LSU 82 Auburn 79, Mississippi State 61 Southland McNeese 76, Stephen F. Austin 59 SWAC Prairie View A&M 71, Bethune-Cookman 67

Kentucky 87, LSU 82

FG FT Reb LSU Min M-A M-A O-T A PFPTS Nwoko 35 5-9 6-8 3-12 2 3 16 Sutton 36 5-12 0-0 3-7 0 2 11 Tamba 30 2-5 2-4 3-4 1 4 6 Mackinnon 33 11-17 4-6 2-4 1 4 28 Reece 38 5-11 1-2 0-6 7 1 11 King 19 3-6 0-0 0-0 0 3 7 Carter 8 1-4 0-0 0-0 0 0 3 Totals 200 32-64 13-20 11-33 11 17 82 Percentages: FG .500, FT .650. 3-Point Goals: 5-20, .250 (Mackinnon 2-6, Sutton 1-2, Carter 1-4, King 1-4, Reece 0-4). Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 2 (Sutton, Tamba). Turnovers: 9 (Mackinnon 3, Nwoko 3, Reece, Sutton, Tamba). Steals: 1 (Reece). Technical Fouls: None.

Reb

KENTUCKY Min M-A M-A O-T A PFPTS Jelavic 14 3-4 0-0 1-3 0 0 7 Moreno 12 0-1 4-4 3-3 0 2 4 Aberdeen 37 6-13 3-4 0-2 3 2 16 Chandler 30 3-8 1-2 0-1 3 0 8 Oweh 39 8-19 7-10 2-8 3 3 23 Garrison 26 7-9 1-2 2-5 2 2 17 Dioubate 21 3-6 1-1 1-7 2 5 7 Williams 17 1-3 0-0 0-2 1 2 3 Johnson 3 1-1 0-0 0-0 1 0 2 Totals 200 32-64 17-23 9-31 15 16 87 Percentages: FG .500, FT .739. 3-Point Goals: 6-22, .273 (Garrison 2-3, Jelavic 1-2, Williams 1-3, Aberdeen 1-5, Chandler

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ASHLEy LANDIS

Welcome help

Italy shortstop Sam Antonacci throws to first after tagging out Mexico shortstop Joey Ortiz during the sixth inning of a World Baseball Classic game on Wednesday in Houston. Italy’s 9-1 win over Mexico allowed the United States to advance out of pool play into the knockout around, despite the Americans dropping an 8-6 decision to Italy on Tuesday night. 1-5, Dioubate 0-1, Oweh 0-3). Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 3 (Garrison 2, Jelavic). Turnovers: 5 (Aberdeen, Chandler, Dioubate, Garrison, Oweh). Steals: 5 (Garrison 2, Aberdeen, Oweh, Williams). Technical Fouls: Aberdeen, 9:29 second. LSU 43 39 — 82 Kentucky 46 41 — 87

Women’s college basketball State scores, schedule Southland Conference Tournament

Quarterﬁnals Tuesday UTRGV 76, Northwestern St. 67 Stephen F. Austin 63, Nicholls 60 Semiﬁnals Wednesday McNeese St. 67, Texas Rio Grande Valley 52 Stephen F. Austin 64, Lamar 59 Championship Thursday McNeese State vs. Stephen F. Austin, 4 p.m.

SWAC Tournament

Tuesday Delaware 66, Kennesaw St. 47 Jacksonville St. 82, UTEP 77 Quarterﬁnals Wednesday Louisiana Tech 72, Delaware 43 FIU 76, Jacksonville St. 66 Thursday Sam Houston St. vs. Liberty, 11:30 a.m. Middle Tennessee vs. Missouri St., 2 p.m.

American Conference Tournament

Tuesday FAU 74, Charlotte 70 Temple 86, Tulane 77, OT Second round Wednesday North Texas 80, FAU 57 UTSA 59, Temple 51 Quarterﬁnals Thursday Tulsa vs. North Texas, noon South Florida vs. TBD, 2:30 p.m.

L 18 22 25 25 28 29 28

.538 .523 .500 .422 .415 .262 .250 .231

11½ 12½ 14 19 19½ 29½ 30 31½

Oklahoma City San Antonio Houston L.A. Lakers Minnesota Denver Phoenix L.A. Clippers Golden State Portland Memphis Dallas New Orleans Utah Sacramento

W 51 48 40 40 40 39 38 32 32 31 23 21 21 20 16

L 15 17 24 25 25 26 27 32 33 35 41 44 45 45 50

Pct .773 .738 .625 .615 .615 .600 .585 .500 .492 .470 .359 .323 .318 .308 .242

GB — 2½ 10 10½ 10½ 11½ 12½ 18 18½ 20 27 29½ 30 30½ 35

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Wednesday’s games

Cleveland at Orlando, n Toronto at New Orleans, n New York at Utah, n Charlotte at Sacramento, n Houston at Denver, n Minnesota at L.A. Clippers, n

Thursday’s games

Philadelphia at Detroit, 6 p.m. Phoenix at Indiana, 6 p.m. Washington at Orlando, 6 p.m. Brooklyn at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m. Milwaukee at Miami, 6:30 p.m. Dallas at Memphis, 7 p.m. Denver at San Antonio, 8 p.m. Boston at Oklahoma City, 8:30 p.m. Chicago at L.A. Lakers, 9:30 p.m.

Friday’s games

Pro basketball W 46 43 41 40 36 37 35

30 31 33 37 38 48 48 50

Philadelphia 139, Memphis 129 Atlanta 124, Dallas 112 Miami 150, Washington 129 Detroit 138, Brooklyn 100 Phoenix 129, Milwaukee 114 Houston 113, Toronto 99 San Antonio 125, Boston 116 Charlotte 103, Portland 101 Sacramento 114, Indiana 109 Chicago 130, Golden State 124, OT L.A. Lakers 120, Minnesota 106

Conference USA Conference

Detroit Boston New York Cleveland Toronto Miami Orlando

35 34 33 27 27 17 16 15

Tuesday’s games

At College Park, Ga. Second Round Tuesday Florida A&M 55, Bethune-Cookman 52 Ark.-Pine Bluff 81, MVSU 74 Quarterﬁnals Wednesday Alabama A&M 72, Florida A&M 68 Ark.-Pine Bluff 64, Alcorn State 60 Thursday Southern vs. Jackson St., 10 a.m. Alabama St. vs. Grambling, 4:30 p.m.

NBA conference glance EASTERN CONFERENCE

Philadelphia Atlanta Charlotte Milwaukee Chicago Brooklyn Washington Indiana

Pct .719 .662 .621 .615 .563 .561 .556

GB — 3½ 6 6½ 10 10 10½

Cleveland at Dallas, 6:30 p.m. Memphis at Detroit, 6:30 p.m. New York at Indiana, 6:30 p.m. Phoenix at Toronto, 6:30 p.m. New Orleans at Houston, 7 p.m. Minnesota at Golden State, 9 p.m. Utah at Portland, 9 p.m. Chicago at L.A. Clippers, 9:30 p.m. Saturday’s Games Brooklyn at Philadelphia, noon Milwaukee at Atlanta, 2 p.m. Charlotte at San Antonio, 2:30 p.m. Washington at Boston, 5 p.m. Orlando at Miami, 7 p.m. Denver at L.A. Lakers, 7:30 p.m. Sacramento at L.A. Clippers, 9:30 p.m.

NBA leaders SCORING AVERAGE

G Doncic, LAL 53 Gilg, Alex, OKC 54 Edwards, MIN 55 Maxey, PHI 61 Jokic, DEN 49 Mitchell, CLE 57 Brown, BOS 58 Leonard, LAC 50 Brunson, NY 61 Durant, HOU 61 Murray, DEN 60 Cunningham, DET 57 Booker, PHO 49 Avdija, POR 50 Porter, BKN 52 Wembanyama, SA 51 Siakam, IND 55 George, UTA 53 Johnson, ATL 58 Powell, MIA 49 Banchero, ORL 53 Murphy, NO 57 Ingram, TOR 62 Williamson, NO 49

FG 553 587 555 616 500 559 606 485 568 560 531 509 400 373 444 418 494 396 492 367 398 437 496 393

FT 418 445 312 333 323 305 315 299 290 329 272 296 331 363 195 300 234 336 259 230 319 192 233 266

PTS 1723 1712 1613 1767 1416 1617 1643 1396 1597 1592 1524 1433 1221 1213 1259 1234 1318 1261 1333 1103 1178 1253 1333 1053

AVG 32.5 31.7 29.3 29.0 28.9 28.4 28.3 27.9 26.2 26.1 25.4 25.1 24.9 24.3 24.2 24.2 24.0 23.8 23.0 22.5 22.2 22.0 21.5 21.5

G Jokic, DEN 49 Towns, NY 62 Clingan, POR 61 Gobert, MIN 62 Wembanyama, SA 51 Duren, DET 54 Johnson, ATL 58 Adebayo, MIA 58 Ware, MIA 61 Sengun, HOU 57 Holmgren, OKC 56 Vucevic, CHI 48 Diabaté, CHA 58 Mobley, CLE 50 Banchero, ORL 53 Robinson, NY 47 Allen, CLE 51 Drummond, PHI 49 Queta, BOS 61 Ayton, LAL 56 Williams, PHO 56 Barnes, TOR 62 Doncic, LAL 53

OFF DEF 148 466 190 550 277 425 240 470 99 469 205 365 84 519 120 449 190 380 174 343 106 400 100 331 216 288 111 321 62 392 202 197 133 299 159 255 180 328 137 327 174 278 127 362 35 382

TOT 614 740 702 710 568 570 603 569 570 517 506 431 504 432 454 399 432 414 508 464 452 489 417

AVG 12.53 11.94 11.51 11.45 11.14 10.56 10.4 9.81 9.34 9.07 9.04 8.98 8.69 8.64 8.57 8.49 8.47 8.45 8.33 8.29 8.07 7.89 7.87

REBOUNDS PER GAME

College baseball State scores, schedule Tuesday’s scores

UL 11, Texas-Rio Grande Valley 7 Southern 20, Dillard 7, 7 innings Nicholls 12, Jackson State 2, 7 innings Mississippi State 11, Tulane 7 UNO 14, Mississippi Valley State 0 LSU 8, Creighton 4

Wednesday’s games

McNeese at UL, ppd. Nicholls 5, Xavier 4 Southeastern at South Alabama, n

Thursday’s games No games scheduled

FedExCup season points: 1, Collin Morikawa, 1,182. 2, Akshay Bhatia, 1,144. 3, Jacob Bridgeman, 1,123. 4, Chris Gotterup, 1,120. 5, Scottie Scheffler, 1,079. 6, Min Woo Lee, 755. 7, Jake Knapp, 680. 8, Nicolas Echavarria, 664. 9, Si Woo Kim, 627. 10, Ryan Gerard, 623. Scoring average: 1, Jake Knapp, 68.969. 2, Rory McIlroy, 69.266. 3, Scottie Scheffler, 69.483. 4, Jacob Bridgeman, 69.529. 5, Collin Morikawa, 69.803. 6, Nicolai Hojgaard, 69.812. 7, Si Woo Kim, 69.903. 8, Ricky Castillo, 69.950. 9, Min Woo Lee, 69.976. 10, Hideki Matsuyama, 69.982. Driving distance: 1, Gary Woodland, 327.7. 2 (tie), Michael Brennan and Aldrich Potgieter, 326.1. 4, Rasmus Hojgaard, 322.9. 5, Chris Gotterup, 321.5. 6, Jesper Svensson, 320.4. 7, Jake Knapp, 319.4. 8, Nicolai Hojgaard, 319.3. 9, Min Woo Lee, 317.7. 10, Rory McIlroy, 317.5. Driving accuracy percentage: 1, Joel Dahmen, 74.11%. 2, Lucas Glover, 73.57%. 3, Chan Kim, 72.08%. 4 (tie), Corey Conners and Si Woo Kim, 71.43%. 6, David Lipsky, 69.39%. 7, Andrew Putnam, 69.05%. 8, Russell Henley, 68.65%. 9, 2 tied with 68.25%. Total driving: 1, Min Woo Lee, 36. 2 (tie), Blades Brown and Michael Thorbjornsen, 51. 4, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, 61. 5, Jordan Smith, 66. 6, William Mouw, 67. 7, Collin Morikawa, 73. 8, David Ford, 74. 9, Michael Brennan, 75. 10, Rory McIlroy, 79. SG-putting: 1, Zach Johnson, 1.232. 2, Jacob Bridgeman, 1.221. 3, Kris Ventura, 1.181. 4, Jake Knapp, 1.095. 5, Davis Riley, 1.021. 6, Matthieu Pavon, 1.005. 7, Sam Ryder, .992. 8, Vince Whaley, .977. 9, Seamus Power, .972. 10, Kevin Roy, .883. Birdie average: 1, Scottie Scheffler, 5.6. 2, Rory McIlroy, 5.3. 3, Jacob Bridgeman, 5.17. 4, Pierceson Coody, 5.08. 5 (tie), Ludvig Aberg, Ricky Castillo and David Lipsky, 5. 8, 3 tied with 4.9. Eagles (holes per): 1, Jake Knapp, 45. 2 (tie), Keegan Bradley and Sahith Theegala, 50.4. 4, Aldrich Potgieter, 51. 5, Joel Dahmen, 57.6. 6, Rory McIlroy, 60. 7 (tie), Justin Lower and Matt Wallace, 66. 9, 3 tied with 72. All-around ranking: 1, Rory McIlroy, 155. 2, Min Woo Lee, 186. 3, Scottie Scheffler, 236. 4, Rickie Fowler, 265. 5, Jake Knapp, 282. 6, Collin Morikawa, 298. 7 (tie), Si Woo Kim and Adam Scott, 325. 9, Ryo Hisatsune, 349. 10, Blades Brown, 352.

Transactions FOOTBALL

National Football League ARIZONA CARDINALS — Released QB Kyler Murray. CAROLINA PANTHERS — Waived DT Popo Aumavae. CLEVELAND BROWNS — Tendered S Ronnie Hickman as a restricted free agent. Acquired T Tytus Howard from Houston in exchange for a 2026 ﬁfth-round draft pick (from Las Vegas). Signed C/G Elgton Jenkins, G Zion Johnson, LB Quincy Williams and TE Jack Stoll to contracts. DALLAS COWBOYS — Acquired DL Rashan Gary from Green Bay in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round draft pick. DETROIT LIONS — Placed DE Josh Paschal on waivers. GREEN BAY PACKERS — Re-signed C/G Sean Rhyan to a contract. Released CB Nate Hobbs. Acquired LB Zaire Franklin from Indianapolis in exchange for DL Colby Wooden. HOUSTON TEXANS — Released DT Mario Edwards. MIAMI DOLPHINS — Re-signed TE Greg Dulcich and CB A.J. Green III to contracts. Released LB Bradley Chubb with a post-June 1 designation. MINNESOTA VIKINGS — Signed S Tavierre Thomas and DLs Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave to contracts. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS — Released WR Stefon Diggs and LBs Anfernee Jennings and Jahlani Tavai. Acquired C Garrett Bradbury from Chicago in exchange for a 2027 ﬁfthround draft pick. NEW YORK GIANTS — Waived DB Anthony Johnson. PITTSBURGH STEELERS — Signed OT Jack Driscoll to a one-year contract. TENNESSEE TITANS — Tendered WR Bryce Oliver as an exclusive rights free agent.

BASEBALL

Major League Baseball American League ATHLETICS — Optioned RHP Joey Estes to Las Vegas (PCL). BALTIMORE ORIOLES — Sent Cs Ethan Anderson and Creed Willems, LHPs Andrew Magno, Eric Torres and Josh Walker, 1B/OF Ryan Noda and OF Will Robertson to Buffalo (IL). BOSTON RED SOX — Agreed to terms with OFs Willy Abreu and Nate Eaton, INFs Tsung-Che Cheng, Marcelo Mayer, Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, Nick Sogard and Mickey Gasper, Cs Carlos Narváez and Anthony Seigler, LHPs Jake Bennett, Connelly Early, Jovani Morán, Tyler Samaniego and Payton Tolle and RHPs Zack Kelly, Justin Slaten, Tyler Uberstine, Ryan Watson and Greg Weissert on one-year contracts. MINNESOTA TWINS — Sent INFs Kaelen Cul-

THURSDAY’S FAIR GROUNDS ENTRIES Post time: 12:45 p.m. FIRST RACE — $19,000, MAIDEN CLAIMING $20,000, 3 YO’S & UP SIX FURLONGS 1. Classical Ocean (I Castillo) 9-2 2. Easy Like Breezy (T Thornton) 5-1 3. Bayou Time (H Hernandez) 5-2 4. Aticus Aurelius (M Pedroza, Jr.) 4-1 5. Aunt Netty’s Tank (J Loveberry) 6-1 6. Rescue Squad (J Mudd) 8-1 4-1 7. Hear Thunder (E Nieves) SECOND RACE — $30,000, MAIDEN OPTIONAL CLAIMING $50,000, 3 YO, F (FILLIES) SIX FURLONGS 1. Fixated (C McMahon) 6-1 2. Ad Hoc (J Graham) 6-1 3. Grazie Prego (J Loveberry) 5-2 3-1 4. Best Beach (J Ortiz) 5. She’s Tops (E Murray) 3-1 6. Alrosa (S Vives) 5-1 THIRD RACE — $14,000, CLAIMING $5,000, 4 YO’S & UP ONE MILE 70 YARDS 1. License to Steal (M Pedroza, Jr.) 10-1

12-1 2. Little Warrior (C McMahon118 3. Willingness (J Hernandez) 8-1 4. Ain’t No Disco (H Hernandez) 6-1 5. Byword (S Vives124 6-1 6. Jr’s Gift (H Rea) 4-1 7. Traitour (J Mudd) 8-1 8. Lil Bro Coop (I Castillo) 5-2 9. Wayllen Richard (D Magnon) 6-1 FOURTH RACE — $30,000, MAIDEN OPTIONAL CLAIMING $50,000, 3 YO, F (FILLIES) ONE MILE 1. Constructively (C Hernandez) 12-1 2. Dancewhenyoucan (C McMahon) 20-1 5-2 3. Killa Sally (B Hernandez, Jr.) 4. Unlikely Queen (A Concepcion) 6-1 7-2 5. Look At Me Nah (J Ortiz) 6. U Vicky (B Curtis) 12-1 7. Ribadeo (S Vives) 8-1 8. Dream Eagle (M Pedroza, Jr.) 6-1 9. Sharing Wisdom (GB) (D Cannon) 9-2 FIFTH RACE — $19,000, CLAIMING $12,500, 4 YO’S & UP SIX FURLONGS 1. Summertime Peppers (H Rea) 8-1

2. G’wildcat (A Concepcion124 7-2 3. Young Tuscan (J Dominguez) 10-1 4. Our Determination (I Castillo) 8-1 5. F T W Slam (D Magnon) 8-1 6. Majority Opinion (C Hernandez124 9-2 7. Ampitup (B Curtis) 6-1 8. Hawija (M Pedroza, Jr.) 9-2 9. Sophie’s Painter (E Nieves) 6-1 SIXTH RACE — $55,000, AOC $12,500, 4 YO’S & UP ONE MILE 1. Turf Monster (A Concepcion) 6-1 2. Single Shot (C Hernandez) 6-1 3. Corporal Paul (J Ortiz) 7-2 4. Tensas Camp Road (E Nieves) 12-1 5. Island Cabana (H Rea) 15-1 6. Mardi Gras Empire (J Mudd) 6-1 7. Bob’s Channel (I Castillo) 15-1 8. Captivating Star (J Loveberry) 5-1 9. Flash N Class (T Thornton) 8-1 10. Global Honor (S Vives124 9-2 11. Late September (E Nieves) 5-1 12. Wayside Drive (J Graham) 12-1

13. Woods N Water (C McMahon) 20-1 14. Causeway Benny (C McMahon) 5-1 15. Slick and Fast (M Pedroza, Jr.) 5-1 SEVENTH RACE — $19,000, CLAIMING $12,500, 4 YO’S & UP ONE MILE 1. Tambourine Star (M Pedroza, Jr.) 8-1 2. Beach Blanket (I Castillo) 8-1 3. Myglorybee (E Nieves) 5-1 4. Nopenottonight (C McMahon) 8-1 5. Ranch Water (J Melancon) 7-2 10-1 6. Blue Cheese (H Hernandez) 7. Take Charge J J (A Concepcion) 10-1 8. Cypress Gold (B Hernandez, Jr.) 6-1 9-2 9. Northernreﬂection (K Roman) EIGHTH RACE — $55,000, ALLOWANCE, 4 YO’S & UP 1 1/16 MILES 1. John the Beer Man (H Hernandez) 8-1 2. Mary’s Boy Bolt (J Graham) 8-1 3. Max S (M Meeks) 30-1 4. Drilling for Gold (M Pedroza, Jr.) 9-2 5. Contribution (J Ortiz) 7-2 6. Main Beach (A Concepcion) 9-2

7. Hot Property (J Loveberry) 8-1 8. Bolt From Above (I Castillo) 12-1 9. Unleash the Power (B Curtis) 6-1 10. Edgerton (B Hernandez, Jr.) 8-1 11. Crisis Manager (J Ortiz) 4-1 NINTH RACE — $15,000, MAIDEN CLAIMING $12,500, 3 YO’S & UP, F & M (FILLIES AND MARES) ONE MILE 70 YARDS 1. Seraphina Sea (J Rodriguez) 20-1 2. Bourbon Americana (S Vives) 20-1 3. Jailhouse Religion (J Ortiz) 7-2 4. Mo Diva (J Dominguez) 7-2 5. Promesa Divina (E Murray) 8-1 6. Khozy’s Operetta (J Hernandez) 20-1 7. Gatsby’sgreenlight (H Rea) 20-1 8. Wendy’s Myla (J Riquelme) 30-1 9. Tortuga Coast (C Perez) 3-1 10. Tia Lupe (D Cannon) 8-1 11. Lady Dixie (J Mudd) 8-1

LIVING

N O L A.C O M

T h u r s d ay, M a r c h 12, 2026

1dN

Steak and potatoes a proper St. Patrick’s Day start BY LINDA GASSENHEIMER Tribune News Service (TNS)

Beef, potatoes and leeks, lightly coated in a rich beermustard sauce, are the stars of this hearty one-pot meal. It’s perfect for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day or for any night you’re craving a comforting, ﬂavorful dinner. Beer ranges in color from pale gold to deep amber. This recipe calls for a dark beer, which adds depth to the sauce. Leeks look like a giant scallion with broad, dark green leaves that are tightly wrapped around each other. The quickest way to clean the leaves is to trim the root end and make 4 to 5 slits from top to bottom. Run the leaves under cold water to reach the dirt trapped between the leaf layers.

TNS PHOTO By LINDA GASSENHEIMER

Quick Beer-Sauced Steak and Potatoes

Yields 2 servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer. 2 teaspoons olive oil ¾ pound grass-fed beef tenderloin, cut into 1-inch pieces ¾ pound red or yellow potatoes, with skin, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 medium leeks, cleaned and sliced (about 2 cups) 11 ounces beer 4 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tablespoons coarse-grain mustard 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon water Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 scallions, sliced (about 1⁄3 cup) 1. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat. Add beef and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. 2. Place potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high 3 minutes. 3. Add the leeks and potatoes to the skillet. Saute 1 minute. Add the beer and vinegar to the skillet and cook 2 minutes. Add the mustard and stir into the ingredients. 4. Mix cornstarch with the water and stir into the ingredients in the skillet. Return the meat to the skillet and continue to cook 1 minute. A meat thermometer should read 135 F for medium rare. Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide between 2 dinner plates and sprinkle the scallions on top. NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 549 calories (26 percent from fat), 16.0 g fat (5.4 g saturated, 6.6 g monounsaturated), 84 mg cholesterol, 41.8 g protein, 50.1 g carbohydrates, 5.5 g ﬁber, 333 mg sodium.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Baked Stuffed Shrimp

WORDS WISE from the

Baked Stuffed Shrimp

Serves 4

1 cup breadcrumbs, divided ¼ cup parsley, freshly chopped 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning 1 garlic clove, minced ½ cup mayonnaise ½ cup butter, divided, melted 1 pound crabmeat, claw 20 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 lemon, juiced 1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. 2. Mix half of the breadcrumbs, parsley, Creole seasoning, garlic, mayo and butter in a large bowl. Add crabmeat, melted butter; mix stufﬁng well. 3. Place a shrimp on a flat work surface. Slice horizontally through the middle, careful not to cut through to the other side. Open the 2 sides and spread them out like an open book. Repeat with remaining shrimp. 4. Stuff each shrimp with a heaping tablespoon of mixture and place in prepared baking dish. Mix remaining melted butter and lemon then spoon a small amount over each shrimp. 5. Bake in the preheated oven until shrimp are opaque and stufﬁng begins to brown, 15 to 18 minutes.

For Women’s History Month, chef Kevin Belton honors the kitchen matriarchs who shaped him As Women’s History Month unfolds, I ﬁnd myself reﬂecting on the hands that guided mine in the kitchen — hands that kneaded dough, stirred pots and more importantly, shaped the chef I’ve become. These weren’t just women who taught me recipes, they were architects of a philosophy that cooking is an act of love, discipline and respect. My earliest culinary education began at home, watching my mom and grandma move through the kitchen with a rhythm that seemed almost choreographed. But it wasn’t just about what they cooked, it was how they cooked. “Clean as you go,” my mom would remind me, wiping down counters between tasks, never letting chaos accumulate. It seemed tedious to my younger self, but I understand now that she was teaching me something profound: respect for

Kevin Belton the workspace, respect for the process and respect for those who would eat the food. My grandma taught me something even more intangible but equally essential: Food prepared without love is just sustenance, but food prepared with care becomes nourishment for the soul. I watched her cook for family gatherings, her movements deliberate and tender, as if each stir of the pot was a prayer. She never rushed, never cut corners and the result was always the same.

ä See MATRIARCHS, page 2D

Low-fuss dumpling lasagna gets steamed on the stovetop Dumpling Lasagna

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/ TNS PHOTO By GRETCHEN McKAy

BY GRETCHEN McKAY

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS) Lasagna never fails to please, but its preparation — and storage of leftovers — can be a hassle. But portioning the layered dish into individual servings before cooking and steaming it on the stovetop? Now you’re talking. Suddenly lasagna is both quick and easy.

This craveable recipe, a variation on what’s been making the rounds on social media over the past few months, all the Recipe, features great ﬂavors you 2D ﬁnd in an Asianstyle soup dumpling: juicy pork seasoned with garlic, green onion and chopped cabbage, a savory mix of soy and oyster sauces, Shaoxing wine and toasted sesame oil.

But you can skip the tedious work of wrapping wonton after wonton around scoops of ﬁlling to make 20 or 30 small packages you can fry or boil. For this dish, you layer the meat and wrappers like a parfait or seven-layer dip in ramekins (or small soup cups or bowls). After topping off the minilasagnas with a little water or

ä See LASAGNA, page 2D

2D ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Praline Cake baking dish and smooth the top. Bake 22 to 32 minutes, until a cake FOR THE BROWN SUGAR tester inserted into CAKE: the center of the pan 1 cup buttermilk comes out clean. ½ cup butter 6. Remove from the 2 cups light brown sugar, oven and set on a wire packed rack, then immedi2 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla ately start the praline extract topping and heat your 2 cups all-purpose flour oven’s broiler. 1 teaspoon baking soda PRALINE TOPPING ½ teaspoon salt 1. Combine all the FOR THE PRALINE frosting ingredients in a TOPPING: small saucepan and set ½ cup butter the pan over medium PROVIDED PHOTO heat. Bring to a slow 1 cup light brown sugar, packed boil, stirring often. Praline Cake 1 cup pecans chopped 2. Once the topping ½ cup heavy cream boils, cook for 3 to 5 a large mixing bowl and ¼ teaspoon salt let cool for 5 minutes. Add minutes, until the mixture brown sugar, eggs and vanil- just starts to thicken. 1. Preheat the oven to la extract. Beat with an elec3. Pour over the cake, then 350 F. Spray a 13- by 9-inch tric mixer set to medium put the cake in the oven 4 baking dish with cooking speed for several minutes, inches below the broiler. spray and dust lightly with until well combined. Broil 30 seconds to 1 minute, ﬂour. Set aside. 4. Whisk the flour, bak- until the frosting starts to 2. Combine the buttermilk ing soda, and salt in a small bubble and turns light goldand butter in a small sauce- bowl and, with mixer set to en brown. Don’t walk away pan set over medium heat. low, gradually beat into the from the oven because this Heat, stirring often, until butter-egg mixture until just will happen quickly. 4. Remove from the oven the butter is melted. If the combined. Stir a few times to mixture starts to boil, turn make sure all of the dry in- and cool before serving because praline topping is the heat down. gredients are incorporated. 3. Pour that mixture into 5. Scrape into the prepared very hot.

Serves 10-12

MATRIARCHS Continued from page 1D

People didn’t just eat her food, they felt embraced by it. Both of these recipes are versions of recipes Mom and Grandma made for us with so much love and care. These lessons became the foundation of everything I do in the kitchen, but it was the legendary Leah Chase who showed me how to carry those values into a professional realm. I’ve been going to Dooky Chase’s Restaurant since I was a toddler, and Chase was a constant presence. She was a queen in her domain, commanding respect while radiating warmth. I remember once, in my eagerness to experiment, asking her about adding cream to a particular recipe. She didn’t say a word. She simply gave me that look, stern but loving, the kind only a woman who has mastered her craft can give. That look said everything: Respect the tradition, understand the why before you change the what, and never

compromise the integrity of a dish for the sake of trends. Chase didn’t just cook Creole food. She preserved culture, fed freedom ﬁghters and created a space where everyone, regardless of race or status, could gather around a table. She taught me that being a chef is more than technical skill. It’s about being a custodian of history, a bridge between generations and a servant to the community. Then there was Yvonne Blount, the fourth-generation owner of Antoine’s, one of the oldest family-run restaurants in this country. We didn’t have a formal mentor-mentee relationship in the traditional sense. I never worked for her, but she became a friend and guide as I navigated this industry. Blount understood the weight of legacy. Running a restaurant with such deep roots required not just business acumen but a reverence for what came before. She showed me that longevity in this business isn’t about chasing every trend; it’s about staying true to your vision while adapting with grace.

Her friendship reminded me that women in this industry must support one another, lift each other up and create space for the next generation. These women didn’t just teach me how to cook, they taught me how to live. They showed me that a clean kitchen is a reﬂection of a clear mind, that love is the most important ingredient, and that our work in the kitchen is never just about feeding bodies — it’s about nourishing souls and preserving the stories that make us who we are. This Women’s History Month, I celebrate them, not as distant ﬁgures of inspiration, but as the foundation upon which I stand. Kevin Belton is resident chef of WWL-TV and has taught classes in Louisiana cooking for 30 years. The most recent of his four cookbooks, “Kevin Belton’s Cookin’ Louisiana: Flavors from the Parishes of the Pelican State,” was published in 2021. Email Chef at chefkevinbelton@gmail. com.

Dumpling Lasagna Serves 4. Recipe is from Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette. FOR GROUND PORK MIXTURE: ¾ pound ground pork ½ cup chopped or finely shredded napa or green cabbage 2 thinly sliced green onions, plus more for garnish 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or mirin 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon oyster sauce 2 garlic cloves, finely minced 1-inch knob fresh ginger, grated or minced FOR SOUP: 1 package wonton wrappers Water or broth, for filling ramekins Chili oil or chili crisp, for garnish

The pork mixture is portioned into the bottom of a 6-ounce ramekin.

1. Prepare the dumpling ﬁlling. In a large bowl, combine ground pork, chopped cabbage, green onions, Shaoxing wine or mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, minced garlic and ginger. Use your hands or a fork to mix everything together until well combined. 2. In small soup bowl or 6-ounce ramekin, add a layer of ground pork mixture, then a dumpling wrapper, pressing down gently with your ﬁngers. 3. Continue with another layer of filling and then a

wonton wrapper, pressing gently as you go. Add 1 more layer of pork filling, until the ramekin is nearly full. (There should be three layers of pork.) 4. Add 1⁄3 cup of water or vegetable/chicken stock, then top off with another layer of wonton wrap. Press the dumpling wrapper down gently with ﬁngers so it is submerged in the liquid. 5. Repeat with 3 more ramekins/soup bowls. 6. Place ramekins in a large pot and add water halfway up the sides. Cover with a

lid and boil and steam for 20 minutes, or until the pork is fully cooked and the wonton wrappers are soft and tender when pierced with the tip of a knife or pressed with your ﬁnger. Note: If all the ramekins don’t ﬁt in the pot at the same time, you will have to cook the lasagnas in batches. 7. Carefully remove ramekins/bowls from the steamer using tongs, place on a plate and finish with a drizzle of chili oil or generous spoonful of chili crisp. Top with sliced green onions, and serve warm straight from the ramekin.

I used ground pork (because its fat makes it juicy) and chopped green cabbage in the filling, but you also could use ground chicken or shrimp — or make it completely vegetarian with tofu. Or, punch up the flavor with the addition of mushrooms or carrots. Definitely don’t forget a generous spoonful of chili crisp or swirl of spicy chili oil before taking that first awesome bite. The deep umami flavor of the condiments will add a rich, textural finish that makes the

dish irresistible. Wonton wrappers are usually tucked among the vegetables in your grocery’s refrigerated produce aisle. Shaoxing wine is a nutty amber-colored cooking wine that adds complexity and depth of ﬂavor to many Chinese dishes (it’s a staple in Chinese cooking). If you can’t ﬁnd it, substitute dry cooking sherry or a dash of mirin, a Japanese sweet rice wine. The lasagnas reheat well the next day in the microwave.

LASAGNA

Continued from page 1D broth, the ramekins are steamed on the stove top until the wonton wrappers are soft and wonderfully tender and the pork is fragrant and cooked through. There is a catch: You have to have a large and wide enough soup pot to comfortably ﬁt four ramekins, and it has to have a lid. Otherwise, you’ll need to do the cooking in batches.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/TNS PHOTO By GRETCHEN McKAy

Going out with a bloom this final display, it never Dear Heloise: I kept an African violet on my desk bloomed again. I like to think that the last at work that never flowering was its bloomed, no mattribute to the kind ter how much I man who cared for cared for it. An it so lovingly. — Debolder gentleman at the company bie, via email who grew African Hints from Kitty-food dust violets at home Heloise under grow lights Dear Heloise: I have offered to take discovered a way to mine home. He nurtured get rid of all the “dust” that it carefully and, once buds comes in my cat’s dry food. appeared, returned it to I measure out the proper me in full bloom. For sevamount, put it into a small sieve, and shake it over eral years, whenever the blossoms faded, I gave the the sink. The “dust” is reviolet back to him, and he moved, and the food bowl coaxed it to bloom again. is no longer messy. — Janice Eventually, he retired. F., in Youngstown, Ohio After his retirement, the violet — sitting quietly on Built-in protection my desk — began to bud Dear Heloise: Many smartand bloom on its own for phones already have a tool the very first time. After to block unwanted calls. To

minimize unwanted calls, open your phone’s settings, tap on the phone settings, scroll to “Silence Unknown Callers,” and toggle it on. When this setting is enabled, calls from numbers that are not in your contacts, recent calls or suggestions will be sent directly to voicemail. You can ask unknown callers to leave a message if their call is important, since most spam callers typically hang up without leaving one. Activating this simple setting can greatly minimize interruptions, allowing you to enjoy a more peaceful, productive day. — Kasey, in Prescott,Arizona Send a hint to heloise@ heloise.com.

TODAY IN HISTORY By The Associated Press Today is Thursday, March 12, the 71st day of 2026. There are 294 days left in the year. Today in history: On March 12, 1930, Mohandas Gandhi began his 24-day, 240-mile “Salt March” to the Indian village of Dandi (then called Navsari) as an act of nonviolent civil disobedience to protest the salt tax levied by colonial Britain. Also on this date: In 1912, the Girl Scouts of the USA had its beginnings as Juliette Gordon Low of Savannah, Georgia, founded the first American troop of the Girl Guides. In 1928, the St. Francis Dam north of Los Angeles, California, failed, sending over 12 billion gallons of water into San Francisquito Canyon and killing more than 400 people. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered the first of his “fireside

chats,” a series of evening radio broadcasts to the American public. In 1938, Nazi Germany annexed Austria, as German troops crossed the border into the country. In 1947, President Harry S. Truman announced what became known as the “Truman Doctrine” to help Greece and Turkey resist communism during the Cold War. In 1980, a Chicago jury found John Wayne Gacy Jr. guilty of the murders of 33 men and boys. (The next day, Gacy was sentenced to death; he was executed in May 1994.) In 2003, Elizabeth Smart, the 15-year-old girl who vanished from her Utah bedroom nine months earlier, was found alive in a Salt Lake City suburb with two drifters, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee. (Mitchell is serving a life sentence for kidnapping Smart; Barzee was released from prison in 2018.)

In 2009, disgraced ﬁnancier Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty in New York to the largest Ponzi scheme in history, having defrauded his clients of nearly $65 billion; he would later be sentenced to 150 years behind bars. (Madoff died in prison in April 2021.) In 2021, the city of Minneapolis agreed to pay $27 million to settle a lawsuit ﬁled by George Floyd’s family over the murder of the Black man by police. Today’s birthdays: Politician and civil rights activist Andrew Young is 94. Actor Barbara Feldon (“Get Smart”) is 93. Actor-singer Liza Minnelli is 80. Politician Mitt Romney is 79. Singer-songwriter James Taylor is 78. Actor Lesley Manville is 70. Singer Marlon Jackson (The Jackson Five) is 69. Actor Courtney B. Vance is 66. Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois is 58. Actor Aaron Eckhart is 58. Actor Jaimie Alexander is 42.

lll

BUSINESS

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 3D

N O L A.C O M/BIZ

DOW 47,417.27 -289.24 -0.61%

NASDAQ 22,716.13 19.03 0.08%

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Market remains calm as most stocks fall

NEW YORK — The U.S. stock market remained calm Wednesday, even as the price of oil got back to rising. Since the start of the war with Iran, sharp moves for oil prices have triggered swings up and down for financial markets worldwide, sometimes by the hour. Oil prices briefly spiked to their highest levels since 2022 this week because of the possibility that production in the Middle East could be blocked for a long time, which in turn raised worries about a surge of debilitating inflation for the global economy. High inflation combined with a stagnating economy would create a worst-case scenario called “stagflation” that the Federal Reserve has no good tools to fix. Stagflation fears are rising not just because of higher oil prices but also because of weakness in hiring by U.S. employers. On Wall Street, the majority of stocks fell. Campbell’s sank 7.1% after the soup company reported a weaker profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It was hurt by struggles for its snack business, and it cut its forecasts for revenue and profit this fiscal year. Helping to limit Wall Street’s losses was Oracle, which jumped 9.2%. The tech giant reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It also raised its forecast for revenue growth next fiscal year.

ExxonMobil set to move legal home to Texas ExxonMobil is poised to move its legal headquarters from New Jersey to Texas in search of a more friendly business environment, the company announced Tuesday morning. The board of directors for the largest U.S.-based oil producing company, which already runs its operations from the Houston suburb of Spring, unanimously recommended to its shareholders that they vote to redomicile the company in Texas. Shareholders will vote on the change at the company’s annual meeting on May 27. If successful, it will move Exxon’s legal home for the first time since it registered in New Jersey in 1882 as Standard Oil Company — the company later changed its name to Exxon, then merged with Mobil Oil Corp. The proposed move will not affect the company’s business operations or employee locations, the company said. ExxonMobil has been headquartered in Texas since 1989, and about 30% of its employees currently work in the state.

Stryker: Cyberattack disrupted networks PORTAGE, Mich. — Stryker, a major U.S. medical equipment company, said a cyberattack disrupted its global networks Wednesday. “We have no indication of ransomware or malware and believe the incident is contained. Our teams are working rapidly to understand the impact of the attack on our systems,” Stryker said in a statement on its website. The logo of Handala, a hacking group linked to Iran, has appeared on company login pages, The Wall Street Journal reported. Stryker’s statement said the cyberattack hit its Microsoft programs. Emails seeking additional information were not immediately answered. Stryker is based in Portage, Michigan, and makes a variety of medical products, from artiﬁcial joints to hospital beds. It had revenue of more than $25 billion in 2025. Alexander Leslie, a senior adviser at Recorded Future, a global threat intelligence company, said what’s notable is the “escalation in target choice and effect.” Attacking a high-profile U.S. health care manufacturer “is exactly the kind of pressure point that creates outsized strategic and political ripple effects,” Leslie told The Associated Press.

S&P 500 6,775.80 -5.68 -0.08%

EURO 1.1567 -0.0042 -0.36%

CRUDE OIL 83.45 -11.32 -11.94%

GOLD 5,167.40 -62.30 -1.19%

6-MO T-BILLS 3.65 0.01 0.27%

30-YR T-BONDS 4.87 0.08 1.77%

Service dog lawsuit settled violating the state’s Human sioner Rebecca Lucero told reportLyft agrees to protect was Rights Act. Both sides then nego- ers. Drivers can’t cancel or refuse a settlement that includes a ride because a passenger has a rights of disabled tiated changes in driver training, and service animal or wheelchair, or riders nationwide updates to the Lyft app that will because they have low or no vision,

BY STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The ride-sharing company Lyft will ensure the rights of blind and other disabled passengers across the country to travel with their service animals under a settlement announced in Minnesota on Wednesday. College student Tori Andres turned to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights after several Lyft drivers refused to let her service dog, Alfred, ride along with her. The agency investigated and determined that the company

make the agreement apply nationwide, not just in Minnesota. “This case is a deeply personal thing to me because I travel pretty much everywhere with my guide dog,” Andres said at a news conference, as her black Labrador lay quietly near her feet, with only an occasional lick or yawn. “He is my eyes. He is my freedom, and he is why I am able to live independently.” The terms require Lyft to train its drivers on the rights of passengers with disabilities, and warn them that they could be “deactivated” and lose their ability to drive for Lyft if they violate the law, state Human Rights Commis-

she said. The state will monitor Lyft’s compliance for three years, she added, and Andres will get a $63,000 monetary settlement. “We expect that all riders in Minnesota and in fact, across the United States, will beneﬁt from these changes,” Lucero said. Changes to the Lyft app include giving riders the option of updating their accessibility settings to notify a driver that they’re traveling with a service animal, and to report if they’re denied service. Some of those features were already in place. Lyft agreed to follow up on every report it gets of driver refusals.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By STEVE KARNOWSKI

Alfred, a service dog who belongs to college student Tori Andres, attends a news conference at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., on Wednesday.

Inflation held steady before attack on Iran sent energy costs soaring Price spikes will challenge federal inflation-fighters

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO

Associated Press Writers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Inflation remained stubbornly elevated last month as gas prices rose, but it’s a snapshot of consumer prices before a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran sent energy costs soaring. Consumer prices rose 2.4% in February compared with a year earlier, the Labor Department said Wednesday, matching January’s increase. Excluding the volatile food and energy, core prices climbed 2.5% from a year ago, also matching January’s level, which was the lowest in five years. Both remain above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Wednesday’s data has been overtaken by a conflict that began when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, causing wild gyrations in oil prices as shipping lanes through the Persian Gulf suffered a rare shutdown. Gas prices have jumped sharply and are expected to fuel higher costs broadly. Inflation data for this month will be released in early April. The price spike will challenge the inflationfighters at the Federal Reserve and could slow consumer spending, which drives twothirds of the nation’s economic growth. Prices could retreat if the war ends soon, as President Donald Trump has hinted. But rising oil prices threaten to worsen inflation for at least a few months with Americans already worn down by nearly five years of sharply higher costs. “Affordability” has become a thorny political issue for congressional Republicans with midterm elections later this year. On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.3% in February from the previous month, up from 0.2% in January. Increases at that pace for an extended period would push yearly inflation higher. Core prices moved up just 0.2%, down from a 0.3% rise in January. There were some positive signs in Wednesday’s report, with rental inflation falling to just 0.1% on a monthly basis, the smallest increase in five years. New car prices were unchanged in February and used car prices fell 0.4%. But grocery prices rose more quickly than in January, a trend that has hammered family budgets. They rose 0.4% in February and

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIO CORTEZ

Gas prices are visible on a marquee outside of a Kroger grocery store on Monday in Arlington, Texas. Prices have spiked following a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran on Feb. 28. were up 2.4% from a year earlier. Gas prices increased 0.8% last month, though they’re down 5.6% compared with a year ago. And clothing costs jumped 1.3% just in February, likely due to tariffs. “Ahead of the energy shock, trends in the consumer price index were relatively tame,” said Laura Rosner-Warburton, senior economist at MacroPolicy Perspectives. But she cautioned that the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure, which puts less weight on items that are cooling, such as rents, will likely come in higher when it is reported on Friday. Fuel prices are on track to soar 20% this month, she added, “and that’s huge.” Monthly inflation could rise by as much as 0.9% this month, she estimates, which would be the highest in four years. Companies bracing for higher energy costs are already wresting with tariffs, inflation, and growing labor costs. Many still want to avoid passing costs on to customers, but that depends heavily on the duration of the war.

Some analysts warn prices will rocket higher if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. About 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas is shipped through the narrow channel every day. On Wednesday, a projectile hit a Thai cargo ship off the coast of Oman leading into the Strait of Hormuz, setting it ablaze. Oil prices could soar to $150 a barrel in the coming weeks if shipments don’t resume, according to Wood Mackenzie, an energy analytics ﬁrm. The national average for regular gasoline in the U.S. jumped to $3.58 a gallon Wednesday, according to AAA, an increase of about 20% just in one month. Core prices will be much less affected this month, but could tick higher over time as more expensive gas pushes up airline fares, shipping, and other transportation costs. Darren Rebelez, the CEO of Casey’s General Stores, told investors Tuesday that he doesn’t expect a signiﬁcant pullback in customer spending unless gasoline nears $5 per gallon.

Drone maker partly owned by Trump sons hopes to win contracts Powerus has eye on Pentagon deals BY BERNARD CONDON Associated Press

NEW YORK — Among dozens of companies competing for Pentagon contracts to supply attack drones, one stands out. Powerus is ﬂush with cash and ballooning in size as it buys up rivals and has one other advantage: It is partly owned by President Donald Trump’s two oldest sons. The Trump family has drawn criticism for expanding its real estate business into foreign countries that are trying to curry favor with the president and for making billions of dollars off cryptocur-

rency ventures benefiting from his policies. Grabbing less attention are new ownership stakes in federal contractors providing everything from rocket parts and rare earth magnets to AI chips and computer hardware. The latest Trump venture is hoping to win some of the $1.1 billion set aside by the Pentagon to build up a U.S. manufacturing base for armed drones now that the Trump administration put a ban on importing them from China. Powerus says there is no problem with it bidding for government money that could make the president’s sons richer. “There’s no conﬂict there. Whatever they’re doing, is what they’re doing,” said co-founder Brett Velicovich, referring to the Trump brothers. “Our focus at the compa-

ny has nothing to do with politics.” Asked to comment about potential conflicts, the Trump Organization sent a statement from Eric Trump: “I am incredibly proud to invest in companies I believe in. Drones are clearly the wave of the future.” Founded by U.S. Army Special Operations veterans about a year ago, Powerus makes drones mostly for commercial uses, from spreading fertilizer to putting out forest fires. But it is bulking up fast to supply the Defense Department with armed drones like the ones being used by Ukraine and Russia and, more recently, Iran as it rains havoc on Gulf states allied with the U.S. The company bought three rivals in the past six months and plans to buy more. It just raised $60 million from investors to fund the buying spree and hopes to tap additional fi-

nancing by doing a “reverse merger” in which a private company gets a public listing by buying one already on the stock market, usually a business with little or no operations. The pubic company in this case is Aureus Greenway Holdings, a Florida firm partly owned by Eric and Don Jr. that holds a few golf courses and is listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange. Of the two oldest brothers, Don Jr., is the one most involved in federal contracting firms through a venture capital fund called 1789 Capital. Don Jr. appears well-equipped to help Powerus. He has spoken out about the need for armed drones, appears knowledgeable about the technology and publicly endorsed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth when he was coming under fire during his confirmation hearings.

4D ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

FrAnK And erneSt

bIG nAte

zItS

For better or For WorSe

lll

zodIAC PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Sign up for a seminar, event or activity that will offer a different approach or outcome. Don't be shy; start a conversation that embraces truth, logic and communication. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Lay the foundation for your pursuits, but don't reveal your intentions until you have everything in place. Don't share your personal matters with outsiders or business associates. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Listen and learn. The information you gather will far exceed what you gain from doing all the talking. A kind gesture will result in rewards and recommendations. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Put goodness back into your life through your actions. Participate in events that address issues that concern you. A function will lead to an unexpected encounter. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Protect yourself against injury or illness. An emotional situation will erupt if you put yourself in a vulnerable position. There is more power in your words than in your actions. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Discipline will help you make your way to brilliance. Don't let someone else's jealousy or ego ruin your plans. Participating in events that motivate you will spark love. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Plant your feet firmly on the ground and do your thing to the best of your ability. Speak up, embrace changes and broaden your

vision, and you can exceed your own expectations. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Getting into the swing of things and mixing business with pleasure will change the dynamics of your relationships with your associates. An unusual concept you devise will take hold. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Put your energy into bringing about positive change. Use your skills and discipline to bring your vision to life. Find an outlet that helps you relax and makes you grateful for your life choices and prospects. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Spend less time exhausting your resources and more time taking better care of your life, your home and your family. Follow your heart and forge ahead. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) How you handle responsibilities and finances will determine how you relate to others. An open dialogue and willingness to compromise will help you push your through your agenda with support from others. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Reshaping your surroundings to meet your demands will make your life easier. Don't let anyone play emotional mind games with you or lead you astray with misinformation. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

WonderWord

peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY CeLebrItY CIpher Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

TODAy'S CLUE: E EQUALS P

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 5D

lll

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

Sudoku InstructIons: sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday. Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

6D ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

B.C.

Bridge BY PHILLIP ALDER Fulke Greville, an English poet who died in 1628, said, “The criterion of true beauty is that it increases on examination; if false, that it lessens.” At the bridge table, the beauty of a deal can increase upon careful analysis. Sometimes, though, the key play is a falsecard. What should happen in this deal after West leads the heart ace against three no-trump? Before getting to the answer, some pairs use interesting honor leads against no-trump. They choose one card, either the ace or king (I prefer the king), when they have a very strong suit. It asks partner either to unblock an honor or to give count. With that agreement, West would lead his “big” card here, happy if East could throw the queen onto the table. (Assuming the king is “big,” then an ace-lead is from a weaker ace-king holding, asking partner to signal attitude. And a queen-lead is from either a weak king-queen or a good queen-jack.) If that appeals to you, discuss it carefully with your partners. Using standard leads and signals, East should play his heart three at trick one, discouraging. Then South must drop his seven. He has to try to persuade West that East started with Q-3-2 of hearts and wasdoingthebesthecouldbyplayingthe three. Agreed, it should not work. West’s ace-lead should not be from a holding

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

weaker than ace-king-jack-fourth. And if that is true, East can afford to play his queen from Q-3-2. West should shift at trick two, and whichever suit he chooses, East will get in with his club ace and can lead his second heart through South’s queen to defeat the contract by two tricks. © 2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

wuzzles Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD = gOOD aFTErnOOn

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

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 words are not allowed.

ToDAY’s WoRD — HARDTAcK: HARD-tak: A saltless hard biscuit, bread or

Bizarro

marmaduKe

cracker. Average mark 14 words Time limit 25 minutes Can you find 23 or more words in HARDTACK? YEsTERDAY’s WoRD — GEnuInELY gene genie genuine glee glen glue gluey guile elegy engine ennui

eyeing nene nine ugly ingenue ingle inly liege lien lieu line

linen ling luge lune lung lunge lying yule

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalms 118:24

Today is a gift from God. Use it wisely. — G.E. Dean

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 7D

lll

muttS

roSe iS roSe

Scrabble GramS dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

jump Start

For more information on tournaments and clubs, email naspa – north american sCraBBlE players association: info@scrabbleplayers.org. Visit our website: www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzle inquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com.

Get fuzzy

Hasbro and its logo sCraBBlE associated logo, the design of the distinctive sCraBBlE brand game card, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in the United states and Canada. ©2021 Hasbro. all rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content agency, llC.

ken ken

animal crackerS

DuStin

InstructIons: 1 - Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 - The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 - Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

Wallace the brave

Drabble

WiShinG Well breWSter rockit

luann

HErE is a plEasanT liTTlE gamE that will give you a message every day. it’s a numerical puzzle designed to spell out your fortune. Count the letters in your first name. if the number of letters is 6 or more, subtract 4. if the number is less than 6, add 3. The result is your key number. start at the upper left-hand corner and check each of your key numbers, left to right. Then read the message the checked figures give you.

8D ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

classifieds.nola.com Search & Place Ads Ads Onlines at classifieds.nola.com • Call Monday Us Monday - Friday 8AM - 5PMatat(504) (504)636-7435 636-7435 Search & Place Onlines at classifieds.nola.com - Friday 8AM - 5PM

Announcements Joe's Lawn Service-25 Years Experience! $50 & Up! 504-259-5504 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Ludwign Saede Caside and/or Jaclyn Caside, please call attorney Royce Duplessis at 504-300-2680. 180114-Mar 11-13, 3t $85 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Rosalind Franklin, please contact Atty. Jonathan Williams at 504-3385066. 180299-Mar 12-14, 3t $85 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Tacarra Michelle Vessel, please call attorney Royce Duplessis at 504300-2680. 180117-Mar 11-13, 3t $85 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of the Heirs of Earl A. Adams, Jr., who at one time resided at 3832 Cimwood Dr., Harvey, LA 70058, please contact attorney Joseph Landry, Jr. at 3015 19th St., Metairie, LA 70002; phone: 504-332-2220; email: joe@jblandrylaw.com. 180317-3/12-13-14-3t $133.00 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of the unknown Heirs and Estate of Eloise Taylor Knightshade or her assigns, please contact Macy Lauren Ledet, Attorney (504) 5126648. Important property rights involved. 179984-3/9-10 & 3/12-3t $121.00 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of the unknown heirs of Jason, Gloria M. A/K/A Jason, Gloria M. A/K/A Jason, Gloria and Robinson, Wayne, his or her assigns, please contact Macy Lauren Ledet, Attorney (504) 512-6648. Important property rights involved. 179914-3/9-10 & 3/12-3t $133.00 CJ 713 LLC WE ARE APPLYING TO THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF ALCOHOL & TOBACCO CONTROL OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA FOR A PERMIT TO SELL BEVERAGES OF HIGH AND LOW ALCOHOLIC CONTENT IN THE PARISH OF ORLEANS AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS: 757 St Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130, CJ 713 LLC, D/B/A CHARLES AND JULIA, 757 ST CHARLES AVE, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70113. MARK LATTER, MEMBER. 180230-Mar 12, 1t $118.90

NEWS 24/7 ON

New Orleans Jazz Quarters LLC d/b/a Louis Park Hotel is applying to the Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control of the State of Louisiana for a permit to sell beverages of high and low alcohol content at retail in the Parish of Orleans at the following address: 1129 Saint Philip Street, New Orleans, LA 70116. New Orleans Jazz Quarters LLC Louis Park Hotel Members: Kyle Westholz, Cody Caudill, Jeffrey Doussan, Ken Hamrick, Colin Hosli, Philip DeNormandie, Philip Ewbank 180417-Mar 12, 1t $125.16 Advertising Looking to promote your services or find a new hire? Deliver your classified message statewide for as little as $265 per week through the Louisiana Press Association’s Classified Network. Pre-payment required. To learn more, email advertising@lapress.com or call 225-344-9309. Miscellaneous YMT Vacations. Over 50 guided tours available. Affordable, social and stress-free travel designed for mature travelers. Our tours include accommodations, transportation, baggage handling, sightseeing, entrance fees, a professional Tour Director and select meals. For a limited time SAVE $250 on all tours. Call YMT today. 1-877-914-7029 Donate your car, truck, boat, RV and more to support our veterans! Schedule a FAST, FREE vehicle pickup and receive a top tax deduction! Call Veteran Car Donations at 1-844-742-5188 today! Health and Wellness DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-855-268-0108 www.dental50plus.com/morning #6258 Home and Garden No more cleaning out gutters. Guaranteed! LeafFilter is backed by a no-clog guarantee and lifetime transferrable warranty. Call today 1866-846-0785 to schedule a FREE inspection and no obligation estimate. Get 15% off your entire order. Plus, Military & Seniors get an additional 10% off. Limited time only. Restrictions apply, see representative for warranty and offer details. Home Improvement Replace your roof with the best looking and longest lasting material…steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Three styles and multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer. Up to 50% off installation + Additional

Public Notices

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Board (“OPSB” or “the District”) until 11:00 A.M. (CST) on Friday, April 10, 2026.

PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT TO REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS CITY OF NEW ORLEANS SPONSORING DEPARTMENT: Equipment Maintenance Department TITLE: Fuel Service Management and Related Consulting Services SOURCING EVENT NO.: 4645 TYPE OF SOLICITATION: Professional Service DBE OPPORTUNITY: YES RELEASED ON: March 12, 2026 DEADLINE TO RESPOND: April 13, 2026 4:00 PM CST PRE-BID CONFERENCE via Teams: March 19, 2026 11:00 CST Dates are subject to changes via an adden‐ dum posted by the Bu‐ reau of Purchasing on the City’s supplier portal. If this solicitation is fed‐ erally funded, prospec‐ bidder/respondent tive must pay particular at‐ tention to all applicable laws and regulations of the Federal government the State of and Louisiana. The Bureau of Purchas‐ uses commodity ing codes to notify suppliers of the release of a sourc‐ ing event and subse‐ quent modifications via addendum. Note that you would receive those noti‐ fications if you selected the following commodity code(s) before the re‐ lease of the sourcing event: COMMODITY CODE(s): 926-42 The City of New Orleans strongly encourages mi‐ and nority-owned busi‐ women-owned nesses, socially and eco‐ nomically disadvantaged businesses and small businesses to respond to this solicitation, or to participate in subcon‐ opportunities tracting pursuant to this solicita‐ tion. For more information this sourcing about event, go to www.nola. gov and click on “BRASS Supplier Portal” under “BIDS & CONTRACTS”. Once on the Supplier Por‐ search “Open tal, Events.” Thank you for your inter‐ est in doing business with the City of New Or‐ leans. James Simmons, Jr. Chief Procurement Officer Advertising Dates: March 12, 19 and 26, 2026 NOCP 8928 180378-mar 12-19-26-3t $112.35 PUBLIC NOTICE --ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD Procurement Department 2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055 New Orleans, Louisiana 70114 ADVERTISEMENT INVITATION TO BID NO. 26-FAC-0094 LEASE OF SPACE FOR MAHALIA JACKSON ELEMENTARY Electronic Responses to Request for Proposal rel‐ ative to the above will be received via email sub‐ mission to the Procure‐ ment Department for the Orleans Parish School

Specifications and quali‐ fications are found in the RFP documents and may be obtained by visiting the District’s website at www.nolapublicschools. com. All questions re‐ garding this RFP shall be directed to the Executive Director of Procurement procurement@nol at apublicschools.com. The District will host a Site Visit to be held on Friday, March 20, 2026, at 10:00 A.M. (CST). The Vir‐ tual link can be found below: Register in advance for Site Visit: https://form.jotform. com/242534926527159 The District reserves the right to reject any or all Responses to Request for Proposal whenever such rejection is in its best in‐ terest in accordance with law. The provisions and requirements of this ad‐ vertisement shall not be waived. NOLA Public Schools shall make every effort to provide reasonable ac‐ commodation for people with disabilities. The re‐ quests for any reason‐ able accommodation shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Director of Procurement, no less than seven (7) days in advance of any meetings. Paul A. Lucius Executive Director of Procurement FIRST INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2026 SECOND INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2026 179904 March 12, 19, 2t $88.44 PUBLIC NOTICE --ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD Procurement Department 2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055 New Orleans, Louisiana 70114 ADVERTISEMENT REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS NO. 26-0097 9th WARD STADIUM ATHLETIC FACILITY OPERATOR Electronic Responses to Request for Qualifica‐ tions relative to the above will be received via email submission to the Procurement Depart‐ ment for the Orleans School Board Parish (“OPSB” or “the District”) until 1:00 P.M. (CST) on Friday, April 10, 2026. Specifications and quali‐ fications documents may be obtained by visiting the District’s website at www.nolapublicschools. com; or by contacting the Procurement Depart‐ ment at procurement@ nolapublicschools.com. The District will host a Virtual Pre-Qualifications meeting to be held on Friday, March 20, 2026, at 1:00 P.M. (CST). The Vir‐ tual link can be found below: Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom. us/meeting/register/5xZ gYjw1T7O0NPLGjsR8aw After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing infor‐ mation about joining the meeting. The District reserves the right to reject any or all Responses to Request for Qualifications whenever such rejection is in its best interest in accor‐ dance with law. The pro‐ visions and requirements of this advertisement shall not be waived. Paul A. Lucius

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Executive Director of Procurement FIRST INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2026 SECOND INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2026 180234-mar 12-19-2t $84.40 PUBLIC NOTICE --ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD Procurement Department 2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055 New Orleans, Louisiana 70114 ADVERTISEMENT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 26-0093 STEM PROGRAM PROVIDER SERVICES Electronic Responses to Request for Proposal rel‐ ative to the above will be received via email sub‐ mission to the Procure‐ ment Department for the Orleans Parish School Board (“OPSB” or “the District”) until 10:00 A.M. (CST) on Friday, April 10 , 2026. Specifications and quali‐ fications are found in the RFP documents and may be obtained by visiting the District’s website at www.nolapublicschools. com. All questions re‐ garding this RFP shall be directed to the Executive Director of Procurement procurement@nol at apublicschools.com. The District will host a Pre-Proposal Virtual meeting to be held on Friday, March 20, 2026, at 10:00 A.M. (CST). The Vir‐ tual link can be found below: Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom. us/meeting/register/ajA RGwhvQsSaiMt51geg4w After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing infor‐ mation about joining the meeting. The District reserves the right to reject any or all Responses to Request for Proposal whenever such rejection is in its best in‐ terest in accordance with law. The provisions and requirements of this ad‐ vertisement shall not be waived. NOLA Public Schools shall make every effort to provide reasonable ac‐ commodation for people with disabilities. The re‐ quests for any reason‐ able accommodation shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Director of Procurement, no less than seven (7) days in advance of any meetings. Paul A. Lucius Executive Director of Procurement FIRST INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2026 SECOND INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2026 180241-mar 12-19-2t $93.16 PUBLIC NOTICE --ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD Procurement Department 2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055 New Orleans, Louisiana 70114 ADVERTISEMENT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 26-0090 STAFF TRAINING FAMILY ENGAGEMENT: SPECIALITY IN ENGLISH LEARNER, IMMIGRANT, LEP POPULATIONS Electronic Responses to Request for Proposal rel‐ ative to the above will be received via email sub‐ mission to the Procure‐

10% off install (for military, health workers & 1st responders.) Call Erie Metal Roofs: 1-855-582-6043

New Orleans Rental

Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-844-3352962 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.

CENTRAL CITY

Home Services DIRECTV- All your entertainment. Nothing on your roof! Sign up for Directv and get your ﬁrst three months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and Cinemax included. Choice package $84.99/mo. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-866-734-0452 Dish Network: Get DISH Satellite TV + Internet! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 On-Demand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-855-654-8207

Merchandise WANT TO BUY I Buy Books Will drive 2 Your books today! $1 504-226-1398 WANT TO BUY LAKELAWN MEMORIAL CEMETERY, 6 to 10 interments. Cemetery Plot or Vault; not in Mausoleum. Text 504343-8745 $Negotiable CEMETERY PLOTS Lake Lawn Park North Unit 5 North Corr. 11. True companion 2 interments. Tier E Crypt 26. $20,000 504-628-9247

COINS/STAMPS COLLECTIBLES Coin Show, CCCC, Fri, 3/20, 10AM5PM, Sat, 3/21 9AM–3PM, 3310 Florida Ave, Kenner, LA 70065 $FREE 5044641995 COMPUTER/HOME OFC COMPUTER HP $100 504 418-2616 JEWELRY/WATCHES Ladies beautiful 10k gold diamond wishbone ring. $300. 504-994-7385

New Orleans Real Estate For Sale CBD/WAREHOUSE Condo: Cotton Mill Complex, 920 Poeyfarre St. 1BR/1BA $225k. Mike 985-232-2280 mdangelo200@gmail.com

2203 John Raphael Jr Lg 2BR/1BA w/d fans bus line $1100 (504) 915-2440 ESPLANADE RIDGE The Carson Company, Inc. 2644 N. Miro St., 1Bd/1Ba..............$650 2900 Third St., 1Bd/1Ba.................$700 2731 Bruxelles St., 3Bds/1Ba......$1095 2441 N. Robertson, 2Bds/1Ba.....$1200 2300 N. Broad St., 1Bd/1Ba.........$1236 2016 Onzaga St., 3Bds/1Ba.........$1500 2135 N. Tonti St., 3Bds/2Bas.......$1600 5737 Franklin Ave., 3/2 (Sngl)....$1700 1223 N. Miro St., 5Bds/2Bas.......$2500 1925 Brighton Pl. (Harvey) 3/2..$2600 821-1858 * 822-8432 * 427-4646

Pets 10,000 Apt Homes and 75 Locations with Studio, 1, 2 & 3 Bedrooms Pools, Access Gates, Garages (504) 360-9347 METAIRIE 3201 RICHLAND AVENUE 1/2 Block off Vets * by Paretti Jaguar 1 Bed * Prkg * Pool * Rent $675/mo 504-320-6958 * 504-454-1333

METAIRIE 3513 EDENBORN AVENUE Lrg 2 Bed, 1 Bath * $925 * Off St Prkg Blocks from Lakeside 504-982-4040 * 504-885-8060 504-454-1333

GENTILLY 2544 ALLEN TOUSSAINT BLVD. NEWLY RENOVATED!!! 1-2 Bdrm Apts * From $800/mo Parking * Sec Gate 504-250-1446 * 504-454-1333 JEFFERSON 2469 Alex Kornman Blvd. Apt C, 2BR/1.5BA TH Apt. $1250/mo READY (504) 710-3324

NEW ORLEANS EAST 7113 Boston Dr., TH, 3BR/2BA, Sec 8 welcome, Gail (504) 239-2885

KENNER

2850 IDAHO AVENUE 1 Block to Vets & Williams All Amenities * Pool * Parking Studio/1 Bed Apt * Starting $650/Mo 504-236-1971 * 504-454-1333

CATS Young Male Cat, Gray Colors, Have too many cats, Looking for another home for him. Please call 504-861-9617 ($50) DOGS AKC Reg'd Maltese, 3 females 225-235-9433 or 225-235-7619

DOGS Beautiful Mini Schnauzer’s-Rare Find Beautiful Wheaten AKC Mini Schnauzer Puppies, Parents onsite $Call (504) 390-2918 DOGS CKC YORKIES - with papers vet checked shot worming standard and parti avail‐ able meet in Gulfport $750 (334) 467-3416

DOGS Miniature Dachshund - Many colors, M & F, shots, wormed, ready 3/6 $700 (504) 390-1321

METAIRIE 4740 Belle Dr Sngl 4Br 2.5Ba 3200 sf 2-story hse $3000/mo 504-889-2120 METAIRIE HOLIDAY SPECIAL!!! Luxury/Spacious Safe/Quiet 3207 Belmont Place, Apt 106. 2/1 1st Flr, $1,000..Price Ends 1/4/26. New Price will be $1300 * Patio, Fenced Yd, Off St Prkg, Wtr Paid. NO Smoking or Pets. 700+Credit Score. 504.442.1873 * 504.237.5200

RIVPAR - EASTBANK

DOGS Teacup. POODLE Maltipoo POMS Yorkies Miniature GOLDENDOODLES SCHNAUZERS - utd S/W Raised in home 2yr Grnt. Tcup $995+ $595+ (504) 259-2222

DOGS Yorkie’s - Yorkie puppies shots and de‐ wormed. They have been vet checked . They are healthy. $800. (601)-543-4232

Recreational Vehicles

MARIGNY-BYWATER 3Br/1Ba Elegant Historic Prop, Offst Prk, Bkyd. Pet Dep $1250/$1250. 504274-2806 jraepropertiesllc@gmail.com

CAMPER-CAMP EQUIP 2018 Cedar Creek Silverback Edition 37MBH. LIKE NEW $39,900 Picayune MS 601-347-4366

177 W. 5TH STREET LAPLACE * $2,150/MO

SUBSCRIBE TODAY Looking for the right hire?

1-800-960-6397 Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

ment Department for the Orleans Parish School Board (“OPSB” or “the District”) at 2401 West‐ Parkway, Suite bend New Orleans, 5055, 70114 until Louisiana 10:00 A.M. (CST) on Thursday, April 16, 2026.

www.nolapublicschools. com. All questions re‐ garding this RFP shall be directed to the Executive Director of Procurement procurement@nol at apublicschools.com.

The District will host a Pre-Proposal Virtual meeting to be held on Friday, March 27, 2026, at 10:00 A.M. (CST). The Vir‐ tual link can be found

After registering, you will receive a conﬁrmation email containing infor‐ mation about joining the meeting.

Speciﬁcations and quali‐ ﬁcations are found in the RFP documents and may be obtained by visiting the District’s website at

METAIRIE

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

below:

https://us06web.zoom. us/meeting/register/dk7 r41S8TOK879RSug-ioQ

OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS SPECIAL SESSION CITY HALL: JANUARY 21, 2026 The Council of the City of New Orleans met this day in Special Session, at 9:04 A.M., in the Council Chamber, City Hall, Council President, JP Morrell, presiding. On calling the roll, the following members answered to their names: PRESENT: MORRELL (PRESIDENT) WILLARD (VICE PRESIDENT) MCCARRON HARRIS KING HUGHES ABSENT: GREEN (Arrived in the meeting late.) SIX MEMBERS PRESENT, CONSTITUTING A QUORUM. PRESIDENT’S CALL AISHA R. COLLIER CLERK OF COUNCIL ROLL CALL AISHA R. COLLIER CLERK OF COUNCIL January 21, 2026 Lora Johnson Clerk of Council New Orleans City Council 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Dear Madam Clerk: Pursuant to my authority in Section 3-107(5) of the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans, there will be special City Council meetings on the following dates: • Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at 9:00 AM • Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at 9:00 AM • Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 9:00 AM • Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 9:00 AM • Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 9:00 AM • Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 9:00 AM The meeting will be limited to the discussion and consideration of matters relative to: • The current financial condition of the City, including without limitation the status of the general fund and any changes to expected revenue or funding; and • Ordinance Number 30,522; and • Any other matters that may properly come before the Council. Please make the necessary arrangements to have these special meetings cable cast live on the Government Access television channel and taped for recasting in the future. Sincerely, /s/JP Morrell President, New Orleans City Council cc: New Orleans City Councilmembers Justyn Hawkins, City Council Chief of Staff MOTION/RESOLUTIONS NO. R-26-30 BY: COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS (BY REQUEST) Approving and ratifying the release of $XXXXXX from the City of New Orleans Employee Emergency Payroll Fund to cover the cost of payroll-related expenses for City employees (other than the police and fire departments) for the pay period beginning January 4, 2026 and ending January 17, 2026. The foregoing authorization shall be subject to concurrence by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, in accordance with City Code § 70-415.347(d). WITHDRAWN. SUBSTITUTE NO. R-26-30 BY: COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS (BY REQUEST) SECONDED BY: COUNCILMEMBER MORRELL WHEREAS, the New Orleans City Council on November 6, 2025 enacted Ordinance No. 30522 M.C.S. establishing the City of New Orleans Employee Emergency Payroll Fund in Chapter 70, Article III, Division 55 of the Code of the City of New Orleans (the “Fund”) and imposing a series of requirements regulating the payment of expenses from the Fund; and WHEREAS, Section 70-415.347(b) of the Code provides that no expenditure from the Fund shall be permitted unless authorized by one or

Fully furnished, renovated 3BR/3BA home w/ private baths, laminate wood ﬂoorinng, TV's, appls, dishes, W&D, lawn care, & ample parking. Sandy Ward * 504-259-2616. Re/Max Living * 504-475-1011. Ea ofc indpntly owned & operated.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

p commodation for people with disabilities. The re‐ quests for any reason‐ able accommodation shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Director of Procurement, no less than seven (7) days in advance of any meetings.

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2026 SECOND INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2026 THREE INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2026

NOLA Public Schools shall make every effort to provide reasonable ac‐ d i f l

Paul A. Lucius Executive Director of Pro‐ curement FIRST INSERTION DATE:

You are invited to a Zoom meeting. When: Mar 27, 2026 10:00 AM Central Time (US and

Hi there,

more Council resolutions and further provides that any such authorization shall be limited to specific categories of expenditures delineated in the Code; and WHEREAS, the administration, in accordance with City Code § 70415.347(c), has submitted a budget and expenditure plan estimating up to $12,000,000 in payroll-related expenses for City employees (other than the police and fire departments) for the pay period beginning January 4, 2026 and ending January 17, 2026 (the “January 23 Payroll”); and WHEREAS, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, working in concert with the Department of Finance, has confirmed that the January 23 Payroll includes $6,152,826.70 in actual wage payments and various withholdings, which represents an allowable use of Fund proceeds that will be processed immediately upon adoption of this instrument and remitted to employees in their weekly paychecks; and WHEREAS, the remainder of estimated plan of expenses encompasses various fringe benefits and other payroll-related payments that will be finalized and processed on a subsequent date and may be paid from the Fund if authorized pursuant to a separate resolution; NOW THEREFORE BE RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the Council, in accordance with City Code § 70-415.347, does hereby approve and ratify the release of $6,152,826.70 from the City of New Orleans Employee Emergency Payroll Fund to cover the cost of payroll-related expenses for City employees (other than the police and fire departments) for the pay period beginning January 4, 2026 and ending January 17, 2026. The foregoing authorization shall be subject to concurrence by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, in accordance with City Code § 70-415.347(d). BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That certified copies of this resolution be delivered immediately to the Chief Administrative Officer, the Director of Finance, and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. THE FOREGOING RESOLUTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Morrell, Willard - 7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 AND THE RESOLUTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. R-26-31 BY: COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS (BY REQUEST) Approving and ratifying the release of $XXXXXX from the City of New Orleans Employee Emergency Payroll Fund to cover the payment of the fringe benefits and other payroll-related expenses for the pay period beginning December 28, 2025 and ending January 10, 2026. The foregoing authorization shall be subject to concurrence by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, in accordance with City Code § 70-415.347. WITHDRAWN. NO. M-26-32 BY: COUNCILMEMBER MORRELL (BY REQUEST) SECONDED BY: COUNCILMEMBER MCCARRON BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the Mayor’s reappointment of Mara Baumgarten Force to the Revenue Estimating Conference, as the faculty member of a college or university in New Orleans who has expertise in forecasting revenues or in a related field, effective upon approval by the Council of the City of New Orleans, for a term concurrent with the appointing authority, be, and the same is hereby ratified, confirmed, and approved. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall immediately provide a certified copy of this motion to Mara Baumgarten Force, the Finance Department, the Law Department, and the Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Morrell, Willard - 7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. There being no further business, on motion of Councilmember Green, seconded by Councilmember Hughes, and without objection, the Council meeting adjourned at 9:19 A.M. AISHA R. COLLIER CLERK OF COUNCIL DM/jmr NOCP 8924

180036-625841-mar 12-1t $ 263.34

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 9D

lll

Corinne Fox REALTOR®

“Connecting You to the Soul of New Orleans One Home, One Neighborhood, One Passion at a Time!”

504-466-3712

m 504.239.1481 o 504.861.7575 corinne.fox@compass.com www.compass.com/agents/corinne-fox

www.hurricanefenceneworleans.com All types of Fences Exclusive Pre-Stained Cedar Fences

7934 Maple St. New Orleans, LA 70118 Licensed by the State of Louisiana

CONTRACTOR NO JOB TOO SMALL!

SIDEWALKS & DRIVEWAYS

504-236-2375

Hurricane Fence and Home Improvement is Your JellyFish Lighting Dealer All In One Exterior Lighting Solution Controlled from your smart device anywhere

TRIPLE BBB

Security-Accent-Holiday-Game Day Lighting Trim - Patio - Landscaping FREE ESTIMATE • 504-466-3712 1 yr no interest financing

Pool Enclosures • Patio Covers • Rooﬁng Siding • Glass Rooms • Screen Rooms Sofﬁt • Fascia • Windows & Screens

CONSTRUCTION CO. INC.

Licensed, Bonded and fully Insured with a 96.5% approval rating

GET READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Sand Home Improvement Roof Repair Specialist

Licensed, Bonded and Fully Insured

WE DO IT ALL!

Chris Sand/Owner 504-281-3977

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES SHRIMP - CRAWFISH - FISH - OYSTER - CRAB

PARTNER WITH PROCESSOR (NO INVESTMENT REQUIRED, YOU DO THE SALES & SHARE PROFITS)

Email resume with past experience in the seafood industry to: shrimpexpert89@gmail.com

Free Estimates Senior Discounts

R.J. LABORDE CONSTRUCTION RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • REMODELING & NEW CONSTRUCTION

50+ YEARS LOCAL SERVICE NEVER A COMPLAINT TO THE WE RECYCLE YOUR TREES

TRIMMING STUMP REMOVAL

504-828-1532

Fax 504-467-6708

ee Docto

Tree Trimming & Removal • Stump Grinding *Must Dial Area Code*

504-341-2006 FREE ESTIMATES!

License and Insured and Professionally trained

REAL ESTATE

An Affordable Quality Builder for Over 25 Years • Room Additions • Custom Kitchens • Custom Baths

• Carport Enclosures • Garages • Plumbing Repairs

• Window Replacements • New Roofing & Repairs • Concrete Work

Call for Estimates: 504-885-5224 / 504-250-7139 Your Plans or Ours ~ Licensed and Insured

Building Homes & Remodeling

NOW SERVICING THE NORTHSHORE & SOUTHSHORE!

ABLE TREE SERVICE

504-467-6998

Make your holidays a lot easier with the Versa Lift Attic Elevator Prices start at $2795 12 month no interest financing available CALL 504-466-3712 Hurricane Fence and Home Improvement

Over 30 Years Experience

JAMES H. BALL, SR.

P R ES I D E N T 2158 Kenner Ave. Kenner, LA 70062

504 -570 - 6683

3030 Lausat Street, Metairie, Louisiana 70001 Website: twomenandatruck.com/neworleans

REMOVAL STORM PREP

CEMENT AND BRICK

QUALITY HOME IMPROVEMENTS Pressure Washing, Stucco, Water Proofing, General Repairs & Maintenance

MANSON LEGE

45 Years Experience • Exterior/Interior Residential & Commercial

FREE ESTIMATES & REASONABLE PRICES

504-402-6012

To advertise here, please call 225-383-0111

Residential & Commercial Properties

Top of the Line Landscaping Lawn Service

LAWN SERVICES $30, Trim bushes, cleaning flowerbeds, landscape design, re-landscaping, lawn service maintenance. also do lighting & irrigation. licensed & Insured. 24 years experience. Theodore Smith, Jr. • Call/Text: 504-401-0661

1st Landscaping Job 5% off

D White

• Moving & Hauling • Trash & Garage Cleaning • Evictions ONE CALL … THAT’S ALL!!

504-616-0075 ONE great state. FOUR great apps.

DOWNLOAD

10D ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune Legal Notices

Legal Notices

lll

Legal Notices

OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS REGULAR SESSION CITY HALL: JANUARY 27, 2026 The Council of the City of New Orleans met this day in Regular Session, at 9:00 A.M., in the Council Chamber, City Hall, Council President, JP Morrell, presiding. On calling the roll, the following members answered to their names: PRESENT: MORRELL (PRESIDENT) WILLARD (VICE PRESIDENT) MCCARRON HARRIS KING HUGHES ABSENT: GREEN (Arrived later in the meeting). SIX MEMBERS PRESENT, CONSTITUTING A QUORUM. ROLL CALL AISHA R. COLLIER CLERK OF COUNCIL INVOCATION FREDDIE KING III COUNCILMEMBER DISTRICT C PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE JP MORRELL COUNCILMEMBER-AT-LARGE HDLC APPEAL OF MARY GRACE VERGES, AIA, SHERMAN STRATEGIES, LLC ON BEHALF OF GEORGE DAVID JOHNSON, OWNER - Requesting to appeal the Historic District Landmarks Commission’s decision to deny the proposed demolition for property located at 1120 Jena Street. WITHDRAWN. (At the applicant’s request). COMMUNICATION FROM VYOONE LEWIS - Requesting to appeal the Historic District Landmarks Commission’s decision regarding the exterior lighting associated with the existing signage for property located at 412 Girod Street. WITHDRAWN. (At the applicant’s request). ORDINANCES ON FINAL PASSAGE CAL. NO. 35,296 - BY: COUNCILMEMBERS MORRELL, WILLARD, MCCARRON, HARRIS, KING, GREEN AND HUGHES - An Ordinance to call an election on November 3, 2026, at which the electors of the City of New Orleans will be asked to approve an amendment to Home Rule Charter Section 6-103, to add provisions intended to ensure that spending remains consistent with the approved annual operating budget, and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. ROLL CALL: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Morrell, Willard - 7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 RECUSED: 0 AND THE ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED. CAL. NO. 35,323 - BY: COUNCILMEMBER GIARRUSSO - An Ordinance to amend and reordain Sections 34-1 and 34-3 of the Code of the City of New Orleans to require that the number of float riders be included in the carnival parade permit fee; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. WITHDRAWN. CAL NO. 35,325 - BY: COUNCILMEMBER GREEN (BY REQUEST) - An Ordinance to authorize the Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enter into an agreement to grant a servitude to an adjacent property owner for encroachments on/over portions of public right-of-way located at the municipal address 1544 Gentilly Boulevard; to fix the minimum price and terms of said servitude agreement; to declare that such use as granted in the servitude agreement will incorporate space that is neither needed for public purposes nor shall such use interfere with the use of the public right-of-way; to set forth the reasons for said servitude agreement; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. ROLL CALL: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Willard - 6 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Morrell - 1 RECUSED: 0 AND THE ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED. MOTIONS/RESOLUTIONS NO. M-26-33 BY: COUNCILMEMBERS MORRELL, MCCARRON, GREEN AND HUGHES (BY REQUEST) BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That Charline Gipson be and hereby is confirmed as the City Attorney for the City of New Orleans, in accordance with Section 4-106 of the Home Rule Charter. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall forward copies of this motion to Charline Gipson and Chief Administrative Officer Joseph Giarrusso. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Willard - 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Green, Morrell - 2 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-34 BY: COUNCILMEMBERS MORRELL, MCCARRON, HARRIS AND GREEN (BY REQUEST) BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That Jennifer Avegno, M.D., be and hereby is confirmed as the Director of the Department of Human Services, in accordance with Section 4-106 of the Home Rule Charter. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall forward copies of this motion to Jennifer Avegno, M.D. and Chief Administrative Officer Joseph Giarrusso. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Willard - 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Green, Morrell - 2 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-35 BY: COUNCILMEMBER MCCARRON (BY REQUEST) SECONDED BY: COUNCILMEMBER WILLARD BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the Mayor’s appointment of Hattie Collins (vice Frances Fayard) to the board of the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission representing Council District A, effective upon approval by the Council of the City of New Orleans, for a term that will expire on June 30, 2029, be, and the same is, hereby ratified, confirmed, and approved. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall immediately provide a certified copy of this motion to Hattie Collins the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, the Law Department, and the Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Willard - 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Green, Morrell - 2 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-36 BY: COUNCILMEMBER KING (BY REQUEST) SECONDED BY: COUNCILMEMBER MCCARRON BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the Mayor’s appointment of Jamar McKneely (fulfilling the unexpired term of Theodore Sanders, III) to the board of the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission representing Council District C, effective upon approval by the Council of the City of New Orleans, for a term that will expire on June 30, 2028, be, and the same is hereby ratified, confirmed, and approved. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall immediately provide a certified copy of this motion to Jamar McKneely the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, the Law Department, and the Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Willard - 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Green, Morrell - 2 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-37 BY: COUNCILMEMBERS MORRELL (BY REQUEST) AND WILLARD BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the Mayor’s appointment of Kyle Walker (vice Dana Peterson) as an atlarge member of the board of the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, effective upon approval by the Council of the City of New Orleans, for a term concurrent with the appointing authority, be, and the same is hereby ratified, confirmed, and approved. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall immediately provide a certified copy of this motion to Kyle Walker, the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, the Law Department, and the Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Willard - 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Green, Morrell - 2

Legal Notices

AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-42 BY: COUNCILMEMBERS HARRIS, WILLARD, MORRELL, MCCARRON AND KING WHEREAS, at its meeting on October 29, 2025, the Civil Service Commission adopted the following amendment(s) to the Classified Pay Plan (Sewerage and Water Board). In accordance with Article X, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana, this agency is submitting for Council approval the following amendment(s) to the Classified Pay Plan as adopted by the Civil Service Commission at its meeting of October 29, 2025, as outlined below: New Job Series Class Code

New Classification

Grade/Step Hiring Rate

C3480

Utility Inventory Control Technician I (Non-Exempt)

52/36 $38,433

C3481

Utility Inventory Control Technician II (Non-Exempt)

55/38 $42,449

C3482

Utility Inventory Control Technician, Lead (Non-Exempt)

65/26 $46,885

C3483

Utility Inventory Control Supervisor (Non-Exempt)

69/26 $51,783

At the request of the Sewerage and Water Board, the Commission approved the creation of a specialized inventory control series for its Support Services Division. Work includes administrative and field work tagging, labeling and documenting equipment, heavy machinery, instrumentation, spare components, and property. Work also includes performing computerized data entry for inventory, fleet and capital equipment such as model numbers, serial numbers and specifications for assets into handheld devices; and WHEREAS, the Chief Administrative Office has certified that funds are available to implement the above proposed amendment(s) to the Classified Pay Plan; NOW THEREFORE BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That in accordance with Article X, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana, the amendment(s) to the Classified Pay Plan is approved to be effective February 1, 2026. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall forward a certified copy of this motion to the Director of the Civil Service Commission and the Chief Administrative Officer. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Willard - 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Green, Morrell - 2 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-43 BY: COUNCILMEMBERS HARRIS, WILLARD, MORRELL, MCCARRON AND KING WHEREAS, at its meeting on October 29, 2025, the Civil Service Commission adopted the following amendment(s) to the Classified Pay Plan (Sewerage and Water Board). In accordance with Article X, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana, this agency is submitting for Council approval the following amendment(s) to the Classified Pay Plan as adopted by the Civil Service Commission at its meeting of October 29, 2025, as outlined below: Job Title, Pay Grade and Hiring Rate Change Action:

Class Code

Grade

Grade/Step Hiring Rate Annual

From:

C4173

Safety Administrator (Exempt)

90/21 $74,242

To:

C4173

Utility Safety Administrator (Exempt)

94/28 $98,795

At the request of the Sewerage and Water Board, the Commission approved the aforementioned title, grade and hiring rate of present Safety Administrator position based on the added programmatic expansion and staff of its Safety Program. Work includes developing, recommending, and implementing policies, programs, and procedures which optimize the health and safety of the workplace and ensure compliance with all laws, regulations, and safety standards. Work also includes oversight of investigations of safety and environmental health concerns and incidents and develops corrective actions and follow-up mechanisms; and WHEREAS, the Chief Administrative Office has certified that funds are available to implement the above proposed amendment(s) to the Classified Pay Plan; NOW THEREFORE BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That in accordance with Article X, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana, the amendment(s) to the Classified Pay Plan is approved to be effective February 1, 2026. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall forward a certified copy of this motion to the Director of the Civil Service Commission and the Chief Administrative Officer. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Willard - 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Green, Morrell - 2 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-45 BY: COUNCILMEMBERS HARRIS, WILLARD, MORRELL, MCCARRON AND KING WHEREAS, at its meeting on October 29, 2025, the Civil Service Commission adopted the following amendment(s) to the Classified Pay Plan (Municipal Yacht Harbor). In accordance with Article X, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana, this agency is submitting for Council approval the following amendment(s) to the Classified Pay Plan as adopted by the Civil Service Commission at its meeting of October 29, 2025, as outlined below: New Classification Class Code

New Classification

Grade/Step Hiring Rate

FLSA Status

C8224

Yacht Harbor Fiscal Manager

80/29 $70,643

Exempt

At the request of the Municipal Yacht Harbor, the Civil Service Commission approved the new classification of Yacht Harbor Fiscal Manager. Work includes directing the overall fiscal operations of the Municipal Yacht Harbor, including rentals, leases, purchases and budgetary operations. Work also includes budget preparation and control; accounting; billing and collection of fees; fiscal control of contracts, preparation of financial statements, statistical reports, and completing special projects; and WHEREAS, the Chief Administrative Office has certified that funds are available to implement the above proposed amendment(s) to the Classified Pay Plan; NOW THEREFORE BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That in accordance with Article X, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana, the amendment(s) to the Classified Pay Plan is approved to be effective February 1, 2026. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall forward a certified copy of this motion to the Director of the Civil Service Commission and the Chief Administrative Officer. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Willard - 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Green, Morrell - 2 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-46 BY: COUNCILMEMBERS HARRIS, WILLARD, MORRELL, MCCARRON AND KING WHEREAS, at its meeting on October 29, 2025, the Civil Service Commission adopted the following amendment(s) to the Civil Service Rules. In accordance with Article X, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana, this agency is submitting for Council approval, the following amendments to the Civil Service Rules as adopted by the Civil Service Commission at its meeting of October 29, 2025 as outlined below: Submitting for Council Approval: Amendments to Civil Service Rules Rule II, Section 12 ORGANIZATION, RULES, AND PROCEDURES OF COMMISSION (Additions are in bold - Deletions have been struck through) From: 12.11 The employee member of the Commission shall be placed on civil leave when attending meetings of the City Civil Service Commission during the employee member’s regular work day, and will not incur any reduction in salary for time spent away from his or her regular job. Thus, no honorarium shall be granted to the employee member, except for retired employees. To: 12.11 When the employee member of the Commission attends meetings of the City Civil Service Commission during the employee member’s regular work day, the employee member will be considered working, and no leave shall be reported. No honorarium shall be granted to the employee member, except for retired employees. 12.12 When the employee member is required to conduct other Commission business during the employee member’s regular work day, other than the duties in section 12.13, the employee member will be considered working, and no leave shall be reported, based on the

Legal Notices

following conditions: a) The Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson has requested that the employee member perform Commission business during the employee member’s regular work day; and b)

The employee member has notified the employee member’s appointing authority of the need to perform Commission business during the employee member’s work day, and the employee member’s absence will not pose an undue hardship to the employee member’s appointing authority. 12.12 12.13 The employee member of the Commission will be required to read transcripts of employee appeal hearings and to write opinions based on the facts determined therein. This portion of the employee Commission member’s duties must be completed outside normal working hours, and is not eligible for remuneration. RULE VIII: ANNUAL AND OTHER FORMS OF LEAVE (Section 4. CIVIL LEAVE) (Additions are in bold - Deletions have been struck through) 4.1 An employee shall be given time off without loss of pay: (a) When performing jury duty; (b) When subpoenaed to appear before a court, public body or Commission. However, in cases where the employee has a direct interest in the matter, Civil Leave shall not be authorized, but rather the appointing authority shall grant annual leave, or, in its absence, leave without pay; (c) When performing emergency civilian duty in connection with national defense; (d) When ordered to appear for a medical or other examination by the Selective Service System or by a branch of the Armed Forces of the State or the United States; (e) When taking or participating in a New Orleans City Civil Service examination; (f) When taking an examination for a license or certificate from a City or State agency, provided the appointing authority certifies in writing to the Civil Service Department that the city service will benefit by the employee’s acquisition of the certificate or license. (g) When attending meetings of the Civil Service Commission as the employee-elected member of the Commission during the employeemember’s regular work day. (adopted January 21, 1988, effective February 1, 1988). (h) (g) When an appointing authority reduces, suspends or closes its operations due to concerns about the health and safety of the public or its employees, it may direct employees not to report to work. In advance of such reduction, suspension or closure, the appointing authority shall send written notice to the Personnel Director. To the extent practicable, the appointing authority should adjust the work schedules of those employees affected by the reduction, suspension or closure in order to allow the employee to make up the hours he or she was not able to work during that work period. However, if such rescheduling is not practicable, the appointing authority shall allow the employees time off without loss of pay. Such allowance will be subject to the review of the Personnel Director. (Amended April 18, 2016 and ratified by the Council March 23, 2017) (i) (h) When impacted by a disaster as declared by the Mayor or the Governor. City employees who wish to use Civil Leave with pay pursuant to this section will make a request to their appointing authority. Upon verification by the appointing authority that the employee was directly affected by the disaster and that the use of Civil Leave is warranted, the employee may take up to twenty (20) working days of paid leave within twelve (12) months of the date of the disaster. Any use of Civil Leave under this provision must be verified and approved by the appointing authority. Civil Leave shall be available to the employee as of the date of the emergency declaration. (Amended February 20, 2017, ratified by the Council March 23, 2017, effective February 7, 2017) The aforementioned rule amendments approved by the Civil Service Commission would essentially provide for treating the Commission’s employee representative as working when conducting official commission business during regular work hours; and WHEREAS, the Chief Administrative Office has certified that funds are available to implement the above proposed amendment(s) to the Civil Service Rules; NOW THEREFORE BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That in accordance with Article X, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana, the amendment(s) to the Civil Service Rules is approved to be effective February 1, 2026 BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall forward a certified copy of this motion to the Director of the Civil Service Commission and the Chief Administrative Officer. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Willard - 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Green, Morrell - 2 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-47 BY: COUNCILMEMBERS HARRIS, WILLARD, MORRELL, MCCARRON AND KING WHEREAS, at its meeting on November 14, 2025, the Civil Service Commission adopted the following amendments to the Classified Pay Plan (Sewerage and Water Board). In accordance with Article X, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana, this agency is submitting for Council approval, the following amendments to the Classified Pay Plan as adopted by the Civil Service Commission at its meeting of November 14, 2025 as outlined below: Power Control Room Operator Series Class Code

New Classification

Grade/Step Hiring Rate

C3495

Power Control Room Operator I (Non-Exempt)

61/30 $44,612

C3496

Power Control Room Operator II (Non-Exempt)

67/30 $51,783

C3497

Power Control Room Operator Lead (Non-Exempt)

73/31 $60,859

C3498

Power Control Room Supervisor (Non-Exempt)

81/29 $72,420

C3499

Power Control Room Manager (Non-Exempt)

88/25 $81,999

At the request of the Sewerage and Water Board, the Commission approved the creation of the Power Control Room series for its Pumping and Power Division. Work of positions in this series includes the dispatching of power to plant and drainage operations by performing load balancing and switching of power sources either manually or remotely; and WHEREAS, the Chief Administrative Office has certified that funds are available to implement the above proposed amendments to the Classified Pay Plan; NOW THEREFORE BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That in accordance with Article X, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana, the amendments to the Classified Pay Plan are approved to be effective February 1, 2026. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall forward a certified copy of this motion to the Director of the Civil Service Commission and the Chief Administrative Officer. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Willard - 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Green, Morrell - 2 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-48 BY: COUNCILMEMBERS HARRIS, WILLARD, MORRELL, MCCARRON AND KING WHEREAS, at its meeting on November 14, 2025, the Civil Service Commission adopted the following amendments to the Classified Pay Plan (Sewerage and Water Board). In accordance with Article X, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana, this agency is submitting for Council approval, the following amendments to the Classified Pay Plan as adopted by the Civil Service Commission at its meeting of November 14, 2025 as outlined below: Power Systems Field Operator Series Class Code

New Classification

Grade/Step Hiring Rate

C3490

Power Systems Field Operator I (Non-Exempt)

61/30 $44,612

C3491

Power Systems Field Operator II (Non-Exempt)

67/30 $51,783

C3492

Power Systems Field Operator Lead (Non-Exempt)

73/31 $60,859

C3493

Power Systems Field Supervisor (Non-Exempt)

81/29 $72,420

C3494

Power Systems Field Manager (Non-Exempt)

88/25 $81,999

At the request of the Sewerage and Water Board, the Commission approved the creation of the Power Systems Field Operator series for its Pumping and Power Division. Work of positions in this series includes electrical and mechanical work in operating systems and machinery related to power generation, frequency conversion, potable water

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 11D

lll

Legal Notices

pumping, raw water pumping and auxiliary related equipment. Work also includes monitoring, operating, routine maintenance and minor repairs of water and sewer pumping and control equipment; and WHEREAS, the Chief Administrative Office has certified that funds are available to implement the above proposed amendments to the Classified Pay Plan; NOW THEREFORE BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That in accordance with Article X, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana, the amendments to the Classified Pay Plan are approved to be effective February 1, 2026. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall forward a certified copy of this motion to the Director of the Civil Service Commission and the Chief Administrative Officer. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Willard - 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Green, Morrell - 2 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-49 BY: COUNCILMEMBERS HARRIS, WILLARD, MORRELL, MCCARRON AND KING WHEREAS, at its meeting on December 12, 2025, the Civil Service Commission adopted the following amendment to the Classified Pay Plan (Sewerage and Water Board). In accordance with Article X, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana, this agency is submitting for Council approval, the following amendment to the Classified Pay Plan as adopted by the Civil Service Commission at its meeting of December 12, 2025, as outlined below: Pay Grade Adjustment: Class Code

Class Title

Grade/ Step

Annual

To: Grade/ Step

Annual

C3725

Water Purification Manager

86/25

$78,024

88/25

$81,999

At the request of the Sewerage and Water Board, the Commission approved the aforementioned pay grade adjustment to maintain supervisory relationships with similar managerial classifications in the Operations Division at the Board. The Commission also approved a corresponding pay policy that provides for an on-step pay policy which guarantees the affected employees in this classification a 5% increase in pay by way of a two-grade adjustment; and WHEREAS, the Chief Administrative Office has certified that funds are available to implement the above proposed amendment to the Classified Pay Plan; NOW THEREFORE BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That in accordance with Article X, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana, the amendment to the Classified Pay Plan is approved to be effective February 1, 2026. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall forward a certified copy of this motion to the Director of the Civil Service Commission and the Chief Administrative Officer. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Willard - 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Green, Morrell - 2 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-50 BY: COUNCILMEMBER MORRELL SECONDED BY: COUNCILMEMBER HUGHES BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That, in accordance with City Code section 34-6, the parade positions and start times for the 2026 carnival parade season shall be as follows: Date of Parade

Carnival Organization

Start Time

Route

February 6, 2026

Oshun

5:00 p.m.

Uptown A

Cleopatra

6:00 p.m.

Uptown B

Pontchartrain

11:30 a.m.

Uptown B Uptown B

February 7, 2026

February 8, 2026

February 11, 2026 February 12, 2026

February 13, 2026

February 14, 2026

February 15, 2026

February 16, 2026 February 17, 2026

Legion of Mars

11:45 a.m.

Choctaw

12:00 p.m.

Uptown B

Freret

12:30 p.m.

Uptown B

Sparta

5:30 p.m.

Uptown C

Pygmalion

Immediately follows Sparta

Uptown A

Femme Fatale

11:00 a.m.

Uptown A

Carrollton

12:30 p.m.

Uptown C

King Arthur

1:30 p.m.

Uptown C

Druids

6:15 p.m.

Uptown C

Alla

6:45 p.m.

Uptown C

Chaos

4:30 p.m.

Uptown A

Babylon

5:30 p.m.

Uptown A

Muses

6:00 p.m.

Uptown C

Hermes

5:30 p.m.

Uptown C

D’Etat

6:30 p.m.

Uptown C

Morpheus

7:00 p.m.

Uptown C

N.O.M.T.O.C.

10:45 a.m.

Westbank

Iris

11:00 a.m.

Uptown D

Tucks

12:30 p.m.

Uptown B

Endymion

4:15 p.m.

Mid-City

Okeanos

11:00 a.m.

Uptown C

Mid-City

11:45 a.m.

Uptown C

Thoth

12:00 p.m.

Uptown E

Bacchus

5:15 p.m.

Uptown B

Proteus

5:15 p.m.

Uptown A

Orpheus

6:00 p.m.

Uptown B

Zulu

8:00 a.m.

Central City

Rex

10:30 a.m.

Uptown F

Elks

Immediately follows Rex

Uptown G

Crescent City

Immediately follows Elks

Uptown G

BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the routes shall be as follows: Uptown Route A: 900 block through 1500 block of Napoleon Avenue 100 block through 4300 block of Saint Charles Avenue (passing through Harmony Circle) 400 block through 600 block of Canal Street 100 block through 400 block of Tchoupitoulas Street Uptown Route B: 500 block through 1500 block of Napoleon Avenue 100 block through 4300 block of Saint Charles Avenue (passing through Harmony Circle) 400 block through 600 block of Canal Street 100 block through 400 block of Tchoupitoulas Street Uptown Route C: 4400 block through 5300 block of Magazine Street 900 block through 1500 block of Napoleon Avenue 100 block through 4300 block of Saint Charles Avenue (passing through Harmony Circle) 400 block through 600 block of Canal Street 100 block through 400 block of Tchoupitoulas Street Uptown Route D: 1600 block through 2000 block of Napoleon Avenue 100 block through 4300 block of Saint Charles Avenue (passing through Harmony Circle) 400 block through 600 block of Canal Street 100 block through 400 block of Tchoupitoulas Street Uptown Route E: 6000 block through 6100 block of Tchoupitoulas Street 300 block through 700 block of Henry Clay Avenue 4400 block through 6100 block of Magazine Street 900 block through 1500 block of Napoleon Avenue 100 block through 4300 block of Saint Charles Avenue (passing through Harmony Circle) 400 block through 600 block of Canal Street 100 block through 400 block of Tchoupitoulas Street Uptown Route F: 1600 block through 2900 block of Napoleon Avenue 100 block through 4300 block of Saint Charles Avenue (passing through Harmony Circle) 300 block through 600 block of Canal Street Uptown Route G:

Legal Notices

1600 block through 2900 block of Napoleon Avenue 100 block through 4300 block of Saint Charles Avenue (passing through Harmony Circle) 600 block through 1500 block of Canal Street Mid-City Route: 4100 block through 4700 block of Orleans Avenue 100 block through 700 block of N Carrollton Avenue 700 block through 4000 block of Canal Street 100 block through 900 block of Saint Charles Avenue (passing through Harmony Circle) 700 block through 1000 block of Howard Avenue 700 block through 800 block of Loyola Avenue 1200 block through 1400 blocks of Girod Street 1500 block through 1600 block of Dave Dixon Drive Central City Route: 1600 block through 2800 block of Jackson Avenue 100 block through 2100 block of Saint Charles Avenue (passing through Harmony Circle) 700 block through 1100 block of Canal Street 100 block through 600, and 1200 through 1400 blocks of Basin Street 1500 block through 2600 block of Orleans Avenue Westbank Route: 1700 block through 1900 block of Holiday Drive 2000 block through 3900 block of General Meyer Avenue 400 block through 1900 block of Newton Street 1000 block through 1600 block of L. B. Landry Avenue 500 block through 1600 blocks of Mardi Gras Boulevard 1400 block through 1600 block of Nunez Street 400 block of Socrates Street 1000 block through 1300 block of Teche Street 400 block through 1500 block of Newton Street BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the entirety of each of the foregoing Routes are public rights-of-way through which carnival parades pass, including all streets, sidewalks, streetcar tracks, neutral grounds, bicycle paths, parking areas, and adjacent intersections, extending from sidewalk or lateral lines of a roadway to the sidewalk or lateral lines of a roadway on the opposite side of the roadway. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That in the event a carnival parade is rescheduled pursuant to section 34-5 of the City Code, the Mayor may determine the appropriate route for the rescheduled carnival parade. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Morrell, Willard - 7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-51 BY: COUNCILMEMBERS MORRELL AND WILLARD WHEREAS, on August 4, 2011, the Council adopted Motion M-11-340 authorizing the issuance of a request for proposals and a competitive selection process pursuant to Council Rule 42 to identify a provider of turn-key, comprehensive scalable and flexible agenda preparation and document management system along with an internet video and meetings management solution for the City of New Orleans (the “Services”); and WHEREAS, on June 28, 2012, the Council adopted Motion M-12-201 selecting Granicus to provide the Services and authorizing the Council to contract with Granicus for the Services; and WHEREAS, on September 14, 2017, the Council adopted Motion M-17454 authorizing the issuance of a public proposal process for the Services after several years of renewing its contract with Granicus; and WHEREAS, on December 1, 2017, the Council adopted Motion M-17-586 selecting Granicus to provide the Services on a month-to-month basis until the Request for Proposals could be fully reviewed and a permanent contractor selected; and WHEREAS, on December 20, 2018, the Council adopted Motion M-18557, allowing proposers to provide a supplementary response that incorporated state-of-the-art technology and up-to-date pricing; and WHEREAS, on November 21, 2019, after review of these supplementary responses, the Council adopted Motion M-19-474, selecting Granicus to provide the Services as well as additional services including Legistar, a legislative management solution and authorizing the City to enter into a contract with Granicus for a period of one year with five one-year extensions; and WHEREAS, the contract with Granicus has been annually renewed since the passage of M-19-474; and WHEREAS, procurement of the Services is a lengthy and complex process, as demonstrated by the procurement history detailed herein, requiring careful drafting of an RFQ and extensive review of responses to ensure that the Council’s varied needs are adequately met; and WHEREAS, the Council deems it in the public interest to extend the agreement with Granicus while this procurement is ongoing; NOW THEREFORE BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the President of the Council is hereby authorized to sign contracts with Granicus for a period not to exceed one year beginning March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027, with a maximum compensation of $82,684.38 to provide a turn-key, comprehensive scalable and flexible agenda preparation and document management system along with an internet video and meetings management solution for the City of New Orleans (the “Services”); BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Chief of Staff for the Council is hereby directed to issue a request for qualifications pursuant to Council Rule 42 to identify the best provider for the Services. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Willard - 6 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Morrell - 1 RECUSED: 0 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-52 BY: COUNCILMEMBER KING SECONDED BY: COUNCILMEMBER MCCARRON WHEREAS, the Council adopted Motion M-26-7 at its regular meeting on January 8th, 2026, implementing the VCE Adult Live Performance Venue Interim Zoning District (“IZD”), which temporarily prohibited new Adult Live Performance Venues in the VCE Vieux Carré Entertainment District; and WHEREAS, the Council no longer deems this temporary prohibition to be in the public interest; NOW THEREFORE BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the VCE Adult Live Performance Venue Interim Zoning District is hereby rescinded in its entirety. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That pursuant to this recission, the City Planning Commission shall not conduct a public hearing to consider an amendment to the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance to establish this Interim Zoning District. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That all appropriate agencies of the City shall resume accepting any new application for a license or permit for an Adult Live Performance Venue and issuing any permit or license in accordance with the provisions of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. 4,264 M.C.S., as amended by Ordinance No. 26,413 M.C.S. and subsequent amendments) as written. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That this motion shall have no effect on Motion M-26-8, which shall continue in full force and effect. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That a copy of this motion be forwarded to all appropriate agencies of the City, including the City Planning Commission, the Department of Safety and Permits and the Bureau of Revenue. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL; THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Morrell, Willard - 7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 RECUSED: 0 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-53 BY: COUNCILMEMBER KING SECONDED BY: COUNCILMEMBER HUGHES BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the City Planning Commission is directed to conduct a public hearing to consider an amendment to Article 18 of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. 4,264 M.C.S., as amended by Ordinance No. 26,413 M.C.S. and subsequent amendments), to establish a new Overlay Zoning District to be named the Behrman Mixed-Use Integrity Overlay District, the intent of which is to ensure that any Multi-Family developments proposed within the S-MU Suburban Neighborhood Mixed-Use District and the MU-1 Medium Intensity Mixed-Use District, bounded by Wall Boulevard, Holiday Drive, and General De Gaulle Drive, contain non-residential uses which align with the mixed-use goal of those districts. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the City Planning Commission staff is directed to consider and develop specific standards for the required nonresidential component in Multi-Family developments within this overlay district, including but not limited to the appropriate mix, configuration, and intensity of non-residential uses, to best ensure alignment with the goals of the S-MU Suburban Neighborhood Mixed-Use District and MU-1 Medium Intensity Mixed-Use District. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the requirement to conduct a Neighborhood Participation Program pursuant to Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Section 4.2.D.1 is hereby waived to expedite the review and implementation of this Overlay Zoning District, as alternative opportunities for public input are available, including the public hearing to be conducted by the City Planning Commission as directed herein, regular in-person office hours hosted by Councilmember King’s Director of Constituent Services at the Algiers Regional Library from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Thursdays, and direct contact via phone at (504) 658-1030.

Legal Notices

BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the application fee of $1,500 to effectuate this request is hereby waived. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That in the process of reviewing this amendment, the City Planning Commission staff is directed and granted the flexibility to make all appropriate changes to the proposed regulations and any existing corresponding regulations in the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, as amended, to establish consistency and continuity with the format of the existing zoning code, to add references wherever references are customary, needed, or appropriate, to make the appropriate adjustments to clarify any ambiguities or mistakes, and to make adjustments deemed necessary in light of public testimony resulting from this review. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL; THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Morrell, Willard - 7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 RECUSED: 0 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-54 BY: COUNCILMEMBER KING SECONDED BY: COUNCILMEMBER HUGHES BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the City Planning Commission is directed to conduct a public hearing to consider an amendment to Article 19 of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. 4,264 M.C.S., as amended by Ordinance No. 26,413 M.C.S. and subsequent amendments) to establish a new Interim Zoning District to be named the Behrman Mixed-Use Integrity Interim Zoning District (“IZD”), the intent of which is to temporarily prohibit the use of Multi-Family Dwellings within the S-MU Suburban Neighborhood Mixed-Use District and the MU-1 Medium Intensity Mixed-Use District, bounded by Wall Boulevard, Holiday Drive, and General De Gaulle Drive, that do not incorporate non-residential uses occupying at least 50% of the ground-floor area until the CPC has considered the implementation of an overlay zoning district that ensures any proposed developments within the affected area align with the mixed-use goal of those districts. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That this IZD shall be in effect for a period of one year and may be extended as provided in Section 3-126 of the City Charter. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That, in accordance with Article 19, Section 19.3.C.5 of the CZO, all appropriate agencies of the City shall neither accept any new application for a license or permit, nor issue any license or permit that conflicts with the intent and provisions of this IZD for any applicable property while this IZD is in effect. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That appeals of this IZD shall be made to the Executive Director of the City Planning Commission. Every application for appeal shall be made on forms provided by the City and shall be accompanied by the payment of a filing fee in the amount of $750.00. Every application shall also include a written statement explaining why the appellant should be exempted from the prohibition imposed by this IZD. The Executive Director shall not accept any appeal application that is not submitted and completed on the forms provided by the City or does not include complete payment of the filing fee. The Executive Director or his or her staff shall review the accepted appeal application and shall make a recommendation to the Council of approval, modified approval, or denial based on the following standards: 1. Is the use requested in the appeal compatible with the surrounding land uses and structures? 2. Does the use requested in the appeal provide for an efficient use of land? 3. Will granting the requested appeal increase traffic and safety hazards? 4. Does the requested appeal provide for an efficient parking layout? 5. Will the requested appeal increase community environmental impacts? 6. Does the appellant show past use that is consistent with all applicable zoning regulatory provisions, as found in the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance and the City Code? 7. Does the proposed development incorporate ground-floor commercial uses consistent with the mixed-use district’s purpose, as outlined in the CZO? In conducting this review, the Executive Director may request that the applicant provide additional information, beyond that required by the official appeal application forms, as is necessary for the Executive Director to provide a recommendation. The Executive Director shall transmit the recommendation to the City Council within 60 days of receipt of the completed application to appeal and payment of the filing fee. The Council shall have 60 days from receipt of the Executive Director’s recommendation to act by motion directing the drafting of an ordinance to grant the appeal (with or without modifications) or to deny the appeal. If the Council fails to act within 60 days from receipt of the recommendation, the appeal shall be deemed to be denied. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the requirement to conduct a Neighborhood Participation Program pursuant to Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Section 4.2.D.1 is hereby waived to expedite the review and implementation of this Interim Zoning District pending the City Planning Commission’s consideration of a corresponding text amendment to the CZO. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That in the process of reviewing this amendment, the City Planning Commission staff is directed and granted the flexibility to make all appropriate changes to the proposed regulations and any existing corresponding regulations in the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, as amended, to establish consistency and continuity with the format of the existing zoning code, to add references wherever references are customary, needed, or appropriate, to make the appropriate adjustments to clarify any ambiguities or mistakes, and to make adjustments deemed necessary in light of public testimony resulting from this review. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL; THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Morrell, Willard - 7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 RECUSED: 0 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-55 BY: COUNCILMEMBERS MORRELL, WILLARD, MCCARRON, HARRIS, KING, GREEN AND HUGHES WHEREAS, the Mayor of the City of New Orleans initiated mandatory furloughs of her staff by letter to the Director of Personnel for the Department of Civil Service dated January 15, 2026; and WHEREAS, the furloughs are a response to the severe fiscal turmoil facing the city, which has curtailed the city’s ability to meet the most basic financial obligations; and WHEREAS, classified employees shall be furloughed for one day per pay period through 2026; however, employees whose base salaries fall below certain specified limits will be entirely or partially exempt from these furlough requirements; and WHEREAS, classified employees assigned to the City Council are subject to the furloughs outlined in the Mayor’s letter; and WHEREAS, the Council has unclassified employees as part of its central staff, Clerk’s office, and individual Councilmembers’ offices that are not subject to the furloughs outlined in the Mayor’s letter; and WHEREAS, the Council supports these measures in order to restore the City to a sound financial position; NOW THEREFORE: BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That all unclassified employees within the City Council shall be subject to one mandatory unpaid furlough day per pay period beginning on February 15, 2026 and continuing through December 31, 2026 for a total of 22 unpaid furlough days. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That all unclassified employees within the City Council whose salary falls below the following specified thresholds shall be exempt or partially exempt from furloughs as more fully set forth below: Base Salary:

Exemption from mandatory furloughs:

$39,733 or less

Entirely exempt from furlough requirements.

$39,734 – $40,405

Must take 3 unpaid furlough days in 2026.

$40,406 - $40,077

Must take 6 unpaid furlough days in 2026.

$40,078 - $41,749

Must take 9 unpaid furlough days in 2026.

$41,750 - $41,421

Must take 12 unpaid furlough days in 2026.

$42,422 - $43,093

Must take 15 unpaid furlough days in 2026.

$43,094 - $43,765

Must take 18 unpaid furlough days in 2026.

$43,766 - $44,434

Must take 21 unpaid furlough days in 2026.

$44,434 or higher

Not exempt from furloughs.

BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That all unclassified employees within the City Council working part time shall take a prorated number of furlough days based on the percentage of hours worked in a given pay period. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That all unclassified employees within the City Council shall not be permitted to substitute paid sick or annual leave for an unpaid furlough day. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That each appointing authority within the City Council is authorized and directed to ensure that furlough days are scheduled among their employees in a manner that provides minimal disruption to the business and operation of the City Council. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Council Chief of Staff is directed to take any steps necessary to implement the terms of this motion and to provide administrative guidance to Council staff regarding the furloughs set forth herein. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Morrell, Willard - 7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 RECUSED: 0

12D ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune Legal Notices

Legal Notices

AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-56 BY: COUNCILMEMBER MORRELL (BY REQUEST) SECONDED BY: COUNCILMEMBER MCCARRON WHEREAS, Section 70-10 of the Code of the City of New Orleans requires that certain contracts providing for the aggregate expenditure of more than $1,000,000.00 in city funds during the initial term and all allowable renewal terms or having an initial term of more than one year must be signed by the President of the City Council; and WHEREAS, Section 70-10 further provides that the President of the City Council shall not execute any such contract unless authorized to do so by Council motion; and WHEREAS, The City of New Orleans and Orleans Parish Sherrif’s Office desire to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement relative to providing public safety services supplementing the New Orleans Police Department’s coverage during Mardi Gras 2026; to set the total compensation to an amount not to exceed $3,704,167; and to set forth certain other matters in connection therewith; NOW THEREFORE BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the President of the Council shall be added as a signatory to the contract between the City of New Orleans and Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office; and BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the President of the Council is hereby authorized to sign the contract between the City of New Orleans and Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, as attached hereto as Exhibit A; and BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall forward copies of this motion, including Exhibit A, to the City Attorney’s Office to effectuate this request. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Morrell, Willard - 7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-57 BY: COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS A motion denying the applicant’s request for property located at 1120 Jena Street and the decision of the Commission is hereby affirmed. WITHDRAWN. NO. M-26-58 (AS CORRECTED) BY: COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS SECONDED BY: COUNCILMEMBER MCCARRON BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the City Planning Commission’s report and recommendation of approval related to ZONING DOCKET 64/25, initiated by Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative, Inc., requesting consideration of a zoning change from an HU-RD2 Historic Two-Family Residential District to an HU-MU Historic Urban Neighborhood Mixed-Use District, on Square 605, Lots 48, 49, 51, and X-1 or Lots 25, 26, 27, 28, and the rear portions of original Lots 1 and 2, in the First Municipal District, bounded by Jane Alley, Banks Street, Palmyra Street, and South White Street (Municipal Address(es): 323-343 Jane Alley), is hereby APPROVED. BE IT FURTHER MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the Clerk of Council is directed to forward copies of this

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Canada) Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom. us/meeting/register/dk7 r41S8TOK879RSug-ioQ

Public Notices Bids/Proposals p ment at procurement@ nolapublicschools.com. The District will host a Virtual Pre-Qualiﬁcations meeting to be held on Friday, March 20, 2026, at 1:00 P.M. (CST). The Vir‐ tual link can be found below:

After registering, you will receive a conﬁrmation email containing infor‐ mation about joining the meeting.

179899 March 12, 19, 26, 3t $158.56

https://us06web.zoom. us/meeting/register/5xZ gYjw1T7O0NPLGjsR8aw

PUBLIC NOTICE --ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD Procurement Department 2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055 New Orleans, Louisiana 70114 ADVERTISEMENT REQUEST FOR QUALIFICA‐ TIONS NO. 26-0097 9th WARD STADIUM ATH‐ LETIC FACILITY OPERA‐ TOR Electronic Responses to Request for Qualifica‐ tions relative to the above will be received via email submission to the Procurement Depart‐ ment for the Orleans School Board Parish (“OPSB” or “the District”) until 1:00 P.M. (CST) on Wednesday, April 10, 2026. Specifications and quali‐ fications documents may be obtained by visiting the District’s website at www.nolapublicschools. com; or by contacting the Procurement Depart‐ @

After registering, you will receive a conﬁrmation email containing infor‐ mation about joining the meeting. The District reserves the right to reject any or all Responses to Request for Qualiﬁcations whenever such rejection is in its best interest in accor‐ dance with law. The pro‐ visions and requirements of this advertisement shall not be waived. Paul A. Lucius Executive Director of Procurement FIRST INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 12 , 2026 SECOND INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY , MARCH 19 , 2026 180141-mar 12-19-2t $83.06 PUBLIC NOTICE --ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD Procurement Department 2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

New Orleans, Louisiana 70114 ADVERTISEMENT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 26-0092 LANGUAGE ACCESS: TRANSLATION/INTERPRE‐ TATION SERVICES Electronic Responses to Request for Proposal rel‐ ative to the above will be received via email sub‐ mission to the Procure‐ ment Department for the Orleans Parish School Board (“OPSB” or “the District”) at 2401 West‐ Parkway, Suite bend New Orleans, 5055, 70114 until Louisiana 12:00 P.M. (CST) on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Specifications and quali‐ fications are found in the RFP documents and may be obtained by visiting the District’s website at www.nolapublicschools. com. All questions re‐ garding this RFP shall be directed to the Executive Director of Procurement procurement@nol at apublicschools.com. The District will host a Pre-Proposal Virtual meeting to be held on Friday, March 27, 2026, at 12:00 P.M. (CST). The Vir‐ tual link can be found below: Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom. us/meeting/register/XGY t3y6vSPuN2rVH6yhDlA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing infor‐ mation about joining the i

OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS SPECIAL SESSION CITY HALL: JANUARY 14, 2026 The Council of the City of New Orleans met this day in Special Session, at 9:00 A.M., in the Council Chamber, City Hall, Council President, JP Morrell, presiding. On calling the roll, the following members answered to their names: PRESENT: MORRELL (PRESIDENT) WILLARD (VICE PRESIDENT) MCCARRON HARRIS KING HUGHES ABSENT: GREEN (Arrived late in the meeting.) SIX MEMBERS PRESENT, CONSTITUTING A QUORUM. PRESIDENT’S CALL AISHA R. COLLIER CLERK OF COUNCIL ROLL CALL AISHA R. COLLIER CLERK OF COUNCIL January 14, 2026 Lora Johnson Clerk of Council New Orleans City Council 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Dear Madam Clerk: Pursuant to my authority in Section 3-107(5) of the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans, there will be special City Council meetings on the following dates: • Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at 9:00 AM • Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at 9:00 AM • Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at 9:00 AM • Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 9:00 AM • Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 9:00 AM • Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 9:00 AM • Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 9:00 AM The meeting will be limited to the discussion and consideration of matters relative to: • The current financial condition of the City, including without limitation the status of the general fund and any changes to expected revenue or funding; and • Ordinance Number 30,522; and • Any other matters that may properly come before the Council. Please make the necessary arrangements to have these special meetings cable cast live on the Government Access television channel and taped for recasting in the future. Sincerely, /s/JP Morrell President, New Orleans City Council cc: New Orleans City Councilmembers Justyn Hawkins, City Council Chief of Staff ORDINANCE ON FINAL PASSAGE CAL. NO. 35,305 – BY: COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORRELL AND MORENO - An Ordinance to amend Ordinance No. 30,139 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “An Ordinance providing an Operating Budget of Revenues for the City of New Orleans for the Year 2025” to appropriate a portion of the Savings Fund of the City of New Orleans-also known as the “Reserve Fund”-to the New Orleans Police Department to cover ongoing

lll

Legal Notices

motion to the Law Department, which is directed to prepare an ordinance to effectuate this motion and is granted flexibility to make any changes necessary to achieve the will of the Council as set forth in this motion. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Morrell, Willard - 7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-59 BY: COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS (BY REQUEST) SECONDED BY: COUNCILMEMBER MCCARRON BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the Mayor’s appointment of Michael Farley (vice Blaire Fernandez) to the board of the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission representing Council District B, effective upon approval by the Council of the City of New Orleans, for a term that will expire on June 30, 2030, be, and the same is, hereby ratified, confirmed, and approved. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall immediately provide a certified copy of this motion to Michael Farley the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, the Law Department, and the Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Willard - 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Green, Morrell - 2 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-60 BY: COUNCILMEMBERS GREEN (BY REQUEST) AND WILLARD BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the Mayor’s appointment of Kevin Kimbrough (fulfilling the unexpired term of Adolph Bynum, Jr.) to the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission representing Council District D, effective upon approval by the Council of the City of New Orleans, for a term that will expire on June 30, 2026, be, and the same is, hereby ratified, confirmed, and approved. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall immediately provide a certified copy of this motion to Kevin Kimbrough, the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, the Law Department, and the Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Willard - 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Green, Morrell - 2 RECUSED: 0 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-61 BY: COUNCILMEMBER MCCARRON SECONDED BY: COUNCILMEMBER HUGHES BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the appeal of Susan Johnson, Principal, Town of Carrollton Watch, LLC, of the Historic District Landmarks Commission’s decision regarding the demolition of over 50% of the roof on the property located at 7801

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

meeting.

The District reserves the right to reject any or all Responses to Request for Proposal whenever such rejection is in its best in‐ terest in accordance with law. The provisions and requirements of this ad‐ vertisement shall not be waived. NOLA Public Schools shall make every effort to provide reasonable ac‐ commodation for people with disabilities. The re‐ quests for any reason‐ able accommodation shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Director of Procurement, no less than seven (7) days in advance of any meetings. Paul A. Lucius Executive Director of Procurement FIRST INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2026 SECOND INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2026 THREE INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2026 179903-mar 12-19-26-3t $134.32

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

NO. 26-0091 MENTAL HEALTH COUN‐ SELING SERVICES: SPE‐ CIALITY IN ENGLISH LEARNER, IMMI‐ GRANT, & LEP POPULA‐ TIONS Electronic Responses to Request for Proposal rel‐ ative to the above will be received via email sub‐ mission to the Procure‐ ment Department for the Orleans Parish School Board (“OPSB” or “the District”) at 2401 West‐ Parkway, Suite bend New Orleans, 5055, 70114 until Louisiana 11:00 A.M. (CST) on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Speciﬁcations and quali‐ ﬁcations are found in the RFP documents and may be obtained by visiting the District’s website at www.nolapublicschools. com. All questions re‐ garding this RFP shall be directed to the Executive Director of Procurement procurement@nol at apublicschools.com. The District will host a Pre-Proposal Virtual meeting to be held on Friday, March 27, 2026, at 11:00 A.M. (CST). The Vir‐ tual link can be found below:

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD Procurement Department 2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055 New Orleans, Louisiana 70114 ADVERTISEMENT

https://us06web.zoom. us/meeting/register/DMf hxQNgTaibwrXTl4wgUA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

After registering, you will receive a conﬁrmation email containing infor‐ mation about joining the meeting.

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

personnel expenses based on a determination by the Council that a significant loss in city revenues due to an economic downturn of serious proportions has occurred or is occurring; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. WITHDRAWN. MOTIONS/RESOLUTIONS NO. R-26-28 BY: COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS (BY REQUEST) Approving and ratifying the release of $ XXXXXXX from the City of New Orleans Employee Emergency Payroll Fund to cover the cost of payrollrelated expenses for employees of the police and fire departments (as well as certain employees paid weekly) for the pay period beginning December 28, 2025 and ending January 10, 2026. The foregoing authorization shall be subject to concurrence by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, in accordance with City Code § 70-415.347(d). WITHDRAWN. SUBSTITUTE NO. R-26-28 BY: COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS (BY REQUEST) SECONDED BY: COUNCILMEMBER MORRELL WHEREAS, the New Orleans City Council on November 6, 2025 enacted Ordinance No. 30522 M.C.S. establishing the City of New Orleans Employee Emergency Payroll Fund in Chapter 70, Article III, Division 55 of the Code of the City of New Orleans (the “Fund”) and imposing a series of requirements regulating the payment of expenses from the Fund; and WHEREAS, Section 70-415.347(b) of the Code provides that no expenditure from the Fund shall be permitted unless authorized by one or more Council resolutions and further provides that any such authorization shall be limited to specific categories of expenditures delineated in the Code; and WHEREAS, the administration, in accordance with City Code § 70415.347(c), has submitted a budget and expenditure plan estimating up to $14,000,000 in payroll-related expenses for employees of the police and fire departments (as well as certain employees paid weekly) for the pay period beginning December 28, 2025 and ending January 10, 2026 (the “January 16 Payroll”); and WHEREAS, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, working in concert with the Department of Finance, has confirmed that the January 16 Payroll includes $6,678,207.14 in actual wage payments and various withholdings, which represents an allowable use of Fund proceeds that will be processed immediately upon adoption of this instrument and remitted to employees in their weekly paychecks; and WHEREAS, the remainder of estimated plan of expenses encompasses various fringe benefits and other payroll-related payments that will be finalized and processed on a subsequent date and may be paid from the Fund if authorized pursuant to a separate resolution; NOW THEREFORE BE RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the Council, in accordance with City Code § 70-415.347, does hereby approve and ratify the release of $6,678,207.14 from the City of New Orleans Employee Emergency Payroll Fund to cover the cost of payrollrelated expenses for employees of the police and fire departments (as well as certain employees paid weekly) for the pay period beginning December 28, 2025 and ending January 10, 2026. The foregoing authorization shall be subject to concurrence by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, in accordance with City Code § 70-415.347(d). BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That certified copies of this resolution be delivered immediately to the Chief Administrative Officer, the Director of Finance, and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. THE FOREGOING RESOLUTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Morrell, Willard - 7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 AND THE RESOLUTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. R-26-29 BY: COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS (BY REQUEST) Approving and ratifying the release of $XXXXXXX from the City of New

Legal Notices

Zimpel Street, is hereby denied. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall forward copies of this motion to all affected departments. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Morrell, Willard - 7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-66 BY: COUNCILMEMBER GREEN SECONDED BY: COUNCILMEMBER HUGHES BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the City Planning Commission’s report and recommendation of approval related to ZONING DOCKET 063/25, initiated by DANNY M. NASSAR, requesting a conditional use to permit the retail sale of packaged alcoholic beverages in an MU-1 Medium Intensity Mixed-Use District, on Square 1539, Lot 11, in the Third Municipal District, bounded by North Broad Street, Duels Street, and Bruxelles Street (Municipal Address: 2037 North Broad Street), is received and the request is hereby APPROVED, subject to the one (1) proviso in the City Planning Commission staff report. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall forward copies of this motion to all affected departments. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Morrell, Willard - 7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING CAL. NO. 35,330 - BY: COUNCILMEMBER MCCARRON - AN ORDINANCE to grant an amendment to Ordinance No. 28,097 MCS (Zoning Docket 032/19) for a conditional use to permit the operation of a previously constructed drive-through facility in an HU-MU Historic Urban Neighborhood Mixed-Use District, on an undesignated portion of ground on Square 617, in the Second Municipal District, bounded by City Park Avenue, North Anthony Street, North Bernadotte Street, Saint Louis Street, and Toulouse Street (Municipal Address: 512 City Park Avenue); and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. (Zoning Docket NO. 61/25) THE FOREGOING ORDINANCE WAS LAID OVER AS REQUIRED BY LAW. There being no further business, on motion of Councilmember Green, seconded by Councilmember Hughes, and without objection, the Council meeting adjourned at 12:33 P.M. AISHA R. COLLIER CLERK OF COUNCIL CH/jmr NOCP 8925

180037-625842-mar 12-1t $ 1,954.26

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

g ing Department, Delgado Community College, 501 City Park Ave., New Or‐ leans, LA 70119 (504) 7623028 or email: aharri@ dcc.edu or purchas‐ ingdept@dcc.edu

q cordance with R.S. 38:2212 (A) (1) (c) and/or R.S. 39:1954 (C) (2) (d). AA/EEO

Bid Documents and Ad‐ denda may be down‐ loaded from: https:// wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana. gov/osp/lapac/dspBid. cfm?search=departm ent&term=39 Evidence of authority to submit bid shall be required in ac‐ with R.S. cordance 38:2212 (A) (1) (c) and/or R.S. 39:1954 (C) (2) (d). AA/EEO 180284-mar 12-1t $35.91 PUBLIC NOTICE --Proposals will be re‐ ceived until 2:00 PM on March 25, 2026 by the Purchasing Department of Delgado Community College and thereafter publicly opened for the procurement for Auto‐ motive Toolset and Tool‐ box. Additional informa‐ tion may be obtained by contacting the Purchas‐ ing Department, Delgado Community College, 501 City Park Ave., New Or‐ leans, LA 70119 (504) 7623028 or email: aharri@ dcc.edu or purchas‐ ingdept@dcc.edu Bid Documents and Ad‐ denda may be down‐ loaded from: https:// wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana. gov/osp/lapac/dspBid. cfm?search=departm ent&term=39 Evidence of authority to submit bid shall be required in ac‐ d i h

Clemency ROBBERY. If you have any comments, contact the Board of Pardons (225)342-5421. 178678 - MAR 12-14 3T $310

180289 March 12, 1t $35.91 PUBLIC NOTICE ---

Legal Notices

The Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority (“the Author‐ ity”) is requesting sealed bids for C-2207 Furnish & Install Sprinkler System Improvements. Proposals are due Tues‐ day, April 7, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at which time pro‐ posals received on time and in the correct loca‐ tion will be considered. Bid documents may be online at obtained https://www.centralauct ionhouse.com/Category/ 10822/NewOrleansErnes tNMorialConventionCe nter or by contacting the Contracts Department at (504) 582-3562 or con‐ All tracts@mccno.com. responses must be sub‐ mitted in accordance with the bid documents. 179611-may 12-18-23-3t $27.57

Clemency I, RANELL JOSEPH, DOC #614546 have applied for clemency for my conviction of FIRST DEGREE ROBBERY; ATTEMPT ARMED ROBBERY; ATTEMPT SIMPLE ROBBERY; ATTEMPT FIRST DEGREE

PUBLIC NOTICE --Doctor Departure Legal Notice: In accordance with Louisiana state regula‐ tions, notice is hereby given that Dr. Kevin Kasovich of Eyecare As‐ sociates is leaving the practice located at 4324 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Suite 102, Metairie, LA 70006. All patients may retrieve their medical records from Eyecare As‐ sociates located at 4324 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Suite 102, Metairie, LA 70006 or by calling 504455-9825. Dr. Kasovich’s last day at the practice will be March 9, 2026. It is important for existing patients to schedule an appointment within the next 30 days either with one of Eyecare Associ‐ ates’ doctors or outside eyecare doctor to ensure they are receiving ongo‐ ing care. 179258-mar 5-12-19-3t $301.84

Orleans Employee Emergency Payroll Fund to cover the payment of the fringe benefits and other payroll-related expenses for the pay period beginning December 21, 2025 and ending January 3, 2026. The foregoing authorization shall be subject to concurrence by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, in accordance with City Code § 70-415.347. WITHDRAWN. SUBSTITUTE NO. R-26-29 BY: COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS (BY REQUEST) SECONDED BY: COUNCILMEMBER MORRELL WHEREAS, the New Orleans City Council on November 6, 2025 enacted Ordinance No. 30522 M.C.S. establishing the City of New Orleans Employee Emergency Payroll Fund in Chapter 70, Article III, Division 55 of the Code of the City of New Orleans (the “Fund”) and imposing a series of requirements regulating the payment of expenses from the Fund; and WHEREAS, Section 70-415.347(b) of the Code provides that no expenditure from the Fund shall be permitted unless authorized by one or more Council resolutions and further provides that any such authorization shall be limited to specific categories of expenditures delineated in the Code; WHEREAS, the administration, in accordance with City Code § 70415.347(c), has submitted a budget and expenditure plan estimating up to $12,000,000 in payroll-related expenses for City employees (other than the police and fire departments) for the pay period beginning December 21, 2025 and ending January 3, 2026 (the “January 9 Pay Payroll”); and WHEREAS, on January 7, 2026, the Council adopted Resolution No. R-261, authorizing the release of $ 6,753,445.32 from the Fund to cover the cost of payroll-related expenses for City employees (other than the police and fire departments) for the January 9 Payroll; and WHEREAS, Resolution No. R-26-1 noted that the remainder of the city’s costs for the January 9 Payroll encompassed various fringe benefits and other payroll-related payments that would be finalized and processed on a subsequent date and addressed in a separate resolution; and WHEREAS, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, working in concert with the Department of Finance, has confirmed an additional $4,295,553.71 in fringe benefits and other payroll-related costs related to the January 9 Payroll, payment of which represents an allowable use of the Fund; and WHEREAS, the Council desires to approve the use of the Fund to cover the cost of the foregoing fringe benefits and other payroll-related payments, as described herein; NOW THEREFORE BE RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the Council, in accordance with City Code § 70-415.347, does hereby approve and ratify the release of $4,295,553.71 from the City of New Orleans Employee Emergency Payroll Fund to cover the payment of the fringe benefits and other payroll-related expenses for the pay period beginning December 21, 2025 and ending January 3, 2026. The foregoing authorization shall be subject to concurrence by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, in accordance with City Code § 70-415.347. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That certified copies of this resolution be delivered immediately to the Chief Administrative Officer, the Director of Finance, and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. THE FOREGOING RESOLUTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Morrell, Willard - 7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 AND TH RESOLUTION WAS ADOPTED. There being no further business, on motion of Councilmember Green, seconded by Councilmember Hughes, and without objection, the Council meeting adjourned at 9:10 A.M. AISHA R. COLLIER CLERK OF COUNCIL CH/jmr NOCP 8923 180034-625839-mar 12-1t $ 332.64

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 13D

lll

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with L.R.S. 3:1609 and LAC (A), the 7:XV.314 Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry, Louisiana Boll Weevil Eradication Commission, has established a boll weevil eradication zone, the Louisiana Eradication Zone, consisting of all the territory within the state of Louisiana. Notice is further given that all producers of commercial cotton in Louisiana are required to participate in the boll weevil eradication pro‐ including cost gram, sharing, in accordance with the Boll Weevil Erad‐ ication Law and regula‐ tions. This includes, but is not limited to, report‐ ing of cotton acreage and destruction of cotton plants and stalks by De‐ cember 31 of each crop year. A copy of the law and rules and regula‐ tions may be obtained from the Boll Weevil Eradication Commission, 5825 Florida Blvd. Ste. 3002, Baton Rouge, La. 70806, telephone number (225) 922-1338. Notice is also given that the planting of noncom‐ mercial cotton is PRO‐ HIBITED in Louisiana un‐ less a written waiver is obtained from the Com‐ missioner of Agriculture & Forestry in accordance with LAC 7:XV.319(C). To request a waiver, submit a written application to the Department of Agri‐ culture and Forestry, at the address provided in this notice, stating the conditions under which such written waiver is re‐ quested. 178502-feb 26-mar 5-12-3t $56.73 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS March 12, 2026 Odyssey House Louisiana, Inc. 1125 N. Tonti Street New Orleans, LA 70119 (504)821-9211 These notices shall sat‐ isfy two separate but re‐ lated procedural require‐ ments for activities to be undertaken by the name Odyssey House of Louisiana. Inc. On or about March 25, 2026 the Odyssey House Louisiana, Inc. will sub‐ mit a request to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development/ Louisiana Ofﬁce of Com‐ munity Development for the release of Recovery Housing Program funds under Title I Section 8071 of the SUPPORT for Pa‐ tients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act of the Housing and Community l f

Legal Notices

g y Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq., as amended, to undertake a project known as Recov‐ ery Housing 2433-35 Ur‐ sulines Ave/ 1810-12 Gov‐ ernor Nicholls, St., New Orleans, LA 70119 for the purpose of establishing Sober Living recovery housing for individuals with sub‐ diagnosed stance use disorder in the amount of $1,352,000 at 2433-35 Ursulines Ave/ Governor 1810-12 Nicholls, St., New Or‐ leans, LA 70119.

g part 58; (c) the grant re‐ cipient or other partici‐ pants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD/Louisiana Office of Develop‐ Community ment; or (d) another Fed‐ eral agency acting pur‐ suant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environ‐ mental quality. Objec‐ tions must be prepared and submitted in accor‐ dance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to U.S. De‐ partment of Housing & Urban Development New Orleans Field Office Of‐ fice of Public Housing At‐ tention: Elvettra Gibbs, Director 501 Magazine Street, 9th Floor New Or‐ LA 70130/ leans, Louisiana Office of Com‐ munity Development P.O. Box 94095 Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70804-9095. Po‐ tential objectors should HUD/Louisiana contact Office of Community De‐ velopment to verify the actual last day of the ob‐ jection period.

The activities proposed comprise a project for which a Finding of No Significant Impact on the environment was pub‐ lished on February 26, 2026. An Environmental Review Record (ERR) that documents the environ‐ determinations mental for this project is on file Odyssey House at Louisiana, Inc. 1125 N. Tonti Street, New Or‐ leans, LA 70119 and may be examined or copied weekdays 9:00 A.M to 4:30 P.M. PUBLIC COMMENTS Any individual, group, or agency may submit writ‐ ten comments on the ERR to the Odyssey Administration House Department 1125 N. Tonti Street, New Orleans, LA 70119. All comments re‐ ceived by March 24, 2026 will be considered by Odyssey House Louisiana prior to authorizing sub‐ mission of a request for release of funds. ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION The Odyssey House Louisiana certifies to HUD/ Louisiana Office of Community Development that Edward Carlson in his capacity as Chief Ex‐ ecutive Officer consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environ‐ mental review process and that these responsi‐ bilities have been satis‐ fied. HUD’/Louisiana Of‐ fice of Community Devel‐ opment’s approval of the certification satisfies its under responsibilities NEPA and related laws and authorities and al‐ Odyssey House lows Louisiana to use Program funds. OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS HUD/Louisiana Office of Community Development will accept objections to its release of fund and House Odyssey Louisiana’s certification for a period of fifteen days following the antici‐ pated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certifica‐ tion was not executed by the Certifying Officer of Odyssey House the Louisiana; (b) Odyssey Louisiana has House omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR ( ) h

Edward Carlson Chief Executive Officer 180273-mar 12-26-15t $7,496.05 PUBLIC NOTICE --ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD Procurement Department 2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055 New Orleans, Louisiana 70114 ADVERTISEMENT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 26-0089 HS STUDENT AND FAMILY TRAINING: SPECIALITY IN ENGLISH LEARNER, IMMI‐ GRANT, & LEP POPULA‐ TIONS Electronic Responses to Request for Proposal rel‐ ative to the above will be received via email sub‐ mission to the Procure‐ ment Department for the Orleans Parish School Board (“OPSB” or “the District”) at 2401 West‐ Parkway, Suite bend New Orleans, 5055, Louisiana 70114 until 9:00 A.M. (CST) on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Specifications and quali‐ fications are found in the RFP documents and may be obtained by visiting the District’s website at www.nolapublicschools. com. All questions re‐ garding this RFP shall be directed to the Executive Director of Procurement procurement@nol at apublicschools.com. The District will host a Pre-Proposal Virtual meeting to be held on Friday, March 27, 2026, at 9:00 A.M. (CST). The Vir‐ tual link can be found below:

OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS SPECIAL SESSION CITY HALL: JANUARY 28, 2026 The Council of the City of New Orleans met this day in Special Session, at 9:00 A.M., in the Council Chamber, City Hall, Council President, JP Morrell, presiding. On calling the roll, the following members answered to their names: PRESENT: WILLARD (VICE PRESIDENT) HARRIS KING GREEN HUGHES ABSENT: MORRELL (PRESIDENT) (Arrived late in the meeting.) MCCARRON FIVE MEMBERS PRESENT, CONSTITUTING A QUORUM. PRESIDENT’S CALL AISHA R. COLLIER CLERK OF COUNCIL ROLL CALL AISHA R. COLLIER CLERK OF COUNCIL January 28, 2026 Lora Johnson Clerk of Council New Orleans City Council 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Dear Madam Clerk: Pursuant to my authority in Section 3-107(5) of the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans, there will be special City Council meetings on the following dates: • Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at 9:00 AM • Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 9:00 AM • Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 9:00 AM • Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 9:00 AM • Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 9:00 AM The meeting will be limited to the discussion and consideration of matters relative to: • The current financial condition of the City, including without limitation the status of the general fund and any changes to expected revenue or funding; and • Ordinance Number 30,522; and • Any other matters that may properly come before the Council. Please make the necessary arrangements to have these special meetings cable cast live on the Government Access television channel and taped for recasting in the future. Sincerely, /s/JP Morrell President, New Orleans City Council cc: New Orleans City Councilmembers Justyn Hawkins, City Council Chief of Staff MOTIONS/RESOLUTIONS NO. M-26-62 BY: COUNCILMEMBERS MORRELL AND HUGHES (BY REQUEST) WHEREAS, the City of New Orleans wishes to protect its citizens from any harms or negative externalities that may arise from the improper siting of data centers, server farms, crypto-currency mining facilities, and other facilities designed or used primarily to house information technology infrastructure for the storage, management, processing, and transmission of digital data (collectively “Data Centers”); and WHEREAS, the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance does not currently address Data Centers; and WHEREAS, it is possible that some uses within the Data Center umbrella could be permitted, subject to appropriate zoning controls; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the City Planning Commission is directed to conduct a public hearing to consider amendments to Ordinance No. 4264 M.C.S., as amended, the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, to amend the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance to define Data Centers and any related uses, to consider whether these uses should be permitted or conditional in any zoning district or overlay, and to implement appropriate use and design standards for these uses if applicable, including but not limited to density requirements, soundproofing and safety measures, and any other regulation necessary to preserve the quality of life of nearby residents, businesses and institutions, as applicable. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the requirement to participate in the Neighborhood Participation Program is waived given the additional opportunity for public comment and debate at the Council level, and application fees in the amount of $1,500.00 are hereby waived. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That in the process of reviewing this amendment, the City Planning Commission staff is directed and granted the flexibility to make all appropriate changes to the proposed regulations and any existing corresponding regulations in the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, as amended, to establish consistency and continuity with the format of the existing zoning code, to add references wherever references are customary, needed and/or appropriate, to make the appropriate adjustments to clarify any ambiguities or mistakes, and to make adjustments deemed necessary in light of public testimony resulting from this review.

Legal Notices

Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom. us/meeting/register/ jXLrAeb1TZCShXkUF1fHA After registering, you will receive a conﬁrmation email containing infor‐ mation about joining the meeting. The District reserves the right to reject any or all Responses to Request for Proposal whenever such rejection is in its best in‐ terest in accordance with law. The provisions and requirements of this ad‐ vertisement shall not be waived. NOLA Public Schools shall make every effort to provide reasonable ac‐ commodation for people with disabilities. The re‐ quests for any reason‐ accommodation able shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Director of Procurement, no less than seven (7) days in advance of any meetings. Paul A. Lucius Executive Director of Pro‐ curement FIRST INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2026 SECOND INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2026 THREE INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2026

Legal Notices

y this publication to A. Terracon, Broadhurst, 11555 Clay Road, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77043; Ashley. 713-329-2529; Broadhurst@terracon. com. Reference Terracon Project No. 92267146. 180283-mar 13-1t $107.10 PUBLIC NOTICE --William Christopher Beary intends to ﬁle a petition seeking rein‐ statement of his license practice law in to Louisiana. Any person(s) concurring with or op‐ posing this petition must ﬁle such within 30 days with the Louisiana Attor‐ ney Disciplinary Board, Ste 310, 2800 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, LA 70002. 180282-mar 12-1t $73.92

Public Notices RFQ

PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT TO REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS CITY OF NEW ORLEANS SPONSORING DEPARTMENT: Hazard Mitigation TITLE: Stormwater Management Plan

179900-mar 12-19-26-3t $136.33

Public Notices RFQ

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

SOURCING EVENT NO.: 4641

PUBLIC NOTICE: SBA Tow‐ ers XI, LLC is proposing construction of a new (overall 154-foot-tall monopole height) telecommunications tower for the installation of FCC-licensed equip‐ ment located approxi‐ mate to 4810 Laplaco Boulevard, Marrero, Jef‐ ferson Parish, LA 70072 (29° 52’ 34.53”N, 90° 05’ 36.43”W). Public com‐ ments regarding poten‐ tial effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30-days from the date of hi bli i

TYPE OF SOLICITATION: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DBE OPPORTUNITY: YES (35%) RELEASED ON: February 26, 2026 DEADLINE TO RESPOND: March 25, 2026

p y reau of Purchasing on the City’s supplier portal. If this solicitation is fed‐ erally funded, prospec‐ bidder/respondent tive must pay particular at‐ tention to all applicable laws and regulations of the Federal government the State of and Louisiana. The Bureau of Purchas‐ uses commodity ing codes to notify suppliers of the release of a sourc‐ ing event and subse‐ quent modiﬁcations via addendum. Note that you would receive those noti‐ ﬁcations if you selected the following commodity code(s) before the re‐ lease of the sourcing event:

The digital edition of today’s paper is always at your ﬁnger tips with

E-EDITION

View the e-edition from the NOLA.com app

COMMODITY CODE(s): 906-54, 918-72, 918-75, 925-28 The City of New Orleans strongly encourages mi‐ and nority-owned busi‐ women-owned nesses, socially and eco‐ nomically disadvantaged businesses and small businesses to respond to this solicitation, or to participate in subcon‐ opportunities tracting pursuant to this solicita‐ tion.

in your web browser by visiting NOLA.com and clicking E-EDITION

For more information this sourcing about event, go to www.nola. gov and click on “BRASS Supplier Portal” under “BIDS & CONTRACTS”. Once on the Supplier Por‐ search “Open tal, Events.” Thank you for your inter‐ est in doing business with the City of New Or‐ leans. James C. Simmons, Jr. Chief Procurement Ofﬁcer Advertising Dates: February 26, March 5 and 12, 2026 NOCP 8901 178699-feb 26-mar 5-12-3t $109.32

HEROES OF HOPE Thank you to all of the ﬁrst responders for keeping us safe in this time of crisis.

HIGH 88 LOW 65 MORE ON 4C

SEVEN DAyS l HOME DELIVERED l LOUISIANA OWNED

Dates are subject to changes via an adden‐ dum posted by the Bu‐ f h i

APRIL 9, 2020

$1.00

Additional jobless pay set to begin

PRE-BID CONFERENCE via TEAMS: March 11, 2026

THURSDAY

7th year, No. 241

ELEC TION 2020 PRESIDENT

THE RACE IS ON

Unemployed to get $600 more per week from stimulus package BY SAM KARLIN

COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS: THE LATEST

CASES IN LA.

652 deaths

17,030 positive cases INSIDE ä Mnuchin:

Direct deposits to start next week, 2A

ä La. nursing

–

SINCE I837

–

home deaths up to 130, 5A ä More testing options available in N.O., 1B

Staff writer

Louisiana is set to start doling out supercharged unemployment benefits of $600 more a week on Monday, providing the first wave of relief to a staggering number of residents seeking aid as the coronavirus rocks the state’s economy. But as benefits begin flowing and officials project no part of Louisiana is on track to run out of hospital beds or ventilators in the coming 10 days, Gov. John Bel Edwards warned Wednesday it will be a long time before things return to normal. Until there is a vaccine and medication that can treat the virus — prospects that are months or longer away — Edwards said people will likely not see “life as you knew it before COVID-19.” Although at some point restrictions will be loosened, it remains unclear exactly what that will look like, Edwards said. The state will rely heavily on the federal government and will need far more testing, along with contact tracing and isolation of patients who later test positive, he said. “I promise you no matter what the timeline looks like, it’s going to be quicker if everyone follows the stay-at-home order,” the governor said. In the meantime, as the order is set to keep thousands of businesses closed until at least April 30, the Louisiana Workforce Commission will start paying out the extra $600 per week benefit to unemployed Louisiana

BY WILL WEISSERT

Superintendents want schools to stay closed BY WILL SENTELL Staff writer

Louisiana public school superintendents Wednesday asked Gov. John Bel Edwards to extend his schools closure order through the end of the academic year because of the coronavirus. The request significantly boosts chances that classrooms will remain locked for nearly 720,000 public school students

THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, Morrell, Willard - 6 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: McCarron - 1 RECUSED: 0 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. M-26-63 BY: COUNCILMEMBERS MORRELL AND HUGHES (BY REQUEST) WHEREAS, data centers, server farms, crypto-currency mining facilities, and other facilities designed or used primarily to house information technology infrastructure and equipment for the storage, management, processing, and transmission of digital data (collectively “Data Centers”) are not included in the existing use classifications within the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (“CZO”); and WHEREAS, the development of Data Centers in the City poses unique and significant implications for the health, safety, and welfare of New Orleans, its citizens, and its neighborhoods, including concerns over electrical grid capacity and reliability, noise concerns from generators and cooling equipment, air quality, development density, limited street activation, and compatibility with surrounding uses; and WHEREAS, the Council, in a companion Motion, is directing the City Planning Commission to study Data Centers and to make recommendations regarding text amendments to the CZO to address Data Centers, including without limitation through clear definitions, density requirements, use restrictions, and limitations on the zoning districts in which Data Centers may be located; and WHEREAS, because of the delays associated with the zoning process, Section 3-126 of the Home Rule Charter authorizes the Council to impose an interim zoning district or other temporary prohibition on zoning, permitting, and other similar functions where necessary to protect the public health, safety, or welfare for a period of up to one year, subject to one 180-day extension; and WHEREAS, despite the fact that Data Centers are not a permitted use within the CZO, and are therefore prohibited citywide, the Mayor and the City Council believe that implementing an interim zoning district out of an abundance of caution ensures that the residents of the City are adequately protected from the harms which are posed by these uses; and WHEREAS, this temporary prohibition does not prohibit technological progress or investment but rather ensures that development of such uses appropriately protects the health, safety and welfare of the New Orleanians, and, to the extent it is appropriate, occurs in a planned and environmentally sustainable manner that protects the long-tern interests of the residents of the City of New Orleans; and WHEREAS, the Council finds that the imposition of an interim zoning district prohibiting Data Centers citywide is necessary to prevent the proliferation of said facilities while the zoning review mandated by this instrument is conducted; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the City Planning Commission is directed to conduct a public hearing and make recommendations regarding whether to amend Article 19 of the CZO to establish a new Interim Zoning District, to be named the Data Center Interim Zoning District (“IZD”), for the purpose of prohibiting the issuance of any occupational licenses or otherwise permit the operation of Data Centers citywide for a period of one year from the date of adoption of this Motion, subject to extension as provided by Section 3-126 of the City Charter. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That in accordance with Article 19, Section 19.3.C.4 of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, all appropriate agencies of the City, including but not limited to the Department of Safety and Permits, shall not approve any new applications for occupational licenses for businesses that meet the definition of Data Center, as set forth herein, or any other applications for permits or licenses or issue any permits or licenses that are in conflict with the intent and provisions of this proposed IZD for any property within the city until such time as the proposed IZD is denied by the Council or the proposed IZD is approved and becomes legally effective. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That applications to appeal this IZD shall be submitted to the Executive Director of the City Planning Commission, every appeal shall be made on the forms provided by the City and shall be accompanied by payment of a filing fee of $1,000.00 and the data required in such form. The Executive Director of the City Planning Commission may request for the appellant or applicant to provide such additional information and data as may be required to fully advise the Council, whether such information and data is called for by the official forms or not. CPC shall review the appeal and make recommendations relative to the appeal within sixty (60) days of receipt using the following review standards: 1. Is the requested appeal compatible with the surrounding land uses and structures? 2. Does the requested appeal provide for an efficient use of land? 3. Will the requested appeal increase community environmental or qualityof-life impacts? 4. Does the requested appeal provide appropriate health safeguards for neighboring or nearby properties, including but not limited to soundproofing measures and other safety best practices? 5. In consultation with utility experts, including but not limited to the Council Utilities Regulatory Office, does the requested appeal unduly tax the City’s utility systems, including but not limited to the electrical grid? 6. Does the appellant have reasonable investment-backed expectations in the use of the property as prohibited by the IZD? The Council shall have 60 days from receipt of recommendation to approve, deny, or modify the appeal by ordinance. If the Council fails to act within 60 days from receipt of the recommendation, the appeal shall be deemed to be denied. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That the requirement to conduct a Neighborhood

ä See JOBLESS, page 6A

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a March campaign rally in Detroit.

and that the school year will have effectively ended for many students on March 13. “By not having students return to school facilities this school year combined with social distancing intervention there could be lessening or even prevention of further community spread of the virus,” superintendents said in their request to the governor.

ä See SCHOOLS, page 6A

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTOS

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a January rally in Washington, D.C.

Sanders drops out, leaving former Vice President Biden the presumptive Democratic challenger to Trump Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Sen. Bernie Sanders ended his presidential bid on Wednesday, making Joe Biden the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge President Donald Trump in a general election campaign that will be waged against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic. Sanders initially ex- Sanders ceeded sky-high expectations about his ability to re-create the magic of his 2016 presidential bid and even overcame a heart attack in October. But he couldn’t convert unwavering support from progressives into a viable path to the nomination, with “electability” fears fueled by questions about whether his democratic socialist ide-

ology would be palatable to general election voters. “The path toward victory is virtually impossible,” Sanders told supporters Wednesday. “If I believed we had a feasible path to the nomination, I would certainly continue the campaign, but it’s just not there.” He called Biden a “very decent man” but didn’t offer an explicit endorsement of the former vice president. Sanders said his name would remain on the ballot in states that have not yet held primaries so he can gain more delegates and “exert signiﬁcant influence” on the Democratic platform. Biden, who is backed by much of the party’s establishment, told supporters at a virtual fundraiser that he had a “short conversation” with Sanders on Wednesday. “He didn’t just run a political campaign. He created a movement,” Biden said. “That’s a good thing for our na-

tion and our future. His campaign has ended, but I know his leadership will continue.” Trump sought to foment the tension among Democrats by tweeting Wednesday that the party stacked the race against Sanders. The president said the senator’s supporters “should come to the Republican Party.” Sanders began his latest White House bid facing questions about whether he could win back the supporters who chose him four years ago as an insurgent alternative to Hillary Clinton. Despite winning 22 states in 2016, there were no guarantees he’d be a major presidential contender this cycle. But Sanders used strong polling and solid fundraising — collected almost entirely from small donations made online — to quiet early doubters. Like the ﬁrst time, he attracted widespread

ä See RACE, page 4A

Participation Program pursuant to Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Section 4.2.D.1 is hereby waived due to the urgency presented in this matter and the robust participation process afforded by the companion text amendment to the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, That in the process of reviewing this amendment, the City Planning Commission staff is directed and granted the flexibility to make all appropriate changes to the proposed regulations and any existing corresponding regulations in the CZO to establish consistency and continuity with the format of the existing zoning code, to add references wherever references are customary, needed and/or appropriate, to make the appropriate adjustments to clarify any ambiguities or mistakes, and to make adjustments deemed necessary in light of public testimony resulting from this review. THE FOREGOING MOTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, Willard - 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: McCarron, Morrell - 2 AND THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED. NO. R-26-64 BY: COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS (BY REQUEST) Approving and ratifying the release of $ XXXXXXX from the City of New Orleans Employee Emergency Payroll Fund to cover the cost of payrollrelated expenses for employees of the police and fire departments (as well as certain employees paid weekly) for the pay period beginning January11, 2026 and ending January 24, 2026. The foregoing authorization shall be subject to concurrence by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, in accordance with City Code § 70-415.347(d). WITHDRAWN. SUBSTITUTE NO. R-26-64 BY: COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS (BY REQUEST) SECONDED BY: COUNCILMEMBER HUGHES WHEREAS, the New Orleans City Council on November 6, 2025 enacted Ordinance No. 30522 M.C.S. establishing the City of New Orleans Employee Emergency Payroll Fund in Chapter 70, Article III, Division 55 of the Code of the City of New Orleans (the “Fund”) and imposing a series of requirements regulating the payment of expenses from the Fund; and WHEREAS, Section 70-415.347(b) of the Code provides that no expenditure from the Fund shall be permitted unless authorized by one or more Council resolutions and further provides that any such authorization shall be limited to specific categories of expenditures delineated in the Code; and WHEREAS, the administration, in accordance with City Code § 70415.347(c), has submitted a budget and expenditure plan estimating up to $14,000,000 in payroll-related expenses for employees of the police and fire departments (as well as certain employees paid weekly) for the pay period beginning January11, 2026 and ending January 24, 2026 (the “January 30 Payroll”); and WHEREAS, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, working in concert with the Department of Finance, has confirmed that the January 30 Payroll includes $5,546,487.10 in actual wage payments and various withholdings, which represents an allowable use of Fund proceeds that will be processed immediately upon adoption of this instrument and remitted to employees in their weekly paychecks; and WHEREAS, the remainder of estimated plan of expenses encompasses various fringe benefits and other payroll-related payments that will be finalized and processed on a subsequent date and may be paid from the Fund if authorized pursuant to a separate resolution; NOW THEREFORE BE RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the Council, in accordance with City Code § 70-415.347, does hereby approve and ratify the release of $5,546,487.10 from the City of New Orleans Employee Emergency Payroll Fund to cover the cost of payrollrelated expenses for employees of the police and fire departments (as well as certain employees paid weekly) for the pay period beginning January11, 2026 and ending January 24, 2026. The foregoing authorization shall be subject to concurrence by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, in accordance with City Code § 70-415.347(d). BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That certified copies of this resolution be delivered immediately to the Chief Administrative Officer, the Director of Finance, and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. THE FOREGOING RESOLUTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF, AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, Willard - 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: McCarron, Morrell - 2 AND THE RESOLUTION WAS ADOPTED. ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING CAL. NO. 35,331 - BY: COUNCILMEMBERS HUGHES, MORRELL, HARRIS, GREEN, KING, WILLARD AND MCCARRON (BY REQUEST) AN ORDINANCE to amend Ordinance No. 30531 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “An Ordinance Providing an Operating Budget of Expenditures for the City of New Orleans for the Year 2026”, to move funds from City Council to Department of Public Works for streetlight replacement and maintenance; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. THE FOREGOING ORDINANCE WAS LAID OVER AS REQUIRED BY LAW. There being no further business, on motion of Councilmember Harris, seconded by Councilmember Willard, and without objection, the Council meeting adjourned at 10:38 A.M. AISHA R. COLLIER CLERK OF COUNCIL DM/jmr NOCP 8927 180040-625845-mar 12-1t $ 478.17

14D ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune Legal Notices

Legal Notices

ORDINANCE (AS CORRECTED) CITY OF NEW ORLEANS CITY HALL: October 29, 2025 CALENDAR NO. 35,296 NO. 30553 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES BY: COUNCILMEMBERS MORRELL, HARRIS, WILLARD, MCCARRON, KING, GREEN AND HUGHES AN ORDINANCE to call an election on November 3, 2026, at which the electors of the City of New Orleans will be asked to approve an amendment to Home Rule Charter Section 6-103, to add provisions intended to ensure that spending remains consistent with the approved annual operating budget, and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. SECTION 1. THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS HEREBY ORDAINS, That an election is hereby called, in conformity with Section 9-202 of the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans and Article VI, Section 4 of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, at which election there shall be submitted to the qualified electors of the City of Orleans, for their approval or rejection, a proposal to amend Section 6-103 of the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans, to prohibit any allotment and expenditure of City moneys from exceeding the amount allocated in the approved annual operating budget and to require monthly reports to the City Council so that the Council monitors expenditures to ensure they remain in line with the approved budget. SECTION 2. That said election shall be held on November 3, 2026, between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. under the General Election Laws of the State of Louisiana. SECTION 3. That the official ballot to be used at said election and inserted in all voting machines shall have printed thereon the following: “HOME RULE CHARTER PROPOSITION Shall Section 6-103 of the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans be amended (i) to prohibit allotments, reallotments, or transfers of budgeted operating funds that will cause, or that are reasonably anticipated to cause, expenditures from any funding category for any department to exceed the amount appropriated for that fiscal year, unless an amendment to the operating budget ordinance reflecting the increase has been adopted and approved, (ii) to require monthly reports to the City Council regarding expenditures to assess whether spending remains in line with the approved budget, and (iii) to prohibit the approval of any requisition, purchase order, voucher or check that would cause, or that is reasonably anticipated to cause, any category of expenditures in the approved annual operating budget to exceed the appropriated amount for that fiscal year, all as more fully described in Ord. No. 30553, M.C.S.?” SECTION 4. That in the event the ballot proposition contained in Section 3 is approved by voters on November 3, 2026, Section 6-103 of the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans shall be amended to read as follows (new language included below in bold for illustrative purposes): “ARTICLE VI. – FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURES CHAPTER 1. – BUDGETING AND AUDITING *** Section 6-103. – Administration and Enforcement of the Operating Budget Ordinance. (1) The adoption of the operating budget ordinance shall constitute an appropriation of the sums specified therein for the purposes and from the funds indicated. Such appropriation shall be considered valid only for the year for which made, and any part of such appropriation which is not encumbered or expended shall lapse at the end of the year. (2) Following the adoption of the operating budget ordinance, the head of each office, department and board shall submit to the Chief Administrative Officer schedules showing the expenditures anticipated for each quarter of the fiscal year. (3) The approval of an expenditure schedule by the Chief Administrative Officer shall constitute a budgetary allotment which shall be binding upon such office, department or board, and the Department of Finance shall approve or issue no requisition, purchase order, voucher or check that is not in accordance with such allotment. (4) The allotments herein provided may be altered at any time by the Chief Administrative Officer upon his own initiative or at the request of the head of an office, department or board and shall be altered at the direction of the Mayor. The Mayor shall direct appropriate revisions in allotments to keep expenditures within the revenues received or anticipated. The powers granted in this subsection shall be subject to the requirements of subsection (6) and shall not be used to circumvent the approved budget or revise the spending priorities and limits reflected therein. (5) The Director of Finance and his surety shall be liable for any moneys withdrawn from any operating fund other than in accordance with the operating budget ordinance and allotments. (6) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (4), no allotment, reallotment, or inter-departmental funds transfer shall be permitted if the allotment, reallotment, or transfer will cause, or is reasonably anticipated to cause, expenditures from any funding category for any department to exceed the amount appropriated for that fiscal year, unless an amendment to the operating budget ordinance reflecting the increase has been adopted and approved as provided herein. The Chief Administrative Officer and Director of Finance shall provide monthly reports to the Council on expenditures, including any approved allotments and reallotments, in a form sufficient to demonstrate clearly whether expenditures and anticipated expenditures remain in line with the approved budget and shall respond promptly to requests for additional information necessary to enable the Council to monitor whether spending remains consistent with the approved budget. The Department of Finance shall neither approve nor issue any requisition, purchase order, voucher or check that would cause, or is reasonably anticipated to cause, any category of expenditures in the approved

lll

Legal Notices

annual operating budget to exceed the appropriated amount for that fiscal year.” SECTION 5. That all officials of the State of Louisiana and City of New Orleans who are charged with the execution of laws and the discharge of duties relative to said election are directed to perform the duties required of them by such laws with regard to said election. SECTION 6. That the Council and other municipal and parochial officers shall by proper proceedings provide: a) the taking of all necessary steps for the holding of said election; and b) the supplying of voting machines and furnishing of the official absentee ballots, tally sheets, and other necessary election supplies; and c) the selecting and publishing of the location of the respective polling places; and d) the issuing of any proclamation and the giving of all notices concerning said election as may be necessary; and e) the taking of all proper and necessary steps to cause the election to be held, the votes compiled, and the results promulgated, as provided by existing laws and the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans. SECTION 7. That the Mayor of the City of New Orleans and the New Orleans City Council are hereby authorized and empowered to issue any proclamation and to give all notices concerning said election as may be necessary, and to take all steps necessary and proper to cause said election to be held as herein ordered. Notice of said election in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit “A” and incorporated herein by reference as if set forth in full, shall be published in the official journal of the City of New Orleans once a week for four consecutive weeks, with the first publication being not less than 45 days, nor more than 90 days prior to the date of the election; said notice shall state that the Council of the City of New Orleans will meet in open session to examine and canvass the results of said election during its regular meeting on December 17, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. in Council Chambers. SECTION 8. That the Clerk of Council shall promptly cause this ordinance, which is adopted pursuant to Section 9-201, et seq. of the Home Rule Charter, to be published at length in the official journal of the City of New Orleans with the frequency prescribed by law and not less than 60 days before said election. SECTION 9. That should more than one proposition be voted on at the same time, this and all such other propositions shall be consecutively identified on the ballot so that each proposition may be separately voted on. SECTION 10. That immediately upon the completion of the canvass of the returns of the election, the Council shall declare the result of the election and shall declare the total number of votes cast upon the proposition and the number of votes cast respectively for and against the proposition. If a majority of votes cast are in favor of the proposition, the amendments of the Home Rule Charter set forth in Section 4 shall take effect January 1, 2027. SECTION 11. That if the proposition is approved, the City Attorney is hereby authorized and directed to file authenticated copies thereof in the offices of the Land Records Division for the Parish of Orleans, the Secretary of State, and any other office required by law within 30 days after said election. SECTION 12. That immediately upon this ordinance becoming law, the Clerk of Council shall forthwith transmit certified copies thereof to the Law Department for submission to the Louisiana Bond Commission and all other appropriate agencies. SECTION 13. That immediately upon this ordinance becoming law, the Clerk of Council shall be and is hereby empowered, authorized, and directed to forward certified copies of this ordinance to the Secretary of State, the Commissioner of Elections, the Clerk of Criminal Court and ExOfficio Custodian of Voting Machines in and for the Parish of Orleans, the Clerk of Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, the Registrar of Voters in and for the Parish of Orleans, and such other officials as the Council may desire so that each may carry out all legal duties. ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS JANUARY 27, 2026 JP MORRELL PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL DELIVERED TO THE MAYOR ON JANUARY 27, 2026 APPROVED: FEBRUARY 05, 2026 HELENA MORENO MAYOR RETURNED BY THE MAYOR ON FEBRUARY 05, 2026 AT 12:40 P.M. AISHA COLLIER CLERK OF COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Morrell, Willard - 7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 RECUSED: 0 EXHIBIT “A” (AS CORRECTED) NOTICE OF ELECTION Pursuant to the provisions of Ordinance No. 30553 M.C.S. adopted by the City Council of New Orleans on January 27, 2026, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that an election will be held in New Orleans on Tuesday, November 6, 2026, and that at said election there will be submitted to all registered voters residing in the City of New Orleans who are qualified and entitled to vote at the said election under the Constitution and laws of the State of Louisiana and the Constitution of the United States, the following proposition: “HOME RULE CHARTER PROPOSITION Shall Section 6-103 of the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans be amended (i) to prohibit allotments, reallotments, or transfers of budgeted operating funds that will cause, or that are reasonably anticipated to cause, expenditures from any funding category for any

Legal Notices

department to exceed the amount appropriated for that fiscal year, unless an amendment to the operating budget ordinance reflecting the increase has been adopted and approved, (ii) to require monthly reports to the City Council regarding expenditures to assess whether spending remains in line with the approved budget, and (iii) to prohibit the approval of any requisition, purchase order, voucher or check that would cause, or that is reasonably anticipated to cause, any category of expenditures in the approved annual operating budget to exceed the appropriated amount for that fiscal year, all as more fully described in Ord. No. 30553, M.C.S.?” The election will be held at each and every polling place in the City of New Orleans, which polls will open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m., in accordance with the provisions of La. R.S. 18:541. The estimated cost of this election, as determined by the Louisiana Secretary of State, based upon the provisions of Title 18, Chapter 8A of the Louisiana Revised Statutes and actual costs of similar elections is $37,700. The Council, acting under the powers granted to it by the City Charter and state statutes, will meet in open and public session or in the Council Chamber, City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112, on Thursday, December 17, 2026, beginning at 10:00 a.m. and will proceed to examine and canvass the returns and declare the result of the election. ORDINANCE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS CITY HALL: December 18, 2025 CALENDAR NO. 35,325 NO. 30554 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES BY: COUNCILMEMBER GREEN (BY REQUEST) AN ORDINANCE to authorize the Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enter into an agreement to grant a servitude to an adjacent property owner for encroachments on/over portions of public right-of-way located at the municipal address 1544 Gentilly Boulevard; to fix the minimum price and terms of said servitude agreement; to declare that such use as granted in the servitude agreement will incorporate space that is neither needed for public purposes nor shall such use interfere with the use of the public right-of-way; to set forth the reasons for said servitude agreement; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. SECTION 1. THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS HEREBY ORDAINS, that the following portions of the public rights-of-way are not needed for public purposes at this time and that the Mayor is hereby authorized to grant the following servitude thereon to the adjacent property owners as described below for a yearly payment of $200.00, said annual payment subject to upward adjustment of 15%, rounded to the nearest dollar, following the expiration of every fifth year after August 1, 2016: Approximately 199 square feet of air rights consisting of the Encroachments of a canopy, on/over the Gentilly Boulevard and Laharpe Street public right-of-way, the Encroachments being part of the improvements located in the 3rd Municipal District, Square 1530, Lot X, bounded by Laharpe Street, Paul Morphy Street, Bayou Roud, and Gentilly Boulevard, bearing the municipal address 1544 Gentilly Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana. SECTION 2. That the grant of servitude be undertaken for the following reasons: (a) The owner, which owns the improvements adjacent to the City-owned property, has constructed or is planning to construct improvements upon the public rights-of-way after applying for and obtaining building permits, to the extent necessary, from the City of New Orleans; (a) Said improvements and constructions referred to in subsection (a) hereinabove are dependent upon the servitude agreement with the owner; the plans and specifications submitted by the owner, to obtain the building permits for the improvements described herein, accurately delineate the improvements and constructions which are subject to the servitude agreement, and said plans and specifications were inspected and approved by the City of New Orleans prior to the issuance by the City of building permits allowing the improvements to be constructed as shown therein; the disposition of property rights by the servitude agreement as authorized herein will not hinder or preempt the use by the public or the City of any other public property and will provide revenues to the City otherwise not attainable if the aforementioned property rights were unused. SECTION 3. That the Mayor is hereby authorized to execute the servitude agreement attached hereto as described hereinabove in SECTION 1 and attached hereto as Exhibit “A”. ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS JANUARY 27, 2026 J.P. MORRELL PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL DELIVERED TO THE MAYOR ON JANUARY 27, 2026 APPROVED: FEBRUARY 05, 2026 HELENA MORENO MAYOR RETURNED BY THE MAYOR ON FEBRUARY 05, 2026 AT 12:39 P.M. AISHA COLLIER CLERK OF COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE: YEAS: Green, Harris, Hughes, King, McCarron, Willard - 6 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: Morrell – 1 RECUSED: 0 **Copies of the attachment may be seen in full in the Clerk of Council’s Office, 1300 Perdido Street, Room 1E09, City Hall. NOCP 8926

When you need the news

Wherever you read the news

The newspapers of record for Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Acadiana

Legal Notices

subscribe today subscribe.nola.com

180038-625843-mar 12-1t $ 478.17

THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

March 12, 2026

PAGE 4

Marigny Opera Ballet joins forces with Sweet Crude for 2 world premieres

Cat Lounge opens in Central City page 11

2 ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

don’t miss lll

st. patrick’s day parades

new orleans book festival

You’ll be green with envy if you miss any of the Irish celebrations over the weekend and Tuesday. stpatricksdayneworleans.com.

IRISH CHANNEL ST. PATRICK’S PARADE

END

START

LOWER GARDEN DISTRICT

END

ver i Ri p p i iss Miss

las Tchoupitou

Staff map

COVINGTON ST. PATRICK’S PARADE Noon, Sunday, March 15

r l es Cha

FRENCH QUARTER

St.

rew And gins H ig

Bogue Falaya

i ne o u l a s gaz t Ma oupi h Tc

Royal Decatur

MARIGNY

en an i m ch Elys lds n e e i r F F

Local, national and international authors, including names like Salman Rushdie, Lauren Sanchez Bezos, Anderson Cooper and Nicole Richie, are slated for discussions, signings and more for the free event Thursday through Sunday around Tulane University’s Uptown campus. The main tent will be on McAlister Place across from the auditorium, with shuttles and drop-offs encouraged. Family Day begins at 10 a.m. Sunday with free books, readings and activities. bookfest.tulane.edu.

Gravier

START

pi River ssip ssi i M ALGIERS

lark in the park danny o’flaherty The annual fundraiser is a sure sign of spring with food, live music by The Rumble, craft cocktails and immersive experiences at 7 p.m. Friday at Pan American Stadium. Tickets start at $125. neworleanscitypark.org.

It’s a cross-cultural phenomenon when the Irish balladeer brings his unique style and sound, as well as stories of the old country, to the halls of Deutsches Haus at 2 p.m. Sunday. The haus will also be serving traditional Irish fare. Tickets start at $25. deutscheshaus.org.

ABOUT LAGNIAPPE N

END Staff map

Focis

DOWNTOWN IRISH CLUB ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

Boston

l St

Staff map

Canal

Th ea

Airline Dr.

END

Rd. airie Met

OLD METAIRIE

dra Poy

n Lee La

a Florid

d Rutlan

bia Colum

Boston

hire amps New H

Gibson

START

6:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 17

COVINGTON

START

41sst

Ca na

Esplanade Ave.

ood Lockw

W. Napoleon

17th Str eet Cana l

IRISH CHANNEL

Fe lic ity

Bonnabel

o gt

a ian uis

Ja ck s

GARDEN DISTRICT

ine g az Ma

UPTOWN

les

11 a.m., Sunday, March 15

Causeway

in sh Wa

ar Ch St.

METAIRIE ST. PATRICK’S PARADE

Severn

1 p.m., Saturday, March 14

CBD

Staff map

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, Joanna Brown, Leslie Cardé, Marco Cartolano, Hannah Levitan, Dean M. Shapiro, 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

Film writer Leslie Cardé makes her predictions for Oscar Sunday. Photo by The Associated Press. Story on Page 8.

lll

don’t miss

‘princess and the frog’

The Pitot House’s Broad on the Bayou outdoor family movie night presents the Disney ﬁlm set in New Orleans about a young restaurateur, an evil practitioner of voodoo and the power of love on Friday at the historic Bayou St. John spot, 1440 Moss St. Doors open at 6 p.m.; the ﬁlm begins at 7 p.m. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. Tickets start at $5. louisianalandmarks.org.

guitar festival Guitarists from around the world perform around the metro area through March 20. The event kicks off at 5 p.m. Sunday at CANOA, 4210 St. Claude Ave., with Javier Olondo and Friends. Ticket prices vary. Visit noigf.org for performers and locations.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 3

beethoven symphony no. 9 Maestro Matthew Kraemer leads the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra with performances of Ludwig van Beethoven, Louise Farrenc and Stacy Garrop. Meg Frazier is the choir conductor, and the vocalists include Irini Kyriakidou, Claire Shackleton, Bryan Hymel and Seung Hyeon Baek. The performance is at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Orpheum Theater, 129 Roosevelt Way. Tickets start at $55. lpomusic.com.

This award-winning one-woman show pays tribute to one of Hollywood’s most glamorous stars while shedding light on her legacy as a trailblazing inventor.

March 13–15 Buy Tickets

4 ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

stages lll

layer’ ‘Another

Marigny Opera Ballet joins forces with Sweet Crude for two world premieres

BY DEAN M. SHAPIRO

The Marigny Opera Ballet is premiering two original dance performances over two weekends. PROVIDED PHOTO By ALEX ANDRÉ

Sweet Crude STAFF FILE PHOTO By JILL PICKETT

WHAT: Marigny Opera Ballet premieres of two new works accompanied by indie group Sweet Crude WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday and March 19-22 WHERE: Marigny Opera House, 725 St. Ferdinand St., New Orleans TICKETS: $40-$75 INFO: (504) 948-9998; marignyoperaballet.org

Contributing writer

The Marigny Opera Ballet is premiering two new, original dance performances over the next two weekends that feature the music of popular bilingual Louisiana band Sweet Crude. The unusual combination came together thanks to the dance company’s artistic director, Diogo De Lima, who is a big fan of the New Orleans-based band launched by powerhouse vocalist Alexis Najera’s ballet will lead off the eveMarceaux and multi-instrumentalist Sam Craft in 2013. Both adventurous and ning with her original piece titled “Un accessible, the band alternates Autre Soir,” French for “Another English and Louisiana French Night” that includes seven songs lyrics and doesn’t typically use by Sweet Crude. Following a guitars; percussion, violin and 15-minute intermission will be keyboards dominate the sound. Urton’s ballet, “Homecoming,” Sweet Crude’s catalog includes with five songs by Sweet Crude. the 2020 national release “OfUrton, a native of North Carolina now living in Belgium, is afficiel//Artificiel” on Verve Forefiliated with that country’s Opera cast. Urton Ballet Vlaanderen. Over his 16“I listened to them, and I fell in year career, he has performed love with their music,” said Dave with the Joffrey Ballet, Royal Hurlbert, the ballet’s co-founder New Zealand Ballet, Norwegian and executive director of the National Ballet and other comMarigny Opera House. “They have a wide variety of what they panies throughout the U.S. and do in all kinds of genres.” Europe. To go along with the only-inNow, “semi-retired as a perLouisiana music, the Marigny former and focusing mainly on Najera Opera Ballet commissioned choreographing,” Urton is lookworks from choreographers Shane ing forward to his New Orleans debut. Urton and Amalia Najera that feature “We introduced him to Sweet Crude, seven dancers. and he began listening to their music

LOUISIANA DANCES!

and he liked it very much,” Hurlbert said. His piece “Homecoming” is not a narrative work and focuses on “opposing directions, wanting to go one way but feeling the pull from other directions. “So, in the material, it’s considered like another layer of exploring this tension between melancholy and optimism,” Urton said. “These two senses of direction are in conﬂict in the body.” Lima taught Najera in his position as a dance professor at Tulane University. She had choreographed a Verismo Opera performance of “The Maid of Orleans” at the Marigny Opera House in January. “It was a sensation,” Hurlbert said. “So we talked to Sweet Crude and asked if they could do the second ballet to some of the hits that were already on their albums,” Hurlbert explained. “They liked the idea, and we commissioned them for this production as well.”

Najera explained that the title of her piece comes from one of the newer releases from Sweet Crude that will be performed. The theme revolves around a swamp environment. “The idea of the title is to make you think of how lucky we are to live in New Orleans and in a swamp environment where it isn’t just another night,” Najera continued. “The swamp is very vibrant and active. It may be just another night everywhere else in the world, but here in Louisiana, it’s a living and vibrant ecosystem, full of life.” The seven dancers taking part in the performances are Edward Spots, Lauren Guynes, Kennedy Walker, Allyssa Nelson, Chloe Roberts, Nicholas Buynitzki and Claudio Caverni. The dancers’ costumes were designed by Magdalene Paris, and Tammy Srinivas is the production’s lighting designer. Keith Spera contributed to this story.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 5

lll

T OA S T T O

100

Y E A R S

AT H L E T I C S Lark in the Park

march 13 patrons 6 pm general admission 7 pm

6 ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

stages RE AD T HROUGH lll

Tennessee Williams show plays supporting role for upcoming literary festival The old phrase about a ﬂying feline and not “hitting” something most certainly applies to live theater in the greater metropolitan area these days — and “Cats” isn’t even one of the shows. Victor With eight shows in Andrews production and more to take their bows this week, the “Lesson” to be learned is “get thee to a theater.”

‘Small Craft Warnings’ With the annual Tennessee Williams and New Orleans Literary Festival soon to be focusing attention on the city’s favorite wordsmith March 25-29, thoughts turn to the playwright’s works that bring the ink to life. The Tennessee Williams Theatre Co., in conjunction with the festival, mines the trove of treasures and brings to life “Small Craft Warnings” opening Friday (preview Thursday) through March 29 at the Lower Depths Theatre at Loyola University. Celebrating its 10th season, the local ensemble performs one of Williams’ lesser-seen works about a foggy night in a bar called Monk’s Place and the people who populate the watering hole that evening. “It’s a roller coaster ﬁlled with recognizable and relatable characters that feels different from so many Williams plays,” said Nick Shackleford, one of the festival’s founders. “There’s no Blanche DuBois in sight — just our friends, neighbors, favorite bartender ... and maybe a little bit of ourselves.” LaKesha Glover takes the role of Leona, reprising her role from the company’s ﬁrst season. James Howard Wright is Monk and Robert Alan Mitchell is Doc, a role Williams himself played. Others include Leon Contavesprie,

PROVIDED PHOTO

Heather Massie puts on the one-woman show ‘Hedy! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr’ over the weekend at The National WWII Museum.

actress and producer, she was an accomplished scientist who helped Allied efforts. That’s the subject of Heather Massie’s one-woman show, “Hedy! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr,” running Friday through Sunday at BB’s Stage Door Canteen at The National WWII Museum. In the show, Massie recounts “the incredible story of genius inventor, mother of Wi-Fi, and Hollywood ﬁlm siren ... along with 35 other characters. The Austrian native invented technology for torpedo guidance used in the war that has since been incorporated into cellphones, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. The show is at 7 p.m. Friday, 11:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday (and can include a STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD buffet) and 2 p.m. Sunday at 945 MagaA boy near a cutout of Tennessee Williams watches an event kicking off the 2022 zine St. Tickets start at $45. Visit nationannual Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival. In conjunctions with alww2museum.org.

this year’s celebration, the Tennessee Wiliams Theatre Co. is performing ‘Small Craft Warnings’ on Friday, with a preview Thursday, on Loyola University’s campus. The show will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays through March 29 at 6363 St. Charles Ave. Tickets start at $42. Visit twtheatrenola.com.

‘Hedy!’ Glover

Wright

Quinn Lapeyrouse, Kevin Wheatley, Kelley Holcomb, Miles Hamauei and Benjamin Dougherty.

One of the more interesting stars in the Hollywood pantheon of the World War II years, Hedy Lamarr was much more than just a beautiful face. Besides being a refugee of the Nazis and an

‘Dutchman’ Two characters create the exchange of themes of race, identity and societal expectations on New York subway in a show opening at Tulane University. Amiri Baraka’s “Dutchman” was ﬁrst produced in New York in 1964 and approaches issues through charged dialogue. Dr. John “Ray” Proctor, director, said the show “demands that audiences reconsider the relationship between the academic and the space within that canon from which Blackness — and otherness — is far too often excluded.”

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 7

stages

lll

McCoy

McClennan

“We do this work to argue and lobby, not only for Baraka, but for the multiplicity and diversity that could be the canon of American literature,” he said. “’Dutchman’ reaches into a moment in the collective American past and asks if anything has changed in the intervening 60 years.” The cast features Elizabeth McCoy as Lulu, Dominique McClennan as Clay and Flynn K. Smith as Busker. The show is at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays and 2 p.m. March 23 and 29. Tickets start at $15. Visit purplepass.com/tulanetd.

‘A Lesson Before Dying’ Ernest Gaines’ novel based on the Lou-

isiana executions of Willie Francis was crafted into a play by Romulus Linney and will be offered in a series of staged readings by the NOLA Project starting Friday. Francis was convicted of killing a St. Martinville pharmacist in the 1940s and, as a 16-year-old, was sentenced to the state’s electric chair. But it didn’t kill him. He was later executed after a brief legal battle. The staged reading is an extension of the NOLA Project’s education initiatives. The story “asks us what dignity looks like in the face of injustice,” said Tenaj Wallace, artistic director. “By presenting this work in schools and community venues, we’re inviting audiences to engage with a history that remains painfully relevant, and to recognize literacy and education as acts of resistance, empowerment and reclamation.” Taking roles will be Matt Armato, Martin “Bats” Bradford, Layah Chouest, Ja’Quan Henderson, Bruce Mohat, Lawrence J. Weber Jr. and Karen Williams. The show will run at 7:30 p.m. Friday

at the St. Charles Center for Faith + Action, 7100 St. Charles Ave., and Wednesday at Promise of Justice Initiative, 1024 Elysian Fields Ave. The readings are free with reservations at nolaproject. com.

Ehricht also appearing. The show opens Saturday and will run at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. Sundays through March 29 at 880 Lafayette St. Tickets start at $20. Visit 30byninety.com.

‘The Nerd’

‘Always a Bridesmaid’

The story for “The Nerd” is rather strange. Willum Cubbert feels indebted to a fellow GI from Vietnam but has never met his savior. But for his upcoming birthday, the mystery man plans to show up. The problem is, he’s a nerd and an oaf and Willum can’t get rid of him. The show at Mandeville’s 30 by Ninety Theatre is also a bit of a family affair. Directed by husband-and-wife team Nino and Laurie Bonura Sr., the show also features son Nino Jr. as the title character. The Bonura connections to the show go even further, as Nino and Laurie met in high school and were in the show together. Casey Jones plays Willum, with Lauren Price, Raleigh Ohlmeyer, Jason Leader, Lindsey Ehricht and George

St. John Theatre in Reserve kicks off its new season Friday with a Southern comedy about lifelong friends who promise on prom night to be each other’s bridesmaids, even after 30 years. With a backdrop of multiple nuptials, the show looks at friendship, love and matrimony. Danielle Ordoyne directs the production, with Connie Powell, Cindy Grosse, Raynia Johnson, Lauren Michel, Janell Napier and Maggie Powell in the cast. The show runs at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at 115 W. Fourth St. Tickets start at $13. Visit stjohntheatre.com. Email Victor Andrews at vandrews@ theadvocate.com.

LE PETIT THEATRE presents

colors to love GET TICKETS

pink salt crème fraiche

cafe au lait

GUYS AND DOLLS

A Musical Fable of Broadway

Based on a Story & Characters of DAMON RUNYON

Music & Lyrics by FRANK LOESSER

Book by JO SWERLING & ABE BURROWS

Directed by A.J. Allegra and Jauné Buisson | Choreographed by Jauné Buisson 7732 m a p l e 865 . 9625 mon - sat 10 - 5:30

shop @gaetanasnola

MAR 5 – 29, 2026

BoxOffice@LePetitTheatre.com 504-522-2081 x 1

LePetitTheatre.com

8 ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

ﬁlm

lll

The votes ar With varied slate of nominees, this year’s Oscars a toss-up in many categories

When it comes to awards season in the film industry, all roads lead to the Oscars in Hollywood. The 98th annual Academy Awards will be broadcast on Sunday, and there is a particularly broad mix of genres for the 10 nominees for Best Picture. There Leslie are stories of a creature in Cardé “Frankenstein,” aliens in “Bugonia,” Formula One racers in “F1” and an angst-ridden portrayal of William Shakespeare and the impetus behind his masterpiece “Hamlet” in the film “Hamnet.” Additionally, there’s the portrait of a master ping-pong player (based on a true story) in “Marty Supreme,” the dizzying crime thriller that finds a former revolutionary in a constant state of paranoia in “One Battle After Another,” the family dynamics involved with a fading director and his rising actress daughter in “Sentimental Value,” the tense Brazilian historical thriller where assassins hunt down a professor on the run in “The Secret Agent” and the melancholic drama “Train Dreams” that explores feelings of isolation and the deep grief of a logger who loses his entire family. Then, there’s the bluesy vampire flick “Sinners,” recipient of the Academy’s record 16 nominations. Shot entirely in Louisiana, it’s been hit-and-miss in previous awards ceremonies. Recently, the Actor Awards (formerly

Wagner Moura, a 2026 Academy Award nominee for Best Actor, won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a drama for ‘The Secret Agent.’ NEON PHOTO VIA AP

THE OSCARS 6 p.m. Sunday Live on ABC/ Hulu

The Academy Awards will be hosted again by comedian Conan O’Brien from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal (“When Harry Met Sally” costars) will present a tribute for director and friend Rob Reiner.

the SAG Awards) crowned Michael B. Jordan with its Best Actor award, and the ﬁlm won Outstanding Performance by a Cast. Those are awards that involve only

actors and are voted on by actors, and Best Picture is essentially a producer’s award, not awarded at the Actor Awards. The Golden Globe Awards, which separate comedies and dramas for Best Picture, gave the Drama Motion Picture to “Hamnet” and the Comedy Motion Picture to “One Battle After Another,” the Leonardo DiCaprio vehicle that had many questioning how this ﬁlm ﬁt into any comedy category, unless you consider campy to be comedic. Despite its genre, oddsmakers have “One Battle After Another” as the heavy favorite to walk away with the Oscar statuette.

ä See OSCARS, page 10

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 9

lll

ree in

‘One Battle After Another,’ starring Leonardo DiCaprio, won Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes earlier this year. The film is up for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

Jessie Buckley, left, holds her BAFTA award for her work in ‘Hamnet.’ Buckley is also up for an Oscar for her ‘Hamnet’ performance.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By WARNER BROS. PICTURES

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Michael B. Jordan, left, who won awards for outstanding perfrfformance by a male actor in a leading role and outstanding perfrfformance by a cast in a motion picture for ‘Sinners’ at the Actor Awards. ‘Sinners’ is a recipient of the Academy’s record 16 nominations. ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By INVISION

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By A24

Odddsmakers favor Timothée Chalamet to take home the Oscar for Best Actor forr ‘Marty Supreme.’

10 ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

ﬁlm

lll

OSCARS

LESLIE’S OSCAR PICKS

Continued from page 8

As someone who loves film and makes it a point to see all the nominated films before the awards — even if this was not my job — I realize picking my favorites is a totally subjective endeavor and may not align with oddsmakers who try to predict who will win in each particular category. That said, what did I most enjoy amongst the films in the leading categories? Here’s my list.

The BAFTA Film Awards (Great Britain’s version of the Oscars) is often the biggest predictor of what’s to come at the Oscars, and its Best Film went to “One Battle After Another” along with its Best Director award to Paul Thomas Anderson.

No clear front-runners Ordinarily, by this stage of the awards seasons, the same winners crop up again and again, but this season has turned into a real horse race, with three different actresses picking up Best Supporting Actress awards at three different awards ceremonies — Teyana Taylor, of “One Battle After Another,” took the Golden Globe; Wunmi Mosaku, of “Sinners,” picked up that award at the BAFTA’s; and Amy Madigan, of “Weapons,” walked away with the honors at the Actor Awards. Ultimately, this uncertainty is good for ratings, as there are big questions and surprises surrounding the winners, unless you happen to be Jessie Buckley, of “Hamnet,” who has consistently been awarded Best Actress awards at the Actor Awards, BAFTA’s and Golden Globes this season. However, if you’re one of the nominees for Best Actor at the Oscars, you will be on the edge of your seat, as not one actor has risen to the top of the awards pile. Wagner Moura, of “The Secret Agent,” won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a drama, while Timothée Chalamet won for Best Actor in a comedy. The BAFTA award for Leading Actor went to Robert Aramayo, of “I Swear” — a ﬁlm totally off America’s radar at the Oscars. And, the Best Actor at the Actor Awards went to Jordan, of “Sinners.” Oddsmakers favor Chalamet to take home the Oscar. As for Supporting Actor, Sean Penn, of “One Battle After Another,” has won both the BAFTA and the Actor Award most recently, but at the beginning of the awards season, the Golden Globe in that category went to Stellan Skarsgard, of “Sentimental Value,” so no shoo-in there, either.

Oscar-nominated documentaries There’s ordinarily not a lot of media attention paid to the Feature Documentary category at the Oscars, as they’re

Best Picture PROVIDED PHOTO By FOCUS FEATURES

Paul Mescal stars as William Shakespeare in director Chloé Zhao’s ‘Hamnet,’ which is up for Best Picture at the Oscars.

find happiness when you realize you don’t have forever to find it. n “Cutting Through Rocks,” streaming on YouTube, follows the first Iranian woman elected as a council member in her rural village. Challenging the traditional patriarchy prominent in her country by fighting against child marriage and encouraging young girls to imagine different futures, she has become a symbol of meaningful change. n “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” streaming on PROVIDED PHOTO By WARNER BROS. PICTURES Apple TV, explores the indoctrination of schoolchildren by Vladimir Putin to Teyana Taylor, star of ‘One Battle After justify his war in Ukraine. In a rural Another,’ is up for a Best Actress award mining town hundreds of miles away from Moscow, a young school videogat the Oscars. rapher Pasha begins to secretly docunot easily accessible and tend to take ment the militarization of children on very serious topics. However, with with pro-war propaganda. With Putin’s streaming now the overwhelming man- Treason Law, which could imprison anyone for 20 years for speaking out ner in which people watch films, all against the government, Pasha was five of the nominated films are finally forced to flee Russia, with his footage available on various platforms. Some may require a rental or buy-out fee for smuggled out separately. It’s a story of dissent, even when bravery can mean now, even with a subscription, but are the end of your freedom. definitely worth your time. n “The Perfect Neighbor,” streaming on In alphabetical order, they are: n “The Alabama Solution,” streaming on Netflix, is an American tragedy. The documentary investigates the circumHBO, is an exposé into the corrupt prison system in Alabama, and shows stances involving a Black mother of how cellphone footage from prisoners four shot by her White neighbor. Told finally documented the brutal violence almost entirely through police bodythat prison officials had denied for cam footage and footage taken in interyears. rogation rooms and at trial, the film n “Come See Me In the Good Light,” streamexamines “stand your ground” laws in Florida and shows how seemingly ing on Apple TV, chronicles the final insignificant disputes can escalate and year of poet Andrea Gibson’s life with result in murder. fellow poet and partner Megan Falley. After a terminal diagnosis of ovarian cancer, Gibson chooses not to waste Contact Leslie Cardé at another moment, saying it’s easier to lesliecardejournalist@gmail.com.

“HAMNET”: I tend to gravitate toward films that teach me something about history that I’m not already familiar with, while still being grossly entertaining. This film about Shakespeare’s relationship with his family and why he wrote “Hamlet” ultimately filled the bill, while taking the viewer through a whole range of emotions.

Best Acturess

JESSIE BUCKLEY,“HAMNET”: This actress has overwhelmingly been the winner at multiple awards ceremonies, and for good reason. She inhabits her characters with emotional depth, and in her portrayal of Agnes Hathaway (known to most as Anne), the wife of William Shakespeare, she exudes vulnerability and tenderness, while never losing her grit.

Best Actor

MICHAEL B. JORDAN,“SINNERS”: While there were many excellent performances in this category, the difﬁculty in playing two different characters (in this case, brothers) can be extremely trying. Keeping track of the trajectory of emotions a character experiences throughout an entire story is difﬁcult enough because movies shoot out of sequence. Trying to keep track of two characters can be mind-bending. And Jordan rises to the occasion.

Best Feature Documentary

“MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN”: Every one of these documentaries tackles a societal problem, but this one shined a light on a subject that most of us would never know about were it not for the undercover work of one videographer at a primary school in rural Russia. It’s enlightening to see the lengths to which Putin will go to change the hearts and minds of his nation by feeding the youngest among them repeated falsehoods designed to prop up his own imperialistic aims.

lll

attractions

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 11

Central City cat lounge the ﬁrst of its kind in N.O. NOLA CAT LOUNGE 1029 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. Noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday

BY HANNAH LEVITAN Staff writer

A ﬁrst-of-its-kind cat lounge opened in New Orleans to a sold-out crowd on its ﬁrst day in business last week. And by that evening, NOLA Cat Lounge had already adopted out one of its feline friends. Kelly Johnson-Hill opened the business in Central City. Guests can reserve a spot online to come hang out, pet and play with the cats housed there in partnership with the Louisiana SPCA. Johnson-Hill moved to the Crescent City in 2021 and was surprised the cat cafe concept hadn’t been introduced here. “I saw the concept of a cat lounge going up across the country. They’re really popular in Florida, and I’d seen a few in Georgia,” she said. Inside, Johnson-Hill stocks the front room with snacks and beverages. She even has cat-

APRIL 18-26, 2026

Decorated with Mardi Gras beads and purple walls, the lounge itself is something of a cat playground. The room is lined with cat trees, interactive toys and plenty of space for humans to get comfortable, too. “It’s a great place for people to come and hang out, for all ages,” she said. “We’re all about education.” And it’s a pretty affordable experience. Thirty minutes costs $10, and one hour costs $15. Children under 3 get in free, and there are options to add additional time. Johnson-Hill expects to get more cats in the coming weeks, and is expanding the lounge’s offerings with activities like cat yoga, game STAFF PHOTO By HANNAH LEVITAN nights, Saints watch parties and paint nights. Already, the lounge’s ﬁrst cat yoga is sold A guest pets a cat at NOLA Cat Lounge. out, but Johnson-Hill is working to schedule a second session. “It’s supposed to be somewhere that’s just themed apparel and New Orleans-themed cat fun, where you can get away from the crazitoys like mini beignets, alligators and streetness of today’s world.” cars.

Sign up to participate in Louisiana’s largest litter removal and beautification effort in honor of America’s 250th birthday! LOVE THE BOOT WEEK IS SPONSORED BY

LOVETHEBOOT.ORG J. Edgar Monroe Foundation

12 ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

music

lll

Smaller show replaces inaugural TRNSCND fest Keith Spera SOUND CHECK

As it turned out, New Orleans isn’t quite ready to “TRNSCND.” Had all gone according to plan, a new “immersive music, art and wellness experience” called the TRNSCEND — pronounced “transcend” — Music & Arts Festival would have taken over Mardi Gras World the weekend of March 13-14. As announced in early January, the independently produced event would have featured ﬁve stages and a roster “blending EDM, hip-hop, funk, indie rock, downtempo and hick-hop.” Rapper/producer Lupe Fiasco and pop-rap singer/producer Mike Posner topped a DJ-heavy lineup. But two weeks after announcing TRNSCND, producer Jeremy Comeaux pulled the plug. Now, a much smaller electronic dance music show is planned at Republic NOLA. In a message posted on social media, Comeaux was up front about why TRNSCND was canceled: It didn’t sell tickets quickly enough. A New Orleans native now based in North Carolina, Comeaux’s background is in construction, not events. TRN-

DJ Henry Fong PROVIDED PHOTO

SCND would have been the first big event for his Echelon Productions. When he announced the festival, Comeaux said he wanted to help fill the void left by the demise of New Orleans’ Voodoo Music & Arts Experience in City Park and the BUKU festival, which was on the grounds of Mardi Gras World. Unlike those festivals, TRNSCND would be an independent operation not affiliated with Live Nation, AEG Presents or any other major producer

of live entertainment. Comeaux booked the talent himself, hired New Orleansbased ticketing, production and marketing companies and partnered with local vendors. But ﬁnancing and staging a multistage festival was ambitious for a ﬁrsttime, independent producer. “When you start from scratch, things work a little differently,” Comeaux wrote in his statement about the cancellation. “Without a major talent buyer, we’re limited to artists willing to take

a chance on us. And without prior history, we rely on ticket sales to prove to agents that we’re worthy of that chance. Unfortunately, we fell short.” That said, Comeaux has not thrown in the towel entirely on producing concerts. In the Jan. 23 post about TRNSCND’s cancellation, he stated that he was “exploring other event ideas.” And sure enough, his Echelon Productions is promoting an EDM show at Republic NOLA in the Warehouse District on Friday, March 13, what would have been the opening night of TRNSCND. The headliner is Grammy-nominated producer and DJ Wuki. Wuki, whose real name is Kris Barman, specializes in high-energy club records such as “Sunshine (My Girl)” and a remix of Stevie Nicks’ “Edge of Seventeen.” He’s also crafted remixes for Halsey, Selena Gomez and the Chainsmokers. Opening the show is fellow EDM DJ Henry Fong. Fong was originally slated to perform at Mardi Gras World for TRNSCND this weekend. Instead, he’ll be at Republic NOLA. For Comeaux and Echelon, producing a show at a club with two artists is perhaps a more manageable foray into the world of event production than a fullscale festival would have been. If Echelon can build a track record with smaller shows, New Orleans may one day still get to TRNSCND. Email Keith Spera at kspera@ theadvocate.com.

OTHER NOTEWORTHY SHOWS ‘THE MILLENNIUM TOUR’ presents ‘THE BOYS 4 LIFE TOUR’ with B2K and BOW WOW

PROVIDED PHOTO

Contemporary R&B group B2K

FRIDAY, SMOOTHIE KING CENTER Launched in 2019, the “Millennium Tour” serves up a revue-style, all-killer-no-ﬁller program of R&B and hip-hop acts that came to prominence around the turn of the millennium. The idea is to present a nonstop, fast-paced procession of artists who have condensed their catalogs to the best 30 minutes or less. The 2026 edition of the “Millennium Tour “is folded into another con-

cept: “The Boys 4 Life Tour,” the 25th-anniversary tour of the reunited R&B group B2K. Bow Wow, a ﬁxture of previous Millennium Tours, is back once again this year, which is appropriate — he ﬁrst toured with B2K in 2002 for the landmark Scream Tour II (and shared the bill with B2K’s Omarion for the 2021 Millennium Tour). The bill for Friday’s concert, which is presented by

the Black Promoters Collective, also includes Waka Flocka Flame, Amerie, Yung Joc, Crime Mob, Dem Franchize Boyz, B5 and special guest Pretty Ricky. The Smoothie King Center will be in its reduced conﬁguration capacity, with only the ﬂoor and lower bowl open. Tickets start at $83.

Bow Wow

lll

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 13

music

the New Orleans Chamber Orchestra presents

Più Mosso Baroque Harpsichord Concertos and Comic Cantatas featuring music of Bach, Rameau, Telemann, ViValdi the canaRy canTaTa & the coffee canTaTa Coffee kindly donated by PJ’s coffee

Tucka

with vocal soloists

Rachel Looney Kristin Schmitz

BIG EASY BLUES FESTIVAL SATURDAY, UNO LAKEFRONT ARENA The 18th edition of the annual Big Easy Blues Festival, a Southern soul, R&B and contemporary blues blowout at the UNO Lakefront Arena, features Tucka — Louisiana’s self-described “King of Swing” — and King George at the top of the bill. That big bill also includes West Love, Tonio Armani, Mike Clark Jr., Breeze MrDo2Much, EJ Jones and DJ Captain Charles, plus emcee Henry Welch. Tickets start at $80. Showtime is 7 p.m.

GERALD TILLMAN TRIBUTE with CYRIL NEVILLE, IVAN NEVILLE, RIVER ECKERT WEDNESDAY,TIPITINA’S Gerald “Professor Shorthair” Tillman was a renowned New Orleans keyboardist and singer who played a crucial role in the development of the Neville Brothers, one of the greatest acts in the history of New Orleans music. Tillman was the keyboardist in the earliest incarnation of the Neville Brothers, a constant as other musicians came and went and the Nevilles honed their sound. I. Neville He was especially inﬂuential on Cyril Neville and keyboardist Ivan Neville, who considered Tillman a mentor and still performs some of Tillman’s songs with Dumpstaphunk. Forty years after Tillman’s passing, musician Red Priest organized “Tell The World the Truth,” a tribute concert in Tillman’s honor at Tipitina’s. It is also a fundraiser for Brainstormers of New Orleans, a nonproﬁt that assists people with brain injuries. The bill includes Cyril Neville with his reunited Uptown Allstars, Ivan Neville, River Eckert, Andre Bohren and a reunion of Red Priest’s band Satisfaction. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 plus fees.

Gerald ‘Professor Shorthair’ Tillman

flute soloist Ji Weon Ryu & chamber orchestra

Ken Weber

Bogdan Mynka

Kevin Rouchell

director Ivan Griffin

conductor / harpsichordist Paul Mauffray

saTuRday with Rachel Looney maRch 21sT aT 5:30 Pm & sunday with Kristin Schmitz maRch 22nd aT 3:00 Pm at the New Marigny Theatre, 2301 Marais Street www.newmarignytheatre.com

14 ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

music

lll

Lafayette’s Festival International releases 2026 lineup BY JOANNA BROWN

40TH FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE LOUISIANE

Staff writer

Festival International is getting ready to celebrate a special anniversary, and the 2026 lineup proves it. From local hitmakers like the Givers and renowned Louisiana culture bearers such as Zachary Richard, to international acts that remind us of the power of music to connect across borders and languages — 40 years later, Festival International de Louisiane is still placing music on center stage in downtown Lafayette. Festival International released this year’s lineup at Acadiana Center for the Arts during Artwalk on Saturday. The event featured the special 40th anniversary commemoration book that documents the artists, crowds and magical moments of Festival through the years, along with the story of Festival Interna-

OPEN DAILY 7AM-10PM

401 Poydras St

April 22-26 Downtown Lafayette

Artists

n Stephen Marley, Jamaica n Rhiannon Giddens, United States n Cimafunk, Cuba STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE n Delgres, France/Guadeloupe Natu Camara perform at the 2022 n Natu Camara, Guinea Festival International de Louisiane returns to downtown Lafayette. The artist n Givers, Louisiana n Nomfusi, South Africa is slated to return for this year’s event. n Las Cafeteras, United States/Mexico tional — how it reignited a city eager to n Zachary Richard, Louisiana n Doctor Nativo, Guatemala promote its rich cultural history in the wake of an economic downturn. n Country Gongbang, South Korea n Sonny Landreth, Louisiana n Vieux Farka Touré, Mali n Subatomic Soundsystem, Screechy Dan, Norwood Fisher, Jamaica/United States n Chris Ardoin & Zydeco Nu-Step, Louisiana n Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars, Louisiana n Novalima, Peru n Vishten, Prince Edward Island n Silver Birds Steel Orchestra, Jamaica n Thomé young, New Brunswick n Slap Dragon with Scott Mulvahill, Tennessee n Breabach, Scotland n Sinkane, Sudan n Karma and the Killjoys, Louisiana n Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Louisiana n Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, Louisiana n Jourdan Thibodeaux et Les Rôdailleurs, Louisiana n Rusty Metoyer & the Zydeco Krush, Louisiana n Jacques Surette, Nova Scotia HERE’S $20 TO SHIP n Boma Bango, Democratic Republic of YOUR FIRST ORDER the Congo/Colombia/Louisiana GOLDB3LLYIT

MothersRestaurant.net

(504)523-9656

n Beauséjour, New Brunswick n Dustin Dale Gaspard, Louisiana n Corey Ledet Zydeco & Black Magic, Louisiana n Prends Courage, Louisiana n Mathieu Lippé, Quebec n Soul Express Brass Band, Louisiana n Amis du Teche, Louisiana n Dwight James & the Royals, Louisiana n Mike Dopsie & Zydeco Entourage, Louisiana n Blue Monday Allstars Celebrates Lee Allen Zeno, Louisiana n KC Jones, Louisiana n The Revelers, Louisiana n Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie, Louisiana n Bonsoir, Catin, Louisiana n Primera Linea, Cuba n Krewe de Canailles, Louisiana n Bas Clas, Louisiana n SideQuest with Gino V. and Zach Edwards, Louisiana n The Amazing Nuns, Louisiana n Beau Cheval, Louisiana n Cashier, Louisiana n SOLA Violins International Fiddle Summit n Acadiana Symphony youth Orchestra, Louisiana n Michael Juan Nunez, Louisiana n yvette Landry Trio, Louisiana n School of Rock Lafayette n Mike Dean Band, Louisiana n Voices of Progressive Gospel Choir, Louisiana n Performing Arts Conservatory, Louisiana n The Babineaux Sisters, Louisiana n Battle of the Bands: 2nd place (Dinger) and 1st place (5AM) n Lafayette Lion Dance n New Natives Brass Band, Louisiana n Dragon Knights Stilt Show, France/ United States n F.I.R.E. Expressions, Louisiana n Burke Riley Trio, Louisiana n French Immersion Student Performance.

food

lll

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ 15

Chicken’s Kitchen doubles down on the West Bank Owner quashes plans to move restaurant downtown

BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer

Marlon “Chicken” Chukumerije, owner of the popular Gretna soul food restaurant Chicken’s Kitchen, was on the verge of making a move across the river to downtown New Orleans last month, but he has abruptly changed course. Just hours before he planned to sign the lease at a small strip mall at 1029 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., someone Chukumerije had worked with on another potential real estate deal reached out. He had a friend with a large restaurant space that he

Chukumerije toured the spot at 921 Peters Road in Harvey on Feb. 24 and announced less than a week later that he bought the property and would be closing both the original Gretna location and his second Gretna spot, The Coop, 1030 Derbigny St. The two restaurants will be consolidated at the new Harvey location, Chukumerije said. That means fans of his fried chicken and mac and cheese will still need to make the drive to Jefferson Parish. PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER “I never wanted to leave the West Marlon ‘Chicken’ Chukumerije will move Bank,” Chukumerije said. “It was a lack of opportunity in real estate that his restaurant Chicken’s Kitchen to a took me to New Orleans. I liked the new location just 2 miles away from its idea of being on the West Bank and current spot in Gretna. making people come to us.” The new location and its extra space bring new possibilities for the reswas trying to get rid of — a spot just 2 miles away from the original Chick- taurant. At the Harvey spot, Chukumerije said the restaurant will offer en’s Kitchen location.

breakfast, lunch and evening bar food. “I am a mixture of overwhelmed and speechless with all the possibilities we have there,” Chukumerije said. “For me, it’s like the world is my oyster right now.” In a video announcing the move, Chukumerije said the space will have seating for 100 people, over 30 parking spots, a bar area and two kitchens. He also teased the potential for barbecue and seafood specials as well as Sunday brunches. “The biggest thing it gave me was ownership. Over the last six years, I’ve spent a lot of money just renting,” Chukumerije said. Chicken’s Kitchen plans to have its last day in Gretna on April 10 and reopen in Harvey on May 1. The team also plans to serve chicken at French Quarter Fest from April 16-19.

16 ✦ Thursday, March 12, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

MARDI for GRAS the MIND march 12 thru 15 ®

Visit bookfest.tulane.edu for the author lineup, Family Day information, updates & more! | @nolabookfest