The Times-Picayune 02-06-2025 by The Advocate

FORTHE FANS

‘Experientialand exhibitory’Super Bowl Experience opens

BY MISSY WILKINSON and DESIREE STENNETT Staff writers

Scoring aseatatthe Super Bowl requiresdeep pockets, luck or some combination of thetwo

But for atiny fraction of the cost of thecheapest tickets, football fans can mingle withstar players,see theVince LombardiTrophyand measure their knuckles against aglittering display of 58 Super Bowl rings —noinsider connections required

“Weknow noteverybody is lucky enoughto get that coveted Super Bowl ticket,” said Nicki Ewell, senior director of NFL Events at amedia preview at the Super BowlExperienceevent.

“But we still want thosethatare localorvisiting

to know this is for them —for fans of all ages.”

Theevent transforms700,000 square feet an area roughly thesize of 12 full NFL football

ﬁelds —atthe ErnestN.Morial Convention Center into an “experiential and exhibitory space,” Ewell said.

As the doors opened to the public Wednesday, football fans poured into theConvention Center from across Louisiana and thenation.

Dwight Pleasant, adie-hard KansasCity Chiefs fan since age 12, was there with his wife,Martha, whoquippedthatshe “married into” the fandom. They don’thave tickets to the big game, but traveled from New Jersey for thepregame festivities, another trip in along

ä See FANS, page 5A

9• NEWORLEANS

FEB.

ä More photos from the Super Bowl Experience. Page 4A

ä JonBatiste hosting ‘love riot’ on Saturday. Page 5A

ä More on the game in Sports. Page 1C

Security rampsupinFrenchQuarter

Military,policeforcesgrow as SuperBowlcrowdsbuild

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

From helicopters churning in theskies abovethe French QuartertoLouisiana National Guard members toting M4 riﬂesalongside revelers gripping Hand Grenade cocktails on Bourbon Street, thefullforce of the massivelaw enforcementpresencein New Orleans came into focusWednesday as Super Bowl crowds began building Heavy metal barricades, bollards, arches and wedges in varyingconﬁgurations cluttered nearly every block of the VieuxCarre, often manned by soldiers. Federal homeland security agents also stood guard, some equipped with tactical off-roadPolaris vehicles.Onother streets, stateagents kept watch.

ä See SECURITY, page 6A

Cantrell questions school funding crisis

Afternixing $20M deal, mayorblamesdistrict

BY MARIEFAZIO Staff writer

As Mayor LaToya Cantrell took heat this week after holding up a deal to give NewOrleans schools $20 million, she sought to redirect focus to the school district’sfinancial crisis that has madeitdesperate forthe money Accusing unnamed district or School Board officials of “financial mismanagement,” Cantrell said it would be irresponsible forthe city to hand over the money without a better understanding of the district’sfiscal mess. “There has been alack of transparency,accountability, andclear answers” from the Orleans Parish School Board, the Mayor’sOffice said in astatement Monday,hours aftera chorus of elected officials and school leaders slammed the mayor’sdecisiontoback outof the $20 million deal. The payment wasmeant to settle along-running legal dispute between the city and the school district over tax collection.

See SCHOOL, page 6A

ahead

DEIRAL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Saeed Abu Elaish’swife,two of his daughters and two dozen others from his extended family were killedbyIsraeliairstrikesover the past 15 months. His house in northern Gazawas destroyed.He and hissurviving family nowlive in atent set up in the rubble of his home.

But he says he will not be driven out after President Donald Trump calledfor transferringall Palestinians from Gaza so the United States could takeoverthe devastated territory and rebuild it for others. Rights groups said his comments were tantamount to acall for“ethnic cleansing” and forcible expulsion.

“Wecategorically reject and

ä See GAZA, page 7A

STAFF PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER Barricades block Bourbon Street on Wednesdayascrowds grow in NewOrleans

of the Super Bowl.

BY WAFAASHURAFA, SAMY MAGDY and JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press

STAFF PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER

The Super Bowl Experienceopened tofans at theNew Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on Wednesday.

Parked plane apparently struck by taxiing plane

SEATTLE AJapan Airlines plane that was taxiing on the tarmac of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport apparently struck the tail of aparked Delta aircraft on Wednesday morning, airport authorities said.

Authorities responded to the incident around 10:17 a.m., the airport said on X. There were no injuries, and airport authorities were working to get the passengers offthe airplane andbring them back to the terminal.

Delta spokesperson Samantha Moore Facteau said in an email that its Boeing 737 was waiting to have ice removed from itsexterior when the wing tipofanotheraircraft reportedly made contact with its tail. Deicing, as it’sknown, can occur before a ﬂight begins to taxi to the runway,she said.

There were 142 passengers onboard Delta Flight1921 to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and they were being transferred to anew aircraft, she said.

Japan Airlines did not immediately respond to an emailed requestfor comment

Mother charged with killing son, burying body

DETROIT Awoman accused of killing her 9-year-old son and burying his body inher Detroit backyard has been charged with murder,aprosecutor said Wednesday Ashallow grave holding remains was discoveredonJan.6 while thelandlord was preparing the house for new tenants.

No details were released at that time although Detroit police acknowledged an investigation was underway

Zemar King was smothered to death on Oct.24, two weeks beforehis 41-year-old mother left for Georgiawith a3-year-old son, Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy said.

“I have been aprosecutor for along time, and Ioften say that Ihave seen it all. The horrors of this child abuse casedefy that,” Worthy said.

Themother was arrested Jan. 10 in an unrelated case in Cobb County,Georgia, online records show.She was awaiting extradition to Michigan on a murder charge and other crimes.

Worthy said Zemar’sfather recently became awareofthe boy’sdeath.

“This case is rather shocking,” said Todd Bettison, Detroit’sinterim police chief. “In my 27year career,Idon’tremember seeing anything like this.”

Guatemala agrees to acceptmigrants

GUATEMALA CITY Guatemalan

President BernardoArévalo said Wednesday his country will acceptmigrants from other countries who are being deported from the United States, the second deal that SecretaryofState Marco Rubio has reachedduring his trip to Central America Under the agreement announced by Arévalo, the deportees would be returned to their home countries at U.S. expense

“Wehave agreed to increase by 40% the number of ﬂightsof deportees both of our nationality as well as deportees from other nationalities,” Arévalo said at anews conference withRubio. Guatemala has been cooperating in receivingdeportees from the United States, accepting both civilian and military ﬂights.

McConnell reportedly falls down Senate stairs

Kentucky senior Sen. Mitch McConnell fell down the stairs in Washington on Wednesday afternoon, according to media reports.

Fox Newscongressional correspondent Chad Pergram posted to social media site X that he’d conﬁrmed the incident occurred afterMcConnell, 82, voted to conﬁrm Scott Turner as the secretary of United States Department of Housing andUrban Development. Another reporter with Washingtonoutlet Punchbowl News witnessed the fall.

“Sen. McConnell just fell down the stairs on his way outofthe chamber,” Diego Areas Munhoz wrote on X. “He got up with the help from some senators and seemedtowalkit off as he left.”

NewAGBondi orders review of Trumpcases

BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON New Attorney General PamBondi on Wednesday ordered areview of thefederal prosecution of Donald Trump as she unveiled aseries of directives designed to overhaul aJustice Department the president claims is biased against conservatives.

Hours after shewas sworn in at the White House, Bondi called for the creation of “weaponization working group” that will examine the work of special counsel Jack Smith, who charged Trumpintwo criminal cases. Thegroup will also review the “pursuit of improper investigative tactics and unethical prosecutions”stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021,riotatthe U.S. Capitol, among other things, according tothe memo.

The memo satisﬁes the longstanding contention of Trump and his allies that theJustice Department under the Biden administration had become “weaponized” against conservatives, eventhough some of its most high-proﬁle probes concerned the Democratic president and his sonand there’s beennoevidence to support the ideathat the prosecutions against Trump were launched fora partisanpurpose.

Bondi herself had foreshadowed the working group’screation by asserting ather conﬁrmation hearing lastmonth that theJustice Department had “targeted Donald Trump.”

Bondi, who was Florida’sfirst female attorney general before becoming alobbyist,islikely to be one of the mostclosely scruti-

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOBYEVANVUCCI

President Donald Trump presents AttorneyGeneral PamBondi with a document after she wassworn in by Supreme CourtAssociate Justice Clarence Thomas on Wednesdayinthe Oval Office of the White House.

nized members of Trump’sCabinet, givenher close relationship the president, who during his 2024 campaign suggested that he would try to exact revenge on his perceived enemies Bondi has said that politics will play no role in her decision-making, but she also refused at her conﬁrmation hearing last month to rule potential investigations into Trump’sadversaries. She also has repeatedTrump’sclaims that the prosecutions againsthim amountedtopolitical persecution, telling senators that theJustice Department“had been weaponized for years and years and years, and it’s got to stop.”

Despite the wide-ranging ambitions of the “weaponization work-

ing group” memo, it notably excludesfrom review investigations into Democrats by Biden’sJustice Department, including special counsel probes into the former president’shandling of classiﬁed information and his son Hunter’s gun and tax allegations, which resulted in felony convictions. Smith’steam investigated Trump over hisefforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his hoarding of classiﬁed documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Both of those cases resulted in indictments that were withdrawn after Trump’sNovember presidential win because of longstanding Justice Department policy prohibiting the federal prosecution of asitting president.

Hawaii fireworksdeath toll reaches6

BY AUDREY MCAVOY Associated Press

HONOLULU Asixth

person died Wednesday from injuries sustained when crates of illegal ﬁreworksignited during aNew Year’sEve party in aHonolulu neighborhood, setting off achain of explosionsthatleftmore than adozen people with severe burns.

The 30-year-old woman died at alocal hospital at about 5:59 a.m., the Honolulu Police Department said in astatement.

The others killedincluded a3-year-old boy,three women and one man.

The blast set off fresh calls for acrackdown on illegal fireworksthat have become increasingly more common in Hawaii.

Police have so far arrested 10 peopleinconnectionwiththe explosion. Authorities accused them of reckless endangering, endangering the welfare of aminorand multiplefireworks offenses.

Policesaidthey are working with prosecu-

tors to file charges but it is taking time dueto the number of people arrested, large volume of evidence being examined and ﬁreworks being tested.

Authoritiesseized500 pounds of unused fireworks from the scene.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green has proposed allowing police to issue $300 tickets to those who shoot off fireworks andimposing potential class Afelony charges and decades in prison on those whose use of ﬁreworks leads to seri-

Racial gapwidensindeathsof U.S.

moms around childbirth

Blackwomen died at rate 3.5times higher than Whitewomen in 2023

BY MIKE STOBBE Associated Press

NEWYORK— Black women in theU.S died at aratenearly 3.5 times higher than White women around the time of childbirth in 2023, as maternal mortality fell below prepandemiclevelsoverall but racial gaps widened, according to federal health datareleased Wednesday In 2021 and 2022, the maternal death rate for Black women was about 2.6 times higher than White women.

The data suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic, at its peak, impacted all pregnant women. But “once we went back to ‘usual activities,’ then theimpactof systemic racism and unequal access (to medical care) came right back into place,” said Dr.Amanda Williams, interim medical director for the March of Dimes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’sreportWednesday on the 2023 deaths was drawn from death certiﬁcates.The CDC counts women who died while pregnant, during childbirth andupto42daysafter birth. Accidental deaths are excluded

The report found:

n Thematernal death rate for White womendropped from 19 deaths per 100,000 live birthsin2022 to 14.5 per 100,000 in 2023.

n Theratefor Black women wentfrom 49.5 to alittle above 50, though the report saysthat increase was not statistically signiﬁcant.

n The rate for Hispanicwomen

dropped from about 17 to about 12.

n The rate for Asian Americans fell from about 13 to about 11.

In total, 669 women died in 2023 during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth, the CDC reported. That’sdown from 817 deaths in 2022 and 1,205 in 2021, when it was the highest in more than 50 years.

Excessive bleeding, blood vessel blockages and infections are leading causes of maternal deaths.

Among those infections is COVID-19. The coronavirus and itscomplications proveddangerous to pregnant women. And, in the worst days of the pandemic, burned out physicians may have added tothe risk by ignoring pregnant women’s worries, experts say COVID-19’soverall impact on pregnancies declined as thepandemic subsided and as hospitals and birthing centers returned to normal operations.

Also, the federal Medicaid program expanded to cover postpartum carefor up to 12 months,instead of just seven weeks. That helped more moms recover and made them healthier for the next time they tried to have ababy,Williams said.

The number of maternal deaths is also tied to the number of pregnancies. U.S. birthshavebeen declining, and fewer pregnancies contributes to fewer pregnancy-related deaths, noted Eugene Declercq, amaternal deaths researcher at Boston University CDC officials refused an Associated Press request to talk to areport author

The government is still receiving and processing death reports from last year

But Declercq said his analysis of available data suggests the number of 2024 maternal deaths may end up about the same as 2023.

Tribunal to prosecute Russians gainsfavor in Europe

BY MOLLYQUELL and RAF CASERT Associated Press

BRUSSELS Aproject to establish acourt to prosecute the Russian leaders who orchestrated the invasion of Ukraine took astep forward Wednesday,with an announcement from agroup of international organizations, including the European Union and the Council of Europe, working together with Ukraine. Legal experts agreed on the framework for the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, which will allow for the prosecution of senior Russian ofﬁcials for planning and coordinating the full-scale invasion in 2022.

“When Russia chose to roll its tanks over Ukraine’sborders, breaking the UN Charter,itcommitted one of the gravest violations: theCrime of Aggression. Now,justice is coming,” European Commission PresidentUrsulavon der Leyen said in astatement.

The move to create aspecial tribunal aims to ﬁll avoid createdbylimitationsonthe InternationalCriminalCourt While The Hague-based court cangoafter Russiannationals for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, it cannot prosecute Russians for orchestrating the invasion itself.

ousinjury or death. The state Department of Law Enforcement has asked the Legislature for $5.2 million to hire eight people and expand aforensic lab to counter rampant ﬁreworks smuggling. Six of the injured were ﬂown to aburn centerin Arizona for treatment last month because Hawaii’sonly burn care facility reached capacity with the wounded from the incident. One of them, a29-year-old man, died last week.

The 2002 Rome Statute which created thecourt does include the crime of aggression but only for countries who have joinedthe court.The Russian Federation is not amember state.

There are still signiﬁcant issues to be worked out, including how the tribunal will be paid for and where it will be located.

The Netherlands,hometo the ICC, theInternational CourtofJustice and otherjudicial organizations, has offered to host the tribunal.

The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putinand several militaryleaders forwar crimes.

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

Obituaries:

E-Edition: nola.com/eedition

andHerniated Discs! THIS IS THEBESTTREATMENT YOUCAN USEFOR YOUR

We areDr. ScottLeBlanc andDr. Dana LeBlanc, ahusband andwifeteam, that ownLeBlanc SpineCenter. We have helped thousandsofpatientsget outofpainwith Spinal Decompressiontherapy treatments, andwelove what we do.Discissuesare common,and patients sufferingare usually givenlimited optionsoftreatment.Werun thesebig newspaperadvertisementstolet people in thecommunity know thereisanotheroptionoftreatment forpain- without medication,injections, or surgery!

NON-SURGICAL SPINAL DECOMPRESSION

isabreakthrough,non-invasivetreatmentthat hasbeenproventoreversedischerniations andrelievenervepainintheneckandlow back. Duringtheprocedure,aspinaldiscis isolatedandaseriesofdistractionandrelaxationphasesoccurataveryspecificangle, targetingthesourceofpain.Avacuumcanbe createdinsidethediscandthenegativepressuredeliversnutrients,oxygen,andfluidfrom surroundingtissues,toassistwithrepairofthe damageddisc. Thetreatmentisnotpainfulat all,andmostpatientsreadoreventakeanap whileontreatment!

PROOFTHIS TREATMENTWORKS

There’splentyofresearchtobackupthe claims of Spinal Decompression Therapy andits effectiveness.Hereare just afew of thepublishedscientificstudies

•“Patients reported amean88.9% improvement in back pain andbetterfunction...No patientrequired anyinvasivetherapies (e g. epiduralinjections, surgery).”-American AcademyofPainManagement

•“We thus submit that decompression therapy shouldbeconsidered first, before thepatientundergoes asurgicalprocedure whichpermanently alters theanatomy and function of theaffectedlumbarspine segment.” -Journal Of NeuroscienceResearch

•“86% of the219 patients whocompleted thetherapy reported immediate resolution of symptoms.” -Orthopedic Technology Review

,and what Ilikemostabout the care here is they areprofessional and precise!

Dr.Larry Tujague,M.D RetiredRadiologist Hometown -Baton Rouge,LA

•“Vertebralaxial (spinal) decompression wassuccessful in 71% of the778 cases”JournalofNeurological Research

•“Good to excellentrelief in 86% of patients with Herniateddiscs”- TheAmerican JournalofPainManagement

•“Decompression Therapy reported a 76.5% with complete remissionand 19.6% with partialremissionofpainand disability” -Rio Grande Hospital,Departmentof Neurosurgery

At LeBlanc SpineCenter, weutilizeadvanced,FDA-clearedtechnologythatisproventoeffectivelyalleviatepain.It’simportant tonotethatnoteverypatientisacandidate forSpinalDecompression,whichiswhywe prioritizeathoroughindividualassessment foreachpersonwhowalksthroughourdoors Ourhighsuccessrateinpainreliefstemsfrom ourcommitmenttoonlytakingonpatients whomweconfidentlybelievewecanhelp Forthe next 7days, we areofferingaspecial “DecompressionEvaluation” offer, at no cost to you!

Whatdoesthisofferinclude?Everythingwe normallydoinournewpatientevaluations:

•Anin-depthconsultationaboutyourhealth andwellbeingwherewewilllisten. really listen tothedetailsofyourcase

•Acompleteneuromuscularexamination •AfullsetofspecializedX-rays(ifclinically necessary)

•AthoroughanalysisofyourexamandX-ray findings

Youwillsitwiththedoctoroneononetogo overyourx-rays,andyou’llgettoseeeverythingfirsthand.

AtLeBlancSpineCenter,wearehonestwith ourpatientsandwegivepersonalizedattentionandanalysistoeachcase. Wetrulyenjoy meetingwithpatientstoanswertheirquestionsandtohelpfindoutifSpinalDecompressiontreatmentscouldbetheanswerto theirpain.

Thereisnochargeatallandyoudon’tneedto

BeforecomingtoLeBlancSpine Center Isuffered with rightleg pain duetoa herniateddiscfor threemonths. Ihave hadanepidural, acupuncture, CATscans andMRIs, physical therapyand various medicationsthatdid nothelp. SinceI beganDecompression Therapytreatments on my lowerback, Iamnow 100% improved.Beforetreatment,Iwas notable to do anything. Icould notshower, but couldonlysit in thetub.I wasnot able to standupstraightnor couldIsleep on my rightside.After several weeksoftreatment,Inow have more mobility andmyaches andpains aregone. Iwould recommend this treatmentto others becauseithas donewonders for me in just 5weeks!The doctorstooktheir time during theirconsultations andmade sure they couldhelpme. Thestaff is very friendly,professional,and have treatedme very well

MaxBourgeois (Retired,Shell Chemical) Hometown -Gonzales, LA

buyanything. Youhavenothingtolosebytakingusupon thisspecialofferandyouwillgetanswerstowhatiscausing yourpain.Ifyouhaveseenouradsinthepastandhave thoughtaboutcalling,don’thesitate. Youdon’thavetogo onlivinginpain,missingoutonactivitiesandotherpartof lifethatyouenjoy.Callustoday!

IcametoLeBlancSpine Center becauseIhad been suffering with severe neck pain andlower back pain.I hadpreviouslytried other back specialists, physical therapy, andMRI’s,but wasstill suffering forseveral years. Ibegan Spinal DecompressionTherapy treatments in Augustof2019, andsince then,I am now60% improved!I am now able to do my dailyactivities, such as vacuuming,walking andexercise- I wasnot able to do this withoutpain before my treatment at LeBlancSpine Center.Myheadaches arealmost completely gone,and Iamalsoable to walk 3to4miles perday.LeBlanc SpineCenterhas certainlyhelped me,wheneverywhere else Iwentin thepastdidn’thelpatall.WhatIlike most aboutmycareatisthatithas greatly improved my problems!

JenniferLee (Retired Administrative Assistant) Hometown -Brusly, LA

LIKE THEREALTHING

The Super BowlLIX Fan Experience kicked off Wednesday at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.The eventtransforms 700,000 square feet —anarea roughlythe size of 12 full NFLfootball ﬁelds intoanexperiential and exhibitory space. TheExperiencecontinues through Saturday.Ticketsand more information about the event can befound online at NFL.com

Agiantcutout of the Lombardi Trophytowers on displayatthe Super Bowl LIX FanExperience as fans walk through opening day. Doors at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center opened Wednesday formyriad exhibits forfans to look at and experience.

Former New Orleans Saints player Deuce McAllister carries the Lombardi Trophythat will be awarded to the winning team at thisyear’s Super Bowl LIX. FedEx delivered the trophy to New Orleans and McAllister officially signed for itsrelease.

Gabriel Stalcup, 13, of Mandeville, leaps into the airtosee how highhecan jumpataNFL Scouting Combine booth.

TajDaigle, 9, makesa backward divingcatchashis dad,Stephen, back, tries to catch up to him during afootball skills game on Wednesday.

Fabian Georgposes behind aMiami Dolphins playermannequin.

JonBatiste to lead ‘LoveRiot’ fest in 9thWard

BY KEITHSPERA Staff writer

How will Jon Batiste planto warm up for his Super Bowl LIX performance of the nationalanthem? With a9th Ward “love riot.”

On Saturday,heisslated to headline “He GetsUspresents Jon Batiste’sLove Riot Festival,” a“day of hope and celebration”onthe campus of George Washington Carver High School.

The daylong mini-festival is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 5p.m. Admission is free but preregistration is required at www.loveriotfestival.com .Registrants must show a photo ID that matches the name on the ticket to gain admittance.

“Being of service by bringing love, light and healing through music is something Iamcalled to do,” Batiste said in astatement. “Atits core, that is what the Love Riot festival is all about. Radical love, celebration and culturalexpres-

JonBatiste

sion through music making and community service. Get ready to dance in the streetsand sing to the heavens!”

“Love riot” is the term Batiste coined for the second-line-inspired musicalmarches he’s staged in New York, where he’slived since attending TheJuilliard School. He generally leadssuch processions while playing amelodica.

Batiste’sperformanceofthe national anthem in the Caesars Superdome onSunday is part of

an all-Louisiana pregame.Troy

“Trombone Shorty” Andrews and Lauren Daigle will team up on “America theBeautiful” andNew Orleans-borncontemporaryR&B singer Ledisiwill deliver “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

Batiste, who grew up in Kenner, hasa history of hometown warmup shows ahead of big events. Threenightsbefore he headlined themain stageduring the2023 New Orleans Jazz &HeritageFestival in front of thousands of fans, Batiste playeda loose, sweaty show at the Maple Leaf BaronOak Street in the Carrollton neighborhood.

According to anews release, Batiste will perform an hourlong set on Saturday and lead aprocession on the festivalgrounds. Otherlocal acts will also perform and various 9th Ward community organizationswill promotetheir work.

Visual artist Brandan “BMIKE” Odums, who, like Batiste, is agraduate of the New Orleans Center for

Creative Arts,designedvisuals for theevent. He also collaborated with the Sing ForHopeorganization andotherlocal visual artists whodecorated 10 pianos being used to promote the festival.

He Gets Us, the event’stitle sponsor,isareligious advertising campaign that hasspent millions to run commercials during Super Bowls andother high-proﬁle sporting events.

Anonproﬁt organization called Come Near managesHeGetsUs campaigns. According to itswebsite, “the movement is notfunded by or afﬁliated with any single individual, political position,church or faith denomination.”

TheHeGetsUswebsite further explains its philosophy as “a new way to explore Jesus’ lifeand teachings How didthis man’s story become associated with hatredand oppression forsomany people? And how might we all rediscover the promise of the love

his story represents? Those are thequestions at theheartofHe Gets Us.”

The2024 Super Bowladfrom He GetsUs, titled “Foot Washing,” was inspired by Biblical accounts of Jesuseitherwashing others’ feet or his own feet being washed.

In the “He Gets Us” commercial, settoaversionofthe INXS song “Never Tear Us Apart,” people presented as “opposites” are depicted in aseries of stylized photos washing feet. The ad’stagline was, “Jesus didn’t teachhate. He washed feet.”

Despiteits “lovethy neighbor” message,the ad drewcriticism from somecorners of both the left and the right. He Gets Us will run a60-second commercial during the ﬁrst half of Sunday’sSuperBowl titled“What Is Greatness?”

Email KeithSpera at kspera@ theadvocate.com.

the Chiefs play

“It’sall love. We’re all here to have agreat time,” Martha Pleasant said, wishing the best to both Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles fans.

But her husband, decked out in aKansas City jersey and aheaddress, quickly cut in to make it clear that spirits were high but they were deﬁnitely looking for awin.

“Weneed that three-peat,” he laughed, adding that most of his cousins are Eagles fansand he wantedtogo back home with bragging rights. “Forget the Birds.”

The Vince Lombardi Trophy arrived for photos at 4p.m. Wednesday via FedEx —the next stop on aNew Orleansodyssey whichhas so far included asecond-line through the French Quarter,anappearanceatSuper Bowl LIX Opening Night, and abrief rest in the NFL’s security ofﬁce. And yes, it is the Lombardi.

“Wedon’t have replicas, Ewellsaid. “The one we have is the one that’sgoing to be given out on Super Bowl Sunday.”

Though many traveled from far away to take in the Super Bowl Experience in lieu of goingtothe game, many Louisianians were excited to participate too.

Cetonya McNeal and her 10-year-old son, Kelan, got to town Wednesday morning with the rest of the family and had plans to head back home to Lake Charles on Thursday “We’re traveling from right down the street,” McNeal joked.She and her son are Eagles fans thanks to the inﬂuence of her husband of more than 20 years

“This is aonce-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said.

“The Eaglesare ourteam, and it was close to home so we wanted to get the experience.”

That was the same for Meganand Mike Miller,local Eagles fans from Ken-

ner.They don’tplantogo to the game either,but their 4-year-old son,Mikey,got the chance torun NFL drills, try hishand at throwing a football like aprofessional athlete, and run the length of afootballﬁeldalong with theother pint-size fans.

Mike Miller,whose family is from Philadelphia, said he hoped thosetravelingto New Orleanswould enjoy everything thecityhas to offer

“I hope the Kansas City Chiefs and the Eagles fans get to loveand enjoyNew OrleanslikeI do,” Mike Millersaid.“No animosity. I want them to have fun. Their money is good here.”

As for little Mikey,his messagetoChiefs fans is simple but clear: “Go Birds.”

At theSuperBowl Experience, there’salso areplica locker room where fans can peek into all-star players’ personal spaces (spoiler: New Orleans Saintsrunning backAlvin Kamara favors a coconut-scented version of Old Spice deodorantspray) WilsonSportingGoods artisans, who have crafted footballs for every Super Bowl to date, will be on-site demonstrating their 20-step pigskin-making process and selling products,which range from $25 to $300, said company spokesperson DavidPicioski.

Andthere’samobileversion of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which traveled all the way from Canton, Ohio, complete with profootball timelinesand Hall of Fame busts,including Peyton Manning’s.

“I love seeing people as they go through theexhibit, seeing howmuch they enjoy theitems,”said BradCollins,registrar at the Pro Football Hall of Fame,who onWednesday still hadaroundhalfadozen display cases to ﬁll.“It’s probably one of my favorite parts.

Security guardJadah Clark, who will pull 12-hour shifts through Saturday at the NFL Fan Experience, said her favorite exhibit is the “bling zone,” with its

Super Bowl rings and bedazzled NFLhelmets.

NFL spokespersonMegan Messing said shehopes attendance will top the 100,000 fans who attended lastyear’s Fan Experience in Las Vegas.

With tickets that range from $20 to $40 and free admission for kids under 12, plus discounted tickets for military andﬁrst responders, event organizers aim to makethe fun accessible to everyone.

“It’sgoing to be an experience,” Clarksaid. “Everybody is going to loveit.”

The NFLExperiencetakes place Wednesday through Saturday. Tickets and more information about the event canbefound online at NFL com.

STAFFPHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER

Carlnetta Rabb,ofNew Orleans, gets her photo taken by Jamal Brown as she stands behind aNew Orleans Saints football playermannequin at the Super Bowl Experience on Wednesday.

Dozens of canines sniffed past bags headedinto downtown hotels. At aheavily guarded checkpoint on Canaland Bourbonstreets, NationalGuard members in camouﬂage peered into bags as people walked past. It was at that exact spot that aradicalized Army veteran from Texas veered his F-150 aroundaparked police cruiser and sped down Bourbon Street, killing 14 and injuring dozens more on New Year’sDay

Now,more than 2,000 federal, local and state ofﬁcers occupy that ground to ensure the massive crowds expected for Sunday’sbig game are safe, New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said “I don’tknow of any city right now with this level of infrastructure with the exception of New York,” Kirkpatrick said. “We’re very excited aboutthis week, and we’re reallyquite prepared.”

The obstacle coursethat the French Quarter has become, weeks after the tragic vehicle attack, is the most visible piece of asecurity apparatusthat includes much that is unseen, officials say.Anti-drones,threat analysts,snipers and an extensive network of high-tech cameras with far-reaching AI capabilities areamong the tools in place, according to federal and local ofﬁcials

“Both covert and overt teams are in andaround the downtown area,” said Tonya Barrett, assistant special agentincharge of Homeland Security Investigations. Even more security

The Quarter’stransformation into ahardened security zone was difﬁcult to escape on Wednesday. Surrounding Bourbon Street, at least two National Guardsoldiers staffed each of many wedge barriers blocking street access. Some of them served as impromptu snack tables stocked with bottled water, Chee-tosand paper sacks from Café du Monde.

“Right now,we’re seeing more workersand staff than

SCHOOL

Continued from page1A

including monitoring of social media networks leading up to the game. Theaim is to “see what peopleare saying aboutthe Super Bowl,the attitude aboutthe SuperBowl,” he said.“They’re investigating even minor threats that may be madeelectronically.”

Security will tighten even more now that President Donald Trump plans to attend the game on Sunday, prompting police to initiate Superdome streetclosures from Loyola Avenue to Galvez Street earlier than planned, NOPD said.

“You’re going to have Secret Service moreheavily involved in the screening. You’re going to have asitting president in the venue,” Hayes said.

Troops andbarriersgalore

FRENCH QUARTER SECURITY MEASURES

“The bollardswehad before the Super Bowl were like Swiss cheese,” Pilioski said. “Wecould get around the side. …Right now,security’smuch tighter.”

Kirkpatricksaidthat BourbonStreet would have a“hard closure” from 5p.m. to 5a.m., whenitwill become “essentially forpedestrians.”

Meanwhile,a series of metal archersguarded theentrances to Jackson Square, where ﬁve National Guard soldiers joined a sparse crowd of onlookers Wednesday to watch amime perform a“trappedina box” routine.

visitors. AndIhave mixed feelings about the National Guard—theseyoungpeople holding M4s,” saidpedicab operator David“No Chill” Pilioski.

But even as school leadersand otherscondemnedCantrell’s move,some still had to admitthat she had apoint: The district’sﬁnancial crisis appears to be selfmade, and there has been little clarity about what happened.

Months after the school district first admitted that an internal accounting error led to inflated tax revenueprojections,schoolleaders remaininthe dark about the exact size of the deficit, anddistrict officials have offered littleinsight into the cause of the problem. Now,Cantrell said, some City Counciland School Boardmembers are trying to use the crisis “as apolitical tool to pressure the administration.” “No one, especially me, wants to see our children and educators suffer,” her statement said.“Butat the same time, we cannot ignore the financial mismanagementthat

Pilioski haspedaled visitorsaround for Mardi Gras andtwo SugarBowls,and he was at workthe night Shamsud-din Jabbarwent on his killing spreeafter

led to (the school district’s)$36 millionshortfall.”

NOLA Public Schools did not respond to requests for comment or answer questionsWednesday Since thebudget deficit first cametolightinOctober, schools have received shifting estimates of thescopeofthe problem. Initially,the shortfall was estimated to be about $20million, before theSchool Board said thegap was closerto$36 million. Now,district officialssay thedeficitcould be aslargeas$50 million. In arecent presentation to school leaders, district officials said that two sources of school funding projected monthly payments and deferredrevenues, which schools receive in late spring or early summer— each could have been overestimated by$24.8 million.

Schoolsused both setsofprojections, distributed by district staff in March, to craft theirbudgets for this school year.Ineffect, schools counted on $50 million that might not be coming.

School Board membershave

professing allegiancetothe Islamic State. He said the physical barriers erected in response to theattack have changed how he and his colleagues do their jobs.

reassured schools that they will ﬁndaway to mitigate thecrisis.

Monthly paymentstoschools have not been reduced and school leaders were instructedtostay the course while the district sorted out its options. But now, with thesettlement money in jeopardy and budgeting forthe 2025-26 school year kicking off, school leaderssay they can’t keep waiting for aplan.

“Schoolshavebeen asked by the districttoexercise patience as they explored potential solutions to the shortfall, so we have up to now delayed austerity measures to mitigate this very signiﬁcant loss,”said MeghanRaychaudhuri, CEO of HomerPlessy CommunitySchools.

If the $50 million estimate is correct, Plessy would lose about $950,000 in funding.

As the weekshavetickedby withoutaresolutionfrom the district, Plessy andother schools have resorted to deﬁcit spending, said Raychaudhuri. Now the charter operator is considering cutting summerprograms, increasing

Ahardenedtarget

Much of the federal security apparatusisstandard for theSuper Bowland would be in place regardless of theJan 1attack, said Jim Hayes, a retired senior agent with the Department of Homeland Security who participated in federal security operations forthe 2014 SuperBowl and other major events.

Hayessaidmanyofthe unseen security measures are nowinfull effect from the airport to downtown New Orleans. They revolve around “threat intelligence,”

fees forextracurricular activities and holding offonrenewing vendor contracts. Otherschools have been stuck in budget limbo.

Jamar McKneely,CEO of InspireNOLA, said the charter network’sfinancial team has been looking forways to make up the deficit and considering possible cuts at the schools, but it’sdifﬁcult to do that without clear answers.

“We’restill waiting to truly understand what the true number is before we can actually address the situation,” McKneely said.

Afterthe deficit first cameto light, the district hired PFM Advisors, aﬁnancial consulting group, to help investigate the error and reevaluate procedures to ensure it isn’trepeated.

Butdistrict leaders have shared little information about the root cause of the crisis.

Initially,the district blamed the shortfall on an internal accounting mistake involvinga mix-upofannualand ﬁscal years. But in apresentation to school leaders last month, the

While Pilioski feared the military checkpoints and other obstacles would cut into hisbottom line,others view the coming days withpromise. AntonioDavid, whoworks at Truffoire Gourmet Skin Care on Decatur Street, said he expects “a lot of customers,” despite the hassles.

“It feels safe. It’salittle bit harder (to get to work), but it’sﬁne,” David said. “We’re excited forthe Super Bowl.”

Swiftresponses

The heavy military presence doesn’tstop all transgressions in the Vieux Carre, butitdoespromise swiftresponse times.

On Wednesdayaround 1:30 p.m., it took astate police SWAT team moments to respondafter aman followed awoman into acoffee shop at Decatur and Barracks streets and grabbed her from behind.

Thetroopersquestioned workers who suspected the manwas “onsomething.” The woman, AmyQiofNew Orleans, hadcome to the coffeehouse to get some work done andsaidshe was surprised and heartened by the swiftresponse.

“When police camesuper quickly —I didn’tthink that would happen,”Qisaid. “I feel really safehere.” JeffAdelson and John Simermancontributed to this report.

district’schief ﬁnancial ofﬁcer Nyesha Veal said sale and property tax revenues were lowerthanexpected for avariety of factors, including aftereffects of thepandemic.

In arecentinterview,interim superintendent Fateama Fulmore andVealdeclined to offer moredetails about the cause of the budget gap, but Fulmore said the district was working with ﬁnancial group PFM to “paint the picture.”

“That is our work with our partners to make sure we’re clear about the evolution of this,how it came about, and how we moveforward in best ﬁnancialpractices,” she said.

In the meantime, school leaders urgently need answers. Sabrina Pence, CEOofFirstLineSchools, said Monday that her schools have triedtoholdoff on making cuts while they waited forasolution from the district.

“We’ve been wanting to stay the coursetonot affect kids,” shesaid. “But we’re going to have to look forward and say,‘If this isn’tcoming, what do we have to do?’”

BY JONEL ALECCIA

Associated Press

DairycattleinNevadahave been infectedwith anew type of birdflu that’sdifferent from the version that has spread in U.S. herds since last year,Agriculture Department officials said Wednesday The detection indicates that distinct forms of the virus known as Type AH5N1 havespilled over from wild birds into cattle at least twice. Experts said it raises new questions aboutwider spread and the difficulty of controlling infections in animals and the people

GAZA

Continued from page1A

will resist any plans to deport and transfer us from our land,” he said from the Jabaliya refugeecamp.

Trump’s callfor depopulating Gaza has stunnedPalestinians

Hundreds of thousands in the territory rushed to return to their homes —even if destroyed —as soon as they could following the ceaseﬁre reached last month between Israel and Hamas.

Though some experts speculated thatTrump’sproposal might be a negotiating tactic, Palestinians across the region saw in itaneffort to erase them completely from their homeland, acontinuation of the expulsion and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes in what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding itscreation.

That event is known among Palestinians as the “Nakba,” Arabic for “Catastrophe.” Trump’sstatement —a wild swing away from years of U.S. policy —meshed with calls from far-right politicians in Israel to push Palestinians out of Gaza, particularly into Egypt

“Wedon’twant arepeat of our ancestors’ tragedy,” said Abu Elaish, ahealth care worker

Like many,Abu Elaish could pointtohis own family’sexperience. In May 1948,Israeli forces expelled his grandparents and other Palestinians and demolished their homes in the village of Hoj in what’snow southern Israel just outside the Gaza Strip, he said. The family resettled in Gaza’s Jabaliya camp, which over the decades grew into adensely built urbanneighborhood. Israeli troops leveled most of the district during fierce fighting with Hamas militants over recent months.

Mustafa al-Gazzar was5years old, he said,when his family and other residents were forced to ﬂee as Israeli forces in 1948 attacked their town of Yabneh in whatis now central Israel.

Now in his 80s, he sat outside his home in the southern Gaza city of Rafah,flattenedbyanairstrike, and said it was unthinkable to go after surviving 15 months of war

“You think you’ll expel me abroadand bringother peoplein my place? Iwouldrather live in my tent, under rubble,” he said. “I won’t leave. Put thatinyour brain.”

“Instead of being sent abroad, I should return to my original land where Iwas born and will die,” he said, referring to Yabneh, located nearwhat is now the central Israeli city of Yavneh. He said Trump should be seeking atwo-state solution. “This is the ideal, clear solution, peace for the Israelis and

whowork closely with them.

“Ialways thought one bird-tocow transmission was avery rare event. Seems that may not be the case,” said Richard Webby,an inﬂuenza expert at St. Jude Children’sResearch Hospital.

Aversion of the H5N1 bird ﬂu virus known as B3.13 was conﬁrmed in March after being introduced to cattle in late 2023,scientistssaid.

It has infected more than950 herds in 16 states.The newversion, known as D1.1, wasconﬁrmed in Nevada cattle on Friday,according to USDA. It was detected in milk collected as part of asurveillance

program launched in December

“Now we know why it’sreally important to test and continue testing,” said Angela Rasmussen, avirus expert at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, who helped identify the ﬁrst spillover

The D1.1 version of the virus was the type linked to the ﬁrst U.S.death tied to bird ﬂu andasevere illness in Canada. Aperson in Louisiana died in January after developing severe respiratory symptomsfollowing contact with wild and backyard birds. In British Columbia, ateen girl washospitalizedfor months with avirus traced to poultry

At least 67 peopleinthe U.S. have been infected with bird ﬂu, mostly those whoworkclosely with dairy or cattle, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

USDA officials said they would post genetic sequences and other information about the new form of the virus to apublic repository later this week. Scientists said that would be keytounderstanding whether the spillover was arecent event or whether the virus has been circulating, perhaps widely,for longer “If this turns out to have been somethingthatcrossed intocat-

tlea couple monthsago,a couple months is along time not to detect it,” said Michael Worobey,anevolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona who hasstudiedthe H5N1 virus in cattle.

He added that it’simportant for federal ofﬁcials to share promptly information about avirus that has the potential to triggerapandemic that could “make COVID seem like awalk in the park.”

“It’savital part of national security,global security,the wellbeing of people,ofanimals andof businesses in the U.S.,” Worobey added.

peace forthe Palestinians, living side by side,” he said In his comments Tuesday alongsidevisitingIsraeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu, Trump said Palestinians from Gaza should be resettled in lands in Egypt, Jordan or elsewhere, promising them a “beautiful place.” Egypt and Jordanhave both rejected Trump’s call to resettle Palestinians on their soil.

Trump said the U.S. wouldtake over Gaza andrebuild it into a “Riviera of the Middle East” for “the world’speople,” dismissing the idea that Palestinians would refuse to leave or want to return Trump’stop diplomat and his

main spokesperson on Wednesday walkedbackthe president’s proposal, saying he only wants to temporarilyrelocatePalestinians from Gaza to allow for reconstruction.

Amna Omar,a71-year-old from the central Gaza town of Deir alBalah, called Trump a“madman.”

Omar was able to go to Egypt during the war after her husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.InCairo, doctors told them his cancer hadgoneuntreated for too long and he died in October

She said she intends to go back home as soon as she can, as did other Palestinians in Egypt.

“Gaza is our land, our home. We

as Gazans have the right to the land andwant to rebuild it,” she said. “I don’twanttodie in Egypt like my husband. Iwant to die at home.”

Palestinians have shown apowerful determination to return to their homes after nearly the entire population wasdisplaced by the war.Joyous crowds streamed back to northernGazaand Rafah, both of which were devastated by Israeli bombardment and ground offensives.

With their neighborhoods reduced to landscapes of rubble, many returnees are homeless, water is scarce and electricity is largely nonexistent in most areas. Still, for most, the destruction has not diminished their will to stay

“Weremain here, even if it means living in the rubble of our homes —better that than living in humiliation elsewhere,” said Ibrahim Abu Rizk, who returned to Rafah to ﬁnd his home in ruins.

“For ayear and ahalf, we have been slaughtered, bombed, and destroyed, only to then leave just like that?”

The ceaseﬁre deal brokered by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar,calls for areturn of Palestinians to their homes as well as amassive international reconstruction effort in its third phase— assuming Israel and Hamas can reach adeal on who will govern the territory

International lawforbids the forced removal of populations. The Israeli rights group B’tselem said Trump’sstatement “constitutes a call for ethnic cleansingthrough uprooting and forcibly transferring some 2million people. This is Trump and Netanyahu’sroad map fora second Nakba of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”

Palestinianrefugeeshave long demanded they be allowed to return to their homes in what is now Israel, citing the right to return widely recognized for refugees under international law.Israel argues that right does not applyto the Palestinians and says amass return would end the Jewish majority in the country

Throughout the 15-month war in Gaza,manyPalestinians expressed fear that Israel’sgoal was to drive the populationinto neighboring Egypt. The government denied that aim,though somehardright members of the coalition calledfor encouraging Palestinians to leave Gaza and for restoring Jewish settlements there.

TheIsraeli-occupied West Bank —home to more than 500,000 settlers —has also seen more than a year of escalated violence.

The rejection of Trump’scall was echoed by Palestinians in the West Bank and in surrounding Arab countries like Jordan and Lebanon which are also home to large refugee populations.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO BY EVAN VUCCI

President Donald Trump listens as Israel’sPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during anewsconference on Tuesday.

BRIEFS

Ford forecasts weaker growth, EV losses

Ford Motor Co. is forecastingweaker earnings growth for this year and further losses in its electric vehicles business as it works to control costs.

The automaker saidWednesday that it expects its full-year adjusted pretax income to range between $7 billion and $8.5 billion. The company’sadjusted pretax income was $10.2 billion in 2024.

The company cited “headwinds related to market factors.”

Ford hasbeengrappling with stubbornly high warranty expenses and lagging cost-cutting efforts. In the July-September quarter, the company took $1 billion in accounting charges to write down assets for acanceled three-row electric SUV Model e, Ford’selectric vehicle business, posted afull-year loss of $5.08 billion for 2024 as revenuefell 35% to $3.9 billion. The company’soutlook calls for the EV unit to lose between $5 billion and $5.5 billion this year Ford said that the Modele segment’slosses are due in part to continued investment in future products, and the company touted $1.4 billion in net cost improvementseven as theitincreasedspendingtolaunch new battery plants and new electric vehicles.

U.S. Postal Service reverses package ban

TheU.S. Postal Service is reversing course aday after placinga ban on all inbound packages from Chinaand Hong Kong.

The post ofﬁce had announced Tuesday that it wouldnolonger accept parcels from China and Hong Kong after the U.S. imposed an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods and ended a customs exception that allowed small-value parcels to enter the U.S. without paying tax.

ThePostalService reversed course Wednesday but gave no reason. It said it would work with Customs and Border Protection to implement acollection process for the newChina tariffs to avoid delivery disruptions. The USPS did not give areasonfor the ban Tuesday,but the suspension came after Trump closed the “de minimis”customs exemption thisweekfor China that allowed shoppers andimporters to avoid duties on packagesworth below $800.

The exemption was removed as part of an executive order to levy a10% tariff on Chinese goods.

‘Moana 2’ drives

Disney profits

Disney easily topped firstquarter expectations thanksin part to the box ofﬁce smash Moana 2.”

There were some oversized expectations for the animated ﬁlmbut “Moana2,” originally intended as aseries for the company’sstreaming service before it was produced forthe bigscreen —blewpredictions out of the water. Its five-day opening set anew record for Thanksgiving moviegoing

The Walt Disney Co. earned $2.55 billion, or $1.40 per share, for the period ended Dec. 28. The Burbank, California-based company earned $1.91billion, or $1.04 per share, in the prioryear period.

Chinaretaliatesontariffs

BY HALELUYA HADERO Associated Press

Asweeping new U.S. tariff on products made in China is expected to increasethe prices American consumers pay forawide array of products,fromthe ultra-cheap apparel sold on onlineshopping platforms to toys and electronic devicessuchascomputers and cellphones

An additional 10% tariff on all Chinese goods took effect aday after PresidentDonald Trump agreed to pausehis threatened tariffs against Mexico and Canada for 30

days. Thedelayfollowednegotiations on Trump’sdemands for the North American nations to take steps to reduce illegal immigration and the ﬂow of drugs such as fentanyl into theU.S. Afterfailing to get asimilar White House reprieve, China struck back by saying it would impose retaliatory tariffs on some U.S. goods as of next week. The sheer volume and variety of the China-made merchandise sold in theU.S. means the prices of many typicallyinexpensive items probably will tick higher if the tit-for-tat tariffs persist The U.S. imported about $427

billion worth of goods from China in 2023, the most recentyear with complete data, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Consumer electronics,including cellphones, computers and other tech accessories, make up the biggest import categories. China is adominantproduction engine for tech gear,including for American companies like Apple that havetheir products assembled in the country.In2023, China accounted for 78% of U.S. smartphone imports and 79% of laptop andtablet imports, the Consumer Technology Association trade

group reported. The tariffs also may affect how much consumers pay for typically inexpensiveclothing, shoesand kitchen itemslikepotsand pans, as well as the big-ticket items, such as appliances, furniture and auto parts. In addition to imposing anew tariff on Chinese imports, Trump’sexecutive order also suspended alittle-known customs exemption that allowed goods worth less than $800 to come into the U.S. duty-free. The order left open the possibility for the loopholetostill be used with shipments from other countries.

COMPANIESTAP LAUGHS,BIG CELEBRITIESINSUPER BOWL ADS

BY MAEANDERSON AP business writer

NEWYORK Eugene Levy’strademark eyebrows ﬂy off for Little Caesars.A tongue dances to ShaniaTwaintopromote Nestle’sCoffee MateColdFoam. And Meg Ryanand BillyCrystal reuniteatKatz’s Deli in an ad for Hellmann’s.

Afrenzied mix of silliness and celebrities is hitting the airwavesand the internet, and that means one thing —itis Super Bowl ad time again.

Veteranadvertisers areusingtried-andtrue tactics like celebrity cameos, humor and cute animals to win over watchers. Meanwhile,ﬁrst-time and newer advertisers are courting outrageousness andusing stunts to try to stand out in the battle to capture the attention of the more than 120 million viewers expected to tune into Sunday’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs on Fox. SuperBowlviewers are aunique audience because they’re as primed to watch the ads as they are the game.

“Thisisasocietal moment wherewe come togetherasacountry,” said Kimberly Whitler,marketing professor at the University of Virginia’sDarden School of Business. “Wemay be on different sides, you know,ofthe gridiron or the ﬁeld. But we come together.”

With 80-plus ad spots divvied up among the 50-something advertisersduring the game, it’stough to make sure viewers remember your brand message. And with a few ad spotsgoing for arecord $8 million for30seconds this year,the stakes have

never been higher

But the price tag is worth it,advertisers say.Rachel Jaiven, head of HäagenDazs marketing, saidthe brand decided to make its ﬁrst appearance in the game due to the size of the viewership and its association with snacking.

“Weknow at the Super Bowl these days that everyone watches, it’s awide audience,” Jaiven said. Thebrand’sadshows starsfrom the “Fast&Furious” franchise enjoying an ice cream bar.“We thought it was time for us to tellour story,remind people what they love about Häagen-Dazs and of course, have them stock up on Häagen-Dazsintheir freezer.”

Not all advertisers release their ads early,sothere are always plenty of surprises on game day.Only two auto brands, Stellantis’ Jeep and Ram, have announced Super Bowl ad plans, but theyhaven’tgiven any details on the ads.

Dunkin’ has secured the first ad spotafter kickoff but is staying mum on details other than teasing that it will star Ben and Casey Affleck and Jeremy Strong. Canned water company Liquid Death will advertise forthe first time with an ad created in-house.

Duracell has teased that its ad will feature a“Duracell Scientist” but hasn’tgiven any other details.

Wall Street risesasearningsreporting season rampsup

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEWYORK— Wall Street drifted higher Wednesday as gainsfor most stocks outweighed drops for Alphabetand some other big-name companies following their latest proﬁtreports.

The S&P 500 rose following mixed trading across European and Asian markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq composite gained.

Toymaker Mattel jumped 15.3% after blowing pastanalysts’ forecasts for proﬁt in the latest quarter Strength for its HotWheels brand helped make up for some softness for Barbie and other dolls. Mattel alsogave aforecast for proﬁt this

upcoming year that topped analysts’ expectations.

Amgen rallied6.5%and wasone of the strongest forces pushingupward on the S&P 500. It reported stronger proﬁt for the latest quarter than expected, thanks in part to growth for its Repatha medicine, whichcan lowerbad cholesteroland reducethe risk of aheart attack. They helped offset a7.3% drop for Alphabet, which sank even though Google’sparent company reported stronger proﬁt for the latest quarter than analystsexpected. Investorsfocused instead on slowing growth for its cloud business, whose revenue fell short of forecasts. They also homed in on the $75billion Alphabet is budgeting for investments this year,roughly

$15 billion more than analysts expected, as it remains in the rush to developartificial intelligence technology Advanced Micro Devices fell 6.3% even though the chip company edged past profit expectations for the latest quarter.While analysts calledAMD’sresultssolid,theyalso asked why CEO Lisa Su did notgive more detail about expectationsfor theperformance of its AI offerings specifically Investors always want companies to deliver bigger profits, but the hopes may be even higher than usualgiven worries about how much faster stockpriceshaveclimbed than corporate profits, causing critics to call them expensive. Uncertainty is also hanging over the global

economy because of PresidentDonald Trump’stariffs. After rocking ﬁnancial markets around the world at thestart of this week,worries abouta potentially punishing global trade war have eased abit after Trump gave 30-day reprieves for tariffs on both Mexico and Canada. That bolstered traders’ hopesthatTrump sees tariffsas merely atool for negotiation,rather than as along-term policy GoldmanSachs economistDavid Mericlesaysa furtherextension may happen, but he sees the tariff risk for both countries likely remaininguntil theend of areview of the United States’ existing trade agreement with the two countries, which could be in themiddle of next year

Protesters rallyagainst Trump’spolicies, Musk

BY MORGAN LEE Associated Press

Demonstrators gathered in citiesacross theU.S.on Wednesday to protest the Trumpadministration’s early actions, decrying everything from the president’s immigration crackdownto his rollback of transgender rights and aproposal to forcibly transfer Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

Protesters in Philadelphia and at state capitols in California, Minnesota, Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana and beyond waved signs denouncing President Donald Trump; billionaire Elon Musk, the leader of Trump’s new Department of Government Efﬁciency; and Project 2025, ahard-right playbook for American government and society

“I’m appalled by democracy’schanges in the last, well, speciﬁcally two weeks —but it started along time ago,” Margaret Wilmeth said at aprotest outside the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. “So I’m just trying to put a presenceinto resistance.”

The protests were aresult of amovementthathas organized online under the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states,one day.Websites and accounts across social mediaissued calls for action, with messages such as “reject fascism” and “defend our democracy.”

Outside the state Capitol in Lansing, Michigan, acrowd of hundredsgathered in freezing temperatures

Catie Miglietti, from the AnnArbor area, saidMusk’s access to TreasuryDepartment data was especially concerning. She painteda sign depicting Muskpuppeteering Trump from his outraised arm —evoking Musk’sstraight-arm gesture during aJanuary speech that some have interpreted as aNazi salute.

“If we don’tstop it and get Congress to do something, it’sanattack on democracy,”

Miglietti said Demonstrations in several cities piled criticism on Musk and the Department of Government Efﬁciency

“DOGEisnot legit,” read oneposter on theStateCapitol steps in Jefferson City Missouri, where dozens of protestersgathered.“Why does Elon have your Social Security info???”

Members of Congress have expressed concern that DOGE’sinvolvement with the U.S. government payment system could lead to security risks or missed payments for programs such as Social Security and Medicare. ATreasury Department ofﬁcial says atech ex-

ecutive working with DOGE will have “read-only access.” Trump has signed aseries of executive orders in the ﬁrst couple of weeks of hisnew term on everything from trade and immigration to climate change. As Democrats begin to raise

theirvoice in opposition to Trump’s agenda, protests have multiplied. Demonstrators strode through downtown Austin, Texas. They assembled in Atlanta’sCentennial Olympic Park for amarch to Georgia’sstate Capitol and

BY JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press

COLUMBUS,Ohio— Callers are getting busy signals and voicemail inboxes are full at many U.S. Senate ofﬁces as people try to reach out and voice their opinionson President Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks, executive orders and moves to dismantle various federal programs.

Amemodistributedto Senate staff on Tuesday said there was ahigher number of calls than usual and that some callers were having trouble getting through.

“TheSenateisexperiencing an unusually high volume of inbound calls. External callers may receive atemporary busy signal when phoning aSenateofﬁce,” accordingtothe memo obtainedby The Associated Press

The influx of phone calls comes as Trump and ally Elon Musk are workingto shrinkthe federal government duringthe president’s first weeks in office. They are shuttering agencies, temporarily freezing funding and pushing workers to resign, all while staffers with Musk’sso-called Department of Government Efficiency infiltrate depart-

ments in astated effort to root outfraud and abuse.

One popular post making the rounds on social media urged opponentsofthose actionstocall their lawmakers six times aday,every day —two calls each to their two senators and two to their House member.“Youshould NOT be bothering with online petitions or emailing,” it said. The post urged use of a smartphone app that would make thetask of making multiple calls per day easier.

Caitlin Christman, an institutional support contractor in Wisconsin furloughedlast week from the U.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment, said it took her four attempts over ﬁve daystosuccessfullyleave amessage for her senator,Republican RonJohnson, after dealing with an overloaded voicemail box, grainy recorded greetingsand abusysignal.

“I wanted to express my concernwith dismantling USAIDwithout any sortof review,and to relay my experiencewith its work, which I believe hasbeeninour country’sbest interest,” she said, noting that she expects to be ﬁredlater this week

MerylNeiman of Ohio Progressive Action Leadersand

others withinher network sought to draw attention to the fact that they were having trouble reaching both her state’ssenators —Republicans Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted —byphone or in person at their ﬁeld ofﬁces before Wednesday’snationwide protestsagainst Trump and Project 2025, ahardright playbook for American government and society.

Both senators are close with Trump’svice president, JD Vance, and were with him as recentlyasMonday, during atour of the 2023 derailment site in East Palestine.

Those frustrated by Trump’sactions shared similar stories with the AP of being unabletoreach their lawmakers. They seemed to be experiencing particular barrierstoconnecting with the Senate ofﬁces of Trump’s fellow Republicans, who may be more inundated than Democrats becauseRepublicans hold thechamber’s majority and are more likely to have the president’sear Lawmakers were frustrated, too, as they seek to maintain operations. Senate voicemail boxes only hold about 1,000 messages before becoming full and needing

catalogued and emptied.

gatheredoutside California’sDemocratic-dominated Legislature in Sacramento. In Denver,protests coincided with nearby operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and an unspeciﬁednumber of people detained.

Thousands protestedin St. Paul, Minnesota, where 28-year-old Hallie Parten carried aDemocratic presidential campaign sign, revised to read “Harris Walz Were Right.” The Minneapolis resident says she was motivated by fear “Fearfor what is goingto happen to our country if we don’tall just do something about it,” Parten said. In Alabama, several hundred people gathered outside the Statehouse to protest actions targeting LGBTQ+ people.OnTuesday,Alabama Gov.Kay Ivey promised to sign legislation declaring that there are only two sexes, maleand female —echoing Trump’s recent executive order for the federal government to define sex as only male or female.

“The president thinks he has alot of power,” the Rev Julie Conrady,aUnitarian Universalistminister,told the crowd. “He does not have the power to determine your gender.Hedoes not have the power to deﬁne your identity.”

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOBYMICHAEL CONROY Protestersrally against Project 2025 on Wednesdayatthe Statehouse in Indianapolis.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY DAVIDZALUBOWSKI Participantscheer during apolitical protest outside the Colorado StateCapitol in DenveronWednesday.

Trumpsigns executiveorder on transgenderathletes

‘The waronwomen’s sports is over’

BY WILL GRAVES AP national writer

President Donald Trumpsigned

an executive order on Wednesday intended to ban transgender athletes fromparticipatingingirls’ and women’ssports.

The order,titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’sSports,” gives federal agencies widelatitude to ensure entitiesthatreceive federal funding abide by Title IXin alignment with the Trump administration’s view,which interprets “sex” as the gender someone was assigned at birth.

“Withthisexecutive order,the war on women’ssports is over,” Trump said at asigning ceremony in the East Room that included lawmakers and female athletes who have come out in support of aban, includingformer collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines.

White House press secretary

KarolineLeavittsaidthe order “upholdsthe promise of Title IX” and will require “immediate action, including enforcement actions, against schools and athletic associations”that deny women single-sex sports and single-sex locker rooms. The timing of the ordercoincided with National Girlsand Women in Sports Day,and is the latestin

astringofexecutive actionsfrom the Republican president aimed at transgender people.

Trump found during the campaign that the topic resonated beyond the usualparty lines. More than half the voters surveyed by AP VoteCast said support for transgenderrights in governmentand society has gone too far. He leaned into the rhetoric before the election, pledging to get rid of “transgender

insanity,” thoughhis campaign offered little in theway of details.

The order offers someclarity. Forexample, it authorizes the Education Department to penalize schools that allow transgender athletes to compete, citing noncompliance with Title IX, which prohibits sexual discrimination in schools. Any school foundinviolation could potentially be ineligible for federal funding.

Enforcing Trump’sorders will be apriority of the embattled department. In acall this week, the actingdirector of the Ofﬁce for Civil Rights told staff they would need to align their investigations with Trump’spriorities, according to people who were on the call who spoke on the condition of anonymity to AP forfear of reprisals. Since Trump took ofﬁce, thedepartment has opened an inquiry

into Denver public schools over an all-gender bathroom that replaced agirls’ bathroom, while leaving another one exclusive to boys.

Trumpalso issued awarning to the International Olympic Committee ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The president said he had empowered Secretary of State Marco Rubio to make it clear to the IOC that “America categorically rejects transgender lunacy.Wewant them to change everything having to do with the Olympics and having to do with this absolutely ridiculous subject.”

The IOC has essentially passed the buck on transgenderparticipation, deferring to the international federations for each sport.

Trump also said that Director of Homeland Security Kristi Noem will “deny any and all visa applications made by men attempting to fraudulentlyenter theUnited States while identifying themselves as women athletes to try and get into the Games.”

Organizers for the 2028 Olympics didnot immediatelyrespond to requests for comment.

NCAA President Charlie Baker said its Board of Governors was reviewing the order and “will take necessary steps to alignNCAA policy in the coming days, subject to further guidance from the administration.” Baker,who said last year he was awareoffewer than 10 active NCAA athletes who identifiedastransgender,noted the order at least provides auniform policy instead of apatchwork of state laws.

JusticeDepartmentofficialaccuses acting FBIchief of ‘insubordination’

BY ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

WASHINGTON— Atop Justice Department official accused the FBI’sacting leadersof“insubordination” in aWednesday memo in which he sought to sootheanxiety inside the bureau over the potential for abroad purge of agentsinvolvedininvestigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol

The memo from actingDeputy Attorney GeneralEmil Bove said agents “who simply followedor-

ders and carried out their duties in an ethical manner” while investigating the Capitol attack face no risk of beingﬁred. Butthe memo also provided noreassurances for any agents found to have “acted with corrupt or partisan intent” and suggeststhose employees, if there are any,are at risk of discipline or even termination.

The scrutiny of career FBI agents beingundertaken by thedepartment is highly unusual given that rank-and-ﬁle agents do not select the cases they are assigned to work on and are not generally dis-

ciplined because of theirparticipation in mattersseen as politically sensitive. There’salso been no evidence anyFBI agents or lawyers who investigated or prosecuted the cases did anything wrong. The messagefrom Bove is aimed at providing ameasure of clarity after days of turmoil and uncertainty at the FBI as aresult of an extraordinary Justice Department demand on Friday forthe namesof agents whoparticipated in theinvestigations so that ofﬁcials could determine whether additional personnel action was merited.

FBI employees who participated in investigationsrelatedtoJan.6 wereasked over the weekend to complete in-depth questionnaires about theirinvolvement in theinquiries as Trump’sJustice Department weighs disciplinary actions. FBI employees ﬁled two lawsuits Tuesday to haltthe collection and potential dissemination of names of investigators. Ahearing is scheduled on Thursday Bove, in his memo Wednesday accused the FBI’sacting leadership of “insubordination” for resisting his requests last week “to identify

the core team” responsible for Jan. 6investigations. He said the requests were meant to “permit the Justice Department to conduct a review of those particular agents’ conduct pursuant to Trump’sexecutive order” on “weaponization” in the Biden administration. After acting Director Brian Driscoll refusedtocomply, Bove wrote, he broadened the request for information about all FBI employees who participated in the investigations. Driscoll had no response to the insubordination allegation, the FBI said.

Gaines

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOBYEVANVUCCI

President Donald Trump speaks before signinganexecutiveorder barring transgender femaleathletes from competing in women’sorgirls’ sporting events Wednesdayinthe East Room of theWhite House in Washington.

Children’s in N.O. to be renamed

Hospital receives ‘transformational gift’fromManning family

BY EMILYWOODRUFF Staff writer

Children’sHospital New Or-

leans will be renamed Manning

Family Children’s, marking the ﬁrst time in its 70-year history it has takenonapatron’sname, of-

ﬁcials announced Wednesday

The change comes with a “transformational gift” from the Manning family —Archie, Olivia, Cooper,Peyton and Eli— though the exactamount remains conﬁdential.

The move cements the hospi-

Landry’s request

Administration attemptedtoremove some workersfrom civilservice rules

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Gov.Jeff Landry’sadministration is trying to permanently remove civil service employment protections for hundreds of attorneys and engineers in agencies across state government But that plan ran into opposition from astate commissionWednesday after one member warned the move may not be constitutional.

Louisiana’scivil service system gives government employeesextra barriers against being fired andismeant to limitpatronage andpolitical retaliation. But the system is sometimes criticized as an obstacle to holding employees accountable when they underperform. Landry’sadministrationsaidthe changes wouldhelp hire topprofessional talent,ﬁll critical vacancies and make government more efﬁcient

ä See HALTED, page 2B

University Medical Center nursesstrike

Facility left withoutregular staff throughweekend

BY EMILYWOODRUFF Staff writer

University MedicalCenter

nurses launched atwo-day strike Wednesday,leavingthe city’s onlyLevel 1traumahospital without its regular staff through Super Bowl weekend.

Starting at 7a.m., alarge group of nurses gathered at thecorner of Canal and Gravier streets, chanting loudly as maintenance workers operated lawnmowers, agenerator and leaf blowers nearby,preparing the hospital grounds for one of NewOrleans’ busiest weeks. The nurses are striking over what they say is alack of progress in contract negotiations after voting to unionize in December 2023. Theover600-member union

ä See NURSES, page 2B

tal’srelationship with one of New Orleans’ most famous football families. The Mannings bring star power to the hospital’spush to expand pediatric healthin Louisiana, where outcomes rank among the worst in the country

With competitioninchildren’s health care growing statewide, hospital leaders hope the Manning name will helpraise its national profile and keep more youngpatientsinLouisianafor

specialized care, saidCEO Lucio Fragoso.

“I think we’ve made the investments to do that, and now it’sjust about making sure that story gets told,” Fragoso said.“With the Mannings on our side, being able to tell that story on anational scale is really special.”

Therebranding,announced at a Super Bowl party at the Louisiana NOW pavilion Wednesday night, comes aboutayear after Saints

owner Gayle Benson pledged a record-breaking gift to build a freestanding children’s hospital facility at Ochsner Health less than four miles away from the Uptown children’shospital. Archie Manning said he was “honored” when thehospital approached his family with the idea,calling thepartnershipa natural ﬁt.

NEWORLEANS WOOS

SUPERBOWLMEDIA

Fancyparty followed by chance to meet Travis Kelce

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

It was adreamy party by anyone’sstandards.OnSaturday night,atthe sprawling Mardi Gras Worldﬂoat-building warehouses overlooking the foggy Mississippi River,anarmy of guests wandered among the Carnival parade statues of Greek gods and pop stars, nibbling on delicacies from boudin egg rolls to baked Alaska.

The awestruck partygoers bobbed to musicbyTankand the Bangas,marveled at the extraordinary moves of the610 Stompers Carnival dance troupe, snapped up souvenir bottles of Crystal hot sauce, and had theirphotos taken with Saints superstar Cam Jordan and a5-foot alligator

ä See SUPER BOWL, page 2B

Officialsseekto reassure hungry tourists

from there, one of 28 harvesting areas off Louisiana. Thetimingwas doubly bad, with

recall announced not only during Super Bowl week but also on the eve of the inaugural New Orleans OysterNight, an ofﬁcial citywide food and environmental event timed to coincide with the buildup to the game. On Tuesday, The New York Times even posted aglowing featureonthe stateof New Orleans’ oyster culture. The recall affects all oysters harvested from an area east of Lake Borgne and north of Eloi Bay since Jan. 10.

Those who became ill experienced norovirus-like symptoms —nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps. Twowere briefly hospitalized with illnesses that were not lifethreatening,according to the Health Department. The hospitalized individuals have since been discharged.

The department suspects either norovirus or asimilarvirus sick-

STAFFPHOTO BY SCOTT THRELKELD

Trent McDuffie, of the Kansas CityChiefs, left,and other teammates speak during media dayatCaesars Superdome in NewOrleans on MondayinadvanceofSuper Bowl LIX.

STAFFPHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD

Kansas City Chiefs offensivetackle Chukwuebuka Godrick, left, is interviewed by aNickelodeon character during mediaday at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Monday.

planned atwo-day strike,but nurses will remain off the job throughSunday duetocontractual requirements with the staffing agencyproviding replacements, according to CEO John Nickens.

The hospital has contracted with atravel agency to provide around 300 temporarynurses. The total cost to the hospital is roughly $10million.

The hospital will operateas normal with the help of the travel nurses, along with many nurses who chose not to strike.

“We’re eight hours in, and we’ve had hundreds of nurses cross over and join us and choose to work,”Nickens said Wednesday afternoon. “I have no concerns about our business, watching the group today.”

Ongoingcontractdispute

Nurses on thepicketlines said they are striking to highlight what they see as astalled negotiation process that has leftthem without acontract

“We’re ready to get that done,” said Hailey Dupre,a memberof the bargaining committee and a nurse in the endoscopy unit.“It’s been nearly ayear now,and it feelslike there’sbeenverylittle meaningful movement.”

The bargaining committee and thehospital have met around26 times, LCMC ofﬁcials said, with four more meetings scheduled for February and March. Nickens said he also thought it was taking too long and blamed the holdup on National Nurses United, the national group the UMC union joined.

“I’m incredibly frustrated with the leadership they brought in from California who is completely unaware of our market,” Nickens

said.

University Medical Center ofﬁcials ﬁled their own unfair labor practice charge latelast year,allegingbad-faith bargaining and a refusal to furnish information.

Nickenssaidthe bargaining committee and the hospital’sattorneys have sent about 50 documents back and forth. At the top of the nurse’slist is pay,which they have been unable to come to an agreement on.

“We’ve asked theunion to provide us the fair market value formula they use,” Nickens said, adding they seemed to have used apay scale morereminiscentof California, which has ahigher cost of living. “They’ve said they will not. They’ve declined even to give us an algorithm.”

On average,a union contract takes 465 days to negotiate, according to national statistics. Union nurses took issue with that timeline.

“That number is by design,” said

The viewfrom abar shows the Crescent CityConnectionand the Mississippi River as abackdropduring the Super Bowl mediaparty at Mardi Gras WorldinNew Orleans on Tuesday.

SUPER BOWL

Continued from page1B

The bash was aseduction for the roughly 6,000 members of the media, from across America and 20 foreign countries, swarming the city this week to cover theSuper Bowl on Sunday

“The bottom line is, if the media’shappy,they’re going towrite agood story,” said Mardi Gras World owner and party planner Barry Kern. “This is ashow.” Kern said Saturday’ssoiree cost approximately $1 million, paid for by the many corporate sponsors of the New Orleans Super Bowl host committee.

In an interview on theeve of the blowout, Kern promised there would be “bars galore,a hellof alot of bars,” so nobody was going to have to wait for adrink. “Wednesday morning’sgoing to be alittle tough if you’vegot reporting to do,” he promised.

“The only thing the media is going to have to complain about,” Kern pledged, “is there was nothing to complain about.”

Michael Boyd, of the Coastal Sports Network in Tampa, who had been to four past Super Bowl media parties, saidWednesday’s event had an advantagebecause the party tapped into the “deep culture” of the city.From the view of the port to all the ﬂoat sculptures, Boyd said the party“gives a great representation of what New Orleans is all about.”

For members of the press, the week began Sunday with avisit to the cavernous credentialing

OYSTERS

Continued from page1B

ened them, but theexact cause wasn’tyet clear,nor was the reason for the oyster contamination.

“If these oysters are contaminated, the harvestarea may have been contaminated with some unknown infectious human waste,” the department said in astatement. “Oysters are ﬁlter feeders andcan accumulate contaminants and microorganisms present in the water,which can in turn affect people who eat raw or underprocessed contaminated oysters.”

The agency said it was monitoring the waters and wouldreopen them for oyster harvesting once they meet standards setbythe Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference, afederal organization that sets safety standards for shellﬁsh. Restaurantspivot

For local seafood restaurant operators, there was agroan, and

office in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center,where they stood in snaky lines awaiting a plastic placard on aribbon to be worn around their necks. From a sportsjournalism point of view,it was like agoldenticket to Willy Wonka’schocolatefactory

On Mondaymorning, it was time to get down to business.Hundreds of the writers,broadcasters and videographers shook offtheir jet lag in time to attend awelcoming news conference presented by city, state and NFL ofﬁcials in the Convention Center

Mayor LaToya Cantrell took the opportunity to publicly thank the NFL for standing with the city” after the Jan. 1mass murderin the French Quarter.The terror attack would inevitably be adark subtext to muchreporting on the big game.

At the somewhat chilling security public safety news conference that came next,Gov.Jeff Landry andrepresentatives of the NFL, FBI, New Orleans Police Department and Louisiana State Police cataloged the security measures underway to ensure safety during the Super Bowl.

Within hours areport appeared in the Los Angeles Times, including the reassuring quote from Department of HomelandSecurity Secretary Kristi Noem, who said that there were “no speciﬁccredible threats to this event.”

Bomb-sniffing dogs were the only reminder of anti-terrorist measures on Monday evening at the opening nightmedia event at the Superdome. Finally,the fun had begun, as the thousands of reporters got theopportunity to

then aprotocol. If they had oysters on handfrom Area 3, those were pulled. Then they started working the phones.

“We’ve been doing this so long, we have alot of ﬁshermen that we trust andrely heavilyon. They got to work for us in other areas,” said Tony Rodrique, food and beverage director of Acme Oyster House, which has restaurants in the French Quarter,Metairieand around the region and is part of OysterNight. Through about of early morning farming and shipping, Rodrique expected his restaurants to be back to full oyster service later Wednesday,wellahead of dinnertime.

OysterNightrolls on

Acme is also one of more than 50 restaurants and bars in New Orleans and Metairietosign up for OysterNight. After more ﬂurries of calls and textsafter the Area 3 recall, OysterNight remained on track forWednesday evening.

“The system is robust. It did exactly what it wassupposedto

Lauren Waddell, anurse practitioner in the neurosurgery unit.

“They can agree at any time.” Waddell said the nurses want to see increased staffing at the hospital. Typically,anurse might have sixpatients,which shesaid amounts to just 10 minutes per patient per hour over a12-hour shift.

“We’re staffedsotightly that it does notallow for any ﬂexibility to even eat or use the bathroom,or Godforbid, youhave onepatient that is more acute,” Waddell said.

Nickens has said that stafﬁng is determined by standards and an algorithm the hospital follows as aLevel 1trauma center.

Retentionconcerns

Parking and paid parental leave have also beenkey sticking points. LCMC has given nonunion employees at UMC and staff at its sevenother hospitals free parking and improved parental leave beneﬁts, but those were not made available to union nurses due to

HALTED

Continued from page1B

“We’ve heard from so many about the difﬁculty of recruiting,” said Patrick Goldsmith, deputy commissioner of the Division of Administration.

The move would helpalleviate“the brain drainfromLouisiana,” he said.

But the State Civil Service Commission, which oversees the civil service system, rejected Landry’s proposalina4-2 vote Wednesday Commissioner Codi Plaisance said she had heard from employees who feared it would introduce political inﬂuence and instability —and forjobs like transportation department engineers, that could have negative consequences for public safety CommissionerScott Hughes saidit’sunclear if the sweeping changes sought by the Governor’s Ofﬁce comply with the civil service rules enshrined in the state Constitution.

ongoing negotiations. UMC nurses currently pay $500 per year for parking.

The lack of improved beneﬁts has led to nurses leaving, said Heidi Tujague, an emergency room nurse.

“Just this year,15nurses have left the ER,” said Tujague. “We are hemorrhaging staff.”

Nickens said UMC has more nursesthan they ever have, and that the unionized nurses chose to have aunion representation.

“Maybe the union gets them better,maybe worse, maybe the same,” Nickens said. “Do you want theunion to represent you or do you not?”

This is the second strike since the nurses unionized just over ayear ago. The ﬁrst was held in late Octoberduring another busy weekend: when Taylor Swift was in town for her Eras Tour concerts.

Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate.com.

disciplinary action or removal from state service,” the memo says. It adds that status change would be “applied uniformly across all state agencies and local units of government.”

TheGovernor’sOfficerequested the change take effect beginning July 1for any new hires. Current employees could maintain classified status, but the positions would become unclassiﬁed as vacancies are ﬁlled.

Thememoalsoexplained: “Critics of civil service systems and protections have long argued that unclassiﬁed employees are more productive due to their at-will status, implying that classified employees underperform due to job security and appealrights. While this perspective is based on opinion rather than empirical data, it remains aprevalent narrative.”

Speedofbusiness

ask questions of theathletes that would play in Sunday’sgrand ﬁnale football game.

The players sat in small booths at the edges of ﬁeld where reporters could swarm around them with their cameras, microphones andcellphonesraised. It looked like across between classic game show “Hollywood Squares”and a Mardi Gras parade.

It was hard to say who was the biggest draw. Chiefs tight end —and world’smost famous boyfriend —Travis Kelce wasthe center of an impenetrable scrum. KansasCityquarterback Patrick Mahomes,Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkleyand quarterback Jalen Hurts, in that approximate order,also lured considerable attention.

In the bowels of the Caesar’s Superdome lies abrutalist bunker that has been converted to a gigantic media work room. Under theﬂuorescent lights lay row upon row of tables with various plugs andportstoaccommodate electronic equipment.

There is alovely buffet of hot food,asalad bar, soft drinks, potato chips and such. Large video screens line the walls.

This is where the writers, editors and content producers will hunker down on Sunday,tocreate the coveragethatwill echo from Poydras Street and around the world.

Email DougMacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate.com. Follow himonInstagram at dougmaccash, on Twitter at Doug MacCash and on Facebook at DouglasJames MacCash.

do,” said Troy Gilbert, founder of Chefs Brigade, the nonproﬁt coordinating OysterNight. “There are 28 oyster areas in Louisiana. This is only one.”

He added: “Our restaurants have been through everything hurricanes, thepandemic. They know how to pivot. They roll with it.” ChefsBrigadeenvisionsOysterNight as arecurring event to raise awareness of the state’soyster culture. It was launched this year with NFL Green, the league’senvironmental program, and ahost of other partners. As part of the campaign, volunteerswho included agroup of retired militaryspecial operations veteransbuilt areef from recycled oyster shells in Leeville on Monday.That project, which deployed 59 tons of shell in honor of the 59th Super Bowl, is part of acoastal rebuilding effort from the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. For OysterNight, participating restaurants and bars are offer-

“Maybe the time has come to ask the people what system you want,” he said, referring to the fact that voters must approve any changes to thestate constitution. Asked forcomment on the commission’svote against the plan, Landry spokesperson Kate Kelly said: “Commissioner Hughes rejected our request but in doing so, essentially said legislationtoexplore whether the classiﬁed civil service system was still sustainable in today’s employment environment was the best way to proceed so that the people could weigh in.”

What Landry wants

Landry’s requestsoughtto change 394 attorney jobs and 506 engineering jobs —a total of 900 government positions from classiﬁed status to unclassiﬁed appointments, according to aCivil Service Commission memorandum dated Jan. 29.

Classifiedgovernment employees can be disciplined or ﬁred only for cause and if certain procedures are followed, and they’re barred from political activity

Classiﬁed jobs must be hired through an open, competitive process and meet certain pay scale andqualiﬁcation requirements.

Unclassiﬁed employees can be ﬁredwithout cause and canengage in political activity

“These appointments would be considered at-will employment, and incumbents would not be entitled to due process before

ing special oyster dishes, both raw and cooked, and contributing their shells to thecoalition‘s oyster shell recycling programto supply future reef-building projects.

Otheroysters safe to eat

Health officials stressed that though oystersfromArea3were recalled, oysters harvested from other coastal areaswere still safe to consume.

Lt. Gov.Billy Nungesser,who oversees the LouisianaSeafood Promotion and Marketing Board, said he had spoken with local restaurants that serve seafood to make sure that they understood the protocol around the recall, he said.

“All oysters outside of Area 3 are safe for consumption. All seafood is safefor consumption. All the ﬁsh from Area 3are safe for consumption,” said Taylor Brazan, aspokespersonfor theLouisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. At smaller restaurants, Wednesday was also ascramble to ensure

Goldsmith and Emily Andrews, special counsel to the governor,went before the Civil Service Commission on Wednesday to make the case for the change.

Their central thesis was that increasingthe number of unclassified state employees would aid in attracting and retaining atalented and knowledgeable government workforce. They also said it wouldhelpwithincreasing government efficiency and filling critical vacancies.

“Our goal in doing that, in unclassifying these professionals, is to ﬁrst improve recruitment and retention by allowing Louisiana to attract and retain our highly qualiﬁed professionals,” said Andrews. Commissioner Plaisance asked if there is aplan to address problems related to recruitment and pay

“We’ve started those conversations,” said Goldsmith. Hughes said the vote “may be the hardest one” in his 14 years on the commission.

He questioned why he had received the request just aweek earlier and was being asked to take action so quickly.Healso questioned the administration’s arguments about talent retention.

“We’re trying to move at the speedofbusiness,”saidGoldsmith, acknowledging his use of arefrain often invoked by LouisianaEconomic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois. He added: “The governor has challenged us: How do we think differently?”

Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse. pfeil@theadvocate.com.

their oyster stock was safe. Sala owner Joe Riccobonosaid he heard quickly from his seafood purveyor,conﬁrming that hissupply was from adifferent harvest area.

“It shows you how the system works,” he said. “When there’sa recall, you need to protect people, but you also need to remember it doesn’taffect all the oysters, just that area.”

Camille Staub, one of the managers at Porgy’sSeafood in Mid-City, said her shop still had safe-to-eat oysters in stock —some from Leeville and some from Alabama butthattheydid receive oysters from Area 3that were subject to the recall.

“With everyone in townfor the Super Bowl, we’re not going to be able to getoysters as fast as we need to,” she said. But, she stressed, she’sstill got plenty of other seafood in stock.

“Come and get shrimp,” she said. “We’ve got tons of it.”

Email Alex Lubbenatalex. lubben@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO BY DAVIDGRUNFIELD

Manguiltyofmanslaughter

Police:Kenner residentshotman whopunched him

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

Adefendant who stood trial for second-degree murder in aKenner killing was found guilty on alesser charge of manslaughter after afour-week trial, according to Jefferson Parish court records.

Tajh Terrell, 25, was accused of fatally shooting 21-year-old Trinity Castleberry after Castleberry punched him over amoney dispute, according to Kenner police investigators.

Terrell was then shot in the arm by one of Castleberry’srelatives, who picked up the dropped murder weapon and gave chase, police said.

AJefferson Parish jury voted to convict Terrell of manslaughteronJan. 31 after deliberating for seven hours, court records said.

Castleberry died April 8, 2023. Witnesses told Kenner police investigators thatTerrell and two others

stopped by Castleberry’s residence in the 2600 block of Greenwood Street just before4:45 p.m., according to court records. They were talkingoutside withCastleberry’s cousin, Major Robinson, 27, when Castleberry returned home,according to authorities. Castleberry was upset becausehebelieved Terrell had stolen money from him afew yearsearlier, courtrecords said.

Castleberry walked over to Terrell, confronted him and punched Terrell in the face, Kenner police said. In response, Terrell pulledout agun and shot Castleberry twice in the neck, police said.

Terrell ran from the scene, dropping theweapon somewherealong the way Robinson scooped upthe gun and got into his vehicle to chase after Terrell. KennerpoliceallegeRobinson caught up with himabout three blocks away near the intersection of27th and Decatur streets, police said.

Awitness reported seeing someonedrive up to

Terrell, open ﬁre and then speed off, court records said.

Terrell suffered agunshot wound to his arm and continued running for another few blocks before stopping at ahouse on Phoenix Street to ask for help, according to authorities.

When officers arrived, Terrell denied anyinvolvement in the Greenwood Streetshooting, telling police he’d been injured elsewhere, court records said.

But investigators quickly identiﬁed him as asuspect in Castleberry’sdeath based on witness statements and descriptions.

If convicted of murder, Terrell would havefaced a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Manslaughter is punishable by up to 40 years in prison. Sentencing is set for March 17.

Robinson was arrested and later charged with attempted second-degree murder and obstruction of justice. He is scheduled to head to trial Feb. 24.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate. com.

MANNING

Continued from page1B

“Well, you know,itkind of runs in the family alittle bit,” said the patriarch, now 75. Achildren’shospital in Indianapolis wasrenamed for Peyton Manning in 2007.Eli Manning established the Eli ManningChildren’sClinics at Children’sofMississippi in2009 and is involved with pediatriccancer care in New Jersey

“Eli’sdone that, Peyton’s done that. Cooper and Idecided maybe we need achildren’shospital association,” Manning said, chuckling.

Though Archie and Olivia Manning have long been supporters of the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the American HeartAssociation, this is the ﬁrst time they are lending their name to ahospital inthe city they’ve lived in for over 50 years.

‘Transformationalgift’

During its 70-year history,Children’sHospital New Orleans has never had asingle patronage attached to its name, typically an honor reserved for unprecedented donations.

Fragoso said the ﬁnancial details of the relationship between the hospital and the Mannings will be kept confidential, but that the family’sgift is “transformational.”

Archie Manning saidthat the family would ﬁnancially contribute to the hospital in the future, as they have in the past.

“Wehave and will support the hospital,” he said.

Archie and Olivia Manning have lived in New Orleans for 54 years. In that time, they’ve watched the hospital grow and evolve.

“I canremember when it was called Crippled Children’sHospital,” said Manning, referring to atime

when the hospital mainly tookcareofphysically disabled children during the polio epidemic.

“I’m 75 years old now Icall it startingthe fourth quarter,” said Manning. “When this wassuggested, Ithought this would be a really good andfun association in theyears ahead.”

Furtherexpansion

The name change comes on theheels of aflurry of expansion for the Uptown hospital, located on a sprawling campus strewn with toweringoaksand surrounded by astately brick wall.

The hospital is the flagship of LCMC Health’s eight-hospital system, and has anchored the conglomerate as amajor player in New Orleans’ health care landscape. In 2017, thehospital begana $300 million expansion,whichwas completed in 2021. It is now preparing to embark on a$250 million campaignfor phase two of that expansion

Thepediatric market is also expandinginthe state. About ayear ago, Ochsner Health announced plans for anew freestanding children’shospital on its main Jefferson Highway campus, funded withalarge gift from Saints owner Gayle Benson Such competition requires hospitals to improve their services andmarket more aggressively to patients, said Ge Bai, ahealth economist and professor at John Hopkins Carey Business School. LCMC attaching the children’shospital to afamous name is likely aresponse to that,she said.

“It’samarketingmove,” said Bai. “They wanttouse that bignametoimprove their own brand.”

Executives at Manning Family Children’s said the namechangewillhelpdistinguish the hospital from others, elevating its proﬁle so more children stay in

NewOrleans Area Deaths

LaFrance,Eve Robinson,Annabell Bailey,Alwin Obituaries Banks,Charles Barbre,Michelle Bailey,Alwin Conrad

Barraco,Mary BavaretSr.,Kenneth Bordelon,Joyce Brown,Patricia Clesi,Alden Cockerham,Martha DominickIII,Joseph DuplessisSr.,Joseph Freel,Joan JamesIII,LeRoy Kennedy,Gordon LaFrance,Eve Livas,Annie Magoffin,Julia

Oubre,Marlene Prater,Joseph Ratcliff,Jimmie Robinson,Annabell SolomonJr.,John Squire-Lewis,Emma Tillery,Walter Walters,Debra Washington,Carolyn Whitaker,Warrena WilsonJr.,Charlie EJefferson

Garden of Memories

Kennedy,Gordon Magoffin,Julia SolomonJr.,John Leitz-Eagan Freel,Joan NewOrleans

Robinson FH ;, Jeanette andMaxine Banks,aswellastwo grandchildren andtwo great-grandchildren.Rela‐tives andfriends of the family, membersofMt. Everest BaptistChurch, as wellasemployees of Eagle Packing Company, Walmart Supercenter,and Phillis Wheatley Community School, areinvited to at‐tendthe CelebrationofLife atSecondMt. CalvaryBap‐tistChurch, 2828 Fourth Street,New Orleans, LA,on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at11:00 AM.Visitationbe‐ginsat10:00 AM.Rev James Hunter,ofﬁciating. Intermentwillfollowat ProvidenceMemorialPark, 8200Airline Hwy.,Metairie, LA. Professional services entrusted to Rhodes Fu‐neral Home,3933Washing‐ton Ave.,New Orleans, LA ArrangementsbyD.W RhodesFuneralHome, 3933 WashingtonAve.Please visit www.rhodesfuneral com to sign theonline guestbook

AlwinConradBailey, age 72, abeloved andcaring husband,brother,uncle, nephew, godfather, cousin and friend,entered into eternal peaceonSunday, January 26,2025, sur‐rounded by family. He was borntothe unionofRalph RobertBaileySr. and Dorothy Miller Bailey Moore on October3,1952, inNew Orleans. He wased‐ucatedinthe OrleansPub‐lic School System andwas employedatKaiserAlu‐minum andretired from the LouisianaSuperdome Heissurvivedbyhis wife of"55 yearsoftogether

ness,"Carol Butler Bailey; mother, ShirleyRichardson Bailey; siblings,DexterSr. (Brenda), Carliss, Barry (Dimitris), DeborahJames (Robert), Ralph, Druscilla Michael,Kenneth (Michelle), Sheila Acker, Lydia Stewart, Keith, Van‐est Moore(Denise), Cyn‐thiaMoore,Synetta Alexander andThomas Moore Jr.; aunt;Regina Square; goddaughters, Chantra Bailey Washington and Deidre EvansNelson. Precededindeath by his parents,stepfather, ThomasMoore Sr.; brother Garrett D. Richardson; grandparents, Charlesand Druscilla Shelling Bailey ThelmaMiller,Thelmaand Cornelius Brown, Albert and Marzitta Williams Richardson; aunt,Albertine Cavalier; uncle, Robert Billingsly; father and mother-in-law,Jesse Sr and Lula Butler;nephew, Dominique Richardson; brothers-in-law,Jerry W. Lewis Sr.and JesseButler Jr. Relatives, friends, pas‐tor andmembers of Carver DesireBC, Franklin Avenue BC, Resurrection CC, The CaesarSuperdome (Field Crew),are invitedtoat

Barbre,Michelle Teresa Connor

state for care for complicated conditions.

“There’s confusionin themarket,”saidFragoso “What we want people to always know is that there’sa difference between acomprehensive children’shospital and aboutique department of pediatrics that’s run by an adult hospital. I think being able to help tell that story in abigger way will be part of our new relationship and partnership.”

The name change takes effect immediately,with LCMC updating signage at its main hospital and 30 satellite locations, as wellas its website and social media, starting Thursday Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate. com.

LOTTERY

TUESDAY,FEB.4,2025

PICK 3: 7-8-4

PICK 4: 1-5-6-2

PICK 5: 2-9-6-3-4

MEGA MILLIONS:

Boyd Family Bailey,Alwin Brown,Patricia Walters,Debra Charbonnet DominickIII,Joseph DuplessisSr.,Joseph DW Rhodes

tendthe CelebrationofLife Service on Saturday,Febru

ary 8, 2025, for11:00 a.m. at The Church at NewOr‐leans,11700 Chef Menteur Hwy., NewOrleans,LA 70129. Visitation will begin at10:00 a.m. Reverend James R. Willis Jr,ofﬁciat‐ing.Interment is Private. Arrangementsentrusted to The Boyd Family Funeral Home. GuestbookOnline: www.anewtraditionbegins com (504)282-0600. Linear BrooksBoydand Donavin D.BoydOwners/FuneralDi‐rectors

Banks,Charles Barbre,Michelle Squire-Lewis,Emma Estelle JWilson Banks, Charles Lee'Charlee'

Ratcliff,Jimmie Gertrude Geddes Cockerham,Martha Greenwood Bordelon,Joyce Lake Lawn Metairie Clesi,Alden MurrayHenderson Barraco, Mary F.

Livas,Annie

Tillery,Walter

River Parish

PatrickHSanders

Prater,Joseph WilsonJr.,Charlie

TreasuresLife

Oubre,Marlene

St Bernard

CharbonnetLabat

Washington,Carolyn St Tammany

Honaker

Barraco,Mary

West Bank

Mothe

BavaretSr.,Kenneth

CharlesLee Banks, Age 74, peacefully transitioned tohis heavenly home on Thursday, January16, 2025, surrounded by hisloved ones. Born on March18, 1950, to thelateJames Sr and Alma Banks, Charles was alifelongresidentof New Orleans, LA.Hewas educatedinthe NewOr‐leans Public School Sys‐tem.Charles wasem‐ployedbyEagle Packing Company,where he dedi‐cated over 40 yearsofser‐vice. Charleswas thelov‐ing anddevoted husband ofNancy Banks. Father of ArethaMiller,Kantina Banks Carter,and thelate Kevin BanksSr. Stepfather ofHenry Muse,Renfred (Taymia)Muse, Charmaine Turner, Thaddeus Terry, and Daysha London Brother of Cheryl (Irvin) Banks,Lawrence(Dorothy) Banks,and LeroyBanks Alsosurvivedby20grand‐children, 17 great-grand‐children, 1great-greatgrandchild, anda host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends.Charles waspre‐ceded in deathbyhis par‐ents, JamesSr. andAlma Banks;his son, Kevin Banks Sr.; threesisters Brenda, Ruby,and Shirley Banks;ﬁve brothers,James Jr.,GarySr.,Bernard Sr., Raymond,and Arthur Banks; twosisters-in-law,

Michelle Teresa Connor Barbrewas born on May5 1962tothe unionofDeloyd and GwendolynConnor. She left this earthfor a heavenlyhomeonJanuary 18, 2025. On June 1, 1991 she marriedMarkSteven Barbre. They createda lov‐ing home ﬁlledwith33 years of cherishedmemo‐ries, family, andfriends Michelle graduatedfrom McDonough #35Senior HighSchoolin1980. Her pursuit of educationcon‐tinuedatSouthernUniver‐sityatNew Orleansand SouthernUniversityand A&M Collegewhere she earneda Bachelor of Sci‐enceinElementaryEduca‐tionin2005. Michelle servedstudentsinBaton Rouge,Orleans,and Jeffer‐son Parish Schools. Michelle is survived by her husband,MarkBarbre; son,WindolLance Connor; mother, GwendolynCon‐nor;sister, RobinConnor, and threegrandchildren, Zyrie,Windol, Jr andAva Connor; brothers-in-law, David andMichael Barbre; sisters-in-law, Janet, Irene, and Starlett Barbre;best friends,BerthaWilliams, Wendy Petty,and Darlene Crayton-Holmesand ahost ofnieces, nephews, cousins andother friends and relatives. Michelle was precededindeath by her father, Deloyd Connor;fa‐ther-in-law,DaveBarbre; mother-in-law,Loretta Bar‐bre;brother-in-law, Manuel Barbre; twonieces, Ashley Connorand Brittany Bar‐bre,and onenephew, Corey Connor,Jr. Relatives, friends,and colleagues fromMcDonogh#26, UnitedRental, andScari‐ano/QuirchFoodare cor‐diallyinvited to attend a Homegoing Celebrationat Duplain W. Rhodes Funeral Home, 3933 Washington Ave NewOrleans,LA 70125 on Saturday,Febru‐ary 8, 2025 at 9:00 am.Visi‐tationwillbegin at 8:00 am. Interment: Lake Lawn MetairieCemetery, New Orleans,LA70124

Mary FBarraco,ofLa‐combe,Louisiana,beloved wife, mother,grand‐mother, greatgrandmother and greatgreat grand‐mother, went to hereter‐nal restingplace on Satur‐day,February1,2025. She was 81 yearsyoung.Mary was born July 25,1943, in LaurelMississippi to the LateWillisand Clotteal Folks.WhenMarywas 9 years old, thefamily moved to NewOrleans, Louisiana.In1966she mar‐riedthe Love of HerLife, Jacob Barraco. In 1971 they moved to theNorthshore and residedinLacombe She spentmanyyears as a professionalseamstress, makingcostumesfor the likes of thePureGoldBand and Pure CountryBandand enjoyedreading;but most

STAFF PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER

The Manning familyposes withLou Fragoso during theChildren’s Hospital NewOrleans’ Louisiana Legacy event at the NOWPavillion in NewOrleans on Wednesday. The event honoredthe Manning family

✦ Thursday, February6,2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

jy g; of allshe enjoyedraising her children andany other childrenthatmay have showedupather house. She also enteredintoa ce‐ramic business with oneof her good friendswhere she not only didmolds butshe was ateacher.She wonnu‐merousprizesfor her beautiful artpieces. She was apeoplepersonand it issaid, "She nevermet a stranger.". Sheadoredher familyand especially see‐ing andplaying with allher grands. Shewas preceded indeath by abother, Willis L "Lavern" Folks; andone grandchild, Roxy Wagner;; and agreat grandchild,Au‐roraFolks.Maryissurvived byher husband of 59 years, Jacob Barraco; four chil‐dren, Earl Folks(Terry), SharonFolks,Maria Bar‐raco-Bacon(Michael), JohnnyBarraco (Jackie); brother,Haskell Folks; two sisters,GoldieHayes,and Julie English(Scott);nu‐merousgrandchildren, great-grandchildren;greatgreat grandchildren, nieces, nephews, andother relatives.MemorialSer‐vices will be held on Thurs‐day,February6,2025 at Honaker FuneralHome 1751 GauseBlvdWest, Slidell, LA 70460. Visitation willbegin at 12:00 noon fol‐lowed by thememorialser‐viceat2:00pm. In lieu of ﬂowers, thefamilyrequest thatdonations be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital onbehalfofMaryBarraco Pleasevisit www.honaker forestlawn.comtosign guestbook.Arrangements byHonaker FuneralHome, Inc.,Slidell, LA

BavaretSr.,Kenneth Joseph

KennethJosephBavaret Sr.,beloved father,de‐voted husband,and re‐spected veteran, passed awaypeacefullyonJanu‐ary 31, 2025, at theage of 77. He wasbornonNovem‐ber 25, 1947, in Marrero, LA toCamille andAgatha Margie"RodrigueBavaret Kenneth is survived by his lovingwifeof57years CherylDufrenBavaret;his sonsKenneth BavaretJr. (Sharon), ScottBavaret, Derrick Bavaret(Tammy); grandchildren JeffreyBoyd Jr. (Jennifer),Kayla Bavaret Sylve (Jeremy),Casey Bavaret;great-grandchil‐drenKobe, Khloe, Harper Emmy, Kyler, Tayah; sib‐lings Yvonne Bavaret Barthelemy(John),Gary Bavaret (Cynthia), Darryl Bavaret (Mary);and sev‐eralniecesand nephews. His legacy livesonthrough his loving family andthe manylives he touched. Kenneth proudlyservedhis country as aSergeantin the United States Army.As a member of the9th In‐fantryDivision, he bravely foughtinthe VietnamWar from1967 to 1969.Follow‐ing hishonorable dis‐charge, Kennethresided in Westwego, LA,where he embarkedona career as a machinist at American ElectricPower (AEP). For overfourdecades,heap‐plied hisexpertise and hardwork, contributing signiﬁcantlytothe com‐panyuntil hiswell-de‐servedretirementin2010. His dedication to hiscoun‐try,his exceptionalwork ethic,and hisunwavering lovefor hisfamilywillbe fondlyrememberedbyall who knew him. Relatives and friendsofthe family are invitedtoattend the FuneralMassinthe chapel ofMothe FuneralHome, 7040 LapalcoBlvd.,Mar‐rero, LA 70072, on Friday, February7th,2025, at 11 a.m.Visitationwillbefrom 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. Inter‐mentwillfollowthe Fu‐neral Mass at Westlawn MemorialParkCemetery.

g up on Franklin Avenue,at‐tending OurLadyStarof the Seaelementaryschool and AnnunciationHigh School, graduating at the top of herclass.After high school, shewenttowork asa secretaryatthe Leroy Johnson Army base (Lake‐front). When thebase closedand movedthe offi‐cerstoVirginia, theoffi‐cersevenwrote hera glowing,unsolicited rec‐ommendationletter. She wenttoworkasa legal secretary at Monroe & Lemmonuntil heroldest daughterwas born.She was then astay-at-home mom,raising herthree daughters (spreadout over almost19years)and vol‐unteering in theirgrammar schoolfront officeand li‐brary.She begantranscrib‐ing courttestimony from home, readingthe notes fromthe courtreporter machines. Sheprogressed toproofreadingthose tran‐scripts anddepositions on the computer.Itwas work she trulyenjoyed,still proofreadingupuntil very recently, astoundingmany peoplethatshe would meet. Shelived in NewOr‐leans East forseveral decades,movingtoHara‐han in themid ‘90’sand thentoVille SteMarie in 2018and Francois Bend (Gonzales)in2024. Shewas the only childofFrank JosephParkerand Myrtle Schneider Parker.She is survivedbyher three daughters,Joyce Caulfield (Clarence), GeralynParent (Brett) andElizabeth Gram‐mer (Chris)and sixgrand‐children, John Parker Caulfield(Leslie), Melissa Ann Caulfield,Christopher James Parent,Jennifer Marie Parent Ward (Char‐lie), Nicholas Reagan Grammerand Alexis Lisette Grammer, onestepgrandson, Christopher Michael GrammerJr.,and fourgreat-grandchildren, AndreaElizabeth Caulfield AuriellaAnandaCaulfield, James Parker Caulfield and AmelieJoy Ward.Friends and family areinvited to the visitation on Saturday, February8,2025, at 10:00 amfollowedbya Funeral Massat12:00 pm at Green‐wood FuneralHome, 5200 Canal Blvd., NewOrleans, LA70124.Interment will be immediatelyfollowing at Greenwood Cemetery.In lieuofflowers, please con‐sider adonationtoeither StJudeChildren’sRe‐searchHospitalorChil‐dren’sHospital(200Henry ClayAve NewOrleans,LA 70118).For condolences, visit www.greenwoodfh com

Brown, Patricia AnnLampton

Patricia AnnLampton Brown, affectionallycalled “Bones” by herfamilyand Da-Rock” by allher friends.Patriciawas called toher eternalhomein heavenonSunday, January 26, 2025. Patricia wasborn June 16,1968, shewas numbersix of sevenchil‐dren. Patricia attended and graduated from L.W. Hig‐ginshighschool.She also attended JeffersonParish VocationalTechnical Schooland graduatedfrom their “CNA”Program.Patri‐cia also worked as abar attendant& hostessat WashingtonBar which brought hergreat joy meeting andgreetingpeo‐ple.She lovedmusic,danc‐ing,jokingand making peoplelaugh.Patricia leavestocherish and mourn hermemoriesher husband for10years Al‐bertV.Brown, sons Andrae Lampton Sr Antoino Lampton, AntoineLampton Sr.,LuicusJohnson (Guyana,Africa),Ray Ruf‐ﬁnJr.,and niece/daughter Felicia Lampton. Shealso leavestocherish and mourn hermemoriesher sisters that sheloved very much, Sandra Lampton, Stephanie Lampton (Steve),SheronLampton Falls (Ernest) of Jackson, Tenn, CarlaLampton Jones (DerrickSr.)brother Or‐lando Dugars (Chantelle) ofMaryland, eightgrand‐childrenand ahostof niecesand nephews. Pre‐ceded in deathbyparents ClencyLampton Sr.and CorenaGross Lampton, sis‐ter SoniaFayeLampton son Fird Grover III, and brother Clency Jr.Patricia Ann LamptonBrown is al‐ready missed by herfamily and friends. Hermemories willforever live in the heartsand mindsofthose who knew andloved her. Familyand friendsare in‐vited to attend theCele‐bration of Life Serviceon Friday,February7,2025, for

y, y, 10:00a.m.atRegular Bap‐tistChurch,901 5thStreet, Gretna, LA 70053.Visitation willbegin at 9:00 a.m. Dr T.A.Hodge,ofﬁciating. In‐terment is private. Guest‐book Online:www.anewtra ditionbegins.com(504)2820600. Linear BrooksBoyd and DonavinD.BoydOwn‐ers/FuneralDirectors

Clesi, Alden Baron

Alden Baron Clesi died Thursday, January 30, 2025, after abrief illness. Alifelong New Orleanian, he was born on February 25, 1935, the son of Providence B. Clesi and JosephClesi. He was the loving and devoted husband of Mary Lynn Miller Clesi for 68 years. During the Korean Conflict, he enlisted in the United State Marine Corps and was decorated for his service in the 1st Marine Regiment,1st Marine Division, in the DMZ. An avid outdoorsman, Mr. Clesi enjoyed summers spent at his parents' home on Sandy Hook in Pass Christian, Mississippi from 1947 until Hurricane Camille. He was predeceased by his parents, by his sisters, Marie Clesi Pershall and Eudora Clesi Roussel, his brothers, George Edward Clesi and Joseph John Clesi, his niece, Jean Providence Roussel Menard,and by his daughter-in-law, WendyElgiar Clesi. Survivors include his wife, Mary Lynn Miller Clesi, sons, Bret Alden Clesi (Patrice) and Guy Alden Clesi, his granddaughters, Victoria Aylett Clesi Mazzarell (Matthew), Caroline Alden Clesi, and Alexandra Alden Clesi, and by his great granddaughter, Eliza Aylett Mazzarell. The family wishes to express its gratitudeto Touro Infirmary and to Mr. Clesi's caregivers, Tywanna Baker and Arnaz Hammond. AMass will be celebrated at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 6, 2025, at LakeLawn Metairie Funeral Home. There will be no visitation. Burial will be private.

Martha Jane Cocker‐ham,age 91 wasbornon July19, 1933, in Zachary, LA departedthisearthly home on Monday,January 27, 2025. Shewas educated in the East FelicianaParish School System in Clinton, LA. Shewas aLicensed Practical NurseatTouro In‐ﬁrmaryHospitaland a longtimememberofthe Progressive BaptistChurch and theChoir.Marthawas the loving mother of Hazel, Williams,Sr.,Joe Cocker‐ham,CherylHowardand YvetteHarrison. Shewas alsosurvivedby15grand‐children, 32 great-grand‐children, 4great-greatgrandchildren,and ahost ofnieces, nephews, cousins,familyand friends.She waspreceded indeath by herhusband NathanCockerham;her parents WilliamHarrison and HazelHarrison; her son RaymondCockerham; her siblings Jessie, Clarence, Sr Mamieand Raymond Harrison;two grandsons Dedric Cocker‐ham andLarry Gooden; and herauntsand uncles Leola Jackson, EdithSmith Maude Chasey,RobertHar‐vey,WillieWilliam,and CalvinJackson.Relatives and friendsofthe family alsoPastor, ofﬁcers, and members of Progressive B.C., staffofCouncil on Aging,Sewerage& Water Board,Loomis Armored, Progressive Insurance, HANO, St.Margaret's DaughterHome andthe residents of theGuste Low Rise(Melphomene)are in‐vited to attend theCele‐bration on Life Serviceon Friday, February 7, 2025 at Progressive Baptist

gp Church,1214S.Robertson Street, NewOrleans,LA 70113 at 10:00a.m.Visita‐tionfrom9:00a.m.until 10:00 a.m. IntermentProvi‐dence Memorial Park,8200 Airline Drive, Metairie Louisiana 70003.A Tradi‐tionalJazzFuneral. You may sign theguest book on http://www.gertrud egeddeswillis.com Gertrude GeddesWillisFu‐neral Home Inc.,incharge (504) 522-2525

Dominick III, Joseph A.

Joseph A. Dominick III passedawayonJanuary 31, 2025 at theage of 74 Josephwas born on Febru‐ary 24,1950, in NewOr‐leans,LAtothe late Joseph, Jr.and Jeanne Bro‐yardDominick. Loving hus‐bandof49years to hiswife Kathy RousselDominick. Heissurvivedbyhis chil‐dren, JasonJoseph, Anisa Rosalie,and Melanie Teresa; grandchildren, Ros‐alie, DonIII, Tiana, and Chance. He is preceded in death by hisparents;fa‐therand mother in law, Louis Sr.and BelleOwens Roussel;sister-in -law,Bar‐baraRoussel andLouis Roussel Jr.; granddaughter, Ines AnaDavis;cousin, PamelaBroyard;and god‐son,Anthony BroyardIII. Heisalsosurvivedbyhis sister-in -law,MaryRous‐sel;nephews andnieces, Louis III, Timothy, Kevin, Suzanne,and Suzette; sonin-law, DonDavis Jr.; aunt, Joyce Broyard; cousin,An‐thony BroyardJr.;aswell asfamilyand friends everywhere.Josephgradu‐atedin1968fromJosephS Clark High School.Heen‐listedinthe Army andlater enlistedinthe Louisiana NationalGuard.Hehad a 31yearcareerasa NewOr‐leans ﬁreﬁghterand EMT. The family wouldliketo thank Dr.Brook,the Doc‐torsatVAHospitaland Fre‐seniusDialysisCenterin Algiers.Relatives,friends employees of theCityof New OrleansFireDepart‐ment, LibertyBank&Trust and Hancock- Whitney Bankare invitedtoattend the Mass of ChristianBur‐ial honoring thelifeand legacyofthe late Joseph A. Dominick, III at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 2022St. BernardAve New Orleans,LA70116 on Satur‐day February 8, 2025 at 10:00am.Visitation at 8:00am. IntermentGreen‐wood Cemetery,5190Canal Blvd.,New Orleans, LA 70124. Please sign online guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com. Face mask andsocialdis‐tancing strongly encour‐aged. Charbonnet Labat Glapion,Directors (504)581 4411

DuplessisSr.,Joseph Michael

Joseph MichaelDup‐lessis, Sr age75, anative ofNew Orleans, LA,en‐tered into thegates of heavenduringhis admis‐siontoThe Veteran'sAf‐fairs HospiceUnit, with his devoted wife Ann, by his sideonFriday, January24, 2025. Sonofthe late An‐drewJoseph, Sr.and Ida ThomatisDuplessis.He was aretired employee of P&G FolgersCoffeeCom‐panyofNew Orleans. Mr Duplessis wasjoinedin HolyMatrimony to Ann Farve in November of 1972 and to this union,two sons wereborn. In addition to his wife,survivors include his sons,JosephM.Jr. (Taieka Marie) and Matthew DavidDuplessis; grandsons,Joshua,Joseph, III and Joel Duplessis; sib‐lings,Gilda D. Toledano (Warren), MarieD.Thi‐bodeaux (Manuel),Andrew Duplessis,Jr. (Bay)and DickMartin Duplessis (Cindy);sisters andbroth‐ers-in-law, Mary F. Bailey (Earl,Sr.), Joseph B. Farve, Sr. (Doris), Lawrence A. Farve,Sr.,MargieA.Farve and RaymondSmith (the late Theresa),aswellasa

), host of nieces,nephews, other relativesand friends. In addition to hisparents, Mr. Duplessisisalsopre‐ceded in deathbyhis sis‐ter,RevaD.Duplantier(the lateDennis),motherand father-in-law,MorrisF.Sr. and Mary Pichon Farve, as wellasother dearly de‐partednieces, nephews and in-laws. Allare invited toattendthe funeral. A MassofChristian burial honoringthe life and legacyofthe late Joseph Michael Duplessis, Sr will beheldatSt. Martin De PorresCatholicChurch, 5621Elysian Fields,New Orleans,LA70122,onSat‐urday February 8, 2025 at 12noon.Interment Lake LawnParkCemetery, 5454 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans,LA70124.Visita‐tion10amwithrecitation ofthe Holy Rosary at 11 30 aminthe church.Please signonlineguestbook at www.charbonnetfuneralho me.com. Face mask and socialdistancingstrongly encouraged. Charbonnet Labat Glapion, Directors (504) 581-4411

Joan EppFreel passed awayonSunday, February 2,2025, at theage of 77 years old. Shewas pre‐ceded in deathbyher par‐ents, Lt.Cmdr. Alfred G. Epp,USN,and DorothyLe‐BretonEpp.She is survived byher belovedhusband of 55years,Charlie;her four children, EmilyBrenes (Michael),Andy(An‐gelique), Tommy(Ashley), and Jerry (Jill); hergrand‐childrenLillian,Bella,Hud‐son,Drew, David, Tucker Corinne,Ellie Mae, Jacob, and Benjamin Freel,and Paul, Mark,and Sarah Brenes; herbrother,Jimmy Epp (Patty); hersister-inlaw Lu AnnCobb; andnu‐merousniecesand nephews.Joanwas born and raised in NewOrleans and graduatedfromthe Academy of theHolyAn‐gels. Sheretired after working for26years as a PreKParaprofessionalat St. CatherineofSiena School. Joan wasanactive memberofSt. Jerome ParishinKenner, partici‐patinginmanyministries which included,among others, theFoodPantry and theAltar Society. She attended Mass as oftenas she could. Joan received the OrderofSt. Louis Medallion in 2022 in honor ofher servicetothe church. Herfaith wasvery important to herand is a lasting legacy to herfam‐ily.Joanloved gardening, reading,visitingDisney properties, andpuzzles One of herfavoritethings todowas to seevarious musicalswithCharlie in and around thecity. Most ofall,Joanloved spending timewithher familyand friends.She looked for‐wardtogathering as often aspossiblewithher 4 amazing kids andtheir 4 amazing spouses. Joan ea‐gerly anticipatedthe an‐nualfamilyvacations where all23members were together.She wasbetter known as ‘Mimi’ to herfa‐voritepeople, akathe grandkids,ofwhomshe was very proud. Mimi loved totalkabout them when she wasn’t travelingtosee themorattending various dance recitals,football games,soccergames plays,cheer anddance competitions, baseball games,rugby games, con‐certs,basketballgames, art exhibits,and Grandpar‐entsDay activities.Her pantryisstill full of Cub Scout popcornand Girl Scout cookies, andthe front of herrefrigeratoris fullofmanymementosof special timestogether. To knowJoanwas to love her, and shewillbedearly missed. Relativesand friends areinvited to at‐tendthe visitation at St JeromeCatholicChurch, 240233rdStreet,Kenner, onSaturday, February 8, 2024, starting at 11:00a.m., followedbya FuneralMass at1:00p.m.Burialwillfol‐low in Lake Lawn Park Cemetery, 5454 Pontchar‐train Blvd., NewOrleans, Louisiana.Inlieuofﬂow‐ers,the familyrequests thatdonations be made to St. Jerome Church

James III, LeRoy Leslie

LeRoy Leslie James III, a lifelong resident of New Orleans, passed away at his home themorningof January 31, 2025, at the age of 81. Born in New Orleans to the late LeRoy Leslie James Jr. and Carol Staats, LeRoy built alife filled with love and family. He is survived by his devoted wife,Rhonda Warren James, with whom he shared 37 happy years of marriage and his beloved children,Michele Gruber and Michael E. (Renee) James. He also leaves behind his brother Rodney (Donna) James. He remained afriend to his former wife, Marilyn Vickery, the mother of hischildren LeRoy will be missed by his cherished grandchildren Christian (Ray Smith) Gruber and Brent (Jacob) Gruber. His great-grandchildren,Cecily Johnson, Piper Smith, and Remy Smith, broughthim immense joy. LeRoy was also the proud uncle of Eric Pitre, Eric (Teddy McCullough) James, Connor Detiveaux, and Sophia Warren After along andfulfilling career at Metairie Bank, LeRoy embraced retirement by traveling, playing golf with the City Park Golf Club, and cheering on the New Orleans Saints and LSU Tigers football teams. He enjoyed family gatherings including those with his sister-in-law, Leslie (Chad) Detiveaux and brother-in-law, Philip (Julie) Warren. Family and friends are invited to remember LeRoy at agathering at his home on Saturday, February 15, 2025, between 11 and 2. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his honor to St. Jude Children's Hospital.

Kennedy, Gordon Patrick

Gordon PatrickKennedy lefthis earthlyhomeJanu

‐ary 25,2025. He died peacefullyinhis sleep at his home after visiting familyand friendsduring his last day. He is pre-de‐ceasedbyhis loving par‐ents, thelateJames C. Kennedy,Sr. andAnnaDale BarlowKennedy,and his brother,Captain JamesC Kennedy,Jr, USNRetired Heissurvivedbyhis sis‐ters, Patricia Kennedy, Donna KennedySpatz (Bill) and sister-in-law, Barbara BellKennedy.Heisalso survivedbyniecesStacy Adams (Steven) and TamaraBohling;nephews Jason Kennedy(Sophia) and Sean Spatz, great niecesand nephews, great-great nieceand nephews,other familyand devoted friendswho gave suchsupport to himinhis lastillness.Gordonisalso survivedbyfriends gained ineachofhis life’s adven‐tures.Gordonwas agradu‐ate of Holy CrossHigh School, NewOrleans after which he attended USL {nowULL) in Lafayette,LA and transferredtothe Uni‐versity of NewOrleans where he received his BachelorofScience Degree inEarth Sciences.Healso receivedProfessionalGeol‐ogist LicenseinTexas and Hydro-Geologist Certiﬁca‐tioninFlorida.Gordon servedaseditor, Vice-Pres‐ident andPresident of the EvergladesGeologicSoci‐ety in Ft.Meyers, FL.He was alifelongmemberof the American Geophysical Union andthe Geological Society of Americaand joinedthe NewOrleans Ge‐ologicalSociety upon his returntothe city.His pro‐fessional life beganwith offshoreworkand as aDe‐velopment Geologist.His spiritofadventure took him to SaintCroix,USVir‐gin Islandstomanage scuba diving excursions at VIDivers. After4 years Hurricane Hugo blew him toFlorida wherehis great‐est contributionswerein projectsdevelopinginfra‐structure fortreating water supply,water distri‐bution, wastewater treat

mentand disposal.Thisex

perienceled himtoan

other adventurewhenhe moved to Australiatodo similarwork. Gordon wasa true RenaissanceMan.His

Freel, Joan Epp

Cockerham, Martha Jane

Bordelon,Joyce AnnParker

JoyceAnn Parker Borde

tuee assa ce a. s love of sciencewas bal‐anced with hisloveofthe arts. He lovedmusic and was adedicated concert goerand acollector of music.Gordonloved Jazz Fest. Gordon frequented art museumsand localgal‐leries, supporting local artists whenhecould.The walls of hishomeand décor speakofhis love of several artforms.Through‐out hislifeheenjoyed the outdoors: campingand hikingtosupport hisinter‐est in birding, discovering interesting rock out‐growths andfossils and justenjoyingthe beauty of natureand capturingit withhis camera andin‐cluding tropical plants in his home environment. He was dedicatedtolearning and supporting environ‐mentalissues. During re‐tirementhebecameinter‐ested in familygenealogy, New Orleansarchitecture and trains passingnearhis home. Gordon’s gift of telling stories, relating ad‐venturesand wantingto knowwhatyou were inter‐ested in will be missedby all who know andlovehim Special thanks to theCom‐passusNursesand to the Aides from Caregivers of LA: Chantelle, Dazane and Arianne whose care was invaluableduringGordon’s lastmonthsand days.A memorialservice and gathering of familyand friends will take placeSat‐urday,February8,2025, 11 AMatGardenofMemories FuneralHome, 4900 Airline Drive,Metairie, LA,70001. Burialwillbeprivate at a later date.Inlieuofﬂow‐ers,pleaseconsidercon‐tributing in hisnameto: World CentralKitchen,go tohttps://wck.org,Donate; WYES-TVNew Orleans, 916 Navarre,New Orleans, LA 70124 or Geological Society ofAmerica,call1-303-3571000. Youwillreceive an email from GSAtomake yourdonation.

LaFrance,Eve Mae'Eva'

Eve“Eva” MaeLaFrance, atthe ageof93, went hometoJesus peacefully onTuesday,January 28 2025, at RiverbendNursing Home, Belle Chasse,La. She wasbornonJanuary 1, 1932, to theunion of Victor LaFranceSr.,and Luella StokesLaFrance. Left to cherish hermemoryisher lovingchildren, Barbara Moliere,Catherine Lumar, MarilynCaeserand Joseph LaFrance. Also left to cher‐ish hermemoryare 22 grandchildren,50greatgrandchildren and28 great-great-grandchildren, alongwithher godsonVer‐non LewisSr. Shewas pre‐deceasedbyher children: MarjorieMoliere Mitchell Washingtonand Audrey Moliere Miller,grandchil‐dren: AnaraMiller,Trinity Moliere andPatronMiller, great-grandchild: Inari YuanThomas. Parents: Vic‐tor LaFrance andLouella StokesLaFrance. Siblings: the late Rose (Enoch) Lewis,VictorLaFranceJr. Emile (Dorothy)LaFrance, Juanita (Arthur)Etienne Leanna (James Sr.) Griffin, Leona Fite andLarry LaFranceSr. Evewas the secondoldestof7 children She lovedgoing to church, she looked forwardtoit every Sunday.Being oneof the oldest,Eve wasdepen‐dentuponhelping to care for hersiblingsand other familymembers andshe did it gracefully untilshe nolongercould.Eva,with her strong faith in God, was also achoir member for Zion TravelersBaptist Church andBethlehem Baptist Choir. Shesangin the choirfor many years, often joiningher family members singingfor the Lord. Evaworkedfor the Plaquemines Parish Sher‐iffs Officeasa cook for manyyears priortoher re‐tirement. Eva’sextra spe‐cialskill were sewing and cooking. Shewould often sit forhours workingon her andher children’s clothes alongwithmany others. Sheenjoyed the times shespent in the kitchen preparingmeals for theholidayswithher mothersothatall of her familycould enjoy. She alsoloved to look at moviesthathad to do with Madea”,she wouldwatch themrepeatedlyasthough she hadseen them forthe firsttime. Shealsoloved listening to theold school gospelmusic.The family would like to thankHeart ofHospice medicalstaff and RiverbendNursing Homefor caring forEva in her last fewmonths. It is with greatappreciation

g pp that they caredfor this amazing woman, our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother,greatgreat grandmother, aunt and friend.Relatives and friends of thefamilyas wellasparishionersofall neighboring churches are invited to attend thecele‐bration of life service which will be held on Sat‐urday,February8,2025, at Bethlehem BaptistChurch, located at 111Bethlehem Lane, Braithwaite, La 70040. Thevisitationwill begin at 9a.m andthe service will beginat11 a.m.PastorMichael W. Jiles,ofﬁciating, andinter‐mentwillfollowatBethle‐hem BaptistChurchCeme‐tery. Funeralplanningen‐trusted to Robinson Family FuneralHome, 9611 LA-23, Belle Chasse,La. 70037, (504) 208-2119. Foronline condolences,pleasevisit www.robinsonfamilyfuner alhome.com

AnnieVan BurenLivas passedJan 26,2025. Leaves behinddaughterMelinda Maria Livas. Predeceased byhusband–James Lee Livas;parents Roscoe & AnnieDeBoueVan Buren; & siblings–Willie VanBuren, LillieM.Van BurenButler, & ChesterVan Buren. Fu‐neral Feb7,2025. Greater ProvidenceBC, 623New‐ton,NOLA70114.Visitation 9:30AM. Service10:00 AM IntermentLivas Cemetery Thibodaux,LA. FULL OBIT https://www.murrayhende rsonfuneralhome.com/? fh_id=12624. Professional ArrangementsMurrayHen‐dersonFuneralHome, 1209 Teche,NOLA70114.

In Loving Memory of Julia “Kip”Magoffin.The world lost abeautiful and wildspiritwiththe passing ofJulia “Kip”Magoffin on February2,2025, buther laughterand warmth will never be forgotten. She lived life on herown terms unapologeticallyfree, al‐wayschasing thenextad‐venture,and neverletting the worlddullher shine. Kip proudlyservedher country in theArmyand dedicated herlifetosaving othersasa skilledregis‐tered nurse.A gifted artist, her work wasa true reflec‐tionofher vibrantspirit and boundlesscreativity. She wasa forceofnature fromthe very start. Though she facedlosswiththe passing of herparents (Samand JuliaMagoffin) and belovedbrother (“BBoy”),she carriedtheir memoriesinevery step of her journey. Sheissur‐vived by hertwo sisters, SamiJoMagoffin and PamelaYarborough(Jim), her nieceand nephew Cyn‐thiaClaxton and Wayne May,and great-niece SamanthaSonnenberg. Her greatestjoy washer fam‐ily,and sheleavesbehinda legacyofloveand re‐silienceinher daughter Kalin Pedalino Freyholtz, her wonderfulson-in-law JosephFreyholtz,and her favoritegrandchildren,Jor‐dan andCasey Pedalino She also leaves behind her three great-grandchildren, Eli,Joey, andOwenPed‐alino,who were herhappy place.She adored them be‐yondwords.Her beautiful smile litupevery room,her laughterwas contagious and herstories—wild, won‐derful, andsometimes a littleunbelievable, will be passeddownfor genera‐tions.Julia “Kip”Magoffin taughtusall to be bold,to lovefiercely,and to never takelifetoo seriously. In her honor, we will sharea story andcelebrate the freespiritthatshe was. Her family will hold acele‐bration of life at theBeau Jardin, Natchitoches River‐bankinNatchitoches, Louisiana.The family asks thatall who knew and lovedKip honorher mem‐

p orybyembracing life’s ad‐ventures, dancingunder the stars, andnever hold‐ing back asmile.Online condolences maybeof‐fered at www.gardeno fmemoriesmetairie.com

Oubre, MarleneBrown

MarleneBrown Oubre, 87, of Vacherie,Louisiana, passedawayonMonday, February3,2025. Marlene was born on June 7, 1937 in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is theoldestofher sib‐lings,the late Robert Brown, Jr.(Marvis), Brenda Oubre Comeaux(thelate Joseph) of NewOrleans, Verna Oubre LeDoux (Bernard) of Austin,Texas, and ClaudetteOubre Can‐non (Lonnie) of Austin, Texas.After graduating fromMagnoliaHigh School,she begana career asa seamstress.Marlene was marriedthe late John Oscar Oubre. To this union ﬁve children were born, Revs. Michael(Melba) Oubre,JohnEric(Grace) Oubre,Donovan Oubre, TheronOubre,and Shawn Oubre.Marlene is survived byher children,grandchil‐dren, great-grandchildren, sisters,sister-in-law brothers-in-law,a host of niecesand nephews, cousins,and friends. Mar‐lenewas predeceasedby her parents, Robert Brown, Sr. andHilda Glaude Brown Oubre;stepfather, Clovis Oubre;and brother, Robert Brown, Jr.A public gather‐ing of family andfriends willbeheldonThursday, February6,2025from5:007:00pmatTreasures of Life FuneralServices, 315E.Air‐lineHwy Gramercy,La 70052. AMassofChristian BurialwillfollowonFriday, February7,2025atSt. James Catholic Church 6613Highway 18,St. James, LA70086 for11am. with visitationfor 9amto11 am. IntermentSt. Philip Catholic Church Cemetery 1175Highway 18,Vacherie, LA70090.Final care en‐trusted to TreasuresofLife FuneralServices, 315E.Air‐line Hwy.,Gramercy, LA 70052. “Whensomeone you lovebecomes amemory, thatmemorybecomes a Treasure”

Bro. Joseph E. Prater,86, ofMetairie, Louisiana, transitionedfromEarth to Glory on February 1, 2025 Hewas born on April5 1938, anativeofWoodville Mississippi anda resident ofMetairie, Louisiana. He lived afulfillinglifefilled withlove, laughter,and cherished memories.Bro Praterwillalwaysbere‐membered forhis kind heart,unwavering faith, and gentle spirit.Heleaves tocherish hisemories,his beloved wife Dorothy Praterof55years,three Sons, Robert Rowe (Clara), Stephan Stovalland Kevin M.Prater. TwoDaughters JeanetteChakrabarti (Ran‐jit), Warneida Carter (Mar‐lon). BroPraterisalsosur‐vived by 5Grandchildren and 1Great Grandson and a Sister-in-lawOra Prater ofNew Orleans, LA.Healso leavesa host of nieces nephews,cousins,other relatives,and friends. He was preceded in deathby his parents, Lela Walker, and Walter Eugene Prater ofWoodville Mississippi One son, Darren Stovall, Two Sisters, VelmaLorine PraterWesleyand Octavia Stewman,Two Brothers, JohnEdwardPrater, and Charles Prater.Relatives and Friendsofthe Family, Pastors,Officers andmem‐bersofHillofZionBaptist Church andall neighboring Churches areall invitedto dh lb if

Cu cesa ea vted to attend theCelebration of Life Serviceat10:00am on Saturday, February 8th, 2024, at Hill of Zion Baptist Church 1413 S. Dilton Street, Metairie LA 70003 PastorAstersE.Dixon-ofﬁ‐ciating.Viewing andVisita‐tion8:00amuntil 10:00am. Celebration of Life 10:00 am. Interment, Southeast Louisiana Veterans Ceme‐tery, Slidell, LA.Final ArrangementsEntrusted to Patrick HSanders Home & FuneralDirectors,LLC.605 MainStreet, Laplace, LA 70068. “Providing Care & Comfort is OurHighest Mission."

Ratcliff, JimmieLouis

JimmieLouis Ratcliff, entered eternalreston January 22,2025athis resi‐dence at theage of 84.Son ofthe late Emilia Glofﬁa Ratcliffand PeterRatcliff. Husband by 1stmarriage the late BettyP.Fineand 2nd Marriage thelateBev‐erlyJeanC.Vallery-Ratcliff. FatherofTonyRatcliff, Kenneth A. Vallery, Gregory Vallery Sr.DeniseVallery LolitaR.Vallery andthe lateMichael Fine andDar‐ryl Vallery. Brotherof Odeal Robertson, Leola Kelly,bothofTexas,and the late FrankRatcliff, Ellis Ratcliff, Joe Ratcliff, Glo Sumlinand AliceCarter. Sister-in-law of Geneva Ratcliff. Father-in-lawof Carol AnnBernard,Wendy Williams andthe late An‐dreaWashington. Care‐taker,Eschette M. Carter Grandfather of thelate Tony-BoochieJones,She‐lita-Bee Vallery, Michael Coo Bernard, andJermaine Vallery.Alsosurvivedbya hostofgrandchildren great grandchildren, and cousins.Relatives and friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend theGrave‐sideService on Friday Feb‐ruary 7, 2025 for10:30 a.m. atProvidence Memorial ParkCemetery8200Airline Dr. Metairie,La. 70003 ArrangementsByEstelle J. Wilson FuneralHome, Inc. 2715Danneel St.NOLA 70113, Information: (504) 895-4903.Tosignonline guest book please visit www.estellejwilsonfh.com.

Annabell Robinson was bornJuly3,1952inNew Or‐leans,La. to theunion of HuitJohnson Sr.Elvina (Parker)Johnson Annabell was adutiful mother of (2) children, Delvin &Ciara Robinson; grandchildren Jaden &DelvinJr. Shewas baptizedatanearly age. She became amemberat SecondZionBaptist Church in 2010. Sheleaves tocherish memories with her sister DoloresFortune and brotherLarry Johnson (Myrietta). Sheleftbehind 2 brothers,HuitJohnson Jr (Theresa) Milton Johnson (Gylniss),and host of nieces, nephewsand cousins.Annabell wasa faithfulemployeeofWest Jefferson MedicalCenter, and after48years of ser‐viceshe retiredasDietary Supervisor. Annabell wasa cornerstone of love,re‐silienceand devotion to her family andfriends.Rel‐atives andfriends of the

atives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend the celebrationoflifeser‐vicewhich will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2025 atSecondZionBaptist Church, 6520 Second Zion Avenue, Marrero, La.The visitationwillbegin at 9:00 a.m.and theservice will begin at 10 a.m. Bishop NelsonJ.Brown ofﬁciating and intermentwillfollow atCookCemeteryin Phoenix,La. Funeralplan‐ningentrusted to Robinson FamilyFuneralHome, 9611 LA-23,Belle Chasse,LA 70037, (504)208-2119. For onlinecondolences,please visit www.robinsonfamilyf uneralhome.com.

SolomonJr.,John'Dennis'

John “Dennis” Solomon, Jr.,79, enteredthe pres‐enceofhis Lord andSavior peacefullyonThursday, January 30,2025. He was borninBirmingham, Al‐abama on March27, 1945 Helived in Kenner, Louisiana forthe past 55 years.Denniswas amem‐ber of Memorial Baptist ChurchinMetairiefor the past48years.Hewas ade‐voted follower of Jesus Christand served as an ac

tivedeacon. Dennis wasa memberofthe Memorial Baptist School Boardashe was dedicatedtoensuring thatchildrenwerepro

vided educationina Chris

tianenvironment.Hewas precededindeath by his parents,JohnDennisand Irma Baxter Solomon. He is survivedbyhis loving wife of52years,Cynthia Nillen Solomon;fatherofDenise and John (Mandy) Solomon;grandfather of Chloe andBlaineSolomon; brother of Don(Sarah) Solomon;and nieces and nephews.Dennisretired fromOMNIManufacturing Heenjoyed photography, working with computers and computer networking for many years. Thankyou tothe caregivers of Heart ofHospice,HomeInstead, and SelﬂessCare, LLC, for their kind andcompassion‐ate care over thepast months. Thefamilywould liketoextendtheir appre‐ciation to themanyfriends ofMemorialBaptist Church for theirlove, prayers, and support.You areinvited to celebrate hislifeonSatur‐day,February8,2025, at MemorialBaptist Church 5701VeteransMemorial Blvd.,Metairie, Louisiana 70003. Visitation will be heldat10:00 AM with a service at 12:00noon cele‐brating hislifeand honor‐ing hisLord. Intermentto followatGardenofMemo‐riesCemetery, 4900 Airline Drive,Metairie, Louisiana 70001.

Emma LeeSquire-Lewis, a belovedresidentofNew Orleans,LA, passedaway peacefullyonJanuary 28, 2025, at theremarkable age of 109. Emma wasa treasured matriarch, alov‐ing mother,and agrand‐motherwho dedicatedher lifetotakingcareofher family. Shewas atruebea‐con of light. Shewalked through life with agentle strengthtouchingthe lives ofeveryoneshe encoun‐tered with herunforget‐table grace. Sheleavesbe‐hinda legacy of love and compassionthatwillfor‐everbecherished by those who knew her. Emma was bornonNovember17, 1915 tothe unionofMarkSr. and JosephineSquireof Deerford (Zachary)LA. She was theeldestofsix chil‐drenand shewas theonly girl. Sherelocated to New Orleans in 1931, with her family, whereshe re‐maineda resident.She ac‐ceptedChristatanearly age andwas adevoted memberofJames Chapel Baptist Church forover fourdecades,serving as a deaconess andsharing her lovefor Godwithall those around her. Thejoy of the Lordwas herstrength. Her greatestaccomplishment was beinga devoted motherand grandmother. She wasthe proudmother ofsix children,three sons and threedaughters.She dedicated herlifetobeing a loving mother anda cherished grandmother, spanningsix generations. Her utmost priority wasal‐waystakingcareofher familyand providingthem withunwaveringsupport and unconditionallove. Her roleasa mother extended beyondher immediate family, as shewas aƯec‐tionately referred to as MoMe”bymany. Her strength, love andwords of encouragement will for‐everechointhe hearts of those whoknewher MoMe’simpactonher familyand friendswas im‐mense,asshe touchedthe lives of countlessindividu‐als with herkindnessand compassion. Hernurturing spiritand selﬂessdedica‐tiontoher familymadeher truly special. In herlife‐time, shefaced many trials withunwaveringstrength and grace. Shewas pre‐ceded in deathbyher par‐entsJosephine andMark SquireSr.,her grandpar‐ents, Issacand Martha Squire, Louisand Harriet Johnson,her brothers Joseph, Johnny,MarkJr., Fredrickand EddieSquire, her sons,James Anderson Sr. andHenry Fletcher,her grandchildren,James Jr., Herbert,and ChrisAnder‐son,DwayneWashington Sr. andAlbertLewis Jr her great grandsons, Mitchel Smith andJason Anderson, Her great-greatgrandchil‐dren, JasmineAnderson and Shad Grigleyand her son-in-lawGlenHenry.She leavesbehinda legacy of lovethrough herchildren, Carolyn Anderson,Rose Henry,JoAnn Cagnolatti and Albert (Linda)Lewis Sr., agranddaughter she

Livas, AnnieVan Buren

Prater,JosephE

Magofﬁn,Julia 'Kip'

Robinson,Annabell

It’sunfortunate that Mayor LaToyaCantrell suddenly foundathrifty boneinher body when it comes to NewOrleans schoolchildren. After all, this is the mayor who has charged the city thousands for ﬁrst-class travel.

Yetlast week, Cantrell, withnowarning,announced that the city would not honora $20 millionsettlement agreementithad madewith theOrleansParishSchool Board to end alongrunninglegal battle over the city’s mishandling of tax revenue that shouldhavegonetothe school district.

Thecitysimply can’tafford it,Cantrell argues. Toobad forthe schoolchildren who could face cuts to essential programs. Toobad for the teachers who could lose theirjobs.

The mayor’sbackpedal couldn’t come at a worsetime for New Orleansschools, as the charter network faces abudget shortfall that could reach $50 million due toan accountingerror that came to light in thefall. Schoolleaders say the city’ssettlement money wascrucial to ﬁlling that gap.

No one saw this coming. The mayor’speople were in the room when the settlementwas agreed upon. The CityCouncil approved it. There were news conferences in whichall parties touted it. Questions didn’t arise until the citymissed adeadline for theﬁrst $10 million paymentatthe end oflast year.Now themayor allegesthere was neveradeal to begin with.

City Council members, bafﬂed by Cantrell’s latebreaking recalcitrance, havevowed totake the matter to court to force the mayortouphold the deal. But it should never have come to this Cantrell’s chaotic leadership stylehas been apparentfromthe outset.Her backtracking on fundsfor ajail expansion for inmateswith mentalhealth issues ultimately landed in court and the citylost. Her mismanagementofthe contract to operate ahomeless shelterleftthe city scrambling. But we thought she’d have more consideration when it came to the needs of New Orleans’children.

Even though Cantrell says she’sworkingon anew deal, it’s unconscionablethat themayor would seek to jeopardize funding forprograms like ThriveKids, an innovativepartnership with Children’sHospital New Orleansfor mental health services in schools, or theNew Orleans Career Center,which offers free traininginjob skills to high schoolers.

It is particularly sad to us that amayor who arrived on the scene with so much promiseasa community organizer in thewakeofHurricane Katrina will leave ofﬁce next year with alegacy of so many unnecessary andcounterproductive ﬁghts

As New Orleans chooses anew mayor this year,perhaps one of the mostimportant things voters can look for is aleader whowill keep their word. It’sclearCantrell is not suchaleader,and thecityisworse for it

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet 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.

‘The

problemisnot the library’ in Livingston

What theeditorial on Livingston Parishlibraries failed to mention is that every single member of the Livingston ParishLibrary Alliance is aresident of Livingston Parish. In fact, almost all, including me, were born and raised here and we work here. We are Livingston Parish. We are mothers, fathers, grandparents, educators, ﬁrst responders, servers, counselors, librarians, homemakers, health care professionals, Sunday school teachers, machinists,attorneys, etc. who all love our library

We are an organization of residents, created to defend our library from outside attacks, that does no fundraising and takes no money from any outside sources. We have a budget of zero. We are united with a common love of literacy and upholding the Constitution.

The outside activists are theones leading thecharge against our library.Tonot clarify this fact is adisservice to the community of Livingston Parishand to those of us pushing to save our library from people who do not even utilize its resources.

This editorial suggests that the pa-

trons who value and support libraries have lost their trust in libraries, but thenumbers say otherwise. The Livingston ParishLibrary statistics in every category improved, with a record-breaking year of checkouts, attendance at programming and increased participation in reading challenges.

When library services were cut by board memberswith their own personal agendas, thecommunity rallied and spoke out.Hundreds of emails and calls were placed to the ParishCouncil to restore ourlibrary board back to normal because we love and support the library and our library workers. Iamalifelong Livingston Parish resident.Ivalue and support the library.Ihave not lost faith in the library —not once. What Ihave lost is trust in Louisiana legislators and leaders whoconsort with extremists and whowork against thecommunities and laws they were elected to support. The problem is not thelibrary AMANDAJONES co-founder,Livingston Parish LibraryAlliance

Regarding the France Road Transitional Center for the unhoused, my biggest concern with this is the incredible amount of money being spent for one or two months. At $16 millionjust for the lease for two months, this comes to $80,000 per person for the 200 people it purports to serve. Why is no one speaking about this? And does the $16 millioninclude the services? The reporting stated it was forthe lease. This is an insane number,even if it includes the services. Most of us don’t make $80,000 per year.Imagine what we should be able to do for an unhoused person with $80,000. They could have a person assigned to work with them fulltime for ayear to help them secure what they need to improve their lives. Instead, we are warehousing them for amonth or two for this amount or even more?

In addition, based on its website, Workforce Group has no experience running ahomeless shelter.They have provided assistance to run programs like The Road Home, but not direct services to unhoused individuals.

This is aset-up for acomplete disaster, waste of timeand money and aterrible atrocity for those who end up there not to mention, an incredible windfall for those getting paid, i.e. Workforce Group and the Port of NewOrleans. Icannot even begin to describe my disgust and anger right now

ANGELE GIVENS NewOrleans

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

In this time of corporate welfare and gaping wealth disparities in our population, one hopes to see the regular guy prevail and thepowerful show some heart, at least every now and then. There is aDavid-and-Goliath story playing out right under our noses in historic Holy Cross. Without public input,without safety or quality-of-life research, Port NOLA has entered into alease with Sunrise FoodsInternational. This Canadian bulk grain company is poised to repurpose and expand theAlabo Street Wharf to accommodate oceangoing ships carrying bulk grain. The bulk grain will then be loaded onto train cars. Long dormant railroad tracks are being refurbished to carry thebulk product through the Holy Cross neighborhood within 15 feet of existing houses. That work is underway

The train continues twice daily to St.Claude Avenue, resulting in 22 new rail crossings requiring whistle signals. For fourconsecutive port meetings, gut-punched homeowners have pleaded their cases to vague nodding, not one verbal acknowledgment and certainly no movementonbehalf of Holy Cross. The process reveals an agonizing display of indifference by the very community leaders who are the commissioners of the New Orleans PortAuthority. Lossofpropertyvalues, degraded air quality,noise pollution andincreased safety issues are acertainty.Asneighbors, we help each other Who helps you when yourown civic leaders have sold you downthe river?

KATHLEEN

LAVIGNE NewOrleans

Iamwriting to request that this newspaper explain how the brewpub proposed by the Jefferson Parish Council is supposed to work.

Speciﬁcally,was there alow-bid procedure followed? How was Port Orleans Brewery chosen as the operator of the brewpub? Is its proﬁt shared with the parish?

Tenmillion dollars seemslike alot of money forthe parish to spend on a private business. Are other businesses allowed to have $10 million of taxpayer money invested in them?There have been numerous articles regarding the resulting controversy with the inspector general, but Ihave not seen any clear description of how this funding would work. Please illuminate this subject foryour readers.

BRUCEBAIRD NewOrleans

Invoting for PresidentDonald Trump’smost outlandish executive branchnominees, U.S. Sen.Bill Cassidy of Louisiana blew it. For the electorally pressured Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge, doing the right thing,counterintuitively, might also have proved to be the politically savvy thing.Instead, he chose the short-term political salve of bowing to Trump —especially by votingto conﬁrm horrendous Healthand Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr rather than following what his conscience and long experience as apracticing physicianshouldhavedictated.

The senator is in an obviouspolitical bind. Facing aperilous Republican primary in April 2026, Cassidy is an effective, traditional conservative whois being pressured by MAGA radicalism.

Conventional wisdom holds that Cassidy, who has arecord of at leastsome independencefrom Trump, has no more margin for error.IfCassidyhad voted against any of Trump’snominees, or if otherwise crosses the president in any public way, then most pundits think his political doom would be virtually sealed.

Conventional wisdom, however,may bewrong. If apostasy from Trumpisapolitical killer for Republicanofﬁceholders, then Cassidy is already awalkingdead man despite his campaign’s$6.6 million cashonhand. By pundits’ reckoning, asenator already censured by his own state party’sexecutive committee for failure to toe Trump’sline in 2021, when he was less powerful and popular than heisnow,would be hard-pressed to win a Republican primaryanyway against aMAGA torch-beareralready holding statewide ofﬁce. Assuaging the fury of MAGA voters would be nearly impossible. Then again, political fortunes can change remarkably quickly.InMarch of 1991, President GeorgeH.W.Bush luxuriated in national approval ratings of 89%.Fourteen months later,his approval had tanked to 40%.InJuly1976, challenger Jimmy Carter led incumbent President Gerald Ford by 33 polling points. Just three months later,Ford

RobertF.KennedyJr.,right, President Donald Trump’snominee to serve as SecretaryofHealth and Human Services, talks with CommitteeChairmanSen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, followinghis testimony during aSenate Committee on Health, Education, Laborand Pensions hearing for his pending confirmation on Capitol Hill last week.

camewithin 18,488 votes (in Ohio and Hawaii, combined) of winning reelection. By the second year of their terms, presidents often are far less popular, even in their own parties, than when they were elected. This especially could provetrue for thevolatile Trump. IfTrump’strade wars cause major domestic economic problems, and if heavy-handedand arguably unconstitutional executive orders cause major disruption in social systems that affect themiddle class —both of which easily couldhappen —then aCassidy record of sober andprincipled independence from Trumponoccasional issues, combined with effective support for conservative policies in general, could look good, not bad, to primary voters. This doesn’tmean Cassidy should adopt the showy,politically kamikaze tactics against Trumpof, say,former Rep. LizCheney of Wyoming. It does, though, mean thoughtfulindependence could make himlook strong and wise compared tothe lickspittle obeisance of somanyotherRepublicans. Likewise, if Cassidy had voted against someofTrump’struly outlandish nomi-

nees who end up conﬁrmed anyway, such as Kennedy or Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, thelikelihood of MAGA voters still being angry in 14 months isn’thigh. But if he had voted against anominee who then makes agrievous error,Cassidy would have become the rare standout withthe courage and foresight to have stood athwart MAGAworld saying, “Stop!”

If that sort of approach won’twork, then Cassidy isn’tgoing to be reelected anyway.Cassidy’sbrand is that of steadiness and studiousness, and it’stoo late now to change it. Most voters detest inauthenticity

Either way,ifbylate autumn Cassidy is suffering in Republican Party polls, he could forego reelection entirely There are worse things at age 69 than retiring on one’sown terms from a second stint in theU.S. Senatewhile knowing one followed one’sconscience all along.

As conservative intellectual lodestar Edmund Burke said, an elected representative’s“unbiased opinion, his mature judgment,his enlightened conscience, he ought not to sacriﬁce to you, to any man, or to any set of men living…. Your representative owesyou, not his industry only,but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacriﬁces it to your opinion.”

Much moreshould be written about how appalling achoice RFK Jr.was but no intelligent person should believe his conﬁrmation-eve conversions on vaccination and other issues on which Cassidy himself expressed deep concern. Andnobody honestly believes Dr Cassidy believes it. He should not have betrayed his earlier,correct skepticism. In thelong run, Cassidy can never out-MAGA aLouisiana opponent. But if he foregoes reelection in 2026 and thus avoids aloss that saps his political mojo, and if Trump’sadministration by 2028 has proved an unmitigated disaster then Cassidy could be well-positioned for even higher ofﬁce. Conscience then would have served him well indeed. If only

Quin Hillyer is acolumnist and editorial writer for The TimesPicayune |The Advocate. He can be reached at quin.hillyer@TheAdvocate. com

One of the things that frustrates so many people about Washington is its dysfunction. We are paying moreand getting less. Another day older and deeper in debt as an old song goes. The cost, bureaucracy and government’sfailure to produce manyresults despite the promises of politicians feeds the cynicism manyfeel about the capital. That may be about to change as the Trump administration followsthrough on its pledge to deport undocumented immigrants, some of whom have been convicted or charged with the mostheinous crimes.

It didn’ttake long for the Trump Justice Department to launchanall-out war against what it considers the deep state.

The departmentsummarily informed senior ofﬁcials in the divisions that oversee civil rights and environmental enforcementthat theywere being transferred to anewly created ofﬁce to take action against sanctuary cities. The career lawyers were told they could either accept the reassignment or face disciplinary action, including removal.

The transfers, involving at least six members of the nonpartisan Senior Executive Service with decadesof experience in their areas of expertise, represent an unprecedented and unwise intervention into the topmost ranksofthe civil service.

These are, by and large,nonpartisan experts in their ﬁelds, traditionally servingfrom administration to administration regardless of which party is in power.The Trump Justice Department’sactions, targeting four SES section chiefs in the Environment and Natural Resources Division and at least two additional ofﬁcials in the Civil Rights Division, violate the long-standingpracticethat these professional attorneys carry over notwithstanding changes in administration.

tobepartofthe Sanctuary City Working Group, effective today,” the individuals were informed Calling the “Department of Government Efﬁciency”: Putting so many members of the department’selite corpsofSES employees in this one smallareamakes no logical or administrative sense.

“It’spotentially cripplingtogovernment operations and will put communitiesacrossAmericaatrisk if the Trump administration removes allthe senior leadership ofa particular agency or department,” saidDavid M. Uhlmann, whoserved as chief of theEnvironmental Crimes Section at Justice from 2000 to 2007 andlater as assistant administrator for enforcement and complianceassurancefor theEnvironmental Protection Agency under President Joe Biden. “This has never happenedbefore.”

President,” the documentstates. Thetransferswill be difficulttofight. Federal lawimposes a120-daymoratorium on reassignments of members of theSenior Executive Serviceaftera newadministration takes charge.But that moratorium only kicks in after the department head is confirmed, meaning that actingofficialsappear to have the authority to order themoves, according to experts on civil service protections TheDOJ declined to comment.

The move follows the earlier transfer to the sanctuary cities ofﬁce of senior ofﬁcialsinthe department’snational security and criminaldivisions, some of whomwere involved in the August 2022 search of Donald Trump’sresidence at Mar-a-Lago.

As chillingasthe Trump Justice Department’searlier moves were, given howtheyconcentrated on thosewho hadcrossed Trump personally, the assaults against the civil rights and environmentaldivisions are disturbing in adifferentway,signaling an effort to quicklyundermine,ifnot neuter, the professional attorneys whohave been faithfully executingthe laws from president to president.

Anew administration of adifferent party is fully entitled to adoptdifferent enforcementpriorities. Electionshave consequences; such changesare in the normalcourse of business.

Worse, the actions constitute adramatic misuse of government resources. It takes the senior brain trust of key parts of the departmentand places them in an area in which theyhave no expertise. Many will leave the government, as their experience and specialized skills will be highly valued at private ﬁrms. Running the experts offis, of course, one goal of the Trump purge

“Please accept this email as notice that you are being reassignedtothe Ofﬁce of the Associate AttorneyGeneral

In addition, thedepartmentﬁred outright the chief immigration judge and other ofﬁcials involvedinthe immigrationcourtsystem, actions that appear to run afoul of the legal requirement that employees receive at leasttwo notices of poorperformancebeforethey canbedismissed.

On his first day in office, Trump issued an orderentitled“Restoring accountability for career senior executives,”asserting that he possesses the constitutional authority to remove members ofthe SeniorExecutiveService,whichcurrentlynumbers just under 8,000.“Because SESofficialswield significant governmental authority, they mustserve at thepleasure of the

While much of the Justice Department’sbusiness continuesnomatter whoiselected,the civil rights andenvironmental divisionsinparticular have historically been subjected to more turmoil andturnoverthaninother,less ideologically fraught areas.Thatwas true eight yearsago,asthe Trump administration took over from the Obama Justice Department.

But Trump 2.0 is shaping up to be a more ruthlesslyeffectiveversion of its predecessor.Itiswillingtobarrel through norms in pursuit of its agenda; it is contemptuousofthe bureaucracy anddeterminedtomakelife as miserable as possible for those who haddedicated theirlives to public service. This, Ifear,isonly the start.

Ruth Marcus is on X, @RuthMarcus.

Democrats and the lefthave been mostly silent about these deportations. One exception is singer Selena Gomez,who posted avideo of herself crying and expressing empathy for“the children” (adult criminals are the targets fordeportation). She quickly took downthe video after receiving a torrent of criticism.

Border Czar TomHoman wondered why Gomez is only now speaking out: “Where are her tears forthe hundreds of thousands of Americans whohave died from fentanyl coming across the southern border?” Good question.

The decline in those migrant numbers has been dramatic and can only be credited to President Donald Trump’sswift fulfillment of his campaign promise. Fox News —the only media outlet to have consistently covered the border problem to the shameof others —reports fewerthan 600 people crossed illegally into the U.S. from Mexico on arecent Sunday.The decline in numbers will makethe job of the Border Patrol much easier These lower numbers contrast significantly from the previous administration. In the final days of the Biden administration between 1,200 and 1,400 per day werecoming in. Biden officials wereclaiming the border was “secure,” even when photographs clearly showed it wasnot.

Newlyconfirmed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem joined ICEagents on raids in NewYork. She said “Dirtbags like this will continue to be removed from our streets.” New York City Mayor Eric Adams, after at first pledging to protect migrants and offering them free hotel roomsand other benefits as part of his “sanctuary city”policy now seemstohave stepped back. He recently met with President Trumpwhich has led to speculation that Adamsmay be seeking apardon from his recent criminal indictments in exchange forsoftening his opposition against deportation. Adamsisupfor reelection in November and manyNew York Democrats have been critical of what they see as his cozying up to Trump.

It’s not only the approach to border security that has changed since Trumptook ofﬁce. The new secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, is dismantling DEIatthe Pentagon and throughout the military ranks. Trumpsigned moreexecutive orders that included banning transgender Americans from the military and restoring troops whoweredischarged forrefusing to take COVID-19 vaccinations, back pay included. Another executive order is intendedtoestablish the development of an American version of Israel’sIron Dome missile defense system.Trumpgave credit to Ronald Reagan forthe concept, but said the technology wasn’tsufﬁcient in the 1980s to develop it. He said that technology now exists.

It’s not only the speed with which Trumpis addressing these issues —and polls indicate amajority approve —it’sthe feeling that something positive is ﬁnally being accomplished in Washington, which fortoo long has seemed stagnant and unable (or unwilling) to change things that don’twork in favor of what does.

Even those whohave been and remain critical of Donald Trumpcan’tignore success, which Trumphas said would be his best “revenge” against those whohave tried to defeat him through impeachments, indictments, atrial and two apparent assassination attempts.

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditorstribpub.com

Quin Hillyer

Cal Thomas

Ruth Marcus

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

RODLAMKEY,JR.

NewOrleans Forecast

and KC!)Next week, thepatternlooks to change, which will bringrain and storms to the area on Tuesday.

raised TrinaLewis,numer‐ous grandchildren, greatgreat grandchildren, greatgreat-great grandchildren and ahostofnieces, nephews,family and friends.Relatives and friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend theFuneral Service at JamesChapel B.C 4228 Thalia St.New Orleans,LA70125 on Satur‐day,February8,2025 at 10:00 am.Visitationwill begin at 9:00 am.Inter‐ment: Mount Olivet Ceme‐tery. Arrangements by D.W. RhodesFuneralHome, 3933 WashingtonAve.Please visit www.rhodesfuneral. com to sign theonline guestbook

Walter

Walter Tillerypassed Jan 29, 2025.Leavesbe‐hind, children,LisaTillery Browning, Gwendolyn(Be Lawrence) Bethly,JD (Renee) Williams,& ArthurineColeman;sib‐lings Clovis (Ora Mae) Tillery &BettyeTillery Cleveland;& godchild KaiValHoward. Prede‐ceasedbywife–Beaulah Mae Tillery; parents–Walter & AnnieMae Tillery; daughters–JoanMarie Lee & JoyceDaniels;son-inlaw–Jesse Browning;sib‐lings–Alton Tillery, Leo Rogers (Barbara) Tillery Sr.,& Rose MarieHawthorne; &1 grandson.Fu‐neral Feb7,2025, Morning StarBC, 1000 Walkertown, Marrero,70072.Visitation8 AM. Service10AM. Inter‐mentRestlawn, 3540 US-90, Avondale, 70094. FULL OBIT https://www.murrayhende rsonfuneralhome.com/? fh_id=12624.Professional ArrangementsMurrayHen‐dersonFuneralHome, 1209 Teche,NOLA70114

BeloveddaughterDebra Ann Walterswas called home to gloryonJanuary 25, 2025, to be reunited withthe Lord.She was bornonJuly21, 1956. She leavestomourn her motherBetty Walters, sis‐ter;JoanWalters,nephew; Lawrence, niece; Ashley and severalgreat nieces and nephews: Mikala,Ava, Kylin,and Jaiden.She was precededindeath by her fatherJohn Joseph Wal‐ters, maternal grandpar‐ents, LillianColeman Bertrand andOscar BertrandSr.,and herpater‐nal grandparents,Albert Fernandez Waltersand Josephine PearlWalters Family, friendsand class‐mates of FrancesT NichollsHighSchooland employees of CallsPlusare invited to attend theCele‐bration of Life Serviceon Friday, February 7, 2025, for 1:00p.m.atThe Boyd Fam‐ily FuneralHome, 5001 Chef Menteur Hwy, NewOr‐leans,LA70126.Visitation willbegin at 12:00p.m Christopher Bertrand,ofﬁ‐ciating.Interment is pri‐vate. GuestbookOnline: www.anewtraditionbegins com (504)282-0600. Linear BrooksBoydand Donavin D.BoydOwners/FuneralDi‐rectors

ary29, 2025. Carolynwas bornonJuly28, 1953 to the lateJames andIrma Lenaris Washington.She is survivedbya loving daughter, KaylaAnderson; siblings, James, Lionel (Michelle), Leonard(Dare), John(Abigail) andTerry Washington. In addition to her parents, sheisalso precededindeath by her beloved sister,Gloria WashingtonMooreand her soulmate, Milton “Mootie” JosephAnderson. Allare invited to attend thefu‐neral.A Celebrationser‐vicehonoringthe life and legacyofthe late Carolyn P.Washingtonwillbeheld atCorinne Missionary Bap‐tistChurch,5620E.Judge Perez Drive, Violet,LA 70092 on Saturday,Febru‐ary 8, 2025 at 10 am,Dr. JohnBailey, Jr., Host Pas‐tor,Rev.RonnieLondon, PastorofSecondMission‐ary BaptistChurch,Ofﬁci‐ating.Interment Merrick Cemetery, 7405 E. St Bernard Highway, Violet, LA. Visitation 9aminthe church.Pleasesignonline guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com. Face mask andsocialdis‐tancing strongly encour‐aged. Finalarrangements entrusted to Charbonnet FamilyServices, 4917 E. Judge PerezDrive,Violet, LA, (504) 302-1520.

Warrena (Rena) Frught Whitaker passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. Rena was preceded in deathby her parentsWarren Frught, Sr. and Lillian Cailibotte Frught,and her brother Warren Frught,Jr. She is survived by her husband Homer Lee Whitaker; her children Lee Whitaker (Melinda), Donnell Byrd, Michelle Whitaker and Calvin Whitaker; grandchildren Krystle, Katrina, Michael, Baileigh, Trevor,

Cheyenne, Jayde, Chelsey and Courtney; and great grandchildren, James Landon, Parker, Emeri, McKenzie, JJ, Dakari and Zane; and sister, Lora Bordelon (Jimmy), as well as numerous extended family and friends.

Rena was an amazing personwho never met a stranger. When Rena retired fromthe corporate world she became afulltime babysitter.This was something that she was called to do. Sheraised countless children who continued, along withtheir parents, to keep in touch with her and became family. In addition to loving peopleand family get togethers, Rena was the Queen of Mardi Gras. She never missed aparade and was the first oneonthe parade routetosave a spot. Her chair will continue to be on the corner of St. Charles and Foucher in the spot that she claimed. She will be missed by everyone whose heart she touched.

The family would like to extend aspecial thank you to Ormond Nursing Home who played arole in keeping her comfortable since she entered in July.

AMass will be held for Rena at St. Charles Borromeo Church at 13396 River Road,Destrehan, LA 70047 on Saturday, February 8, 2025. Visitation will begin at 10:00 am and Mass will begin at 11:00 am. In lieuofflowers, donations can be madetothe NationalDown Syndrome Society at donations@ndss.org

Jr., Charlie Christopher

On Thursday,January 30, 2025, CharlieChristo‐pher"Sambo" Wilson,Jr. peacefullydepartedthis earthly life at theage of 85 Hewas surrounded by the loveofhis devotedwife, Shelia, at theVeteransAd‐ministrationHospitalin New Orleans, Louisiana. Charlie,Jr. wasbornJuly7, 1939, to thelateCharlie Washington,Carolyn P. CarolynP.Washington, age 71,entered into eternal rest on Wednesday, Janu‐

Wilson Sr andCelia LaBranchWilson. He leaves tocherish hismemories, withhis caring andde‐voted wife Shelia Ann Toney-Wilson. Children Tuesday W. Pierce,Turell Wilson Sr TracyWilsonSr. (LaToya), Dana W. Jarreau (Chris),Laron M. ToneySr. Paula A. Guillard (Chris), Lynette M. Woodcox (MichealSr.), 27 Grandchil‐drenand 17 Great-grand‐children. Threesisters Ros‐alieW.Brown (Willie) Ophelia W. Walker,and Donna W. Meeks. Hisex‐tendedfamilyincludeshis devoted nieceLynette Wil‐son Hilaire, andhis sistersin-law: Ella MaeDarens‐bourg,MaryWalker, JacquelinePierre(Milas), VeronicaIsaac (Robert) Barabra Marshall, Rhonda Mitt, Patricia LeBlanc, Betty Jean Domino (Bruce). Brother-in-laws Leroy Toney (Learnetta), Cornell Toney (Melinda), Warren Toney,Byron Dent,Kenneth Davis,Anthony Davis, Dar‐rellBartley,Nathaniel Bart‐ley.Hewas also blessed withthe love andfriend‐shipofNorbert Gair and HermanBossier,along witha host of nieces, nephews,relatives,and cherished friends. Rela‐tivesand friendsofthe

family, Pastors, Ofﬁcers, and MembersofCannan Baptist Church,Historic BellBaptist Church,His‐toric BethlehemBaptist Churchand allneighboring churchesare invitedtothe Celebration of Life Services at11:00 am on Saturday February8,2025, at His‐toric BethlehemBaptist Church14989 Highway18 Hahnville,LA, 70057.Rev‐erend HenryWolfPastorOfﬁciantand Rev. Rodney L.Johnson,Sr.-HostPastor, Visitation9:00amuntil timeofservice at the above-named church.In‐terment St.Charles Ceme‐tery, 1279 Paul Maillard Road, Luling,LA70070 ArrangementsEntrusted to Patrick H. SandersFuneral Home& FuneralDirectors, LLC.605 Main Street, Laplace,LA70068.985-3591919. “Providing Care & Comfort us OurHighest Mission

DEATHS continued from Walters, DebraAnn

Tillery,

Whitaker, Warrena Frught 'Rena'

Wilson

SPORTS

Nussmeier family soaks in Super experience

Doug Nussmeieran assistantfor Eagles

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

Garrett Nussmeier said he isn’tsure how 13 became the family’sfootball number, but from anumerological standpoint it’s perfectly ﬁtting.

Nussmeier

The No.13isonhis jersey at LSU—the number his father Doug Nussmeierwore at Idaho and with the Saints —and what his younger brother Colton wears playingquarterbackatMarcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas, Garrett’salmamater Thirteen is also the numberofmoves Doug Nussmeier has madeinhis football coaching career, acareer that has brought him back to NewOrleans. That’swhere he’ll be Sunday as quarterbacks coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs.

For Doug’swife Christi Nussmeier,a Lake Charles native and former Saints cheerleader,there’ssomething almost spiritual to her husband’sﬁrstSuper Bowl experience beinginthe city wherethey met when he was aquarterback withthe franchise.

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

The goal of an NFLscoutteam is to present the look and feel of an opponent in practice, giving the offense and defense the best approximation of the scheme and players they will face in agiven week.

With that in mind, the scout-team offense for the Kansas City Chiefs has its work cut out for it this week trying to mimic Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley andthe imposing offensive line he has in front of him.

“At the end of the day,their guys upfront are massive, and Saquonis oneofone,” Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill said. “...You can’tsimulate it fully.Our guys do thebest they can. They’ve done areally good job so far.”

The Eaglesrushing attack, spearheaded by Barkley,isone of the biggest obstacles standing in between the Chiefs and athird consecutive Super Bowl title. In his ﬁrst season with the Eagles, Barkley became the ninth player in NFLhistory to amass2,000 yards rushing in asingle season,ﬁnishing with 2,005 yards in 16 games.

As spectacular as his regular season was, he has turned it up anotch during Philadelphia’splayoff run, rushing for 442yards and ﬁve touchdowns in three postseason contests.

“He’sacomplete running back,” Tranquill said. “He’sgot the elusiveness to make you miss in space,and in tight quarters, he’sgot the power to run you over and he’sgot the speed to go the distancewhenever thehole opensup. It’llbeall handsondeckto stop him.”

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The LSU women’sbasketball team is improving how it plays defense, but that’snot quite good enough for coach Kim Mulkey.

In her eyes, the No. 6Tigers always have something to refine at that end of the floor Sometimes, theproblemsare broader,with issues of effort or focus. In December,Mulkey said she thought her team needed to do some “soul searching” to ﬁgure out whether it wanted to “take pride” in its defense. Other times, the concerns are

“It’slike adream,” she said. “I knew (the Super Bowl) wasinNew Orleans this year Iprayed all year long, ‘God, if it’smeant to be forustogotothe Super Bowl, let it be in New Orleans.’

“We’ve come full circle.” DougNussmeier started his professional playing career withthe Saintsin1994, playing with the club through the 1997 season. “Any time youget achancetowalkinto the Superdome, it brings back alot of great memories,”saidNussmeier, straining to make his voiceheard abovethe pulsing musicand boomingannouncementsinthe Caesars Superdome during Monday’sSuperBowlopening night festivities. “Obviously my wife andher whole family being from here, it’sspecial.”

After leaving the Saints, Nussmeier,54, then played in Denver,Indianapolis and Chicago before ending his playingdays in the CFL with the BC Lions. He won a Grey Cup with the Vancouver franchise, the CFL’sversionofthe SuperBowl,putting Nussmeier in position to achieve arare career feat —high school state title, CFL title,college football nationalchampionship and Super Bowl trophy.Heplayedin high school at LakeridgeinLakeOswego

ä See NUSSMEIER, page 5C

more granular.MaybeLSU can grabmore rebounds or force more turnovers. Maybe it can —asMulkey said on Sunday after awin over Mississippi State —thwart more of its opponents’ transition opportunities.

“Are we better?” Mulkey said. “We’re better.But Iwant perfect.”

LSU hasonly seven regular-season games left to find perfection. The first of those

ä See LSU, page 3C

“He’sflying,bro,” Chiefs safety Bryan Cook said. “... He’sSaquon. That’s it.” Cornerback TrentMcDuffie added: “There’sdefinitely moments when you’re watching film andyou’re like, ‘Dang, how did he do that?’ ”

ä See BARKLEY, page 5C

Barkley put togetherone of the most explosive seasonsbya running back in NFLhistory,notching seven touchdownruns of 60 or moreyards (including theplayoffs). According to Next GenStats, Barkleyreached at least 20 milesper hour on 14 carries thisseason; Ravens running back Derrick Henry had the second-mostsuch rushes with six.

FEB. 9•NEW ORLEANS

Counting down to the big game with alook backatSuper Bowl moments in NewOrleans: SICK DEFENSIVEEND SHINES IN STEELERS’ VICTORY

PittsburghSteelersdefensive endDwight Whitewas sick during theweek of Super Bowl IX and wasn’t expected to play after astayinthe hospital. Whitehad lost 20 poundsbut wasstill able to play hisusual starting role against theMinnesota VikingsatTulane Stadium even thoughteammate “MeanJoe Greenethought he “was goingtopass out.”Whitewas responsible fora safety theonlypointsscoredinthe firsthalf. The“Steel Curtain” defensewas out in full forcewithWhite,Greeneand therest of theSteelersfront holding theVikings to only17yards rushing.Vikingsquarterback Fran Tarkentonalsostruggled with three interceptions

A16-6Steelersvictory wouldbethe firstoffour SuperBowlwinsfor Whiteand many otherSteelerslegends

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY MATT SLOCUM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkleyruns for a first down as Washington Commanders defensiveend Clelin Ferrell defends duringthe second half of the NFC championship game on Jan. 26 in Philadelphia.

5p.m.Rutgers

5:30

8p.m.

6:30

6:55 p.m. Guadalajara at Cibao FS2

8:55 p.m. Pumas UNAM at CavalryFCFS2 TENNIS

7p.m. Dallas-ATP Early Rounds Tennis

KellyexplainsLSU staffchanges

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LSU football overhauled its coaching staff aseason ago.

Itsstruggles on defense—combined with offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s decision to return to NotreDame— meantthe Tigers needed to add coordinators on both sides of the ball andbring in new positional coaches on all three levels of the defense.

This offseason, the staff changes haven’tbeen as dramatic LSU needed to replace onlyone positional coach. Butthere has been plenty of movement within the Tigers’ analystand player personnel departments this winter

“I think it’ssufﬁce to say that we’ve got somechange but some continuity,which Ilike the blendingofboth as it relates to our support staff,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said Wednesday

The most notable addition to the coaching staff has been Alex Atkins, the former Florida State offensive coordinatorand offensive line coach. Atkins was ﬁred by the Seminoles in November as they ﬁnished this past season with a2-10 record.

Atkinswill serve as the LSU tight ends coach and run game coordinator.Hereplaces tightends and special teams coach Slade Nagle, who left the Tigers to become the offensive coordinator at Houston in December

“He brings agreat deal of experienceasacoordinator,” Kelly said. “But more importantly,his depth and background in the run game as an offensive line coach, he adds another perspective in that room.”

LSU’srushing attack struggled for much of last season, averaging less than 4yards per carry in half of its games against SECcompetition. The tight ends, in particular, struggledblockinginthe run game.

“He will not be stepping on (offensive line coach Brad Davis’) toes.Brad’sdone an incredible job,” Kelly said. “Thisisreally havingsomebody that will coach the tight ends and have aspeciﬁc focus towards our run game and how it marriesand matches to what I’m looking for within our

overall offensivestructure.

“Having somebody that has his eye on it every day that was a great need.”

Atkins ﬁlls the void Nagleleaves inthe tight ends room, but he won’tﬁll Nagle’srole as special teamscoordinator

Nor will senior special teams analystLesterErb or Bob Diaco, LSU’sinterim special teams coordinator in 2023 who served as a defensive analyst last season.

Diaco left this offseason to become the linebackers coach at North Carolina, while Erb was let go.

Both exits lefta void within the coaching staffasitpertains to special teams. To ﬁllit, LSUhired Grambling special teams coordinatorAmanAnand as aspecial teams senior analyst. Additionally,Kelly said he plansonhiring another special teams coach to support the unit.

“Wefeel really good about that,”

Kelly said

Besides Anand, the Tigers have hired East Carolina general manager Noah Joseph —who worked with LSU defensive coordinator Black Baker at Missouri —asa defensive analyst. They’re also in theprocess of addingLance Guidry —Miami’sdefensive coordinator for the past two seasons to the staff as adefensive analyst, sources told The Advocate.

On the other side of the ball, Kelly announced the hirings of formerOklahomaState quarterbacks coach TimRattay and Oregon offensiveanalyst Antonio Parks as offensive analysts. Rattay and Parks help replace offensive analysts Todd Fitch and Paul Turner,who both left the programtobecomethe offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, respectively,atCharlotte.

“We’re excited aboutthose that have moved on as well because they’ve been given great opportunities,” Kelly said.

TheTigers made even more

changes to their player personnel department, naming JR Belton the new director of football operations andelevating Donovan Tate into the role of director of recruiting.

The new titles for Tate and Belton —combined with LSUparting ways with six staff members —prompted aquestion to Kelly regarding whether these changes were related to LSU needing to save money because of revenue sharing expected to begin this summer Kelly denied that the adjustments made to the support staff was to save money.But he does know there will be programs around the country cutting costs because of revenue sharing.

“That has notbeen the case here,” Kelly said.

Staffwriter Wilson Alexander contributed to this report Email Koki Riley at Koki. Riley@theadvocate.com.

Brooks family’s comments strike ‘nerve’withKelly

BY KOKI RILEY and WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

LSU football coach Brian Kelly responded Wednesday to an allegation made by the fatherofformer safety GregBrooks in which he said the family has not heard from anyone on LSU’scoaching staff since October 2023, and specifically named Kelly Kelly called it “factually incorrect to state that Iwas not thereby Greg’sside” as Brooks underwent surgery to remove abrain tumor in September 2023. He said he visited Brooks on “multiple occasions”or sent someone from his staff “virtually every single day” to the hospital.

Notebook

“You can question me as afootball coach,”Kelly said. “You can questionmein terms of the things that we do on the ﬁeld. But off the ﬁeld, as aparent,asahusband, as somebody that is actively involved in every community that I’ve been involved with, this is where the line is drawn with me. That comment struck a nerve with me.”

During an interview with “Good MorningAmerica” released Monday, GregBrooks Sr said he hasnot heard from any LSU coaches in more than ayear “My son almost lost his life, coach,” Brooks Sr.said.“Where were you? Forget about football. Pick up the phone and say youlove the kid, man.” Kelly refuted the notion he has not supported Brooks.

“It hit my heart because that’s

notwhy I’m in this business,” Kelly said. “I’ve beeninitfor players, will always be in it for our players. It rattled me that somebody could possibly be so factually incorrect in stating that Iwas not part of Greg Brooks Jr.’scare and support.”

Brooks ﬁled alawsuit last year against LSU and Our Lady of the Lake regional medical center for negligence, claiming LSU staff mishandledthe events that led to his diagnosis and that the surgeon wasn’t qualified to perform the procedure

Brooksunderwent emergency surgery Sept. 15, 2023, to remove atumor,which was later diagnosed as arare form of cancer called medulloblastoma.Hecannot walk, and he has difﬁculty speaking.

“Welove Greg,” Kelly said. “We love him for the person that he is, for the competitor that he is and the battler that he is and can only wish him continuedprogress as he goes through an incredibly difﬁcult time. But it was important for me to set the record clear as to my care, my love forGreg Jr.during this very difﬁcult time.”

Hurley timetableunclear

There is no timetable forLSU quarterback Colin Hurley‘s return to the ﬁeld almost three weeks after he was involved in acar crash near LSU’scampus,Kelly said Wednesday.

Kelly said Hurley is recovering in his hometown of Jacksonville,

Florida

He noted that he has visited with Hurley multiple times since the crash and spoke with his father

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK

LSU safety Greg Brooks is pushed aside by Florida State offensive

lineman Bless Harris during the Camping WorldKickoff on Sept. 3, 2023, at Camping WorldStadium in Orlando, Fla.

Tuesday Because Hurley is only 17 years old, Kelly said “a lot”ofhis recovery has been left to his family

“It’saday-to-day situation, and talking to his dad, Charlie, there’s really good progress,”Kelly said. “So, Ithink we all are coming from asimilar perspective in that we’re hoping for thebest.”

Thenature of Hurley’s injuries are unknown.

Kellyonnew transfers

Kellynever haswantedtobuild his teams primarily through the transfer portal.

Butwith multiple starters departing on the offensive and defensive lines, secondary and wide receiver,Kelly and theTigers were aggressive in adding 16 playersout

Pelicans trade center

Theis to the Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY TheNew Orleans Pelicans traded center Daniel Theis and a2031second-round draft pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday forcash. The6-foot-8 Theishas appeared in 38 games with nine starts for New Orleans thisseason,averaging 4.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 16.3 minutes per game. Theis is an eight-year NBA veteran fromGermany withcareer averages of 7.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 411 games. He joins aThunder squad that leads the Western Conference with a39-9 record entering Wednesday His arrival in Oklahoma City will provide additional depth to ateam that has been withoutstarting center Chet Holmgren for most of the season.

Bucks to add Kuzma, send Middleton to Wizards

The Milwaukee Bucks are trading NBA champion andOlympic gold medalist KhrisMiddleton to the Washington Wizards and getting Kyle Kuzma back in the deal, aperson with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Wednesday under the condition of anonymity.The trade had yet to receive league approval. Also involved in the trade: A.J. Johnson goes from the Bucks to theWizardsand Patrick Baldwin goes from the Wizards to the Bucks, along with afuture pick swapand some second-round draft capital.

The 33-year-old Middleton, who has struggledwith injuries, leaves the Bucks after spending allbut one of his 13 NBA seasons in Milwaukee.

Wizards trade Valanciunas to the Kings for Cissoko

The Washington Wizards have agreed to trade center Jonas Valanciunas to the Sacramento Kings for Sidy Cissoko and two secondround draft picks.The person with knowledge of the deal spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday night.

The Kings just acquired the 6-foot-6Cissoko from San Antonio in the three-team deal that sent De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs and Zach LaVine from Chicago to Sacramento. Now he’sset to join ayoung, rebuilding Washington team that has the worst record in the NBA. The 32-year-old Valanciunas is averaging 11.5 points and 8.2 rebounds this season. Washington also traded Kyle Kuzma and Patrick Baldwin to Milwaukee for Khris Middleton and A.J. Johnson.

Former NFL coach Rivera plans to coach in college

Former NFL head coach Ron Rivera is looking to head back to college to work at his alma mater,the University of California.

of the portal this winter

“This year was alittle bit heavier,” Kelly said Wednesday.“ We needed more depth and moreexperience across our roster to be a championship roster.”

LSU added seven players on defense, eight on offense and a punter

“The big picture plan is to surround Garrett (Nussmeier) on offense, to give (defensive coordinator BlakeBaker)the pieces that he needsondefense to have achampionship roster,” Kelly said. “And I believe we did that on paper.”

Spring practices begin March 8, butKelly already has been impressed with Oklahoma tight end transfer Bauer Sharp and Florida edge rusher transfer Jack Pyburn

The experience Sharp and Texas A&M transfer Donovan Green provides to atight ends room that brings back only freshman Trey’Dez Green,inKelly’seyes, was crucial for the unit. He’salso noticed how Pyburnalready is affecting the Tigers’ locker room in apositive manner

“His demeanor,his attitude is infectious,” Kelly said of Pyburn.

LSU’snew wide receivers Kentucky transfer Barion Brown, Florida State transfer Destyn Hill and Oklahoma transfer Nic Anderson —have stood out to the staff with their speed. Virginia Tech cornerback transfer Mansoor Delane‘s experience also has been abig boost to younger cornerbacks.

“Wedon’thave aveteran player back there,” Kelly said. “And his leadership and just the way he’s handled himself has been outstanding.”

Rivera said Wednesday on social media that he was following the lead of Bill Belichick and will take ajob in some capacity at California.

“Coach Belichick has made going back to school, cool,” he wrote. “Stay tuned Iamcoming home.” Rivera and theschool revealed no details about what role he would take at Cal.

Coach JustinWilcox is entering his ninth season in chargeofthe Golden Bears and has a42-50 career record. Cal’srival, Stanford, recently hired former star quarterback Andrew Luck to be the general manager of the program.

LIV Golfplayershave path to U.S. Openexemption

The U.S. Open becamethe ﬁrst major to publishadirect pathway for LIV Golf players, on Wednesday announcing anew exemption category that awards one spot to the leading player from among the top three at LIV’shalfway point this year The next exemption category will include one spot this year from the May 19 standings in LIV.Starting with the 2026 U.S. Open, the USGA will take the leading player in the final 2025 individualstandings, along with the leading player from the May 18, 2026, list. In each case, the exemption goes to theleading player notalready exempt, and the player must be among the top three in the standings. The other majors have not turned away players from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILE PHOTO BY GEORGE WALKER IV LSU coachBrian Kelly speaks during SoutheasternConference media days on July 17 in Nashville, Tenn.

Miami’sButler is headed toGoldenState Warriors

BY TIM REYNOLDS

AP basketball writer

Jimmy Butlerhas gotten his wish. He’sbeing traded out of Miami.

The Heat and the Golden State Warriors have agreed on adeal that sends Butler to the Bay Area, aperson with knowledge of the talks said Wednesday.The trade ends aMiami era for Butler that will be remembered ﬁrst fortwo trips to the NBA Finals and then three suspensions toward the end of ahostilebreakup.

Golden State is makingithappen by moving Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder,Kyle Anderson and draft compensation outinthe deal, said the person, who spoke to TheAssociated Pressoncondition of anonymity because the trade has not gotten league approval. It wasn’timmediately clear if all three of those players were ending up in Miami.

Golden State becomes Butler’s ﬁfth team, after stints in Chicago, Minnesota, Philadelphia and Miami. His arrivals werecelebrated in allfour cities, andhis departures weren’texactly smooth in any of them.

Butwiththe Warriors,hejoins Stephen Curry and Draymond Green —the two playersleft who have been part of allfourrecent Golden State title teams,with hopes of getting back to title contention.

Butler’sbreakup with the Heat brewed for months.The primary issue that causedthe beginning of the end of his Miami stint was money; he’seligible for atwoyear,$113 million extension and the Heat never offered such a deal, largely because he’smissed about 25% of the team’sgames since he arrived in 2019.

There were other factors as well.Neither side was particularly happy with the other at the end, and it became evident that thefracture couldn’tberepaired.

Butler can be difﬁcult to deal with and the Heat “culture”is such where it works best when everyone is aligned withteam ideals.

When he said he didn’texpect to ﬁnd on-court joy with the Heat againinearly January, he was suspended for seven games as thelast straw on alist of what the team called detrimental conduct.

That was thestart of awild ending: Butler was suspended three times in January alone, the seconda two-game banfor missing ateam flight, thelast an indefinite oneofatleast fivegames that followed him leaving shootaround early after learninghewasn’tgoingtostart aJan.27game against Orlando.

“There was alot said by everybody,exceptfor me, to tellyou the truth,” Butler said after his ﬁrst game back following the ﬁrst suspension.“We’ll let people keep talking. The whole truth will comeout.”

He neversaid he wanted a trade; at least, not openly,because it’snot allowed byleague rule and would have subjected him to aﬁne of upto$150,000.

The Heat said Butler asked for one andwhen that was revealed the team alsochangedcourse from team president Pat Riley’s December vow not to trade him; when the suspension was announced, the Heat said they were tryingtomakeatrade happen.

But therewere obvious signs; his hair colorfor somegames just happened to be in thecolors of Phoenix, Dallas, Golden State and Houston —the four teams

that were most prominently mentioned as possible trade partners for Miami. For at least one game, Butler also wore shoes that perfectlymatched the Suns’ color scheme. Butler is averaging 17 points per game this season. He had one of the best statistical games in Heat history against Detroiton Dec. 16 —35points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists. It was never the same again. In his sixappearances following that Detroit game, including one where he departedinthe first quarter with an illness, Butler averaged 9.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists.

TheHeat-Butler marriage wasn’talways bad, of course. Butler arrived to ﬁll Dwyane Wade’s spot as thestarofthe team, the face of the franchise. He even got Wade’sformer locker space.

He was an All-Startwice in Miami, helped the Heat to the NBA Finals in the bubble in 2020 and then as aNo. 8seedin2023 and turned in some epicpostseason performances. There have been 18 40-point games in Heat playoff history; Butler is responsible for eight of them, including ateamrecord 56 against Milwaukeein 2023.

Butler leaves Miamiinthird place on theteam’sall-time playoff scoring list, behind only Wade and LeBron James.

One of the last times Butler was seen as amember of the Heat was at apadel tournament on Jan. 25, which essentially became his farewell to Miami.

“I love this city with everything that Ihave,” he said that day Twodays later,hewas suspended by the Heat forthe third and ﬁnal time. And now, his Heat era is over

PhoenixOpenmakes official changestoreininthe crowds

BY JOHN MARSHALL AP sportswriter

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. The 2024 Phoenix Open was alot like ahouse party where someone called the cops. Acocktailofbad weather and booze led to mayhem at TPC Scottsdale ayear ago, causing tournament ofﬁcials to take the unprecedented step of closing the gates and —gasp! —cutting off alcohol sales.

To prevent arepeat performance, organizers haveimplemented aseries of changes for this year’sevent to reign in the revelry—well, as much as they can at the biggest bashonthe PGA Tour

“It’saunique test because not only are you battling thegolf course, but therecan be apretty hectic crowd out there,” said world No. 1Scottie Scheffler,a two-time winner at the Phoenix Open. “It’ssomething we don’tsee as much throughout theyear,but it’s really fun to come here and experience it.”

The Phoenix Open has long been theloudest,rowdiest event in golf. Up to 200,000 fans showup to TPC Scottsdale each day, ready to party —and maybe watch a little golf.

“The Greatest Show on Grass” always teeters on the edge of decorum and may have crossed the debauchery line in last year’s

third round. Heavy rain led to multiple delays and turned nonplaying areas of the course into asoggy mess as things got extra rowdy on amarathon Saturday

The tension boiled over at times, with Billy Horscheland Zach Johnson yellingatunruly fans. To slowthe tumultuoustide, tournament ofﬁcials stopped letting fans inside in the afternoon because thecourse overcrowded and they cut off alcohol sales at certain locations.

Thewild ride forced the tournament to make afew changes for this year’stournament.

In addition to astronger law enforcement presence, anew entrance will alleviate some of the muddy clogging that happened at the main gate last year.There also will no longer be any-day tickets so tournament ofﬁcials can track sales and prevent overcrowding.

Several walkways have been widened at high-trafﬁc areas as well.

“They have tightened things up, but you don’twant to take away from what the tournament is,” said Gary Woodland, the 2018 Phoenix Open champion. “This tournament is crazy and we want it to be some good craziness.”

Nick Taylor has not only embraced the craziness, he’splayed someofhis best golf through it.

The 36-year-old Canadian finished second to Schefﬂer in 2023 andthrived throughthe stop-andstart2024tournament, beating

Davisgetswhom he’s

BY SCHUYLER DIXON AP sportswriter

Anthony Davis gave up a$6million bonus as part of the seismic trade that brought him to the Dallas Mavericks andsentLuka Doncictothe Los Angeles Lakersina rare swap of superstars. Perhaps it wasthe firstsmall step for the 10-time All-Star in trying to illustrate his understanding of the magnitude of amove that infuriatedfans of his newteam.

Most of the ire has been directed at general managerNico Harrison. Still, Davis is at risk of being viewedbyDallas fansasthe guy in the deal that cost them their beloved Doncic, no matter what the Mavs do withone of the members of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

“Losing amonumentalpiece like Luka. It’salot, right?” Davis said of his fellow five-time All-NBA ﬁrst-team player.“So I’mjust trying to do my part andhelpNico and the organization on how we cancontinuously getbetter. That’s just always theright thing to do.”

Davis spoke Tuesday at shootaround in Philadelphia, afew hours before the Mavs lost 118116 to the 76ers. He already had beenruled out with the abdominal injurythat sidelined him in his ﬁnal days with the Lakers.

Of course, he didn’tknow when he sustainedthe injury aweek ago againstthe Sixers that he had played his last game for LA. Just as Doncic never imagined his ﬁnalgamewiththe Mavs wouldbe on Christmas, whenhestraineda calf.

Davis spoke to reporters on the East Coast while Doncic was doing the same at apacked news conference on the West Coast. And both conﬁrmed the obvious shock and surprise over one of the biggest tradesinNBA history.

“I was actually at home, about to watch amovie with my wife and got thephone call,” Davis said. “I had no idea. Ijust sent the team atextabout congratulations about beating the Knicks,big win, and looking forward to Tuesday’s game against the Clippers. AndI

found out an hour later Iwas no longer with the team.”

Doncic watched from the bench Tuesday as his new team thrashed the Clippers 122-97. His return from the calf injury could some soon, though.

Davis should be back on the court ﬁrst.Hesaid he might play Thursday in Boston, and if not then, perhaps Saturday against Houston in the Mavs’ ﬁrst home game since the trade.

There is some familiarity for Davis withhis new club.

Dallas coachJason Kidd was an assistantwhen Davis teamed with LeBron James to bring the Lakerstheir 17th championship in the Florida “bubble” in 2020. Davis hasknown Harrisonsince he was in high school. He ultimately signed with Nike, where Harrison worked for twodecades before the Mavs hired him in 2021. “Nico believes in me and what I can add to this team,” Davis said. “Weare both extremely excited about what we can do, and Ithink we have agreat opportunity to win achampionship.”

The most important relationship will be with KyrieIrving, who came to Dallas in atrade from Brooklyn to co-star with Doncic, a pairing that paid off ayearlater with the Mavs’ first trip to the NBA Finals in 13 years last season. Dallas lost to Boston in ﬁve games. Now the Mavs have anew setof co-stars. Davis saidhetalked with Irving about joining forces six years ago, when Davis was on his way out of New Orleans and ended up with the Lakers while Irving landed with the Nets

Now,they’re together,both dealing with the shock of the trade that made it happen. Irving,who hasn’t talked to reporters since the trade, joked with them to “take it easy on Davis in that ﬁrst media session.

“Had no idea that it was happening,” Davis said of the deal. “But, I mean, now I’m kind of over it,and just kind of getting ready to play with Dallas.”

And understanding the gravity of who he replaced.

LSU

Continued from page1C

Charley Hoffman in the second hole of aplayoff.

Taylor couldn’tsustain the momentum, missingthe cut in all four majors on his way to ﬁnishing 58th in the FedEx Cup standings. He finished36threpresenting Team Canada at theParis Olympics and didn’tmake the Presidents Cup international team.

Taylor reassessed his game during the short offseason and made afew minor changes for 2025.

The extra work paid off.

Taylorchippedinfrom60feet foreagle on theclosing hole at the Sony Open to tie Nico Echavarria andearnedhis ﬁfthcareerPGA Tour victory with abirdie on the second hole of aplayoff. He ﬁnished 12th in Palm Springs and was 33rd at Pebble Beach last week.

“I obviouslyhave alot of good vibes coming back here from the last twoyears,” saidTaylor, who lives in the area and often practices at TPC Scottsdale. “I’ve played this golfcourse abunch, so my game feels really good. (Not only) winning but having acouple weeks after that where just playing solid golf, Ifeellike I’m carrying that into here and alot of good vibes when Icome back.”

The Phoenix Open has vibes unlikeany other stop on the PGA Tour.With asunny weekend expected and some minor tweaks, it should get back to being the good kind.

contests, aroadmatchup with Missouri, will tip off at 6:30 p.m. Thursday on SEC Network+

In that game, the Tigers will try to prevent their opponent from shooting at least 40% from the ﬁeld foraﬁfth time in their previous six contests. That threshold usually is what separates LSU from its wins and losses. In four seasons under Mulkey,the Tigers have lost eight regular-season games to Southeastern Conference teams, and six of those losses have come against an opponent that connectedonatleast40% of its shots.

This season, LSU is allowing its conference opponents to shoot 41% from the field —the fourthbest rate in the league. That number is higher than the 38% rate at which SEC teams converted their field goals against Mulkey’sfirst three LSU teams, and it’sreceiving aboost from LSU’srelatively slow defensive start. Three of its first four opponents in 2025 shot at least 40% from the field.

The numbers have improved since then. Now,the Tigers rank ﬁfth amongSEC teamsinpoints allowedper possession (0.92), according to Her Hoop Stats, fourth in turnovers forced per game (18.4) and sixth in blocked shots per game (3.8) in league play

Mulkey thinks LSU can improve how it cleans the defensive glass and defends in transition.

“Westill don’tcommunicate,”

Mulkey said. “Wehave atendency to loaf —not go really hard back down on the other end, either after we score or even if there’s been a turnover “I think alot of it is nothing more than communicating and understanding, from foul line to foul line, you cannot get in aloaf trot. Yougot to run. And it’sactually our perimeter mostofthe time more thanitisour post players.”

Each of Mulkey’sfirst three LSU teams grabbed defensive boards at one of the five best rates in the SEC, per Her Hoop Stats, yet this one is doing so at one of thesix lowest. On Sunday, Mississippi State pulled down 17 offensive rebounds —the most a conference opponent has grabbed in agame against the Tigers this season.

LSU did, however,allow Bulldogs to score only two points on the fast break, far fewer than it ceded to Oklahoma in the prior game.The Soonersscored 24 fastbreak points, most of whichthey used to shave all but one point off the Tigers’ 24-point third-quarter lead. Apress forced LSU into turnovers, andOklahomacapitalized with easy buckets in transition. “I want to go watch ﬁlmsomeday,” Mulkey said, “and we have not given up any transition layups or 3s, and when they scored, (say) ‘Man,they just had to work to score.’ ” Which means that the defensive improvements LSU can make now lie more in the ﬁner details than they do in the bigger picture —a positive sign for the title-contending Tigers.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

AnthonyDavis of the Dallas Mavericks walks on the floor during a timeout against the Philadelphia76ers on Tuesday in Philadelphia.

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

St.Augustinebegan the basketball season with only one player whohad varsity experience.

More than halfway through the Catholic Leagueseason, the Purple Knights are in position to makearun for the districttitle.

Ak ey 3-pointer by sophomore Aaron Miles —the son of aformer McDonald’s All-American and current New Orle an s Pelicans assistant coach —and agoahead basket by 6-foot-4 senior Jakobe Shepeard helped St. Augustine overcomea 16-point deficit and defeat John Curtis 47-44 Tuesday at St. Augustine’snewly renovated WatsonJones Memorial Gymnasium.

Curtis led 24-8 in the second quarter and St. Aug chipped away from there, using a13-1 run over the ﬁnal grueling stretch to secure the win

First-year St. Aug coach Wade Mason and his players “never thought we were out of it,” he said.

“Wewere missing layups, missing free throws,” he said. “One possession we had ﬁve offensive rebounds. We couldn’t makea layup. But we didn’t get down on ourselves.”

The win put St. Augustine (22-3) at 3-1 in district games with achance to create atie for the 9-5A lead on Friday at ﬁrst-place Holy Cross (203), which improvedto4-0 in leaguegames by defeating Jesuit on Tuesday With onlyone roundof districtplay in the Catholic Leaguethisyear,each game takes on more significance than in past seasons —making the St. Augustine comeback on Curtis(19-6, 3-1) even more meaningful with only three games remaining in the district race.

Shepeard, among three senior starters who played only on junior varsitylast season, scored the ﬁnal goahead basket off aquick pass from senior Khalil Jones with just more than 30 secondsremaining. Down two points, Curtis quickly dribbled up the ﬂoor and missed its only shot attempt. Jones rebounded themiss and got fouled with 2.5 seconds remainingand made 1-of-2 from the line.

Aﬁnal 3-point attempt by Curtis junior Midnight Martin missed off the glass as the buzzer sounded.

Defense made the difference down the stretch.

“Ourdefenseisour best offense,” said Mason, aformer St. Augustine standout who played on the USA TodayNo. 1ranked team in 1995.

“I played for (former St. Aug coach) Bernard Griffith. Iplayed for (former Tulane coach) PerryClark. If you didn’tplay defense, you weren’tgoing to play.That’s just the DNA of who Iam.” Curtis,which played turnover-free as it builtalead in the first quarter,had five turnovers in the final period.

“Playing hard,” Shepeard said when askedhow the team managed to make its comeback.“We work so hard in practice every day

“Noone knows howhard we work. Coach Wade Mason knows how hard we work, and it justpays off in the game. We all believe in each other.

THE VARSITYZONE

Rummel moves past Prairieville

Raiderstakeadvantage of owngoaltowin

BY WILLIAM WEATHERS

Contributing writer

It’sone of the harshest things in sports andinthe case of Prairieville and Rummel, it determinedwho advanced in the Division II state playoffs.

Tenminutes afterthe seventh-seeded Hurricanes rallied with two goalstotie the game, the No.10Raiderswere the benefactor of an own goal in the 76th minutefor a3-2 victoryinWednesday’s state regional at Prairieville’s Hurricane Stadium

“I’vebeen doing this for so long,” Rummel coach Julio Paiz said. “I was happy for our team and felt the pain forthat kid. Itoldhim to keep hishead up. It’s sports and it’sunfortunate it hadtogo the way it went down. Justhappy that our effort was good enough to come out on top.”

Rummel (16-8-5)facesthe winner of Thursday’sHolyCross-Ouachitagame inquarterﬁnal action.

TheRaiders broke ascorelesshalftime tie with apairoffree kicksfrom Holden Aleman and Jeffrey Ayalainthe ﬁrst 10 minutes of the second half.

Aftera half withone shotongoal, Rummel put awayits ﬁrst twochances after drawing fouls just outside of the box. Aleman, aright-footedsenior, took the kick from the left side and archedit over Prairieville goalieBenjamin Tilley (threesaves)

The left-footed Aurelien followed suit three minutes later from theopposite side of the ﬁeld, ripping aground shot into the corner of the goalinthe 50th minute.

“Wefelt this game could come down toset pieces,” said Paiz,whose team put ﬁve of its nine shots on goal. “Sure enough forus, both goals came off of set pieces.”

Prairieville (15-4-3), in itsﬁrst season underveteran coach Adrian Garcia,ralliedwith twogoalsoverthe next 11 minutesand pulledevenat2-2 in the 65th minute “I was so proud of the way they got back in,” said Garcia, who spent 17 years at St.Amant.“Throughout theyear we saw the thing building and building and it’sthe crescendo withthe playoff game. Sometimesitgoes your way, sometimes it doesn’t.I think our day’sgoing to come.”

Sophomore Luis Moran got arebound shot in the box in the 56th minute and scored pastgoalie Ryan McDonald into theupper right netting. The Hurricanes, who had ﬁve of their 10 shots on goal,pickedupthe equalizerinthe 65th minute when athrow-in from freshman Price DeBarros went into the boxand washeadedinbyjuniorAndrewRoussel.

Disaster then struckPrairieville, a team withnoseniors, when one its defenders attempted to clear aball that instead went backward and into the goal.

Prairieville’s Alejandro Fuentes’desperationshot attempt from 20 yardsout in stoppage timewas saved by aleaping McDonaldfor his fourth save

“I toldthemnot to waste afailure,” Garcia said. “Don’twaste an opportunity to learnfromthis and Ithink we’re going to carry this, andit’sgoing to be out catapult into next year.”

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

The ﬁrst time Cooper Helmke of St. Martin’skicked afootball through the uprights at Tulane’s YulmanStadium camewhen he and some friends snuck through an open gateand walked onto the turf ﬁeld. It was the summer before his junior season, and he got off “40 or 50 reps,” he said, with a long of 61 yards

Helmke last season made 54 of his 56 extra-point attempts andhad ﬁeld goals of 50 and48yards among the sixthathemade. St. Martin’s, aplayoff qualiﬁer in each of the past three seasons, alsohad top ranked running back Harlem Berry, who is enrolled at LSU after he signed in December More Karr signees

His next kicks at the stadium will come as amember of the Tulane football team.

Helmke on Wednesday signed aletter of intent to join the Green Wave, capping awhirlwind couple of weeksfor the formerBoise State commitment.

Helmkehad beenincontact with Tulane coaches since he attended acamp at the school last summerbut didnot receivea scholarship offer from the school untilafter newlyhired special teams coordinator Jonathan Galante arrivedfrom Marshall in January

Helmke said Tulane coach JonSumrall visitedhim at St Martin’slastmonth “and really proposed it to me andI was kind of all in, you know, being able to stay home with the family here.”

Helmke,a LSWA Class 1A all-state selection most noted for his booming kickoffs through the end zone, remainedunsigned after “somestuff started changing over at Boise State,” he said, andhewelcomed the chance to stayclose to home.

With Galante coaching special teams, Helmke said he was “going to develop really wellunderhim. Ithink he’sgoing to pushmeinmy not-so-comfortable zone,but Ithink it’ll developmeasa person and especially as a football player.”

Helmke played soccer for most of his lifebefore he joined the footballteam as ahigh school freshman He quicklyrealizedkicking could provide apath toward college.

He gave up soccer after his freshmanyear “That’swhen Ireally decided football was goingto be my path, and that’swhen Istarted workingatit,”he said.

State champion Edna Karr on Wednesday raised its numberofNCAADivision Ifootball signees forthe 2025 class to eight with linebacker Tyrik Brigalia and Cody Morris going to Southernand linebacker Arsenio Bolds and running back/receiver Bryant Sanchez going to ArkansasPine Bluff.

Earliersigneeswerereceivers TaRonFrancis (LSU), Oliver Mitchell (Tulane), Daejawn Smith (Louisiana Tech) and defensive lineman Corey Adams (Ole Miss). AlsofromKarr, defensive linemen Lyric Hawkins and Avant Lewis signed with Louisiana Christian, giving the Cougars 10 college-bound playersfromthe senior classof 2025.

Top-seeded Karrcompleted an undefeatedseasonby dominating No. 2Alexandria 53-8inthe LSHAADivision Iselect state ﬁnal in December

That on-ﬁeld success culminated in alarge signing classfor the Cougars. College transfersannounced Wednesday include formerKarrlinebacker Tory Morgan at Grambling from Northwestern State and former Karr cornerback Ryan Robinson at McNeeseState from Iowa State. Robinson previously attended LSU as apreferredwalk-on. Around thearea SouthPlaqueminesrunning back andsafety Jy’heim Williams,who scored three touchdowns and intercepted apassinthe Division IV nonselect state ﬁnal, signed withNicholls State. …Other local Nicholls State signees include offensive linemen Ja’Mard Jones (Rummel) and Caleb Smith (Brother Martin) and defensivelinemen Chase Chesser (Brother Martin), GriffinEllis (Jesuit) and Keith Newsome (McDonogh 35). …Southeasternsigned Rummel cornerback Lennis Finister.…Jesuit safety Darrick LeBeouf signed with FCS Lafayette College. …Shaw receiver CalebWilliams signed withCentenary.

Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@theadvocate.com

Shepeard

Helmke

DC Fangio looksfor elusiveSuper Bowl title

BY JOSH DUBOW AP profootball writer

NEW ORLEANS VicFangio’scoaching career started in the 1970s as ahigh school assistant in Pennsylvania and has taken him across the country in various stops as he grew into oneofthe most innovative defensive coaches in the game. Now at age 66, Fangio is at the Super Bowl in New Orleans, where he started his NFL coaching career,asdefensivecoordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles team he grew up supporting with achance to ﬁll one of the few remaining gaps on astellar career

“I grew up aPhiladelphia sports fan,”Fangio said. “Phillies,Eagles, Sixers, started my procareerinPhiladelphia with the USFL. And now I’ll probably end it here one of theseyears. It’s kind of come full circle. Ikind of fit there.” Fangio has incorporatedeight new starters into adefense that ranked near the bottomofthe NFL in 2023 and turned it into one of theleague’sbest as the Eagles led the NFL in advanced efficiency metrics andallowedthe secondfewest points in the league. He is amajor reason whythe Eagles are in the Super Bowl, giving Fangio the success he couldn’t achieve in afailed head coaching stint in Denver anda chance towin his first Super Bowl in 38 seasons in the NFL.

“I still really like to do it.Ithink I’m still halfway decent at it,”he said. “It’sgreat. If you hang around

PhiladelphiaEagles defensivecoordinator VicFangio

on Dec. 29 in Philadelphia.

long enough the tide will turn.”

Fangiobegan his NFL career coaching one of the top linebackinggroups ever for New Orleans’ “Dome Patrol” teams in 1986 and got his ﬁrst chance as defensive coordinator forexpansion Carolina in 1995. He has spent nearly all of his timesinceinthe NFL, with aoneyear break to go to Stanford,and

his defensive stylethat disguises coverages andtries to keep two safeties as deep as possible to limit big plays has been mimicked throughout theleague.

Hisonlyprevioustriptothe SuperBowl came in the 2012 season with SanFrancisco, when he lostto Baltimorehere at theSuperdome.

“When you talkabout coaches, sometimes you’re like‘He’s been

SuperBowlsecondary-ticketprices high butmuchlessthanlastyear’sgame

BY MARK ANDERSON AP sports writer

Prices on the secondary-ticket market for Sunday’sSuper Bowl in New Orleans are much less than last year’sbig gameand declining, but stillhigh by historical standards.

Theaverage pricefor the Kansas City Chiefs-Philadelphia Eagles game at TickPick was $6,552 as of Tuesday. If that amount holds, it would be that website’s third highest for aSuper Bowl. Last year’sgame between the Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers had an average price atthat site of $9,136. Theonly otherSuper Bowl to attract ahigheraverage price was four years ago when the amount was $7,046 for Chiefs’ game against the hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers when the crowd was limited to 25,000 fans because of the COVID-19 pandemic

The lowest price for this year’s game wasjust lessthan$4,000, which has declined about 30% since the matchup was set. Gametimereports asimilar trend, also noting last year’sgame had aminimum price of $8,764 shortly before kickoff.

“With last year’sVegas hype and49ers fan frenzybehind us, prices are seeing anatural market correction,” Gametime said in astatement. “Plus, with no major ‘pent-up’demandfromeitherfan base, tickets are looking better than ever.”

The lowest tickets prices at Vivid Seats and StubHub also were less than $4,000.

TickPick co-CEO Brett Goldberg said there were anumber of reasons why ticket prices are

NUSSMEIER

Continued from page1C

Oregon; was Alabama’soffensive coordinator when the Crimson Tide beat Brian Kelly’sNotre Dame team for the 2012 BCS title; and now goes for the NFL’sLombardi Trophy “That’sthe only onethat’smissing,” Nussmeier saidwith asmile ACanadian reporter thrust aBC Lions T-shirt and a“victory” cigar into Nussmeier’shands, the latter in case the Eagles can atone for their 38-35 Super Bowl loss to the

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY DAVIDJ.PHILLIP

The Kansas CityChiefs participate during Super Bowl LIX opening night Mondayahead of the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chiefs on Sundayinthe Caesars Superdome.

notably lower than last year

That game was the ﬁrst in Las Vegas, creating even more fan interest thanusual. The close proximity of AllegiantStadiumtothe nation’seighth-busiest airport and Las Vegas Strip entertainment corrider that includes manyofthe world’slargest hotels contributed to record prices.

Hotel capacity in New Orleans is more limited with about 26,000 rooms in the city center,and even home rentals are at apremium.

“If youtry to go booka hotel right now,it’svery challenging,” Goldberg said.

Another problem is the matchup.

This is the thirdSuper Bowl in a rowfor the Chiefs and thesecond inthree years for the Eagles.

“I think if the Bills won, you would’ve seen averydifferent

Chiefs two years ago. Nussmeier was quarterbacks coach with the Cowboys then, before ﬁlling that same role with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023 and theEagles this season. Nussmeier spent atotal of ﬁve seasonscoachingwith theCowboys startingin2018 —then-LSU coach Ed Orgeron wasset to hire him as an offensive analyst after he leftFlorida asoffensive coordinatorwhen the Cowboys offered himajob as their tightends coach. The Nussmeiers still callsuburbanDallas their home base,with Christi juggling being there in person to watch Garrett play for LSU

dynamic here,” Goldberg said. “There’sa part of that (Chiefs) fan base thatcan afford to go to the Super Bowl threetimes,but that’s avery small(segmentofthe) fan basethat could do that.

“Even the Eagleshavealittle bit of afatigue from being at aSuper Bowl twoyears ago. We’rehearingdirectly from fans,‘Iwenttwo yearsago.I’m not sure Icould pull this off.’ Would they love to go? Sure,but the impracticality on it’s a$10,000 trip for two becomes very limiting.”

Goldberg said he hasn’treceived feedback that theNew Year’sDay terrorist attack in which14people were killed by amotorist on BourbonStreet played asignificant part in theprice decline.

New Orleans is about to hostits 11th Super Bowl, though ﬁrst in 12 years.

on Saturdays, to watch Colton play for Marcus High School on Fridays andtomakeasmanyEagles games on Sundaysand Mondays as she can.The Eagles’ annualroad gameatDallas,and a15-12 win in September at New Orleans, made that task alittle easier this season.

“Our family has made alot of sacrifice for football,” she said. “Garretthas lived in Baton Rouge (attending LSU)morethananywhereelse. We wanted Colton to have stabilityinhigh school, to go to the same high school as his friends.”

The Nussmeiers will be in the Superdome in forcefor theSuper

if you don’tmeet the standard and praise you if you do meet the standards.”

Fangio hasbeen integral in the defensive rebuild in Philadelphia

He saw enough in free agent Zack Baun to turn himfroma special teamsplayer whogot limited time on defense as an outside rusher in NewOrleans into an All-Pro inside linebacker and ﬁnalist for AP Defensive Player of theYear in Philadelphia.

He also helped incorporatetwo rookie starters in the secondary in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean,which playeda big part in the turnaround.

“He’slikea fatherﬁgure,” Mitchell said. “He’sgoing to hold you accountable. He’sserious. But he’s got jokes too. He’sfunny as well.”

But Fangio will face his toughest test on Sundaywhen theEagles face PatrickMahomes andthe Chiefs.

While much hasbeenmadeout of Fangio’s 0-8recordagainst Mahomes as ahead coach in Denver and play-caller in Miami, he never had adefense as talented as this one when he faced him

agood coach foryears.’ He’svery good coach fordecades,whichis impressive,” Eaglescoach Nick Sirianni said.

“He’shad an unbelievable career and done so manygood things and just so grateful thathe’sonthe staff. He has the standard of how it’s supposed to look and holds the guys to that standard. He’snot afraidtotellyou what he thinks

BARKLEY

Continued from page1C

As impressive as Barkley’s season has been, the Chiefs were quicktopoint outheisnot the only thing that makes the Eagles rushing attack go. Philadelphiahas amassed an elite collection of talent in front of him. Right tackle Lane Johnson (6-foot-6, 325 pounds) is a six-time Pro Bowler.Left tackle Jordan Mailata (6-8, 365) was namedasecond-team All-Pro by The Associated Press this year Left guard Landon Dickerson (66, 332) andcenter CamJurgens (6-3, 303) both made thePro Bowl this year.Right guard Mekhi Becton (6-7, 363) has revitalized his career in Philly after being cast aside by the NewYork Jets. Add into that aquarterback in Jalen Hurts who canhurt adefensewithhis legs (630 yards and14touchdowns on theground this season) and it equals adifﬁ-

The record diminishes what Fangio did on defense as his teams scored just 11.9 points per game in those games. Fangio’sdefenses allowed only 21.6 points per game to theKansasCity offense —the Chiefs gotsix additionalTDs on defense andspecial teams —and Mahomes threw only 10 TD passes in the eight games and had alower passer rating (95.9) and yards per attempt (7.3) than his career average.

cult rushing attack to slow down.

“They’ve got the best running back in theleague,they’ve got one of the better offensivelines in the league —I mean,look at the numbers Saquon put up behind that offensive line,” Chiefs defensivelineman ChrisJones said. “It speaksvolumes. They’ve had alot of success.”

KansasCity is coming off a couple of shaky performances defending the run, yielding 149 yards to the Houston Texans and 147 to theBuffalo Bills in consecutive weeks. And now in the biggest game of the season, the Chiefs will face their greatest challenge.

“Weasagroup have to fly around,”Jones said. “… Idon’t think he’s aguy that oneperson is going to wrap up and tackle. I think it’sgoing to take agroup effort. Ithink we have the guys to do it, Ibelieve in the guys that we have.”

EmailLuke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

Bowl. Christihas wranglednine tickets forher,her sons,daughter Ashlynn (also an LSUstudent), hermother, sister, acousin,high school friendand Doug’ssister Christisaid her nerves will be on edge the entiregame, arguably the biggest of her husband’scareer

“I’ll be praying the whole time,” she said. Garrett Nussmeiercouldn’tattendthe NFC championship game when the Eagles beat Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders because he had to be with his team, but he was obviously eager to be there for his father with the Super Bowlinhis backyard.

“My dad has played ahuge role in where Iamtoday,” Garrett said. “People assume my dad forced me to do this. The coolest thing about dadisfroma youngage,heallowedmetodevelop my love of the game. He encouragedmetoplay multiple sports. He allowedmeto be around him (coaching) whenI could. He’sdone the samewith my brother “There’snothing moreIwould want than forthis to go right.”

To complete the circle.

For more LSUsports updates, signupfor ournewsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

STAFF PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE

Philadelphia Eagles running backSaquon Barkley headstohis designated spot to speak with the media during amedia availability

SUPER PIZZA CIPOLLA

FOODS

ASuper Bowl partymenu that deserves ahand

Unless youhavetickets to the big game in New Orleans, watching the Super Bowl on Sunday will probably mean aparty around aTVscreen.

Scoreextra points with these5recipes for aLouisiana SuperBowlparty full of fanfare

When was the last time youwent to afun Super Bowl party?Let meguess, was it 2010,bychance, when the Saints won?

Let’sfaceit, Super Bowls are a lotmorefun when youcare about who’s playing. Evenstill, thefanfareisall around us, especially this year with it being in Louisiana’s backyard. Evenso, at-home partieswill dot your neighborhood and mine. The good newsis, even if you’renot afootball fanatic,SuperBowl parties can be fun —even when the home team isn’tonthe ﬁeld Fact: Parties of all types are more fun when people are engaged —whether thatisachieved by folkscoming prepared to showtheir dance moveswhen eachteam scores, aSuperBowl commercial rating system, guests wearingteamthemedcolors and costumes, aSuperBowltrivia

Recipes, 2D

● PizzaDough,Sauce

● PizzaCipolla

● Pumpkin Faces

contest or afootball fashionshow. Evensimple andfaithful gameslike Squarescan help keep a crowd engaged.

For the Squares uninitiated, to createthe best SuperBowl squares grid, createa 10 by 10 grid. Before thegamebegins, guestscan writetheir names in aset number of squares, perhaps for $1 asquare, creating apot of $100 to be distributed as $20 after the ﬁrst quarter, $20 after the second quarter, $20 after the third quarter and$40 after

Shrimp SaladDip

Modiﬁed from arecipe in The Advocate by Barbara Hoffman 1-11/2 pounds rawpeeled medium shrimp (She buys from a vendor at the farmers market)

1lemon, cut in half

2eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and chopped

3/4 cup finelydicedcelery

3green onions, whites and dark green parts, finelychopped

1 3 cup mayonnaise (She prefers Hellman’s)

Garlic powder,salt, white pepper to taste

Cayenne pepper to taste for aLouisiana kick

1. Bring water to boil in largepot,with lemon. Addshrimp when water boils,and remove shrimpwhen it turns pink. Cool, devein as needed, and chop into small pieces.

2. Mix shrimp, egg, celery and green onion pieces.

3. Mix mayo with seasonings to taste.

4. Gently fold mayo into shrimp-vegetable mix. Add more mayo if needed,togive spreadable dip consistency.Chill several hours or overnight.Serve with crackers and toasted sliced French bread.

5. This recipe is also delicious served as asalad,with shrimp cut into bite-sizedpieces, and served on lettuce.

Recipes, 2D

For those who are deeply invested in watching the game, the food needs to taste amazing, but be easy to eat. Even for those not engrossed in the game, conversation will be enhanced by delicious, easy food. Hand pies are the perfect party food. And achicken pot pie is full of chicken and vegetables, so it is good for you. Youcan use arotisserie chicken for these hand pies and make the ﬁlling ahead. Ihave made my suggestions for vegetables to include, but feel free to make substitutions based on your favorite veggies. My minestrone goes well with the hand pies. It can be made ahead, just like the ﬁlling for the hand pies, and kept warm in aslow cooker so guests can get up and serve themselves another bowl whenever they want. It’svegetarian, and Ilove that it tastes better if you make it a day ahead.

The sweet potato cake is easy and features the ﬂavors of the season. It is moist and needs no icing —just dust it with confectioner’ssugar Round out your buffet table with pita chips, corn chips and potato chips —plus avariety of dips. Isuggest hummus, salsa, asour cream dip and an avocado dip. A plate of boiled or pickled shrimp would be agreat addition. And Iwould add atray of cherry tomatoes, celery sticks, raw mushrooms, olives and apple slices.

ä See HAND, page 2D

Sweet Potato Cake

Makes 1Bundt pan

2tablespoonsbutterand 2tablespoons flour

3cups flour 1/2 teaspoon

andﬂourthe Bundt pan and set aside.

2. Mix the

will take about 4minutes. Thenadd thesweet potato puree, eggs, (one at atime), vanilla andzest. Thenwiththe mixer running, add the dry ﬂour mixture and alternate the buttermilk into the butter/sugar mixture,about athird of the ﬂour mixture and athird of the buttermilk at atimeuntil just incorporated. Do not overmix.

4. Pour into the preparedpan.Place into preheated oven for1hourand 10 or 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before inverting the pan. Invert thepan onto acakestand. Allowtocool completely.Dust with confectioner’ssugarby shaking astrainer over the cake. Serve.

STAFF PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER

LizWilliams spreads powdered sugar on top of asweet potato cake

Depending

1tablespoon Italian seasoning

1bay leaf

wherever you hear podcasts. Email Liz at lizwillia@ gmail.com.

Minestrone

Serves8

chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

5cloves garlic, minced

5cups chicken stock

110-ounce can of cannellini beans,drained

3or4yellow-skinnedpotatoes, chopped into a 1/2 inchdice

2medium zucchini, chopped

1small green cabbage, slice thinly or shredded

1/4 to 1/2 pound fresh or frozen green beans

28-ounce can of diced tomatoes

1piece of rind from Parmigiano-Reggiano about 1inch by 4inches(If this is not available, add 2tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese) and 2cupsgratedParmesan forthe table

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

SUPER

Continued from page1D

1small jar of preparedpesto

1. In asoup pot add the olive oil and heat until it starts of shimmer Addthe pancetta or bacon to thepot and saute gently until cooked, about 5minutes.Remove from the potand reserve. Cook theonions until they aretranslucent, about5minutes. Add the carrots, celery andgarlic. Cook for another 5minutes.

2. Addthe chicken stock, beans, potatoes,zucchini, cabbage,green beans and tomatoes to the pot. Bring to asimmer.Add the cheese rind or the grated Parmesan. Stir.Add the black pepper,Italian seasoning and bayleaf.

3. Simmer foratleast2hours. Taste for salt, becauseeach chickenstock product is different. At this point, youcan cool and refrigerate thesoup. Reheat the next day and simmer for 15 minutes

4. Choporcrumble the pancetta orbacon into the simmering soup Serveinlarge bowls. Adda teaspoon of pestotoeach bowl.Serve with cheese on thetable.

the game ends. Each square represents a combination of the last digit of each team’sscore at the end of each quarter.The entire grid should be ﬁlled before the “score” numbers are ﬁlled in along the top and side of the grid. This should be done randomly and in front of the whole group, as the most desirable squares are numbers like 0, 1, 3, 4and 7asthey are the most common last digits in football games. The top is assigned to one team and the side is assigned to the other Each square represents acombination of two digits (e.g., “7-3”).

Pumpkin Faces

(She prefers Evangeline Maid)

green onions 16 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)

1cup shredded sharp cheddarcheese

1. Thinlyslice onion. (I usedamandoline.)

2.Add 2tablespoons butter and atablespoon of olive oil to aheavy skillet. Add onions and cook until onions arecaramelized, stirringoften. (I prefer adark, rich brown color.)

3. As onions are cooking, cut the crusts cut offeach sliceofbread,and thencut each sliceinto4smaller squares.(Isave thecrusts tomakebread puddinglater.)

4. Once theonions are caramelized, mix them with 16 ounces of cream cheese, acup of green onions, salt and black pepper in abowl.

5. Spreadthe cream cheese mixture onto thesmall bread squares.Place ona cookie sheet. (I placed mine right beside each other tomake the next step easier.)

6.Top with sharp yellow cheddar cheese.

Pizza dough

Recipe adapted from many recipes and attempts by Jan Risher Depending on shape of crust, this recipe works for one largepizza. Iusually use a 13-inch by 9-inchsheet pan.

1packageyeast

2teaspoons sugar

3/4 cup of warm (but not hot) water

2cups bread flour (mayneed alittle more flour)(all-purpose flour works too)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2tablespoons olive oil

1. Mix together the first four ingredients to activate the yeast. After the yeast has activated,add the salt andoliveoil.

2. Mix in enough flour so that the dough does not stick to your handsand start working thedough. Continue to add ﬂour untilitforms into aball and starts to pull away from the sides of thebowl.

3. Youhave achoiceat thispoint —you canknead the dough or simply use a wooden spoon to incorporate. Once you’ve done one or the other,place the dough in aclean bowl that you’ve coated witholiveoil. (I use my hands to do this.) Cover with acloth and let the dough rise in awarm spot for several hours to double in size

—about two hours

4. Heat the oven to 500.I prefer to spread thedough ontoa pizza pan, cookie sheet or bread stone. Youcould use arolling pin, if you prefer. Don’tput extra dough around the edges

Chicken PotPie Hand

Pie

Makes eight 6-inch pies.

FILLING

4cups chicken stock

3medium carrots, peeled and chopped into cubes

4red new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into cubes

1bunch scallions, green and white

chopped

2stalks celery, chopped

1bay leaf

6tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2teaspoon salt

1teaspoon ground black pepper

5dashes of your favorite hot sauce or to taste

1cup frozen peas,defrosted and drained Kernels from 3ears of corn

2cups chopped chicken,both white and dark meat

1bunch parsley,leaves removed and chopped

1. Place the stock into apot and bring to asimmer.Add thecarrots, potatoes, scallions, celery, andbay leaf andsimmeruntil they are tender.This should take about 15 minutes depending on the size of your dice. Remember not to makethe dice too large, because the ﬁlling has to ﬁt into the dough. Remove the bay leaf and discard.

2. Use acolander and separate the solids from the broth.

3. Using the same pot, melt the butter and add the ﬂour.Stir well andcook until the flourinthe roux is cooked, butnot brown,

All those instructions later, the real star of aSuper Bowl party is often the food. Here are multiple submitted recipes to try —and one Imodiﬁed, inspired by Jim Lahey’s “My Bread” cookbook. Itested them all and can vouch for each. They are delicious.

Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

These cheese

or ‘Pumpkin

as some call them are addictiveand agreat choice for aSuper Bowl party

7. The recipe says to toast under the broiler withthe oven door slightly open for4-8 minutes on high untilthe cheese is broiled— which is what Idid. However,when Iwarmed them up thenextday,I used theair fryer, which elevated them signiﬁcantly by making them even crispier.Iplaced theminthe air fryer at 400 degrees for 3-4 minutes, which is whatI’lldothe next timeImakethem on the ﬁrst go-round.

5. Dot the dough with afork. Bake until the top of the crust is ﬁrm and light brown (about 8minutes).

6. Pull it out of the oven and add sauce, cheeseand ingredients of choice (pepperoni, sausage, basil, onions, bell peppers, anchovies, olives, artichokes, mozzarella,Parmesan or burrata —you’re only limitedbyyour imagination.) Placepizza back in oven and continuetobakeuntilready, depending on ingredients, at least 10-12 more minutes.

Pizza sauce

Recipe by John Tetnowski

128-ounce can of San Marzano tomatoes(Tetnowskiprefers Rega brand.)

1tablespoon sea salt

1tablespoon oliveoil

1. Pour tomatoes in abowl Using ahand mixer,blend them until smooth.

2. Addinthe seasalt and olive oil.

John’stips for makingpizza: Once the crust has lightly browned,spread someParmesan Reggiano over the sauce, then add cheese.For traditional pizzas, he adds garlic salt and oregano over thecheese and then the remainingingredients. If he’s making aMargarita pizza, he skips theParmesan and just adds fresh mozzarella and fresh basil over the sauce.

Pizza Cipolla

Modiﬁed by arecipe from JimLahey For this pizza, you can

make the pizza crust above or another of your choice. You can also use store-bought pizza dough— thekind youpop out of acan or the prepared doughlike Trader Joe’ssells. If you use Trader Joe’sdough, Irecommend patience. Let it come to room temperature so it is easier to handle.

2yellow onions (I sliced mine thin on amandoline.)

13 cup heavycream

1teaspoontable salt

2teaspoons chopped rosemary(or thyme)

*optional 2tablespoonschopped bell pepper additionalsalt and pepper to taste Balsamic glaze

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

2. Usea mandoline to cut onions thin.

3. Toss the onionsinabowl with cream, salt,rosemary andoptional bell pepper.Let rest for 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally

4. While the onions are resting, stretch the dough in a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish.

5. Topthe pizza dough with the onion and cream mixture. Topthe edges more heavily as they will cook faster

6. Before placing in the oven,givethe pizzaa sprinkle of salt and pepper.Then, bake for about 30 minutes until most of the onions are golden brown and the sides of the dough are beginning to pull away.Some of the onions will be roasted.

7. Serve hot or at room temperature. Suggest to your guests that they drizzle slices with balsamic glaze.

about 5minutes.

4. Measure 3cups of the cooking liquid and add it to the roux, stirring well. Cook for 5minutes. Add the nutmeg, salt, black pepper and hot sauce. Add the cookedvegetables andthe peas, corn,chickenand parsley. Stir well incorporating the thickened sauce. Set aside. This filling should not be too wet.

DOUGH Preheat oven to 350 F.

1egg

4sheets of frozen puff pastry

1. Crack the egg into asmall bowl.Add 1tablespoonwater Set aside.

2. Allow the pastry to defrost. (You should be abletoget 3 rounds from asheet, but brands differ.) Using abowlthat’s6 inches in diameter,cut 8circles of puff pastry dough. Place 2 tablespoons of ﬁllinginthe center of the circle. Do notadd too much sauce.

By The Associated Press

Today is Thursday,Feb.

6, the 37th day of 2025. There are 328 days left in the year

Todayinhistory On Feb. 6, 1952, Britain’s King George VI, 56, died at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England; he was succeeded as monarch by his 25-year-old eldest daughter,who became Queen Elizabeth II.

On this date: In 1899, apeace treaty between the United States and Spain was ratiﬁed by the U.S. Senate; the treaty

3. Using abrush or your fingertip, moisten the outside edge of the circle with the eggwash. This is your glue to help hold the pie closed. Fold the circle in half. With afork, press the 2edges of dough together making little ridges around the semi-circle. 4. Place on abaking sheet covered with parchment paper.Cut 3slits with asharp knife in the top side of the pie for venting. The slit should be no more than 1/2 inch. Paint the pastry with the pastry brush dipped in the egg wash to give the pies and ashiny ﬁnish.

5. Place the pies in apreheated oven until thecrust is browned andflaky,about 15 minutes. Check package directions,and follow them. Each brandisdifferent. The pie ﬁlling is already cooked. We only need to cook the dough.

6. Remove from the oven and cool.

ended the Spanish-American Warand ceded the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States. In 1998, Washington National Airport was renamed Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, honoring the former president on his 87th birthday In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated the70th anniversary of her ascendance to the British throne, an unprecedented reign that made her asymbol of stability in the United Kingdom. In 2023, apowerful 7.8 magnitudeearthquake

struck Turkey and Syria, toppling thousandsofbuildings and trapping residents under mounds of rubble; the death tollwould eventually surpass 50,000. Today’sbirthdays: Actor Mike Farrell is 86. Former NBC News anchorman TomBrokawis85. Singer Fabian is 82. Filmmaker Jim Sheridan is 76. Tennis Hall of Famer Manuel Orantes

Actor Kathy Najimy is 68. Actordirector Robert Townsend is 68. Rock singer AxlRose (Guns N’ Roses) is 63. Singer Rick Astley is 59. Actor Charlie Heaton is 31. Golfer Collin Morikawa is 29.

STAFF PHOTO BY JANRISHER

squares

Faces’

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Stick close to home andmakegratifyingadjustments Work fast and hard, put your responsibilitiesbehind youand relax. Taking your time and doing what matters to youwill easestress.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Slow down and rethink your strategy before you take on too much or let temptation take the reins. Participating in something that requires mental and physical agility will take your mind off your worries.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Implement energy and disciplinetohelp you accomplish your goals. Refuse to let anyone talk you out of taking care of your responsibilities. You will feel at ease once you complete your tasks.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) You'll desire change. Stopletting others sway you or get in your way. Focusonaplan to get things done and bask in the glory of your achievements. Don't procrastinate.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Mixed emotions will surface. Refuse to get swept up in someone'sfrenzy when you have plans to put in motion. Think big and move forward untilyou wow those who can influenceyour prospects.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) You'll gain insight into possibilities and how to use your skillstoreach your financialgoals Work diligently to upgrade your skills andstayontop of what's trending.Some will be jealous, andothers in awe.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Wheel and deal your way forward with heartfelt talks and

entertaining ideas. Follow through by making suggestionstoshare in-depth plans thatare hard to resist. Reunite with someone from your past.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Pay attention to deadlines and finish what you start. Refuse to let anyone or anything slow you down or create chaos or confusion in your life. Get togetherwith someone who makes you smile.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Open your eyes, ask questions and absorb the information that comes your way. Participate in an event or activity that brings you in touch with people heading in asimilar direction. Communication will be vital.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Mingling will help you put your life situation in perspective.Beakeenobserverand listener,and you'll map out aplan that enables you to find your niche.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Let your emotions take the lead and make your feelings known. Conversing with people who play an intricate role in your life will help you understand and articulate what's in your best interest.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) An energetic approach to managing relationships, striving for equality and creating aplan will help you bring about positive lifestyle changes. Don't dillydally.

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

BY PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

PresidentJohnF.Kennedysaid,“When written in Chinese, theword ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity.”

There are bridge deals where declarer is in danger only if two suits are lying unfavorably. Butsometimes he has the opportunity to survive anyway. How does that apply in this deal? South is in six spades. West leads the club king.

North’stwo-no-trumpresponseshowed four-plus spades and at least game-forcing high-card values. South’s three-club rebid indicated asingleton or void in that suit. Three diamonds and three hearts werecontrol-bids (cue-bids) promising first-round controls in those suits.

Southhaspossiblelosersineachmajor The heart finesse is apparently unavoidable. The trump suit is adanger only if it isbreaking3-0—andeventhen,declarer might avoid aloser. The keypoint of the deal is that the trump suit isn’t aguess. Declarer should cash dummy’s spade king first. Here, West discards, so South draws trumps with the aid of afinesse and later tries the heart finesse for an overtrick. What happens, though, if East discards under the spade king?

Declarer ruffs the clubseven in his hand, cashes the spade ace, and turns to diamonds. If West never ruffs, South discards one heart, then plays atrump to West’s queen. West is caught.Hemust either lead aheart into declarer’s acequeen or concedearuff-and-sluff (when declarer pitches aheart from the board and ruffs in his hand). Either way, South has no heart loser. ©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzles

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle whichcreatesadisguised word,phrase,name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

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

Averagemark20words

Timelimit 30 minutes

Canyou

YESTERDAY’SWORD —CLINQUANT

Bizarro

hagarthe horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

Scrabble GramS

ken ken

InstructIons:

WiShinG Well

is your key number.start atthe u

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

Wallace the brave

breWSter rockit

luann

FICE,ParishofSt.

mail with return receipt requested, or hand deliv‐ered,orelectronically submittedatwww.cen tralbidding.com, no later than 11 a.m. localtime on March20, 2025 Promptly thereafter,the bids will be publicly opened andreadaloud

tional Bids Bidding Documents: The Bidding Documents(Con‐tractDocuments,Specifi‐cationsand Drawings) areavailable in Adobe portable document for‐mat(.pdf)onlytoCon‐tractors whoare prop‐erly licensed in Louisiana or to bona fidesuppliers of materialsand equip‐ment forpurchase and/or review at theof‐ficeofthe Engineer for thecontract, Fairway Consulting +Engineer‐ing, LLC; 827 W. 22nd Ave.,Covington Louisiana70433 PreBid Conference:A Pre BidConferencetodis‐cuss thescope of the projectand therequire‐mentsofthe Bidding and Contract Documentswill be held on February 25, 2025 at 10 a.m. theSt. CharlesParishDepart‐ment of Public Works andWastewater, 100 RiverOaksDr.,Destre‐han, Louisiana. Atten‐danceofthe Pre-BidCon‐ferenceis Non-Manda‐tory Each bidder must de‐positwithhis/her bid, security in theamount equaltofive percent (5%) of thetotal bidin theformofa certified check, cashier’scheck or bidbond. If thebid is submittedelectronically anda certified or cashier’scheck is used forbid bond,thenthe ac‐tual checkshall be deliv‐ered to theST. CHARLES PARISH COUNCIL RECORDSOFFICE,Parish of St.Charles,15045 River Road,Courthouse3rd Floor, Hahnville, Louisiana, 70057. Elec

tronic bids shallcontain allthe same documents

or condi

tional Bids BiddingDocuments:The BiddingDocuments (Con

cationsand Drawings) areavailable to Contrac

tors whoare properly li

censed in Louisianaorto bona ﬁdesuppliers of materialsand equipment forpurchaseand/orre‐view at theofﬁce of the Engineer forthe con‐tract, DigitalEngineering &Imaging,Inc 527W EsplanadeAvenueSuite 200Kenner, LA 70065; Phone: (504)468-6129 Apayment of $100.00in cash or checkpayable to theEngineerwillbere

quired foreachcomplete setofthe BiddingDocu‐ments. This paymentis refundable as provided in theLa.R.S.38:2212(D)

to theEngineer will be re‐quired foreach complete setofthe BiddingDocu‐ments. This paymentis refundable as provided in theLa.R.S.38:2212(D) PreBid Conference:A Pre BidConferencetodis‐cuss thescope of the projectand therequire‐mentsofthe Bidding and Contract Documentswill be held on February 19, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. theSt. CharlesParishDepart‐ment of Public Works andWastewater, 100 RiverOaksDr.,Destre‐han, Louisiana. Atten‐danceofthe Pre-BidCon‐ferenceis Mandatory. Each bidder must de‐positwithhis/her bid, security in theamount equaltoﬁve percent (5%) of thetotal bidin theformofa certiﬁed

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THEPORTOFNEW ORLEANS MINUTES OF THENOMINATING COMMITTEEMEETING THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2024

AMEETING OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEEOFTHE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THEPORTOFNEW ORLEANS, HELD IN THE FIRST FLOOR AUDITORIUM AT ITS OFFICES LOCATEDAT1350 PORTOFNEW ORLEANS PLACE, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, WAS CALLED TO ORDER BY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN WALTER J. LEGER JR. AT 1:34P.M.

COMMITTEE Walter J. Leger,Jr. Committee Chairman

MEMBERS Darryl D. Berger, Member

PRESENT: Todd P. Murphy,Member

BOARD Michael A. Thomas, BoardChairman

MEMBERS James J. Carter,Jr.,BoardVice-Chairman

PRESENT: Sharonda R. Williams, BoardSecretary-Treasurer

Jeanne E. Ferrer,BoardMember

STAFF: B. Branch, President &Chief Executive Officer

R. Wendel, Chief Financial Officer

S. Porteous, Chief of Staff

J. Escudier,Executive Counsel

A. Evett, Chief of Infrastructure

C. Gilmore, Director,Engineering Chief M. Montroll, Harbor Police Department

Lt. C. Clark, Harbor Police Department

M. Scelson, General Counsel

N. Dietzen, StaffAttorney

T. Black, StaffAttorney

G. Brown, ChiefofPeople &Culture

C. Rollins, Director,Financial Reporting &Forecasting

K. Gilmore, Director,Real Estate

M. Sulser,Manager,Engineering

A. Romanov,Manager,Engineering

E. LeCompte, Manager,Environmental

S. Schexnayder,Director,Marketing &Communications

K. Curth, Press Secretary

J. Ragusa, Deputy Director,Governmental Affairs

K. Mills, Manager,Communications &Community Engagement

A. Randolph, Manager,Communications &Community Engagement

M. Singley,BoardSecretariat

J. Fields, Marketing &CommunicationsOfficer

T. Bryant, NOPB

GUESTS:

C. Kocur,NOPB

M. Mittelbronn

J. Robichaux, HolyCross Community Member

A. Casassa, Holy Cross Resident

K. Jean, Holy Cross Resident

A. Thompson, Holy Cross Resident

E. Robinson, Holy Cross Resident

A. Soeder,Holy Cross Resident

A. Loft, Holy Cross Resident

J. Lavigne, Holy Cross Resident

J. Rosenberg, Holy Cross Resident

R. Barnes, Holy Cross Resident

P. Gosey,Holy Cross Resident

B. Baudier,Holy Cross Resident

D. Stennett, NOLA.Com

D. Whatley,Holy Cross Resident

K. Hanley,Holy Cross Resident

M. Levan, Holy Cross NeighborhoodAssociation

N. Howell, Holy Cross Resident

K. Lavigne, Stop the Grain Terminal

C. Stewart, Stop the Grain Terminal

E. Weston, Stop the Grain Terminal

H. Sandez,Stop the Grain Terminal

P. Calder,Stop the Grain Terminal

G. Lavigne, Stop the Grain Terminal

C. Mangha,Stop the Grain Terminal

S. Hardy,Volkert, Inc.

N. Petr,Stopthe Grain Terminal

J. Wittenbrink, Stop the Grain Terminal

T. Dallal-Harris, Stop the Grain Termina

W. Edward, Stop the Grain Terminal

L. Edwards, Stop the Grain Terminal

A. Lane, Stopthe Grain Terminal

J. Fahey, Holy Cross Neighborhood Association

J. Ward,Holy Cross Neighborhood Association

J. Putran, ArabiNeighborhood Association

F. Pingalore, HolyCross Resident

J. Koeferl, Holy Cross Resident

Z. Halpern, Holy Cross Resident

C. O’Brien, Royal Engineers &Consultants, L.L.C.

R. Klare, Royal Engineers &Consultants, L.L.C.

M. Skelton, Stop the Grain Terminal

D. Dryfoos, The Lens Nola

S. Garcia

C. Johnson

K. Tebeest, Holy Cross Neighborhood Association

L. Ellis, Holy Cross Resident

K. Hanley,Holy Cross Resident

A. Killion, WDSU

H. Miller WDSU

S. Singh

C. Hochkeppel

O. Gallo, Holy Cross CommunityMember

M. Sanchez, NOSHIP

I. Determination of Quorum and Call to Order

Following aroll call of Committee members,Committee Chairman Leger

confirmed aquorum and called the meeting to order at 1:34p.m.

II.Discussion and RecommendationofOfficersfor the Boardof Commissioners of the PortofNew Orleans to Serve December2024 through September 2025.

Committee Chairman Leger statedthat the Board’sChairman appointed the Nominating Committee to propose aballotofofficers to be voted on by the full Board. These officers will serve on the BoardofCommissioners of the Port of New Orleansfor nine-month terms, beginning at the conclusion of today’sregularBoardmeeting throughSeptember 2025. In consideration of the Board’straditionalrotation of officers, Committee Chairman Leger proposed the following ballot: Sharonda R. Williams as Vice-Chairman and Jeanne E. FerrerasSecretary-Treasurer Committee Chairman Leger calledfor comments but therewerenone. Commissioner Murphy moved to approve the proposed ballotand

check, cashier’scheck or bidbond. If thebid is submittedelectronically anda certiﬁed or cashier’scheck is used forbid bond,thenthe ac‐tual checkshall be deliv‐ered to theST. CHARLES PARISH COUNCIL RECORDSOFFICE,Parish of St.Charles,15045 River Road,Courthouse3rd Floor, Hahnville, Louisiana, 70057. Elec‐tronic bids shallcontain allthe same documents that arerequiredin a physically deliveredbid Theoutside of thebid envelope must contain thesubmittingﬁrm’s name,Louisiana Contrac‐tors LicenseNumber, the St.Charles Parish Project Number,and theSt. CharlesParishProject Title.

St.Charles Parish is an EqualOpportunityEm‐ployer.Weencourage all smalland minorityownedﬁrmsand women’sbusinessenter‐prises to participatein this solicitation Anypersonwithdisabili‐ties requiringspecial ac‐commodationsmust contactthe St.Charles Parish CouncilOfﬁce at 985-783-5000 no later than seven(7) days prior to bidopening

St.Charles Parish Council Matthew Jewell, Parish President Advertisement Source andDates: St.Charles Herald Guide St.Charles Parish Website CentralAuction House

Commissioner Berger seconded. MOTIONPASSEDUNANIMOUSLY

III. Adjournment

Therebeing no further businesstocomebeforethe Committee, Committee Chairman Leger called fora motiontoadjourn. Commissioner Berger so movedand CommissionerMurphy seconded. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY and Committee ChairmanLeger adjourned the meeting at 1:36 p.m.

THEBOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THEPORTOFNEW ORLEANS MINUTESOFTHE REGULAR BOARD MEETING THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2024

AREGULAR MEETING OF THEBOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE PORT OF NEWORLEANS, HELD IN THEFIRST FLOOR AUDITORIUM AT ITS OFFICE LOCATEDAT1350 PORTOFNEW ORLEANS PLACE, NEWORLEANS, LOUISIANA,WAS CALLED TO ORDERBY CHAIRMAN MICHAEL A. THOMASAT1:41 P.M.

MEMBERS Michael A. Thomas, Chairman

PRESENT: James J. Carter,Jr.,Vice-Chairman

Sharonda R. Williams, Secretary-Treasurer

Walter J. Leger,Jr.,Member

Jeanne E. Ferrer,Member

Darryl D. Berger,Member

Todd P. Murphy,Member

B. Branch, President &Chief Executive Officer

STAFF:

GUESTS:

R. Wendel, Chief Financial Officer

S. Porteous, Chief of Staff

J. Escudier,Executive Counsel

A. Evett, Chief of Infrastructure

C. Gilmore, Director,Engineering

Chief M. Montroll,HarborPoliceDepartment

Lt. C. Clark, Harbor Police Department

M. Scelson, General Counsel

N. Dietzen, StaffAttorney

T. Black, StaffAttorney

G. Brown, Chief of People& Culture

C. Rollins, Director,Financial Reporting &Forecasting

K. Gilmore, Director,RealEstate

M. Sulser,Manager,Engineering

A. Romanov,Manager,Engineering

E. LeCompte, Manager,Environmental

S. Schexnayder,Director, Marketing &Communications

K. Curth, Press Secretary

J. Ragusa, DeputyDirector, Governmental Affairs

K. Mills, Manager,Communications &CommunityEngagement

A. Randolph, Manager,Communications &CommunityEngagement

M. Singley,Board Secretariat

J. Fields, Marketing &Communications Officer

T. Bryant,NOPB

C. Kocur,NOPB

M. Mittelbronn

J. Robichaux, Holy Cross Community Member

A. Casassa, Holy Cross Resident

K. Jean, Holy Cross Resident

A. Thompson, Holy Cross Resident

E. Robinson, Holy Cross Resident

A. Soeder,Holy Cross Resident

A. Loft,Holy Cross Resident

J. Lavigne, Holy Cross Resident

J. Rosenberg, Holy Cross Resident

R. Barnes, Holy Cross Resident

P. Gosey,Holy Cross Resident

B. Baudier,Holy Cross Resident

D. Stennett, NOLA.Com

D. Whatley,Holy Cross Resident

K. Hanley,Holy Cross Resident

M. Levan, Holy Cross Neighborhood Association

N. Howell, Holy Cross Resident

K. Lavigne, Stop the GrainTerminal

C. Stewart, Stop the GrainTerminal

E. Weston, Stop the GrainTerminal

H. Sandez, Stop the GrainTerminal

P. Calder,Stopthe GrainTerminal

G. Lavigne, Stop the GrainTerminal

C. Mangha, Stop the GrainTerminal

S. Hardy,Volkert, Inc.

N. Petr, Stop the GrainTerminal

J. Wittenbrink, Stop the GrainTerminal

T. Dallal-Harris, Stop the GrainTerminal

W. Edward, Stop the GrainTerminal

L. Edwards, Stop the GrainTerminal

A. Lane, Stop the GrainTerminal

J. Fahey,Holy Cross Neighborhood Association

J. Ward,Holy Cross NeighborhoodAssociation

J. Putran, Arabi Neighborhood Association

F. Pingalore, Holy Cross Resident

J. Koeferl,Holy Cross Resident

Z. Halpern, Holy Cross Resident

C. O’Brien, Royal Engineers &Consultants, L.L.C.

R. Klare, Royal Engineers &Consultants, L.L.C.

M. Skelton, Stop the GrainTerminal

D. Dryfoos, The Lens Nola

S. Garcia

C. Johnson

K. Tebeest, Holy Cross Neighborhood Association

L. Ellis, Holy Cross Resident

K. Hanley,Holy Cross Resident

A. Killion, WDSU

H. Miller,WDSU S. Singh

C. Hochkeppel O. Gallo,Holy Cross CommunityMember

M. Sanchez, NOSHIP

I. Roll Call &DeterminationofQuorum

Followingarollcall of Boardmembers, ChairmanThomas confirmed a quorum and called the meeting to order at 1:41 p.m.

II. Public Comment

Chairman Thomas calledfor publiccomment and Ms.Singley announced that one (1) individual had requested to

FOLLOWINGMATTER: SUBDIVISIONDOCKET 088-23 ResubdivisionofPortion of Section25Township10 South, Range14Eastand portionofSection 30 Township 10 South, Range15East(Rigolets area)intoLots1,2,3,4,5 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,and 11.Mu‐nicipaladdresses (pro‐posed) are26115, 26215, 26315m 26415,

26815, and26875 Chef MenteurHighway and 101HospitalRoad. THECITYPLANNING COMMISSIONWILLHEAR PROPONENTSAND OPPO‐NENTSTOTHE ABOVE PROPOSED SUBDIVI‐SIONS. ALLINTERESTED PARTIESARE ENCOUR‐AGED TO ATTEND AND ALLRELEVANTCOM‐MENTSCONCERNINGTHE PROPOSED CHANGESARE ENCOURAGED.THE CPC HASESTABLISHEDPUB‐LIC HEARINGRULES WITHIN ITSADMINISTRA‐TIVE RULES, POLICIES & PROCEDURES,WHICH AREAVAILABLE ON THE CPCWEBSITE: WWW NOLA.GOV/CPC.YOU MAY ALSO SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENTSTOTHE EX‐ECUTIVEDIRECTORIN ADVANCEBYMAIL(1300 PERDIDOSTREET, 7TH FLOOR,NEW ORLEANS, LA 70112) OR EMAIL CPCINFO@NOLA.GOV.ALL WRITTENCOMMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY CLOSEOFBUSINESSON THEMONDAY, EIGHT DAYS PRIORTOTHE HEARINGDATE. January23; January30; February 6, 2025

listedonthe agenda

Chairman Thomas announcedthatthe agenda related comments would be heard first. Prior to inviting thespeakerstothe podium, Ms. Singley read theBoard’spublic commentparameters.

MicheleMittelbroon wascalled to thepodiumbut declinedtospeak. Jolie Robichaux, Amanda Casassa, Amanda Thompson, RaiyahBrown,Charlie Booker, Jr ElliotRobinson, PippinFrisbie-Calder, Gary Lavigne, Cars Stewart, Paul Calder, RobinBarnes, David Whatley,Jeffrey Wittenbrink, KerryHanley, Joseph Lavigne, FarraPingalore, NicolasPetr, Bill Edwards, Laurence Copel, andMax Skelton expressed theiropposition to thelease agreement with Sunrise Foods International, Inc., theestablishmentofan organic grain terminalatthe Alabo Streetwharf, andthe rehabilitation of theraillines along Alabo Street.

Maya Sanchezexpressedher support for theresidentsofthe Alabo Wharf neighborhoodand heropposition to thewar in Gaza, theInnovation Embassy,and anybusiness partnership or military shipmentwiththe Port of Ashdod or Israel

III. Reportbythe President and Chief Executive Officer

Ms. Branchprovided an overviewofthe November2024volumesand productivity statistics as well as asummary of themonth’smainevents.

IV.Approval of the Meeting Minutesfor November2024

Chairman Thomas called for amotion to approve thepublic meeting minutes for November2024, as previouslycirculated. Commissioner Berger movedtoaccept theminutes andCommissioner Ferrer seconded. MOTION CARRIEDUNANIMOUSLY

V. Action Items: A. Acceptance of the Consolidated Financial Statements for November 2024

Ms. Rollins presented theconsolidated financial statements for the month of November, acopy of whichismade apartoftheseminutes. Commissioner Legermovedtoapprove theconsolidated financial statementsand Commissioner Murphy seconded. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

B. Consider Approval of aResolution Authorizingthe President and Chief Executive Officer to Enter into TwoSeparate Contracts with Royal Engineersand Consultants,L.L.C. and Meyer Engineers, Ltd.for As-Needed Construction Management Services,for aPeriod of Three YearswithTwo One-Year RenewalOptions, in an Amount Not to Exceed $1,500,000 per Contract forthe FullContract Term

Mr.ChrisGilmore presented andrecommended approvalofthe resolution.Commissioner Murphy movedtoapprove theresolution and Commissioner Williams seconded. MOTION CARRIEDUNANIMOUSLY

C. Consider Approval of aResolution Authorizingthe President and Chief Executive Officer to Enter into aLeaseAgreement with MagnoliaFleet, LLC for the Property Located at 3601 FranceRoad, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Mr.Kyle Gilmore presented andrecommendedapproval of theresolution Commissioner Carter movedtoapprove theresolution andCommissioner Ferrer seconded. MOTION CARRIEDUNANIMOUSLY

D. Consider Approval of aResolution Authorizingthe President and Chief Executive Officer to Enter into aProfessional Services Contract with GHD, Inc. to Update the Board’s2018MasterPlanas Well as Develop aCorrelating NOPB’sMaster Plan, for an Amount Not to Exceed $400,000

Ms. Porteouspresented andrecommendedapproval of theresolution Commissioner Legermovedtoapprove theresolution andCommissioner Carter seconded. MOTION CARRIEDUNANIMOUSLY

E. Consider Approval of aResolution Authorizingthe President and Chief Executive Officer to Amend the Lease with and Accept a Transfer of the Improvements Owned by BrandonInternational,LLC, in Relation to the Premises ComprisingApproximately5.1743 Acres Located in Squares 78,73, and 70 of the Third Municipal District of the City of New Orleans, as Well as for the Termination of the Lease of the Subject Premises.

Mr.Escudier presented andrecommendedapproval of theresolution Commissioner Berger movedtoapprove theresolution andCommissioner Ferrer seconded. MOTION CARRIEDUNANIMOUSLY

VI. Reportofthe Nominating Committee

Chairman Thomas invited Commissioner Legertopresent thereport of theNominating Committee. Commissioner Legerreportedthatthe NominatingCommitteehad proposed thefollowingballot of Board officers for consideration by thefullBoard: Sharonda R. Williams as ViceChairman andJeanneE.Ferrer as Secretary-Treasurer. These officers will serve nine-month terms, effective at theconclusion of today’smeetings throughSeptember2025.

VII. Election of BoardOfficers

Chairman Thomas called for amotion to approve theNominating Committee’sproposed ballot of officers.Commissioner Legerso moved andCommissioner Murphy seconded. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

VIII. Chairman and Commissioners’ Comments

Chairman Thomas asked for Commissioners’ comments but therewere none

IX. Adjournment

Therebeing no furtherbusiness to come beforethe Board,Chairman Thomascalledfor amotion to adjourn. Commissioner Carter so moved andCommissioner Legerseconded. MOTION CARRIEDUNANIMOUSLY andChairmanThomas adjournedthe meeting at 2:52 p.m.

NEWS24/7ON

locatedon the southern ﬁxed pier in the NewOrleans Munici‐pal YachtHarborhas been left unattended, stored, junked,oraban‐doned.The Vessel poses immediatedangertolife orproperty. Pursuant to La.R.S. 34:843, theowner shall immediatelyre‐movethe Vessel andcon‐tactthe MYHMCat bryan.whited@nola.gov or 504-283-9676.Ifthe Vesselisnot immedi‐ately removedand con‐tactestablished with the MYHMC it will remove the Vessel at theowner's cost, risk,and expense, and discard, disposeof, sell, exchange,orother‐wisetransferownership ofthe Vessel 126503-feb6-1t 122.39

lowing: PROJECT:The City of Westwegoispreparing to replace existing equip‐menttocontinuetrans‐portation services forthe SeniorCitizensofWest‐wegoinJefferson Parish Further detailsrelativeto the projectare available fromCityofWestwego, Attn: AllisonRomero, Di‐rector, Ernest J. Tassin SeniorCenter, 701 Fourth Street,Westwego, LA 70094, (504)309-6230. Interested partiesare ad‐vised that they mayre‐quest that apublichear‐ing be conductedtopro

videa meansfor the publictoexpress their views relative to thepro

posed projectonthe probablesocial, eco

nomic andenvironmen

tal effectsinvolved. In lieuofrequestinga pub‐lic hearing, interested parties maysubmittheir commentsinwriting Writtenrequestsfor a publichearing and/or submittal of comments mustbepostmarkedon orbeforeMarch 10, 2025 and should be addressed to: City of Westwego Attn:Allison Romero Director Ernest J. TassinSenior Center 701FourthStreet Westwego,LA70094 (504)309-6230 Should apublichearing be

NICHOLSONPLACE

RESTAURANTS THETOP LIVE MUSICSPOTS AND page 8 page 12 page 14

miss iss miss

isidorestring quartet

Making their New Orleans debutfor the Friends of Music, this foursome of string players will play avaried program that runs from Mozart to Billy Childs. Featuredonthe programwill be Beethoven’sfour-part Op.127. Adrian Steele, Phoenix Avalon, Devin Moore and Joshua McClendon will perform at 7:30 p.m. MondayatTulane’sDixon Hall on the Uptown campus.Tickets start at $18. friendsofmusic.org.

dinner with a curator superbowlparade

BowlinNew Orleans without aparade?

hinkable! The procession takes to the streets French Quarter and the Central Business at 10 a.m. Saturday with ﬂoats by Kern With local mainstays like The Baby Stompers and the MarineCorps band, ade will start on the downriversideofthe ,cross Canal Street and run into the CBD, St. Charles Avenue. nﬂ.com.

‘the princess andthe frog’

The Disney animated movie set in New Orleans will get aspecial al fresco showing at dusk Friday at the Laﬁtte Greenway Multi-PurposeField at St. Louisand North Roman streets Therewill be free blankets, other giveaways and concessions.

ABOUTLAGNIAPPE

The Lagniappe sectionispublished each Thursdayby The Times-Picayune |The New Orleans Advocate. All inquiriesabout Lagniappe shouldbedirected to the editor.

LAGNIAPPE EDITOR: Annette Sisco, asisco@theadvocate. com

COVER DESIGN: Andrea Daniel

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Victor Andrews, Matt Haines, Ian McNulty,Justin Mitchell, Keith Spera

“Behind the Scenes of Fighting for the Right to Fight” will offer alook at how The National WWII Museum reimagined aspecial exhibit about the challenges facing African Americans who wanted to ﬁght for their country.Cory Graff, curator and restoration manager, unveils the background for the exhibit thatwill travel around the country at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at 945 Magazine St. Tickets start at $77. nationalww2museum.org.

GETLISTEDINLAGNIAPPE

SubmiteventstoLagniappe at least twoweeksinadvance by sending an email to events@theadvocate.com.

ON THECOVER

New Orleans’ nightlife orbiting theCaesars Superdome is in full swing as theSuper Bowl draws awealth of tourists to thecity. This week’s Lagniappe offers options for bars, music and places for celebrity sightings. Check it outstarting withmusic writer KeithSpera’s story on live performance venuesonPage 8.

louisiana culture festival

It’sasuper bowl of sensations Friday and Saturday at the French Market for this festival that features the many types of music, food, culture andcrafts found in the BayouState. Performanceswill include folkdances, tamale making, the Coushatta Tribe and information on hauntedhistory There are also cooking demonstrations anda chance for youngartists to make masks, umbrellas and even cookies. Food options aboundas well, fromboudin to gumbo, king cake and oysters. The freefest is open 11 a.m. to 5p.m. daily.frenchmarket. org.

stages stages stages

Tulane’s Summer Lyricgearing up fora trio of classicBroadwaymusicals

BY VICTOR ANDREWS Staff writer

Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University will mine the classic American Broadway songbook for a set of musicals from some of the biggest names of stage legend.

“A Chorus Line,” “Company” and “Carousel” will take the stage at Dixon Hall for ﬁve performances. The iconic story of hopeful dances auditioning for apart in anew show is thestoryline for “A Chorus Line,” the 1970s homage to hoofers and wannabes. Packed with Marvin Hamlisch songs like “What IDid for Love,” “At the Ballet” and “One,” the show captured nine Tony Awards when it debuted, plus the Pulitzer Prize and asubsequent Tony for longevity.The show will runJune 19-22.

Stephen Sondheim’s“Company” focuses on the bachelor Robert and all his married friends, viewing their lives and relationships through a cynical yet thought-provoking lens.

With such songs as “Company,” “The Ladies Who Lunch” and “Being Alive,” the show has captured Tony Awardsinthree different periods, for the original and two Broadway revivals. The production will run July10-13.

Corey Ledet

With songs like “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” “If ILoved You” and the “Carousel Waltz,” the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Carousel” deals with weighty subjects. Set in Maine in the 1870s, there’sa redemptivestory that brings the classic to asatisfying end. As the second collaboration of the famous theatrical partners, the show predates the Tony Awards but did garner several in the’90s for arevival, including Audra McDonald in the lead and later in 2018 for another revival. The show will run July 31 to Aug. 3.

Tickets start at $30. Visit liberalarts.tulane.edu/summer-lyrictheatre.

Email Victor Andrewsat vandrews@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTOBYMICHAEL PALUMBO

Chase Kamata, center,weavesatantalizing spellasthe Leading Player, the central protagonist in ‘Pippin,’with acast of colorful characters in the 2024 Summer Lyric Theatre.

stages stages stages

Abit of

Brecht?

Two-day show celebrates worksofGerman poet,playwrightand revolutionary

Alittle Mardi Gras, alittle mirth, alittle marionette? The drama won’tbejust in the Dome forSunday’s big game.Here’s alook at what’scomingup.

and festivity of “Mamma Mia,”the hitstageshow based on themusic of Swedishsuperstars ABBA.

The works of German poet and playwright Bertolt Brecht arecelebrated annually in the Crescent City,which has strong links to German heritage,with ahearty population tracing its lineage backto theEuropean country.

“BrechtFest IV” is arichmix of music, spoken word and puppetry at 8:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at The AllWays Lounge’sTwilight Room, 2240 St. Claude Ave.

The proliﬁc writer is perhaps best known for “The Three-Penny Opera” (“Mack the Knife”), with many of his works having been performedlocally.

“Also, the fact that he was arevolutionary andanenemy offascismseems relevantsomehow,” founder David Symons noted.

Brecht’sgranddaughter Sarah Brecht will be oneofthe performers, aswell as Chris Beroes-Haigis, ChristienBold, David Buchbinder,Michael Cerveris, BremnerDuthie, Gabrielle Fischler, Grace Kennedy,Karen Kunkel, Rebecca Leigh, Donald Lewis, Harry Mayronne, Stoo Odom, Susanne Ortner, Stephanie Reed and ChrisWecklein

Tickets start at $30 and beneﬁt Innocence Project New Orleans.Visit brechtfest.com.

‘Mamma Mia’ back at Saenger

For almost aquarter of acentury, audiences have clamored for the fun

Using Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeusmusic as the unifying theme, thestory is afrothy fantasy about a young bride on theeve of her wedding (on aGreek island), her mom andthree possibledads and what all can happen when mystery and romance combine in theMediterranean.

Packed with thegroup’smegahits like“Dancing Queen,” “Voulez-Vous,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” and the title “Mamma Mia,” theshow rocks with rhythmand moves that often have the audience wantingtosing along.

After the big game and before the bigparades, New Orleanianscan enjoy theshowatthe Saenger Theatre, 1111 Canal St. Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m Tuesday through Feb. 13, 8p.m. Feb. 14-15, 2p.m. Feb.15, and1 p.m.and 6:30 p.m.Feb. 16.

Tickets start at $30. Visit saengernola.com.

Carnival Classroom?

Need aslice of Carnival and abiteof king cake?Headout to Kenner’sRivertownTheaters for thePerforming Arts for “TheProfessor CarlNivale Show featuringGrand MarshalMarty Graw” running Friday through Sunday.

Setina comedy format, the showoffers loadsofbackground and loreon the season and theday itself, with audience participation, prizes, royalty and a parade —plus king cake.

The premise is an alumni gathering of Kings College of Carnival Knowledge. Apairofreporters“from anational rag”attempt to research an exposéon

Puppeteer Harry Mayronne, with hisBrecht marionette, will be among the artists at ‘BrechtFest IV’ on Mondayand TuesdayatThe AllWaysLounge in NewOrleans.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Victor Andrews

PROVIDED PHOTOBYJOANMARCUS

From ‘Mamma Mia!’openingatthe Saenger Theatre on Tuesdayare, fromleft, Jaylynn Steele as Tanya, Christine Sherrill as Donna and Carly SakoloveasRosie.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Professor Carl Nivale has thescoop on Mardi Gras in the upcoming production at Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts.

the “professor” and the celebration. Taking part in the academic antics are NOLA Voice Theatre co-founders Vatican Lokey and Edward R. Cox, with Margeaux Fanning, Kristi JacobsStanley,Michelle Plaideauand Tiffany Keller

The show runs at 7p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. Saturday and 1p.m. Sundayat 325 Minor St. Visit nolavoicetheatre com.

Hut. Hut. Hike.

It would be nearly impossibletohost the championship football matchup and not weave it into theatrics.

The Actor’sApothecary,1506 PrytaniaSt., will host stagedreadingsof “Serious Games,” the sports comedy by New Orleans native Steve Monroe, at 7p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

The show is billed as “two superstitious gamblers and the unlucky girl who gets in the middle of the bet of their lives.” Yikes.

With adifferent cast each night, the show is abeneﬁt for atrio of localactors headed to the Big Apple foranoff, offBroadway play in March, “A Kiss Like No Other.” Also expect some typical stadium food like dogs and brews.

Suggested donations are$15. Visit theactorsapothecary.com.

Openingsoon

“TRUE WEST”: Opening 7:30 p.m. Thursdays to Saturday,2p.m. Sundays through Feb. 16; Jefferson Performing Arts, Westwego Performing Arts Theatre, 177 Sala Ave. Sham Shepard’splay about two dysfunctionalbrothers and a reunion in the California desert. Tickets start at $15. jpas.org.

Email Victor Andrews at vandrews@ theadvocate.com.

art art art

ARTBEAT In this series, Lagniappe presentsworks from the collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art, with commentary from acurator

Tunisian artist explores cultural overlap

BY AMANDA MAPLES Contributing writer

Tunisian artist Thameur Mejri’spaintings posequestions rather thananswers. This one, recently acquired by the New Orleans Museum of Art, features fragmented elementsthat emerge from the abstract pictorial plane.

For Mejri, deconstructed bodies,objectsand landscapes represent howweall make sense of our experiences and histories —and howweare shapedby broader cultures thatare notalways immediately recognizable. In the artist’s words: “The fractured body, the deconstructed parts, it’s aprocess. ... By destroying things, you know what you are.”

In “Untitled(Eroded Grounds),” created in response to theArabSpring and the Tunisian Revolution of 2010-11, arange of symbols speak to this process, whichcan be applied to other political and social contexts.

The winged creatureat the topiscommonly found inIslamic fables,while the toyairplane signiﬁes aproductive destructive process —when given a toy, achild will dismantle or destroy thetoy to seehow it ismade. The Nike sneaker speaks to consumeristideology. The gun draws these

conceptstogether and signiﬁesfurtherviolence.

Despitethe macabre undertones, Mejri’swork represents acathartic release —the ability to see our surroundings for how theyshape us, even as they threaten our veryexistence.

“Untitled(Eroded Grounds),”onview in “Af-

ropolitan: Contemporary African Arts at NOMA,” is the ﬁrst work by aTunisian artist to enter NOMA’s collection.

Amanda M. Maples is the Françoise Billion Richardson curator of African art at the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Tunisian artist Thameur Mejri’s ‘Untitled (Eroded Grounds),’ from 2018

PROVIDED PHOTO

music music music

BRIANHAAS& STEVEN BERNSTEIN

SATURDAY,UPTOWNJEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

For each installment of theNew Orleans Jewish CommunityCenter’s2025 Composer in Residence Concert Series, avant-jazz keyboardist andJCC music director Brian Haas will spendﬁve days writingand rehearsing 75 minutes of new music with a guest composer,thenperformingthatmusic at the Uptown JCC’sMintz Auditorium, 5342 St. Charles Ave. Theseries’ ﬁrst featured composer is trumpeter andarranger Steven Bernstein, apillar of New York’s avant-jazz scenewho has worked with Lou Reed, MarianneFaithful, Laurie Anderson, Levon Helm and manyothers, including New Orleans legendsAllenToussaintand Henry Butler; he also fronts his Sexmob ensemble and composes andarranges music for movies. Bernstein andHaas will perform their newly created work with saxophonist Skerik,guitaristChrisCombs, bassist James Singleton anddrummerTanner Gus on at 8p.m.Saturday at the JCC. Admission is $20.

StevenBernstein, left, and Brian Haas

An

Keith Spera SOUNDCHECK

arrayofmarquee musiciansare in New Orleansthisweektoperform at invitation-only events aheadofthe SuperBowl.

Thefollowing showsare ones youcan actually attend.

INTERNATIONALCLASH DAY

SATURDAY,CHICKIE WAH WAH

OTHERNOTEWORTHYSHOWS

THURSDAY

Keyboardist and singer JonCleary grewupinEngland admiring New Orleans rhythm and blues fromafar. As ayoungman, he movedtothe cityand, decades later,isone of its most practiced perpetrators ofNew Orleans funk and R&B. He andhis airtight all-star band, the Absolute Monster Gentlemen,funk up the intimate Chickie WahWah on Thursday.Tickets start at $35.

Likemany British musicians whocame of age in the1960s and ’70s, politically charged punk band the Clash admired New Orleans rhythm and blues. The admiration runs both waysand will be on full display Saturday during the third installment of Chickie Wah Wah’sannual International Clash Day

Launched in 2023 andinspired by Seattle radio station KEXP’sannual Clash broadcast, the Chickie Wah Wahcelebration includes aset by Spider Stacy of the Pogues. Special guests slated to appear throughout thenight include Judith Owen, Jon Cleary,CCAdcock, Ben Jaffe, Steve Rapport, Helen Gillet, John Maestas, River Eckert, The Rob Hudak, Pell, actor Jude Law,Raff Law,Anna Moss, Robin Sherman, PapaMali, Eric Johanson, Jenn Howard, Craig Klein and Joshua Starkman. The Radio Clash Allstars house band consistsofTim Robertson, Rene Coman and Eric Bolivar.Doors open at 6p.m. and the show ﬁres up at 8p.m. Tickets start at $69 plus fees.

Jazz bassist Neal Caine has backed the likes of Diana Krall, Harry Connick Jr., Jon Batiste, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis and Samara Joy,amongmany others. Nowbased in NewYork, he lived in New Orleans early in his career.Hereturns to perform at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro on Frenchmen Street at 7:30 p.m.and 9:30 p.m.He’ll be joined by drummer Jason Marsalis and pianist Seth Finch.Tickets are $30. Accordionist Geno Delafose &French Rockin’ Boogie are featured forthe weekly Zydeco Night at Rock ’N’ Bowl($15).

Spider Stacy

JonCleary

music music music

FRIDAY

Legendary Meters bassist GeorgePorter Jr. anchors his Runnin’ Pardners Chris Adkins on guitar, Terrence Houston on drums and Mike Lemmler on piano —for arare appearance at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro. Shows are at 7:30 p m. and 9:30 p.m.; admission is $40.

Keyboardist Ivan Neville hails from oneof the great families of NewOrleansmusic. He spent years in the Neville Brothers alongside his uncles and hisfather,Aaron.Hewas also amember of KeithRichards’ X-Pensive Winos and has collaborated with alitany of marquee musicians. He mostly fronts afunk/ R&B band called Dumpstaphunk.But forthis special “Any Given Friday” show on Super Bowl weekend at Chickie WahWah,he’ll be joined by bassist GeorgePorterJr. (after Porter’s own shows at Snug Harbor) plusthe Dumpsta Horns.Showtime is 11 p.m.; tickets start at $80.

Keyboardist Michael “Mikey B3” Burkart and his band groove at 10:30p.m. at the Maple Leaf ($15 advance,$20 door).

SATURDAY

Deacon John Moore played guitar on theoriginal recordings of several classic songs from the golden age of New Orleans rhythm and blues. He and his band, the Ivories,are still going strong as one of themost New OrleansofNew Orleansparty bands. Hear them on Saturday at Rock ’N’ Bowl ($20).

Tipitina’s, another of the city’s ﬂagship music venues, also has a great night of deeply local music withthe legendary Dirty Dozen Brass Band,which blazed atrail all over theworld for New Orleansbrass band music. Contemporary soul and R&B singer Erica Falls opens the show at 9p.m.($25).

Trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra swing out at Snug Harbor at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ($40).

Brother Martin High School’s annual “Marty Gras” raises money for theschool’sArthur Hardy FineArtsScholarship and honors

the legacy of the late Marty Hurley,the school’sband director of 37 years and aworld-class drummer and drum cadence composer

This year’s“Marty Gras” was originally Jan. 24, only to be postponed because of the snowstorm Saturday’srescheduled date at Southport Hall (200 Monticello Ave., Jefferson) opens with the Brother Martin band’sdrum line at 7p.m., followed by the school’s stage band. Next up is Brother Martin’sstudent band Remaster, followed by areunion of the Funky Beans from 9:30 p.m.to11:30 p.m

Tickets are $25 general admission or $125 VIP(which includes drink coupons and complimentary food).

The “Better Than the Halftime Show Show”atthe Maple Leaf Bar features She Might Be aBeast and Zita ($20 advance, $25 door).

SUNDAY

On Super Bowl Sunday,several music venues, including SnugHarbor and Tipitina’s, are closed.But keyboardist JoeKrown leads his Trio +1,featuringguitarist Papa Mali,at9 p.m. atthe Maple LeafBar ($15 advance, $20 door).

MONDAY

New Orleans singer Charmaine Neville is at Snug Harbor ($25),

TUESDAY

See High Fade plus Bedford at Chickie WahWah ($20 plus fees)

Galacticdrummer Stanton Moore shifts gears to lead ajazz comboatSnug Harbor at 7:30 p.m. and9:30 p.m. ($25).

WEDNESDAY

Uncle Lucius visits Tipitina’s, with Cole Phillips opening($18).

Keyboardist JonCleary returns to Chickie WahWah fora solo show at 8p.m. ($20 plus fees).

The Jazz Foundation of America’s free weekly,early-eveningperformance features the ChuckChaplin Trio with

JohnnyVidacovich and Richard Moten,starting at 5p.m.

Later, trombonist DelfeayoMarsalis swings outatSnug Harbor withthe Uptown Jazz Orchestra.Shows are at 7:30 p.m. and9:30 p.m.

Nocap’s Before IDisappear Again Tour stops at theFillmore. Tickets start at $64.

Email Keith Speraatkspera@theadvocate.com.

Joe Krown

Deacon John

music music music

earsyour Perkup

From up closeand personal,tostandingroomonly, here’s a starting pointfor live entertainmentaroundNew Orleans

BY KEITH SPERA Staff writer

In the run-uptoSuper Bowl LIX,New Orleansisgridiron ground zero. But thecityalso serves up someofbest music and food found anywhere in the world.

Footballfans and anybody else who wants to sample some ofNew Orleans’ famed night life can startatthese music venues.

ä See LIVE, page 10

local

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY KEITH SPERA Fans outside Tipitina’stry to catch aglimpse of modernrock band The Killers in April. The flagship NewOrleans music club, mostly open on weekends, alternates touring acts with the top

acts.

At Preservation Hall, the venue inside abuilding that da their backs against the venue’sfront wall; patrons sit literal

The crowd overflowsinto the bar area of the Maple Leaf as JonBatisteperformsin2023. The cramped, lowstagehas no lighting to speak of. But the Leaf specializes in facilitating long,late, inhibition-releasing nights of dancing and drinking fueled by mostly local funk, brass and jam bands.

Sevennights aweek, two shows anight, Snug Harbor on Frenchmen Street hosts the full spectrum of jazz, from traditional New Orleans to modern,plus the occasional forayinto blues.

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER

STAFFFILE PHOTOBYCHRIS GRANGER dates to the 1800s, there is no stage. Musiciansperformwith terally at theirfeet.

music music music

The porch at the bar at the Broadside overlooks otherareasofthe multifaceted event venue in NewOrleans, also home to Nikkei restaurant.

LIVE

Continued from page8

TIPITINA’S

501 Napoleon Ave.

The ﬂagship New Orleans music club is named for asong bythe late, great piano patriarch ProfessorLonghair Tip’s, which is mostly open on weekends, alternates touringactswiththe toplocal acts. The faded gig posters lining the well-wornbeams attestto the club’sstoried past.Now owned by members of the band Galactic,

Tipitina’sstrives to offer amemorable experience for both the musicians who inhabit thestoried stage and the fans whocometohear them. The bananalogoTipitina’sT-shirts are iconic. And the Tipitina’sRecord Club, which services subscribers with anew vinyl albumfrom the archives every two months, is an especially cool spinoff business.

SNUG HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO

626 Frenchmen St

Snug Harbor could just as well be called “Safe Harbor.” To pass through

thenarrow entrance passageway is to escape the cacophony that is contemporary Frenchmen Street. Beyond Snug Harbor’sdark, low-ceilinged bar —itfeels like the sort of place where secrets are shared —isthe music room. The 100 or so patrons it accommodates sit around small cocktail tables on the first floor or line the upstairs balcony railing, looking down on the stage. Seven nights aweek, two shows anight, Snug hosts the full spectrum of jazz, from traditional New Orleans to modern, plus the occasional foray into blues. It’sa great placetosit and soak in some of the finest music

played anywhere in New Orleans on a nightly basis. And the adjacent restaurant will get you started with ahearty meal.

CHICKIEWAH WAH

2828 Canal St.

Chickie WahWah is the go-to venue in New Orleans forAmericana and other rootsy music, both local and touring acts. Funk and R&B keyboardist Jon Cleary frequently turns up for solo shows there. The cozy room was designed for sitting and listening to music. Signage salvaged from defunct

STAFFFILE PHOTOBYIAN McNULTY

music music music

local institutions cover thewalls. A coalition of well-connected musicindustry insiders own andrun the place, soChickie WahWah occasionally hosts bandsthat would normally play much larger rooms.

MAPLELEAFBAR

8316 Oak St.

The Maple Leaf Bar is “ramshackle” personiﬁed; the wholebuilding seems to lean. The pressed-tin walls are imbued with decades of smoke andsweat. The cramped, low stage has nolighting to speak of. But the Leaf specializes in facilitating long, late, inhibitionreleasing nights of dancing anddrinking fueled by mostly local funk,brass and jam bands. GeorgePorter Jr., the legendary bassist of the Meters,holds down aregular Monday night gig. The early Thursday evening“Booker Sessions” weekly series salutes theLeaf’s long history as abastion of pianoplayers.Leaf trivia: It’swhere Flea from theRed Hot ChiliPeppers discovered the Rebirth Brass Band.

BAYOUBAR

2031 St. Charles Ave.

Just off the Pontchartrain Hotel’s lobby is the tiny Bayou Bar,sonamed for the ancient-lookingmurals decorating its walls and columns. It’s very small—onlyafew dozen patrons can claim seats at the small tables or along thebar.But they’re rewarded with a ﬁrst-class roster of jazz curated by bassist Peter Harris, whosurrounds himself with some of thebest modern jazzmusicians in the NewOrleans. Early in the week, Harris plays upright basswith mostly acoustic combos (which can still be pretty loud in such closequarters). On Friday nights, he generally switches to electric bass for funkier sets that may includeaMeters standard or two.

D.B.A.

618 Frenchmen St.

Equal parts wateringhole andmusic venue, D.B.A. changed ownership after the pandemic but stillpresents asolid roster of mostly local, mostly roots-related music in theheart of the Frenchmen Streetentertainment district.Thatincludesregulars such as the Treme Brass Band,blues guitar-

PRESERVATION HALL

726 St. Peter St.

Since 1961, Preservation Hall has presented traditional New Orleans jazz in abuilding that dates back to the early 1800s. It’s right next door to Pat O’Brien’s, home of the famed Hurricane, but serves no drinks. The Hall only recently added afull-ﬂedged HVAC system, and there is no stage. Musicians perform with their backs against the venue’sfront wall; patrons sit literally at their feet. Even as the Preservation Hall creative team has fostered collaborations with contemporary artists, seeing ashow there still feels like stepping back in time.

ROCK ’N’BOWL

3016 S. Carrollton Ave.

Rock ’N’ Bowl helped pioneer the merger of bowling and live music. These days, the music roster tends to favor cover bands pumping out everything from very loud ’80s arena rock to brassy funk and soul. But every Thursday on Zydeco Night, the best bands from southwest Louisiana keep the dance ﬂoor full. Regardless of the music, Rock ’N’ Bowl’sdecor,hospitality and all-around vibe make for a uniquely New Orleans experience. And don’tworry if you’re not agood bowler —you can keep the guardrails up and never roll agutter ball.

THEBROADSIDE

600 N. Broad St.

ist Little Freddie King, the street jazz combos Tuba Skinny and the Palmetto Bug Stompers, and trumpeter Kid Chocolate &the Free P.O.C. Most early,

6p.m. shows are free; modest cover charges kick in for thelate shows. As per its website, D.B.A. is open from 4p.m. to 3a.m. every day …“mostly.”

Before the pandemic,the site of the Broadside was just aparking lotnear The Broad Theater.But the theater’s owner expandedhis entertainment offerings by transforming the former parking lot into alive entertainment compound that includesthe main outdoor space, asmaller indoor hall and aseparate barand the restaurant Nikkei. The whole place feels like a New Orleans-ﬂavoredAustin, Texas, in agood way.The eclectic offerings range from roots music to avant-jazz to bounce to silent movie screenings with musicians creating alive soundtrack. It’snot open every night, so check the schedule before heading over

Email Keith Spera at kspera@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILEPHOTO BY KEITHSPERA

Drummer Herlin Riley, bassist Peter Harris, saxophonist Derek Douget and pianist DwightFitchJr. performinMay at the BayouBar inside the Pontchartrain Hotel on St.Charles Avenue.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY PAUL COSTELLO Chickie WahWah on Canal Street is the go-to venue in NewOrleans for Americana and other rootsy music, both local and touringacts.

food food food

Wherethegoodrolltimes

Raiseaglass to thebarsand loungesthat make NewOrleans’famousnightlife scene

BY MATTHEW HAINES Contributing writer

Nearly 20 million people visit New Orleans each year.They come for the world-famous food, the iconic architectural landscape, the lively music scene and —of course —the city’srenowned nightlife. That nightlife will be on full display when tourists from across the globe ﬂock to the Crescent City for Super Bowl LIX. While there are too many bars to list, there are highlights that visitors will deﬁnitely want

STAFFFILE PHOTOBYBRETT DUKE

Napoleon House is the epitome of an old-school NewOrleans tavern in the heartofthe French Quarter.

FILE PHOTO BY DINAH ROGERS

Twenty-five hand-painted carousel seatsrotate around the bar, almost imperceptibly,every 15 minutes at the Carousel Bar in the Monteleone Hotel.

food food food

to explore: grand hotel establishments, divey haunts, sports bars, neighborhood hangs, music clubs and more. By necessity,this is ashort andsubjectivelist. The French Quarter is less than asquare mile andishome to at least 60 bars. Visitors are sure torun acrosssomething theyenjoy,possibly on theway from onebar to another (with an adultto-go beverage in hand). Most of the bars on this list arein the FrenchQuarter,though we’ve included afew slightly outside as well.

CAROUSEL BAR ANDLOUNGE

214 Royal St.

It’shard to imagine abetter placeto begin your tour of New Orleansbars than inside the historic Hotel Monteleone in the FrenchQuarter. For75 years, the unique drink spot has been charming visitors. Twenty-ﬁve handpainted carousel seatsrotatearound the bar,almost imperceptibly,every 15 minutes. Consider avoidingpeak hours so you can snag aseat.(It opens at 11 a.m.) Order the cocktail invented there: the Vieux Carre.

THESAZERAC BAR

130 Roosevelt Way

For another look at theelegance of this city’snightlife andcocktail scenes, stop inside the 132-year-old Roosevelt Hotel, just acouple of blocksoutside the French Quarter,where theSazerac Bar has regularlytopped listsofbest barsinthe country,including the USA Today Readers’ Choice poll. Order the titular drink, the Sazerac —often considered the world’sﬁrst cocktail. It features rye whiskey,Peychaud’s Bitters, sugar and an anise-ﬂavored liqueur suchasHerbsaint or absinthe.

JEWELOFTHE SOUTH

1026 St. Louis St.

If it’scocktailsyou’re after,you can’t miss this top-rated wateringhole on the French Quarter’souter edge. A James Beard Award-winner,itwas named one of the world’s50best bars, so you’ll want to make areservation to ensure aseat. Thebeautiful bar, tended by the renowned ChrisHannahand his team, can be found inside acharming 1835 brick building.The food is also fantastic.

Vaughan’sLounge, at the corner of Dauphine andLessepsinthe Bywater neighborhood of NewOrleans.

STAFF FILEPHOTO BY CHRISGRANGER

NAPOLEON HOUSE

500 Chartres St.

The epitome of an old-school New Orleans tavern in the heart of the French Quarter is said to have been

Chris Hannah is the star cocktail crafter behind the bar at Jewelofthe South in theFrench Quarter. ä See NIGHTLIFE, page 14

ABOVE: People hang out at Lafitte’sBlacksmith Shop Bar on Bourbon Street.

STAFF FILE PHOTOBYSOPHIA GERMER

LEFT: With televisions inside and out and plenty of welcoming bar atmosphere, Finn McCool’sIrish Pub in the Mid-City neighborhood is agreat place to watch the Super Bowl

STAFF FILE PHOTOBYSCOTT THRELKELD

STAFFFILE PHOTOBYDAVID GRUNFELD

food food food

EATLIKEACELEBRITY

Wherethe A-listersvisitingfor theSuper Bowl aredininginNew Orleans

BY JUSTIN MITCHELL and IAN McNULTY Staff writers

It’snot hard to ﬁnd agood restaurant in New Orleans. In most cases, you can look to your left or right, ﬁnd an “open” sign, take agamble and get atable.

New Orleans’ food sceneisdiverse, plentiful and has countless optionsin each and every neighborhood,from the French Quarter to Uptown to the Treme, Bywaterand beyond.

With around 100,000 people expected to invade the CrescentCitythisweek for Super Bowl LIX, eateries are sure to be packed and reservationswill ﬁll up quickly at iconicspots, particularly in high tourist areas like the French Quarter,Central Business District and Magazine Street.

But if you want to eat like acelebrity during the weekofSuper Bowl LIX, we’vecompiled an unofﬁcial list of places where A-listers havebeen spotted in the Big Easy

If you try to go to any of thesespots this week, it’sbest to call ahead to check availability or makereservations. It should also be noted that some restaurantsmay be closed or completely rented out on certain days due to Super Bowl demand.Others maynot take reservationsand operateona ﬁrst come,ﬁrst serve basis.

Clancy’s: This iconic New Orleans spot is beloved by Democratic politico James Carville. Order aSazerac from the bar,and expect modern Creole ﬂavors on the handwritten menu.

The Mannings love these New Orleans classics: Abit off the beaten path for Super Bowl visitors, don’tskipa po-boyfrom Domilise’sorItalian at Mosca’sin Westwego. Don’tbesurprisedifyou see Payton, Eli or Archie Manning. Commander’sPalace: Arguably oneofthe most famous restaurants in the Crescent City, celebrities likeMick Jagger are known to stop by andhaveturtle soup, dinner and dessert at Commander’s Palace. Co-owners Ti Adelaide Martin and Lally Brennan are famous in their own rite, and keep thepublic in the know of the history of therestaurant and what’snew on Instagram.

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY CHRISGRANGER

The soft-shell crab at Clancy’s Restaurant in NewOrleans is smoked and then fried and finished with more crabmeat. The iconic NewOrleans spot is belovedby Democratic politico James Carville.

Morrow Steak: Larry Morrow’snewest steakhouse in the Central Business District is modern, upscale and offers aﬁlling, eclectic menu that Megan Thee Stallion loves.

Saba: Alon Shaya’sMagazine Street restauranthas some of the best hummusyou’ll ever try,and the trendy spot is Taylor Swift approved.

Antoine’s: Another New Orleans classic, it’snot uncommon to see celebs dininginthis French-Creole spot in the French Quarter

Atchafalaya: Their Sunday brunch is one of the best in the city,and its proximity to Tipitina’smakes it afrequent stop for musicians looking to fuel up before ashow.The Killers recently dined at Atchafalaya while in New Orleans during 2024 Jazz Fest.

Emeril’s: The Warehouse District spot has its own star power from the celebrity chef who knows athing or twoabout good food and impeccable service.

Nobu: Star power is baked into the Nobu brand, led by its namesake celebrity chef and also actor Robert de Niro

and the ﬁlm producer Meir Teper,and it’sa magnet for big names wherever another opens. The local outpost of luxury Japaneserestaurant debuted at Caesars Casino over the summer; Super Bowl week is likely to be its celebrity coming out party.

St. Pizza: The New York Times raved about this new pizza window in the Lower Garden District, and for good reason. Youcan also make adinner reservation to try their expanded menu in their dark, intimate tavern. There haven’tbeen celebrity sightings yet, but we would be remiss to keep this casual favorite off this list, just in case.

Tic-TocCafe: Lana Del Rey might have pulled ashift at an Alabama Wafﬂe House, but she loves the diner food at Tic-Toc Cafe in Metairie.

Willa Jean: Gordon Ramsay grabbed pastries from this popular breakfast and brunch restaurant about ablock from the Superdome, and workers there say it’snot uncommon for celebrities to pop in for acoffee or chocolate croissant.

NewOrleans trumpet legend Kermit Ruffins’ club in the historicTreme neighborhood, ashortride from the adjacent French Quarter,has livejazz multiple times each week.

NIGHTLIFE

Continued from page13

once arefuge for the embattled 19thcentury French general after whom the bar was named. Youcan ﬁnd great beers here, but the refreshing Pimm’sCup is the drink of choice. Also, try the hot muffuletta foralocal snack.

BARRELPROOF

1201 Magazine St.

The neighborhood bar is like a modern-day Napoleon House. Just outside the CBD at the edge of the city’sLower Garden District, Barrel Proof, is gritty,dimly lit and full of locals enjoying aselection of more than 400 whiskeys and plenty of great draft beer options. Check out its sister property,The Will &The Way, in the French Quarter

FINN MCCOOL’S IRISHPUB

3701 Banks St.

Heard there’sabig game going on while you’re in town? Finn’s is packed to the brim with locals watching their favorite teams at all hours —whether that’sEnglish Premier League soccer at 6a.m. or our beloved Saints later in the day With indoor and outdoor televisions

STAFF FILE

PHOTOBYSCOTT THRELKELD

food food food

The Sazerac Bar in The Roosevelt Hotel in NewOrleans regularly tops lists of the best bars in the country.

and plenty of welcomingneighborhood bar atmosphere, this is agreat place to watch the Super Bowl. It’s morethan a walktoMid-City,though, so prepare to take an Uber,Canal Street streetcaror a Blue Bike to get there. (Finn’shas a Blue Bike station outside itsdoor.)

ERIN ROSE

811 Conti St.

Agrittier take on an Irish pub, this French Quarterspot has fewer TVs (only two), but if you cansnag aseat at the bar,it’sagreat place to watcha game with locals.The frozen Irish coffees are delicious, as arethe po-boys served in the back.

VAUGHAN’SLOUNGE

4229 Dauphine St.

Another spot to watch theSuper Bowl with thelocals is in the Bywater neighborhood. The drinksare inexpensive, and, though this old wooden bar looks like it’sliabletofall over at any moment, time spent at Vaughan’sisalways memorable. Come on aThursday night foramazing live jazz, andswing by afew other nearby establishments: Bacchanal Wine, J&J’sSports Lounge andParleauxBeerLab, to name afew.

APPLEBARREL

609 Frenchmen St.

Bars with live local music are an

essential stop on any New Orleans trip. FrenchmenStreet is theepicenter of that scene, with nearly adozen live musicbarstochoose between.The AppleBarrel is agreat place to start, with alegendary history.In2011, Gambit’sKevin Allman described it as “that Quarter Rat second living room, aplace many tourists miss —where everyone is afriend or atolerated eccentric.”

KERMIT’S TREMÉ MOTHER-IN-LAWLOUNGE

1500 N. Claiborne Ave.

Speakingoflive local music, New Orleans trumpet legend Kermit Rufﬁns’ clubinthe historic Treme neighborhood,ashort ride from the adjacent French Quarter,has live jazz multiple times each week. It’salso potentially agreat place to watch the game if you want something laid back and super local.

BEACHBUM BERRY’S LATITUDE 29

321 N. Peters St.

It is said that the world’sﬁrst tiki bar was created by New Orleanian “Don the Beachcomber.” Today,Jeff Berrycarries that mantleforward in the French Quarter.Try classic drinks like aMai Tai, Navy Grog or Missionary’sDownfallmade with recipes gathered from some of the

oldest structure used as abar.You’ll ﬁnd this important building —built in 1722 —toward the Esplanade Avenue end of Bourbon Street near other great bars, like Fritzel’sEuropean Jazz Pub, Laﬁtte’sinExile (which claims to be the oldest gay bar in the U.S.) and Cosimo’s.

MANOLITO

movement’sgolden age of tiki bartenders.

LAFITTE’SBLACKSMITHSHOP

941 Bourbon St.

For adifferent kind of frozen drink, try the signature grape-ﬂavored Voodoo Daiquiri (aka “Purple Drank”) at what is believed to be America’s

508 Dumaine St.

New Orleans has been described as the northernmost city in the Caribbean. It makes sense, then, that the Quarter is home to asmall Havana-inspired bar serving alineup of frozen drinks that include ahandful of delicious daiquiris. Its Cuban-inﬂuenced food will go great with your drink.

STAFF FILE

PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER

FILE PHOTO BY J.T. BLATTY Get classic tiki drinks at Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 in the French Quarter

STAFF PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER Manolito is asmall Havana-inspired bar serving alineup of frozen drinks.

STAFFFILE PHOTOBYIAN McNULTY

The Erin Rose is apint-sized bar packed with character afew steps off Bourbon Street in the French Quarter.

Tasteofthe NFL2025

BeneﬁttingGENYOUth’seffortstoEndStudentHunger

TasteoftheNFLisaculinaryandgridironextravaganza andtheNFL’slargestSuperBowl weekend philanthropic culinary event featuring top chefs, NFL greats, captivating entertainment, and the sharedmissionoftacklingyouthfoodinsecurity

AllnetproceedsbeneﬁtGENYOUth’scommitmenttoEndStudentHungerandtohelpincreaseequitableaccess toandparticipationinschoolmealsamongat-riskchildreninNewOrleans,aswellasthroughoutLouisiana andtheU.S.

•1in4Louisianachildrenlivesinfoodinsecuritycomparedwith1in5nationally.

Presented by Frito-Lay,Quaker,and the PepsiCo Foundation and hostedby5nationallyacclaimedcelebritychefswhoarecommitted toendingstudenthunger–AndrewZimmern,CarlaHall,TimLove, LasheedaPerry,andMarkBucher.

NewOrleansrestaurants/chefsparticipatingin

Taste of the NFL: Restaurant R’evolution, Brennan’s, Dakar Nola, Restaurant August, Medium Rare, DookyChase Restaurant, Crawbabies, Palace Café, Acme Oyster House, Zasu, Café Sbisa, Vyoone’s, Bayou Scratch Kitchen, Felix’s Restaurant and Oyster HouseSticksn’Things,ChefTamelaDavis,ChefRonDuprat,ChefDee Lavigne,ChefMarkMcMillian,CircleHouseCoffeeandothers.

Guestswillminglewithover25NFLgreatswhileenjoyingsurpriseanddelightmoments–NewOrleansstyle! Ticketsare$750eachandincludeallfoodandbeverage.Thiseventis21+only.

Formoreinformationandtopurchasetickets,visitTasteoftheNFL.com