New Orleans CityBusiness articles from August 2007

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from August 2007

FEMA estimates proving woefully short of Road Home needs in N.O.
August 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates for The Road Home program are proving woefully short of the mark. FEMA estimated only 123,000 homeowners would apply for the program and 174,262 did so through...

Terrytown man pleads guilty to Social Security fraud.
August 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff U. S. Attorney Jim Letten said today that a Terrytown resident has pleaded guilty to Social Security fraud. Ronald P. Leo, 55, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge A.J. McNamara to one count of falsely...

WRDA veto threat alarms Louisiana legislators.
August 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff President Bush will veto a $20 billion water projects bill unless lawmakers remove the billions added for new plants and new costs shifted onto the federal government, the White House said Wednesday. The veto...

N.O. Public Library offering downloadable books.
August 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The New Orleans Public Library system said it has begun offering downloadable e-books and audio books from its Web site. The New Orleans Public Library Foundation is funding the service, which is provided by...

Leake & Andersson merges with Lafayette firm.
August 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The law firm of Leake & Andersson said it completed today a merger with the Lafayette firm of Roy, Bivins, Judice, Roberts & Wartelle. The merged firm will practice as Leake & Andersson and have offices in New...

Louisiana cancer rates outpace national average.
August 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans has mapped the geographic distribution of cancer for the first time. "This volume... is the first to show cancer incidence and mortality maps...

Campaigning Falconer departs St. Tammany West Chamber temporarily.
August 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reid Falconer, St. Tammany West Chamber chairman, is taking a leave of absence to Campaign for Parish Council. The temporary leadership change took place Tuesday at the St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce board...

Recovery School District closing registration center in N.O.
August 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The state-run Recovery School District said it is closing its registration center at Edgar P. Harney Elementary School, 2503 Willow St., because the site receives little traffic. Beginning today, parents can...

'Coolbaugh Night' coming to Z's Field in N.O.
August 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The late Mike Coolbauch, who holds the Zephyrs' single-season home run record with 30, will be the subject of "Mike Coolbaugh Night" at Zephyr Field before a 6 p.m. game Aug. 18. The Zephyrs are collecting...

Nonprofit trying to extend deadline to recover hurricane losses in La.
August 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff A nonprofit has filed lawsuits to extend the amount of time victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita have to recover insurance payments for storm damages. Katrina Justice filed two lawsuits in Baton Rouge to extend...

Allman tops stars at Fanfest 2007 in Hammond.
August 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Louisiana University and the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts today announced headliners of Fanfare 2007, a month-long celebration of the arts, humanities and social sciences. Gregg Allman, founding...

Cancer patients say Hope Lodge in N.O. allows them to get treatment.
August 1, 2007... Byline: Richard A. Webster When Diane Cousin returned to Hope Lodge after spending several hours in cancer treatment, she said she threw open the doors with a smile and announced, "I'm home." It seems unusual that someone would express so...

Tensions mount in debate over N.O. District Attorney Jordan's job performance.
August 1, 2007... Byline: Richard A. Webster New Orleans District Attorney Eddie Jordan entered the City Council chambers July 18 to answer for his recent dismissal of two high-profile homicide cases. In the weeks leading up to his appearance, a biracial...

La. Sen. Landrieu snips FEMA red tape on Road Home cash.
August 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The Senate Homeland Security Committee today unanimously voted for a bill authored by Disaster Recovery Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, to allow Louisiana to use $1.17 billion in hazard...

La. Sen. Landrieu tries to pry loose $1.17B from FEMA for Road Home.
August 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will vote this morning on a bill authored by Disaster Recovery Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, to allow Louisiana to use...

New Orleans plans recycling drive.
August 2, 2007... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The city is scheduled to hold a recycling drive 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 8 on the East Bank and in Algiers. The East Bank drop-off site will be the intersection of North Claiborne Avenue and St. Peters...

N.O.-based Bollinger Shipyards completes oil tank barge for NY firm.
August 2, 2007... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Bollinger Shipyards said it has delivered the first of two double-hull, 35,000-barrel oil tank barges to Melville, N.Y.-based Bouchard Coastwise Management Co. Value of the work was not immediately...

New Orleans CityBusiness' parent company goes public.
August 2, 2007... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Dolan Media, the parent company of New Orleans CityBusiness, went public today. The Minneapolis-based firm's shares will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol DM, with an initial...

Burger King campaign awards $100K to N.O.-area organizations.
August 2, 2007... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Burger King's Campaign For Your Cause is awarding 10 Louisiana organizations, including two New Orleans-area high schools, a share of $100,000. The campaign allowed New Orleans-area residents to vote...

Audubon Nature Institute hatches world's first 'cyrochick'.
August 2, 2007... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The Audubon Nature Institute today said it has achieved a first for science by hatching the world's first bird produced with semen that had been frozen and thawed. The "cyrochick," a Mississippi...

Minneapolis bridge collapse fuels Louisiana veto session lobby.
August 2, 2007... Byline: Jaime Guillet The tragic Interstate 35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis has Louisiana legislators calling for a veto session to override Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco's veto of Senate Bill 146, which would have dedicated an annual...

City of New Orleans plans to provide relief for higher property assessments.
August 2, 2007... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The New Orleans City Council said millages controlled by the city will be rolled back to soften the blow of higher property taxes. The Council also has promised to lobby the Louisiana Tax Commission to...

6 percent of Louisiana schools are 'academically unacceptable'.
August 2, 2007... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Of the 1,119 public schools in Louisiana, 70, or 6 percent, are academically unacceptable and must grant students the right to attend other schools, the Louisiana Department of Education said...

New Orleans Satchmo SummerFest kicks off today.
August 2, 2007... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The seventh annual Satchmo SummerFest, a three-day event celebrating the influence of jazz icon and New Orleans native Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, kicks off today and runs through Sunday. The event,...

U.S. Army Corps to hand off hurricane recovery to state of Louisiana.
August 2, 2007... Byline: Deon Roberts Since Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Louisiana Recovery Field Office has overseen debris removal and the demolition of buildings and homes across the New Orleans area. But after Sept. 30, parishes...

Foreclosures level off after a surge in St. Tammany, La.
August 2, 2007... Byline: Thomas Leggett Foreclosures on the North Shore are slowing down after the worst quarter in more than two years. St. Tammany Parish reported only 16 foreclosures in June, down 54 percent from 35 the previous month, according to...

'Day of Presence' protest set for Katrina anniversary.
August 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Lack of progress in the recovery from Hurricane Katrina spurred a group of business, civic and entertainment organizations to join forces and converge upon New Orleans for "8/29, A Day of Presence," from...

Commentary: N.O. recovery requires community unity.
August 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Many aspects of the Hurricane Katrina disaster and recovery are beyond our control or even influence. The initial savagery of the storm, the utter failure of the levees and the futility of the federal responses...

N.O. Council President: Donna Addkison's workload was a challege for one person.
August 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness staff report The day after the city's economic developer resigned, the City Council president today said the job's workload would have been "a significant challenge for any one person." Council President Arnie Fielkow...

International electronic learning conference planned for N.O.(Conference notes)
August 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report More than 400 participants from across the world are expected to attend an international electronic learning conference slated for New Orleans Tuesday through Friday at the Sheraton hotel, 500 Canal St. The...

Boston company launches iPod walking tours of N.O.
August 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A Boston company said it has launched a downloadable audio walking tour of New Orleans, adding the Crescent City to tours the company already offers of Miami Beach, Boston, Seattle and Chicago. Audissey...

Economist questions construction job figures from feds.
August 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A payroll report released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics may understate the jobs created by nonresidential construction, said the chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America,...

Copeland's restaurant grows in Jefferson Parish, will rebuild N.O. sites.
August 3, 2007... Byline: Emilie Bahr The Spirit of New Orleans: It's the slogan emblazoned on the sign outside the newly reopened Copeland's restaurant on Clearview Parkway in Elmwood. The 8,000-square-foot location opened July 20 for the first time since...

McMoRan Exploration announces discoveries at Flatrock well.
August 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report McMoRan Exploration Co. said its the Flatrock discovery well south of Lafayette has been drilled to 18,100 feet and encountered three additional zones bearing hydrocarbon, an ingredient in petroleum. Tests...

Louisiana-based Hornbeck Offshore 2Q earnings rise 11.3 percent.(Financial report)
August 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc. reported net earnings for the second quarter rose 11.3 percent to $22.6 million, or 85 cents per diluted share, from $20.3 million, or 72 cents per share, in the year-ago...

St.Tammany low-income families to receive free school supplies.
August 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The St. Tammany Parish Department of Community Action will provide fee school supplies for low-income families from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday. The fifth annual giveaway will be held at 2004 First St. in...

Jefferson Parish plans Sept. 1 recycling drive.
August 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Jefferson Parish plans to hold a recycling drive from 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 1 at sites on the east and west banks. The East Bank drop-off site will be the Joseph S. Yenni Building, 1221 Elmwood Park...

Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport gains $1.6M to upgrade security.
August 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, announced the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport has secured a $1.6-million security enhancements grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The...

Night Against Crime opens Sunday at Kenner casino.
August 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The National Night Out Against Crime Kick-Off party by the Kenner Police Department will be held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Treasure Chest Casino parking lot, 5050 William Blvd. More than 35 law...

Coast Guard pinpoints Gulf of Mexico oil spill culprit.
August 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans identified the vessel involved in a wellhead collision that caused an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last week. The spill discovered last Sunday occurred when a...

Louisiana Rep. Tim Burns affirms re-election intent.
August 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report State Rep. Tim Burns will seek re-election to his 89th House of Representatives post. The Republican is completing his first term in the Legislature. Burns said he will continue to stress improved...

Billy Arnold tosses hat in Louisiana House ring.
August 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Billy Arnold has announced his candidacy for the 85th District seat in the state House of Representatives for Gretna and Harvey. "I will focus on the issues that are most important to my neighbors in...

Work under way at $25M Walnut Square Apartments in New Orleans.
August 6, 2007... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Report Walton Construction Co. broke ground July 31 on the Walnut Square Apartments. The $25-million project will be a modular style apartment complex with 209 units totaling 185,000 square feet....

New Orleans reports street damage to FEMA.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The city reported July 30 to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to qualify for infrastructure repair funds, one day before reports were due. The city reports ensure it remains eligible for federal...

Checking in: Various developers plan to build condo hotels in New Orleans.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Deon Roberts In New Orleans, the first person who builds a condo hotel will be a real estate pioneer here. In other major cities, however, condominium complexes with units rented like hotel rooms have been part of the landscape...

Katrina survivors to circle New Orleans Superdome Sept. 1.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The African-American Leadership Project will close this year's second anniversary observance of the Katrina disaster with its "Hands Around the Dome Ceremony" from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 1 at the...

Second helping: Copeland's strategically reopen their New Orleans-area restaurants.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Emilie Bahr "The Spirit of New Orleans" is the slogan emblazoned on the sign outside the newly reopened Copeland's restaurant on Clearview Parkway in Elmwood. The 8,000-square-foot eatery reopened July 20 for the first time since...

Commentary: New Orleans recovery requires unity.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Many aspects of the Hurricane Katrina disaster and recovery are beyond our control or even influence. The initial savagery of the storm, the utter failure of the levees and the futility of the federal responses...

Commentary: Blueprint Louisiana motto: Create a state we deserve.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Terry O'Connor "It's time to create a state we deserve." With this simple statement, Blueprint Louisiana launched its five-part plan aimed at pressuring legislators taking seats in this fall's historic election to answer to...

$161M ship comes in for Louisiana port projects.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Jaime Guillet State port officials are pleased after lawmakers funded more than $100 million in projects during the latest legislative session, including $30.5 million to relocate frozen poultry shipper New Orleans Cold Storage....

Why Stay? Restaurateur loses business, hired as executive chef at 7 on Fulton.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Autumn C. Giusti Everything was falling into place for Chef Michael Sichel in August 2005. He and his wife, Kerry Sichel, a Louisiana native, left Napa Valley, Calif., earlier that year to come to New Orleans. Their new restaurant,...

Entergy nuclear plant site in Louisiana still a mystery.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Entergy Nuclear has signed a project development agreement with GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy for a major, advanced reactor components order. Entergy Nuclear said it wants the parts, which include large...

Lingering challenges still plague New Orleans-area contractors.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Tommy Santora Permits for commercial and residential construction projects are multiplying despite regional firms facing myriad hurdles post-Katrina. Simply launching a project can be a challenge. Mike Centineo, director of the New...

Entergy N.O. earns $11.8M post-bankruptcy.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Entergy Corp. reported Tuesday that its second-quarter profit slipped 5 percent and missed Wall Street expectations because of cooler weather and higher operational and maintenance costs. Entergy New...

Look Who's Talking: Resident engineer on La.'s John James Audubon Bridge over Mississippi River.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Angelle Bergeron Age: early 60s Family: wife, Alida; sons Morgan Rudyard, 33, Caedmon Aidan, 27 Education: doctorate in civil engineering University of Rome and Naples; passed the Professional Engineer's exam Hometown: Milan, Italy...

What others say.
August 6, 2007... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports New York Times: 'New Orleans recovery is slowed by closed hospitals,' July 24 At the tip of Bayou St. John in the Mid-City neighborhood here, the brown and white bulk of Lindy Boggs Medical...

June home sales decline in New Orleans area from 2006.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Deon Roberts Fewer single-family homes sold in most parishes throughout the metro area in June compared with June 2006, according to the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors. Home sales fell in Jefferson, Orleans,...

New Orleans residents see final plans for riverfront.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports New Orleans residents received planners' final draft for the Riverfront Redevelopment project, contracted through the city agency New Orleans Building Corp., during a public meeting held at the Port of New...

Look Who's Talking: Frank Trapani, president of New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Christian Moises Age: 63 Education: attended Loyola University Family: wife, Meg; four children Tina, Nicole, Tony and Ben Hometown: Metairie Frank Trapani became involved in real estate when he purchased his first piece of...

Online demand complicates Louisiana's The Road Home deadline.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The Road Home received more than 175,000 applications for aid to homeowners capped at $150,000 apiece. Gentry Brann of ICF International, which is accepting the applications for The Road Home, said people...

Blueprint Louisiana pushes for state upgrades.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Hoping to capitalize on the massive turnover expected in the Legislature during the first election affected by term limits this fall, a group of business leaders statewide has assembled a five-point plan...

License to build: Commercial building activity picks up in New Orleans area.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Tommy Santora The New Orleans Safety and Permits office has issued 4,803 commercial permits in Orleans Parish post-Katrina for work valued at $1.339 billion. New commercial work makes up about 25 percent, or $334.6 million of the...

ACORN: Inadequate levee rebuild on Orleans Parish side of the canal is racist.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Nearly 200 New Orleans residents assembled July 28 along the Monticello Canal to form a "Human Levee" demanding equitable flood protection. A reinforced levee and floodwall protects Jefferson Parish from...

Aug. 6 - Aug. 11.
August 6, 2007... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports Aug. 6 The Louisiana Seafood Board inaugural Louisiana Alligator Soiree, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd. Student teams from Louisiana culinary...

Commentary: Fall elections require voters to do their homework.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Mark Singletary Start thinking about your questions. This fall we all should be thinking about the next governor and our new state Legislature. These are big, important elections. Let's take them seriously. The candidates will be...

Sav-A-Center dangles all 21 sites in the greater New Orleans area for sale.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Jaime Guillet The 21 Sav-A-Center grocery stores in the greater New Orleans area could be sold as soon as October although potential bidders are still competing. The Sav-A-Centers are owned by Montvale, N.J.-based Great Atlantic...

Texas-based Angel Flight gives wings to critical care patients in five-state region.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Richard A. Webster White fog surrounds 67-year-old Marian Crigger as the twin engine Cessna carrying her from Little Rock, Ark., to New Orleans drifts into a lush cloud bank 9,000 feet above Lake Pontchartrain. She stares out the...

Commentary: Two sides of Bayona offer French-influenced fusion.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Tom Fitzmorris Bayona $$$$$ 430 Dauphine St., French Quarter Lunch Wednesday through Saturday, dinner Monday through Saturday www.bayona.com A friend I hadn't seen in a while surprised me not long ago. He always considered...

Post-Katrina recycling absence to end soon in New Orleans.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Emilie Bahr Paula Cannon arrived at a parking lot at the corner of Gen. DeGaulle Avenue and Holiday Drive recently in a vehicle filled with months of castoff paper, plastic and aluminum. The Algiers Point resident, chairwoman of...

Protesters call for removal of Midkiff family from staff of New Orleans charter school.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Stephen Maloney Parents and faculty members have accused the administration of Einstein Charter School in eastern New Orleans of verbal abuse, nepotism, firearms violations and racism. At a press conference July 28, protesters...

New Orleans CityBusiness online poll results: Arena Bowl fails to attract interest.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The July 29 Arena Bowl football championship was not worth wasting time on, according to a majority of voters to CityBusiness' Question of the Week. Among the 208 total voters who visited the poll in the...

Council trio call for emergency meeting on Corps plans for protecting large parts of New Orleans.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Councilmember Stacy Head, Chairwoman of the Public Works Committee, District B, today set an emergency joint meeting of the Council's Public Works and Recovery Committee along with Recovery Committee Chairs...

$33M Cabela's store set for October opening in Gonzales.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A $33-million Cabela's sporting goods store being built here is expected to draw 3 million visitors annually, a project spokeswoman said. The 175,000-square-foot store is slated to open Oct. 5....

McMoRan Exploration buys Gulf properties for $1.1B.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report McMoRan Exploration Co. today said it has officially purchased Gulf of Mexico Shelf oil and gas properties of Houston-based Newfield Exploration Co. for about $1.1 billion in cash. The purchase price...

University of New Orleans grad takes over key Stennis spot.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report NASA today named Patrick Scheuermann the new associate director at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center, Mississippi effective Aug. 19. Scheuermann will support SSC Center Director Rick Gilbrech and Deputy...

New Orleans students promoted after summer LEAP retesting.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Out of 25,000 fourth- and eighth-grade public school students who retook the test this summer, more than 9,000, or 36 percent, passed the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program, the state Department of...

CityBusiness parent company Dolan Media to sell more stock.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Dolan Media Co., owner of New Orleans CityBusiness, today said that bankers plan to sell about 2 million more shares of stock. Dolan went public Thursday and has sold 13.5 million shares. The company had...

Firm completes Algiers Business Corridor study.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The final report of the Algiers Business Corridor study is scheduled to be presented to the public 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Moreau Center at Our Lady of Holy Cross College, 4123 Woodlands Drive, in...

Limited services, staff to help HIV, AIDS patients return home to New Orleans.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Richard A. Webster Medical professionals warned people living with HIV/AIDS a year ago to think carefully about returning to New Orleans where access to specialized medical services is limited. Director Dr. Lynn Besh, of the HIV...

Tulane freshman will win energy efficient appliances.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Tulane University is sponsoring a contest that will result in one first-year student winning a year's use of energy efficient electronics and appliances. Freshmen are asked to submit a letter explaining...

Makers of DiCaprio film to attend New Orleans screening.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Makers of "The 11th Hour," a film that deals with Hurricane Katrina and global warming, are scheduled to answer audience questions following a 7:30 p.m. Sunday screening at Landmark Canal Place Cinema....

National magazine gives New Orleans visitors bureau CEO high marks.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The president of the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau is one of the top 25 most influential people in the meetings industry, according to Meeting News magazine. It's the second year...

Louisiana's only U.S. Supreme Court chief justice to be subject of exhibit.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A free, traveling exhibit on Louisiana's only U.S. Supreme Court chief justice is scheduled to be on display from Friday through Sept. 9 at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 West Napoleon Ave. The...

New Orleans Public Library offers downloadable book.
August 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The New Orleans Public Library system has started offering downloadable e-books and audio books on its Web site. The New Orleans Public Library Foundation is funding the service, which is provided by...