New Orleans CityBusiness articles from February 2004

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from February 2004

Louisiana's Nurse Home Visitation Prog. for First-Time Mothers highly effective.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Megan Kamerick Every day, Nancy Konrad and Andrea Price Janzen see the results of insufficient public health services. The Jefferson Parish juvenile court judges know the problems start years before young offenders step inside...

New Orleans sports agency scores NFL-draft prospect.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff Fusion Sports Management Inc., a New Orleans-based sports agency, landed its first NFL-draft athlete last week. Tony Bua, a 23-year-old former linebacker for the University of Arkansas, hired Fusion Sports founder Mark...

Old Jefferson bar reopens after two-month vacancy.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff Southport Hall on Monticello Avenue in Old Jefferson recently reopened under new management. Harold O'Reilly, owner of Continental Engineering Corp., a New Orleans construction and equipment company, bought the bar from...

New Orleans developer Kabacoff dies.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff Lester Kabacoff, known for his involvement in such projects as the 1984 World's Fair, WDSU-TV and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, died Jan. 25 at age 90. Among his many achievements, Kabacoff was a founder of the...

Bollinger Shipyards settles with state over environmental violations accusations.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and Bollinger Shipyards Inc. signed an $8.72 million settlement to resolve accusations that Bollinger violated the air, water quality and hazardous waste provisions of the...

Entergy Louisiana Inc. to purchase power plant from bankrupt PEP.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff Entergy Corp. subsidiary Entergy Louisiana Inc. will pay $170 million to acquire a 718-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant from Perryville Energy Partners LLC, a subsidiary of Cleco Corp. Entergy and PEP also signed an...

Port of Baton Rouge announces new container-on-barge service to Port of New Orleans.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff The Port of Greater Baton Rouge announced a new weekly container-on-barge service on the Osprey Line between the Port of New Orleans and the Port of Greater Baton Rouge. The service allows containers to travel via barge...

Orleans Parish School Board has new president.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff Board member Cheryl Mills, after a unanimous board vote, replaced Ellenese Brooks-Simms as president of the Orleans Parish School Board. Brooks-Simms had been president since January 2001.

New Orleans mayor announces youth work program.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin announced the formation of YouthWork New Orleans, a new work program that aims to create 2,000 summer jobs for youths ages 14 to 21. Nagin is calling for public- and private-sector partnerships...

Baton Rouge-based Shaw Group opens shop in China.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff Baton Rouge-based Shaw Group has opened a new pipe fabrication shop northwest of Shanghai, China. The facility, operated by Shaw-YPC Piping Co. Ltd., will provide pipe fabrication and bending services for China and export...

Shaw Group subsidiary gets residential contract for air force base in Arkansas.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff Shaw Group announced Little Rock Family Housing LLC, a 50/50 joint venture between subsidiary Shaw Infrastructure Inc. and Meridien, Conn.-based CEI Investment Corp., was selected to build and renovate 1,200 homes at the U.S....

LSU scientist wins national grant.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff Louisiana State University computer scientist Peter Chen won a $1.8 million grant in October from the National Science Foundation to develop high-tech security systems.

New Orleans-based Hibernia Corp. declares dividend.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff New Orleans-based Hibernia Corp. declared a quarterly cash dividend of 18 cents per common share payable Feb. 20 to shareholders of record Feb. 6.

Commentary: Nation's next president must solve complex job-creation puzzle.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Mark Singletary To a man, and I can safely say that now that Carol Moseley Braun has dropped out of the race, all major presidential candidates say creating jobs is one of the most important things a president can do. If they...

Chef Susan Spicer gives her recipe for success.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Elisabeth Butler & Holly Miller The secret ingredient in Chef Susan Spicer's career is selective listening. As a student in the kitchen, she tuned in as mentors told her how to use color, flavor and texture to create unique...

Tenet offers two Louisiana hospitals for sale in restructuring plan.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Elisabeth Butler It's off to the market for St. Charles General Hospital in New Orleans and Doctors Hospital of Jefferson in Metairie. Tenet Healthcare Corp. of Santa Barbara, Calif., announced Wednesday its plans to sell 27 of...

New Orleans-based jeweler Mignon Faget closes its original storefront.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff A 150-year-old bargeboard building captivated the Mignon Faget Ltd. staff three decades ago, but its deterioration was part of the reason the company closed its gallery on Dublin Street in New Orleans' Riverbend neighborhood....

Entergy's application could generate a second nuclear reactor.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff Entergy Corp. has applied with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a permit to secure site approval for a possible second reactor at the company's Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Station near Port Gibson, Miss. The commission is...

Loyola to offer athletes controversial scholarships.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff It's been at least 30 years since Loyola University New Orleans awarded athletic scholarships. But with the recent announcement of six full basketball scholarships, a new era is starting at the Uptown Jesuit university. ...

Look Who's Talking... Howard Mielke discusses lead poisoning in New Orleans inner city.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts Howard Mielke is a professor at Xavier University's school of pharmacy and an environmental toxicologist who has studied the distribution of lead and other toxins in the urban environment. Most of his research has been...

New Orleans call center to be closed by Citigroup.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff New York-based Citigroup Inc. will close a New Orleans call center that employs 847 customer-service and collection representatives. Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based Sears, Roebuck & Co. ran the center before Citigroup bought...

Commentary: New Orleans East Business Summit sends message to City Hall.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Terry O'Connor Eastern New Orleans hopes to gain a needed business boost from the first New Orleans East Business Summit. Anne Kiefer, executive director of the New Orleans East Economic Development Foundation, said it is vital...

Commentary: Scalise rips Duke idea in a blast for all of us.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Terry O'Connor Second that emotion: State Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, spoke for the vast majority of the voting public when he tongue-lashed David Duke for saying he would run for the 1st Congressional District seat being...

Entrepreneurs open first indoor soccer complex in New Orleans.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Holly Miller A pair of entrepreneurs have started a $2 million indoor soccer complex, and they say it's for more than just a few kicks. Colin Rocke, a nine-year veteran of indoor and outdoor U.S. professional soccer leagues,...

Trade deficit doesn't slow job creation at La. ports.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Ellen Boyer The nation's trade imbalance fell slightly in November, the most recent report, but New Orleans workers are still hustling to keep up with imports. The U.S. trade deficit, the difference between the amount of goods...

Rail lines expected to ease trucking crunch in Louisiana.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Ellen Boyer Editor's note: Because of its central location, Louisiana holds the potential to reap huge economic rewards from international trade. Cashing in on that potential is a challenge of matching transportation capacity with...

Delgado Community College eager for Bush to fulfill his State of Union promises.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts When President Bush called for more support for community colleges in his State of the Union address, ears perked up at Delgado Community College. Cash-strapped and cramped for space at its main three campuses...

New Orleans Lindy Gras continues craze created by swing dance fans.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Holly Miller New Orleans will be hopping this weekend as more than 300 dance enthusiasts descend upon the city. The second annual Lindy Gras, a Lindy Hop event by Dance New Orleans Inc., will take place Thursday through Sunday....

Hollywood execs love Louisiana film credit cash.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Holly Miller It's a wrap. For the first time, two major film studios have actually received millions from Louisiana's film tax credits program. Louisiana film industry officials hope the tax payback signals to Hollywood...

Metairie newsstand closes after 36 years.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff If A.J. Licata could have held on to the newsstand he managed for two more years, he would have been eligible for Medicare. But Veterans Newsstand closed for good Jan. 31 ending a 36-year run. Licata managed the store at...

United Van Lines study claims Louisiana out-migration reversed.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff According to the latest United Van Lines Migration Study, movement to Western states increased in 2003. Southeastern states also attracted more residents, while states in the North and Northeast generally showed an outbound...

City Council request to sell daiquiris and beer in parking lot for Mandeville parade.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff Mardi Gras revelers in Mandeville will be watching parades this year without the benefit of being able to buy cold beer. The Mandeville City Council voted 4-1 Jan. 22 to deny a request by Daiquiri Trace to set up a...

Jefferson Chamber of Commerce gala features silent and live auctions.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Staff Those attending the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce's 2004 annual meeting and installation gala had a chance to buy a lobster and wine dinner with new parish President Aaron Broussard. The Jan. 23 event featured silent and...

La.'s Incumbent Worker Training Program brightens future for both employees and employers.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Ellen Boyer For 21 years George Wollfarth worked as a shipping and receiving coordinator in the Regional Transit Authority's warehousing division. "I was limited in where I could go in that department," he said. Now,...

French Quarter-based cafe chain receives approval to develop Bourbon Street park into business.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts The owners of a French Quarter-based cafe chain have received the go-ahead to develop a tiny, city-owned park on Bourbon Street into a business. Others, who also wanted the property, are scratching their heads...

New Orleans police superintendent believes short-handed NOPD can handle Mardi Gras security.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts Although the New Orleans Police Department is losing officers, Police Superintendent Eddie Compass said Carnival 2004 will be well policed. The Mardi Gras season will continue to be NOPD's "strong suit," Compass...

Lafourche Parish is first to cash in on Louisiana's Amendment 8.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky Passage of Amendment 8 on last October's statewide ballot drew more yawns than cheers. But for some coastal parishes, the measure could translate into millions of dollars in rig repair work - if they take one...

Slidell smuggler caught brokering oil equipment.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff International trade sanctions didn't stop a Slidell businessman from smuggling oil field and computer equipment to Libya. Yaudat Mustafa Talyi schemed to ship the contraband through his business, International Business...

New Orleans banks purchase Super Bowl ads.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff Two New Orleans-area banks bought commercial airtime during the Super Bowl last week and New Orleanians were watching. New Orleans was the third-highest rated market in the nation, behind only Greensboro, N.C., and Kansas...

New Orleans-based Camellia Grill settles involuntary bankruptcy.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff The burgers still sizzle at Camellia Grill on Carrolton Avenue. Three businesses that tried to force the landmark diner into involuntary bankruptcy dropped their case last week and settled out of court, said Mitchell Hoffman,...

New Orleans Zephyrs unveil new 'Boudreaux' logo.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff The New Orleans Zephyrs unveiled a new logo last week featuring Boudreaux, the team mascot nutria, biting the word "Zephyrs." Team caps will feature Boudreaux biting a "Z." Zephyrs officials hope the new logo will give...

Demand growing for mediation and arbitration services.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Megan Kamerick While litigation is a booming business in America, less than 5% of cases actually go to trial. But even when cases settle, parties still expend enormous sums of money and time. This reality is one factor driving...

Commentary: Publisher's Notes: Complicated school funding structure remains baffling to outsiders.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Mark Singletary The major funding mechanism for Louisiana public schools is something called the Minimum Foundation Program. Using the MFP formulas, the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Legislature...

New Orleans area's public schools say lead paint isn't a problem.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts Orleans Parish Public Schools have made headlines recently as schools contaminated with lead undergo cleanups. But most school systems in other parishes say they really have no problems with lead in their schools....

Privacy groups perturbed by cellular phone tracking ability.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky A new technology mandate could soon help police solve crimes, parents locate missing children and retailers peddle wares, but privacy advocates aren't sold. Within the next few years, the Federal Communications...

Debate resurfaces about how to prepare Louis Armstrong Airport infrastructure for the future.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Ellen Boyer Editor's note: Because of its central location, Louisiana holds the potential to reap huge economic rewards from international trade. Cashing in on that potential is a challenge of matching transportation capacity with...

Award-winning Peter Mayer ad agency tops $70M in '03 earnings.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky Chances are a visitor coming to New Orleans because of an advertising promotion will have viewed one put together by Peter A. Mayer Advertising. Since the company's founding more than 35 years ago, the Mayer...

Louisiana's TransOceanic Shipping Co. doing business in Iraq.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Ellen Boyer Kenner-based TransOceanic Shipping Company Inc. is the first American project forwarding company to open shop in Iraq. Economic development officials hope TransOceanic's foothold will create a springboard for other...

Nationwide interest in Carnival helps boost retailer fortunes.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Ellen Boyer Just because it's Carnival time doesn't mean retailers just started selling Carnival wares, mister. Mardi Gras mania nationwide means more money for New Orleans as the region cashes in on its culture. An event...

Independent performers get their '15 Minutes' of fame at The Parish at House of Blues New Orleans.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Holly Miller Independents' day comes once a month at The Parish at House of Blues New Orleans thanks to JPF Music LLC. Each month, the New Orleans-based independent music company puts on "15 Minutes," a singer-songwriter series...

Global Maritime Ministry creates $1M facility to serve seafarers spiritually.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Ellen Boyer In 1963, the Rev. John Vandercook watched a ship dock at a Port of New Orleans terminal. A disembarking seafarer approached Vandercook and asked where Christian crewmen on the boat of banana shipments could go to church...

Economic development officials encourage back-office operations to locate in New Orleans area.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Holly Miller Citigroup's announcement that it will close its eastern New Orleans call center in October dealt a blow to the economy, but city officials say they aren't ready to hang up on call centers just yet. Bill...

Nonprofit Excelth Inc. sets the standard for the community health care in New Orleans.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Community health care is becoming something of a rallying cry in politics. Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco promised during her campaign to strengthen community care as did President George W. Bush in his recent...

Look Who's Talking: Dr. Charles Teamer Sr., president of World Trade Center of New Orleans.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Ellen Boyer Dr. Charles Teamer Sr. is a man who just won't quit. He continues to put his expertise and experience to work at age 70. Teamer is executive director of the Amistad Research Center, chairman of Dryades Savings Bank and...

International Shipholding Corp. of New Orleans reports 2003 net income of $5.49 million.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff International Shipholding Corp. of New Orleans reported 2003 net income of $5.49 million compared with a net loss of $136,000 the previous year. Net income was 90 cents per share compared with a 2 cent per share loss in 2002....

Deutsche Bank Securities upgrades Tenet Healthcare Corp. of Santa Barbara, Calif.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff Deutsche Bank Securities, an analyst firm in Boston, upgraded Tenet Healthcare Corp. of Santa Barbara, Calif., to "hold" from "sell" last week after the company announced plans to sell 27 of its 100 locations. Deutsche Bank...

Final figures for cost of lead cleanup at Audubon Montessori not yet available.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff Bookkeepers at Orleans Parish Public Schools still haven't been able to tabulate final figures for the lead cleanup last year at Audubon Montessori, said spokeswoman Tia Alexander. "We are still breaking out the lead numbers...

Civil district court judge stops New Orleans from invalidating street vendor permits for Mardi Gras.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff Civil District Court Judge Lloyd Medley stopped the city of New Orleans from invalidating fixed-location street vendor permits for Mardi Gras. The city had planned to reissue permits by random lottery Jan. 24 after an...

Brenda Hatfield named Mayor Nagin's executive assistant for intergovernmental affairs.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff Brenda Hatfield, director of governmental affairs and Cox 10 programming for Cox Communications, was named Mayor C. Ray Nagin's executive assistant for intergovernmental affairs. Hatfield replaces Garey Forster, who resigned...

New Orleans and Hibernia National Bank launch home-buying program to aid area firefighters.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff The New Orleans Fire Department, the city of New Orleans and Hibernia National Bank announced "Operation Welcome Home," a new program aimed at simplifying the home-buying process for Orleans Parish firefighters. The program...

New Orleans mayor announces "Imagine It Clean" initiative to encourage trash and litter reduction.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff Mayor C. Ray Nagin announced Imagine It Clean, a new five-year initiative encouraging New Orleans residents and businesses to reduce the amount of trash and litter throughout the city. The city has also ordered 500 36-gallon...

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport reports a 3% increase in flights.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport reported a 3% increase in flights from all major airlines in 2003. Flights were up in 2003, up to 108,491 from 104,824 in 2002. December flights were up 11% to 9,572 from...

Bollinger Shipyards Inc. and Tidewater Inc. christen the MV Jonathan Rozier.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff Bollinger Shipyards Inc. and Tidewater Inc. christened the MV Jonathan Rozier, Tidewater's newest platform supply vessel. The vessel is named in honor of 1st Lt. Jonathan Rozier, who was killed July 19, 2003, when a...

Tulane University receives $5 million from federal government for bioterrorism research.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff Tulane University researchers received more than $5 million from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense for projects investigating bioterrorism agents such as plague and anthrax. Scientists will study...

Entergy Corp. declares a quarterly dividend.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff Entergy Corp. declared a quarterly dividend of 45 cents per common share. The payment date is March 1 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 11.

Stone & Webster Asia Inc. awarded contract to provide engineering services to Korean company.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff Baton Rouge-based Shaw Group announced subsidiary Stone & Webster Asia Inc. was awarded a seven-year contract with an estimated value of $18 million to provide engineering support services to Korea Power Engineering Company...

Monroe-based telecom company announces increased fourth-quarter 2003 net income.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff Monroe-based telecommunications company CenturyTel announced fourth-quarter 2003 net income was $82.4 million, compared with $44.3 million for the same period in 2002. Diluted earnings were 57 cents per share for the fourth...

Coca-Cola management duties added in Harahan.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff The Louisiana Coca-Cola Bottling Co. is emphasizing its Gulf Coast headquarters in Harahan where the $90 million facility built in 1994 is one of the most modern Coca-Cola plants in North America. Louisiana Coca-Cola...

Tourism group plans New Orleans cemetery scrubbing.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff After Mardi Gras ends, tourism industry leaders will head for the cemetery. Led by the nonprofit Travelers Conservation Foundation of Canton, Mass., New Orleans tourism groups will go to work Feb. 27 to lime-wash, paint...

La. Dept. of Insurance's new database maintains insurance policy records.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff The state Department of Insurance created a new database for people searching for life insurance policies on deceased relatives. The new law, approved by the state Legislature last session, activated the database Jan. 1. ...

New Orleans agencies net $1M to fight corruption.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Staff Three New Orleans departments and agencies are slated to receive $1 million in federal funding for anti-corruption efforts in 2004. Rep. David Vitter, R-Metairie, and Orleans Parish District Attorney Eddie Jordan...

Commentary: Nagin's 'Imagine It Clean' drive a perfect pitch for Mardi Gras.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Terry O'Connor As we head into the shank of the Mardi Gras season it's encouraging to see the city administration try to clean up the city by employing more garbage cans and emphasizing the need for changing a long-held New Orleans...

Entergy Corp. trucks check Carnival parade route for anything that could obstruct the floats.
February 16, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky Experienced Carnival revelers know parades in New Orleans always end with fire trucks and begin with Entergy trucks. Entergy trucks have already made sweeps of every parade route in town, checking for...

Some New Orleans vendors survived 1984 Louisiana World Exposition.
February 16, 2004... Byline: Elisabeth Butler & Holly Miller More than 50 New Orleans residents operated food-and-drink stands or retail shops at the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition. Some natives were scarred financially, but a few developed careers from...

New Orleans financial industry debates the effect of international banking laws on economy.
February 16, 2004... Byline: Holly Miller A debate stirring in New Orleans over international banking is pitting advocates of technology-based banking against those who say Louisiana's financial restrictions are stifling economic growth. One side says...

Nadas leaves position with City of New Orleans to head Hispanic Chamber.
February 16, 2004... Byline: Staff The Louisiana Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has hired its first executive director. Gina Nadas will take the position Feb. 23 after resigning as director of international trade development for the city of New Orleans, a post...

Sound track of TV movie 'Infidelity' features many New Orleans stars.
February 16, 2004... Byline: Staff The sound track to the TV movie "Infidelity" is true New Orleans. Basin Street Records is producing the original sound track for "Infidelity," a Lifetime television movie shooting in New Orleans. The CD will feature...

City of New Orleans coats trash cans with graffiti-proof paint for use in Mardi Gras.
February 16, 2004... Byline: Staff Graffiti artists might find fame more fleeting than ever. The city bought 500 "beautification trash cans" officials claim to be coated with graffiti-proof paint. Before Mardi Gras, 200 of the black, 36-gallon wrought-iron...

Lafourche inventor develops tool to help extract crabmeat from shells.
February 16, 2004... Byline: Staff Eating crabs may soon be a whole lot easier thanks to a Lafourche Parish inventor. Godfrey J. LeBoeuf of Bayou Blue outside Houma has developed a tool to help extract crabmeat from the shells and has applied for a federal...

New Orleans School of Circus Arts loses its temporary residence at the YMCA.
February 16, 2004... Byline: Staff The New Orleans School of Circus Arts became homeless in November, when its temporary residence at the YMCA on Lee Circle shuttered. Founder David Hunt said the organization teaches stress- and anger-management through...

Former Louisiana gubernatorial candidate Jindal offers job advice to Loyola business alumni.
February 16, 2004... Byline: Staff Former Louisiana gubernatorial candidate Bobby Jindal unleashed some self-deprecating humor Jan. 30 at the 19th annual luncheon for Loyola University New Orleans business alumni. Jindal, the keynote speaker at the event...

Arabi-based manufacturers believe steel for home construction will sell well in New Orleans.
February 16, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts Hurricanes and termites make homeowners cringe. But they've become selling points for businessmen promoting steel home components. Andrew Marshall, co-owner of an Arabi company that manufactures steel for home...

Commentary: Past Democrat quotes on Iraq contradict their current opinions.
February 16, 2004... Byline: Mark Singletary It's no secret our nation remains incredibly divided - politically and philosophically. Arguments by politicians, analysis by pundits and coffee shop talk doesn't sway the many Americans who hold solid partisan...

New Orleans firm, Ebonetworks, markets New Orleans to African-American tourists.
February 16, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky New Orleans competes neck-and-neck each year with Atlanta for the title of the premier African-American tourist destination, according to the New Orleans Multicultural Tourism Network. The potential of those...