New Orleans CityBusiness articles from January 2008

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from January 2008

New Orleans CityBusiness announces three days left to submit Leadership in Law nominations.
January 2, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness There are three days left to submit nominations for CityBusiness' 2008 Leadership in Law program. Nominations must be received by 5 p.m. Friday. Honorees will be recognized at a luncheon at noon March 18 at...

Tulane professor examines 'Katrina cough' in $1.8M federally funded study.
January 2, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff A Tulane University researcher will study the lung health of New Orleans workers after Hurricane Katrina, in an investigation into the so-called "Katrina cough." Henry Glindmeyer, a professor of...

New Orleans' Lapalco Boulevard lane closed for repairs.
January 2, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The left eastbound lane and U-turn on Lapalco Boulevard at Staten Street near Manhattan Boulevard are closed for waterline repairs, the parish said. Crews from the parish's Department of Water are...

Commentary: Women will continue to add influence in '08.
January 2, 2008... Byline: Terry O'Connor JWT, the former J. Walter Thompson advertising agency of New York, claims to be the first ad agency in the world and now the largest. It also claims to have the top 10 trends already shaping 2008. CityBusiness loves...

La.-based Bollinger to build 3 tank barges for a New York company.
January 2, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Bollinger Gretna and Bollinger Marine Fabricators have signed contracts for construction of three tank barges for Melville, N.Y.-based Bouchard Ocean Services. "Bollinger is ending the year on a...

New Orleans Hornets star guard named top NBA Player of December.
January 2, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Report The NBA today named New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul the Western Conference Player of the Month for December. Paul becomes the fifth Hornet to win the award and first to receive the...

End in sight for New Orleans Road Home application evaluations.
January 2, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Report The application process is starting to come into sharper focus after 65 weeks of work with 153,220 claims fully calculated as of Monday. Road Home officials estimate roughly 10,000 more claims...

CityBusiness Leadership in Law nominations due Friday.
January 3, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff There are three days left to submit nominations for CityBusiness' 2008 Leadership in Law program. Nominations must be received by 5 p.m. Friday. Honorees will be recognized at a luncheon at noon March...

Sugar Bowl brings record number of charter flights to N.O.
January 3, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport reported a record number of charter flights for the Sugar Bowl. There were 11 charter flights with 1,894 seats into New Orleans for the event, held on New...

10 N.O. residents face critical deadline.
January 3, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The Office of Recovery Development and Administration is making a final request for responses from residents enrolled in the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Program for pilot reconstruction and elevation...

Hurricane recovery efforts should speed up in New Orleans in 2008.
January 3, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The New Orleans metropolitan community continues to recover 28 months post-Katrina at a pace slowed by a leadership vacuum. But new leaders such as Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal, interim District Attorney...

Whole Foods king cake sales to benefit Louisiana shrimpers.
January 3, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff For the second year in a row, king cake sales at Whole Foods Market stores in Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina will benefit Louisiana shrimpers. For...

Louisiana Safe Routes to School program accepting applications.
January 3, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Applications are now being taken for the second funding phase of the Louisiana Safe Routes to School program. The program aims to improve the health of kids and the community by making walking and...

Home Automation Inc. to unveil cell phone product.
January 3, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Home Automation Inc., a manufacturer of home automation and security products, said it is launching a product that allows a person to control lights, security, temperature and Web cams on their cell...

Holy Cross College in New Orleans begins spring registration.
January 3, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Our Lady of Holy Cross College will host its spring 2008 registration from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday in the Moreau Center at the college's Algiers campus....

Dillard University in New Orleans to hold spring registration.
January 3, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Dillard University will hold registration for the 2008 spring semester starting next week. Registration runs from Tuesday to Thursday. Classes begin Jan. 14. Interested students should contact the...

Number of prisoners released under 60-day rule drops in N.O.
January 3, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The number of people released from prison in Orleans Parish because no charges were brought against them before 60 days decreased 99 percent from the beginning of 2007 to the end of the year. That's...

24 hours left to submit CityBusiness Leadership in Law nominations.
January 3, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff There are two days left to submit nominations for CityBusiness' 2008 Leadership in Law program. Nominations must be received by 5 p.m. Friday. Honorees will be recognized at a luncheon at noon March...

Louisiana's Governor's coastal activities adviser resigning.
January 3, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The senior adviser to the governor for coastal activities and chairwoman of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority will leave her post Jan. 14, when Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal takes...

Restaurant group elects North Shore chapter president.
January 3, 2008... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Dawn Davis, owner of Morton's Seafood Restaurant in Madisonville, has been elected the 2008 president for the North Shore chapter of the Louisiana Restaurant Association. Davis in 2006 served as...

Ion Media Networks buys N.O. TV station.
January 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Ion Media Networks Inc. has purchased television stations WPXL, serving the New Orleans market, and WPXX, serving Memphis, Tenn., from Flinn Broadcasting Corp. WPXL broadcasts an analog signal on UHF...

St. Temmany Parish President Kevin Davis to discuss plans for congressional race.
January 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis has scheduled a press conference for 11 a.m. today to discuss his involvement in the race for the 1st Congressional District seat to be vacated by Gov.-elect Bobby...

La. Dept. of Transportation and Development awards Barriere Construction nearly $19M in projects.
January 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Barriere Construction Co. was the apparent low bidder on four New Orleans-area road projects, with bids totaling nearly $19 million, according to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development....

Darrow-based Bocage Plantation, contents sell for $2.9M at auction.
January 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Neal Auction Cos.' annual Holiday Estates Auction Dec. 1-2 generated $2.6 million, a huge success, the company said. The Magazine Street-based company also reported the results of the Dec. 8 auction of...

St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis declines to run for Congress.
January 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis today declined to run for the vacant seat caused by Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal leaving the House of Representatives Jan. 14. Slidell Mayor Ben Morris, a Republican...

Louisian State University, Ohio State University join forces to battle wetlands loss.
January 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Louisiana State University and Ohio State University are not only battling for the Bowl Championship Series national title. Since 2003, the universities have fought to reverse wetlands loss. "This is a...

10 percent more business travelers expected to N.O. in '08.
January 4, 2008... Byline: Ariella Cohen Staff Writer In 2008, 10 percent more visitors will come to New Orleans for convention and business-related travel than in 2007, the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau said. 2007 convention...

Unemployment insurance claims plunge in last week of 2007.
January 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased to 2,077 for the week ending Dec. 29, from the previous week's total of 2,738. Initial claims were above the 1,930 claims for the same period in 2006....

Airlines to increase flights at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
January 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Four airlines will up their number of flights at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in the first quarter, bringing the airport's total seats to 78 percent of pre-Hurricane Katrina levels....

CityBusiness Year in Review story No. 1: Jordan resigns as DA.
January 5, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster Former Orleans Parish District Attorney Eddie Jordan ended the year the same way he started it: mired in controversy. On Oct. 30, Jordan resigned as DA and was replaced on an interim basis by assistant prosecutor...

Jefferson CVB plans business card exchange in Harahan.
January 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Elmwood Self-Storage and Wine Cellar will hold its first business card exchange and networking event from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the storage center, 1004 S. Clearview Parkway in Harahan. The event is...

Ron Paul radio ads hit the air in Louisiana.
January 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Beginning next week, Republican Texas Congressman Ron Paul's presidential campaign will begin running a series of 60-second radio ads in Alabama, California, Colorado, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Maine and...

Freret residents to survey community.
January 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Residents of the Freret neighborhood are launching a community survey project this week to evaluate the impact of their work on the neighborhood. The group also wants to get an accurate snapshot of how the...

New Orleans bird exhibit extends flight through Monday.
January 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Historic New Orleans Collection will extend its viewing hours for the exhibit "Birds of a Feather: Wildfowl Carving in Southeast Louisiana, Part 1, Early Working Decoys." Normally open Tuesday through...

LSU, Ohio State players to rebuild baseball field.
January 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu and the Louisiana Serve Commission will join several hundred Louisiana State Universities and Ohio State leaders, players, fans, students and alumni from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday in a...

Bay St. Louis Bridge reopens last two lanes.
January 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce Staff Report The $266.8-million Bay St. Louis Bridge reopened the last two of its four lanes on Friday, nearly two and a half years after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the span linking the cities of Bay St....

New Orleans-based E.N. Bisso commissions new tugboat.
January 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report New Orleans tugboat company E.N. Bisso & Son Inc. will commission a new tugboat, the Josephine Anne, during a ceremony Jan. 20 at Waldenberg Park. The 4,000-horsepower tug will be the latest to join E.N....

Audubon Charter sets registration deadline, gala date.
January 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Audubon Charter School has set the dates for its registration deadline and its annual fundraising gala. The application deadline for pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students who would like to...

Glamour magazine to feature N.O. design project.
January 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Ethan Allen and Glamour magazine have aligned their decorating resources to help a woman whose home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina decorate the home she is rebuilding. When the father of her three...

New Orleans-based magazine names Belladonna among top 10 coziest spas.
January 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report New Orleans-based Belladonna Day Spa has been named one of the country's top 10 coziest spas by Travel and Leisure magazine's January issue. The spa, at 2900 Magazine Street, was lauded for its quick...

Phunny Phorty Phellows help launch 2008 Carnival with streetcar ride.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Ariella Cohen The Phunny Phorty Phellows helped launch the 2008 Carnival season Sunday night with their annual 12th Night streetcar ride. The 120-year-old satirical krewe is known for marking the countdown to Mardi Gras by taking...

Forecast bullish for Louisiana.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Kelly W. Brown While national and international predictions for the future of America's economy are dire in the wake of a dollar that has lost ground to the euro and a real estate slump that's shaved value of U.S. homes for 10...

New Orleans CityBusiness poll results: Home the most popular place to watch BCS game.
January 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report As the Tigers and Buckeyes square off tonight in the Louisiana Superdome, most voters to CityBusiness' Question of the Week will be watching the game at home. In its weekly online poll, CityBusiness asked...

New Orleans Regional Transit Authority to bus fans for BCS game.
January 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority will provide transportation to the Louisiana Superdome for the Bowl Championship Series national championship game tonight. RTA's five-bus shuttle service starts...

Monster.com founder to speak in New Orleans.
January 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Jeff Taylor, founder of the job search Web site Monster.com, will be a guest speaker at the Louisiana Technology Council meeting from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention...

Jefferson Parish holds recycling drives.
January 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Jefferson Parish will hold recycling drives Jan. 26 and Feb. 23. Parish residents are invited to bring their recyclables to either of two sites between 9 a.m. and noon. On the East Bank, the parish will...

Jeffweaon Parish elected officials to take oaths of office.
January 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Jefferson Parish elected officials will take oaths of office at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Alario Center, 2000 Segnette Blvd., in Westwego. They will be sworn in to offices they will hold for the next...

BCS fans expected to set post-Katrina record at Louis Armstrong N.O. Airport.
January 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport officials expect record post-Hurricane Katrina crowds as Bowl Championship Series fans depart New Orleans. LANOIA officials expect approximately 19,000...

St. Tammany Parish seeks contact info for homeowners associations.
January 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report In the event of another catastrophic storm such as Hurricane Katrina, St. Tammany Parish leaders want to be able to communicate quickly and effectively with residents. So they are asking local homeowners...

Edward Hynes charter school in New Orleans accepting applications.
January 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Edward Hynes Charter Elementary School will begin accepting applications for the 2008-09 school year Tuesday for children in gifted pre-kindergarten and kindergarten through eighth grade. The...

Football fans help travel businesses in N.O.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster Greg Hoffman, vice president and general manager of Gray Line Tours, said he would be a millionaire if business remained as good as it was over the Sugar Bowl and New Year's Eve weekend. University of Hawaii and...

N.O. road construction moving into overdrive.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Jaime Guillet New Orleans residents: Get ready to start navigating orange cones and barricades on city streets this year. The convergence of three major funding sources -- the Federal Highway Administration's South Louisiana...

Jan. 7-12.
January 7, 2008... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports Jan. 7 Is weight loss surgery for you?, 6 p.m. in the first floor classroom at West Jefferson Medical Center, 1101 Medical Center Blvd. in Marrero. The free program is presented by Dr. Charles Thomas...

Change of scenery for Covington's Archbishop Hannan High School.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Stephen Maloney Archbishop Hannan High School has faced major changes in the past two years and school leaders are looking forward to a fresh start in St. Tammany Parish as the Archdiocese of New Orleans moves forward with plans to...

New Orleans Education Briefs: January 7, 2008.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Stephen Maloney Two of five hurricane-damaged schools have been demolished and are on schedule to be reconstructed by September 2009. Lake Area High School at 6026 Paris St., L.B. Landry High School at 1200 L. B. Landry St., Andrew...

Interview with Phyllis Landrieu: Orleans Parish School Board president.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Christian Moises Before joining the Orleans Parish School Board in 2005, Phyllis Landrieu had never taught in a classroom, though it's been her life ambition. Landrieu was a public and community relations consultant for almost 35...

Commentary: Corps failing miserably again.
January 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers failed to do its job in establishing and maintaining protective levees for the New Orleans metro area pre-Katrina. The Corps is the main culprit for the flooding that sank 80...

Commentary: Road work promise runs into City Hall roadblock.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Mark Singletary I was all atwitter. I just heard from our newsroom that we're about to list some of the city streets set for rebuilding and resurfacing. The list will be extensive. Some streets desperately in need of repair will...

Commentary: More reasons to be happy than sad or mad in new '08.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Terry O'Connor Happy New Year is my favorite cheer. It resonates every year with hope and optimism. Out with the old and in with the progress. Pop the corks, clink the glasses and let's celebrate a clean slate. Two New Year's Eve...

Commentary: Smart growth sets agenda for Mandeville Council elections.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Jeff Crouere Right after the holidays, the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras, the city of Mandeville will hold municipal elections Feb. 9. Incumbent Mayor Eddie Price was elected to another term without opposition. Because of term limits,...

N.O. Government Briefs: January 7, 2008.
January 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The Road Home program has reached its goal of 90,000 closings with homeowners who suffered property damage in the 2005 hurricanes. Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco reworked a contract with Road Home administrator...

Creative complaints being filed against N.O. businesses.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Emilie Bahr The first call came in mid-December from Deanie's Seafood in Bucktown. Others soon started pouring in. All told, more than 100 New Orleans-area restaurateurs received the same hand-scripted complaint from Orleans Parish...

SDT cart cleans Quarter sidewalks in N.O.
January 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The company that cleans the French Quarter is using a new device to sweep the historic neighborhood's sidewalks. SDT Waste and Debris began using a customized washer, roughly the size of a golf cart, in December...

Declining dollar, expensive oil drives gold prices.
January 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Precious metals analysts say economic factors are driving gold costs -- not speculators hedging bets it will surpass the high marks last reached in 1980. "When gold achieved its 1980 high of $850 per ounce, it...

Ion completes deal for WPXL in N.O.
January 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The New Orleans affiliate of a Florida cable television network is now part of the company. Ion Media Networks Inc. of West Palm Beach, Fla., has closed its $36-million purchase of television stations WPXL in New...

Tulane prof examines 'Katrina cough' in N.O. in $1.9M study.
January 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff A Tulane University researcher will study the lung health of New Orleans workers after Hurricane Katrina in an investigation into the so-called Katrina cough. Henry Glindmeyer, a professor of pulmonary, critical...

National homebuilder KB Home violates contract in N.O.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Ariella Cohen National homebuilder KB Home has scrapped 35 planned market rate homes in River Garden, the mixed-income development that replaced the St. Thomas housing project in New Orleans. The decision raises questions about the...

Lockport-based Bollinger to build three tank barges for Bouchard Ocean.
January 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Bollinger has signed contracts for construction of three tank barges for Melville, N.Y.-based Bouchard Ocean Services. "Bollinger is ending the year on a positive note with the recent delivery of several vessels,...

Why Stay? N.O. chef says if you can handle the heat, don't leave the kitchen.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Ariella Cohen Eric "Chef Bang" Eason's decision to stay in greater New Orleans can be summed up like this: If you can handle the heat, don't leave the kitchen. "A person has to be taught to handle the heat, even in New Orleans,"...

Commentary: What others say.
January 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Commentary: 'New Orleans at critical juncture as bowl destination,' Sporting News, Dec. 30 A few months ago I flew into New Orleans on my way to Baton Rouge. It was early Saturday morning, a beautiful flight over...

Commentary: Gio's builds following fast on North Shore.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Tom Fitzmorris Gio's Villa Vancheri $$$ 2890 E. Causeway Approach, Mandeville Reservations advised: (985) 624-2597 Lunch Monday through Friday. Dinner Monday through Saturday With as many old restaurants as we have in New...

$7M to rehab Milne Home slips through N.O.'s fingers.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Jaime Guillet New Orleans has missed out on $7 million in state money to repair The Milne Boys Home, a city-owned historic community center for young men. The money is likely no longer available to the city, said John Davis,...

Verizon rolls out mobile banking for cell phone customers.
January 8, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Verizon Wireless and mobile banking and payments specialist Firethorn Holdings said customers of major financial institutions, including Wachovia, SunTrust, FirstBank and BancorpSouth, can now have access...

La. Dept. of Transportation to close Belle Chasse Tunnel lane for maintenance.
January 8, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development will close the left lane of the Belle Chasse Tunnel from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday for maintenance. DOTD will close the lane to clean drains. The...

La. Restaurant Association CEO to receive lifetime achievement award.
January 8, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Louisiana Restaurant Association President and CEO Jim Funk will receive the first-ever William Mangham Lifetime Achievement in Tourism Award at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel Thursday. Funk will receive...

Louisiana Association of Business and Industry proposes state DOL overhaul.
January 8, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry today proposed replacing the state Department of Labor with a body it called the Workforce Commission. The proposal was announced at the LABI membership...

La. Governor-Elect Jindal promises bad business taxes will go.
January 8, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Gov.-Elect Bobby Jindal told the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry today he would call a second special session to work on removing taxes stifling business expansion in Louisiana. Jindal also...

Group seeks to train workers to rebuild Gulf Coast.
January 8, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, will play host to the Builders' Initiative, a program that will discuss training opportunities for workers to rebuild the Gulf Coast. The event will be held at 10...

New Orleans District of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers extends deadline for clay suppliers.
January 8, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The New Orleans District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has extended the deadline for submissions from suppliers interested in providing clay to rebuild levees in the New Orleans area. The deadline is...

Sugar Bowl's impact on New Orleans up nearly $50M with Hawaiian punch.
January 8, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster Greg Hoffman, vice president and general manager of Gray Line Tours, said he would be a millionaire if business remained as good as it was over the Sugar Bowl and New Year's Eve weekend. University of Hawaii and...

New Orleans City Council holds hearing on Cox, Charter dispute.
January 8, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Officials from Cox Communications, Charter Communications, the New Orleans Hornets and St. Tammany Parish were scheduled this morning to meet before members of the New Orleans City Council regarding a...

Ochsner launches programs to make New Orleans community healthier in 2008.
January 8, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Ochsner Health System said its 2008 New Year's resolution is to create healthier lifestyle choices for the community. Through new programs, Ochsner is offering financial incentives to eat smarter, brining...

Economic development leader calls for private sector action in New Orleans.
January 8, 2008... Byline: Greg LaRose The man who helped bring the New Orleans Hornets to town and keep Northrop Grumman from leaving Louisiana said businesses shouldn't wait on government to take the reins of economic development. Addressing the Louisiana...

N.O. Council pushes for Cox to air Hornets on North Shore.
January 9, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The New Orleans City Council is working with St. Tammany Parish to settle the Cox-Charter cable dispute. At the New Orleans City Council's joint Special Projects and Economic Development Committee-Cable &...