New Orleans CityBusiness articles from July 2007

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from July 2007

$23M renovation of historic former brewery in New Orleans now in full swing.
July 2, 2007... Byline: Kathryn Jezer-Morton By this time next year, the landmark weather ball and blinking sign will once again light up atop the Falstaff building in Mid-City, heralding the return of a piece of mid-century New Orleans nostalgia. A...

Lax Louisiana laws create loopholes in security mix.
July 2, 2007... Byline: Jaime Guillet Slack state requirements regarding licensed private security guards have created blind spots in industry oversight. The Board of Private Security Examiners, which regulates Louisiana's security guard industry, allows...

Taco truck ban in Jefferson Parish decried as bias.
July 2, 2007... Byline: Emilie Bahr New laws enacted by the Jefferson Parish Council forced many taco trucks and other mobile food vendors to roll out of town Saturday under restrictions critics call racist. Cynthia Ceballos, president of the Hispanic...

July 2-7.
July 2, 2007... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports July 2-5 The Road Home program Application Training Sessions for the Small Rental Property program, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Jefferson Housing Assistance Center, 2400 Veterans Blvd.,...

American Association of University Professors censures five New Orleans colleges and universities.
July 2, 2007... Byline: Stephen Maloney The American Association of University Professors censured five New Orleans colleges and universities June 9, giving them a collective administrative black eye. Higher education officials, however, consider the...

New Orleans Education Briefs: July 2, 2007.
July 2, 2007... Byline: Stephen Maloney Holy Cross High School officials are only now beginning to redevelop the historic Lower Ninth Ward campus destroyed 22 months ago by Hurricane Katrina. The new site on Paris Avenue in Gentilly is expected to open in...

Look Who's Talking: New Orleans Recovery School District Superintendent Paul Vallas.
July 2, 2007... Byline: Craig Guillot Recently named Recovery School District Superintendent Paul Vallas has a history of turning around failing public school systems. After overseeing districts in Philadelphia and Chicago, Vallas says New Orleans is a...

Analysts question biodiesel as fuel for Louisiana economy.
July 2, 2007... Byline: Emilie Bahr As construction begins on an $80-million biodiesel plant in St. Rose, some observers predict the alternative energy industry will begin to take off in Louisiana. Others caution it's too soon to tell whether biodiesel...

Commentary: Predictability is hallmark of Brigsten's classics.
July 2, 2007... Byline: Tom Fitzmorris Brigsten's $$$$ 723 Dante St., Riverbend 861-7610 Dinner Tuesday through Saturday www.brigstens.com During a week or so in the desperate fall of 2005, one rumor caused more despair than any other food news....

Commentary: Cohesive crime approach is right answer.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Extending the prosecutorial time to file cases for hard crime is not the answer to stop the violence in our community. Swift and speedy justice is the answer. The state Senate gave final legislative approval June...

Federal government recovers nearly $1.5M in back wages for about 2,600 workers.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The federal government recovered nearly $1.5 million in back wages for about 2,600 workers who cleaned and renovated U.S. naval facilities in Gulfport, Miss., and Belle Chasse after Hurricane Katrina. The...

SDT Waste & Debris Services wins $850,000 N.O. City Park waste contract.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The company that picks up trash in the French Quarter will now do the same in City Park. SDT Waste & Debris Services was the low bidder for the five-year, $850,000 contract to clean the park and empty...

Louisiana's Governor Blanco: Road Home shortfall will be plugged this fall.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report New leadership in Congress is "committed to Gulf Coast recovery," Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco said. Blanco met with congressional leaders to discuss a projected $3.5-billion shortfall in The Road Home,...

Dillard University placed on 'warning' over pre-Katrina noncompliance.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Dillard University has been placed on "warning" by The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools challenge to rectify fiscal noncompliance between 2000 and June 30, 2005....

Louisiana education officials defend LEAP testing as student achievement catalyst.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report In response to the NAACP "March on BESE" held Saturday in Baton Rouge, State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education President Linda Johnson defended high...

First school to reopen in Ninth Ward.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The first school is set to reopen in the Ninth Ward around the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School for Science and Technology is scheduled to reopen in the...

Commentary: City street repairs pave the way for road home.
July 2, 2007... Byline: Mark Singletary The city of New Orleans has been looking for a plan to go after some big money Louisiana has been sitting on for our recovery effort. Really, it's the other way around. The city has been asking for money from the...

New Orleans' Violent Offenders Unit has 95% conviction rate.
July 2, 2007... Byline: Richard A. Webster The city of New Orleans created the Violent Offenders Unit to pit its best prosecutors against its worst criminals. Four months in, the strategy is paying off. The VOU, a team of eight seasoned attorneys tasked...

New Orleans sales tax revenues target pre-Katrina levels in '09.
July 2, 2007... Byline: Jaime Guillet Finance officials in New Orleans say sales tax revenues should return to pre-Katrina levels in 2009. Based on sales tax collections over the first five months of the year, New Orleans will surpass the $122.8 million...

Why Stay? Standup comedienne focuses much of her material on life in post-Katrina New Orleans.
July 2, 2007... Byline: Autumn C. Giusti Hurricane Katrina had a funny effect on Jodi Borrello. With her Mid-City home flooded and mold creeping up her walls, Borrello, 37, found inspiration for her comedy act. "There's a sense of fear when you take the...

Louisiana Recovery Authority approves N.O. recovery blueprint.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports A blueprint for rebuilding New Orleans was OK'd June 25 by the Louisiana Recovery Authority, an authorization needed to be eligible for federal recovery grant funding. The Unified New Orleans Plan will...

New Orleans CityBusiness rated No. 2 business newspaper in U.S.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports For the second time in four years, New Orleans CityBusiness has been rated No. 2 in the nation in the Best Newspaper Small Tabloids category by the Alliance of Area Business Publications. Mainebiz was...

Wine & Food Experience pours $5.4M into New Orleans.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The 2007 New Orleans Wine & Food Experience poured $5.4 million into the city, according to an economic impact study by the University of New Orleans Division of Business and Economic Research. State and...

Tidewater president: Leaving New Orleans is an option.
July 2, 2007... Byline: FCityBusiness Staff Reports Tidewater President Dean Taylor said time is short for the Crescent City to convince his company to stay in its hometown, according to a June 20 story in the Houston Chronicle. Tidewater Inc., the world's...

Federal agency gives $1.2M to Louisiana-based WWII Museum.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The National World War II Museum has secured a $1.2-million federal grant to help build a multisensory theater. The U.S. Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration said the investment will...

Louisiana shrimpers snarled over tariffs.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The Southern Shrimp Alliance, representing shrimpers and processors from eight states, is once again calling on the Louisiana Shrimp Association to drop its request for a review of anti-dumping tariffs....

Harvey firm awarded New Orleans street sign deal.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports New Orleans has begun the second phase of a project to repair and replace street signs throughout the city. More than 22 months after Hurricane Katrina, many intersections lack street signs. Nearly 11,000...

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport's riders up 35 percent for year.
July 2, 2007... Byline: Jaime Guillet Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport's number of passengers in May grew 19 percent over the same month in 2006, from 676,300 to 570,800. Armstrong's May increase added to the airport's overall 35 percent...

Commentary: N.O. should pull out all stops to stem Tidewater's retreat.
July 2, 2007... Byline: Terry O'Connor Tidewater is the quintessential New Orleans-based company. It has a long history of success as the world's largest operator of vessels serving the offshore oil and gas industry. And it's preparing its 100 employees...

2,000 librarians to visit New Orleans for annual conference.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Nearly 2,000 librarians are ready to visit New Orleans. The American Association of Law Libraries will hold its 100th Annual Meeting and Conference, "Rise to the Challenge," July 14-17 with more than 65...

Independent Community Bankers of America laud Liberty Bank and Trust's performance.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Independent Community Bankers of America highlighted Liberty Bank and Trust Co. in a recent ranking as a Top 20 industry earnings performer. This ranking credits the bank's efficiency and...

New Orleans-based Entergy No. 3 for corporate investor relations.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Entergy Corp. has been ranked No. 3 on a list of the country's 15 best companies at corporate investor relations. Connecticut-based Greenwich Associates rated companies based on interviews with more than...

Essence Music Festival return to New Orleans boosts hotel room sales.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association is expecting occupancy near 80 percent for the Essence Music Festival's return to the city. Fred Sawyers, general manager of the Hilton Riverside...

Free forwarding winding down for New Orleans Post Office.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Postal "change of address" or "forwarding mail order" requests made by Orleans Parish residents after Hurricane Katrina should have expired by now. Al Alexander, acting postmaster of the New Orleans Post...

Zurich Financial Services extends its sponsorship of Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
July 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem today announced Zurich Financial Services will continue to sponsor the Zurich Classic of New Orleans through 2010. Zurich is exercising a clause in its existing contract to...

N.O.-based McMoRan Exploration's deepwater drilling shows progress.
July 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report McMoRan Exploration Co. deepwater exploration and development is on track at key Flatrock and Cottonwood Point prospects. The Flatrock exploratory prospect at South Marsh Island Block 212 begun March 27 is...

Survey to measure tech skills in New Orleans area.
July 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The state and Louisiana Technology Council plan to launch a $100,000 survey to measure the technological skills of the 10-parish metro area in hopes of luring businesses to Louisiana. Michael Olivier,...

Louisiana works to reduce 1,000 road deaths.
July 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development has launched a campaign urging drivers to slow down. This is the fourth installment of the "Wreck Less, Louisiana" highway safety campaign. The...

U.S. Bureau of Labor Survey: Men work longer than women.
July 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Employed men worked about an hour more on average than employed women in 2006, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The findings were from BLS's fourth annual...

Louisiana construction employment grows 4 percent in year.
July 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Louisiana's construction employment grew by 5,200 workers, or 4 percent, in May compared to the same month a year ago, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Also, from April to May, the state's number...

Riverwalk Marketplace in New Orleans plans free July 4 celebration.
July 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Fireworks and music will be part of the free Go 4th on the River Celebration offered by the Riverwalk Marketplace from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday. Musical performances are scheduled for Spanish Plaza: - 3...

Jefferson Parish spends $500,000 for waterless toilets.
July 3, 2007... Byline: Jaime Guillet Jefferson Parish is paying a Metairie company about $500,000 for "toilets in a bag" to better prepare emergency officials for the next major hurricane. Under a parish contract, Total Health Solutions, 3211 N. Causeway...

Construction of $33M Cabela's in New Orleans area plagued by rain.
July 3, 2007... Byline: Angelle Bergeron For the developers of Cabela's in Gonzales, it's too bad the massive sporting goods store isn't open already. "We need the store to open so we can buy rain gear to finish putting it in," said Project Manager Nick...

Louisiana's Road Home payouts top $2B after record week.
July 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Road Home has paid out more than $2 billion in benefits after satisfying a record 3,890 homeowners last week -- the largest seven-day closing amount in the 10 months the program has been paying out...

New tankers help Shell Trading scrap single-hull energy shipping.
July 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report AHL Shipping Co. today announced plans to build three, shallow-draft, 49,000-deadweight-ton tankers in connection with a charter agreement with Shell Trading Co. The vessels will be the first tankers to be...

Louisiana offers pre-employment training.
July 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Louisiana Department of Labor today said its Incumbent Worker Training Program is expanding to offer pre-employment training to growing businesses. Pre-employment training focuses on job readiness...

Commentary: Cohesive crime approach is right answer.
July 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Editorial Extending the prosecutorial time to file cases for hard crime is not the answer to stop the violence in our community. Swift and speedy justice is the answer. The state Senate gave final legislative approval...

Group to announce fundraiser for N.O.-area first responders.
July 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A citizen-led group plans to unveil Tuesday a "major" Halloween fundraiser for the city's police, emergency medical service workers and firefighters. Blaine Kern Sr., founder of the First Responders Fund,...

Five N.O. colleges censured for post-storm firings.
July 5, 2007... Byline: Stephen Maloney The American Association of University Professors censured five New Orleans colleges and universities June 9, giving them a collective administrative black eye. Higher education officials, however, consider the...

Hispanic Chamber of Louisiana plans annual fundraiser.
July 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Hispanic Chamber of Louisiana will host its annual fundraising gala from 7 to 11 p.m. July 28. The event will be held at the Foundry, 333 St. Joseph St., in the Warehouse District, and will include food...

Commentary: 'Smart' Boasso ads challenge Jindal.
July 5, 2007... Byline: John Hill Those Bobby Jindal cardboard cutout ads by Walter Boasso are causing a lot of debate in political circles. Boasso, 47, is a Chalmette Democrat who had zero name recognition outside the New Orleans area. The ads are...

City of New Orleans going after illegal parking.
July 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Pledging to crack down on illegal parking, the city's Department of Public Works said it will begin "major enforcement" of laws that forbid parking on sidewalks and medians. Starting this week, Public...

$1.2M grant to help Louisiana's nursing shortage.
July 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans today said it has been awarded a $1.2-million grant aimed at easing the state's nursing shortage. Awarded by the Health Resources and Services...

Feds seek public comment on oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico.
July 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Federal officials are asking the public to weigh in on prospective environmental impacts of proposed oil and gas leases in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. An upcoming sale scheduled for March includes about 134...

Jeff Parish to look for violations on public, private property.
July 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Jefferson Parish residents who live along major roadways will soon be under the scrutiny of parish inspectors on the lookout for tall grass, abandoned vehicles and other violations. The parish announced...

Analysts question biodiesel as fuel for Louisiana economy.
July 5, 2007... Byline: Emilie Bahr As construction begins on an $80-million biodiesel plant in St. Rose, some observers predict the alternative energy industry will begin to take off in Louisiana. Others caution it's too soon to tell whether biodiesel...

Coca-Cola gives $200,000 for Louisiana scholarships.
July 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Coca-Cola Foundation today said it is giving $200,000 to Louisiana historically black colleges and universities to fund scholarships for students impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Dillard and Xavier...

New Orleans-area ambassadors pleased with trips to D.C., Atlanta.
July 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Fleur-de-lis Ambassadors, a group of New Orleans-area community leaders traveling the country to spread positive recovery news, said trips to Atlanta and Washington, D.C., last week were "extremely...

House committee to discuss Veterans Affairs future in N.O.
July 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The House Veterans' Affairs Committee said it will hold a hearing in New Orleans to discuss the future of Veterans Affairs health care in south Louisiana 9:30 a.m. Monday at the Supreme Court Building, 400...

Cottage Living magazine building Camp Street home.
July 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report To help with the post-Hurricane Katrina recovery in New Orleans, Cottage Living magazine is building a modular home at 4505 Camp St. designed to fit seamlessly in the historic neighborhood. The two-story,...

Commentary: Insurance package, Broadway South highlight session.
July 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Lame duck Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco still wielded an effective gavel during the recent legislative session. Here's the final report card for our state lawmakers, who ended the session June 28: A-plus...

Group demands HUD reopen public housing in New Orleans.
July 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Public housing residents angry about the closure of public housing in New Orleans planned to demonstrate at 10 a.m. today against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The demonstration,...

N.O. sales tax revenues target pre-Katrina levels in '09.
July 7, 2007... Byline: Jaime Guillet Finance officials in New Orleans say sales tax revenues should return to pre-Katrina levels in 2009. Based on sales tax collections over the first five months of the year, New Orleans will surpass the $122.8 million...

La. gov. deciding on bill raising minimum liability auto insurance coverage, premiums.
July 9, 2007... Byline: Jaime Guillet Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco must soon decide whether to veto a bill raising Louisiana's minimum liability auto insurance coverage -- and driver premiums -- or sign it into law, which insurance industry experts say...

Killer tsunami did not keep survivors from going home.
July 9, 2007... Byline: Richard A. Webster A small group of villagers from Thailand and Indonesia gathered in the middle of Chartres Street in the Holy Cross neighborhood. They stared at the red "X" spray painted on the front of a boarded-up home as...

City street repairs pave the way for road home in N.O.
July 9, 2007... Byline: Mark Singletary The city of New Orleans has been looking for a plan to go after some big money Louisiana has been sitting on for our recovery effort. Really, it's the other way around. The city has been asking for money from the...

Few foreclosures for N.O.
July 9, 2007... Byline: Thomas Leggett The term for defaulted and seized mortgage property could read "four-closures." Four is the total of properties in New Orleans Fannie Mae foreclosed last year, said spokesman Alfred King. "There's been no jump in...

Insurance package highlights legislative session in La.
July 9, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Lame duck Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco still wielded an effective gavel during the recent legislative session. Here's the final report card for our state lawmakers, who ended the session June 28: A+...

Commentary: Pesky business leaders could go away for good.
July 9, 2007... Byline: Terry O'Connor Oliver Thomas beware. CityBusiness readers are a lot more inclined to welcome mobile taco vendors than Jefferson Parish Councilman Louis Congemi. In the unscientific CityBusiness Question of the Week last Monday,...

Commentary: Hainkel could soon retrace famous father's footsteps.
July 9, 2007... Byline: Jeff Crouere Republican John Hainkel III, son of the late state Senate president and Speaker of the House, is considering a race for the seat once held by his father. John Hainkel Jr. died in 2005, leading to a special election won...

Pre-fabricated modular buildings are the way to go for banks in N.O.
July 9, 2007... Byline: Greg LaRose Victims of Hurricane Katrina still relying on temporary trailers for housing can't rehab their homes soon enough. Pre-fabricated modular buildings are the way to go, however, for bankers returning to pre-storm locations...

New Orleans Financial Briefs: July 9, 2007.
July 9, 2007... Byline: Greg LaRose First Bank and Trust President Mickey Brown is honoring the pledge he made last year to expand his franchise statewide. His plans call for up to 48 new branches throughout Louisiana within the next five years. First...

First school reopens in Ninth Ward in N.O.
July 9, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The first school is set to reopen in the Ninth Ward around the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School for Science and Technology will reopen in the fall. Officials...

Interview with Robert Taylor, CEO of the Louisiana Bankers Association.
July 9, 2007... Byline: Craig Guillot Robert Taylor was appointed CEO of the Louisiana Bankers Association in June but is far from a new face with the organization. He takes over from Peter Gwaltney, now head of the national nonprofit Senior Housing Crime...

2,000 librarians will soon file into N.O.
July 9, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Nearly 2,000 librarians are ready to visit New Orleans. The American Association of Law Libraries will hold its 100th Annual Meeting and Conference, "Rise to the Challenge," July 14-17 with more than 65 programs...

Economist with LSU AgCenter predicts long-term outlook bright for La.'s.
July 9, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Louisiana's restaurants and others in the food service industry continue to struggle nearly two years after Hurricane Katrina, according to the Louisiana State University AgCenter. "The biggest short-term...

Louisiana education officials defend LEAP testing as student achievement catalyst.
July 9, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff In response to the NAACP "March on BESE" July 1 in Baton Rouge, State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education President Linda Johnson defended high stakes testing...

Dillard University in N.O. warned about noncompliance.
July 9, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Dillard University has been placed on "warning" by The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools challenge to rectify fiscal noncompliance between 2000 and June 30, 2005. When...

Zurich Financial Services extends Zurich Classic of N.O. through 2010.
July 9, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Professional Golf Association Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem announced Zurich Financial Services will continue to sponsor the Zurich Classic of New Orleans through 2010. Zurich is exercising a clause in its...

Marketer unwraps Chocolate Bar in N.O.
July 9, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff A member of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club has opened the Chocolate Bar at 540 S. Broad St., near the future Falstaff Apartments. The bar is the brainchild of L. Jeff Williams, an event planner and...

Legendary New Orleans jazz club owner dead at 63.(Obituary)
July 9, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report George Brumat, who founded Port of Call and owned jazz bistro Snug Harbor, died Saturday of an apparent heart attack. He was 63. Brumat was not married and he could be found most nights at the venue he...

New Orleans' homeless take center stage after Essence event ends.
July 9, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Nonprofit, faith-based institutions and service providers Sunday protested whey they termed "the Essence-inspired hypocrisy of Mayor Nagin." "Nagin must end the criminalization of homelessness, and use...

Cancer claims award-winning reporter from New Orleans.
July 9, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Baton Rouge Daily Advocate reporter Mike Dunne of New Orleans died Sunday of cancer. He was 58. Survivors include his wife, Freda Yarbrough Dunne, and sons Dylan and Brad. Dunne, who served in the U.S....

New Orleans waiting for other half of $357M from FEMA.
July 9, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The city said it has received about half of the $357 million the Federal Emergency Management Agency has determined New Orleans needs to make Hurricane Katrina-related repairs to city infrastructure. The...