New Orleans CityBusiness articles from July 2009

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from July 2009

48 hours left to submit Innovator of the Year nominations to New Orleans CityBusiness.
July 1, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness staff reports Innovator of the Year nominations are due by 5 p.m. Thursday. In its eighth year, Innovator of the Year recognizes individuals, companies and organizations that succeed by operating in new and exciting...

Gas prices fall in New Orleans.
July 1, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report City gas prices slipped overnight, falling from an average $2.542 per gallon of regular grade Tuesday to $2.54 today, according to AAA. A month ago, city drivers were paying on average $2.373 per gallon. A...

IberiaBank prices stock in public offering.
July 1, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report IberiaBank Corp. said it has priced a public offering of 3.85 million shares of common stock at $39 a share. The company estimates gross proceeds from the sale at $150.2 million and net proceeds at $143...

Renaissance Hall in New Orleans opens.
July 1, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Renaissance Hall, a 1,800-square-foot facility at 3869 Gentilly Blvd., opened Saturday. New Orleans native and 28-year-old entrepreneur Percy Marchand opened the facility to serve as a venue for business...

$9.8 million restoration planned for Joseph Bartholomew golf course in New Orleans.
July 1, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Construction is scheduled to begin Saturday to restore Joseph Bartholomew Sr. Municipal Golf Course, an $9.8 million project in Pontchartrain Park. The facility, damaged by Hurricane Katrina, is slated...

Louisiana receives $100,000 for apprenticeship programs.
July 1, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Louisiana will receive $100,000 to help people find jobs as part of the U.S. Department of Labor's Registered Apprenticeship program. The apprenticeship program is an earn-while-you-learn program that...

Canseco's grocery store opens in Gentilly.
July 1, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Gentilly residents have a new place to buy groceries. Canseco's Elysian Fields Market opens today at 11 a.m. Sinesio Canseco is the owner of the 5217 Elysian Fields Ave. store. New Orleans City...

$7M overhaul planned for Carver Theater in New Orleans.
July 1, 2009... Byline: Richard A. Webster Much of the talk of the New Orleans performing arts community has been focused on the return of the Mahalia Jackson Theater of the Performing Arts and the planned renovation of the Saenger and Orpheum theaters....

Q&A with New Orleans musician Davis Rogan.
July 1, 2009... Byline: Richard A. Webster A character in the upcoming David Simon series, Treme, on HBO is partially inspired by local musician Davis Rogan. Actor Steve Zahn will play the character, also named Davis. How closely will the character...

First Fridays brand expands to include 'fashion cafe' in New Orleans Lower Garden District.
July 1, 2009... Byline: Greg LaRose Saturday's scheduled opening of the First Fridays Life Fashion Cafe in the Lower Garden District marks more than the launching of another retail outlet. If entrepreneur Anthony Patton's vision becomes reality, it could...

New Orleans Comedy Arts Festival shoots for stars.
July 1, 2009... Byline: Greg LaRose The New Orleans Comedy Arts Festival, which has scraped by with a minimal budget in its first two years, is shooting for the stars in 2010. Organizers plan to seek live performance tax credits to help them to pursue...

One month left to submit N.O. CityBusiness Best Places to Work nominations.
July 1, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Nominations are now being taken for the CityBusiness Best Places to Work program. Nominations must be received by 5 p.m. July 31. For the seventh year, CityBusiness will rank companies doing business in the...

Brad Pitt's 9th Ward rebuilding project, Make It Right to expand into multifamily construction.
July 1, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Brad Pitt's 9th Ward post-Katrina rebuilding project, Make It Right, has focused on building single-family homes since the project broke ground in 2008. But with plans to build duplexes, the project is...

American Teleservices Association chooses N.O. for meeting.
July 1, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The American Teleservices Association will bring its 2009 convention and expo to New Orleans Oct. 4-7. More than 500 people are expected to attend. "A New Orleans venue was intentionally selected to...

New Orleans City Councilman Arnie Fielkow proposes ordinance to fight wage theft.
July 1, 2009... Byline: Richard A. Webster New Orleans City Councilman Arnie Fielkow has proposed creating an ordinance to protect workers, particularly Hispanic day laborers, from wage theft. At a council committee meeting Tuesday, dozens of workers...

Job seekers face pitfalls online.
July 2, 2009... Byline: Emilie Bahr Lola Lass, owner of Adeeta Corporate Staffing in New Orleans, frequently finds e-mail addresses in her inbox that catch her attention even before she opens the file. Brownsugarsexymama@yahoo.com. Hotmama2389@gmail.com....

Funds for New Orleans soft second mortgage almost gone.
July 2, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Nearly all of the money allocated for a soft second mortgage program for first-time homebuyers in New Orleans has been spent or set aside for qualifying applicants. The Finance Authority of New Orleans...

University of New Orleans applicants up 5.8 percent.
July 2, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The University of New Orleans today said applications for the fall 2009 semester are up for the second year in a row. Total applicants - freshmen, transfer and graduate students - increased 5.8 percent to...

New Orleans CityBusiness Innovator of the Year nominations due by 5 p.m. today.
July 2, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Innovator of the Year nominations are due by 5 p.m. today. In its eighth year, Innovator of the Year recognizes individuals, companies and organizations that succeed by operating in new and exciting ways...

Slidell clinic expected to provide greater access to pediatric care.
July 5, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff A new clinic expected to provide greater access to pediatric health care opened in Slidell last week on the campus of Slidell Memorial Hospital. The St. Tammany Community Health Center, a Federally Qualified...

Record temperatures in New Orleans forcing customers off the streets and into cooler shopping malls.
July 6, 2009... Byline: Emilie Bahr Frank Harrington, 31, intended to spend a Friday night last month at a bar with friends but gave up after 30 minutes at a favorite Uptown watering hole left him dripping with sweat. Their air conditioning was so bad...

Cheap foreign product pinching New Orleans crab industry.
July 6, 2009... Byline: Rachel Strassel Louisiana's crab fishermen are still struggling to return to the water almost four years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged their fleet. And for those who are back setting traps at the crack of dawn and hauling in...

July 7-15.
July 6, 2009... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports July 7 The Louisiana Technology Council and the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce will host the Across Parish Lines membership drive from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Westbank, 275 Whitney Ave. The...

North Shore private schools see recession's effects as parents consider public school option.
July 6, 2009... Byline: Stephen Maloney The public school system in St. Tammany Parish is considered one of the strongest academic districts in the state. It's some solace for parents bending under the strain of the recession and considering removing...

Off the Clock: Terry Stillwell, Victor Manning Safety Driving instructor.
July 6, 2009... Byline: Christian Moises Age: 50 Family: wife, Sheron; children, Nicholas, 30, Christopher, 25, Wesley, 22, Bethany, 20; grandchildren, Nathan, Aiden Education: associate's degree in science, Delgado Community College Hometown: Jefferson...

Is graduate school enrollment up with students hoping the job market will improve?
July 6, 2009... Byline: Jennifer Nall Michael Bernstein senior vice president for academic affairs and provost Tulane University Given sluggish growth, rising unemployment and stagnant consumer spending, it is clear many graduates are contemplating...

Commentary: Politicians are turning into friends in low places.
July 6, 2009... Byline: Mark Singletary Lately, I've been hanging out with some pretty powerful friends. Whenever these guys have a big idea, they reach out to me with a personal note to let me know what's on their mind. They must value my opinion. In the...

U.S. Supreme Court ruling said to shed little light on student searches.
July 6, 2009... Byline: Christian Moises Civil liberties advocates have cheered a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the strip search of a 13-year-old student in search of prescription drugs was unconstitutional. But school officials say it gives little...

Job seekers can be their own worst enemy when they take their work search online.
July 6, 2009... Byline: Emilie Bahr Lola Lass, owner of Adeeta Corporate Staffing in New Orleans, frequently finds e-mail addresses in her inbox that catch her attention even before she opens the file. Brownsugarsexymama@yahoo.com. Hotmama2389@gmail.com....

Construction industry requires educated work force, according to electrical workers union rep.
July 6, 2009... Byline: Stephen Maloney The curriculum for a career path diploma for high school students who, proponents say, would otherwise drop out of school only needs the governor's signature to become law. But New Orleans school officials say the...

New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Writer Richard Webster takes top honors at AABP.
July 6, 2009... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Reports New Orleans CityBusiness staff writer Richard A. Webster was recognized as the top reporter at the Alliance of Area Business Publications' annual conference -- one of seven awards for the...

Back to its Roots: Spa customers spending less time, money on luxury offerings.
July 6, 2009... Byline: Emilie Bahr A shiny new Aveda salon opened on Magazine Street last week under the Paris Parker banner. Dubbed Paris Parker Studio, it brings to 11 the number of Paris Parker salons operating in Louisiana. Paris Parker and Aveda are...

Harvey Gulf International Marine launches $200M expansion.(Company overview)
July 6, 2009... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Reports Harvey Gulf International Marine will partner with its majority owner, New York-based The Jordan Co., to spend $200 million to build and acquire new vessels as the Harvey-based company...

Commentary: Emeril's casual approach a hit with locals at NOLA.
July 6, 2009... Byline: Tom Fitzmorris NOLA $$$$ Contemporary Creole 534 St. Louis St., French Quarter 522-6652 Lunch Friday through Sunday. Dinner seven nights. Nice casual www.emerils.com/restaurant/2/NOLA-Restaurant/ Price ratings are what one person...

New Orleans Aviation Board appoints interim director.
July 6, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The New Orleans Aviation Board has appointed an interim director of aviation while Sean Hunter takes a leave of absence. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport announced June 26 that Hunter is taking...

New Orleans' restaurant expo expected to attract 15,000.
July 6, 2009... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Reports Organizers say a sour economy is not expected to deter visitors to the 56th annual Louisiana Foodservice Expo, but the event will take into account the financial pressures on the restaurant...

Commentary: Career track leads to dead end.
July 6, 2009... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The goal of elementary and secondary school systems is to prepare students for life after graduation. Whether students choose to continue their education in college or move directly into the work force...

March lease generates $690 million in bids for Minerals Management Service.
July 6, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The Minerals Management Service announced last week that it accepted $690.2 million in high bids from a March 18 Central Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sale. A total of 328 leases were awarded in the sale....

Work complete on $3.8M Michoud Boulevard bridge overhaul.
July 6, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff City officials will mark the culmination of a $3.45 million repair job on the Michoud Boulevard bridge on Tuesday. The project was the first bridge replacement on a non-state road in the city since Hurricane...

McMoRan finds thrill on Blueberry Hill in Louisiana.
July 6, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff McMoRan Exploration Co. says tests at its Blueberry Hill deep gas exploratory sidetrack has provided "positive drilling results," leading the company to go deeper with hopes of tapping into a find that rivals the...

Port of New Orleans hopes to bolster infrastructure.
July 6, 2009... Byline: Stephen Maloney A recent Greater New Orleans Inc. study calling for infrastructure improvements to increase international trade potential at the Port of New Orleans mirrors a push for expansion port officials say began years ago....

Louisiana State University professor awarded grant to study blindness.
July 6, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Dr. Donald Bergsma, professor and chairman of ophthalmology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine, has been awarded a $100,000 grant by Research to Prevent Blindness...

Essence Fest attendance in New Orleans hits 428,000.
July 6, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Nearly half a million people converged on New Orleans for the 2009 Essence Music Festival over the Fourth of July weekend, shattering last year's attendance record by more than 150,000 fans. This year's Friday...

Feds tap $16M for Hurricane Gustav road damage in New Orleans.
July 6, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The federal government announced today it is making more than $200 million available to states, including Louisiana, to repair roads and bridges damaged in natural catastrophes. U.S. Department of Transportation...

New Orleans airport sees steady outflow of Essence visitors.
July 6, 2009... Byline: Stephen Maloney Despite record breaking attendance at this year's Essence Music Festival, travelers are experiencing minimal delays at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. Airport spokeswoman Michelle Wilcutt said...

Louisiana Highway 1 toll bridge ready for traffic.
July 6, 2009... Byline: Diana Chandler The new two-mile Louisiana Highway 1 toll bridge over Bayou Lafourche in Leeville opens at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, the first phase of a $1.4 billion project to build a 19-mile bridge from Golden Meadow to the Gulf of...

New Orleans area continues to see slide in first-time unemployment claims.
July 6, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The New Orleans area saw a fourth-straight drop in unemployment claims for the week ending June 27 to 1,045 from 1,141. The area, comprised of Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James,...

Crown Crafts buys baby products company for $4.4M.
July 6, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Baby products manufacturer Crown Crafts Inc. has paid $4.4 million for most of the assets of Neat Solutions Inc. Based in Huntsville, N.C., Neat Solutions is the privately-held developer of the Table Topper...

Fitch boosts New Orleans' St. Tammany schools bond rating.
July 6, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The financial world has taken note of the St. Tammany Parish public school system's ability to pay off its debt, especially since Hurricane Katrina. Fitch Ratings has upgraded the system's general obligation...

Commentary: New Orleans needs support of Broadway revival at all levels.
July 6, 2009... Byline: Christian Moises I grew up going to see musical theater at the Saenger. I went to Jefferson Performing Arts Society shows in elementary school and a handful of Southern Repertory Theatre and high school performances, but that was...

Commentary: Sanford affair could boost Louisiana Gov. Jindal's presidential stock.
July 6, 2009... Byline: Jeff Crouere With his admission of an affair with a reporter from Argentina, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford became the latest in a growing list of GOP lawmakers who have confessed to infidelity. His acknowledgment of the...

Noxious smell covering much of New Orleans area comes from Dow's Hahnville plant.
July 7, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Officials with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality say the foul odor covering much of the New Orleans area this morning came from an accidental chemical release at the Dow Chemical Plant in...

Lafayette-based IberiaBank raises $172M in public stock offering.
July 7, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Lafayette-based IberiaBank Corp. today said a public stock offering has raised approximately $172.7 million, with net proceeds of approximately $164.5 million. The issuance involved a total of 4.4 million...

New Orleans travel agents expect lift in business from AeroMexico service.
July 7, 2009... Byline: Stephen Maloney Local travel agents are gearing up for an increased interest in Mexico as a vacation destination as AeroMexico begins nonstop flights from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport today. Freedom Tours LLC...

New Orleans-area workers had highest weekly paycheck in 4Q 2008.
July 7, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The New Orleans area posted the state's highest average weekly wage in the fourth quarter of 2008 at $920 and the highest average employment with 512,335, according to the Louisiana Department of Labor's...

City of New Orleans reminds businesses to register for re-entry placards.
July 7, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The city of New Orleans is reminding businesses to register for re-entry placards in case there is an evacuation this hurricane season. Today, the city said it will run a public service announcement...

Louisiana-based Gulf Coast Bank surpasses $1B asset mark.
July 7, 2009... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Co. is now a billion-dollar bank, ending the second quarter with $1.02 billion total assets, making it one of the largest financial institutions in Louisiana. Based on March 31...