New Orleans CityBusiness articles from June 2007

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from June 2007

New Orleans Technology Briefs: June 1, 2007.
June 1, 2007... Byline: Christian Moises Heavy workloads, traveling and working from home have made many workers dependent on laptop computers. But working while not sitting as a desk has worsened ergonomic-related injuries, as laptops are often used at...

Nation's charter school leaders focus on New Orleans.
June 1, 2007... Byline: Stephen Maloney With 57 percent of students in Orleans Parish now enrolled in charter schools, New Orleans is ground zero for charter school monitors nationwide. After little more than a year of operations, the 31 New Orleans...

St. Tammany Habitat outfit frames No. 100.
June 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West celebrated its 100th home during a dedication ceremony May 19. The organization has built 83 homes in the last six years. The dedication ceremony included the blessing...

Dillard University to rebuild campus, grow programs with $22M in awards.
June 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Dillard University said it has received nearly $22 million in grants and awards that will strengthen university research, outreach programs and rebuild its campus. It is $7.3 million more, or a 51 percent...

Louisiana chapter of Association for Corporate Growth to hold meeting in N.O.
June 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Louisiana chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth will hold a luncheon meeting 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Hotel InterContinental, 444 St. Charles Ave. Bill Kearney, president of Dolphin Marine...

Table One chef Maras makes summer changes.
June 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Chef Gerard Maras of Table One Brassiere today announced summer hours, effective Monday. Table One will be open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday for...

Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu says tourism on the upswing.
June 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The state's tourism industry is rebounding from the 2005 hurricanes, with 2007 projected to bring more than 22.2 million visitors, Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu said. The projections are by the U.S. Department...

Commentary: Federal recovery burden lost in translation.
June 1, 2007... Byline: Greg LaRose One of the more fun experiences I've had recently has been spending time with new friends from Brazil and trying to discern their conversations in Portuguese. Not knowing a lick of the language, the best I can do is...

Bust unlikely to break New Orleans gun shop's link to violence.
June 1, 2007... Byline: Stephen Maloney Special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Secret Service seized Elliott's Gun Shop on Jefferson Highway May 16, permanently closing a gun supplier linked to metro...

Credit managers report 'good business conditions'.
June 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Manufacturers report customers having a slightly harder time paying their debts in May while service companies saw more timely reimbursement last month. The seasonally adjusted Credit Manager's Index crept...

State of Louisiana offers the wrongfully convicted up to $150K in compensation.
June 1, 2007... Byline: Richard A. Webster Former Shreveport resident Calvin Willis spent nearly 22 years in Angola State Penitentiary for a rape it was later proven he did not commit. The state of Louisiana offers the wrongfully convicted up to $150,000...

Sean Payton assesses New Orleans Saints first minicamp practice.
June 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report New Orleans Saints coach Sean Peyton called Friday's first minicamp practice session "smooth." He'll get two more chances to assess players this weekend. Only special teams stalwart Steve Gleason missed...

Construction begins on $11M Lakeview church.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Construction started May 24 on an $11-million church for a new Lakeview Christian Center, which was destroyed by flooding in Hurricane Katrina. The 41,000-square-foot church will be built at 5885 Fleur de...

Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office to fill 300 jobs.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Hoping to fill nearly 300 vacancies, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office is launching a recruiting effort to find law enforcement, technical and clerical workers. Attrition after Hurricane Katrina...

NASA's Ares I spacecraft contract propels new era for Michoud Operations facility in New Orleans.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Jaime Guillet The countdown is on as two teams compete for a nearly $1-billion contract to build NASA's new flagship spacecraft -- the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle. The teams submitted cost estimates in April and await NASA's...

Commentary: Wolfe's Peristyle deserves attention as culinary gem.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Tom Fitzmorris Peristyle $$$$$ 1401 Dumaine St., French Quarter Lunch Friday, dinner Tuesday through Saturday Peristyle is the kind of restaurant that may inspire you to adopt it as your personal, semi-secret dining room. I've...

New Orleans' City Park to receive $8.6M more for Katrina repairs.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports City Park will receive nearly $9 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to repair damages caused by Hurricane Katrina, park officials announced. Since Katrina, local and national businesses...

Johnnie Cochran law firm returns to New Orleans.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The law firm founded by famed attorney Johnnie Cochran has reopened its New Orleans office on the 15th floor of 909 Poydras St. The New Orleans office of the 40-year-old Cochran Firm was established in...

First New Orleans Seafood Fest opens Friday.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports There's a new festival in town: The New Orleans Seafood Festival. The festival runs Friday through June 10 and promises a new cultural experience saluting the historic ambiance of the French Quarter, its...

Archdiocese of New Orleans has new leader.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Sister Kathleen Finnerty will replace the Rev. William Maestri as schools superintendent for the Archdiocese of New Orleans' 2007-08 school year, Archbishop Alfred Hughes said. "Sister Kathleen brings a...

New Orleans colleges lobby state for more aid.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Stephen Maloney University officials say New Orleans-area institutions will crumble if they can't retain faculty talent and attract new teachers. But doing so requires funding and amendments designed to add $20 million to Gov....

New Orleans Children's Hospital collects record $1.3M.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Gulf South region contributed a record $1.3 million for Children's Hospital during the 2007 Children's Miracle Network Telethon. The final tote board showed $1,307,605 Sunday night. Children's Hospital...

New Orleans to pull names of 1,000 youth for summer program.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Mayor C. Ray Nagin and Job1 will hold a lottery drawing 11:30 a.m. today to select 1,000 youth who will be employed by the the mayor's 2007 Summer Youth Experience Program. The drawing will take place at...

Brown Bag Blues: New Orleans residents can't buy fresh produce.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Christian Moises Many residents, already struggling with a battered health care network, can't even count on an apple a day to keep the doctor away. With a shortage of supermarkets -- there were 36 before Hurricane Katrina cut it...

Road Home has $300M for small rental-property owners in Louisiana.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Road Home's Small Rental Property program said it will disburse $300 million to applicants as part of a second round of funding. Road Home officials will play host to an event 10 a.m. Tuesday at the...

Rep. William Jefferson is innocent, lawyer says.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, released the following statement from his attorney, Robert Trout, in response to an indictment announced Monday on federal charges of racketeering, soliciting bribes...

Gulf Coast to receive $195M in new health care grants.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Richard A. Webster Primary care clinics in New Orleans are poised to receive much-needed financial relief. U.S. Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Mike Leavitt said March 24 an additional $195 million in health care...

New Orleans CityBusiness poll results: Majority doesn't want surplus spent on Road Home.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Louisiana should not use a $1.2-billion surplus to fill The Road Home shortfalls, according to most voters on CityBusiness' online poll. A total of 80 voters, or 36.9 percent, said the surplus should not...

John Thompson acquitted of murder charges after disclosure from Orleans Parish DA's office.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Richard A. Webster John Thompson was 40 years old when he walked out of the Angola State Penitentiary in 2003 after spending nearly 18 years on death row for the 1984 murder of Ray Liuzza. A jury acquitted him of all charges after...

Byblos partners satisfy many tastes.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Kathryn Jezer-Morton Hicham Khodr, Gaby Saliba and Tarek Tay have a golden touch in the notoriously fickle restaurant business. Their four Byblos locations have become local favorites since the first restaurant opened on Metairie...

New Orleans airport rehab to cost $82.5 million.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Jaime Guillet Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport officials are forging ahead with $82.5 million in repairs, including safety and capacity improvements, with help from federal transportation grants. Airport Aviation...

June 5 -June 10.
June 4, 2007... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports June 5 Bosom Buddies, 7 p.m., first-floor classroom at West Jefferson Medical Center, 1101 Medical Center Blvd., Marrero. Brest cancer survivors are invited to share their concerns and interests. The...

Lacombe hospital adds 120 acute care beds.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Richard A. Webster MedCath Corp. has announced a 120-bed acute care expansion at its Lacombe hospital. Construction this summer will include a 109,000-square-foot, four-story patient tower with 120 private rooms. The hospital,...

Film shows Ochsner Health Center struggles during Hurricane Katrina.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Richard A. Webster Louisiana Public Broadcasting will air never-before-seen footage of a hospital experiencing the wrath of Katrina in a documentary about Ochsner Health System. "Surviving the Storm" will air at 8 p.m. Thursday on...

N.O. high rise surge stalled by slow recovery.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Lured by congressionally authorized tax credits and other financial incentives after Hurricane Katrina, a procession of developers announced plans to build high rises. But 21 months after the storm, most...

Commentary: Simple gesture from Blanco is lagniappe feds want.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Mark Singletary It's time for Louisiana to give a little something back. It's time for a little lagniappe. My grandmother's best friend was a Cajun lady named Mrs. Jinks who did a lot of things that endeared her to children. Two of...

Bayou Ben Petroleum makes its first plunge in federal waters.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Bayou Bend Petroleum Ltd. today announced West Cameron Block 332 well was spudded Saturday by project operator Cairn USA using the rig Pride Georgia. BBP holds a 25 percent interest in the project, which...

Rep. Jindal outraged by cavalier Louisiana Legislature wasting millions.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-Metairie, and a gubernatorial canddiate, today took serious issue with how the Legislature is spending money during the session, which concludes June 28. Here is Jindal's statement in...

New Orleans Police Dept.: Men posing as repairmen tried to enter Algiers home.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Two men posing as air conditioner repairmen tried to enter an Algiers resident's home at about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Algiers Police Advisory Committee said. The New Orleans Police Department received...

Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans rescues stranded trio before storm.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Coast Guard rescued three people from a 20-foot pleasure craft on Lake Borgne late Sunday night. A watchstander at Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans received the call at 8:20 p.m., with a report of a...

SBA head Steven Preston to speak at New Orleans summit.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Administrator Steven Preston of the U.S. Small Business Administration will speak at the opening luncheon of the 2007 post-Katrina Economic Development Summit 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Ernest N. Morial...

Telethon raises record $1.3M for Children's Hospital.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report More than $1.3 million was raised for Children's Hospital during the 2007 Children's Miracle Network Telethon, which ended Sunday night. The donations from the Gulf South set a record, officials said....

New Orleans-area Career Fair offers immediate job satisfaction.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Dozens of businesses will be seeking employees at the "West of the Connection" Tri-Parish Career Fair for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 15 at the Four Columns, 3711 Westbank Expressway in Harvey. Jobs will be...

Popular New Orleans-based Nacho Mama's tries another expansion.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Kathryn Jezer-Morton Nacho Mama's, the popular Mexican restaurant on Magazine Street in New Orleans, will open a second location at 1000 Clearview Parkway in the Elmwood Shopping Center in Harahan. General manager Robert Faust...

New Orleans Shell Shockers take break from soccer to rebuild homes.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report New Orleans Shell Shockers players, coaches and staff today traded in their shin guards and cleats for hammers and paintbrushes to help rebuild a home in St. Bernard Parish. The soccer team teamed up with...

State Rep. Gary Beard to take on Landrieu for Louisiana's lieutenant governor post.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A Republican state lawmaker from Baton Rouge announced Monday he will challenge incumbent Democratic Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu in the Oct. 20 election. State Rep. Gary Beard, 51, was elected to the state...

No more free coffee at Fair Grinds Coffeehouse in Faubourg St. John.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Fair Grinds Coffeehouse in Faubourg St. John will start selling coffee again, owners Robert and Elizabeth Thompson said. The shop at at 3133 Ponce De Leon St. reopened after Hurricane Katrina as a...

Why Stay? New Orleans needs a good Mexican restaurant.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Katie Schmidt After Shane Finkelstein and his wife, Courtney Finkelstein, decided to make New Orleans home, they said they couldn't find a good Mexican restaurant. So, after a short tenure at Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro,...

Louisiana Legislature unwilling to buttress Road Home.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Deon Roberts Some members of Congress are calling for Louisiana to tap into its $1.2-billion surplus to fill a projected $3-billion shortfall in the state's hurricane recovery program. But there is not be enough political support...

Troubled Sophie B. Wright Charter School thrives as SUNO charter school.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Stephen Maloney When people ask Ida Calvin where to send their children to school, she tells them Sophie B. Wright Charter School. Calvin has three grandchildren at Wright, and Willie Smith, her oldest grandson, can't seem to stay...

Commentary: Simple gesture from Blanco is lagniappe feds want.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Mark Singletary It's time for Louisiana to give a little something back. It's time for a little lagniappe. My grandmother's best friend was a Cajun lady named Mrs. Jinks who did a lot of things that endeared her to children. Two of...

Interview with clinical dietitian at East Jefferson General Hospital in New Orleans.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Craig Guillot Age: 47 Family: single Education: bachelor's degree in nutrition, St. Mary's Dominican College Hometown: New Orleans As a clinical dietitian at East Jefferson General Hospital, Sandy Sutton sees daily the...

Orleans Parish's Food Policy Advisory Committee hopes to help with supermarket shortage.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Christian Moises Many Orleans Parish residents, already struggling with a battered health care network, can't even count on an apple a day to keep the doctor away. With a shortage of supermarkets -- there were 36 before Hurricane...

New Orleans Governor Nagin gives his team Shankar stress relief.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Richard A. Webster When stress threatens, sometimes the best reaction is the simplest -- take a deep breath. That's the mantra of the International Association of Human Values, which Mayor C. Ray Nagin invited to New Orleans...

'It's Not Our Fault' reminds us all of Nagin's promise.
June 4, 2007... Byline: Terry O'Connor Mayor C. Ray Nagin's It's Not Our Fault speech will never be mistaken with Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream oration. He made several good points last Wednesday. The Legislature has not prioritized recovery...

Commentary: Plenty of unfinished work at midterm.
June 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Our august legislators have focused on the tough topics such as cockfighting and the official state hostess designation in the first half of this legislative session. Only one bill has made it to the governor's...

Grassroots group calls for surplus to go to Louisiana's Road Home program.
June 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Louisiana should tap into a $1.2-billion state surplus to fund a projected $5-billion shortfall in The Road Home program, the Citizens Road Home Action Team said Tuesday. CHAT, a grassroots group that has...

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport flights climb to 76 percent of pre-Katrina total.
June 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report In July, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport will be at 76 percent of its pre-Hurricane Katrina flights, according to statistics LANOIA released today. By July, LANOIA will have 123 flights,...

Entergy New Orleans urges energy conservation.
June 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Entergy New Orleans is urging customers to take a few simple steps to conserve energy in summertime. "This year, we are continuing the 'Simple Steps' program we began in 2006 to work with our customers in...

National WWII Museum in New Orleans turning 7.
June 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The National World War II Museum will celebrate its seventh anniversary Wednesday, on the 63rd anniversary of the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France. The museum said it will offer a full day of events and...

Jefferson Parish schools to receive $400,000 in deferred repairs.
June 5, 2007... Byline: Stephen Maloney Students are gone for the summer but activity continues at 18 Jefferson Parish public schools. Work crews are completing more than $400,000 in deferred repair work, which in some cases was needed before Hurricane...

'Surviving the Storm' highlights Ochsner Medical Center's travails during Hurricane Katrina.
June 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Louisiana Public Broadcasting will air never-before-seen footage of a hospital surviving Hurricane Katrina in a documentary about Ochsner Medical Center, one of three hospitals to weather the storm by...

New Orleans Craft Mafia to hold pre-Father's Day bazaar.
June 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The New Orleans Craft Mafia will celebrate its two-year anniversary with a pre-Father's Day installment of its Crescent City Craft Market from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday at 1638 Clio St. The CCCM is a monthly...

CityBusiness readers lean toward two incomes.
June 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Early results from the CityBusiness Question of the Week indicate most families believe they need two incomes. Of the first 100 survey respondents to the question -- Do you earn enough for your spouse to...

Groups calling for cypress mulch boycott in New Orleans park.
June 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Groups opposed to the clear cutting of cypress forests for garden mulch plan to protest in City Park 1 p.m. Thursday. Officials said more than 200 members of Waterkeeper Alliance will attend the event at...

New Orleans CityBusiness accepting 2007 Innovator of the Year nominations.
June 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report CityBusiness is accepting nominations for the 2007 Innovator of the Year program, honoring individuals, companies and organizations who succeed by operating in new and exciting ways or creating unique...

$1.2M in federal funding to help disabled residents in Louisiana find jobs.
June 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Disability Program Navigator Initiative will live on thanks to $1.2 million in federal funding the Louisiana Department of Labor will receive in the upcoming fiscal year. The program helps people with...

William Jefferson writes directly to Nancy Pelosi.
June 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report June 5, 2007 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House U.S. House of Representatives H-204 Capitol Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Speaker Pelosi, In the light of recent developments in a...

Chicago firm buys New Orleans engineering outfit.
June 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report PSI, a geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing and environmental consulting firm, has purchased New Orleans-based Citywide Testing & Inspections Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed....

Mayor Nagin, HUD keep affordable housing promises.
June 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson joined Mayor C. Ray Nagin today to reopen public housing in the Ninth Ward at the New Desire community -- the first of more than 500 new public...

New Orleans airport rehab to cost $82.5 million.
June 6, 2007... Byline: Jaime Guillet Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport officials are forging ahead with $82.5 million in repairs, including safety and capacity improvements, with help from federal transportation grants. Airport Aviation...

Commentary: Nagin could run simply to vent against Blanco.
June 6, 2007... Byline: Jeff Crouere There are rumors swirling around City Hall that New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin will run for governor this fall. In his "State of the City" address last week, Nagin announced no campaign goals, but he did admonish...

NAACP says Louisiana should not base student promotion on LEAP, GEE.
June 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Louisiana should not require students to pass standardized tests in order to advance to the next grade, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said. The NAACP plans to hold a press...

New Orleans Hornets tout job openings.
June 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The New Orleans Hornets career fair will run from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. June 13 at the New Orleans Arena. Resumes are required for open positions. "We have a number of important jobs to fill in our...

Global climate change to be topic of engineers meeting in New Orleans.
June 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The American Association of Drilling Engineers will play host to an event called "Challenging the Current Status Quo: Where We Have Been and Where We Are Going" from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday. The event...

Louisiana House Concurrent Resolution 171 called 'attack on N.O. health care'.
June 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The possibility of moving the Louisiana State University School of Medicine at New Orleans to Baton Rouge will be discussed by the House Committee on Health and Welfare at 10 a.m. June 12 in Committee Room...

Louisiana Senate OKs Broadway South incentives.
June 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Louisiana Legislature raised the curtain on Broadway South today when the Senate approved a package of tax incentives designed to lure theater and live performing arts productions to New Orleans. The...

New Orleans-based Energy Partners Ltd. to sell onshore assets for $71.7M.
June 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Energy Partners Ltd. said it plans to sell its onshore south Louisiana assets for $71.7 million in cash to an undisclosed privately held onshore operator. The sale represents about one-third of reserves in...

Northrop Grumman donates $185,000 to restore New Orleans education.
June 6, 2007... Byline: Stephen Maloney Northrop Grumman Ship Systems on Tuesday donated $185,000 to six metro area school districts to help south Louisiana public education recover from Hurricane Katrina. A check presentation ceremony was held at the...

Exonerated Shreveport man must prove his innocence in court to collect compensation.
June 6, 2007... Byline: Richard A. Webster Former Shreveport resident Calvin Willis spent nearly 22 years in Angola State Penitentiary for a rape it was later proven he did not commit. The state of Louisiana offers the wrongfully convicted up to $150,000...

Laitram Machine Shop in Harahan to unveil $3.5M expansion.
June 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Laitram Machine Shop LLC will hold an open house from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. June 18-21 to celebrate completion of its $3.5-million expansion. The public is invited for refreshments and a guided tour of the...

Job Corps Center reopens in New Orleans after Katrina hiatus.
June 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The U.S. Department of Labor today reopened its New Orleans Job Corps Center following new construction and renovations completed after Hurricane Katrina damaged the facility at 3801 Hollygrove St. "The...

New Orleans Tours rises out of bankruptcy.
June 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report New Orleans Tours Inc. said has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy following court approval Monday of its plan of reorganization. The company filed for Chapter 11 March 3, 2006. "With this confirmation,...

New Orleans Hornets open house to help fans Select-A-Seat.
June 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The New Orleans Hornets will discuss their Select-A-Seat event at 11 a.m. Thursday at the New Orleans Arena. Chief Operations Officer Hugh Weber and Kevin Terry, vice president of ticket sales and service,...