New Orleans CityBusiness articles from June 2008

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from June 2008

Investors to open Crowne Plaza hotel in Kenner.
June 1, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A group of Jefferson Parish investors are restoring a former hotel property at Veterans and Williams boulevards, converting it into a 292-room Crowne Plaza hotel, the city announced today. The ownership...

New Orleans-based Thermo Credit provides $20M in financing to Teletouch Communications.
June 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report New Orleans-based Thermo Credit said Friday it has entered into an agreement to provide $20 million in financing to Fort Worth, Texas-based Teletouch Communications Inc. Thermo Credit, based at 639...

Children's Hospital telethon raise record of more than $1.38M.
June 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The 25th annual Children's Hospital telethon raised a record amount of more than $1.38 million. The final tote board showed $1,380,294 at the telethon's conclusion Sunday night. However, the hospital has...

New Orleans City Council confronts 'Titanic' 311 problems.
June 2, 2008... Byline: Jaime Guillet The city council's months-long investigation of a $3.2 contract with Dallas-based ACS State and Local Solutions for the city's problematic 311 system culminated in a public vivisection of the contract and responses...

CEO firing splits ranks of Algiers school board.
June 2, 2008... Byline: Stephen Maloney A contract dispute has divided the Algiers Charter School Association board of trustees and casts a shadow of uncertainty over the 3-year-old school system's leadership. Board Vice President Glenn Orgeron said the...

New Orleans Mayor Nagin sets economic development course.
June 2, 2008... Byline: Jaime Guillet Economic development leaders say they are ecstatic Mayor C. Ray Nagin climbed onboard their effort to establish a public-private economic development entity. During his annual State of the City Address on Wednesday,...

What others say.
June 2, 2008... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports 'Brees: Helping New Orleans a rewarding experience,' ESPN The Magazine, May 22 New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees describes his charitable foundation and experience helping New Orleans rebuild...

New Orleans-area home sales decline in April.
June 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports New Orleans-area single-family home sales dropped in April compared with April 2007 and prices fell in most parishes, according to the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors. A notable exception...

'Sex' sells for New Orleans businesses.
June 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff A few New Orleans businesses took advantage of Friday's premiere of the Sex in the City movie to drum up customers. In conjunction with the movie's debut at the adjoining Landmark Canal Place Cinema, Saks Fifth...

New Orleans Municipal Court judge drops fine for Nola Rising creator to $200.
June 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Michael Dingler, creator of Nola Rising, scored a victory in court May 22 when New Orleans Municipal Court Judge Sean Early fined him just $200 for the unlawful posting of a sign on public property. Dingler had...

Sluggish economy means fewer jobs for teens this summer.
June 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Teens are enthusiastic about working this summer, but they may have difficulty finding work during a slow economy. A Junior Achievement poll found that 88.6 percent of teens plan to have jobs this summer, up 15...

New Orleans area state's third-lowest unemployment rate.
June 2, 2008... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports The New Orleans area posted the third-lowest unemployment rate in the state in April, 3 percent down from 3.8 percent in March but equal to a year ago, according to the Louisiana Department of Labor...

Commentary: New Orleans Mayor Nagin still talking the talk.
June 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff A rousing choir preceded Mayor C. Ray Nagin's State of the City address Wednesday with refrains of the best is yet to come and you ain't seen nothing yet. For the sake of New Orleans' citizens, let's hope the...

Louisiana State Univ. professor: Stats skew real picture of state education.(Concert review)
June 2, 2008... Byline: Stephen Maloney Louisiana has long lingered at the bottom of the list of academically performing states, but one Louisiana State University professor says the state is getting a bad rap due to the lopsided distribution of high...

Commentary: New parents discover culture limits 'baby-friendly' options.
June 2, 2008... Byline: Autumn C. Giusti The baby haters have spoken. I haven't been to a movie since September. The previews at the theater have sufficiently warned us about how crying babies can disrupt the viewing experience for others. We've had...

Commentary: Parents must accept responsibilities with kids.
June 2, 2008... Byline: Jaime Guillet Austin, Texas, is home to Sixth Street, live music festivals and the historic Driskill Hotel. It is also home to one of the coolest concepts not seen anywhere in New Orleans: kid-free movie theaters. That's right. For...

Commentary: Cafe Lynn a nice blend of Creole, French, Greek.
June 2, 2008... Byline: Tom Fitzmorris Cafe Lynn $$$$ 3051 E. Causeway Approach Mandeville (985) 624-9007 Lunch Tuesday through Friday, Dinner Tuesday through Saturday One of these days I'll compile a list of the 10 best upwardly mobile restaurant...

Costly crossings: :Loyola Univ.'s summer in Paris program canceled.
June 2, 2008... Byline: Emilie Bahr Loyola University's summer in Paris program began five years ago, providing as many as 20 students a year with the opportunity to spend a month in the City of Lights. But this year, the Paris trip was canceled after...

Commentary: Traffic lights synch up for mixed signals.
June 2, 2008... Byline: Mark Singletary, Publisher What about the lights on Claiborne? I asked. Of course, those lights should be working, Elmer Darwin told me. Darwin is the principal traffic engineer for the city of New Orleans. That's pretty direct and...

Off the Clock: Ellen Joahnsen, ICU nurse at East Jefferson General Hospital.
June 2, 2008... Byline: Christian Moises Age: 57 Family: sons, Daniel Wilshire, 27, Steven Wilshire, 24 Education: bachelor's degree in nursing, Hunter College Bellevue School of Nursing Hometown: Carmel, N.Y. New York native Ellen Joahnsen moved to...

New Orleans Health Care Briefs: June 2, 2008.
June 2, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster West Jefferson Medical Center will participate in a pilot project with Humana Veterans Healthcare Services to improve the availability and quality of care offered to military veterans. Project Hero will aim to...

In Other Words.
June 2, 2008... Byline: Jennifer Nall Nan Wallis -- PPOplus LLC vice president The major concern is universal health care. Which party wins the presidential election will determine the degree to which implementing universal coverage will impact our...

Prognosis for attracting physicians to New Orleans: Hopeful.
June 2, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster Don't do it, warned Dr. Erich Richter's family and friends. Whatever you do, do not move to New Orleans. We had friends tell us that racial tensions were so high you'd get shot on sight for being white, said...

June 3 - 28.
June 2, 2008... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports June 3 Saints running back Deuce McAllister and teammates will host the 2008 Celebrity Waiter Dinner fundraiser at the New Orleans Marriott at the Convention Center, 859 Convention Center Blvd. in New...

N.O. tourism prepares to sweat out slow summer.
June 2, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster Tanner James sits under a tent in Jackson Square on Memorial Day watching scattered tourists stroll by. The heat is stifling, but nothing compared to what lies ahead in the brutal months of July and August....

Fuel prices turn New Orleans drivers to pedaling across town.
June 2, 2008... Byline: Emilie Bahr As gas prices sprint toward $4 a gallon, some New Orleanians are trading four wheels for two, turning to bicycles as a cheaper, if sweatier, mode of transit. People talk about the price of gas just about every time they...

Tulane professor critical of post-Katrina public housing policy.
June 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A Tulane University associate professor of law is taking issue with post-Hurricane Katrina public housing policy. "The proposals to redevelop public housing have focused far too heavily on 'blight removal'...

Commentary: Traffic lights synch up for mixed signals.
June 2, 2008... Byline: Mark Singletary What about the lights on Claiborne? I asked. Of course, those lights should be working, Elmer Darwin told me. Darwin is the principal traffic engineer for the city of New Orleans. That's pretty direct and refreshing...

Study abroad programs pack in fewer students on declining dollar.
June 2, 2008... Byline: Emilie Bahr Loyola University's summer in Paris program began five years ago, providing as many as 20 students a year with the opportunity to spend a month in the City of Lights. But this year, the Paris trip was canceled after...

FedEx donates disaster response unit to N.O. Salvation Army.
June 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Salvation Army New Orleans Command said FedEx has donated a disaster response unit that has a feeding capacity of 1,500 meals a day. The unit, equipped with stove tops, microwaves and reach-in...

HB Rentals completes refrigerated container unit for North Sea vessel.
June 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report HB Rentals, a Superior Energy Services company, has delivered a 10-foot refrigerated container unit to Gulf Offshore's Highland Eagle vessel in the North Sea as part of a fleet expansion, the company...

First-time unemployment claims up for second straight week in N.O. area.
June 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The New Orleans area saw an increase in initial unemployment claims for a second straight week for the week ending May 24 to 680 from 604. The area, comprised of Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St....

Amelia-based Bollinger delivers second tank barge to Bouchard.
June 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Bollinger Marine Fabricators on Tuesday said it has delivered B. No. 233, the second of two double-hull, 35,000-barrel oil tank barge units built to meet the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to...

RTA ridership up in N.O. as gas prices soar.
June 3, 2008... Byline: Emilie Bahr With gas prices breaking records, New Orleanians are increasingly turning to public transit. The city's Regional Transit Authority saw a 50 percent boost in ridership from April 2007 to this past April, spokeswoman...

Officials to discuss hurricane prep in N.O.
June 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The first in a series of briefings on hurricane preparation for the 2008 Atlantic season will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Sheraton New Orleans hotel, 500 Canal St. The session will feature...

Study: Pace of hurricane recovery accelerating.
June 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The pace of the recovery in communities damaged by hurricanes Katrina and Rita is accelerating, "as money and long-term rebuilding plans come together," says a study released today by the Public Affairs Research...

Corps plans meetings for public input on hurricane protection for N.O.
June 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The New Orleans District of the Army Corps of Engineers said it plans to hold eight meetings starting Wednesday and running through August to gather public input on the development of the Greater New Orleans...

Fuel prices turn N.O. drivers to pedaling across town.
June 3, 2008... Byline: Emilie Bahr As gas prices sprint toward $4 a gallon, some New Orleanians are trading four wheels for two, turning to bicycles as a cheaper, if sweatier, mode of transit. People talk about the price of gas just about every time they...

Jefferson Parish to beef up 'quality of life' campaign.
June 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Jefferson Parish government said it will unveil a new component to the parish's Department of Inspection and Code "quality of life efforts" at 10 a.m. Thursday outside the Joseph S. Yenni Building, 1221 Elmwood...

State of La. details programs to aid fishermen.
June 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The state today outlined programs involving grants, loans and direct aid that fishermen recovering from hurricanes Katrina and Rita may be eligible for. Studies conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric...

Jefferson Parish launches community service program for convicts.
June 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Jefferson Parish government today said a new program will assign community service to convicts to work throughout the parish, a program the parish touts as good for the parish's economy. The parish and the 24th...

Clarkson seeks to overhaul N.O. planning process.
June 3, 2008... Byline: Ariella Cohen City Council President Jackie Clarkson expects to introduce at a City Council meeting on Thursday new legislative amendments that would, if approved, transform the way New Orleans' notoriously fickle land-use process...

City of New Orleans investigating resume claims of IT chief.
June 3, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster Staff Writer The city of New Orleans is investigating allegations that Anthony Jones, the interim director of the Office of Technology, falsified his academic credentials, said assistant Chief Administrative...

Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, backing Obama.
June 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness staff reports Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, on Tuesday announced his support for presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, saying Obama "will be committed" to the Hurricane Katrina recovery. It is time to...

Corps to discuss hurricane protection plans for New Orleans Lower 9th Ward.
June 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Army Corps of Engineers will discuss plans to improve hurricane protection in the Lower 9th Ward during a public meeting tonight at Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School, 1617 Caffin Ave. The event...

1 month left to submit Innovator of the Year nominations to New Orleans CityBusiness.
June 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report CityBusiness is looking for the area's hottest new products, services and concepts to honor in a special salute to innovation in the New Orleans region. The eighth annual Innovator of the Year program is...

U.S. Attorney Jim Letten to discuss 'ongoing corruption matter' today.
June 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report U.S. Attorney Jim Letten is scheduled to hold a press conference at 2 p.m. today to discuss "a significant development in a ongoing corruption matter," a press release from his office says. No further...

New Orleans IT chief's Tulane credit claim doesn't add up.
June 4, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster In a 2005 resume on file with the city's Department of Civil Service, Anthony Jones, interim director of the Mayor's Office of Technology, claimed to be six credits short from earning a bachelor of science degree...

New Orleans District Attorney Landrum-Johnson to run for Criminal Court judge seat.
June 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report New Orleans District Attorney Keva Landrum-Johnson today said she will run for judge of Section E of New Orleans Criminal Court. The seat has been empty since Judge Calvin Johnson retired earlier this year....

Freeport-McMoRan cleans Plaquemines Parish site, says La. Dept. of Environmental Quality.
June 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A company owned by Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. has cleaned an underground storage tank waste-pile area that was once used to store fuel and oil in Plaquemines Parish, the Louisiana Department of...

Tidewater promotes 4 executive officers.
June 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness staff repor Tidewater Inc. has announced the promotion of four executive officers. Joe Bennett was promoted from senior vice president to executive vice president and chief investor relations officer; Gerard Kehoe was...

New Orleans tourism prepares to sweat out slow summer.
June 4, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster Tanner James sits under a tent in Jackson Square on Memorial Day watching scattered tourists stroll by. The heat is stifling, but nothing compared with what lies ahead in the brutal months of July and August....

State of Louisiana proposes $75M program for renters.
June 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The state today proposed allocating $75 million in federal community development block grants to create a Small Rental Soft Second Mortgage Program. The state is seeking public comment on the program,...

Veterans Boulevard in New Orleans to close for construction starting Monday.
June 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report One lane westbound on Veterans Boulevard between North Causeway Boulevard and Severn Avenue will close at 6 p.m. Monday until 4 p.m. Aug. 8 for construction at the entrance of Lakeside Shopping Center....

Jefferson Parish rolls out vehicles to fight blight, crime.
June 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Jefferson Parish officials today unveiled 18 vehicles that will be used to fight blight and reduce crime by issuing code and zoning violations. The vehicles will patrol assigned zones throughout the...

Residents of New Orleans Lower 9th Ward question Army Corps of Engineers about flood protection.
June 5, 2008... Byline: Ariella Cohen Doubt pervaded a public meeting hosted by the Army Corps of Engineers Wednesday night in the Lower 9th Ward. One in a series of public presentations on hurricane-protection plans being held by the corps in...

Alabama PR firm to open Kenner office.
June 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Panorama Public Relations, a Birmingham, Ala.-based public relations firm, said it plans to open an office located in Kenner. Panorama executives say the new location will allow them to service the New...

Wednesday at the Square finale set for June 20 in New Orleans.
June 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The season finale for the Young Leadership Council's Wednesday at the Square series will be held the evening of June 20 at Republic New Orleans, 828 S. Peters St. The event, a fundraiser for YLC's...

U.S. Postal Service in New Orleans to reopen Chef Menteur office.
June 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The U.S. Postal Service in New Orleans on Thursday unveiled plans to reopen an office at 5619 Chef Menteur Highway in early fall. Without mail, commerce and communication are hindered, and the U.S. Postal...

Jefferson Parish touts progress in removing FEMA trailers.
June 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Jefferson Parish officials say they are continuing to make progress in removing FEMA trailers from unincorporated areas. The parish said there are about 545 trailers in unincorporated areas. After the 2005...

More turn to public transportation in Jefferson Parish as gas prices rise.
June 5, 2008... Byline: Emilie Bahr Like many suburban dwellers, Jefferson Parish residents are notoriously reliant on their cars to get around. But with gas prices rising, public transit officials say ridership is up and they're hoping the trend...

La. State University professor: Stats skew real picture of state education.(Concert review)
June 5, 2008... Byline: Stephen Maloney Louisiana has long lingered at the bottom of the list of academically performing states, but one Louisiana State University professor says the state is getting a bad rap due to the lopsided distribution of...

N.O. hospitals report they're gaining ground in physician recruitment.
June 6, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster Don't do it, warned Dr. Erich Richter's family and friends. Whatever you do, do not move to New Orleans. We had friends tell us that racial tensions were so high you'd get shot on sight for being white, said...

N.O. first-time unemployment claims rise for 3rd straight week.
June 6, 2008... Byline: Christian Moises The New Orleans area saw an increase in initial unemployment claims for the third straight week for the week ending May 31 to 789 from 680. The area, comprised of Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St....

St. Tammany Parish moves ahead with rezoning.
June 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report St. Tammany Parish said it is continuing the adoption of its new zoning code across unincorporated portions of the parish. A meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to noon June 21 at First Baptist Church...

Rep. Cedric Richmond to make announcement about District 2 race.
June 6, 2008... Byline: Deon Roberts State Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, said he is "leaning towards running" for the District 2 congressional seat and he will make an announcement next week about his intentions. The seat is currently held by Rep....

New Orleans touts vehicles booted using new SmartBoot.
June 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A month after implementing a new SmartBoot that motorists can remove themselves, 370 vehicles have been immobilized, the city's Department of Public Works said Friday. The city, in a press release, called...

New Orleans City Council puts WTC lease review on hold again.
June 6, 2008... Byline: Ariella Cohen A long-awaited City Council review of a lease for the World Trade Center was put on hold Thursday because of concerns that the city wouldn't be protected if the developer given control of the tower under its terms...

OSHA cites Covington business for repeat safety violations.
June 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited R. K. Wallace Construction Inc., doing business as Wallace Steel Erectors, with three repeat safety violations and...

Bayou Lamoque Floodgate removal project receives funding.
June 8, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Bayou Lamoque Floodgate Removal project, which will remove existing floodgate and allow water to flow unimpeded into Bayou Lamoque and surrounding marshes, has received $869,594 from a Minerals...

Louisiana DEQ ends cleanup of Earhart site.
June 8, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Department of Environmental Quality is issuing a formal document, called a No Further Action, for the cleanup project at the Thompson Hayward site in New Orleans, ending cleanup at 7700 Earhart Blvd....

Building on Bugs: Audubon Insectarium to revitalize Canal Street in New Orleans.
June 9, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster The Downtown Development District has a secret weapon in its plan to revitalize Canal Street -- bugs. Thousands of them. Cockroaches, mosquitoes, giant beetles, leaf-cutting ants, millipedes, butterflies and...

Louisiana's Whitney Bank buys Parish National Bank for $165M.
June 9, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Whitney Bank will add to its presence on the North Shore with the acquisition of Parish National Bank. Whitney Holding Corp. and Parish National Corp. announced an agreement today for Parish National to...

Receivables Exchange tops $500M mark.
June 9, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness staff report The Receivables Exchange, the first online marketplace for real-time trading of accounts receivable, reports its Charter Member program has surpassed $500 million in accounts receivable turnover since...

Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana: Pull tuition-setting power from lawmakers.
June 9, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana is supporting move in the Legislature to decrease lawmakers' control over setting tuition for higher education institutions. House Bill 734 "would grant...

Minerals Management Service awards $18M to restore La. coast.
June 9, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Minerals Management Service has awarded an $18 million grant to Louisiana through the Coastal Impact Assistance Program for the Barataria Land Bridge Dedicated Dredging project. MMS officials said...

New Orleans restaurateurs explore cash-only policies.
June 9, 2008... Byline: Emilie Bahr Facing higher costs on just about every front -- including food, water, insurance and electricity -- some restaurants are taking aim at credit card fees as a way to cut expenses. Loyalists have flocked for four...

Home buyers in New Orleans area want more for less.
June 9, 2008... Byline: Kelly W. Brown Despite a market where homes take longer to sell for less, Realtors, sellers and remodeling experts say the demand still exists for homes with up-to-the-minute details such as renovated bathrooms and kitchens. Homes...

Commentary: Time for U.S. to sack use of plastic bags.
June 9, 2008... Byline: Mark Singletary PepsiCo and China have stepped forward to save our planet. In separate stories last week, U.S. corporate giant PepsiCo, parent company of Frito-Lay products and Pepsi soft drinks, and the nation of China announced...

Commercial real estate advice: In Other Words.
June 9, 2008... Byline: Jennifer Nall Jack Stumpf -- Jack Stumpf & Associates president The occupancy rate on the West Bank is pretty good right now and is in the low- to mid-90s. Businesses moved to the West Bank after Hurricane Katrina and are now...

Qualifications of city of New Orleans tech officer in doubt.
June 9, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster The city of New Orleans is investigating reports that Anthony Jones, interim director of the Mayor's Office of Technology, falsified his academic credentials, said assistant Chief Administrative Officer Courtney...

June 10 -17.
June 9, 2008... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports June 10 As part of Ochsner's Hello Health for Parents series, a seminar on understanding your child's allergies with Dr. Maxcie Sikora, will be held at 6 p.m. at Elmwood Fitness Center in Harahan,...

Questions surround proposed airport deal for New Orleans region.
June 9, 2008... Byline: Jaime Guillet As legislators build a framework to transfer ownership of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport from the city to the state, questions linger about the actual benefits to the city or the region from the...

Day care dearth in New Orleans.
June 9, 2008... Byline: Stephen Maloney Parents throughout New Orleans are being forced to wait in line for coveted openings at child care centers, as fewer than half the facilities open before Hurricane Katrina are back in operation....