New Orleans CityBusiness articles from March 2006

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from March 2006

Nick Varrecchio to announce candidacy for Clerk of Criminal District Court.
March 1, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Nick Varrecchio, an attorney and self-described civic leader, will today announce his candidacy for clerk of criminal district court, at 10:30 a.m. at 225 Broad St. where the OPCSO Boxing Gym a proposed...

Lower Ninth Ward trailer breakthrough announced.
March 1, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report District E Councilwoman Cynthia Willard Lewis will announce a major "breakthrough" at 11 a.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers regarding the continuing effort to provide electricity, water and trailers to...

Sen. Mary Landrieu touts progress from devastation.
March 1, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, joined by colleagues from around the country to celebrate Mardi Gras and reaffirm their commitment to Gulf Coast recovery from Hurricane Katrina. "Six months ago,...

Commercial credit measure bounces back from January weakness.
March 1, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Credit Manager's Index, a monthly survey of commercial credit and collections, showed a strong snap back from January's weakness, led by sharp gains in sales, new credit applications, and amount of...

Swamped SBA looks for help processing loans.
March 1, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The U.S. Small Business Administration wants to involve local banks in processing SBA loan applications. Through its Disaster Loan Partners Initiative, the administration is soliciting bids from local banks...

N.O. mental health care in crisis stage.
March 1, 2006... Byline: Jaime Guillet Six months after Hurricane Katrina, inpatient mental health treatment facilities and options in the New Orleans area are distressingly scarce, medical professionals say."The outlook isn't good," said Joe Eppling,...

Democrat David Lapin joins at-large race for N.O. City Council.
March 1, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Democrat David Lapin will file for a City Council-at-Large seat today. Lapin, 55, is an international financial expert.Two citywide at-large seats are up for grabs. Incumbent City Council members Jacquelyn...

Accidental dousing closes N.O.'s Ohi'a Bar temporarily.
March 1, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Following the accidental triggering of the sprinkler system at the Hotel Le Cirque on Lee Circle, the Ohi'a Bar on the hotel's ground floor is suspending operations to for repairs and...

SBA post-Katrina loans top $5.4B.
March 1, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Small Business Administration has approved $5.4 billion in loans to victims of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, surpassing its largest natural disaster response by more than $1 billion.The SBA has...

Louisiana college students to spend spring break on Katrina repairs.
March 1, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report About 250 college students from the University of Louisiana System's eight universities will spend spring break helping Habitat for Humanity rebuild homes lost during hurricanes Katrina and Rita.The...

N.O. job fair aimed at younger workers.
March 1, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Young jobseekers will be able to meet with prospectiveemployers at a Youth Job Fair in New Orleans from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Friday at the Louisiana Department of Labor's New Orleans Job Center , 1530 Thalia...

Ample N.O. mayoral field adds candidates.
March 1, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report On the first day of qualifying for the April 22 New Orleans mayor's race, some new names have emerged indicating the race will be even larger than anticipated. Mayor C. Ray Nagin qualified today,...

Dolan Media Editorial Conference calls on New Orleans.(Editorial)
March 2, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Editor Terry O'Connor The two-day Dolan Media Co. Editorial Conference convenes today in the Hotel Moteleone with a program that concludes at 9 p.m.All editorial personnel from CityBusiness, The Journal, the Daily...

Louisiana consumers get help from insurance directives.
March 3, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon issued two directives this week to provide assistance to consumers impacted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. One will require insurers to pay full replacement cost for...

Louisiana's PHI Inc.earnings soar in 2005.
March 3, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report PHI Inc., which supplies helicopter services to the oil and gas industries and air medical transports, reported net earnings of $14.2 million for 2005 a 255-percent increase from the $4 million earned a...

Latin Leadership Forum moved to New Orleans.
March 3, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report More than 600 of the top infrastructure executives worldwide will meet at the Hilton Riverside in New Orleans March 28-29 to discuss the top 50 projects in Latin America. The 4th Annual Latin American...

$2.2B refinery expansion stays in Louisiana.
March 3, 2006... Byline: Fritz Esker The Marathon Oil Corp. will spend $2.2 billion expanding its Ashland Refinery in Garyville.The project is in the initial design and engineering phase. Once plans are complete, Marathon will decide if it is economically...

Energy Partners Ltd. chairman to present at Raymond James conference.
March 3, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Richard Bachman, chairman and CEO of Energy Partners Ltd., will make a presentation 6:30 a.m. Wednesday at the 27th annual Raymond James Institutional Investors Conference in Orlando, Fla. A live Internet...

Veterans Administration Medical Center changing name.
March 3, 2006... Byline: Tommy Santora Associate Editor Hurricane Katrina has altered the way veterans receive health care services in southeast Louisiana. In addition to having more access to outpatient clinics after the storm, the system will undergo a...

N.O. assessors have election opponents.
March 3, 2006... Byline: Deon Roberts With barely enough time left to meet today's qualification deadline, a group of reformers said it has found seven candidates to run against each of the city's seven assessors.IQ Ticket, which stands for "I Quit," says...

Embattled Kimberly Williamson Butler announces run for mayor.
March 3, 2006... Byline: Deon Roberts Clerk of Criminal District Court Kimberly Williamson Butler, wanted by two judges for her alleged failure to turn over management of her hurricane-affected office, has announced she will run for mayor.Arrest warrants...

New Orleans Museum of Art opens doors to locals to aid attendance problem.
March 3, 2006... Byline: Richard A. Webster The New Orleans Museum of Art reopened today six months after Hurricane Katrina but attendance issues cloud its future.Before Katrina, approximately 5,000 people visited NOMA's sculpture garden every weekend...

Keep Louisiana Beautiful sponsoring 'Zero Tolerance For Litter' next weekend.
March 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Keep Louisiana Beautiful is sponsoring the largest statewide anti-litter campaign during "Zero Tolerance For Litter" weekend, March 10-12. Zero Tolerance weekend is being implemented by Louisiana State...

New Orleans mayors race attracts 24 candidates.
March 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Qualifying for the April 22 election ended Friday when a slew of candidates entered the fray to unseat Mayor C. Ray Nagin. All told 24 candidates are in the race, 10 more than when Nagin first won the seat...

Commentary: Louisiana needs to goose Gulf Opportunity Zone loans.
March 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff So far it's been no go for the Gulf Opportunity Zone.State red tape is needlessly binding most of Louisiana's $7.9 billion in GO Zone bonds from helping public and private companies revive financial viability in...

Commentary: Family oriented Mardi Gras came up big for New Orleans.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Terry O'Connor The sun-kissed Mardi Gras celebrations benefited greatly from Chamber of Commerce weather and crowds more inclined to celebrate their survival than slam as much alcohol as possible.This was a much more family...

Commentary: N.O. needs desire to rebuild, not cynicism and defeatism.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Anil Shrivastava Sitting miles away, one cannot envision the destruction in New Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina nor can one understand why it's so important to rebuild this American jewel affectionately called the Big Easy. I...

Commentary: Electorate deserves reality, inclusiveness from its leaders.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Mark Singletary As we emerge from the destruction and devastation of Katrina toward a new life in our new city, it is important that we acknowledge and manage the time thresholds placed before us.Each and every event, each and...

Gert Town residents concerned about contaminated soil beneath abandoned chemical co.
March 6, 2006... Byline: April Capochino The Gert Town Family Center sits on a narrow one-way street surrounded by crumbling houses and piles of debris.Hurricane Katrina dealt a crushing blow to this already struggling Mid-City section long known as a...

New Orleans doctor stays to participate in rebuilding of city's health care system.
March 6, 2006... Byline: April Capochino Dr. Douglas Moodie, chairman of pediatrics at Ochsner Clinic Foundation, moved to New Orleans four years ago from his hometown of Cleveland. The storm hit as he and his wife, Cheryl, were in Cleveland, where he was...

Lenders reluctant to start foreclosures in New Orleans area.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Greg LaRose The Mortgage Bankers Association in Washington, D.C., estimates between 80,000 and 100,000 homeowners in the New Orleans area had no flood insurance when Hurricane Katrina's arrival Aug. 29 led to levee failures. Most...

Houston-based Marathon Oil to spend $2.2 billion expanding its Ashland refinery.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Fritz Esker Houston-based Marathon Oil Corp. expects to spend $2.2 billion expanding its Ashland refinery in Garyville.The project, first announced Oct. 25, is in the initial design and engineering phase. Once plans are complete,...

New Orleans City Park reopens Storyland, driving range and gardens.
March 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Several New Orleans City Park facilities are back open after Hurricane Katrina kept them closed for months, said park CEO Bob Becker."We are anxious to open additional facilities such as the Amusement...

Louisiana Dept. of Education looks for more principals.
March 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The state Department of Education is looking to hire principals and assistant principals to work in some of the state-run New Orleans Public Schools this spring.Applications are being accepted for two...

New Orleans ranked No. 9 metro area for stolen motorcycles.
March 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports New Orleans was the No. 9 metro area for stolen motorcycles and the No. 6 metro area most likely to crash a motorcycle, according to The Progressive Group of Insurance Cos., a Mayfield Village, Ohio-based...

LA Dept. of Environmental Quality, environmental group reach agreement on N.O. landfill.
March 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality reached a settlement with the Louisiana Environmental Action Network on a lawsuit filed to shut down the Gentilly landfill in New Orleans.LEAN, an...

Louisiana's crawfish crop crushed by Katrina, drought.
March 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Where are the crawfish this year, especially after last year's good crop?The short answer is a large percentage of crawfish died from last summer's drought, particularly in August and September, according...

New Orleanians consider two wildly divergent reports on environmental safety of the city.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Richard A. Webster Toxic wasteland or healthy home? New Orleanians are reading two wildly divergent reports on the environmental safety of the city.In December, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality announced "there are...

Commentary: Classic French cuisine is reborn in Kenner.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Tom Fitzmorris Do you believe in restaurant reincarnation? Almost exactly 30 years ago, a minimally furnished eatery called Crozier's Restaurant Francais opened in a secondary strip mall in eastern New Orleans. It seemed unlikely...

Approval process for Gulf Opportunity Zone bonds on hold at Louisiana Bond Commission.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Greg LaRose Congress created the Gulf Opportunity Zone in December to expedite the recovery of areas hardest hit by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Louisiana banking officials are concerned state bureaucracy could stop the GO Zone in...

Blanchard & Co. forecasts $800 an ounce gold bullion before year's end.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Greg LaRose Blanchard and Co., a precious commodities and rare coin brokerage in the Central Business District, has bullishly forecast gold prices climbing steadily to $300 an ounce, then $400 and $500.With gold futures for April...

Interview with J. Michael "Mickey" Brown, president of New-Orleans-based First Bank and Trust.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Tommy Santora After spending seven years on the board of First Bank and Trust, J. Michael "Mickey" Brown was named president of First Bank and Trust, a New Orleans-based community bank specializing in serving small businesses with...

Construction inflation adds to New Orleans-area developers' worries.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Deon Roberts Trey Cefalu is feeling the pinch of rising construction costs.Cefalu, developer of the $45-million, 25-story Vantage Tower Condominiums slated for downtown New Orleans, says estimated project costs are up 15 percent...

Delgado Community College's programs adapt to new economy.
March 6, 2006... Byline: April Capochino In an effort to meet the changing needs of the New Orleans economy post-Katrina, Delgado Community College is adding more programs in construction, medical services, nursing, shipbuilding, oil and gas and the film...

First post-Katrina Mardi Gras crowd mostly families.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Richard A. Webster Expectations for the first post-Katrina Mardi Gras were muted among New Orleans business owners. Many worried that too few available hotel rooms and flights would keep away crowds and drive down profits.Max...

Changes in bankruptcy law having unintended effect.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Greg LaRose The changes Congress made in October to reform bankruptcy laws have not had the desired impact, according to a recent survey.Instead of liquidating assets liquidated and gaining a clean slate through Chapter 7...

CityBusiness posts new poll on Gov. Blanco 's proposal to increase teacher pay.
March 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Online ballot-box stuffers skewed the first unscientific CityBusiness online mayoral poll, which had listed only 11 of the 24 declared candidates. At least three candidates figured out how to submit dozens...

Conference in Austin, Texas, to showcase Louisiana music.
March 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report With attention focused on Louisiana in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the state this month will use the music industry's biggest showcase and networking event to promote its music and music...

Prescription assistance program comes to New Orleans.
March 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Partnership for Prescription Assistance, a national program to help patients access prescription medicines, will be in New Orleans at 10 a.m. March 13 at the Dryades YMCA, 2220 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd....

McDermott International lands $60M pipeline deal.
March 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report McDermott International Inc. announced a subsidiary of J. Ray McDermott has been awarded a $60-million contract by Vietsovpetro to install a 298-kilometer, 18-inch gas pipeline. J. Ray will perform the...

Hope Community Credit Union wants New Orleans to be part of its growth.
March 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Hope Community Credit Union says it plans to rebuild its New Orleans branch that was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina. In the meantime, the Jackson, Miss.-based business is setting the pace for credit unions...

Fidelity Homestead Association reopens for business in downtown New Orleans.
March 6, 2006... Byline: City Business Staff Report Fidelity Homestead Association reopened its company headquarters at 222 Baronne St. in downtown New Orleans today. The first floor lobby will be open for banking customers from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday...

Celebration Church holding "Get Back to Business" luncheon in greater New Orleans area.
March 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Celebration Church is inviting business people from the greater New Orleans area to a "Get Back to Business" networking luncheon at 11:30 a.m. March 16. Business represenatives will have an opportunity to...

French Quarter Festival to provide estimated economic impact of $75 million.
March 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The 23rd annual French Quarter Festival is set for April 21-23 as scheduled pre-Katrina. More than 100 musicians will work FQF and provide an estimated economic impact of $75 million during the three days...

Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers opens new location in Marrero.
March 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers founder and CEO Todd Graves announced the grand opening of a new location in Marrero 4817 Lapalco Blvd. The store represents the first new construction permitted in...

BellSouth restoration at 85 percent in New Orleans.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Tommy Santora BellSouth has restored network services to approximately 85 percent of Orleans Parish. In repopulated areas, the percentage tops 90 percent, according to regional director Merlin Villar.Villar said an estimated...

Fidelity Homestead Association opens Hammond loan office.
March 7, 2006... Byline: City Business Staff Report Fidelity Homestead Association will open its new loan production office in Hammond today at 1805 SW Railroad Ave., Ste. C."Before Hurricane Katrina hit, we were looking to expand in the region," said Boyd...

'Come fall in love with Louisiana all over again' campaign launched by state tourism dept.
March 7, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, a candidate for maytor of New Orleans, today launched a new tourism campaign: "Come fall in love with Louisiana all over again." Landrieu joined Department of Culture, Recreation...

National Association of Securities Dealers reopens New Orleans office.
March 7, 2006... Byline: City Business Staff Report The National Association of Securities Dealers, the leading private-sector provider of financial regulatory services, announced today it has officially reopened its New Orleans district office that was...

Emeril Lagasse to emcee Food Network special on post-Katrina dining.
March 7, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report "Bringing Back the Bayou" makes its premiere on the Food Network at 8 p.m. Saturday with a one-hour special featuring Chef Emeril Lagasse of New Orleans."Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of Gulf Coast...

Newpark Resources's $21.6M net income in 2005 is five times 2004 net.
March 7, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Newpark Resources Inc. today reported 2005 net income of $21.6 million, or 25 cents per common share, on revenue of $557 million. That's more than five times the $4 million in 2004 net income on $433.4...

Gulf Opportunity Zone deal includes $25M New Orleans project.
March 7, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Board of Trustees of the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority has given preliminary approval for financing $45 million in construction projects under terms of the federal Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of...

West Jefferson Medical Center's Acute Stroke Unit certified.
March 7, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has certified West Jefferson Medical Center's Acute Stroke Unit and awarded its Gold Seal of Approval for stroke care. Joint Commission...

Jefferson Alliance endorses candidate slate.
March 8, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Brian Behlar, president of the Jefferson Alliance, said today the following endorsements were made in executive session Tuesday:* Kenner Councilman District 1, Dee Dunn.* Kenner Councilman, District 2, Joe...

The Finance Authority of New Orleans launches $100M initiative.
March 8, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Finance Authority of New Orleans will issue $100 million in single family mortgage revenue bonds to provide low-interest home purchase and renovation loans for city residents.FANO, formerly the New...

First-time homebuying classes set in New Orleans.
March 8, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report First-time homebuyer training classes sponsored by Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans will resume Saturday at Christ Church Cathedral in New Orleans.The Homebuyer Training Class teaches the steps...

Contamination threatens Gert Town recovery.
March 8, 2006... Byline: April Capochino The Gert Town Family Center sits on a narrow one-way street surrounded by crumbling houses and piles of debris.Hurricane Katrina dealt a crushing blow to this already struggling Mid-City section long known as a...

Ochsner Medical Library links displaced doctors to medical information.
March 8, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Ochsner Medical Library has introduced a Medical Library Recovery Project for Southeast Louisiana, providing physicians and patients at medical facilities computer access to medical information. The...

Tech companies service hurricane recovery, preparation needs.
March 8, 2006... Byline: Fritz Esker Six months after Hurricane Katrina, Nick Lauve is still squirming through crawlspace in downtown New Orleans offices removing contaminated or cut-through cable wire.The computer technician with Rent-A-Nerd, a...

Homeowners can register through state for repair refunds.
March 8, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Starting today, homeowners whose property was damaged by hurricanes Katrina or Rita can register with the state to possibly receive repair and rebuilding funding.Homeowners can register with the state's...

Nobel Prize-winning economist to speak at Tulane.
March 8, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz with deliver a lecture at 4 p.m. Friday at Tulane University's Richardson Memorial Building. "Fair Trade for All: How Can Trade Promote Development" will...

Hurricane evacuees survey calls for poor to be included in rebuild.
March 8, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A survey of Hurricane Katrina evacuees who don't have homes in New Orleans to return to calls for poverty reduction to be included in economic redevelopment strategies.Total Community Action, a New Orleans...

N.O. Council to consider $53M Harrah's compromise.
March 8, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Special Projects/Budget Committee of the New Orleans City Council will meet at noon Friday in the City Council Chambers to consider a compromise agreement with Harrah's Casino that could net the city...

Report assesses failure of Bush Administration's response to Hurricane Katrina victims.
March 8, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Today Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Committee Member Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.) released a report assessing the failures of...

St. Joeseph's Day Parade expects 100,000.
March 8, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report An estimated 1,000 tuxedo-clad Italians will march through the French Quarter for the Italian-American Marching Club's 36th annual St. Joseph's Day parade begining at 6 p.m. March 18.Celebrity Grand...

Starz Entertainment Group to premiere New Orleans Music in Exile documentary.
March 8, 2006... With New Orleans still recovering from the devastation by Hurricane Katrina, Starz Entertainment Group LLC announced today that it will premiere an original documentary, New Orleans Music in Exile, which chronicles the horror and heartbreak of...

Louisiana Department of Labor reopens workers' comp court.
March 8, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Louisiana Department of Labor will re-open its District 8 Workers' Compensation Court on Monday in the Amoco Building at 1340 Poydras St., Suite 1450.The District 7 Harvey workers' compensation court...

The Shaw Group adds more than 100 jobs in New Orleans.
March 9, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Braced by a backlog of post-Katrina repair work, The Shaw Group has opened a New Orleans office to coordinate it all.The office expands Shaw's operations with 100 professionals and a "significant work...

Red Lobster reopens Metairie location.
March 9, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report After six months of renovations to repair damage from Hurricane Katrina, Red Lobster announced today the reopening of its Metairie restaurant at 3020 North Causeway Blvd. in the Lakeside Shopping Center...

Councilwoman Peggy Wilson: New Orleans Chamber is color bound.
March 9, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Peggy Wilson, former three-term New Orleans Councilwoman, was not invited to attend the mayoral candidate forum today by the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce."It appears that the Chamber is color bound, not...

American Library Assn. and library service cos. to renovate New Orleans Public Library branch.
March 9, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The American Library Association and library service companies Highsmith Inc. and Bretford this summer will renovate the Children's Resource Center, one of 13 branches of the New Orleans Public Library...

Barnes & Noble reopening to benefit Jefferson Parish Library.
March 9, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Barnes & Noble, 3721 Veterans Memorial Blvd., will hold a grand opening at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Proceeds will benefit Jefferson Parish Library.Customers will be able to purchase books, CDs, and DVDs to be...

U.S. Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service lease sale features 4,040 blocks.
March 9, 2006... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Reports The U.S. Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service will hold an oil and gas lease sale at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, 2 Poydra St., in the Napoleon...

Harvey business sold in $50M deal to Tetra Technologies Inc.(Company Profile)
March 9, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Tetra Technologies Inc. today announced it has acquired the assets and business of Epic Divers Inc. in Harvey for $50 million in cash. Epic, founded in 1972, offers commercial diving services and operates...