New Orleans CityBusiness articles from March 2007

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from March 2007

Insurance industry disputes panel's info.
March 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The insurance industry is disputing information from a congressional panel that suggests insurers conspired to minimize their losses from the 2005 hurricanes. The Insurance Information Industry issued its...

Health clinic opens in Lower 9th Ward.
March 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A health clinic in the Lower 9th Ward opens today in the home of a former resident of the community. Registered nurse Patricia Berryhill's home at 5228 St. Claude Ave. will house the Lower 9th Ward Health...

Ochsner Health System expanding pediatric care in Mandeville.
March 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Ochsner Health System is keeping pace with growth on the North Shore by expanding pediatric care at Lakeview Regional Medical Center in Mandeville. Ochsner will add neonatologists and neonatal nurse...

Capital One Bank part of St. Tammany loan program.
March 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Capital One Bank was inadvertently omitted from a list of financial institutions providing low interest home loans through a bond issue from the St. Tammany Parish Finance Authority. Homebuyers can get a 3...

Sen. Boasso turns to 10,000 for support in governor's race.
March 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report State Sen. Walter Boasso, R-Arabi, today sent 10,000 letters to officials and community leaders seeking support in his bid for the governor's mansion. Boasso in early February announced his intention to...

Commentary: Need urgent for community crime fighters.
March 1, 2007... Byline: Greg LaRose Something stood out as we put together this week's issue of our community newspaper, The Journal of Jefferson Parish -- a 1-2-3 punch of crime stories. Overkill? Not these days. Our reporters are digging into the...

Passenger count jumps 52 percent at Louis Armstrong International Airport.
March 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Passenger totals at Louisiana Armstrong International Airport rose 52.6 percent in January from year-ago figures, according to statistics the airport released today. The total number of passengers getting...

New Orleans native named new education superintendent.
March 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report At a special meeting today, the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education named New Orleans native Paul Pastorek the new state superintendent of education. Pastorek, 52, replaces Cecil Picard,...

Fleur-de-lis helps needy children, artists.
March 1, 2007... Byline: Stephen Maloney In French culture, the fleur-de-lis has symbolized royalty, rebirth and growth. After Hurricane Katrina, the ubiquitous symbol is appearing nearly everywhere in the Crescent City and wherever displaced New Orleans...

The Shaw Group to build nuclear plants in China for $5B.
March 1, 2007... Byline: Matthew Penix The Shaw Group Inc. has all but finalized a $5-billion deal to build four nuclear power plants in China, the company said. The framework agreement signed this week with Shaw's consortium partner, Pittsburg-based...

Cox sets TV lineup for New Orleans Zephyrs games.
March 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Batter up. Cox Sports Television will air 10 New Orleans Zephyrs games this year from April to August as the baseball team enters its first season as AAA affiliate of the New York Mets. The Zephyrs'...

Midnight Friday is deadline for Cox Communications, Belo Corp. deal.
March 1, 2007... Byline: Deon Roberts Midnight Friday is the deadline for Cox Communications and Belo Corp. to reach an agreement to keep WWL-TV on Cox. Under Federal Communications Commission law, Atlanta-based Cox needs Dallas-based Belo's permission to...

Intermarine relocating, expanding Asian headquarters.
March 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Intermarine, a worldwide cargo transportation provider headquartered at 365 Canal St., today said it is moving and expanding its Asian headquarters offices. The company is moving from one office in...

Commentary: What to tell a president with help from CNN.
March 1, 2007... Byline: Terry O'Connor CNN called Wednesday to ask what CityBusiness would ask or tell President Bush about the recovery 18 months post-Katrina. The president's visit today to Samuel J. Green Middle School was the occasion for the request....

Freeport-McMoran offers $6B in notes to public.
March 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. announced today that it intends to offer $6 billion in senior notes to the public. FCX intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund a portion of its...

Joe Horn released from his Saints contract.
March 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report After two days of meetings and discussions with Executive Vice President and General Manager Mickey Loomis and Head Coach Sean Payton regarding a restructure and reduction of his contract, wide receiver Joe...

Commander's Palace president named to N.O. aviation board.
March 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report "Ti" Adelaide Martin has been named the newest member of the New Orleans Aviation Board, replacing Ralph Brennan. Mayor C. Ray Nagin nominated Martin, president of Commander's Palace Restaurant, to be one...

Gulf Island Fabrication 2006 earnings climb 64 percent.
March 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. reported $21.3 million or $1.53 per share in net income for 2006, up 64 percent from $13 million in 2005. Its fourth-quarter earnings reached $3.7 million, a 37 percent increase...

Energy Partners Ltd. reports $50M in losses for 2006.(Financial report)
March 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Hefty legal fees associated with two stalled merger and takeover attempts this year bruised Energy Partners Ltd.'s 2006 earnings, despite a near record high production year. The eight-year-old independent...

Fidelity Homestead to reopen Lakeview branch Friday.
March 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Fidelity Homestead Association will hold a reopening celebration at its newly renovated Lakeview branch at 9 a.m. Friday. The branch at 149 Robert E. Lee Blvd. has been closed since August 2005 when...

St. Raymond project ranks No. 2 on tax rebate list.
March 1, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A $350-million high-rise project to be built by developer Jim St. Raymond received the second-largest award of sales tax rebates in the latest round of Louisiana Enterprise Zone Program allocations, St....

Reps. Jefferson, Melancon bill aims to curb N.O. teacher shortage.
March 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Reps. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, and Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, said they have introduced legislation aimed at curbing critical teacher shortages in the New Orleans area. The proposed bill,...

More than 5,000 Louisiana businesses apply for grants.
March 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report More than 5,000 businesses have applied for Louisiana business recovery grants and more than 1,000 have applied for loans, Louisiana economic development officials said. Applications are being reviewed,...

N.O. aquarium opens first new exhibit post-Katrina.
March 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The first new exhibit at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas since Hurricane Katrina opened Thursday. Adventure Island features an interactive, educational play zone designed for children and adults....

Saulet apartment complex in New Orleans plans 2Q reopening.
March 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Saulet apartment complex in the Lower Garden District should begin a phased reopening during the second quarter, officials announced. "We have made significant progress since renovations began and are...

Staff shortages force New Orleans hospitals to import employees.
March 2, 2007... Byline: Patrick Strange If necessity is the mother of invention, Katrina is making masterminds out of hospital HR personnel across the metro area. Hospitals and clinics are coming up with inventive ways to recruit employee amid the ongoing...

Louisiana-based McDermott International's 4Q income leaps 290 percent.
March 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report McDermott International Inc. reported net income of $141 million, or $1.23 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, a 290 percent increase over net income of $36.1 million, or $0.32 per...

Louisiana Restaurant Assn. CEO earns top industry honor.
March 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Louisiana Restaurant Association today announced President and CEO Jim Funk will be honored by the National Restaurant Association and the NRA Education Foundation (May 19, 2007 at the 20th Annual...

Gov. Blanco supports high school redesign recommendations.
March 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The day after the state named a new superintendent of education, Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco today responded to recommendations from a high school redesign commission. Blanco said she supported the...

Gov. Blanco: New education superintendent has 'large shoes to fill'.
March 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco today told the new superintendent of education that he has "very large shoes to fill." On Thursday, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education announced the...

Louisiana insurance officials probe Allstate cancellations.
March 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon says his staff will inspect 18 properties in Orleans, Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes whose owners complained to his department after their insurance...

Whitney Holding completes $61.7M St. Pete bank acquisition.
March 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Whitney Holding Corp. has completed its acquisition of Signature Financial Corp. in St. Petersburg, Fla. The $61.7-million cash and stock transaction expands Whitney's footprint in Florida with additional...

Realty president predicts N.O. area population rebound by 2013.
March 2, 2007... Byline: Deon Roberts The president of one of Louisiana's largest real estate companies today said the metropolitan New Orleans' area population might rebound to pre-Hurricane Katrina levels by 2013, not 2018 as some experts have predicted....

La. Rep. Steve Scalise bill package seeks widespread tax cuts.
March 2, 2007... State Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, said he has filed a series of bills to spur economic development through cutting taxes. One of the bills, House Bill 54, would reinstate tax breaks that were taken away by the Stelly Plan. The bill aims to...

Urban League program to aid at-risk N.O. youth.
March 2, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report In a collaboration aiming to provide education and employment opportunities for at-risk youth, the Urban League of Greater New Orleans, Delgado Community College and others are launching an Urban...

March on New Orleans City council member's home to protest demolitions.
March 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Displaced residents and supporters will rally outside City Council member Stacy Head's home today to demand the re-opening of New Orleans public housing. Protesters will gather at the Latter Library, 5120...

$50M Royal Street high rise in New Orleans stirs protest.
March 3, 2007... Byline: Matthew Penix Developer Angelo Farrell's plans to build a 26-story condo tower in the 100 block of Royal Street after gaining unanimous approval by the New Orleans City Council Feb. 15. Carol Greve, president of the French Quarter...

Cox Communications to keep WWL, Belo channels on cable lineup.
March 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Cox Communications and Belo Corp., parent company of WWL-TV, WUPL-TV and NewsWatch Channel 15 have reached a retransmission-consent agreement to keep all three channels on Cox's New Orleans lineup. Terms...

Common Ground Media Collective opens Mid-City assistance center.
March 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Common Ground opened its new Mid-City location Saturday to provide various types of assistance to area residents rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina. Common Ground MidCity will hold free legal clinics from...

Sharp Solar International donates solar electric systems to Holy Cross/Lower Ninth Ward.
March 3, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Ten properties in the Holy Cross/Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood could soon be selling electricity back to the city after they have donated solar power systems installed. Las Vegas-based Sharp Solar...

New Orleans Saints host free agents, resign Stinchcomb.
March 4, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The New Orleans Saints entertained two defensive free agents over the weekend. Linebacker Brian Simmons, who's spent his entire nine-year career with the Cincinnati Bengals, met with the Saints Saturday....

2006 was phenomenal year for world trade in Louisiana.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Jaime Guillet The record-breaking $23.5 billion in Louisiana exports in 2006 is testament to global trade's lucrative business characteristics, trade experts say. Many unknowns developed in the New Orleans business community...

N.O. City Council expects to find city inspector general for by summer.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Deon Roberts The New Orleans City Council honored voter wishes from more than a decade ago by adopting an ordinance Nov. 2 creating an inspector general's office. But in nearly four months since then, the position designed to...

Thugs recruit N.O. children to life of crime.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Richard A. Webster Editor's note: The third and final installment of the "Criminal Minds" series looks at the culture of crime in New Orleans through the eyes of a former drug dealer and how young children are caught up in the...

March 5-11.
March 5, 2007... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports The following calendar of business meetings and events is for March 5-11. The deadline for submissions to the business calendar is 10 days prior to publication date. March 5 Changing Louisiana...

Executives toppling from large corporate banks to smaller community institutions becoming the norm.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Greg LaRose Statewide Bank's hiring of Matt Faust as its president in early February was the latest domino in a chain of executives toppling from large corporate banks to smaller community institutions. Faust is the former head of...

New Orleans Financial Briefs: March 5, 2007.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Greg LaRose The former chief counsel and acting deputy secretary of the U.S. Treasury is hanging his shingle at the Washington office of Jones Walker. Arnie Havens joined the law firm in January after overseeing 1,400 Treasury...

Interview with Rob Stuart: President of Capital One's La., Tex. divisions.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Greg LaRose Age: 50 Education: bachelor's and master's degrees in finance, Louisiana State University; and completed Harvard Business School General Manager Program Family: wife, Donna; and children Robert, Maggie and Philip...

The Road Home program in La. turns a corner.
March 5, 2007... Byline: N.O. CityBusiness Staff Through 22 weeks, The Road Home program has closed 2,718 homeowner grants with a flurry adding more than 1,000 closings early last week. While encouraging, The Road Home is still only closing an average of...

Commentary: What to tell a president with some help from CNN.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Terry O'Connor CNN called Wednesday to ask what CityBusiness would ask or tell President Bush about the recovery 18 months post-Katrina. The president's March 1 visit to Samuel J. Green Middle School was the occasion for the...

Commentary: It helps for problem solvers to speak plain English.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Mark Singletary Some of the things we shouldn't do are obvious. We shouldn't kill, covet, envy -- all those things listed in the Ten Commandments. Anyone with half a brain can figure out the big things on the "don't do" list. It's...

Commentary: Bruneau attacked for causing a 'wasteful' special election.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Jeff Crouere The first candidate to throw a real punch in this Orleans Parish house race is a woman. Democratic activist Deborah Langhoff, strongly supported by many party leaders, attacked Jeb Bruneau, son of incumbent state Rep....

Sen. Barbara Boxer vows to prioritize storm protection funding in La. parishes.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Jaime Guillet Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., promised to revive the $7.3-billion Water Resources Development Act now stalled in committee and move it into the Senate by the end of March. The promise came at the U.S. Senate...

Work nears on $250M Harvey Canal floodwall in La.
March 5, 2007... Byline: N.O. CityBusiness Staff Construction on the long-stalled Harvey Canal floodwall should begin in March, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said. The 4-mile floodwall will be divided into five sections for construction. The first...

$700M N.O. jazz park designs near.
March 5, 2007... Byline: N.O. CityBusiness Staff Nearly a year after the project was announced, plans for a $700-million-plus downtown jazz park that involves the owners of the Hyatt Regency Hotel are near completion. Jonathan Dedmon, spokesman for a...

220-room Marriott to open in Metairie.
March 5, 2007... Byline: N.O. CityBusiness Staff Pyramid Hotel Group will open the 220-room New Orleans Marriott Metairie this spring at Lakeway Center, 3838 Causeway Blvd. The hotel offers 33 suites, a wireless concierge level, 6,500 square feet of...

Federal City in Algiers to gain tenant.
March 5, 2007... Byline: N.O. CityBusiness Staff Federal City, a $160-million government complex planned for Algiers, will house Sector New Orleans, a division of the U.S. Border Patrol, at 3819 Patterson Drive. U.S. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Robert Papp Jr....

Gulf study improves platform design.
March 5, 2007... Byline: N.O. CityBusiness Staff High-tech floats submerged on the Gulf of Mexico sea floor have detected new deepwater current patterns, likely to improve engineering standards for offshore oil and gas platforms, the U.S. Department of...

N.O. Section 8 take could be slashed.
March 5, 2007... Byline: N.O. CityBusiness Staff A proposed congressional formula change in the Section 8 program that would reduce funding for the program is angering low-income housing developers. The formula change would reduce the annual voucher funding...

Tower tussle in downtown N.O.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Matthew Penix Developer Angelo Farrell's plans to build a 26-story condo tower in the 100 block of Royal Street after gaining unanimous approval by the New Orleans City Council Feb. 15. Carol Greve, president of the French Quarter...

Airport incentives fuel drive for more carriers in N.O.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Jaime Guillet Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport officials hope regional carrier ExpressJet Airlines will be the first of many new flights landing at the facility post-Hurricane Katrina. Armstrong officials have...

Why Stay? Everything that is best about N.O. is accessible to everyone.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Kathryn Jezer-Morton Jamie Lovitt, a native of Colorado Springs, Colo., moved to New Orleans in 2004 to teach at Israel Augustine High School as a Teach for America Corps member. Lovitt, now 25, said her first year teaching...

State of La. lacks resources for ex-con rehabilitation.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Richard A. Webster When a 23-year-old man is released from prison with a fourth-grade education, a drug addiction and no job skills, his return to a life of crime is inevitable, experts say. But if educational, employment and...

N.O. retired oilman to launch new onshore drilling venture.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Matthew Penix Clint Coldren's retirement was short-lived. Less than a year after the founder of two New Orleans-based independent oil companies sold his shares of Coldren Oil and Gas Co. LP to relax and renovate his New Orleans...

Nonprofit Spotlight: Kaboom, Fannie Mae make playground magic in N.O.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Stephen Maloney Thanks to 1,500 volunteers and $400,000, six New Orleans schools now have new playgrounds for nearly 36,000 students. Kaboom, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit dedicated to building 100 playgrounds across the Gulf...

GW Fins hooks unique seafood house concept for New Orleans.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Tom Fitzmorris GW Fins $$$$$ 808 Bienville St., French Quarter Dinner seven nights. www.gwfins.com "What's going to happen to our seafood?" People were asking that a lot a year and a half ago, and with good reason: Who was...

Harahan company settles following hiring discrimination probe.
March 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Universal Sodexho has agreed to pay $788,877 in back wages and interest to resolve findings that the company engaged in hiring discrimination against minorities at its Harahan facility, the U.S. Department...

Houston-based Waste Management to buy back $1.8B in stock.
March 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Waste Management Inc., the nation's largest garbage hauler, on Monday approved an expansion of its stock buyback plan worth $600 million. The Houston-based company, with garbage collection routes in and...

Jesse Jackson's group to hold summit in N.O.
March 5, 2007... Byline: N.O. CityBusiness Staff The Rev. Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Push Coalition will hold a Gulf Coast Economic Summit April 3-4 at the Sheraton New Orleans hotel, 500 Canal St. Organizers are calling the event "an opportunity to learn how...

City Park restores amusement rides for $3M.
March 5, 2007... Byline: N.O. CityBusiness Staff The amusement park at New Orleans City Park reopened Saturday after $3 million raised from private and public donors help repair the storm-ravaged facility. The new park features nine rides including the...

NBC news anchor to give Tulane commencement speech.
March 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams will deliver the keynote address at Tulane University's 2007 commencement on at 9 a.m. May 19 in the New Orleans Arena. Williams was the first network evening news...

Louisiana's Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu touts volunteerism, social entrepreneurship event.
March 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu and the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism today will hold a one-day event called "Changing Louisiana Through Volunteerism and Social Entrepreneurship." The...

Meeting to discuss French Quarter taxing district.
March 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A proposed taxing district for the French Quarter will be the focus of a town hall meeting 8 p.m. today at 606 Frenchman St. The meeting, which is free and open to the public, also plans to discuss quality...

FEMA opens second New Orleans disaster recovery center.
March 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency opened a second disaster recovery center in the city to serve victims of the Feb.12-13 storms and tornadoes. The center is at St. Matthew United Church of...

Port of New Orleans wins 'Best Comeback Port' award.
March 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Porthole Cruise Magazine, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based cruise publication, named New Orleans its 2007 recipient of the publication's Editor-in-Chief Award for Best Comeback Port. The prestigious award is...

Commentary: The Road Home turns a corner.
March 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Editorial Through 22 weeks, The Road Home program has closed 2,718 homeowner grants with a flurry adding more than 1,000 closings early last week. While encouraging, The Road Home is still only closing an average of 123...

New Orleans CityBusiness poll: Most voters want new City Hall leadership.
March 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The recovery of the city would be sped up most up by new leadership in City Hall, according to nearly 62 percent of respondents to CityBusiness' online poll. The poll received a total of 301 responses...

American Heart Association study: Katrina crimped high blood pressure treatment.(Clinical report)
March 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Many New Orleans residents had problems obtaining prescription drugs for high blood pressure after Hurricane Katrina, researchers reported today at the American Heart Association's 47th Annual Conference...

International Association of Assembly Managers to hold annual meeting in Slidell.
March 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The International Association of Assembly Managers will hold its mid-managers annual conference at Northshore Harbor Center June 17-19, NHC said. Close to 100 delegates are expected to attend this year's...

Houston-based Kinder Morgan to sell Canadian gas pipeline for $649M.
March 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Kinder Morgan Inc., an energy transportation, storage and distribution company, will sell its shares of a Canadian gas pipeline for $649.9 million, the company announced Monday. Houston-based Kinder, owner...

New Orleans Nonprofit Briefs: March 5, 2007.
March 5, 2007... Byline: Stephen Maloney Thanks to 1,500 volunteers and $400,000, six schools now have new playgrounds for nearly 36,000 students. Kaboom, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit dedicated to building 100 playgrounds across the Gulf Coast,...

HRI Properties proposes fewer units in New Orleans apartment project.
March 5, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A proposed Bywater apartment complex will be reduced from 54 units to 37, a project spokeswoman said. A meeting on the Bywater Art Lofts, slated for a former factory at Pauline and Dauphine streets, will...

Maison Dupuy serving up new French Quarter wine festival.
March 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A new wine festival will kickoff Friday with a grand opening reception at the Maison Dupuy Hotel in the French Quarter. The hotel is partnering with Daniel Bruce, executive chef at Boston Harbor Hotel and...

Al Gore to speak to Marsh clients in New Orleans May 1.
March 6, 2007... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Former Vice President Al Gore will be the keynote speaker at a May 1 client breakfast for Marsh Inc., a global risk and insurance services firm, during the annual conference of the Risk & Insurance...