New Orleans CityBusiness articles from May 2003

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from May 2003

Smoking ban proposal clouds hotel outlook.
May 5, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Local governments last week came one step closer to being able to ban smoking in public places. Leaders at the Greater New Orleans Hotel and Motel Association worry that changing the existing law will favor...

Avondale adds to record take by contractor.(Northrop Grumman's Avondale Operations in New Orleans, Louisiana)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer Northrop Grumman Corp. released record first-quarter 2003 results last week that included a 49% jump in sales over the same quarter last year. Sales increased $2 billion to $5.9 billion from $3.9 billion, said...

Book sellers say city's ban makes N.O. a 'laughing stock'.(New Orleans, Louisiana)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer Tennessee Williams, Kate Chopin and Anne Rice have immortalized New Orleans in their literary works. Perhaps the next great tale to illuminate the Big Easy's character will be the one about the two bibliophiles who...

Higher fees sting victims of cargo boycott.
May 5, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer Port of New Orleans officials are hoping containerized cargo that has been sitting in the port since a trucker boycott began three weeks ago will be moved out early this week. But for cargo companies whose products...

No takers yet for $25,000 staying bonus offered by city.
May 5, 2003... Byline: Mary Webb Mayor Ray Nagin's $25,000 "staying bonus" for employees at ExxonMobil Corp. is more theory than reality so far. Partnering with Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany parishes and private entities, Nagin announced a plan...

Area hospitals are prepared for SARS, say health officials.(severe acute respiratory syndrome)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler International health officials don't know how to treat or cure severe acute respiratory syndrome, a contagious and deadly disease that has swept parts of China and touched more than 30 other countries. New...

Comprehensive zoning plan draws mixed reviews from business.
May 5, 2003... Byline: Mary Webb Land-use battles such as those surrounding the proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter on Tchoupitoulas Avenue and the recently constructed Whole Foods Market on Magazine Street have plagued New Orleans the past several years. ...

Tulane Univ. doctor performs uncommon form of cornea transplant.(Tulane University Hospital's Dr. Delmar R. Caldwell)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Amber Bethel The ever-present clouds that have loomed in Burch H. Aldridge's world are going away. As the 86-year-old Slidell resident's eyesight degenerated and his left eye became legally blind, color left Aldridge's...

Record collectors cling to 78s and vinyl but shun CD sound.(78 revolutions-per-minute records)(compact disks)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Keith Pandolfi Skip Henderson bought his first 78 rpm record sometime in the early 1980s. It was a scratchy recording of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a 1940s gospel and blues legend who would whip out her electric guitar and play it like...

Whitney Nat'l Bank follows retirees and population growth to Florida.(Whitney National Bank)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Keith Pandolfi Vacationers and retirees are not the only ones flocking to Florida lately. Several of the nation's banks, and at least one from the New Orleans region, are also eyeing the state as fertile ground for expansion....

J. Bennett Johnston Science Foundation awards research grants to La. scientists.
May 5, 2003... Byline: Keith Pandolfi Their jargon may be indecipherable, and their sense of humor peculiar, but scientists are able to tell us how the world works and how to fix it when it's broken. That's why former Sen. J. Bennett Johnston...

New medicated stent opens arteries but could constrict hospital profits.
May 5, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Doctors expect a new piece of technology to reduce the need for bypass surgeries and angioplasty. That's good news to patients who suffer from clogged arteries and the insurance companies who pay those medical...

Interview with Dillard University's dean of the school of educ. and psychology.(Kassie Freeman is dean)(Interview)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Amber Bethel Dillard University's teacher preparation program is the only one that's been awarded A-plus marks for two consecutive years by the Louisiana Board of Regents, with 100% of its students passing the PRAXIS exam. Its...

Commentary: Mayor's attempt to keep ExxonMobil employees in N.O. is good idea.
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff Mayor Nagin's bold attempt to retain departing ExxonMobil engineers though incentives is a good idea, according to President Edward Potter of the non-partisan Employment Policy Foundation in Washington, D.C. Nagin has...

Commentary: Chef of Restaurant Cuvee to open restaurant.(Bingo Starr to open Geaux Fish)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Terry O'Connor Restaurant Cuvee is facing the dilemma dreaded most by those employing a star chef: What to do when said star shoots off to become a competitor? Bingo Starr, who resigned as Cuvee's executive chef in March,...

Jefferson Econ. Development Commission launches mentoring program for start-ups.
May 5, 2003... Byline: Megan Kamerick Philip Rebowe recalls how difficult the early days of his business were, which was why he wanted to make it a little easier for someone else. Rebowe now employs 35 people at his Metairie accounting firm, Rebowe...

New Orleans Nonprofit Briefs May 5, 2003.(multiple records)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Keith Pandolfi The Court Appointed Special Advocate Program of New Orleans is using a $297,000 grant from the Louisiana Supreme Court to train volunteer advocates for abused children being tried in the state's juvenile court...

Commentary: American consumers not interested in domestic cars.(Column)
May 5, 2003... Byline: D. Singletary In an informal survey conducted this week, 15% of adults said they would choose a Jaguar if they could have any car they wanted. At the CityBusiness Publisher's luncheon at Martin Wine Cellar, I asked as many...

Priceless Louisiana Purchase exhibits are costly to insure.
May 5, 2003... Byline: Michael Giusti In the business of showing rare artifacts, priceless grows expensive very quickly. A handful of museums scattered throughout the state are expecting nearly half a million guests to join them for the Louisiana...

W Hotel plans special Mother's Day celebration.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff It should come as no surprise that a hotel that lights aromatherapy candles and hands out strawberry-laced ice water at company meetings would do something extraordinary for Mother's Day, something beyond sitting mom in front...

Birth control bill unlikely to spur Catholic opposition.
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff A recycled proposal to make insurance companies cover prescribed birth-control pills is back in the Legislature again. This year, state Sen. Paulette Irons, D-New Orleans, is bringing the bill to the table. Unlike years past,...

Lighter Side will offer a break from smoke ban.(On The Lighter Side convention to be held in New Orleans)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff Smoking is being snuffed out but lighters are still a hot item, at least among those attending next month's On The Lighter Side convention in New Orleans. With more than 1,000 members, On The Lighter Side, which is based...

Pioneering 'Dutch' Morial honored by his alma mater.(Ernest N. 'Dutch' Morial)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff The late Ernest N. "Dutch" Morial received a noble tribute on what would have been the 25th anniversary of his inauguration as the first African-American mayor of New Orleans. On May 1, 2003, Xavier University announced...

New Orleans Saints open office in Baton Rouge.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff The New Orleans Saints have opened a permanent office in Baton Rouge to help regional marketing, said Arnold Fielkow, executive vice president of administration. One full-time account executive and another staff member from...

Armstrong airport to expand terminal.(Louis Armstrong International Airport)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff Despite a 1% drop in passenger traffic compared with the first three months of last year, Louis Armstrong International Airport is planning a $41 million expansion. The airport is doubling the size of Concourse D, said...

New Orleans to hold May 8 housing grant lottery.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff Mayor Ray Nagin and the Division of Housing Neighborhood Development are running a lottery to select qualified homeowners to receive money for home repairs. The Home Rehabilitation Program and the Home Stabilization Program,...

Maryland House of Reps passes bill to reinstate Incumbent Worker Training Program.
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff The state House of Representatives passed an amended bill last week re-authorizing the Incumbent Worker Training Program, which pays to train existing employees of any company established within the state. Now, the state...

Wright & Percy Insurance of Baton Rouge to be acquired by BancorpSouth Inc.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff BancorpSouth Inc. of Baton Rouge has reached an agreement in principle to acquire certain assets of WMS LLC of Baton Rouge, which operates under the name of Wright & Percy Insurance of Baton Rouge, Louisiana's oldest and...

Algiers Bancorp Inc. gets shareholder approval to acquire SNB Inc.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff Algiers Bancorp Inc., the holding company of Algiers Bank & Trust, announced shareholder approval of an acquisition and merger agreement with SNB Inc. The $7.9 million transaction is subject to approval by regulatory agencies...

Entergy Corp. to raise power lines heights across Mississippi River for cruise ship access.
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff Entergy Corp. will raise the Entergy Louisiana Inc. power lines, which cross the Mississippi River down river from the Port of New Orleans, to a minimum height of 217 feet above the mean high water stage of 16.9 feet. The new...

New museum announces grand opening date.(Ogden Museum of Southern Art)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff The Ogden Museum of Southern Art announced the grand opening of its new location at 925 Camp St., will take place Aug. 23. The museum, named after an affiliate of the Washington, D.C.-based Smithsonian Institution in 2001, is...

Study released on use of tax increment financing in New Orleans.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff The Bureau of Governmental Research, a New Orleans-based independent research organization, released a study on use of tax increment financing in New Orleans. The study concludes that the city should abandon the use of TIFs...

Stewart Enterprises redeems securities from Banc of America.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff Stewart Enterprises Inc. announced that it has redeemed its $99.9 million outstanding Remarketable or Redeemable Securities. Stewart paid $12.7 million to remarketing dealer Banc of America to redeem the ROARS, rather than...

Entergy Corp. reports earnings for first quarter of 2003.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff Entergy Corp. reported first-quarter 2003 earnings at $395 million, or $1.73 per share, compared with a loss of more than $78,000 last year. Special items contributed $139 million, or 61 cents per share, to the gain. Last...

Deadline for proposed hotel deal at World Trade Center extended.(in New Orleans)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff Sean Cummings, interim director of the New Orleans Building Corp., extended by 10 days the April 30 deadline for negotiating a deal with representatives of the World Trade Center and the developers of a proposed hotel at the...

Parish National Bank reports increased income for first quarter of 2003.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff Parish National Bank reported its net income for the first quarter was $1. 3 million, or $1.37 per share, up 12% from $1.2 million, or $1.21 per share, during the same period in 2002. Parish National Bank also announced it...

City Council postpones vote to grant Lowe's city tax subsidy.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Staff The New Orleans City Council postponed a vote on a proposal to grant a city tax subsidy for planned Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse on Elysian Fields Avenue until several conditions to the arrangement can be reviewed....

N.O. retailers: open container bill won't work.(New Orleans liquor law)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer When visitors come to Louisiana, they come for the food, the music and liquor. Most are amused at the site of revelers stumbling along Bourbon Street with open beers. They've never heard of go cups and they've never...

New Orleans brews plans to lure decaf coffee processors.
May 12, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer By importing one-third of the coffee crop that comes through North America, to storing, roasting and brewing it, New Orleans covers all aspects of the coffee industry except decaffeinating, industry officials say. ...

Major Nagin targets N.O.'s labor shortfalls.(Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Mary Webb As he heads into his second year, Mayor Ray Nagin has placed a premium on jobs --filling, attracting and retaining them. Making his state of the city address from the site of the new $12.5 million Crescent City...

N.O. health clubs, community centers see memberships soar during summer months.(New Orleans Recreation Department)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Keith Pandolfi It's summertime and the living is easy in New Orleans. Unfortunately, it's also hot, humid and potentially dangerous for those unable to find ways to cool off during the next few months. Thousands of New...

McCormick & Co. to buy Zatarain's from Citigroup; expand distribution.
May 12, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler McCormick & Company Inc. wants to put Louisiana-style gumbo and jambalaya on grocery store shelves from Topeka to Tokyo. The company announced plans last week to purchase Gretna-based Zatarain's from Citigroup...

State hospitals ask for funding flexibility from the Legislature.(Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Health care administrators want radical changes for the state hospital division of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Officials who run the 10-hospital system say the health services division...

Committee for A Better N.O. wants businesses to help schools.
May 12, 2003... Byline: Mary Webb Employing the adage it takes an entire village to raise a child, the Committee for a Better New Orleans/Metropolitan Area Committee has homework for the New Orleans business community: Clean up the city's educational...

New Orleans Financial Briefs May 12, 2003.(multiple records)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Keith Pandolfi Hibernia National Bank's expanding Texas market will not necessarily translate into new jobs for bank employees being laid off in Louisiana. Hibernia laid off 120 employees last month, including 70 in New...

La. tourism office fights expected cuts in international funding.
May 12, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler With budget cuts looming, the state tourism office plans to crop its international marketing efforts and concentrate instead on the state's drive-in market. The Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and...

Interview with New Orleans hotel developer.(Patrick Quinn)(Interview)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler When Patrick Quinn scans the New Orleans skyline, he's looking at his career portfolio. Now a prominent hotel developer, Quinn started managing hotels in 1977. In 1981, he became a partial owner in his first hotel,...

Researchers to seek IT firms to study bioterrorism threats.
May 12, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer The field of bioterrorism research has been around a while, but Sept. 11, 2001, changed how researchers address the issue. Now, new grants available through the National Institutes of Health and its component...

Commentary: Jazz Fest organizers should be applauded.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff The 2003 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival generated some doom-and-gloom headline coverage because attendance dropped from an estimated 500,000 last year to around 450,000 this year. This is a bigtime concern in a town...

Focus/Adults who fear new foods create rare, treatable phobia.
May 12, 2003... Byline: Michael Giusti When Dr. Deborah Marcontell Michel met a seemingly healthy 23-year-old patient three years ago, he had just finished a lunchtime meal consisting entirely of french fries. As it turns out, the 23-year-old...

Commentary: N.O.'s uniqueness is economic development tool.(New Orleans' business climate)
May 12, 2003... Byline: D. Singletary I'm doing my very best to pay attention to Mayor Nagin. He wants us all to do our part for economic development by spreading the message that New Orleans is a good place to do business. While I've not been...

Atlantic Southeast Airlines opens maintenance center in Baton Rouge.(Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport expansion)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff Delta Connection carrier Atlantic Southeast Airlines has opened a 39,000-square-foot maintenance center at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport. The new facility will be the primary overnight maintenance base for be Atlantic...

Piccadilly Cafeterias reports net income of $2.4M.(3Q net sales of $82.4 mn)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff Piccadilly Cafeterias Inc. of Baton Rouge reported a net income of $2.4 million, or 23 cents per share, during the third quarter ended April 1, compared with a net income of $3.1 million, or 30 cents per share, during the...

La. House Insurance Committee approves combining two homeowners insurance plans.(Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation formed)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff The Louisiana House Insurance Committee approved a bill combining the Coastal and FAIR Plans, two state-run homeowners insurance plans, under a new state entity called the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation....

New Orleans enters into agreement with Bank One and Liberty Bank and Trust.(sales tax payment collections deal)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff The city of New Orleans entered into an agreement with Bank One and Liberty Bank and Trust Co. to process the city's sales tax payment collections. Under the deal, the banks will use a lockbox account, which allows immediate...

Hornbeck Offshore Services reports quarterly revenue increase of 20.3%.(first quarter revenues reach $27.3 mn)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc., a supply vessel, tug and tank barge company based in Mandeville, announced first quarter revenues increased 20.3% to $27.3 million compared with $22.7 million for first quarter 2002. Hornbeck...

Health Works Commission reports severe healthcare worker shortage in La.(Louisiana needs about 4,000 nurses)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff Health Works Commission, housed in the Governor's Office of the Workforce Commission, reported a severe shortage of healthcare workers in the state. Louisiana reportedly needs approximately 4,000 registered nurses, 3,000...

La.'s school accountability program one of the nation's best.(Louisiana rose from C to B-minus for student knowledge)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff Louisiana's school accountability program was listed as one of the nation's best. Its tests give an accurate picture of the many dismal school performances, according to a report in the Princeton Review. Overall, Louisiana...

La. Dept. of Insurance shuts down Metairie insurance agent.(agent Mario Guillermo Amaya cited for forgery)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff The Louisiana Department of Insurance shut down Metairie insurance agent Mario Guillermo Amaya for forgery and misappropriation of insurance premiums. Amaya allegedly misappropriated several thousand dollars of insurance...

New Orleans Hornets general manager to resign.(Jeff Bower, new assistant coach at Penn State University)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff The New Orleans Hornets announced that General Manager Jeff Bower will resign next month to take a position as assistant coach at Penn State University. Bower has spent the last six seasons with the Hornets, including two...

Newpark Resource Inc. announces net income of $1.2M.(1Q revenue of $90.6 million )(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff Newpark Resources Inc., a Metairie-based fluids management, environmental and oilfield services company, announced a net income of $1.2 million, or 2 cents per share, on revenue of $90.6 million in the first quarter. This...

McDermott International reports income of $8.2M.(revenues of $523.4 million for 1Q)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff McDermott International Inc. reported an income of $8.2 million, or 13 cents per share, on revenues of $523.4 million for the first quarter. The report included an extraordinary charge of $23.6 million due to an accounting...

Loyola Univ. New Orleans President announces new law school dean.(Brian Bromberger, new dean of Loyola's School of Law)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff Loyola University New Orleans President Bernard P. Knoth, announced the selection of Brian Bromberger as dean of Loyola's School of Law, effective Aug. 1. Bromberger earned a bachelor of law degree with honors in his native...

Commander's Palace restaurant offers heart healthy lunch menu.(Executive Chef Tory McPhail's new menu)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff One of New Orleans' most famous restaurants recently changed its lunch menu at the request of customers. Commander's Palace collaborated with dieticians from Ochsner Clinic Foundation to offer a lunchtime selection of heart...

Total Community Action's tax assistance campaign boosts exemption filings.(Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Initiative )(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff Total Community Action enjoyed success with its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Initiative this year. The campaign, which encouraged residents to use federal earned-income tax credits, helped boost the value of area...

New Orleans to celebrate National Transportation Week.(Port of New Orleans' open house)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff New Orleans, home to a port that makes up the world's busiest maritime center when combined with the four other Louisiana ports, celebrates National Transportation Week this week. To celebrate National Transportation...

Public service commissioner ridiculed after Legislative Audit report.(utility companies criticized)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff Public Service Commissioner Jay Blossman has blasted a recent Legislative Audit report that charged the PSC is too chummy with the utility companies it regulates and relies too much on companies for information. ...

New Orleans econ. development representatives go to Oil Tech. Conference in Houston.(gas reserves and drilling opportunities )(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff Sometimes you go to Texas to talk business with Louisiana companies. That's what representatives from MetroVision, New Orleans, the state Department of Economic Development, and businesses such as Entergy Corp. did last...

New Orleans mayor proposes adding neighborhood block parties during Mardi Gras, festivals.(mayor's state of the city address )(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff Mayor Ray Nagin has suggested another type of party for a city known to hold more than its fair share of soirees. Nagin recently proposed adding neighborhood block parties to join the Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest line-up. ...

New Orleans area kids to take part in Saints-funded summer camp.(partnership between United Way, New Orleans Saints)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff While the Saints are in training this summer, about 10,000 Greater New Orleans area children will take part in their own summer camp sessions thanks to a grant funded in part by the Saints. The Impact Grant Program, a...

Al Gore visits Center for Bioenvironmental Research at Tulane, Xavier.(Role of Technology in Homeland Security conference)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Staff It's not often political stars just drop in. But that's what happened when former Vice President Al Gore stopped by the Center for Bioenvironmental Research at Tulane and Xavier Universities last week to chat about the...

Bruno family builds law firm legacy in New Orleans.
May 19, 2003... Byline: Megan Kamerick When Frank Bruno started his legal career more than 50 years ago a legal dynasty was the last thing on his mind. Not only did most of his sons pursue law, they did it together by joining their father to form...

MetroVision works N.Y. for biz leads.
May 19, 2003... Byline: Michael Giusti A group of New Orleans and Baton Rouge business leaders is trolling the hallways of some of New York's and New Jersey's largest companies this week, hoping to snag jobs for southeast Louisiana. "Regional offices...

Grim business: Firm picks up what death leaves behind.
May 19, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Because it had been scheduled for renovation, no one lived in the downstairs apartment where Clean Scene Services recently started working. Only a single tenant occupied the second floor of the Mid-City house. No...

Weakening dollar bolsters export outlook.
May 19, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer Tourism officials hope a weak dollar means stronger sales from European travelers this summer. The U.S. dollar is in its seventh week of declines against the euro. Since March 31, the dollar has declined from being...

Tips to avoid landing in court after firing problem employees.
May 19, 2003... Byline: Keith Pandolfi Getting fired hurts your career and bruises your ego. That's why some terminated employees sue their employers even if there are no legal grounds to do so, said Janis van Meerveld, a partner with Adams and Reese...

Expert: Louisiana childcare cuts represent a 'monumental' error.
May 19, 2003... Byline: Mary Webb Louisiana's child care system is simultaneously in good shape as well as near the brink of disrepair, according to a leading expert in the field of education. On one hand, Craig T. Ramey, a professor of health studies...

New Orleans Hospitality Briefs May 19, 2003.
May 19, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Lawmakers are near crunch time for balancing the state budget. This legislative session ends June 23, and there's still a $500 million shortfall. In light of that, three bills have been filed that are aimed at...

N.O. makes progress in medical research industry.
May 19, 2003... Byline: Amber Bethel The National Institutes of Health is taking Louisiana and New Orleans more seriously. In just one year, funding given to state institutions and research projects has boomed by 46%, from about $80.7 million in...

U of New Orleans charged with developing transportation degree program.
May 19, 2003... Byline: Mary Webb Answering a call by Sen. Francis C. Heitmeier, D-New Orleans, during last year's legislative session, the University of New Orleans has drafted a letter-of-intent proposing to create an undergraduate program in...

Bill could put politics back into civil service.
May 19, 2003... Byline: Mary Webb When Huey P. Long served as governor, the powerful Louisiana politician often demonstrated his brawn against his employees. One such case was Long's legendary Deduct Box where he deducted 10% from every state...

New Orleans Restaurant Briefs May 19, 2003.
May 19, 2003... Byline: Keith Pandolfi The Food Network still has a taste for the Crescent City. Crews from the network's series on the best dining spots across the country were filming in town last week. It's the show's fourth trip to the city since...

Chilean trade pact expected to boost exports through N.O.
May 19, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer International trade officials say a proposed U.S.-Chile free trade agreement would open doors for New Orleans' maritime and agriculture industries. The agreement will immediately eliminate tariffs on 85% of consumer...

Commentary: New Orleans needs tax increment financing for revitalization.
May 19, 2003... Byline: Staff The Bureau of Governmental Research has come out recently against the use of tax increment financing as a tool for economic development. It's an odd stance to take for a private, nonprofit, research organization claiming...