New Orleans CityBusiness articles from November 2005

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from November 2005

Louisiana SPCA sets up new database for locating rescued pets after hurricanes.
November 1, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Louisiana SPCA has set up a new database for locating rescued pets after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Chameleon Software Company of Huntington Beach, Calif., donated and installed the database system,...

Energy production recovery limps long.
November 1, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Oil and natural gas exploration companies barely made a dent in bringing production back online, according to the Minerals Management Service.According to MMS figures, about a million barrels of daily oil...

Portland team repairs New Orleans' sewer, water works.
November 1, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts When New Orleanians run a bath, wash their clothes or turn on the tap, they can give some credit to Portland, Ore.Since Oct. 8, a team of 35 people from the Portland Bureau of Water Works has played a crucial role in...

Renaissance Arts Hotel in New Orleans back in business.
November 1, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Renaissance Arts Hotel has reopened and is now accepting reservations. The 217-room property located in the arts district sustained no damage during Hurricane Katrina. Its restaurant, La Cote Brasserie, is...

AmSouth Bank loans $10M for River Garden housing in New Orleans.
November 1, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report While most of New Orleans is in the rebuilding mode after Hurricane Katrina, there is new construction planned for one part of the city. A $10 million loan from AmSouth Bank will allow HRI Properties Inc....

Algiers Job Fair set for Nov. 9.
November 1, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Algiers Economic Development Foundation and Delgado Community College will hold a Job Fair and Business Seminar Nov. 9 from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The event will take place at Delgado's West Bank...

FDIC chairman to coordinate federal rebuilding efforts on Gulf Coast.
November 1, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The man in charge of federal bank regulation for the last four years announced today he is leaving the post to coordinate the Bush administration's efforts to rebuild the hurricane-stricken Gulf...

Merrill Lynch back in New Orleans.
November 1, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The offices of Merrill Lynch are open once again in the Crescent City.The company's office at 601 Poydras St., Suite 2500, opened for business Monday, the first day its staff has returned to work since...

New Orleans-based Windsor Court Hotel reopens with special rates.
November 1, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The 324-room Windsor Court Hotel reopened today with a rose-filled ceremony.Hotel representatives wearing rose boutonnieres gathered in the hotel's courtyard and handed guests commemorative long-stemmed...

Advantage Capital Partners resumes New Orleans operations.
November 1, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Advantage Capital Partners is back at its 909 Poydras St. office today and plans to put its resources to work in rebuilding the region after Hurricane Katrina.Since evacuating for Hurricane Katrina more...

Trinity Yachts moves into Gulfport facility.
November 1, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Trinity Yachts LLC announced that they have moved one nearly completed yacht and four partially built yachts to their new production facility in Gulfport, Miss.Trinity will retain the company's New Orleans...

Entergy earnings rise despite storm damage.
November 1, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Despite two hurricanes that destroyed much of the company's electric grid and left hundreds of thousands of customers without power, utility company Entergy Corp. reported a 24 percent rise in earnings for...

Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service reopens regional office.
November 1, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service reopened its Gulf of Mexico Regional Office at 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard today. Because of the extensive damage sustained by the regional...

Red tape ties New Orleans nonprofit for homeless.
November 1, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster CityBusiness staff writer HUD officials tried to pull off an $11.4 million money grab from humanitarian New Orleans operations after Hurricane Katrina.Before floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina had even been...

Commentary: Shocked leaders need to unite to create solutions.
November 1, 2005... Byline: Terry OConnor It's shock really. Has to be shock.That's the only way to explain the ineffectual flailing about of our leadership on all levels federal, state and local in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The most confusing aspect of...

Louisiana Supreme Court set to return to New Orleans in December.
November 1, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Louisiana Supreme Court will be back in operations in December at its French Quarter home at 400 Royal St., according to Chief Justice Pascal Calogero Jr.Court employees will resume work in the building...

New Orleans-area parks remain closed while awaiting $70M in repairs.
November 1, 2005... Byline: April Capochino The $70-million cost of cleaning up the parks in the greater New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina will likely keep them closed to the public for months.John Hopper, director of development for New Orleans City...

Dillard University announces plan to reduce faculty, staff.
November 1, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Despite a plan to begin holding classes in January, Dillard University officials today announced it would be forced to reduce the number of employees on its payroll, but would retain all tenured...

Chalmette Refining begins startup.
November 1, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Chalmette Refining, LLC, which has been shut down since before Hurricane Katrina swept through the New Orleans area Aug. 29, today initiated a sequenced start-up of the refinery to resume operations,...

Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission working to get small businesses' cash flowing.
November 2, 2005... Byline: Jaime Guillet Larry Katz, owner of six Dot's Diner restaurants in New Orleans, said he is facing between $100,000 and $200,000 in damage and expenses due to Hurricane Katrina.Katz evacuated to Dallas, and the Federal Emergency...

N.O. mayor, councilmember team to help entergy gain fed funding.
November 2, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Councilmember Jay Batt and New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Naginare in Washington today to push for more relief for the New Orleansarea, including levee protection and economic development incentives.More federal...

NOPS employees eligible for high-deductible insurance.
November 2, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report New Orleans Public School employees on "disaster leave" will still be eligible for insurance coverage despite the district's financial challenges, district officials said Nov. 1.Through Nov. 30, NOPS...

Shell Building is heart of $20M luxury apartment project.
November 2, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The historic Shell Building on Common Street in theCentral Business District is being redeveloped into a $20-millionluxury apartment project by Belmont Commons LLC led by Manny Organek ofBoca Raton, Fla.,...

Lawayers charge Murphy Oil offering phony info.
November 4, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Murphy Oil Corp. is providing false and misleading information about a massive oil spill at its Louisiana refinery during Hurricane Katrina, lawyers alleged Thursday at a hearing in federal court. U.S....

Commentary: Entergy New Orleans deserves federal funding.
November 4, 2005... Byline: Terry O'Connor No one feels sorry for a Fortune 500 company with its vast resources and glittering success. So it is with Entergy Corp. and its beleaguered subsidiary Entergy New Orleans.President Bush told Entergy New Orleans CEO...

Belladonna day spa open on Magazine Street.
November 4, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Belladonna Day Spa & Retail Therapy has reopened at 2900 Magazine St. Limited services are available, although others will be added regularly."In an effort to pick up the pieces and be whole again in the...

Commentary: Extraordinary session offers chance to ignite recovery.
November 4, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.Critics have already begun to claim Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco does not go quite far enough in outlining her 77-point recovery plan for Louisiana to be...

McDermott subsidiary lands $400M contract.
November 4, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report McDermott International Inc. subsidiary, The Babcock & Wilcox Company has been awarded a $100-million contract to supply and construct wet flue gas desulfurization systems at the John E. Amos power plant in...

NIMS Center in Harahan back on filmdom track.
November 4, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures today officially resumed production of the film "The Reaping" in Louisiana. The supernatural thriller, a Dark Castle Entertainment production starring...

Louisiana Offshore Oil Port offloads first post-Katrina oil.
November 4, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port has resumed pumping operations at its offshore oil port facilities in the Gulf of Mexico. The first supertanker to visit the Port is being unloaded. The operation was...

Drug cost help arrives in Baton Rouge Tuesday.
November 4, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Partnership for Prescription Assistance, a national program to help patients who need prescription medicines, will visit the State Capitol at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday with the "Help Is Here Express," an...

FEMA to let 15 contracts at $100M apiece.
November 4, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency today announced the opening of competition for 15 contracts with a value up to $100 million each. The five-year contracts will be...

Louisiana gains five drilling rigs.
November 4, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Eighty-three rotary drilling rigs were exploring for oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico this week, according to oilfield services firm Baker-Hughes. That's one more than the 82 that were operating last...

Algiers teachers decry communication gap.
November 4, 2005... Byline: April Capochino Four West Bank New Orleans Public Schools could reopen Nov. 28, members of the Algiers Charter School Association said today. Teachers will have to reapply to those schools.Those plans are contingent on the state's...

Gulf Coast Bank passes community litmus test.
November 5, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. says Gulf Coast Bank and Trust is meeting requirements for offering access to its resources to the areas it serves. The bank was among those recently examined for...

Gillis Ellis Baker back in New Orleans Monday.
November 5, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The insurance firm Gillis Ellis & Baker will return to its Poydras Street office Monday after evacuating for Hurricane Katrina.GEB moved its operations to Baton Rouge after the storm and has been servicing...

Producers back $6.9M soundstage for New Orleans.
November 5, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts Eastern New Orleans was one of the most devastated parts of the city from Hurricane Katrina, and it could take months before people can live there again. But that didnt stop the Louisiana Economic Development Corp....

French Quarter Welcome Center reopens.
November 5, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The French Quarter Welcome Center is back open for business this weekend, signaling the New Orleans' efforts toward reviving tourist traffic following recent hurricanes. The welcome center, which had more...

New Orleans Regional Business Park is the "Big Empty" once again.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts The New Orleans Regional Business Park is the "Big Empty" once again.Thanks to Hurricane Katrina, the roughly 7,000-acre park can accurately be referred to by its old nickname, an unfortunate title that once reflected...

First wave of evictions hits Orleans.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster On Oct. 29, Jonathan Most received a notice to vacate his apartment. He was given until Nov. 1 to leave the premises."I'm being forced to find a new place and figure out a way to move all of my stuff out with no...

Storm clouds on Treme's future.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster The 163-year-old St. Augustine Church in Treme survived Hurricane Katrina as it survived hurricanes Betsy and Camille. Yet it may not survive a wave of possible church closures planned by the Archdiocese of New...

LA. Gov. Blanco's recovery plan addresses state needs.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Terry OConnor With 77 action items on the agenda for the 17-day "extraordinary session" of the Louisiana Legislature, Gov. Kathleen Blanco has outlined in broad strokes her plan to piece the state back together again. Specific...

Commentary: Publisher's Notes: The world is watching how we rebuild Orleans schools.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Mark Singletary This week is important for the future of New Orleans.As our state legislators consider the issues Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco has laid before them in the special session, one in particular promises to determine...

Many New Orleanians shopping here to support the city.
November 7, 2005... Byline: April Capochino Uptown resident Jean Johnson is one of the many New Orleanians spending money to help rebuild the city. She's doing it by shopping at local retail shops.She recently bought T-shirts from Metro Three, a clothing...

Fouled refrigerators in New Orleans produce legal pitfall.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster It's the new unofficial symbol of New Orleans a duct-taped refrigerator parked curbside and packed with bacteria from rotting food.Contractors gradually are hoisting the nasty appliances from sidewalks and...

Gas shock lessens as refineries come back.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky As refineries come back online after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, drivers already are receiving relief at the pump.According to the Department of Energy, gasoline prices fell to an average $2.48 per gallon of...

Experts see opportunities in LA. in medical, film, tech sectors.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts As New Orleans' economy works to rise from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, some industries present greater expansion opportunities than others.Health care, technology and the film industry should be the top three...

Teachers uncertain of future with Orleans public schools.
November 7, 2005... Byline: April Capochino The decision to reopen 20 New Orleans Public Schools under charter status is dividing School Board members and state education officials and creating an air of uncertainty for teachers many of whom want to return...

Storm-ravaged Plaquemines looks to energetic rebound.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky Plaquemines Parish could be the next economic hot spot on the Gulf Coast if it doesn't go bankrupt first.A proposal in the House Resources Committee would open more than 2.4 million acres of the eastern Gulf of...

New Orleans Business Briefs: November 7, 2005.
November 7, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The historic Shell Building on Common Street in the Central Business District is being redeveloped into a $20-million luxury apartment project by Belmont Commons LLC led by Manny Organek of Boca...

Portland team in New Orleans plugging gaps in city sewer, water works.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts When New Orleanians run a bath, wash their clothes or turn on the tap, some credit goes to Portland, Ore.Since Oct. 8, a team of 35 people from the Portland Bureau of Water Works has worked to repair damage to the New...

Kenner Creole bistro weathers Katrina.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Tom Fitzmorris Le Parvenu is two blocks from the Mississippi River, which carries extra weight these days since it means the restaurant was well clear of the flood zone.The old cottage Chef Dennis Hutley turned into a restaurant...

New Uptown New Orleans restaurant cashing in on post-Katrina business.
November 7, 2005... Byline: April Capochino & Deon Roberts It's bold to open a new restaurant in the Crescent City just two months after Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans. But Alberta Pate, who runs the restaurant with her daughter, Melody, and...

Commentary: Entergy New Orleans deserves federal funding.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Terry O'Connor No one feels sorry for a Fortune 500 company with its vast resources and glittering success. So it is with Entergy Corp. and its beleaguered subsidiary Entergy New Orleans.President Bush told Entergy New Orleans CEO...

Commentary: Landrieu, Blanco and Nagin all face political quandaries.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Jeff Crouere Since her initial election to the Senate in 1996, Sen. Mary Landrieu has tried to craft an image of a moderate Democrat. Throughout her Senate career, however, Landrieu has had a difficult time balancing liberal party...

Incentives offered to new employees of fast-food restaurants in N.O.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Fritz Esker Fat signing bonuses and rising entry-level wages have made the fast-food industry one of the quickest job growth areas in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina.Burger King made the biggest splash in the fast-food sector by...

Interview with Tom Weatherly, vice president of communications for LA. Restaurant Assn.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster Tom Weatherly, vice president of communications for the Louisiana Restaurant Association, evacuated New Orleans 45 minutes after Mayor C. Ray Nagin called for a mandatory evacuation. When he returned almost one...

Caterering companies in N.O. prove flexibility in wake of Katrina.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Jaime Guillet New Orleans independent caterers have adapted to the post-Katrina climate by embracing new standards and widening their clientele base.Hurricane Katrina changed the New Orleans catering service industry in many ways....

Commentary: Extraordinary session offers chance to ignite recovery.
November 7, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Editorial Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.Critics have already begun to claim Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco does not go quite far enough in outlining her 77-point recovery plan for Louisiana to be...

Louisiana's fishing industry takes $2.2B sales hit.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts Ewell Smith, executive director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion Board, painted a grim picture of the condition of the state's fishing industry.Thanks to the hurricanes Katrina and Rita, only 15 percent to 25 percent...

New Orleans Wheel of Fortune shows begin spinning today.
November 7, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Two weeks' worth of "Wheel of Fortune" episodes, taped in New Orleans in the days before Katrina struck, begin airing this evening at 5:30 p.m. on WVUE-TV.The show began taping episodes in New Orleans Aug....

No arrests made in bridge protest over blocked exodus of Hurricane Katrina refugees.
November 7, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Fifthy-three protesters walked across the bridge over the Mississippi River under police escort this morning to protest the blocked exodus of Hurricane Katrina refugees.Residents unable to escape New...

Stunned Louisiana lawmakers rip $3.7B FEMA bill.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Terry O'Connor Trying to grapple with a $1-billion hole punched in the state budget by Hurricane Katrina, the Legislature reacted bitterly to the $3.7-billion bill FEMA has presented for its services so far."It's really a...

Hotel Monteleone lands major conference.
November 7, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Hotel Monteleone announced today the American Judges Association will hold its 46th Annual Educational Conference in October 2006 at the historic French Quarter hotel. The conference, last held in...

Algiers job fair features big employers.
November 7, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Algiers Economic Development Foundation, Delgado Community College and the Louisiana Department of Labor will hold a job fair and business seminar from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednhesday at Delgado's West...

Commentary: Orleans Parish school system is irredeemable.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Mark Singletary, Publisher This week is important for the future of New Orleans.As our state legislators consider the issues Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco has laid before them in the special session, one in particular promises to...

Shreveport property manager sells Florida holding.
November 7, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Sealy & Co. Inc., a Shreveport-headquartered company that owns and operates office, retail and industrial properties in Louisiana and other states, sold 46.82 acres of land at its Jacksonville International...

Free New Orleans gym memberships available.
November 8, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Downtown Fitness Centers, Northshore and One Canal Place are open and offering month-to month memberships. Because there are so many displaced families and emergency workers in New Orleans and the North...

Houston interior design and construction business relocates to New Orleans.
November 8, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Benjamin Taylor and Associates, and interior design and construction firm, announced today it will permanently move its headquarters to New Orleans from Houston.Benjamin Taylor & Associates specializes in...

Ralph's on the Park in New Orleans reopens.
November 8, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Ralph's on the Park, a restaurant owned by Ralph Brennan, will re-open Wednesday just 10 weeks after Hurricane Katrina and the resulting floodwaters raced through New Orleans.Located at 900 City Park Ave.,...

LA-based SCP Pool plans $50M stock buyback.
November 8, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report SCP Pool Corp., a pool product and supply company, plans to buy back $50 million worth of stock. The public company had previously announced plans to buy back $3.2 million.The company Board of Directors...

New Orleans' French Quarter cleanup drive set for Nov. 18-19.
November 8, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report To beautify the French Quarter in time for the holiday season, the French Quarter Business Association in conjunction with other French Quarter business and resident groups will sponsor a neighborhood...

NCAA convention to bring $3.2M to New Orleans.
November 8, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics decided to keep its 2006 convention in New Orleans as planned d.The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics "wants to be part...

Landrieu advances Category 5 protection in U.S. Senate.
November 8, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Sen. Mary Landrieu's plan to upgrade Louisiana's storm and flood protection system was OK'd by the Energy and Water Conference Committee Monday night.Landrieu's provision, which requires the Army Corps of...

U.S. Small Business Administration to offer $150,000 quick loans.
November 8, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Small businesses hurt by hurricanes Katrina and Rita are eligible for a new U.S. Small Business Administration-backed loan of up to $150,000 being launched this week to help speed financing for recovery...

Oil production recovery in Gulf of Mexico crosses halfway mark.
November 8, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report More than half of Gulf of Mexico oil production is back online today, the first time production has reached that level in nine weeks, according to the Minerals Management Service.Almost 51 percent of daily...

LA Rep. Bobby Jindal applauds oyster ruling.
November 8, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The man who asked the federal government to list oysters as an endangered species has taken it back."This is a victory for common sense," Rep. Bobby Jindal said in a news release today.Listing oysters as...

Riverwalk Marketplace plans Nov. 21 return to New Orleans.
November 8, 2005... Byline: April Capochino Riverwalk Marketplace, a New Orleans mall that made national headlines as it was looted on national TV following Hurricane Katrina, will reopen at 11 a.m. Nov. 21.According to the General Growth Properties Web site,...

New Orleans Saints sign Anthony 'A-Train' Thomas as new RB.
November 8, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The New Orleans Saints have signed veteran running back Anthony Thomas, said Mickey Loomis, executive vice president and general manager.The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Thomas appeared in five games this season...

LA to receive federal funding to fight corruption through Metro Crime Commission.
November 8, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Sen. David Vitter, R-Metairie, announced today the final conference report to the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill included $250,000 in federal funding to fight corruption in Louisiana...

Employees have lots of prospects at New Orleans Job Fair.
November 8, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Tammy Burns fielded three job offers this morning in NewOrleans. Now she has to determine who will make the best salary andbenefits offer.Burns was not alone. Her situation was repeated dozens of times...

Stone Energy to restate earnings.
November 9, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Stone Energy Corp. announced that it plans to restate the company's financial statements from 2001 through the second quarter of this year. On Oct. 6, Stone announced a downward revision of its proved...

N.O. loses out on Rotary convention.
November 9, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Rotary International has moved its 2007 convention from New Orleans to Salt Lake City. The June 17-20 convention will be held at the Salt Palace Convention Center, the organization announced Tuesday.The...

N.O. City Councilman Jay Batt encourages grassroots lobbying campaign.
November 9, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report New Orleans City Councilman Jay Batt is asking New Orleaniains to lobby Congress for relief in a grassroots campaign."After being in Washington last week, it has become very apparent to me that members of...