New Orleans CityBusiness articles from October 2003

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from October 2003

Jefferson Parish sees growth in technology-based revenues.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer When a new vending machine software company made its debut in 1982, its Metairie creators were more concerned with their innovation than with Steven Spielberg's little Extra-Terrestrial that hit movie theaters that...

Investors hot on apartments in New Orleans.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Deon Roberts The metro New Orleans apartment market has never looked so good to those who don't even live here.Real estate professionals agree the New Orleans region is becoming a popular location for apartment complex owners, and...

Liquified natural gas seen as key to Louisiana's future.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Amber Bethel Liquefied natural gas could be a lifesaver for the Louisiana economy if the state plays its cards right, said William Walker, president of the New Orleans investment bank Howard Weil.LNG is natural gas that has been...

LA/SPCA has a shot at reality TV show.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff The Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals could be the next reality show phenomenon on national TV.The LA/SPCA is under consideration for the Animal Planet's "Animal Cops" show, said Laura Maloney,...

Regional Transit Authority wants Saints fans to help thin traffic.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff If you've caught Saints fever, the Regional Transit Authority prescribes a bus ride.RTA is hoping to score during the football season by promoting its services to fans as a way to avoid game day traffic and pricey city...

Tulane Univ. swings $13.6M for primate research.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff The Covington center has received a $13.6 million research grant from the National Institutes of Health to construct a new biosafety level 3 building, which allows scientists to develop treatments and vaccines for infectious...

Commentary: Let's spend more money on students than we do on prisoners.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Mark Singletary It seems to be the season of fact books and white papers. It must have something to do with election time.The Council for a Better Louisiana recently published the Louisiana Fact Book for the 2003 Election Year,...

Burkenroad Fund outstrips major market index gains.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Holly Miller Like a beacon in a stormy stock market, a mutual fund based on Tulane business students' research continues to post double-digit gains.Since Dec. 31, 2001, the inception date of the Hancock Horizon Burkenroad Fund,...

Shallow Bayou Segnette becomes boat trap.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Holly Miller Commercial fishermen in Westwego want the shallow waters of Bayou Segnette to run a little deeper. It's been 16 years since Bayou Segnette last was dredged and the water is only 3 feet deep in some spots. Fishermen...

Experts debate exact extent of N.O. housing cost increase.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Deon Roberts Blame it on interest rates.Home prices are rising in New Orleans after retreating in the second half of 2002. Experts say historically low interest rates are driving buyers to purchase larger properties and to renovate...

Mayor's Military Advisory Committee still functions to help military despite long leadership gap.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Deon Roberts The Mayor's Military Advisory Committee is a quiet group known to a relative few. Some say the MMAC is the primary defender of New Orleans' military presence. The MMAC's approximately 200 volunteers have traveled...

Plans for Segway rentals in New Orleans come to screeching halt.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler City officials last week put the brakes on a New Orleans businessman's proposal to rent Segways in the French Quarter.Sigmund Solares, president of Segland LLC, bought a small fleet of two-wheeled Segways this...

Prepaying funeral expenses saves thousands factoring in inflation.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer Egyptians thought about death in the most grandiose style, but for most modern Americans, death is an uncomfortable subject. Stewart Enterprises Inc. in Metairie wants to change that. The company has introduced a plan...

Nonprofit Spotlight: Metropolitan Community Hospice Foundation.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Until last month, families of poor, terminally ill patients relied on a hospice program at Charity Hospital to take care of their dying relatives. Nurses and aides in the Charity program visited patients in their...

Constar plants near closing date.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff Nearly 70 workers at a plastic-bottle manufacturing plant in Reserve will be out of a job in November, according to the state Department of Labor. Nov. 3 will be the last day of operations at the Constar International Inc....

Hartwig Moss gauges benefits.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff Workers across the state can learn in November how well their employers take care of them.Hartwig Moss Benefits of New Orleans has partnered with Milliman USA, a Seattle-based consulting firm, to survey the benefit offerings...

Feds still studying N.O. Public School System's books.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff The New Orleans Public Schools system has not been forgotten by the U.S. Attorney's office. About three months after a consultant to the School Board reported more than $27 million misspent in the district, ongoing...

Louisiana receives millions for military.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff Louisiana's military defenses have gotten a "shot in the arm."Reps. David Vitter, R-Metairie, and Billy Tauzin, R-Chackbay, announced several funding requests for the state's top military priorities were included in the final...

Enterg Corp. to seek court ruling on Carnival Cruise's harassing statements.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff Entergy Corp. Chief Executive Officer Wayne Leonard announced the company will seek a court ruling to end harassing statements and legal threats made by Carnival Cruise Lines. Entergy is not seeking monetary damages from the...

La. lowers legal blood-alcohol limit for drivers.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff Louisiana lowered the legal blood-alcohol limit for drivers from .10% to .08%. Under federal law, the state would have lost $5 million in federal highway construction money if the threshold was not lowered. Louisiana police...

Enrollment in La.'s public colleges, universities at record high.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff Enrollment in Louisiana's public colleges and universities set a state record this year, increasing 3% over the fall of last year, announced the Louisiana Board of Regents.A total of 210,635 students are enrolled in the...

La. ranked as one of the worst states for health insurance.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff The U.S. Census Bureau last week released a study ranking Louisiana as one of the worst states for health insurance. Louisiana's 820,000 uninsured residents placed the state in a tie for third with California by having 18.8%...

NASA dealys plans to relaunch space shuttle program.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff NASA has delayed its planned space shuttle program relaunch. NASA postponed the original target window of March to April 2004 to mid-summer and is working to finalize the date. The postponements could lead to layoffs at...

Fairmont Hotel New Orleans joins Historic Hotels of America.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff Fairmont Hotel New Orleans joined Historic Hotels of America, a marketing association for the Washington, D.C.-based National Trust for Historic Hotels. By joining the association, the 110-year-old hotel will receive use of...

Citadel Broadcasting Corp. buying New Orleans radio station.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff Citadel Broadcasting Corp. is buying WCKW, known as 92.3 The Point, one of the last locally owned stations in New Orleans. A lease management arrangement has been agreed upon and the sale will close in early 2004, said Lee...

U.S. Dept. of Defense awards $281.6M contract to Northrop Grumman.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff The U.S. Department of Defense awarded a $281.6 million contract to Northrop Grumman Information Technology as the prime contractor for consolidating personnel data for the nation's armed services. The contract will create...

Federal Superfund program goes bankrupt.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff The federal Superfund program went bankrupt Tuesday.The U.S. Public Interest Research Group says this means Louisiana taxpayers will have to pay 317% more to clean up toxic waste sites next year than they did in 1995.The...

Basketball team co-owner considers buying half of Lake Forest Plaza.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff Ray Wooldridge, co-owner of the New Orleans Hornets, is discussing the purchase of half of the 29-year-old Lake Forest Plaza off Read Boulevard. The Hornets need a training facility but it is not known whether the mall...

Congress designates D-Day Museum as Nat'l WWII Museum.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff Congress recently designated the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans as "America's National World War II Museum" and awarded $3.5 million to be used for further expansion. Future development plans include the expansion of...

Regions Financial Corp. acquires assets of Merchants Insurance Services.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff Birmingham-based Regions Financial Corp., parent company of Regions Bank, Regions Life Insurance and Rebsamen Insurance, acquired the assets of Merchants Insurance Services Inc. in Alexandria. Merchants Insurance includes...

Interview with head of La.'s new Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Dr. Tom Houston wants smokers to stub their last cigarettes. As a practicing physician, he continually lobbied his patients to drop the habit. He even persuaded his father to quit by showing him pictures of rotted...

Commentary: Mayor's Military Advisory Committee is left hanging by a leadership void.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Terry O'Connor A confusing scenario is being played out in City Hall over a key military liaison appointment, and the timing could scarcely be worse.The Mayor's Military Advisory Committee has been without a chairman since Frank J....

Exec scoundrels' faces appear on new deck of playing cards.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Staff You've probably never thought of playing Go Fish or Gin Rummy with Martha Stewart or Harvey Pitt. But their faces now grace a deck of cards worth $12.95, which is $3.70 more than what Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc....

Ochsner Clinic decides against performing pre-implantation genetic diagnosis.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler The roads of medicine and morality meet in front of the church in Louisiana. Down here, Catholic roots are older than America itself, and medical advances sometimes yield to religious beliefs.That's the case with a...

Canadian drug sales spur Louisiana probe.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Louisiana Board of Pharmacy officials last week began investigating a prescription services kiosk in Oakwood Shopping Center in Gretna.Access Canada Rx, based in Key Largo, Fla., helps shoppers order up to a...

Johnnie Cochran brings big name to N.O. plaintiff legal firm.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Megan Kamerick Johnnie Cochran, one of the most famous attorneys in the country, has established a partnership with a New Orleans law firm.The deal between Phillips & Mitchell and The Cochran Firm means serious competition for...

Jodi Dieck named editor of CityLife magazine.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff New Orleans native Jodi Dieck, 28, has been named editor of New Orleans CityLife, the full-color glossy business and lifestyle magazine from the New Orleans Publishing Group. New Orleans CityLife will be on newsstands Nov. 1....

Triple wedding launches Six Flags' Hallowedding.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff Bridesmaids traditionally complain about the scary dresses their respective brides choose for them, but Six Flags New Orleans took the frightful experience one step further last weekend. Three weddings were scheduled to take...

N.O. City Council praises Mickey D's.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff For "being a good neighbor and partner in the community," the council declared October "McDonald's Corporation Month" at its Oct. 2 meeting. The proclamation was signed just before last Tuesday's opening of McDonald's Arch...

Audubon Zoo evicts termites.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff Audubon Zoo rarely kicks a living animal or insect off its property, but it makes an exception for termites.Ten giant colonies of termites, mostly Subterranean Formosans, plague the zoo and threaten its ancient live oak...

Neil Auction Co. sets sale mark.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff Calling once, calling twice two weeks ago helped Neal Auction Co. set a new record in New Orleans at it's Louisiana Purchase auction Oct. 4 and 5.The auction house founded in 1983 auctioned off $2.5 million in goods Oct. 4,...

Specialities distinguish agents in competitive realty market.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Michael Giusti Phyllis Turre knows historic houses and has the credentials to prove it.Turre, a Realtor with Prudential Gardner's Garden District office, proudly hands out business cards emblazoned with a logo identifying her as a...

Commentary: Public transit, affordable housing would help close labor woes.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Mark Singletary It's always good to meet face-to-face with customers. In our company we have two main types of customers, readers and advertisers. So, any time I get the opportunity to meet with a group, I try hard to make it...

Canal Street project nears completion after test run.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Deon Roberts Streetcar No. 2017 rolled down Canal Street and into the pages of history earlier this month when Regional Transit Authority officials ran a test of the line.It's been almost 40 years since a streetcar, which remains...

Entergy boss slams energy bill proposal for unfairness.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Amber Bethel J. Wayne Leonard maintains he's looking out for Louisiana's best interest, even though he's been accused of throwing a wrench into the U.S. energy bill.Leonard, president and chief executive officer of Entergy Corp.,...

ESPN, Fox Sports may be dropped by Cox.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Holly Miller Cox Communications is preparing to slug it out with two sports networks over rates but cable consumers will probably take the hit.Last week, Chief Executive Officer Jim Robbins said Cox will not agree to the contract...

Commentary: Choice between candidates makes Louisiana a sure winner.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Terry O'Connor Whether you're a Bobby Jindal fan or a Kathleen Babineaux Blanco backer, it's hard to see the results of the Oct. 4 primary as anything but a win for the state of Louisiana.Blanco and Jindal are more than simply the...

Commentary: Ruth's Chris continues to succeed by exporting New Orleans dishes.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Terry O'Connor Ruth's Chris is surviving the 2002 death of its founder, Ruth Fertel. But while the legendary New Orleans-based steak house owner is gone, her directives are not forgotten."I still think about her every day," said...

Two new luxury developments to give Kenner a Caribbean flavor.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Deon Roberts A slice of north Kenner will soon look like real estate from a more tropical latitude. Four island homes and 38 townhomes in the Caribbean style are slated for the gated community of Gabriel on the shore of Lake...

Tax abatement process slowed through tighter city guidelines.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Deon Roberts On top of the file cabinets in Ernest Gethers' office, bulging manila folders are stacked in a thick pile.The stacks represent what happens when the city places a year-long clamp on a program that freezes property...

Retail growth should lead revitalization downtown.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer As New Orleans revitalizes its downtown area along Canal Street, merchants and industry experts say Crescent City planners should make retail a priority.Across the country, retailers are helping municipalities revamp...

Egypt exhibit marks second blockbuster for NOMA in '03.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Holly Miller The New Orleans Museum of Art hopes to land a one-two punch with its latest blockbuster exhibit.On the heels of the disappointing "Jefferson's America & Napoleon's France," the museum is gearing up for "The Quest for...

Interview with new director of Office of Environmental Affairs for New Orleans.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Amber Bethel Yarrow Etheredge has her work cut out for her.The 32-year-old environmental attorney is working to make New Orleans cleaner and safer in her new job as director of the Office of Environmental Affairs for New Orleans....

Anti-corruption efforts receive big cash infusion.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff The New Orleans Police Department's fight against crime and public corruption has received more than $1 million from the U.S. Department of Justice.Jim Letten, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, announced...

Tree troopers recruited to combat 'dumbness'.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff Jefferson Parish wants you! Jefferson the Beautiful, a nonprofit organization, is recruiting its first class of Citizen Foresters as part of a new pilot program funded by a $20,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Forestry....

La. Tech Council puts national forum on CD-Rom.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff The Louisiana Technology Council held a national forum last spring on technology's position in regards to homeland security. Now the entire presentation is available on CD-Rom. On it, speakers from the National Finance...

Tulane Univ. nets $950,000 for service learning.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff Tulane University's Office of Service Learning has received a $950,000 grant from the U.S. Corporation for National and Community Service. Service Learning combines community service with academic learning, as college...

Gubernatorial candidates to face off in Nov. 15 election.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff The race is on for political newcomer Bobby Jindal, R-Baton Rouge, and Lt. Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, D-Lafayette, who will face off in the Nov. 15 election after winning the primary. Jindal led the race with 33% of the...

La. Economic Development Dept. releases capital investment notifications.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff The Louisiana Economic Development Department released its First Quarter Capital Investment Advance Notifications for the state's fiscal year 2003-04. Capital investment projections for the quarter totaled more than $1.977...

Loyola Univ. president resigns amidst sexual misconduct complaint.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff The Rev. Bernard P. Knoth, former president of Loyola University New Orleans, resigned after the Provincial Superior of the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit order) judged a complaint alleging sexual...

Historic Dist. Landmarks Commission denies application from Harrah's.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff The Historic District Landmarks Commission denied an application from Harrah's Entertainment to tear down five historic buildings for a 450-room, 27-story hotel on the corner of Poydras and South Peters streets. John Payne,...

Meadowcrest Hospital finishes first phase of expansion.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff Meadowcrest Hospital in Gretna finished the first phase of a $14 million expansion last week by celebrating its newly renovated emergency and magnetic resonance imaging departments. The hospital's emergency room doubled in...

Textron Marine & Land Systems signs deal with Krauss-Maffie Wegmann.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff Textron Marine & Land Systems, based in New Orleans, signed a deal with Krauss-Maffie Wegmann of Munich to be the exclusive U.S. manufacturer of the DINGO2, a German armored vehicle that can withstand mines and chemical...

Michigan Cadillac dealership selects Metairie-based ad agency.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff Don Massey Cadillac in Plymouth, Mich., has selected a Metairie-based advertising agency, The Montalbano Group, to handle a $1.2 million advertising account. The agency has also been awarded two other accounts in Michigan,...

Cafe du Monde chosen as one of 30 sites to introduce new $20 bill.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff Cafe du Monde in New Orleans was one of 30 locations nationwide chosen by the federal government as sites to introduce the new $20 bill. The new design includes peach, light blue and green hues and retains security features...

New Orleans mayor launches community pride campaign.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin launched "Care Again," a citywide community pride campaign to mobilize volunteerism. Nagin discussed the concept during his May 2002 inaugural address. So far, more than 30 volunteer...

Southern Univ. of New Orleans to receive $550K community development grant.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, and Alphonso Jackson, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, announced that Southern University of New Orleans will receive a $550,000 community...

La. State Univ. Health Sciences Center opens elevated walkway.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center opened an elevated walkway crossing Claiborne Avenue to connect both sides of the health center's Downtown campus. Students, faculty and staff will use the $8 million tunnel...

M-I acquires certain assets of Alpine Mud Products.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff Houston-based M-I acquired certain assets of Alpine Mud Products Corp. a privately held company based in Belle Chasse. Alpine, established in 1998, provides specialty chemical additives used in drilling for oil and gas in the...

Torch Offshore Inc. announces increase in fleet activity.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Staff Torch Offshore Inc., a Gretna-based pipeline installation and subsea construction company, announced an increase in fleet activity. The Midnight Wrangler, a 341-foot deepwater construction and pipelaying vessel, has completed...

New Orleans retailers expect increase in Halloween sales.
October 20, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer Consumers are scaring local retailers this Halloween season. After two years of ghoulishly poor Halloween sales, celebrants are snatching up every last broomstick in town.Though the Washington, D.C.-based National...

Loyola Univ. faces controversy with chin up.
October 20, 2003... Byline: Deon Roberts Loyola University New Orleans officials hope there truly is no such thing as bad publicity. After the recent allegations of sexual abuse brought against its former president, the Rev. Bernard Knoth, university...

Federal govt. report could trigger cable ruling.
October 20, 2003... Byline: Holly Miller Cox Communications is duking it out with Fox Sports and ESPN over a rate dispute and Congress may step in to referee.Cable industry analysts say a government report on cable rates to be released this week could prompt...

Forbes.com ranks N.O. No. 23 for singles life.
October 20, 2003... Byline: Staff New Orleans is the third-best metropolitan city to buy a cheap beer. But according to Forbes.com, Austin, Texas, is the best city for singles. New Orleans is No. 23.Forbes.com rated the nation's top 40 largest metropolitan...

Steel Pony Express ready to ride through N.O.
October 20, 2003... Byline: Staff Ladies and gentlemen, rev your engines.The sixth annual Steel Pony Express Motorcycle Rally and Music Festival will hit town Thursday through Sunday at the University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena grounds along Lakeshore...

Ritz-Carlton lounge creates desserts for gubernatorial candidates.
October 20, 2003... Byline: Staff To keep the peace, some families don't allow talk of politics at the dinner table. They should avoid ordering dessert at the Lobby Lounge in The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans for a while. The restaurant's dessert menu features...

Mayor Nagin blames 'Elvis' for tardy arrival.
October 20, 2003... Byline: Staff Elvis Presley is not only the king of rock 'n' roll. He's also apparently an associate of New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin. After showing up about 30 minutes late for a press conference last week, Nagin jokingly blamed his...

N.O.'s research facilities prove big draw for clinical drug trials.
October 20, 2003... Byline: Megan Kamerick On any given day in New Orleans patients receive experimental drugs, help dentists test new devices and participate in blood pressure research.Health studies ranging from clinical drug trials to public health...

Commentary: Oil and gas prices play a dual role in Louisiana's economic future.
October 20, 2003... Byline: Mark Singletary I enjoy economics. It's not a subject that wins friends at cocktail parties, but good lively discussions about economics have their place. You just have to be careful when you decide it's the right place and time....

Energy jobs offer future now for grads in oil and gas.
October 20, 2003... Byline: Amber Bethel Key players in the oil and gas industry are graying, and at least one major company is preparing for a crew change.While many look at industry-wide consolidation trends and think opportunities are dwindling,...

Old Jefferson project stakes out new identity.
October 20, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer Drivers heading north on Jefferson Highway from Orleans Parish can see new signs popping up along the roadway. Thankfully, the signs aren't more campaign ads. They're new welcome mats to a historic neighborhood.Green...

3 high-rise condo deals reflect trend on riverfront.
October 20, 2003... Byline: Deon Roberts The Mississippi River has long been a means of travel, going back to the early days of steam locomotion.Real-estate developers now see another opportunity reflected in those muddy waters.At least three condominium...

Commentary: Entergy offers fair proposal to pay for energy needs.
October 20, 2003... Byline: Terry O'Connor J. Wayne Leonard, president and chief executive officer of Entergy Corp., is being vilified by some who would ramrod the U.S. energy bill through Congress no matter what the cost. Roll Call, a daily newspaper in...

Bookfair draws nearly 100 publishers in its second year.
October 20, 2003... Byline: Holly Miller Independent publishing is on the rise and, in true Big Easy fashion, New Orleans is throwing a party.Nearly 100 publishers, authors and artists will be on hand Saturday for the New Orleans Bookfair at the Contemporary...