New Orleans CityBusiness articles from October 2004

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from October 2004

New mixed-use redevelopment in New Orleans intends to make neighbors of rich and poor.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts It's been about six years since Nicole Braud has called St. Thomas home. Like thousands of other residents of the former public housing site, she left the rundown, crime-ridden community before it was demolished...

Tulane University celebrates birthday No. 170.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Richard A. Webster From developing nylon dental floss to combating bioterrorism, Tulane University Health Sciences Center has a rich history of contributions to the public's general welfare. Tulane University officials took...

New Orleans Police Dept. chief concerned about expiration of federal ban on assault weapons.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Chris Price Hurricane Ivan's violence overshadowed the expiration of the federal assault weapons ban of 1994. Law enforcement agencies across the country wanted the ban renewed. They are concerned about new, more deadly weapons...

New Orleans ranked as 17th poorest city in US Census Bureau survey.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff A recent U.S. Census Bureau survey ranked New Orleans as the nation's 17th poorest city. Cleveland ranked No. 1. According to the survey, 20.8 percent of people living in New Orleans live below the poverty level, a...

Youth participating in New Orleans Recreation Dept. programs given free Tulane tickets.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff Tulane University Athletics joined supporter Ashton Ryan and the New Orleans City Council to allow thousands of youths who participate New Orleans Recreation Department programs to attend Tulane events during the next five...

Focus:December events in New Orleans keep restaurants full.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Greg LaRose Waiting for a seat to eat at a good New Orleans restaurant is not unusual but diners can count on even longer lines in December when companies join the party. The spate of company parties comes at a good time,...

Commentary: Publisher's Notes:Tight voter purse strings could be tied to shoddy public work.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Mark Singletary I was recently sitting in my office looking out over the city and noticed the road construction, really just repaving, that's taking place on Veterans Boulevard. Seeing the work from 14 stories up above the...

Voters in New Orleans' Gentilly Terrace area had "severe" problems trying to vote.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Richard A. Webster The widely reported missing ballot box problems in the Sept. 18 primary and special elections have been understated. The Office of the Clerk of Court's official list of affected polling places contained 52...

New Orleans technology company takes meter reading high tech.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky If a New Orleans technology company has its way, the utility company meter reader may go the way of the neighborhood milkman. Advanced Metering Data Systems, headquartered at the University of New Orleans...

State, feds probing New Orleans condominium management.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts Complaints against a condo association in eastern New Orleans have led to an investigation by the state Department of Justice and the attorney general's office. Some residents of 28-year-old Chimneywood Homeowners...

First responders need improved technology to help convey information in times of crisis.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Chris Price The head of the nation's Department of Homeland Security says more lives can be saved in the event of another terrorist attack or natural disaster if first responders on the scene communicate better. Secretary Tom...

Commercial oil companies find relief after government begins tapping reserve.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky Oil futures fell after the government began tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to plug gaps in production due to Hurricane Ivan. But oil prices aren't likely to be affected long term by the SPR move. ...

Industry officials expect delay in deepwater drilling payoffs.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky Although future Gulf of Mexico oil production lies in deep water, industry experts say consumers aren't likely to reap the benefits from it anytime soon. New finds in the Gulf spurred interest in deepwater...

Suit alleges Goodyear cut deal for big retailers.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra is supporting James McCrory's claim that Goodyear is selling tires at substantially lower prices to large retailers, including Wal-Mart and Sears as compared with smaller wholesale tire...

Interview with Lionel Milton, a self-taught artist from New Orleans.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky Lionel Milton, or "Elle" as he is more commonly known, is a self-taught artist who grew up in the 9th Ward. He began drawing at the age of 5, and by the time he was in high school his work was selling enough for him...

Officials agree to allow Delgado students to transition into Loyola's degree programs.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff Loyola University New Orleans and Delgado Community College officials have agreed to help Delgado students transition into Loyola's baccalaureate degree programs. A course-by-course transfer guide has been created to single...

Commentary: Tulane's 170th birthday is cause for New Orleans celebration.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Terry O'Connor The New Orleans Publishing Group extends a hearty, happy birthday No. 170 to one of the city's oldest and best institutions - Tulane University. It's been a long and interesting road culminating in Saturday's...

'Married With Children' star to teach at Tulane.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff Harold Sylvester, who played Al Bundy's shoe store sidekick in the Fox television show "Married With Children," will now pass on industry know-how to Tulane University students. Sylvester, a Tulane graduate, was born and...

Dodgeville, Wis.-based Land's End taps NOPG for modeling talent.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff A pair of New Orleans CityBusiness staffers experienced life as fashion models last week. CityBusiness Research Director Dawn Joseph and Art Director Lisa Finnan were among six Dolan Media employees featured in a new...

IberiaBank expands with $48.2M purchase of American Horizons Bancorp.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff IberiaBank Corp., the holding company for the 117-year old IberiaBank, has purchased American Horizons Bancorp Inc., the holding company for American Horizons Bank of Monroe, for $48.2 million. "We are thrilled to partner...

Advocacy group for Mississippi River draws small crowd at organizational meeting.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff A new advocacy group for the Mississippi River drew only a trickle of interest at its organizing meeting Sept. 23. Friends of the Great River, a citizens-led organization, was introduced in August at an event at the Port...

State of Louisiana offers refunds for uninsured Hurricane Ivan losses.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff Louisiana residents who suffered damage during Hurricane Ivan to movable property uncovered by insurance may be eligible for a refund on state sales taxes paid on that property, according to Revenue Secretary Cynthia Bridges....

Nursing home rates cheaper in Louisiana.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff The average cost of a private room in a nursing home in the United States is $70,080 per year, or $192 per day, according to the 2004 MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home and Home Care Costs, released by the MetLife Mature...

NAACP wants federal investigation as to why voting machines arrived late in Orleans Parish.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate why voting machines were delivered late to 52 polling places in Orleans Parish during the Sept. 18 elections....

Churchill Downs' $47M acquisition of the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans approved.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff The U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, approved Louisville, Ky.-based Churchill Downs Inc.'s $47 million acquisition of the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. CDI, the Fair Grounds Corp., the...

Louisiana's unemployment rate for August drops to lowest in nearly four years.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff The Louisiana Department of Labor said the state unemployment rate for August dropped to 5 percent, the state's lowest rate in nearly four years and a 1.1 percent drop from July. It compares with the national average of 5.4...

Louisiana Board of Regents reports increase in overall enrollment.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff The Louisiana Board of Regents said overall enrollment at the state's public colleges and universities is up 1.82 percent this fall compared with last fall. The total of 214,362 enrolled students is a record for the state....

Bourbon Orleans Wyndham Hotel finishes its $15 million renovation.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff The Bourbon Orleans Wyndham Hotel has finished its $15 million renovation, which includes 216 refurbished rooms. The renovation includes the addition of Snooks, a jazz and blues bar named for musician Snooks Eaglin; Vieux...

Baton Rouge-based Lamar Advertising Co. acquires Eugene, Ore.-based Obie Media.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff Baton Rouge-based Lamar Advertising Co. acquired Eugene, Ore.-based Obie Media Corp. for $66 million. Lamar gave Obie shareholders about $43 million in Lamar shares and assumed $23 million in debt. The merger, already...

Gretna-based Torch Offshore's deepwater pipelay vessel undamaged by hurricanes.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff Torch Offshore Inc. of Gretna announced the company's 520-foot deepwater pipelay vessel, the Midnight Express, was undamaged during the recent hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. The vessel, now at Bender Shipyard in Mobile,...

New Orleans-based McDermott Caspian Contractors awarded new projects from London-based co.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff J. Ray McDermott, a subsidiary of New Orleans-based McDermott International Inc. announced that the company's McDermott Caspian Contractors Inc. unit was awarded three new projects from the London-based British Petroleum-led...

Teen Summit rescheduled due to hurricane.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff Teen Summit, an event that brings together rap stars and motivational speakers, has been rescheduled for Oct. 23. Artists scheduled to perform include ATL, Juvenile, BG, Cash Money, Choppa, UNLV and Magnolia Chop. Hurricane...

New Orleans Saints quarterback named the FedEx Air National Football League Player of the Week.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Staff New Orleans Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks was named the FedEx Air National Football League Player of the Week for games played Sept. 19-20. Brooks presented Children's Hospital of New Orleans with a $5,000 check from FedEx...

Harrah's New Orleans is one of the most profitable casinos in Harrah's portfolio.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky As Harrah's New Orleans approaches its fifth birthday, the outlook for the state's only land-based casino is markedly different than it was in March 2001, when the then-bankrupt operation was on the verge of...

N.O. pulls together to create tourism magnet.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Richard A. Webster They wined them and they dined them. Now they wait to see if they convinced them. A selection site committee with the American Institute of Architects visited New Orleans last week in search of a host...

National group will monitor N.O. election.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Richard A. Webster National organizations are descending on Louisiana in hopes of preventing a repeat of the 2000 Florida election fiasco or the Sept. 18 Orleans Parish debacle. Election Protection, a partnership of more than...

Tchoupitoulas 911 'crisis' is only urban legend.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff An urban legend making the rounds in large cities throughout the country has found a home in New Orleans through e-mails purporting to relate the transcript from the following "actual" 911 call in New Orleans: Caller:...

New Orleans artist graces new bed linens from Target.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff Target.com, the Web site of Minneapolis-based Target Corp., will carry a line of bed linens featuring illustrated characters created by New Orleans artist Lionel Milton. Milton, whose graffiti-inspired work regularly...

Nude sunbathing available on selected cruise ships.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff A New Orleans radio station has revealed a little-known secret about cruise ships: Most ships offer topless sunbathing. Bob Sharak of Cruise Lines International Association, a travel trade group based in New York, was a...

Six Flags plans scary contest.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff A scary sight is in store for neat freaks and carb counters. Six Flags New Orleans will hold its first Fright Fest Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest Oct. 16. Eighteen amateurs will eat as much pumpkin filling and whipped cream...

Real estate professionals say availability is key to success.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Tommy Santora Successful real estate professionals are just a phone call, e-mail or text message away from their clients. That accessibility, says an industry insider, gives them an edge over their rivals. Missy Whittington,...

Commentary: History not expected to follow form for four Nov. 2 amendments.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Mark Singletary The researchers and report writers at the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana Inc. have once again garnered my admiration, support and thanks. The Baton Rouge think tank keeps me and every other Louisiana...

Chinese business boom punishes state rivals.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Chris Price New York Tribune Editor Horace Greeley once advised Americans looking for economic prosperity to "Go West." Today, he might advise going Far East. Sarah Wu, director of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in New...

Mississippi River Gulf Outlet remains clogged after Hurricane Ivan dumping spree.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky As Hurricane Ivan threatened the Gulf Coast Sept. 15, workers at New Orleans Cold Storage were forced to postpone loading vessels at the company's Jourdan Road facility. New Orleans was spared the brunt of the...

Steel Pony event drives huge crowds to N.O.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Holly Miller Officials running the Steel Pony Express Motorcycle Rally & Music Festival are revving up for an even bigger event this year. Karol Brandt and Gary Sullivan of New Orleans-based Scooter Promotions LLC, which...

True Experience brings fans closer to their favorite musicians.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Holly Miller Dan West wants to give New Orleans music fans a front row seat for the artists they love. West, founder of Atlanta-based Wylie Events Group, calls his new music concert True Experience. It offers fans a chance to...

$40M James II plan to expand business park in St. Charles.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts James Business Park in St. Charles Parish has been swallowed up by businesses looking for office and light-industrial space. Since 1999, nearly 99 acres of vacant land at the 200-acre park have either filled with...

Airport wants business park land for runway.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts Developing James II, an 88-acre expansion of James Business Park in St. Rose, could block proposed airport and runway projects. The land slated for James II is in the path of a proposed north-south runway for the...

Record N.O. bond projects detailed.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff Mayor C. Ray Nagin last week detailed the projects a record $260 million property tax bond issue would fund if passed by voters Nov. 2. The mayor and City Council merged a $10 million bond issue for playground equipment...

Harvey Canal closed for floodgate work.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff The Harvey Canal was closed to through traffic last week so pilings could be driven for a $36 million floodgate to protect the West Bank from storm surges. Reopening is scheduled for Nov. 13. Completion of the floodgate...

Isis Films a hit in New Orleans.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff Isis Films LLC, a film production and distribution company that just relocated to New Orleans from Los Angeles, is now a client of International Creative Management, a talent and literary agency with offices in Beverly Hills,...

Tulane University wants to trim obesity epidemic.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded Tulane University Health Sciences Center $3.6 million for a five-year project to establish an obesity prevention research center. The Tulane center will be one of 28...

New Orleans Web site receives national praise.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff The Folsom, Calif.-based Center for Digital Government, a research group and information technology adviser, ranked the New Orleans Web site www.cityofno.com one of the top five city Web sites in the nation. The Mayor's...

Delgado Community College's new chancellor putting his plan into action.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts When Alex Johnson became the head of Delgado Community College eight months ago, the former Ohio resident said there was a lot for him to learn before he could make changes. Having passed a crash course in running...

Interview with author of "New Orleans Style: Eclectic and Complex".
October 11, 2004... Byline: Holly Miller Susan Sully, a Charleston, S.C., author, recently wrote a new book, "New Orleans Style: Eclectic and Complex," about domestic architecture in New Orleans. Sully, who also wrote the best-selling books "Charleston Style"...

Insurance broker pleads guilty in kickback scheme.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff Lillian Smith Haydel, an insurance broker who worked with the Orleans Parish School Board, pleaded guilty to engaging in a kickback scheme with Carl Coleman, former risk manager with New Orleans Public Schools. She could face...

Hibernia Corp. sells residential mortgage-servicing portfolio.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff Hibernia Corp. sold its $10 billion third-party residential mortgage-servicing portfolio to St. Louis-based CitiMortgage Inc. Hibernia will service the loans until the transfer of mortgage files in first quarter 2005. The...

Global Industries sells derrick barge Arapaho, liftboat division.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff Global Industries Ltd. Global Industries Ltd. has sold the derrick barge Arapaho and the company's liftboat division. The liftboat division was sold to Houston-based Hercules Liftboat Company LLC, formerly Mercury Offshore...

Entergy Corp. reaches deal with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff Entergy Corp. reached a deal with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which represents 820 utility line workers, call center employees, administrative assistants and technicians. Details of the contract,...

Dept. of Health and Hospitals reports 20 cases of West Nile virus.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff The Department of Health and Hospitals reported 20 new cases of West Nile virus, including one case in Jefferson Parish and one in St. Tammany Parish, raising the number in the state to 75 for the year. DHH officials say...

NFL pilots two new initiatives in New Orleans.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff The New Orleans Recreation Department is partnering with the New Orleans Police Department, New Orleans Public Schools, the National Football League and the New Orleans Saints to create a Moms Coach Football Program and the...

Laser Tag & Games expanding to Baton Rouge.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff Metairie-based Laser Tag & Games 8916 Veterans Memorial Blvd., is expanding to Baton Rouge. Construction is under way on a $1.1 million building on Sherwood Forest Boulevard and the business is expected to open next spring.

La. Music Commission exec. director launches TV show.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff Bernie Cyrus, executive director of the Louisiana Music Commission, launched a television show, "New Orleans After Midnight Presents Hot Local Music." Cyrus is partnering with a Mandeville-based Internet company, Hot Local...

Dept. of Health and Hospitals awards grants.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Staff The Department of Health and Hospitals awarded grants to 16 health care providers throughout the state for community health care service expansion projects in rural and under-served areas. EXCELth Inc. in Orleans Parish, the...

Commentary: Election Day debacle presents chance to make process failsafe.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Terry O'Connor, Editor By now everyone except for Kimberly Williamson Butler has accepted the fact she blew preparations for the Sept. 18 elections. If only she had taken ownership of her responsibilities the electorate could...

Commentary: Absinthe making comeback in U.S.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Terry O'Connor Banished absinthe is once again a hot new drink among young professionals. Absent one ingredient - wormwood - absinthe can be purchased and poured legally in the United States. And many are warming up again to...

New Orleans Music Co-Op and the Video Access Center plan marathon moviemaking contest.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Staff The challenge: Make a film in 24 hours, including everything from writing the script to editing the final product. The New Orleans Music Co-Op and the New Orleans Video Access Center are trying to organize such a contest...

New condo complex targets traveling LSU football fans.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Staff LSU fans weary of returning to New Orleans after a Tiger game will soon have an option that lets them enjoy the spirit of the game for a weekend or longer. Birmingham, Ala.-based Capstone Development Corp. plans to build...

Louisiana and New Orleans officials struggle to solve nursing shortage.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Richard A. Webster State and local officials are struggling to solve a nationwide nursing shortage that has gripped New Orleans. According to a February 2002 report on health work force shortages by the Washington, D.C.-based...

Commentary: Publisher's Notes: Questionable ads test newspaper integrity on a regular basis.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Mark Singletary The lure is incredible; we can all make $300 to $500 an hour without selling or recruiting. And there are choices. I can make $30,000 a week or wait for a $250,000 annual bonus. The choice is mine, the promise of...

US Dept. of Defense and Homeland Security selects Louisiana for emergency networking test.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Chris Price Southeast Louisiana is one of a dozen areas selected by the U.S. Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to lead a pilot program focused on integrating information technology from the national level into localized...

Louisville, Ky.-based Churchill Downs Inc. to pour millions into Fair Grounds improvements.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Chris Price The Fair Grounds Race Course is under new ownership following Louisville, Ky.-based Churchill Downs Inc.'s $47 million acquisition of the New Orleans racetrack and its five Finish Line Off-Track Betting facilities on...

La. Dept. of Transportation and Development secretary says $1.6B backlog of roads a problem.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky Incoming Department of Transportation and Development Secretary Johnny Bradberry knew he was in for a tough job when he took over the much-maligned agency, but he didn't realize how tough. "During my first three...

Commentary: Entering lucrative Chinese market comes at a cost to Louisiana jobs.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Terry O'Connor China is offering cautionary trade tales on a massive scale. Nowhere is this more evident than in Louisiana where the fabric of the textiles industry has been torn to shreds and the seafood industry fears its world...

New Orleans-based Green Project hoping solar panels will result in significant savings.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky The Green Project is taking a step toward living up to its name. The organization, which recycles and resells building materials salvaged from blighted housing demolitions, is installing a $35,000 solar panel...

New Orleans chiropractor plans renovation of Cotton Mill clock tower into condo.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts Dr. William Batherson and his wife, Robin, stood inside the dingy, dusty, 19th-century clock tower on the property of the Cotton Mill apartments and condominiums in the Warehouse District. On the three floors of...

La. legislator believes tonnage tax provision will create many jobs at Port of New Orleans.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Staff Rep. William J. Jefferson, D-New Orleans, said his tonnage tax provision will help create hundreds of jobs in industries working with the Port of New Orleans. The House of Representatives approved the corporate tax bill...

Gulf oil, gas production faces six-month setback.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Staff The U.S. Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service estimates oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico won't return to normal for six months. About 475,000 barrels of oil per day and about 1.8 billion cubic...

More visitors check in to New Orleans hotels in '04.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Staff A surge in business for the hospitality industry has increased the New Orleans hotel occupancy rate. In the first half of 2004, occupancy rates at local hotels increased to 70.8 percent from 68.9 percent in 2003,...

Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans mentoring program needs 1,500 volunteers.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Staff Two months after announcing a drive to recruit an army of 2,000 volunteers for New Orleans Public Schools, officials said 500 people have signed up. On Aug. 17, Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans Inc. and Each One...

Chief exec of Port of New Orleans wants to capitalize on 'immense' Asian opportunity.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Chris Price Labor issues at West Coast ports are still causing massive delays for trans-Pacific shipping companies and providing opportunities for New Orleans to import more goods from the Far East. Gary LaGrange, chief...

Housing Authority of New Orleans employees await 4 percent merit raises.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts Some Housing Authority of New Orleans employees will pocket a heftier paycheck this week as 4 percent merit raises kick in for the first time in two years. Justin Ormsby, HANO's federal administrative receiver,...

La.'s lt. gov. unveils strategic plan for state's Dept. of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Staff Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu unveiled the "Roadmap for Change," a strategic plan for Louisiana's Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. The Roadmap calls for a renewed focus on historic travel, which has surged since...

Pres. and CEO of Taylor Energy in New Orleans recovering from open-heart surgery.
October 18, 2004... Byline: Staff Patrick Taylor, president and chief executive of Taylor Energy in New Orleans, is recovering from open-heart surgery at Memorial Medical Hospital following the replacement of an artificial mitral valve. Taylor, 67, originally...