New Orleans CityBusiness articles from October 2008

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from October 2008

FEMA obligates $7.2B to Louisiana for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita.
October 1, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it has obligated $7.2 billion to Louisiana to assist in the recovery from hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which struck more than three years ago. Of that, the state...

New Orleans average gas price falls to $3.61.
October 1, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report City gas prices eased again overnight, from $3.632 Tuesday to $3.619 today, according to AAA. A month ago, the average price stood at $3.683. A year ago, it was $2.692. The statewide average is $3.638. The...

Legal fight over Tulane University, Newcomb College merger not over.
October 1, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Although two women opposed to the post-Hurricane Katrina merger of Newcomb College and Tulane University's six other undergraduate colleges have withdrawn their lawsuit, a separate lawsuit continues to...

Report: Physicians, surgeons earn the most in N.O. area.
October 1, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Physicians and surgeons were the highest-paid employees in the New Orleans area in 2007, earning an average of $170,063 a year, according to the Louisiana Department of Labor's 2008 Occupational Employment...

Survey by National Retail Federation: Scary economy won't frighten off Halloween shoppers.
October 1, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A scary economy might mode well for retail spending this Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation. An NRF consumer intentions survey, the results of which were released Tuesday, found that...

N.O. City Councilwoman Shelley Midura accuses Entergy of 'corporate shell game'.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Jaime Guillet City Councilwoman Shelley Midura called out Entergy New Orleans again in a Monday letter for the company's participation in what she's called an elaborate corporate shell game that she says will cost Louisiana...

New Orleans-based BGR criticizes city's handling of street work.
October 1, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A report by the New Orleans-based Bureau of Governmental Research finds problems with the way the city manages street work. BGR says the city's street management has the following problems: - An...

Louisiana State Museum awarded $1.1M for hurricane exhibition.
October 1, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The National Science Foundation, through the Louisiana Museum Foundation, has awarded the Louisiana State Museum a $1.15 million grant for the museum's exhibit on hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The grant...

Brain Retain: Leaders try to keep young talent from leaving New Orleans.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Greg LaRose It's no secret New Orleans has attracted young professionals since Hurricane Katrina. A Tulane University study last year pegged their total near 3,000, but the number did not include the well-educated young residents...

New Orleans-based Bureau of Governmental Research criticizes city's handling of street work.
October 1, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A report by the New Orleans-based Bureau of Governmental Research finds problems with the way the city manages street work. BGR says the city's street management has the following problems: - An...

La. Department of Transportation: LA Swift raises fare, opens new stop.
October 1, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Beginning Monday, the cost to ride LA Swift will increase from $5 to $6 per one-way trip, according to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. DOTD raised the rate because of fuel...

Tulane University in N.O. brings back business forum for 29th year.
October 1, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Tulane Business Forum will celebrate its 29th year Oct. 17 with the theme of innovation in business. The event, to run from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside hotel, will...

Gulf of Mexico oil, gas industry still recovering from hurricanes.
October 1, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness staff reports Gulf of Mexico oil and gas industry is still bouncing back from the 2008 hurricanes: Oil and natural gas production is still down from pre-hurricane levels, and personnel are evacuated from some rigs and...

American Trucking Association to bring 2.400 people to New Orleans for annual conference.(Conference news)
October 1, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The American Trucking Association will bring 2,400 people to New Orleans this weekend for its annual conference. The four-day event, to run Saturday through Tuesday, will be held at the New Orleans Morial...

Harahan company sentenced for hiring illegal aliens.
October 1, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A Harahan company has been sentenced in federal court for employing illegal aliens, U.S. Attorney Jim Letten said today. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt sentenced N&F Logistic, 1300 Edwards Ave., to...

Corps awards $9M pump station contract to Kenner company.
October 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Kenner-based Cycle Construction Co. has been awarded a $9.74 million contract to increase automation at five safe rooms that operate Jefferson Parish pump stations. The contract also involves adding remote...

Galatoire's in N.O. raises $10K to benefit Brees Dream Foundation.
October 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Galatoire's Restaurant said it raised $10,000 Monday during a charitable dinner benefiting the Brees Dream Foundation. Food and wine personality Joe Bastianich hosted the event. The money raised will go toward...

N.O. average gas price eases to $3.60.
October 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff City gas prices dipped overnight, from an average $3.619 per gallon of regular grade Wednesday to $3.608 today, according to AAA. A month ago, the average price stood at $3.68. A year ago, it was $2.693. The...

Middendorf's in Tangipahoa Parish to reopen Wednesday after Ike rebuild.
October 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff After being flooded for Hurricane Ike, Middendorf's Seafood Restaurant is scheduled to reopen at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. The restaurant, off Interstate 55 in Tangipahoa Parish, has been closed since Ike blew...

N.O. CityBusiness Question of the Week results: Financial rescue a bad idea.
October 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff As Congress debates a rescue package for the financial industry, most voters to CityBusiness' Question of the Week object to the plan. Voting continues until Monday on the online poll. But early results show a...

Economic downturn drives up sales of smaller vehicles on North Shore in N.O.
October 2, 2008... Byline: Garry Boulard In his five decades as a car salesman, Ed Greenwald has experienced the decidedly painful effects of at least four economic downturns. They were all bad in different ways, said Greenwald, who has sold cars in at least...

Study points to problems in N.O. with reporting child abuse.
October 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Residents of New Orleans do not report suspected child abuse because they don't know how to recognize the warning signs or are too afraid to contact authorities, according to a report released today by the...

Passenger numbers up 6 percent at Louis Armstrong N.O. International Airport.
October 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Passenger counts at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport jumped 6.4 percent in August compared with the same month a year ago, according to figures released by the airport today. There were 626,215...

La.-based River Parishes Contractors settles sex discrimination lawsuit.
October 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff River Parishes Contractors has agreed to settle a sex discrimination lawsuit stemming from a complaint by a woman working at the company's Valero refinery in St. Charles Parish, the U.S. Equal Employment...

Facilities bare bones for N.O. coroner.
October 2, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster New Orleans coroner Dr. Frank Minyard walks out the back door of his temporary office, a converted funeral home on Martin Luther King Boulevard. To the right is a bail bonds agency, to the left a nail salon....

Port of N.O. board accepts Katrina settlement from insurer.
October 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The Port of New Orleans Dock Board voted today to accept a settlement of its lawsuit with property insurer FM Global for an undisclosed amount on its original approximately $100 million claim. The resolution,...

Home sales down for much of N.O. area.
October 2, 2008... Byline: Ariella Cohen In the New Orleans metropolitan region, home sales remain in a slump everywhere but St. Bernard Parish where growth is slow and steady, according to the latest real estate figures from the Gulf South Real Estate...

Builders digging into the largest real estate development in St. Tammany history.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Ariella Cohen If you're thinking of investing in an iPod stocked with songs capable of drowning out the rumble of forklifts or heavy car traffic, now may be the time because the construction isn't stopping as the North Shore...

N.O.-area unemployment claims drop for 1st time post-storms.
October 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The New Orleans area saw drop in initial unemployment claims for the week that ended Saturday to 3,454 from 9,740. It is the first time claims in the area have fallen since hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The...

Delgado Community College offers free lecture on making biodiesel.
October 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports As drivers contend with high gasoline prices, Delgado Community College will present a lecture on making biodiesel, in a free event open to the public from 7 to 8 p.m. Oct. 15. The lecture will be held in...

Commentary: Living within our means is a key economic step.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Autumn C. Giusti If there's one thing the current financial crisis has revealed, it's that we're a nation living far beyond its means. Maybe we're not all buying flat-screen TVs and leather-trimmed SUVs. But as a society, we've...

Public gets more time to comment on N.O. schools plan.
October 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The public will have more time to comment on the Orleans Parish School Board's master plan. The board voted Thursday to receive comments until 5 p.m. Oct. 17. The board will receive a comprehensive...

Louisiana Superdome fare goes healthy.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Emilie Bahr Gone are the days when fat- and calorie-laden fare was the only options available to football fans at the Louisiana Superdome. Today, alongside conventional offerings like nachos, hamburgers and hotdogs, the menu...

World Trade Center event in New Orleans to discuss Carribbean trade.
October 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Anton Edmunds, executive director and CEO of Caribbean-Central American Action, will be the featured speaker at a Friday breakfast briefing at in the World Trade Center. Edmunds will speak on "Central...

New Orleans schools leaders, police address stadium safety concerns.
October 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report School officials say its safe to attend high school football games in New Orleans. Their declaration comes after false rumors of gunfire triggered panicked crowds the last two weekends. The Orleans Parish...

Kenner Council to hear land use plan Oct. 16.
October 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report After nearly 10 years of research and resident input, the Kenner City Council will consider a citywide land use plan at its Oct. 16 meeting. City officials say the plan will stabilize property values,...

Leon Cannizzaro, Ralph Capitelli in runoff for Orleans Parish District Attorney.
October 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Leon Cannizzaro and Ralph Capitelli will meet in a runoff for Orleans Parish district attorney. Cannizzaro, who stepped down from the head of criminal courts to run for DA, received 22,892 votes or 37...

N.O. voters back sheriff's bond, charter change.
October 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report New Orleans voters gave their criminal sheriff their OK to spend more than $60 million on departmental upgrades, and they backed making the Office of Inspector General a permanent fixture in city...

Runoff set in race for Louisiana's Public Service Commission 1st District.
October 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Former Public Service Commissioner John Schwegmann is one step closer to getting his old job back after claiming first place in the 1st District primary. The former grocery store magnate will face Eric...

Wobbly stock market deters young investors from saving.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Emilie Bahr Sarah Cacioppo has thought about saving for retirement. At 28, she figures she ought to be putting some money aside for the future, perhaps in an individual retirement account. But so far, her savings plan hasn't moved...

Louisiana lawmaker has plan to offset hospitals' uninsured costs.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster Since Hurricane Katrina forced the closure of Charity Hospital three years ago, the New Orleans area's remaining medical facilities have struggled financially to care for hundreds of thousands of uninsured...

Commentary: Solid tribute to classic N.O. dining at Tommy's Cuisine.(Restaurant review)
October 6, 2008... Byline: Tom Fitzmorris **** Tommy's Cuisine $$$$ 746 Tchoupitoulas St. Reservations required: 581-1103 Dinner nightly www.tommyscuisine.com I love restaurants owned by former waiters. They have a much better knowledge of what diners...

Off the Hook: New Orleans' 311 information hotline draws criticism.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Jaime Guillet The city has endured its share of criticism about its 311 information hotline, but officials agree it was invaluable before and after Hurricane Gustav despite troubleshooting that still remains on the city's to-do...

Teach for America displaces 'old school' instructors in New Orleans area.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Stephen Maloney When Mary Chastain was faced with the daunting task of hiring teachers to start the new Langston Hughes Academy Charter School in 2006, she knew where to turn. The Teach For America alumnus turned to the service...

Oct. 7-23.
October 6, 2008... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports Oct. 7 As part of Loyola University's Department of Biological sciences career seminars, Dr. F. Scott Kennedy, dean of admissions of Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport, will...

Feeling a financial pinch, companies are slashing budgets for employee treats.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Kathryn Jezer-Morton The reverberations of a struggling national economy are being felt from the stock trading floor to the grocery store. Add another item to the list: the company holiday party. With many industries feeling a...

In Other Words: New Orleans hoteliers.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Jennifer Nall Don Zimmer director of sales and marketing Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel Definitely free Internet, which is a big priority. Also, guests are looking for an inclusive continental breakfast and the most economical rate....

Q&A with Mary Quarls, sales and event coordinator for Riverview Room in New Orleans.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Christian Moises Age: 45 Family: single Education: bachelor's degree in humanities, University of Southwestern Louisiana Hometown: New Orleans Mary Quarls is paid to party... to a point. As the sales and event coordinator for...

Commentary: Questions and concerns about demolishing homes in New Orleans.
October 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Editorial Its proponents call it New Urbanism; detractors consider it another form of gentrification. In a nutshell, it's the effort to restore or create the essence of a city based on walkable neighborhoods and...

Commentary: Living within our means is a key economic step.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Autumn C. Giusti If there's one thing the current financial crisis has revealed, it's that we're a nation living far beyond its means. Maybe we're not all buying flat-screen TVs and leather-trimmed SUVs. But as a society, we've...

Commentary: Jindal still a hot name in national GOP circles.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Jeff Crouere In these somewhat precarious days for the Republican Party, at least one GOP elected official is in high demand -- Gov. Bobby Jindal. In Louisiana, polls show Jindal has regained all of the popularity he lost during...

Commentary: Let's detour from 'Main Street' with facts.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Mark Singletary Main Street. Main Street. Main Street. Apparently, all of us who reside or work outside the confines of the main financial district in New York or Washington, D.C., live on Main Street America, and I'm sick and...

Lost Island: Lower Ninth Ward business group creates monthly bazaar to bring attention to businesses.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster At the inaugural Sankofa Marketplace on St. Claude Avenue in August, Stanley Stewart stood proudly by a restored 1972 Chevelle as onlookers marveled at his handiwork. Stewart owns Stanley's Custom Service Shop, a...

Demolition derby creates conflict in New Orleans neighborhoods.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Ariella Cohen Standing in front of a bedraggled historic home on an otherwise immaculate block and peering at an iPhone, 29-year-old Peter Gardner could be an illustration for a how-to book on gentrifying inner-cities. The nattily...

Interview with Jack Carey, director for Teach For All in New Orleans.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Greg LaRose Jack Carey Age: 26 Hometown: Champaign, Ill. Education: bachelor's degree in environmental policy, University of Minnesota Position: Teach For All managing director of recruitment and selection resources Law...

Developer Josh Bruno backs out of deal to buys UNO Foundation building.
October 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports 1600 Canal St. is back on the market. Eight months after contracting to buy the vacant medical district property, developer Josh Bruno has backed out of the deal, citing doubts about the maintenance...

Canadian firm buys Port of New Orleans terminal for $4.8M.
October 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Blackwater Midstream Corp. has bought an 800,000-barrel storage terminal at the Port of New Orleans for $4.8 million, the firm said Sept. 29. The fuel- and chemical-storage company based in Vancouver,...

La Divina Gelateria opens French Quarter location.
October 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports La Divina Gelateria has expanded to the French Quarter. A branch of the gelato, panini and espresso bar, open since February 2007 on Magazine Street, opened in late August at 621 St. Peters St. We opened...

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana leaks sensitive producer info.
October 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Producers who broker policies for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana received a surprise in their e-mail inboxes Sept. 25: a spreadsheet that contained all of their personal information including Social...

Retailers predict Halloween spending boost.
October 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports It just may be a case of wishful thinking, but a scary economy might bode well for retail spending this Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation. An NRF consumer intentions survey released...

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center awarded patent.
October 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Dr. Eugene Woltering, the James D. Rives professor of surgery and neurosciences at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine, and Dr. Conrad Hornick, former LSUHSC professor of physiology,...

Louisiana Lottery to suspend Powerball multidraw.
October 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report To prepare for Powerball game changes coming Jan. 4, the Louisiana Lottery Corp. announced today that it will temporarily suspend the multidraw purchase option for Powerball tickets beginning Oct. 22. The...

New Orleans CityBusiness announces 2008 Best Places to Work.
October 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report CityBusiness has announced its Best Places to Work for 2008. The sixth-annual event honors 50 companies, including 35 large and 15 small. Based on the U.S. Small Business Administration's definition, large...

La. Dept. of Transportation: $21.5M Slidell interchange complete.
October 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The state department of transportation today held a ribbon-cutting to open the Fremaux interchange at Interstate 10 in Slidell, a $21.5 million project that began in May 2006. The new interchange will...

World Trade Center of N.O. to host 'Miami to New Orleans Construction Summit'.
October 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Latin Builders Association of South Florida and the World Trade Center of New Orleans will hold a "Miami to New Orleans Construction Summit" Nov. 6-7 at the WTC. The objective of this summit is to...

FEMA: Denial letters may not be last word on aid eligibility for some La. residents.
October 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Some Louisiana residents who registered for FEMA disaster assistance may have received a letter saying their applications were denied. But the denial letters might not be the final word on whether an...

New Orleans group known as Fleur-de-lis Ambassadors plans Philadelphia trip.
October 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A group of New Orleans leaders known as the Fleur-de-lis Ambassadors will visit Philadelphia during a two-day trip on Tuesday and Wednesday. Plans are to meet with business, civic and political leaders to...

Jefferson Parish to auction surplus items.
October 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Jefferson Parish will hold an auction of surplus goods beginning at 9 a.m. Oct. 18 at 920 David Drive in Metairie. Items to be auctioned include construction equipment, trucks, automobiles, office equipment...

Gulf of Mexico oil, gas industry continues recovery from hurricanes.
October 6, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The production of about 46.2 percent of oil and 40.6 percent of natural gas remains on halt in the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of the 2008 hurricanes, the U.S. Minerals Management Service said today. In the...

Port of New Orleans to receive $97.5M from insurer.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Jaime Guillet The Port of New Orleans will receive $97.5 million in insurance money from excess property insurer FM Global for damage stemming from Hurricane Katrina, following a settlement agreement approved Thursday. After filing...

Seats now available for 10th annual CityBusiness Women of the Year.
October 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness staff reports Tickets are now available for the 10th annual CityBusiness Women of the Year program honoring women whose success in business and contributions to the community set the pace in our region. This year's...

Algiers charter schools receive defibrillators.
October 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Nine West Bank public schools are becoming safer, with the addition of devices that could mean the difference between life and death in a crisis. The Kiwanis Club of Algiers and Ochsner Medical Center-West...

Louisiana's Whitney Holding Corp. projects big 3Q earnings dip.
October 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Whitney Holding Corp. provided a sneak peek at its projected third-quarter earnings in advance of its planned acquisition of Parish National Bank. Income for the parent company of Whitney National Bank...

Asian Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana to hold business awards gala.
October 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The Asian Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana will hold its Annual Business Awards Gala from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 18 in the Vieux Carre Ballroom of Harrah's Hotel. Ticket prices are $40 for members and $50.00...

N.O.'s top residential, commercial building permits at a glance.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Christian Moises The following are the top residential and commercial permits awarded for parishes in the New Orleans area in the week prior to Oct. 3. Technical issues prevented Orleans and St. Tammany parishes from submitting...

New Orleans working to improve 311 information hotline.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Jaime Guillet The city has endured its share of criticism about its 311 information hotline, but officials agree it was invaluable before and after Hurricane Gustav despite troubleshooting that still remains on the city's to-do...

Cypress Bend Real Estate Development announces groundbreaking of Stone Creek Club in Covington.
October 8, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Cypress Bend Real Estate Development, LLC announces the groundbreaking of Stone Creek Club & Spa in Covington. Designed to fill the need for an upscale fitness club in the booming Covington area, the...

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center N.O. awarded $1.6M for trauma work.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Christian Moises The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded the Department of Psychiatry at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine a...

Louisiana-based Middendorf's reopens after Hurricane Ike.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Emilie Bahr Middendorf's was slated to reopen for business at 10:30 a.m. today for the first time since the Manchac seafood restaurant was flooded by Hurricane Ike. But customers aren't yet able to take a seat in the restaurant's...

Trump New Orleans project to be marketed in Mississippi.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Christian Moises Developers of the roughly 70-story Trump International Hotel and Tower are moving forward with their marketing with the addition of billboards along Interstate 10 in Mississippi coming into Louisiana, said Cliff...

New Orleans' Lafayette Square to receive face-lift.
October 8, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report More than 100 new cast-iron bollards are being installed around Lafayette Square to replace deteriorated wooden posts, Mayor C. Ray Nagin's press office said today. The 108 "historically accurate" bollards...

Wobbly stock market deters young investors from saving.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Emilie Bahr Sarah Cacioppo has thought about saving for retirement. At 28, she figures she ought to be putting some money aside for the future, perhaps in an individual retirement account. But so far, her savings plan hasn't moved...

Louisiana auto workers receive $1M grant from U.S. labor department.
October 8, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The U.S. Department of Labor today said it is giving a $1 million grant to assist about 334 Shreveport workers affected by layoffs at five auto industry companies. "This $1 million grant to Louisiana will...

Dept. of the Interior awards $5.5M grant to study Gulf Loop Current.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Christian Moises The Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service today said it has awarded a $5.5 million contract to Science Applications International Corp. to conduct a major, five-year study of the Gulf of Mexico...