Behind The Lens episode 168: ‘We keep peeling back an onion and there’s more layers’

City WiFi project appears to share many of the same conflicts as abandoned 'smart cities' deal. A bill to send 17-year-olds to adult jail advances. And more details on the enrollment decline at NOLA Public Schools.

On this week’s episode, new records show that a city WiFi project appears to have many of the same conflicts of interest that sank the larger “smart cities” project, which is now under investigation.

A bill that would send 17-year-olds accused of certain offenses to adult jail rather than a juvenile lockup may be headed toward final passage in the Louisiana Legislature, in contravention of local policy in New Orleans and possibly federal law.

Applications to enroll in NOLA Public Schools dropped nearly 30 percent between 2019 and this school year, according to a report presented to the Orleans Parish School Board.

Our guests this week are Lens reporters Michael Isaac Stein, Nick Chrastil, Marta Jewson and editor Charles Maldonado.

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Carolyne Heldman

Carolyne Heldman has been in media for 35 years, most recently as Executive Director at an NPR member station in Colorado where she was responsible for new multi-platform content initiatives, strategic planning, research, branding, and non-traditional revenue generation. During her tenure she also created and launched four weekly news, public affairs and cultural affairs programs and monthly live Town Hall broadcasts. Heldman moved to New Orleans last summer with her husband and canine companion and they live happily in The Marigny.