Gov. John Bel Edwards fell short of winning a second term outright. He will now face Republican businessman Eddie Rispone in the runoff. New Orleans property tax amendment, a priority for Mayor Cantrell, fails by a wide margin. Cynthia Lee Sheng to be the first woman president of Jefferson Parish. See Saturday’s results on our maps.
Posted inBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens episode 52: ‘They’re only going to be reviewing 25 student files at every school they go to for this city-wide audit’
NOLA Public Schools begins its city-wide audit of student records, the City Planning Commission votes against a proposal to add beds at the New Orleans jail, technology is helping pinpoint the impacts of the Bonnet Carre spillway diversion, and coverage from The Lens on Saturday night for election results.
Posted inOpinion
David v. Goliath: The October March to save lives in Louisiana’s ‘Death Alley’
Rise St. James and Concerned Citizens of St. John plan a second march to raise awareness about the impact of the chemical industry in Louisiana’s ‘Death Alley.’
Posted inSchools
Citywide school audit will cover about 5 percent of high school student files
A former deputy superintendent says the audit is a good start, but the district needs to look at more than what is currently planned.
Posted inCriminal Justice
City Planning Commission votes against increasing jail capacity
The request to increase the bed cap from 1,438 to 1,731 will now go to the New Orleans City Council.
Posted inOpinion
Fontainebleau State Park: We Need Wilderness Now More Than Ever
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser’s proposed hotel-convention center complex at Fontainebleau State Park raises both environmental and human health concerns.
Posted inSchools
School district’s new high school accountability director starts work at Kennedy
Position was created in the wake of Kennedy HS graduation scandal.
Posted inBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens episode 51: ‘The city is responsible for this, not the residents of Gordon Plaza.’
NOLA Public Schools issues a report on its investigation of John F. Kennedy High School, the Orleans Parish Assessor gets caught defending a policy that his staff later said was never really a policy, and residents of the toxic Gordon Plaza housing development press Mayor LaToya Cantrell for help with relocation.
Posted inCriminal Justice
City Planning staff recommends raising bed cap at Orleans jail
Planners’ recommendation would raise capacity to 1,731 beds, but limit the inmate count to 1,438. Proposal must still go through Planning Commission, City Council.
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Assessor defends costly policy on business taxes for weeks; later, his staff says the policy doesn’t exist
The policy Williams described likely would have cost the city and other Orleans Parish agencies millions of dollars.