As expected, levees will be raised to keep the area qualified for federal flood insurance.
Posted inEnvironment
Environmentalists worry that first RESTORE grants focus on just small efforts
These are nervous times for some supporters of the RESTORE Act, the law that will divert 80 percent of the fines BP will pay for polluting the Gulf of Mexico from the federal purse to projects intended to restore the Gulf ecosystem and economy. They want to ensure that big money will pay for big projects.
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Police leave Civil Service meeting happy; firefighters still doing a slow burn over pay
Police raises approved, but firefighters who filled in for superiors still haven’t been paid the difference
Posted inCriminal Justice
New Orleans officials work to keep juveniles out of Orleans Parish Prison as they await trial
Officials say the juvenile facility is the best place for most young defendants, even if they’re charged with serious felonies in Criminal District Court. An ordinance before the City Council would require juveniles to await trial in the Youth Study Center, not OPP.
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Kill House Bill 779! End of solar leasing credit would darken prospect of wider access to cheap power
Lt. Gen. Honore urges citizens to contact state senators in fight over solar legislation.
Posted inEnvironment
If you like your flood-insurance rates, you should love it when your street floods
The rain-storage capacity of our roadways adds enough to keep FEMA certification.
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Inside the News Room
The Lens sues city of New Orleans for failing to follow public-records laws
The suit alleges that the city habitually fails to provide public records within the time required by law.
Posted inSchools
“Choice” is a tricky thing when parents compete for the best charters
Charter school supporters and advocates frequently point to the broad choices that families have when seeking a school in New Orleans, where most of the 82 public schools are charters and most accept applications from across the city. But the concept of choice butts against the reality of supply and demand in a city where many schools rate only average or below. Nearly 12,000 children in New Orleans chose their desired schools through the city’s mostly unified enrollment system this spring — but only half got their No. 1 choice, according to recently released results.
Posted inOpinion, Schools
Edible Schoolyard sinks roots in New Orleans, and kids and parents are eating it up
Children have a right to know where food comes from, and that’s a wonderful opportunity for hands-on learning.
Posted inEvents, Government & Politics
Join us to hear from May’s Newsmaker, New Orleans Inspector General Ed Quatrevaux (video)
The Lens isn’t the only watchdog in New Orleans. New Orleans Inspector General Ed Quatrevaux is another.