By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | More than a year after Ray Nagin left City Hall, New Orleans taxpayers are still feeling the pain of thousands of dollars in undocumented credit card purchases made by his administration in its waning days. At least $12,000 in improperly documented purchases were made on city credit […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Sheriff's deputies not getting paid for months of work done through new city contract
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | At least a dozen Orleans Parish Sheriff’s deputies are owed thousands of dollars for working a lucrative security detail at the city’s auto impound lots, says one of the deputies who complained that he and others haven’t been paid since starting the moonlighting work in May. It’s […]
Posted inOpinion
Occupy Wall Street? Here? Pondering common denominators
By Kira Akerman, The Lens contributing opinion writer | “The system was never broken it was built this way,” read the hand-painted sign held by a woman in New York City’s Occupy Wall Street protest. The woman was not on Wall Street itself; she was crossing the Brooklyn Bridge in what became one of the […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Council cuts meeting short and flocks to Hannan's funeral; next time pack a sandwich!
By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer | If Thursday was the day you chose to see democracy in action at City Hall you picked the wrong day. The majority of the City Council agenda was deferred or withdrawn so members could attend the funeral of Archbishop Philip Hannan. A meeting that usually lasts all […]
Posted inSchools
Candidates for state school board stake ground on charter schools, other policies
By Jessica Williams, The Lens staff writer | In preparation for what is undoubtedly the race to watch in the Oct. 22 elections for those interested in public education, District 1 and 2 candidates for the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Wednesday addressed the toughest questions facing the New Orleans educational scene. District […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Council to consider booze issues, begging
By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer | Few documents feature an array like this: T-shirts, Dollar General signs, aggressive pan-handlers, artists, alcohol and the aged. But each has a place on tomorrow’s New Orleans City Council agenda. Download the pdf here. A quick look at things up for discussion at tomorrow’s meeting, which starts […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Schools
Cutting suspensions and expulsions called critical to plugging school-to-prison pipeline
By Jessica Williams, The Lens staff writer | What’s the cause of high suspension and expulsion rates in New Orleans public schools? At a Tuesday night gathering in Treme, public education stakeholders grappled with that question – and strove to find solutions to a problem widely regarded as feeding the “school-to-prison pipeline.” Led by local […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Einstein Board meeting cancelled
The Einstein board found out ten minutes before their scheduled board meeting that member Ryan Bennet would not be able to make the meeting and therefore the board could not reach a quorum. After consulting their legal counsel the board decided to cancel the meeting. Board President Ramona Perkins said the agenda included action items […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Land Use
Demolition of St. Charles Avenue landmark denied — for now; Council appeal likely
By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer | Well-heeled Uptowners turned out for Monday’s meeting of the Neighborhood Conservation District Committee, to speak both for and against a plan by liquor tycoon Jeffery Goldring to demolish a 1928 Emile Weil-designed triplex on St. Charles Avenue and replace it with a mausoleum-sized single-family residence. The demolition […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Board meeting agenda released
Review the agenda for the New Orleans College Preparatory Academies Board of Directors Meeting scheduled for Wednesday here. Note that the meeting time is for 4:30pm – 6pm this month, an hour earlier than the normal meeting time as stated on the school’s web site.