By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | Nearly two months after globetrotting entrepreneur Bill Loiry told The Lens that he would pay stiffed New Orleans contractors who worked on a Gulf Coast Leadership Summit held here in April, most still haven’t been paid in full. Megan Hargroder, left, tweets from the Gulf Coast Leadership […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Weasel words: BP ‘cleanup’ falls far short of ‘coastal restoration’
BP’s “Louisiana Gulf Response” website exaggerates the scope of clean-up efforts since the blowout. By Mark Moseley, The Lens opinion writer | While reading a local news story on the web, I noticed a familiar yellow and green color scheme on the sidebar. Sure enough, it was a BP advertisement: “Gulf Coast Restoration,” the article teased, […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Jindal campaign funds flow from out-of-state — New Orleans donations? Not so much
By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | The latest campaign filings from Gov. Bobby Jindal show more money flowing to him from former eBay CEO and defeated California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman than from the entire population of New Orleans. Jindal donors by city The largely uncontested incumbent raised $313,859 in cash between April […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Land Use
Filled-in canal drives up cost of planned Loyola Avenue streetcar extension
By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | A bridge running over a buried canal beneath a streetcar track — the setup sounds like a backdrop for the post-industrial romance of an Arcade Fire video. On Loyola Avenue in the Central Business District, however, the infrastructure sandwich will soon be a very expensive reality – and […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Investigations
Overmedicating young inmates called chemical restraint
Antipsychotic drugs like Seroquel, developed specifically for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, are being prescribed to manage young inmates without either disorder, despite dangerous side effects.
Posted inOpinion
Get government funding out of the arts? Get real!
By Lamar White Jr., The Lens contributing opinion writer | In a recent opinion piece for The Lens, Kevin Kane argued against government support for the arts. Louisiana’s richly indigenous culture is self-sustaining – and should be, Kane argued. His views are not surprising. A New Yorker in our midst by way of a Tulane […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Government & Politics
Sheriff's Office to be placed under federal consent decree, jail panelist says
Loyola Professor Michael Cowan, shown left at a meeting of the jail working group, says the DOJ is debating terms of a consent decree which would put the Sheriff’s Office under federal oversight. Photo by Matt Davis. By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | The U.S. Department of Justice is in discussions that will […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Government & Politics
Deputy reviewed for other infractions
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | An Orleans Parish Sheriff’s deputy booked last month with simple assault had previously been suspended for allegedly chasing and roughing up a woman in an apparent road-rage incident, records show. Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman suspended Deputy Mark Andry for 10 days in February over the road-rage incident. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Two Eris Parade arrestees ask for "vague" charges against them to be quashed
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | Two defendants accused of disturbing the peace at an unpermitted parade in the Marigny have filed motions to quash charges against them because they say the state is being too vague about what they did wrong. Ron Morrison, 24, and Jonathan Cromwell, 30, filed the motions to […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Land Use
Grocer forging ahead with plans to resurrect Seventh Ward's iconic Circle Food Store
Seventh Ward Neighborhood Center director J. Samuel Cook delights in the revived interest in the curved-front shopping center at Claiborne and St. Bernard avenues. Photo by Ariella Cohen. By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer It was the place to go if you wanted to put food on the table, a uniform on your child […]