By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | The New Orleans Police Department raised $70,975 and spent $107,778 registering sex offenders last year. During that same period, the parking garages at Harrah’s Casino took in $19.8 million while the New Orleans Building Corporation raised no money at all. These are just a few of the […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
City to buy recycling carts, which will be delivered to customers only by request
By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer | The City of New Orleans could pay millions of dollars in coming months to buy new recycling carts for residents, judging from a bid request issued by the city as part of a deal with the city’s trash haulers to add that service by May 2. Mayor […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Investigations, Land Use
Copter man wants to add aviation school beside contested Gert Town helipad
By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer | Jonas Johnson has a vision for Gert Town’s Zion City neighborhood. Seeking city permission to continue using a vacant lot as a helicopter pad, Johnson on Thursday said he would like to reinvigorate the area by creating an “aviation school” for underserved children. That would mean expanding […]
Posted inOpinion
Confederacy's 150th: High time we honored the scalawags
By C.W. Cannon, The Lens contributing opinion writer | As we trudge into the sesquicentennial anniversary of the Confederacy, we can take heart that commemorations of the four-year fight to preserve slavery are paltry—especially when compared with the centennial in 1961. The cult-like adoration of all things Confederate seems to have dwindled to “a niche […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
$16 billion question: BP’s liability in Macondo disaster
When The National Oil Spill Commission’s Final Report was released last month, Commission Co-Chair William Reilly summarized the findings, saying: Our investigation shows that a series of specific and preventable human and engineering failures were the immediate causes of the Deepwater Horizon fire. But, in fact, this disaster was almost the inevitable result of years of […]
Posted inEnvironment, Government & Politics, Investigations
Toxic acid poses an unnecessary health risk to more than a million in the Greater New Orleans region
Despite the availability of a safer alternative, three New Orleans area refineries continue to rely on a lethal compound, as do two others in Louisiana.
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Land Use
It’s a bird, it’s a copter, it’s a zoning violation! City vows to cite Gert Town helipad
David Johnson’s reaction to a helicopter landing in his neighborhood was a mixture of profanity and incredulity. “My first reaction was, get the h…, get outta here! … Unbelievable!” A Gert Town resident his whole life, Johnson dwells next door to an increasingly vacant lot that takes up the 4200 block of Clio Street almost […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Join us in examining sheriff's budget
Sheriff Marlin Gusman has provided the most detailed disclosure yet about the department’s revenues and expenditures.
Posted inLand Use
Rock 'n' Bowl demolitions are put on hold
By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer | City officials this week delayed for a month a decision on whether Rock ‘n’ Bowl’s owner can demolish two nearby homes he recently bought. The Neighborhood Conservation District Committee told owner John Blancher to spend the time talking to the area’s neighborhood organization. Jenel Hazlett, president of […]
Posted inOpinion
Don't bulldoze blight. Use it as bait to lure newcomers
By Brad Vogel, The Lens contributing opinion writer | Even if New Orleans wanted to destroy so rich an architectural heritage, it could not bulldoze all the blighted buildings within city limits. We simply don’t have the money, as Allison Plyer of the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center made clear at a recent BlightStat […]