By Jessica Williams, The Lens staff writer Despite an October story by The Lens that highlighted charter school boards’ failure to comply with open-meetings laws, only some boards have consistently offered information in the past few months in response to standing requests. Our previous story showed that only 10 of 35 New Orleans public charter […]
Posted inSchools
Independent schoolhouse authority proposed
By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer Recovery School District Superintendent Paul Vallas is talking up a plan to transfer control of Orleans Parish School Board facilities to a new authority that would build all the city’s public schools, whether operated by the school board, the state-run RSD or a charter board. Speaking Tuesday on […]
Posted inOpinion
Streetcars should bypass Elysian Fields connection for now
By Jeff Schwartz, guest opinion writer and founding member of Transport for Nola Streetcars once served communities throughout New Orleans. Today, for very good reasons, they’re coming back. That’s grounds for celebration, but also for concern that we don’t make some simple mistakes. This week, the RTA board made an important commitment to invest local […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion
Shepherd needs to pull up his big-boy britches
In August 2007, after City Councilmember Oliver Thomas resigned and admitted to taking bribes, his attorney was asked about the possibility of Thomas providing helpful testimony to Federal prosecutors. Shepherd ultimately confessed, and assumed total responsibility, but
Posted inCriminal Justice, Government & Politics
Mayor's group made jail recommendation based on bad property info from Sheriff
Marlin Gusman appears to have misled the public about the ownership of a key property that is part of his planned jail complex.
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Broken Records: After 6 months, we're still waiting for detailed Sheriff's Office budget
This item is one in an occasional series called “Broken Records” detailing government’s inability to comply with the state’s Public Records Act. By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer The Lens first sought a copy of Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman’s entire budget for 2009, down to the general ledger level, in a public records […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Land Use
He blew like a warm summer’s eve, but should we have preserved his home?
On Jan. 7, we learned the City of New Orleans tore down the childhood home of jazz great Sidney Bechet. The news disappointed preservationists and jazz enthusiasts, who believed the blighted house should’ve been restored and designated an historical landmark. The AP reported: Jazz lovers worry that the zeal to “renew” New Orleans is threatening […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Happy birthday to us! Our first-anniversary gift to you is this brand-new website
Welcome to the new website of The Lens. Today is our first anniversary, and we’re happy to start our second year with this newly designed website, courtesy of our design-minded, tech-savvy friends at FIVE65 Design. Our first year was about establishing ourselves as a viable, incisive and successful newsroom, and we did that. We’ve broken […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Bermdoggle: The real barrier that Gov. Jindal will have to overcome
If you’re a tax-raising child molester who snorts bath salts, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is your worst nightmare. Otherwise, as the social network kids like to say, Jindal is pretty “meh.” (Translation: “not so much”.) For example, this Gambit story by Jeremy Alford on the evolution and cost of Jindal’s sand berm scheme is pretty […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Jail advisers to put off key decision until April
Having not met for almost two months, Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s Criminal Justice Working Group will now need at least three more months before making a final recommendation on the total capacity of a new city jail.