Five years after the Orleans Parish School Board shut down dozens of hurricane-damaged public schools, New Orleans residents continue to live alongside the wreckage.
Posted inOpinion
KIPPsters vs. Hipsters: Why so little choice in Downtown schools?
By C.W. Cannon, The Lens contributing opinion writer| The post-Katrina era in New Orleans has been marked by an oddly familiar mix of promise and disappointment, of rising above historic obstacles and of continuing an almost masochistic submission to them. The terms of the dialectic are continuity and change, and its fabric is skin color. […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Schools
Consultants give early glimpse of report on UNO-SUNO merger, stress differences
Jessica Williams, The Lens staff writer | State higher education officials heard an initial report today from the consultant studying the possible merger of Southern University at New Orleans into the University of New Orleans, who took pains to point out the vast differences in the two institutions. “When you think about SUNO and UNO, […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Student takes role of David to creationist’s legislative Goliath
Zachary Kopplin undertook an unusual “science project” for his senior year at Baton Rouge Magnet High School. He’s defending science itself, by advocating for the repeal of the Louisiana Science Education Act. Kopplin rightly views the legislation as costumed creationism – ridiculous Trojan horse legislation that lets instructors teach scientific “controversies” where none exist. He […]
Posted inOpinion
Interested in a program for energy efficiency? Tell city with this survey
By Beth Galante, The Lens contributing opinion writer | New Orleans is working to reduce the energy consumption of our city’s households, and city officials want your help to determine how interested homeowners are in a loan program to improve energy and water efficiency. The Office of Environmental Affairs has received a $220,000 Recovery Act […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Because "prestidigitation" was too long
By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer Which of these is the newest street name in the 70112 ZIP code? Alost Street Breedlove Street Protection Street Madame Tranchepain Street Magic Street Voltaire Street Magic Street was chosen during a 2006 weeklong planning charrette held in October 2006. The charrette was part of the planning process […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Government & Politics
New jail building approved by City Council; sheriff must close others when it's built
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | The New Orleans City Council voted unanimously this afternoon in support of an ordinance granting permission for Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman to build a 1,438-bed jail. Gusman will have to demolish most of his other jail facilities as soon as possible once the new facility is […]
Posted inLand Use
New HANO site lets Section 8 residents, landlords better find and manage apartments
By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | Three months after The Lens reported that Section 8 units managed by the Housing Authority of New Orleans remain primarily clustered in the poor neighborhoods the program intends to deconcentrate, HANO has introduced a new system that officials believe will help solve the problem. The new Housing […]
Posted inOpinion
Like healthcare repeal, Vitter's math-challenged pitch is dead on arrival
By Jed Horne, The Lens contributing opinion writer | With Louisiana’s David Vitter in faithful lockstep, U.S. Senate Republicans made good on their promise to put repeal of “Obamacare” to a vote and just as predictably have been defeated. The party-line vote came amid Democrats’ accusations that the GOP had no alternative, no meaningful plan […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Commenter’s mookery is of Biblical proportion
I miss Ashley Morris in all sorts of ways, but oh lord do I miss his responses to outsiders who casually blamed New Orleanians and Gulf Coastal residents for being so… afflicted by calamity. Morris popularized a special term for these nimrods, which immediately came to mind when I read a stunning example of heartlessness […]