Moreno, Giarrusso easily keep their seats on the council. Others headed to a second round.
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Cantrell wins second term as mayor
Incumbent mayor defeats 13 challengers, cruising to a second term without a runoff.
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Cantrell admin again vows to ramp up short-term rental enforcement
On the fifth day of the City Council’s budget hearings, administration officials laid out how it planned to crack down on STR enforcement and restore trust in the Department of Safety and Permits.
Posted inBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens episode 149: ‘I would say that if I was district attorney’
Budget hearings: Orleans Parish DA’s office, but not the Sheriff’s Office. A ‘smart cities’ proposal draws some privacy concerns. Renaming Lusher Charter School. And school agencies want out of a long-running consent decree.
Posted inSchools
Lusher board delays final vote on new name
The board considered, and voted to reject, keeping ‘Lusher’ by renaming the school in honor of a different Lusher. The renaming process has raised transparency questions.
Posted inSchools
NOLA Public Schools, state Dept. of Education want out of long-running special education consent judgment, but civil rights lawyers say they’re not ready
The two education agencies have been overseen by court-appointed monitors for nearly seven years under a settlement agreement. Now they say it’s time to exit the agreement.
Posted inGovernment & Politics
At budget hearing, council raises privacy, cost concerns over ‘smart cities’ proposal
A proposal under consideration by the Cantrell administration would create a city-led internet service and lead to the installation of thousands of ‘smart’ devices that could collect data on residents.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Divergent rulings on how to treat old split-jury verdicts could prompt action from La. Supreme Court
On Wednesday, a state appeals court in New Orleans ruled that a non-unanimous conviction should be overturned. On the same day, an appeals court in Lake Charles ruled that another split-jury verdict was valid.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Gusman delays budget presentation, to frustration of criminal justice advocates
Sheriff’s budget hearing pushed to after primary election. Gusman’s office claims it must meet with court-appointed budgetary working group before the budget hearing, but the chair of the working group says that’s not necessary.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Now DA, Williams backs off on the need for funding parity between prosecutors, defenders
As a councilmember, Williams sponsored an ordinance meant to bring Orleans Public Defenders city funding in line with the DA’s office. On Wednesday, he asked for millions more than the defenders.