No individual can hold our government accountable and public officials accountable alone. The Lens serves as that ever-present watchdog, working on our collective behalf and serving our community at all times.
--Nicholas Peddle
The Lens (https://thelensnola.org/author/charles-maldonado/)
Charles Maldonado
Charles Maldonado covers the city of New Orleans and other local government bodies. He previously worked for Gambit, New Orleans’ alternative newsweekly, where he covered city hall, criminal justice and public health. Before moving to New Orleans, he covered state and local government for weekly papers in Nashville and Knoxville, Tenn.
The governing board of the Orleans Parish Communication District, which runs the city’s 911 service, fired longtime Executive Director Stephen Gordon in a meeting that, to put it mildly, was unusual. The move came at the strong recommendation of Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who doesn’t directly run the 911 board but has considerable sway over it.
In the latest installment of WWNO and The Lens’ infrastructure series, “New Orleans: Ready or Not?” reporter Travis Lux takes a look at how New Orleans is using billions in federal reimbursement dollars to repair its streets and drainage systems, and whether the repairs will best prepare the city for future flooding.
