The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services has revoked the license for the daycare owned by struggling nonprofit Operation REACH, Inc., according to state officials. That revocation, effective at the end of last week, means The Knowledge Garden, at 1700 Josephine St., must end its operations immediately. Former clients of the daycare said officials […]
Category: Government & Politics
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Investigations
Federal audit slams local nonprofit: $900,000 questioned
Operation REACH, Inc., the troubled education nonprofit, failed to properly account for nearly $900,000 in grant money received over three years, some of which may have been misspent, according to an audit by the federal agency that awarded the cash. The New Orleans-based nonprofit’s questionable spending was “unsupported by required documentation and/or incurred improperly,” according […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Hurricane alert: Keeping your cool likely to get harder and harder
How was your Labor Day weekend? Mine was hot, dark and wet. A confounded, slow-moving tempest knocked out my electricity and exposed leaks around my windows. After a couple days of sweating and mopping up, my wife and I decided to consume all the beer in the fridge, before it got warm. Emergency measures, you […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Government & Politics
Is mayor's office dragging its feet over jailhouse consent decree?
As Hurricane Isaac was making its way across the Gulf of Mexico two weeks ago, Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman was meeting in New Orleans with officials from the U.S. Department of Justice to work on a long anticipated consent decree to remedy unconstitutional conditions at the city jail complex. But Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
East bank District C residents lead their own budget forum
What if you had a public forum on city budget planning, but no city officials got involved? Organizers of tonight’s ad hoc resident-led meeting for City Council District C found that things are fairly smooth, productive and civil. The hourlong session led to suggestions very much in line with those heard at the official budget […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Let’s hear it for the city’s new champions: our acro-gymnasts
The fast-rising sport combines athleticism with the grace and musicality of dance. photo: Wikipedia Before I push the corporal punishment issue further with a follow-up to last week’s post, I wanted to update a sports story I’ve been following. This spring I learned that New Orleans is becoming a leader in acrobatic gymnastics, a rapidly […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Mayor cuts back budget forums, so neighbors plan their own
East bank residents of New Orleans City Council District C are holding their own town-hall meeting tonight regarding the city’s proposed 2013 budget after Mayor Mitch Landrieu departed from previous years’ practice and decided not to hold such a meeting in their area. In each of the past two years, Landrieu has held seven community […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Land Use, Squandered Heritage
Demolition of St. Charles Avenue mansion debated and deferred
A request to demolish the faded St. Charles mansion at the southwest corner of Valence Street was heard before the Neighborhood Conservation District Committee this week. And the result, after much debate pro and con: limbo. The demolition is sought by Jack Ryan, who has an option to purchase the property and wants to build […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Schools
After misstep, Lycee leads the way to full compliance with state law
Back in June, as the Lycee Francais Charter School board prepared to take a vote on the school’s 2012-13 school budget, a reporter from The Lens told board members that they had not given proper public notice that the vote was pending, a violation of state law. The board members promptly took action, and today […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Schools
And they're off! OPSB candidates approach the starting gate
Qualifying begins today for candidates seeking seats on the Orleans Parish School Board. At issue are basic questions of governance including whether schools that now answer to the state’s Recovery School District will be returned to local control, making this one of the more pivotal elections in recent memory. Six of the board’s seven incumbents […]