By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer | Looking to address longtime complaints from civically engaged residents, city officials hope their new online calendar will become a one-stop shop for announcing public meetings and other city events. The new calendar went live Thursday. It offers the options to send people text messages or emails regarding […]
Category: Government & Politics
Posted inGovernment & Politics
NORD Commission again stumbles over Open Meetings Act, delays decision
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | A subcommittee of the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission aiming to appoint a new chief executive adjourned a meeting this afternoon without taking any action, after activist attorney Tracie Washington raised fresh concerns about whether the subcommittee had followed public meetings law. Two city councilwomen have now […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Government & Politics
Council members criticize Serpas for releasing arrest records of homicide victims
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas defended his department’s approach to stemming homicide in New Orleans before a meeting of the City Council’s Criminal Justice Committee this afternoon. The number of homicides rose by 14 percent during Serpas’ first full year in command from 175 in 2010 to 199 in […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Recreation Commission sets important meeting tonight, but doesn't comply with law
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | Update, 7:28 p.m.: Landrieu’s spokesman Ryan Berni says the meeting has been rescheduled for tomorrow, January 18, at 5 p.m., after all. To clarify, a meeting of the recreation commission foundation was rescheduled. The executive search committee will meet in the Office of Homeland Security conference room […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Nationwide search costing tens of thousands could find NORD boss is already here
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | A search firm paid $42,000 to find a new city recreation director warned officials today that the longer they take to make a decision, the more likely they are to hire the interim director already in place. The more time the process takes, the less rival candidates […]
Posted inEnvironment, Government & Politics, Land Use
Development atop a city dump? Policy fiasco comes back to haunt Upper 9th Ward
Despite Superfund status, government and private investors continue to dabble in doomed Desire neighborhood.
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Hell hath no fury like a great team thirsting for gridiron vengeance
The Tide prepares to roll over the Tigers in the BCS championship debacle. (Matthew Tosh/Creative Commons) After the LSU Tigers won the “Game of the Century” in overtime back in November, reporters immediately asked coach Les Miles about the possibility of a rematch with Alabama’s Crimson Tide in the BCS championship game. Instead of deflecting […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Investigations
Frustrated homeowner resorts to demolition
By Jessica Williams, The Lens staff writer | A family that vainly struggled through more than six years of bureaucracy to get back into their Katrina-damaged home, an effort recently chronicled in The Lens, finally gave up and had the structure torn down. Homeowner Kisa Holmes said she found out last week that the demolition […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Golf offer’s no gimme, but with BP paying, that’s par for the course
Jay Dardenne’s offer on LouisianaTravel.com … but Louisianans need not apply. While in Alabama over the holidays I was startled to see Louisiana Lt. Gov Jay Dardenne appear in a TV advertisement. He spoke directly into the camera and offered me the following deal: if the Alabama Crimson Tide prevails over the LSU Tigers in […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Land Use
Curtain is rung down on TV mansion; other structures also approved for demolition
Now slated for demolition, the mansion at 2031 Baronne Street appeared in the post-Katrina TV cop series K-Ville. Photo by Anthony Turducken By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer | The Greek Revival mansion appeared in the final episode of “K-ville,” the (mercifully) short-lived post-Katrina television series, but the final curtain was rung down just […]