Several years ago, The Family Center of Hope received more than $2 million to build a community center. Now it's just another half-finished project, beset by cost overruns and legal disputes. The city has decided to give the group $40,000 to provide counseling services as part of its NOLA for Life anti-violence campaign.
The federal government should have paid for most of the meals, but months passed before ReNEW provided the proper documentation. Since then, RSD has been trying to get the money from ReNEW. How much is owed? RSD says it's about $496,000; ReNEW says it's about $232,000.
The manufacturer now forbids use of Nembutal in state executions, leading defense attorneys to question when Louisiana's stash was produced. The drug has a maximum shelf life of two to three years.
About 250 times a day, a New Orleans police officer calls the 911 center to check in for a "paid detail" assignment — a private security job paying up to $39 an hour. Meanwhile, some people calling 911 wait so long for an answer, they hang up before reaching anyone.
The background check for New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy only went back seven years and wasn't as comprehensive as a similar service available from the state. Darrell Sims was once charged with stealing from a Terrebone school; now NOPD is investigating him for theft from the military academy.
The rallying cry for coastal restoration has been, “Put the river back into the marsh.” But a new study shows that fertilizer found in the river could weaken the marsh plants and soil. More troubling is another study that concludes we don’t really know whether these diversions are building land.
When the swollen Mississippi broke through to feed a marsh during Carnival 2011, it seemed to some like an alternative to the multi-million-dollar man-made diversion planned nearby. But conflicting views over whether to let 'Mardi Gras Pass' run wild are a perfect example of how complex coastal restoration issues can be.
New technology has revealed that southeast Louisiana is sinking faster than previously known. Combined with rising seas due to global warming, a leading scientist says waters will rise "at least four feet." With more communities closer to open water, even minor hurricanes could cause catastrophic damage.
The agency responsible for maintaining the multibillion-dollar flood protection system can't afford the $34 million annual bill, and possible solutions are blocked by state and congressional politics. “We’ll soon be facing a $600 million question," says John Barry, vice president of the South Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East.
Metro Business Supplies has done $1.7 million in business with the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office since Hurricane Katrina. The man who landed the job, Richard Schlaudecker, is married to the daughter of Chief Deputy Gerald Ursin.
