Land Use
Whole Foods Market work begins on North Broad Street — NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune | The new store will not be the only tenant at the old Robert Fresh Market on Broad and Bienville:
The other tenants will include Liberty’s Kitchen, a nonprofit that provides culinary training to at-risk youth and meals to public schools, and Tulane University’s Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine, one of the country’s first teaching kitchens associated with a medical school. Goldring will teach residents, students and doctors how to use healthy cooking to avoid food-related diseases such as diabetes, obesity and hypertension.
Food truck issue revisited (DC) — Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space | New regulations on food trucks in Washington, D.C., prompt blogger Richard Layman to review some of his past commentaries, which “focused on how food trucks and outdoor markets allow for vitality, capital formation, business development, and methods for serving a greater variety of consumer market segments.”
City Putt — NOLA DEFENDER | Fore! The new “two course, 36-hole and 100% ADA accessible ‘City Putt’ is now ready to open its gates on May 24th, just in time for the long Memorial Day weekend.”
Schools
State’s higher education funding dwindling — American Press | Higher education leaders claim years of budget cuts have put the state’s university system on a downward trajectory.
William Jenkins, interim president of the LSU System, said higher education in the state is at the point of diminishing returns.
“I apologize for my passion, but this state has so much potential,” Jenkins said. …
Jenkins said LSU has tried to reorganize, increase efficiency and avoid some duplication, but is losing faculty, facing serious competition from other states and experiencing serious deferred maintenance problems.
Holy Missing Documents, Batman! DOE has no record of inBloom agreement cancellation for student data — Louisiana Voice | According to a public records request made by blogger Tom Aswell, the state has no records to confirm that it formally agreed to cancel its agreement with inBLoom Inc. to store student data. Superintendent John White said that student data had been withdrawn from the private company last month.
Student mad at teacher at Duncanville high – OnlyTheBestVideos13 | According to YouTube, this video of a Duncanville High student lecturing his teacher about her pedagogy is one of the most-viewed videos in Louisiana right now.
Government & Politics
Opponents of Jindal’s one-time money in budget craft plan with short-term money — The Lens | After receiving resistance from Gov. Bobby Jindal and business leader, it seems the conservative Fiscal Hawks caucus in the Legislature will violate its principled stand against use of one-time money. At the bottom of the story, be sure to read reporter Tyler Bridges’ live-blog of todays’ budget votes in the House. C.B. Forgotston, a lobbyist and longtime observer of the Legislature, says the latest plan introduced by the Fiscal Hawks is “disappointing and hypocritical.”
Tension, Finger Pointing, Not A Lot Of Answers At JP Council Meeting — ClickJefferson.com | Blogger Walt Bennetti goes over the Jefferson Parish Council’s attempt to regroup after voters rejected tax renewals for school and sewerage funding.
Environment
Tricky ‘barge gate’ on Lake Borgne is closed and opened successfully — almost — The Lens | “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed the first-ever open-close-open circuit of the now-infamous barge gate on the Lake Borgne Storm Surge Barrier at the Intracoastal Waterway.” But it didn’t exactly go smoothly.
Cochran offers Louisiana levee amendments — The Sun Herald | U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., fears that a Louisiana levee plan along Lake Pontchartrain will push floodwaters to the Mississippi coast. (Via @RestoreDelta)
New Orleans CAC Leads Way For Nonprofit BP Claims — WWNO
The legal fallout from BP’s 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill has been ongoing, as the civil trial makes its way through the courts. In the meantime, some New Orleans groups that were not eligible for claims money have found that they do qualify under a new claims process. Though they are filing quickly, BP is now appealing that formula.
Criminal Justice
In Briana Allen killing, prosecutors unleash major racketeering indictment — NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune | Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro announced a 51-count indictment “in a racketeering conspiracy involving 15 killings, numerous attempted murders and armed robberies and other violence across the city.” Here is a link to a video of the press conference for the “most sweeping gang indictment” in New Orleans history.
Most charged with looting during Isaac yet to face trial — WWLTV.com
During the course of the slow-moving Category 1 hurricane, 42 people were arrested for looting in New Orleans. But more than eight months since Isaac made landfall, 31 defendants – nearly three out of four – are still waiting for trial.
NOPD touts lower violent crime numbers in beginning of 2013, but some property crimes tick up — NOLA.com/The Times Picayune | Not a huge amount of change, but hopefully the lower violent crime numbers can be maintained throughout the rest of the year.