New Orleans CityBusiness back issues from March 2007:
Insurance industry disputes panel's info
Mar 01, 2007; ... The insurance industry is disputing information from acongressional panel that suggests insurers conspired to minimizetheir losses from the 2005 hurricanes. The Insurance Information Industry issued its responses Wednesdayfollowing comments from House Financial Services Oversight ...
Health clinic opens in Lower 9th Ward
Mar 01, 2007; ... A health clinic in the Lower 9th Ward opens today in the home of aformer resident of the community. Registered nurse Patricia Berryhill's home at 5228 St. Claude Ave.will house the Lower 9th Ward Health Clinic, a primary care medicalfacility. Officials said it is the only ...
Ochsner Health System expanding pediatric care in Mandeville
Mar 01, 2007; ... Ochsner Health System is keeping pace with growth on the NorthShore by expanding pediatric care at Lakeview Regional Medical Centerin Mandeville. Ochsner will add neonatologists and neonatal nurse practitionersto its pediatric sub-specialty staff in Lakeview's Neonatal ...
Capital One Bank part of St. Tammany loan program
Mar 01, 2007; ... Capital One Bank was inadvertently omitted from a list offinancial institutions providing low interest home loans through abond issue from the St. Tammany Parish Finance Authority. Homebuyers can get a 3 percent down payment assistance grant and a5.9 percent mortgage rate through a ...
Sen. Boasso turns to 10,000 for support in governor's race
Mar 01, 2007; ... State Sen. Walter Boasso, R-Arabi, today sent 10,000 letters toofficials and community leaders seeking support in his bid for thegovernor's mansion. Boasso in early February announced his intention to run. Boasso also today unveiled his campaign theme, "Take ...
Passenger count jumps 52 percent at Louis Armstrong International Airport
Mar 01, 2007; ... Passenger totals at Louisiana Armstrong International Airport rose52.6 percent in January from year-ago figures, according tostatistics the airport released today. The total number of passengers getting off and on planes at ...
Commentary: Need urgent for community crime fighters
Mar 01, 2007; ... Something stood out as we put together this week's issue of ourcommunity newspaper, The Journal of Jefferson Parish - a 1-2-3 punchof crime stories. Overkill? Not these days. Our reporters are digging into the elements of the crime problemin Jefferson Parish. Matthew Penix ...
New Orleans native named new education superintendent
Mar 01, 2007; ... At a special meeting today, the Louisiana Board of Elementary andSecondary Education named New Orleans native Paul Pastorek the newstate superintendent of education. Pastorek, 52, replaces Cecil Picard, who passed away last month. "As I began my serious analysis of whether to ...
Fleur-de-lis helps needy children, artists
Mar 01, 2007; ... In French culture, the fleur-de-lis has symbolized royalty,rebirth and growth. After Hurricane Katrina, the ubiquitous symbol is appearing nearlyeverywhere in the Crescent City and wherever displaced New Orleans residentscan be found. On Monday, a new fleur-de-lis ...
The Shaw Group to build nuclear plants in China for $5B
Mar 01, 2007; ... The Shaw Group Inc. has all but finalized a $5-billion deal tobuild four nuclear power plants in China, the company said. The framework agreement signed this week with Shaw's consortiumpartner, Pittsburg-based Westinghouse Electric Co., confirms basicobligations with China, ...
Cox sets TV lineup for New Orleans Zephyrs games
Mar 01, 2007; ... Batter up. Cox Sports Television will air 10 New Orleans Zephyrs games thisyear from April to August as the baseball team enters its firstseason as AAA affiliate of the New York Mets. The Zephyrs' broadcast schedule, including nine home games, startsopening night 7 p.m ....
Midnight Friday is deadline for Cox Communications, Belo Corp. deal
Mar 01, 2007; ... Midnight Friday is the deadline for Cox Communications and BeloCorp. to reach an agreement to keep WWL-TV on Cox. Under Federal Communications Commission law, Atlanta-based Coxneeds Dallas-based Belo's permission to continue carrying WWL'sanalog Channel 4 and NewsWatch on Channel ...
Intermarine relocating, expanding Asian headquarters
Mar 01, 2007; ... Intermarine, a worldwide cargo transportation providerheadquartered at 365 Canal St., today said it is moving and expandingits Asian headquarters offices. The company is moving from one office in Shanghai, China, to a newoffice in the new Hong Yi Plaza, which is also in Shanghai, ...
Commentary: What to tell a president with help from CNN
Mar 01, 2007; ... CNN called Wednesday to ask what CityBusiness would ask or tellPresident Bush about the recovery 18 months post-Katrina. The president's visit today to Samuel J. Green Middle School wasthe occasion for the request. Beginning with a question as to why the post-K recovery ...
Freeport-McMoran offers $6B in notes to public
Mar 01, 2007; ... Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. announced today that itintends to offer $6 billion in senior notes to the public. FCX intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund aportion of its purchase of Phelps Dodge Corp. Freeport-McMoRanannounced plans last year to acquire ...
Joe Horn released from his Saints contract
Mar 01, 2007; ... After two days of meetings and discussions with Executive VicePresident and General Manager Mickey Loomis and Head Coach SeanPayton regarding a restructure and reduction of his contract, widereceiver Joe Horn has been granted his release by the New OrleansSaints. Horn said he ...
Commander's Palace president named to N.O. aviation board
Mar 01, 2007; ... "Ti" Adelaide Martin has been named the newest member of the NewOrleans Aviation Board, replacing Ralph Brennan. Mayor C. Ray Nagin nominated Martin, president of Commander'sPalace Restaurant, to be one of the nine NOAB members. Martin is thesecond member appointed to represent the ...
Gulf Island Fabrication 2006 earnings climb 64 percent
Mar 01, 2007; ... Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. reported $21.3 million or $1.53 pershare in net income for 2006, up 64 percent from $13 million in 2005. Its fourth-quarter earnings reached $3.7 million, a 37 percentincrease from the same period a year earlier. GIFI reported netincome of $3.7 million ...
Energy Partners Ltd. reports $50M in losses for 2006
Mar 01, 2007; ... Hefty legal fees associated with two stalled merger and takeoverattempts this year bruised Energy Partners Ltd.'s 2006 earnings,despite a near record high production year. The eight-year-old independent oil and gas company lost $50.4million in net income for 2006, or $1.32 per ...
Fidelity Homestead to reopen Lakeview branch Friday
Mar 01, 2007; ... Fidelity Homestead Association will hold a reopening celebrationat its newly renovated Lakeview branch at 9 a.m. Friday.The branch at 149 Robert E. Lee Blvd. has been closed since August2005 when Hurricane Katrina caused breaks in outflow canals thatflooded the location with ...
St. Raymond project ranks No. 2 on tax rebate list
Mar 01, 2007; ... A $350-million high-rise project to be built by developer Jim St.Raymond received the second-largest award of sales tax rebates in thelatest round of Louisiana Enterprise Zone Program allocations, St.Raymond said. Out of 45 applications to the 20-member Louisiana Commerce ...
Reps. Jefferson, Melancon bill aims to curb N.O. teacher shortage
Mar 02, 2007; ... Reps. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, and Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, said they have introduced legislation aimed at curbingcritical teacher shortages in the New Orleans area. The proposed bill, Revitalizing New Orleans by AttractingAmerica's Leaders Act of 2007, would ...
More than 5,000 Louisiana businesses apply for grants
Mar 02, 2007; ... More than 5,000 businesses have applied for Louisiana businessrecovery grants and more than 1,000 have applied for loans, Louisianaeconomic development officials said. Applications are being reviewed, with grant and loan awardsexpected to begin in late March, officials ...
N.O. aquarium opens first new exhibit post-Katrina
Mar 02, 2007; ... The first new exhibit at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americassince Hurricane Katrina opened Thursday. Adventure Island features an interactive, educational play zonedesigned for children and adults. Aquarium officials said the highlight of the exhibit is a 2,600-gallon ...
Saulet apartment complex in New Orleans plans 2Q reopening
Mar 02, 2007; ... The Saulet apartment complex in the Lower Garden District shouldbegin a phased reopening during the second quarter, officialsannounced. "We have made significant progress since renovations began and aregrateful to the staff and our general contractor, Gibbs Construction,for their ...
Staff shortages force New Orleans hospitals to import employees
Mar 02, 2007; ... If necessity is the mother of invention, Katrina is makingmasterminds out of hospital HR personnel across the metro area. Hospitals and clinics are coming up with inventive ways to recruitemployee amid the ongoing New Orleans health care struggle to findqualified workers ....
Louisiana-based McDermott International's 4Q income leaps 290 percent
Mar 02, 2007; ... McDermott International Inc. reported net income of $141 million,or $1.23 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, a290 percent increase over net income of $36.1 million, or $0.32 perdiluted share, for the same period in 2005. The company's revenues were $1.3 ...
Louisiana Restaurant Assn. CEO earns top industry honor
Mar 02, 2007; ... The Louisiana Restaurant Association today announced President andCEO Jim Funk will be honored by the National Restaurant Associationand the NRA Education Foundation (May 19, 2007 at the 20th AnnualSalute to Excellence Awards Gala and Banquet at the Hilton Chicago.Funk is the first state ...
Gov. Blanco supports high school redesign recommendations
Mar 02, 2007; ... The day after the state named a new superintendent of education,Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco today responded to recommendationsfrom a high school redesign commission. Blanco said she supported the recommendations of the LouisianaHigh School Redesign Commisssion. "Are your ...
Gov. Blanco: New education superintendent has 'large shoes to fill'
Mar 02, 2007; ... Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco today told the new superintendentof education that he has "very large shoes to fill." On Thursday, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Educationannounced the appointment of Pastorek, a New Orleans native. Pastorek was appointed after Cecil ...
Louisiana insurance officials probe Allstate cancellations
Mar 02, 2007; ... Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon says his staffwill inspect 18 properties in Orleans, Jefferson and St. Bernardparishes whose owners complained to his department after theirinsurance policies were cancelled recently. The cancellations came after the Dec. 31 lapsing ...
Whitney Holding completes $61.7M St. Pete bank acquisition
Mar 02, 2007; ... Whitney Holding Corp. has completed its acquisition of SignatureFinancial Corp. in St. Petersburg, Fla. The $61.7-million cash and stock transaction expands Whitney'sfootprint in Florida with additional $278 million in assets, $226million in loans and $220 million in deposits. With ...
Realty president predicts N.O. area population rebound by 2013
Mar 02, 2007; ... The president of one of Louisiana's largest real estate companiestoday said the metropolitan New Orleans' area population mightrebound to pre-Hurricane Katrina levels by 2013, not 2018 as someexperts have predicted. "I think we're going to rebound better, stronger, faster ...
La. Rep. Steve Scalise bill package seeks widespread tax cuts
Mar 02, 2007 ... State Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, said he has filed a seriesof bills to spur economic development through cutting taxes. One of the bills, House Bill 54, would reinstate tax breaks thatwere taken away by the Stelly Plan. The bill aims to roll back Stellytax increases by ...
Urban League program to aid at-risk N.O. youth
Mar 02, 2007; ... In a collaboration aiming to provide education and employmentopportunities for at-risk youth, the Urban League of Greater NewOrleans, Delgado Community College and others are launching an UrbanEmpowerment Program. The program's launch was unveiled this afternoon at ...
New Orleans Saints host free agents, resign Stinchcomb
Mar 04, 2007; ... The New Orleans Saints entertained two defensive free agents overthe weekend. Linebacker Brian Simmons, who's spent his entire nine-year careerwith the Cincinnati Bengals, met with the Saints Saturday. Fourth-year safety Ken Hamlin of the Seattle Seahawks was scheduled to ...
2006 was phenomenal year for world trade in Louisiana
Mar 05, 2007; ... The record-breaking $23.5 billion in Louisiana exports in 2006 istestament to global trade's lucrative business characteristics, tradeexperts say. Many unknowns developed in the New Orleans business communityfollowing Hurricane Katrina. Export and import market plans wereshuffled ...
N.O. City Council expects to find city inspector general for by summer
Mar 05, 2007; ... The New Orleans City Council honored voter wishes from more than adecade ago by adopting an ordinance Nov. 2 creating an inspectorgeneral's office. But in nearly four months since then, the position designed toinvestigate reports of fraud and abuse in city government ...
Thugs recruit N.O. children to life of crime
Mar 05, 2007; ... Editor's note: The third and final installment of the "CriminalMinds" series looks at the culture of crime in New Orleans throughthe eyes of a former drug dealer and how young children are caught upin the violence. Alfred Knox was walking home through Central City when a ...
March 5-11
Mar 05, 2007; ... The following calendar of business meetings and events is forMarch 5-11. The deadline for submissions to the business calendar is10 days prior to publication date. March 5 Changing Louisiana Seminar, featuring Essence Magazine's Susan L.Taylor, Ernest N. Morial Convention ...
Executives toppling from large corporate banks to smaller community institutions becoming the norm
Mar 05, 2007; ... Statewide Bank's hiring of Matt Faust as its president in earlyFebruary was the latest domino in a chain of executives toppling fromlarge corporate banks to smaller community institutions. Faust is the former head of Capital One Bank's St. Tammany market, A team of Capital One ...
New Orleans Financial Briefs: March 5, 2007
Mar 05, 2007; ... The former chief counsel and acting deputy secretary of the U.S.Treasury is hanging his shingle at the Washington office of JonesWalker. Arnie Havens joined the law firm in January after overseeing 1,400Treasury department attorneys, including those at the Internal Revenue ...
Interview with Rob Stuart: President of Capital One's La., Tex. divisions
Mar 05, 2007; ... Age: 50 Education: bachelor's and master's degrees in finance, LouisianaState University; and completed Harvard Business School GeneralManager Program Family: wife, Donna; and children Robert, Maggie and Philip Hometown: Baton Rouge Capital One didn't have to ...
The Road Home program in La. turns a corner
Mar 05, 2007; ... Through 22 weeks, The Road Home program has closed 2,718 homeownergrants with a flurry adding more than 1,000 closings early last week. While encouraging, The Road Home is still only closing an averageof 123 homeowner requests per week through the life of the programdating from ...
Commentary: What to tell a president with some help from CNN
Mar 05, 2007; ... CNN called Wednesday to ask what CityBusiness would ask or tellPresident Bush about the recovery 18 months post-Katrina. The president's March 1 visit to Samuel J. Green Middle School wasthe occasion for the request. Beginning with a question as to why the post-K recovery ...
Commentary: It helps for problem solvers to speak plain English
Mar 05, 2007; ... Some of the things we shouldn't do are obvious. We shouldn't kill,covet, envy - all those things listed in the Ten Commandments. Anyonewith half a brain can figure out the big things on the "don't do"list. It's the little things we do that we shouldn't that drive MissManners and ...
Commentary: Bruneau attacked for causing a 'wasteful' special election
Mar 05, 2007; ... The first candidate to throw a real punch in this Orleans Parishhouse race is a woman. Democratic activist Deborah Langhoff, stronglysupported by many party leaders, attacked Jeb Bruneau, son ofincumbent state Rep. Peppi Bruneau, R-New Orleans, and the presumedfront-runner in the race ....
Sen. Barbara Boxer vows to prioritize storm protection funding in La. parishes
Mar 05, 2007; ... Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., promised to revive the $7.3-billionWater Resources Development Act now stalled in committee and move itinto the Senate by the end of March. The promise came at the U.S. Senate Environment and Public WorksCommittee hearing held in New Orleans Feb. 26 ....
Work nears on $250M Harvey Canal floodwall in La.
Mar 05, 2007; ... Construction on the long-stalled Harvey Canal floodwall shouldbegin in March, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said. The 4-mile floodwall will be divided into five sections forconstruction. The first section to be built will be a 3,201-foot-long stretchfrom Boomtown Casino to ...
$700M N.O. jazz park designs near
Mar 05, 2007; ... Nearly a year after the project was announced, plans for a $700-million-plus downtown jazz park that involves the owners of the HyattRegency Hotel are near completion. Jonathan Dedmon, spokesman for a Chicago firm handling publicrelations for the Hyatt, said architect Thom Mayne ...
220-room Marriott to open in Metairie
Mar 05, 2007; ... Pyramid Hotel Group will open the 220-room New Orleans MarriottMetairie this spring at Lakeway Center, 3838 Causeway Blvd. The hotel offers 33 suites, a wireless concierge level, 6,500square feet of meeting space and a new restaurant, Bistro 38 byDominique, run by Chef Dominique ...
Federal City in Algiers to gain tenant
Mar 05, 2007; ... Federal City, a $160-million government complex planned forAlgiers, will house Sector New Orleans, a division of the U.S. BorderPatrol, at 3819 Patterson Drive. U.S. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Robert Papp Jr. said Sector New Orleansand its 300 employees will move to Federal City, which ...
Gulf study improves platform design
Mar 05, 2007; ... High-tech floats submerged on the Gulf of Mexico sea floor havedetected new deepwater current patterns, likely to improveengineering standards for offshore oil and gas platforms, the U.S.Department of Interior said. "This new study has added significant findings to the ...
N.O. Section 8 take could be slashed
Mar 05, 2007; ... A proposed congressional formula change in the Section 8 programthat would reduce funding for the program is angering low-incomehousing developers. The formula change would reduce the annual voucher funding in NewOrleans from more than $73 million to $3.3 million in the 2007 ...
Tower tussle in downtown N.O.
Mar 05, 2007; ... Developer Angelo Farrell's plans to build a 26-story condo towerin the 100 block of Royal Street after gaining unanimous approval bythe New Orleans City Council Feb. 15. Carol Greve, president of the French Quarter HomeownersAssociation, wants to stop him. "This is our worst ...
Airport incentives fuel drive for more carriers in N.O.
Mar 05, 2007; ... Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport officials hoperegional carrier ExpressJet Airlines will be the first of many newflights landing at the facility post-Hurricane Katrina. Armstrong officials have experienced a turbulent 18 months ofrebuilding available air service ...
Why Stay? Everything that is best about N.O. is accessible to everyone
Mar 05, 2007; ... Jamie Lovitt, a native of Colorado Springs, Colo., moved to NewOrleans in 2004 to teach at Israel Augustine High School as a Teachfor America Corps member. Lovitt, now 25, said her first yearteaching seventh- and eighth-grade science was "incrediblydifficult." "I knew right away ...
State of La. lacks resources for ex-con rehabilitation
Mar 05, 2007; ... When a 23-year-old man is released from prison with a fourth-grade education, a drug addiction and no job skills, his return to alife of crime is inevitable, experts say. But if educational, employment and substance abuse programs canhelp the transition back into society. Studies ...
N.O. retired oilman to launch new onshore drilling venture
Mar 05, 2007; ... Clint Coldren's retirement was short-lived. Less than a year after the founder of two New Orleans-basedindependent oil companies sold his shares of Coldren Oil and Gas Co.LP to relax and renovate his New Orleans home, the 52-year-oldColdren is back at the helm of a new startup, ...
Nonprofit Spotlight: Kaboom, Fannie Mae make playground magic in N.O.
Mar 05, 2007; ... Thanks to 1,500 volunteers and $400,000, six New Orleans schoolsnow have new playgrounds for nearly 36,000 students. Kaboom, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit dedicated to building100 playgrounds across the Gulf Coast, teamed with Fannie Mae for aFeb. 13 event during the mortgage ...
GW Fins hooks unique seafood house concept for New Orleans
Mar 05, 2007; ... GW Fins $$$$$ 808 Bienville St., French QuarterDinner seven nights. www.gwfins.com "What's going to happen to our seafood?" People were asking that a lot a year and a half ago, and with goodreason: Who was more in harm's way than the guys who ...
Jesse Jackson's group to hold summit in N.O.
Mar 05, 2007; ... The Rev. Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Push Coalition will hold a GulfCoast Economic Summit April 3-4 at the Sheraton New Orleans hotel,500 Canal St. Organizers are calling the event "an opportunity to learn how toparticipate in the rebuilding efforts in New Orleans ...
City Park restores amusement rides for $3M
Mar 05, 2007; ... The amusement park at New Orleans City Park reopened Saturdayafter $3 million raised from private and public donors help repairthe storm-ravaged facility. The new park features nine rides including the children's train,the lady bug roller coaster, the Construction Zone ride, ...
Harahan company settles following hiring discrimination probe
Mar 05, 2007; ... Universal Sodexho has agreed to pay $788,877 in back wages andinterest to resolve findings that the company engaged in hiringdiscrimination against minorities at its Harahan facility, the U.S.Department of Labor said Monday. The company, a contractor of the U.S. Department of ...
Houston-based Waste Management to buy back $1.8B in stock
Mar 05, 2007; ... Waste Management Inc., the nation's largest garbage hauler, onMonday approved an expansion of its stock buyback plan worth $600million. The Houston-based company, with garbage collection routes in andaround New ...