Follow your passion, ‘Les Miserables’ actors tell Lusher theater students

Theater students from a local high school had the opportunity to hear from two actors from “Les Miserables,” a Tony award-winning musical playing at the Saenger Theatre until Jan. 13.

On Wednesday, Paige Smallwood and Stavros Koumbaros, actors from “Les Miserables,” spoke with 35 theater students at Lusher Charter School on Freret Street. During the event arranged by Broadway in New Orleans and the Orleans Parish School Board, the actors answered questions from A.J. Allegra, director of the musical theater division at Lusher, and directly from the students themselves.

Danae Columbus: First legislative candidate formally announces in 2019 cycle; may there be more to come?

With qualifying for the fall state-wide and legislative races just 208 days away, Carling Dinkler IV will be the first candidate to formally announce a bid for the Louisiana Legislature — State Representative District 91 — tomorrow evening at Propeller. Dinkler will have big shoes to fill if he succeeds in replacing the popular but term-limited Walt Leger. “I am humbled and excited to announce I am running for State Representative,” Dinkler tweeted.

A life-long New Orleanian who lives with his wife Ayame and young daughter in Uptown’s Marlyville neighborhood, Dinkler is currently vice president of business development at Enhanced Capital, a firm that helps secure historic preservation tax credits. He also plays a role in the firm’s governmental relations efforts.

State Street apartment house burns in overnight fire; firefighter injured, 5 residents displaced

Five people were displaced after a three-apartment house on State Street caught fire overnight, New Orleans firefighters said Thursday morning. A firefighter was injured while battling the blaze.

The fire at 2433-35 State Street was reported at 12:55 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 10, and the first firefighters arrived six minutes later to find a two-story masonry veneer multi-unit residence fully engulfed in heavy smoke and fire.

Tulane alumni donate $1 million to men’s basketball program

As Tulane men’s basketball team looked to get back on track in search of its first league win of the season, it gained a major win from some former students.

Tulane almuni Avron B. Fogelman (Class of 1962) and Wendy Mimeles Fogelman (Class of 1963) have given $1 million to support Tulane University men’s basketball, the university announced.