business

Daiquiri shop proposed for St. Charles Avenue draws opposition from Lower Garden Association

By |

Opposition to a plan to turn a vacant coffee shop on St. Charles Avenue into a small daiquiri bar grew more formal Monday night when the Lower Garden District Association voted unanimously to oppose the project at its hearing before the City Planning Commission next week. Tiger Paw Daiquiris and Grill, a Baton Rouge-based daiquiri shop, is seeking to move its LSU-themed business into the former Krewe du Brew location at 1610 St. Charles Avenue, proposing a small bar with just seven seats inside so patrons can grab a drink and move on. Owners Chris Mercier and Ferdinand Jefferson ran into vehement opposition from nearby residents and business owners this summer at a neighborhood meeting about the request, which is now set for a City Planning Commission hearing on Oct.

crime

Weekend robberies reported on Robert, Willow, St. Andrew and LaSalle streets, police say

By |

Four separate robberies were reported on Robert, Willow, St. Andrew and LaSalle streets on Saturday and Sunday nights, New Orleans police said Monday morning. Around 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, two men — one in his 40s, and one in his 50s — were walking in the 1900 block of St. Andrew Street (near O.C. Haley Boulevard) when a black, older-model vehicle approached, according to the initial NOPD report.

crime

Teen boy injured in shooting on Toledano Street, police say

By |

A teenage boy was shot in the back Sunday night on Toledano Street, New Orleans police said. The victim, a 16-year-old boy, was near Toledano and South Roman streets around 9:15 p.m. when he was shot in the back, according to the initial NOPD report. He was taken to the hospital for surgery, but no further information on his condition was immediately available afterward, police official said. Anyone with information is urged to call the NOPD Sixth District station at 658-6060 to speak to a detective, or CrimeStoppers at 822-1111 to leave an anonymous tip that could be eligible for a cash reward.

crime

Two people robbed at gunpoint at St. Charles and Lowerline, police say

By |

Two people were robbed at gunpoint near St. Charles Avenue and Lowerline Street on Thursday evening, New Orleans police said. The victims, a man and a woman both in their late 20s, were near the intersection shortly before 9 p.m. Thursday (Oct. 11) when they were confronted by a man with a gun demanding their belongings, according to the initial NOPD report. “The subject then cocked the gun and demanded phone and money again,” the report states.

city government

New traffic signal planned on South Broad Street near courthouse

By |

A new traffic signal will be installed on South Broad Street at Gravier Street — between the New Orleans Police Department headquarters and Criminal District Court — as part of the ongoing work on the street. The new signal is part of the larger $1 million Broad Street Infrastructure Improvement project, which will require reducing both sides of the street to single lanes for an expected five months starting Monday, Oct. 15. For more details, see the announcement below:

On Monday, Oct. 15 at 9 a.m., the City of New Orleans, Department of Public Works’ construction contractor, Hard Rock Construction, LLC, will begin infrastructure improvements on South Broad Street between Erato Street and Tulane Avenue.

crime

Arrest made in road-rage shooting on Pontchartrain Expressway

By |

A man was arrested Thursday after allegedly shooting another driver in a road-rage incident on the Pontchartrain Expressway, police said. Shortly before noon Thursday, the two drivers were both headed toward the Westbank on the Pontchartrain Expressway near the Carondelet Street onramp, according to NOPD spokesman Gary Scheets. “As the two drivers headed toward the West Bank, a shot was fired from one vehicle into another, striking the driver in the shoulder,” Scheets said. Devin Raymond, 22, was arrested afterward and charged with a single count of aggravated battery by shooting, the report states. The wounded driver was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries not believed to be life-threatening, the report states.

crime

Suspect identified, sought in St. Thomas Street armed robbery

By |

Investigators have identified a man believed to have robbed an acquaintance at gunpoint last week on St. Thomas Street, and detectives are now hoping the public can help locate him, New Orleans police said. Tony Gaines, 48, is wanted on an armed-robbery charge in connection with an armed robbery Friday, Oct. 5, near the intersection of St. Thomas and St.

Man injured in shootout on Delachaise Street, police say

By |

A man was injured Tuesday evening in an exchange of gunfire on Delachaise Street, New Orleans police said. The victim, a 20-year-old man, got into an argument with another person around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, in the 2200 block of Delachaise Street (near Loyola Street), according to the initial NOPD report. The dispute escalated into a gunfight, and the victim was hit in the left foot and taken to the hospital for treatment, the report states. Further details were not immediately available.

crime

Bicyclist robbed at gunpoint on Perrier Street, police say

By |

A man riding his bicycle on Perrier Street was robbed at gunpoint Sunday night, New Orleans police said. The victim, a man on his 50s, was bicycling in the 4900 block of Perrier Street (near Upperline) shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7, when he was confronted by people in a black four-door vehicle, according to the initial NOPD report. One of them got out of the backseat and pushed a handgun against the victim’s side, then emptied his pockets and took his backpack, the report states. The gunman then got back into the vehicle, which drove off, the report states.

arts, books and music

Lower Garden District venue for “Fallen Saint” immersive-theatre project wins unanimous City Council vote

By |

The controversial proposal to convert a former Lower Garden District warehouse into a venue for a permanent new-to-New Orleans immersive-theatre production called “The Fallen Saint” won unanimous approval from the City Council on Thursday — overcoming ardent opposition from some nearby neighbors by agreeing to an exhaustive list of operating conditions described as without precedent in the city. Lower Garden District residents Seth and Rosa Dunlap are seeking a conditional-use permit for an indoor amusement facility at their property at 1152 Magazine Street, so they can convert the former warehouse into a permanent venue for a new immersive-theatre experience to be called “The Fallen Saint.” The show’s New York based producers — veterans of the acclaimed Blue Man Group production — describe the concept as an interactive theatre event based on Prohibition-era New Orleans, where patrons will mingle with performers in small-group settings, singing along with them around a piano together instead of observing the music from a seated audience. Most of the debate at Thursday’s City Council meeting over the request followed the same contours as previous debates over it at previous hearings of the City Planning Commission or the Lower Garden District Association. The Dunlaps promised a high-class artistic endeavor just steps from their own home that will employ 200 people and add a new element to tourism in New Orleans.