Police blotter: Package theft, battery by cutting

Package theft on Broadway caught on video
The New Orleans Police Department is seeking assistance from the public in identifying a man captured on surveillance video committing a theft in the 2500 block of Broadway.

On March 28, at or around 5:26 p.m., a man approached the victim’s residence and removed a package from her front porch. The subject then fled the scene on a bicycle.

Open house about biking safety brings cyclists’ and drivers’ concern

On Monday, cyclists, advocacy groups and city government officials gathered at Booker T. Washington in Central City to discuss issues around cycling in New Orleans. The meetings are part of an effort by New Orleans officials to make the city more bike-friendly and a safer place for cyclists.

Bike safety has come more into the spotlight since Frank Fisher, a 34-year-old oil-services worker and lifelong New Orleanian, was killed in February after being struck by a garbage truck while riding on Carrollton Avenue. No citations were written or arrests made in that case.

Then, on March 2, the deaths of Sharree Walls, 27, and David Hynes, 31, and the injuries of other cyclists on Esplanade Avenue galvanized the cycling community. Tashonty Toney, 32, faces two counts of vehicular homicide, seven counts of vehicular negligent injuring, hit-and-run driving and reckless operation of a vehicle in that incident.

Independent study supports redistribution of citywide parks and recreation taxes

An independent New Orleans research group is backing the proposal to replace three existing property taxes into one millage for citywide parks and recreation. But there’s a caveat: If passed, the city is urged to monitor the park agencies’ spending plans and performance outlined in a cooperative endeavor agreement.

The Bureau of Governmental Research, a nonprofit public-policy research organization, released this morning their study on the City-Wide Parks and Recreation Proposal.

After clearing hurdles, Rouses on Freret Street expected to open in spring 2020

Freret area residents can expect to shop at a neighborhood Rouses Market in the spring of 2020, according to estimates from a Rouses spokeswoman.

After easily clearing its major hurdles with the city, the Thibodaux-based supermarket chain is at least 10 weeks out from applying for a building permit, Marcy Nathan of Rouses Markets said. This timetable is in line with the company’s original estimates of an August 2019 start date for construction and a June 2020 opening.

City hosting bike network planning workshops this week

The city of New Orleans will present a series of “open house” neighborhood workshops to engage residents in each district about the upcoming plan to expand and improve the City’s bike network. Meetings for Districts A & B take place this week.

The City is working in collaboration with the Department of Public Works, the City Planning Commission, and community partners on this project, known as Moving New Orleans Bikes.