Storm recovery updates: City details ongoing Hurricane Ida relief efforts

On Wednesday (Sept. 8), Mayor LaToya Cantrell lifted the curfew for New Orleans residents and the Army Corps of Engineers began installing its blue roofs, two signs that recovery from Hurricane Ida is progressing. Waste water treatment operations have returned to normal, the Sewerage & Water Board has announced, so residents can do their laundry, run their dishwashers and take long showers again. Trash continues to fester in front of homes, however. The city is issuing an emergency contract to bring more trucks and hoppers onto the streets, said Ramsey Green, the city’s infrastructure chief, at a press conference Wednesday.

Kristine Froeba on hurricane prep: Popeyes, bourbon and ice

No matter the crisis — pandemic, plague, zombie apocalypse or, even worse, a Cat 3 barreling toward the mouth of the Mississippi — New Orleanians never lose their sense of humor. The world might just end, but even if it does, we’re going out with a wink and smile, drinks held high, ironic swagger intact. (COCKTAILS REQUIRE ICE)
The cone of uncertainty is old hat to locals. We’ve been helping our family and friends prepare for Armageddon since before we finagled fake IDs. Supermarket and hardware store shelves empty at an alarming pace when there’s a storm in the Gulf.

Carjackings reported in Irish Channel, Fontainebleau neighborhoods

Two carjackings were reported this week in Uptown neighborhoods. On Monday (Aug. 23), a 30-year-old woman was carjacked in the 600 block of Toledano Street. She was inside her sport utility vehicle at about 10:40 p.m. when a group of male and female juveniles pulled up in a sedan, the New Orleans Police Department reported. One of them got out and demanded the victim turn over her vehicle.

Viewpoint: New WYES leadership team has deep local roots

With the recent retirement of WYES president Allan Pizzato, two native New Orleanians who are driven to broadcast excellence, Robin Cooper and Dominic Massa, have taken the helm to bring new ideas to the Crescent City’s iconic public television station. 

Leading the station since 2013, Pizzato oversaw the station’s tricentennial coverage, the creation of new shows and documentaries, and the construction of the $17 million headquarters that opened in 2017. The chief operating officer under Pizzato, Cooper assumed the position of president and CEO last month, leaving her previous spot available for long-time WWL-TV Executive Producer of Special Projects Dominic Massa. “WYES was built by some of the city’s best and brightest leaders, who believed in the power of television to educate, inform and inspire. That mission couldn’t be more important or needed today,” Massa said. By all accounts, Massa is one of the hardest working and most respected broadcasting professionals in New Orleans television.

Hangout Ramen on Carrollton and Willow offers Asian comfort food

Hangout Ramen, a ramen spot and sushi bar, made its debut Aug. 22 on South Carrollton Avenue and Willow Street. The restaurant is in the building that was home to Little Tokyo Small Plates and Noodle Bar and, most recently, Masterp1ece Japanese Cuisine, which closed earlier this summer. Owner Iwan Santoso, who is from Indonesia, brings some of his own culture to the menu that also includes Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese flavors. True to its name, the ramen menu is extensive and promises to bring the Japanese favorite to an area that has been lacking.