Roadwork ahead: Section of Leake Avenue closed for waterline repair

From the Mayor’s Office

Beginning today (June 14), the Department of Public Works contractor, Hard Rock Construction, LLC, will close the 7200 to 7500 blocks of Leake Avenue to traffic for approximately two weeks to conduct a waterline repair. Barricades and traffic detours will be placed on Broadway and Magazine streets to direct traffic toward St. Charles and South Carrollton avenues, as well as St. Charles Avenue at South Carrollton Avenue to direct traffic toward Henry Clay Avenue. The Black Pearl East Carrollton Group A project is scheduled to be completed this summer, weather permitting.

Join us in exploring Historic and Popular Jazz Locations, hosted by Chelsey Richard Napoleon, Clerk of Civil District Court (sponsored)

The Clerk’s Office consists of two divisions – Land Records and Civil. Our Civil Division is where civil cases — such as personal injury, accidents, successions and foreclosures — are filed. Domestic matters, such as divorce and child support, are also handled in the Civil Division. The Land Records Division is where documents regarding property are recorded. Documents regarding changes in ownership, sales, donations, as well as mortgages, liens and encumbrances, are recorded in our Land Records Division.

Porch concerts, a remnant of pandemic shutdowns, are too popular not to continue

A product of the pandemic, the Constantinople Stages free porch concerts are continuing. You can find the porch stage at 1201 Constantinople St., near Coliseum Street.  Bring your chairs, drinks, friends and family. And remember to tip the musicians; cash or Venmo is accepted. The following concerts have been scheduled. For updates, visit the Constantinople Stage Facebook page.

City board denies neighbors’ appeals over doubles-to-dorms conversion on Audubon

The battle between Uptown residents and developers over doubles-to-dorms conversions continues to play out in municipal hearings over zoning decisions. “Doubles-to-dorms” refers to the conversion of homes intended for families into private dormitory-style housing for college students. 

The Board of Zoning Adjustments on June 6 denied two appeals from University area residents who stated the Department of Safety & Permits wrongly issued a zoning determination and a building permit for 636-40 Audubon St., a multi-family building at the corner of Hampson Street. 

Early morning shooting leaves one dead in Hoffman Triangle

A man was killed early Friday (June 10) in the Hoffman Triangle neighborhood, the New Orleans Police Department reported. It was the second fatal shooting in the Sixth District within 48 hours. Around 3:24 a.m., officers in the area responded to shots fired in the 2800 block of South Roman Street. Upon arrival, they discovered an adult male victim suffering from an undetermined number of gunshot wounds. The victim died at the scene.

Viewpoint: Are there secrets in the Smart Cities documents Cantrell would prefer to hide?

Many New Orleanians would agree that Mayor LaToya Cantrell is pugnacious, uncompromising and used to getting what she wants. She seemed set on launching a controversial project that was supposed to increase internet connectivity while making retired NBA player Magic Johnson and his partners even richer. Her plans abruptly came to a halt when a skeptical City Council stepped in with a mountain of detailed questions that Cantrell and her staff fought and are finding extremely hard to avoid answering.   

By the middle of their second term, most mayors are thinking about life after City Hall. Mayor Moon Landrieu quickly landed himself a Cabinet position under President Jimmy Carter. Mayor Dutch Morial began practicing law with an eye toward a U.S. Senate race, which was derailed due to his untimely death.

Man killed in Central City shooting

A man was shot to death when gunmen opened fire on a Central City street on Wednesday (June 8), the New Orleans Police Department reported. At about 5:30 p.m., NOPD Sixth District officers responded to a report of gunfire in the 2800 block of Josephine Street. They found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. The Emergency Medical Service took him to the University Medical Center, where he died. The Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office will identify the victim and official cause of death upon completion of autopsy and notification of family.

La Patrona brings a fresh taste of Mexico to the Riverbend

La Patrona serves authentic Mexican food in the Riverbend at 575 S. Carrollton Ave. The restaurant is run by Edwin Alonzo and Veronica Cardona, the former proprietors of La Mansión, which operated on Dublin Street from 2015 to 2021. Alonzo and Cardona are from Guatemala. Cardona cooked at a Mexican restaurant in San Antonio before moving to New Orleans in 2015. She learned the ins and outs of Mexican cuisine.