Students revitalize community gardens around Broadmoor

Broadmoor is coming into full bloom this spring as the Broadmoor Improvement Association and Tulane students lead efforts to revitalize three local community gardens. Two of the gardens – the Food Forest on Toledano Street near Dorgenois Street and another produce patch at the Broadmoor Community Church – will produce fresh herbs and vegetables for the Broadmoor Food Pantry. A rain garden at South Miro and Gen. Taylor streets will help mitigate flooding and beautify the area with native plants like cattails, cypress trees and irises. 

The goal of the gardens is simple: “We grow food and we nurture plants to bring people together,” said Dorothy Jelagat Cheruiyot, a professor of ecology and biology at Tulane University. Cheruiyot’s students are working as busily as bees in the Broadmoor gardens each week as part of internships and classes related to urban agroecology, as well as an additional garden at the New Zion Baptist Church in Central City. But the ultimate goal is to recruit neighborhood volunteers so that the lots will truly be sustainable community gardens, with an emphasis on the community.

Touchless supermarket opens in Broadmoor

EZgo Markets in Broadmoor, the city’s first locally-owned, completely touchless grocery store, held its grand opening on Tuesday (Dec. 15). EZgo Markets on the South Claiborne corridor at Delachaise Street offers more than 2,000 items, according to a press release. Customers order online, and the items are delivered to their homes or picked up at the store. Items on the EZgo site include a limited selection of fresh produce, meat and seafood, and a wider array of other grocery items such as dairy products, snacks, frozen food and pet food.

Walk-up COVID-19 testing held this week in Broadmoor, Lower Garden District

The city’s free walk-up testing for COVID-19 will be held in Broadmoor and the Lower Garden District this week. Anyone, with or without symptoms, is eligible to receive a test. No ID or health insurance is required. Testing at the Andrew Wilson Elementary School at 3617 Gen. Pershing St. in Broadmoor takes place Monday (June 29) and Tuesday (June 30) from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. — or whenever tests run out.

Early morning fire rages through strip mall on Washington Avenue in Broadmoor

A three-alarm fire broke out early Wednesday in a strip mall on Washington Avenue in Broadmoor. It caused extensive damage to the building that housed eight stores, fire officials report. The alarm sounded at about 2:45 a.m., and firefighters had the blaze under control by about 5 a.m. No injuries were reported. 

Only a convenience store in the 4100 block of Washington Avenue, near Eden and Dupre streets, was operating under the pandemic restrictions, and it was closed at the time of the fire, WWL-TV reported. In addition to the convenience store, the affected businesses include Dem Fire Sno Balls, J&B Cleaners, Tattoos, Nola Nails, Rusty’s Po-Boys and Seafood, Emerald Services (a tax preparation and financial planning business), and Karmah Tattoo Supply and Gallery, according to a Google search.

Annual Propeller Pop! gala celebrates social entrepreneurs this Wednesday

According to Propeller: A Force For Social Innovation, the nonprofit has accelerated over 215 entrepreneurs since 2011, and their ventures have created more than 485 jobs and generated over $112 million in revenue and financing. Propeller will host its annual gala and celebrate social entrepreneurs and innovation in New Orleans this Wednesday, Nov. 6. Propeller Pop! will take place in the Propeller incubator (4035 Washington Ave.) and will feature more than 10 popup restaurants, a tasting room by Roulaison Distilling Co., a silent auction, and more.

Four NOPD officers fired after unauthorized pursuit led to fiery fatal crash into Broadmoor salon

Four New Orleans Police officers were fired Wednesday in connection with a March car chase that ended with the suspect’s vehicle crashing into a Broadmoor salon and starting a fire that killed three people, after an internal investigation revealed “multiple policy violations” and a pattern of unauthorized pursuits, authorities said. The fired officers are Alex Mikkelsen, Jonathan Broom, Jeffrey Herrington and Alex Florian. All have been with the department for two years except Florian, who had been on the force three years. Also suspended in the investigation were two more officers, 9-year veteran Colby Stewart and William Hery, who had also been with the department two years. Steward was suspended 44 days and Hery for 54 days.