armed robbery

15-year-old arrested for armed robbery in Freret neighborhood

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On May 16, NOPD Second District officers arrested a 15-year-old boy for two counts of armed robbery and two counts of use of a firearm in a robbery. The arrest was made in the investigation of an incident on May 15 in the 4300 block of Willow Street. In that incident, a 31-year-old man and 35-year-old woman were approached from behind just after 10 p.m. while walking near the Ochsner Baptist medical complex. Two gunmen demanded their wallets and other items, and they complied. Anyone with information is urged to call the NOPD Second District station at 504-658-6020 to speak to a detective, or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 to leave an anonymous tip that could be eligible for a cash reward.

land use & development

City Council approves compromise allowing new Magazine Street building

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The City Council backed a plan to approve a controversial new building on Magazine Street in the Irish Channel while requiring further design changes to the three-story mixed-use building. The Historic District Landmarks Commission had gave the project its conceptual approval in April. The Garden District Association then filed an appeal asking the City Council to overturn the HDLC’s decision. In the appeal, Garden District Association President Frank Tessier quotes liberally from the HDLC’s guidelines for new construction, pointing out requirements — such as aligning balconies, roof ridges and other elements with adjacent buildings — that he states were not followed by the commission when it approved the design for 2230 Magazine. The appeal states the building is too large for the site, despite guidelines that require compatibility in size and massing.

roadwork

Roadwork ahead: Yearlong project to repave, add bike lanes to MLK Boulevard begins Monday

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From the Mayor’s Office

On Monday (May 23), weather permitting, the city’s Department of Public Works contractor, Boh Brothers Construction Co., will begin construction on the Martin Luther King Jr. Patch Mill Overlay project, extending from St. Charles Avenue to South Claiborne Avenue. Parking restrictions and temporary changes to traffic patterns along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard will start at 7:30 a.m. and will remain in effect throughout the duration of the project. Construction crews will be working the full length of the travel lane in each direction from St. Charles to South Claiborne.

Sidewalk Side

The Sidewalk Side: Chestnut Street in the Touro-Bouligny neighborhood

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It’s a glorious day for a StreetWalk … or a StreetScene … or taking a walk on the Sidewalk Side. I manage to get in right under the wire before this past week or so of brutally hot late May weather, so I can take my time studying the late-19th and early-20th century houses on the even side of the 3900 block of Chestnut Street. Bounded by Austerlitz on the east and Constantinople streets on the west, I’m in the Touro-Bouligny neighborhood just two blocks away from Magazine Street’s restaurants and shops. Starting at the corner of Chestnut and Austerlitz, I’m greeted by a Craftsman double with blue weatherboards and bright red doors. There’s a front-facing gable on the left-hand side of the roof, balanced by a hipped roof on the right.

Saturday is Cleanup Day across Uptown, and volunteers are needed

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Saturday (May 21) is Cleanup Day across Uptown neighborhoods in Council District B.

The District B Cleanup Day, organized by Councilmember Lesli Harris’ office, will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and depends on volunteer efforts by neighborhood residents. According to the District B office, Cleanup Day as part of an ongoing effort to improve the quality of life and public safety for District B residents and businesses. “I truly believe a clean city is a safer city, so this is an important effort for all of us to take on,” Harris said, inviting residents to join her in volunteering this Saturday. Thirteen neighborhoods across the Uptown will serve as hosts, each with a designated meeting point (listed below) and a walking route where volunteers will collect trash. Harris’ office will provide gloves, trash bags and masks to each of the locations, and volunteers are encouraged to bring their own materials, including rakes.

opinion

Viewpoint: It’s time to put that mask on again

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Those readers who know me personally understand that I am very involved in the Greek Festival, which is returning Memorial Day weekend after a two-year hiatus. During a visit to the Greek church earlier this week, the festival’s long-time operations director, who comes in from Texas, said, “I see you are wearing a mask again,” to which I replied: “I never stopped wearing a mask.”

crime

Man shot to death on Central City street

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A man was shot to death Wednesday morning (May 18) in Central City, the New Orleans Police Department reported. Police found a man in the 2700 block of Clara Street, near Washington Avenue, with a single gunshot wound. The offense occurred shortly before 10:30 a.m., police said. Medical responders took him to a local hospital, where he later died. The Coroner’s Office identified him as Byron Coleman.

fire

Early morning fire overtakes three vacant Hollygrove houses

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Three vacant Hollygrove houses went up in flames early Wednesday (May 18), the New Orleans Fire Department reported. People, who were believed to be squatters, were seen escaping the fire. At 6:16 a.m., nearby residents placed a 911 call  reporting a vacant home on fire at 3031 Eagle Street. Arriving on the scene a 6:22 a.m.,  firefighters found three vacant homes on fire and immediately struck a second and third alarm to contain the spread. The three homes were vacant and had no  utilities.