crime

Number of cars stolen in Sixth District plummets after ‘tow wagon’ found

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The number of auto thefts occurring in the Sixth District plummeted from 12 to zero after a contraption known as a “tow wagon” was taken off the streets, New Orleans police said at a weekly meeting at headquarters Friday. Police have videos showing the tow wagon lifting parked cars and being driven off, NOPD Sixth District Commander Bob Bardy said. The contraption lifted the cars up from underneath, hooked into their bottoms and towed them away, without having to break any windows or start engines, according to police. “That has been our nemesis,” Bardy said about the tow wagon and the number of auto thefts in the district. A truck carrying the contraption was found in Mid-City on the corner of Carrollton and Bienville streets, said NOPD Lt. Frank Young.

events

Touro Synagogue to host Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament and dinner Saturday

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A Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament will be held at Touro Synagogue on Saturday (Feb. 8) at 6 p.m., according to a press release. A $100 buy-in includes dinner and a poker game, and a $50 fee for spectators includes dinner. Prizes will be given to the top nine players at the final table, and there are unlimited buy-ins for the first two hours, according to the release.

city government

Susan Guidry re-elected to District A City Council seat without runoff

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New Orleans City Councilwoman Susan Guidry was re-elected to represent District A, clearing the field of four challengers without the need for a runoff Saturday night, according to preliminary results. The Secretary of State’s office reported results showing Guidry got nearly 67 percent of the vote, with all precincts reporting. Guidry supporters congregating at Redemption restaurant in Mid-City erupted into applause Saturday after seeing preliminary results from televised election coverage. “It is so exciting to get the results we’ve just gotten and that District A residents of this great, great city are pleased with the work I’ve been doing and want to see more of it,” Guidry said during her re-election speech at the restaurant, located at 3835 Iberville Street. Guidry spoke highly of the city’s rehabilitation following Hurricane Katrina.

good works

‘Jazzin on Jackson’ gala in Irish Channel to support Uptown seniors in March

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The Mercy Endeavors Senior Center’s second annual “Jazzin on Jackson” gala is slated for March 20, the center recently announced. The event, which is to be held at St. Alphonsus Art & Cultural Center on 2030 Constance Street, will benefit the elderly living uptown, according to Cherie Moore, the center’s Director of Development. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door, and can be bought by visiting the Mercy Endeavor Senior Center website or calling 568-0607. For more information, read the press release below:
The Mercy Endeavors Senior Center serves the aging population of the Irish Channel and Garden District neighborhoods of New Orleans by providing daily recreation and social activities, educational opportunities, nutrition programs, noon meals, and advocacy programs to over 100 members of the community.

good works

Wilson Charter School’s Masquerade Gala fundraiser will send students to Washington, D.C.

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Wilson Charter School will host a Masquerade Gala to benefit a project designed to send inner-city kids to Washington, D.C., according to a release shared by the school. The gala, to be held on at Propeller Incubator at 4305 Washington Avenue on Feb. 8 at 8 p.m., will feature music, entertainment and a silent auction. For more information, read the press release below:
Proceeds from the benefit will go to the school’€™s “€œWilson to Washington” project. The project is designed to take 25 deserving inner city students to the nation’s capital for a four-day trip where they will partner with a mentor to help guide them through various educational projects.  The entire aspect of the trip is a lesson in itself, with lessons learned by developing and adhering to the trip budget, raising capital needed to finance the trip, and learning what role each individual plays in ensuring that the trip is successful.

arts, books and music

Loyola Theatre presents ‘Albertine in Five Times’ next week

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The Loyola University New Orleans Department of Theatre Arts and Dance will present Michel Tremblay’s  play, “Albertine in Five Times,” starting next Wednesday (Feb. 5), according to a press release issued by the university. The “moving portrait of an extraordinary ‘ordinary’ woman” will run in the Lower Depths Theater in the Communications/Music Complex, according to the release. For more information, read the release below:
Written by Quebec’s most celebrated playwright and directed by Loyola associate theatre professor Artemis Preeshl, the play explores the emotional journey of Albertine, a war widow and mother, from age 30 to 70. While the older Albertines warn their past selves of what is to come, the younger Albertines are passionate and full of explanations.

arts, books and music

Meschiya Lake kicks off another month of free youth music clinics at Tipitina’s on Sunday

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The Tipitina’s Youth Foundation will feature Sunday Youth Music Workshops at Tipitina’s Uptown during January and February, including Meschiya Lake, the Johnny V Trio and the Mike Dillon Band. See the announcements below for more information:
Sunday, 1/26, 1pm at Tipitina’s Uptown (501 Napoleon Ave.)
Tipitina’s Foundation Presents
Sunday Youth Music Workshop
feat. Meschiya Lake
1pm – 3pm
Free and open to music students of all ages and their parents (recommended for middle & high school students). Sunday, 2/2, 1pm at Tipitina’s Uptown (501 Napoleon Ave.)

Tipitina’s Foundation Presents
Sunday Youth Music Workshop
feat. Johnny V Trio
1pm – 3pm
Free and open to music students of all ages and their parents (recommended for middle & high school students).

church

St. Stephen Church offers “virtual pilgrimage” to Lourdes on Saturday

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A Virtual Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes will take place at St Stephen Church, located at 1025 Napolean Avenue, on Saturday evening (Jan. 25), according to a release issued by the church. For more information on the 5:30 p.m. service, see the release below:

Included will be a Eucharistic Blessing, the recitation of the Dominican Rosary, the presence of a rock from the sacred grotto, the distribution of water from Lourdes, as well as a Plenary Indulgence.  For further information, please telephone Phillip Bellini at the Rectory Office, at (504)899-1378.

colleges

Tulane law students to help low-income residents with taxes starting this weekend

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As part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, Tulane Law School students will help prepare tax returns for New Orleans-area residents who couldn’t otherwise afford it, according to a news release issued by the school. The program, done in coordination with the law school’s pro bono program, will run for ten Saturdays starting this weekend. For more information, read the release below:
Clinics are scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 25; Feb. 1, 8, 15 and 22; March 15, 22 and 29; and April 5 and 12.

arts, books and music

Loyola Opera revives Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’

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The Loyola Opera Theatre will showcase its new production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “mythical” opera “The Magic Flute” this weekend, according to a spokesperson for the college. The performances will take place on Friday (Jan. 24) at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. in Louis J. Roussel Performance Hall, located in the Communications/Music Complex on Loyola’s main campus. A complimentary wine and cheese reception sponsored by the Loyola Alumni Association will precede Friday’s performance at 6:30 p.m, according to a press release. For more details, see the release below:
“The Magic Flute,” written in a popular style with spoken dialogue, premiered to great acclaim in Vienna, Austria in September 1791.