Baby Ben cheerleaders perform at Winn-Dixie to support donation program

Shoppers will be cheered on by the Benjamin Franklin Elementary Mathematics & Science School cheerleading team on Thursday (Aug. 24) at the Winn-Dixie on Tchoupitoulas Street. The supermarket chose the Jefferson Avenue charter school to be a part of its School Donation Program in August, and the cheerleaders will perform to support the cause. Through Tuesday (Aug. 29), Winn-Dixie shoppers can donate to the school while makin’ groceries.

NOPD plans sobriety checkpoint

The NOPD’s Traffic Division will conduct an upcoming sobriety checkpoint at an undisclosed location beginning Sunday (Aug. 20). The checkpoint will operate between the hours of 9 p.m. on Sunday and 5 a.m. on Monday (Aug. 21). The number of DWI arrests by New Orleans police has fallen in recent years, with only 69 in 2022, compared to more than 600 five years earlier.

‘Coffee on Your Corner’ pours zoning and enforcement, public safety and housing

Residents in District A and District B will have a chance to meet with city officials during two August “Coffee on Your Corner” events. Questions on zoning and enforcement issues will be answered at the District A coffee klatsch. The District B Neighborhood Engagement Office event is on public health and housing. The Mayor’s Office created Coffee on Your Corner to bring city government to neighborhood venues. The events give New Orleanians a chance to hear about city programs, initiatives and operations directly from the officials in charge of them.

Uptowners don’t need to travel far for a COOLinary meal

Let’s face it — August in New Orleans, especially with seemingly endless record heat, can be brutal. All the more reason to escape to your favorite restaurant, or that restaurant you’ve been wanting to try, to indulge your taste buds with a COOLinary meal. During the 19th annual August COOLinary, some of the city’s finest dining establishments are offering specially curated prix-fixe menus at unbeatable prices. During COOLinary New Orleans, restaurant goers can enjoy two- and three-course lunch menus for $25 or less and three-course dinner and brunch menus for $50 or less from 109 restaurants citywide. Participants include some of the city’s longstanding and iconic Creole and Cajun restaurants as well as new places featuring New Orleans cuisine incorporating international inspirations.

Man killed in early morning shooting on Toledano

A man was shot to death early Friday (Aug. 4) in the Hoffman Triangle neighborhood, the New Orleans Police Department reported. At about 2:25 a.m., NOPD Sixth District officers responded to a call of a shooting in the 3300 block of Toledano Street, near Galvez. They found an unresponsive man with a gunshot wound. Medical responders declared him dead at the scene.

Two sought for questioning in Central City double homicide

The New Orleans Police Department is seeking assistance in locating two persons-of-interest for questioning in the ongoing investigation of a double homicide that occurred on Dec. 4, 2022, in Central City. At about 8:30 a.m., officers called to the 2900 block of Danneel Street found two men suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. They were transported to a local hospital, where they later died. The Coroner’s Office identified the victims as Terry Johnson, 32, and Richard Watson, 46.

Mayor’s Office invites public to meetings on the city’s budget

From the Mayor’s Office

Mayor LaToya Cantrell is holding Budget Community Meeting Series this to solicit public opinion on how the city should allocate the 2024 budget. “Building out the city’s budget for 2024 is a process that does not happen overnight; it starts right now,” Cantrell said in a press release. “These town halls are specifically designed for residents to hear directly from my administration and also for us to listen to the public relative to their priorities as well. ”

At the townhall-style meetings in each City Council district, officials will discuss budgeting priorities aligned with the Cantrell administration’s framework designed to prioritize issues that matter most to New Orleanians. These priorities include treating public safety as public health and investing in infrastructure, quality of life, economic development and good and inclusive governance.

Armed robbery victim dies; teenage suspect faces murder charge

A Hoffman Triangle shooting victim died of his wounds Saturday (July 22), and a teenager jailed in that shooting now faces a murder charge in his death. Police found Kenneth Allen with a gunshot wound in the 3100 block of Second Street at about 12:45 a.m. on July 11. He was unresponsive, and Emergency Medical Services brought him to a hospital. He died 11 days later at 57. On July 18, the NOPD arrested 19-year-old Cody McClairen in connection with two shootings committed just days apart in the Hoffman Triangle, including Allen’s shooting.

Roadwork ahead: Camp Street detour continues in Lower Garden District

sDrivers in the Lower Garden District will continue to face a barricade on Camp Street at Thalia. The downtown-bound travel lanes of the 1200 block of Camp will remain closed through Monday (July 31), the Department of Public Works reported. The street is closed for asphalt paving operations as part of the Central City Group B project. The work began June 21. Drivers heading toward downtown are rerouted onto Thalia Street, then turn left onto Constance Street and left again onto Erato Street, where traffic can return to eastbound Camp Street (see map above).