The importance of cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting surfaces has become the new national pastime. In the past month, we’ve all viewed tutorials and become experts on how to properly wash our hands for 20 seconds or more, but what about our groceries, shoes and mail-order packages? You’re likely wiping down some surfaces with disinfectant, but are you wiping down all the right surfaces? If keeping your home safe from COVID-19 is the priority, what comes after 6 feet of social distancing and a liberally applied hand sanitizer? Some say it entails a lot more.
A fire that broke out Saturday afternoon (April 30) at the corner of Delachaise and Freret streets displaced 16 people, according to media reports. Five homes were significantly damaged in the fire. The New Orleans Fire Department received the call about 12:30 p.m. and arrived at 2505 Delachaise St. to find the home engulfed in flames. The Fire Department said dead foliage and tree limbs between the five homes helped the fire spread quickly, causing significant damage to four surrounding homes.
A four-alarm fire broke out in a Central City apartment building and bar early Wednesday (April 20). The New Orleans Fire Department received a 911 call at 5:23 a.m. reporting a fire at Thalia and South Saratoga streets with residents possibly trapped inside the building. Firefighters arrived minutes later and determined that all the occupants had safely escaped. By the time firefighters arrived, the fire had consumed the back of the two-story multi-unit building at 1333 S. Saratoga. A second and third alarm was requested at 5:31 a.m.
A fourth alarm was requested about 15 minutes later, as the blaze extended through the roof.
The New Orleans Police Department is investigating a fatal vehicle crash that occurred Friday night (March 18) at the floodwall in the Lower Garden District that left one person deceased and a second injured. At about 10:15 p.m., NOPD Traffic Division officers responded to a vehicle crash near Tchoupitoulas and Felicity streets. They determined that a black BMW sedan was traveling east on Tchoupitoulas when it left the roadway and struck the nearby floodwall, coming to rest in the grass near the intersection of Tchoupitoulas and Felicity. Investigators determined there were two occupants in the vehicle at the time of the crash. The passenger in the vehicle, an adult female, was declared dead at the scene.
With several hundred thousand people about to descend on the streets of New Orleans, each of us should make a personal commitment to avoid becoming a statistic during Carnival season. After all, Covid-19 and crime are the overarching themes of this year’s Mardi Gras. Although parade goers might not see floats or throws touting either, they definitely will be lurking in the background.
Some people – including the majority of the Louisiana Legislature – think that masks and social distancing are a thing of the past and that Covid-19 is no longer serious or life-threatening to the majority of the population. Tell that to Ed Robinson Jr., founder of L&R Security, whose employees dressed in bright yellow T-shirts are a welcoming presence at Jazz Fest and other major events. Robinson’s wife, Octavia Robinson, a retired New Orleans police officer who had been vaccinated and boosted, just died from Covid.
A two-alarm fire broke out Monday night at 1134 St. Charles Ave. in the Lower Garden District. Firefighters were called to the historic building that houses Avenue Scooters at about 9:30 p.m. WDSU-TV reported that the fire began in apartments at the rear of the building. No injuries were reported.
On Friday (Jan. 28), at approximately 7 p.m., the Sewerage & Water Board is scheduled to begin the final stage of the emergency water line repair in the 8100 block of Panola between South Carrollton Avenue and Dublin Street. Last week’s test closure successfully routed water around the damaged 48-inch main and S&WB officials remained in contact with Children’s Hospital to make sure their systems were maintaining adequate pressure. During the repair, customers should expect the same water pressure they experienced during the test closure on Thursday evening (Jan. 20).
The attack Saturday (Jan. 15) on a synagogue near Fort Worth, Texas, where four people were taken hostage, reverberated across the American Jewish community and heightened concerns about safety and security. Those concerns are particularly acute in Uptown New Orleans, the home not only of two synagogues, Temple Sinai and Touro Synagogue, but also of Tulane University’s Hillel and Chabad houses and the Jewish Community Center.
“What we know, and have known for generations, is that it takes courage to walk through the world as a Jew, and it takes strength to deny those who would harm us the power over our humanity that they seek,” Touro Synagogue posted on its Facebook page after the hostage incident in Texas. “We will continue to be proud of who we are, and we will continue to love others for who they are.”
“We pray for peace for all of those families of all of those who were affected. We pray for the day when we’ll beat our swords into plowshares, our spears into pruning hooks, when none will make us afraid,” said Rabbi Daniel Sherman in a video message to his congregation, referencing words from the Jewish prophet Isaiah.
Every partner in New Orleans criminal justice system is partially responsible for the city’s spiraling crime rate and every partner must do their job to help alleviate it, Councilman at-large JP Morrell said on WWL-TV earlier today (Jan. 20). “People are afraid to leave their homes,” Morrell said. “No one is walking in their neighborhoods.”
The City Council has begun two days of criminal justice hearings, which are already exposing the deep rifts between cops, prosecutors and judges. District Attorney Jason Williams said yesterday that New Orleanians want and deserve to be safe.
Beginning around 9 a.m. on Thursday (Jan. 20), the Sewerage & Water Board will resume emergency repairs on a 48-inch water main in the 8100 block of Panola Street between South Carrollton Avenue and Dublin Street. While the work takes place, water users in the Central Carrollton, Fontainebleau, Black Pearl, University Area and Uptown neighborhoods may experience lower than normal water pressure. A map of the total affected area is above. Before crews can repair this large water main, the damaged section must be empty.
Sewerage & Water Boardcrews, in partnership with Boh Bros. Construction, will be performing an emergency waterline repair in the 8100 block of Panola Street between South Carrollton Avenue and Dublin Street beginning around 9 a.m.
The repair involves closing down a 48-inch water main that supplements the water supply to the Carrollton, Fontainebleau and Uptown neighborhoods resulting in the potential of lower-than-normal water pressure. A map of affected areas is above. Upper floors of multi-story buildings will potentially see the most impact. Crews will be proactively monitoring water pressure throughout the city, the S&WB said.
