roadwork

Roadwork ahead: Ramps at Earhart and Magnolia to close for a week

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From the Sewerage & Water Board

Beginning on Monday (Jan. 23) at 5 a.m., Sewerage & Water Board  crews will temporarily close the entrance and exit to high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane at Earhart Boulevard and Magnolia Street. The HOV lane is expected to reopen on Friday, Jan. 27, at around 6 p.m.

This closure is required to facilitate repairs to a 36-inch water main. The HOV entrance and exit lane at Convention Center Boulevard will remain open during this time.

opinion

Viewpoint: Who will take the lead in addressing the city’s crime epidemic?

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Watching yesterday’s special City Council meeting on crime was very painful. It put a spotlight on the fear, frustration and anger of thousands of New Orleanians who recognize that the city has probably never been so unsafe. Voters also realize that New Orleans political, business, civic and grassroots leaders are not working together as a team. No one person appears to be in charge. While many government leaders are making worthwhile suggestions, the proposed solutions to a safer city are all over the place.

roadwork

Roadwork ahead: Washington and Camp to close for underground repairs

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The intersection of Washington Avenue and Camp Street will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning Thursday (Jan. 19) to accommodate underground utility work. The intersection will reopen to vehicular traffic by 5 p.m. on Friday (Jan. 20). Signage and traffic control measures, such as barrels and fencing, will be onsite to direct drivers and pedestrians.

fire

Man dies inside burning ‘man cave’ shed

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A man died Sunday evening (Jan. 15) while trapped inside a burning shed behind a Leonidas house, the New Orleans Fire Department reported. 
A resident of the home told the NOFD that he and his friend used the shed as a “man cave” and had been watching a game inside. The resident had gone in the home, smelled smoke and called 911. 
At about 7:45 p.m., the Fire Department received the call of a fire in a one-story wood-frame house at 9042 Cohn St. When they arrived, they found a wooden shed aflame. The fire had spread to the house, and responders were receiving reports of a person trapped inside the home. 
The searched the house and found no one inside.

trash collection

NOLA.com: Richard’s Disposal blames missed pickups on worker shortage

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Curbside trash has been piling up on Mid-City streets, along with complaints on City Hall’s 311 service, as Richard’s Disposal has fallen behind its Service Area 1 pickup schedule. Ben Myers reports on NOLA.com that Richard’s owner blames the lapse on a loss of workers to IV Waste and Waste Pro, which took over Metro’s Service Area 2 in November. Both the Richard’s and the Metro Disposal owners have said the city failed to meet its requirement to pay for excessive waste volumes during the Covid-19 shutdown in 2020 and after Hurricane Ida in 2021. The Cantrell administration told Myers it is preparing to take action over missed pickups but did not specify what that action will be.

Christmas Eve fire breaks out in Irish Channel home

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A two-alarm fire damaged an Irish Channel home on Christmas Eve, the New Orleans Fire Department reported. Firefighters rescued a dog from the home, the NOFD said. No one else was at home when the fire broke out. The New Orleans Fire Department arrived at 2710 Constance St. at 6:26 p.m. on Saturday (Dec.

opinion

Viewpoint: All I want for Christmas is a safer New Orleans

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It’s hard to turn on the news these days. There are far too many stories about innocent people who have been assaulted, murdered or carjacked. Also, I am not so naïve as to believe that all the crimes committed end up in police reports. 

The results of the NOPD Recruitment and Retention Survey, released Wednesday (Dec. 14) by Council President Helena Moreno and the Fraternal Order of Police, only make matters worse. Conducted by the AH Datalytics, the survey shows the high level of dissatisfaction officers feel about cronyism, favoritism and promotions based more on who you know than ability and experience.

land use & development

Fire sheds light on student housing development in University area

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The two-alarm fire that broke out Thanksgiving morning was not especially disruptive to the holiday meal preparations at neighboring homes in the 600 block of Audubon Street. The fire displaced the college students living in 624 Audubon right before exams, but no one was injured, it was under control in 32 minutes, and the blaze did not spread to neighboring homes. One aspect of the fire caught some neighbors’ attention, however: The smoke spilled out of a third-story window, and the New Orleans Fire Department reported that it had started in a third-floor apartment. “My question is, why was there somebody in the attic?” said Keith Hardie, who lives two doors down from the apartment building.

public safety

Roadwork ahead: Weekend water main repairs planned in Central City

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Repairs to two water mains will necessitate temporary road closures and low water pressure in Central City this weekend, the Sewerage & Water Board reported. Beginning on Saturday (Dec. 10) at 8 a.m., Sewerage & Water Board crews will temporarily close one lane of riverbound traffic in the 2800 block of Martin Luther King, between South Claiborne Avenue and Magnolia Street, for repair work and road restoration. The roadway is expected to reopen the same day at around 4 p.m.

This closure is required for repairs to a 4-inch water main that runs along Martin Luther King Boulevard. Signage will be in place to direct traffic.

opinion

Viewpoint: New Orleans voters need a voice in who runs the NOPD

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For perhaps the first time since Mayor LaToya Cantrell appointed Shaun Ferguson as chief of police almost four years ago, Ferguson spoke candidly in public. “I want to encourage our city leaders to have better communication lines. This isn’t able personal agendas. It’s about the safety of the people of New Orleans,” Ferguson said Wednesday (Dec. 7) during his remarks on what influenced his surprise decision to retire in less than three weeks.