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20 Feb 2012 11:07

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Biz, U.S.: Mardi Gras worth a heckuva lot more than beads to New Orleans

  • $140 million one estimate as to how much economic impact Mardi Gras has on the New Orleans area each year
  • $500 million another estimate; “There’s no way to know for sure because we don’t sell tickets,” a historian says source
  • » A massive party with a massive impact: “There are a lot of municipalities all over the world that want to copy what we do here in New Orleans because it drives tourism,” claims Barry Kern, whose float-building studio is busy year-round getting designs ready for the event and other similar events elsewhere. And with good reason, too. While the party itself is free, the 100,000 people riding the floats each year can spend as much as $2,000 to $3,000 on costumes, throws and fees. Then when you throw in the thousands of others who spend money on parties, king cakes and other revelry, and the financial impact adds up fast each year.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Sep 2011 11:23

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World: Mitch Landrieu to New Orleans residents: “Don’t go to sleep” on Lee

  • We’re not out of the woods. Don’t go to sleep on this storm.
  • New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu • Offering a word to residents about the possible danger Tropical Storm Lee poses, particularly because it’s not a quick moving storm. With the potential for heavy rains over extended periods, the storm could test the region’s support system for the first time since Katrina brought it past the brink back in 2005. A lot of rain has fallen in the Gulf Coast region thus far. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Aug 2011 10:34

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U.S.: Post-Katrina general: Changing attitudes at play with Hurricane Irene

  • Before Katrina, it was a longstanding tradition in our country for political officials to wait until the last minute to warn, to take action, to evacuate. No more. With Irene, you had mass evacuations — mandatory ones — issued days ahead of time. That was the right thing to do.
  • Retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honore • Regarding the changing approach to hurricanes since Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall in Louisiana six years ago today. Honore was one of the officials whose work on the recovery from that storm was widely respected. To put his point another way: “I’ve been in the storm business for years and I’ve never seen officials be prudent enough to cancel commercial and sporting events before a storm. Folks in the Northeast did that. The day before Katrina, we had a football game in Baton Rouge. That’s how far the community has come.” So there you have it: The guy who coordinated much of the the Katrina response says they did the right thing on Irene. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 May 2011 15:18

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U.S.: Mississippi floodways opened to keep big cities safe

  • Saving urban areas by flooding farmland: Officials opened up the Morganza Floodway Saturday in an attempt to divert water from the Mississippi River, which will eventually drain into the Gulf of Mexico. Even though this move will destroy valuable crops, it’s better than running the risk of flooding large cities like New Orleans at levels worse than Hurricane Katrina. (Photo from US Army Corps of Engineers’ Flickr page.) source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Feb 2011 12:35

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U.S.: Census: Post-Katrina New Orleans shrinks by a third

  • 484,674 New Orleans’ population as of the 2000 census
  • 343,829 the city’s population in 2010, five years after Hurricane Katrina source
  • » As a whole, the country grew: In contrast with the decline of New Orleans’ population, the population at large grew by 9.7 percent, to 308.7 million. The data, overall, is expected to show that minorities caused much of the growth.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Aug 2010 20:34

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U.S.: Obama says that he’ll work harder for Katrina victims

Here’s Obama speaking at Xavier University today. He said that he hopes that Katrina’s legacy after five years can be “not one of neglect, but of action.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

29 Aug 2010 11:27

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Tech: YouTube marks Hurricane Katrina’s fifth anniversary perfectly

  • Today is the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall. Many sites have been covering this anniversary of the tragedy in their own ways, but our favorite thus far is YouTube’s treatment of the disaster. This is the first major event that happened on their watch, and the videos here reflect a tragedy that is very much of this generation. It even created a poorly-timed meme. Great job putting this together, guys. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

27 Jun 2010 11:36

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U.S.: Was it the blackened shrimp? New Orleans chef sues BP

  • Much of plaintiff’s business is based on the unique quality of Louisiana seafood, as well as the chain of delivery of that resource from the initial harvester (be it fisherman, oyster grower or shrimper). Because this chain of delivery cannot be maintained, plaintiff’s business has been, and continues to be, materially damaged.
  • Lawyer Serena Pollack • Representing prominent New Orleans chef Susan Spicer in a lawsuit against BP. See, Spicer is seeking class action status for restaurants like her Bayona, located in the city’s historic French Quarter. She’s seeking compensatory and punitive damages against BP. The Food Network and Bravo personality will have to get in line, though – her suit is one of over 250 against the company. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 May 2010 11:18

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Offbeat: Local news hits the spot when it comes to unfortunate dirty jokes

  • First question: Why were they even covering this particular topic on the local news in the first place? Second question: Is this funnier than “Keep ducking that chicken” or not? (Note: The above clip features kind of “adult” humor. Don’t show it to kids.)
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2010 22:33

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Culture: New Orleans, the city, and New Orleans, the team, win big

  • Four years ago, who ever would’ve thought this would happen?
  • New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees • Regarding the Saints’ own fate, along with the more general fate of New Orleans, post-Katrina. The Saints won 31-17, the victors of a symbolic win for a franchise and a city that needed one. It definitely goes a long way to making those awful memories of a damaged Superdome a faded memory. Congrats, scrappy kids of New Orleans. You earned it. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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