New Orleans City Business

New Orleans Housing Advocate Asks Congress to Increase Affordable Housing in Gulf Coast

The head of a New Orleans fair housing organization is scheduled today to testify in support of the Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007. James Perry, executive director of the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, will testify before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. Perry will testify on behalf of the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

La. Groups: Exxon's Chalmette Refining Emissions Unhealthy, Exceed Federal Levels

Recent tests show emissions from Exxon's Chalmette Refining are exceeding federal air standards, with "sulfur dioxide at levels that harm human health," the Louisiana Bucket Brigade and the St. Bernard Citizens for Environmental Quality said today. The chemical was detected in Chalmette Vista, the neighborhood across the street from Chalmette Refining, LBB and SBCFEQ said.

Louisiana Governor Urges Congress to Expand Health Care Program for Children

Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco is calling for Congress, which is expected to vote on the issue today, to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The program provides health care to millions of low-income children across the country.

$350,000 in Jazz Fest Proceeds to Aid New Orleans Groups

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation Inc. said today that it is giving $350,000 to 97 arts and education projects in the New Orleans area through its Community Partnership Grants program. The foundation, the nonprofit that owns Jazz Fest, uses the festival's proceeds for community development activities.

Jefferson Parish's Pontiff Playground Plan Calls for $21m Upgrade

The Jefferson Parish Council signed off Wednesday on sweeping renovations for Wally Pontiff Jr. Playground, an Old Metairie park heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The master plan, developed over eight months by a group appointed by the Council and Meyer Engineers, calls for spending $21.5 million at the 200-acre park between Airline Highway and Metairie Road.

La. Gubernatorial Candidate Campbell Continues Longtime Push for Stiffer Tariffs On Imported Oil

Editor's note: This is the second of a four-part series profiling gubernatorial candidates. Next week: John Georges and Walter Boass Gubernatorial candidate Foster Campbell confesses his Baptist faith has greatly affected his policymaking over three decades in public life.

Minimal Amount of Gulf Oil, Gas Production Off Line

Senator David Vitter Critical of Gulf Coast Housing Bill

Sen. David Vitter, R-Metairie, is taking issue with a pending Senate bill that he said proposes to "recreate the New Orleans housing projects exactly as they were." Today, the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee heard testimony on the Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007, which, among other things, would require a unit of affordable housing to be provided for every unit of public housing demolished.

Aarp: Ochsner Health System a 'Best' Employer for Workers 50 and Older

For the third year in a row, AARP has named Ochsner Health System to its "Best Employers for Workers Over 50" list. Out of 50 employers selected, Ochsner is ranked No. 37.

Oil and Gas Conference Scheduled for New Orleans

A conference for the offshore oil and gas industry will be held in New Orleans - the first time the event will be held outside Houston. DeepGulf is scheduled for Dec. 5-7 at the New Orleans Hilton Riverside hotel.

Delta Air Lines to Begin Nonstop Flights From Atlanta to China

Delta Air Lines soon will be the first and only carrier in the Southeast to provide nonstop flights from Atlanta to Shanghai, China, beginning March 30. Delta announced the new service after a ruling issued today by the U.S. Department of Transportation authorizing the service. Delta's Atlanta airline hub is the world's largest.