News

November 7, 2024 | From City of New Orleans

Mayor's Office of Nighttime Economy and Health Department Announce Developing Series of Free Narcan and Stop the Bleed Trainings for Hospitality Workers

The Mayor's Office of Nighttime Economy, in collaboration with the Health Department, is excited to announce a developing series of Narcan and Stop the Bleed trainings to equip hospitality workers with critical, life-saving skills. These free trainings will provide participants with the knowledge to respond effectively to overdose incidents and severe injuries, helping to make the nightlife community safer. To maximize accessibility, trainings will be scheduled in neighborhoods across the city.

June 1, 2019 | From City of New Orleans

Hurricane season is here. Make your plan today.

Hurricane season is here. Make your plan today.

Welcome to June, New Orleans. That means hurricane season is officially here and will last through November. Depending on a storm’s severity, the City of New Orleans might issue a mandatory evacuation order. If the City issues a mandatory evacuation, all residents and visitors must leave. If an evacuation is not ordered, it's up to you to decide to evacuate or shelter in place. Take time now to get yourself and your loved ones ready should a storm come our way.

Stay connected with NOLA Ready emergency alerts, make an evacuation plan that accounts for your family’s special needs and pets, and gather emergency supplies for a “go bag” and a “home kit.” If you have no other way to evacuate during a mandatory evacuation order, bring your family and pets to one of 17 pickup points--"evacuspots." An RTA bus will take you to the Smoothie King Center where you will board a bus or airplane to a safe shelter in other parts of Louisiana or neighboring states. If you can't physically get to an evacuspot because of medical or mobility needs, call 3-1-1 to sign up for the Special Needs Registry. See details on all these topics at https://ready.nola.gov/plan/hurricane/

January 26, 2016 | From City of New Orleans

Increasing NOPD Presence in Your Neighborhoods

Based on a staffing analysis commissioned in 2015, the new deployment strategy creates a surge in neighborhood patrols by adding nearly 100 officers to respond to citizen calls for service. The restructuring effort builds on progress Chief Harrison has already made to smartly deploy available resources and put as many officers on the street as possible.

May 1, 2019 | From City of New Orleans

Introducing the City of New Orleans Faith Based Coordinator: Reverend Lisa Fitzpatrick

 

Reverend Lisa Fitzpatrick 

Faith-Based Coordinator, City of New Orleans

Rev. Lisa Fitzpatrick is the Co-Founder and former Executive Director of APEX Community Advancement, Inc. / APEX Youth Center and Senior Pastor of APEX Ministries United Methodist Church, a church formed and planted by the young people of APEX. She is a former healthcare executive who has over 25 years of management and public health policy experience. She was the founder of The Early Parenting Center in Southern California, where her work helped create greater access to public health services and education for families on Medi-Cal. She has also owned and operated a regional technology company. Her early career included touring on the national level as a singer and dancer as well as appearances on stage and television, including a CLIO nominated commercial. After an injury cut short her dance career, she used her knowledge of body mechanics to begin her profession in public health, with an emphasis on Maternal/Child health and violence prevention. Her public health career led to her promotion to C-level executive status with a local hospital group before founding the APEX Youth Center.

APEX Youth Center operated for nearly a decade as a drop-in youth center in Central City, New Orleans, providing services to vulnerable populations, particularly underserved youth and their families. APEX was founded upon the principles of reconciliation, never retaliation, after a young man was brutally gunned down just a block from her home. APEX Community Advancement, Inc. was formed for the expressed purpose of supporting, innovating and creating programs and services focusing on the needs of young people from age 5 through 25 in our communities. APEX stands for “Always Pursuing Excellence” and is the acknowledgement of our journey together with community. APEX Ministries UMC is a church plant project that sprung from a worshipping community formed by the teens and young adults of the APEX Youth Center.

At the age of 23, Lisa became a survivor of gun violence when two children were forced to shoot a random stranger as part of a gang initiation. While the physical wound was only a bullet graze to her face, it became a life-altering experience for Rev. Fitzpatrick. In her words, “I realized in an instant, when I saw their terrified faces, that I was not the victim here. I was simply collateral damage in a war that neither I nor the children who shot me started. The victims that night were holding the gun.” This affected the way she began to look at issues of gun violence, mass incarceration, racial inequity, and childhood trauma, and became the impetus for her work in public health and in the founding of APEX Youth Center.

Rev. Fitzpatrick is the mother of 6 children, step-mother to 2 and she and her husband Danny have foster parented over 20 additional children and teens. She previously held a position on the City of New Orleans Mayor’s Strategic Command Task Force in both the R.E.S.E.T. role as a pastor and as Executive Director of APEX on the Community Providers’ Board. She also, in her APEX role, sits on the Group Violence Reduction Strategy Team and the NOLA for Life Community of Practice. She is a 2013 CNN Hero and has been named a 5-Hour Energy Amazing Person, a Christian Science Monitor “Difference Maker”, as well as awarded a Harvey's Hero title from The Steve Harvey Show for her work with New Orleans youth and families in creating peaceful communities and safe space for youth and young adults.

February 19, 2016 | From City of New Orleans

Keep New Orleans Beautiful and the Great American Cleanup

Below is information about the Great American Cleanup Weekend in New Orleans, organized by Keep New Orleans Beautiful

March 18th, Leaders vs Litter Event

Join us at 9 a.m. at the Lafitte Greenway directly behind the Sojourner Truth Community Center, 2200 Lafitte Street, New Orleans, LA, 70119.  From 9:00 – 9:30 a.m., we will gather for remarks and photos, and sign the Pledge Board, pledging to fight litter. From 9:30 –10: 30 a.m., volunteers will fan out and pick up litter. At 10:30 we will count litter bags and take a closing photo of volunteers. New Orleans representatives will head to Baton Rouge for the Lt. Governor’s meeting at the capitol. If you would like your name and/or organization listed in the press release and event program, be sure to RSVP and let us know.    

March 23rd, Cleanest City Contest District Level Judging in New Orleans

In 1958, the Louisiana Garden Club Federation began sponsoring an annual state-wide “Cleanest City Contest.” The aim of the contest is to instill civic pride in the individual citizens and thus improve the appearance of towns and cities. New Orleans falls into Category J in population with Baton Rouge and Lafayette. 

This year our slogan is “NOLA Clean in 2016, Join the Team, Keep it Clean.”  Garden Club members of New Orleans are asking citizens to mow lots; maintain green space; involve community and YOUTH; form adopt-a-block groups; clean curbs and catch basins; paint over graffiti; and involve schools, churches, and organizations to make New Orleans more beautiful. On March 23, judges will inspect the Book of Evidence and do a drive-through visit to the city.  If selected, the state level judging is during the first two weeks of April.  Send before and after photos or published articles of your efforts to mhimel9@live.com. 

February 17 – April, 2016 Great American Cleanup Events

Keep New Orleans Beautiful, as part of the Keep America Beautiful, is asking organizations to host clean up events all over the city and on dates that work for you.  If your group is planning a spring clean-up or Great American Cleanup event, let Keep New Orleans Beautiful know so we can help publicize!   For events with NOLA Trash Mob, visit Keep New Orleans Beautiful Facebook, to see a full schedule of Sunday morning clean-ups with each week’s location. 

October 16, 2014 | From City of New Orleans

Kick Off Season 7 of Midnight Basketball with Us This Saturday

NOLA FOR LIFE Midnight Basketball Season 7 Launch Event
7:00pm, Registration
8:00pm – 12:00am, Tournament Play
Saturday, October 18, 2014
St. Roch Playground
1800 St. Roch Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70117

Part of the NOLA FOR LIFE strategy, Midnight Basketball provides safe recreational opportunities for young men through basketball, mentorship and support. After six successful seasons, NOLA FOR LIFE is excited to launch Season 7, with the theme "Be Phenomenal."  Come out and join us for our kick-off celebration this Saturday at 8pm at St. Roch Playground where there will be great competition, music, and food.  Register to play in person at the kick-off event.

September 1, 2017 | From City of New Orleans

Low-interest SBA disaster loans available for renters, homeowners, businesses and nonprofits

On September 1st, the City of New Orleans reminded residents and businesses impacted by the August 5 flood in New Orleans about recovery resources available, such as low-interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration and other types of assistance from non-profit organizations.

Response to Flooding

Following the August 5 flooding, New Orleans Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (NOHSEP) conducted damage assessments along with State and Federal officials. Collectively, the City has identified nearly 1,000 reports of damage to homes and businesses as a result of the August 5 flood.

Due to the highly-localized flooding and the differences block-by-block in flooding impacts, city officials along with local recovery partners also conducted individual outreach door-to-door immediately following the flood. The Office of Economic Development also conducted outreach to businesses and hosted business information sessions. In continued support of recovery efforts from this event, the City encourages anyone with questions on debris collection, flood clean-up or available resources to call 311 or visit http://ready.nola.gov/incident/august-flood/recovery/ .

According to FEMA, over 698 insurance claims have been filed in New Orleans through its National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center Open until Sept. 14

On August 22, Mayor Landrieu announced that SBA would offer low-interest federal disaster loans to Louisiana businesses and residents affected by flooding that occurred August 4-6, including August 5 flooding in New Orleans. As of August 30, nearly 275 people have visited the SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center, 163 loan applications have been issued and 106 have been submitted, and three loans have been approved.

Loans are open to businesses of all sizes, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and renters whose property was damaged or destroyed by the flooding and torrential rainfall. For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size, SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic injury assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any property damage. Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property, including vehicles.

Since August 23, SBA representatives have been on hand at the Disaster Loan Outreach Center to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process and help each individual complete their application. The Center will remain open until September 14. The center (Mid-City Library, 4140 Canal St. on the second floor in the Long Room) is open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Fridays. The Center will be closed in observance of Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 4. No appointment is necessary.

Applicants can apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela . Applicants can also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. Individuals who are deaf or hard‑of‑hearing may call (800) 877-8339. The filing deadline to return applications for property damage is Oct. 23, 2017. The deadline to return economic injury applications is May 22, 2018. ​For more information, read the SBA disaster loan fact sheet in English  or Spanish .

SBA declared a disaster in response to a request received from Gov. John Bel Edwards on Aug. 17, 2017. The disaster declaration makes SBA assistance available in Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes.

To view other recovery resources for those affected by the August 5 flood, visit http://ready.nola.gov/incident/august-flood/recovery/ .

Flood Recovery Resource Center 

From August 16 to August 19, the City of New Orleans hosted a flood recovery resource center to provide flood-affected residents and businesses additional access to information and resources. The resource center saw nearly 520 individuals across four days. Organizations provided individuals information and resources to help fix flood-damaged homes and businesses; provided legal assistance for tenants facing eviction and to avoid contractor fraud; and help in obtaining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, rental assistance and donated goods.

To view resources still available, visit http://ready.nola.gov/incident/august-flood/recovery/ .

April 17, 2018 | From City of New Orleans

Main Library Renovation Schedule & Information Closed through Sunday, May 13

In its almost 60-year history, the Main Library has never received any significant renovation work, until now. The updates will primarily occur on the first floor and will include the following:

• a new layout that utilizes the space more efficiently

• new flooring

• painting

• new shelving

• additional computers

• new furniture

The new layout will feature a lobby with exhibit displays, a program/community meeting room, a self-checkout area, and an expanded computer/tech area. The Main Library Children’s Area and Teen Zone on the 2nd Floor are temporarily closed through April 29. Main Library will be closed from Sunday, April 15 through Sunday, May 13th. The Library will reopen at 10am on Monday, May 14.

March 29, 2016 | From City of New Orleans

Master Plan Amendment Process to Begin in April

The Plan for the 21st Century, commonly referred to as the Master Plan, is a City Charter-mandated planning framework for the core systems that shape New Orleans’ physical, social, environmental, and economic future. The Plan for the 21st Century reflects the values and priorities that emerged through a community participation process and is grounded in information assembled for the first time in one place. In 2010, the Plan was unanimously adopted by both the City Planning Commission and the City Council and was signed by Mayor Mitchell Landrieu. 

On October 27, 2015, The City Planning Commission confirmed the need for amendments to the Master Plan. Though the Master Plan is designed to take New Orleans through the year 2030, it is heavily focused on recovery from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent failures of the levee systems.  While disaster recovery was the immediate priority, the need to plan for the city’s long-term future is also necessary. Since the adoption of the Master Plan in 2010, the City has worked with numerous partners on initiatives recommending how New Orleans should adapt to a changing natural environment, create flexible and reliable systems, invest in economic development, and prepare the city for future disasters. These and other initiatives may be considered for incorporation into the Master Plan.

The following schedule is set for the 2016-2017 Master Plan amendments:

• Organization/Outreach (1/1/16 – 4/10/16)
• Open Application Period (4/11/16 – 6/30/16)
• Charter-mandated review and approval process (7/1/16 – 7/1/17)

For more information on the amendment process and to view applications as they are received, visit nola.gov/city-planning.

September 3, 2018 | From City of New Orleans

MAYOR CANTRELL DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY AS CITY HALL CLOSES FOR NON-ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL

Mayor LaToya Cantrell today declared a state of emergency for the City of New Orleans in advance of Tropical Storm Gordon. The storm is expected to affect the Gulf Coast by Tuesday evening and may turn into a Category 1 hurricane depending on its path.

Mayor Cantrell ordered that City Hall and City government offices be closed Tuesday for non-essential personnel. Only emergency personnel will be on hand.

The closure affects all NORDC employees as well. "I am taking these steps to insure that the City of New Orleans is as safe and secure as possible," Mayor Cantrell said.

September 4, 2018 | From City of New Orleans

MAYOR CANTRELL ORDERS CITY HALL OPEN TOMORROW FOR HALF-DAY, RESPONDING TO IMPROVED OUTLOOK

Mayor LaToya Cantrell tonight ordered that City Hall and all City government offices be opened for a half-day tomorrow, Wednesday, September 5th. The decision was made in response to an improved outlook relative to the potential weather impacts of TS Gordon.

City Hall and City government offices, to include NORDC and the NOPL, are ordered open beginning at noon on Wednesday.“

The bottom line is that we have work that needs to get done. The people’s business,” said Mayor Cantrell. “We are grateful that the anticipated impact of TS Gordon has lessened to the degree that work can resume sooner than expected. Understanding this may be a challenge for employees with children out of school --- we encourage our City workers to bring their children with them where practical, and ask our supervisors to make reasonable accommodations.”