NEW ORLEANS – The City of New Orleans is going to great lengths to prevent large crowds and the spread of the coronavirus over the Carnival weekend. Last weekend, the City’s Department of Code Enforcement issued several cease orders for bars that were operating indoors illegally. Meanwhile, until Mardi Gras Day (Feb. 16), all bars will be closed indoor and outdoor citywide, including bars operating as restaurants with AR-Conditional permits. Also, there will be no package liquor sales in the French Quarter and all sales of to-go drinks will be banned. … The City also announced several road and area closures that will take place during the Mardi Gras holiday. In addition to closures for traffic, some streets will be blocked off to pedestrians as well. Click here for the complete list of rules.
Shot in the Arm
Gov. John Bel Edwards received his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine Tuesday, a day after he expanded access to the shots to include Louisiana government officials involved in pandemic response work. … Meanwhile, Ochsner Health administered 1,200 vaccines at its first drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination event at the “Shrine on Airline” stadium in Metairie. … And the City of New Orleans and Orleans Parish have announced the launch of a citywide vaccine waitlist.
People on the Move
New Orleans-based chef Nina Compton will be among the judges when the long-running cooking competition show Top Chef returns for its 18th season this spring on Bravo. The season will be based in Portland, Ore. A new batch of chefs and restaurant owners, representing a cross section of kitchens and food around the country, will vie for the coveted title. Contestants will compete in a variety of challenges, celebrate the region’s Pan-African cuisine and help feed hundreds of frontline workers.
Keva Landrum, former Chief Judge for Orleans Parish Criminal District Court and previous interim Orleans Parish District Attorney, has joined New Orleans-based law firm Deutsch Kerrigan. Landrum served as Chief Judge of the 41st Judicial District Criminal Court from January 2018 to July 2020 after having served as a judge for Section E since 2008. Prior to being elected to the bench, Landrum served as a prosecutor and assistant district attorney in New Orleans where she later made history as the first female interim district attorney for the State of Louisiana in October 2007.
Dorian M. Bennett has officially turned over ownership and management of Dorian Bennett Sotheby’s International Realty to David Abner Smith, a 20-year real estate veteran who, teamed with Ernesto Caldeira, has led the firm in sales over the years. “I am honored David has acquired my company and I am thrilled to continue to work with him building on our reputation for quality real estate services,” says Bennett, who will continue doing what he loves as a realtor and associate broker: matchmaking sellers and buyers with their dream properties.
Money for the Coast
Louisiana is getting $26.7 million as part of a $366 million project to restore coastal marshland and defend against hurricanes, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority announced Tuesday. The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, or RESTORE Council, issued the grant, which is paid for with fines associated with the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The new grant will pay for dredging 1.2 million cubic yards of dirt to begin construction of a lock complex adjacent to the Bubba Dove Floodgate on the Houma Navigation Canal, officials said.
