Thinking it over: The owner of Cortana Mall says in a prepared statement issued to Daily Report that the announced closure of Macy’s will give the Las Vegas-based company “an opportunity to re-evaluate its plans for the shopping mall.” Moonbeam Capitals Equities adds it’s “unfortunate that Macy’s decided to close their location at Cortana Mall and create a void in the market.” Macy’s announced late Wednesday that the Cortana location will be among 40 stores closed nationwide over the next two months. Local experts told Daily Report this morning that the closure of the Macy’s store—which will leave the 1.4 million-square-foot mall with two anchor tenant vacancies—doesn’t necessarily mean the end of Cortana Mall. However, they say its future as a retail center is in doubt and the property may eventually be used for more non-retail businesses.
High water everywhere: Mayor Kip Holden says his office and community stakeholders are closely monitoring levels along the Mississippi River that may affect the city-parish. “While no major flooding is expected in East Baton Rouge Parish, leaders will continue to communicate on preventative measures throughout this extended event,” reads a news release from the mayor. The river at Baton Rouge is currently at about 37.5 feet, according to the National Weather Service River Forecast Center. Flood stage here is 35 feet. The river is forecast to crest in Baton Rouge at 43.5 feet on Monday, Jan. 18. The “major flood stage” here, according to the NWS, is 40 feet.
No appeal: A federal appeals court has rejected an appeal by former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, who was convicted in 2014 on corruption charges. The Associated Press reports the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit upheld Nagin’s conviction in a decision filed today. Nagin, a Democrat who served from 2002 to 2010, was convicted on charges of wire fraud, bribery, money laundering and filing false tax returns. Prosecutors say graft in his administration began before Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005 and flourished afterward. Bribes included money, free vacations and truckloads of free granite for his family business. The former mayor had argued in his appeal that a judge gave erroneous instructions to the jury that convicted him, but the judges say they found no error in the jury instructions.
