Preserving history: The Historic New Orleans Collection is hosting a “Restoration Roadshow” at the Mall of Louisiana this Sunday to help people figure out what to do with their flood-damaged belongings. People can bring their water-logged personal items to the mall, 6401 Bluebonnet Blvd., for free consultations from area conservators and museum professionals on how their items can be preserved, the Historic New Orleans Collection says in a news release. Also on hand will be officials from the West Baton Rouge Museum and the Lieutenant Governor’s Office. Visitors can bring their items or photographs of their items—or simply their questions—to the event, the release says. Admission is free for the event, which begins at noon and ends at 4 p.m. The conservators and museum professionals will be located near the mall entrance to Dillard’s. The organization says it held similar “Restoration Roadshow” events in the greater New Orleans area following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
New owners: The Knights of Columbus building on Exchequer Drive has been sold for nearly $1 million, according to one of the brokers involved in the deal. A&P Real Estate Holdings LLC bought the building, located at 7070 Exchequer Drive, from 7070 Exchequer Corp. for $995,000 in a deal that closed Oct. 6, says Grey Hammett of Mike Falgoust and Associates, who represented the buyer. Bill Gremillion of Latter & Blum represented the sellers. The property purchased measures nearly 2.6 acres and features the 4,585-square-foot Knights of Columbus building, which is free-standing and is made of brick. Hammett says the new owners will add 5,000 to 10,000 square feet of warehouse space that will be attached to the existing building.
Staying put: U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, has introduced the Ending Legacy Lawsuit Abuse Act, which he says would prevent the lawyers of plaintiffs for legacy oil and gas lawsuits from “venue shopping” for friendly courts, The Advertiser reports. “It’s no secret our oil and gas industry is struggling. Legacy lawsuits destroy jobs while enriching plaintiff lawyers who abuse the system,” Boustany says in a statement issued today. Legacy lawsuits involve sites used by oil and gas companies for exploration and production. The suits occur when landowners say environmental damage—including pollution and contamination—occurred and the companies that worked the properties failed to restore the land. The legislation, as filed, would amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to permit civil lawsuits claiming environmental contamination that impacts water that is under the U.S. Corps of Engineers’ jurisdiction to be sent to U.S. District Court. The Advertiser has the full story.
