New Orleans hotel back in business: The Hyatt Regency New Orleans, which has been closed since Hurricane Katrina, plans to reopen on Oct. 19. The hotel became a symbol of the wind destruction and flooding that hit New Orleans in August 2005. Most of the hotel’s windows were broken by the storm, and furniture was sucked out of windows. Hotel officials say the opening will come after completion of a $275 million overhaul. There will be 1,193 guest rooms and 200,000 square feet of meeting space, along with a restaurant and a 300-seat specialty restaurant, headed by an eminent chef, which will be announced in the future. The Hyatt is located in a new sports and entertainment district in downtown New Orleans that includes the Superdome and the New Orleans Arena. Hotel officials wanted to get the property reopened before two major sporting events that will be played in the Superdome in early 2012: the BCS Championship Game on Jan. 9, 2012, and college basketball’s men’s Final Four.
Taking his message to the people: Former Gov. Buddy Roemer, who is considering a run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, plans to hold a series of town hall meetings. The events will allow Roemer to converse one-on-one with voters, addressing such issues as money in politics, the economy and foreign policy. The first town hall will be held Memorial Day in Waukee, Iowa. Campaign officials say Roemer will probably hold town hall events in the coming months in Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina and New Hampshire.
