Big Easy Beat

Former Congressman to be sentenced

Former New Orleans congressman William Jefferson will be sentenced today after being convicted of bribery, money laundering and racketeering. There has been speculation that he will face 10 to 20 years in prison, though prosecutors have recommended a sentence of 27 to 33 years. A judge will also decide whether Jefferson will be imprisoned immediately or if he will be allowed to go to jail after Christmas.

Teenager Killed Uptown

Eighteen-year-old New Orleans resident Brandon Cotton, was shot to death Thursday afternoon in the 5300 block of Valmont Street. Cotton was killed at approximately 2 p.m. and was found inside a car next to an apartment complex. A similar murder occurred on the same block on Mardi Gras 2006.

Oysters get raw deal

The Food and Drug Administration is considering stricter health regulations that will effectively ban raw oysters seven months of the year. The new rules will require all oysters served from April to October to be sterilized before serving. Louisiana is the largest producer of oysters in the United States, and the industry employs more than 3,500 people across the state. The new regulation is designed to protect consumers from a potentially fatal blood disease, which kills approximately 15 people each year.

City rents skyrocket

A new study found that New Orleans has more than 6,500 unoccupied market-rate apartments but needs at least 13,000 more subsidized apartments to meet current demand. New Orleans renters currently spend more of their income on housing and utilities than renters in any other city in the country, and rents are not expected to drop. Substantially increased utility, insurance, construction and tax costs in the wake of Hurricane Katrina are largely to blame for the high rent rates.

Gulf oil production rebounds

The oil industry has almost completely restored oil and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico after Tropical Storm Ida swept through the region. Only 3 percent of oilrigs remain closed, though oil production fell more than 30 percent in Ida’s wake. The Gulf provides about 25 percent of domestic U.S. oil production and 40 percent of its refining capacity.