By Danae Columbus, opinion columnist Those readers who know me personally understand that I am very involved in the Greek Festival, which is returning Memorial Day weekend after a two-year hiatus. During a visit to the Greek church earlier this week, the festival’s long-time operations director, who comes in from Texas, said, “I see you Read More…
By Danae Columbus, opinion columnist The thousands of tourists and locals who will attend the long-awaited New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will surely cause an increase in cases of Covid-19 and it newest sub-variant, BA.2. A friend coming in for the festival wants to wear his mask at the Fair Grounds. While a good Read More…
By Danae Columbus, opinion columnist In the pre-dawn hours of Mardi Gras Day, Chief Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes and his North Side Skull & Bones Gang reminded onlookers of their mortality and the need to appreciate life and the people around them. For more than 200 years, culture bearers with African and Caribbean roots have beat Read More…
By Danae Columbus, opinion columnist When New Orleans elected officials don’t feel the urgency to consistently wear masks at Carnival festivities, how can they expect citizens and visitors to take the rules seriously? Social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter and Nextdoor have been blowing up with posts this week regarding the reckless behavior of Mayor Read More…
By Danae Columbus, opinion columnist With several hundred thousand people about to descend on the streets of New Orleans, each of us should make a personal commitment to avoid becoming a statistic during Carnival season. After all, Covid-19 and crime are the overarching themes of this year’s Mardi Gras. Although parade goers might not see Read More…
By Danae Columbus, opinion columnist It’s Twelfth Night. I rushed out this morning to the King Cake Hub’s annual Carnival Kick Off Party, held this year at Zony Mash Beer Project. As I surveyed all the offerings, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of impact Mardi Gras will have on Covid and crime, both Read More…
By Danae Columbus, opinion columnist More than 6,000 new Covid-19 cases were identified in Louisiana on Wednesday (Dec. 29). A teenage boy was injured in the second of two Desire-area shootings Tuesday evening. Three lions at the Audubon Zoo tested positive for Covid on Wednesday. In a case of mistaken identity, 7-year-old Dillan Burton was Read More…
By Danae Columbus, opinion columnist Semi-retired businessman Leo Marsh and his daughter Helen rose early Wednesday morning to be among the first in line to receive the city’s free Covid-19 home testing kits. “While we are both fully vaccinated, we wanted to be able to test in advance of seeing family members and friends,” said Read More…
The Krewe of Endymion will remain on its traditional Mid-City route for Carnival 2022, Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced on Tuesday (Dec. 21). The superkrewe — the only remaining Mid-City parade — will roll down Orleans Avenue, North Carrollton and Canal Street on Feb. 26, 2022. Carnival parade routes will be shortened next year to avoid Read More…
By Danae Columbus, opinion columnist While New Orleanians are currently enjoying glorious fall weather and the loosening of mask mandates, don’t think for one minute that the next wave of the virus won’t be heading this way with the cooler temperatures and the influx of tourists during the holiday season. Stubborn unvaccinated people continue to Read More…
