NEW ORLEANS (4/19/17) - The race for mayor of New Orleans just got a lot more interesting. Municipal Court Judge Desiree Charbonnet will resign her judgeship effective midnight Friday so she can officially run for mayor. She had been rumored as a possible candidate for at least a month. Starting Saturday morning, she will be one.

Charbonnet, 48, first won elective office in 1998 when she unseated incumbent Michael McCrossen to win the citywide Recorder of Mortgages post. In 2007, she easily won a special election for a seat on Municipal Court with 57 percent of the vote. She ran on a platform of partnering with local agencies to reduce domestic violence.

In 2001, while Recorder of Mortgages, Charbonnet backed Paulette Irons for mayor; in 2006, Charbonnet lent her support to mayoral candidate Ron Forman against then-incumbent Ray Nagin.

As a judge, Charbonnet was featured favorably in an Atlantic Monthly article in February 2016 for her diversion program, which focused on female offenders and the mentally ill. "She has taken the time to learn more about certain types of repeat defendants, including those charged with prostitution or who have mental illness and substance issues, to better understand not how to sentence them, but what approaches might keep them out of the criminal-justice system-rather than on an endless cycle in and out of jail," the magazine wrote.

In a text statement to Gambit, Charbonnet was circumspect about her political future because, technically, she is still a judge. A source close to the judge confirmed to Gambit that she had overnighted a letter of resignation to Secretary of State Tom Schedler on Tuesday. Louisiana law bars judges from running for non-judicial offices - unless they resign first - which is why Charbonnet submitted her resignation before declaring her intentions officially.

"The City is too important to me to just sit on the sidelines," Charbonnet told Gambit. "As per the Judicial Canons, there are limits to what I can say at the moment. At the appropriate time, I will provide a more thorough explanation."

So far two other candidates have officially declared their intentions - former Civil District Court Judge Michael Bagneris and District B Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell. Qualifying is July 12-14 and the primary will be Oct. 14. Current Mayor Mitch Landrieu is term-limited.

SOURCE

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The NORBCC, Inc. mission is to empower & sustain the African-American business community through entrepreneurship and economic activity within the greater New Orleans region & global economy as a whole.

The Board of Directors is the principal governing and policymaking body of the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce. The board's membership represents the diversity of NORBCC businesses. Directors determine NORBCC policy positions on business issues and advise on appropriate strategies to pursue.

Click here to learn more

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NEW ORLEANS (4/18/17)  - FollowMyCal, a new tech startup company based in New Orleans, launched today. Anyone needing a quick and easy way to manage the events in their life can start now for free at followmycal.com and by downloading the free app on Google Play (Android) or the App Store (iOS). FollowMyCal makes it easy for people to organize their personal, professional, and social events all on one centralized platform and to share those events with others. It is a user-friendly platform that encourages event planning and organization in a way that is fun and social.

	Richard Carthon

"If you are part of a business, club, organization, church group, non-profit, family, or any other group of people that needs an easy and seamless way to create a calendar and share it with others, FollowMyCal is the best free solution you can find on the market," said Richard Carthon, FollowMyCal's founder and CEO.

Carthon came up with the idea for FollowMyCal while at Tulane University. He was a full time student with a heavy course load, a dual-sport D-1 athlete in football and baseball, and active in five organizations on campus.

"Like most people, my schedule was full, to say the least. I would miss events all the time either because I did not know about them, the events got lost in email chains, or the events did not update on my calendar. I missed out on a lot or wasted my time because creating calendar events and sharing them across platforms wasn't seamless. I knew that if someone could create a quick and easy way to get this done, then it would solve a challenge that most people face every day."

Carthon is an entrepreneur in the PowerMoves.NOLA program, which is an initiative of the New Orleans Startup Fund to support high-growth, high-tech startups led by entrepreneurs of color in New Orleans. The program is made possible through the generous support of Chevron and Entergy.

PowerMoves USA

"PoweMoves.NOLA has helped me move my business forward by providing me with access to resources and an extensive network of advisors and businesses," said Carthon. "In addition to office space, PowerMoves.NOLA has invested in FollowMyCal with funding that has allowed me to launch and grow."

FollowMyCal is free for users. The company plans to generate revenue by allowing users to pay to promote their calendars and events on the FollowMyCal website and by offering custom calendar solutions for businesses.

"The best part of FollowMyCal is that it allows you to manage multiple calendars in one platform," said Carthon. "You can share your next work meeting with just your colleagues, your kid's dentist appointment with just your spouse, and the game schedule with just your teammates- all separately, but all in the same place."

FollowMyCal works in three ways:

Personal
Users can create a personal calendar, called My Cal, that no one else on the platform can see. They can seamlessly integrate Google and Outlook Exchange calendars with their My Cal.

Social
Users can also create public calendars and make that information available and accessible to anyone in the world. They can also follow calendars that interest them. On the FollowMyCal website discover page, users can find calendars and add events to their personal calendars and share events with other calendars, on and off the platform, in one click.

Professional/Private
Users can create a calendar and grant permissions for individuals to view and add events. This is a way for users to keep all of their calendars in one place, while keeping them distinct from one another.

  

Contact:
Richard Carthon
[email protected]
(318) 230-3326

AARP will host a job recruitment event in partnership with Vanguard Emergency Management for Disaster Housing Inspectors with FEMA Housing Inspector Services.

As a housing inspector, you will be expected to conduct physical interior and exterior inspections of damaged dwellings; verify ownership and occupancy; specifically list of all disaster related losses; and photograph damaged property. While deployed, you will be assigned a Government-issued Android Tablet loaded with FEMA's ACE4 inspection software. Vanguard EM training will be provided for all Inspectors and it will be your responsibility to maintain and stay up to date on all required classroom and on-line training.

All Inspectors will receive reimbursement for expenses such as lodging and food based on the GSA Per-Diem rates for that location. Rental cars and gas or mileage will also be reimbursed along with tolls, parking, and other expenses. The electronic expense report system will guarantee that monies will be deposited in your account within days of submittal and proper documentation.

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"For the first time ever, ESSENCE honors the women who are blazing trails for equal rights and inclusion for Black people in America." (Essence.com 4/17/17)

NEW ORLEANS - ESSENCE Magazine announced yesterday that Melanie L. Campbell, President of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) and Convener of the Black Women's Roundtable (BWR), is one of the 100 women in their inaugural #Woke100 list, which "honors Black women activists, artists, politicians, educators, organizers, journalists and creators who are working to achieve equality for people of color."

Melanie and the other members of the ESSENCE #WOKE100 will be featured in the magazine's May 2017 issue, which will be on newsstands April 21st. ESSENCE highlights a dynamic and diverse group of Black women leaders that includes producer Shondra Rhimes; White House correspondent April Ryan; journalist and news host Joy-Ann-Reid; Circle of Mothers Founder, Sybrina Fulton; three of the leaders of the Women's March on Washington-Tamika Mallory, Carmen Perez and Janaye Ingram; labor leader Carmen Berkley; and others.

"It is truly an honor and humbling to be recognized among so many women of distinction," said Ms. Campbell about her selection by ESSENCE Magazine. "I am most delighted that through this recognition, the work the Black Women's Roundtable undertakes on behalf of Black women and girls' is being so duly recognized as well. I want to thank ESSENCE for this acknowledgement."

For more information about the ESSENCE #WOKE100 list, go to: http://www.essence.com/woke100

TUNE IN TO NEWSONE NOW W/ROLAND MARTIN TOMORROW

ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19TH, 7 AM - 8 AM (EST)

 MELANIE AND OTHER  #SISTARS WILL BE FEATURED ON SEGMENT 

ON THE RELEASE OF ESSENCE MAGAZINE'S #WOKE100!!

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"All children should have access to a quality play space, where they can interact with their caregiver and engage in activities that promote positive child-adult interactions and build social, emotional and cognitive skills that will serve as the foundation for all future learning", says co-founder Melanie Richardson. 

NEW ORLEANS - Local nonprofit, TrainingGrounds is opening the first FREE We PLAY Center at the Corpus Christi-Epiphany Community Resource Center, 2202 St. Bernard Ave. On April 25, 2017, TrainingGrounds will open the doors to their 1,000 square foot space to parents, caregivers, and children ages 3 and under. The play space will be open every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 9:00 am to 11:00 am.

With over 2,100 children on the waiting list for early head start spots throughout the City of New Orleans, TrainingGrounds provides a viable alternative for those children to engage in meaningful activities that support social, emotional, and cognitive development. It is time for every child to have access to quality play spaces.

At the We PLAY Center, toys, art, and music activities are geared towards children and we encourage them to explore at their own pace and find what interests them! Parents and caregivers are encouraged to play with their little ones in our baby and toddler friendly space. All activities and toys are selected to inspire and engage children and caregivers will love them too!

TrainingGrounds believes children are wired to play and learn valuable lessons through playful interactions. Every child should have a safe space and the freedom to engage in meaningful play with their caregivers and other children. In 2015, Playground Ideas (a global non-profit) produced a report that highlighted the most significant research findings on the impact of early play interventions, particularly for children living in poverty. The results are astounding: Access to play from birth through preschool boosts life outcomes substantially - 42% raise in yearly earnings, 44% increase in high school graduations, and 17% increase in obtaining bachelor degrees. Perhaps most importantly, play builds the critical skill of self-regulation, which underpins success for a lifetime. (The Case for Play, Playgrounds Ideas, 2015)

TrainingGrounds is committed to creating We PLAY Centers throughout the city of New Orleans: one community center at a time. "Encouraging early brain and language development and strengthening parent and caregiver engagement is a crucial step toward securing the futures of our children" says co-founder Christine Neely, "We are doing that by creating friendly, inviting and free spaces for parents and caregivers to play and have access to resources about child development."

Follow us on Facebook, visit our website at www.mytraininggrounds.org  and help us spread the word via social media.

About TrainingGrounds:

TrainingGrounds is a non-profit organization that provides evidence informed programming with a focus on age appropriate developmental practices. We assist families and professionals throughout the greater New Orleans area with understanding the importance of how rich learning experiences and positive adult-child interactions in the first five years of life contribute to later success and overall child well-being.

Media contact:
Melanie Richardson
Co-Founder - Community Engagement Director, TrainingGrounds, Inc.

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About InspireNOLA

	Jamar McKneely

InspireNOLA is a charter group that manages Alice M. Harte Charter School, Andrew H. Wilson Charter School, and Edna Karr High School. The mission of InspireNOLA Charter Schools is to transform and inspire an educational movement.


Jamar McKneely is chief executive officer and co-founder of InspireNOLA. He spent seven years as a teacher and assistant principal at Edna Karr High School before becoming principal of Alice Harte Charter School.

To find out more information about InspireNOLA and its schools, visit www.inspirenolacharterschools.org . 

OUR SCHOOLS

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