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New Orleans East sees its biggest drop in violent crime in years [Video]
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Small Business Lifestyle

New Orleans East sees its biggest drop in violent crime in years [Video]

Some welcomed headlines for New Orleans East. The district, which consists of the East and Lower 9th Ward, is reporting overwhelmingly lower crime rates. Councilman Oliver Thomas said it’s the first time crime across the board has been so low in about 10 years.Encouraging news for families who live in the city’s largest municipal district. WDSU’s Shay O’Connor has extensively covered crimes happening in the East. She visited some residents and business owners who reacted to the news Tuesday. Councilmember Oliver Thomas said, “Think about it. We are one of the most underserved, stereotyped communities especially when you talk about crime. Right now we are leading the way in several major categories in crime reduction.”Thomas said it has been a collective effort, including more police presence in the district. “But it’s not successful unless the people come together. From our walks with the ministers on Chef. To the youth days at the parks with Sess 4-5 and Phil Brock and Rev. Brown.Figures show crimes like armed robberies are down by 61% from last year. Aggravated battery is down 24%. Shootings are down by 54% in the district.”I definitely can tell. Especially by the community support we’ve been getting,” Gerald Butler with Thai NOLA said.Butler owns a home and business in the New Orleans East community. Last year. his business, Thai NOLA, was burglarized. He said that setback set him up for even more support from the community and beyond. “I’ve got a range of customers coming from Baton Rouge to Metairie to Slidell, even past the Gulfport area. I’m talking about date nights they are coming. In New Orleans East. The narrative is definitely changing,” said Butler.Now he’s doing his part to show love right back. He and his wife hosting an annual backpack giveaway since the burglary happened. Thomas is hoping the increased community involvement, drives more community investment in New Orleans East. “If the city is going to grow, we have the land. What’s the largest landmass in this city? We don’t need to keep stuffing stuff downtown. Especially if we can incentivize growth in New Orleans East.”With projects like Lincoln Beach and Six Flags, the hope for Thomas is this news will encourage more businesses and residents to choose New Orleans East as a place to reside.

Upstate county to vote on incentives for potential expansions [Video]
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Small Business Lifestyle

Upstate county to vote on incentives for potential expansions [Video]

Spartanburg County Council members are set to vote on tax incentives for two potential multimillion-dollar business expansions in the Upstate. Keurig Dr. Pepper and Benteler Automotive are considering more than $200 million in investments in the county. “Both of those companies have worldwide name recognition, and in particular, most everybody knows Keurig Dr. Pepper,” County Council member David Britt said.Public documents show Keurig Dr. Pepper is considering a more than $150 million expansion to their facility that could create 84 new jobs. However, details are few. Benteler Automotive is looking to invest around $48 million into its facility.”When they pay their property taxes, that’s when they get the incentives,” Britt said. “We are not giving them money up front. We are just lowering the tax rate they are paying.”Britt said that, under South Carolina law, industry is normally taxed at 10.5%. The agreements, called fee in lieu of tax agreements or FILOT for short, lower the rate to 6%. He said they are a sign of growth. “We embrace this growth. We are trying to work with growth, and we’re doing it to try to have balanced growth,” Britt said. “It’s not just that first investment. It’s that next investment when they expand and reinvest into their company because it says they made the right decision, and they’re validating it by putting it in this facility.”According to the South Carolina Department of Revenue and Fiscal Affairs, around 180,000 additional people are expected to move into Spartanburg County by 2042. Spartanburg-based housing developer Chris Jefferson said business expansions can affect the housing market.”It increases the need for housing, and so, as you see the more people come in, you see the demand going up. You see how many permits we have pulled here,” Jefferson said. Jefferson said the best way forward is through managed growth. “Making sure that the folks that are here, the folks that are coming, especially low-to-moderate income homeowners, have an opportunity at equity,” Jefferson said.Keurig Dr. Pepper and Benteler Automotive have not replied to requests for additional information regarding their proposed expansions.