A 36-year-old man was shot to death in the Lower Ninth Ward, according to NOPD. The victim, whose name is being withheld until his family is notified, was found shortly before 4pm yesterday, in an alleyway of an abandoned home in the 600 block of Tupelo Street.

For New Orleans, a week is enough rest after Mardi Gras. It's time to start rollin' again. A pair of parades is set to descend on downtown New Orleans this weekend. In the Bywater, the Downtown Irish Club is getting ready for their St. Patrick's Day saunter. In the 9th Ward, a Social Aide and Pleasure Club will cross the canal once again.

The newly redeveloped Oliver Bush Playground is a state of the art facility, but the most important element of recreational space is the people who play in it. Touchdown for Homes is bringing the Ninth Ward affordable, high quality houses. Volunteers and sponsors plan to erect a total of 40 new homes, but they’re starting small with three. The group unveiled the fruits of their labor at a press conference today, on the corner of N. Rocheblave and Andry Streets.

     Every native New Orleanian will readily regale perfect strangers (I know, an overused trite phrase – has there ever been an imperfect stranger?) with exotic tales of Mardi Gras from yore

LOWER 9th WARD - Around a picnic table on Deslonde St. last night, a Thanksgiving dinner in the Lower Ninth Ward lent many moments to nostalgia.