 | BY CHAD CALDER | Staff writer |
Good morning and thanks for joining us. Here are some of today's top headlines.
Crime drops: After a three-year run of historically high crime, New Orleans is leading a nationwide drop in reported violence. The FBI’s quarterly data shows violent crime dropped 10% nationwide, with a 23% decrease in murder. In New Orleans, non-fatal shootings are down 46% and murders are down 39%. Missy Wilkinson explains why.
Conflict escalates: Last month, the Inspector General in Jefferson Parish released a report critical of the parish's plan to spend $10.3 million on a brewpub complex in Gretna. Next week, a majority of council members plan a vote to hire a law firm to look at whether Kim Raines Chatelain, the head of the taxpayer-funded office who wrote the report, should be fired. Blake Paterson has the story.
Promotions halted: NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick has halted high-level promotions in the department, a move that has caused consternation in the ranks. Gabriella Killett has this report.
Thanks for reading. Check back for more news, entertainment and sports from The Times-Picayune. Chad | 
