When Stephen Guerra checked the back side of drywall in his 72-year-old mother’s newly renovated home and found that it had been made in China, the mysterious smells and rusted metals in the house suddenly made sense to him.

After nearly four years of being displaced because of Hurricane Katrina, the Southeast Louisiana chapter of the Red Cross has returned home.

J.D. Hill said since Katrina it has been difficult to get gigs. The storm eliminated a lot of the clubs, and some of the owners do not want to pay. Without much money, he lived in what he describes as a “rat-trap” on St. Anthony Street until he found a home in the Musicians’ Village.

The recession has been bad for much of the work force, but for exotic dancers, the bad times are still good. Dancers and club owners in the French Quarter said sales have dropped, but tourists and businessmen continue to put money into the industry.

On June 9, Orleans Dodge Chrysler Jeep LLC in New Orleans East is set to become one of two Chrysler dealerships in the New Orleans area to close. Co-owner Mike Comiskey is fighting back.

For the third consecutive year, New Orleans public schools have shown significant improvement in state exams, narrowing what is still a considerable gap in student achievement between the city and state. But despite the schools’ progress, a spirited debate continues over how to best run the city’s schools.

In an art gallery tucked between a Caribbean restaurant and a full service laundry on a quiet street in Mid-City a group of teenagers and adults sat on the edges of their seats, full of anticipation.

It’s a shame,” Sam Jupiter said with a heavy sigh. The 92-year-old barber took a step back from behind the customer sitting in the barber chair and set the clippers down on the counter. He pulled a small white towel from his side pocket and wiped sweat from his weathered cheeks and neck.

At a New Orleans City Council meeting Tuesday, officials unveiled a plan designed to get residents out of harm’s way and into better shelters. Representatives from emergency services offices outlined a comprehensive hurricane evacuation proposal, the City Assisted Evacuation Plan.

As the Unity Outreach workers yell “Anybody Home?” I’m wondering, “What did I get myself into?”

Nearly four years after Katrina in real-life New Orleans, entomologists say a change in the ecosystem has caused some bugs to proliferate and others to die off.

According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, New Orleans’ rate of homelessness is more than four times the national average.

“You can capture 70 percent of New Orleans by just being in the French Quarter,” said Rohit Gopi, a New Orleans tourist.

While many would disagree with Gopi’s assessment of the New Orleans experience, the perceptions and misconceptions of those who visit New Orleans some four years after Hurricane Katrina are as varied as recipes for the perfect gumbo or étouffée.

A project that seeks to curb the city’s energy appetite is one step closer to helping residents return to the Lower Ninth Ward.

For three decades New Orleans has had a black mayor but after Hurricane Katrina the racial demographics of the city changed. The 2006 mayoral race was the closest a white candidate has come to winning the election since the first black mayor was elected in 1977. In 2010 the city may not only see a change in face but also a change in the race of its mayor.

On Tuesday, the smell of fresh paint still lingered in the air as Champion Medical Center and Urgent Care opened its doors to patients for the first time. In an area largely lacking medical facilities since Katrina, the new center is part of an effort to revitalize the neighborhood.

Mayor Ray Nagin’s plan to proceed with the redevelopment of the Iberville Housing Development, an effort he said would “transform” public housing, marks a kind of final chapter for yet another housing project devastated by Katrina.

Memories of Hurricane Katrina still linger for some residents, causing an increase in mental health issues.