NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Cathedral bells in the French Quarter marked
the start of inauguration festivities for New Orleans' new mayor.
Mitch Landrieu arrived Monday at St. Louis Cathedral, followed
by more than a dozen religious leaders, for an interfaith service
preceding his swearing in.
Landrieu, who is vacating the lieutenant governor's post, was
elected in a landslide in February with broad cross-racial support.
He succeeds term-limited Mayor Ray Nagin.
Landrieu becomes the first white mayor of the mostly black city
since his father, Moon Landrieu, left office in 1978. He faces
problems including corruption probes of city police, violent crime
and an uneven recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

Permalink | Comments