Feeling better: U.S. Attorney Jim Letten is recovering from heart surgery that his New Orleans office says was a “complete success.” A statement issued today by Letten’s office says he underwent surgery Wednesday at Ochsner Foundation Hospital to replace an aortic heart valve. His spokeswoman, Kathy English, says he was released from the hospital Sunday and plans to return to work shortly. “He’s recuperating, and we’re all trying to make sure he has a little rest,” she says. Letten, 57, was appointed by President George W. Bush and has remained in office under the Obama administration.
Throw me something, mister: Mardi Gras is entering the age of the smartphone. This year Carnival revelers can get a new free application for smartphones that serves as a built-in parade tracker. The tracker relies on devices placed on the head and tail floats of select parades, says Rob Hudak, the interactive creative director at Zehnder Communications Inc., a New Orleans company with offices in Baton Rouge that created the app in partnership with television station WWL. The Times-Picayune reports that the free app, called Experience Mardi Gras, is in its early stages but will allow parade-goers and those hoping to avoid parade traffic to track up to one parade every day starting with Muses on March 3 and ending with Zulu on Fat Tuesday. The app also features a post-parade events section and live streaming video of select parades.
