New Orleans police report that a driver died early Saturday after the vehicle he was operating crashed into two homes. The incident occurred just minutes before 4 am at the 1400 block of Kabel Drive in Algiers.  The driver of the vehicle was pronounced dead on the scene by Emergency Medical Services. Traffic Fatality Investigators determined that the driver was going north on Kabel Drive before his vehicle ran off of the roadway and collided with two residences.
The Essence Festival takes place this weekend in New Orleans but unlike many other events, festival attendees won’t be bothered by outdoor temperatures in the upper 80s in the Crescent City, or chances of afternoon showers throughout the event. Kristian Sonnier of the New Orleans Convention and Visitor’s bureau says don’t worry about weather conditions because the Essence Fest is indoor fun.

Cut 13 (09) “air conditioning”
Most of the festival takes place in Morial Convention Center by day, where speakers and workshops for personal development will be offered, and by night for concerts at the Super Dome.

The man who performed the first heart transplant in the Gulf South has passed away in New Orleans. Doctor John Ochsner conducted over 12-thousand surgeries during a 57 year career. He passed away at the age of 91. President of the Ochsner Health System, Warner Thomas, calls Doctor Ochnser an icon in the industry
cut 9 (10) “…as well”

Doctor Ochsner’s father, Alton Ochsner, helped found the Ochsner health care system. Doctor John Ochsner stopped performing surgeries at 75-years-old, but was still involved with the clinic on a daily basis.

The LSU football program has received a verbal commitment from four-star linebacker Donte Starks out of John Ehret High School in New Orleans. Starks also had offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and other SEC schools. He’s ranked as one of the top inside linebackers in the country and LSU now has 19 commitments for 2019 and the class is ranked third nationally behind Alabama and Texas A-and-M.