The state health department reports the number of flu cases has spiked with Louisiana reporting widespread flu activity. Immunization director for the Louisiana Department of Health, Doctor Frank Welch, says the flu season could get worse with Mardi Gras parades and celebrations set to ramp up. He recommends washing your hands frequently and do not share drinks…
cut 8 (11) “….that flu shot”
The flu causes about 500 deaths and three-thousand hospitalizations every year in Louisiana.

A cold front is sweeping across the state today. It’s in the mid 40s for most of the state today, but the cold front has yet to move through southeast Louisiana. So it’s still in the low 70s there. But the temperature will fall fast once the front moves through. Stormy weather will return on Friday.

Higher Education Commissioner Kim Hunter Reed says Louisiana students use a larger part of their income to attend a community college compared to their peers in the South and nationally. But president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College system, Monty Sullivan, says the state’s community and technical schools have not raised tuition in four years and fees in three years…
cut 5 (11) “….affordable”
Reed encourages students to apply for financial assistance.

Teacher pay is expected to be a big topic when the legislative session begins in April. Abbeville Senator Bob Hensgens has filed a bill that would give teachers a 250-dollar tax deduction for supplies paid out of pocket. The Vermillion Parish Republican hopes passing the legislation will inspire more school districts to help teachers pay for supplies.
Cut 15 (06) “…do more.” (2x)
The deduction would apply to anyone who is employed as a teacher or aid in a qualified school, and works on average fifteen hours a week.