The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education rejects a proposal to waive penalties against schools who have students that opt out from taking the Common Core exam. In a 7-to-4 vote, BESE agreed with Superintendent of Education John White, who says let’s wait and see how many opt outs there are first…

cut 13 (09) “somewhere else”

A zero score will be given for each student who doesn’t take the test, which could lower a school’s performance score. Critics say that’s not fair to the school or the child.

“Marsh Madness” ramps up today in Lake Charles as three girls’ state championship basketball teams will be crowned tonight, four more tomorrow and the boys’ Top 28 tournament begins there next week. Sales Director of the Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Eric Zartler, says these events are great for the local economy…

cut 4 (06) “this year”

Today’s games will be highlighted by the Class 3-A title game between Mansfield and Baton Rouge’s University High.

Yesterday was a brutally cold day and a freeze warning is in effect for portions of south Louisiana this morning. But things will warm up today and there’s hope that spring is just around the corner. Fred Zeigler with the National Weather Service in Slidell says temperatures across the state remained in the 30s most of Thursday but today we’ll be in 40s to low 50s…

cut 7 (10) “about 15 to 20 degrees”

Zeigler says yesterday was about as miserable a day you can get weather-wise as it was not only cold but cloudy, damp and wind chills were in the 20s. He says, while today is still cool, it’s dry and nice outside.