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News notes

COA annual Mardi Gras dance set The St. Landry Council on Aging, Inc. will have its annual Mardi Gras dance from 1 to 3:30 p.m. March 4 at the Northwest Center in Eunice. Music will be provided by Big J & the Zydeco Dog Pound, Admission is $2 for age 60 and over. Anyone under 60 admission is $5.

City of VP requests assistance from EPPJ to clean canals

During a recent Evangeline Parish Police Jury meeting City of Ville Platte officials addressed the jury requesting assistance in cleaning city canals. Mayor Jennifer Vidrine said, “We need help from the police jury to clean the canals in the city.

Figs thrive in Louisiana landscapes

Figs are one of the most widely planted fruit trees in home landscapes in Louisiana. With little care, they will produce crops of juicy, sweet figs every July. The fig, Ficus carica, is native to Asia Minor and is thought to be one of the earliest fruit trees cultivated by humans.

UL Lafayette No. 195 in the world for eco-friendliness

Sustainability efforts at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette are being noticed from a distance of more than 10,000 miles. UL Lafayette is 195th on the 2018 University of Indonesia’s GreenMetric Rankings released recently. UL Lafayette is No. 25 in the United States.

February is the time to fertilize trees

February is an excellent time to fertilize trees. Most trees are just beginning to enter a growth phase or will within a few weeks. Fertilizing this month provides them with nutrients just when they can use them most effectively. Most of us tend to take our landscape trees for granted.

Crawfish harvesting

A fisherman runs crawfish traps off La. 35 on a recent day. According to the LSU AgCenter’s 2017 Louisiana Summary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, there were 245 crawfish producers in Acadia Parish and 42,000 acres of land in crawfish production that year.

Police: Five students arrested after fight at Central Catholic

Five students at Central Catholic High School were charged with disturbing the peace fighting after Morgan City police responded to a Thursday incident, Police Chief James Blair said in a news release. —Khyre Jamaal Wills, 17, of 10th Street in Patterson, was arrested at 1:41 p.m.

Anti-Vaxxers are a threat to all of us

We are seeing, in real time, what happens when you get your medical advice from YouTube. There are measles outbreaks in Washington, Oregon and New York, and it’s only a matter of time until more states are added to the emergency list if this foolishness continues.

Is there a statute of limitation on blackface?

Blackface mania has consumed voters in Virginia and is seeping into other states. Are there closeted politicians in Louisiana who are perusing their old yearbooks and scrapbooks to see if there are any blackface photos lurking in their past?

Frigid days in February

It’s not uncommon for south Louisiana to enjoy a few balmy days at the beginning of February, lulling us into the idea that spring is actually here.