 BY DEANNA B. NARVESON | Staff writer The fires are set to blaze at 7 p.m. across the St. James Parish levees and into St. John the Baptist Parish. A tradition stretching back at least a century, bonfires will glow as families, friends and holiday-goers convene to watch the unique River Parishes Christmas Eve tradition. Crews have been working on the structures for weeks, harvesting Mississippi driftwood and willow trees to build them. Read about some of the families who built this year's beautiful Christmas bonfires.
It's flu season: As state health officials scale back their public promotion of flu and COVID shots, federal data show that Louisiana's vaccination rates are lower than much of the country. Nationally, as of the middle of December, 42% of adults and 42% of children ages 6 months through 17 years old had received this year’s flu vaccine, according to the CDC. Looking just at Louisiana, 33% of adults and 32% of children have gotten the flu shot, the data show. Read the full story.
DEQ audit: Louisiana's environmental regulator failed to fully collect past-due penalties totaling $7,205 for two companies that previously had reached agreements with the agency, state auditors said Monday. Read more. | 
