BY VICKI FERSTEL | Staff writer Up to 30% of Louisiana’s rural hospitals are vulnerable to closure, according to the report from Chartis, a national health care consulting firm. And Louisiana is not alone. Almost half of rural hospitals nationwide are operating at a deficit, a key indicator of peril. Staff writer Faimon A. Roberts III explores the issue. Chances are you learned in school all about Leap Day. You know, the extra day added in February on Leap Years to correct the calendar — a bit of a problem for folks who happened to have been born on Feb. 29. Staff writer Jan Risher takes a deep, deep dive into all things Leap Day, from binary stars to Graham Nash. More than 900 readers entered staff editorial cartoonist Walt Handelsman's latest Cartoon Caption Contest. Click here for the funniest — and yummiest — of the punchline entries. | 