By Norm Miller, LCNews PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews) -- The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) approved Louisiana College as a “Course Choice Provider” of dual enrollment courses for college credit for eligible Louisiana high school students. “We are pleased with this acknowledgement as a preferred provider for remote learning,” said Louisiana College President Rick Brewer. “We have a growing family of public, private, and homeschools, and this accolade we hope will move others to discover the excellence we offer.” Another advantage is that Louisiana College provides a superior option for high school education if the pandemic provisos continue into the fall semester, Brewer added. Tioga High School (THS) in Tioga is on board for its second stint with Louisiana College this fall. “My interactions with the students have been excellent,” said Kathleen McGinty-Johnston, who is the Louisiana College online instructor for THS. “I taught a hybrid class there, and I saw the students at least once a week.” The COVID-19 pandemic pre-empted McGinty-Johnston’s visits to THS before the spring semester’s end. Visiting the school “lets me get to know the students better as individuals and allows them to see me as a teacher … [Read more...]

By Message Staff BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Gov. John Bel Edwards has extended his stay-at-home order through May 15, modifying it slightly but not lifting restrictions against public gatherings such as on-campus church services. During a news conference, Edwards announced that starting May 1 restaurants are allowed to permit customers to eat outdoors on patios but that there cannot be any table service. Similarly, shopping malls may operate curbside retail service, but workers who engage with customers must wear masks. Edwards said the decision was based upon data from the Louisiana Department of Health showing that on average new cases and hospitalizations have decreased statewide, but that there were still some areas of concern. Out of the nine regions in the state, Acadiana, Baton Rouge and Monroe have seen an increase in cases, and the Northshore has seen a plateau. Additionally, Baton Rouge and Monroe also have seen increases in hospitalizations and Shreveport-Bossier and the Southwest regions have seen a plateau. “Thanks to the commitment of the people of Louisiana, our state has made progress in flattening the curve and reducing the spread of the novel coronavirus,” Edwards said. “Unfortunately, we still have a little … [Read more...]