Just a scare: The all-clear has been given in Natchitoches, as officials did not find anything suspicious after a bomb threat was called in at the Northwestern State University campus around noon today, prompting an evacuation and the cancellation of some classes. The (Alexandria) Town-Talk reports officials are investigating the bomb threat. Several buildings were evacuated after a high school housed on the campus received a bomb threat. Details about the alleged threat were not immediately released. Northwestern State has about 4,500 students. The high school on campus has about 300 students.
Hometown heroes: A father and son from Plaquemines who helped save stranded residents during Hurricane Isaac have been finalists for the Citizen Service Before Self Honors award by the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. Jesse Shaffer III, 53, and his son Jesse Shaffer IV, 25, are among 23 finalists for the award, for which hundreds of nominations were made last fall. The winner will be announced on March 11. Learn more about the Shaffers and the rest of the finalists here.
What’s so funny? The Onion is apologizing for calling the 9-year-old star of Beasts of the Southern Wild a vulgar and offensive name on Twitter, an attack that led to a firestorm online. The satirical newspaper on Sunday referred to Quvenzhane Wallis with an expletive intended to denigrate women. The Onion—which has been lambasted for going too far before, yet rarely issues apologies—issued a statement today calling the Tweet “crude and offensive,” adding it was “inconsistent with The Onion‘s commitment to parody and satire, however biting.” You can see the full apology here.
