Emergency Preparedness

Due to the approach of Tropical Storm Bonnie, the Nicholls Emergency Preparedness Committee has initiated a Phase I Alert in accordance with the 2010 Hurricane Emergency Plan posted at http://emergency.nicholls.edu.

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With Hurricane Ida entering the Gulf of Mexico, the Nicholls Emergency Preparedness Committee has initiated a Standby Alert in accordance with the 2009 Hurricane Emergency Plan posted at http://emergency.nicholls.edu. Read the rest of this entry »

Nicholls State University continues to monitor the developments of the H1N1 flu. The university will follow the recommendations and guidelines established by the National Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Campus officials are in continuous contact with the Office of Public Health, Region III, Thibodaux, La and the National Centers for Disease Control regarding any and all updates for the monitoring and treatment of the H1N1 flu.

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Nicholls State University continues to monitor the H1N1 flu outbreak. The university will follow the recommendations and guidelines established by the national Centers for Disease Control.

There are currently three confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu virus in Lafourche Parish, however there are no confirmed cases on the Nicholls campus.

According to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospital’s Web site, flula.com, there are 54 laboratory confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu virus in Louisiana – one in Ascension Parish, four in East Baton Rouge Parish, two in Iberia Parish, 29 in Lafayette Parish, three in Lafourche Parish, one in Orleans Parish, seven in Plaquemines Parish, two in St. Charles Parish, one in St. Landry Parish, one in St. Martin Parish, two in Terrebonne Parish and one in Vermilion Parish.

The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms, contact your healthcare provider or University Health Services located on the first floor of Ayo Hall.

Recommended preventative actions to avoid flu and other communicable diseases:

1) Avoid close contact. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
2) Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
3) Cover your mouth and nose. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
4) Clean your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
5) Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
6) Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

Additional information is available on the Nicholls health services Web site – http://www.nicholls.edu/health/ and the Centers for Disease Control Web site – http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/.

If this situation escalates, the Nicholls community will be notified.

Nicholls State University is monitoring the human swine flu outbreak. The university will follow the recommendations and guidelines established by the national Centers for Disease Control.

There are currently no reported cases of human swine flu in Louisiana at this time.

The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms, contact your healthcare provider or University Health Services located on the first floor of Ayo Hall.

Recommended preventative actions to avoid flu and other communicable diseases:

1) Avoid close contact. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
2) Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
3) Cover your mouth and nose. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
4) Clean your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
5) Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
6) Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

Additional information is available on the Nicholls health services Web site – http://www.nicholls.edu/health/ and the Centers for Disease Control Web site – http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/.

If this situation escalates, the Nicholls community will be notified.

Nicholls State University is open, and classes are meeting as scheduled. Students who are unable to attend their classes due to flooding will be granted an excused absence. Please contact your instructors via BlackBoard if you are unable to attend classes today, Friday, March 27, 2009.

Contractors will be upgrading the electrical system for the Nicholls State University data center on Monday, Nov. 24th and Tuesday, Nov. 25th. During this time, some online Web services will be interrupted.

The following Nicholls on-line web services will be available:

• Student email: https://webmail.nicholls.edu/gw/
• Blackboard: https://blackboard.nicholls.edu/
• Faculty/Staff email: https://mail.nicholls.edu/
• Nicholls Athletics: http://www.geauxcolonels.com/
• The Nicholls Worth: http://www.thenichollsworth.com/
• Bookstore: http://nich.bkstore.com/

The following on-line web services will not be available:

• The Nicholls State University website
• The Colonel Card website
• The ICAN website
• The AdvisorTrac website

SUSPECT CHARGED WITH SENDING THREATENING E-MAIL

The FBI arrested Dyron Hart, a 19-year-old African-American male, from Poplarville, Miss. Wednesday, Nov. 12, and charged him with sending threatening e-mails.
The arrest came after three Nicholls State University students reported receiving the threatening e-mail through their Facebook accounts. “Yesterday’s arrest by the FBI and our federal response should serve as a powerful signal to all we serve that vile and threatening communications will not be tolerated and will be met with swift response,” said US Attorney Jim Letten.
According to the FBI affidavit, Hart admitted to sending the threatening message to people who were on his “friends” list using his Facebook Internet account. He admitted sending messages to students at Nicholls, Louisiana State University, University of Mississippi, University of Alabama, and to individuals near his Poplarville residence. His stated purpose for sending the messages (in part) was to create a reaction.”
University records show that Hart was enrolled at Nicholls for one semester – spring 2008. Rob Bernardi, athletics director, said “Hart attempted to earn a walk-on spot on the football team. He practiced with the team from April 3 through April 19, but failed to meet NCAA clearing house qualifications, and therefore was never a member of the team.”
Hart faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised released. He was booked in the Stone County Jail in Mississippi and will go before the judge Thursday, Nov.13.
“I am pleased at how quickly this matter was resolved,” said Dr. Stephen Hulbert, Nicholls president. “Our university police department worked in complete cooperation with the FBI, Louisiana State Police, the Poplarville Mississippi Police Department and the Assistant US Attorney’s Office to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.”
Nicholls has requested the FBI assist the university by offering an Internet safety workshop for students during the spring 2009 semester.

The Office of the FBI, Eastern District, has informed Nicholls State University that the individual responsible for the threatening e-mails sent to at least three Nicholls students has been identified as a 19 year old, African-American male from Poplarville, Miss. The FBI reported that the investigation is continuing and that charges are pending the completion of the investigation. All questions regarding the matter should be directed to the FBI, Eastern District, New Orleans, La.

The Nicholls State University Police Department in conjunction with the Louisiana State Police and the FBI, Eastern District, would like to inform the public that the case involving e-mail messages containing threatening statements that were sent to students at Nicholls State University has been resolved. Authorities also want to make clear that there was no creditable threat to the University or its students. For further information, contact the FBI, Eastern District, New Orleans, La .