Governor Sends Illinois National Guard to Louisiana

Illinois soldiers, military vehicles and medical emergency response teams are heading down to Louisiana for relief effort.

The Illinois National Guard will send 300 soldiers and up to 50 military vehicles to Louisiana to assist with the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, Gov. Rod Blagojevich's office announced Wednesday.

The large military cargo trucks can drive through several feet of water, making them suitable for cleaning up debris and transporting supplies, officials said.

The trucks will be accompanied by about 200 members of the Springfield-based 367th Maintenance Company, plus drivers and command staff. The group will leave Friday morning, a day after the 10-member Illinois Medical Emergency Response Team is expected to depart.

College students unable to attend schools during the relief efforts are welcome to attend community colleges in Illinois.

Meanwhile, students from Illinois enrolled in colleges in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama shuttered because of the hurricane will be able to attend community colleges in Illinois.

"Many of them can't afford to lose a semester on their way to a college degree," Blagojevich said. "We need the community colleges of Illinois to help them to continue their studies uninterrupted."

Whether the students have to pay tuition or fees will be decided on a case-to-case basis by each school, said Blagojevich spokesman Gerardo Cardenas.

If you can please donate to the Red Cross, my prayers are with the people of Louisiana and Mississippi and the groups who are helping with the relief efforts.