Tuesday, December 23rd: Below are the top stories WTXL ABC 27 is following around The Big Bend, South Georgia, nationally, and your forecast.1) Local Valdosta schools step up to feed students through holiday break. Valdosta City Schools and Lowndes County Schools will provide 80,000+ free meals over the break. Nearly 1 in 4 local children face food insecurity, according to Second Harvest of South Georgia. Local Valdosta schools step up to feed students through holiday break2) Florida State University graduates 56 physician assistants to help address healthcare shortage. According to the Florida Council, a third of people lived in an area with a shortage of primary care physicians in 2023. Florida State University graduates 56 physician assistants to help address healthcare shortage3) New Piggly Wiggly opens in Havana just in time for the holidays. The store was originally expected to open in January, but opened early, giving residents local access to groceries during the holiday season. Piggly Wiggly is now the only grocery store operating in Havana, providing a critical service for families who would otherwise travel outside the city. New Piggly Wiggly opens in Havana just in time for the holidays4) Flu cases are rising. Heres whats driving the surge and how to protect yourself. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there have been 4.6 million flu cases this season, along with 49,000 hospitalizations and 1,900 deaths. Two of those deaths were pediatric patients being treated last week. For the week leading into Christmas, the CDC reported increases in doctor visits, hospitalizations, positive test results, and deaths compared with the previous week. Flu cases are rising. Whats driving the surge and how to protect yourself5) Tuesday Forecast: Temperatures will climb into the mid 70s for the afternoon. Skies will have some clouds, but stay mostly sunny for much of the day. The increased moisture will help trap the heat, letting us warm more each day. This will also add to the fog overnight tonight and tomorrow night.Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website. Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.Like us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram and X. ...read more read less