The city of Bothell invites junior high school students to a Teen Blow Out 7-9:30 p.m. Friday at Canyon Park Junior High School, 23723 23rd Ave. SE, Bothell.

Young teens will find 20 video game stations, a basketball tournament, interactive game shows, an inflatable jousting ring and more.

Admission is $5 at the door; a student body card is required. There will be adult supervision.

Civil War talk in Mukilteo

The Mukilteo Historical Society brings guest speaker Tom Peloquin of the Washington Civil War Association to talk about the Civil War at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Rosehill Community Center, 304 Lincoln Ave., Mukilteo.

Ways to help avoid the flu

If you have a case of the sniffles, you aren’t alone. More than 38 million people have reported cold and flu symptoms across the nation, according to Surveillance Data Inc.

The following cities have this week’s highest percentage of residents suffering from cold and flu symptoms:

* Salt Lake City, 22.3 percent.

* Jacksonville, Fla., 22.2 percent.

* Columbus, Ohio, 21 percent.

* Seattle, 20.3 percent.

To stay healthy:

* Wash hands regularly.

* Don’t touch your eyes or mouth or bite your fingernails.

* Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing.

* Drink lots of water.

* Replace your toothbrush after being sick.

* Clean areas you touch regularly, such as computer keyboards and telephones.

Exercise tackles simulated disaster

The Emergency Services Coordinating Agency will conduct a weapons of mass destruction exercise at 9:15 a.m. Thursday at Edmonds-Woodway High School.

First responders will react to a simulated explosion in the boys’ locker room.

Correction

President Lincoln’s birthday was first declared a holiday in Illinois in 1892, and other states followed suit. However, it has never been a federal holiday. The Associated Press erroneously reported his birthday as a national holiday in a Today in History item that appeared on Page B5 Feb. 12.

Call us

If you have an item for FYI, call Kristi O’Harran at 425-339-3451. If you have a news tip or an idea for a local story, call the city desk at 425-339-3428, or e-mail newshound@ heraldnet.com.