Feature Story

By Jamie Vickers

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Restaurants and other establishments that sell food to the public are turning to two state agencies to meet new requirements for food safety certification.

"Everyone expects their food to be safe, and more people are eating away from home," said Lydia Strayer, director of the sanitation bureau for the Mississippi State Health Department. "People who prepare the food have to be properly trained, or it could lead to illness."

By Amy Woolfolk

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- When Hurricane Georges blasted through coastal Mississippi last week, the pecan crop took a beating, but nurseries escaped with light to moderate damage.

Extension agricultural agents in some southern counties described significant damage to pecans and trees.

John Wesley, Stone County Extension agent, called this year's pecan harvest in his county a complete loss. The crop was only about three weeks from harvest.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Like other Mississippi crops, the sweetpotato crop is reaching the end of a long, hard row, but its tropical nature has prevented catastropic results.

Chickasaw County agent Charlie Fitts said the majority of sweetpotatoes are the Beauregard variety, which has been one of the most successful varieties in recent years.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Society breaks down when people can't get along, but one 4-H program is stepping in to help youth learn to keep their cool.

Dr. Susan Holder, state 4-H leader with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said it is vital that today's youth learn to resolve conflict well.

"As juvenile crime rates rise, we see a great need for youth to learn better ways to handle their anger," Holder said. "Much youth violence could be prevented if young people were taught peaceful ways to resolve their problems."

By Amy Woolfolk

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Young people have enjoyed fishing for hundreds of years, but Mississippi's 4-H and fisheries leaders are developing a program that will take the sport to a new level in the next millennium.

4-H and fisheries leaders are working on an educational fishing-related curriculum, which they hope to have in place in the fall of 2000. The program includes four major areas: angling skills, aquatic ecology, people and fish, and tackle crafting.

By Amy Woolfolk

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Young people have enjoyed fishing for hundreds of years, but Mississippi's 4-H and fisheries leaders are developing a program that will take the sport to a new level in the next millennium.

4-H and fisheries leaders are working on an educational fishing-related curriculum, which they hope to have in place in the fall of 2000. The program includes four major areas: angling skills, aquatic ecology, people and fish, and tackle crafting.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- With unpredictable stock markets worldwide and a person's financial worth changing hourly, some people have turned to stuffed animals for security.

Produced by Ty Inc., Beanie Babies are a line of small, colorful, loosely stuffed animals. Priced about $5 so kids can buy them, the toys have become a hot commodity in adult circles where some Beanie Babies now sport price tags in the thousands along with their heart-shaped hang tag and poem.

By Jamie Vickers

MISSISSIPPI STATE --Teen-agers who venture into the world of part-time jobs realize that managing money is not always easy, and they may need help from parents.

"Parents should help their teen determine obligations and a spending plan," said Dr. Beverly Howell, family economics and management specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service. "Parents should also help them stick to it."

Budgeting is a good place to start when teens are learning to manage their money. Three essential steps in designing a budget are:

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- From a national advertising campaign to additional staff positions promoting youth activities, Mississippi's 4-H program has cause to celebrate.

"National 4-H Week is Oct. 4 through 11, but it seems like all of 1998 has been 4-H Year," said Dr. Susan Holder, state 4-H leader with Mississippi State University's Extension Service.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi soybean growers are going into harvest hoping to survive a year of bad yields made worse by bad prices.

Early in the growing season, high temperatures and drought were the crop's worst enemies. Non-irrigated and early maturing Group IV soybeans were hardest hit. As harvest neared, prices fell, compounding the disastrous effects of low yields.

Yields have averaged 25 to 27 bushels an acre, compared to 1997's average of 31 bushels. Prices are currently about $5.30 per bushel, rather than a normal price of $6.80.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi's timber industry is feeling the effect of Japan's economic crunch even though most Southern pine lumber rarely makes the voyage across the Pacific.

Dr. Bob Daniels, forestry specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said Japan is North America's largest wood products trading partner, principally buying softwood lumber from the western United States and Canada.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Volunteering is one of the few ways a person can give and still feel like they received.

Bettye Wadsworth, leadership development specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said Extension volunteer efforts last year on educational programs and services were worth more than $16 million in the state.

By Amy Woolfolk

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Americans eat about 50 million pounds of oysters every year, but some people may risk illness if the oysters are not prepared properly.

Cathy Hollomon, environmental education program assistant at Mississippi State University's Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi, said healthy adults run little risk of contracting illness from oysters. Anyone with a weakened immune system is susceptible to a potentially fatal infection from a bacteria called Vibrio Vulnificus sometimes found in raw or partially cooked oysters.

By Jamie Vickers

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Hunting dogs may be an integral part of the sport, but they may encounter hazards which are often overlooked.

Dr. Thomas Lenarduzzi, associate professor at Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, said hunters should prepare for the problems and have a plan. Problems that could occur for hunting dogs range from heatstroke to snake bites and sore footpads.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Four academic teams from Mississippi State University recently won top honors in national competitions, bringing distinction to their colleges and departments.

The Agricultural Economics, Horticulture, Poultry Science and Dairy Products Judging teams all won first place in their respective national competitions in the last academic year.

Dr. Bill Fox, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said for most teams, these wins were not a first. Faculty helped position these students to compete and win.

By Amy Woolfolk

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Last year Mississippi set a new all-time high record, but it is nothing to be proud of. The record was for deaths involving tractors.

Herb Willcutt, farm safety specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said Mississippi recorded 18 tractor deaths in 1997 and two other deaths involving heavy equipment. To raise awareness of the dangers found on the farm, Sept. 20 to 26 has been named National Farm Safety and Health Week.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Turbulent markets, at home and abroad, are giving U.S. farmers more to worry about than the weather.

Economic problems began in 1997 with Asian countries in financial distress, next came this summer's Russian crisis, followed closely by the recent drastic fall of the U.S. stock market. Combine these burdens with the weather challenges farmers faced this summer across the country and the picture is bleak.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Hot, dry weather across most of the state for about a six-week period this summer slowed grass growth and hay production in Mississippi.

Dr. Lamar Kimbrough, Mississippi State University Extension Service forage specialist, said many of the state's hay producers have made fewer cuttings than normal due to the drought through June and early July.

"Much of the state got enough rain around July 12 to meet the moisture needs," Kimbrough said. "We made some hay after that, but we're running out of water again."

By Marcela Cartagena

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi's graduates in veterinary medicine have higher salaries and more job options than in past years.

"Our graduates' total annual salaries have surpassed the $40,000 national average," said Dr. Mikell Davis, student affairs coordinator at Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. "Job offers and the career opportunities this profession offers to our graduates are tremendous."

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Financial survival after sudden drops in incomes from job loss, medical expenses, death of a spouse or divorce will depend largely on a person's budgeting ability.