News

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Two public agencies are joining forces to help address the educational needs of children whose lives were disrupted by Hurricane Katrina.

"Operation ABC - Read" unites Mississippi State University's Extension Service and Mississippi Public Broadcasting to bring a wealth of resources to the remaining shelters and recovering child-care centers damaged by the storm. MPB received a $75,000 grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and received videos and books from Sesame Workshop and WGBH-Boston to provide educational kits to impacted areas.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The cleanup after Hurricane Katrina has been a messy, smelly job, and for some people with allergies or respiratory problems, it can be a dangerous job.

Mold is taking hold across the affected region, lurking under wet flooring, penetrating walls, entering cars, and covering the contents of damp closets and storage areas. Dust is being stirred up as new construction and renovation is under way, and as people clean mud and dirt out of homes and businesses.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Landscapes are starting to look great as hurricane debris is cleared and fall mums are planted. There is something to be said about the way mums change your mood and brighten the landscape.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Darth Rebel and Bully-Wan-Kanobi are waiting to greet visitors to the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Verona.

The Star Wars-inspired creations are among the 60 residents of this year's Scarecrow Trail, which winds through gardens filled with flowers and landscape plants.

The trail opened to the public Sept. 17 and will remain open through Oct. 25. Admission is free, and families or individuals who want to enjoy the gardens and exhibits may walk the trail anytime Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Grants are available to Mississippi youth wanting to repair environmental damage caused by Hurricane Katrina or for other nature projects that will promote pride in their communities.

Community Pride is a grants and awards program sponsored by the ChevronTexaco Companies and administered by Mississippi State University's Extension Service. The environmental improvement program has been in existence for more than 30 years.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- With up to three year's worth of harvest timber destroyed or damaged, the odds of salvaging much volume or value are slim, and the clock is ticking.

Bob Daniels, forestry specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said preliminary estimates indicate Hurricane Katrina damaged $1.3 billion worth of timber on 1.2 million acres.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Hurricane Katrina gave thousands of school children a vacation no one wanted, and the break from schoolwork in Mississippi is expected to last as long as seven weeks.

Some students transferred to other schools, and many already have resumed classes in their own school. Others in shelters and scattered throughout damaged communities are still not back in school.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Families may have survived one life-altering storm only to face more destructive forces from within.

Marilyn Bailey, leadership development area agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, knows firsthand about the stresses created in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Her home in Bay St. Louis is gone, and her office with the Hancock County Extension Service was bulldozed without workers being allowed to examine the debris for materials to salvage.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Hurricane Katrina claimed many homes on the Gulf Coast, taking with her valuable financial and personal documents that families will want to replace.

Bobbie Shaffett, Mississippi State University Extension Service family resource management specialist, said knowing where to look for help can make this job easier and quicker.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Thousands of miles and millions of dollars worth of fences in south Mississippi were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, leaving producers with overwhelming odds if they continue in the cattle business.

Mike Keene, area livestock and forages agent for Mississippi State University's Extension Service, is based in Hattiesburg. He said help is arriving in the form of fencing supplies and feed, but challenges abound for farmers.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Garden and landscape enthusiasts will flock to the Fall Flower & Garden Fest at the Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station in Crystal Springs on Oct. 14 and 15 for the latest plant recommendations and information on urban trees.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi landowners interested in earning additional revenue from their land can take part in a Oct. 4 workshop focusing on natural resource enterprises.

The one-day workshop will take place at Birdlands Plantation near Como in Panola County. Natural resource enterprises include a variety of activities such as fee hunting and fishing, trail riding, agritourism, wildlife watching, and the operation of bed and breakfasts.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Mississippi's second planting season is here, bringing many choices to liven up tired landscapes. There are mums and marigolds, salvias of all sorts, late season zinnias and one of my favorites, the ornamental pepper.

Ornamental peppers have changed dramatically over the last few years to become real landscape assets. We now have choices like the colorful, Medusa, Chilly Chili, Masquerade and a new one called Black Pearl that will steal your heart for sure.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

After Hurricane Katrina, words like "uprooted," "transplanted" and "salvaged" are applied to many devastated lives, homes and communities. They also may be applied to the landscapes where homes once stood and where fallen trees now lie.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi producers suffering losses from Hurricane Katrina can apply for a portion of the $170 million in disaster assistance made available by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Mississippi has $7.1 million earmarked through the Emergency Conservation Program. Other funds are available through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, Emergency Loan Program, Farm Storage Facility Loans and the Disaster Debt Set-Aside Program.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Hurricane Katrina closed the three ports serving Mississippi agricultural commodities, so products leaving the state face new challenges and increased costs.

The Port of Gulfport was wiped clean of its infrastructure, the Port of Pascagoula was damaged, and the Port of New Orleans, while not substantially damaged, has little infrastructure and few employees left to support it. All three served Mississippi producers.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Simple computers with Internet access are easing part of the emotional burden of evacuees desperate to reconnect with family.

When Hurricane Katrina hit the state with its high winds and devastating water, much of the communication infrastructure in the lower one-third of the state was lost in a few hours. Hundreds of lives were also lost in that brief span.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Animals from family pets to commercial livestock herds and poultry flocks are important parts of life in the storm-ravaged areas of Mississippi.

A toll-free number has been set up by the Mississippi Board of Animal Health and staffed by Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine for calls about all animal-related issues. The number is (888) 722-3106.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Without electricity to produce milk, Mississippi dairy farmers and processors suffered significant, direct economic losses from the ravages of Hurricane Katrina that average an estimated $35,000 per farm.

Hurricane Katrina tracked through the middle of Walthall, Marion and Lincoln counties, the state's highest populated dairy counties. About 75 percent of the state's 230 dairy farms are located south of Interstate 20, and more than 50 percent of these farms are concentrated in the hard-hit counties near McComb and Brookhaven.

When disaster strikes, the little things take on more importance. Saving something from a site of total devastation can be a big boost, even if what is saved is just a tree or a special bush. As I travel around in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, I have noticed a few things that could be overlooked by homeowners.

Water is critical...