Feature Story

By Nina Ammon
MSU College of Forest Resources

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A Mississippi State University alumnus’s dedication to sharing his passion for the outdoors has resulted in a national honor.

Jay Stokes, a 2007 graduate of MSU’s College of Forest Resources, was honored as a Field and Stream magazine Hero of Conservation. The honor recognizes individuals who conduct extremely effective hunting- or fishing-related conservation projects.

STONEVILLE – Two upcoming field days at Mississippi State University’s Delta Research and Extension Center will showcase the latest research on soybeans, corn and rice.

On July 19, MSU Extension Service specialists and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station researchers will focus on soybeans and corn during presentations and field tours. Rice will be the topic on July 31.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – While some college students struck out in their employment searches this summer, one Mississippi State University student has two full-time jobs.

“I’ve been working from sunup to sundown every summer since I was 14, and this summer I’m farming and interning,” said James Locke, an MSU senior majoring in agriculture science. “School feels like a vacation to me.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Bugs provoke shudders or shrieks from most people, but Matthew Thorn seeks them out.

Two years ago, Thorn’s hobby led him to discover the Japanese Rock Pool Mosquito in Mississippi. The mosquito had never before been reported in the state. He collected the insect in its larva stage in Itawamba County. After the adult emerged, he identified it and was shocked by his findings.

JACKSON – The quest to improve Mississippian’s lives through digital literacy and better Internet access got a boost on June 8.

Mississippi State University’s Extension Broadband Education and Adoption Team, or e-BEAT, and the Mississippi Library Commission announced a partnership that will provide education and support at local libraries for citizens interested in computers and the Internet. The partnership will officially begin July 1.

By Kaitlyn Byrne
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Pet owners should make finding pet-friendly emergency shelters a priority, as these shelters are safe havens for all “family” members during evacuations caused by hurricanes or other threats.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Veterinary technicians wanting to enhance their dental skills should plan to attend the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine veterinary technician dental training Aug. 18.

The one-day course will be from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at MSU-CVM’s Wise Center in Starkville. The course is designed to develop competency and cover basic to advanced companion animal dental care. Experts will present lectures, and attendees will participate in hands-on exercises. Participants can earn eight continuing education credit hours.

GRENADA – Individuals and families can learn skills needed to survive the current economy during an upcoming seminar on asset building.

Asset Building: Pathway to Household Financial Stability” will take place from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. June 26 at the Grenada County Extension Office. Registration is required by June 20 for the free event. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A forest and wildlife management specialist at Mississippi State University has been named the national Extension Forester of the Year by the Forest Landowners Association.

Don Bales of Purvis, a senior Extension associate in MSU’s College of Forest Resources and certified wildlife biologist, received the honor at the organization’s recent annual meeting in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. His office is located in the MSU Extension Service’s Southeast District Forestry Office in Lamar County.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – When the school bell rings for the last time, many children have furry friends eagerly awaiting summertime outdoor adventures. Proper veterinary care and good hygiene can help keep pets and kids parasite-free.

“As we spend time outdoors, we expose ourselves to fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and internal parasites, such as hookworms, roundworms and tapeworms more frequently,” said Dr. Jody Ray, assistant clinical professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Some Mississippi gardeners who took advantage of this year’s early spring are already eating the results of their efforts.

Lelia Kelly, consumer horticulture specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said garden plants are at least two weeks ahead of schedule across the state. Some are even earlier than that.

JACKSON – City dwellers do not have to move to the country to enjoy colorful birds, butterflies and other wild animals if they build a backyard wildlife habitat.

“The No. 1 reason people consider a backyard wildlife habitat is for the enjoyment they get from watching wildlife,” said Ty Jones, Madison County director with Mississippi State University’s Extension Service. “But in metropolitan areas, wildlife-friendly landscapes also give animals small pockets of refuge.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE – They help cucumbers grow straight, increase fruit yields and make the colorful fields of flowers possible -- they are pollinators, and a few simple plantings can make a home garden a haven for these important creatures.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – This summer’s jam-packed 4-H schedule finishes out another full year of activities for the youth development program of the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Close to 96,000 Mississippi youth are involved in 4-H this year. They learn, participate and compete in a variety of areas. 4-H’ers can be involved in ATV safety training and shooting sports, grilling and food safety, livestock shows and forestry events, weeds and seeds, robotics, photography, fashion and numerous other program areas.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A Mississippi State University plant pathology researcher’s discovery of an agricultural phenomenon could lead to the development of a new antifungal drug.

The potential drug shows significant promise for the treatment of serious fungal infections in people with compromised immune systems, such as those undergoing chemotherapy treatments and those with HIV or AIDS. While MSU holds numerous patents and licenses, this is the first time a potential pharmaceutical drug has emerged from MSU research.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University has the South’s first portable forage tester that can give hay and cattle producers immediate decision-making information and enable them to improve their profit margins.

Rocky Lemus, assistant Extension and research professor in MSU’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, said the small machine has big potential.

“We can use this year-round, testing grass in pastures and hay in fields during the growing season or testing hay in the barn during winter,” Lemus said.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A veteran administrator has been selected to head the operations of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and the Mississippi State University Extension Service in North Mississippi.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A Mississippi State University researcher landed another grant to continue work begun in 2007 to support the state’s cotton industry.

Ted Wallace, a researcher with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, received a $25,000 grant for 2012 from Cotton Inc. to continue his work developing nematode-resistant cotton cultivars.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Planting seeds for healthy living is a way of life for Lowndes County 4-H Agent Sharon Patrick, especially in her work at the Columbus Air Force Base.

“Our on-base 4-H club has been learning about choosing healthy foods using the MyPlate guidelines, and when I heard about Burpee’s Welcome Home Garden program, I thought it would be an excellent way to support the concepts we’ve studied -- eating healthy, exercising and being responsible,” Patrick said. “I talked to the director of the CAFB youth center, and before you knew it, we had a garden planned.”

NATCHEZ – Joanne King is passionate about gardening, and it shows -- all over her Adams County yard.

Colorful blooms and various shades of green abound from any view, anytime of year.

“I always like to have something blooming, and I’ve accomplished that,” King said.

King gives a lot of credit for her gardening success to the Master Gardener training program facilitated by Mississippi State University’s Extension Service. King took the class in 2001 and moved from the city limits of Natchez in 2002.