Feature Story

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- To call Mississippi summers hot is accurate, but they can also be dangerous as heat and humidity combine to create a deadly threat of heatstroke.

Mississippians saw record-breaking temperatures in July, and while August started cooler, more heat is in store. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Jackson saw five days in July where temperatures reached 100 degree or more, setting one new record and tying another.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi's dairy herd is bucking the national trend by reducing farm and cattle numbers while a national production increase is helping to hold prices down.

"We have a lot of milk available, so prices are not likely to improve much anytime soon," said Bill Herndon, agricultural economist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service.

Numbers of dairy cattle are up nationally, especially in western states such as Idaho, California and New Mexico. However, like most Southeastern states, Mississippi has significantly fewer farms and cattle.

By Crystel Bailey

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippians are finding home-based businesses a successful trend if they include the right person, a marketable product or skill and helpful resources.

"Not just anyone can start a home-based business. There are three requirements a person must possess: an entrepreneurial spirit, family-support and good business skills," said Beth Duncan, Extension small business specialist at Mississippi State University.

By Crystel Bailey

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Internet users should not be fooled by false information on the World Wide Web and e-mail if they keep a few tips in mind.

Most people who use the Internet have probably come across scams or rumors when searching the Web or checking their e-mail. Some hoaxes have caused problems when people took them seriously.

MISSISSIPPI STATE --The tool that made the automobile an extension of the home and office is being threatened as several states consider laws limiting the use of cellular phones for safety reasons.

Some communities have banned the phones from vehicles entirely, while others have required the use of hands-free devices for the phones. Mississippi currently has no laws governing the use of cell phones in vehicles.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Heat has traditionally threatened Mississippi's catfish, but this year's hot temperatures have not been an issue as most producers are equipped for the challenge.

Algae in catfish ponds supply the oxygen catfish require during the day, but at night the catfish rely on aerators. With high temperatures, catfish require more oxygen in the water. July's near record nighttime temperatures meant catfish producers had to run aerators all night every night and even some cloudy days.

JACKSON -- Mississippi will entertain about 1,500 county agents and their families from across the nation in early August as it hosts the 85th annual National Association of County Agricultural Agents Professional Improvement Conference in Jackson.

The event is scheduled for Aug. 6 to 10 and will be headquartered at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. A day of tours will take the group across Mississippi to see cultural attractions, as well as agricultural and manufacturing industries in the state.

MEMPHIS -- Mississippi State University co-hosted a conference in late July that plans to brighten the outlook for agriculture in the Midsouth.

About 175 agricultural leaders from Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana gathered in Memphis to study the current situation and look ahead to what the future of agriculture may hold. Farmers, lenders and suppliers were joined by Extension Service professionals, agriculture specialists and researchers.

By Crystel Bailey

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Recent college graduates must compete for jobs, but a new program may ease job-searching for those interested in a career in furniture management.

"Professionals in furniture industries in Mississippi and North Carolina realized that the management level was filled by older employees. They wanted to attract younger business people to the furniture industry by providing a program of study at the college level," said Teressa Hooper, coordinator for the Furniture Management Program at Mississippi State University.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Insects and weather are usually willing accomplices in their attempt to rob cotton growers of maximum yields, but most pests this year have left the weather to do the bulk of the dirty work.

Blake Layton, cotton entomologist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said insect damage has been sporadic across the state but generally lighter than normal.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University is researching ways to make a new cultivation practice used by many Mississippi rice farmers more profitable.

About 50 percent of Mississippi's rice acreage is farmed using precision leveling and straight levees as farmers have moved away from the traditional levees that curve to follow the natural contour of the land. These new rice paddies follow a constant slope of the land, with straight levees cutting through the land at right angles to the slope of the field.

By Crystel Bailey

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Health officials expect more people to survive a heart attack when changes are made to simplify cardiopulmonary resuscitation by inexperienced bystanders.

"Since most cardiac arrests take place in the home, a trained CPR provider is not usually available. For this reason, most victims in need of CPR do not receive immediate help," said Linda Patterson, a registered nurse and health education specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Two relatively dry years are enabling loggers to reach less accessible trees, creating an oversupply of timber during a season that traditionally has sluggish markets.

"The extended dry weather is compounding the problem with prices, especially pulpwood," said Bob Daniels, forestry specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service. "Pulp mills are only buying the wood needed immediately, so inventories back up in the woods."

By Crystel Bailey

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippians enjoy telling about close encounters with most wildlife species, but snakes are usually a different story.

Summertime activities place people outdoors during a time when snakes are more active. Awareness of potential snake habitats and cleaning up those areas may be the best bets for avoiding an unwanted encounter.

"Snakes are seen more frequently when mating, in spring, early summer months and then fall," said Dean Stewart, wildlife specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Veterinary college tends to produce clinical practitioners despite the graduates' ideal preparation as researchers, a national problem Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine is hoping to address through a summer research program.

Dr. Jerald Ainsworth is director of the Summer Research Experience for Veterinary Students at MSU's College of Veterinary Medicine. He said veterinarians' broad scientific background in anatomy and physiology and multiple animal species prepares them well for careers in research.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Heat is an enemy of dairy milk production, and Mississippi's heat and humidity combine to significantly cut production during the summer.

When outside temperatures reach 75 to 80 degrees, dairy cattle experience mild heat stress. At 90 degrees and higher, they experience severe heat stress. During heat stress, a cow's normal body temperature of 101.5 degrees can reach 105 to 106 degrees.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Two faculty members from Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine witnessed first-hand the uphill struggle educators and agricultural trade associations face following decades of communism and in the aftermath of government instability in Albania.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Congressman Roger Wicker brought a 10-member delegation of Russian Duma members and staff to Mississippi State University this summer as part of their trip to the United States to see democracy in action.

The delegation spent the day on campus visiting the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Engineering Research Center and meeting senior MSU officials. They also learned how the land- grant system generates research and passes that information on to the people of the state.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- What little rice was planted on Mississippi farms this spring is looking good at the halfway point in the growing season.

According to the Mississippi Agricultural Statistics Service, state farmers planted about 20 percent fewer rice acres, dropping the state total to about 260,000 acres, down from 323,000 acres harvested in 1999. Some rice experts expect that number to drop even further. Prices which were a low $5.25 in 1999 are even lower this year.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Teachers and politicians alike preach the value of computers for every student, but is access the only issue?

An average home computer starts at $1,300 for hardware, software and accessories. While schools can get discounts through mass purchases and government programs, sometimes other priorities rank higher than providing a computer for every student in class.