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STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A service-learning class at Mississippi State University taught clothing design students much more than just how to construct a dress.

Caroline Kobia’s Apparel Design 1 students joined Oktibbeha County 4-H members to learn the basics of clothing construction. This was the second semester the MSU Center for the Advancement of Service-Learning Excellence linked MSU students with community partners in a sewing project.

May is Older Americans Month …

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Caring for an aging loved one can be overwhelming, especially when balancing the task with family obligations, work and self-care.

May is Older Americans Month …

STARKVILLE, MISS. -- Preventable falls can lead to catastrophic problems for older adults, so it is important to be proactive.

David Buys, health specialist with the Mississippi University Extension Service and researcher with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, said falls send more than 2 million senior adults to emergency rooms every year. A fall, even for a healthy individual, can trigger a series of problems and the loss of independence.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- More than 60 area kindergartners and homeschoolers enjoyed an Afternoon on the Farm last week.

Thirteen senior students in the Mississippi State University Department of Animal and Dairy Science managed the first edition of the event May 1. Held at the H.H. Leveck Animal Research Center, commonly called the South Farm, this program was part of a service-learning project students organized as part of the Capstone in Animal and Dairy Science course.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Fire ants can be more than unwelcome guests in the home lawn; their stings can be dangerous for children and pets who share play areas with the pests.

Fire ant stings are characterized by sharp localized pain, swelling and intense itchiness that is just a short-lived nuisance for most. A raised red bump appears soon after the sting and soon turns into a sterile pustule that resembles a pimple. However, the ants’ venom can cause severe allergic reactions in some people and pets.

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month …

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- She thought the blemish that refused to heal was simply a persistent pimple.

Shelaine Pennington, a Mississippi State University Extension Service agent in Prentiss County, said the dermatologist looked at the spot on her chin and was relatively certain of the diagnosis, but performed a biopsy to be sure.

The doctor confirmed her diagnosis: basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Summer camp is going high tech for Mississippi teachers, senior 4-H’ers, and 4-H agents and volunteers.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service will host the second annual Robotics Academy July 27-30 at the Bost Extension Center on the MSU main campus. Participants will learn how to plan a robotics program, how to host a robotics camp, how to plan a successful fundraising campaign, and how to use 4-H robotics and coding in the school setting.

Attendees can choose from four educational tracks:

May is Older Americans Month …

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Older Americans may become depressed as they face the many challenges aging brings, but spotting the signs and being proactive can limit the illness’s influence.

This responsibility starts with the ability of family members or caretakers to recognize early signs of depression in the seniors they know.

If there's one area in almost everyone's landscape that causes a lot of problems, it's that area between the sidewalk and the street.

I surrounded my mailbox with a small planting bed to help me try to garden in this area. I have had some success trying many different planting combinations that change with the seasons. But it is the summer that causes me the most trouble.

GREENVILLE, Miss. -- Landowners and hunting clubs eager to earn extra income while improving land management for wildlife are invited to attend a Natural Resource Enterprises Business Workshop on June 4 in Greenville.

GOODMAN, Miss. -- Small-scale producers can learn online marketing skills and techniques for profitable one-acre production during a series of field days at the Alliance for Sustainable Agricultural Production Farm near Goodman.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- On paper, Mississippi’s rice crop is right on schedule, with half the crop planted by late April, but the reality is that recent rains have left planting at a near standstill.

In the Crop Progress and Condition Report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated 49 percent of the state’s rice was planted and 30 percent emerged by April 26.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- One of the most common questions people ask about lakes and ponds is whether they need to apply fertilizer to promote fish population growth.

“Do I have to fertilize my lake and if so, what should I use and how much of it should be used?” I get these questions every year, and my response typically is, “How much fishing pressure does it receive? Are there any weed/invasive plant issues?” If there are just a few folks using the lake and not much fishing pressure, fertilizer may not be necessary.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Andy Berry of Magee has been selected to lead the Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association as the organization’s new executive vice president.

A 1998 graduate of Mississippi State University, Berry has been active in cattle programs since he began showing polled Herefords in the Lawrence County 4-H program. He was a charter member of the Mississippi Junior Cattlemen’s Association.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Working with horses is not uncommon for Mississippi State University students, but competing with them is.

The Eventing Team, or “Equestrian Triathlon,” is MSU’s newest equestrian club sport, founded in the fall of 2014. The introduction of the Eventing Team to MSU follows that of the introduction of the Equestrian Team in 2001.

Home gardeners are showing more interest in planting native plants in the landscape. This makes a lot of sense because native plants have a greater tolerance to local environmental conditions. What holds them back is the fact that many have a limited ability to create excitement in the landscape.

One that defies that stereotype is the butterfly weed. This native plant was chosen as a Mississippi Medallion winner in 2012, an award given to plants selected for their superior and outstanding garden and landscape performance.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Almost three-fourths of the state’s corn crop has been planted, but many areas -- especially farms outside the Delta -- still have been too wet to plant.

“Rainfall has definitely delayed corn planting this spring and been our major production limitation,” said Erick Larson, grain crops agronomist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “We’ve got areas of the state where they were able to plant most of their intentions, and other areas where they haven’t even gotten their machines out of the shed yet.”

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Tell Mississippians that fire ants have completely invaded the state, and they’ll probably shrug and say they already know that. Tell them the pain actually comes from a sting rather than a bite, and they’ll say it still hurts. But tell them how to get rid of the nasty critters, and they’re all ears.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is organizing efforts to help residents Bite Back against fire ants. The solution is a simple two-part attack, but success comes in the long-term follow-through.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Children with an interest in robots, snow and problem-solving are invited to a robotics camp at Mississippi State University.

The Cloverbud Robotics camp, a program of the MSU Extension Service and 4-H Robotics, is for students from age 5 to 8. The camp will be July 6-8 from 8 a.m. to noon each day at the Bost Conference Center.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Warmer weather means wild creatures of all shapes and sizes are on the move, which makes it a whole lot more likely you will encounter a snake during the spring or summer.