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Dr. Tony E. Windham |
PPC Brings Unbiased Information to Voters for 2010 Ballot Issues
For Arkansans, November's midterm elections will involve more than choosing candidates for various state and local races - voters will also be deciding the fates of three ballot issues referred by the state Legislature.
The first asks voters to approve changes to the Arkansas Constitution to protect the right of citizens to hunt, fish and trap.
The second removes the federal discount rate limit on interest rates for lenders in Arkansas, effectively changing the state's usury limit caps.
The third ballot issue changes the thresholds necessary for the governor to invest state funds in economic development projects, removing the 500-job, $500 million investment caps.
To help voters navigate the issues, our Public Policy Center is creating unbiased fact sheets about the three measures. Each fact sheet undergoes rigorous review before being released to the public.
Center Director Tom Riley said that each fact sheet is reviewed by Ag Law Center faculty led by Harrison Pittman, Bill Kopsky, executive director of the Arkansas Public Policy Panel, Paul Young, finance director of the Arkansas Municipal League, legislators involved in the sponsorship of each legislative initiative, and Jay Barth Professor of Policy at Hendrix College.
The information is also reviewed by advocacy groups for both sides of each issue, as well as Extension and University administration legal counsel before public release.
The Public Policy Center is also working in partnership with the Arkansas Educational Television Network - Arkansas' PBS station - to produce a 30-minute program, which will air about the proposed constitutional amendments.
The fact sheets will be available online and through each county extension office. Riley said Centra training sessions will be available for agents during the first half of this month.
Over the past 20 years, voter education has become a part of our mission. Our recent efforts in this direction have earned praise from the public and our elected leadership.
Riley also said that media outlets have begun linking their sites to the Public Policy Center - an action that speaks volumes about the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture's reputation for reliable and unbiased information.
We hope our continued work will help voters make educated decisions on issues that will affect us all.
- Tony E. Windham
New, improved Walk Across Arkansas debuts Sept. 19
A new, improved Walk Across Arkansas makes its debut Sept. 19, according to Margaret Harris, assistant professor-health for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
Walk Across Arkansas, WAA, is held twice a year and offers participants an opportunity to fall into the habit of exercising more. During the eight weeks of Walk Across Arkansas participants record how they exercise and any weight lost, if weight loss is a goal.
This year, WAA is making two important changes:
The changes reflect recent research into healthy living.
"In the past, research recommended that people walk 10,000 steps a day, which is why we walked and recorded steps and miles," Harris said. "New recommended guidelines call for at least 150 minutes of exercise per week, which accounts for our changes."
Sign up at www.uaex.edu.
Carson receives national horticulture award
Janet Carson, associate professor, recently received the Outstanding Extension Educator Award from the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) during the group's annual conference. Carson is the first Arkansan to receive this award.
"This is a very noteworthy award given by the primary horticultural science society in the United States," said John Clark, chair of the board of directors for ASHS and horticulture professor for the University of Arkansas.
"Janet receiving this award is national recognition for her excellent consumer horticulture program with the university's Cooperative Extension Service."
Carson received the award for her contributions to horticultural extension education in Arkansas, including her extensive media work making UA's Cooperative Extension Service the go-to resource for home gardening information as well as helping organize the annual Arkansas Flower and Garden Show in Little Rock.
"I'm very happy that Janet received this honor," said Dave Hensley, horticulture professor and department head for the university. "It's very well-deserved and I'm proud of her."
Food plot demonstration brings T.V. show to Calhoun County
County agents are always coming up with innovative demonstrations to show the public how to conquer certain agricultural tasks. Food plot demonstrations have become a favorite.
Jaret Rushing, Calhoun County Extension agent, became part of a food plot research project back in 2009. Since then, the popularity of this project has reached farther than the county level.
On August 20, Steve "Wildman" Wilson from the hit T.V. show, "Talkin' Outdoors with Steve ‘Wildman' Wilson," decided he wanted to film a show about food plot establishment and thought that Calhoun County would be a great location.
"Wildman" and his crew took video of Rushing establishing his 2010 food plot demonstration and interviewed him to hear the step-by-step process of food plot establishment. The show will air at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 4, on KARK and KNWA (in northwest AR) and on KARZ at 9 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 5.
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Steve "Wildman"Wilson in front of the "Talkin' Outdoors" SUV. |
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Jaret Rushing and Randy Duncan working on setting up wildlife forage control cages. |
Goddard selected to receive outstanding family life educator award
Dr. H. Wallace (Wally) Goddard has been selected to receive the Margaret E. Arcus Outstanding Family Life Educator Award through the National Council on Family Relations. The Arcus Award was established to increase the visibility and credibility of family life education scholarship and practice, building on the tradition and contributions of Margaret Arcus. This prestigious award is the highest national award in family life education. The award will be presented to him at this year's NCFR annual conference in Minneapolis in November.
What is ARE-ON?
The Little Rock State Office may see Internet access up to 50 times faster than current rates when a new fiber optics link with UALR is completed in early 2011.
The link is part of AREON, a consortium of research and education institutions and public service agencies formed to foster research, education, public service and economic development in Arkansas.
"IT has begun a network upgrade that will allow the LRSO complex to provide speeds as high as 1 Gigabit to our desktop computers," said IT Director Sam Boyster. "Not only will we be joined to the Fayetteville campus with this high-speed network but also to research and educational resources around the country and world."
In December 2005, the state provided $6.4 million to the University of Arkansas for Phase I of the eCorridors Arkansas Research and Education Optical Network, or ARE-ON. This fiber optics network can move data many times faster than the previous wire-based networks.
Honorary and Memorial Gifts
The following honorary and memorial gifts were recently received in support of programs and funds within the Cooperative Extension Service. This list covers gifts deposited July 1 - 31, 2010.
Lynn R. Russell Endowed Award for Professional Excellence
Carreather Perry
Dr. Tom Troxel
Mildred and Liz Childs CES Professional Development Fund
Merritt and James Royal
To honor or remember the life of another, send donations to:
Development Office
Cooperative Extension Service
2301 South University Ave.
Little Rock, AR 72204.
Please also include in whose honor or memory the gift is made and the mailing address of the person to receive the notification.
- Merritt Royal
Aquaculture/Fisheries field day set for Oct. 7 at UAPB
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| David Heikes, right, an Extension aquaculture specialist at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, demonstrates a flexible grading panel used to size fish at a recent Aquaculture Field Day. |
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is gearing up for its Aquaculture/Fisheries Field Day, 8 a.m. to 12 noon, Oct. 7, at the UAPB Aquaculture Research Station.
Attendees can learn about research for less-expensive diets for catfish and get details on producing the new Delacata product, bass for the fillet market, large quantities of rosy red bait minnows and sterile crappie. Participants can learn about possible Gulf shrimp production in Arkansas, attend plant school and visit a mobile fish nursery.
The day features a trap shoot with prizes. Tractor tours and walking tours are available. After the field day, training will be available for catfish farmers who have been accepted into the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Catfish Farmers program.
For details, call Dr. Carole Engle at 870-575-8523 or e-mail cengle@uaex.edu.
Study compares performance of conventional diesel with biodiesel, blends
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| Subodh explains his study on biofuel and diesel mix in a typical irrigation pump during the annual Rice Field Day in Stuttgart. |
Biodiesel blends perform nearly as well as petroleum-based diesel in irrigation motors, according to a recent study by Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, program associate-machinery, professor Donald Johnson and graduate assistant Jason Davis.
Using an irrigation power unit, the team compared the power, torque and fuel consumption of conventional diesel, a 20 percent biodiesel blend, a 50 percent blend and a 100 percent biodiesel fuel. The fuels were compared at two engine speeds, the typical pumping speed of 1,800 rpm and the rated engine speed of 2,400 rpm.
At 2,400 rpm, the study found no significant differences between the conventional diesel and the 20 percent blend in terms of torque, power or fuel consumption. Nor were there significant differences among the four fuels in thermal efficiency or nitrogen-oxygen emissions.
At 1,800 rpm, the only significant difference was that fuel consumption increased as the percentage of biodiesel increased.
"Considering that Arkansas farmers have approximately 25,000 diesel irrigation power units currently in use, we are looking for growers to cooperate in field testing biodiesel in these units and financial support from agencies to further the work," Kulkarni said.
Arkansas 4-H WHEP team ranks fourth
Arkansas was awarded fourth place at the 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Invitational, July 25-29 in Los Alamos, N. Mex., receiving the highest ranking ever in the 20-year history of the Arkansas program. Team members Matthew Phillips, Daniel Phillips and Kayley Corley from Logan County, and Bethany Runyan from Perry County represented Arkansas. Logan County 4-H leader and team coach Catherine Phillips said, "This was an excellent educational opportunity that went beyond my expectations." Eighteen teams participated in the annual, highly-competitive Invitational.
- Becky McPeake
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Arkansas 4-H Wildlife Habitat team toured a Ponderosa pine forest at the Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico. |
Save the Date - January 7, 2011
Be sure and set aside January 7, 2011, for the 2011 Division Awards Luncheon, which will be held at the Northwest Arkansas Convention Center in Rogers. Employees receiving awards will receive formal invitations in late 2010.
Grants and Contracts Ending July 31, 2010
|
Project Title |
Award Amount |
Principal Investigator |
Granting Agency |
| 2010 Arkansas Extension IPM Coordination Program |
$25,809.00 |
Dr. Gus Lorenz | National Institute of Food and Agriculture |
| 2010 Arkansas Extension IPM Coordination Program |
$117,426.00 |
Dr. Gus Lorenz | National Institute of Food and Agriculture |
| 2010 Arkansas Extension IPM Coordination Program |
$20,184.00 |
Dr. Gus Lorenz | National Institute of Food and Agriculture |
| 2010 Arkansas Extension IPM Coordination Program |
$11,000.00 |
Dr. Gus Lorenz | National Institute of Food and Agriculture |
| 2010 Arkansas Extension IPM Coordination Program |
$18,014.00 |
Dr. Gus Lorenz | National Institute of Food and Agriculture |
| 2010 Arkansas Extension IPM Coordination Program |
$7,200.00 |
Dr. Gus Lorenz | National Institute of Food and Agriculture |
| 2010 Arkansas Extension IPM Coordination Program |
$9,181.00 |
Dr. Gus Lorenz | National Institute of Food and Agriculture |
| Arkansas 4-H Afterschool |
$82,921.00 |
Ida Collier | Arkansas Department of Human Services |
| The Best Care |
$166,052.00 |
Dr. James Marshall | Arkansas Department of Human Services |
| Best Care Connected |
$54,367.00 |
Dr. James Marshall | Arkansas Department of Human Services |
| Guiding Children Successfully |
$123,560.00 |
Dr. Wally Goddard | Arkansas Department of Human Services |
| Rice Pest Survey |
$20,077.00 |
Dr. Gus Lorenz | USDA, APHIS, PPQ |
| Healthy Homes Project |
$4,000.00 |
Dr. Margaret Harris | Auburn University |
| Pesticide Resistance Management Regional Education Project |
$5,557.50 |
Dr. Ples Spradley | Texas Agri. Extension Service |
| Field Trial Agreement |
$30,000.00 |
Dr. Gus Lorenz | Bayer Crop Science LP |
| Evaluation of Sampling Procedures for Detecting Tarnished Plant Bug Populations in Cotton: AR II |
$7,000.00 |
Dr. Scott Akin | Cotton Incorporated |
| Evaluation of Cotton Yield Loss Caused by Two-Spotted Spider Mites: AR II |
$6,600.00 |
Dr. Scott Akin | Cotton Incorporated |
|
TOTAL July 2010 Awards |
$718,948.00 |
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