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“Eat Right and Exercise” Words We Don’t Want to Hear?

By Debbie Hailey, CEA-FCS,br> “Eat Right and Exercise.” These are words we don’t always want to hear, but they make good sense. Everyday we read or hear different nutrition messages from the internet, television, magazines, and people we talk to. Some of this information is NOT reliable.

At this month’s Better Living for Texans Class, we will look at some ways to find dependable nutrition information. We will also look at the advantages of increased physical activity, to go along with good nutrition.

Would you like to be in good health for the rest of your life? We can’t promise that, but we can help you get on the road to a lifetime of better health. It is recommended that individuals strive to get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity 4or 5 days of the week, in combination with nutritious eating habits.

What are the benefits? Let’s look at a few:
• Reduces the risk of dying of coronary artery disease
• Decreases the risk of colon cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure
• Helps to control weight
• Contributes to healthy bones, muscles, and joints
• Helps to relieve the pain of arthritis
• Reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression

You are invited to our Better Living for Texans class on Thursday, March 15, at 6:00 p.m. at Loaves & Fishes, on the corner of Pecan and Nueces, as we talk about nutrition, fitness and Walk Across Texas. Better Living for Texans is sponsored by Texas Cooperative Extension, in collaboration with Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry and Coleman Housing Authority.

Educational programs of Texas Cooperative Extension are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners courts of Texas Cooperating.

Parents, Researchers, Other Experts Divided on Spanking Issue

March 8, 2007
Writer: Linda Anderson, (979)862-1460,lw-anderson@tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Steve Green, (979) 845-3850,s-green@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION – When California Assemblywoman Sally Lieber proposed legislation prohibiting spanking children younger than 4, she triggered a country-wide debate, said a Texas Cooperative Extension specialist.

And the fact that she withdrew a portion of the bill pertaining to spanking didn't make the debate go away, said Dr. Steve Green, Extension child development specialist.

The debate is not new nor is it confined to this country, Green said.

"There has been a contentious debate over the issue of spanking for several decades now in the U.S. and in countries such as England, Sweden, Germany and Austria," he said.

At issue is the question of what exactly spanking is. Even experts and researchers don't agree.

"Many of the anti-spankers argue that any form of physical punishment is equivalent to child abuse – a viewpoint that I strongly disagree with," Green said. "There is a clear difference between parents who swat their child on the behind with an open hand and those who punch or kick their children.

"Anti-spankers say that spanking is ineffective; that it leads to negative long-term outcomes for children; and that it teaches them hitting is an acceptable way to handle problems."

Those on the other side of the issue say "spanking is effective at stopping undesirable behavior, and that it is one of many legitimate forms of child discipline that are available to parents," he said.

The vast majority of Americans spank their children, and recent polls indicate parents strongly disagree with legislation banning spanking, Green said.

"Even though most parents spank their children, I've never known anyone who thought of spanking as the only form of discipline," he said.

But the issue is even more complicated than that, he said.

"Any form of punishment, physical or otherwise, can have negative consequences if it is abused," he said.

Green believes that making spanking illegal is a complete overreaction to the issue.

"My immediate reaction was ‘We don't need legislation relative to this issue.' Rather we need education," he said. "If you dictate to parents that they cannot use a disciplinary strategy with their children that is so widely used and don't give them any alternatives or education about other effective ways for disciplining children, they are going to become frustrated."

Legislation outlawing physical punishment of children has already been passed in some countries, including Sweden, Austria and Finland, he said.

"It's unclear, however, if the bans have had their desired effect of reducing physical forms of punishment or child maltreatment rates," Green said. "In fact, I've actually seen reports that indicate the exact opposite."

Added to the question are the issues of family background and relationships.

"When you get into discussions about discipline and spanking as a legitimate form of discipline, you are encroaching on people's religious and moral convictions," Green said. "The Bible clearly condones the use of certain forms of physical punishment on the part of parents when children are disobedient.

"The majority of people in America claim to be religious. The way they discipline their children is undoubtedly influenced by their religious and moral convictions."

Culture differences also influence the disciplinary methods that parents choose, he said. Any research into the topic must take religion, culture and ethnicity into account.

Since even the experts don't agree on the issue, what's a parent to do?

Children are naturally going to test limits, Green said, and need consistent and firm discipline. That means the question of effective corrective discipline is going to be part of every child/parent relationship.

His advice: "Strive for a balance between parental warmth (acceptance) and parental control (strictness). Establish clear limits with your children, and when those limits are violated, follow up with age-appropriate consequences."

He further adds: "Don't discipline children in anger. We all make mistakes. We say and do things in the heat of the moment. I personally don't know any parents who haven't lost their cool with their kids at one point or another."

Instead of acting out of anger, take a moment or two to cool down before taking disciplinary action, he said.

"I recommend to parents to try non-physical means of discipline first," Green said. That might include verbal reasoning, redirecting or switching the child's attention to something else, using time out or removing privileges.

"To me, the key to effective discipline is to build a ‘toolbox' (of strategies)," he said. "In a real toolbox, you might have a hammer, screwdriver and other tools. ... As a parent, you want to develop a set of strategies or tools that can be used for disciplining your children, and you want to be able to use the appropriate tool at the appropriate time."

These tools will be different for different children at different ages, he said.

"Even time-out needs to be age-appropriate."

Disciplining children isn't easy, he said.

"Even when you use techniques that are non-physical, parents often feel bad," Green said. "The difference between effective parents and ineffective parents is that effective parents learn from their mistakes and try not to repeat them. And they are going to make mistakes.

"Parenting is one of the most challenging roles you will ever have in life," he said. And the issue of spanking is "much more complex than we give it credit for."

Whatever form of discipline parents choose, they can "use it as an opportunity to teach (their) children valuable life lessons," Green said.

Coleman County Historical Commission

The Coleman County Historical Commission met for their monthly meeting on Thursday March 1st, 2007 in the club room of the 1st National Bank. Chairman Eric Joffiron brought the meeting to order at 7:00PM. He called upon Russ Fisher for the invocation. Secretary Wanda Ragsdale was absent so a motion was made to forego the reading of the minutes.

Chairman Joffrion then checked on old and new business. A few comments were made on the upcoming business meeting to be held at The Antique Mall. The meeting will be held Thursday March 8th at about 6:30Pm. The chairman did say that all officers of the commission “are asked” to be there. Everyone else is invited to attend. This will be strictly a business meeting to discuss upcoming meetings, activities of the commission, and to talk about the Sesquicentennial.

The Chairman also brought up the Annual Historical Conference to be held near Austin in April. Anyone who has an interest in Texas History is invited to attend.

Two officers of the commission and their spouses will be attending to represent the Coleman County Commission. If anyone is interested they can contact one of the CCHC offices or they can get the facts of the Conference at: www.thc.state.us/annualconference/cof2007.html

Registration must be made before March 26, 2007 to get the assigned rates at the Hotel. You can come and register anytime, you just don’t get the lower rates.

After this short business meeting, Vice Chairman Bill Shields introduced Ralph Terry, the speaker of the evening. Mr. Terry had told that his program was to be on “genealogy and Coleman County History” .

Everyone listened as he started his program talking about DNA. Having our attention, he went on to tell about this new way to discover your kin. He also said that DNA would tell you who you were not kin to. DNA has traced the movement of people from North Africa, across the Bering Straits, to all parts of the Americas. It has proven some family lines and, as Mr. Terry said, disproved others. Mr. Terry gave a very interesting and informed talk on this subject. He also told the audience where they could get involved in this study. Surely, if someone were to ask, he would give anyone the information.

After much discussion, Tex Wright made the motion to adjourn, and all approved. Most of the audience going to the snack table set up by Bill and Sue Shields.

Texas 4-H Camp: It’s Not Just for Kids Anymore

March 7, 2007
Contact: Dr. Darlene Locke, 361-265-9203,d-locke@tamu.edu

BROWNWOOD – You're never too old for camp – especially if it's Texas 4-H camp, said Dr. Darlene Locke, Texas Cooperative Extension specialist for 4-H and youth.

"The Texas 4-H Conference Center annually hosts a week-long camp for persons 50 and older that includes games and entertainment, arts and crafts, educational programs, food and fellowship," she said.

Locke is director of the Texas 4-H Conference Center in Brownwood, where the camp is held.

This year's camp, Spring Fling '07 scheduled for April 23-27, will have the theme, "Down by the Seashore."

Educational programs will cover such topics as gardening, history, home security and healthy living, Locke said.

Campers may want to try fishing on Lake Brownwood or playing tennis, horseshoes, billiards, volleyball, shuffleboard, dominoes or cards, she added.

Accommodations at the center are "modern, climate-controlled and ... in communal dorm style or private room(s), either single or double occupancy," Locke said. "The food service department will gladly accommodate any special dietary needs."

For more information or to register contact the local Extension office or e-mail the center atTexas4-HCenter@ag.tamu.edu . Visit the center's Web site at http://texas4h-ctr.tamu.edu/ .

"Get away and learn to make the most of the best years of your life," Locke said.

MANAGING DIABETES WHEN EATING OUT

By Debbie Hailey, CEA-FCS

A diagnosis of diabetes doesn’t mean you can never enjoy a restaurant meal again. On the contrary, people with diabetes are not required to eat special dishes or limit the foods they can eat. People with diabetes can enjoy the same foods everyone else in the family enjoys – but they must choose their foods wisely to control blood sugar levels and maintain their health.

People with diabetes should make sure their meals are nutritionally balanced, with foods grouped by nutrients and calories; adjust their caloric intake to achieve and keep a healthy weight; and control blood glucose levels. All these things can be done while still enjoying an occasional meal out.

Food choices greatly affect blood glucose (sugar) levels. So does the kinds of food and numbers of servings, as well as the amount of calories in these foods.

Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are energy nutrients in foods. This energy is measured in calories. Eating healthfully means consuming more whole grains and vegetables, which are relatively low in calories, and fewer dense-calorie foods such as meats, sugars, fruits and starches.

Americans spend about 40 percent of their food budgets on meals and other foods eaten away from home. But with wise management, you can make healthy choices dining choices when you are eating out. Use these tips:
• Know how often you eat out. When you do, ask for no butter or salad dressing, or order it on the side. That will help you can keep better control of how much salt, butter, mayonnaise and oil you use when dining away from home.
• Visit restaurants with flexible menus. Even fast-food places that offer salads or baked potatoes (without added butter or cheese) can be included on this list.
• Make wise menu choices that will taste good and still be healthy. Eat a little snack before you go out so you won’t over-order when you get there.
• Keep fat grams in check. Watch for extra fat in appetizers, entrees and desserts.
• Order food the way you want it. If the restaurant won’t honor your special request, you don’t have to go there again.
• Use portion control. Know what portions look like, based on the food guide pyramid or the exchange lists. If the portion is too big, ask for a take-home container for the leftovers or share an order with a friend. Look for smaller portions on the menu, which are often listed as lunch, petite, single or child.
• Ask the server for information on how the food is prepared, what size the serving is and what the options are for special requests.
• When visiting a salad bar, avoid piling on dressings and other high-fat items. Stick with the raw vegetables and other low-fat, low-calorie items.

Fast-food places are everywhere, and people with diabetes need to be extra cautious when ordering from a fast-food menu. Most of these establishments offer menus heavy on meat, starch and fat. To include an occasional fast-food meal in your meal plan, be aware of how to measure the servings. For example, a quarter-pound hamburger provides three meat exchanges (medium-fat); adding cheese will add another one-half to one meat exchange (high-fat). The sauce or dressing contributes fat; ask for mustard instead.

A regular-sized hamburger bun is usually two starch exchanges; larger buns provide two and a half to three exchanges. Milkshakes are concentrated carbohydrate and not a milk exchange. The best drink choices are reduced-fat milk, water, coffee or tea, depending on meal plan. Some fast-food places offer juices; one-half cup of tomato juice counts as a vegetable exchange and one-half cup of orange juice is a fruit exchange.

Remember to control what you eat in restaurants. Eating out healthfully takes a little work and effort, but it can be done. Are you interested in learning more about diabetes and how to be in control of your blood sugar? Texas Cooperative Extension, in collaboration with Coleman Medical Associates and Hensley Family Health Clinic, is hosting a diabetes education series entitled Do Well Be Well with Diabetes, to help provide people living with diabetes with quality information on self care and eating delicious, nutritious foods!

You, too, can learn how to do well and be well with diabetes. There are three Saturday classes left. Join us this Saturday morning, March 10, from 10:00 till noon, at the Santa Anna Fire Station Community Room, for lessons on Nutrition Labels and Eating Out. There will be a minimal $10.00 fee, to pay for instructional materials (one charge per family). For more information, call Debbie Hailey at the County Extension Office, at 625-4519.

NASA STATEMENT REGARDING THE STATUS OF LISA NOWAK

HOUSTON - U.S. Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak's detail as a NASA astronaut has been terminated, effective March 8, by mutual agreement between NASA and the U.S. Navy.

Nowak, an active duty naval officer, began her detail with NASA following selection as a member of the astronaut class of 1996. She flew one mission, STS-121 in 2006.

NASA requested an end to the detail because the agency lacks the administrative means to deal appropriately with the criminal charges pending against Nowak. Because Nowak is a naval officer on assignment to NASA, rather than a NASA civil servant, she is not subject to administrative action by NASA.

Nowak will receive her next assignment from the U.S. Navy.

NASA's decision to terminate Nowak's detail does not reflect any position by NASA on the criminal charges pending in Florida.

Annual Ram Performance Test Marks March 16 for Field Day and Sale

March 6, 2007
Writer: Steve Byrns 325-653-4576,s-byrns@tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Dan Waldron, 325-653-4576,d-waldron@tamu.edu

SONORA – Final fleece measurements and index calculations are nearly complete for the 2007 Annual Ram Performance Test. The field day and sale that culminate those findings is set for March 16.

The event is conducted by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and Texas Cooperative Extension at the Sonora Research Station, 28 miles south of Sonora on U.S. Highway 55.

An educational program which will include the history of the test's performance trends will precede the 2 p.m. auction. The top 30 percent of the animals completing the test will be eligible for the sale.

"The test is the longest running performance test of its kind," said Dr. Dan Waldron, Experiment Station research geneticist at San Angelo and the test coordinator. "It's been conducted since 1948, so it has a long history that has directly contributed to the many changes that have resulted in the efficient animals we see today in the Rambouillet breed."

These changing trends are being calculated as a thesis project by Raelye Self, a graduate student at Angelo State University, and Waldron. Their findings will be the historic overview presented during the educational program.

This year's report has an added column for rams genotyped for codon 171, a DNA marker associated with resistance to scrapie in black faced sheep breeds, Waldron said.

Scrapie is a serious disease of sheep. Efforts are currently under way to eliminate it from the U.S., Waldron said. The identification of codon 171 is another tool to help the industry move in that direction, he said.

Prospective buyers are invited to inspect the rams and their performance data during the morning. Lunch will be served at 11:45 a.m.

The afternoon program will be directed by Dr. Frank Craddock, Extension sheep and goat specialist at San Angelo.

Waldron and Dr. Chris Lupton, a natural fiber researcher with the Experiment Station in San Angelo, will discuss the 2006-2007 ram test.

Burk Lattimore, secretary of the Rambouillet Sheep Breeders Association, will award the certified ram certificates to the owners of the qualifying rams.

The day will conclude with the sale of the performance-tested animals under Craddock's direction.

For further information, contact Waldron or Craddock at 325-653-4576 or call the Sonora station at 325-387-3168 or visit the test's Web site at: http://sanangelo.tamu.edu/genetics/ramtest.htm .

NASA AMES TO HOST INTERNATIONAL SPACE UNIVERSITY SUMMER SESSION

MOFFET FIELD, Calif. - NASA announced on Wednesday that the International Space University Summer Session Program in 2009 will be held at the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.

Key factors in the center's selection were Ames' location in Silicon Valley, its world-class scientists and its ongoing collaborations with academia and the entrepreneurial space community.

"Our Ames Research Center location will provide the International Space University's diverse student body a rich interdisciplinary curriculum along with the mentorship of NASA's scientists, engineers, and researchers, as well as our academic and industry partners," said NASA's Assistant Administrator of Education Joyce Winterton.

The International Space University was established in 1987 as an institution founded on the vision of a peaceful, prosperous and boundless future through the study, exploration and development of space for the benefit of all humanity. The summer session program is an intense nine-week course for postgraduate students and young professionals.

"This is the first time in the program's history that this prestigious summer session will be held at a NASA center, and I'm very proud that we will have a key role in developing future leaders in the global space community," said Ames Research Center Director S. Pete Worden.

"The selection of NASA Ames Research Center as the site for Summer Session Program 2009 is all the more noteworthy since the competition presented the largest selection of outstanding proposals in the 20-year history of the International Space University. We have no doubt that the students who attend Summer Session Program 2009 will be accelerated on their way to becoming leaders in the space sector," said Dr. Michael Simpson, president of the International Space University.

Approximately 120 students from all over the world will participate in the summer session. An international cadre of distinguished professors will teach the classes. The curriculum covers the major space-related fields, both technical and non-technical, and ranges from engineering, physical sciences and satellite applications to life sciences, policy, management and humanities. The summer session runs from mid-June to August 2009.

With this program, NASA continues its investment in the nation's education programs to strengthen the future workforce of NASA and the nation. Through this and the agency's other college and university programs, NASA will identify and develop the critical skills and capabilities needed to achieve the Vision for Space Exploration.

For more information about the International Space University, visit: http://www.isunet.edu

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov

SAM School April 18-20

March 6, 2007
Writer: Blair Fannin, 979-845-2259,b-fannin@tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Larry Redmon, 979-845-4826,l-redmon@tamu.edu

HUNTSVILLE – The Successful Agricultural Management School is scheduled for April 18-20. The school caters to those new to ranching and wanting to learn more about the basics of livestock production.

"The workshop is designed for new or inexperienced ranchers and covers the basics of forage establishment, management and utilization as well as basic livestock management and production," said Dr. Larry Redmon, Texas Cooperative Extension state forage specialist.

Topics include planting methods. calibrating sprayers, inoculating legume seed, castrating, vaccinating and de-horning calves, and managing pastures and livestock. Due to limited enrollment, workshop attendees will visit with Sam Houston State University staff members and Extension specialists to discuss aspects of forage production and livestock management.

Workshop sponsors are Extension and Sam Houston State University. Cost is $350 per participant.

To register, visit http://www.shsu.edu/agr and click on "SAM School Registration" or call 936-294-1216.

NASA AND USGS PRODUCE MOST DETAILED SATELLITE VIEWS OF ANTARCTICA

GREENBELT, Md. - Researchers from NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Golden, Colo., have woven together more than a thousand images from the Landsat 7 satellite to create the most detailed, high-resolution map ever produced of Antarctica. The Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica (LIMA) offers views of the coldest continent on Earth in 10 times greater detail than previously possible.

"These images give us incredibly detailed views of the Antarctic ice sheet surface and serve as maps for many locations that have never been mapped before," said Robert Bindschadler, chief scientist of the Laboratory for Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Bindschadler oversaw the selection of the scenes used to create the mosaic.

Researchers at NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, England, have launched a Web site with support from the National Science Foundation to offer public access to the image mosaic. This site contains original images and close-ups of various areas of Antarctica, all available for download. The research group will continue to release images through this summer.

"The resolution sensitivity of the Landsat sensor is well beyond that of even the most state-of-the-art digital camera," Bindschadler said. "It's able to record subtle variations in the ice sheet's surface that tell us more about ice sheet features, the flow of the ice sheet and changes in the ice sheet's surface."

According to Bindschadler, researchers will have special interest in the new ability to zoom in on areas like Antarctica's dry valleys that lie between the ice sheets. To date, only aerial images of these locations were possible. The carefully collaged images that compose LIMA now provide clear, high-resolution images.

Through special processing of images captured by Landsat 7's Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus sensor, scientists were able to produce a true color, nearly cloud-free view of Antarctica. For the process, researchers use specialized software to stack several images of various Antarctic locations to create one larger image. The researchers also arranged the images on top of one another in a sequence that allows clear views to the surface, removing the effects of clouds contained in some images.

"Having this capability is quite exciting. Using the Web portal, scientists as well as students, teachers and others will be able to zoom in to a specific Antarctic region and adjust for various levels of detail," said Bindschadler. "This will be like having a room with a tremendous view, a detailed view from space aboard Landsat to peer down as if you were just above the ice sheet's surface."

LIMA is one of more than 228 projects funded in conjunction with the International Polar Year, an initiative 63 cooperating countries launched in March to improve scientific understanding of Earth's polar regions.

The U.S. Geological Survey manages the NASA-designed Earth-observing satellites of the Landsat Program, first launched in 1972. During the past three decades, Landsat sensors have captured two million high-resolution digital photographs of Earth's continents and surrounding coastal regions, enabling scientists to study various aspects of the planet.

To view LIMA images on the Antarctic Portal, visit:
http://lima.usgs.gov

For more information about Landsat, visit:
http://landsat.usgs.gov

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov

Governor Perry Announces Comerica Headquarter Relocation to Dallas

Mar. 06, 2007

Texas Enterprise Fund grant brings more than 200 new high-paying jobs to Texas

DALLAS – Gov. Rick Perry today announced a $3.5 million Texas Enterprise Fund grant for Comerica, Inc. to relocate the company’s corporate headquarters from Detroit, Michigan, to Dallas. This move makes Comerica the state’s largest bank holding company with its headquarters in Texas. The company is expected to generate more than $47 million in capital investments in Texas, while creating more than 200 new high-paying headquarters jobs.

“Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our local governments and state leaders, Texas has been able to welcome some of the nation’s top employers to our state,” Perry said. “Relocating a major banking institution, like Comerica, and creating new banking centers spreads investment throughout the entire state. Without a doubt, the people of Texas will see a stunning return on their $3.5 million investment.”

Comerica is one of the country’s oldest and most well-respected financial services corporations. Founded in Detroit more than 150 years ago, Comerica has grown to be a $58 billion company with offices in North America, Canada and Mexico. Today, the company employs more than 1,300 Texans in its 71 banking centers throughout the state. Future expansion of banking services has unlimited potential with the relocation of Comerica’s corporate headquarters to Texas.

“Moving our corporate headquarters to Dallas will give us greater proximity to all of our markets, and fuel accelerated growth and success for Comerica,” said Ralph W. Babb Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Comerica Incorporated. “The Texas Enterprise Fund was a valuable resource that helped finalize our decision to move our home to the Lone Star State.”

The Texas Enterprise Fund was a key factor in Comerica’s final decision to relocate the company’s corporate headquarters to Texas. With today’s announcement, the state has allocated more than $333 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund, bringing more than 45,000 new jobs and generating more than $15 billion in capital investments to the state.

For more information on the Texas Enterprise Fund, please visit http://www.governor.state.tx.us/divisions/ecodev/ed_bank/tefund.

NASA TO EXPLORE FUTURE COLLABORATIONS WITH STATE OF HAWAII

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. - NASA officials announced Wednesday they have agreed to explore future collaborations with the state of Hawaii in commercial space initiatives and programs supporting research, education and workforce development.

Under the terms of a memorandum of understanding signed today in Hawaii, NASA Ames Research Center will explore opportunities for future collaborations with the state of Hawaii in support of the Vision for Space Exploration, NASA's plan to return humans to the moon and later travel to Mars.

"This agreement with the state of Hawaii is another exciting opportunity for NASA to work with a partner in support of the agency's exploration, science and aeronautics mission goals," said S. Pete Worden, director of NASA Ames Research Center.

"We are excited to partner with NASA to collaborate on future space exploration," said Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle, who signed the agreement with Worden during a signing ceremony in the Executive Chambers at the Hawaii State Capitol. "We are looking forward to future collaborations with NASA to develop innovative opportunities in aerospace-related fields that capitalize on Hawaii's science and technology resources and capabilities."

The agreement with the state of Hawaii was negotiated through NASA's Space Portal, a newly formed organization in NASA Research Park at Ames that seeks to engage new partnerships with NASA to promote the development of commercial space exploration.

The memorandum of understanding will be in effect for two years and stipulates that neither NASA nor the state of Hawaii will be required to pay any fees or provide funds to support the areas of collaboration.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov

Texas Citrus Survey Seeks Exotic Pests, Diseases

March 6, 2007
Writer: Rod Santa Ana III, 956-968-5585,r-santaana@tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. John da Graca, 956-968-2132,JdaGraca@ag.tamu.edu

Photos and Graphics Click for larger images

WESLACO – For the past year, citrus researchers have fanned out across Texas looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. They say that after much success, they're preparing to do it again to look for even more "needles."

In March 2006, personnel at the Texas A&M-Kingsville Citrus Center in Weslaco canvassed the state to identify where citrus is grown in order to find citrus psyllids, tiny insects that spread the potentially devastating citrus greening disease, said Dr. John da Graca, the center's deputy director.

Their findings, he said, surprised them. A second survey, to scout for other potentially damaging insects, will start soon.

"We just went out and contacted people who might know where citrus trees are growing," da Graca said. "In the end, we visited 89 of Texas' 254 counties and found citrus growing in 85 counties. In addition to the commercial groves of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, we found citrus in other parts of the state in nurseries, small fruit stand orchards and in dooryards, where homeowners plant a tree or two."

Citrus trees were found growing as far west as El Paso, as far north as Fort Worth, and more heavily than expected in East Texas, da Graca said.

"We found two large nurseries in Tyler that supply a huge retail market through stores like Home Depot and the like," he said, "We also found citrus growing throughout Houston and along the Louisiana border and that entire Gulf coast region where satsuma (tangerine-like) trees are grown."

The Texas citrus survey was commissioned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture soon after the discovery of citrus greening, da Graca said. This devastating bacterium is vectored from tree to tree by the citrus psyllid. The disease is not harmful to humans, but can ravage commercial citrus production regions.

"We knew we had psyllids in the Rio Grande Valley, but we wanted to know two things by conducting this survey," da Graca said. "We wanted to know how far the psyllid had spread and we wanted to know if we could detect any signs of greening."

Of the 89 counties with citrus, the survey found psyllids (pronounced SILL-ids) in 36 South Texas counties, he said. The area is roughly south of a line running from Del Rio to Houston, including Uvalde, San Antonio, Austin, and Brenham, but not in East Texas.

"We found no trees with typical greening symptoms," da Graca said, "but if we found leaves with some discoloration, some yellowing from nutritional disorders or some other disease, we collected them and sent them to a USDA lab for molecular testing. We sent 309 samples from all over Texas and they all came back negative."

Greening, an incurable disease of citrus trees, was first reported in India in 1750 and in China in 1880, da Graca said. In the next few decades, the disease spread throughout Southeast Asia. By 1920, the disease was widespread in China and was found in Africa.

"Greening is caused by a bacterium that lives in the phloem, or the food-conducting vessels in the leaves and stems of citrus trees," he said. "As psyllids insert their mouth parts into citrus leaves to feed on plant juices - and they prefer new growth - they pick up the bacterium; it regenerates in their bodies, which they then spread to another tree when they insert their mouth parts again."

Symptoms include yellowing of leaves and discoloration called blotchy mottle for its irregular shape.

"The fruit of an affected tree does not color up properly," he said. "The bottom of the fruit remains green, hence the name greening. The fruit develops an oblong shape and a very bitter, unpleasant taste. Fruit drops off and, over time, the tree starts declining and will eventually die."

The presence of psyllids does not immediately translate into greening, da Graca said. Brazil has had psyllids since the 1940s but did not have greening until 2004. The first psyllid in the U.S. was found in Florida in 1998, but greening was not detected there until 2004.

"Greening has now been confirmed in 13 counties in Florida," he said. "At about two years after infection, we think, we start seeing leaf symptoms, then fruit symptoms, then over the next two or three years will be the gradual decline of the tree."

While greening has not been found in Texas, the citrus industry can take steps to manage the disease, da Graca said.

"A rotation of insecticides can be used to suppress populations of psyllids, nurseries and budwood nurseries must remain under insect-proof screening, and the cycle of planting new trees in an orchard may have to be shortened to every 10 years or so," he said. "But for now, we'll maintain our vigilance and if any incidence of greening were to surface, the Texas Department of Agriculture will do all it can to keep it isolated."

In the coming days, a new citrus survey program in Texas will begin to identify the presence of other potentially harmful insects and diseases, da Graca said.

"The USDA's APHIS (Animal Plant Health Inspection Service) and PPQ (Plant Protection and Quarantine) has commissioned the Citrus Center to begin scouting Texas citrus for a wide range of pathogens and insects including greening, canker, citrus tristeza virus, several nematode species, scale insects, a thrips species, brown citrus aphids, and anything else harmful to citrus trees not presently known to exist in Texas," he said

This second survey will conclude Dec. 31.

Stone Mason and Artist Remembered

Story submitted by Montie Guthrie III

Santa Anna One Act Play

I have seen a lot of One Act Plays and this year's play is one of the best I have ever seen. Mrs. Walker does a great job every year but this year's just might be the one. If you get a chance to go see it be sure and take some tissue... they passed them out before the play began and many were seen crying as the lights came on.

The Santa Anna One Act Play presented "The Women of Lockerbie" by Deborah Brevoort on Tuesday night at the High School auditorium. The play was set on December 21, 1995, the 7th anniversary of the Pan Am Flight 103 crash.

Members of the cast are Jarod Jones, Leeanda Bennett, Molly Pritchard, Becca Fellers, Heather McMillan, Adelaida Dean, Caylie Robinett, and Terrence Jackson. The Crew is made up of: Sierra Herrod, Brittany Morris, Michelle Wetsel, Monica Cortez, and Kendra Coleman. The play is directed by Kathy Walker.

"Good job" to all and good luck!

Coleman County Youth Activity Center News

Submitted by Sarah Beal
The Bill Franklin Center is being reserved and many events are on the books. Some of the recent events include the Coleman County Livestock Show and Sale, CCYAC board meetings, Coleman Rodeo Association meeting, a wedding reception,4-H Shooting Sports and Coleman High School TAKS tests. Many of the “Rocks” on the Wall of Honor have been purchased. There are a few rocks left that may be purchased. Contact Henry Dodson at Coleman County State Bank at 325-625-2172, if interested. Plans are moving along on the entrance and the barn projects. Demolition of the barn has begun, as the tin roof of the brick barn was removed last week. A replacement building has been ordered and construction of the entrance has started. There will be a lot of construction activity going on at the Coleman County Youth Activity Center over the next few months. Funding is still needed for these projects and donations are greatly appreciated.

Recent donations to the center are as follows:

Donations:
Jerry K. & Ruth Ann Taylor
Bennett & Sue Ragsdale
Ron & Sandi Carroll
Coleman County Wildlife Committee
Michael & Synda Smith

Memorials:
In memory of Bill Laws by Don & Marion Johnson, Bowen Drug Store/Jim Stokes, Dr. & Mrs. R. M. Edington, Dr. & Mrs. Mark Swening, Dr. Sharilyn & James Nall, Dr. Johnny Needham, Bob & Ann Turner

In memory of Pauline Powers by Bowen Drug Store/Jim Stokes

In memory of Lem Allen by Bill & Ginger Sneed, Dr. & Mrs. R. M. Edington, Dr. & Mrs. Mark Swening, Dr. Sharilyn & James Nall, Dr. Johnny Needham, Tom & Vivian Miller, Jeff & Ashlee Miller, Ryan Miller

In memory of Clarence & Annie B. Mitchell by Richard E. & Clarice D. Hambright

In memory of Joe Hambright by Richard E. & Clarice D. Hambright

In memory of Eddie Lois Pittard by Virginia Jamison

In memory of Nell Carroll by Donald & Mary Williams

In memory of Marcia Morris by Dr. & Mrs. R. M. Edington, Dr. & Mrs. Mark Swening, Dr. Sharilyn & James Nall, Dr. Johnny Needham

In memory of John Walker by Dr. & Mrs. R. M. Edington, Dr. & Mrs. Mark Swening, Dr. Sharilyn & James Nall, Dr. Johnny Needham

In memory of Frances Henderson by Santa Anna ISD

In memory of Audie Cathey by Don & Marian Johnson

In memory of Dr. H. E. Howard by Dan Howard

In memory of Richard R. Lee by Dan Howard

In memory of Zeno Hemphill by Dan Howard

In memory of Faye Merrill by James & Jody Barr

In memory of Mr. & Mrs. Joe K. Cervenka by Bob & Ann Turner

In memory of Wallace McKee by Bob & Ann Turner

In memory of Mr. & Mrs. J. B. Smith, Jr. by Bob & Ann Turner

In memory of Matthew Pearce by Bob & Ann Turner

In memory of Faye Wheeler by Virginia Jamison, Steve & Sarah Beal

In memory of Claudean Cervenka by Phil, Sammie, Donna, Alfreda & Tina Chambers

In memory of Georgia Lynn Dalton by Lynn & Trisha Owens, Chris & Cindy Jamison, Steve & Sarah Beal, Curtis & Joy Skelton, Ben & Debbie Scott, Gouldbusk 42 Club

In memory of Eugenia Pittard by Lynn & Trisha Owens, Chris & Cindy Jamison, Steve & Sarah Beal, Curtis & Joy Skelton, Ben & Debbie Scott, Henry & Margie Dodson, James Stokes/Bowen Drug Store

In memory of Pam Waynick by Henry & Margie Dodson, David & Tracy Barnett

In memory of Laura Johnson by Lynn & Trisha Owens

In memory of Kathleen Marie Manley by Henry & Margie Dodson

In memory of Mamie Evans by Lynn & Trisha Owens, Don & Marian Johnson

In memory of Billie Marie Miller by Lynn & Trisha Owens, David & Tracy Barnett, Don & Marian Johnson

In memory of Joshua Trebark Weaver by David & Tracy Barnett

In memory of Tae Gann by James C. Stokes/Bowen Drug Store

Honorariums:
In honor of Rodney & Debbie Ivy by Jimmy & Nell Lane

In honor of Coleman Veterinary Clinic by Jimmy & Nell Lane

In honor of the O. J. Johnson Family by Virginia Jamison

Donations may be sent to Trisha Owens at First Coleman National Bank. P. O. Box 552, Coleman, TX 76834, or to Henry Dodson at Coleman County State Bank, P. O. Box 940, Coleman, TX 76834.

Attorney General Abbott's Fugitive Unit Arrests 15 Convicted Sex Offenders In North Texas Sweep

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Dragnet nabs 11 unregistered sex offenders, four parole violators

DALLAS – Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s Fugitive Unit arrested 15 convicted sex offenders during a two-week North Texas fugitive crackdown.

The Attorney General’s investigators, together with law enforcement officers in several North Texas counties, arrested 11 men for violating Texas sex offender registration requirements. Four parole violators were also arrested in the sweep.

“Texans expect law enforcement to closely monitor these dangerous predators. Protecting children is our highest priority,” Attorney General Abbott said. “The Fugitive Unit will continue its aggressive crackdown on violent felons and missing parolees who pose a threat to our children.”

Attorney General Abbott added: “Thanks to a cooperative effort between the Fugitive Unit, the U.S. Marshals Service, and local police and sheriff’s departments, these dangerous criminals are behind bars.”

The Fugitive Unit caught the 11 unregistered sex offenders as part of Operation Missing Predator, the Attorney General’s ongoing statewide initiative to locate and arrest fugitives who fail to update or maintain sex offender registration.

Unregistered sex offenders arrested in the roundup include:

• William Leighton Hosmer, 25, arrested Feb. 15 in Dallas County
• Bruce Darnell Dotson II, 21, arrested Feb. 26 in Grayson County
• Justin Melugin, 26, arrested Feb. 27 in Anderson County
• Taiwan D. Robinson, 21, arrested Feb. 27 in Tarrant County
• David Lee Rose, 32, arrested Feb. 12 in Tarrant County
• Lester Goodacre, 55, arrested Feb. 14 in Tarrant County
• Larry Darnell Crater, 48, arrested Feb. 14 in Tarrant County
• Santos Joe Cabrera, 66, arrested Feb. 9 in Greenwood, La.
• Glenn Howard Davis, 45, arrested March 2 in Tarrant County
• Robert Craig Hummel, 35, arrested March 2 in Tarrant County
• Gregg Steven Kravitz, 43, arrested March 2 in Boise, Idaho

The successful sweep also netted four convicted sex offenders for parole violations:

• Danny Leroy Wilson, 55, arrested Feb. 27 in Parker County
• Ernest Ray Smith, 39, arrested Feb. 26 in Tarrant County
• Kenneth Craig Thomas, 35, arrested Feb. 27 in Tarrant County
• Charles Alan Duszynski, 47, arrested March 2 in Tarrant County

The Fugitive Unit worked closely with local police departments in Arlington, Dallas, Fort Worth and Pantego. The Attorney General’s investigators also teamed with the United States Marshals Service and sheriff’s offices in Anderson, Dallas, Grayson, Navarro, Parker and Tarrant counties to secure warrants and make arrests.

Attorney General Abbott’s Fugitive Unit works with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and other law enforcement agencies to pinpoint and arrest fugitives with a history of sex crimes against children who have violated parole or sex offender registration requirements. Parole violations include failing to report to parole officers or being present in areas that might allow them access to young children. Since operations began in August 2003, the unit has arrested more than 400 sex offenders.

To find out more about Attorney General Abbott’s efforts to crack down on sexual predators, visit the Attorney General’s Web site at www.oag.state.tx.us or call (800) 252-8011.

McQueen Endows Agricultural Journalism Scholarship at Texas A&M

March 5, 2007
Writer: Kathleen Phillips, 979-845-2872,ka-phillips@tamu.edu
Contact: Horace McQueen, 979-687-1034,horace@valornet.com

COLLEGE STATION – Long-time farm and ranch journalist Horace McQueen and his wife, Carole, of Grapeland, have established a scholarship at Texas A&M University in hopes of "jump starting" a college degree like his was decades ago.

The Carole and Horace McQueen ‘60 Endowed Scholarship is designated for agricultural journalism majors who have financial need.

McQueen credits his Texas Cooperative Extension agent in Harris County in the 1950s with encouraging him to attend college after high school.

"By word and example, he led me to think college," said McQueen. "I received two scholarships to attend Texas A&M, and I could not have attended without them."

Two events solidified his college career: He attend Extension's 4-H Roundup in College Station, and he showed a champion Brahman heifer at the Houston Livestock Show. The 4-H Roundup enabled him to meet teens from across the state and gave him a fondness for Texas A&M. The champion heifer was sold to provide money for college.

After graduation in 1960, McQueen was editor of National FFA magazine and Farm and Ranch Magazine. By 1964 he and fellow Texas A&M graduate Jack Tompkins started the Farm and Ranch TV News in Lubbock, Abilene and Big Spring. McQueen later continued the program in Tyler and Lufkin. After a 36-year broadcast career, he sold the program in 2000. The McQueens also have raised cattle and timber and been involved in real estate and oil and gas production.

"Carole and I felt it was time to ‘give back' to the institution that provided us the ‘jump start' in life," he said. "I know (the recipients of the scholarship) will receive a good education, and I hope they will one day do the same in providing for another deserving student who could not make it otherwise."

LONGVIEW CHILD PREDATOR CAUGHT BY CYBER CRIMES UNIT RECEIVES 95-YEAR STATE PRISON SENTENCE

Monday, March 5, 2007
Joe Alan Cook arrived on bicycle to meet child for sex; prison term is longest in Unit’s history

LONGVIEW – A convicted East Texas felon arrested by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s Cyber Crimes Unit was sentenced to 95 years in state prison after a Gregg county jury returned a guilty verdict on one count of attempted aggravated sexual assault of a child. Joe Alan Cook, 46, of Longview, was formally sentenced on Thursday in 124th Judicial District Court for using the Internet to solicit a child for sex.

The punishment was enhanced because of Cook’s two prior Illinois felony convictions for burglary and home invasion. It is the longest prison sentence ever handed down to an online predator arrested by the Cyber Crimes Unit.

“Texans will not tolerate criminals who prey upon our children,” Attorney General Abbott said. “So desperate to meet and sexually assault a child that he arrived on a bicycle, this offender shows the true danger posed by these sexual predators. We are grateful to Gregg County District Attorney Bill Jennings for his assistance with this case. East Texans can rest assured that we put this predator behind bars for a very long time.”

Attorney General Abbott added: “Thanks to our dedicated Cyber Crimes Unit investigators and Assistant Attorney General Grant Sparks, Texas is a safer place for our children.”

Cyber Crimes Unit investigators and Longview Police Department officers arrested Cook in February 2006 after he rode his bicycle to meet someone he believed to be a 13-year-old child he had solicited over the Internet for sex. When he arrived, Cook discovered the “child” was an undercover Cyber Crimes Unit investigator who had posed as an underage girl.

Protecting children is one of Attorney General Abbott’s top priorities. His Cyber Crimes and Fugitive units have arrested more than 500 sexual predators since he took office in December 2002. The Fugitive Unit locates convicted child sex offenders who have violated the terms of their parole and could be stalking children.

Perry Gives TYC Legislation Emergency Status

Mar. 05, 2007
Bills would create TYC Inspector General, empower state prosecutors to step in

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today designated legislation addressing systemic failures at the Texas Youth Commission (TYC) as emergency items for the Texas Legislature. Perry also met with TYC special master Jay Kimbrough, TYC acting executive director Ed Owens and newly appointed TYC Chairman Don Bethel on Monday morning.

The emergency legislation would:

• Expand the jurisdiction for prosecution over crimes committed at TYC facilities to allow the current TDCJ special prosecution unit to handle such cases.
• Create a new TYC Inspector General with greater authority and independence of commission bureaucracy.
• Empower the Attorney General to have concurrent jurisdiction with the local county or district attorney for the prosecution of offenses involving TYC.

“If a local district attorney does not prosecute suspected child molesters, the state must have the authority to step in and enforce the law,” Perry said. “With an Inspector General that reports directly to the Commission Board, we can ensure that administrative investigations are conducted with greater authority, the power of subpoena and independence from the bureaucracy.”

On Friday, Perry appointed Jay Kimbrough as TYC Special Master and charged him with leading a commission-wide investigation of the commission’s policies and procedures, reports of failures and wrong-doings by commission staff and specific instances of abuse.

Kimbrough has since coordinated his activities with Acting Executive Director Ed Owens; Attorney General Greg Abbott; key staff members for Lt. Gov. Dewhurst, Speaker Craddick and lawmakers; State Auditor John Keel; Texas Rangers Chief Ray Coffman; and Texas Department of Criminal Justice Inspector General John Moriarty.

“Every agency and officeholder I’ve spoken with has offered complete support for this investigation,” Kimbrough said. “We have marshaled our resources, made assignments and have begun to execute our strategy. For the vast majority of youth commission workers who love their jobs and are committed to the mission, help is on the way.”

Kimbrough said that the State Auditor’s Office has agreed to provide an existing toll-free phone number, (800) TX-AUDIT, to report suspected criminal activity at TYC facilities.

New Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch Unveiled

March 5, 2007
Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576,s-byrns@tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Dale Rollins, 325-653-4576,d-rollins@tamu.edu

ROBY – The disappointing 2006-07 quail season has ended, but a bright new venture for quail has just begun in West Texas, according to a Texas Cooperative Extension wildlife specialist. The venture targets both bobwhite and scaled quail, and wild quail enthusiasts can thank donors of a Fisher County ranch for actively trying to save these dwindling populations.

Dr. Dale Rollins, Extension wildlife specialist at San Angelo, announced that a 4,700-acre ranch purchased last October has been made available to him for long-term quail research by The Conservation Fund ( http://www.conservationfund.org ).

"The ranch, formerly the J.T. Martin Ranch, and now known as the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch, is to be used as a research and demonstration facility to foster our understanding and management of bobwhite and scaled quail in West Texas," Rollins said. "The vision for the ranch is to sustain Texas' wild quail hunting heritage for this and future generations."

Rollins said the ranch donation is the first of its kind in Texas dedicated to quail management, and that it's geographical location was sorely needed for research purposes.

"Most of the quail research in Texas has been conducted in South Texas," he said. "Thanks to The Conservation Fund, we hope to initiate our own legacy of quail research here in West Texas. Procuring the ranch is a great first step."

Rollins plans to develop collaborative research projects with colleagues from within the Texas A&M University System, Texas Tech University and Angelo State University, he said.

West Texas is one of the last strongholds of wild quail across the south, he said, but populations here have been ebbing over the past decade. The 2006-07 season was generally the poorest observed in more than 20 years. And the repercussions go beyond hunting.

"Quail are 6-ounce ingots of gold ... ‘quail escargot' is what I call them," Rollins said. "Land prices over much of West Texas are dictated as much by a property's ability to sustain coveys of quail as pounds of beef or bushels of wheat produced. And rural economies in this region benefit from the infusion of mostly urban hunters who trek westward to pursue the sporty game birds."

A poor quail season like the one just ended affects hunting-related tourism in places like Albany, Aspermont, Roby and dozens of other small towns in quail range, Rollins said.

A 1999 survey of Texas Quail Unlimited members conducted by Rollins indicated they averaged spending $10,354 annually on quail hunting. Sixty-five percent of that was spent in the destination county.

Rollins said the ranch will be used to develop and evaluate management schemes for enhancing quail.

Most of the quail on the ranch are bobwhites, but there are lesser numbers of scaled (blue) quail. Having both species on the property makes the ranch that much more interesting, according to Rollins.

"We will also be using the ranch to demonstrate quail-friendly technologies and management techniques," he said. "I fully expect the ranch to soon become a forum for information exchange among land managers, hunters and rural economies interested in sustaining quail hunting in Texas."

Rollins said the ranch has excellent quail habitat and currently supports a quail population higher than most Rolling Plains properties. It has 700 acres in the Conservation Reserve Program and about 40 acres of cropland. The remainder is native range.

The ranch also has its share of challenges, such as feral hogs and pricklypear. He said these problems make it well suited for problem-solving research that will be broadly applicable across West Texas.

But quail will be the focus of all work done on the ranch. Rollins will oversee various burning and grazing methods with the goal being how to best manipulate plant communities for quail habitat. Research will start in this month with the trapping and radio-collaring of bobwhite and scaled quail to begin accumulating benchmark data on nesting habits, survival rates and other information, Rollins said.

"We've set up 17 points on the ranch that will serve as ‘listening posts' for monitoring whistling quail beginning in May, which is one method for gauging abundance of quail," Rollins said. "We're also slated to conduct helicopter counts later this month to get a snapshot estimate of our pre-breeding quail capital."

Several educational programs for quail enthusiasts have already been planned. Among these are a "Plant Appreciation Day" scheduled for May 17, the 2007 QuailMasters class which convenes in April, and an annual field day in October.

The Conservation Fund will hold the property until a separate 501 (c)(3) nonprofit foundation can be established to take possession of the ranch, Rollins said. A board of directors has been named. They are: Rick Snipes of Aspermont, president; Ray Stoker Jr. of Odessa, secretary-treasurer; A.V. Jones of Albany; John J. Hagenbuch of Sun Valley, Idaho, and Dr. Maurice Hornocker of Belleville, Idaho.

An advisory committee is currently being named. Rollins has been named the ranch's director.

An open house for the public is slated for May 11. RSVP to Rollins at 325-653-4576 or e-maild-rollins@tamu.edu . More information is available at the TeamQuail Web site, http://teamquail.tamu.edu

VICTORIA COUNTY GRAND JURY INDICTS THREE SUSPECTED CHILD SEX OFFENDERS CAUGHT BY CYBER CRIMES UNIT

Monday, March 5, 2007
Former paramedic, two others accused of Internet-related sex crimes

VICTORIA – A Victoria County grand jury indicted two Victoria men and a former Gonzales paramedic for using the Internet to prey upon or exploit children. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s Cyber Crimes Unit arrested all three suspects and presented their cases to the grand jury.

“Texans will not tolerate criminals who prey upon our children,” Attorney General Abbott said. “The Cyber Crimes Unit will continue its aggressive crackdown on sexual predators and child pornographers. We are grateful to Victoria County Criminal District Attorney Steve Tyler and the Victoria Police Department for their commitment to a safer Texas for our children.”

Cyber Crimes Unit investigators arrested 25-year-old Keith Robert Berger, a former Gonzales EMS paramedic, on Feb. 7 after he traveled from Gonzales to Victoria to meet and sexually assault someone he thought was a 13-year-old boy. When Berger arrived in Victoria, he discovered the “boy” was a Cyber Crimes Unit investigator posing as an underage teen. Berger was indicted for attempted indecency with a child, attempted sexual performance by a child, and online solicitation of a minor.

Dionicio Robles, Jr., 53, of Victoria, was arrested in March 2006 after he sexually propositioned an undercover Cyber Crimes Unit investigator who had assumed the online identity of a 13-year-old girl. Robles was indicted on three counts of online solicitation of a minor and seven counts of child pornography possession.

The grand jury also indicted Elmar Ellman, 45, also of Victoria, on two counts each of child pornography possession and promotion. Cyber Crimes Unit investigators executed a search warrant at Ellman’s residence and place of employment. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicated that he was distributing sexually explicit images of children online. Forensic analysis of the confiscated media revealed several images of child pornography. At the time of the investigation, Ellman was a twice-convicted, registered sex offender. Cyber Crimes Unit investigators, working with the Victoria Police Department, arrested Ellman Friday.

Online solicitation of a minor and promotion of child pornography are second-degree felonies punishable by two to 20 years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Attempted sexual performance by a child; attempted indecency with a child; and possession of child pornography are third-degree felonies punishable by two to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Attorney General Abbott has earned a national reputation for aggressively arresting and prosecuting online child predators. In 2002, he launched the Cyber Crimes Unit, which targets online predators by assuming the identities of young teenagers in Internet chat rooms, and the Fugitive Unit, which locates convicted child sex offenders who have violated the terms of their parole and could be stalking children. Attorney General Abbott's initiative has resulted in more than 500 arrests of such offenders. His office also has obtained convictions against 57 men on child pornography charges.

Wet Distiller’s Grains Could Play a Role in Cattle Diets

March 5, 2007
Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608,skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Mike Brown, 806-651-2585,msbrown@mail.wtamu.edu
Dr. Andy Cole, 806-356-5748,nacole@cprl.ars.usda.gov

Photos and Graphics Click for larger images

Audio MP3(2.8 Mb) Audio Script

CANYON – Wet sorghum distiller's grains can be fed in a steam-flaked corn ration without affecting efficiencies, said two researchers.

The two four-month cattle finishing experiments with yearling heifers were conducted by Dr. Mike Brown, a Texas Agricultural Experiment Station ruminant nutritionist and West Texas A&M University associate professor, and Dr. Andy Cole, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service animal scientist.

Designed to gain more information on the feeding value of wet sorghum distiller's grains plus solubles, the study included 400 head of cattle. These cattle were divided between two study periods, April 27-Aug.14 and July 28-Dec. 8; with eight replications of five treatments, Brown said.

"We wanted to determine what the trade-off is when you substitute wet distiller's grains for some of the steam-flaked corn and cottonseed meal," Brown said. "Also, there hadn't been any studies previously to assess the value of the fat within the distiller's grains."

Two of the treatments were standardized, based on steam-flaked corn diets with no wet distiller's grains, while three of the diets had 15 percent of the ration dry matter as wet sorghum distiller's grains. The distiller's grains replaced a combination of 35 percent cottonseed meal and 65 percent steam-flaked corn, he said.

Yellow grease was added to the steam-flaked corn diets as a fat source because the distiller's grains have a higher fat content than the original grain, Cole said. The energy-dense fat helps tie the ration together, making it less dusty.

In the long run, with 8 percent to 10 percent fat, wet distiller's grains have a number of advantages over dried distiller's grains, including greater nutritive value and elimination of the added expense of drying, he said. However, the disadvantage is hauling the water, so they must be from a local source.

Within the study, heifers receiving the wet distiller's grains and solubles ate about 5 percent more and gained about 5 percent more, so the feed efficiency was the same in comparison to those that did not receive it, Brown said.

"We found you will have to have one and a half percent added fat with the distiller's grains to achieve the feed efficiency similar to a steam-flaked corn diet with 3 percent fat added," he said.

The net energy value for gain of the distiller's grain based on animal performance was 80 percent of that used for steam-flaking corn, Brown said. Those numbers determine what the exchange is, or what the nutritive values are for competing ingredients,

Nutritionists and feedyard managers can factor in costs – the price of distiller's grains, cottonseed meal, yellow grease, which all change over time – to determine what is more economical, Cole said.

"Through the comparison of with or without distiller's grains, we have numbers of what actual performance ended up being with those exchanges," Brown said. "Individuals can use that information and apply economics to it to find the best combination of ration ingredients at a given point of time."

Another consideration in feeding a wet distiller's grain is the ration has more total weight to be delivered to the bunk, he said.

"We measured diet density on six occasions to determine if you have to haul more or fewer loads to feed the cattle," Brown said. "That would certainly factor into decisions at a commercial facility."

The distiller's grains rations were wetter and more dense than those without distiller's grains, he said. The data suggests a feedlot would need to deliver 10 percent more feed if feed trucks are filled to the same volume or 23 percent more if feed trucks are filled to the same total weight.

The researchers also are looking at potential effects on ammonia emissions and other environmental and animal health concerns, Cole said.

"We certainly didn't see any adverse consequences at the feeding rate of distiller's that we used," Brown said, but added the environmental data is still being analyzed.

This study was partially funded by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service with support from the National Sorghum Producers.

The results will be published as a Texas A&M University department of animal science beef report, he said. Results also will be presented in late March at the Plains Nutrition Council meeting and at the national meeting of the American Society of Animal Science in July.

Perry Appoints TYC Special Master, Orders Rehabilitation Plan

Mar. 02, 2007
Kimbrough to lead investigation; Owens to develop rehab plan

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today utilized new tools authorized by the Legislative Audit Committee and appointed Jay Kimbrough as Special Master of the Texas Youth Commission (TYC). Kimbrough, who will report directly to the governor, will lead a commission-wide investigation of TYC policies and procedures, reports of failures and wrong-doings by commission staff and specific instances of abuse.

Acting Executive Director Ed Owens, who took office on Thursday, will be responsible for developing a comprehensive Rehabilitation Plan in consultation with the State Auditor that corrects the failures identified by Kimbrough’s investigation.

Texas Government Code 2104.021 dictates that an order of conservatorship precludes a governor from also ordering the agency to enter into a rehabilitation plan. Perry said that his appointment of a Special Master will allow the state to use all of the additional tools provided by the Audit Committee, rather than choosing only one.

“I welcome the additional authority provided by the legislature because it will empower the state to more swiftly identify and fix the pervasive problems at the Youth Commission,” Perry said. “With a Special Master, the state will aggressively investigate reports of abuse and hold people accountable for their actions. And we will develop a long-term plan that will rebuild this broken agency from the ground up, and refocus it on its mission of rehabilitating young Texans.”

“There is no one better to lead this transformation than Jay Kimbrough and Ed Owens,” Perry said.

Kimbrough will conduct a sweeping review of the TYC and present his findings to the governor and the Legislative Audit Committee. All TYC employees will be required to fully cooperate with the Special Master’s investigation or face possible termination.

Attorney General Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice will provide support resources upon request to assist the Special Master’s investigation. The TYC Board will also create a strengthened Inspector General position that will be accountable directly to the board instead of the bureaucracy. Kimbrough will appear before the Senate Nominations Committee.

Kimbrough has served as Deputy Attorney General and the Governor’s Director of Homeland Security and Deputy Chief of Staff.

Old is New Again in the Recently Named ‘EarthKind Rose of the Year’

March 2, 2007
Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576,s-byrns@tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Steve George, 972-952-9217,s-george@tamu.edu

DALLAS – When it comes to tough roses, "tried and true" can be better than "brand-spanking new." This year's EarthKind Rose of the Year is a case in point.

"Perle d'Or,"a polyantha rose which was first introduced in 1894, recently got the nod as the 2007 "EarthKind Rose of the Year" by Texas Cooperative Extension's EarthKind team.

Dr. Steve George, Extension horticulturist at Dallas, said the honor created by Extension horticulturists recognizes the best performers in their EarthKind Rose program.

"The title comes only after years of field research during which roses are grown and evaluated under very tough conditions," George said. "They aren't fertilized or pruned. They must survive and thrive with little irrigation, and must never be treated with pesticides. The result are winners that are so easy to grow that anyone, even a novice, can enjoy great success with these outstanding cultivars.

"Perle d'Or, this year's winner, is a peach-colored, very double, repeat-blooming rose," he said. "It is also very fragrant. It usually attains a manageable size of about 4 feet wide and tall. It's winter hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture cold hardiness zones 6-9. Its only limitation is that it usually doesn't do well in areas with high saline (salty) irrigation water."

The rose is very healthy and produces flushes of blooms from spring through fall, right through summer's heat, George said.

Like all EarthKind roses, Perle d'Or does best in a location with at least eight hours of direct sun daily and good air flow over its foliage, George said. It is very heat- and drought-tolerant once established.

"Of all the old garden roses that we have tested, Perle d'Or is one of my most favorite," he said. "We recommend planting this wonderful old rose throughout Texas.

"Perle d'Or makes a medium-size, very full, very handsome landscape shrub. Its growth habit and shape are very attractive even with no pruning. Plant it in groups of three or five in the middle of a bed or border to create a strong design element."

All the EarthKind roses are true winners because they return so much for so little care, George said.

Two new additions to the list of EarthKind roses for 2007 are: Ducher, an 1869 pure white China rose, and Georgetown Tea, a repeat-blooming pink blend rose, he said. Both cultivars are recommended for USDA cold hardiness zones 7-9.

The EarthKind Environmental Landscape Management System was created by Extension to help provide beautiful landscapes with minimal maintenance and maximum environmental safeguards, George said. The entire list is available on the Web at http://earthkindroses.tamu.edu .

Personnel Management Seminar Scheduled for April 3-4 in Lubbock

March 2, 2007
Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608,skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Steve Amosson, 806-677-5600,samosson@ag.tamu.edu

LUBBOCK – A two-day conference designed to help agriculture human resource managers will be held April 3-4 at the Ashmore Inn in Lubbock, said a Texas Cooperative Extension specialist.

The conference, Effective Employee Management in Agribusiness, will feature experts from around the country who will address problems of hiring, retaining and disciplining employees, said Dr. Steve Amosson, Extension economist in Amarillo. The experts also will discuss the paperwork involved in dealing with a multi-cultural workforce.

"We held a similar conference in Amarillo with the same speakers," Amosson said. "We received a number of comments from participants saying how great and knowledgeable the speakers were and how this was the best conference on personnel management they ever attended.

"In fact, a six-month post meeting survey of participants revealed that 91 percent of respondents had changed their personnel management practices based on what they learned in the conference," he said. "All I can say is that if you have any problems with personnel management, attending this conference is a must."

Dr. Bernie Erven, with Ohio State University's department of agricultural, environmental and development economics, will open the general session with "Cultivating Culture," focusing on creating an environment where people can succeed, Amosson said. Erven also will talk about transformational leadership and conduct a break-out session, "Being a Boss vs. Being a Friend."

Other speakers are Dr. Tom Fuhrmann, owner and operator of Dairy Works in Phoenix, Ariz.; Dr. Gregory Billikopf, a labor management farm advisor with the University of California Agricultural Extension; Shawn Twing, a labor and employment lawyer in Amarillo; and Sarah Fogleman, Kansas State University Extension agricultural economist.

Registration is $125 per person, and $100 for each additional registrant from the same operation if postmarked by March 19. After March 19, the registration fee is $150 per person.

The conference is open to any interested individuals and is sponsored by Plains Cotton Growers Inc., Purina Mills LLC, Select Milk Producers Inc., Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Texas Cotton Ginner's Association, Extension and Texas Extension Education Foundation.

Partial funding for the conference is provided by the Southern Risk Management Education Center.

For a registration form, go to http://mastermarketer.tamu.edu . Make checks payable to: TEEF Acct. # 8200 and mail to Personnel Management Conference, Box 946, College Station, TX 77841-0946. For more information, contact Margaret Freeman at 806-677-5600.

Bexar County Extension to Present ‘A-to-Z’ Farm Pond Management Workshop

March 2, 2007
Writer: Paul Schattenberg. 210-467-6575,paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Nelson Diarte, 210-467-6575,nadiarte@ag.tamu.edu

SAN ANTONIO – Texas Cooperative Extension for Bexar County will present a free farm pond management workshop from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on March 22 at Palo Alto College, 1400 West Villaret in San Antonio. "Farm Pond Management – A to Z" will be presented in Room 100B of the college's Performing Arts building with registration beginning at 6 p.m.

Program topics will include a farm pond introduction and overview, requirements for maintaining a farm pond, stocking rates and fish management, aquatic weed and brush control, and the benefits of managing a farm pond.

Two general continuing education units will be offered to workshop attendees.

"This workshop will cover everything from the reasons why landowners may want to establish a farm pond to the nuts and bolts of how to maintain that pond and properly stock it with fish for recreational and profit purposes," said Nelson Diarte, Extension agent for natural resources for Bexar County. "There are potential tax and other advantages to having a farm pond, and this program will help small landowners understand whether having one is right for them."

Others involved in the program include the Small Landowners Task Force, the Alamo Area Soil and Water Conservation District, the Johnson Lake Management Service, and the Natural Resource and Conservation Service.

For more information and to RSVP, call Diarte at the Bexar County Extension office, 210-467-6575. The deadline is March 19.

Attendees requiring auxiliary aids, services or special accommodations due to a disability are requested to contact the Extension office at least seven days prior to the workshop.

New Additions to the News

I almost forgot to tell you about a new feature that I worked on last week. In a rare Friday night in front of the computer I added some news feeds to the Sports Page. I found a really cool deal that interfaces the feeds for a website or blog called Spring Widgets. The feeds are actually RSS(Really Simple Syndication) feeds that come straight from the websites of the major Texas professional teams and include the latest headlines for the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Texans, Houston Rockets, and the Houston Astros. The feeds are similar to the feeds on the AP News Page so they are constantly updated with the latest news about your favorite Texas professional sports teams. I will try to add more dynamic content to the News particularly if I think it would be of interest to folks from Santa Anna. As always keep sending me your items of local interest to news@santaannanews.com or use our convenient form!

Coleman 4-H Club Meeting

The Coleman 4-H Club will have their monthly meeting Tuesday, March 13th, at 6:00 p.m. in the Coleman Jr. High Library. All members are invited to attend, as well as anyone interested in joining 4-H. Please come and invite your friends. Parents are also encouraged to attend.

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