Purdue Ag News
Purdue Ag News
October 31, 1997
"The Taxpayers' Relief Act of 1997 is likely to bring additional confusion for 1997," the Cooperative Extension Service specialist said. "Some provisions of the '97 act, such as the installment-sales section, are retroactive to prior years, while many other provisions, such as averaging of farm income, do not take effect until 1998 or later years."
David Frette, a Washington, Ind., certified public accountant, said, "Because many credits and other provisions of the new law also have income limitations, farm families may not know whether they qualify until after the tax year is over."
Indiana farmers and others will have an opportunity to learn what the new tax law means for them during a free closed circuit television discussion scheduled from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19.
The Purdue Cooperative Extension Service will present the tax-law discussion on the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunications System.
The program will be available in 20 Indiana counties. To find the site nearest you, call Crystal Hughes, (765) 494-5986, or call Extension toll free, 1-888-EXT-INFO.
CONTACT: Patrick, (765) 494-4241; e-mail, george.f.patrick.1@purdue.edu
This is a new problem that has caught pest control operators and university entomologists off guard, said Purdue Extension entomologist Timothy Gibb.
According to Gibb, the problem is occurring because a new species of ladybug was imported from Japan to the United States to help control other insect pests. The Asian lady beetle is now found in most of the United States and much of Canada.
"Ladybugs have always been looked upon as beneficial insects worthy of protection," he said. "However, when faced with the emergence of literally thousands of lady beetles inside a home or garage during late winter, the words 'beneficial,' 'conservation' and 'protection' seem to be the last that come to mind."
He suggested that homeowners take these steps now to prevent the ladybugs from getting inside their homes and garages.
The Asian ladybeetle is sometimes called the Halloween beetle because it is orange instead of red, and because it appears on homes and buildings near the end of October. It causes problems because it has an unusual way of surviving winters.
Native ladybugs overwinter individually under bark or in leaf litter. Asian lady beetles, on the other hand, prefer to cluster together in huge numbers on the sides of homes and other buildings. Eventually, as the temperatures drop, they work their way into the building through small cracks or crevices.
According to Gibb, Asian lady beetles are most attracted to:
Once inside the building, the beetles are in a hibernation-like state until the first warm days of late winter or early spring when they begin crawling about. "That's the time that most homeowners really notice their company," Gibb said. "A few found here or there might be tolerable, especially in light of their beneficial reputation, but when clusters of several hundred to thousands appear in a living room, bedroom or kitchen, it is hard not to grumble.
"The good news is that when Asian lady beetles occur in the home, they are really only a pest by their presence. They do not feed on or damage anything in the home. They do not bite people or pets, do not infest stored food, and do not destroy household furnishings."
Gibb said that after spending the winter months tucked away in a wall void or other secluded place, the beetles have difficulty finding their way back outside.
"The best suggestion is to help them in their quest by sweeping them up and depositing them outside if possible," he said. "Vacuuming also will work where there are a lot of them. However, be sure to empty the vacuum bag after each time because live beetles can sometimes find their way out of a vacuum left in the closet."
Making the situation worse is that the reawakening may take place over several weeks, depending on temperatures and the size of the population. Continually removing those that become active every day can become a real chore, especially where population numbers are high. "Rest assured that they cannot breed inside the home, no matter what it may look like," Gibb said.
CONTACT: Gibb, (765) 494-4570; e-mail, Tim_Gibb@entm.purdue.edu
"The easiest way to dispose of leaves is to simply mow them into the turf," said Zac Reicher, a Purdue Cooperative Extension Service turfgrass specialist. "Regular mowing during the fall will chop the leaves into small pieces and allow them to filter into the turf."
Research at Purdue and other universities shows that tree leaves can be mulched into turf without any detrimental effects.
"Actually, just the opposite may be true, where tree leaf mulching may help improve your soil," Reicher said. "Mulching leaves with a mower is much easier than raking, blowing or vacuuming, plus it disposes of the leaves without filling up our landfills."
Regardless of the method you prefer, though, he says that the leaves can't stay on your lawn, because heavy layers of tree leaves will shade grass plants and can smother and kill them. In addition, a cover of leaves on the lawn can lead to a very damaging winter turf disease called snow mold.
More lawn and turf information, including weekly updates by Purdue turf experts, can be found on the Internet at http://www.agry.purdue.edu/agronomy/home.htm
CONTACT: Zac Reicher, (765) 494-9737; e-mail, zreicher@dept.agry.purdue.edu
In order, the top five senior FFA teams, the number of points accumulated out of 1,200, and their coaches are: Wawasee FFA, 1,157, Randy Warren of Syracuse ; North Miami FFA, 1,155, Glen Jones of Denver ; Gibson Southern FFA, 1,151, Richard Ritter of Fort Branch ; Southwood FFA, 1,137, Curt Campbell of Wabash ; and Fairfield, 1,121, Darrell Allen of Goshen . All five teams will compete at the National Land Judging next May in Oklahoma.
The top five senior 4-H teams, their point accumulations and their coaches are: Southwood 4-H, 1,150, Curt Campbell of Wabash ; Huntington North 4-H, 1,104, Robert Bowker of Huntington ; North Miami 4-H, 1,094, Glen Jones of Denver ; Eastern Hancock 4-H, 1,094, Mike Witte of Charlottesville ; and Madison County 4-H, 1,089, Paul Maish of Frankton . The Southwood, Huntington North and Madison County teams are ineligible to attend the national competition because team members have attended in previous years, so the three teams attending in their places are: Triton Central 4-H, coached by Rich McGowen of Fairland ; White County 4-H, coached by Nick Korniak of Monticello ; and Hagerstown 4-H, coached by Don Sturgeon of Hagerstown .
Winning junior teams, points and coaches are: Southwood FFA, 1,047, Curt Campbell of Wabash ; Orleans FFA Team 2, 1,026, Hank Carson of Orleans ; Orleans FFA Team 3, 1,026, Hank Carson of Orleans ; Triton Central FFA, 973, Rich McGowen of Fairland ; and Woodlan FFA, 950, Ron Hefty of Woodburn . There's no national contest for juniors.
John Clark of LaFontaine was the top individual judge overall and in the 4-H senior division. A member of Southwood 4-H, Clark had 398 points out of a possible 400. Kyle Wurtzel of Leesburg was the top FFA senior individual, with 393 points. Wurtzel is a member of the Wawasee FFA Soil Judging Team. For being the top senior individual overall, Clark earned a $450 scholarship from the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The top junior individual was Ben Johnson of Orleans , a member of Orleans FFA Team 3, who accumulated 362 points.
CONTACT: Bob Ritchie, 4-H/Youth specialist, (765) 494-8439
"Students will live with Japanese host families, participate in family activities and see parts of Japan no tourist ever would," said Amy Nachman, Purdue 4-H International Program coordinator. "The exchange offers a look behind the stereotypes and myths."
There are two monthlong exchange programs, one of which offers an additional three-week language course. Costs, including air fare, will range from $2,500 to $3,500.
The state 4-H office at Purdue is recruiting 12- to 19-year-olds for the exchanges. Students are matched with families who have children of the same age and gender, similar interests and hobbies. Exchangees needn't be in 4-H or know how to speak Japanese, and traveling to Japan does not commit the student's family to hosting a Japanese student the following year.
Before departing for Japan, all delegates will receive orientation on Japanese life and customs.
"All that is necessary is to have an open mind, to study the materials we'll send you, and to be willing to become a member of a Japanese family for a month," Nachman said.
For more information, call toll-free at (888) EXT-INFO and ask for Nachman, e-mail her at an@four-h.purdue.edu, or write to her in care of Department of 4-H Youth, Purdue University, 1161 AGAD Building, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1161.
CONTACT: Nachman, (765) 494-3697
The youths are winners of various state contest and events held during the 1997 Indiana State Fair. They will visit Arlington Cemetery, George Washington's estate, the Smithsonian Institute Museums, the Holocaust Museum, and various other monuments and memorials. The highlight will be a visit with their district congressional representative.
They are accompanied by Nancy Schuman, a Purdue Cooperative Extension Service 4-H educator in Johnson County, and Debra Searcy, a Wayne County Extension 4-H educator.
Individuals who have received the award, listed alphabetically by their hometowns, are:
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Arlington, Elizabeth McDaniel, Fashion Review. Bloomington, Michele Knoy, Foods Demonstration. Brownsburg, Heidi Peterson, Fashion Review. Crawfordsville, Jacob Brown, Crops Judging. Crown Point, Christine Parry, Plants Demonstration. Elizabeth, Andrew Foreman, Bicycle Rodeo. Evansville, Kendra Maasberg, Color/Texture/Design Demonstration. Goshen, Jenica Hurst, Rabbit Royalty. Greenfield, Abigail Goben, Foods Demonstration. Greensburg, Jonathan Mann, Farm Tractor. Griffith, Thomas Wilcox, Natural Resources Demonstration. Haubstadt, Adam Schmitt, Livestock Demonstration. Huntingburg, Jill Dunn, Natural Resources Demonstration. Huntington, Brooke Easterday, Fashion Review. Indianapolis, Stephen Weber, Mechanical Science and Safety Demonstration. Indianapolis, Kristina Martin, Foods Demonstration. Kokomo, Thomas Withington, Livestock Demonstration. Ladoga, Scott Priebe, Fashion Review. LaGrange, Balinda Hart, Dairy Foods Judging. LaGrange, Jeff Wolheter, Lawn and Garden Tractor. |
LaOtto, Carl Rivir, Forestry Judging. Lebanon, Matthew Pauley, Horticulture Judging. Loogootee, Valerie Weisheit, Animals for Pleasure Demonstration. Macy, Renell Calloway, General Demonstration. Madison, Mary Fritter, Dairy Goat Judging. Marion, Clay Slaughter, Public Speaking. North Liberty, Marianne Allsop, Fashion Review. Roanoke, Jill Bowker, Meats Judging. Roanoke, Cory Troutner, Horse and Pony Judging. Rochester, Kevin Early, Dairy Judging. Salem, Jonathan Fox, Entomology Judging. Shelbyville, Suzann Sanders, Dairy Foods Judging. Thorntown, Katie Carter, Dairy Judging. Valparaiso, April Riley, Plants Demonstration. Wanatah, Meredith Mohlke, Color/Texture/Design Demonstration. West Lafayette, Mindy Thacker, Team Demonstration. West Lafayette, Ian Douglas, Animals for Pleasure Demonstration. West Lafayette, Jessica Landrum, General Demonstration. West Lafayette, Jessica Zwier, Team Demonstration. Winamac, Kevin Rosenbaum, Mechanical Science and Safety Demonstration. |
Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; e-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
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