Untitled Document

Monday, June 11, 2007

NOTE ON FORMATTING: When stories are transferred from the Web, certain punctuation marks and other marks in this report don't carry over and result in symbols and other formatting errors. To see or print the story in full without these translation errors, simply click on "full story" at the end of each item."

Total Clips: 8

	Date	Outlet
Team seeks solution to water woes	06/11/2007	Montgomery Advertiser
AU finds success with voting system	06/11/2007	Opelika-Auburn News
Autism center nears reality	06/11/2007	Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Giving in to snack attacks may benefit seniors	06/11/2007	Delaware Online
High Milk Prices Going Higher	06/10/2007	WKRG-TV
Rad Dad The Perfect Package: Update dad's image this Father's Day	06/10/2007	Free Lance-Star, The
Conservancy doubling size of scenic preserve in Jackson County	06/10/2007	WALA-TV
Statewide drought driving snakes into the open	06/09/2007	Opelika-Auburn News


Team seeks solution to water woes 06/11/2007 Montgomery Advertiser Paul w. Sullivan		Return to Top
Jim Hairston, AU professor in agronomy and soils, is a source in this story on drought and water resources in Alabama. Team seeks solution to water woes By Paul W. Sullivan Much of Alabama is suffering through the drought needlessly. That's the conclusion of a team of professors that has spent more than five years studying the state's water resources and woes. Experts say an abundance of water flows through the state -- at least 10 percent of all that runs through America. But the state doesn't have a plan to capture and store it to get the state through dry periods. In the wake of an unprecedented drought, scientists will urge state leaders this fall to think of storing and transporting water in the same way natural gas is held and moved across the country. They are busy putting the final touches on a proposal they believe will reshape agriculture in the state. But to focus on the two-year drought alone is to miss what has transpired over the past 50 years, said team member Dr. Richard McNider of the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The damage to Alabama agriculture from the failure to embrace irrigation has been taking its toll for decades, he said. "Several years ago we started looking at the decline of agriculture in Alabama, and we have come to the conclusion that all of it is an inability to deal with drought," he said. All-too-frequent dry spells have cut into yields and made farming a harder enterprise -- leading to less acreage devoted to row crops. The amount of land in row crops is half the 1950 total. That's all due to the lack of irrigation, the team contends. That puts state farmers at a competitive disadvantage with the West and Midwest. Those states, with a boost from the federal government, have spent billions on watering infrastructure, or in the case of the Midwest, have built-in soil advantages. "The Midwest is insulated from drought because of its deep soil," McNider said. "Soils are eight feet deep and act as a sponge, where water can be brought up to the surface by plant root systems. The soil here is shallow and holds much less water, and when we have a drought it's more severe and soils dry out faster." In the West, government-funded irrigation projects have turned arid land into fields, shielding farmers from the ravages of drought. As a result, Alabama farmers are agriculture underdogs. The team, with the new-found backing of Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, are working to level the playing field. Their plan will include a system of pipes snaking from streams and rivers through the countryside to above- and below-ground holding areas. The storage would include simple ponds or lakes, or even caverns. That would enable the state to take advantage of the usual winter and spring rains that form the backbone of what is a typical yearly rainfall of 55 inches. One team member is ready to dispel several myths about the supply of water, starting with the present drought. "It's not a water scarcity issue, but a water management issue," argues Dr. Jim Hairston, a professor in agronomy and soils at Auburn University. He said Alabama needs to follow the lead of other states, like Georgia and Nebraska, which rely heavily on irrigation. "Georgia has increased their irrigated acreage since the mid-1960s by 25 times," he said. "Alabama's has only doubled." That change will be just one of many Hairston expects the group to recommend to Gov. Bob Riley, agriculture officials, legislators and others this fall. The ongoing drought has quickened the pace of the team's work and the need for their suggestions, McNider said. He and state climatologist Dr. John Christy, also of UAH, have joined Auburn's Hairston in the effort. They all agree that a whole new approach to water conservation is in order. "We have a huge water supply and have to change the mentality on what water conservation is," Hairston said. While the trio and their associates at other Alabama schools have not wrapped up the project, they are confident of some major items they will push when they present their findings and recommendations. "We will have to build more dams and reservoirs -- even if we don't build them in major streams," Hairston said. "We will recommend putting water into reservoirs and maybe building reservoirs on small streams and rivers." He said the construction is needed to keep winter and spring rainwater from flowing unhindered through streams and rivers to its eventual destination, the Gulf of Mexico. Too much of that water now bypasses cities, farms and industries that will be thirsty for it when summer rolls around. With stable water supplies, farmers could turn to the reserves for relief, Hairston said. That would, in turn, relieve the pressure on water sources already serving cities, industry and other needs. While many plans and reports have been unveiled to fanfare in Montgomery only to die, Hairston believes the lack of rainfall has transformed how state leaders view water resources. The state's agriculture chief, Ron Sparks, said Hairston is right on the money. He agrees that recent weather woes have rendered the old way of farming obsolete. He is looking forward to seeing the team's recommendations. "Putting seeds in the ground and praying for rain is the farming of the past," said Sparks, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. A new way of approaching Alabama's usually plentiful water resources would be welcomed by farmers, he said. Back-to-back droughts and a late freeze would make the selling job for putting money into irrigation much easier. "If you can show farmers there is a better day ahead, farmers aren't afraid of investing," Sparks said. "There is no doubt that if we are going to continue farming as we know it, we are going to have to have some kind of irrigation system to increase yields and keep farmers from getting killed during droughts." Not getting killed will cost money, but it won't be the first time big bucks have been spent to inoculate farms from arid conditions, McNider contends. He points to farms in the Midwest and West where state and federal budgets have been tapped to help farming flourish. "We think it's a role the federal government should have," McNider said. "In the West, the feds have spent billions of dollars bringing water to the edge of farmers' fields." In fact, the federal government already is involved in Alabama's irrigation initiative. Shelby secured $1 million in 2006 to help fund the work of the university team, McNider said. The team had been toiling for years on a volunteer basis. Alabama should follow suit in committing money to irrigation, he said. The state's leaders need to grasp that investments in agriculture are similar to incentives used to lure industry to Alabama, the retired professor in atmospheric science argues. "In the same way the state provided auto industry and steel mill incentives, the numbers will show state investments in helping farms get irrigated will prove long-term benefits to state," McNider said. In fact, the team said the economic impact of irrigation would rival the much-hailed landing of auto plants. Putting 2 million acres under irrigation would add $1.2 billion to the state's economy. That figure would be nearly the economic jolt of the direct payroll of all the auto plants attracted to the state, the professors wrote in a report. Since 1950, Alabama has lost at least 10 million acres in row crop farming, they said. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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AU finds success with voting system 06/11/2007 Opelika-Auburn News Amy Weaver		Return to Top
The Prime III voting system developed by students and faculty at Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering has tested well on three separate attempts. Therefore its designers are confident it will continue to impress participants and especially judges at the University Voting Systems Competition in Portland, Ore., next month. "Our plan is to go there and - what are we going to do, Jerome?" asked Dr. Juan Gilbert, an associate professor in the department of computer science and software engineering. "Win," exclaimed Jerome McClendon, a student member of the Prime III team. McClendon is a recent AU graduate in computer science, but plans to join the graduate program in the fall. Because Prime III has "clear advantages over other systems out there," Gilbert is not only certain of an AU victory in Portland, but also of generating recognition and support with state and federal legislators. Alabama Secretary of State Beth Chapman is already a fan, according to Gilbert. It’s only a matter of time before she gets others in Montgomery on board. Then it’s on to feds. Gilbert and others happen to be traveling to Washington, D.C., for a conference in August. He plans to invite all legislators to come test Prime III. "Our claim is one machine, one vote, for every person," Gilbert said. "If you can’t read, see or hear, or are even without limbs, you can still use our system." Prime III gets its name from the three voting methods it offers - voice, touch and both. Instructions are provided through a headset or on the computer screen. Votes are cast by touching the screen or saying a corresponding number. Between a test of students and faculty at Auburn last fall, of area senior citizens in February, and students at the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind a few weeks ago, the system has been changed a bit. The paper ballots that were printed with the original test no longer exist. Gilbert said his team found that paper is not the ideal way to track or back up the electronic votes. Instead, there is a video system that records what buttons are pressed. It also serves as an additional security measure. If hackers get into the system, Gilbert said they can not go undetected. "It is so straightforward for a voter and yet it is so complicated for a hacker," he said. The test at the institute offered the team its first chance to test Prime III on its target audience - people with disabilities. Although there were some complications, Gilbert said it was the first time many of them voted without any assistance. "That was just amazing," he said. The team has yet to have hackers test the security measures, but Gilbert said it will happen. First things first, though: Win $10,000 in Oregon, get Alabama legislature support and then off to D.C. to change the world. "That’s the plan," Gilbert said. "We’ll see if it pans out." aweaver@oanow.com \| 737-2534
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Autism center nears reality 06/11/2007 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Larry Gierer		Return to Top
AU's nationally praised autism center is mentioned in this story. "It's not about George, anymore." It's about helping others, Lisa Jenkins says. Although her dream of having an autism research center in Columbus is just a couple of months from reality, she knows it will be of little use to her 4-year-old son. "George is really on the low end, a severe case," she said, explaining that her child has violent spells that scare his older brothers, and he's often a danger to himself with head-banging and biting. The number of children locally who have autism is growing, she said, and the center will help many. "This is going to be something special for the area," said Jenkins, who heads the Muscogee County Autism Support Group, which is the catalyst behind the center's creation. There has been plenty of good news for the group recently. The biggest item is that Caroline Gomez, who designed the nationally applauded autism program at Auburn University, has agreed to be the center's director. "It was amazing to get someone like Dr. Gomez, especially since we offered her a job but have no money yet to pay her," Jenkins said. Also, the Bradley Center of St. Francis has agreed to donate office space. Gomez will use the space for consultation and diagnosis, and Jenkins will use it to run the center's business. Although the exact location can't be announced yet, two rooms at a local school will soon be available for class instruction. It had been announced in March that the Marcus Institute of Atlanta will be opening a child psychiatric clinic here. Psychiatrist Roy Sanders will come to the Columbus Pediatric Center once a month to provide therapy. "We hope to have all of this under one roof someday," Gomez said. Jenkins' vision includes a respite program in which trained persons come to give relief to caregivers of autistic people, and residential facilities, including one for those who might otherwise be institutionalized. The center's educational programs will allow students to be trained to work with autistic children. Jenkins first got the idea to do something more than participate in a support group from a close friend, former Muscogee County Superior Court Judge Roxann Daniel. "We were talking about the lack of help for children with autism here and Roxann said to me, 'Why don't you build something?' " Jenkins said. "She drew an outline on paper describing how to begin building a board and getting funds." Daniel, who is on the advisory committee, is also a friend of another family with an autistic member. Ryan Stanford, 27, is the opposite of Jenkins' son. He is autistic but high-functioning. Having gone to Hardaway and Columbus Tech, he now works with computers at TSYS. "I could always do numbers," Stanford said. "I'm very interested in seeing the center come here and want to help in any way I can." At a meeting last week, he was made an honorary member of the center's board. Gomez spoke at that meeting and mentioned a 2007 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study that found one in 150 children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with autism and one in 125 in Georgia. She said the number of qualified professionals to serve children with autism has not kept pace with increased prevalence rates. "Families should expect and receive the services that lead to promising futures for their children with no waiting," she said. Peggy West, director of exceptional children and psychological services, said the Muscogee County School District is "working in close collaboration with the MCASG." The Muscogee County School District has classes for those with autism. She said when she began her current job in 2002 there were 79 autistic children in Columbus schools. In December 2006 there was 132. "Those are just the ones diagnosed," West said. "I'm sure there are others. We can do our part as a school system to help but it's going to take everybody." Small fundraisers have been held. "There will be a walk on Oct. 6," said marketing director Carolyn Marlow. "People will begin hearing a lot about the center soon." "God has led us too far to not let us get the money," said Jenkins, whose attorney husband, Ed, has been doing much of the financing so far. Though she is no longer with the Auburn program, Gomez will use the same model she created there. There are several theories about working with autistic children. Three centers of excellence located at University of California-Los Angeles, University of North Carolina and Emory University differ in their approaches. "We have an integrated program at Auburn," she said. "All autistic children are not the same." At Auburn, the classes have one child who is not autistic in the class for each autistic child. The children serve as role models for the autistic children. Gomez said she has high hopes for the center. "Imagine the day," Gomez said, "when we can offer immediate help to families and hang a sign at the MCASG Autism Center that reads 'No Waiting.' "
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Giving in to snack attacks may benefit seniors 06/11/2007 Delaware Online Janet Cromley, L.A. Times		Return to Top
Stories on the research by AU's Claire Zizza on the benefits of snacking to seniors continues to appear in media outlets across the U.S. Additional print outlets include the Virginian Pilot, Palladium Item, Journal-News, Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Providence Journal and Raleigh News and Observer. Advancing age does have perks: wisdom, recreational vehicles and, now, sanctioned snacking. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002, Claire Zizza, a researcher at Auburn University's Department of Nutrition and Food Science, compared the diets of more than 2,000 senior citizens 65 and older. She found that the 84 percent who snacked consumed significantly more daily calories (protein, carbohydrates and total fat) than those who didn't. While snacking is the bane of most dieters, it could be good for older people, a population vulnerable to undereating, Zizza says. 'As people age, their calorie intake tends to decrease for any number of reasons -- changes in taste sensations, medical conditions or depression,' Zizza says. 'When you start to lose weight as an older individual, that's a sign of failing health.' Healthful snacking has particular merit for older people, agrees Colleen Sundermeyer, nutritionist and author of 'Emotional Weight: End Diet Behavior Forever.' Older people generally eat more slowly, she says, which causes them to reach satiety sooner. 'Snacking doesn't leave the elderly feeling too full and uncomfortable,' she says. This matters, because when the body runs out of fuel, it begins to break down muscle, bones and organs. The study was published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Post a Comment This article does not have any comments associated with it
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High Milk Prices Going Higher 06/10/2007 WKRG-TV Associated Press		Return to Top
AU dairy expert Boyd Brady is a source quoted for this story.The story has appeared in print and broadcast outlets across the U.S., including the Sun Herald, Montgomery Advertiser, Tuscaloosa News, Wilmington Morning Star, Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Belleville News Democrat, Times Picayune, KTCV, WTVM, WALA, WBRC, WAFF, WLOX, KMOV and WWL-TV. UNDATED (AP) - Drought, high fuel and feed prices, a surge in international sales and the cost of dairy operations boosting milk prices to record levels and hitting consumers in the pocketbook. Auburn University dairy expert Boyd Brady says you could say it has been cheap all this time and now just starting to catch up with cost. Lower farm milk prices last year resulted in a slowing of the rowth of total milk production in the U.S., with less milk coming rom dairy farms into the supply chain. University of Missouri-Columbia agriculture economist Scott rown says the price for a gallon of milk likely will hit a record n August before dropping later in the year. Brown says the top actor is international demand for dairy products like nonfat dry ilk and whey products. Dairy operations in the Southeastern United States also have eclined in number as milk to meet the shortfall in supply arrives from states with industrial-size dairies in the West and North. Experts say another factor are rising feed costs. Corn prices have been driven up by the use of ethanol.
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Rad Dad The Perfect Package: Update dad's image this Father's Day 06/10/2007 Free Lance-Star, The Kim Baer		Return to Top
Herbert Jack Rotfeld, AU professor of marketing, is a source for this story on shopping for Father's Day. Thanks to business casual, Father's Day shopping has become a whole new experience. No longer is the tie the go-to gift for offspring seeking a present that Dad will like, need and use. After-shave also is passe. This can make holiday shopping a challenge for moms and children, said Herbert Jack Rotfeld, a professor of marketing at Auburn University in Alabama and the editor of the Journal of Consumer Affairs. Part of the problem, Rotfeld said, is that men tend to simply buy themselves what they need. But what if Dad doesn't really know what he needs? Never fear: There are plenty of companies willing to lay it out for him. We were hit with e-mail solicitations from companies pitching their "vision" of what dad can be. From Target to Sperry Top-Sider to Tommy Bahama, they all have ideas. Consider Tommy Bahama's "Eternal Optimist": "Without trying, his look comes together in a natural, maybe even a slightly disheveled way. He exudes a quiet confidence in silk trousers, camp shirts in updated prints and jackets that work from office to outdoor barbecue. Life is an adventure and he owns every day." To be sure, finding the right gift for dad is important, according to women shopping at Spotsylvania Towne Centre on a recent day. The holiday hasn't really caught up with the new role of dads, the women said. Suzanne Mastrorilli of Fredericksburg rattled off the list of chores her grown son helps with: the cooking, the cleaning, the grocery shopping, the child care. "He deserves a nice gift," she said with a laugh. In Brenda McDaniel's church, women receive roses on Mother's Day. The men don't get such special treatment on their day, said the New Jersey resident. That doesn't seem right to her. "They are highly overlooked," she said. Finding the right gift also makes the giver feel good. Sonya Davis of Stafford County once saved up with her siblings to give their dad a pocket watch. He loved it. "We were so happy." So maybe dad deserves a little "vision" with his present next Sunday. With that in mind, we share some of the solicitations we received. Kim Baer: 540/368-5028 Email: kbaer@freelancestar.com
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Conservancy doubling size of scenic preserve in Jackson County 06/10/2007 WALA-TV		Return to Top
AU biologists are part of the team that will study the flora and fauna of a scenic preserve in Alabama prior to its opening to the public. This story appeared in the Herald Tribune, Gadsden Times and on WTVM, WLOX and WAFF. PAINT ROCK, Ala. (AP) - With a new land purchase, the Nature Conservancy will more than double the size of its scenic Sharp-Bingham Mountains Preserve in Jackson County. Conservancy spokeswoman Lynne Berry said the organization will use a $1.5 million grant from the Minnesota-based 3M Foundation to buy 1,120 wooded acres next to the preserve. The purchase is expected to be completed this summer. The pristine valley near the Madison-Jackson county line is full of rare plants and animals. The preserve has numerous caves. Rainwater from the valley drains into a massive sinkhole called Callaway Sinks. Berry says the preserve won't open to the public anytime soon because there are no access roads. Also, she says, biologists need time to study the area's many plants, animals and caves. That work is being done by Alabama A&M University, Auburn University, the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
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Statewide drought driving snakes into the open 06/09/2007 Opelika-Auburn News Donathan Prater		Return to Top
James Armstrong, a professor of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at AU, is quoted on this story about a consequence of the ongoing drought. Although they probably weren’t part of his carry-on luggage, Samuel Jackson had his share of unwelcome run-ins with reptiles during his role in the 2006 action flick, "Snakes on a Plane." And while the encounters most folks will have with snakes will usually be a lot tamer than those in the film, Alabamians are beginning to have increased meetings with the fork-tongued creatures. Despite the recent rain, according to the National Weather Service, central Alabama is experiencing D3, or extreme drought, conditions. "Typically, we should have seen around 22 to 25 inches of rain at this point of the year," said Bob Jeswald, chief meteorologist for WRBL-Channel 3 in Columbus, Ga. "We’re currently about 16 inches below that at this point." With those dry conditions, it turns out that people and plants aren’t the only life forms adversely affected by the lack of rain. Animals - and snakes, in particular - are, too. "A drought can affect snakes in a number of different ways," said James Armstrong, a professor of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University. "Rat or king snakes may use free standing water to drink but can go a long time without food or water, so increased encounters people are having with snakes is a good indicator we’ve been in a long-term drought. "The larger issue is snakes that use water as their primary habitats," Armstrong said. The mud snake is one such species. A mud snake’s diet consists almost exclusively of freshwater eels. These aquatic snakes live along the edges of ponds, where vegetation is found, Armstrong said. "Unfortunately, in a drought situation, those tend to be the areas to dry up first," Armstrong said. "As people maintain their yards and water their lawns and temperatures get warmer, these areas may become attractive to snakes that may simply be seeking out cooler areas," Armstrong said. Of the 45 or so different species of snake that are found in Alabama, only about six species are venomous. "So, chances are, the snake you run across in your yard will probably be non-venomous," Armstrong said. Armstrong also works as an extension specialist, and he has responded to a slightly higher volume of calls from people who may have encountered a snake in their swimming pool or yard. He said that if you find a snake in your pool, you might want to call in a professional to remove it. But if you encounter a snake in your yard, Armstrong has some simple advice. "If you can, simply leave it alone," Armstrong said.
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