Untitled Document

Monday, June 18, 2007

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Total Clips: 16

	Date	Outlet
Hot, dry drought conditions continue	06/18/2007	Clanton Advertiser
Snack attacks a bonus of aging: Healthful grazing helps malintain body	06/18/2007	Concord Monitor
From meat to milk: Food prices spike	06/18/2007	Longmont Daily Times Call
Horizon: Ahead of the Curve	06/18/2007	Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Special Report: Parasite imported from South America kills fire ants	06/17/2007	WPMI-
Clinic highlights space needs for Auburn University's Autism Center	06/17/2007	Opelika-Auburn News
From milk to meat, US food prices spike upward	06/17/2007	Agonist
Colleges up tuition despite fund hike	06/16/2007	Montgomery Advertiser
Family initiative launch captures attention	06/16/2007	Gadsden Times, The
TIPS: Food for thought on between-meal snacks	06/16/2007	Newsday - Online
Auburn now going after quality over quantity	06/16/2007	Opelika-Auburn News
Water resources conference meets in Auburn	06/15/2007	WLOX-TV
Students compete in state FFA convention events	06/15/2007	Enterprise Ledger
Water resources conference meets in Auburn	06/15/2007	WAFF-TV
Water Resources Conference Meets in Auburn	06/15/2007	WJSU-TV
Water Experts Gather At Auburn University	06/15/2007	WTVM-TV


Hot, dry drought conditions continue 06/18/2007 Clanton Advertiser Staff reports		Return to Top
Dennis Delaney, Soybean Specialist at AU, is a source for this story. Alabama farmers and ranchers continued to experience one of the most severe droughts in the United States this year as another week of scattered rainfall did little to alleviate the persistent dry soil conditions across the state. The US Drought Monitor has raised a substantial part of northern Alabama to level four, or “exceptional” drought conditions. Hot, dry weather had crops suffering tremendously. Average temperatures were well above normal, with overnight lows ranging from 54 degrees in Opelika to 71 degrees in Dothan and daytime highs varying from 92 degrees in Sand Mountain and Bridgeport to 101 in Montgomery. Most of District 60 received from 0.24 inches to 1.87 inches of rain during the past week. However, all reporting weather stations remained drastically below their year-to-date normal. Fruits/Vegetables: The emergence of plum curculio began in central Alabama almost two weeks ago, but dry soils seem to be affecting emergence as the rate and number of insects is less than normal at this time. Bobby Boozer, Research Horticulturist at the Chilton Research and Extension Center, recommended applying protective sprays for adult control should be made now and repeated in 10 to 14 days. Emergence is expected to continue for three of four weeks. Wheat/Corn/Soybeans: Leonard Kuykendall, Autauga County Extension Agent, reported that small grain harvest in the county is almost complete. Producers have seen average to above average yields. Many corn fields throughout the state have failed or have spotty, stunted stands. Many cases of prevented planting have been seen due to the drought. Doyle Dutton in the Lawrence County FSA office indicated that most of the corn crop in the county has failed. Corn fields in Covington County are reported to be stunted and starting to tassle. Soybean planting in most areas of the state was at a standstill as producers continue to wait for some significant rainfall. Dennis Delaney, Soybean Specialist at Auburn University, stated that many producers debated whether to plant at all due to the lateness in the crop season and the lack of subsoil moisture. Heavy thrips pressure was seen in drought stricken soybean fields. Some producers considered not spraying because the crop is not worth the cost of the chemical inputs. Some established soybean fields in sandy soils were starting to die out from the lack of moisture. Cotton/Peanuts: Cotton planting was nearly complete, but moved along slowly as producers were hesitant to put seeds into dry soil. Many producers have planted their fields twice. A very small portion of the crop has emerged. The portion of the crop that has been planted but has yet to emerge left growers wondering if there are viable seeds in the ground to germinate once a rain is received. Producers that have cotton up to a stand were busy spraying glyphosate to manage early weeds, and insecticides to control thrips. Very few were side-dressing any nitrogen fertilizer. Peanut planting inched forward as producers tried to get their crops in to meet insurance standards. Pasture/Hay/Livestock: Livestock producers have had to make hard decisions as ponds and watering holes dry up, and feed and hay supplies get shorter. Many ranchers have sold their brood cows and pairs, and others continue to cull older cows to reduce herd sizes. Jimmy Smitherman, Montgomery County Extension Agent, noted that any new hay that has been baled has been limited to winter fescue and ryegrass. Producers that have no hay or pasture left fed supplements to cattle. Many people baled failed corn crop stands. -from staff reports
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Snack attacks a bonus of aging: Healthful grazing helps malintain body 06/18/2007 Concord Monitor Jane Cromley, L.A. Times		Return to Top
This L.A. Times story about the research of AU's Claire Zizza continues to receive coverage throughout the U.S. 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 than those who didn't. While snacking is the bane of most dieters, it could be good for older people, a population vulnerable to under eating, 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. ------ End of article By JANET CROMLEY Los Angeles Times
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From meat to milk: Food prices spike 06/18/2007 Longmont Daily Times Call Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor		Return to Top
Boyd Brady, an extension agent at AU, is quoted in this story that continues to receive widespread coverage throughout the U.S. ATLANTA and BOSTON — A gallon of milk in Birmingham, Ala., is expected to cost $4.50 this summer, perhaps more. At Wetzel’s Market in Glen Rock, Pa., the New York strip steaks that were on sale for $4.99 a pound last Fourth of July will be $6.99 this year. In Boston, some shoppers report checkout prices on certain items that are 30 percent higher now than last summer. “Prices are incredible,” says Suzanna Wyman, shopping Monday at Shaw’s Supermarket in Boston’s Back Bay. “Milk, I heard, is going up even more. ... I love fresh peppers and vegetables, but they’re too much. Cereal is very expensive compared to what you used to be able to get it for.” The reason people are smarting: Inflation in grocery aisles is up by more in the first six months of 2007 than in all of 2006. That means food costs are on track for the biggest annual percentage increase since 1980, according to the Labor Department. The anticipated 7.5 percent increase would readily outflank the 2.6 percent core inflation rate to date, which excludes food and energy. It’s across every grocery aisle, too, from burgers to bagels, from duck to dumpling. Added to sticker shock at the gas pump, high food prices — especially for meat — are forcing consumers to scrimp, clip coupons and ponder the possibilities of a deep freeze to take advantage of discounts, says Boyd Brady, an extension agent at Auburn University in Alabama. “There’s a ... combination of higher demand, natural disasters, higher energy prices — just a myriad of factors driving what price increases we’re seeing across the food sector,” says Chad Hart, an agricultural economist at the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development in Ames, Iowa. The chief culprit is corn, namely No. 2 feed corn, the staple of the breadbasket. In answer to President Bush’s call for greater oil independence, the amount of feed corn distilled into ethanol is expected to double in the next five to six years. Distillation is already sucking up 18 percent of the total crop. The ethanol gambit, in turn, is sending corn prices to historic levels — topping $4 per bushel earlier this year, and remaining high. All of this trickles down to the boards at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, affecting the price of everything from sirloin to eggs (which are up, by the way, 18.6 percent across the nation). In a welcome response, U.S. farmers told the government in April that they plan a record-breaking 93 million-acre corn crop, though its true size won’t be known until the end of June. But corn alone does not explain the number of products that have become more expensive lately. Facing higher costs at the farm and shareholder pressure to maintain profits, companies such as Tyson Chicken and Coca-Cola are raising prices. The fact that fuel prices remain relatively high hasn’t helped either, allowing no break in the cost of transporting perishable goods. For fruit and vegetable growers, labor shortages also are a factor. A $2 cantaloupe sold for $3 at the South Carolina Farmers Market in Greenville recently, largely because of labor woes, says Thompson Smith of the South Carolina Farm Bureau. Winter cold snaps and hard freezes in California and the Southeast have made peaches, apples and oranges pricier. In the heartland, low yields on winter wheat mean cookies and baguettes are more expensive. Meat costs are up by 15 percent in some regions, in part because of drought that, as in Alabama, caused a cattle sell-off. Milk prices are up in part because of a global shortage, with milk exporters such as New Zealand unable to add capacity and Australia enduring a debilitating drought, even as demand rises in Europe, China and India. Because of the multiple causes, some prices may drop in coming months and as new crops come in, says Patrick Jackman, an economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which tracks grocery store costs in population centers across the country. A few years ago, he says, iceberg lettuce spiked 113 percent after a freeze. Today, a head of iceberg is one of the few items to decrease in price — from $1.19 to 99 cents. Still, household budgets are taking a “double whammy” at the grocer’s and at the gas station, Jackman says. Sweet crude is expected to stay at about $60 per barrel. A family’s average grocery tab could leap from $300 a month last year to $400 a month this year, economists say. “People have to adjust by cutting back,” he says. For some consumers, it’s tough to hang on. In Savannah, Ga., the Salvation Army expects to serve 10,000 more meals this year because of high food prices. Americans are coping, too, simply by food shopping less often. Their average number of grocery store trips each week dipped below two for the first time since the Food Marketing Institute began its annual survey. “You could get culture shock coming into this place, and it’s not getting better,” says Richardson Daniel, a longtime resident of Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood, swooping into Shaw’s. For now, most customers are content to grumble, says Mike Wetzel, manager of Wetzel’s Market in Glen Rock, Pa. What about? For one, ground beef at Wetzel’s is up from $1.49 a pound last year to $1.79. “Five-dollar milk by the end of the summer — that’s the big rumor,” Wetzel said in a phone interview. “It’s one of those things that nobody’s happy about, but when everybody’s prices go up, they’re pretty well stuck.” With gasoline prices high, he suggests, consumers are less likely to shop at different stores for bargains. But one standard is back in vogue: the supermarket flier. Newspaper coupons can take 30 percent off the top of the grocery tab, almost wiping out the recent price increases, economists say. Shoppers also are using Web sites such as TheGroceryGame.com and SupermarketGuru.com to search for sales and values across ZIP codes. Wyman, the Boston shopper, takes advantage of 2-for-1 deals, stocking up on essentials. For Brady, the Alabama extension agent, there’s a lot of meaning in a gallon of milk: a nutritious but perishable drink that’s traveled thousands of miles, on refrigerated trucks across the Sonoran Desert, to get to places like Rick’s Market in Marion, Ala. “When I see the rising prices, I realize we’ve actually been very fortunate to have cheap food,” he says. “I think that will continue, but we might not have the luxury of what we’ve had in the past.” Bina Venkataraman contributed to this report for The Christian Science Monitor. Return to Business Home
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Horizon: Ahead of the Curve 06/18/2007 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Paul Donsky, Ariel Hart, David Pendered, Stacy Shelton		Return to Top
AU's water conference is mentioned in this news roundup. New MARTA system 'Breezes' its way toward completion The installation of MARTA's Breeze system is nearly complete, after an 18-month roll-out. The final phase-in takes place in July, when all riders must "tap" their Breeze cards or tickets to exit rail stations and the 40,000 people who receive discounted weekly and monthly TransCards switch to the Breeze system. And MARTA will stop offering its Breeze cards for free. They'll cost $5, a fee that includes two $1.75 fares and a $1.50 surcharge for the cost of the plastic card, which carries an embedded computer chip. Riders will begin tapping out July 10. The other changes take effect July 1. The $190 million Breeze system replaces the aging turnstile-and-token system, which broke down frequently, was expensive to maintain and easy to evade. The Breeze system includes sturdy 6-foot-tall fare gates and electronic vending machines. The Breeze cards and tickets can be loaded with money to pay for multiple rides. Tapping out electronically credits a free bus transfer on a Breeze card or ticket, and creates an electronic "footprint" of passengers' movement, providing MARTA staff with data to tailor bus and rail schedules. The Breeze tickets are geared for tourists or infrequent users and expire after 90 days. They cost $2.25, including a $1.75 fare and a 50-cent surcharge to cover the price of the card. —- Paul Donsky Speeding crackdown to focus on I-85 as July 4 approaches The Governor's Office of Highway Safety plans to boost its summerlong traffic enforcement blitz with a weekend focusing on I-85 just before July 4. South Carolina has joined up with Georgia in the effort, so it's a "two-state speed crackdown" on the corridor, beginning at noon June 29, according to the office. All summer the emphasis will shift from place to place as officials try to blanket the state with safer traffic, they said. Repeating the mantra "speed kills," the office says law enforcement officers throughout Georgia and other states hope to reduce the 2,500 lives lost each year in the Southeast between Memorial Day and Labor Day. They want drivers to obey the speed limit, buckle up, buckle up their kids, drive reasonably and drive sober. For those who don't, they say, ticket books and handcuffs are at the ready. —- Ariel Hart Atlanta council may loosen tree protection rules today The Atlanta City Council plans to take up its tree protection ordinance again today, this time to consider a modification to allow homeowners to remove a tree under specific restrictions. The proposal would allow a homeowner to remove a tree that is within 5 feet of a house or duplex, according to Planning Commissioner Steve Cover. This exemption to the city's existing ordinance would not apply if the tree provides 10 percent or more of the tree canopy on that particular lot. The proposal was sponsored by council members C.T. Martin and Mary Norwood. The owner still would be required to get a tree removal permit from the city. The city would not charge a fee for the permit to remove a tree, Cover said. No other tree on the property could be removed under this provision for the next five years. The only person with a right to appeal would be a homeowner whose tree removal permit was rejected. The council is continuing to consider a proposal by Norwood to have a company already working on a plan for the city's green space to expand the scope of its work to make recommendations on the tree canopy. The cost of the additional work would not exceed $100,000, according to Norwood's proposal. —- David Pendered Atlanta takes control of future green space near Grant Park Atlanta now owns land for the first complete park it plans to build along the Beltline. The city closed last week on 21.3 acres south of Grant Park, in southeast Atlanta at the intersection of Boulevard and Englewood. The total price was about $9 million. A construction timeline for the park hasn't been determined. Before that can happen, the surrounding community will be engaged in planning the amenities for the park. Some of the property owners who sold their land so it could become a park have more than a year to vacate the premises. The land for the planned Boulevard Crossing Park represents the first total acquisition of a site for a Beltline park. Although the city purchased the Bellwood quarry in northwest Atlanta for a planned park, the quarry is about half the size of the planned Westside Park. The rest of the acreage for that park is to be assembled in the future. The Beltline is a planned 22-mile loop of transit, trails, parks and developments along a railroad corridor. Money to buy land and start planning the Beltline's amenities is to come from up to $200 million in bonds the city intended to sell last year. An Atlanta resident intervened in the bond sale and filed papers to have the Georgia Supreme Court rule on the constitutionality of the financing of the bonds. A ruling is expected this year. —- David Pendered Georgia may be giving away water it doesn't have Doug Wilson, a geologist and executive director of the Georgia Water Planning and Policy Center, said Friday that the state is issuing well permits to farmers in the Flint River basin —- the same basin where the state paid farmers $9 million not to irrigate during the last drought. Streams that connect directly to the underground aquifer in that southwest part of the state were running dry. The problem will come to a head when farmers turn on their pumps to irrigate, and there's no water. "Losers can accept or litigate," said Wilson, speaking at a two-day water conference at Auburn University. "If you're going to cut back, where do you cut back from?" Wilson used Georgia's experience as a cautionary tale for Alabama, which has barely begun to tap into its abundant underground aquifers for farm irrigation. Georgia's problems start with the law, Wilson said. The state law say the Environmental Protection Division "shall" issue water withdrawal permits to farmers. They are the only class of water users in the state with the automatic approval. Today, about 9,000 individual farms hold about 26,000 irrigation permits to withdraw water from underground aquifers and streams. The state is in the process of metering all those irrigation systems, at a cost of $30 million, to figure out how much water is being used, Wilson said. The solutions, Wilson said, include adding more water supplies to areas where there's not enough and funding independent research to inform decision makers. Wilson said permit trading, which would allow farmers to "swap" permits —- generally by paying for them —- was unpopular when it was proposed in Georgia in 2003. Environmental groups and conservationists oppose placing a monetary value on water. But getting the public, and legislators, to focus on the problems long enough to solve them is a challenge. Wilson said the state Legislature is reactive, and the public is disinterested. "As soon as it rains, we'll quit thinking about it again until the next crisis," he said. —- Stacy Shelton
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Special Report: Parasite imported from South America kills fire ants 06/17/2007 WPMI-		Return to Top
Fudd Graham, AU Entomology Department, is quoted as a source in this story. (Mobile, Ala.) October 16 - Fire ants - you can't beat them, you can only hope to contain them. Experts say pesticides are not the long term solution to reduce fire ant populations. An experiment is now taking place in southwest Alabama imported from thousands of miles away and it does not involve chemicals. It was back in the 1930's by accident that a cargo ship from South America first brought red imported fire ants into the United States through the port of Mobile. These pesky pests have since spread coast to coast invading at least 18 states. Fire ants are spreading so far so fast in the U.S. in part because there hasn't been a natural predator or parasite to slow them down. "However there are some fascinating attempts by the Department of Agriculture to deal with this." said Dr. Richard DeShazo with the University of Mississippi. The USDA has imported a parasite from South America. It's a tiny fly about the same size as an ants head. "And this fly lays an egg in the head of the fire ant." added DeShazo. The flies go from ant to ant laying egg after egg. Once the egg hatches inside the ant, the ants head falls off which is why this parasite is called the decapitating fly. "There are experiments in some areas of Alabama where they now have released the so called decapitating fly." said DeShazo. For the first time the experiment is happening right now in Mobile County. Fudd Graham with the Department of Entomology at Auburn University has collected thousands and thousands of fire ants from the west part of Mobile County near Big Creek Lake. He then sends them to a government lab in Gainesville, Florida. Holding a container of ants, Graham said, "These ants were shipped to Gainesville last week and they were exposed to the flies in the laboratory and shipped back to us yesterday. You can see they're ready to get out right now." Graham releases the ants back in the same mounds from which he got them. "Because the ants are territorial. And if I put these ants that have been exposed to the flies in the wrong mound the ants in that mound will actually kill the ants we're putting in so we want to definitely make sure we have them in the correct mound." said Graham. The goal once the eggs hatch is for the South American decapitating flies to survive in our area and spread state wide, overlapping with other fly releases across the state. Graham added, "We think they're a part of the puzzle maybe to help us manage fire ants here." They may not know for five to ten years whether this piece fits the puzzle. experts do believe however the flies are not the ultimate solution. "what we're for is smaller number of ants in the mounds and hopefully a less aggressive ant population. Eradicating fire ants is a dream that'll never, that I can't see happening." said Graham. But these flies may at least help take the sting out of living in the south. The decapitating flies live three to five days. Experts don't believe they will be a nuisance to anything but fire ants. Meantime, Fudd Graham said the fly has also been released in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas.
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Clinic highlights space needs for Auburn University's Autism Center 06/17/2007 Opelika-Auburn News Weaver, Amy		Return to Top
The construction project to remodel the Dawson Building on the Auburn University campus is complete and ready to serve the needs of the Autism Center come fall. Until then, local youngsters and AU students are busy in a popular summer clinic at Cary Woods Elementary School. Dr. Robert Simpson, the centers director, is excited about the opportunities that lay ahead for the center, but worried about not being able to do more. The summer clinic, for instance, has 60 students this year, the most ever, Simpson said. There was more demand for the monthlong class than ever before, but he had to limit enrollment. Simpson could only accommodate so many based on the number of AU students he had to serve as teachers and staff. There are 40 college students helping this summer - five doctoral students, 10 graduate students and 25 undergraduates. 'Weve taken more students than we ever have, but we have fewer veteran master students to teach them,' he said. Besides that, theres a size issue. There is only so much space they can take up at the local elementary school. 'We had more applicants than we had space,' he said. The Autism Center used to be housed at Yarbrough Elementary School, where the summer clinic was also held. But it moved into Dawson last August. Half the building held the early childhood classes, while the other half was being remodeled. Even with a new, much larger home, it wasnt enough room to house the summer clinic this year. The class is 40 children with autism and 20 with emotional or behavioral difficulties. Simpson said they range in age from 5 to 15. He said the course is designed to introduce the younger children to skills they need to be mainstreamed into a regular classroom and teaches the older students self-help skills, which is similar to an adolescent program the center will offer for the first time this fall. The downside is the clinic only last four weeks. 'We cant do any miracles (in a month).' But come August, 'we will have nine months to make a difference,' he vowed. Simpson will have a similar dilemma with enrollment and size this fall. Although having access to all of Dawson will be great, Simpson said its still not enough for the number of area young children waiting to be served in Auburn. 'If we had more space, we could serve more kids,' Simpson says. The center will accommodate more students in the fall though, but much older ones. The new model transition program is geared to help prepare 17- to 21-year-olds for adult life including employment and independent living. Amongst all this growth and change, AU will likely conduct a national search for another co-director for the center. Dr. Caroline Gomez, who is credited with designing the autism program at Auburn, left in April to become the director of a new center in Columbus, Ga. aweaver@oanow.com
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From milk to meat, US food prices spike upward 06/17/2007 Agonist		Return to Top
From milk to meat, US food prices spike upward Patrik Jonsson & Bina Venkataraman Atlanta and Boston June 13 - A gallon of milk in Birmingham, Ala., is expected to cost $4.50 this summer, perhaps more. At Wetzel's et in Glen Rock, Pa., the New York strip steaks that were on sale for $4.99 a pound last Fourth of July will be $6.99 this year. In Boston, some shoppers report checkout prices on certain items that are 30 percent higher now than last summer. "Prices are incredible," says Suzanna Wyman, shopping Monday at Shaw's Supermarket in Boston's Back Bay. "Milk, I heard, is going up even more.... I love fresh peppers and vegetables, but they're too much. Cereal is very expensive compared to what you used to be able to get it for." The reason people are smarting: Inflation in grocery aisles is up by more in the first six months of 2007 than in all of 2006. That means food costs are on track for the biggest annual percentage hike since 1980, according to the Department. The anticipated 7.5 percent increase would readily outflank the 2.6 percent core inflation rate to date, which excludes food and energy. It's across every grocery aisle, too, from burgers to bagels, from duck to dumpling. Added to sticker shock at the gas pump, high food prices, especially for meat, are forcing consumers to scrimp, coupon-clip, and ponder the possibilities of a deep freeze to take advantage of discounts, says Boyd Brady, an extension agent at Auburn University in Alabama. June 13, 2007 - 8:17am ( categories: ) at least for acquiring fresh fruits and veggies: patronize your local farmers' market or farm stands. Often the prices are lower than supermarkets and the produce is fresher. June 13, 2007 - 11:56am or to post salad was sooo tasty last night. June 13, 2007 - 12:24pm or to post comments 13 June 2007, 15:08 GMT 16:08 UK Consumer spending makes up two-thirds of the US economy US consumers have surprised analysts, as official figures revealed that retail sales grew 1.4% in May. Observers said that the increase, the highest in 16 months, suggested that high petrol prices may not be biting as hard as had been feared. The data, which also comes amid slumping house prices, buoyed market investors, with Wall Street shares offsetting some of Tuesday's losses. Sales in April had fallen 0.1%, revised Commerce department data said. Petrol price effect? "Is the consumer hurting because gasoline prices have soared?" asked Joel Naroff, of Naroff Economic Advisors. "It surely doesn't look that way. Households spent money as if it was going out of style in May as retail sales skyrocketed." The growth was well above the 0.6% which analysts had predicted. And when vehicle sales were stripped out, retail sales rose 1.3%, again well ahead of analysts' estimates. Observers say that the data may add credence to Federal Reserve claims that the US economy will pick up in the second half of the year. Warm weather had bolstered the sales figure,s said Julian Jessop of Capital , reflected in higher demand for clothes and sports goods. June 13, 2007 - 3:43pm or to post comments The original arti le seems everything is "up" and almost everything is traceable to increased gas prices. If it's delivered on a truck, it's going to cost more. June 13, 2007 - 5:18pm or to post comments That headline does the exact opposite of "easing fear" for me. When prices spike up, salaries remain stagnant, and people don't cut back on spending I tend to get pessimistic--because savings are likely going through the floor. No, scratch that. They went through the floor a while ago when the average rate went negative. I fear they're now tunneling through the foundation. June 13, 2007 - 5:29pm or to post comments Premium Advertising Advertise Liberally Copyright 2002-2006 Some rights reserved by or the writers contained herein. Our writers own their own words, email them for permissions.
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Colleges up tuition despite fund hike 06/16/2007 Montgomery Advertiser Desiree Hunter, AP		Return to Top
The amount of money Alabama's four-year universities have received from the Legislature has increased substantially in recent years, but that hasn't stopped the schools from asking students to pay more for their education. Trustees for the University of Alabama System approved increases Friday at all three of its campuses ranging from 5 percent to 8 percent, the latest announcement in recent days that students in the fall would be greeted with higher charges. The state's 14 public universities and their branches received $1.382 billion in the fiscal 2008 education budget that Gov. Bob Riley signed last week. That was an increase of $180.8 million, or about 15 percent, over the previous year. Rep. Richard Lindsey, D-Centre, who served as chairman of the House Education Appropriations Committee, said he and his fellow legislators weren't expecting an increase in student tuition given the increased funding for the universities. "We had given universities record dollars the last two years and I'm very disappointed to see these exorbitant increases in tuition," he said Friday. "I think universities need to be extremely mindful of their mission ... We certainly want to keep education affordable for our Alabama citizens." Tuition at the University of Alabama will go up at least 8 percent for all students, even though the school's allotment from the state's education trust fund has increased 56 percent in the past four years from $126 million to $197 million. R.B. Walker, president of the Student Government Association at the Tuscaloosa campus, said he was against the increase at first, but changed his mind after learning some of the extra money will go for scholarships and assistance programs for students. "Now that it's been explained to me, it's something I can live with," said Walker, who is one of three student representatives on the school's board of trustees. "The biggest thing I would like to see happen is there needs to be some light at the end of the tunnel for students who are struggling when it comes to the cost of receiving (a college) education." Rates at the University of Alabama at Huntsville will go up at least 7.53 percent and University of Alabama at Birmingham students will pay at least 7.5 percent more. Auburn University System rates will rise 5 percent and those at the University of South Alabama will go up at least 7.1 percent. Alabama was among 42 states that received an "F" for college affordability in last fall's Measuring Up 2006 report by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. California and Utah received the highest grades in the affordability category with a "C-." Gordon Stone, executive director of the university lobbying group Higher Education Partnership, said the perennial increases are due to the state's drastic funding cuts in the 1990s, adding that the schools are only operating at 70 percent of their potential without more funding. Lindsey said he doesn't think the increases can be blamed on past funding. "There were significant cuts during those years," he said. "But many of them have had 10, 15, 20 years and with significant appropriations, we have been able to make up so those cuts would no longer be a major factor." He said schools will probably come under more scrutiny in the next session and will have to do a better job of justifying tuition hikes. "I think myself and other appropriations committee members, we want to be well-informed and we want to give universities a fair opportunity to come before us," he said. "We will be looking for more detailed analysis on where our dollars are being spent."
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Family initiative launch captures attention 06/16/2007 Gadsden Times, The Tamara Henderson		Return to Top
AU's Charles Johnson and Sandy Williams are quoted in this story. The Family Success Center launched the Healthy Family initiative program Friday, and the program seemed to be catching on already. The state has received a portion of an $8.2 million grant to fund the program. The Healthy Family Initiative is targeted to specific relationship dynamics, such as married couples, stepfamilies, non-married couples and teen relationships. "We have tools in place for stepfamilies just like we specifically address the needs of African-American families," said Charles Johnson with Auburn University. Alicia Harrell of the Family Success Center said she received many inquiries about the program at the kickoff, which is exactly what she hoped the day would bring. "Ministers have come by and asked about having some of the classes in their church," she said. "We just want the community to be a part of it. It's such an awesome opportunity." Juanita Pitts said the classes seem like a plus for the area. "This sounds like such a good thing for the community," she said. "I love the fact that they include teens in the program and try to help them prevent a bad relationship before it starts." In addition to addressing people in relationships, the program is expected to cause a trickle-down effect. The idea is that when a marriage or relationship is healthy, children will grow up healthy as well. "The federal government realized that healthy relationships had an effect on children," said Sandy Williams from Auburn University. Williams said the program is also research-based and that the information received will be used in a number of ways. "We're hoping that at the end of five years we'll have concrete research results so we can continue the funding," Williams said. "It won't be a quick fix. We won't start seeing the results in the community for about five years." Williams said that with the program, a packet will be provided to couples upon obtaining their marriage certificate, including a book called the "Alabama Healthy Marriage Health Book." "Because of the new book, we have now created books for Wyoming, Montana and other states," she said. "Not only (is Alabama) bringing in federal money the right way, we're actually leading the way."
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TIPS: Food for thought on between-meal snacks 06/16/2007 Newsday - Online PETER KING		Return to Top
This story is about the research of AU's Claire Zizza. You've heard it all your life: No eating between meals. If you are a senior, this rule is made to be broken. Nutritionists have found that people 65 and older tend to lose weight as they age. Some of the reasons for the weight loss are metabolic changes. Also, many seniors have trouble absorbing nutrients from food because they lose the ability to produce stomach acid. Others eat less at mealtimes simply because of a diminished appetite. The weight loss can be a signal that seniors are not getting the nutrients they need to stay healthy. "It would be great if they were losing fat," says Claire Zizza, a professor of nutrition and food sciences at Auburn University. "But most of the time they're going to be losing lean muscle mass." Zizza was lead researcher on a study that showed older adults who eat snacks had a better chance of getting the calories required to maintain their weight and the nutrients needed to maintain their health. Zizza's study looked at data from a nutrition survey of 2,000 people 65 and older. The researchers found that about 14 percent of protein in an older person's diet came from snacks. For some, this made the difference between getting enough protein and being undernourished. "People with lower intake of proteins are those people who are dying sooner," Zizza says. "They may have problems having a healthier life." For those of us who have spent a lifetime living in fear of the dreaded calorie, remember a calorie is actually a unit of energy. In crunching the data on seniors who said they did not snack, Zizza noticed they "had really low energy intake." This lack of energy could mean they were less active, which could lead to other health problems. "All those things start to spiral," Zizza says. But before you break open a box of Ring Dings, be aware that Zizza is talking about healthful snacks. "I'm not giving people license to have bowls and bags of potato chips," she says. "You should be eating healthy." Among the snack foods Zizza endorses are yogurt and other dairy items, whole-grain bread and lean meats such as chicken. She especially recommends fruits and vegetables. How about the occasional splurge? "I want people to get pleasure out of the food they eat," Zizza says. If you're eating a healthy diet, every now and then one serving of your favorite food is fine, she says. But she quickly adds, "One serving, not five or six."
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Auburn now going after quality over quantity 06/16/2007 Opelika-Auburn News		Return to Top
Auburn University is going after quality over quantity. It was reported Thursday that the universitys Honors College is expecting 450 incoming freshmen in August 250 more than the previous high. Now thats a big difference. Its clear that Auburn University has had a successful recruiting season, bringing a number of five-star academic prospects to the Plains. While we follow recruiting of high school football players year-round, academic recruiting is one that will actually improve the university as a whole in the future. These honor students benefit the university more than a star football player who will make it to the NFL. Lets see which one gives back. One of the best recruiting tools devised by the university is its school-record $15.5 million scholarship fund for the 2007-08 academic year, which includes more than $2 million for the states top high school students. Besides the new merit-based Spirit of Auburn Scholarship Program, Auburn, including the Honors College, increased its recruiting efforts around the state. The effort worked as 1,288 students were named Spirit of Auburn Scholars, including 184 Presidential Scholars. In addition to tuition for four years, those scholars are awarded a one-time $1,500 technology allowance and the Auburn Academic Guarantee, which includes automatic admission to the Honors College and an enrichment experience valued at $4,000 during their junior year. With roughly 1,050 students in total, Auburns Honors College remains a fraction of Auburns roughly 23,547 enrollment. AUs Honors College is still smaller than other Southeastern Conference schools and land-grant institutions, but its larger than it used to be. Weve got to hand it to the university. It set a goal and achieved something that should be celebrated. While the University of Alabama is looking toward growing sheer numbers (23,878) and relishes in the fact it surpassed Auburn in enrollment in 2006, it appears Auburn has its eyes focused on the right place. Indeed, Auburn has gone for quality rather than quantity, not that theres anything wrong with quantity. Auburns gone for quantity in the past. Academic recruiters at Auburn deserve a pat on the back. They delivered a class of Blue Chip prospects.
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Water resources conference meets in Auburn 06/15/2007 WLOX-TV Associated Press		Return to Top
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) - It's hot and dry all across Alabama, and a statewide conference is focusing on the problem in Auburn. A meeting on water resources is concluding today at Auburn. Topics include how to preserve dwindling water supplies and water supply policies in the Southeast. The 2-day conference is being sponsored by the Natural Resources Management and Development Institute at Auburn University. The entire state of Alabama and most of the Southeast is in a drought, with north Alabama hardest hit by the dry weather. About 40% of the state is classified as being in an exceptional drought, which happens once every 50 to 100 years.
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Students compete in state FFA convention events 06/15/2007 Enterprise Ledger Special to the Ledger		Return to Top
This event took place on the AU campus. For more than 1,000 students, instructors and advisors from public schools all across the state, there was only one place to be after a relaxing summer. That was at the 78th annual Alabama FFA State Convention in Auburn, June 5-8. Students participating in this convention on the campus of Auburn University had an opportunity to test their skills in more than 14 different competitive categories. "Our top winners in each category are eligible to participate at the National FFA convention in Indianapolis, Ind., in October," Alabama FFA Executive Secretary Jacob Davis said. "This event is the largest gathering of students in the world and the third largest convention in the United States, only surpassed in size by the Democratic and Republican national conventions. Our mission has always been to provide students with the knowledge, hands-on experiences, and skills needed to achieve success in college, their personal lives, and future careers." FFA, a national non-profit organization, devotes its efforts to preparing students for careers in agriscience occupations. It serves more than 495,000 high school, college, and professional members and has the active support of national corporations and community-based organizations. Currently, Alabama has approximately 14,000 members who enjoy the many benefits this organization offers. Highlights of the June 5 competition included livestock, public speaking, creed speaking and extemporaneous speaking, small engines, forestry, poultry, nursery/landscape, and Floriculture. The June 6 events included the String Band contest finals. Alabama FFA chapters and students were recognized for achievements and community service during five separate Awards Ceremonies on June 8. Sponsors and industry partners of this year’s state convention include the Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, Alabama Farmers Cooperative, Alabama Farmers Federation, Alabama Forestry Association, Alabama Poultry & Egg Association, Alabama Power Company Foundation, Alabama Rural Electric Association, Alabama Sheriffs Association, Alabama Turfgrass Association, Alabama Veterinary Association, Alabama Wildlife Federation, Cargill Nutrena Feed Division, Flint River Mills, Florida Fruit Association, Gold Kist, Home Builders Association of Alabama, Interstate Oil Company, Southeastern Livestock Exposition, Chevron/Texaco Companies, and Timberline Homes. According to the National FFA Organization, one of every five Americans is employed in the critical food, fiber, and natural resources industries of agriculture. Career/technical education (CTE), a statewide program designed to prepare students for college and a variety of careers, provides students an opportunity to participate in seven student organizations including FFA.
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Water resources conference meets in Auburn 06/15/2007 WAFF-TV Associated Press		Return to Top
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) - It's hot and dry all across Alabama, and a statewide conference is focusing on the problem in Auburn. A meeting on water resources is concluding today at Auburn. Topics include how to preserve dwindling water supplies and water supply policies in the Southeast. The 2-day conference is being sponsored by the Natural Resources Management and Development Institute at Auburn University. The entire state of Alabama and most of the Southeast is in a drought, with north Alabama hardest hit by the dry weather. About 40% of the state is classified as being in an exceptional drought, which happens once every 50 to 100 years. Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Water Resources Conference Meets in Auburn 06/15/2007 WJSU-TV		Return to Top
Auburn (AP) - It's hot and dry all across Alabama, and a statewide conference is focusing on the problem in Auburn. A meeting on water resources is concluding today at Auburn. Topics include how to preserve dwindling water supplies and water supply policies in the Southeast. The two-day conference is being sponsored by the Natural Resources Management and Development Institute at Auburn University. The entire state of Alabama and most of the Southeast is in a drought, with north Alabama hardest hit by the dry weather. About 40 percent of the state is classified as being in an exceptional drought, which happens once every 50 to 100 years. »
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Water Experts Gather At Auburn University 06/15/2007 WTVM-TV Brock Parker		Return to Top
The drought across our area continues, and water experts are at Auburn University sharing ideas on how to beat it. Scientists, government officials, and water resource experts say the current drought is reaching critical levels. Auburn University experts say water consumption has outpaced population growth for more than 20 years. With the current drought, state and national specialists are on campus this week trying to find a way to equalize that. It's one reason AU created the new Water Resources Center. 'There's no single discipline that can address the drought issues, or the shortage issues. You really need an interdisciplinary team, a lot of different disciplines working together to get at different facets of these very complicated problems,' said Dr. Graeme Lockaby, director of the AU Water Resources Center. The entire southeast region is entering a critical phase, but our area is not as severe as it could be. 'We're in a little better shape than north Alabama. Central Alabama and south Alabama, we're down about 13 inches. North Alabama is very severe, down about 18,' Lockaby said. Agriculture is one of the most affected industries. Farmers are already using a lot of water early in the season, and there's a chance their crops may not make it unless we get some much needed rain. 'Usually they can wait until the summer months before they have to start irrigating the crops. But because of the lack of rainfall during the spring, they haven't been able to use the water that's provided by the rain,' said Brian Atkins, director of the Alabama Office of Water Resources. Specialists say if the world's water usage continues to rise, the demand for fresh water will increase by 56 percent over the next 20 years. The best way to slow that rate and prepare for future droughts is conservation. The less you use now, the better off you'll be down the road.
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