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| This Week's Titles: |
| Long
2005 Hurricane Season Sets Records |
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Nuisance Plants Spreading
Out Across Georgia |
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| Insect
Problems In Commercial Vegetable Crops |
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| South
Georgia 4-H Team National Champions |
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| Georgia
County Helps Residents With Taxes |
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| Long
2005 Hurricane Season Sets Records |
1:48 |
The 2005 hurricane season will
roar into the record books. |
Hurricane season is supposed
to end November 30, but Hurricane Epsilon refuses to die, and
spun around in the Central Atlantic several days into December.
There were a record number of tropical weather systems in 2005,
and three hurricanes that set records for intensity, and lowest
recorded pressure readings. David Stooksbury, the state climatologist,
and professor of engineering at the University of Georgia says
the tropics are now in an active phase, and we could have above
normal tropical weather systems for the next ten to twenty years.
He adds weather conditions in the tropics were ideal for intense
hurricanes this year. "Very warm temperatures in the ocean and
very little wind shear, so very little high altitude, high velocity
wind that would disrupt the hurricanes. So this year can be
explained pretty much on well known meteorological understanding
of the atmosphere." David Stooksbury with the College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences. While Georgia escaped major damage
from the record number of tropical cyclones in 2005, heavy rains
from Tropical Storms Cindy, Tammy, and Hurricane Dennis made
the summer of 2005 one of the wettest on record in the state.
John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Nuisance
Plants Spreading Out Across Georgia |
1:26 |
Some plants that grow in hedges
are spreading out and becoming a nuisance across the state. |
Over the years, at least
six species of plants called privet have been used in hedges
across the United States. The plants can be found all over Georgia,
and can grow as tall as twenty feet. Privet also features black
berries, which appeals to birds. Scientists with the University
of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
say it's the birds that spread the plants across the state.
"Birds, I guess they like them a lot. Eat them and then another
gets deposited throughout wherever the birds land and then the
plant will grow where the conditions are good enough. Most people
can notice it around the wood edges and it can get into woods
where it's not too, too dark, where there is some light getting
through it can be a problem there." That was Mark Czarnota with
the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Digging
small plants up with a pick and shovel is a good way to get
rid of them. Completely removing large plants can be a challenge,
and may require heavy equipment, if they are located in big,
established thickets. Herbicides are also on the market that
can be used to treat and knock down these privets. John Harrell,
University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Insect
Problems In Commercial Vegetable Crops |
1:37 |
Commercial vegetable growers
were bugged by several insect pests this year. |
In 2004, insect pests cost
vegetable farmers in Georgia around fifty-seven million dollars.
A lot of the expenses were for insecticides to keep insects
from taking over a field. Stormy Sparks, an entomologist with
the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences says stinkbugs caused significant problem in vegetable
crops this year. He adds stinkbugs have a big appetite for vegetables.
"One of the problems with stinkbugs is that they're really not
limited to a crop. They do go to a lot of different crops. Of
course fruiting vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, when they're
feeding on fruit such as that, the damage is extremely obvious,
but they can actually be a problem even in crops where you wouldn't
consider stinkbugs possibly, things such as collards, cabbage,
they can actually cause deformities in the leaves and heads."
Stormy Sparks with the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences, who adds chemicals are available to control stinkbugs,
but landing a knockout punch is complex and a challenge, since
there are several species of stinkbugs that love to fill their
plates with vegetables. John Harrell, University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting
from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| South
Georgia 4-H Team National Champions |
1:31 |
A South Georgia 4-H team did
eggceptionally well at a national conference. So well, they
came back national champions. |
The Tift County 4-H poultry
judging team took part in the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference
November 16 & 17, in Louisville, Kentucky. When the competition
was over, and the final results announced, the 4-H team from
Tift County were declared the number one team in the nation!
Brian Tankersley, a county extension agent in Tift County says
qualifying for a poultry judging team is not easy. "So you have
to quality. When you think about the number of students that
participate in poultry judging at the start of the season, to
have four 4-H'ers that represent the state of Georgia, to go
and compete in national poultry judging is quite an accomplishment."
Brian Tankersley with the University of Georgia's College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, who adds 4-H poultry
judging is tough, and competitive. Besides judging laying hens
and eggs, team members have to present a set of oral reasons,
defending their decisions. But when the competition was over
and the winners announced, the Tift County 4-H poultry judging
team was declared number one in the nation. John Harrell, University
of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Georgia
County Helps Residents With Taxes |
1:32 |
A Southwest Georgia County
is helping ease the tax load of it's residents, so they can
keep more money in their pocketbooks. |
The Earned Income Tax Credit
can help families with limited resources increase their annual
income. Unfortunately, many households that are eligible fail
to take advantage of the credit. In Brooks County several organizations
came together and became trained Volunteer Income Tax Assistants
for the Internal Revenue Service. Christa Campbell, a county
extension agent in Brooks County says families that qualify
can get free tax assistance. "But in Brooks County we have been
doing a volunteer income tax assistance sight where we allow
folks to come in and we do their taxes for free, and then we
double check to make sure they're eligible for that credit,
that they're getting that credit on their income taxes." That
was Christa Campbell with the University of Georgia's College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, who adds e-filing
for basic returns was offered weekly at set times, or by appointment.
In 2005 tax volunteers completed sixty-three returns, with Federal
refunds totaling around $54,000, and state refunds totaling
over $7,000. The Earned Income Tax Credit also helped tax filers
save more than $3,700 in tax preparation, in Brooks County.
John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifon. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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