MARLENE HIGHTOWER RETIRES FROM EXTENSION ADMINISTRATION
Friday, December 22, 2006 was the last day in the office for Marlene Hightower, administrative officer for Extension. To her wishes, she quietly continued her routine of service to the K-State Research and Extension system right up to that day. She requested no publicity of her upcoming retirement, and those who needed to know held true to her wishes.

While there will be no public recognition for her service to the Extension system, I would request letters of appreciation and memories for her be sent to Sue Robinson, K-State Research and Extension, 123 Umberger Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506 by Friday, January 26. If you would like to contribute towards a gift to Marlene, you can make your check payable to Daryl Buchholz, and send it also to Sue Robinson by Friday, January 26. Marlene also suggested a tax deductible monetary gift in her honor could be made to "KSU Foundation." Please specify the gift go to the "Assistant Dean Ray and Marlene Hightower Engineering Scholarship Account # T69250." This scholarship is for an engineering sophomore, junior, senior or fifth year student; Kansas resident; minimum GPA 3.0.

Marlene is well known throughout the system, and probably even more so by the retirees for whom she took great care in keeping them informed of the happenings among the "Extension family." Her contributions to the office, in my support, and to the system as a whole were greatly appreciated. She truly exemplifies the selfless servant leader.

Marlene's steadfast presence and interest in serving the needs of this office and the system-wide family of Extension professionals, retirees, State Extension Advisory Council, and the many others who sought information and support will be missed. From all of the Extension family we wish she and Ray all the very best in her retirement. --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu

PROGRAM FOCUS TEAM MEETINGS FEBRUARY 6-7, 2007 AND REGISTRATION
If you have not registered for the Program Focus Team meetings to be held February 6-7, 2007, we have extended the deadline until Friday, January 26, 2007.  The registration form can be found on the web: http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/fcs/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=92  

Intended outcomes for each program focus team will be to:

NO-TILL ON THE PLAINS WINTER CONFERENCE
The eleventh annual No-Till on the Plains Winter Conference will be held January 30-31, 2007, in the Bicentennial Center, Salina, Kansas.  This premier no-till conference is one of the largest in North America. The Bicentennial Center will be open at 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning allowing attendees to visit the tradeshow until the conference begins at 1 p.m. Wednesday’s sessions begin at 8 a.m. and conclude by 5:30 p.m.

For more information about the upcoming Winter Conference, contact No-Till on the Plains, Inc. at 888-330-5142 or visit the website at www.notill.org  to register.--Brian Lindley

AIR QUALITY 102 WORKSHOPS
Each workshop will run from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

February 7, 2007
Salina Bicentennial Center
800 The Midway
Salina, KS

February 13, 2007
Sedgwick County Extension Center
7001 West 21st St. North
Wichita, KS

February 28, 2007
KU Edwards Campus Regents Center
12600 Quivira Road
Overland Park, KS

These workshops are designed to aid small businesses in all aspects of air quality. They will provide a history of air regulations in the United States and an overview of the KDHE air program, including recent and proposed changes to the air regulations. You will learn methods to calculate your facility's potential to emit and how to identify whether you require a construction permit, approval or registration. Discussion will center on the various air operating permits with help in determining which permit is most appropriate for your facility. The workshops include real-life examples so that you get involved in actual calculations, not just academic theory. Discover pollution prevention methods to reduce your air emissions and qualify your facility for a less restrictive air permit. If you have any further questions, please contact the SBEAP at 800-578-8898. --Steve  Travis, K-State Pollution Prevention Institute

DOES MONEY GROW ON TREES? YES, COME LEARN HOW AT THE TIMBER TAX SEMINAR!
In response to the increasing timber harvesting activity occurring in the state, and the record prices being paid for all grades of black walnut logs, a timber tax seminar has been organized for February 28 in Emporia. The Federal income tax code has many favorable provisions for forestry, such as paying capital gains rates instead of income tax on timber sale revenue, and the annual deductions that can be taken for tree planting projects. Unfortunately, many agriculture accountants, and most Kansas landowners are unaware of these advantages, and end up paying too much to Uncle Sam!

If you have been to other tax seminars and found them to be boring, I guarantee you this one will be interesting. We are bringing in a dynamic speaker, Dr. Debbie Gaddis from Mississippi State. She brings southern charm to this subject, and uses plain language and clear examples to explain the basics of tax law. The cost for the day-long event is $35, and includes lunch and numerous publications. Several non-agency groups are co-sponsoring the event, including the Kansas Forest Products Association, and the Kansas Farmers Union. The seminar will be held at the American Legion Post #5, on West 12th Avenue. For questions or to receive a brochure, please contact Charlie Barden, cbarden@ksu.edu ; or Bob Atchison, atchison@ksu.edu . --Charlie Barden

MARIE’S PICK OF THE WEEK
While continuing to review the Project Accomplishments and Impact Reports database for items especially effective at helping us understand how our work can be highlighted to share outcomes, impacts, and success stories, this week’s selection includes one of those succinct, crisp impact statements submitted by Dave Regehr in Agronomy. The 32 bushels/Acre difference due to better Amaranthus control with Lumax over Bicep Magnum is worth $107/A at current sorghum prices, amounting to a gross difference of over $4 million for Kansas producers.

The key research finding was documenting control of triazine- and ALS-resistant Palmer amaranth in grain sorghum by Lumax and currently-labeled herbicide treatments. It is estimated that about 25% of Kansas’ 3 million grain sorghum acres have herbicide-resistant Amaranthus species. If even 5% of the acres (37,500) have Amaranthus pressure similar to that in these experiments, and average yields using Bicep Magnum technology for weed control are 55 bu/A (projected 2006 state average), those acres would have yielded 102 bu/A if weed-free, and 87 bu/A with the use of Lumax herbicide (based on our research). The cost difference between Lumax and Bicep Magnum is about $8/A. --Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu

PASSWORD CHANGE REMINDER!
THE UNIVERSITY'S eID PASSWORD CHANGE DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 14.

Please change your K-State eID password before February 15.  On February 15, all eID accounts with unchanged passwords will be deactivated.

There are new password rules this year.  The minimum number of characters for a password has been changed from 6 to 7. Also passwords must contain characters from three of the following categories:

• Uppercase letters
• Lowercase letters
• Numbers
• Special characters (such as !,@,#,$,%,^,&,*, etc.)

To change your KSU eID password, log in to your eID profile at http://eid.k-state.edu . For more detailed instructions on changing your passwords go to http://accounts.oznet.ksu.edu/password .

As always, you can call IET at 785-532-6270 for additional help.  --Kat Burton kburton@ksu.edu

AES EDITING
Lois Domek, our AES editor, has resigned. The Department of Communications will be conducting a search for this position. In the interim, Steve Hill will be editing AES manuscripts and publications.

We wish Lois the best and thank her for her service. --Kris Boone kboone@ksu.edu

NEW WEBSITE
This year, all K-State Research and Extension local units have the opportunity to greatly enhance their Web presence with a new website driven by a content management system (CMS).

What is a CMS?  Learn more at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/techweb/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=726 . Basically the website's information is stored in databases rather than directly on a web page---and it's designed to be quick and easy to maintain, with a professional look and dynamic new features.

Our CMS was created by programmers in the Department of Communication’s Information and Education Technology unit, and it is customized to meet the needs of K-State Research and Extension, based largely on input from our committees and feedback from our target audiences.

Before year's end, all K-State Research and Extension sites will become part of this new Web system, so we will be conducting one-day training sessions throughout the state in March and April. If you are responsible for your local website, or if you simply are interested in learning our CMS, please mark your calendar and RSVP to lsleicht@ksu.edu  to reserve a spot at the training you want to attend.  The dates are:

March 9: Topeka

March 16: Manhattan

March 23: Hays

March 28: Chanute

March 30: Garden City

April 11: Wichita

April 13: Salina

April 20: Colby

Additional information about the training sessions will be coming soon. If you have any questions or concerns about the CMS transition, please call Linda Sleichter at 785-630-0673. --Linda Sleichter lsleicht@oznet.ksu.edu

NEW SITE REQUEST DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 2

The K-State Research and Extension Web project is in full swing, and we are making great progress in converting sites to CMS. On our CMS project site, http://www.communications.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=858 , is list of all the K-State Research and Extension sites identified that will need to be converted to our CMS. Please review the list and check to see if your site is on the list.

In order to meet our project deadlines, we will be temporarily closing the “new site request list” on February 2. Any requests for new sites that come in after February 1 will be postponed until June.

So, if you are interested in creating a site or currently manage a site for K-State Research and Extension and do not want to wait until June, please review the list online and let us know by February 2 if your site needs to be included in our project. --Linda Sleichter lsleicht@oznet.ksu.edu

MARKETING MINUTE: PODCASTING 

Podcasting may sound like something related to frog fishing, but in fact it's a Web feature that is taking hold through the Internet. Wikipedia defines podcasting as "the method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio or video programs, over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers." It enables users to download audio and video files from a website to iPods, desktops, or other technology. They can even subscribe for automatic downloads.

Why podcast? Websites, as a rule, are not very personal, but customers like dealing with people. Podcasting allows you to put a human touch on your site, either through audio snippets or video pieces.

But does it have a place on your site? Here are some ideas to consider:

-   Provide a tip of the day, published periodically

-   Answer FAQs with a audio or video file

-   Show users (instead of just telling them) how to transplant bulbs or use meat thermometers correctly

-   Put a face or voice with your name

TECHWEB TECHNOLOGY TIP: USING CHARTS IN POWERPOINT
Are you new to PowerPoint and need a chart to graphically display your information? This 5 minute educational video shows you how to insert a chart into a slide, modify, and edit it.

Look for other PowerPoint and computer tips at the TechWeb site, www.oznet.ksu.edu/TechWeb . There are many technology resources under the "Help Me With..." section.

For more information contact, Gerry Snyder, gsnyder@ksu.edu . --Gerry Snyder

DIVERSITY PROGRAMS OFFICE UPDATE
Thanks to all who participated in the 2007 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance Week. All of the programs were a success and we would like to send a special thank you to all who support our Annual Student Leader Diversity Luncheon. Our speaker, Carl Butler, USDA 1890 Program Manager's presentation, “Diversity: Assessing the Needs of Our People,” on January 16, 2007, was well received and attendance was great!

All events for the week of January 13-19, 2007 were successful and inspirational. The MLK Bust and street dedication were both historical moments. If you did not attend, you missed a treat. Thanks to all of you in the College of Agriculture and K-State Research and Extension. You were part of history as “Founding Patrons.” As you walk across campus, you may see the bust on the Southeast corner of Ahearn Fieldhouse. It is a wonderful site and new addition to our beautiful campus. Thank you to the 2007 MLK Observance committee, which is chaired by Mirta Chavez, Office of Diversity and Dual Career Development; and Dr. Myra Gordan, Associate Vice Provost for Diversity.

Thanks again for your continued support, and we look forward to being a part of your success in 2007 and for you to be a part of our success. --Dr. Zelia Z. Wiley zwh@ksu.edu

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES
"Program Development Committees" is one of the recent additions to the Board Leadership Modules located at www.oznet.ksu.edu/boardleadership .

The objectives of this module include:

•Acquire a foundation for their decisions regarding the function of the local extension educational program.
• Learn about the history, mission, partnerships, organizational structures, roles of agents, and current programming emphasis of K-State Research and Extension.
• Become acquainted with other board members and local office staff.

The Module comes complete with a presenter guide and PowerPoint presentation and handouts. Modules are available to Agents and Board Members to utilize individually or for the entire Board to use during a board meeting. --Margaret E. Phillips Margaret@ksu.edu

MARK SCHROCK RETIRING FROM BIOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING
Dr. Mark Schrock will retire from the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department on June 16, 2007. A reception is planned at the KSU Alumni Center on March 29, 2007 starting at 5:30 pm. More details concerning the reception will be available at a later date. --Pat Murphy jmurphy@ksu.edu

TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
The application deadlines for the Tuition Assistance Program have been changed to align the semester with the intersessions associated with that semester, and to provide a later application date for the fall and spring semesters thereby allowing an applicant more time to enroll in their class of choice.

Effective January 1, 2007, the application deadlines are:

a. Fall semester and January intersession – July 1
b. Spring semester and May intersession – December 1
c. Summer semester and August intersession – April 1

Questions should be addressed to the Benefits Administration section of the Division of Human Resources at 785-532-6277, or e-mail: BENADMIN@K-STATE.EDU . --Division of Human Resources

KACAA SPRING MEETING
All agents are invited to the KACAA Spring Meeting. This year's meeting will take place April 25, 26 and 27 in Colby, Kansas.

Participants from the NE, SE and SW areas will automatically be placed in a drawing for one $50 gift certificate to GTM sports in Manhattan and one night's free lodging at Comfort Inn.

Details are being finalized and registration forms will be e-mailed after March 1, but please block the dates now.

Some meeting highlights include dinner at the Prairie Museum, home to the largest barn in Kansas. The museum grounds will be open late for our group that evening. Ron Wilson will do a Cowboy Poetry performance and several great educational tours are in the works. --KACAA Spring Meeting Planning Committee