Volume 17, Number 8
April 21, 2017

CURRENT EVENTS

2017 OSU Wheat Field Tours are Underway: The 2017 OSU Wheat Field Tours have started. Be sure to check out the complete list of dates, locations, and times here. Please note all times are subject to change. Contact the County Extension Office to confirm date, time, and location.

New OK-FIRE System Training Slated in Tulsa: A new OK-FIRE module within http://mesonet.org is expected to be made public by the end of April. Sometime this summer, the current OK-FIRE website will no longer be available. The first training on the new system will be offered at the OSFA State Fire School in Tulsa slated May 4-7. J.D. Carlson, OSU Fire Meteorologist and OK-FIRE Program Manager, will offer two 6-hour workshops (each one the same) on May 5 and May 6. The workshops will take place at Tulsa Community College’s Northeast Campus from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with lunch provided. Registration is free, but required, and can be done here. Space is limited to 20 participants on May 5 and 25 participants on May 6. Find the course you wish to take and click the small box in the upper left corner of the blue box associated with the course. After selecting the courses, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “Register Online.” Participants also can register by calling 1-800-304-5727. Please note you need not attend the entire Fire School; you can register for just the OK-FIRE workshop on the day of your choice. Participants will need to bring a tablet or notebook/laptop computer.
     Each workshop will consist of a combination of presentations and lab exercises in which attendees will receive hands-on training with the new OK-FIRE website. Wildfire, as well as prescribed fire, applications will be covered. The workshops are designed and limited to those who work with wildland fire. As the new system will be substantially different in terms of format and content from the current website, training, even for current OK-FIRE users, will be valuable.
For more information, complete with background information on the OK-FIRE Program, please go here.                                                  

ANNOUNCEMENTS

World of Wheat: If you are wanting the latest wheat disease update, look no further. Bob Hunger, Extension Wheat Pathologist has provided the most up-to-date information on wheat disease which can be found here.

Still Time to Register for the DHM Design Institute 2017: Oklahoma youth ages 13 and older, along with adult volunteers and Extension educators, are invited to take part in the second DHM Design Institute slated June 26-28 at OSU. Teams of adults and youth together are encouraged to join the Department of Design, Housing and Merchandising for this event. During this intensive workshop, participants will learn topics, practice skills, and experience technologies relevant to fashion design, interior design, and fashion merchandising. Participants will gain understanding of basic textiles, drawing for fashion and interiors, and design thinking. By exploring current events and new technologies, such as 3-D body scanning, Mock Shop, virtual reality, 3-D printing, laser cutting, CAD, and motion capture, participants will understand career paths in fashion design and production, interior design, and fashion merchandising while experiencing the atmosphere of learning at the university and interacting with industry professionals. Registration is $125 and due by April 30. More information is available here.

Condolences to: Dave Deken, Sr. TV Producer/Director, Agricultural Communications Services, and his wife, Crystal, on the death of his grandmother. Mary Ann Dorl passed away April 14. Funeral services took place April 19 at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Perry. Memorials may be made to the Catholic Charities, the American Diabetes Association, or the Perry Police or Fire Departments, c/o Palmer-Marler Funeral Home, 203 Fir Ave., Perry, OK  73077. Cards may be sent to Dave and Crystal at 702 W. Cherokee, Stillwater, OK  74075.

PERSONNEL ACTIONS

Appointments

None to report

Title Changes/Transfers

Jenifer Harbour, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, and Interim CED, Washington County, effective 4-24-17 (was: Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Washington County)

Separations/Retirements

Josh Yates, Extension Educator, Agriculture/4-H Youth Development, and Interim CED, Washington County, effective 5-11-17.

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Internal Applicants Only

Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences/4-H Youth Development, Alfalfa County

Area Positions

Area Extension Agriculture Economist, SW District

COMING EVENTS

April 27: 4-H Volunteer Core Competencies (TBA)
April 28: Co-Parenting for Resilience (Purcell)
April 28: 4-H Core Competencies Review (Webinar)
May 4-7: New OK-FIRE System Training (Tulsa)
May 12: Lahoma Wheat Field Day (Lahoma)
May 15: IFMAPS In-service (Stillwater)
May 19: Co-Parenting for Resilience (Pauls Valley)
May 31: Native Plant Materials Conference (Stillwater)
June 6: 4-H Ambassadors Retreat (Stillwater)
June 7: 4-H Leadership Retreat (Stillwater)
June 15-24: Citizenship Washington Focus (Washington, D.C.)
June 23: Co-Parenting for Resilience (Purcell)
June 26-28: 4-H Design Institute (Stillwater)