(Distributed 07/09/09) BATON ROUGE, La. – Students attending the robotics class at the LSU AgCenter’s 4-H University squared off in fierce combat with robots they built and programmed. The robots fought in a circle, and the object was to push an opponent out of a 2-foot ring.

(Distributed 07/24/09) ZWOLLE, La. – A Louisiana 4-H team placed fifth overall in the national 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program held July 20-22 at the Wildwood Resort.

(Distributed 07/29/09) Coastal Louisiana residents can gain a better understanding of hurricanes and storm surges and clear up misconceptions about these events in Chauvin Aug. 12 and Golden Meadow Aug. 13.

(Distributed 07/22/09) MANSURA, La. – The Louisiana 4-H Museum officially opened Saturday (July 18) in this Avoyelles Parish town – the cradle of the state’s 4-H program.

(Distributed 07/31/09) As the sugarcane planting season begins to ramp up, most growers will be leaning toward newer varieties this year.

(Distributed 07/29/09) Farmers should be aware of the pH level in the water they use to mix insecticides, Dr. Dale Pollet, an LSU AgCenter entomologist, told growers at a sugarcane field day at the LSU AgCenter’s Iberia Research Station July 22.

(Distributed 07/27/09) Community leaders and other individuals will have an opportunity during an Aug. 4 forum in Vidalia to hear how leaders in Helena-West Helena, Ark., worked to bring those two cities together.

(Distributed 7/27/09) BOSSIER CITY, La. – People interested in agritourism learned how to minimize risks and develop a plan of operation at three educational programs presented by the LSU AgCenter July 21 and 23.

(Distributed 07/24/09) Nearly 400 youngsters and parents have participated in a northeast Louisiana family nutrition pilot program that addresses childhood obesity, portion control and physical inactivity, according to the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 07/24/09) Tenants in foreclosed properties have new protections under a bill signed by President Barack Obama May 20, according to LSU AgCenter family economist Dr. Jeanette Tucker.

(Distributed 07/24/09) If you are having trouble making your mortgage payments on time, resolving the problem fast is critical, according to LSU AgCenter family economist Dr. Jeanette Tucker.

(Distributed 07/24/09) Farmers and ranchers who lost livestock as a result of adverse weather – including hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008 – may be eligible for federal disaster payments, according to an economist with the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 07/23/09) ST. GABRIEL, La. – Drought conditions are bad for sugarcane growers, but a small increase in price is giving them at least something to smile about, LSU AgCenter researchers said at a field day at the AgCenter’s Sugar Research Station July 15.

(Distributed 07/23/09) WEST MONROE, La. – Common problems in taking pictures of horses are distortion, lighting and a distracting background. That was the message of Pam Kaster of Zachary.

(Distributed 07/23/09) CROWLEY, La. – An internationally recognized genetics researcher who visited the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station Tuesday (July 21) said he is confident that the European Union eventually will accept genetically modified foods. But in the meantime, he is focusing his work on third-world countries.

(Distributed 07/22/09) WEST MONROE, La. – Louisiana teachers learned about teaching money management to high school students at a workshop presented by the LSU AgCenter July 16.

(Distributed 07/20/09) BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE – Exactly 40 years after Apollo 11 took off for the moon, 30 children gathered at Barksdale Air Force Base as part of a weeklong rocketry camp, complete with a launch of their own rockets on July 16.

(Distributed 07/20/09) BATON ROUGE, La. – Three loan and grant programs are assisting farmers and agribusinesses affected by hurricanes Gustav and Ike and aquaculture producers facing high feed costs.

(Distributed 07/20/09) BATON ROUGE, La. – The potential and problems of converting forest and agricultural products into biofuels was the focus of the third Louisiana Natural Resources Symposium July 16-17.

(Distributed 07/17/09) An LSU AgCenter field day for sugarcane producers in St. Martin, Lafayette and St. Landry parishes will be held Friday (July 24). The event begins at the Levert-St. John Sugar Mill near St. Martinville at 1 p.m.

(Distributed 07/17/09) Hot summer nights could cause problems for rice pollination, according to the LSU AgCenter’s rice specialist. While speaking Wednesday (July 15) at the Northeast Louisiana Rice and Soybean Field Day, Dr. Johnny Saichuk said nighttime temperatures that do not fall below 80 degrees could affect the viability of pollen.

(Distributed 07/17/09) Results from the 40th annual Louisiana 4-H and FFA State Horse Show held July 6-11 have been released. Coordinated by the LSU AgCenter, the event was held at the Ike Hamilton Expo Center in West Monroe.

(Distributed 07/15/09) Summer is not the most enjoyable time to work in the yard in Louisiana, but rose bushes need attention to ensure good performance through the summer and into the early fall months.

(Distributed 07/14/09) Decades ago, hectic lives were the trademark of business people. Today, that condition applies to almost every family in America where your family is your business, according to LSU AgCenter Certified Family Life Educator Dr. Diane D. Sasser.

(Distributed 07/14/09) When parents become involved in their children's schoolwork, studies show the children do better in school. “But that doesn’t mean doing the homework for them,” says LSU AgCenter Certified Family Life Educator Dr. Diane D. Sasser.

(Distributed 07/14/09) Move over, summer – a new school year is upon us! LSU AgCenter Certified Family Life Educator Dr. Diane D. Sasser shares her joy of anticipation with six steps on preparing for the event.

(Distributed 07/10/09) GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – Two Louisiana teams finished first, and seven others finished in the top five at the National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational meet June 24-28. In addition, three Louisiana teams placed in the top five teams overall, and eight Louisiana 4-H’ers were in the top 10 in individual events.

(Distributed 07/10/09) LSU AgCenter’s 4-H camp near Pollock, La., increased its size to 82 acres as the Louisiana 4-H Foundation donated a vacant piece of property for camp expansion. The 30-acre addition was Camp Windywood, a former Girl Scout camp and adjacent to the Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center.

(Distributed 07/10/09) Did you know that Louisiana schools are growing? That is, they’re growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices and flowers. School gardens are growing in popularity across the state.

(Distributed 07/10/09) Several varieties of gardenias work well in the landscape, but dwarf gardenias are more prone to problems.

(Distributed 07/10/09) Back-to-school time can be a very expensive time of year. That makes it a great opportunity to help children learn to handle money.

(Distributed 07/09/09) If the idea of spending so much cash for school needs gets you down, take a look at these tips for creating – and sticking to – a back-to-school budget.

(Distributed 07/09/09) “Ever-increasing scholastic demands may mean that children are lugging home more books in their backpacks, often resulting in injuries,” says LSU AgCenter family economist Dr. Jeanette Tucker. She advises comparison shopping when looking for backpacks.

(Distributed 07/09/09) If there’s a teenager in your life, you want him or her to use credit cards responsibly once he or she gets to college. LSU AgCenter family economist Dr. Jeanette Tucker offers three words of advice: “Talk it out.”

(Distributed 07/09/09) The LSU AgCenter has scheduled seminars at the Iberia Parish library branch locations help people predict storm surges from hurricanes using flood maps. The seminar will be July 16 at the Eastside Branch in New Iberia at 1:30 p.m. and repeated July 21 at the St. Peter Street Branch in New Iberia at 1:30 p.m. and at 6 p.m.

(Distributed 07/09/09) Whether you're going back to school as a student or teacher, it's important to take extra care of your take-along lunch that’s been waiting all morning for you to eat. You don’t want to get a foodborne illness.

(Distributed 07/09/09) During preseason football practices with high heat and humidity, athletes should be well-hydrated, have access to fluids and be monitored for heat-related illness.

(Distributed 07/09/09) Parents can help their children prepare for kindergarten by teaching them personal skills.

(Distributed 07/09/09) LAKE ARTHUR, La. – Brutal summer heat that lasts into the night could bring bacterial panicle blight to this year’s rice crop, an LSU AgCenter plant pathologist warned Tuesday (July 7) at the Vermilion Parish Rice Field Day held at the Lounsberry farm near Lake Arthur.

(Distributed 07/09/09) Breakfast is usually considered the most important meal of the day, but one-fourth of children ages 6 to 11 miss that meal.

(Distributed 07/09/09) Once considered a club just for rural and farm kids, 4-H boasts an enrollment of more than 243,000 in Louisiana and 7 million across the country.

(Distributed 07/08/09) Children fare better in school when their parents help them become ready for kindergarten. After all, parents are the most important teachers a child will ever have, says LSU AgCenter family development professor Dr. Rebecca White.

(Distributed 07/08/09) A few weeks before elementary school begins, remind your child that school will be starting, and pay attention to your child’s reactions, says LSU AgCenter family and child development expert Dr. Linda Robinson.

(Distributed 07/08/09) The high school years are usually a time of experimentation and testing limits. Recent studies, however, reveal that conflict between parents and adolescents is much less than popular culture leads us to believe.

(Distributed 07/08/09) As the first day of kindergarten approaches, many parents find themselves anxious about how their children will adjust.

(Distributed 07/07/09) For most high school graduates, high school brings back fond memories. Starting high school, however, can be an overwhelming experience.

(Distributed 07/07/09) A child might be facing the unknown when starting kindergarten, but parents need to prepare as well. They are faced with many responsibilities.

(Distributed 07/07/09) The transition to middle school occurs at a time when children are transitioning to adolescence. The preteen years can be stressful for children as their bodies prepare for puberty.

(Distributed 07/02/09) MANSURA, La. – The grand opening of the Louisiana 4-H Museum will be July 18 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., along with the induction of the 2009 members of the Louisiana 4-H Hall of Fame. Paul Coreil, LSU AgCenter vice chancellor for extension, said the museum will showcase the 4-H achievements of the during the past 100 years.

(Distributed 07/07/09) At a time when many are worried that the United States is experiencing a general decline in civic and political engagement, volunteering appears particularly strong among today’s young people, according to LSU AgCenter 4-H youth volunteer expert Dr. Janet Fox.

(Distributed 07/07/09) Whether you’re a school athlete, occasional exerciser or simply a spectator, you share one common fact: you can’t live long without water.

(Distributed 07/07/09) One of the many ways in which parents can help their children prepare for kindergarten is physical development, according to LSU AgCenter family development professor Dr. Rebecca White.

(Distributed 07/06/09) JEANERETTE, La. – Lolo Robicheaux, a 4-H adult volunteer, teachers 4-H’ers to ride horses simply for the love of teaching what she enjoys.

(Distributed 07/02/09) CROWLEY, La. – Farmers and scientists celebrated 100 years of work Wednesday (July 1) at the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station’s 2009 Field Day that marked the facility’s centennial.

(Distributed 07/01/09) HAMMOND, La. – Ornamental plants like cannas can provide a simple, effective and aesthetic method of removing excess nutrients in storm water or nursery production runoff, according to research conducted at the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station.

(Distributed 07/01/09) GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – Thirty LSU AgCenter 4-H’ers gave it their best shot at the National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational, placing in the top five in three competitions and having eight individuals in the top 10.