Most public swimming pools located in Indiana State Parks will open this weekend, as will all DNR swimming beaches.

Pools opening as scheduled are at Clifty Falls, McCormick’s Creek, O’Bannon Woods, Shakamak, and Versailles state parks, and at Cagles Mill Lake (Lieber State Recreation Area [SRA]). In addition, the beach at Indiana Dunes State Park will open on Saturday with lifeguards on duty.

The water slides and lazy river at Prophetstown State Park’s aquatic center will open Saturday, but its leisure pool will be closed until mid-June. The public pool at Brown County State Park will open on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31; however, the wading pool will be not in operation. The delays are the result of supply chain issues.

The public pool at Turkey Run State Park will remain closed this weekend due to lack of lifeguards; it is expected to open the first weekend in June. The public pool at Spring Mill State Park will remain closed until lifeguard and pool staff positions are filled.  

The public pools at Mounds and Harmonie state parks remain closed, as announced earlier this year.

Applications are still being accepted for lifeguards. Positions are open to applicants age 15 and older. For more information, contact the state park property nearest you that is listed above. Phone numbers are at stateparks.IN.gov under “Find a park”.

Beaches that offer swimming with no lifeguards will open this weekend at Chain O’Lakes, Lincoln, Ouabache, Pokagon, Potato Creek, Summit Lake, and Whitewater Memorial state parks; at Starve Hollow and Deam Lake SRAs; and at Brookville, Cagles Mill (Lieber SRA), Cecil M. Harden (Raccoon SRA), Hardy, Mississinewa, Monroe, Patoka, and Salamonie lakes, as well as at Ferdinand State Forest.

The aquatic center at Abe Martin Lodge at Brown County State Park and the pools at Clifty Inn (Clifty Falls State Park), Potawatomi Inn (Pokagon State Park), Spring Mill Inn (Spring Mill State Park), and Turkey Run Inn (Turkey Run State Park) remain open for registered guests at each.

The Fulton County Chamber of Commerce and CASA of Fulton County invites everyone to attend a Business After Hours event on Thursday, June 3 from 4:30-6:30 pm. You will get to come and learn about the organization and meet some of staff and volunteers.

Refreshments will be available.

You can RSVP at the Chamber office with Stephanie at 574.224.2666 or chamberassist@rtcol.com, or online at www.fultoncountychamber.com.

Any questions can be directed to Stephanie Hensley, Executive Assistant of the Fulton County Chamber of Commerce, at 574.224.2666 or chamber@rtcol.com or Round Barn Golf Club at 574-223-5717.

The National FFA Organization and the National FFA Foundation named Scott Stump the new chief executive officer of both organizations, effective Monday, June 21.

Stump, who lives on a small ranch in Stoneham, Colorado, with his wife, Denise and three children, Brady, Ross and Emma, has a background rich in agricultural education, career and technical education and FFA. He received his bachelor’s in agricultural education from Purdue University and his MBA from Western Governor’s University.

“It is with great anticipation that I return to National FFA in this leadership role,” said Stump, CEO of the National FFA Organization. “I know from personal experience as a student and as a parent the positive difference FFA makes in the lives of students across this nation. I look forward to working with FFA’s talented national staff, committed board members, state and local leaders and supporters to advance and expand our collective impact.”

National FFA Advisor and Board Chair Dr. James Woodard shared the news with state FFA and agricultural education leaders and National FFA staff.

“The opportunity to select Scott Stump as the new CEO is exciting for the National FFA Board of Directors. Scott is a leader with credibility, vision and passion for the agricultural education profession,” Woodard said. “The process for selecting Scott was both inclusive and transparent. The respondents of the survey provided great insight into the needs of the organization. I want to professionally thank all who provided input to the selection process. “

After an extensive search process, the Joint Governance Committee of the National FFA Board of Directors and National FFA Board of Trustees selected and approved Stump as CEO.

“On behalf of the National FFA Foundation Board of Trustees, we are both humbled and excited to welcome Mr. Scott Stump to our team. Scott brings decades of experience to the table, having been a part of FFA and agricultural education at nearly every level –including student member, classroom teacher, state staff and national staff,” said Ronnie Simmons, chair of the National FFA Foundation Board of the Trustees.“With a Smith-Hughes style philosophy of agricultural education, Scott’s ideals and beliefs are built on a strong foundation giving him the capacity to lead and influence others. It is evident that these beliefs are the driving force behind his vision that agricultural education will continue to be the difference-maker in the lives of students across the nation.”

Stump began his career as an agriculture teacher in Manchester, Indiana, where he taught for two years. He then worked for the National FFA Organization, where he managed the national officer team and the National FFA Convention& Expo. From 2007 through 2014, he served as the assistant provost and state director for career and technical education with the Colorado Community College System. During his CCCStenure, Stump also served as state FFA advisor, agriculture program director and interim president of Northeastern Junior College during the institution’s presidential search process.

In 2015, Stump was named COO of learning solutions provider Vivayic, Inc. In July 2018, he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the assistant secretary of career, technical and adult education for the U.S. Department of Education, where he served until January.

He currently serves as senior advisor with Advance CTE, where he leads and contributes to major initiatives and projects, including Advances CTE’s Postsecondary CTE Leaders Fellowship Program and Advancing the Framework. He also supports their federal advocacy, state policy and technical assistance efforts.

The Indiana Department of Transportation announces lane closures for the State Road 14 bridge over the Tippecanoe River beginning on or after Monday, May 24.

The bridge will be reduced to one lane for a bridge maintenance project. Temporary traffic signals will be installed on each side of the bridge to direct traffic.

Restrictions will be in place through early July.

May 21, 2021

Alfalfa is called the queen of forages. It is the perfect crop for those involved in livestock production. It produces great yields and is highly nutritious containing very digestible fiber and protein. Once planted, it can last for many years depending on how well the producer takes care of it. Harvested too many times a season and the stand will thin. This native of the “Cradle of Civilization” area of the world, which includes Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran has a deep taproot that allows it to grow in low moisture areas.

Just like alfalfa being imported from Southwest Asia, its major pest, alfalfa weevil also came from that area of the world. This year, those insects’ numbers are up dramatically. The little green worms hatch from eggs laid last year and start feeding on the tips of alfalfa. This year the cold and dryness of spring slowed the alfalfa growth allowing these little larvae to do extensive damage. As they consume new growth on the plant they also reduce the amount of tissue that can photosensitize, slowing the plant growth even more.

My first introduction, as a boy, to this insect, was baling hay. Riding the hay wagon, stacking bales during the first cutting in June there would be thousands of brown bugs with a black stripe down its middle and a short snout. These are the adult weevil. They have pupated from the larva stage which is a small, light green worm with a wide, white stripe down the center of its back. The adult beetle also feeds on alfalfa but does not do near the damage as the larva.

There are almost 100,000 known species of weevils with adults the ones who have the elongated snout with chewing mouthparts. There are many species of weevil that consume grain by boring holes into seeds. Purdue has been involved in a project in Africa to help farmers protect stored cowpeas from weevil damage. They trained farmers on the use of a special bag that could store grain and seal out moisture, leading to the death of any infesting weevils. This resulted in about half a billion dollars per year in saved grain each year.

There is a type of weevil in fruit and nut production called a curculio. The plum curculio is a major insect in apples and cherries. The adult female cuts a crescent shape into a small developing apple and lays an egg. If the apple falls to the ground, the insect will develop. If the damage is not severe enough to cause the fruit to drop, then the growing apple will crush the bug and leave a tan scar on the fruit. Either way, the fruit is lost or damaged.

The weevil that has had the most publicity is the boll weevil. The Boll Weevil Song reach number 2 on the music charts in 1961. This insect severely damaged cotton crops and led to destitute farmers especially during the depression years of the 1930s. The eventual answer was to use insecticides like calcium arsenate and DDT as they become available.

Just like the alfalfa weevil, it is the boll weevil larva stage that does the most damage. The alfalfa weevil really only has one damaging generation per year while the boll weevil can have 10. Most farmers' solution to alfalfa weevil is to cut the crop early and reduce the weevil population. Some may survive and feed on the second cutting and have to be sprayed with insecticide.

When it comes to feeding the world there is a weevil somewhere bent on thwarting your efforts. Man has been successful in outsmarting the boll weevil by perfecting a synthetic attractant pheromone blend, creating a lure that is used to trap the boll weevils. Combining that with timed insecticide applications has almost eradicated the bug in the US. No such luck for us alfalfa farmers here in Indiana.

Mark Kepler, Extension Educator- Agriculture and Natural Resources 

Purdue Cooperative Extension Service-Fulton County 

1009 West Third Street, Rochester IN 46975

574 223 3397 http://www.ag.purdue.edu/counties/fulton/pages/default.aspx https://www.facebook.com/Purdue.Extension.Fulton

Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced that Indiana will end its participation in all federally funded pandemic unemployment insurance programs effective June 19, 2021.

The programs that will end are:

• Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), which provides a $300 weekly add-on to recipients of unemployment insurance
• Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which provides recipients extended benefits after their traditional 26 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits have been exhausted
• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which provides benefits to individuals who do not normally qualify for unemployment benefits, such as self-employed, gig workers, and independent contractors
• Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC), which provides a $100 additional weekly benefit for individuals who are eligible for regular unemployment benefits but also earned at least $5,000 in self-employment income

“There are help wanted signs posted all over Indiana, and while our economy took a hit last year, it is roaring like an Indy 500 race car engine now. I am hearing from multiple sector employers that they want and need to hire more Hoosiers to grow,” said Gov. Holcomb. “We have a myriad of work options in every region of our state with many more coming online every week.”

Indiana’s unemployment rate, which jumped to more than 17 percent at the height of the pandemic, has recovered to 3.9 percent. More Hoosiers are in the workforce now than a year ago, and the labor force participation rate is nearing the pre-pandemic level.

“Eliminating these pandemic programs will not be a silver bullet for employers to find employees, but we currently have about 116,000 available jobs in the state that need filled now,” said Holcomb. “I’ve spoken to leaders in the recreational vehicle industry who tell me they could hire thousands of people today, and in the last couple weeks, we’ve seen companies like Amazon, Apple, Toyota, and Milwaukee Tool announce thousands of new career opportunities for Hoosiers.

“We’ve re-emerged from the COVID pandemic and free vaccinations that protect you from the virus are available throughout the state. The CDC has provided guidance that says vaccinated people can feel secure about not wearing face coverings in many circumstances. Day care facilities are open and our economy is humming,” said Gov. Holcomb. “Indiana also offers free opportunities for Hoosiers to skill up and trade up to better jobs. This is where we will continue to concentrate our efforts so all Hoosiers can get on their pathway to personal prosperity.”

On May 11, Gov. Holcomb signed an executive order to reinstate requirements that Hoosiers who are requesting unemployment benefits be actively seeking full-time work beginning on June 1. Work search activities include applying for a job, attending a job fair, participating in WorkOne orientation, or completing an online workshop.

In addition to notifying affected Hoosiers about the reinstatement of work search requirements, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development will notify impacted unemployment insurance claimants about the discontinuation of the federal pandemic benefits.

More information may be found at https://www.in.gov/dwd/indiana-unemployment/individuals/work-search/

Governor Eric J. Holcomb is directing flags in the State of Indiana to be flown at half-staff for Peace Officers Memorial Day.

Per the President’s order, flags should be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, May 15, 2021.

Gov. Holcomb also asks businesses and residents in Indiana to lower their flags to half-staff on Saturday.

Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo honored students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and leadership during its commencement ceremonies May 14.

Shannon Fuller, Peru, who graduated with an Associate of Science degree in Education, was honored with the Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence.

Fuller was selected from those students honored with the Dean’s Award in each program who have a 3.75 GPA or higher. Other considerations for this award include leadership, community service, and school involvement.

In nominating Fuller for the top student academic honor, Tara Kaser, chair of the Education program for the Ivy Tech Kokomo Service area, said Fuller, also a senior master sergeant in the United States Air Force Reserve, is a perfect choice.

“While she was a student, besides serving in the U.S. Air Force Reserve as a resource officer for her fellow squadron members, Shannon organized a bone marrow drive and two blood drives at Grissom Reserve Base, orchestrated a fundraiser to help provide high school students with college funds, served as caregiver for her grandparents and, with her husband, Michael, as foster parent for an at-risk youngster, and helped two suicidal individuals receive necessary care,” Kaser said.

“Shannon did all of this while maintaining a 4.0 GPA and being a wonderful mother to two young children,” she continued. “I cannot imagine a better candidate for the Chancellor’s Award.” Fuller is transferring to Indiana University Kokomo to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Education.

Dean’s Awards honor students who are selected by the faculty chair for each program as the program’s outstanding graduate. Recipients of the Dean’s Award for 2021, and hometowns, are:

Accounting

Jessica Honeycutt of Peru

Agriculture    

Logan Welker of Kokomo

Automotive Technology       

Timothy Osborn of Burnettsville

Biology TSAP

Patrick R. Harris of Kokomo

Business Administration

Ashley Tooley of Kokomo

Business Operations, Applications, and Technology          

Marcy Reese of Sharpsville

Criminal Justice

Laurin Cook of Kokomo

Cyber Security Information Assurance        

Antonio Viera of Kokomo

Dental Assisting

Ashley Fagel of Kokomo

Diesel Technology

Tyler Swain of Greenfield

Early Childhood Education

Breanna Donson of Greentown

Education      

Shannon Fuller of Peru

General Studies         

Sydney Querry of Greentown

Health Care Specialist

Jennifer True of Logansport

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning

Maximo Gomez of Greentown

Human Services        

Jillian Jacobs of Bunker Hill

Industrial Technology

Shawn Kelly of Bringhurst

Liberal Arts

Jada L. Row of Marion

Machine Tool Technology

Jessie James of Camden

Mechanical Engineering Technology

Tanner Tatman of Tipton

Medical Assisting

Caitlyn Blankenship of Peru

Nursing

Hollie Chambers of Rochester

Practical Nursing

Tara Gibson of Kokomo

Professional Communication

Lucas Hendrickson of Fort Wayne

Psychology TSAP

Ashton Boring of Kokomo

Software Development

David Makin of Peru

Surgical Technology

Rachel Mow of Logansport

Visual Communication

Arlene Emmert of Cicero

Marcy Reece, Monica Slonaker, and Desmon Williams, all of Kokomo, and Jocelyn Reyes of Logansport were honored as members of the All Indiana Academic Team for academic performance, leadership, and service to the College and the community. The All-Indiana Academic Team competition is sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa, USA Today, Coca Cola, and the American Association of Community Colleges.

Those recognized with Military Veterans Honors include Derek Braden, Austin X. D’Agostino, Ransom S. Cornwall, Jacob W. Curtsinger, Christina Faith Duke, Shannon M. Fuller, Laci N. Hensel, Jessie James, Walter Januszkiewicz, Shawn D. Kelly, Michelle Alexandra Landis, Pierre S. Malone, Kain M. Perkins, Joseph S. Scott, Eric W. Smith, Leah-Rachel D. Smith, David V. Stewart, and Logan M. Welker.

May 14, 2021

This time of year, when you walk into a store you will find a variety of products available for your lawn. Several of these items are not needed now but may be used later. My best example of that is fertilizer. There are rare circumstances when I would recommend fertilizing a lawn in the spring. The same applies to grub worm control.

The life of a grub worm starts in the summer as an egg that hatches into a larva. Its mother may have been one of several insects, Japanese beetle, masked chafers, European chafer, Asiatic garden beetle, Oriental beetle, green June beetle, and May/June beetles. The larva of all these C-shaped insects with a chestnut-colored head will be a white grub worm.

White grubs damage a variety of cool-season grasses while feeding in the soil's organic matter, thatch, and plant roots. It is not uncommon to find mixed populations of two or more species in a yard. Most of these species have a one-year life cycle. The exception being the 3-year life of a June bug.

Most of these hatch out in late July and will feed on the roots of grass then slowly move down deeper into the soil as winter approaches. During the warmer days of late winter and spring, they move back up to the roots, feed a little, then pupate and come out of the ground as adults in May and June. Going out to kill grub worms now is not productive. They have done their damage and the cold soils of spring reduce the effectiveness of the insecticide. Shortly they will be pupating and gone.

Grubs are capable of causing serious damage to the grass. Their feeding causes the turf to wilt and die. Early indications of grub damage may include patchy areas of wilting, discolored or stressed turf that does not respond to irrigation. The grass eventually collapses, resulting in dead or extremely thin patches that may range in size from a few meters to large areas. If you can pick up the sod like a carpet then all the roots are gone. After a rain, pulling the sod back will reveal the white grubs.

There are two different times to use grubworm control depending on the product you use. Preventative treatments are used before you know you have damage. They could be a waste of money and insecticides but there are cases when year after year one section of the yard may be affected and a candidate for treatment.

Products that contain these insecticides can be used in this manner as well as later on after damage starts to show up. They are Chlorantraniliprole, Cyantraniliprole, Clothianidin, Imidacloprid, and Thiamethoxam. They are sold by a variety of brand names and they do last for some time in the soil. So, a treatment in early July will last through egg hatch. These products will work if you go out in late Page 2 of 2 August and see you have a problem. There are also insecticides such as Sevin and Dylox that will also work in late August but are a total waste of money if applied before the eggs hatch.

Sometimes the only way you know that grubs are present is the nighttime activity of raccoons and skunks peeling the sod back to find a meal. This is when one homeowner, upon awakening, described his lawn as looking like a bulldozer had attacked. 

Mark Kepler, Extension Educator- Agriculture and Natural Resources

Purdue Cooperative Extension Service-Fulton County

1009 West Third Street, Rochester IN 46975

574 223 3397 http://www.ag.purdue.edu/counties/fulton/pages/default.aspx https://www.facebook.com/Purdue.Extension.Fulton

Aerial treatments conducted by Indiana DNR divisions of Forestry and Entomology & Plant Pathology to slow the spread of gypsy moth in selected areas of Allen, Miami and Wells counties are scheduled for tomorrow, if the weather allows.

Gypsy moth is one of North America's most devastating invasive forest pests and has caused thousands of acres of defoliation across the eastern United States.

Treatment begins shortly after sunrise but could be delayed until later in the morning or to the next day due to unfavorable weather conditions such as morning fog or rain. Treatment should take about an hour. A second treatment will occur four to 10 days after the first, weather permitting.

During treatment, a yellow airplane flying 75-125 feet above the treetops will conduct the treatment, starting at sunrise and continuing throughout the day, as the weather and flight schedules permit. With favorable weather, treatments may be completed by late morning or early afternoon.

The airplane distributes a spray containing the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki, referred to as Btk, into the treetops of infested areas where gypsy moth caterpillars feed on tree leaves. Btk kills gypsy moth caterpillars by disrupting their digestive systems after they ingest it.

Btk has been used for decades by organic gardeners and does not adversely affect people or animals. People who live or work near the treatment areas might want to stay inside when the planes are flying and for about 30 minutes after treatments are complete. This gives the material time to settle out of the air and stick to treetops. For more information on Btk, call toll-free at 1-866-NO-EXOTIC (663-9684) or call your county extension office.

Once treatment begins, rain or high wind may interrupt it for that day. If that happens, treatment would resume the next suitable day and continue until all sites have been treated.

All sites will receive two treatments. The timing of second treatments is also weather dependent, although those treatments will likely begin during the week of May 17.

To determine if your property is in the treatment areas or to view maps of all treatment locations, or for more information about gypsy moth, see gypsymoth.IN.gov.

Jim Gaffigan announced today his 2021 The Fun Tour will tip off August 14 in Wilmington, with a stop at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on November 19.

Tickets can be purchased at www.BankersLifeFieldhouse.com or at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse Box Office, which is open Monday-Friday from noon-5pm. Presale begins Tuesday, May 11 at 10am and will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, May 14 at 12pm local time.

Gaffigan’s tour itinerary also includes a number of rescheduled shows from 2020 that were moved due to the pandemic. For rescheduled shows, all previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new dates listed below.

Gaffigan is a six-time Grammy nominated comedian, actor, writer, producer, two-time New York Times best-selling author, two-time Emmy winning top touring performer, and multi-platinum-selling recording artist. He is known around the world for his unique brand of humor, which largely revolves around his observations on life.

A top ten comedian according to Forbes’ 2019 comedy list, Jim recently released his 8th stand-up special, The Pale Tourist, on Amazon which was nominated for a Grammy. He was also recently awarded for being the first comedian to reach one billion streams on Pandora.

Up next, Gaffigan will be seen as the lead in the Sci-Fi dramedy, Linoleum, and will star as the role as Mr. Smee in Disney’s Peter Pan and Wendy, opposite Jude Law and Yara Shahidi. He will also be heard in Disney/Pixar’s highly anticipated film, Luca, opposite Jacob Tremblay and Maya Rudolph which is premiering June 17th.

On the silver screen, his many credits include Three Kings, Super Troopers 1 & 2, and Chappaquiddick. 2019 was Gaffigan’s biggest year to date with an astonishing eight films releasing, three which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival including Troop Zero with Viola Davis and Alison Janney, Them That Follow and Light From Light – with many festival goers and press calling Gaffigan the “King of Sundance.”

In addition to two seasons of the critically acclaimed semi-autobiographical The Jim Gaffigan Show, which he wrote and produced with his wife Jeannie, and his widely popular stand-up comedy specials, Gaffigan has guest starred on many television comedies and dramas, ranging from Portlandia and Bob’s Burgers to the HBO cult hits Flight of the Concords to dramatic roles in Law & Order.

Gaffigan has won two Emmy awards for his humorous commentaries on CBS Sunday Morning. In 2015, Gaffigan had the great honor of performing for Pope Francis and over 1 million festival attendees at the Festival of Families in Philadelphia.

May 7, 2021

There is nothing that gets talked about in agriculture more than the weather. For one, it is a way to get personal without being intrusive. It is personal because what happens at my place will not be the same as what happens down the road or across the county. Every place is unique.

Rainfall amounts vary from farm to farm and even sometimes on a farm. The TV or radio weather person is always the brunt of jokes. They can predict the weather but they can never really get it completely accurate due to natural changes. The invention of radar has made the job a lot easier and at the same time complicated. I have gained an appreciation for their job. Many a summer day, hoping for rain, I watch the radar and see the rain coming, only to see it dissipate just before getting to my place. It is frustrating and I am sure the forecasters want to be as accurate as possible but they are also a victim of the fickleness of nature.

Recently we had a cold spell where temperatures dipped to the mid 20’s for two nights in a row. Notice I used a weasel word, “mid.” Depending on your location and elevation that number can vary by several degrees. The damage or lack of damage to plants will also be quite variable. We do not care if the forecast is for a low of 50 degrees or 55 tonight. Those temperatures are high enough, it makes little difference to the health of the plant. But we start talking about temperatures below 30 in April, then there may be crop injury issues.

It is amazing to me how a frost means different things to various plants.

A frost occurs on nights when there is no cloud cover or wind and the temperatures are forecasted to get down to 38 degrees or below. An air inversion occurs where it becomes colder at the ground than it is higher up. Normally the higher you go the colder it gets. That is why we see snow on the mountain tops. Plants all react differently to a frost and their reaction depends on the internal temperature in various tissues of the plant. If the temperature is cold enough to break cell walls or disrupt cell constituents beyond repair, damage, wilting, and death will occur in affected tissues.

Take the case of an apple tree. Fruit damage occurs at 28 degrees F. That temperature is down into the freeze area where things like corn and tomatoes are totally killed. In fact, at 28 degrees it is estimated that 10% of the fruit buds might be damaged. In a year like this where there are plenty of flower buds, a light freeze can actually be a good thing. Causing the crop to be thinned a little.

At my place, the apples are a later blooming variety and they could withstand colder temperatures. Additionally, on the first night, they were coved with insulating snow on the flowers. In some local places, temperatures dipped lower and some damage did occur. There is such tremendous genetic variation in apples and each species could be in a different stage of growth making them more, or less, susceptible to cold.

Another plant that sets itself up for spring damage is the apricot. This is the first blooming fruit of the year and when the temperatures get cold it may already have fruit formed and they may all be lost. Cherries also can be prone to early-season cold damage.

My apples are fine, but that does not mean yours are fine. Down south around Lafayette on the Purdue orchard, the temperature dipped to 21.9F. That crop was devastated. At that temperature, there is little guesswork as to the severity of the problem.

Mark Kepler, Extension Educator- Agriculture and Natural Resources 

Purdue Cooperative Extension Service-Fulton County 1009 West Third Street, Rochester IN 46975 

574 223 3397 http://www.ag.purdue.edu/counties/fulton/pages/default.aspx https://www.facebook.com/Purdue.Extension.Fulton

The Indiana Department of Transportation announces lane closures for U.S. 35 between State Road 18 and U.S. 24 beginning on or after Monday, May 10. 

Alternating lane closures will occur through early October, 2021 for a resurfacing project. The road will be reduced to one lane and flaggers will direct traffic in the area where work is occurring. 

INDOT urges drivers to stay alert near crews and follow traffic directions carefully. Drivers are encouraged to allow extra time when driving through this area. Drivers should slow down, use extra caution and drive distraction-free through all work zones.