Event Calendar

Early voting starts April 22 and runs through April 30

Sharing Hope Ministry: Second Chances: April 22nd 6 PM

Everyone deserves a chance at a fresh start! Margaret Willis will share her testimony from addiction, incarceration to recovery and catching the life-line of 2nd Chances!! Space is limited so please RSVP.

Join us!

Cherrie D. Miller
Resource Coordinator
806-358-7803

Early voting starts April 22 and runs through April 30

Hemphill Beef conference April 23-24
Grandin, O’Leary, Teichert on the agenda
Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Andy Holloway, 806-323-9114, Andy.Holloway@ag.tamu.edu
CANADIAN – The agenda for the Texas A&M AgriLife Hemphill County Beef Conference April 23-24 is finalized, and headliners will include Dr. Temple Grandin, John O’Leary and Burke Teichert.

Temple Grandin John O’Leary Burke Teichert
The conference will be in the Jones Pavilion, 1101 N. Sixth St., Canadian.
Andy Holloway, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agriculture and natural resources agent for Hemphill County, said the attendance is expected to reach about 500 this year.
The cost for the two-day conference and tour is $100, and a spouse ticket is $85. Go to https://www.hemphillcotxbeef.com/ for advance registration. Participants can also call the AgriLife Extension office in Hemphill County at 806-323-9114 or contact Christa Perry at christa.perry@ag.tamu.edu to register or receive additional information.
The two-day ticket includes 10 speakers, three meals, a cattle-handling presentation and over 60 agriculture trade vendors. Also, five Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will be offered from the two days of presentations.
A Ladies Cultural Tour of Canadian will be from 2-5 p.m. on April 23. Tickets are $30, and preregistration is required, with a limit of 45 participants. The bus tour will include the Canadian Cultural District, Citadelle Art Museum, and an artisan chocolate and wine tasting.
O’Leary is a best-selling author and speaker who at the age of 9 was playing with fire and gasoline, created a massive explosion in his home and was burned on 100 percent of his body. He was given 1 percent chance to live. His motivational book, “ON FIRE: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life,” was an instant No. 1 national best-seller.
Grandin, a Colorado State University animal science professor, is responsible for designing equipment used to handle about half of all cattle in meat plants in the U.S. and Canada, as well as developing animal welfare guidelines for the meat industry and consulting with companies on animal welfare. She will speak on “Stress-Free Cattle Handling” and “Cattle Handling Made Easy.”
Burke Teichert, BEEF Magazine columnist and beef consultant, Orem, Utah, has a long background in the cattle industry as a university professor, cattle reproduction specialist and general manager and vice president of AgReserves Inc., or the Deseret Ranches, which was once the largest beef cow/calf operation in the U.S. He will speak on “Systems Approach to Management” and “Profitable Ranching–Is It Possible?”
Craig Cowden, Hemphill County rancher and member of the conference committee, said the whole idea behind this conference is to allow cattlemen across the country to learn and hear about the latest industry updates and advice.
“This industry is changing so much that if you’re not learning, you’re going to be left behind, and you’re not going to be able to be profitable within the business,” Cowden said.
He said the guest speakers will talk about the importance of continuously measuring and managing all aspects of the ranching operation.
“You can’t manage what you don’t measure,” Cowden said. “And so, if we aren’t keeping good records, if we aren’t staying on top of our trends and seeing where we can make improvements, then I think we don’t have a good understanding of what our production is, and we don’t have a base to know where to make improvements.”
On the agenda to help understand how and what to measure and manage are:
– Troy Applehans, CattleFax market analyst, Denver, Colorado, “What Do the Numbers Indicate About the Future Beef Cattle Markets Based on Supply and Demand?”
– Dr. David Lalman, Oklahoma State University Harrington Chair and beef cattle specialist, Stillwater, Oklahoma, “Fitting Your Herd Bull EPD’s to Your Ranch and Cowherd, New Research and Important Considerations.”
– Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, AgriLife Extension agricultural law specialist, Amarillo, “Ag Leases, Insurance Liabilities and New Ag Law.”
– Dr. Cliff Lamb, Texas A&M University animal science department head, College Station, “Using Reproductive Management to Enhance Profitability of Cattle Operations.”
– Colt Keefer, Charolais International of America regional manager, Fort Collins, Colorado, “Genetics for Growth and Quality, How Can a Rancher Add Value to His Cowherd?”
– Dr. Tim Steffens, AgriLife Extension range specialist, Canyon, “Grass Grazing and Reproduction, How They Work Together.”

– Dr. Ron Gill, AgriLife Extension state beef cattle specialist, College Station, and Grandin, “Cattle Handling Made Easy.”
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Find more stories, photos, videos and audio at http://today.agrilife.org

From: Kay Ledbetter Subject: AgriLife Today: Grain-grading workshops set April 23-24 in Amarillo
Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: DeDe Jones, 806-677-5600, dljones@ag.tamu.edu
AMARILLO – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host two one-day grain-grading workshops on April 23-24 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 6500 W. Amarillo Blvd., Amarillo.
The training begins with registration at 8:30 a.m. each day, followed by the program from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. A registration fee of $75 will cover costs associated with instruction, lunch, materials and equipment.
Preregistration is required, as each workshop is limited to 40 participants. The last day for registration is April 19. To register, go to https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/Grain. While this is the preferred method of registration and payment, payment also can be made at the door by preregistered participants.
DeDe Jones, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service risk management program specialist in Amarillo, said the program, which is repeated both days, is designed for corn, sorghum and wheat grain handlers and producers.
Participants will learn about the importance of grading grain, grain grading standards, proper sampling techniques, how to identify the different types of damage that occur and their potential impacts on grade, and feeding value, she said. They will work hands-on with grain samples to enhance the learning experience, and feedlot employees can receive Beef Quality Assurance credit.
Course instructors in addition to Jones will be Gale Calkins, Federal Grain Inspection Service retiree, Wichita, Kansas; Dr. Mark Welch, AgriLife Extension economist-grain marketing and policy, College Station; Dr. Jenny Jennings, AgriLife Research beef nutritionist, Amarillo; and Dr. Steve Amosson, retired AgriLife Extension economist, Amarillo.
The grain grading workshops are co-sponsored by the Panhandle Grain and Feed Association, Texas Cattle Feeders Association and AgriLife Extension.
For more information, contact Jones at 806-677-5600 or dljones@ag.tamu.edu.

Find more stories, photos, videos and audio at http://today.agrilife.org

Blood Drive to help area patients and scholarship opportunities to help some lucky winners further their education…

As the community’s blood center, we have a lot of amazing partners who not only want to help us achieve our mission of helping area patients, but they also want to help some lucky winners further their education! In this case, Arron Sims, who lost his wife Brittany to cancer at only 26 years old, is sponsoring the scholarships. Anyone can donate and nominate themselves or someone else (friend, daughter, son, co-worker, niece, nephew, etc.) to receive a scholarship. At the end of the day (one day only on Tuesday, April 23, 9 am-7 pm at Coffee Memorial), we will draw two lucky winners and once they are enrolled, the check for $2000 will be delivered applied to their account at the school.

It’s a win-win! Will you please help us get the word out?

Suzanne Talley
Manager, Donor Recruitment,
Marketing & Community Relations
7500 Wallace Blvd.
Amarillo, Texas 79124
806-331-8872 office direct
806-676-2180 cell
stalley@thegiftoflife.org

Battle of the Titans:
Don Harrington Discovery Center’s new traveling exhibit explores the unique relationships between two gigantic opponents as well as other species and the environment that existed during their time on Earth. In the near corner stands Triceratops, in the far Tyrannosaurus Rex. And the winner is?! Come to DHDC to find out how the match likely went down! Visit Don Harrington Discovery Center’s website for more information. See this exhibit during regular hours until May 19th, 2019.

In the near corner stands Triceratops. In the far corner, Tyrannosaurus Rex locks his eyes on his opponent. Which giant prevails? Visit DHDC to find out how this match likely went down. Just as in a boxing match, the exhibit provides a detailed comparison of each dino and shows the advantages and disadvantages both would have in battle. Visitors learn that not only were they perfectly matched to fight each other, but they depended on each other to survive as a species. Facts and clues are given throughout the exhibit to this strange paradox of interdependence. The answer of who wins in a battle lies in the environment – the plants, forest and ecology that shaped their existence, and ultimately led to their extinction. This Wonder Works exhibit explores the amazing mingled destinies of plants, dinosaurs, and mankind. Battle of the Titans will be on display for visitors to explore at the Don Harrington Discovery Center January 26- May 19, 2019 and is included in general admission.
The DHDC is excited to open this exhibit after hearing many requests from the community to bring in an exhibit containing dinosaurs. Dr. Aaron Pan, Executive Director of the Don Harrington Discovery Center says “We are so excited to be the first U.S. venue for this new exhibit which explores the last and most iconic dinosaurs that have ever existed! Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops were two supreme beasts that happen to also be the most formidable animals in North America at the end of the age of the dinosaurs. This exhibit highlights an apex predator with bone-crushing teeth versus a large plant-eater with armour and weaponry that would make a knight jealous”.
A child’s fascination with dinosaurs never goes out of style. And with the rapid pace of discovery in paleontology, the science behind it is always new, with ever-more relevant links to current issues in ecology and conservation. Within the Battle of the Titans exhibit, visitors can expect to:
• Journey through the century of research that has gone into these two animals, beginning with the startling discoveries in the late 1800s that completely shook up our understanding of the evolution of life on Earth.
• Touch real fossils.
• Watch exciting videos that more fully delve into the world in which the dinosaurs existed.
• See life-sized replicas of these two giants- the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Triceratops! You’ll also have a chance to view some smaller dinosaurs that co-inhabited in their environment, including the feather-bearing Troodon.
• Learn about dinosaur droppings — seriously! Parts of this exhibit explore both the input and output of these massive creatures and there is much to discover from the ‘@&%# Happens’ display.
• Literally see how each animal’s particular style of vision corresponds to its place within the ecosystem by placing your own head inside of a full-sized cast of T-tops and T. rex skulls to compare the vision of predators and herbivores. Special optical devices embedded in each skull allow visitors to experience the unique visual perspective of each animal, thus allowing us to see through the eyes of a giant predator!
• Discover hands-on casts from inside the craniums of both T. rex and T-tops, showing the actual size and shape of their brains. A bigger brain doesn’t always mean it will win does it?
• Learn more. What do you know about the K-T extinction event that ended the reign of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago? Study this event at a portion of the exhibit that also features a real meteorite kids can touch, as well as a scale model of the comet Tempel 1, thought to be similar to the one that hit Earth.
• Dig for Dino bones! This digital Dino Pit is a first of its kind. Kids brush digital ‘dirt’ off fossil bones, assemble them into a skeleton, and watch as the dinosaur comes to life in a forest and roars.
• Feel as though you were really there! This exhibit includes realistic baby dinosaur models, that when operated by staff, appear to be live — moving, blinking, and squeaking.
• There is much more to see, explore, and do in this exciting exhibit.
Battle of the Titans is suitable for all ages and opens to the public at the Don Harrington Discovery Center on January 26th.
Battle of the Titans was produced by Wonderworks Exhibit Company Inc. and is making it’s US debut at the Discovery Center. Battle of the Titans funding is provided in part through the Panhandle Gives Campaign held in November through the Amarillo Area Foundation. DHDC is still working to fully fund this exciting exhibit. If you or your business is interested in sponsoring Battle of the Titans please contact Regina Ralston, Director of Development by emailing rralston@dhdc.org.
DHDC Visitor Information
Battle of the Titans will be open daily at the Don Harrington Discovery Center, located at 1200 Streit Drive in the Medical Center park from January 26th through May 19th. Admission is included in regular museum admission ($14 for adults and $9 for children (3 – 17), $11 for students (w/student ID), , and $11 for seniors and military). Shows in the Space Theater are also included in DHDC regular daily admission.
Additionally, DHDC members can enjoy a special members-only preview to explore Battle of the Titans from 7:00-8:30 on Friday January 25th. Light refreshments will also be available. DHDC Members get free daily visits, discounts on select programs and events, exhibit previews and specials, discounts at other museums, plus more benefits.
Information about memberships and daily visits can be found at dhdc.org.
Media inquiries in regards to Battle of the Titans should be directed to Shanna Collins, Development, Events & Marketing Coordinator at 806-355-9547 ext. 120 or email Scollins@dhdc.org.
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The Don Harrington Discovery Center is a hands-on science center that makes science exciting, relevant and interesting to all types of learners by providing interactive exhibits and programs that actively engage children, adolescents and their families. A nonprofit institution funded by admissions, memberships, and community support, the Discovery Center stimulates imagination, inquisitiveness and innovative thinking by partnering with donors to create quality programming and exhibits. Visit http://www.dhdc.org for more information about memberships, exhibits, shows and events.