Marshall and Hutchinson Regional Office Blog

Good Afternoon; I hope you have all had a good week. A few things to share today:

Extension Committee meetings: This month half of the scheduled Extension Committee meetings in our region could not be held due to weather. All are being rescheduled and will be held in February, (weather permitting). Lincoln, Redwood and Yellow Medicine CEC's will meet next week, (Jan 31 - Feb 4).

Weather concerns: Speaking of weather, above normal winter precipitation and below normal temperatures have been impacting Minnesota and the upper Midwest since the start of the winter season. This was preceded by historic record September 2010 rainfall in Western and Southern Minnesota.
Based on outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center as well as historical information during previous La Nina events, there is enhanced risk for below normal temperatures to continue through the February March and April time period and an enhanced risk form above normal precipitation during the late winter and early spring months of March, April and May. Historical data suggests that La Nina spring seasons see a slightly delayed warm up with a risk for a more rapid warm up in April than is climatologically normal. There is also an enhanced risk for significant rain or snow near the time of the melt.
Extension's Educational response to disasters is coordinated and directed through MnEDEN. EDEN is an acronym for Extension Disaster Education Network. Much of the MnEDEN flood response information will be coordinated through the MnEDEN Flood web page.

County Emergency Management Meetings: Some of your offices may have received a courtesy invitation for a County MDA and County Emergency Management Department meeting on Food and Agricultural Response Planning. Just to clarify, it is not an expectation that local staff, (Support Staff, PC or CNE) attend these meetings.

Minnesota Legislature: This week Dean Durgan along with Deans Trevor Ames, College of Veterinary Medicine and Al Levine, College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences presented Minnesota Legislative Committees in the House and Senate. I encourage you to read the Dean's message in last week's Extension enews about the legislative efforts and activity.

Identity Templates and Resources: Template downloads for both print and electronic media are now available. The templates available include Wordmark Downloads, PowerPoint Templates, Print Templates and Email Banner Templates. Be sure you are using the current communication standards in your work.

Have a good weekend.

Bob

Posted by byrne007 at 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good Afternoon, I hope you have had a great first week of 2011. A few things to share today:

Today we have another dose on winter bluster, so it is a good opportunity to review a few winter weather items:

-Follow your work place policy on weather related closings. If your County office location does close due to weather, let me know. If you are using vacation time due to weather; also let me know.

2011 Budgets: We are confirming final adopted county budget numbers for your use in monitoring your office budgets. As in the past, I ask that you track expenditures by budget line for your office use. I will use the County Finance / Auditors office budget summaries for the County Extension Committee meetings.

Speaking of County Extension Committee meetings, On Monday, (January 10), Extension Committee meetings are scheduled in Kandiyohi, Chippewa and Lincoln Counties. For that schedule to work, the weather needs to cooperate. I will be in contact with Kim, Gail and Susan on any decision on cancelling the meetings. If the meetings are cancelled due to bad weather, they will not be rescheduled.

And finally, Lincoln County Extension relocated their office this week. Previously, they were co-located with Lyon Lincoln, Murray Pipestone Public Health. The four county Public Health has now merged with Lyon, Lincoln Murray Human Services, so Extension relocated to the space in the courthouse previously occupied by Human Services. The relocation involved dismantling, redesigning and reassembling the work stations in the new location. The work stations have an interesting history. Prior to being used in Lincoln County, they were in the Dean and Directors office in Coffey Hall.

Here is a view of the Lincoln County Extension Office.

Have a nice (safe and warm) weekend,

Bob

Posted by byrne007 at 9:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)