THE GOSSIP - Special graduation, low birth weight study and Ag Field Day

OHIO RESEARCH LINKS LOW BIRTH WEIGHT TO POVERTY, STRESS - Motherhood is certainly known for being stressful, but the worries of lower-income moms-to-be might contribute to poor birth outcomes. Researchers from The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center assessed financial strain, depressive symptoms, anxiety and pregnancy-specific stress among 138 pregnant women, and then reviewed the surveys after their babies were born. Lead author Amanda Mitchell says prior studies have shown a greater risk of low-birth weights among socioeconomically disadvantaged mothers. And these new findings reveal specific pregnancy-related worries also play a factor.

WEST OHIO PRECISION AG FIELD DAY ON JULY 11 - Ohio State University Extension is hosting a free field day on fertilizer application on July 11.

“The main focus for the West Ohio Precision Ag field day,” said Amanda Bennett, Ohio State Extension educator from Miami County coordinating the event, “is how to properly place nutrients in the field.”

Speakers from Ohio State Extension and Purdue University, as well as local agronomists, producers and agricultural retailers will attend, said Bennet. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

Equipment from local dealers will be on display, and there will also be a drone flying demonstration to highlight how producers can use imagery to guide management decisions on the farm, said Bennett.

Participants at this event will also meet the requirements for Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Fertilizer Applicator Certification, which requires growers who apply fertilizer to more than 50 acres of land to be certified by Sept. 30, 2017.

Registration for the field day must be done by June 30 through the Miami County Extension office by calling (937-440-3945) or emailing (bennett.709@osu.edu).

OHIO ASTROPHYSICIST MAKES DOWN-TO-EARTH RACIAL DIVERSITY MAP - A recent history of the United States' changing racial demographics might be best viewed from space. That's the approach Tomasz Stepinski, a professor of space exploration at the University of Cincinnati, has taken. Stepinski is an astrophysicist by trade but had the idea that he could use the incredibly detailed maps NASA satellites collect and map the racial makeup of America's neighborhoods. So he took data from the 1990, 2000 and 2010 Censuses and overlaid them on the maps.

OHIO STATE ATI ADDS PROGRAMS - Starting fall semester, students at the Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute (Ohio State ATI) will be able to study a new program focused on two key global issues.

The new Associate of Applied Science program in bioenergy and biological waste management will prepare students for high-demand careers such as wastewater and drinking water treatment plant operators.

Recently, National Geographic ranked water and wastewater treatment operator as the second fastest growing job among environmental sustainability-related jobs.

NEW LEADER FOR STARK COUNTY HUNGER TASK FORCE - The Stark County Hunger Task Force has named a new executive director.

Maureen Kampman Tate started May 15. She previously served as assistant director of Catholic Charities Serving Portage and Stark Counties, where she was responsible for scheduling, grant writing, fundraising and event programming.

She also has worked for the United Way of Greater Stark County and completed the Leadership Stark County program.