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Prisoners with developmental disabilities face unique challenges

ALBION, Pa. (AP) — “You are the Lighthouse in someone’s storm,” reads the message above a mural of a sailboat bobbing on ocean waves under a cloud-studded azure sky. It’s an unexpected slogan for a prison wall. On a nearby door painted deep blue, a bright yellow Minion character offers “Ways to say hello,” lists of suggestions about how prisoners incarcerated in a segregated unit of Pennsylvania’s State Correctional Institution at Albion can best greet each other. A handful of “sensory” rooms in the unit offer calming blue walls where harsh fluorescent lighting is ...

Manure management plan workshop planned

MIDDLEBURG — The Snyder County Conservation District will hold a free workshop to show farmers, livestock owners and horse operations how to write their very own manure management plans (MMPs). The workshop is set for Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at the Snyder Conservation District Office from 6-9 p.m. Participants will leave the workshop with knowledge and information to complete a manure management plan that meets current PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulations. MMPs are required by any person who raises or boards animals, produces or receives animal manure, ...

Phillies scrap $1 hot dog nights following unruly fan behavior

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — For more than a quarter-century, Phillies fans considered dollar hot dog night among the best ballpark promotions — but the team has now decided it was the wurst. Those dog days of April — when Philly weather is cold and the wieners are a steal — are going, going, gone. The Phillies officially ended the popular promotion Thursday and replaced dollar dogs on select dates with a 2-for-1 deal at two April games at Citizens Bank Park. A statement from the team said the change was made “based on the organization’s ongoing commitment to provide a positive ...

Equine Sips and Tips event Thursday

UNIVERSITY PARK — The Penn State Extension Equine Team will provide valuable insights into horse care and farm management during a workshop titled Equine Sips and Tips, which will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Armstrong Valley Winery, 212 Rutter Road, Halifax. Designed for horse owners and horse caretakers, the event will cover hay quality for horses, how to choose the right commercial concentrate and how to keep your horse barn safe. Attendees can connect with fellow horse enthusiasts to share experiences, and Penn State equine specialists will be on hand to answer ...

Workshop addresses parasites in horses

UNIVERSITY PARK — If you own a horse, then you know the importance of an effective deworming schedule. But what exactly is the most effective deworming schedule for horses? Owners of horses and horse farms can get answers to this question by attending the Equine Parasite Workshop, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 16 at the Mercer County office of Penn State Extension, 463 N. Perry Highway in Mercer. The latest research warns that rotational deworming every eight weeks has led to parasites becoming resistant to the most common dewormers, organizers said. To address this, experts ...

Supplements help dairy cows use energy more efficiently

UNIVERSITY PARK — Supplementing the feed of high-producing dairy cows with the botanical extract capsicum oleoresin, obtained from chili peppers, or a combination of that extract and clove oil resulted in the animals using feed energy more efficiently and emitting less methane from their largest stomach, according to a new study conducted by Penn State researchers. Adding those substances, sometimes referred to as essential oils, to the cattle’s rations resulted in improved efficiency of energy utilization in peak-lactation dairy cows. According to Alex Hristov, distinguished ...