Ossian Conservation Club releases calendar

April 14th — Nelson’s Port-A-Pit Chicken, Pork Chops and Ribs at Walgreen’s in Bluffton, 11:00 a.m. till gone. No pre-sold tickets, $5.50 for half a chicken, $5.50 for a pork chop, and $9.00 for a slab of ribs. Weather permitting try Our Old Style Sugar Corn made in a cast iron kettle, $2.00 and $4.00 a bag. Proceeds will to go to the new furnace and siding fund.

April 22nd — Ouabache Archers at Ossian Conservation Club – second meet of the year.
Several new Rinehart 3-D Targets! 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. All are welcome.

April 29th — Ossian Conservation Club Shotgun Shooter’s informal Shotgun Shoot – regular clays – middies – minnies and rabbit targets. 12:00 p.m. till 4:30 p.m. Bring the whole Family. Public is welcome.

Races begin this weekend at Baer Field Speedway

The Baer Field Speedway recently updated its 2012 schedule. To see when the races happen, click here.

N-B Video: School board honors Jessica Rupright

Northern Wells Superintendent Scott Mills and the school board honor senior Jessica Rupright for being named Miss Basketball. Rupright was honored during the board's regular meeting. To learn more about the meeting, read the Wednesday, April 4, News-Banner. (Video by Chet Baumgartner)

Extension service annual meeting scheduled for April 9

The Purdue Cooperative Extension Service of Wells County will hold its annual meeting on Monday, April 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the Wells County Community Center at the 4-H Park in Bluffton.

The event will include a meal at 6:30 p.m. followed by the program "Hungry Planet: What the World Eats." This program highlights 30 families around the world and what they eat in a typical week. The participants will discuss their perceptions and impressions of what the world eats. The meal is free of charge.

The Weekend Backpack for Hungry Kids Program will also be highlighted. Donations will be accepted for the Wells County program that provides 89 food backpacks per week to youth for the weekend.

Election of Extension Board members will also be held at the event.

Reservations are due by April 5 to the Wells County Extension Service, 260-824-6412.

Deadline approaching for weird tree search

From the Indiana Department of Natural Resources:

All Hoosiers should still be on the lookout for suspicious-looking trees.

Information about these freaks of the forest is wanted by the DNR Division of Forestry in connection with the 2012 “Invasion of the Weird Trees.”

“Invasion of the Weird Trees” is an online publication that identifies the weirdest trees for each county based on submissions from the public. The publication is updated every four years.

Submissions can be any species and size. The only requirement is that they be weird and be a living tree.

Past entries in “Invasion of the Weird Trees” have included trees that swallowed signs, trees grown together like conjoined twins, trees with trunks twisted like a snail shell and trees that resemble giant octopuses.

The forestry division has received dozens of submissions for this year’s update. As the April 30 deadline for submissions approaches, forestry officials want to make sure all weird trees are rounded up.

To submit a tree, email your name, address, phone number, and specific location of the tree, including county to scarman@dnr.IN.gov. To enter by mail, submit nonreturnable photographs and the same information to Sam Carman, Division of Forestry, 402 W. Washington St., Rm. W296, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Based upon your photos, district foresters will narrow down the field to the weirdest tree for each county. The 2012 “Invasion of the Weird Trees” should be available online in the fall.

To view the current “Invasion,” go to dnr.IN.gov/forestry/files/fo-InvasionWeirdTrees_2008.pdf.

4-H Extension calendar

• April 1 — 4-H Membership forms Due at County Extension Office
• April 2 — Wells County 4-H Horse & Pony Club, Community Center, 4-H Park, 6 PM
• April 2 — 4-H Dog Obedience Club, 4-H Park Livestock Arena, Bluffton, 6:30-8 PM
• April 3 — 4-H BB & Rifle Safety Club Awards Night, Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 6:30 PM. Refreshments served.
• April 5 — 4-H Frozen Food Orders Pick Up, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 3-5 PM
• April 5 — Reservations due for Extension Service Annual Meeting
• April 6 — Good Friday - County Offices Closed
• April 9 — Wells County Extension Service Annual Meeting, Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 6:30 PM Meal; 7:15 PM Program: Hungry Planet - What the World Eats
• April 11-12 — Kids Health & Safety Fair, Bluffton Elementary School
• April 12 — 4-H Rabbit Workshop, Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 6:30-7:30 PM
• April 13 — Wells County Ag Tour
• April 13-15 — Hoosier Horse Fair, State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis
• April 14-15 — Purdue Spring Fest, Purdue University
• April 14 — 4-H Dairy Feeder Calf Identification Day, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 8-10:30 AM
• April 16 — Wells County 4-H Association, Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 7 PM
• April 17 — Spring Program Fair, 3:30-7 PM. Call 824-6412 to register.

“Talk” to DNR forester on Facebook, March 28

From the Indiana Department of Natural Resources:

Facebook followers of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources can “talk” online with Indiana district forester Brad Rody on Wednesday, March 28, from 11 a.m. to noon, on the DNR’s Facebook wall.

Participants can ask questions about trees, how to plant them, seedlings, prepping a site for planting and more.

Future topics, instructions on how to join a conversation on Facebook, and commenting guidelines are posted at dnr.IN.gov/7315.htm.

To join a chat, go to the DNR’s Facebook wall, facebook.com/INdnr, and click “like” (if you are not already a “friend”).

You may begin typing in questions during the time slot. The DNR experts will answer questions as time allows.