*1A HOOPS WEBCAST* 2011 Prairie Classic Invitational Basketball Tournament WATCH the ARCHIVED WEBCASTS

CLICK HERE to visit the BarnMedia.iHigh.com to watch the ARCHIVED WEBCASTS

CLICK HERE to view the 2011 Prairie Classic Invitational Basketball Tournament ARCHIVED WEBCASTS

Saturday, December 10th – RESULTS

Girls Consolation – Akron JV over Union Colony 67-15

Boys Consolation – Briggsdale over Akron JV 44-34

Girls Championship – Briggsdale over Prairie 45-31

Boys Championship – Prairie over Union Colony 63-45

Friday, December 9th – RESULTS

12-10-11 This Week’s Wheat Digest from the National Association of Wheat Growers…

NAWG Weekly Wheat Digest

House Ag Begins Series of Hearings on MF Global Meltdown
Former MF Global chief executive Jon Corzine told Members of the House Agriculture Committee on Thursday he does not know where missing customer money from his company is, and he does not have more information about how much is missing than what anyone can read in the press.
Read full article

Scab Initiative, Wheat Researchers Hold Annual Meetings in St. Louis
Two important wheat research organizations – the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI) and the National Wheat Improvement Committee – held their annual meetings this week in St. Louis.
Read full article

Ag, Food Orgs Urge USDA, USTR to Include Japan in TPP Talks
NAWG, U.S. Wheat Associates and 60 other major agricultural and food organizations wrote Obama Administration officials this week urging them to “smooth the way” for Japan to become part of ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks.
Read full article

415 Second Street NE, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20002
T 202 547 7800 F 202 546 2638
wheatworld@wheatworld.org

*Co Farm Bureau News* UPDATE on Boulder County Open Space Issue

Colorado Farm Bureau's Nicholas Colglazier

(The BARN - Briggsdale, CO) December 7th, 2011 – Joining the BARN by telephone is Colorado Farm Bureau’s Director of Public Policy, State Affairs Nicholas Colglazier about the upcoming event in Longmont where the fate of Boulder County’s Open Space and it’s relationhip to ag producers who want to utilize biotech crops hangs in the balance. To listen to the interview click on the mp3 link…

120711_CFB_NicholasColglazier_8m30s

December 9th – UPDATE - It was a good night in Boulder County! After months of consideration, last night finally saw Boulder County Farm Bureau members being able to address the Boulder County Commissioners directly regarding the expanded use of GMO crops and coexistence between organic and conventional agriculture on Boulder County open space land.

A crowd of roughly 600 people turned out for the event, and because of the hard work by Boulder County Farm Bureau members Jules Van Thuyne, Dan Lisco, Scott Miller, Dick Miller, Artie Elmquist, Doug Clay,  Keith Bateman, Kent Davis, Paul Schlagel and Famuer Rasmussen, the crowd was comprised of more farmers than activist.

Colorado Farm Bureau President Don Shawcroft came from Conjos County to testify in support of coexistence.

Furthermore, special recognition goes to Brad Milligan from the San Juan Basin Farm Bureau who drove from Cortez so that he could testify and dispel incorrect information regarding the affects of GMO crops on honeybees.  After speaking at 11pm, Brad drove back to Cortez.

As is common with Boulder County, the activist opposed to the use of GMO crops and coexistence between organic and conventional agriculture were rude, condescending and belligerent. Often times they would try and shout down speakers expressing support for GMO crops and coexistence.  The Boulder County Commissioners do need to be commended for working to maintain decorum during testimony.

The vote by the commissioners on whether to allow expanded use of GMO’s on Boulder County open space is forthcoming.  Farm Bureau members should continue to contact the Boulder County Commissioners and express their support for coexistence between organic and conventional agriculture.  The commissioners can be reached via email at Ben Pearlman (bpearlman@bouldercounty.org), Cindy Domenico (cdomenico@bouldercounty.org) and Will Toor (wtoor@bouldercounty.org) .

12-10-11 CO Governor Hickenlooper appoints new county court judge in Sedgwick County

DENVER ­— Friday, Dec. 9, 2011 — Gov. John Hickenlooper announced today the appointment of James Michael Wittler to serve as a county court judg Judicial District. Wittler will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable Max E. Carlson.

Wittler, of Julesberg, currently practices law with Vandermoer & Carlson, P.C., where he focuses on property, real estate, estate planning, probate, contracts, family law and employment.

Previously, Wittler worked for the U.S.D.A. Natural Resource Conservation Service as a Soil Conservationist. He earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Colorado State University and a J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law.

Wittler’s judicial appointment is effective Feb. 3, 2012.

 

###

12-10-11 Bennet, Udall Push for Six-Month Moratorium on Rural Post Office Closings or Consolidations in Colorado and Across the Country

Moratorium Would Allow Congress to Address Problem Through Comprehensive Postal Service Reform 

Latest in Series of Efforts to Prevent Rural and Mountain Post Office Closings Across Colorado 

Denver, CO – Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and Mark Udall today pushed for a six-month moratorium on the closing or consolidation of area mail processing facilities and rural post offices to give Congress time to address the United State Postal Service’s (USPS) financial problems through comprehensive reform.

In a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye and Ranking Member Thad Cochran, Bennet and Udall, along with 18 other Senators, called for the next appropriation bill to mandate this moratorium.

“While we may have very different views on how to financially improve the postal service, we all believe that democratically elected members of the Senate and the House have the responsibility to make significant changes to the postal service,” the Senators wrote in the letter. “…We believe that it is very important to give Congress the opportunity to reform the postal service in a way that protects universal service while ensuring its financial viability for decades to come.”

12-10-11 County-by-County Breakdown: Bennet Urges Coloradans to Claim Undelivered Tax Returns

1,705 Coloradans Have Tax Returns Available for Claim – Individual County Numbers Below

Denver, CO – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today urged Coloradans who have not receive the tax return they are owed to check the Internal Revenue Service’s “Where’s My Refund?” tool on IRS.gov to claim their undelivered checks. In all, 1,705 Colorado taxpayers are due refund checks this year that could not be delivered because of mailing address errors.

“During these tough times, these refunds can make a big difference in families’ budgets,” said Bennet. “I encourage all Coloradans who believe they did not receive a tax return they were owed to check this site.”

Undelivered refund checks average $1,547 this year.

The “Where’s My Refund?” tool will provide the status of an individual’s refund and, in some cases, instructions on how to resolve delivery problems. Taxpayers checking on a refund over the phone will receive instructions on how to update their addresses. Taxpayers can access a telephone version of “Where’s My Refund?” by calling 1-800-829-1954.

While only a small percentage of checks mailed out by the IRS are returned as undelivered, taxpayers can put an end to lost, stolen or undelivered checks by choosing direct deposit when they file either paper or electronic returns.

The public should be aware that the IRS does not contact taxpayers by e-mail to alert them of pending refunds and does not ask for personal or financial information through email. Such messages are common phishing scams. The agency urges taxpayers receiving such messages not to release any personal information, reply, open any attachments or click on any links to avoid malicious code that can infect their computers. The best way for an individual to verify if she or he has a pending refund is going directly to IRS.gov and using the “Where’s My Refund?” tool.

The following list includes a county-by-county breakdown of the number of Coloradans whose refund checks were not delivered: