Written by: Christy J. Cooley

The MS Forestry Commission made an informative stop at Benndale Elementary School Feb. 10.

The speakers were Donna Hicks, Debbie Welford, Eugene Cooper, and Lisa Landon spoke to fifth grade students about their work with the MS Forestry Commission.

The entire student body was given Loblolly Pine Trees to take home and plant in honor of Arbor Day.

February is National Beef Month.  Did you know that 97% of America’s cattle farms and ranches are family run?  That’s right!  We have Mississippi Farm Families providing safe beef not only for your family but ours as well.

Improvements in beef production technology have helped the beef industry use fewer resources to feed more people.  In Mississippi in 2011 the value of the beef industry was $155 million.  

With over 14,500 cattle farms in Mississippi there is a lot of delicious and nutritious beef for you to try in your family meals. 

Hopefully you enjoyed an extra hour of sleep Sunday. Firefighters say people can sleep at lot safer at night if they take the time to make sure the batteries in their smoke detectors are working. Daylight savings time is a perfect reminder to replace the batteries.

Firefighters say as important as having functioning smoke detectors is where the devices are located in the house.

"The smoke is what kills you mainly. Nine times out of ten, it's the smoke that gets them. If you're asleep no matter what time of the day or night it is. It doesn't matter.