Shelby County Today

February 15, 2017 - Shelby County 4-H recently had six members participate in the Fort Worth Livestock Show with the following results:

Wesley Wages – Shorthorn plus heifer
Seth Shamblin – market hog
Megan Dunn – market steer
Camille Greer – 2nd Charolais heifer
Hannah Wages – 3rd Hereford heifer
Garrett Saenz – 7th Beefmaster heifer

This week several 4-H members will be participating at San Antonio. In Shotgun Shoot, Colton Gutermuth, Tucker Scarber, Colby Lout, Hagan Craig, Dawson McFadden, Konner Windham, Seth Shamblin, Logan Holloway, and Lance Holloway will be competing. Camille Greer is entered to compete in the Heifer Show.

Next week competing will be Seth Shamblin in the Barrow Show and Megan Dunn in the Steer Show.

Submitted by Lane Dunn

January 5, 2017 - While many people think that 4-H is just about raising livestock, nothing could be further from the truth! We have numerous 4-H’ers involved in projects like clothing & textiles, photography, public speaking, shooting sports, etc. No matter what the project, the goal of 4-H is to develop life skills and leadership within young people so they become productive, contributing members of society. And we could not do it without the time, talent and dedication of 4-H volunteer leaders, so special thanks to them!

Shelby County 4-H is busy gearing up for our spring events, and there is still time for your child become a member of 4-H for 2017. Clubs meet on a monthly basis in Center, Shelbyville, and Joaquin. Projects that will kick off in January/February include: shooting sports, virtual fishing, livestock showing, outdoor adventures, and photography.

Research has shown that participation in 4-H programs makes a positive difference in the lives of youth. Youth development scholar, Dr. Richard Lerner, works with researchers at the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University to conduct The 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. The longitudinal study has found that, when compared to other youth, young people involved in 4-H are:

• Two times more likely to be more engaged in school;
• Two times more likely to plan to go to college; 
• Three times more likely to make positive contributions to their communities; and,
• Nearly two times more likely to participate in science, engineering, or computer technology programs (STEM) learning programs during out-of-school time.

Submitted by Jheri-Lynn McSwain

October 31, 2016 - Every parent wants the best for their child’s future, and one of the best ways to make sure your child will have a bright future is to be sure that you are correctly using the right car seat for your child and that the seat is correctly installed in your vehicle every time. The problem is that keeping them safe in vehicles isn’t as easy as it might appear. Most parents think they are using their car seat correctly, but unfortunately, at least three out of four car seats are used incorrectly. For a car seat to best protect your child, it must be the one that fits your child, your vehicle, and one that you will use correctly every time you travel.

What can parents do to secure their child’s future? Texas AgriLife Extension agent, Jheri-Lynn McSwain, is urging all parents and caregivers to attend the car seat checkup event on Friday, November 4, 2016. Certified technicians will be available to provide on-site car seat inspections and education from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Center Walmart on 810 Hurst Street.

Children are at greater risk than adults in a vehicle crash. In fact, motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death for children. Crash data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration shows that on average, every 33 seconds, one child under the age of 13 is involved in a crash and nearly two children under age 13 are killed, and 308 are injured every day. Unfortunately, in 2015, less than half of the children killed in vehicle crashes in Texas were known to be restrained.

Securing your children properly in age- and size-appropriate child safety seats — in the back seat of your vehicle — is the most effective thing you can do to protect them in the event of a crash. In fact, in motor vehicle crashes, child safety seats reduce the risk of a fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers. Misuse of car seats can cause needless injuries and fatalities.

For a child safety seat to do its job correctly, it has to be:

• Appropriate for your child’s age and size,
• Installed properly in your vehicle, and
• Adjusted to fit your child securely.

Parents are reminded to keep children rear-facing until at least age 2 or until the limit of their rear-facing convertible seat, which is usually 40 pounds or more. Also, children should stay in a 5-point harness system until they are ready to ride in a booster seat. Booster seats are for children who are at least age 4 and 40 pounds or more, and mature enough to sit still in a booster. Finally, keep children in a booster seat until the seat belt fits correctly. This is usually sometime between ages 8 and 12. The average child fits in a seat belt at age 11.

If you’re a parent or caregiver, don’t miss this opportunity to have a free child safety seat inspection by a certified child passenger safety technician. Technicians can provide hands-on advice and instruction. Make sure your children are safe and you are in compliance with the current child safety seat law in Texas. The law requires all children under age 8, unless taller than 4-feet-9-inches, to be in a child safety seat system, which includes traditional child safety seats with harnesses and booster seats. Keep in mind that the law is always the minimum. Car seat technicians will be able to provide education on best practices.

Remember: All child passengers under age 13 should ride securely restrained in the back seat, where they are safest — every trip, every time. If you are not able to attend an event during National Child Passenger Safety Week, you don’t have to wait until next year to check if your car seat is properly installed. To locate a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician in Texas, please visit: http://buckleup.tamu.edu.

Follow these guidelines from NHTSA to keep your children riding safely:

• Birth – 12 months: For the best possible protection, your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. There are different types of rear-facing car seats; infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing. Convertible and 3-in-1 car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.
• 1 – 3 years: Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. This may result in many children riding rear-facing until age 2 or older. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.
• 4 – 7 years: Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.
• 8 – 12 years: Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly, the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest and not across the neck or face. Children under age 13 should ride in the back seat.

September 13, 2016 - The kick-off for Walk Across Texas was held Saturday, September 10th at 8:00 a.m. at the Center City Park off Roughrider Drive.

All the participants walked or ran the 5K which is 3.1 miles! The trail started at the park down by the baseball fields and weaved around the pond, up the hill towards the high school football field main entrance, though the walking trails which come out by the John D. Windham Civic Center, around it and across the bridge, and then go back the same way back to the park pavilion by the pond.

The program has 234 who have signed up and are divided into teams. Jheri-Lynn McSwain, AgriLife Agent and program leader and participants, encouraged all those who attended the 5K and congratulated them on taking the first steps to a healthier life. The program is team based and team members are encouraged to cheer on each other and together they are to walk 900 miles, the distance across Texas.

The 8 week program's goal is physical activity that equates to 900 miles either as a team or as a solo walker and the team and solo walker that walks the most miles during the contest will be awarded prizes. The Shelby County Fit - Walk Across Texas is a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension program and is in partnership with the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Health & Fitness Fair Committee.