“A lot of Thanksgiving days have been ruined by not carving the turkey in the kitchen.” ~ Humorist Kin Hubbard (Photo by Anna Hagen) Food poisoning, or food-borne illness, is caused by bacteria contaminated food. You can’t taste it, smell it or see

“To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.” ~ Reba McEntire (Photo by Calle Eklund) How about some turkey trivia? Americans consume over 675 million pounds of turkey on Thanksgiving Day. Sleepy after your big

Photo by Kent Faddis While you’re traveling from store to store buying holiday gifts, criminals are watching and waiting for the opportunity to snatch your money and newly bought presents. Be aware of your surroundings and make  yourself less of a targ

October Temperatures. Graphic from Pat Guinan, climatologist for University of Missouri Extension’s Commercial Agriculture Program October weather was an unusual weather month. It started out mild but the weather shifted and record low temperatures visi

“Hand washing is one of the most important means of preventing the spread of infection” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Photo by Dani Toth) You touch a doorknob then touch your nose. A few days later you have chills

Chart from Pat Guinan, climatologist for University of Missouri Extension Commercial Agriculture program The beginning of autumn in Missouri showed little indication that cool, crisp, fall weather was about to arrive. That warm trend continued into early

Marcy Weber, left, bought a home, has a full-time job and is alcohol and drug free after participating in the Cass County Drug Court program that uses a community demonstration garden coordinated by the University of Missouri Extension. Master Gardener Da

Mel George (right) tells Sally Foster (left) that she has severe breast cancer as part of the interactive theater, done by the MU Breast Cancer Project. (Photo by Emily Kaiser) Whether you’re giving or getting bad news, knowing how to communicate is vit

“The way you think, the way you behave, the way you eat can influence your life by 30 to 50 years” ~ Deepak Chopra (Photo in the Public Domain from the National Institutes of Health) Just like bathing and teeth brushing, healthy eating habits are the

Hyphae of Rhizoctonia solani with right-angled branching pattern. J. Thompson photo. Your once beautiful lawn is suddenly sprinkled with unsightly patches of brown grass. Does it need water? Does it need fertilizer? In many cases it needs neither. You cou