News Update

September 21, 2015

Saddle & Sirloin Portrait Unveiling

The deadline to attend the Dave Nichols portrait unveiling is Oct. 1. Those wishing to attend the 2015 Saddle & Sirloin Portrait Gallery Event, held at the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE), are encouraged to act quickly.

Supporters can purchase tickets or make charitable gifts toward portrait and banquet expenses in Nichols’ honor by visiting, www.nicholssaddleandsirloin.com.

A leader in both the Angus and Simmental breeds, Nichols is a current member of the American Angus Association Board of Directors. Nichols Farms has grown under his leadership to encompass 5,500 acres, 1,500 head of breeding stock and a small feedlot.

The Saddle & Sirloin Club will honor these and Nichols’ other industry contributions, too numerous to list, during a special program and portrait unveiling at 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, in the South Wing Conference Center of the KFEC.

For more information, please view the full news release online.

— Adapted from a release by Carrie Horsley, Angus Foundation.

Agriculture Committee to Examine Dietary Guidelines

House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) announced a hearing with U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell on Oct. 7 at 9 a.m., which will focus on the process for developing the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA).

Earlier this year, Conaway sent a letter, along with Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) and Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC), to Vilsack and Burwell raising concerns about recommendations received from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC). Conaway also signed on to a letter in March authored by Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) expressing similar concerns. Most recently, Conaway was joined by Ranking Member Colin Peterson (D-MN) in May seeking details from USDA and HHS on their plans for reviewing the more than 29,000 public comments that were received.

“Every American is affected by these nutritional recommendations, which is why it is essential for them to be based on sound, consistent and irrefutable science. However, the DGAC greatly exceeded its scope with its February 2015 report by straying from traditional nutritional recommendations and advising on wider policy issues like sustainability and tax policy,” Chairman Conaway said.

For more information, please view the full Agriculture Committee release online.

— Adapted from a release by Haley Graves, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture.

Vilsack Announces USDA Chief of Staff

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Sept. 18 the appointment of Karla Thieman as Chief of Staff for the USDA. The position was recently vacated by Brian Baenig.

Thieman joined USDA in April 2014, serving as a Senior Policy Advisor to Vilsack and, most recently, as Chief of Staff to Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden. Prior to joining USDA, Thieman worked for the Senate Agriculture Committee for more than five years, serving under three Chairs of the Committee: Senator Tom Harkin, Senator Blanche Lincoln, and Senator Debbie Stabenow.

For more information, please view the full USDA release online.

— Adapted from a release by the USDA Office of Communications.

Department of Livestock Reports Unusual Rabies Case in Missoula County

On Monday Sept. 14, the Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) reported the first case of terrestrial (non-bat) rabies in Missoula County in nearly 20 years. The rabies-infected animal was a skunk captured in the Harpers Bridge Road area of Missoula County on Sept. 10. A day earlier a resident of that area was bitten by a skunk, but the skunk was not captured. The next day, a neighbor captured a skunk after the animal had an encounter with his dogs and submitted it for testing.

Missoula County public health officials indicate that the bite victim has begun the rabies post exposure treatment and notification has been given to area residents. MDOL and Missoula City County Animal Control are working together on the management of exposed domestic animals. Animal Control is also attempting to trap and test other skunks in the area to help determine the extent of the problem.

For more information, please view the full release online.

— Adapted from a release by Jayson O’Neill, Montana Department of Agriculture.

Veterinarians Receive Prestigious Continuing Education Award

AgriLabs will present the two recipients of the AgriLabs Dr. Bruce Wren Continuing Education Awards at the 2015 American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) annual conference in New Orleans, La., Sept. 17-19.

These annual awards honor Bruce Wren, DVM, PhD, a long-time AgriLabs technical services veterinarian, in recognition of his lifelong commitment to practical and formal continuing education for veterinarians. A $5,000 continuing education grant is given to one dairy veterinarian and one beef veterinarian who are involved in a veterinary practice and have graduated veterinary school within the last 10 years. Each grant makes possible professional continuing education proposed by the applicant.

The 2015 recipients are: Anita Varga, Carpay, Calif., (beef winner), and Gabe Middleton, Orrville, Ohio (dairy winner).

For more information, please view the full release online.

— Adapted from a release by Robin Hughes, AgriLabs.

— Compiled by Paige Nelson, field editor, Angus Journal.

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