Got ants?  Tired of ladybug invasions in the fall?  Brought home bed bugs from your last trip?  Alabama Cooperative Extension professionals will moderatre a free webinar series that will take on all of these topics.  In 2013, most of the webinars will be on fire ants and other invasive ant specias.  Other topics for the year include bed bugs and various insects that invade homes each autumn.

Alabama Extension entomologist Dr. Kathy Flanders says these free webinars are designed for homeowners and the general public.

"We will provide them wilth sound, research-based management solutions for these pests from some of the best experts around the country," she says.  "The webinars are specifically for ordinary people wno need answers they can use."

"Participating is as simple as clicking on a web link."

Each webinar will begin at 1 p.m.

The Southern States Athletics Conference released its regular season softball awards at the conference’s postseason banquet, with 10 members from Auburn Montgomery receiving recognition.

First-Team All-Conference selections for Cassie Daniels, Emma Johansen, Jyssica Pepper and Katie Spain highlighted the night for AUM.

In addition, Laci Driggers was named to the All-Division team, Kayla Hale, Taylor Powell and Lauren Shaw made the All-Freshmen team, and Daniels, Spain and Rachel Stuart earned a spot on the All-Academic team. Holly Saint was the Warhawks’ representative on the Musco Lighting Champions of Character team.

AUM landed four players on the all-conference team for the first time since its debut season in 2009, while the three freshmen recognized was the most in program history.

Daniels leads the Warhawk pitching staff with a 17-3 record and 175 strikeouts in 129 1/3 innings.

Crash activity reports from the Alabama Department of Public Safety show the number of people who died in vehicle crashes where seat belts were available and were not wearing seat belts increased from last month.

According to preliminary traffic crash data, there were 45 people killed in vehicle crashes investigated by state troopers in Alabama in April 2013 compared to 42 in March. Of that number, 37 were in vehicles where seat belts were available, and 26 victims were not wearing seat belts up from 20 in March. That’s six more deaths.

“Too many people continue to die in crashes because they are not wearing seat belts,” said Transportation Director John Cooper. “It’s a proven fact that buckling up every time we get behind the wheel or ride as a passenger helps save lives.