Eleanor Jane Howard, a senior at Short high school in Liberty, Ind., was chosen District IX FFA Sweetheart. In the talent judging, Miss Howard sang “Turkey in the Straw” interspersed with square dance calls, and sang “Sweetheart of FFA” to her own piano accompaniment.

Estel Callahan, a vocational agriculture teacher in Marion County, has been appointed head of the Indiana Farm Bureau educational department.

Indiana Farm Bureau Cooperative Assoc. has acquired rights to 363 oil wells. The wells are located in southwestern Indiana, northwestern Kentucky and southeastern Illinois. The oil will be refined at the association’s Mt. Vernon refinery.

Victor Gallaher was named Shelby County Corn King for his 30-ear sample of corn. Six former international corn kings served as judges: Peter Lux of Shelbyville, Charles Fischer and Ed Lux of Shelby Township, Ralph Heilman and Marshall Vogler of Hope and Floyd Hiner of Rush County.

Chosen as Queen of the festival was Mrs. John Mitchell of Washington Township. Winner of the Princess title was Peggy Robinson of Fairland.

Golden Flo Guernsey dispersal sale, Frank, Helen & Larry Hubenthall, owners of Mulberry, Ind., selling 58 head of registered Guernseys, current HDI rolling actual average of 9,500-460 – Romayne Sherman, Auctioneer.

A Penn Central freight car loaded with soybeans upset at the Camden Elevator in Carroll County recently, dumping $10,000 worth of soybeans over an embankment.

Marhoefer Packing Co. at Muncie will cease slaughtering cattle, according to John Marhoefer, firm president.

Real estate for sale: 120 acres with 90 tillable, five-room ranch home, 1-1/2-car attached garage, only 10 years old; also, 30-by-50-foot barn-all south of Greensburg, Ind., $39,500 – The Theobald-Lux Agency Realtors, Shelbyville, Ind.

The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) sets new volume record when YTD volume hit 84,115,359 contracts. Total CBOT volume YTD is up 30.4 percent from the same period a year ago.

The Indiana Farm Bureau Young Farmers have named the new officers for the coming year. They are: Bill Brocksmith, Edwardsport, chair; Kerry Ames, Fillmore, vice chair; and Marcia Nagel, Rensselaer, secretary.

“Friends of Extension” awards were bestowed upon Thomas Byers, Brookston; Judy Douglas, Flat Rock; Richard Miller, Kentland; and William Reed, Valparaiso. They received these awards at the annual Purdue University Extension Staff Banquet.

The top-indexing Angus Bull sold at the recent Indiana Beef Evaluation Program sale was consigned by Goodman Angus of Noblesville and sold to Ott Farms of Columbus, Ind., for $2,125. The bull’s test index was 1110.3.

State health officials have confirmed Indiana’s first case of a horse testing positive for the West Nile virus. The case involved a seven-year-old mare in north-central Indiana that had to be euthanized.

Farmers across southeastern Boone County joined together in the true spirit of “Hoosier Hospitality” at the farm of Gerald Padgett, to bring in his last acres of corn and soybeans. Padgett has been unable to harvest the remainder of his crops, due to health reasons and upon hearing the news, farmer Dave Herr rustled up a willing crew of local farmers to bring in the crops. “Everybody was willing to leave their crops to come and help out,” reports Herr.

A Hoosier farm has grown from family operation to major seed company. Beck’s Hybrid Seeds has been awarded the Hoosier Homestead Farm Award this fall, in honor of the farm being in the same family for 100 years or more. The farm was settled by Lawrence Beck, Sonny Beck’s grandfather.

Used farm equipment for sale: 1995 HP MF 399 with cab, $26,500; 128 HP Case 2290 (soft cab), $13,900; 644 NH round baler (net wrap), $14,900; 316 NH square baler, $6,995; ZT331 Bobcat ZTR 72-inch 31 HP, $10,900 – Zimmer Tractor, Brookville and Aurora, Ind., and Monroe, Ohio.