Lowell Taylor, president of the Fair Board and Gibson County resident, stated that top stars will be entertaining at the Indiana State Fair this year: Pat Boone; Georgia Gibbs; Guy Mitchell; Joni James’ Fontane Sisters; Four Aces; Jan Garber; and the Lennon Sisters.

A Hoosier company is being organized to start corn farms in Jamaica. Philip Willkie of Rushville is one the company organizers – others include Marion Crawley, Lafayette Jefferson High School basketball coach; James Gregory, president of the United States Publish Co. in Indianapolis; S.C. Kivette Jr,, Indianapolis attorney; and R.L. Palmer, Indianapolis builder.

Mark Pickering of Lewisville ended his 4-H career in a blaze of glory by copping three championships. He showed the Champion Hampshire Hog, the Champion Crossbred Hog and the Grand Champion Hog, the Hampshire. He also was Reserve Grand Champion Showman, with the top honor in that category going to Frank Meyers of Lewisville. His Grand Champion Hog sold to Dennis Equipment of New Castle for $1.01 per pound.

The Spotlight Sale of Champion 4-H livestock was offered to the highest bidders. The Grand Champion Steer, a shorthorn that weighed 1,131 pounds and owned by Dan Riecke of Avilla, was purchased for $43,500 by Ed Gossett for Ermco Electric Co. Bob Evans of Gallipolis, Ohio, paid $3,000 for the 208-pound Grand Champion Barrow, a Hampshire raised by Dale Johnson of Clarks Hill. Richard Bennett Furniture paid $550 for the Grand Champion Wether Suffolk Sheep raised by Larry Horney of Clarks Hill.

A record price of $8,400 was paid for the Grand Champion Barrow of the Illinois State Fair, as a surprise gift for Russian Prime Minister Alexei Kosygin. The bidder and gift-giver was Harold Heinold of Kouts, who purchased the Hampshire barrow during the Governor’s Auction of Grand Champions. The owner of the animal, Colleen Callahan, is a senior in agriculture communications at the University of Illinois.

Rex Schrader of Schrader Real Estate & Auction Co. won two national advertising awards at the National Assoc. of Auctioneers annual meeting recently in Hollywood, Fla. He received Best of Show award for a video presentation and first place for a marketing brochure.

Mexican bean beetles are threatening some soybean fields in Montgomery County. In some cases it’s the worst outbreak in five years.

The number of farms in Kentucky is estimated at 99,000. This ranks the Commonwealth fourth, nationally. The only states with more farms than Kentucky are Texas (160,000), Missouri (114,000) and Iowa (107,000).

Two Ohio horses were euthanized after West Nile virus symptoms were confirmed, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture. The virus is transferred from blue jays and crows to horses via mosquitoes. The virus causes nerve degeneration and can lead to encephalitis swelling of the brain in horses.

A cow named Magic has shown why the name fits. The Holstein gave birth to triplet calves at Sunnyhill Farms, a 100-cow and 600-acre grain operation near Deshler, Ohio. Magic is owned by Jerry Rosebrook and his wife, Brenda, and her brother Mark Seedorf. All females, the calves were named Meenie, Minie and Moe.