Seminar to address white wheat potential

Area farmers considering converting their hard red winter wheat crop to a hard white wheat crop are invited to attend a free conference in western Kansas this month.

The Kansas Wheat Commission is sponsoring a summit to bring together farmers and wheat industry officials Jan. 18 in Colby to discuss the challenges and opportunities of growing white wheat.

Demand for white wheat is growing as producers in Asia prefer the variety over the traditional hard winter red wheat grown in most parts of Kansas and the Plains.

Interested participants should make a reservation by calling (785) 539-0255.

Technology exists to rescue old tunes

The Lawrence Apple Users Group will show music fans how to take their music from old sources and transfer them onto digital computer formats.

The meeting is at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Signs of Life Bookstore, 722 Mass. St.

In addition to covering digital music, the meeting will also help attendees learn how to transfer VHS tapes into digital formats suitable for burning DVDs.

The meeting is free and open to the public.

Health officials urge fire safety in new year

As the new year begins, government officials have issued a reminder that the United States has the fourth-highest fire death rate of all industrialized countries.

Cooking is the primary cause of fires in homes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And smoking materials and matches and lighters are the leading cause of fire-related deaths, according to the centers.

The CDC recommends installing smoke alarms on every floor of homes, including the basement.