Last month at the Indiana State Fair, Purdue Extension specialists were still talking about the potential for record yields for corn and soybeans.

A month of drought conditions can change that.

Purdue corn specialist Bob Nielsen says a month ago he was very optimistic about the size of this corn crop, but now not so much.  He says the U.S. Department of Agriculture projected that Indiana farmers would produce 979.4 million bushels of corn, compared with last year‘s 596.9 million bushels.

Now, Nielsen says yields could fall by as much as 10 percent because of the month-long dry spell.  The dry weather could also hurt yield for soybeans, Indiana‘s second-largest crop behind corn.  “We need rain to retain pods and to finish seed fill,” said Purdue soybean specialist Shaun Casteel said.

“The hilltops of some fields are burning up, and those plants will not recover. But there isn‘t that much severe stress in most of the state.”  The state climate office at Purdue says the state finished August about an inch-and-a-half below normal for rainfall.

The U.S. Drought Monitor says much of the northern half of the state is now abnormally dry, with west-central Indiana in moderate drought conditions.  Much of the state got some rain over the weekend, and cooler weather is expected later this week.

We already knew that people with red hair are at a higher risk for sunburn and skin cancer.

New research shows that it might be because of genetics.  The study from researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine says a mutation in a gene called MCR1 gives redheads both the color of their hair and the fairness of their skin.

That genetic mutation may also trigger a signaling pathway for melanoma when redheads are exposed to ultraviolet rays.  “I wouldn‘t say it‘s a genetic mutation, because it is normal for these folks.  But their normal doesn‘t provide any protection,” said Dr. Lawrence Mark, assistant professor of dermatology at IU Medical School.

The research sheds new light on why redheads are more likely to get melanoma, a heightened risk that was generally understood. He says the receptor allows activation of machinery that revs the cell up.  “When it is revved up, if it can‘t turn itself back off, that‘s the beginning of a cancer cell.”

This should lead to more research on how to better protect those with fair skin.  “It helps people who are working on therapy to further identify whether there are ways that we can block the overactive machinery inside the cell for those people who are unable to have it turn off again,” Mark said.  Until that therapy is found, Dr. Mark says wear your sunscreen – and that goes for people of all skin and hair types.

Indiana University has secured the original prow from the battleship USS Indiana, which served in the Pacific during World War II and was the last ship to be named for the Hoosier state.

The prow of the USS Indiana, above, will be reunited with its mainmast and two of its gun mounts at Indiana University’s Memorial Stadium.

The acquisition means the ship’s prow will be reunited with its mainmast and two of its gun mounts, which have been on display outside Memorial Stadium’s west entrance since May 1966. A plaque there notes the items were a gift from the U.S. Navy and stand “as a memorial to the sons and daughters of the state of Indiana who have so gallantly served in the armed forces of our nation.”

The university will formally welcome the ship’s prow to its new home with a rededication ceremony Sept. 7, when IU hosts Navy in a home football game. Representatives from the university, the U.S. Navy and the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center in Martin County, as well local, state and federal lawmakers, are expected to be on hand.

“Indiana University is an appropriate home for this treasured vestige of naval history and tradition from the last warship named in honor of our great state,” IU President Michael A. McRobbie said. “The fact that we have an opportunity to preserve a physical piece of this legacy and provide a lasting home for it at the state’s flagship public university is a source of immense pride that I share with all Hoosiers.”

A 35,000-ton South Dakota class battleship, the USS Indiana was commissioned in April 1942. She participated in the invasion of the Gilbert Islands in November 1943 and the Marshall Islands in January 1944, and took part in the Marianas campaign in June 1944. Following an overhaul, she returned to the Western Pacific in January 1945 in time to participate in the invasion of Iwo Jima. The ship, which earned nine battle stars for her service in World War II, was decommissioned in September 1947 and then sold for scrap in 1963.

The Frank Spenger family, whose patriarch collected Navy memorabilia, saved the front portion of the ship from being scrapped and displayed it for decades in the parking lot of the family’s seafood restaurant in Berkeley, Calif.

The prow came to the attention of IU officials last year when alumnus Scott Clarke suggested, via a letter to the editor in a Bloomington newspaper, that the university procure the prow and display it at Memorial Stadium.

Kirk White, IU’s assistant vice president for strategic partnerships and military liaison for the Office of the President, enlisted the assistance of the San Francisco Bay alumni chapter to reach out to the Spenger family. The family agreed to donate the structure to the university, thereby reuniting the prow with its mainmast and guns.

“This generous gift from the Spenger family allows Indiana University to honor the contributions of its alumni and all Hoosiers by displaying the prow of this namesake ship that served so proudly in the Pacific theater during World War II,” White said. “South-central Indiana has long enjoyed a strong relationship with the U.S. Navy through the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center, and installing this piece of history at Memorial Stadium will further recognize the men and women from our state who have served in all branches of the military.”

The USS Indiana prow is expected to arrive at Memorial Stadium in July, where it will be mounted on a platform near its guns and mast. Transportation and a refurbishment project are being paid for through private funds. The prow will be sandblasted, primed and painted on-site, work that will be overseen by the IU Physical Plant.

Other artifacts from the USS Indiana are displayed throughout the state, including one of the battleship’s anchors at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum at Fort Wayne and her bell at the Heslar Naval Armory in Indianapolis.

Annual Giving Campaign: BE MOVED – The Y strives daily to move our citizens and community to a brighter future and we invite you to join us in our efforts.  The 2013 Annual Giving Campaign is currently underway.  How does a donation to the Y impact our community?  For Betty, we helped her get back on her feet after double bypass surgery.  The opportunities are endless for how the Y can move people to a happier, healthier more fulfilled life.  Won’t you join us?  To learn more about how you can move people through a donation to the Y’s annual campaign, contact Beth Armstrong at 883-YMCA or make your donation online by visiting www.wcfymca.org.

Soccer – Watch confidence kick-in as our next 6 week season of fall soccer begins.  Join us for the basics of learning fundamental soccer skills while providing games in a positive environment rather than “win-at-all-costs.”  All divisions will have practice during the week and games on Saturdays. Registration deadline was August 23^rd but applications are still being received. Practice begins the week of August 26^th and games kickoff on September 7^th.    Volunteer coaches needed.  Shin guards required. Cost is $40 for members and $55 for no members.  Scholarships available.  Registration is available online.

Preschool Registration is Open – Join us for the 2013-2014 school year as we join you in partnership to prepare your child for that big step to kindergarten.  Our preschool is proud to offer the opportunity for our students to interact with a Smart Board in our classroom to help them transition to kindergarten where they will be working with Smart Boards each day.  Classes start as early as 2 ½ years old for kids.  Scholarships are available for students.  Come check us out, meet our teachers Miss Robin and Miss Cassie, learn about our class schedules and visit our classrooms. Classes started August 19^th and spaces are still available.

Martial Arts & Tumbling–  Martial Arts and Tumbling kicked off a new 12 week session on July 22^nd & 23rd but you can still get in!  Registration will close on September 3^rd for Martial Arts.  New sessions will start in both programs in October.   Registration fees will be prorated at the time you register.  Martial Arts is for youth 5 and up and Tumbling is for youth 4 and up.  Visit our website or stop by our facility to check out the schedule, registration costs and get all the full details. Call ahead to find out when sessions meet and visit one of our programs to see firsthand how we are building strong kids!

Before/Afterschool Program – Through a partnership with Salem Community Schools the Y is proud to offer before and afterschool care at Bradie Shrum.  Before school care is offered from 6 – 7:30AM each day for free.  Afterschool care is provided each day from 3-6PM.  The program is free until 4:30PM.  Cost from 4:30-6PM is $10/week per child for members, $15/week per child for non-members.  During afterschool, snacks and specialty classes are offered from 3-4pm, 4-4:30pm is homework help and 4:30-6pm is games and activities. Questions?  Call Cassie Summers-Corp at 883-YMCA or cassie@wcfymca.org.

Healthy Helpings – Joni Muchler with Purdue Extension will be sharing some recipes for Healthy Desserts on Wednesday, September 11^th from 5 to 7pm.  Each month, Joni will host Healthy Helpings at the YMCA.  These free events serve as education, support, and motivation for those members looking for the right path to take in your nutrition program. Join us for free samples and Q&A in the Lobby.

ROCK-N-RUN 5K – Our annual fall 5K has a new theme and feel to it this year.  Let the beat move you as we come together Saturday, September 28^th for our annual 5K to support the giving campaign. This year we are partnering with our local radio station WSLM to provide a Rock-N-Run!  Registration is $18 for adults and $10 for youth.  Youth ages 5 and under are free.  Registration deadline is September 20^th.

Kids Club – With preschool back in session, starting August 19^th our Kids Club services will no longer be offered in the morning.  We will still have our regular hours on Monday – Thursday from 4-8pm and Saturdays from 8am-11am and the cost is $1 per hour.  Bring your family and come play at the Y!

CPR & First Aid Classes – Join us at the YMCA on Sunday, October 26^th 9AM to 1PM for CPR & First Aid Certification through the American Health and Safety Institute.  Local EMT, firefighter and YMCA member, Matt Kidd is a certified trainer and will be facilitating the workshop.  The cost of the training is $40 per person.

CONSTRUCTION Update on Shelby Street – Shelby Street is now open one way for North bound traffic.  If you are coming from that direction please feel free to use Shelby Street otherwise use Sparks Ferry Road to access the Y until further notice.

IU Football Ticket Raffle to support YMCA Annual Giving Campaign– Thanks to a donation from local radio station WSLM, the winner will receive 4 Tickets for the September 14 game against Bowling Green.  Raffle tickets are available at the YMCA Front desk for $5 or purchase 5 chances for $20.  The winner will be chosen on Sept. 10^th at the YMCA.  Fans of IU won’t want to miss this great opportunity to win tickets to a great game and also support a local non-profit organization.

About 100 water utility customers in Brown County are being required to boil their drinking and cooking water until Thursday.

The boil order comes after a water main break in a neighborhood.

The boil order was issued Friday afternoon.

The boil order only effects water for human consumption and does not effect cleaning water.

The U.S. Drought Monitor Map has more than 30-percent of the state in abnormally dry conditions.

The majority of the effected counties are in the central third of the state with a few counties in northwest Indiana.

The state’s corn and soybean yield could be affected by the recent hot dry weather, but not near to the extent as last year’s record drought.

Kyle Busch continued Joe Gibbs Racing’s domination at 1.5-mile speedways, winning Sunday night’s AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Gibbs cars have won five of the six races on 1.5-mile speedways this season. That’s key with half of the 10 Chase races on such tracks.

Busch’s victory, his fourth of the season, also clinched a top-10 spot in the Chase. Others who clinched top-10 spots in the Chase on Sunday were Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth. They join Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer, who had previously clinched. Kasey Kahne secured at least a Wild Card with his two victories this season.

That leaves five Chase spots to be determined this weekend at Richmond International Raceway. NASCAR states that 10 drivers are eligible for those remaining Chase spots.

Kurt Busch heads into Richmond in 10th place in the points – the final automatic spot for the Chase. He earned that spot with a fourth-place finish Sunday night.

“It was just a battle, just a battle all night,’’ said Kurt Busch, who went from 10th to second in one lap on a restart. “The car was not a great car. We missed it, but we’ll take it.’’

Jeff Gordon is 11th in the season standings, six points behind Kurt Busch.

“The track changed quite a bit and we just couldn’t battle up front there forthe lead and for the win like I thought we could have,’’ said Gordon, who finished sixth.

Martin Truex Jr. finished third and heads into Richmond holding the second and final Wild Card spot. He leads Ryan Newman by five points for that spot.

Truex held on to a Wild Card spot with a gritty run, driving with a fractured right wrist.

“It was pretty tough there for a while, just hanging on to the car with my wrist,’‘ Truex said. “It hurt pretty bad there for a while. Just glad we were able to put together a decent night.’’

Defending series champion Brad Keselowski’s struggles continued. He finished 35th after his engine blew late in the race. He fell to 15th in the standings. Keselowski is 28 points out of 10th place. He likely needs a win and even that might not be enough to make the Chase.

“Kind of seems how our year has gone, anything that can go wrong seems to be going wrong,’’ crew chief Paul Wolfe said.

Kyle Busch can relate to those struggles, missing the Chase last year at Richmond.

There are no such worries after he led the final 36 laps to win Sunday.

“I’ll be frank … the last probably four races or five races besides Watkins Glen, we probably weren’t racing to par’’ Kyle Busch said. “Tonight it didn’t look like it was either and then we turned it around and had a great night. That’s what I’m most impressed about.’’

Kyle Busch admitted he wasn’t happy about the car early in the race and was vocal about it.

“We had a lot to overcome,’’ Kyle Busch said. “Dave and these guys stuck with me for as bad as I may have been talking. For as tight as it was and then as loose as it was and just trying to make our way through the field, the green-flag runs that we got, they’re always my best friends.’’

They also helped Joey Logano. He overcame a loose left rear wheel that forced him to make an unscheduled pit stop about a third of the way through the race to finish second. It’s his sixth consecutive top-10 finish and moved him to eighth in the points, improving his chances of making his first Chase.

“This team is super strong and it looks like we’re hitting our stride at the right time right here,’’ Logano said.

Others didn’t have it as well. Clint Bowyer blew an engine while leading. Points leader Jimmie Johnson’s car was damaged in an incident on a restart less than 35 laps into the race. He later spun trying to avoid Jeff Burton as Burton slowed to pit. Denny Hamlin’s frustrations continued. His team changed engines before the race, forcing him to start at the rear and he suffered engine issues in the race. He also spun after being hit from behind by Paul Menard.

The Indianapolis Colts today claimed tight end Jack Doyle off waivers (Tennessee), waived running back Kerwynn Williams and signed six players to its practice squad, including, OLB-Daniel Adongo, C-Thomas Austin, QB-Chandler Harnish, TE-Dominique Jones, LB-Josh McNary and CB-Sheldon Price.

Doyle, 6-6, 258 pounds, is an Indianapolis native who spent his prep years at Cathedral High School and then attended Western Kentucky University. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent on May 10, 2013. In four collegiate seasons, Doyle totaled 162 receptions for 1,769 yards and eight touchdowns in 42 games. He finished his career ranked second on WKU’s all-time receptions list. As a senior last season, Doyle set a career-high with five touchdowns en route to being named a First Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection.

Doyle earned three letters in football at Cathedral and was a Special Selection All-State, Associated Press Honorable Mention All-State and an Indianapolis Star Honorable Mention All-City selection. As a senior, he compiled 21 receptions for 400 yards and four touchdowns as the Fighting Irish won the 2006 state championship.

Williams was selected by the Colts in the seventh round (230^th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft. At Utah State, he finished seventh in school history with 2,515 rushing yards on 382 carries. He also totaled 22 rushing touchdowns and five receiving touchdowns. Williams’ 6.6 yards per carry average ranks fifth in school annals and his 22 rushing touchdowns rank seventh all-time.

Adongo was originally signed by the Colts on July 25, 2013. Prior to joining the Colts, he played for the Southern Kings of Super 15 Rugby, the highest level of pro rugby in the world.

Austin was originally signed by the Colts as a free agent on August 1, 2013. He has appeared in seven career games (one start) with the Carolina Panthers (2012) and Houston Texans (2011).

Harnish was selected by the Colts in the seventh round (253^rd overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft. He was inactive for the first five games of the regular season last year before being signed to the practice squad on October 18, 2012.

Jones was originally signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent on April 30, 2012. In four games (one start) last season, he caught one pass for eight yards.

McNary was originally signed by the Colts as a free agent on April 11, 2013. At Army, he totaled 195 tackles (117 solo), 49.0 tackles for loss, 28.0 sacks, nine passes defensed, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in 46 games played.

Price was originally signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent on April 30, 2013. At UCLA, he competed in 47 games (45 starts) and registered 157 tackles (123 solo), five interceptions, two forced fumbles and 21 passes defensed.

The Indiana State Police is urging the media to report the accurate context of accused murderer David Camm’s employment.

Camm is on trial for the third time after two convictions were turned over on appeal.

He’s accused of killing his wife and children in Georgetown, Indiana in September of 2000.

The state police in a news release say a majority of media outlets reporting on the Camm trial frequently introduce the news story as “Former Indiana State Trooper David Camm. They say that statement can lead some people to believe the reason Camm is a former trooper is because of his alleged crime.

However, the state police informs the public that Camm resigned as a state trooper four months before the murders. The release goes on to say that the murders and devastation to the families and friends of the victims is the story and should be the focus and where Camm worked four months prior to the murders has no bearing on the crimes.

A Scott County man was arrested on a variety of charges after police found drugs in a home.

Matthew Anderson, 28, of Austin was arrested Tuesday on charges of dealing in methamphetamine, dealing in heroin, dealing in a controlled substance, criminal recklessness with a firearm and maintaining a common nuisance, according to a news release from the Scott County Sheriff’s Department.

He was booked into the Scott County Jail at 12:07 a.m. Wednesday.

Jessica Tash, 24, of Lexington also was arrested on a charge of visiting a common nuisance. She was booked into the jail at 12:12 a.m. Wednesday and was released at 11:48 a.m. Wednesday after posting bond.

Police reported the search of the residence turned up what was described as a “significant amount” of cash, two ounces of crystal methamphetamine, numerous prescription narcotics, and paraphernalia related to the use and dealing of heroin, methamphetamine and controlled substances.

Officers with the FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force, Indiana State Police and Austin Police Department assisted.