Your outdoor news bulletin for April 17, the day Ford unveiled the Mustang for the first time:
GSMP’s Newfound Gap Road Reopened
Newfound Gap Road (Hwy 441), that connects Cherokee, N.C. and Gatlinburg, Ten., has been reopened, Great Smoky Mountain National Park officials said, after a landslide on January 16th washed away approximately 200 feet of road. The road reopened Monday morning, almost exactly four months after the landslide. Originally, repairs were expected to take an extra month, but the National Park Service, Federal Highways Administration, and subcontractors were able to complete the road in less than the projected time.
Soybeans Threatened by Kudzu-Eating Stinkbugs
Ever since the invasive vine was introduced to the United States from Asia, kudzu has become quite a pest, smothering our native plants and crawling across the southeastern landscape. Looks like kudzu is the gift that keeps on giving: stinkbugs from Asia that feed on the vine have been found in the U.S. The first bug was spotted in Georgia in 2009, but researchers at North Carolina State University have recently discovered that these bugs don’t just have a diet for kudzu. Apparently, the bugs also have an appetite for soybeans, a crop farmers grow in various parts of the southeast. Researchers say this could be bad news for soybeans and to farmers. It’s the circle of invasive life.
World: Man’s Best Friend
After his owner became trapped under an overturned car, Boydy, the Australian kelpie, stayed with his master until help came four days later. Seventy-six year old Herbert Schutz crashed his car into a tree Thursday on his property outside Sydney, Australia and became pinned under the vehicle. When authorities finally found him Monday night, his dog had never left his side. Schutz, who was taken to the hospital with some serious injuries, sad that Boydy saved his life and kept him warm during the nights. Truly man’s loyal friend.
Speaking of man’s best friend, our Mountain Dog Photo Contest ends Friday. If you think you pooch could save your life in an emergency, he can certainly win a photo contest, so enter today.
