Area juniors and seniors were given the opportunity to experience a variety of careers at the Wallace Community College (WCC) 2013 Girls’ Youth Summit. The annual event, which was held Friday, February 1, drew over 350 girls from local high schools.

Sandra Thomas, a computer science instructor at Troy University, gave a motivational keynote speech that encouraged the audience to begin exploring careers earlier rather than later.

Displays representing career/technical and health science programs were set up for attendees in Cherry Hall. Students dusted for fingerprints, interacted with nursing and respiratory simulators, and viewed robotic displays at the interactive exhibits. Faculty and current students talked about their programs and explained course requirements and employment options.

Wetumpka is the site of the greatest natural disaster to ever hit Alabama, a large meteor strike. It created a five-mile wide crater that is still visible near the city. This happened over 85 million years ago near the end of the “Age of Dinosaurs”.

First discovered in the mid 1970s, an astrobleme, meaning “star wound” was confirmed and registered in 1998 by Dr. David King Jr., Professor of Geology, Auburn University. Because the location was covered by a shallow sea at the time of impact, scientists have declared it to be one of the “best preserved marine impact craters in the world”.

Each year the Wetumpka Impact Crater Commission and City of Wetumpka sponsor several Crater events, a Thursday evening public lecture by Dr David King and Friday school tours and Saturday public tours of the Crater.

Dr. King will conduct a free public lecture on the science of the Crater on Thursday, February 21st at 7:00 pm in the Wetumpka Civic Center, Main Street, Wetumpka.

On Friday, February 22nd the Alabama Cooperative Extension System will teach an educational muscadine/grape and wine production workshop. This meeting will begin at the Nunn-Winston House at Kiesel Park at 8:45 a.m. and will conclude at Whippoorwill Vineyard at 3:00 p.m.

Topics that will be discusses include Muscadine Cultivars, Pierces Disease Resistant Bunch Grape Cultivars, Seedless Table Grape Cultivars, Pierces Disease Resistant Vinifera selections, Planting, Trellising, Training, Pruning Muscadines, and the Basics of Wine Making.

The tour will end with a tour of Whippoorwill Vineyards in Notasulga. To sign-up or for more information, contact the Lee County Extension office at (334) 749-3353.