MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A group of state experts on consumer protection issues will be in Starkville March 5 to discuss a wide range of topics, and via interactive video, people across the state can ask questions directly.

Bobbie Shaffett, family resource management specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, arranged for representatives of the Consumer Division of the attorney general’s office, the secretary of state’s office, and the Better Business Bureau to address consumer issues. The discussion will be broadcast statewide, and county Extension offices will host participants in the conference.

The March 5 session happens during National Consumer Protection Week. The program will be available through interactive video conferencing capabilities by the MSU Extension Service as part of the educational series Quick Bites, offered each Thursday from 12-1 p.m.

“We encourage all Mississippians to bring a bag lunch and go to their local Extension offices to participate in this video conference. Because it is interactive, participants can ask questions of these experts and get information to make better consumer decisions or solve consumer problems,” Shaffett said. “With the U.S. economy struggling, Mississippians should take advantage of educational opportunities to make themselves more savvy consumers.”

For more information on this Quick Bites program, contact Shaffett at bobbies@ext.msstate.edu or call the local MSU Extension Service county office to attend the March 5 Consumer Quick Bites session. For more information on National Consumer Protection Week, visit www.consumer.gov/NCPW.