The All Majors Career and Internship Fair | Spring 2022 is the perfect opportunity to find qualified students and alumni to help your business or organization. Registration price of $250 ($150 government/nonprofit rate) includes: 1 eight ft. table 2 chairs Light refreshments during the event 2 lunch vouchers 1 parking pass for the Student Center Parking Garage Additional lunch vouchers, parking passes and booth spaces are available for an extra fee. Please allow 24-48 business hours for the CCPD to review all career event registrations. For more information, contact the CCPD at ccpd@sfasu.edu or 936.468.3305.
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Photo from SFA Center for Career and Professional Development
Woodland Heights Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has been designated as a Level 3 Neonatal Facility by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
The designation requires 24-hour, in-house coverage specialized personnel, including board-certified neonatologists available at all times.
A Level III NICU designation is the second-to-highest level of neonatal care and is a reflection of Woodland Heights’ ability to care for and treat critically ill newborns.
“Caring for our tiniest patients is a group effort and this designation is once again evidence of our commitment to providing quality care,” states Drew Emery, CEO. “This means our hospital provides Angelina County and the entire deep East Texas area with expert care for newborns who need highly specialized treatment.”
State law requires all NICUs to apply for neonatal level of care designations and undergo a rigorous evaluation and verification to ensure NICUs meet stringent clinical care guidelines set by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Woodland Heights Medical Center established the first NICU in deep East Texas in 2013 and currently has a 15-bed unit, which serves the most critically ill and premature infants who require specialized care. The unit is equipped with intensive care nursery technology and is staffed by a compassionate team of medical professions which includes a 24-hour on call Neonatologist and 24-hour in-house Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. All local Obstetricians have privileges at the hospital, which gives families the choice of where their baby is born or admitted to the NICU.
“We are proud to offer such a high level of care for these patients so their family and support system can stay close to home while they are here getting stronger,” states Carla Turner, RN-MSN, WHMC director of Women’s Services & NICU. “Parents can trust that their babies are getting the best care in an atmosphere that promotes family-centered care.”
Woodland Heights is the ONLY Level III NICU in the deep East Texas area. For more information or to take a virtual tour of the Women’s Center at Woodland Heights, visit the Maternity Care Services page at WoodlandHeights.net.
Picture: Pictured along with Chief of Pediatrics Jeff Glass, M.D. and Chief of Neonatology Linda Chase, M.D. are members of the NICU team as well as hospital leadership.
About Woodland Heights Medical Center
Established in 1919, Woodland Heights Medical Center was Lufkin’s first hospital. Now, more than a century later, Woodland Heights is recognized throughout Deep East Texas as the leading provider of high quality, innovative health care services. Accommodating a wide range of clinical specialties, Woodland Heights has achieved excellence in key medical and surgical areas including cardiology, pulmonology, neurology, orthopedic surgery, physical medicine/rehabilitation, vascular surgery and obstetrics and gynecology. Woodland Heights also offers a full range of outpatient diagnostic services including advanced imaging, laboratory, outpatient surgery and emergency services. Through its Rehabilitation Center, Woodland Heights offers cardiac rehabilitation, stroke recovery and physical, occupational, speech and pelvic floor rehabilitation. The facility also houses the first Level 2 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the deep East Texas area. Woodland Heights is directly or indirectly owned by a partnership that proudly includes physician owners, including certain members of the hospital’s medical staff. Woodland Heights offers a free e-newsletter with a monthly dose of health and wellness inspiration sent directly to your inbox from a trusted medical source. Sign up at WoodlandHeights.net/enewsletter-sign-up. Combining modern facilities, leading technology, an exceptional staff and a commitment to the communities it serves, Woodland Heights Medical Center remains at the forefront of quality health care in Deep East Texas.
With vehicle crashes continuing to be the leading cause of death for U.S. teenagers, TxDOT’s “Teen Click It or Ticket” campaign is urging teens across the state to buckle up in every seat for every ride. Students will see that message next Friday, Feb. 25, at Central ISD.
The Teen Click It or Ticket campaign is making a stop in the Lufkin District and will be available on the Central ISD campus from 2 pm to 6 pm. Students will see a large box truck with electronic messaging and will be able to scan a code on the side of the trailer pledging to wear a seatbelt.
“This effort is geared to reach our youngest drivers,” said Rhonda Oaks, public information officer. “We want teens to commit to wearing a seatbelt. TxDOT is committed to saving lives and ending the streak of daily deaths on our roadways. We believe reaching out to teens in this way could help them remember to buckle up.”
Many parents have had to endure the nightmare of losing their teens in car crashes in which they weren’t wearing their seat belts. A seat belt offers the best protection in a crash, but seat belt use remains low among teen drivers and passengers. In 2020, 46 percent (138 of 300) of teen drivers killed in vehicle crashes were not wearing a seat belt.
“We want to remind teens to take responsibility not only for themselves but also for those who are riding in their vehicle. Everyone must buckle up,” said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. “One simple click of a seat belt can save a life.”
Throughout February, the “Teen Click It or Ticket” campaign is highly visible, seeking to reach Texas teens with its seat belt safety message. The outreach includes TV, digital advertising, and social media. Additionally, an interactive element will be introduced as the campaign makes visits to 11 high school campuses across the state, such as Central ISD, with its “Teen Click It or Ticket” vehicle.
Teens will also be educated on Texas law which requires drivers and all passengers to wear a seat belt. Unbuckled drivers and passengers — even those in the back seat — can face fines and fees of up to $200.
“Teen Click It or Ticket” is a key component of #EndTheStreakTX, a broader social media and word-of-mouth effort that encourages drivers to make safer choices while behind the wheel, like wearing a seat belt, driving the speed limit, never texting and driving and never driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Nov. 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways. #EndTheStreakTX asks all Texans to commit to driving safely to help end the streak of daily deaths.
For more information, contact Rhonda.Oaks@txdot.gov or call (936) 633-4395.
The information contained in this report represents reportable data collected from the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report (CR-3). This information was received and processed by the department as of January 10, 2022
The Angelina College Roadrunners have been one of the surprise stories in Region XIV this season. Not only was the team coming off a year-long layoff because of the pandemic, but the ‘Runners also fielded a brand-new roster – not to mention a new head coach with no coaching experience at the junior college level. The preseason prognosticators predicted the AC guys would finish near the bottom of the conference standings.
Their predictions were wrong, as head coach J.J. Montgomery, assistant coach Ra’Kim Hollis and the Roadrunners have shown themselves as one of the toughest outs in the league.
Entering this Saturday’s matchup with No. 21 Lee College, the Roadrunners sport a surprising – at least according to those early predictions – record of 11-13, 7-8. AC has kept itself in the hunt for a berth in the upcoming conference tournament; the team sits just two games out of fourth place with four games remaining in the regular season.
This surprising group of ‘Runners boast several players in the mix of various league categories: Quandre Bullock is second in the league in scoring with a 17.5 points-per-game average. Errol White is third in the conference in rebounding at a 9.0 board-per-game clip; and Caleb Johnson is fourth in Region XIV in field-goal percentage, shooting at a 58.7 percent clip.
To help pack Shands Gymnasium – “The Palace in the Pines” – Angelina College is hosting several events for Saturday’s “Orange Out” game. Attending fans are asked to wear orange in support of the Roadrunner. In addition, AC is encouraging all students from Angelina County school districts to attend while representing their schools. Students can sign in to earn points for their respective districts, and the school district with the largest percentage of its student body in attendance will win a scholarship for free books for giving away at respective Project Graduation/Celebration activities. All donations from Saturday’s game will be donated to the winning school district.
Also in attendance for Saturday’s big game will be representatives from the Angelina College Alumni and Friends Network. Members of the AFN will enjoy reserved seating, and the AFN team will be on-hand to offer information on the numerous incentives and benefits involved with both annual and lifetime memberships.
There will be plenty of other activities during half time for those in attendance.
Game time at Shands Gymnasium is 4 p.m. Admission to the game is free, and free live streaming will be available at http://angelinaathletics.com.
14 year old Jayden West of Zavalla is one of the students participating in the Reach for the Stars show at the Angelina County Youth Fair in March.
One of the best events you’ll see at the Angelina County Fair is called Reach for the Stars “Celebrating the Possibilities”. It will be a livestock show on Thursday, March 24 at 5 pm that will showcase the talents of special needs youth from across our county. Participants will be paired up with a 4-H or FFA buddy to exhibit livestock and learn that they can succeed in the show arena as well.
Jayden is the 14-year-old son of Jaime and Jason West, and has one sister, Jaylyn. He is a student at Zavalla Junior High where he is in the 8th grade Life Skills class. His mom, Jaime, says, “Jayden is very large for his age and often gets mistaken for being a full grown man.”
When asked what led them to participate in the show, “We were invited last year to watch Timothy Barge (friend of ours) and invited to the event to participate this year by Tara Boulware.” From this prior experience they decided to sign up.
Outside of participating in the County Fair, Jayden says he really loves to cook, go fishing and draw. He also is very interested in animals at the County Fair.
Jayden lost his great grandfather, who was his best friend, in an accident in 2017. His mom said, “It took a lot of counseling for him to overcome the trauma of losing his best friend.” Jaime said she wants Jayden to gain more courage and improved social skills as a result of participating in the show.
The family lives on Lake Sam Rayburn and currently own a house that they rent out on Airbnb. Their dream is to make a permanent business out of renting out Airbnb’s and an RV park for Jayden to be hired as maintenance-man as a way to make a living when he is older.
Karen Stafford is one of the volunteers leading this show. Stafford says, “I had started seeing this type of show in other counties around Texas, and I’ve seen some special needs kids showing at the major stock shows, and I just felt like it was time to see if we could offer something like this in our county and our community.”
“The support and enthusiasm have been overwhelmingly positive,” Stafford continues, “We have had so many people step forward wanting to volunteer in a number of ways, both adults and kids. The response from the 4-H and FFA kids willing to donate their animals and be buddies for the exhibitors is very heartwarming. We have such an amazing community that really wants to see this show be successful.”
Looking ahead, she states, “I hope these exhibitors will see that livestock showing really is achievable for them and maybe they will consider joining a 4-H or FFA group and becoming a part of the Angelina County Fair in the future. Also, animals can have calming and therapeutic effects, and I’ve seen what it can do for kids with different ranges of disabilities. These livestock animals might be what a kid needs, but they just might not know it yet.”
Registration for the Reach for the Stars show is available online at AngelinaCountyFair.com. This is an opportunity for special needs children in grades 3 – 12. The event is free but you must pre-register by March 18th at the website under the “contest tab”.
The public is invited to see the Reach for the Stars show at 5pm on Thursday, March 24 in the main arena of the EXPO in Lufkin.
Cary Sims is the County Extension Agent for agriculture and natural resources for Angelina County. His email address is cw-sims@tamu.edu.
The members of Texas A&M AgriLife will provide equal opportunities in programs and activities, education, and employment to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity and will strive to achieve full and equal employment opportunity throughout Texas A&M AgriLife.
Angelina College’s Lady Roadrunners have put together quite a four-game winning streak to move upward in the conference standings, with Wednesday’s win over No. 7 Tyler Junior College the latest step on the ladder.
Just four days after knocking off No. 12 Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, the Lady ‘Runners took a convincing 73-57 win over the Lady Apaches Wednesday at Shands Gymnasium.
AC battled back from a 21-10 deficit in the second quarter, reeling off a 16-2 run to take the lead momentarily. The teams ended the first half tied at 27-27.
With no more than a bucket separating them throughout most of the third period, the game turned in AC’s favor for good when the Lady Roadrunners launched another scoring run, this a 12-1 surge that essentially sealed the win.
While the team’s scoring was balanced overall, the defensive play proved crucial against a high-scoring Lady Apache team. AC forced 22 Tyler turnovers, converting those into 27 points.
AC’s Lovietta “Pinky” Walker put together a double-double – her fifth of the season – finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Zaraya March scored 15 points and pulled down eight boards; Jakayla Parks contributed 14 points; and Derrica Gilbert just missed out on a double-double of her own with 10 points and nine rebounds.
Nadechika Laccen led Tyler with 20 points.
The Lady Roadrunners (19-7, 9-6) travel to Brenham on Saturday to face Blinn College in a game scheduled for a 2 p.m. start.
The email address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.
The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre’s presentation of the student-directed one-act play “In Shakespeare and the Bible,” originally slated for Feb. 4 and 5, has been rescheduled for March 18 and 19.
The play had to be rescheduled due to the campus closure on Feb. 4 in expectation of inclement weather.
Thornton Wilder’s “In Shakespeare and the Bible” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 18, and at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 19, in Regents Suite A in the Baker Pattillo Student Center on the SFA campus.
Tickets are $4. To purchase tickets, visit the SFA Fine Arts Box Office online at boxoffice.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407. Advanced sales end at 3 p.m. on March 18. Available tickets may be purchased at the door.
Tickets already purchased for one of the Feb. 4-5 performances will be transferred to the new performance dates. Tickets may be switched to a different day or time, a different event, or be refunded. Contact the Fine Arts Box Office for details.
For more information about the play, call the School of Theatre at (936) 468-4003 or visit theatre.sfasu.edu.
The Symphony Orchestra at Stephen F. Austin State University will present Ludwig van Beethoven’s Triple Concerto and other noted orchestral compositions when the student ensemble performs at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.
Conducted by Dr. Gregory Grabowski, director of orchestral activities at SFA, the orchestra will also perform Johannes Brahms’ “Academic Festival Overture” and Bedřich Smetana’s “The Moldau.” Guest artists performing with the students include music faculty members Jennifer Dalmas, violin; Evgeni Raychev, cello; and James Pitts, piano.
The main connection between all three works is that they are all classic Romantic era pieces, according to Grabowski.
“Brahms uses themes that are reminiscent of academia that he actually takes from college drinking songs,” Grabowski said. “‘The Moldau’ is a symphonic poem about the Vltava River from its source in the mountains of the Bohemian Forest, through the Czech countryside, to the city of Prague. ”
Grabowski explained that Beethoven, who “normally composed heroic brilliance with motivic development and transformation,” wrote the Triple Concerto quite differently.
“‘The Triple’ is more about lyric elaboration,” he said. “Beethoven uses beautiful themes that go between the three soloists individually and as an ensemble.”
Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. To purchase tickets, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit finearts.sfasu.edu. For additional information, contact the SFA School of Music at (936) 468-4602.
A sign bridge across SL 287 in Lufkin is scheduled to be removed Saturday in a major construction project near Moffett Drive. Motorists should expect delays during this work.
Temporary lane closures in both northbound and southbound lanes simultaneously for brief periods of time will occur during the sign bridge removal. Traffic will be stopped and brought to a slow roll prior to the lane closures. Motorists can expect law enforcement presence as the work is done. Message boards announcing the work ahead of the location will be in place.
“This work is scheduled in a major construction project work zone that is congested in peak travel hours,” said Rhonda Oaks, public information officer. “We want the public to be aware of the lane closures and brief delays they will encounter on Saturday. They should obey all traffic control in place through this area.”
To avoid the delays, motorists can choose to travel SL 287 West or choose alternate routes. Work is scheduled to begin at 7 am Saturday, weather permitting, and each lane closure is expected to last up to 30 minutes until the sign bridge is removed. Reduce speed and stay alert near this work zone.
For more information, contact Rhonda.Oaks@txdot.gov or call (936) 633-4395. For road conditions and closures statewide, visit drivetexas.org.
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