Motorists traveling SH 94 and FM 356 in Trinity County next week will encounter delays and single lanes of travel expected on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, weather permitting.
Crews will begin to repair edges Tuesday on SH 94, east of Apple Springs in Trinity County. The two-lane roadway will be narrowed to a single lane Tuesday and Thursday with a pilot car in place to guide traffic through the work zone.
Crews are scheduled to work on drainage issues on FM 356 on Monday that will also require a pilot car to lead traffic through the two-lane work zone.
“These roadways are busy roadways with no shoulders,” said Rhonda Oaks, public information officer. “We want motorists to reduce speed and stay alert as our crews work close to moving traffic. There will be some delays, but a pilot car will guide a single lane of traffic safely through these work zones.”
Signs announcing the work zones will in place alerting motorists to reduce speed. Motorists should expect delays and obey all traffic control in place. Remember traffic fines double when workers are present.
For more information, contact Rhonda.Oaks@txdot.gov or call (936) 633-4395.
Stephen F. Austin State University was recently reaffirmed in its accreditation following a months-long process that produced a 508-page granular assessment of all aspects of the school, from student success to credentialing for faculty members.
Reaffirmed in December by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, which oversees 11 southern states from Texas to Virginia, accreditation impacts everything, including federal funding and the integrity of credit hours. The reaccreditation process occurs every 10 years, and reaffirmation is vital to the university.
“You’ve got to have it,” said Dr. Marc Guidry, SFA associate provost. “If we didn’t get it, we’d be out of business tomorrow.”
Of the 73 standards over which SFA was assessed, the association found the university in compliance with 72. The one outlier was related to core curriculum assessment. It is under a one-year monitoring report that Guidry expects to be resolved in the fall.
“All we need to do to show compliance with this standard is provide data showing our attempts to make continuous improvements to student learning of the core objectives: empirical/quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, communication, social responsibility, personal responsibility and teamwork,” Guidry said.
In 2011, when SFA was last reaffirmed for accreditation, the university garnered eight monitoring reports. Looking at the improvement from then to now, and citing positive comments made to him by accrediting officials, Guidry said the university “came out with flying colors.”
While the reaffirmation process started in 2018, the workload was heaviest throughout 2020 and up through spring 2021. The hefty, 508-page Compliance Certification Report contained a trove of data gathered by SFA’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Office of Institutional Research. A big part of the electronic file submitted was the 1,800 links to university programs, policies, finances and governance.
Since the last reaffirmation, the university has upgraded its internal systems for credentialing faculty members, maintaining an adequate number of full-time faculty to support SFA’s mission and goals, and tracking student learning and success. There are now protocols in place to conduct annual, five-year and 10-year academic program reviews.
Previously, SFA had only done academic program reviews once every seven years, and they were much less comprehensive than the new process, Guidry said.
The accreditation process is always difficult and time consuming, and always on the horizon. Though 2031 might seem like a long way away, the five-year “mini reaffirmation” is already on the to-do list.
“We’re always gearing up for these assessments,” Guidry said.
To read more on SFA’s active accreditations, visit sfasu.edu/accreditations.
During campaign season, the landscape blooms with political signs. The TxDOT Lufkin District is reminding local candidates that putting political signs on public lands and/or a right-of-way is illegal. TxDOT regulates campaign signs under Chapter 394 of the Texas Transportation Code.
“We are beginning to see many signs in several counties of the Lufkin District placed illegally on the right-of way,” said Rhonda Oaks, public information officer. “If they do not pose a hazard, we try to contact the owner so they can remove them for placement off the right-of-way. If that contact cannot be made or the owner does not move the signs within a couple of days, we will remove them. However, if the sign poses a traffic hazard, we will remove them immediately.”
Below is a guide for placing political signs:
What You Need to Know
Sign Removal
More Information
For more information, contact Rhonda.Oaks@txdot.gov or call (936) 633-4395.
Angelina College in February will honor Black History Month with a series of events including art galleries, guest speakers and musical performances.
Beginning with a public reception for artists in the Angelina Center for the Arts Gallery at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 1, the college will host events geared toward raising awareness of cultural contributions in all forms.
This year’s gallery is dedicated in memoriam to longtime contributing artist Dwight Gipson.
Group member and contributor Karen Moore-Christopher states, “As black artists we create more than just BLACK Art. We do not want you to lump us as artists together based on our race without looking at the art we are creating because it does not give enough credit to the work. Come and see ‘what we do’ and leave with and concede that ‘once you viewed’ there is something significant about the traditions of a black artist’s work that is empowering. It allows connections to be made in the curating process that make for meaning about black art. Black artists are practicing art that speaks loudly and unapologetically of and to the black experience.”
Group member and artist Shelia Thomas added, “As an artist, creating beauty is a challenge. Each time we pick up a canvas, it’s about the colors of the work. The artist who’s creating it happens to be African-American. The art has no boundaries – only the boundary of the mind. The joy is seeing and hearing people’s reactions to the paintings.”
Following is a list of scheduled events:
Feb. 1-24: Artists will display their works in various mediums in a gallery exhibited in the Angelina Center for the Arts Gallery on the AC campus.
Thursday, Feb. 3: Guest speaker Joseph Ceasar, who will offer a presentation titled “Finance and Business Ownership and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream.” The presentation takes place from 11:25 a.m. until 12:25 p.m. at AC’s Temple Theater.
Tuesday, Feb. 15: Guest speaker Johnny Giles will discuss “Local Black History and Voting Rights” from 11-11:20 a.m. at AC’s Hudgins Hall Auditorium.
Wednesday, Feb. 16: A screening of “Women of the Movement” will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at AC’s Hudgins Hall Auditorium.
Thursday, Feb. 17: Presenter Martha Hernandez of the Angelina County Health District will offer “Health Equality vs. Health Equity”, followed by a discussion, from 10:50 – 11:20 a.m. at AC’s Hudgins Hall Auditorium.
Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 22 and 23: Jazz and Blues bands – and the AC Chorale on the 23rd – will perform for attending fans from 10:50-11:20 a.m. in AC’s Hudgins Hall Auditorium.
All events offer free admission to the public. For further information, contact Krista Brown at kbrown@angelina.edu or Le’Anne Alexander at lalexander@angelina.edu.
The issues from the supply chain are quite evident wherever you go. From the new car lots and beyond, everyone has experienced shortages and higher prices.
Agricultural producers and home gardeners have been facing similar issues. Producers need to take a hard look at this year’s fertilizer costs as prices are currently high and expected to get much higher.
Earlier this week, a vegetable grower located north of Jasper called about the impending costs from the traditional 13-13-13 fertilizer they use. What was once a few hundred dollars could potentially become a couple thousand dollars. If they continue as they have, they expect greatly reduced profits.
Hay production margins were already notoriously slim. So much so that it is an already important marketing designation that hay is either fertilized or not fertilized. Cattlemen will need to take a hard look at how they can more economically carry livestock thru the winter.
As we look ahead, there are some ways to mitigate this increased expense. Start first with a soil test to know exactly where your soil’s fertility lies. Based on which laboratory and which analysis you choose, you should not have to spend over $20 to get the detailed information that you need to make soil fertility decisions.
So what decisions can be made? First, agricultural producers may have to adjust expected production or expected profitability. If you go with reduced inputs (obviously fertilizer in this instance) then you should expect less output. Or, if you stay with the fertility that has always been needed, then take a hard look at your expected profitability.
There are strategies to cope. First, consider your soil’s nutrient levels. They may be high enough to sustain a successful crop with little or no inputs. Second is fully utilizing the soil test to better determine exactly what, and exactly how much, fertilizer is needed. Growers should not merely accept typical blends from their fertilizer supplier, but have it work exactly for their farm or ranch.
Third, look for alternative fertilizer options. In our part of the world, chicken litter is readily available and has tremendous nutritive value. Yes, market conditions are sure to increase the cost of this option, but put pencil to paper and see if this doesn’t remain a viable alternative.
Long before hay production with round bales made the harvest and storage of hay so much easier, cattlemen had long relied upon clovers for winter grazing as well as a natural source of nitrogen. Clovers are winter season forages and, if utilized to the fullest, can return up to 100 lbs. of nitrogen per acre. There is some inherent risks, but looking at our current situation, they may be marginal.
The vegetable grower from Jasper mentioned earlier largely grows purple hull peas (a specific variety of southern peas that have a high market demand in our region). This grower had also been relying historically upon the tried and true 13-13-13 fertilizer.
Now, astute growers should already see one option. Since southern peas are a legume crop, he can easily eliminate his nitrogen fertilizer. Next, according to the soil test, his soil has levels of phosphorous that are certainly high enough to be eliminated for this growing season and perhaps the next year as well. With only potassium (also called potash) required, according to the $20 soil test, this producer will be applying a measured amount of 0-0-60 (straight potash) to his fields. The resulting crop? He shouldn’t see any reduction at all.
While this example is clearly a simple and successful one, every agricultural producer should follow suit with a soil test and a hard eye to expected production.
SFA Head Football Coach Colby Carthel added Joe Cauthen to the coaching staff this week, as Cauthen will serve as the Defensive Coordinator ahead of the upcoming 2022 season. Cauthen joins the Lumberjack staff after making recent stops at Buffalo, Houston, Arkansas State, Middle Tennessee State and Texas A&M Commerce. He graduated from Stephen F. Austin in 1990, and was the Defensive Line Coach from 1997-98.
“We’re ‘jacked up’ to have Joe and Annittia Cauthen join our SFA football family,” said Head Coach Colby Carthel. “Joe has several years of experience coordinating championship defenses at the highest levels of college football. The fact that he is an SFA alum is just icing on the cake. He has also won a National Championship as a Defensive Coordinator, so he’s been where we are wanting to go.”
At Arkansas State, the Red Wolves ranked among the top 21 teams in the nation across a four-season span in defensive touchdowns with 22. In 2015, Arkansas State’s defense registered an FBS-high eight touchdowns, leading the country in interceptions in addition to a school record of 26 in the current FBS era. During the 2018 season, A-State had one of the toughest defenses in the country, finishing the season 11th nationally in passing defense, allowing only 177.8 passing yards per game.
Cauthen comes to Nacogdoches with Bowl Game experience in each of his stops, most recently the New Mexico Bowl at Houston, along with being apart of a National Championship with Valdosta State in 2007.
“We’re determined to continue building one of the best defenses in the country,” added Head Coach Colby Carthel. “Joe Cauthen is the right man to lead that charge!”
The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks fell to 12-8, 4-4 in WAC play on Wednesday night after loss at Seattle, 70-62. The ‘Jacks will continue their West Coast stretch with California Baptist on Saturday.
Gavin Kensmil registered a double-double to lead the ‘Jacks tonight (19 points and 14 rebounds), complemented by Calvin Solomon (12p/9r/1s) and Latrell Jossell (10p/1r).
The Lumberjacks outscored the Redhawks 37-33 to heavily chip into a 12-point deficit at halftime, but the combination of three double-digit Seattle U scorers and capitalizing off of Lumberjack turnovers kept the home team on top.
Seattle jumped out to a 7-2 lead to begin the contest, soon for Jaylin Jackson-Posey to give the ‘Jacks a 12-9 boost from back-to-back three-pointers at the 11-minute mark. A slam dunk from Calvin Solomon tied the ballgame up at 21-21 with 5:23 to go, but the Redhawks built a 37-25 lead from a 16-4 run to end the first half.
The Lumberjacks found themselves with a single-digit deficit (49-40) midway through the second half after being down by as many as 18 points, as a triple from David Kachelries cut the deficit to five with just under nine minutes to play. Seattle quickly silenced the momentum by converting on back-to-back Seattle three’s to push the home team back to an 11-point advantage. Despite a make from deep from Jossell with 1:16 to bring it back to a six-point game late, the Redhawks held on for their seventh win in league play.
For results, updates and a complete schedule for all SFA Athletics, visit sfajacks.com.
Dornith Doherty, 2016 Texas State Artist – 2D and 2012 Guggenheim Foundation Fellow, will visit the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art on Thursday, Feb. 3. As part of her visit, Doherty will offer a public lecture on her work bridging art and science at 5 p.m. that day in the Lower Art Building, Room 106. The lecture is open to the public free of charge, and masks are strongly encouraged.
Doherty works with photography, video and scientific imaging to visualize the questions that are often left invisible when considering human entanglement in changing environments. Her project “Archiving Eden,” which documents and explores the collections of seed storage facilities around the world using both traditional photographs and x-ray images, was published in book form in 2017. Her current project, “Atlas of the Invisible,” incorporates images of migratory bird feathers and insect wings made with a scanning electron microscope to better understand the earth’s atmosphere. Selections of Doherty’s work are on view as part of an invitational exhibit, “Respire,” showing Jan. 25 through March 20 at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, 329 E. Main St., SFA’s art gallery in downtown Nacogdoches.
Doherty was born in Houston and received a B.A. cum laude from Rice University and a M.F.A. in photography from Yale University. She is a Distinguished Research Professor at the University of North Texas. In addition to the Guggenheim Fellowship, she has also received grants from the Fulbright Foundation, the Japan Foundation, the Indiana Arts Commission, and the United States Department of the Interior, the University of North Texas, and the Houston Center for Photography.
Doherty’s visit is part of an interdisciplinary pilot project in Emerging Photographic Technologies, funded through the SFA President’s Innovation Fund. The pilot project has included collaborations between art, astronomy and biology, making images using drones, telescopes and microscopes.
For more information, contact the School of Art at (936) 468-5500.
Mezzo soprano Dianna Grabowski will be a featured soloist when the Pineywoods Camerata performs at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 6, in Cole Concert Hall on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University.
The Pineywoods Camerata is an SFA faculty-led, conductorless chamber orchestra, dedicated to period-informed performances of Baroque music, according to Dr. Jennifer Dalmas, professor of violin and viola in the School of Music and member of the ensemble.
“This is the first Pineywoods Camerata performance in four years, so we are excited to finally have this concert again,” Dalmas said.
Grabowski will perform as vocal soloist for BWV 170 by J.S. Bach. Described as “glamorous” and “glowing-toned” by the Dallas Morning News, Grabowski is an active performer of music spanning the Renaissance through the 21st century. She states she “particularly values the collaborative nature of classical singing, be it in chamber music, oratorio, opera, choral music, early music or new music.” As a concert soloist, she has performed with such groups as le Violon d’Ingres (Paris), Santa Fe Pro Musica, Dallas Bach Society, Bourbon Baroque and the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus. Among her more recent performances are singing with the New York Philharmonic and Grammy award-winning vocal ensemble The Crossing in the world premiere of “Fire in My Mouth” by Julia Wolfe. Grabowski sings frequently with other professional choruses such as the Santa Fe Desert Chorale and the Grammy-nominated ensemble, Seraphic Fire. Her opera roles have included the title role in Jacques Offenbach’s “La Périchole ”(with Opéra du Périgord), Diane in Jean-Philippe Rameau’s “Zéphyre” and Céphise in Rameau’s “Pygmalion” (with the Dallas Bach Society), and recently a workshop performance of a new operatic work by Leanna Kirchoff and Rachel J. Peters, “Friday after Friday.” She is married to Dr. Gregory Grabowski, conductor of the SFA Symphony Orchestra, and they reside in Nacogdoches with sons Ben and Sam.
The ensemble is composed of faculty and student string players and will also feature faculty members Christina Guenther, flute, and Graham Mackenzie, oboe, in the cantata, along with Grabowski. Maria Lyapkova will perform on harpsichord for each piece.
Other works on the program include “Merry” Suite in C major by Georg Philip Telemann and Concerto Grosso Op. 6 No. 4 by George Frederick Handel.
“Beginning with a stately overture, the Telemann suite is a charming collection of movements composed mostly in dance forms,” Dalmas said, adding that the Cantata BWV “Rest contented, beloved Soul” is “a beautiful work” for solo voice and orchestra, written in five movements that alternate between aria and recitative.”
Dalmas described the final piece on the program, the Concerto Grosso Op. 6 No 4, as “a wonderful example of Handel’s contribution to the genre, with its beautiful melodies and exciting fugal episodes.”
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.
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