Angelina College officials and faculty members are pleased to release the names of 174 students named to the Dean’s Honor List for the Fall 2021 semester.

To qualify for the Dean’s List, students must have enrolled in at least 12 semester hours of college-level work and have attained a grade point average of 3.5 with no grade lower than a “C”.

The names of students who make the Dean’s Honor Lists are posted at the end of each long semester.

Following is the list of recognized students divided by town or city of residency.

Apple Springs

Alexa Harmon.

Alto

Dylan Seymore.

Bridge City

Slade Foreman.

Broaddus

Ariel Mundy.

Bronson

Rebekah Birdwell.

Chester

Kaitlyn Clack.

Clute

Damian Leal.

Corrigan

Hillary Bookman and Micah Hughes.

Crockett

Yesenia Guzman-Espino, Faith Head, Jacqueline Stewart and Hannah York.

Cypress

Landon Herrmann and Jasmine Tucker.

Diboll

Samuel Belasco, Jose Garcia, Olivia Havard, David Ramos, Dylan Roark, and Alexander Venegas.

Douglass

Ashley Groze.

Franklinton, North Carolina

Quandre Bullock.

Grapeland

Cailyn Chapman.

Groveton

Jonathan Eleby.

Hemphill

Analuisa Cisneros.

Hempstead

Conner Gilchrist.

Houston

Tatyanna Guzman and Alexa Ramirez.

Huntington

Patricia Chambers, Cody Cox, Colby Curtis, Sadie Felts, Kagan Gentry, Jacob Mason, Haile McShan, Christa Niederhofer and Natalie Wych.

Jasper

Larry Francis, Nicole Husband, Haley Primrose and Maria Romero.

Katy

Samuel Massi.

Kennard

Ariana Coaliron.

Kingwood

Tyler Ward.

Kirbyville

Madalyne Butters.

Livingston

Jennifer Altom, Maghen Haynes, Holly Lenox, Gavin Tardy and Brittny Walters.

Lufkin

Toni Adams, Amanda Aguilar, Brandon Alexander, Michelle Barnett, Linda Beauchamp, Armando Calzadilla, Jacob Carr, Hector Cerda, Lamyia Chatman, Alexis Choate, Joseph Clark, Shelly Demarest, Grace Dixon, Inez Escamilla, Serena Esteves, Luis Estrada, Kayla Fincher, Andrew Foster, Devin Garcia, Francisco Garcia, Kate Garza, Emori Givens, Alexis Gladney, Madelyn Glaze, Whitney Greenup, Tiffany Griffin, Sheridan Hamilton, Preston Harris, Jessica Harrison, Halle Havard, Sandra Hernandez, Karen Herrera Martinez, Alejandra Herrera, Kathryn Hoyt, Katelyn Hudspeth, Simone Hunt, Serenity King, Delaney Koonce, Gisselle Lara, Matthew Lewing, Tatum Liles, Jesus Luna, Stella Luna, Bryant McCollum, Fenley McCullough, Izabella Morales, Trenton Mosby, Mattie Nicholson, Joyce Olvera, Angel Parra, Benjamin Penn, Luis Perez, Tamia Phillippi, William Poland, Samuel Raines, Abigail Rangel, Mya Ray, Jamie Rinquest, Paulina Rios, Emily Rodriguez, Jocelyn Rojo, Rebekah Rowland, Luis Ruiz, Rene Sarmiento, Socorro Serafin, Stephanie Serrano, Chelsie Sessions, L’Dona Sheppard, Anna Squyres, Mikaela Sullivan, Madeline Tatum, Logan Taylor, Faith Thompson, Melissa Trevino, Stephany Vargas, Emma Vaughan, Andrea Vidal, Melissa Villegas, Katelyn Wallace, Le’Vante Williams, Alyssa Willis, Dylan Winthrop, Shawn Wyckoff and Claudia Zavalla.

Milam

Maribet Mole.

Nacogdoches

Naomi Faullon, Hope Fioretti, Jared Huber, Ashley Jenkins, Jahrel Kendall, Amber Lee, Dolores Najar, Drew Patel, Ashley Riley, Monica Robles and Jasmine Vazquez.

Nederland

Alyssa Collazo.

Onalaska

Contessa Sanford.

Pineland

Collin Dew and Brittany Easley.

Pollok

Jacob Anderson, Jaylee Boyd, Winfred Lewis, Chloe Murray, Saida Ramirez, Jonathan Shepherd and Kristie Wright.

Redland

Juan Rodriguez.

San Augustine

Emile Mendoza Yanez.

Shelbyville

Hannah Mitchell, Allison Robbins and Amber Wiburn.

Sugar Land

William Krenek.

Trinity

Keyerra Valyan.

Woodville

Brooke Byley and Wallace Daily.

Zavalla

Kennedy Peeples, Trevor Reppond and Emily Wilkie.

Accra, Ghana

Matilda Gordon.

Nottingham, Great Britain

Julia Tamasy.

Sydney, Australia

Madison Baker.

Vignate, Italy

Edoardo Buffo.

I have not seen a frost yet this year. And even though I was out of town during a cold spell just before Thanksgiving, my tender, tropical Canna lilies tell me they’ve not been touched yet by any freezing temperatures.

Now, I have some friends to the north of me that have certainly reported the first frost of the season, but as for me and my farm, I have not seen the first frost.

First frosts are a major marker for agricultural producers, gardeners, and landscapers. A frost effectively ends the growing season for several warm season annuals and puts many perennials into their winter slumber.

Historically, the average first frost for our area is mid-November. A couple of years ago in 2019, we had a hard freeze on November 1– a full two weeks ahead of the anticipated average frost. Records from the weather station at the Angelina Airport in Burke indicate the first frost in 2020 to have occurred on November 30.

But here we are, almost midway through December without any real cold weather. Except for a close call over the upcoming weekend, my 15-day forecast doesn’t show any signs of temperatures dipping to or below 32 F up till Christmas Eve.

So, what really happens? When water gets below 32, ice crystals that form inside tender plants will rupture the cells and, effectively, kill it. Anything from 32 down to 29 degrees is generally considered a light freeze (or frost). Temperatures that dwindle down to the 28 to 25 range is expected to be widely limiting to most vegetation. Only a few native or well adapted plants will continue to grow with temperatures below 25. Last year, we truly learned what were the toughest plants in our area as temperature went far into the single digits.

Just to be clear, there technically is a difference between a freeze at, say, 28 F and a frost at the same temperature. Water obviously freezes at and below 32 degrees F. “Frost” is officially when ice crystals form when moisture in the air is converted to ice without first becoming dew. Informally, a “frost” is any time the temperature drops to that 32-degree range, whether or not we see the ice crystals.

I wonder how many gardeners might still be able to harvest warm season vegetables with this mild, mild start to winter. In the past, I’ve known gardeners to enjoy tomatoes from their own garden on Christmas day. Surprisingly, tomatoes can survive a light freeze if it is not accompanied by frost, provided temperatures don’t dip below 28 F.

I’m betting there will be a few enjoying them this year if they have cared for their fall gardens long past their typical production times.

Frost also matters to livestock producers because it ends the growing season of their warm season pastures. If pastures can still provide grazing for livestock, then stockmen can delay the feeding of hay and hay is one of the biggest expenses of the year.

As I write this earlier in the week to make the deadline for publication, I may be proven wrong and temperatures dip low enough this weekend for us to have our first frost. My weather app, however, is currently indicating that no such cold weather will occur for the next 15 days.

Now, the weather forecasters ‘always’ get it right, don’t they? You can bet I’ll be looking at my thermometer and getting outside early in the morning to check for our first frost.

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Cary Sims is the County Extension Agent for agriculture and natural resources for Angelina County. His email address is cw-sims@tamu.edu.

Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, national origin, genetic information or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.

A pre-construction meeting was held Thursday in the Livingston Area Office in Polk County signaling the beginning of a new construction project that will impact traffic in the coming months.

Crews are scheduled to begin work Jan.3, 2022 on US 190 East, from the Livingston city limits to 4 miles west of FM 1276. Work will include intersection improvements with the addition of a right/left turn lane. Barricades will be set before the end of December warning motorists of pending construction.

Vulcan Materials Asphalt and Construction, LLC, Conroe TX, will serve as contractor for the $27.5 million construction project that is set to be completed in April 2025, weather permitting. As this work begins, motorists are urged to reduce speed and obey all traffic control in the area.

“This is a highly traveled section of US 190,” said Rhonda Oaks, public information officer. “This project will end just east of Greet Road, which is approximately 6.3 miles west of the main entrance to the Alabama and Coushatta Indian Reservation and Naskila Gaming. Motorists should prepare to slow down and allow for extra time through this work zone.”

Motorists can expect intermittent lane closures as work progresses. Be prepared to stop and stay alert for moving equipment and workers through this work zone. The construction project was approved by Texas Transportation Commissioners earlier this year and was designed to enhance safety.

For more information, contact Rhonda.Oaks@txdot.gov or call (936) 633-4395

The Drug-Free All Stars of Angelina County, funded by a grant from TxDOT, are a group of high school seniors that serve as role models for the community by living an alcohol, tobacco, and drug-free life. For their December monthly meeting, the Drug-Free All Stars visited the Family Crisis Center of East Texas. During their visit, the All Stars toured the offices and safehouses and learned how the Family Crisis Center helps the community through prevention, education, and training community members about relationships, partner/family violence, and assault. The students also adopted two families through the Family Crisis Center and fulfilled their wish lists for this holiday season. Special thank you to Stuart Burson, Prevention Coordinator, for hosting the Drug-Free All Stars and Angela Turner, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, for coordinating the Adopt a Family Campaign.

Since 1988, The Coalition has focused on eliminating the use of harmful substances by affecting public policy, laws, attitudes, and behaviors, all in an effort to foster healthy life-long choices for the local community. For more information about the Drug-Free All Stars contact Abby Baker at The Coalition at 936-634-9308.

Picture – Front row, from left to right: Suriyah Beamon, Jocelynn Flores, Reagan Crow, Margarita Ramos, McKenna Simmons, Valeria Jacobo, and Teresita Santoyo. Middle row, from left to right: Hailey Christian, Samantha Williams, Madison Durant, Leonardo Carreon, and Brianna Castro. Back row, from left to right: Gabe Kerr, Brian Tang, Jose Velasquez, Leonardo Jacobo, and Miguel De La Cruz.

Graduates Follow Profession’s Long Traditions

Angelina College’s Vocational Nursing program on Wednesday held its pinning ceremony for the 2021 graduates, with the keynote speaker reminding the new nurses that “Nursing evolves daily, so you must be ready to change with it.”

Dr. Sandra Brannan, AC’s Director of Nursing, recounted her years of experience while encouraging the grads to enjoy every opportunity.

“As you pursue nursing to its fullest, you want to stay open to opportunities, you want to grow and you want to ask questions,” Brannan said. “Whether you continue your education formally or informally, you will learn something new every single day. Every day in nursing is a brand-new world.”

Graduates walked the stage of Temple Theater and received their respective pins from loved ones, friends or instructors. Following the individual pinnings, the new nurses participated collectively in the traditional candle lighting, symbolic of Florence Nightingale’s gesture to “show the world what her caring heart and hands can do.” The graduates then recited together the Nightingale Pledge.

Nursing graduates from the Lufkin class include Ruby Alonso Acevedo, Hilarry Bookman, Kelsi Castleberry, Lamyia Chatman, DeAveon Farris, Delontae James, Karina Madrigal, Erica McWhorter, Marlena Phillips, Courtney Polley, Cherrelle Richards, Jerline Roberts, L’Dona Shepherd, Lani Trim, Amanda Weeks and David Wolf.

Nursing graduates from the Hudson/Livingston class include Edna Chebochok, Lillie Dubreuil and Kristen Lofton.

Instructors for the course are Dr. Charlet Blades (Lead instructor), Dr. Susan Adams (Hudson instructor), Melissa Abbott (Livingston instructor), Mary Hastings (Lufkin instructor) and Jacquelyn McClain (Lufkin instructor).

For further information, contact Krista Brown at kbrown@angelina.edu.

We should all be so thankful that we are a nation of laws and not men, so that we may live in peace, harmony and prosperity, but it is past time that we realize there are enemies in the camp that intend to destroy those rights. Lawlessness is knocking on our door, bringing anarchy in it’s wake. Call it what you will, it is pure evil. That evil will only be thwarted by our vigilance and courageous refusal to allow it here where we live.

In 1867, the British philosopher John Stuart Mill said, “Bad men need nothing more to encompass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” Let it not be said of us, in this wonderful place called Texas and particularly Angelina County, that we did nothing to protect and defend our communities. God Himself has given us the right to choose righteousness over evil. Let’s do it!

First, we must “Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God concerning you” (I Thessalonians 5:18). However, all the while we must remember that John 10:10 warns us that “Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy … ” and he comes in the form of people, evildoers.

Second, we must pray for wisdom and courage and hold fast to the Rule of Law. It is the principle of governance in which all persons, institutions, and entities, public and private, including the State itself, are accountable to laws that are (1) publicly enacted (2) equally enforced and (3) independently adjudicated. If any three of these aspects of the Rule of Law are not respected and defended, lawlessness will prevail.

Destruction of the Rule of Law is the real object of the enemy’s battle plan. If they can eliminate enforcement of the law, sufficient bail, determined prosecution or adequate sentencing, they prevail in destroying the very foundation of our Nation. It has become abundantly clear that that is the primary step to ” … fundamentally change America.”

Let there be no mistake about it. Their next step is to remove the authority of the Second Amendment so that we cannot even defend ourselves.

Third, we must unite in our communities’ commitment to preserve, protect and defend our values. Division is the modus operandi of every enemy in every battle. If we want safety for our families and businesses, we must stand in solidarity against crime and violence. That means that we cannot allow any breech in our righteous wall against the wiles of the devil.

Complacency is slow but sure death. We have had too much of that. It is time to say, “Not on our watch”. Let’s sound the alarm that starts a powerful movement in Angelina County, where every man, woman, child, and business expresses, in some way, that lawlessness “Will not come nigh us”(Psalms 91). It is our choice, our right and our responsibility.

Stay vigilant and stay tuned. You can be part of a counteroffensive to crime and violence in Angelina County to defend and support the Rule of Law and its essential defender, Law Enforcement. The details will begin to be available to you by the end of the year.