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Governor Abbott Encourages Texas High Schoolers To Participate In CyberStart America

By
Luis Ruperto
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 Governor Greg Abbott today announced Texas high school students will have the opportunity to participate in CyberStart America, an innovative, online cybersecurity talent search and competition sponsored by the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation (NCSF) and the SANS Institute. CyberStart is open to all students in grades 9-12 to explore their aptitude for cybersecurity and computer science.

“The demand for cybersecurity professionals continues to grow as technology becomes a greater part of our everyday lives,” said Governor Abbott. “CyberStart is a fun, engaging way to prepare our students to tackle new challenges in our communities and workforce, and I encourage Texas students to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity to become exceptional leaders in the cybersecurity field.” 

CyberStart is a series of online challenges that allow students to act as cyber protection agents, solving cybersecurity-related puzzles, and explore related topics such as code breaking, programming, networking, and digital forensics. Students who do well in the program can earn access to scholarships and advanced training. Last year, 32,000 students from 4,800 schools around the country played CyberStart, and the NCSF awarded over $4 million in scholarships and advanced training. Out of those students, more than 4,000 Texas students registered, 732 of which reached the national competition and 68 were named National Cyber Scholars. 

Learn more about CyberStart America. 

Gifting a Puppy This Holiday Season? Read These Tips First

By
Statepoint
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0

Thinking of surprising a friend or family member with a puppy this holiday season?

“Before gifting someone with a commitment that lasts well beyond the holidays, make sure you’ve made your list and checked it twice,” says Claire Komorowski, chief executive officer of PuppySpot, a USDA-licensed company whose mission is to make lives better by placing healthy puppies into happy homes.

Having introduced over 200,000 puppies to loving homes, PuppySpot encourages potential dog owners to make responsible decisions this holiday season and are offering the following Do’s and Don’ts to help:

Don’t:

  1. Surprise your friend, partner or spouse unless they’ve openly communicated that they’re ready to take on the commitment and can prepare for the puppy’s arrival.
  2. Wait too long to start looking if you know this is something you and your family want for the holidays.
  3. Try and cut costs. Healthy, well-bred puppies can be expensive. If you see something that seems too good to be true, it probably is.
  4. Expect a puppy to arrive fully-trained and well-behaved. Puppies can be mischievous and require a lot of time and attention.

Do:

  1. Leave plenty of time for the entire process, you don’t want to rush selecting the right pup for you.
  2. Realize your puppy may not arrive at the exact moment you had hoped for. These are living, breathing animals that require stops and care along their journey. They are not a warehouse package.
  3. Plan to be home for the holidays to acclimate your puppy. Be sure to consider what happens when the holiday excitement dies down. Puppies need a great deal of attention, especially during their first year.
  4. Use reputable services, like PuppySpot, which is authorized by the American Kennel Club and has its own independent scientific advisory board that collaborates with the USDA to ensure all national standards are exceeded. To learn more about PuppySpot and its promise to connect the nation’s top breeders to caring, responsible pet owners, visit www.puppyspot.com.

While there is perhaps no more joyful holiday surprise than a puppy, this is one gift that should never be given lightly. By weighing the decision carefully, you can ensure that a puppy’s new home is their fur-ever home.

‘Jacks Move to 7-3 with Win At UCA

By
Luis Ruperto
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Conway, Arkansas – The SFA football team picked up their first road win over UCA since 2009 with a 27-14 victory Saturday night at Estes Stadium.

With the win, the ‘Jacks move to 7-3 on the season marking the first time since 2014 the ‘Jacks eclipsed the 7-win mark.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The ‘Jacks opened the scoring with a bang. Trae Self hit Xavier Gipson for a 73-yard strike on a screen pass on the first play from scrimmage. UCA responded at the end of the first quarter and tied the game, but Chris Campos gave the ‘Jacks the lead with a 42 yard field goal with 10:21 left in the half.

On the ensuing drive, the Bears took their first lead of the game, 14-10, with a 5-play, 65-yard scoring drive with 8:30 on the clock before the half. But the ‘Jacks answered right before the half with a quick strike 7-play, 73-yard scoring drive capped off by a 6-yard touchdown pass from Self to Gipson to give SFA the 17-14 lead at the break.

The second half was all Lumberjacks. The SFA defense locked down allowing just 113 yards of offense to UCA in the final 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, the SFA offense strung together a pair of 9-play scoring drives. The first, was end with a beautiful 7-yard touchdown pass from Self to Gipson in the corner of the endzone and the second a 34 yard Campos field goal. 

NOTABLE STATS
– Gipson, who was put on the FCS Walter Peyton Award Watchlist, prior to kickoff, hauled in six catches for 99 yards and 3 TDs.

– Self went 18-for-31 for 261 yards and three touchdowns through the air. He also ran 10 times for 99 yards.

– Miles Reed was the leading rusher for the ‘Jacks. He accounted for 131 yards on the ground on 32 carries. Reed has become a workhorse in the SFA backfield for the last two games. He’s carried the rock 58 times for 263 yards while accounting for back-to-back 100 yard games on the ground and the third straight game for the ‘Jacks.

– Trey Ramos continued the SFA INT streak with a pick. 

– Amad Murray accounted for a pair of sacks and three total tackles in the game.

– Rayshad Nichols led the SFA defense with seven total tackles.

Visscher surpasses 1,000 points as a Ladyjack in Victory

By
Luis Ruperto
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0

The SFA Ladyjacks improved to 3-0 Monday night following yet another dominant victory as they took down Southeast Missouri State 83-59 inside William R. Johnson Coliseum. This was the third straight win by 20+ points to open the season. 

A quick 8-0 run in the first quarter led by Stephanie Visscher saw the Ladyjacks take an early 12-5 lead and didn’t look back. The ‘Jacks held the visitors to just 9 points in the second quarter to take a 41-25 lead into the break. They then exploded for 28, including 9 from Zya Nugent, in the 3rd to put the game out of reach.

Visscher had her best game of the early season with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists, completing her double-double in just the first half with 13 and 10  in 18 minutes of action. In the process, Visscher surpassed 1,000 total points in a Ladyjack jersey with plenty more to come. She also kept up her stellar defensive play with 4 steals and a block.

The ‘Jacks finished with four players in double-digits, including 13 points from Avery Brittingham and 11 from Zya Nugent. 

The Ladyjacks outscored their opponents 46-28 in the paint while shooting 46% from the field and holding the visitors to just 30%. Once again the ‘Jacks capitalized on aggressive play, adding 22 points off of 23 forced turnovers. 

The ‘Jacks will look to continue their hot start as they take on the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m.

Paxton Files Lawsuit Against Biden Administration’s Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers

By
Luis Ruperto
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Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the Biden Administration challenging its “Vaccine Mandate Rule.” This mandate imposes an unprecedented federal vaccine decree on nearly every full-time employee, part-time employee, student, intern, volunteer, and contractor working at a wide range of healthcare facilities receiving Medicare or Medicaid funding.

“At a time when we need healthcare workers more than ever before, amid a harrowing worker shortage, the Biden Administration has prioritized this unlawful vaccine mandate over the healthcare of all Americans,” Attorney General Paxton said. “We need healthcare workers, regardless of their vaccination status, and this decision puts us on track for an impending disaster within the healthcare industry.”

Read the complaint here.

Angelina College Soccer Program Hosting Winter ID Camps Teams Reloading After Record-Setting Season

By
Gary Stallard
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Following its historic 2021 campaign, the Angelina College soccer program is looking to reload for its upcoming seasons.

            AC’s Lady Roadrunners finished the regular season ranked No. 17 in the nation, while the Roadrunner men reached No. 12 in the final national polls. Both teams qualified for the post-season, capping off the best combined season in AC soccer history.

            Head coach Nataki Stewart and his staff already have begun the process of evaluating talent for the 2022 recruiting class. Roadrunner Soccer has announced a pair of winter “ID” camps taking place on the Angelina College campus.

            The women’s evaluation camp will take place from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 11. The men’s camp will take place from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 12.

Both camps are geared toward providing high school students and college transfers the opportunity to train and experience skills evaluation from college coaches while learning more about the recruiting process.

The cost of each session is $40.

In an effort to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines, the camps are open to all entrants, limited only by number, age, grade level and/or gender.            

            The camps’ schedule, registration and payment information are available on-line at https://www.angelinasoccercamps.com/.

            For further information, contact AC Soccer assistant coach Paul Murillo at pmurillo@angelina.edu.

Riff Runners Rock Angelina College’s Hudgins Hall ‘Newly Imagined’ Band Makes Debut

By
Gary Stallard
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Band leader Dixon Shanks gave the crowd fair warning: Hudgins Hall was about to start jumping.

            Shanks and his band, the Riff Runners, certainly followed through on his promise.

            The “newly imagined, reorganized and updated” community big band made its Angelina College debut on Tuesday, performing a variety of tunes from various genres. Opening with “Some Skunk Funk” and wailing their way through other classics such as Gershwin’s “Foggy Day,” the Average White Band’s “Pick up the Pieces,” Randy Newman’s “You Can Leave Your Hat On” and Van Morrison’s “Moondance,” among others, the performance kept the large crowd clapping and stomping throughout the night.

            The band closed the evening with a jazzed-up version of Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” with Marshall Hance handling the vocals.

            The Riff Runners consist of musicians from Angelina and surrounding counties. The band states as its mission to offer high-level entertainment “to our community, promoting Angelina College with concerts, high school jazz band contests and encouraging local band students to participate.”

            The band consists of the following members:

            Saxophone Section: Jimmy Simmons (lead alto), Michael Parrish (2nd alto), Scott Floyd (1st tenor), David McArthur (2nd tenor) and John Cavanaugh (baritone).

            Trombones: Steve Cox (lead trombone), Ken Barnes (2nd trombone), Robert Shanks (3rd trombone) and Jimmy Battle (4th trombone).

            Trumpets: Max Mucino (lead trumpet), Steven Brown (2nd trumpet), Dwayne Forsythe (2nd trumpet), Ricky Gay (3rd trumpet) and Wyatt Gay (4th trumpet).

            Rhythm Section: Eric Chinn (keyboards), Gino Morgan (bass), Marshall Hance (guitar), and Mark Saldana (drums).

            Backup vocals: Debi Shanks and Sue Campbell.

            Sound/Lights: Sid Shanks.

            The band’s next performance at AC is scheduled for March 3, 2022.  

            For further information regarding Angelina College events, contact Krista Brown at kbrown@angelina.edu.

Ladyjack Softball Adds Five Signees in 2022 Class

By
Luis Ruperto
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0

The SFA Softball team will add Arwin Callaway (IF/Catcher), Chloe Yeatts (IF/Catcher), Lily West (Catcher/IF), Corie Bryd (Pitcher) and Kailey Wyckoff (OF) to Nacogdoches for the 2022 season.
 
“We are excited to add our 2022 class!” said Head Coach Nicole Dickson. “They are physical and competitive, and have played at a high level in both high school state championships and travel ball programs.
 
Arwin Callaway (IF/Catcher)
 
Callaway is from Spring, Texas, where she was a First-Team All-District player at Klein Collins High School, as well as being a UIL 6A Texas State All-Tournament Team/UIL State Finalist. She plans to major in Agriculture here at SFA.
 
Chloe Yeatts (IF/Catcher)
 
Yeatts currently attends Lone Grove High School in Ardmore, Oklahoma as an infielder/catcher. Some of her accolades include: 2019 Lake Country Conference Defensive Player of the Year, 2020 Lake Country Conference Offensive Player of the Year, 2021 Offensive Player of the Year, 2021 First Team Catcher, 2020 State Runner-Up and 2021 State Champion. She intends to major in Education here at SFA. She is a member of National Honor Society and ranked in the top 10% of her class.
 
Lily West (Catcher/IF)
 
West, a Choctaw, Oklahoma native, is an All-State catcher in the state of Oklahoma and a member of the National Honor Society. She plans to major in Pre-Med/Health Sciences.
 
Corie Bryd (Pitcher)
 
Bryd is an attendee of Sweeny High School, as her high school list of honors include: District Utility Player of the Year, Honorable Mention All-State and National Honor Society Vice President. She plans to major in Nursing.
 
Kailey Wyckoff (OF)
 
Wyckoff, an outfielder from Katy, Texas, attends Katy High School. She is a 2019 6A Texas State Champion, 2019 All-State Selection, 2021 District MVP and 2020 Volleyball Regional Finalist. She plans to major in Animal Science at SFA.
 
“These ladies know how to win, compete and lead and will add depth and power offensively to our lineup,” added Head Coach Nicole Dickson. “They understand our core values and want to excel both in the classroom and on the field!”
 

5 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Winter

By
Statepoint
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0

(StatePoint) It’s that time of year: pumpkin spice is here and so are shorter days and cooler nights. Before nightfall comes too early, take advantage of the milder temps to prepare your home for winter. Here are a few easy, DIY tasks to check off your list.

  1. Close Up the Patio. It’s important to protect patio items from winter wear and tear so you can enjoy them as soon as the weather breaks in the spring.

When the weather in your area seems to be changing for good, clean outdoor furniture like tables, chairs and décor and protect them with a heavy-duty cover. If you don’t have interior storage, secure everything tightly so you don’t risk items tipping during a gusty winter storm. Clean the grill, remove and store the tank, and winterize outdoor hoses and faucets. Easy-to-install faucet covers can help prevent water damage and freezing pipes.

Also, don’t forget to plant your bulbs now so you’ll have flowers to welcome you when the warm weather hits.

  1. Secure Loose Shingles and Fix Broken Gutters. Assess your roof and gutters to ensure your home is safe from water damage and leaks this winter. If you suspect or discover a problem, even a small one, don’t wait to fix it. It will be even more difficult to repair after the roof has become snowy and icy.

If it’s not within budget, try a DIY fix with supplies you likely already have in your toolbox. The Original Duck Tape Brand Duct Tape is a classic tool for temporary repairs and is great for holding, seaming and sealing coverings over problematic areas until you can later fix the issue at hand.

  1. Prep A/C Units. Don’t overlook keeping your A/C unit clean. Most modern units are created to withstand extreme elements; however, keeping it free of buildup is key to maintaining it over time.

When it’s not in use over winter, clean the surfaces on and around the unit to keep it free from buildup of dander, leaves, acorns and pine needles. Next, using an air conditioner cover, securely protect your A/C unit from snow and ice, so that it’s still in its best working condition when you uncover it in the spring.

  1. Keep Cold Weather Out. Frigid temperatures draw attention to drafts coming into your home. While turning up the furnace helps, the constant escape of warm air leads to high heating costs.

Seal cracks and gaps around windows and doors wisely. Many seals tend to freeze and crack, never really fixing the problem. However, Duck Brand Heavy-Duty Weatherstrip Seals are made with a durable, flexible material, creating a barrier against cold air throughout the winter. When spring arrives, the strip will work against dust, pollen and insects throughout the warmer months.

  1. Clean Windows. Prepare your home for short gloomy days and long nights by giving windows and blinds a deep clean. When these surfaces are clean, natural light can pour in during the day, helping combat winter blues.

For more tips, visit DuckBrand.com.

A little extra effort this fall can make your home more enjoyable all winter long.

Regulations and Certifications for Agricultural Production

By
Cary Sims
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0

As daunting as many perceive entry into an agricultural business to be, there are generally several entry-friendly options for small agricultural producers. Go to any local feed store and you can buy and plant as much seed and as many plants as the feed store has. Then go back next week and buy some more until you run out of land. There will be no paperwork or certifications for you to plow and plant.

You could also go to any livestock auction barn and buy numerous cattle or other livestock to put on your place. No auction barn is going to ask for paperwork which limits you to a certain number.

Honestly, entering this field is relatively painless. But when you are getting ready to sell, we may have to pay attention to some regulations. The regulations that are in place are there for a two main reasons. First, regulations protect the public that is consuming the food we produce. Second, it is protecting other agricultural producers (as well as the environment in general) from the unintentional spread of problems such as viruses, bacteria, molds, weeds, insects, mites, or other pests.

Starting with produce, you can sell as many fruits and vegetables as your heart desires… until you gross more than $25,000 a year. At that point, the Food Safety Modernization Act kicks in and requires you to take training in the Produce Safety Alliance. This certification allows you to go large scale on the production of fruits and vegetables while providing education to growers on food safety practices at the farm.

Let’s continue with ‘organic’ produce. Anyone can grow their food according to organic standards, but you want to sell livestock or any crop under the recognized “organic label” then you must complete the paperwork, send in your fee, and be inspected by a Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) official to determine if you meet the US Department of Agriculture requirements as a Certified Organic Producer that can use that designation when selling agricultural products.

Continuing with plants, you will need to obtain one of the five licenses to grow and/ or sell any live plant. This is done to reduce the spread of insect and disease. It really does make sense then you think about it. If you sell a bushel of tomatoes, we fully expect every one of those tomatoes to go into someone’s kitchen to be cut, perhaps cooked, and then consumed. Any other part of the tomato that is not eaten will be thrown away. If a tomato had a disease or bug, there is simply no chance for it to get outside and start multiplying.

However, every grower of tomato transplants fully expects those plants to be taken home and put outside in a garden. If those young tomato plants harbored any pest, they would be spread to every buyer’s garden.

What about those backyard chickens and the eggs you are selling? So long as you are selling un-graded eggs from a personal flock to the end consumer, you don’t need a license. Now, if you wholesale eggs to someone who then sells them retail, or if you sell to a restaurant, or if you ‘grade’ your eggs in any

manner (think size, color, etc.) then the TDA will require you to complete a couple of forms to obtain a license.

In an effort to answer questions to common concerns regarding these and other production related regulations, the Angelina County Extension office will be holding a seminar on Regulations & Certifications Related to Agricultural Production at 6:30 pm this Tuesday, November 16. The program will cover eggs, produce, honey, organics, pesticides, hemp, seeds, weights and measures, and the Cottage Food Law.

There is no fee for the program. The Angelina County Extension Office is located at 2201 S. Medford Drive in Lufkin, between Café Del Rio and the Farmers Market

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