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Texas Forestry Museum Family Day

By
Kennadi Thompson
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Come celebrate Family Day at the Texas Forestry Museum on Saturday, August 28th from 10:00 a.m. until Noon. Since it is Timber, the museum mascot’s birthday, there will be cake, games, crafts, and a bouncy house! Also Texas A&M Forest Service’s Smokey Bear will be making special appearances at the event to help Timber celebrate. This is an outdoor socially distanced event where families can come and go during the two hours. The museum hopes to see your family there. A special thank you goes to our event sponsor Davis Insurance, A Higginbotham Company. The event is free and open to the public. Photos will be taken at the event for promotional materials.

The Texas Forestry Museum, a private non-profit organization, is located at 1905 Atkinson Dr. in Lufkin. We are open from 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, except major holidays. For more information on the Texas Forestry Museum and its scheduled events, please call 936-632-9535.

Winter feeding of cattle

By
Cary Sims
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When you go to any feed store and buy a sack of feed, you know exactly what you’re getting. We know the weight, the ingredients, and the quality of the feed. You can buy 12% or 20% protein cubes to feed cattle. Having that information is crucial.

When buying hay, it becomes a much more difficult effort. There is indeed an art and science to purchasing good quality hay. And for far too many, we get it all wrong.

Our local livestock producers spend a huge amount of time and money feeding livestock in the winter months when the summer pastures are dormant. You either spend a lot of time in a tractor with money invested in the tractor and other hay baling equipment, or you purchase hay from others that have done all that work to produce hay so that you can feed livestock in the winter.

The harvest and storage of such a perishable commodity as hay is so ingrained in livestock producers that we sometimes overlook the complexities and inherent difficulties of determining how much is there and its true quality.

The latest United States Department of Agriculture statistics indicate that hay harvested in the U.S. the third largest crop grown in the U.S. Only corn and soybeans exceeded the value of hay.

If you are purchasing or growing hay for your cattle operation, you will need enough hay for the number of animal units (1,000 lb. cow with nursing calf). The technical formula is to multiply the animal units by 25 pounds of hay per day, then the number of feeding days and then adjusted for some level of feeding waste. For example, if you have 25 head of cattle and plan on feeding hay from December 1 to April 1 (120 days) and factoring in 20% waste, you will need to bale and have on hand, 50 tons of hay.

So, how many round bales is that? Is that 100 bales? 75 bales? It depends on the size of your bales as well as how much those bales weigh.

By simply counting bales, we probably won’t know how much hay you are really getting. True, you’ll know the size. But how much does the average bale weigh?

I have bought a loosely bound 4×4 round bale that weighed 475 lbs. I have also purchased a tightly baled 5×6 that weighed nearly 1600 lbs. Both weights were independently verified on two separate certified scales. Hay can be weighed by comparing your loaded truck and trailer to the same truck and trailer unloaded at a local truck scale such as Loves Truck Stop.

Let’s consider some hay I saw advertised. First is “Hay $7 /bale.” What kind is it? We don’t know. Is it any good? There’s no way of knowing. I’m going to guess from the lack of information that its nothing fancy. It might only be good enough to use as fall decorations next in the front yard of a residential neighborhood.

Another one is “Fertilized Bahia/Bermuda-mix Hay $55/4×5 net-wrapped roll, barn kept.” Now we’ve got lots more to talk about. We might assume it is from this year. It is advertised as fertilized, but with all the rain that delayed hay harvests this year, what is the maturity and quality? Did you catch the dimensions? It’s a smaller sized round bale. Barn kept is a plus with as much rain as we have been getting. Yet its weight and quality are still unknown.

We can overcome poor hay with protein supplements. Quite frankly, we regularly do, and thus supplemental protein is often another expensive cost. Remember, it is a great product to supplement hay, not replace it.

With early summer rains making the first, even second hay cuttings hard to get, producers that I have been visiting with are facing difficult choices regarding hay supplies. In response the Angelina County Extension Office holding a Winter Feeding Strategies Seminar for Cattlemen on Monday, Aug 17 at 6:30 pm.

Budget-Friendly Tips to Celebrate Summer at Home

By
Kennadi Thompson
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Summertime is often synonymous with longer days, sweet sunshine and memorable times with friends and family.

Whether it is time spent at backyard cookouts, in the garden or simply basking in the rays, we have provided some helpful tips for all your summer entertaining needs.

Backyard Hangs

As the temperatures begin to rise, spending time outdoors can be a great way to enjoy the longer days. Summer can provide the perfect opportunity to design a dreamy backyard space. Create an inviting atmosphere by stringing lights, filling potted planters with colorful flowers and updating patio furniture with decorative pillows and cushions. Kids can find endless fun and outdoor adventures with inflatables, water toys or lawn water slides. Repurpose items around the house or in the garage to build an outdoor obstacle course.

Summertime Cookouts

Take cooking and entertaining skills outside and get ready for amazing family cookouts. Create a shopping list and find the best deals and savings on summer holiday décor and grilling necessities.

Decorate the space with patriotic red, white, and blue banners on the porch, American flags in flowerpots or festive tablecloths. Kick off the holiday with a signature drink! Strawberry limeade, fruit punch or a lemonade spritzer are all fun, kid-friendly options.

Entertaining Needs

Welcome friends and guests to a comfortable environment with the right picnic essentials. Stock up on sunscreen, blankets, napkins, plates, cups and tableware. Consider disposable picnic tableware, plate and cups for quick clean-up. During the day, set up umbrellas around the yard to make shady spots. When the sun begins to set, burn citronella candles to ward off mosquitos. And don’t forget the tunes. Hook up a Bluetooth speaker to listen to a favorite summer playlist.

Whether celebrating a summer holiday or having a backyard hang with friends, make memories all summer long with fun and affordable entertaining.

Meany Joins Angelina College Soccer Coaching Staff Ireland Natives Brings Academic, Athletic Experience

By
Gary Stallard
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As the Angelina College soccer teams prepare to open the season in a few short weeks, they’ll do so with a welcome addition to the coaching staff.

Alex Meany arrives for his first season as an assistant coach at AC, having spent the past four years as the graduate assistant for Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee at the NAIA level. Coaching both men’s and women’s soccer – as he will at AC – Meany helped lead the FHU Lady Lions to an opening-round tournament win over the previous conference champions in 2018. The following season, Meany led his squad to an 8-4 conference record.

The Dublin, Ireland native also spent four years as a player at FHU, earning team captain honors as a mere freshman. That experience, Meany said, helped shaped his approach to coaching.

“I feel I’ll be able to bring the principles of leadership to our team,” Meany said. “When I attended my four-year school, I was named team captain my freshman year, and I led the team for four years.

“What I want for our teams is 11 captains on the pitch at all times, so there’s not just one person leading. Everyone has a responsibility, and holding everyone accountable will make us much stronger as a group.”

Before beginning his career as a coach, Meany played for St. Joseph’s in Ireland’s schoolboy level; at the age of 16, he signed with the Bray Wanderers in the U19 SSE Airtricity League. Afterward, he began his collegiate career at FHU, where he was a three-time All-Conference Honorable Mention and a three-time Academic All-Conference selection. As a student, Meany became an American Midwest Scholar Athlete and an NAIA Academic All-American.

In his senior season, Meany led the American Midwest Conference in points per game (23.0) with nine goals and five assists in 12 games.

He graduated FHU in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration; in 2021, he earned his Master of Arts in Teaching, also from Freed-Hardeman University.

Meany said he believes his experiences on both the athletic and academic sides of collegiate soccer are going to help players who are looking to advance from the junior college level.

“Here in JUCO, the aim is to move up, whether it’s professionally or collegiately,” Meany said. “I was fortunate enough to play at a four-year university, so I know the standards required, and I feel I can help our players achieve their goals.

“We can’t ignore the academic side. We want our players to have the highest GPA possible to make them even more attractive to recruiters, both on and off the field.”

With other coaching options available, Meany said his decision to become a Roadrunner came down to his fellow coaches’ approaches to the game and to the community.

“I saw some other jobs posted, and I had some interviews, but I looked at Coach (Nataki) Stewart’s and Coach (Paul) Murillo’s bios, and I saw they’ve had a lot of experience working at various academies,” Meany said. “I knew I could learn from them.

“What really got me was reading Coach Stewart’s comments on getting the community involved and building those relationships. That’s the main reason I’m here.”

Meany will reside on the AC campus in Lufkin as the Resident Assistant.

State Sales Tax Revenue Totaled $3.4 Billion in July

By
Kennadi Thompson
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Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar today said state sales tax revenue totaled $3.39 billion in July, 13.5 percent more than in July 2020. The majority of July sales tax revenue is based on sales made in June and remitted to the agency in July.

“July state sales tax collections again strongly surpassed both year-ago and pre-pandemic levels, with continued vigorous growth from non-retail sectors,” Hegar said. “The sharpest increase from a year ago was in receipts from oil and gas mining, as the higher crude oil prices of recent months support increased drilling activity, albeit still well below the pre-pandemic pace.

“But receipts from retail trade sectors continue to be the most highly elevated, as resurgent consumer spending following the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions and supported by increasing employment, federal income support policies and low interest rates does not appear to have begun to slow. Within retail trade, the greatest growth in receipts from a year ago was from clothing and clothing accessories stores and electronics and appliance stores – retailers especially hard hit by the pandemic. While receipts from sectors that had increased sales following the onset of the pandemic – food and beverage stores, furniture and home furnishings stores, and sporting goods and hobby stores – had no growth compared to a year ago, receipts remain strongly above pre-pandemic levels. And receipts from other retail sectors that grew strongly last year – big box and online general merchandisers and building materials stores – continued to have robust growth.”

Year-over-year increases for most tax revenues continue to be affected by base effects: year-ago revenue collections to which this year’s collections are compared were suppressed by the pandemic. Year-over-year growth in July sales tax collections, however, is not attributable to such base effects, as sales tax revenue was surprisingly strong in July 2020. Compared to July 2019, sales tax collections were up 18.4 percent.

Total sales tax revenue for the three months ending in July 2021 was up 20.2 percent compared to the same period a year ago and 13.9 percent compared to 2019. Sales tax is the largest source of state funding for the state budget, accounting for 59 percent of all tax collections.

Texas collected the following revenue from other major taxes, most of which were up sharply from a year ago due to base effects:

  • motor vehicle sales and rental taxes — $577 million; up 24 percent from July 2020, and up 19 percent from July 2019;
  • motor fuel taxes — $315 million, up 4 percent from July 2020, and up 1 percent from July 2019;
  • oil production tax — $377 million, up 102 percent from July 2020, and up 21 percent from July 2019;
  • natural gas production tax — $187 million, up 408 percent from July 2020, and up 45 percent from July 2019;
  • hotel occupancy tax — $60 million, up 79 percent from July 2020, and up 4 percent from July 2019; and
  • alcoholic beverage taxes — $132 million, up 20 percent from July 2020, and up 12 percent from July 2019.

MOTORISTS URGED TO BE ALERT FOR SCHOOL ZONES AND BUSES

By
Rhonda Oaks
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School zone flashers are being activated throughout the Lufkin District for the 2021 school year. Drivers are urged to be cautious and alert as they drive through school zones and for buses picking up and delivering students.

While school districts prepare for the new school year, TxDOT wants to remind motorists that state law requires motorists to reduce speed to the posted school zone speed limit when school zone flashers are activated. Be prepared to stop during peak travel hours as traffic is directed before and after school hours.

“Beginning a new school year is an important time to remind motorists that traffic will again be heavy near school districts in the mornings and afternoons. Remember, there are many young drivers on the roadway as well as parents, buses, pedestrians and bicyclists,” said Rhonda Oaks, Lufkin District public information officer. “We want everyone to arrive safely and that will require every motorist to remain alert in and near school zones and buses.”

Laws and safety tips to remember for driving through school zones include:

  • Cell phone use is banned in active school zones. Anyone using a cell phone could face a fine of up to $200.
  • Obey school zone speed limits. Traffic fines double in school zones.
  • Student delivery and pick-up should only be done in the school’s designated areas, not in or near the street.
  • Be alert for students who might cross the street between vehicles.

Laws and safety tips for traveling near a school bus include:

  • A driver traveling in either direction must stop when approaching a school bus that is stopped and operating a visual signal. The driver may not proceed until the school bus resumes motion, the bus driver signals to proceed, or the visual signals are no longer activated.
  • If a road is divided only by a left-turn lane, drivers on both sides of the roadway must stop for school buses while lights are activated. If the travel lanes are separated by an intervening median or physical barrier, only motorists traveling in the same direction as the bus are required to stop.
  • Violators could face up to a $1,000 fine.

Parents of students who walk or bike to school should also be aware of safe practices and discuss them with their students before school begins. Safety tips for students include:

  • Always cross at intersections and designated crosswalks. Look left, right, and then left again before proceeding.
  • Look for traffic when stepping off a bus or from behind parked cars.
  • Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street.
  • Always obey crossing guards.
  • Always wear a helmet when riding a bicycle.

Angelina College Soccer Releases 2021 Schedule Lady Roadrunners to Feature Eight Home Stand

By
Gary Stallard
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The wait is over.

Not just for Angelina College soccer fans, but also for the program’s head coach as well.

Nataki Stewart was named AC’s head soccer coach for both the women’s and men’s teams in February of 2020. Just two weeks later, a worldwide pandemic shut down everything, meaning Stewart – along with his assistant coaches Paul Murillo and Alex Meany – has yet to coach his first game for his Lady Roadrunner and Roadrunner teams.

No wonder he’s excited about this week’s schedule release for the upcoming 2021 season.

“I can tell you, just getting the question (about the schedule) gives me thrills,” Stewart said. “We’re very excited. We’ve waited quite a while for this. We’ve had a year to plan, and to recruit some good people into our program. We can’t wait to showcase what we can do.”

The season schedule includes eight home stands, with each of those consisting of women/men doubleheaders. To ensure fans have the best opportunity to see his teams in action, Stewart set all match times for 5:00 p.m. for the Lady Roadrunners and 7:30 p.m. for the Roadrunner men.

“One of the big pieces for us in returning is the community involvement,” Stewart said. “We wanted to set our game times at appropriate times to allow our community – especially our young fans – to see us play.”

AC’s teams will open the season on the road at Dallas College-Mountain View on Thursday, Aug. 19 before hosting the home opener against Hill College on Thursday, Aug. 26. Other home stands include Aug. 28 (Jacksonville College, conference opener), Sept. 4 (Northeast Texas Community College), Sept. 11 (Blinn College), Sept. 15 (Tyler JC), Oct. 6 (Paris JC), Oct. 13 (Navarro College women, Coastal Bend CC men) and Oct. 23 (Trinity Valley CC). Stewart said he’s currently looking to add at least one more home slot to the schedule.

AC plays all home matches at Jase Magers Field on the Lufkin High School campus.

For now, the home opener against Hill College is generating a little more excitement as it will mark AC athletic programs’ return to competition.

“Our first home game at Jase Magers will be an ‘Orange Out’ game, and we’d love to see all our fans dressed out in orange,” Stewart said. “It’s going to be a very competitive game. Hill’s program is very good and nationally recognized. I can tell you that our fans will be proud of the product we’re putting on the pitch this year.”

Stewart said the year away from live competition wasn’t wasted; he and his staff spent the time recruiting and planning the program’s return. Mostly, he wants to make sure his teams are ready to compete immediately, and he’s anxious to introduce his players to the community.

“No matter what we’ve gone through, at the end of the day, we still have to play the games at a high level, and our kids understand the ‘Angelina Way’,” Stewart said. “They’ve taken the time off to get better. Some stayed with us throughout this past year, and that shows their level of trust in what we’re building here.

“We’re bringing high-character, competitive players who are winners into our program. That’s what our community is going to get.”

To view the entire AC soccer schedule (along with periodic updates), visit www.angelinaathletics.com.

Former AC Softball Standout Kohring Joins Coaching Staff Brenham Product Led Lady ‘Runners to 2019 National Finals

By
Gary Stallard
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Brette Kohring is returning to her old bashing grounds.

The former Angelina College softball standout turned in two solid seasons as a highly productive hitter in the middle of the AC lineup, leading the Lady Roadrunners to the national tournament in 2019, where AC finished as the No. 2 team in the nation. Over her two years,

Kohring batted .381 with 12 homers, 24 doubles and 79 runs batted in.

Along the way, Kohring racked up a number of individual awards, including NFCA Academic All-American, 1st Team Region XIV East All-Conference, 1st Team All-Region XIV, and NFCA 1st Team All Midwest Region.

She’ll now share those experiences with the newest Lady Roadrunners. Recently, Kohring was named Assistant Softball Coach at AC, joining head coach Josh Barnes on the staff.

“I’ve been where these girls are now just two years ago,” Kohring said. “I feel I’m old enough to relate as an adult, but I’m also young enough to relate to them as a player. I think that will help getting players to buy in, and that’s extremely important for any program.

“My coaching emphasis basically will be, ‘Give 100 percent effort 100 percent of the time.’” You can mess up going 50 percent, or you can mess up going 100 percent. I guarantee you a mistake at 100 percent is going to look a lot better.”

As well as she hit during her freshman campaign, Kohring said she still benefited from a positive coaching approach that made her even more productive. Her total bases jumped from 71 as a freshman to 90 as a sophomore, mostly because she learned to use the entire field.

“Before I came to AC, I was a dead pull hitter all the way,” Kohring said. “I could hit outside pitches, but I was going to ground it to short every time. I just struggled in that area.

“Then I learned specific mechanics that helped me a ton. I think I can share things like that with our players and make sense to them just because I had to go through it myself.”

The ability to accept coaching while working harder for results is something Kohring hopes to impart to her new players.

“I was in the middle of learning it between my freshman and sophomore seasons here, and it was hard, but once someone explained it to me the right way, it just clicked,” Kohring said. “I mean, I’ve heard all of it a million and 12 times, but it took a certain way of explaining it before I got it. So now I have a million and 12 ways to teach someone something.”

Following her career as a Lady Roadrunner, Kohring attended Texas A&M University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, graduating in May of 2021.

As the team prepares to compete beginning in the fall of 2021, Kohring said she wants the Lady ‘Runners to buy into the idea of success both in the classroom and on the field.

“Our players know they’re here for school first and then softball, and they’ve got to focus on both,” Kohring said. “If the players buy into what we’re doing here, they’ll understand our overall goals. We have such incredible facilities, and we’re all held to a high standard here. When they walk into this office, they’ll see all our trophies and other awards, and hopefully they’ll understand our ultimate goal is to compete for a national championship.

“We have everything we need to do it. We just have to make sure the girls buy into the same attitude.”

Kohring is the daughter of Amanda and Russell Kohring of Brenham.

Pandemic Disrupts Critical Early Childhood Education

By
Kennadi Thompson
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While young children have been less vulnerable to COVID-19 health dangers, a new study finds that they’ve been tremendously impacted by the disruption to preschool activities triggered by the pandemic.

The National Institute for Early Education Research study finds that pre-K participation has tumbled during the pandemic. What’s more it finds that children are spending less time outdoors and on certain key learning activities at home with parents and caregivers, and more time in front of screens.

Education experts say early learning opportunities are critical for young children’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive development, as well as their mental health. New resources can help fill the preschool void and make this an enriching time for young children.

While the pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for families with young children, building a love of learning early on can help pave the way for a great future.

WORK BEGINNING ON SH 7 WEST IN HOUSTON COUNTY

By
Rhonda Oaks
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Crews will begin next week to resurface SH 7 in Houston County that will require lane closures and a pilot car to guide motorists through the work zone.

Work is scheduled to restore the roadway with a new surface of asphalt on SH 7 West from just east of FM 227 to the Angelina County line. A speed limit of 60 miles per hour has been set through this 10-mile work zone. Work will begin at the Neches River and move west. Motorists should expect lane closures and delays as a pilot car leads traffic through this area.

Moore Brothers Construction Company, Lufkin, will serve as contractor for the $1.1 million construction project that is scheduled to be completed in September, weather permitting. Motorists are urged to reduce speed, stay alert for moving equipment and workers near the lane of traffic and remember fines double when workers are present.

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