ALERT: The Lufkin District will begin pre-treating US 59 and US 259, elevated surfaces and known trouble spots today and continue through Friday in all nine counties ahead of expected winter weather. Re-treatment will occur Sunday evening into Monday as needed.
ANGELINA COLLEGE RELEASES FALL 2020 DEAN’S LIST
Angelina College officials and faculty members are pleased to release the names of 169 students named to the Dean’s Honor List for the Fall 2020 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
Fatima Davis and Susan Walding.
Beaumont
Dakota Matthews.
Bon Weir
Ashton Hall.
Brookeland
Bailee Bishop.
Burke
Andrew Little, Jessica Little.
Charlestown, IN
Elisabeth Landrum.
Coldspring
Daniel Vivas.
Colmesneil
Hannah Mannino.
Crockett
Rodney Jolly, Perla Ocampo Rodriguez.
Diboll
Leslye Carreon Magdaleno, Ariadna Hernandez, Elizabeth Luna.
Etoile
Lindsey Mims.
Grapeland
Mary Watson.
Groveton
Haley Lightsey, Danny Luna, Michael Turner, Kalie Voss.
Hemphill
Erika Baker.
Hudson
Aubraysha Lacy.
Huntington
Jennifer Carter, Sadie Felts, Emmy Howard, Charles Naumann.
Huntsville
Edna Chebochok, Serah Muchina.
Jasper
Charlotte Lemoine.
Kennard
Nicholas Pennington.
Livingston
Lillie Dubreuil, Briana Earnest, Samantha Goodman, Jessica Harrell, Maghen Maynes, Brieanna Henry, Summer Hoffer, Justin Holliman, Holly Lenox, Kristen Lofton, Zachary McDaniel, Krislyn Patterson, Brittany Walters, Kristal Welsh, Alexis Wilkerson, Frances Zuniga.
Lovelady
Hanna York.
Lufkin
Irvin Aguilar, Karla Aguilar, Rogelio Alvarado, Kimberly Armijo, Lesley Barrientos, Linda Beauchamp, Alayna Betts, Brittany Burke, Kaitlyn Carrier, Hector Cerda, April Cook, Kayleigh Daniels, Shannon Day, Eduardo Escobedo, Gabriela Espinoza, Shelby Finch, Sarah Freeman, Cynthia Garcia, Devin Garcia, Raquel Gonzalez, Nya Goodwin, Max Harkins, Gustavo Hernandez Montejano, Angel Hernandez, Heberto Herrada, Marilyn Huerta, Delaiah Ibarra, Jestine Ilo, Kaaliyah Jackson, Andrea Janise, Keenan Johnson, Cameron Kesinger, Skylar King, Kaitlyn Lea, Collyn Lobb, Alexis Lopez, Luis Lopez, Christian Marquez, Christian Martinez, Adisen Massie, Francis Maxon, Kaylee McCarty, Chloe McCormick, Jake McElroy, Morgan McKay, Adriana Morales, Eric Morales, Leslie Moreno, Emily Morgan, Alexes Ochoa, Emily Olalde, Abigail Palacios, Reynaldo Perez, Brent Pigg, Nicholas Ray, Jared Reese, Destiney Renfro, Anna Reyes, Hunter Robertson, Guillermo Romero, John Ross, Dianna Saenz, Joel Salazar, Jase Schoenthaler, Jessica Seymore, Richard Shoffitt, Jayla Simmons, Kelly Smith, Christian Sprinkle, Erin Sprinkle, Taylor Stein, Rebecca Stringer, Cooper Thornton, Mikaela Torres, Johnny Trapp, Megan Turrentine, Julissa Villegas, Chloe Vineyard, Marissa Wall, Kelcye Wallace, Timothy Ward, Jaden Wortham.
Monahans
Marley Tambunga.
Moscow
Cesar DeJesus, Shandalyn Harrell.
Nacogdoches
Mitzi Balderas, Avery Coe, Anthony Flores, Emily Gonzalez, Diego Guerrero, Mireya Guzman, Heather Harper, Stephanie Harris, Katelyn Jones, Adam Luman, Matthew Munsinger, Ashlee Payne, Hector Ramirez, Wendy Rogers, Haner Rosales, Caleb Servin, Kaleigh Smith, Blake Wilson.
Newton
Christina Hadnot.
Oakhurst
Da’Shaynelle Arline.
Onalaska
Megan Williams.
Pineland
Leah Ferguson.
Pollok
Kaylyn Kolb, Paige Laviolette, Mikaela Sullivan.
San Augustine
Cynthia Bahena, Ashleigh Fuller, Abigail Guerrero.
Trinity
Lindsay Jones.
Veldhoven, The Netherlands
Sven Van den Oever.
Warren
Jolea Mashaw.
Wells
Cortney Jones.
Winnsboro
Jamie Vose.
Woodville
Paige Evans.
Zavalla
Kaden Eastwood, Matthew Nunn, Macy Runnells.
ANGELINA COLLEGE RELEASES FALL 2020 PRESIDENT’S LIST
Angelina College officials and faculty members are pleased to release the names of 116 students named to the President’s Honor List for the Fall 2020 semester.
To qualify, students must have enrolled in at least 12 semester hours of college-level work and have attained a grade point average of 4.0.
The names of students who make the President’s Honor List are posted at the end of each long semester.
Following is the list, divided by town or city of residency, of students named to the President’s Honor List:
Alto
Bradley Barrow.
Chireno
Sandy Garcia.
Cleveland
Lauren Brittain, Chelsey Morgan.
Corrigan
Katy Burris, Maxsimiliano Munoz.
Crockett
Brandon Galloway, Cristian Hernandez, Gloria Hernandez, Raquel Nambo, Daniel Sandoval, Leanna Tran, Erick Villanueva, Samantha Wiley.
Diboll
Samuel Belasco, Lorie Lindsey, Zoey Robuck, Yvette Rocha, Yvonne Rocha, Angeli Sandoval, Hannah Scoggin, Dalia Silva.
Douglass
Natalie Forrest.
Etoile
Brandee Tarver.
Farmington, MO
Joel Roberts.
Grapeland
Jaycee Graham, Walker Webb.
Hempstead
Conner Gilchrist.
Huntington
Krista Arnold, Ericka Baxter, Abbigail Castleberry, Taelor Miller, Joshua Mullin, Katelyn Rogers, Natalie Wych.
Huntsville
Oluseyi Iwaloye.
Kennard
Amanda Morris.
Livingston
Jayme Nazworth, Emily Nerren, Laney Rustin, Sabrena Saldana.
Lufkin
Laurel Abney, Sarah Ackley, Jonathan Aguilar, Lisette Aguilar, Emma Airington, Amanda Anderson, Chase Arriola, Brent Barber, Heather Barney, Tara Bocock, Ryan Bowers, Autumn Capps, Jacob Carr, Amanda Carroll, Heather Chenet, Jordan Coleman, Yaneice Deleon, Sergio Diaz, Nevaeh Donaldson, Felicity Estrada, Kaylee Frazier, Michael Gollot, Lindsey Johnson, Marjorie Kelley, Matthew Lewing, Maci Lightfoot, Breanna Lipscomb, Marvin Mendoza, Jessica Morris, Eduardo Nava, Lissette Pena, Amanda Perry, Vanessa Ramos, Wendy Ramos, Abigail Rangel, Isaiah Resendez, Mariela Ruiz Hernandez, Sherrill Sanford, Madilyn Simmons, Evelyn Solis, Nancy Stephens, Colton Thompson, Dustin Ulrichson, Paige Wiley, Hannah Wilson.
Nacogdoches
Hannah Alexander, Celeste Carpenter, Brandi Doughty, Natalie Garcia, Guadalupe Juarez, Gunner Micheli, Dianna Perez, Truong Pham, Britney Porter, Andres Ruiz, Viviana Santoyo, Nathan Smith, Landon Thompson.
Onalaska
Contessa Sanford.
Pollok
Brooklyn Hughes, Cesar Lopez, Jonathan Shepherd.
Rusk
Kaitlynn Joyner.
San Augustine
Javier Avila, Case Woods.
Shelbyville
Amber Wilburn.
Tatum
Amy Downs.
Trinity
Karina Giron.
Warren
Breanna Holcomb, Laura Vann.
White Oak
Christian Kaster.
Woodville
Sean Netterville, Theresa Speaks.
Zavalla
Don Easley, Lindsay Harper
DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS® SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST OPENS TO HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS
Applications are now available for the 2021 Don’t mess with Texas Scholarship Contest. This contest recognizes Texas high school seniors who are taking an active role in litter prevention in their school or community.
The contest is open to any Texas high school senior currently attending public, private or home school and planning to attend an accredited college or university in the Fall 2021 semester. The contest will award a total of $9,000 in scholarships to three winners in May 2021.
“We’re looking for students who are developing exciting and creative solutions to keep Texas litter-free,” said Becky Ozuna, program administrator for the Don’t mess with Texas program. “We aim to shine a spotlight on their innovations in the hope of inspiring other Texans to do their part to keep our state beautiful.”
To enter the Don’t mess with TexasScholarship Contest, visit dontmesswithtexas.org. Applications must be received via online submission by 5 p.m. (CST) March 31, 2021. Sponsors for the Don’t mess with Texas Scholarship include Buc-ee’s and iHeart Media.
Don’t mess with Texas has been educating Texans about litter prevention since 1986. The program includes a grassroots partnership with the Keep Texas Beautiful organization, annual “Trash-Off” community outreach events and the Adopt-a-Highway volunteer program.
For more information, contact Rhonda.Oaks@txdot.gov or call (936) 633-4395.
Demolition of Cudlipp Forestry Center Begins
Forestry officials from Texas A&M Forest Service have scheduled demolition for buildings and facilities remaining at the agency’s vacated Lufkin location on S First Street.
Demolition is scheduled beginning the week of January 4, 2021 and is expected to be completed within two months after the start date.
The property is currently for sale, and the demolition will reduce the burden for future owners of renovating the buildings and will make room for new construction.
“The facility has served the people and programs of Texas A&M Forest Service for a long time,” said Jacob Donellan, East Texas Operations Department Head of Texas A&M Forest Service. “But due to the age of the buildings and ever increasing maintenance issues, the facility is no longer meeting the needs of the agency.”
The property was dedicated and named the Cudlipp Forestry Center in June 1962 in honor of Albert E. Cudlipp, of Lufkin, by the Board of Directors of the Texas A&M College System, of which Cudlipp was a member from 1949 to 1961.
The compound of office buildings, training facilities and warehouses dates back to1935 housing the agency’s early wildfire prevention and protection programs, forest products research, forest pest control and field operations.
“If College Station was the head of the agency, then Cudlipp was the heart,” said Bill Oates, Associate Director of Texas A&M Forest Service. “For nearly 70 years, it was where things got done in the Texas A&M Forest Service. Without the work we did at Cudlipp, it’s doubtful Texas would have the forest resources we enjoy today.”
Though the Cudlipp Forestry Center is no longer used by the agency, all programs remain in the Lufkin area, relocated to the Hudson district office location on Highway 94.
Learn more about the forestry center and the agency’s early history at https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/history/featured_articles.aspx or browse historical documents about the center at https://it-lf-ecmweb.tamu.edu/tamus-tfs/Browse.aspx?cr=1 by typing Cudlipp in the search bar.
Continuing Last Year’s Garden Plans
Thinking back over 2020 –
One thing that really stood out to me was the incredible interest in gardening, in landscaping, in raising chickens, and in all things outside during the time that we were first required to stay home.
I remember visiting with feed store owners and garden center managers and listening to them talk about how they could not keep seed in stock or items on the shelf for folks wanting to get out and try their hand at the vegetable garden.
So, I ask, “how’s that garden going?” Did you stick with it? Was it productive? And honestly, is this something that you want to continue?
I hope you did stick with it, I hope it was productive, and I really hope that you want to continue your efforts outside.
But where are we now? As I write this, it is colder and wetter, and generally not the type of weather that would move one to get outside. However, this cold, wet, dead-of-winter time is the best time to study what is going on and plan for a successful garden. Do not confuse my remarks with any encouragement to wait until spring, I am pushing for quite the opposite!
In our climate it is perfectly acceptable and perfectly reasonable to get outside now and get busy on a vegetable garden or on any other part of your landscape. So, what can you work on now? I am building a larger, better compost pile for my own yard. The small 4-foot by 4-foot square compost pile has worked well but is not big enough for my needs. I will be doubling mine in size in the next couple weeks.
If you enjoy the vegetable garden but want to make it a smaller and more productive area, then go ahead and make a raised bed garden. Make it no wider than 4 foot and as long as your heart desires. The 4-foot maximum width is to allow you access from each side. At the elementary school gardens, our Master Gardeners only build them 3-feet wide, because the kids have shorter arms! Just be sure to put it in the area that is close to a water source and gets as much sun as possible.
In that empty garden bed, plant onions, peas (such as English, snap or snow peas), cauliflower, or cabbage. All manner of “greens” including mustard, spinach, swiss chard, collards, kale and Asian greens. Radishes is an easy to go to option along with other root vegetables such as turnips, carrots, and beets.
In a flower bed area, I want to re-establish some asparagus crowns. I lost some and want that as a part of my landscape again.
These upcoming weeks are the perfect time to plant fruit trees. Take some time to study what varieties of peaches, plums, apples, pears, or other fruit trees will grow well in East Texas. And for those mentioned, be sure and put them in full sun on your deepest, best-drained soil.
If you have plenty of sunshine but have poor soil, then I would suggest planting some thornless blackberries or perhaps a mayhaw! Mayhaws will thrive in good soil but certainly tolerate wet, soggy soil. Be sure to plant two varieties of almost every fruit that you do want to have so that you can get good cross-pollination.
Got other ideas of what you want to accomplish? Yeah, I do too. If there is any good thing that came out of 2020’s stay-at-home routine, it may have been some renewed interest in all things that you can grow and work on in your own back yard.
I hope 2021 sees you successful and continuing in these outdoor pursuits.
Federal Agencies Warn of Emerging Fraud Schemes Related to COVID-19 Vaccines
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are warning the public about several emerging fraud schemes related to COVID19 vaccines.
The FBI, HHS-OIG, and CMS have received complaints of scammers using the public’s interest in COVID-19 vaccines to obtain personally identifiable information (PII) and money through various schemes. We continue to work diligently with law enforcement partners and the private sector to identify cyber threats and fraud in all forms.
The public should be aware of the following potential indicators of fraudulent activity:
▪ Advertisements or offers for early access to a vaccine upon payment of a deposit or fee
▪ Requests asking you to pay out of pocket to obtain the vaccine or to put your name on a COVID-19 vaccine waiting list
▪ Offers to undergo additional medical testing or procedures when obtaining a vaccine
▪ Marketers offering to sell and/or ship doses of a vaccine, domestically or internationally, in exchange for payment of a deposit or fee
▪ Unsolicited emails, telephone calls, or personal contact from someone claiming to be from a medical office, insurance company, or COVID-19 vaccine center
requesting personal and/or medical information to determine recipients’ eligibility to participate in clinical vaccine trials or obtain the vaccine
▪ Claims of FDA approval for a vaccine that cannot be verified
▪ Advertisements for vaccines through social media platforms, email, telephone calls, online, or from unsolicited/unknown sources
▪ Individuals contacting you in person, by phone, or by email to tell you the government or government officials require you to receive a COVID-19 vaccine
Tips to avoid COVID-19 vaccine-related fraud:
▪ Consult your state’s health department website for up-to-date information about authorized vaccine distribution channels and only obtaining a vaccine through such channels.
▪ Check the FDA’s website (fda.gov) for current information about vaccine emergency use authorizations.
▪ Consult your primary care physician before undergoing any vaccination.
▪ Don’t share your personal or health information with anyone other than known and trusted medical professionals.
▪ Check your medical bills and insurance explanation of benefits (EOBs) for any suspicious claims and promptly reporting any errors to your health insurance provider.
▪ Follow guidance and recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other trusted medical professionals.
General online/cyber fraud prevention techniques:
▪ Verify the spelling of web addresses, websites, and email addresses that look trustworthy but may be imitations of legitimate websites.
▪ Ensure operating systems and applications are updated to the most current versions.
▪ Update anti-malware and anti-virus software and conduct regular network scans.
▪ Do not enable macros on documents downloaded from an email unless necessary and after ensuring the file is not malicious.
▪ Do not communicate with or open emails, attachments, or links from unknown individuals.
▪ Never provide personal information of any sort via email; be aware that many emails requesting your personal information may appear to be legitimate.
▪ Use strong two-factor authentication if possible, using biometrics, hardware tokens, or authentication apps.
▪ Disable or remove unneeded software applications.
If you believe you have been the victim of a COVID-19 fraud, immediately report it to the FBI (ic3.gov, tips.fbi.gov, or 1-800-CALL-FBI) or HHS OIG (tips.hhs.gov or 1-800-HHSTIPS).
For accurate and up-to-date information about COVID-19, visit:
▪ coronavirus.gov
▪ cdc.gov/coronavirus
▪ usa.gov/coronavirus
▪ fbi.gov/coronavirus
▪ justice.gov/coronavirus
▪ oig.hhs.gov/coronavirus
A Southern New Year’s Tradition
Whew. We made it through Thanksgiving and Christmas. Days of planning our holiday feast and preparing and cooking have come to a close!
There is one more meal we need to plan for. Growing up in the South black-eyed peas, cabbage, and cornbread were a must for New Years’. It’s a phenomenal way to start off the new year! A tradition that has lived on for years and years, and whether you believe in fate or not, let’s not tempt it!
Black eyed peas and cabbage both have meanings as to why we eat them on New Years. Black-eyed peas represent good luck for your year and cabbage is for prosperity.
Check out these recipes to help get you ready for new years dinner!
Recipe here at The Magical Slow Cooker
Sweet Moist Cornbread Recipe at Mommy Mouse Clubhouse.
Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen Fully Loaded Cornbread
2020 has been one heck of a year, so bust out the pots and cornbread skillet one last time and get to cooking this New Years’. We will need all the good luck we can get.
Application Deadline Nearing for DETCOG Solid Waste Grants
The deadline for receipt of Deep East Texas Council of Governments (DETCOG) Solid Waste Grant applications is 4:30 p.m. on Monday, January 11, 2021. DETCOG anticipates awarding grants totaling $36,305.62 for FY 2021.
Each application will be judged by the DETCOG Regional Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) in accordance with the SWAC Project Review and Scoring Guidelines. This year there can be up to 2 grants at a maximum of $18,152.00 each.
Applications for projects in the following categories will be accepted: Local
Enforcement, Litter and Illegal Dumping Cleanup and Community Collection Events, Source Reduction and Recycling, Local Solid Waste Management Plans, Household Hazardous Waste Management, Technical Studies, Educational and Training Projects, and other projects not included in these categories which meet TCEQ criteria.
The grants are available to Cities, Counties, Public Schools, School Districts, River Authorities as well as General and Special Law Districts with the authority and responsibility for water quality protection or municipal solid waste management. The applicants must be located within Angelina, Houston, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity and Tyler counties to be eligible to apply. Funding for the DETCOG Solid Waste Grants comes from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
Applications are available on DETCOG’s website at “www.detcog.gov”. For more information, or to request an application packet, please contact Regional Services Specialist Carolyn Stephenson by email at CStephenson@detcog.gov or by phone at (936) 634-2247 ext. 5353.
Developing an Excellent Soil
If you are reading this, it is obvious that you probably enjoy messing around outside. Be it your yard, landscape, or vegetable garden, you couldn’t wait for the sun to shine and your ground to dry out.
Yet recent rainfall has left many of our soils far too soggy to work. The simple advice is that you work with your soil when it’s moist, but not wet.
If you have a tighter, clayey soil the foolproof addition is organic matter. Unless you have a couple months before planting, your added organic matter should already be composted.
Organic matter really is the miracle cure for bad soils. Is your soil too sandy? Add organic matter. Is it nothing but clay? Add organic matter. The benefits of organic matter to soil are too numerous to extol here. Suffice it to say, composted organic matter adds nutrients, increases water holding capacity, improves soil structure, has numerous beneficial microbes, and prevents erosion.
Compost can be from manures, lawn clippings, leaves or anything natural you can find. Many seasoned gardeners will till in leaves, pine straw, or other raw material into the soil months before it is to be used. This allows the soil to create its own compost.
If unsure that your garden site is poorly drained, there is a simple test to see how well drained it is. Well-drained soil has everything to do with how quickly water will percolate through the soil. Many homeowners think that a sloping ground area that sheds water is “well drained”. Not so. Water must be allowed to move into the soil and then move thru out below it.
A very simplified drainage (or percolation) test taught to me by a retired county agent is to dig a hole about three foot deep and about a foot wide. Post-hole diggers work very well for this.
Add water until the water level doesn’t immediately drop. After 24 hours, check to see if the soil at the bottom is visible. Though it may be muddy, if you can see the soil at the bottom then you have very well drained soil. A deep sandy soil, by nature, is very well drained. Shallow topsoil over clay subsoil will often hold water.
If it takes 48 hours until you see the bottom, then your soil is fairly well drained. But if it takes 72 hours (three days) or more before you can see the bottom, then you know that you have poorly drained soil and measures must be taken to compensate.
The solution is a raised bed. Whether in rows down your garden or landscape beds edged with timber, stone, or other items, raising the level of the soil, in which the desired plants will grow, should aid greatly.
The question is often asked, “Can I just dig out a deep hole, fill it full of good soil and create a well-drained soil that way?” That will not work because digging a hole like that will only create a big clay bowl that will still hold water quite well.
Remember to build up and not dig down to create a “clay-lined bowl”.
To overcome uncertainty in selecting what fertilizer or lime and how much of each, you must take a soil test. Soil testing costs $13 per sample, plus $6-7 for postage if you mail it. SFA has a laboratory that tests soil for liming and fertilization. You can pick up a form at our office next to the Farmers Market on the south loop in Lufkin or print one off the internet yourself. Google “SFA soil test” and select the first pdf option on the screen.