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Top Laundry Tips to Treat Common Summer Stains

By
Statepoint
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0

Summer living can make your family’s clothing vulnerable to stains, splatters and more, even if you are spending more time at home these days. But it’s possible to restore your family’s clothing to like-new condition every time laundry day rolls around with these tips and strategies:

• Act quickly: The faster you treat a garment, the more likely you will successfully remove stains and odors. While portable stain sticks are a great option when out and about, you can also rely on some running water and hand soap.

• Understand stains: “Science shows that there is no one single ingredient that cleans everything well, so understanding the anatomy of a stain is essential,” says to Elli Frasier, director of product development for CR Brands, a cleaning products manufacturer.

For example, enzymes are required to treat protein-based stains like grass, while granular-based stains such as mud require detergents. For this reason, that quick soccer game in the backyard could easily become the precursor to laundry day difficulties. Throw some al fresco dining into the mix and your favorite item of clothing may really be in trouble. Here are a few common summer clothing pitfalls and how to handle them:

• Tough workouts: When washing sweaty workout gear and other clothing, be sure laundry products contain odor-preventing ingredients. If your machine has a sports cycle, this may be a good setting to choose.

• Barbecues: Ketchup and other condiments take center stage at barbecues, but when they make contact with clothing, it’s important to target these stains correctly. The same is true of juice drinks, spaghetti sauce and wine. Pretreat such stains for 30 minutes or more with peroxide-containing products before washing.

• Grease: Whether changing the oil in your car or fixing a bicycle chain, maintenance tasks such as these can lend themselves to tough-to-treat grease stains. Agitate garments with a degreasing agent along with warm water before laundering.

• Choose a powerful weapon: The best way to ensure clothing comes out of the wash good-as-new is to select products containing a variety of stain-fighting ingredients, including enzymes, peroxides, whitening agents and detergents. For example, Biz Stain & Odor Eliminator, available in powder, liquid and boosters, can be used to both pretreat garments (by applying directly on the stain), as well as an additive (by pouring it into the wash along with your detergent). Proven to be 80 percent more effective at stain removal than detergent alone in independent third-party laboratory tests, it’s also safe to use on both colored garments and whites.

• Examine clothes post-wash: Before tossing garments in the dryer, ensure stains were actually removed during the wash cycle, as applying heat can set the stain.

• Read labels: When in doubt, check tags for proper care, particularly for delicates and special fabrics.

More laundry tips and information can be found by visiting bizstainfighter.com.

With a few tricks up your sleeve, you can enjoy all the mess summer has to offer care-free.

HUDSON GRADUATE WINS $8,000 GEORGIA-PACIFIC SCHOLARSHIP

By
Joshua Blackwell
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Aaron Dickerson was recently selected as one of 50 students across the country to receive an $8,000 academic scholarship from the Georgia-Pacific Foundation. GP Lumber Sales Manager Julie Baker (far right), joins Mark and Natalie Dickerson to congratulate their son Aaron on his academic success.

Aaron Dickerson, a graduating senior at Hudson ISD has been selected as a recipient of a Georgia-Pacific Foundation Employees’ Children Scholarship. He is the son of Mark and Natalie Dickerson. Mark is a Lumber Sales Trader at Georgia-Pacific’s Diboll Regional Office.

Aaron will attend Texas A & M in the Fall where he will major in Engineering. He is one of 50 students nationwide who received scholarships from the Georgia-Pacific Foundation. The scholarship awards $2,000 per year for up to four years of full-time college undergraduate study or until baccalaureate degree requirements are completed, whichever occurs first, for a total maximum award of $8,000.

Since the scholarship program began in 1988, Georgia-Pacific has awarded nearly 1,600 scholarships totaling nearly $13 million. The program is administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and is open to children of all active, full-time, U.S.-based employees of Georgia-Pacific. About 300 applications were received this year.

Education is a cornerstone of Georgia-Pacific’s community investment. Across the country, the company supports a wide array of public school and community based educational programs. Investment support includes programs that boost literacy, promote STEM and STEAM interest and train educators to take their skills to the next level of teaching and learning.

Commission Approves New Project in Lufkin Disctrict

By
Rhonda Oaks
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Federal grant funding awarded through CARES Act for airports and transit district

Texas Transportation Commissioners held a meeting by telephone Thursday approving more than $731 million in new construction projects for the state, including a $4.8 million project for the Lufkin District.

San Augustine County was approved for a project on US 96 consisting of the reconstruction of shoulders and the addition of passing lanes from FM 3451 to SH 21 in San Augustine. There has been no completion date set for this project. Madden Contracting Company LLC, Minden, LA will serve as contractor. A pre-construction meeting will be set in coming weeks.

Commissioners also approved federal relief grants for General Aviation Airports and Rural Transit Districts across the state. The federal grant funding was awarded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES).

More than $6.7 million in federal grant funding was approved for 182 airports in Texas as part of a $10 billion federal economic relief fund package. Airports receiving a portion of the funding were affected by the prevention of, preparation of, preparation for, and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Airports in the Lufkin District designated to receive a portion of the federal funding include the Angelina County Airport in Burke, $69,000; A.L. Manghum Jr. Regional Airport in Nacogdoches, $30,000; Livingston Municipal Airport in Polk County, $30,000; Houston County Airport in Crockett, $20,000; Center Municipal Airport in Shelby County, $30,000.

Rural Transit Districts were also approved for $61.3 million statewide as part of the CARES Act. Brazos Transit District, which operates in the Lufkin District, will receive $4.5 million in grant funding. The designations of rural transit districts receiving funds were derived through a formula set by the Texas Administrative Code 31.36(g), and included performance and need, discretionary funding and vehicle mile calculations.

 

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

Watch: Lufkin’s Shana Sullivan Featured in US Navy Band

By
Aaron Ferguson
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0

Lukfin’s own Shana Sullivan, CPO of the United States Navy and Chief Musician with the US Navy Band, was featured in the band’s 2019 “Concerts on the Avenue” series in Washington.

Lion King – Circle of Life, He Lives In You

One of our most popular selections from 2019's Concerts on the Avenue series was our Lion King medley, featuring Chief Musicians Rachel Sarracco and Shana Sullivan, and Musician 1st Class Danlie Cuenca. Let us know what YOU think!

Posted by United States Navy Band on Sunday, May 31, 2020

Shana is featured at 3:15 during the group’s performance of “He Lives in You,” a piece written for Broadway’s musical rendition of The Lion King.

“Each year the concert highlights naval history and heritage, honors our fleet and pays tribute to our nation’s veterans. This family-friendly concert features a variety of musical genres, including current radio hits and iconic American music as well as patriotic standards.”

She sounds amazing!

–Courtesy of navyband.navy.mil 

SFA Athletics Unveils New Family of Logos

By
Kevin Meyer
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0

SFA Athletics released its new family of athletics logos and brand identity marks today (June 1). The release marks the culmination of a thorough process in cooperation with SME Branding, a division of Learfield IMG College. The refresh of SFA’s brand marks includes a revision of the iconic “shape of Texas” primary logo, as well as the addition of secondary and tertiary marks, a wordmark and Lumberjack/Ladyjack specific branding.

 

http://www.facebook.com/SFAFootball/videos/284288682946536/

“We are excited to unveil our new family of logos and identity marks”, said SFA Director of Athletics Ryan Ivey. “These marks provide us with a diverse group of assets that will allow us to expand on our iconic primary mark with consistency across all platforms. As we continue towards our vision of becoming the leading mid-major athletics department in the nation, these marks provide us with a strong foundation of our visual identity.”

Primary

 

The signature style of the iconic primary (state) logo has been enhanced by the removal of the beveled effect and two-toned purple coloring. A brighter, vibrant purple with white outlines makes up the bold SFA lettering at the focal point of the logo, while a purple star proudly displays the location of Texas’ oldest town. Added versatility in the logo exists in black and white versions, where the lettering and background can be interchanged between light and dark.

Secondary

 
With the addition of a true secondary logo, the Lumberjack brand grows stronger with the Piney Woods identity on full display. The proud forestry roots of SFA and the Piney Woods region adorn the top of a double-bladed axe, accompanied by the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks wordmark. A white star amidst the purple shrouded blade serves as a homage to the star representing Nacogdoches’ place on the primary mark as well as a nod to Texas’ status as the “Lone Star State”.

“Throughout this process, it was extremely important that we remained true to who we are”, added Ivey. “Our goal was to ensure that when any of the marks (primary, secondary, or tertiary) are visible, that you will always be able to identify it with SFA, the state of Texas and the Piney Woods of East Texas.  A consistent, readily identifiable story from mark to mark was paramount during this process.”

Tertiary

Bold lettering conveys the true Lumberjack strength throughout the logo family, and is on full display in SFA’s new tertiary mark as well. The large letters “SFA” in a vibrant purple serve as the stand-in for an axe handle, as the double-bladed axe head comes through once more in the visual package. A purple star on the top half of the axe head serves as dual symbolism to the “Lone Star State” as well as serving as an ode to Nacogdoches on the primary mark, while a trio of grey-shaded pine trees stand proudly in the bottom half of the axe blade. The tertiary mark, much like the secondary mark, lends itself well to sport specific logos for each of SFA’s 18 varsity sports teams.

The color scheme throughout the logos maintains the SFA’s traditional pattern of purple and white, all while finding a balance between lighter hues of decades past and the darker purples found more recently. The new color scheme, combined with the versatility of each mark to function as a black and white logo, allows for greater visual depth and variety to be applied by SFA.

Wordmark

 

Bold lettering conveys the strength of the SFA mascot in the new SFA wordmark, available with both the Lumberjack and Ladyjack moniker. SFA’s bright, vibrant new purple against a white background allows the text to “pop” off the logo as the primary focus of the viewer. The wordmark design allows for greater variety and branding depth within the new family of logos.

Simple and Fun Crafts to Keep Kids Entertained

By
Joshua Blackwell
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0

Staying at home and practicing social distancing can feel more challenging as the weather warms and the itch for family fun at the beach becomes stronger. However, being socially responsible does not mean you need to put the fun on hold.

Consider these ideas from the experts at Intex to create a fun and safe backyard beach day of your own:

  • Create a “View”: Recreate the feeling of being at the beach by designing your own tropical “view.” With a couple of inflatable palm trees and some umbrellas, you can feel like you’re on a tropical vacation. All that’s left is to lay out some beach towels and break out the SPF.
  • Play Games: No beach day is complete without your favorite beach games. Keep it casual with Frisbee and paddle ball or set up a volleyball net for a little bit of family competition.
  • Cool Off: You don’t need the lake or ocean to enjoy hours in the water. With a pool, you can keep the family busy all day long right in your own backyard. The Ultra XTR Rectangular Above Ground Frame Swimming Pool from Intex has an easy set-up and sizes to fit almost any backyard. Along with its selection of pools, the brand also offers play centers, including the Rainbow Ring Play Center with waterslide, wading pool, water sprayer and ring toss game.
  • Get Comfortable: With a unique style for everyone in the family, inflatable floats can transform your backyard into a vacation getaway. The Intex Palm Leaf and Pink Seashell designs can help you extend the tropical feel of your staycation and provide some fun options for the family. For those who like to enjoy a nice cold drink, be sure your lounger includes a cup holder.
  • Fire Up the Grill: Fire up the grill for a cookout or make a picnic-style lunch with sandwiches and snacks. Either way, you’ll be recreating delicious beach fare.
  • Crank Up the Tunes: Make a relaxing beach playlist, grab the speakers and crank up the tunes.

Use your time at home to build lasting memories with family. With a few fun backyard ideas, you can make the time spent social distancing less stressful and a lot more fun.

New Report Helps Agricultural Producers Navigate Federal Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

By
Cary Sims
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0

On May 19, 2020, USDA released details of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). CFAP’s $19 billion package contains two primary components. First, USDA will partner with regional and local distributors to purchase $3 billion in fresh produce, dairy and meat and provide those commodities to those in need. The bulk of the program is designed to provide $16 billion in direct support to farmers and ranchers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligible commodities for direct support include livestock (cattle, hogs, and sheep), dairy, wool, several grain crops, specialty fruit crops (including blueberries, and watermelons), specialty vegetable crops, nuts, and others (such as beans and mushrooms).

For our local cattlemen, there will be assistance paid for those who sold calves between January 15 and April 15. And even if you did not sell any cattle during those dates, assistance funds are still available for cattle owned during those dates.

Signup will be from May 26 to August 28, 2020. Once signup begins, eligible producers should call their county Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to schedule an appointment. The local FSA office serving Angelina County can be reached by calling (936) 564-5891.

To help affected producers navigate this new program, Agricultural and Food Policy Center (AFPC) at Texas A&M University co-directors Dr. Bart Fischer and Dr. Joe Outlaw, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economists Dr. David Andersons and Dr. Justin Benavidez authored a timely report.

Overview of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) is available at https://www.afpc.tamu.edu/research/publications/files/699/RR-20-02.pdf.

The report provides an excellent overview of the program, provides clarification on payment rates and eligible commodities, payment limits, income tests, and payment reductions. It also provides payment calculations and examples by commodity.

The report’s lead author, Dr. Bart Fischer, notes that while CFAP provides a significant amount of aid, there are a number of losses not covered. A previous AFPC report estimated Texas agricultural losses alone could exceed $8 billion. That report can be read at https://afpc.tamu.edu/research/publications/files/698/RR-20-01.pdf.

Dr. Fischer identified one area of concern not addressed by CFAP that could affect several local beef producers. While cattle producers, in particular, are the biggest recipients of assistance from CFAP, the estimated support for cattle is still significantly less than half of the damages estimated by industry.

While animals in inventory from April 16 to May 14, will be eligible for a CFAP payment, there likely will be calls to provide additional assistance to producers who had to depopulate animals in response to COVID-19. Also, those producing poultry on contract and paid by pounds produced may accrue significant additional losses.

Looking ahead, cattle producers need to follow updates to the CFAP closely. As Congress
continues to debate the next steps, these and other issues will be at the forefront.

Play Safe at Home With a Fun-Filled Family Staycation

By
Statepoint
-
0

Staying at home and practicing social distancing can feel more challenging as the weather warms and the itch for family fun at the beach becomes stronger. However, being socially responsible does not mean you need to put the fun on hold.

Consider these ideas from the experts at Intex to create a fun and safe backyard beach day of your own:

• Create a “View”: Recreate the feeling of being at the beach by designing your own tropical “view.” With a couple of inflatable palm trees and some umbrellas, you can feel like you’re on a tropical vacation. All that’s left is to lay out some beach towels and break out the SPF.

• Play Games: No beach day is complete without your favorite beach games. Keep it casual with Frisbee and paddle ball or set up a volleyball net for a little bit of family competition.

• Cool Off: You don’t need the lake or ocean to enjoy hours in the water. With a pool, you can keep the family busy all day long right in your own backyard. The Ultra XTR Rectangular Above Ground Frame Swimming Pool from Intex has an easy set-up and sizes to fit almost any backyard. Along with its selection of pools, the brand also offers play centers, including the Rainbow Ring Play Center with waterslide, wading pool, water sprayer, and ring toss game.

• Get Comfortable: With a unique style for everyone in the family, inflatable floats can transform your backyard into a vacation getaway. The Intex Palm Leaf and Pink Seashell designs can help you extend the tropical feel of your staycation and provide some fun options for the family. For those who like to enjoy a nice cold drink, be sure your lounger includes a cup holder.

• Fire Up the Grill: Fire up the grill for a cookout or make a picnic-style lunch with sandwiches and snacks. Either way, you’ll be recreating delicious beach fare.

• Crank Up the Tunes: Make a relaxing beach playlist, grab the speakers and crank up the tunes.

Use your time at home to build lasting memories with family. With a few fun backyard ideas, you can make the time spent social distancing less stressful and a lot more fun.

Kriesel, Arriaga Represent SFA on Southland All-Academic Teams

By
Kevin Meyer
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0

A pair of Ladyjacks have been named to the Southland Conference Softball All-Academic Teams, per a release from the league office on Wednesday morning. Senior Ashley Kriesel and junior Marisa Arriaga were recognized on the First and Second Team, respectively, taking their place among the league’s 24-strong academic squads.

The honors, which are the first in the career of both Kriesel and Arriaga, come on the heels of a superlative season that was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. Even still, Kriesel and Arriaga had put together campaigns that ranked them among the Southland’s best before play was halted, and their athletic accomplishments along with their work in the classroom earned them the All-Academic accolades.

To be eligible for the All-Academic Teams, an athlete must have put forth a 3.00 cumulative GPA prior to the current championship season, and have spent at least a full academic year at the nominating institution (freshman and first-year transfers were not eligible).

Kriesel, a senior pitcher, had already hurled a dominant season before reaching the conference slate and then led the Ladyjacks to an opening-weekend sweep of Lamar to open SLC play. The right hander finished the campaign leading the league in ERA (0.88), wins (11), strikeouts (116), strikeouts looking (31) and batting-average-against (.122). She set a school record with 19 strikeouts in a no-hitter effort against Southern to open the campaign, and her six shutouts was also an SLC-best. A Kinesiology major, Kriesel sports a 3.28 GPA.

Arriaga’s impact on both sides of the ball was pivotal to the Ladyjack’s success in the shortened campaign, as she ranked third on the team and ninth in the SLC with a .383 batting average on the season. She also ranked third on the team in hits (23), doubles (6) and runs scored (16). In her spot in the outfield, she completed 27-of-28 chances for a .964 fielding percentage. A Cedar Hill, Texas native, Arriaga sports a 3.75 GPA as a biology major.

Summer is Back On! State Parks Resume Overnight Reservations

By
Aaron Ferguson
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0

Starting today, May 27, you can make new overnight camping reservations at most state parks for arrival dates between June 1 and Sept. 7.

“No one is more pleased than us to welcome more outdoor enthusiasts back into state parks as part of the continued reopening of Texas,” said Carter Smith, Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “Our careful and deliberate approach to phasing in the reopening has served our visitors, volunteers, and staff well as we have continued our emphasis on the safety of everyone in the parks. Even in this limited capacity, we are glad that we can get more Texans and their families safely back on the trails and in the campsites to enjoy all the many unique spaces and places that make Texas state parks so special.”

All guests, including annual pass holders, need to pre-purchase day passes and make overnight reservations in advance. Making reservations online is the quickest and easiest way to reserve your spot in the park. See tips for using the online reservation system. Reservations can also be made by calling (512) 389-8900, but do expect longer than normal wait times right now.

We are doing everything we can to honor existing overnight reservations. If your reservation will be impacted, you will be contacted by a customer service agent to move or cancel your reservation. If you would like to cancel your reservation, please email customer.service@tpwd.texas.gov.

Social distancing standards and public health recommendations remain in effect, including the recommendation to wear face coverings and bring your own supply of hand sanitizer. See guidelines and tips to plan your visit.

Texas State Parks will continue to operate at a limited capacity. Operational changes still in effect at parks include the suspension of all equipment rentals, in-person programs and transactions in parks. All headquarters, visitor centers and nature centers will also remain closed for now.

The continuation of overnight reservations and other park operations are subject to change and are dependent on current data, staffing levels and public health recommendations. Check the TPWD website and Texas State Parks Alert Map for the latest information.

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