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Jentrie Eldridge Carries on Family Tradition with Hogs at the Angelina County Fair

By
Cary Sims
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Jentrie Eldridge has shown pigs since she was 3 years old in the Pee Wee show at the Angelina County Youth Fair. It’s a family tradition. Her two older siblings, Tyler and Jordan who are now in their 20’s, showed when they were growing up.

Jentrie is the daughter of Sheilla and Clay Eldridge and live int the Beulah community where she is Junior at Diboll High. This will be her 9th year to show in the county fair in just under a month.

A member of Diboll FFA and 4-H, Jentrie states, “I chose to show pigs because it is a family tradition.” She says the best part is getting out and meeting new people.” And that “Diboll FFA has so many freshmen this year and I want them to get our there and expand their horizons.”

Earlier this year, she nearly had a disaster. “In early December our barn caught fire. We don’t know what started it but my grandparents who live across the road saw smoke pouring out of the barn. They quickly ran over and were able to put out fire in one corner of the barn. They soon called my mom and I got out of school to go home and take care of the hogs.”

Jentrie had been raising three hogs for the year: one for Houston, one for the County Fair and a spare one that could be substituted in case one of the others didn’t develop. The fire started at one end. The hog nearest the fire somehow got out of its pen and was spared. The one in the second pen only suffered burns on one rear leg due to the quick action of her grandparents.

None were lost.

She says the hardest part is the feeding. Not the actual daily chore but “selecting what type of feed to give and how much. My parents study this a lot. One day a pig will look a certain way and you may need to change their ration one way or another.”

Her mom Sheilla, says, “Raising show animals has taught Jentrie lots of responsibilities. Jentrie has a passion for showing animals. She has made lots of friends throughout her showing career that share the same interests. Jentrie has been a member of Diboll 4-H for 9 years and a Diboll FFA member for 3 years.”

Last year, as a sophomore, Jentrie show a market wether goat and she’s been showing rabbits since she was a freshman where she placed 10th overall. Her second year showing rabbits she won 3rd and the judge told her “you could have placed in the top 10 at the Houston Stock Show!”

Jentrie has already been the Houston Show this year with another hog. She didn’t make the final placing and ended up being ill most of the show but competing in it accomplished a goal that she’s had for some time.

“I showed at Houston when I was in 3rd and 4th grade but didn’t remember much. I really wanted to go again but my busy schedule kept me from doing that.” Looking ahead to next year, she has set her sights on going all three major stocks in the spring: Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Houston.

Jentrie is truly dedicated to Diboll FFA where she served in leadership roles as well as showing livestock. “Really this is all I do,” she states, “Besides hanging out with friends and working a part-time job.”

This year’s hog show at the Angelina County Fair will be on Friday, April 19 at the George H. Henderson Expo. The entire County Fair is from Monday, April 15 thru Saturday, April 20 concluding with the sale on

Saturday evening. The hog show begins at 8 am and will finish up just before lunch. The auction will be Saturday evening in the main arena starting at 4 pm.

New Multi-Million Dollar Women’s Center Now Under Construction

By
Joshua Blackwell
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Taking quality care to an entirely new level, CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial is completely reconstructing the hospital’s second floor to create a multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art facility focused solely on the health and well-being of East Texas women and children.

Under the direction of a team of experts, the design for the new Women’s Center will be completed in two phases. Phase 1, which is now underway, includes contemporary Labor & Delivery Recovery and Postpartum suites, as well as new C-section accommodations. Completion is expected in the Fall of 2019. Phase 2 includes a cutting edge well-baby nursery, new C-section rooms and an ultramodern neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in partnership with Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. The NICU features private rooms to provide specialized care and monitoring for premature and/or ill newborns. Phase 2 is expected to take an additional nine months to complete.

In the meantime, CHI St. Luke’s Health will continue to provide top quality care for all women and children.

“For almost 70 years CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial Lufkin has been dedicated to caring for the families of deep East Texas,” said Monte Bostwick, President and CEO of CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial. “Our new Women’s Center will bring a brand new healing environment to our hospital as we continue to support all women and their families.”

Responding to a growing need for neonatal care in Lufkin and the surrounding communities, CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial developed its new neonatal program in partnership with world-renowned Texas Children’s Hospital. Texas Children’s Newborn Center houses the nation’s largest level IV NICU, the highest level of care available for premature and critically ill newborns. Consistently ranked as one of the best pediatric hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Texas Children’s has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women’s health. CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial will have the only NICU in the region medically managed by Texas Children’s and supported by board certified neonatologists.

“Texas Children’s is a recognized leader in the treatment of babies born with complications or prematurely, and this partnership will allow area residents to have access to the best possible care for their babies right in their

own community,” said Joann Lee, Director of Business Development for Texas Children’s Community Initiatives. “Additionally, pregnant women in Lufkin and its surrounding communities will have access to Texas Children’s maternal-fetal medicine program offered through telemedicine services, which will allow mothers with high-risk pregnancies to obtain comprehensive evaluations and treatment, so they can have the best possible outcomes.”

CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial is dedicated to keeping women strong for generations to come. The hospital leads the way with the newest technology and highly skilled physicians who know that there’s nothing more precious than mothers and daughters.

“Our new Women’s Center will raise the level of care in our community and will afford families the opportunity to stay close to home for their total care,” said Mary Franklin, Market Vice President of Patient Care Services at CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial. “The excitement is in the air, our employees are eagerly awaiting the completion, our physicians are enthusiastic and as the community becomes more aware of this awesome project, I can only imagine their delight.”

The design team includes hospital leaders and longtime Obstetrician and Gynecologist Kaywin Carter, M.D., who also serves as the Medical Director of Women’s Services. Comfort, patient healing and fully-integrated services for women and children were taken into consideration when developing the project. Director of Nursing Operations and Market Director for Women’s Services Misti Lowe has spent the majority of her 19-year-long nursing career in the halls of the Henderson Women’s and Children’s Center. She says this project has been a long time coming.

“This is something that we have been waiting on, hoping for, and praying would happen for many years. It is like a dream come true,” Lowe said. “I am happy for the hospital, of course, but the new level of care that this project brings to our community is extraordinary. We will indeed be adding another dimension to the local healthcare landscape.”

An Update from Trent Ashby

By
Rep. Trent Ashby
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Spring has officially arrived and so has county fair season! Like many of you, I love spending time at our county fairs supporting our youth and visiting with friends and neighbors from parts near and far. These events build such a sense of community and provide a unique opportunity to observe the hard work of so many of our youth as they bring their projects and talents to the fair. Also, I hope you’ve noticed the wildflowers starting to dot the landscape along our highways. It’s a great time to be out and about in East Texas!

With that, here’s the latest update from your State Capitol. . .

Legislative Update:

After another productive week in Austin, I wanted to give you an update on some recent legislative developments. I had a bill pass on the first day the House could officially vote on legislation this past week. The bill, House Bill 1244, eliminates the high-stakes end of course US History exam for high school students and replaces the test with the civics portion of the US citizenship test. A big win for students, parents, teachers, and every Texan who shares the belief that students need to grasp basic, foundational information about America’s rich and proud history. As a refresher, once a bill is passed out of the House of Representatives, the bill will go through the entire legislative process again in Senate. The legislation will be referred to a Senate committee, the committee will consider and vote on the bill, then it can be presented to the entire Senate for a final vote. Should the legislation make it through this step of the legislative process in both chambers without substantive changes, the bill will be sent to the Governor, who can either veto the bill or sign it into law.

Another piece of legislation that passed this week was a ‘Sunset’ bill for the Texas Military Department. Sunset bills are the product of an extensive review process conducted by the State to ensure that state agencies are still efficiently performing the functions for which they were originally created. The Sunset Commission, which is comprised of ten members of the Legislature – five from the House, five from the Senate, and two appointed members of the public – reviews each state agency every 6-12 years and makes a recommendation as to whether the agency is still needed or how an agency can improve. As a member of the House Committee on Defense & Veteran’s Affairs, I was proud to vote in favor of this bill, as I support the Commission’s recommendations to not only continue the Texas Military Department, but also their recommendations on how to improve their efficiency and programs.

I wrapped up the week by having a conference call with several district superintendents to seek their input on a number of issues facing the Public Education Committee. We talked about the importance of equitable state funding, school safety, and the unique needs of each district across

the state. It’s always helpful for me to hear directly from those entrusted with educating our students about what’s working and what’s not. Whether it’s education, or any other industry or field for that matter, it’s always best for legislators to hear directly from those who might be impacted by bills making their way through the legislative process.

Reminders:

The mobile office is on the road this month and looks forward to seeing you on the following dates, in the following locations: March 27th at the San Augustine County Courthouse in San Augustine from 9:00am-11:00am.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact our office if we can help you in any way. Our District office may be reached at (936) 634-2762, or you can call my Capitol office at (512) 463-0508.

RAILROAD BRIDGE WORK TO HAVE LANES CLOSED IN CROCKETT

By
Rhonda Oaks
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Work on a railroad bridge in Houston County will have lanes of traffic closed in Crockett for up to 10 working days.

Crews will begin working to repair the bridge on the Missouri Pacific Railroad tracks that cross SL 304 in Crockett at 8 am Monday and will continue each day until work is completed.

Eastbound lanes of traffic on SL 304 will be closed and traffic will be rerouted into the westbound lanes, creating two-way traffic. Motorists should plan ahead for delays and detours or choose alternate routes until this project is finished and eastbound lanes have reopened.

Motorists are urged to reduce speed, stay alert and obey all signage near and through the work zone. Work schedules are subject to change in inclement weather.

For closures and roadway conditions statewide, visit drivetexas.org. For more information on this and other Lufkin District projects, contact Rhonda.Oaks@txdot.gov or (936) 633-4395.

Drug-Free All Stars Visit Woodland Heights Medical Center

By
Joshua Blackwell
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Drug-Free All Stars with Mr. Stephen Bennett, Director of Emergency Services at Woodland Heights Medical Center. Pictured back row, from left: Mr. Stephen Bennett, Marco Rendon, Andrew Richards, Kellen Kruk, Brent Barber, Morgan Holland, Tydaisha Powell, Joshua Simmons, Riley Latham, Joe Michael Soto, Makiley Rhodes, Gracie England, Joshua Bowers, and Adam Denman. Next row, from left: Hannah Morrison, Alison Acevedo, Jared Christopher, Tyler Hance, Sadie Price, Martarosa Velazquez, Cody Doyle, Alishbah Khan, Anisha Rao, Aaron Terrazas, Cade Self, Aroob Naqvi, Jacy Dickerson, Joseph Reyes, Elizabeth Jones, Kennady Martin, and Tatum Williams. Front row, from left: Janet Mendoza, Maria Mejia, Camryn Lee, Bailey Ortiz, Daphne Ortiz, and Karly Williams.

This month, the Drug-Free All Stars visited Woodland Heights Medical Center and had the opportunity to hear the Director of Emergency Services, Mr. Stephen Bennett, speak on the dangers of distracted/drugged driving. He discussed the effects drugs and alcohol can have on the brain, as well as other distractions people can experience while driving, such as cell phones. The Coalition would like to give special thanks to Jennifer Stevens, Director of Marketing, Amanda Anderson, Assistant Director of Marketing, and the Woodland Heights Medical Center staff for welcoming our Drug-Free All Stars. Since 1988, The Coalition has focused on eliminating the use of harmful substances by affecting public policy, laws, attitudes and behaviors, all in an effort to foster healthy life-long choices for the local community. For more information about the Drug-Free All Stars contact Abby Baker at The Coalition at 936-634-9308.

Angelina College Visual Arts Student Exhibition Opens April 2

By
Nancy Reynolds
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Angelina College’s visual arts students from Le’Anne Alexander’s Introduction to Drawing and Design courses will present their work in an exhibition running from April 2 -16 in the Angelina Center for the Arts gallery. An opening reception is planned for April 2 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

“Artwork in exhibit will include a full semester of projects created in a variety of media from charcoal to collage,” Alexander said.

Students from Lufkin participating in the exhibition are Ke’shawn Davis, Marcus Davis, Hanna Eddings, Don Houston, Abby Jones, Ashley Matthews, Aujanique Taylor, Isaac Fuentes, Dona Gibbs and Eliana Padilla.

Hudsons students exhibiting works are Jacob Dearing, Matthew Gresham, Tyler Law and Esmeralda Ramos.

Other students participating in the exhibition are José Hernandez of Houston, Desirea Spiecher of Etoile, Amber Weaver of Hemphill, Brandin Brewster and Sarah Wilson, both of Huntington; and Juan Rodriguez of Nacogdoches.

Alexander is in her sixth year teaching with AC and has recently been named gallery curator and full-time instructor with the college. She studied at the Art Students League of New York and received her Master of Fine Arts from Stephen F. Austin State

University. Alexander is an award-winning painter, and previous editor at Charm East Texas magazine. “I am very proud of the tremendous growth achieved by our students this semester and pleased to be able to share it with our community in the beautiful ACA Gallery,” she said.

For more information about Angelina College’s visual arts program, contact the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at (936) 633-5233, 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Angelina College Students Participate In All-State Choir

By
Nancy Reynolds
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From left, Quavious Johnson, Dr. Craig Hella-Johnson, founding artistic director of Conspirare; Nicholos Trusclair, and Beckie Compton, AC music instructor.

Two Angelina College students recently participated in the Texas Two-Year College All-State Choir in San Antonio. Quavious Johnson and Nicholos Trusclair were chosen for this honor after auditioning in November.

To be eligible to participate, students must go through a structured audition process in their respective regions and then be recommended by members of the Texas Two-Year College Choral Directors Association.

The Texas Two-Year College All-State Choir (TTCASC) was born as a festival chorus that sang for the Texas Two-Year College Teachers Association Convention. According to the TTCASC website, in 1973, its directors voted to establish a festival independent from the TTCTA Convention, and invited Dr. George Lynn from Colorado to serve as clinician. The goals were to provide community and junior college students the opportunities to perform larger choral works than would be possible locally, to sing in a large choir, and to glean experience and inspiration from distinguished conductors.

This year’s choir was conducted by Dr. Craig Hella-Johnson, founding artistic director of Conspirare, a Grammy-winning and internationally recognized choir.

“This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to sing in a mass choir with a nationally-recognized conductor,” said Beckie Compton, AC music instructor.

For more information about the music program at Angelina College, contact the School of Visual and Performing Arts at (936) 633-5233.

My five cents… A weekly column from Sen. Robert Nichols

By
Senator Robert Nichols
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While the Legislature has officially passed the 70th day, the halfway point of the session, most of the work is done in this last half of a long marathon.

Here are five things happening at your Capitol this week:

1. Individual Graduation Committees

During the 84th Legislative Session, SB 149 was passed which created a special graduation committee for students who have been unable to pass up to two of the five end-of-course exams currently required to graduate from high school. These individual graduation committees (IGC), made up of parents, principals, counselors and teachers, must consider a variety of factors to determine a student’s eligibility for graduation, including grades, coursework, attendance rate and the scores on college entrance exams. Students are required to pass all of the courses required to graduate in order to be eligible for the IGC process, and must complete additional remediation and completion of a project in the area in which they failed the exam. When the bill was originally passed in 2015, it was set to expire in 2017, and then was moved to expire in 2020.

After four academic years, data shows that IGCs are being used judiciously for deserving students. SB 213 was recently heard in the Senate Higher Education Committee, which extends the sunset date to 2023 to ensure this opportunity remains available for deserving students.

2. Hunting Feral Hogs

Texas is currently home to one of the largest feral hog populations in the United States with an estimated 2-3 million hogs in the state, with a large part of that population being in East Texas. They can cause millions of dollars worth of damage on the land of farmers and property owners, as well as disrupt the natural patterns of other animals. In an attempt to address this issue, the Legislature has previously passed legislation allowing individuals to hunt feral hogs from helicopters and hot air balloons, and passed laws allowing a landowner to kill a feral hog if they are destroying their property at that time, without a hunting license.

Senate Bill 317, by Senator Bryan Hughes, would allow a hog to be killed at anytime, whether they are destroying property at the time they are killed or not, without a hunting license. The hope of this provision is to enable landowners to further protect their property from damage.

3. Legal Age to Purchase Tobacco

National data shows approximately 95 percent of adult smokers began smoking before they turned 21, with many starting even younger. Currently, seven states and 380 cities have increased the minimum legal age of tobacco purchase to 21. Supporters of increasing the age state that adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the addictive effect of nicotine and nicotine addiction, and that it can inhibit the development of the brain and its cognitive functions. Those against the increase don’t believe it will stop those under 21 from accessing tobacco. SB 21 has been filed and recently heard in the State Affairs Committee. This bill would raise the minimum legal age of tobacco distribution, possession, purchase, consumption and receipt of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and tobacco products from 18 years of age to 21.

4. Dogs on Patios

A few weeks ago I wrote about SB 476, also known as the Fido-Friendly Outdoor Dining Act. This week it was passed off the Senate floor and is now on its way to the House. This bill would allow restaurant patrons to bring their dogs along with them to restaurants across Texas which have patios and sidewalk cafés. Some of the requirements include a sign stating dogs are allowed should be posted; no food is prepared on patio; pets must be able to get to the outdoor area without walking through the restaurant interior, be on a leash and not sitting on a chair.

5. Battleship Texas

This week in 1945, the Battleship Texas supported the landings for the battle of Okinawa, which was the final great amphibious assault during World War II. This great ship, which also served in World War I, carried many soldiers and provided support during landings all throughout World War II. When it was retired, it was given to the State of Texas and now sits as a memorial at the San Jacinto Monument in Houston.

As part of the duties of the Senate Finance workgroup I currently Chair, we are working to secure funding to ensure the Battleship will be able to remain in tact and available for future generations to tour and experience.

Lady Roadrunner Softball Makes National Polls Debut Team Ranked No. 20, Ranks 4th Nationally in Hitting

By
Gary Stallard
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Angelina College Lady Roadrunner team photo

The Angelina College Lady Roadrunner softball team has smashed its way into the national rankings courtesy of some hot bats and steady pitching.

The Lady ‘Runners this week made their debut in the recent NJCAA Division I polls, entering at No. 20 in the nation. Despite having lost numerous games to inclement weather, AC’s ladies have put together a 13-5 record thus far.

In addition, the Lady Roadrunners are ranked No. 4 in the nation in overall hitting, with the team batting at a .412 clip. Brette Kohring is tied for 4th in the country with a .579 average, and Nikki Whitehead is ranked No. 22 with an average of .515.

Whitehead and Kaylee Ancelot are tied for 7th in the Region XIV East Zone with five homers each. Sara Mayes is tied for 13th with four homers.

AC pitcher McKenna Fryar leads the East Zone with an ERA of 1.63. She’s second in the league in strikeouts with 66 in just 51.2 innings pitched.

The Lady Roadrunners’ next home game is on Thursday, March 28. AC will host a doubleheader with Paris College starting at 2 p.m. at the Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex in Lufkin.

The e-mail address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.

Hutchinson Ends Lady Roadrunner Season AC Falls in Opening Game of NJCAA National Tournament

By
Gary Stallard
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Angelina College’s Natasha Mack (10) fights her way through Hutchinson defenders during Wednesday’s game. The Lady Roadrunners’ historic season came to an end with a 72-59 loss at the NJCAA Division I National Championship Tournament in Lubbock. (Gary Stallard/AC Press photo)

Angelina College’s Lady Roadrunners saw their historic season come to an end on Wednesday, with Hutchinson Community College throwing a knockout punch and winning 72-59 at the Rip Griffin Center in Lubbock.

The Lady ‘Runners got off to a slow start and were just unable to recover. Hutchinson led the game wire-to-wire, jumping out to a 10-0 lead and increasing the margin by as many as 15 points.

The inside-outside strategy that served the Lady Roadrunners so well all season long never hit its normal level of efficiency. Natasha Mack led all scorers with 29 points – she added 13 rebounds as well – but the Lady ‘Runners converted just one of 20 attempts from three-point range, with Mack nailing that one in the fourth quarter.

Simran Mayfield added 13 points as the only other AC player to reach double figures.

“We’ve got three of the top three-point shooters in our league, but tonight we just couldn’t buy a bucket,” head coach Byron Coleman said during the post-game press conference. “We just never got going. Hutchinson did some good things, especially in slowing us down in transition, but some of our shots weren’t even close. That’s rough for a team that usually shoots the ball so well.

“It just wasn’t our night.”

Hutchinson placed four players in double figures, with Makayla Vannett leading her team with 18 points. Jada Mickens added 13, Tijuana Kimbro 12 and Tia Bradshaw 11.

Hutchinson maintained a double-digit lead through most of the game; however, the Lady ‘Runners showed fight and a spark in the third period. Mack hit her team’s only three-point shot, and AC climbed back into contention by shrinking the Hutchinson lead to five points at 48-43.

“The kids kept fighting, and I thought we were on the verge of getting everything together at one point,” Coleman said. “But we never could get one of those 8-0, 10-0 runs we’re usually able to put together.

“That’s just the way it falls sometimes.”

The Lady Roadrunners end their season at 29-4 and with a long list of accolades. Along with the program’s first-ever appearance at the national tournament, there were numerous individual and team awards. Mack capped her magnificent two-year career as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,471 points.

Other Lady Roadrunners playing in their final games in AC orange and blue were Mia Williams, Mia Perkins, Alexis Baston, Taylor Jacob, Diamond Johnson and Shelby Brown.

Asked how long it would take to get over the pain of the loss and focus instead on this year’s run, an emotional Coleman simply put his arms around Mack.

“I’m just proud of this group. They gave this program everything they had.”

The e-mail address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.

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