Home Blog Page 454

DETCOG to Hold Annual Board of Directors Christmas Luncheon

By
Misty Boggs
-
0

The Board of Directors of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments (DETCOG) will hold their annual Christmas Luncheon on Thursday, December 20, 2018.  The event will be held at St. Michael’s Catholic Church located on Hwy 190 west of Jasper. The luncheon will start at noon.

Attendees will be entertained with a Special Christmas Program.  Also several special awards will be presented, including the DETCOG Employee of the Year and DETCOG Program Director of the Year. 

 Welcoming members and guest to Jasper County will be Jasper County Judge Mark Allen; City of Jasper Mayor Gary Gatlin; Jasper City Councilman Rashad Lewis; Jasper County Commissioners Roy Parker, Charles Shofner, Vance Moss and Willie Stark and Jasper County Minority Representative Edeska Barnes.

DETCOG’s President, Houston County Attorney Daphne Session, would like to extend an invitation to the luncheon to all interested parties.  Anyone needing ticket information concerning this meeting may contact Cynthia Trowbridge at the Deep East Texas Council of Governments office in Jasper at (409) 384-5704.

Don’t Get Snowed Under This Christmas: Tips to Spend Wisely

By
Misty Boggs
-
0

Even after setting a holiday budget, the most wonderful time of year is often the most expensive. Experts say that this Christmas, there are new ways to make your dollar go further.

“The days of clipping coupons may be out of style, but finding ways to save money never is,” says Michael McAuliffe, president of Family Credit Management. “From in-store apps to price trackers, new tech tools can help.”

The experts at Family Credit Management are encouraging consumers to research their money-saving options, as technology is always evolving. To get you started, they have narrowed down a few tech-savvy ways to streamline and save this season.

Browser Extensions

Forty-six percent of all holiday shopping occurs online, according to WeAreTop10, so, do your share of it wisely. Whether you use Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari or Firefox as your internet browser, there are sites you can visit to add an extension to your searching power. It’s like adding an additional search box which will know to look for the best deals out there whenever you are shopping online and compare prices side-by-side, cutting out some of the legwork for you. Some well-known examples are PriceBlink, The Camelizer and InvisibleHand.

Coupon Apps

Mobile apps such as Coupon Sherpa, SnipSnap and Yowza, enable you to scan items while you’re in-store and find the best value coupons on the spot.

Price Drop Alert Trackers

Eighty-four percent of Americans plan to check Amazon before looking or buying elsewhere, according to the Accenture Holiday Shopping Survey. Don’t make the mistake of assuming Amazon is the be-all-and-end-all for saving. Prices drop all the time, especially around Christmas. But, how can you keep track of who is dropping them and when? With a tracker app, you can tell the app what to look for and it will notify you when your wanted items drop in price. IFTTT (If This Then That), camelcamelcamel and Price Tracker for Amazon will keep an eye on prices for you to make sure you’re the first to see the best deals.

Credit Card Points/Discounts

Credit cards can encourage overspending, but when used carefully and within budget, offer certain advantages. For example, store-specific credit cards often offer special discounts, kickbacks and coupons for cardholders. Just think how you could double up on the savings by using some of the above tools, as well as by purchasing with a card with added bonuses. Remember though, that any savings you earn will quickly be eaten up if you pay interest charges. To avoid this trap, never use a credit card unless you can pay the entire balance in full each month. Also, think very carefully about opening a new account, as this can negatively affect your credit.

More holiday shopping, spending and saving tips can be found at familycredit.org.

When it comes to spending, don’t let the spirit of the season carry you away. You can stay within budget by practicing spending discipline and leveraging the latest tech tools

-Statepoint

Plastic Pollution: What to Know

By
Statepoint
-
0

Plastics are an increasingly widespread pollutant, according to environmental experts, harming ecosystems and wildlife as well as endangering human health. One of the largest worldwide industries driving this crisis — the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector which offers such things as soft drinks, toiletries, foods and other consumables — is not taking significant action to put the brakes on the growing production and marketing of single-use plastics, suggests a new report.

The report, “A Crisis of Convenience: The corporations behind the plastics pollution pandemic,” by Greenpeace, found that single-use packaging is the main delivery system used by all of the companies surveyed and there is no sign of that changing. What’s more, none of these companies have comprehensive strategies that include commitments to move away from single-use plastic, with some companies actually increasing the amount of single-use plastic packaging and waste they produce.

“Unfortunately, across the board, the consumer goods industry has failed to take responsibility for the single-use plastics crisis they helped create,” said Greenpeace USA ocean plastics campaign director, John Hocevar. “The current commitments corporations have made around plastics actually allow for increased use in the future. We need more transparency and substantive action immediately.”

Other study findings include the fact that most solutions being explored by businesses are primarily related to addressing recyclability or recycling, not reducing or creating new delivery systems. Unfortunately, most companies know or disclose little about the amount of their packaging that is recycled and even less about the destination of their plastic waste after consumption.

Beyond personal choices, such as recycling single-use plastics and using reusable bags and bottles, Hocevar points out that individuals can make an impact by talking to their local grocery stores, restaurants and businesses about phasing out single-use plastics as well as by writing to some of the larger companies urging them to move in a better direction.

More information about the study and plastic pollution can be found by visiting www.greenpeace.org.

“The sector urgently needs to move away from throwaway plastics for the benefit of our oceans, wildlife and communities around the world,” says Hocevar.

-Statepoint

Hot Mix Asphalt Pavement Application to Begin Saturday on US 59 South

By
Rhonda Oaks
-
0

Crews are scheduled to begin applying asphalt on US 59 South between Lufkin and Diboll on Saturday and through next week in the southbound lanes. Motorists should be prepared for delays and lane closures as this work progresses. The speed limit is set at 50 miles-per-hour through the work zone.

The $8.3 million construction project includes resurfacing US 59 South from FM 3482/Whitehouse Drive to 1.1 mile north of FM 1818 near Diboll and includes northbound and southbound lanes of travel. Work will include planing the existing pavement, applying a hot mix level up course and a final permeable friction course that will repel water and reduce surface noise.

Moore Brothers Construction, Lufkin, is contractor for the project that began June 26 and is scheduled to be completed by early summer, 2019, weather permitting.

Motorists should reduce speed to the posted speed limit and obey all traffic control devices. It is illegal to drive around a TxDOT barricade, cones or barrels. Stay alert to moving equipment and workers near the lanes of traffic during work hours.

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

AC holding Pinning Ceremony Dec. 12 for Vocational Nursing Students

By
Misty Boggs
-
0
Angelina College will hold a pinning ceremony for the 35 graduates of the Vocational Nursing Program Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. in Temple Theater on the AC campus.

LUFKIN, TEXAS, Dec.10, 2018 – Thirty-five students will graduate from the vocational nursing program at Angelina College during a ceremony in Temple Theater Dec. 12 at 6 p.m.

Angelina College will hold a pinning ceremony for the 35 graduates of the Vocational Nursing Program Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. in Temple Theater on the AC campus.

Graduates from Lufkin are Angelica Cordero, Stephanie Hollman, Sydney Howell, Gloria Hunt, Jake Hunter, Terri Jacobo, Amy Trainer and Domonique Ward.

Graduates from Nacogdoches are Elizabeth Gonzalez, Maritza Guillen, Christina Hogg, Karina Maldonado-Jaimes, Maribel Ribera and Anahi Rodrigues.

Other graduates are Crystal Wilson and Morgan Beusse, both of Crockett; Jocelyn Chacon and Jasmin Santana, both of Diboll; Matthew Collins and Kayla Johnson, both of Huntington; Patricia F. Miller of Burkeville, Judith Allison of Cushing, Diana M. Eason of Fred, Markel McAlister of Garrison, Kimberly K. Scroggins ofHemphill, Anna B. Wolfford of Kirbyville, Renea Mize of Livingston, Katelin L.Stone of Lovelady, Ellen N. Murray of Palestine, Heather Hill of Pollok, Alyssa B. Utley of Porter Springs, Olivia Turner of Shepherd, Crystal Hanks of Warren,Angela S. Hopson of Wiergate, and Sydney R. Horine of Woodville.

Nursing Programs Director Tonya LaForge said, “Nursing is a very demanding profession, both physically and emotionally. These graduates have proven themselves ready to take on and represent the profession well. We wish them the best and hope they continue their nursing education.”

For more information about the vocational nursing program at Angelina College, call 936-633-5265.

Angelina County Volunteer Master Gardeners now accepting applications for 2019 class

By
Misty Boggs
-
0

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Angelina County is hosting the 2019 Angelina County Master Gardener Intern Class training beginning Jan. 10 at 1 pm.

The Texas Master Gardener program is designed to train volunteers to educate and engage local, county residents in the implementation of research-based horticultural and environmental practices to create sustainable gardens, landscapes and communities in coordination with AgriLife Extension.

Applications are required and will be available by emailing cw-sims@tamu.edu or dropping by the Angelina County Extension Office at 2201 S. Medford Dr. in Lufkin.

The training will be Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from Jan 10 thru late March.

The fee is $150, and the class will be working with a local school garden project.

If you love gardening, want to learn more and would like to share knowledge with others, this volunteer program provides opportunity for such a person.

For more information, contact Cary Sims at 936.634.6414 x 2 or at cw-sims@tamu.edu.

City of Nacogdoches Wastewater Treatment Plant Experiences Overflow Due To Excess Rains

By
Misty Boggs
-
0

NACOGDOCHES, TX- Due to heavy rains over the weekend, the City of Nacogdoches Wastewater Treatment Plant has been overwhelmed and the capacity of the system is at its maximum. This has resulted in an overflow of rainwater and sanitary sewage at a manhole near the plant into Lanana Creek in excess of 100,000 gallons. 

Texas Commission Environmental Quality has been notified and all required notifications have been issued to media and other City of Nacogdoches officials. The environmental threat is minimal as the overflow was 95% rainwater.

“Heavy rains in the area caused flooding conditions on all waterways throughout our system,” Bart Allen, Water Utilities Manager, said. “Our facility experienced the same problem as the system is rated for just under 13 million gallons each day and we received over 21 million gallons in a 48 hour period.”

The facility received maximum inflows of combined wastewater and storm water. To prevent flooding that would severely damage equipment and productivity, the plant went into “emergency bypass mode” but is now operating at normal capacity.

Upwards of 6 inches of rain resulted in 3 times the normal amount of water flowing through the plant. The plant is designed to handle 12.88 gallons of water per day, but at the time the overflow occurred it was treating nearly 21 million gallons day.

Savvy Tips for Your Holiday Spending

By
Statepoint
-
0

We are in the midst of the holiday season, and if you are like many people, you’ve probably already spent more than you anticipated.

More consumers are looking to use a credit card this season to pay for gifts, and they plan to take longer to pay it off than in previous years, according to a recent NerdWallet survey. In fact, more than 39 million Americans are still carrying some of last year’s holiday balance on their cards today.

While credit card use is common during the holidays, the key is making sure you use the right card, are aware of common fraud tactics and have a plan to pay off debt quickly. Here are some helpful tips from The United Services Automobile Association (USAA):

• Pick the right card. The average American has 2-3 credit cards. During the holidays, make sure you use those cards that won’t leave you with financial regret afterward. Balance the benefits of reward points, zero percent APRs, or special deals, with the long-term cost of borrowing money. For example, store credit cards give exciting discounts at the time of purchase but often charge higher APRs than a card you already have in your wallet. Take a moment to think about how you will pay after the fun of holiday spending is over, and don’t forget to review the fine print associated with making big purchases.

• Be smart and safe. If you are shopping online, make sure the website starts with ‘https://’ to ensure it’s a credible site before making a purchase, and be sure to turn off Wi-Fi auto-connect and Bluetooth when you’re out and about this holiday season. Connecting to public Wi-Fi is dangerous and less secure than connecting to your mobile network. In addition, think twice before sharing your logon information over the phone or clicking on random links in emails from unknown sources, such as “track your package,” “open your holiday greeting” or “free gift card.” Fraudsters often impersonate credible companies to get you to share your logon information or click links.

Now is also a great time to consider changing your account passwords and enrolling in multifactor authentication (MFA) where available. Using MFA, creating unique passwords, responding to fraud alerts and monitoring your accounts are critical steps during the holiday season.

• Start planning to pay it off now. Be sure to keep track of your spending so there are no surprises in the new year. Decide when you want to have your card paid off, and calculate the best plan of action based on your lifestyle and finances. Utilize your bank and credit card companies’ resources to create a realistic timeline that still allows for your everyday and monthly expenses. Many financial institutions, such as USAA, offer free financial tools to help.

For more tips and resources to help stay on track, spend responsibly and avoid cybercrime this holiday season, visit usaa.com.

By approaching the season responsibly, you can make the holidays fun and exciting — not stressful.

-Statepoint

Grazing Demonstration with Turnips

By
Cary Sims
-
0

A recent trial conducted by a good buddy of mine, Ashton Logsdon, looked at the viability of seeding turnips with ryegrass as a winter grazing option for cattle. The results were interesting to me as he delved into the specifics of this option that may sound odd to some.

I first heard of establishing turnips almost 25 years ago when my dad spoke of the practice on large ranches he worked with that were west of Ft. Worth. There, they would use them jointly as wildlife forage as well as for the cattle. This pre-dates the bagged white-tailed food plot mixes that became popular several years back. If you look closely as the label, they’ll say that their seed blend is largely “brassica” varieties. Astute gardeners know that brassica is the family name for cabbage, mustard, turnip, broccoli, kale, rutabaga and more.

The test plots were seeded on Sept 28 with the old standard Gulf ryegrass and Purple Top turnip seed into a slightly disked plot. The seeding rate was 25 lbs. per acre for ryegrass and 2 lbs. per acre for turnip- both standard, recommended rates.

Lightly disked is the most common means to prepare a bed as you wouldn’t want to destroy an existing pasture. A no-till drill is another excellent option but one that many folks don’t have access to.

Interestingly, all the ryegrass seed was displaced in the plots due to our heavy fall rains. This is an important observation as the very act of planting a crop (even ol’ ryegrass) is not without risk.

Half of the trial was fertilized at a rate of 100 lbs. per acre of 34-0-0 and results were measured at 60 days after planting.

The short story is that even without fertilization, turnip produced an average of 629 lbs. of dry matter per acre of high-quality grazing. Fertilized at a rate of 100 lbs. of 34-0-0 per acre, this was tripled to 1,829 lbs. of high-quality forage per acre.

We say “high-quality” because it tested at 18% crude protein. That is on the same level as alfalfa!

Where the numbers get interesting is in the financial side. The cost per acre for the unfertilized plot was $10.73 and it was about three times the cost for the fertilized acre at $30.95.

However, when you look at the cost per ton of actual forage, you would be at a break-even cost. Non-fertilized was at $34.12 per ton and fertilized was at $33.66 per ton.

As a result of this specific trial, one take-away is that if you have the acreage, you can skip fertilizer costs. If you are short on land, fertilizing will triple production and you can walk away with the same amount of cost per pound of forage produced.

Looking ahead, this needs to be replicated and have the results compared. We cannot forget that the heavy rains did cause a loss of the ryegrass stand. There is lots to learn from this and other trials and we should always keep in mind the risks associated.

Logsdon is an Assistant County Agent currently serving Nacogdoches County. His trial is similar to others that have been conducted over the years and should remind producers to keep looking at options. For a copy of the demonstration results, send me an email at cw-sims@tamu.edu and I’ll send you a copy.

Open House and Public Hearing Scheduled

By
Joshua Blackwell
-
0

An open house and public hearing is scheduled in the Lufkin District on Dec. 13, 2018 from 4 pm – 7 pm at the Ellen Trout Zoo Education Center, Jaguar Room, 402 Zoo Circle in Lufkin.

The purpose of the event is to gather public input on the proposed upgrade to US 59 (future I-69) in Redland. Updated maps will be on display for public viewing from 4 pm – 5:45 pm with the public hearing scheduled to begin at 6 pm. The event will be a come and go format and TxDOT officials will be available to answer questions and speak one-on-one with the public. The formal hearing will include a presentation and a comment period.

An open house for this future construction project was held on June 27, 2017 and since then, district officials have further developed the schematic design and environmental study.

“We took the comments and feedback from the public that we received at the last open house to further develop and enhance the schematic design on this project,” said Rhonda Oaks, public information officer. “We urge the public to stop by and view the latest designs and hear the presentation at the public hearing. We welcome all comments and suggestions.”

The proposed project will include the construction of frontage roads and the reconstruction of US 59 main lanes in order to meet interstate standards for future potential designation as I-69. The project is designed to  improve safety, enhance mobility and provide a more efficient hurricane evacuation route.

Proposed construction is tentatively scheduled to begin summer 2022 and should be completed in summer 2025. For more information, visit https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/lufkin.html. For special accommodations, call (936) 633-4395 or email Rhonda.Oaks@txdot.gov.

1...453454455...756Page 454 of 756