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No. 4 Navarro College Knocks Lady Roadrunners from Tournament AC Ends Season with Program-record 13 Wins

By
Gary Stallard
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For the third time this season, the Angelina College Lady Roadrunners held No. 4 Navarro College to below the Lady Bulldogs’ scoring average.

But for the fifth straight match, Navarro’s defense pitched a shutout.

Fielding nine freshmen and just two sophomores, the Lady ‘Runners battled their nationally ranked rivals all match long – AC’s Jerissa Grimes nearly scored on a header at the final buzzer – only to fall 2-0 in Region XIV conference semifinal action Thursday in Ennis.

Both Navarro goals came in the first half: Bulldog Andrea Rabaneles was in the right place at the right time, scooping up a deflection for Navarro’s first goal at 23:06; and Valentina Carvajal took advantage of a perfect cross from teammate Megan Thompson for the match’s final goal at the 8:37 mark.

The game marked the final appearance for AC sophomores Jerissa Grimes, Olivia Urrutia, Skylar Roberson and Jade Dewbre.

The Lady Roadrunners end the season with 13 wins in the team’s best win total of its three-year existence.

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

Lady Roadrunners Open Conference Tournament against No. 4 Navarro AC Travels to Corsicana on Thursday for Semifinal Match

By
Gary Stallard
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Angelina College goalkeeper Aubrey Pettett, who is second in Region XIV with 82 saves, leads the Lady Roadrunners into Thursday’s conference tournament semifinal against No. 4 Navarro College in Corsicana. (Gary Stallard/AC Press photo)
Angelina College’s Jerissa Grimes, who is tied for the conference lead on goals scored, leads the Lady Roadrunners into Thursday’s conference tournament semifinal against No. 4 Navarro College in Corsicana. (Gary Stallard/AC Press photo)

The 2018 Angelina College Lady Roadrunners spent the entire regular season re-writing the program’s record books, including a new mark in season wins with 13. The team also made its first-ever entrance in a national poll, hitting No. 19 in this week’s United Soccer Coaches Poll.

All of which is proof the program has made great strides in its three-year history.

Now the Lady ‘Runners would love to add another milestone: Their first playoff victory.

AC will face No. 4 Navarro College Thursday in Ennis in the conference tournament semifinals. On paper, the matchup would heavily favor the Lady Bulldogs, who claimed the No. 1 spot in the nation for several weeks earlier this season.

Not so fast. Yes, the Lady Bulldogs boast an incredible defense, a unit that has allowed a mere five goals all season long. Navarro has shut out its last five opponents, including a 2-0 blanking of Angelina College on Oct. 12. Only two teams have scored more than one goal against the solid Lady Bulldog defenders.

One of those teams was the Lady Roadrunners. On September 18 in Corsicana, AC’s Bailey Bowers and Jade Dewbre found the nets in a 3-2 Lady ‘Runner loss.

In that October match, AC’s defense held its own for much of the contest, eventually allowing those two goals to the high-powered Lady Bulldogs.

The performance against a nationally ranked team clearly gave the Lady ‘Runners a confidence boost: They went on to win the final three games of the regular season, outscoring opponents 8-0 over those three matches. Jerissa Grimes (2), Jasmin Keller (2), Daisy de Boers (2), Bailey Bowers and Makayla Lewis scored those eight goals for AC. Makayla Lewis moved into third place in the league with her 10th assist, and goal keeper Aubrey Pettett, currently in second place in conference with 82 saves, helped pitch the three shutouts.

Adding a little spice to Thursday’s match: AC’s Grimes and Navarro’s Wasila Diwura and Valentina Carvajal are tied for the league lead in goals scored with 17 each.

Because of the spate of bad weather in the Corsicana area, the teams will play the match on the turf at Lion Memorial High School in Ennis. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

Follow @ACAthletics on Twitter or visit the web site at angelina.prestosports.com for updates.

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

My Five Cents – Robert Nichols

By
Senator Robert Nichols
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As we celebrate Thanksgiving this coming month, I am thankful for the opportunity to represent East Texas in Austin as your State Senator. I hope this holiday for you is filled with family, friends and lots of pumpkin pie.

Here are five things happening around your state this month:

1. 1st Day to File Bills

In preparation for the 86th Legislative Session, my office and others have begun to work on drafts and will be able to begin filing bills on November 12. Many of the ideas we get for legislation come from those in the district who have presented issues affecting themselves or their community. Not all problems constitute the need for a new law, but on the rare occasion one is necessary, my office is ready to work with you on those issues. I intend to file legislation which addresses the concerns of Senate District 3 as well as the state. I will keep you updated as we continue in the process for the upcoming session and look forward to working for you in the Texas Senate.

2. School Safety

The Texas Education Agency has been awarded two $1 million federal grants to address school safety. These grants, distributed through the Department of Justice, were authorized by the STOP School Violence Act passed earlier this year. The purpose is to increase school security and provide adequate training for teachers, staff members and students in the hopes of preventing future tragedies from happening in Texas schools.

One of the topics I heard repeatedly on my recent Superintendent tour was regarding school safety, and their hope that the State Legislature will be able to provide adequate funding for school districts to use to secure their campuses as they see fit. Over the past three years, the school districts within Senate District 3 have spent approximately $25 million dollars in securing their campuses through various means. I will be working with my colleagues in the Legislature to ensure we are providing adequate funding to ensure the safety of our students.

3. Starting the Budget Process

Over the past month, state agencies and universities presented their Legislative Appropriations Requests (LAR) to the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees, Legislative Budget Board as well as the Governor and Lt. Governor’s staff. These LAR’s give the agencies a chance to discuss their budget request for the next two years, as well as to present exceptional items for projects requiring additional funding beyond their regular budget.

These hearings are just the beginning of creating the state’s budget for the next two years. All of the information will be put together and presented to the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees to begin reviewing, as well as hold hearings during session. The primary purpose, and only constitutionally required task, of a legislative session is to pass a balanced state budget for the upcoming biennium. As a member of Senate Finance, I will work hard to help pass a balanced budget while limiting unnecessary spending.

4. Voting in Texas

As I write this column, early voting has begun and Texas has set a record for voter turnout in a midterm election in Texas. In the 2014 midterm election, 240, 653 Texans in the state’s 15 largest counties cast ballots in person or by mail on the first day of early voting. This year, in those same counties, 576,416 Texans cast their vote. Early voting ends on Friday, November 2, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 6.

Don’t forget to bring an approved form of ID, including your Drivers License, Concealed Handgun License, Passport, Personal or Military ID or Citizen certificate. If you do not have any of these forms of identification, you can fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the poll and provide a supporting document such as your pay check, birth certificate, bank statement or utility bill. To find out more information on approved identification or where you can vote please visit www.votetexas.gov or call 1.800.252.VOTE (8683).

5. Hunting Season

A favorite fall activity in East Texas has begun and will continue through the upcoming new year. Whether you are into archery, rifles, doves, duck or deer there is no better time to visit the Piney Woods and enjoy some of the best hunting opportunities in Texas. You can visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website for specific hunting season dates statewide and by count, as well as any updated hunting regulations for this year by using the following link https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/hunting/.

Work Beginning in Nacogdoches to Require Lane Closures

By
Rhonda Oaks
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Work will begin Sunday to replace a section of the roadway in Nacogdoches. The work will impact motorists traveling US 59 and SL 224.
Crews will begin work on Oct. 28 to rehabilitate the roadway. The project is expected be completed, weather permitting, on Wednesday, Oct. 31. The work will require the two inside, northbound lanes to be closed to traffic. One outside lane will remain open for travel. Motorists should expect delays.
The project will include milling existing asphalt pavement and replacing with full depth asphalt pavement for repairs. 
During the work, motorists should reduce speed through the work area, obey all signage or flaggers in the area and be prepared for delays during peak travel hours. Be alert to workers and moving equipment near  lanes of traffic.
For information about closures statewide, visit drivetexas.org. For more information, contactRhonda.Oaks@txdot.gov or (936) 633-4395.
 

Water Well Training and Testing Opportunity

By
Cary Sims
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Landowners that get household water from their private water well have a one-time chance to get a couple of tests conducted free of charge.

On Wednesday, Nov 7 from 1 -5 pm, the Texas Well Owner Network (TWON) will be hosting a free training and water testing at the Angelina County Extension office.

There can be a wide variety of water quality, especially water from private wells.

Years ago, I remember helping out the ladies at the Monastery of the Infant Jesus in Lufkin. It was just prior to Y2K and they had questions about the water in the well they used. There were two water sources: an old shallow well and Lufkin city water.

Now the water from the old shallow well was much preferred because it tasted much better than Lufkin’s water. But the well water had a problem. It killed everything in the vegetable garden.

We ran a number of tests on both water sources. Both passed the test regarding bacteria with high marks. No problems there.

But on the irrigation test, the old shallow well had high levels of the element boron and thus was harming plants. Boron is a mineral found everywhere in food and the environment. In fact, some folks take boron supplements to build strong bones and for other health benefits. Yet, too much boron in the soil will harm plants.

Indeed, Lufkin’s municipal water passed the irrigation test with high marks, proving itself an excellent source of both drinking and irrigation water.

What was also interesting is that not more than half a mile away is a blueberry farm that has a private well for irrigation. Now blueberries are notorious for demanding high quality irrigation water.

The blueberry farm’s water had never been tested but the successful growth of the orchard was evident. The difference? The new well was much deeper and drew from a completely different underground water source.

Thinking ahead to the November 7 seminar, do you know what you are drinking?

Dr. Drew Gholson, AgriLife Specialist and Coordinator of the TWON, says his seminar will help well owners become familiar with the well maintenance, water quality and treatment options.

Two tests will be conducted, free of charge, in conjunction with the program. First a bacteria test will look for coliform and E. coli. A second test will screen for nitrates, total dissolved solids, arsenic, and pH.

To participate in this unique opportunity, attendees must pick up the water collection containers at the Angelina County Extension Office and register for the event by calling 979-845-1461.

Water MUST be collected the morning of the event and brought to the seminar that starts at 1 pm on Nov 7.

Samples will not be accepted prior to the event. Nor will any samples be accepted after the seminar.

For more information, contact the TWON at http://twon.tamu.edu/training or by calling 979-845-1461.

Parents: Store Medicine Properly to Avoid Halloween ‘Candy Confusion’

By
Statepoint
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This Halloween, families are projected to spend $2.6 billion on candy this year, according to the National Retail Federation. Unfortunately, Halloween can quickly go from spooky to scary with precautions that start right in your own home when it comes to medicine safety.

To avoid ‘candy confusion’—especially with little ones preparing to trick-or-treat—the Up and Away campaign, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is reminding parents and caregivers of young children to be extra vigilant about safe medicine storage, so kids don’t mistake medicines for a sweet treat. Medications and candy often look, smell and taste alike – making it tough for kids to tell the difference between a gummi bear and multivitamin, or an Altoid and aspirin.

Every year, about 60,000 young children in the U.S. end up in the emergency room after accidentally getting into medicines left within their reach.

“With Halloween just around the corner, it can be easy for young ones to mistake medicine left out on the counter for candy,” says Dan Budnitz, director of the Medication Safety Program at CDC and manager of its PROTECT Initiative. “With this in mind, it’s important that parents and guardians remember to safely store and keep medicines up and away, and out of sight and reach, from children.”

The Up and Away campaign aims to prevent accidental, unsupervised ingestion of medicine by educating parents and caregivers about safe medicine storage. For a safe Halloween season, they are advising parents and guardians to follow these tips:

• As tempting as this can be, never refer to medicine as candy when giving to your child.

• Make sure all medicines are stored safely, up and away and out of sight. This includes at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, too. Nearly one in five grandparents store their over-the-counter medicines in easy to access places. Remind grandparents and babysitters to take the same precautions.

• Be prepared by saving the Poison Help number in your phone—1-800-222-1222—or text “POISON” to 797979 to save the information automatically.

• Find more information and tips on safe medicine storage by visiting UpandAway.org.

This Halloween and year-round, help avoid “candy confusion” by always stowing medicine out of reach.

-Statepoint

Drug Free All-Stars tour the Angelina County Jail

By
Ezra McMullen
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The Drug Free All-Stars are a group of high school seniors throughout Angelina County that are selected to served as role models for the community by living tobacco, drug, and alcohol free. For their monthly meeting, the All-Stars toured the Angelina County Jail to see what life is like for the inmates whose life choices led them to incarceration. During the meeting, the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission trained the All-Stars to conduct minor alcohol buys to prevent the sale of alcohol to minors by local businesses. To find out more Drug Free All-Stars, contact Abby Baker at (936) 634-9308 or by email at abaker@angelinacoalition.org. You can also visit our website at www.angelinacoalition.org or follow us on Facebook at The Coalition.

Pecans In Your Landscape

By
Cary Sims
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I was at Mrs Hattie’s home on Paul street last week, admiring her productive pecan trees. She has a two pecan trees. One in the front yard and another in the back yard. Both were planted years ago by her mom. And both make excellent pecans every fall. Mrs. Hattie much prefers the one in the front yard as the shell is much thinner and easier to remove.

I was there because she had some concerns over the spots on the tree’s leaves. The spots were fungal, and being late in the year, nothing to be concerned about. I was, however, mighty impressed with the pecan crop she was about to have.

It just doesn’t seem the norm to have a good pecan crop off of our pecan trees. Every week throughout the fall, I’ll have someone ask why they never get a decent pecan harvest. Often the meat of their pecans is blackened and shriveled up.

If you are fussing about yours, the problem is probably from a very common fungal disease called scab.

Scab is the most important fungal disease in east Texas pecans. Control is not realistic for homeowners, so the selection of a disease resistant variety is very important.

It is true that smaller trees may be sprayed with a fungicide for the first few years with small sprayers. Yet homeowners normally do not have access to high-volume spray equipment required for season-long disease control on large trees. And if they did, it would not be economically feasible.

When choosing a pecan variety for home planting, the most important factor after finding a good well drained site is scab disease tolerance or resistance.

Plant a variety from the following list: Caddo, Desirable, Jackson, Oconee, Pawnee, Elliott, Sumner, or Forkert. Can you try another variety? Certainly. Just realize these were selected for resistance to our greatest nemesis: pecan scab disease.

For best results, you must plant in a site with well-drained soil. Remember, space and ample sunlight is essential for maintaining productivity over the long term.

Nitrogen is essential for good pecan growth. As a guide, apply 1 lb. of 33-0-0 per inch the trunk is wide each time you fertilize. For example, a one foot wide trunk needs 12 lbs. of N fertilizer spread evenly under the drip-line.

Don’t forget to water when our weather turns dry. The most common reason for dry pecan kernels dropping too soon is due to dry soil conditions in mid-summer on through the final formation of pecans.

On smaller trees, foliar zinc sprays to the leaves are very helpful for pecan growth in Texas. Soil applications of zinc are just not effective. Zinc is needed for leaf expansion, so applications should be made frequently in the early portion of the growing season for maximum growth.

How long until you get pecans from a newly planted tree? The longest estimated time on a variety is 12 years while some are reported to bear in 4-5 years.

DIY Halloween Tips to Save Money

By
Statepoint
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Halloween may be the spookiest night of the year, but it’s the prices for costumes and decorations that are scarier than any vampire (and they’ll drain your wallet even faster).

This year, Americans plan to spend $3.2 billion on Halloween costumes and $2.7 billion on decorations, with the average person spending nearly $87 on their costume alone, according the National Retail Federation.

There are easy ways to save money and still enjoy this season’s favorite holiday. And you can even use Halloween as an opportunity to put some extra cash in your pocket. Consider the following tips:

• Haunt your house for less. If you’re planning a Halloween party, the cost of tables, chairs, decorations and music can really put your monthly budget in the grave. Instead of scraping together décor from a party store, use a local marketplace app to seek out better deals and more interesting finds. For example, OfferUp, the nation’s largest mobile marketplace, connects buyers and sellers securely. Use the app to score eclectic dinnerware and serving dishes to make your home feel like a haunted mansion. Plus, there’s plenty of gently used spooky decorations to be found.

• Potluck your party. From candied apples to mummified cake pops, there’s no shortage of great Halloween recipe ideas out there. If you’re hosting, save yourself the cost of feeding everybody by having your guests bring their favorite spooky dish.

• Clean out the ghosts of closets past. If your closet or garage is packed with boxes full of items from years gone by, Halloween may be the perfect time to sell stuff locally to creative costume hunters near you — either by having a garage sale or by using a local marketplace app. Your pastel windbreaker from 1985 could just be the missing piece for someone’s jazzercise costume, and those old white ski pants could help outfit a Marshmallow Man.

• DIY costumes. You can skip the full-priced Halloween stores and get creative with the items you or your neighbors already have around the house. Search your closets and listings of nearby sellers to put together some fun, spooky costumes and give yourself the opportunity to let your imagination run wild.

With a little bit of planning and some crafty buying and selling in your neighborhood, you can go all out this Halloween without over-spending. Or, take all that extra cash you saved to buy the king-size candy bars for your trick-or-treaters and be the envy of the block.

-Statepoint

Roadrunners Battle Northeast Texas to Draw AC’s Lowes Scores Late Equalizer

By
Gary Stallard
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Angelina College’s Brad Lowes maintains possession during Wednesday’s match against Northeast Texas Community College. Lowes scored a late equalizer, and the Roadrunner battled the second-place Eagles to a 1-1 draw at Hudson High School. (Gary Stallard/AC Press photo)
Angelina College goalkeeper Julian Ramirez makes a flying tip save during Wednesday’s match against Northeast Texas Community College. The Roadrunner battled the second-place Eagles to a 1-1 draw at Hudson High School. (Gary Stallard/AC Press photo)

Angelina College head soccer coach Freddy Dragon on Wednesday employed a “defense first” strategy, and the Roadrunners worked it to near perfection in battling Northeast Texas Community College to a 1-1 draw in Hudson.

The match was a rescheduled affair from Oct. 6 after the original game was suspended because of lightning.

AC’s Brad Lowes scored an equalizer with barely three minutes remaining in regulation, and the defense – fueled by sticky-gloved keeper Julian Ramirez – kept the Eagles, the second-place team in the Region XIV standings, away from and out of the nets for most of the game, including the two extra periods. NTCC entered Wednesday’s contest riding a five-game winning streak and averaging more than three goals per match.

The teams fought to a scoreless draw at the half thanks in large part to Ramirez, who turned in several spectacular saves, and the back line, especially Usman Sotomi, whose pair of flying kick saves prevented Eagle scores early.

NTCC’s lone score came stroke of Eagle luck: At 31:06 of the second half, Eagle Amadou Gadio blasted a kick from outside the box that appeared to ricochet off a player’s back and into the net.

With time winding down in regulation, the Roadrunners managed to even the score. Jesus Cerda crossed to Elvis Rahmanovic at the top of the box, and Rahmanovic’s one-touch pass to Lowes set up the tying goal.

The ‘Runners moved to 6-10-1 on the season, while the Eagles’ record stands at 12-2-2. AC’s men will close out the regular season on Saturday as part of a women/men doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. at Jase Magers Field in Lufkin. Both AC teams will celebrate Sophomore Day prior to each respective match.

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

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