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“Drop the Drugs,” Angelina County Organizations Taking Back Unwanted Prescription Drugs

By
Ezra McMullen
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[LUFKIN, TX – April 16, 2018] – On Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Angelina County Sherriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs. The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps – only pills or patches. Bring your pills for disposal to the Angelina County Sherriff’s Department at 2311 E Lufkin Ave, Lufkin, TX 75901. The drive-through service is free and anonymous.

In order to combat the overwhelming misuse and abuse of prescription drugs, Abeldt’s Pharmacy, Angelina Beautiful/Clean (AB/C), the Angelina County Sherriff’s Department and The Coalition are partnering together on this initiative to address a vital public safety and public health issue. Last fall, Americans turned in over 912,000 pounds of prescription drugs at more 5,300 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,300 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 14 previous Take Back events, the DEA and its partners have taken in over 9 million pounds – more than 4,500 tons – of pills.

According to a Mayo Clinic study, nearly 70 percent of Americans take at least one prescription drug. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet.

“As members of the community, pharmacists are in a prime position to ensure the safe and proper handling of medication, from dispensing to disposal,” said Buford Abeldt. “Unused or expired medications pose risks to our families, communities, and the environment. We welcome all in the community to come and talk to our pharmacists about their prescriptions and how to store, use and dispose of them properly.”

In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards. Medicines that are flushed down the toilet can end up polluting our waters, impacting aquatic species, or contaminating our food and water supplies. Because most wastewater treatment plants or septic systems are not designed to remove medicines, drugs may be discharged to rivers and bays or back into our homes and communities. In addition, medicines thrown in the trash can end up in landfills if not first picked up by children, pets, or anyone who rummages through trash. Although modern landfills are well-designed, safe, and handle standard household waste well, medicines are a special type of hazardous chemical that needs to be kept out of our solid waste system which can affect the decay composition, integrity of the landfill barrier or create hazardous landfill liquid that can affect groundwater.

According to Jennifer La Corte, AB/C Executive Director, “Just as we do not put used motor oil or leftover paint thinner in the trash, we should not dispose of extremely potent pharmaceutical chemicals into trash cans or down the toilet. This Drug Take Back event is an easy way to keep our community safe from opioid abuse and misuse and also keep our part of the East Texas environment clean from contamination.”

About Drug Enforcement Administration

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 28 Take Back Day event, go to the DEA Diversion website.

About Angelina County Sheriff’s Office

The mission of Angelina County Sheriff’s Department is to provide a safe and secure community to the citizens of Angelina County. For more information, visit http://www.angelinacounty.net/sheriff/ or call 936-634-3332.

About Angelina Beautiful/Clean

Working in Angelina County since 1984, Angelina Beautiful/Clean (AB/C) has a mission to educate and empower East Texans to take responsibility for enhancing their community environment and serves Angelina County to help make it a cleaner, greener place to live, work and play. AB/C cultivates programs, services and education around litter reduction, recycling and beautification. It is an affiliate of Keep Texas Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful. Angelina Beautiful/Clean is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that accepts tax-deductible donations.

For more information about Angelina Beautiful/Clean, please contact Jennifer La Corte at 936-63CLEAN (936-632-5326), visit www.angelinabeautifulclean.org or follow on Facebook.

Don’t Let Your Final Words Be LOL

By
Rhonda Oaks
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You can spot one in front of you immediately. We have all seen them. The drivers that veer across the center line or hit the shoulder while looking at their phones.

Distracted driving has become the most dangerous situation on the road. April is Distracted Driving month and TxDOT is campaigning for your safety. While this annual campaign is important, we know already that the only way it will be successful is for drivers to choose to stay alert and not use their phones.

Looking away from the road for five seconds at 55 mph is the same as driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed. That is scary. Even scarier than that is the thought that your son or daughter may be doing it every time they drive. The age group with the highest accident percentage due to distracted driving is 16-24.

One in five crashes in Texas involved distracted driving in 2017 – a ratio that has not changed in the past three years. An even bigger shocker is that 19 percent of all crashes on Texas roads are caused by distracted driving. A staggering 100,687 crashes that resulted in 444 deaths and 2,889 serious injuries can be blamed on distracted driving. In Lufkin, distracted driving crashes totaled 81, and in Nacogdoches that number was 55. There were many other crashes that were unexplainable but could have likely been caused by driver distraction.

It is time to raise our heads – literally. Look out the windshield and nowhere else when you are driving. The new “Heads Up, Texas” campaign is aimed at reminding drivers to do just that. TxDOT has teamed up with AT&T to stress that whatever takes your attention while driving can wait. That includes a phone call, a text, a selfie photo, a crying baby, pets, reading an email or making a video.

Another danger is talk-texting and many drivers believe it is a safe alternative to typing a text. It is not. First of all, you have to be a walking dictionary of acronyms to do this successfully, and even then, it is still very distracting. I know that LOL means laughing out loud, but I don’t care that SMIM means send me an instant message or TMI stands for too much information. Teen drivers are able to talk or type text with ease and many don’t see either as a danger, but both are against the law.

I hope you take a few minutes to talk about distracted driving with your young driver. Staying alert behind the wheel is the single most important conversation you can have about driving. Making the choice not to text or let a phone distract you could save your life or the life of another person. Don’t let your final words be LOL.

Eastbound Lane of Austin to be Closed

By
Rhonda Oaks
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LUFKIN – A portion of FM 2609/Austin Street in Nacogdoches will be closed beginning Thursday for about two weeks as utility companies relocate lines ahead of a construction project that will widen the roadway.

The eastbound lane of traffic from North Street to Raguet Street will be closed daily from 8:30 am through 6 pm so that heavy equipment, bucket trucks and drilling equipment can maneuver safely as utility lines are relocated. There will be signage in place to alert motorists of the closing.

The work is planned ahead of the construction project that will include widening the existing pavement with two 11-foot travel lanes and two 14-foot shared use lanes to accommodate both vehicles and cyclists. Six-foot sidewalks will also be constructed on both sides of the roadway with curb ramps. A traffic signal is also planned at the intersection of Raguet and Austin streets.

This project, once completed, will relieve congestion and improve east/west traffic flow, as well as accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians. Crews have completed right-of-way clearing for the project so that utilities can now be relocated.

As utility crews work in the area, motorists are urged to stay alert to moving equipment, obey signage and reduce speed.

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

Georgia-Pacific Names New Public Affairs Manager

By
Ezra McMullen
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DIBOLL, TEXAS (April 11, 2018)….Georgia-Pacific has recently named Yana Ogletree as its Public Affairs Manager for Texas and Louisiana. A native East Texan, Ogletree joined Georgia-Pacific after holding the position of Market Director of Marketing Communications for CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial for 12 years.

As the Public Affairs Manager for Georgia-Pacific, Ogletree will be responsible for media relations, community outreach, marketing communications, public relations, brand management and community giving with primary responsibilities for sites in Diboll, Lufkin, Corrigan, Camden and Pineland.

Ogletree’s career began in broadcast journalism as a reporter/anchor with WLBT-TV in Jackson, Mississippi and KTRE-TV in Lufkin. She later worked as the Director of Communications for TXU Communications in Texas and as the Executive Director of Angelina/Beautiful Clean. Ogletree currently hosts the KLTX broadcast, “City Hall Update” and the popular animal show “Truths n’ Tails” for the Kurth Memorial Animal Adoption Services Center in Lufkin. Additionally, she serves on numerous boards and committees, including the United Way of Angelina County, The Coalition, The Humane Society of Angelina County, The Texas Forest Country Board, and the Lufkin Comprehensive Planning Steering Committee.

Ogletree is a graduate of Corrigan-Camden High School and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Mississippi. She and her husband Clark reside in Polk County and have four grown children, Hunter, Cannon, Robert and Rebecca.

About Georgia-Pacific

Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, office papers, cellulose, specialty fibers, nonwoven fabrics, building products and related chemicals. Our familiar consumer brands include Quilted Northern®, Angel Soft®, Brawny®, Dixie®, enMotion®, Sparkle®, Mardi Gras®, Vanity Fair®, and STAINMASTER™ household cleaning products. Georgia-Pacific has long been a leading supplier of building products to lumber and building materials dealers and large do-it-yourself warehouse retailers. Its GP Harmon Recycling subsidiary is among the world’s largest recyclers of paper, metal and plastics. The company operates approximately 200 facilities and employs approximately 35,000 people directly, and creates nearly 92,000 jobs indirectly. For more information, visit: GP.com.

5 Ways Parents Can Help Kids Create Great Dental Habits

By
Statepoint
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That first wiggly tooth indicates a new childhood milestone — loss of the first “baby” tooth. While this is often a time for cute photos and a visit from the tooth fairy, it should also be an opportunity to reinforce the importance of good oral care with children so that their new permanent teeth stay healthy and last a lifetime.

Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases among children in the U.S., but it is also preventable. This finding by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov/oralhealth/basics) highlights just how important it is to help kids take good care of their teeth.

“The sooner the better when it comes to helping children understand the importance of taking care of their permanent (‘adult’) teeth. As children grow, encourage them to take more responsibility for their oral hygiene, but continue to supervise them until you’re comfortable with their routines,” says Dr. Michael Hahn, national dental director for Cigna.

Dr. Hahn recommends the following tips for a healthy mouth.

• Attack plaque: Let your child know that “plaque” leads to tooth decay — it’s like your tooth “getting sick.” Plaque has bacteria and acids that can hurt a tooth’s outer enamel and cause tiny holes that lead to cavities.

Brush for two minutes, twice a day. Help your child understand what two minutes actually “feels” like by playing a favorite song for that length of time, or use a kitchen timer, smartphone alarm, hourglass of sand or stopwatch.

• Floss: Daily flossing is important too. Since flossing may be tricky for small hands, help them until about age 10.

• Snack smart: Healthy teeth rely on smarter snacks. Fruits and vegetables can help reduce plaque buildup. On the other hand, sugary and sticky foods can remain on teeth for hours, providing time for bacteria and acids to begin their damage. If your children drink soda, encourage the use of a straw so less of the liquid coats their teeth.

• Visit the dentist: Regular dental checkups are essential. These visits can detect problems when they are still small and are less complex to treat. Getting used to seeing the dentist in childhood will help keep this important practice going as an adult.

• Reward positive behavior: Praise your child for doing a good job. You know your child best — offer that “something special” as incentive, particularly when the dentist gives a great report.

“It’s easier to teach a younger child good habits, than to break an older child of poor ones. Encourage your kids to take good care of their teeth. You’ll put them on track for strong, healthy teeth that will last a lifetime,” says Dr. Hahn.

For additional dental tips, visit cigna.com/dental-resources.

For detailed questions or concerns about a child’s oral health, it is important to consult a dentist.

(Statepoint)

TxDot Alert

By
Rhonda Oaks
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0

Crews will continue to water blast concrete surface areas of SL 287 East in Lufkin during daytime work hours this week after working nights the past two weeks. Be prepared for delays and/or detours on the east side of the loop. Reduce speed in the area.

An Update From Rep. Trent Ashby

By
Rep. Trent Ashby
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There’s something special about springtime in Texas. From ballparks and bluebonnets, to the smell of freshly cut grass just before an April shower; The tug on a line from a spawning largemouth, or the gobble of an old tom strutting confidently through a field. The sights, sounds, and smells of springtime in Texas serve as a special reminder of how blessed we are to live in a state that cherishes being outdoors. In the weeks ahead, I hope you and your family will spend some time outside to soak in this magnificent season. God bless springtime in Texas!

Another part of the spring season, not only in Texas, but across the country, is the arrival of Tax Day. As all of you know, April 17th is the deadline to file your tax returns for 2018. In the spirit of tax season, I felt it would be appropriate to give you some information on the committee that deals with taxes at the state and local level.

House Interim Charge: Ways and Means

Next up on our list of interim committees is the Committee on Ways & Means. This 11 member committee oversees all legislation dealing with revenue and taxes at the state and local level. While this committee has jurisdiction over a wide variety of specific issues, the committee spends a significant amount of time studying property taxes.

Ways and Means, like many other committees, has recently focused a great deal on the effects of Hurricane Harvey. As you know, this devastating natural disaster has caused significant damage to the homes and property of countless Texans. As such, the Ways and Means committee has been charged with reviewing the impact Hurricane Harvey has had on state and local taxes, and examining the need for and feasibility of requiring reappraisal of the property affected by large-scale disasters such as Harvey. The committee must then identify improvements to the tax-rate-setting process to ensure that the state is doing everything in its power to not only assist in the rebuilding process, but also set the tone for how we can mitigate the negative impacts of these disasters in the future.

The committee has also been charged with reviewing the property tax system and identifying improvements relating to: transparency and communications with taxpayers; the tax-rate-setting process; the training and expertise required of appraisal review board members; appraisal review board composition, structure, and process; and the appeals of appraisal review board members. If you’ve been keeping up with my columns, you know that I firmly believe the best way to true and meaningful property tax relief is by properly funding public education in Texas. Investment in our teachers, students, and public education system as a whole must be paramount in any discussion relating to property taxes or education.

That said, I believe, and would support, any measure that helps increase accountability and transparency through the appraisal process to ensure that we, as taxpayers, are given a fair shake. I look forward to monitoring and reviewing the findings of this committee as they look into creative solutions to this complicated issue.

Reminders

The mobile office is on the road for the month of April and looks forward to seeing you in the following locations, on the following dates: April 18th from 9:00-11:00am at the Houston County Courthouse Annex in Crockett, or from 1:30-3:30pm at the Trinity County Courthouse in Groveton; finally, on April 25th from 9:00-11:00am at the San Augustine County Courthouse in San Augustine.

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.

Fields of Dreams, Angelina College to Rename Baseball, Softball Facility for Former AC President Phillips

By
Gary Stallard
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By GARY STALLARD

AC Athletics

An aerial photo shows the Angelina College baseball and softball fields just before the Opening Day ceremonies in 2010. (Gary Stallard/AC Press photo)

When all anyone else could see were trees and heavy equipment, Dr. Larry Phillips was already envisioning families enjoying spring days at the ballpark.

Contractors began the clearing and construction process for the new Angelina College baseball and softball complex back in the summer of 2008. Phillips, then the AC president, periodically would stroll across the campus to check the progress. He’d shown everyone who would look the graphic maps of the proposed facility, yet he seemed to be one of the only ones who truly could see how it would look 10 years later.

The “new” fields held their Opening Day ceremonies on Feb. 6, 2010, with both the Lady Roadrunner softball team and the Roadrunner baseball team in action. Phillips was on-hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitches in each arena.

Today, the complex looks exactly the way he hoped it would look.

The facilities are considered some of the region’s finest, a destination for numerous high school and collegiate tournaments. Phillips had already predicted they would be so.

However, the complex also serves in the exact capacity he dreamed it would: Entire families sprawl across the stands, the picnic tables and the grassy areas. Some sit on behind the fences in trucks. There are no bad seats on either field.

Between the baseball and softball fields is a large, open area – and all that was part of the original plan. On any given game day, kids scatter everywhere, chasing foul balls or balls they brought themselves. “Game Day” isn’t just for the big kids wearing uniforms. It’s also for the little guys and girls dreaming big of one day standing on the diamonds instead of outside them.

Former Angelina College president Dr. Larry Phillips throws out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day in February, 2010 – the first games played at the current baseball field. AC will rename the entire baseball/softball facility the “Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex” in a dedication ceremony on April 19. (Gary Stallard/AC Press photo)

Angelina College will recognize Phillips’ vision in a dedication ceremony scheduled for Thursday, April 19. On that day, the college will re-name the entire facility the Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex. The first 200 hundred fans through the gate will receive t-shirts, and the first 200 children ages seven and under will receive wiffle balls and bats.

The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. at the facility’s front gate. At 6 p.m., the Roadrunner baseball team will host Panola College in a conference matchup.

As the big guys battle it out on the diamond, there will very likely be a wiffle ball game going on right behind the bleachers.

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

AC’s Mack Named NJCAA Division I All-American Lufkin Product Caps Record-Setting Year with Award

By
Gary Stallard
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Angelina College’s Natasha Mack on Wednesday was named to the NJCAA Division I Second-Team All-American list – Mack’s second All-American award of the year. The Lufkin native and AC freshman established new program marks in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots over the 2017-2018 season. (Gary Stallard/AC Press photo)

By GARY STALLARD

AC Athletics

Barely two years ago, Natasha Mack thought her basketball career was over despite her recognition as one of the nation’s top 100 prep players.

A year away from the game merely rekindled her passion, however, and throughout a record-setting 2017-2018 season with Angelina College, the Lufkin native and AC freshman made the most of her return.

On Wednesday, the National Junior College Athletic Association named Mack to its Division I All-American team as one of the nation’s top 10 players.

Mack earned Second-Team honors to go with her earlier All-American award from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association; she also earned NJCAA National Player of the Week honors twice during the season.

Mack’s numbers throughout the season bore witness to her dominance as a post player: She averaged 22 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.1 blocks per game. Mack finished second in scoring in Region XIV and first in rebounds, field goal percentage and blocks.

In addition, her 17 points against Coastal Bend Community College on March 4 left her as AC’s all-time, single-season scoring record holder with 667 points. Mack also shattered previous program marks with 399 rebounds and 169 blocked shots over the year.

All those were tremendous individual numbers, but Mack showed her worth as a teammate by dishing out 46 assists as well. She helped lead the Lady Roadrunners to a 19-14 record and an appearance in the conference tournament.

Mack is a Business major at Angelina College. She is the daughter of Bonnie and Anthony Mack.

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

TxDot & At&t Wait Partner To Bring Virtual Reality Distracted Driving Experience To Lufkin

By
Rhonda Oaks
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WHEN:

11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 17

WHERE:

Stephen F. Austin University

1936 North St.

Nacogdoches, TX 75962

MEDIA:

TxDOT’s “Heads up, Texas” campaign in partnership with AT&T It Can Wait will bring a distracted driving virtual reality experience on site to demonstrate the impact of distracted driving. TxDOT representatives will be available for interviews from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

LUFKIN — In recognition of National Distracted Driving Month, the Texas Department of Transportation is launching its “Heads up, Texas” campaign to remind drivers that their undivided attention to the road could save a life.

Partnering with AT&T It Can Wait, TxDOT aims to change distracted-driving behaviors that last year resulted in 100,687 crashes, 444 deaths and 2,889 serious injuries. With state legislation passing a texting-while-driving ban effective Sept. 1, 2017 – making it illegal to read, write or send a text while driving in Texas – TxDOT and AT&T It Can Wait will bring a virtual reality distracted driving experience to 19 cities in Texas this April to educate and connect with local communities.

The public is invited to this free event and the media is urged to attend this important event. For more information, contact Rhonda.Oaks@txdot.gov or call (936) 633-4395.

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