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Information About High Blood Pressure, Stroke Empowers Women

Grace Baldwin
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Information About High Blood Pressure, Stroke Empowers Women

Each month, we at CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial journey alongside women, encouraging them to take control of their health and well-being through a free, educational luncheon.

On May 25th, Dr. Kevin Hudson, board certified Cardiovascular Disease Specialist, spent time with nearly 100 ladies at the Women’s Power Lunch answering questions and explaining the connection between high blood pressure and stroke.

In May, we recognize National High Blood Pressure and National Stroke Awareness Month so that we may empower women to know their signs and symptoms for stroke.

Each luncheon showcases a different health related topic and speaker and is held the fourth Wednesday of every month (excluding October, November and December) in the Medical Staff Meeting Room at Memorial Lufkin. To learn more, visit CHIStLukesHealthMemorial.org /news/womens-power-lunch. Please RSVP to Lindsey Mott at 936-639-7613 or lmott@memorialhealth.org.

Representative Ashby’s Capitol Update

Rep. Trent Ashby
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Representative Ashby’s Capitol Update

Memorial Day is upon us, and I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of our veterans. Your sacrifice and dedication to our country has enabled us to continue to pass the torch of liberty and freedom. In light of the Memorial Day season, I thought it would be appropriate to update you on some of the legislation passed last session benefiting veterans and to take a dive into the House Defense and Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

Veteran Bills

During the last legislative session, a major priority for the Texas House was House Bill 19, which created a network of state mental health services for veterans and their families. The bill was designed to create a collaborative program between state health agencies, the Veterans Commission, and local and community healthcare providers to meet the needs of our veteran population. I believe this state network will ultimately be a welcome relief to those seeking services, and who might be struggling with the VA.

Another important bill for veterans was HB 721, which allows disabled veterans with a disability rating of 50 percent or more to receive a waiver for the cost of a state hunting and fishing license. This common sense bill is just another way to help our veterans, and I was proud to support this legislation.

House Interim Charges: House Committee on Defense and Veterans Affairs

This week in our series on the House interim charges we will be covering the House Committee on Defense and Veterans’ Affairs. Over the course of the interim, the Committee will explore how environmental, technological and architectural encroachment impacts the vital missions of our Texas military bases and how the state can protect these bases’ core missions while maintaining respect for private property rights and economic growth.

The Committee members will assess ways the State of Texas can further aid federal military installations and their communities to minimize any negative consequences of a potential Base Realignment and Closure round by the federal government. In addition to this, the Committee will analyze and identify any unnecessary, redundant or punitive barriers that exist for Texas veterans pursuing higher education or occupational careers upon completion of their military service. It will then study and ensure that appropriate measures are in place to allows veterans to receive maximum college credit for their service related training.

Reminders

The mobile office will hit the road for the month of June starting on June 1st at the Leon County Courthouse from 9:00 am until 11:00 am and then at the Madison County Courthouse Annex from 1:30pm until 3:30 pm. After that, on June 15th, we will be at the Houston County Courthouse Annex from 9:00 am until 11:00 am and then at the Trinity County Courthouse from 1:30pm until 3:30 pm. The mobile office will wrap up the month at the San Augustine County Courthouse from 9:00 am until 11:00 am on June 22nd. We hope to see you there!

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

DETCOG Honors DETCOG President Judge Wes Suiter with the 2016 Ralph W. Steen Memorial East Texan of the Year Award

Misty Boggs
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DETCOG Honors DETCOG President Judge Wes Suiter with the 2016 Ralph W. Steen Memorial East Texan of the Year Award
DETCOG President, Angelina County Judge, Wes Suiter has been named the 2016 Ralph W. Steen Memorial East Texan of the Year.  The 2015 recipient of the award, Texas State Representative James White, made the announcement at the DETCOG annual membership meeting Thursday in Lufkin.
Judge Suiter started his career in Public service in 1980 with the Diboll Police Department. He became Chief of Police for the City of Cibolo, a suburb of San Antonio, in 1989. He was later named their Director of Public Safety. During his tenure with the City of Cibolo he served as Interim City Administrator, twice, before returning home to Lufkin, Texas.
In 2006 Suiter was elected to the office of County Judge for Angelina County. He is currently serving his third term.
Judge Suiter has served as a member of the Texas County Judges Judicial Education, served on the board of the National Association of Regional Councils and President of the Texas Association of Regional Councils where he guided the search for their new Executive Director.  He has served the last four years as the President of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments.
The Ralph W. Steen Memorial East Texan of the Year Award has become one of the most prestigious and longest running, recognitions bestowed in Deep East Texas.  Each year past recipients cast ballots to select who will receive the award from nominations received from the twelve county DETCOG region.

 

Is Your Water Safe to Drink?

Misty Boggs
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Is Your Water Safe to Drink?

Although many Americans are aware of the water crises taking place in different parts of the country, such as Flint, Michigan and New Jersey, most believe themselves to be far removed from these situations. Experts caution however, that what’s happening there could happen anywhere, anytime to whole neighborhoods, individual streets or even just to a specific house.

Indeed, plumbing components still could legally contain up to eight percent lead as recently as January 2014. The good news is there are steps you can take to protect your family.

“The most important thing individual families can do to improve water quality is to filter it at home,” says Joseph Harrison, former chief of the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Branch.

Harrison says there are filters that require installation, but the easiest option is to purchase a filtering system available at a local retailer that you fill with water and put in your fridge. Such systems come in various shapes and sizes, making them a good option for any size family or fridge.

For example, ZeroWater offers the only portable gravity-fed pour through filtration device that reduces the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) measurement down to virtually zero and are certified by the NSF for lead reduction and other heavy metals to a safe level.

By removing 99.6 percent of all total dissolved solids, the filters get a 000 measurement on the digital water meter, which is equivalent to purified bottled water. They also remove more pharmaceuticals and chemicals than other leading two-stage filter brands, according to Good Housekeeping Research.

“Until all lead pipes in the water infrastructure system are safely replaced, consumers are largely on their own when it comes to protecting their families from lead,” says Harrison. “That’s why it’s so important to treat your water with a filter certified to reduce lead content.”

While all families should take steps to protect their health, proactive measures are especially crucial for families with pregnant women and children under six years old. This is because lead toxin exposure primarily affects developing brains and causes reduced intelligence, learning disabilities, developmental delays and fetal deaths.

To learn more about water filtration and how to test your water for lead, visit ZeroWater.com.

You don’t have to accept your local water quality as-is. By filtering your water, you can improve both its quality and its taste.

Woodland Heights Honors Nurses during National Nurses Week

Misty Boggs
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Woodland Heights Honors Nurses during National Nurses Week

During National Nurses Week, Woodland Heights honored outstanding employees from each nursing/clinical care department. Those honored were: Todd Burgess,RN (Intensive Care Unit), Madeline Carswell,RN (Emergency Servicees), Lisa Bellomy,LVN (Medica/Telemetry), Todd Morris,RN (Surgical Services), Shane Thigpen,RN (Cardiac Catheterization Lab), Tina Glawson,RT (Respiratory Therapy), Paul McCarty,OTR (Therapy Services), Blake Grider,RN (Orthopedic Unit), Kaitlin Maberry,RN (Women’s Services), Kesley Hetrick,RN (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), Kelly Lovelly,Admin. Assist. (Wound Center), Diana Harkins,RN (Quality), and Jeannine Rushing,RN (Case Management).

Additionally, there were two very special awards also given out. In years past, Woodland Heights lost two special members of its “family.” Velma Scott and Barbara Weeks were loyal, caring members of the Woodland Heights nursing team for years. Both nurses were in leadership roles at the facility and there were many who looked up to and learned from these ladies. To honor their memory, Woodland Heights began giving an annual award in their names.

The winner of the Velma Scott Award was Kim Burran, a Medical/Telemetry RN, and the winner of the Barbara Weeks Award was Sharon Cox, a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit RN.

Texas A&M Research Shows 46 Percent Increase In Workplace Productivity With Use Of Standing Desks

Grace Baldwin
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Texas A&M Research Shows 46 Percent Increase In Workplace Productivity With Use Of Standing Desks

New research from the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health indicates that standing desks may boost worker productivity, in addition to previously known benefits including helping burn more calories and fight obesity. The study appears in the journal IIE Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors.

The researchers examined the productivity differences between two groups of call center employees over the course of six months and found that those with stand-capable workstations—those in which the worker could raise or lower the desk to stand or sit as they wished throughout the day—were about 46 percent more productive than those with traditional, seated desk configurations. Productivity was measured by how many successful calls workers completed per hour at work. Based on work related to this study in a previous publication, workers in the stand-capable desks sat for about 1.6 hours less per day than the seated desk workers.

“We hope this work will show companies that although there might be some costs involved in providing stand-capable workstations, increased employee productivity over time will more than offset these initial expenses,” said Mark Benden, Ph.D., C.P.E., associate professor at the Texas A&M School of Public Health, director of the Texas A&M Ergonomics Center and member of the Center for Remote Health Technologies and Systems, and one of the authors of the study.

“One interesting result of the study is that the productivity differences between the stand-capable and seated groups were not as large during the first month,” said Gregory Garrett, M.A., a public health doctoral student and a lead author of the study. “Starting with the second month, we began to see larger increases in productivity with the stand-capable groups as they became habituated to their standing desks.”

In addition to helping the bottom line of the company, standing during the day can improve worker health. Nearly 75 percent of those working at stand-capable workstations experienced decreased body discomfort after using these desks for the six-month duration of the study.

“We believe that decreases in body discomfort may account for some of the productivity differences between the two groups,” Garrett said. “However, standing desks may have an impact on cognitive performance, which is the focus of some of our research going forward.”

Benden cautioned that the research did not employ a random sample. All 74 employees with stand-capable workstations had been on the job for one to three months, while the 93 workers with more longevity—one year or more at the company—acted as the control group and remained seated throughout the day. “Still, we believe that the fact the new employees had at least one full month on the job, in addition to 60 days of training, before we began measuring, was more than enough to minimize ‘experience variation’ between the groups,” Benden said.

“This design also eliminates volunteerism bias, which increases the generalizability of the study results.” In other words, the fact that employees were assigned a particular workstation, instead of being able to choose which one they preferred, means there wasn’t some underlying factor that made some people both more efficient and more likely to request a standing desk.

“This research is a breakthrough in measuring productivity impacts of office workers, as this population of call center workers was directly tied to very objective data on their productivity,” Benden said. “Now that we have this type of finding, we will search for more creative ways to find objective productivity measures for other types of office workers in both traditional seated environments and the newer stand-capable environments.”

Angelina College Releases Spring 2016 Dean’s List

Gary Stallard
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Angelina College Releases Spring 2016 Dean’s List

Angelina College officials and faculty members are pleased to release the names of 244 students named to the Dean’s Honor List for the Spring 2016 semester.

To qualify, students must have enrolled in at least 12 semester hours of college-level work and have attained a grade point average of 3.5 with no grade lower than a “C”.

The names of students who make the Dean’s Honor List are posted at the end of each long semester.

Following is the list, divided by town or city of residency, of students named to the Dean’s Honor List:

 

Broaddus

Jenna Sheffield.

Burkeville

Sarah Glaesemann.

Center

Aldo Luna.

Centerville

Kathleen Williams.

Chireno

Karina Miranda and Matthew Tutt.

Cleveland

Logan Duff.

College Station

Raymond Corbett.

Colmesneil

Chloe Langham, Ashley Schulze and Thomas Smith.

Corrigan

Paul Clowdus, Gabriela Gonzalez, Evelyn Ramirez and Ana Rodriguez.

Crockett

Darlene Fike, Cole Miller, Jose Monsivais, Johnathan Rainer, Terry Rodgers and Lona Smith.

Diboll

Malaya Davis, Dionisio Guerrero, Alex Luna, Alan Martinez, Marisol Martinez, Fernanda Montoya, Joel Ojeda, Tony Ortega, De’Markis Redmon, Rashawn Robinson, Yvonne Rocha, Ashley Rodriguez, Mikayla Sudduth and Juan Valdez.

Donie

Dustin West.

Etoile

Steve Olivares.

Flower Mound

Mitchell Andrews.

Frisco

Ankur Golwala.

Garrison

Kevin Whaley.

Grapeland

Bethany Owens.

Groveton

Derek Kesinger.

Hemphill

Kelly Kapraun and Robert McDaniel.

Huntington

April Arrington, Kimberly Berry, Eric Freeman, Shannon Groce, Christopher Hancock, Johnny Istre, Tristin Mitchell, Tracy Neal, Jessica O’Neall, Laurel Robinson, Samantha Scott, Stephanie Thompson, Shiloh Williamson and Meri Wyatt.

Jasper

Stephen Everett, Abigail Patterson, Andrew Patterson and Eric Reaves.

Kennard

James Jones.

Kirbyville

Tanya Coleman.

Livingston

Hannah Cain, Steven Harbuck, Chancellor Morris, Mbissine Ngom and Taylor Scott.

Lufkin

Bianca Acevedo, Andrew Ackerman, Baylee Adams, Justin Agers, Alonso Aguilar, Ricardo Aguilar, Frank Alamo, Eugenio Aldava, Chastity Alfaro, Austin Anderson, Christine Anderson, Hannah Balle, Elizabeth Bolen, Zachary Bridges, Tiffany Brooks, Lana Burrous, Douglas Collins, Kate Collmorgen, Ethan Comstock, Eduardo Concha, Charles Cook, Holly Copeland, James Copeland, Jessica Cordero, Regan Cruse, Jose Cruz, Jennifer Dennis, Zarina Drummer, Leslie Durham, Emily Eng, John English, Scott Enright, Jose Escobedo, Maria Felipe, Russell Flanigan, Cady Fuller, Kyle Gage, Taylor Gilbert, Kelsey Grimes, Robyn Haak, Devan Hadnot, Carson Hall, Richard Hardesty, Terrence Harris, Emery Harvey, Shelby Havard, Wendy Havard, Adam Haynes, Curtis Hight, Haley Holcombe, Kerbie Holmes, Michael Hyde, Ernesto Jacobo, Mario Jacobo, Asish Jaimon, Javier Jaraguchi, Charlcie Johnson, Cheyenne Johnson, James Johnson, Kristen Johnson, Hannah Jones, Larry Leahy, Kristina Loftin, Ezekiel Luna, Ibon Luna, Scott Magee, Eric Manis, Ana Martinez, Stephanie Mast, James Mathews, Josh Mayo, Jacie McClellan, Jazmine McDonald, Colleen McKnight, Jose Meza, Gary Modisette, Maci Moore, Janeth Moreno, Michael Morgan, Dulce Morgan, Maricela Munoz, Halee Oliver, Alex Oliveros, Carina Ortega, Robert Owen, Anthony Parks, Justin Perimon, Kimberly Pinner, Noah Pitts, Diana Poland, Caitlin Pratt, Alejandro Ramirez, Ashlynn Rast, Joshua Robinson, Brandy Romano, Eddy Rowin, Stephen Samuel, Michael Sanchez, Blake Sanders, Salvador Segura, Brent Shankle, William Simcoe, Sanantonia Smith, Chris Sneigoski, Chelsea Snow, Cody Starling, Thomas Summers, Lauren Timmons, Pedro Tinajero-Ayala, Abigail Tlamasico, Daniel Torrez, Daniel Towell, Nancy Tran, Kathryn Upton, Angelica Valdes, Kaci Vaughn, Gabriel Vazquez, Clarisa Venegas, Gracie Wall and Dylan Wells.

Lumberton

Taylor Odom.

Midway

Brooke Mosley.

Moscow

Emily Cook and Allen Poage.

Nacogdoches

Terrance Agnew, Joshua Anding, Steven Arnett, Derika Bailey, Destiny Bailey, Quincy Berry, Jordan Cates, Allison Clark, Shelby Collins, Sara De La Garza, Alexander Franklin, Fernando Hernandez, Michaela Hill, Courtney Jacildo, Jon Johnson, Ivet Martinez, Leah Matlock, Garrett Moore, Juan Morales, Leslie Morales, Jordan Mumm, Edwardo Pacheco-Barrios, Gustavo Roldan, Jairo Salinas, Wendy Sepulveda and Ailyn Torres Cabrera.

Newton

Amy Hanks.

Onalaska

Patrick Hyland.

Pflugerville

Chase Adams.

Pineland

Chase Malone.

Pollok

Cierra Adams, Tanner Cockrell, Parris Grant, Dustin Head, Emily Lakey, Ralph Roach and Susan Rouse.

San Augustine

Ann Nix.

Spring

Roberto Malinowski-Tejada.

Timpson

Bridget Bass.

Trinity

Robert Alsbrooks, David Ennist, Cheyenne Hart and Courtney Lee.

Wells

Kristen Neal.

Woodville

Austin Coker and Brenda Walker.

Zavalla

Bradley Boyd, Chelsey Brown, Sostenes Iribarren and Williams Letney.

Angelina College Soccer Coach Conducting Tryouts in June

Gary Stallard
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Angelina College Soccer Coach Conducting Tryouts in June

Newly hired Angelina College head women’s and men’s soccer coach Freddy Drago is anxious to meet local talent while building his spanking new program. To help speed up the process, he’ll be conducting a pair of tryout/ID camps in June.

The camps will take place on Thursday, June 2 and Saturday, June 4 at the Jase Magers Soccer Field located at Lufkin High School. Starting times for both days will be 2 p.m. for the women and 4 p.m. for the men.

Drago stressed these are strictly tryout/ID camps for high school graduates, seniors and juniors. Those attending are encouraged to bring cleats and shin guards. A required waiver form will be there for signing.

The soccer facility is located behind Lufkin High School at 309 South Medford Drive in Lufkin.

For further information, contact Freddy Drago at 325-260-8918 or e-mail him at fdrago@angelina.edu.

Angelina College Softball Conducting Summer Youth Camp

Gary Stallard
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Angelina College Softball Conducting Summer Youth Camp

Angelina College Associate Head Coach Barbara Mattson of the nationally ranked Lady Roadrunner softball team will be conducting an instructional summer camp for young players ages 7-14 from July 12-13 at Roadrunner Complex in Lufkin.

The two-day camp will feature instruction and tips in the following areas:

Day One (Infield, Outfield, Pitching, Catching) – Fundamentals of a solid defense; general fielding and throwing; specific instructions for each position; breakdown of individual positions; and pitching, including the idea of pitching along with a bullpen routine.

Day Two (Offense, Agility) – Fundamentals of hitting; a cage routine; bunting; drills to alleviate common hitting problems; and fundamentals of building a proper agility program, along with the importance and benefits of implementing one in softball.

Camp times will run from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. each day. Cost for the all-day sessions is $125.

Campers are encouraged to bring the following items: Glove, spikes, shoes (for cages and locker room), pants/shorts, bat, helmet, and anything else one would bring to a regular softball game.

“Coach Barbi” will be entering her fifth year at Angelina College. Since her arrival at AC, the Lady Roadrunners have average 38+ wins per year while increasing the team’s home run totals from 7 to 76. The Lady Roadrunners have rewritten the record book for hits, doubles, walks and slugging and on-base percentages.

In addition, the Lady ‘Runners have finished as conference champs, Region champs and National Champs (2014.) The team opened the 2015 season ranked No. 1 in the nation, and was ranked in the nation’s top 16 for six consecutive weeks in 2016 while beating two No. 1-ranked teams in the same season. Mattson and her husband Mark received the award as the NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year.

Coach Barbi played softball for over 10 years. She played first for Snow College, a junior college in Utah, receiving All-Conference and All-Region honors. She later transferred to Adams State College and continued to receive All-Conference honors while breaking numerous offensive records, including career home runs with 26 in just two years.

Coach Barbi completed her BS in Exercise Science and Human Performance. Three years later, she completed her master’s degree in Athletic Administration from Concordia University-Irvine (CA.)

For further information, contact Barbara Mattson at bmattson@angelina.edu.

Angelina College’s Small Business Development Center Sends Two Finalists To Texas Strong Competition

Gary Stallard
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Angelina College’s Small Business Development Center Sends Two Finalists To Texas Strong Competition

Director Larry Cain of the Small Business Development Center at Angelina College has announced two finalists for the upcoming Texas Strong competition held at the Texas Rural Challenge in Waco on June 9 and 10.

Hydrex Environmental, Inc. of Nacogdoches (with management team Trae Scarborough, Glen Collier and Clayton Collier) and Shelby Agri Products (with owner Maria Harkness) of Timpson are the finalists. Their representatives will have the opportunity for a five-minute presentation with the potential of a $10,000 cash prize for first place and a $3000 award for second place. Entrants will also receive a free booth at the event to promote their businesses.

“The nominations were done through the Small Business Development Centers across the state of Texas,” Cain said. “We were fortunate enough to get two finalists out of eight across the entire state.

“Last year we had a client who finished second in the event. She had her photo taken with the governor’s wife, had her photo taken with the Secretary of State from Texas. They get a lot of PR from this along with the cash incentives.”

Cain said the criteria for nominations included innovation, environmental impact, relevance to the rural market and social good.

“We were given the opportunity to submit a couple of applications from across our region,” Cain said. “There are 15 centers across our Gulf Coast region, and ours were the only two clients selected. I contacted our clients; I felt that because of the nature of their businesses – they were innovative, they’ve made a tremendous impact on their rural communities, they have several employees and they just do a lot for not only the agricultural community but for the rural economy in East Texas.”

Cain added that the two named businesses were already established in their areas; however, Cain and his staff have provided guidance for growth and expansion.

“Our center isn’t just for helping people set up new businesses,” Cain said. “I’d say at least 80 percent of our time is working with people to go through the planning stages and the process to help get their businesses in place. The remainder of our time is working with established businesses, whether they need help in financing, or marketing or growth expansion. Whatever they might be needing at the time.”

According to a released statement, Hydrex Environmental “is a multi-faceted consulting company that provides a full range of environmental consulting services to a wide variety of commercial, industrial, and public entities as well as individuals.  Our services include hydrogeological investigations, environmental site assessments, ecological evaluations, municipal and industrial solid waste facility compliance, and geographic information system (GIS) mapping.” The company has been in business since 1994, and while the main office is located in Nacogdoches, Hydrex serves areas extending throughout Texas and Louisiana. The company has been working with Cain and the SBDC “to help develop an aggressive marketing strategy for promoting our new Drone Division.”

“We look forward to the networking opportunities this will afford us with other small business developments across the state as well as the marketing expertise your group has to offer.  We are honored to be among the nominees this year and look forward to our newfound partnership.”

Shelby Agri Products with owner Maria Harkness. (Contributed photo)
Shelby Agri Products with owner Maria Harkness. (Contributed photo)

Shelby Agri Products, LLC and 4-H Litter Services provides poultry litter and sawdust cleanouts, in addition to providing products for landscaping, USDA cow feed and fertilizer. The company has been in business for more than 20 years, according to owner Harkness. While the majority of their service area includes Nacogdoches and Shelby counties, the company has extended its reach as far as Palestine and Waco counties while providing specific services to Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

In a released statement, Harkness credited Cain and the SBDC with assistance in expanding her company’s abilities to provide needed services to its areas.

“Mr. Cain has provided excellent avenues and knowledge to my business.  He has developed a business plan, contacts, and has educated me on numerous ways to expand and develop the growth of my company.  He is the reason why I have expanded my company and have succeeded in its growth.  Without his knowledge and continued support, I would not be the business woman I am today.

“The honor of this award has been breathtaking.  I am honored not just for the award, but because of the support AC has shown me.  Mr. Larry believed in my business and in turn, my ambition and drive have multiplied.”

For further information on the Small Business Development Center at AC, contact Larry Cain at lcain@angelina.edu.

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