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Bynum Street In Lufkin To Be Closed For Repairs

General

Grace Baldwin

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May 16, 2016

Bynum Street In Lufkin To Be Closed For Repairs

Motorists in Lufkin will experience a road closure throughout the coming week in order to repair road base failures and perform leveling operations.

Beginning Monday, May 16, FM 324 (Bynum Street), from SH 94 (Frank Street) to Moore Avenue will be closed to thru traffic in order to complete the repairs. The work will be done by the TxDOT Angelina County Maintenance Department.

Alternate routes will be available and will include traveling North Franklin Avenue to Ellis Avenue or Bledsoe through to Moore Street. These are only alternate choices and set detours will not be in place. The work should be completed by the end of the week, weather permitting, but there is a possibility that the closure could extend into the following week.

The closure is expected to be from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Motorists are urged to be aware of barricades set near the area and reduce speed as they approach moving equipment or workers in the area.

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

Angelina County Extension Office To Host Feral Hog Seminar

Cary Sims

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May 13, 2016

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Angelina County Extension Office To Host Feral Hog Seminar

Feral hogs are the bane of many rural folks’ existence. With nuisance wild hogs destroying agricultural, residential lawns and other sites, the Angelina County Extension office will be hosting an educational event to learn how to best rid these pests.

To address this common problem, the Angelina County Extension office has invited Dr. Aaron Sumrall, a County Extension agent with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Newton County to speak on the issue of reducing hog problems on Monday, May 16 at 6:30 pm.

Sumrall has studied and document effective as well as ineffective measures used to control hogs in rural areas. Sumrall says a standard small trap is and educational trap that “teaches the older hogs what to avoid.” The result is a poor effort to eliminate hogs from the targeted site.

Feral hogs were brought to North America in the 1500’s by Spanish explorers. The hogs were able to forage for themselves traveling with exploration parties and providing a valuable protein source along the way.

In the early years of settlement in East Texas, running hogs in the woods was common practice and marking the hogs with notches on the ears was a way of “branding” your livestock. Hogs were, and still are, very adaptable which made them such a great asset early on and such a nuisance today.

Feral hogs are not a game or non-game species in Texas. Instead, feral hogs are considered “exotic livestock” as described in Texas Parks and Wildlife Code. Because of this distinction, they fall under the ownership of the landowner and not the citizens of the state according to the Texas Agriculture Code. Indeed, if you could control the feral hogs on your property, you would own them.

This designation is completely different from game animals such as deer, quail, squirrels and other wildlife on your property that have a hunting season. Non-game animals would include songbirds, armadillos, and wildlife that there is no “season” to hunt them. Both game and non-game wildlife are considered property of the state of Texas. As a result we have to obtain a license from the state to harvest specific wildlife species at certain times of the year.

Landowners are allowed to kill feral hogs on their property without a hunting license if feral hogs are causing damage. However, any landowner that plans to trap or snare hogs should have a valid Texas hunting license, since these activities could affect other wildlife species.

For those who hunt feral hogs for trophy and/or food, a Texas hunting license is required. And yes, you can hunt hogs day or night all year long.

Program participants will earn 1.5 CEUs toward their Pesticide Licenses with the Texas Department of Agriculture. Cost is $10 per person to attend.

The Angelina County Extension office is located in Lufkin on south loop 287 next to the Famers Market.

Representative Ashby’s Capitol Update

Rep. Trent Ashby

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May 13, 2016

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With the end of the school year around the corner and summer in sight, I know many of you are making vacation plans. If your travel plans involve passing through the Austin area or visiting your Texas Capitol as a destination, please contact my office. We will be glad to help you set up a Capitol tour, a state cemetery tour, or just help you navigate the city. And with that, on to an update from your state capitol…

Broadband Service to Rural Texas

One place that we consistently see rural Texas falling behind other parts of the state is internet connectivity. With a more sparse population spanning more miles, the cost per user for telecom companies to provide these services is higher in rural areas. For this reason, the Legislature has provided some protections for rural communities, so that our neighborhoods and schools can have the same internet access as those in the more populous areas of the state. During the last Legislative Session, I was proud to co-author House Bill 1475, which would have implemented continued protections for the prices paid for high speed internet and phone services by public schools, colleges, libraries and hospitals across rural Texas.

While the bill ultimately did not pass, this is an issue that the Texas House is continuing to look at. On May 11th, the House Public Education Committee held a hearing to investigate this issue further, specifically looking at how do we make sure that rural schools and libraries have access to affordable, high-quality internet access. I believe this connectivity is critically important, so that our students can be on a level playing field with other students around the state as it relates to learning and having access to digital information. This issue is a priority for the House Rural Caucus, of which I am a member, and I look forward to working with them, and all my colleagues in the Legislature, as we work towards expanding broadband access and connectivity throughout the state.

House Interim Charges: House Committee on Elections

The House Committee on Elections has jurisdiction over all election laws and works to safeguard our elections and to find innovative ways to increase voter turnout. The Committee members will start by examining the petition process for addressing local ordinances to determine if sufficient time is allowed to prepare a petition, and if local standards are enforced for valid petitions. They will then study and develop recommendations to improve the integrity of Texas’ voter registration rolls, including strengthening the interstate voter registration crosscheck program which eliminates voters who are registered in multiple states. The Committee will also evaluate options to improve the transparency of local bond elections by focusing on the current processes used to educate voters about how tax dollars will be spent, the time of year the elections are held, and the description of bond proposals on the ballot. The Committee will also examine instances of mail-ballot fraud and work to improve compliance with campaign finance reporting laws around the state.

Reminders

On May 18th, the mobile office will be in Crockett at the Houston County Courthouse Annex from 9:00 am until 11:00 am, and then in Groveton at the Trinity County Courthouse from 1:30 pm until 3:30 pm. We will wrap up the mobile office for the month of May at the San Augustine County Courthouse from 9:00 am until 11:00 am on May 25th.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office if we can help you in any way. We look forward to the opportunity to hear your concerns and help you navigate state government. My district office may be reached at (936) 634-2762 or you can call my Capitol office at (512) 463-0508.

Ways Technology is Transforming Your Healthcare Experience

Misty Boggs

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May 13, 2016

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Ways Technology is Transforming Your Healthcare Experience

The face of healthcare is changing for the better thanks to new patient-focused innovations that improve everything from patient registration to recovery and long-term care management.

Care providers implementing these technologies are delivering better patient experiences by reducing wait-times, increasing patient-doctor communication and improving clinical care results. Here’s how:

Efficient Patient Registration

New technology is making the first point-of-contact for each patient a more pleasant, efficient and secure experience. For example, Queue, developed by CrossChx, is a patient sign-in system that collects basic identification information. This information is sent immediately to registration staff, and a digital monitor in the waiting room displays each patient’s wait-time.

Because patient registration is often complicated by existing inaccuracies and duplications, this technology identifies potentially dangerous inconsistencies between information entered into its system and existing patient records.

“By flagging those discrepancies, the hospital can identify errors and correct them to avoid potentially costly or harmful mistakes,” said Sean Lane, CEO and Founder of CrossChx. “Queue returns control of patient identities back to their rightful owners — the patients themselves.”

Since it was introduced in December 2015, Queue, installed in hundreds of locations across the country, has identified 7.3 million patient identity errors, and reduced patient wait-times by an average of 25 percent.

Interactive In-Patient Care

The concept of “ringing for the nurse,” from your hospital room is being completely modernized. In many facilities, patients can now connect with caregivers from PCs, mobile devices or even their hospital bedside TV.

From ordering a meal to ordering a movie, patients can also take greater control of their own care and hospital stay, even if their mobility is limited. Plus, tailored educational content gives patients an opportunity to learn more about their own conditions, medications and daily hospital schedules as well as exchange notes and questions with their care providers.

Mobilized Managed Care

Mobile apps are giving patients, particularly those with chronic conditions, an easier way to stay in touch with their care providers. Patients using these apps can ask their care provider questions and send updates between follow-up appointments.

Using these tools, care providers can also collect data in real-time and review patients’ progress and weaknesses on a regular basis, as opposed to relying on self-reported accounts after the fact. This allows them to customize interactive daily checklists and effectively coach patients to adopt healthier behaviors.

Used together, these technologies can create better, more secure patient experiences throughout the healthcare journey and contribute to a culture of patient-centered care.

Nacogdoches Public Library Hosts Makerspace Hand Thrown Paintball Workshop

Grace Baldwin

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May 12, 2016

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Nacogdoches Public Library Hosts Makerspace Hand Thrown Paintball Workshop

The Judy B. McDonald Public Library invites tweens and teens to a Makerspace workshop on Saturday, May 21st at 1:00 in Pecan Acres Park. Participants will learn the science behind the creation of non-toxic, biodegradable and painless paintballs that don’t require a gun.

All attendees should be sure to wear clothes that they don’t mind painting. “We like to venture outside the library for some of our programs,” says Crystal Hicks, assistant library director. “Plus, even though these paintballs will generally wash off with soap, this is definitely an outdoor activity!”

Please call 559-2970 to register.

The Judy B. McDonald Public Library is thrilled to continue and expand the Makerspace program for tweens and teens. Makers are a collaborative community of all ages who share a passion for making things and who are engaged in experimentation, innovation and creativity.

The Public Library’s Makerspace merges DIY, craft, art, electronics, programming, math, science and engineering into projects for both young people and their mentors. The goal is to support and grow the Maker movement in the local community through experimental play and hands-on creativity.

Look for the new space in the library!

The Friends of the Library are on Facebook (as Judy B. McDonald Public Library) and Twitter (as @friendsofnacpl).

Community Calendar Of Events This Week

Grace Baldwin

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May 12, 2016

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LUFKIN

Ribbon Cutting: Blackledge & Co. Studio

Thursday, May 12, from 10 -10:30 a.m.
To celebrate Jennifer Blackledge, local photographer and owner of Blackledge & Co., joining the Chamber, there will be a ribbon cutting in front of her studio.

Free admission

Located:

5 Lakewood Court, Lufkin, TX

Boy Scout Troop 140 Garage Sale and Barbeque Chicken Dinner Sale

Saturday, May 14. Garage sale begins 8 a.m. and Chicken dinner sales begin 11 a.m. for carry-out

This is the 18th annual chicken dinner sale for the boy scout troop 140. $8:00 for 1/2 bird, baked beans, potato salad and bread.

Located:

First Presbyterian Church, 607 Janeway, Lufkin

Texas Big Game Awards Banquet

Saturday, May 14, from 3-7 p.m.

This is the awards banquet for Texas hunters, landowners, and wildlife enthusiasts celebrating Texas Hunting Heritage.

Located:

Pitser Garrison Convention Center, Lufkin

$20- Adults $10- Children

Casual Attire

Young Professionals Network Lunch & Learn May 2016

Wednesday, May 18, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Dr. Sid Roberts will speak about why he chose to stay in Lufkin to raise his family and continue his career.

Free admission but reservation is preferred.

Texas Spring Classic

Begins Friday, May 13 at 6 p.m. and ends Saturday, May 14 at 10 p.m.

This is a gaited horse show showcasing speed racing horses.

Free admission

Located:

George Henderson Jr. Expo Center, Lufkin

Mamma Mia!

Wednesday, May 18 from 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Angelina Arts Alliance present the national Broadway tour of Mamma Mia!

Located:Temple Theater on the Angelina College campus, 3500 South First Street, Lufkin Texas 75901

Tickets are $35-50.

NACOGDOCHES

Masquerade Ball

Friday, May 13, from 6-9 p.m.

First annual Masquerade Ball for Habitat for Humanity. There will be a silent auction, food, and a cash bar. This is an event created for fundraising for Habitat for Humanity.

Located at: Nacogdoches Expo Center

Modern day or old style formal dress and mask.

Tickets are $40. Call Miki Lynn 936-564-3538 or Grace Handler 936-552-6018 for tickets.

Classic Movie Night at the Public Library

Friday, May 13 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

There will be a classic movie showing from the Golden Age of Hollywood along with hors d’oeuvres.

Located at the Judy B. Mcdonald Public Library.

Check with the library for title and rating information. Please call 936-559-2970 to register. Admission is free.

The Oldest Town in Texas Roadshow

Saturday, May 14 from 7-10 p.m.

Brad Maule, Stephen and Jan Pate, Gilbert Burch, Ally Fuller, Courtney Burch, Sarah Griffin Humphries, Bo Miller, and Camo Elvis.

Located at The Old Tobacco Warehouse, 111 N. Pecan St. historic downtown

Advance purchase – $20, at the door – $25, children 18 and under, $5
Buy tickets at Spring & Prince, 111 N. Pecan St. and Nacogdoches Lighting & Flooring, 732 N. University Dr.

Story Time

Wednesday, May 18 from 10-11 a.m.

Story time includes stories, songs, crafts, and activities for kids 12 and under.

Free admission.

Located at the Judy B. Mcdonald Public Library.

If you would like to see your event published in this calendar, email info@texasforestcountryliving.com

Older Americans Month Celebrated With Mayfest 2016

Grace Baldwin

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May 12, 2016

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Older Americans Month Celebrated With Mayfest 2016

The Area Agency on Aging of Deep East Texas and 2-1-1 Texas will be celebrating May as Older Americans Month with their “Mayfest” on, Thursday, May 19th.

The day will include a walkathon, health fair, games of “42”, bingo, entertainment and lunch. Mayfest will be held at Lufkin’s Pitser Garrison Convention Center from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The theme for this year’s Mayfest is “Blaze a Trail” with participants being encouraged to start their day with a walkathon, sponsored by Adult Protective Services, that begins at 9:00 a.m. from Regions Bank, 203 S. First Street. A health fair and entertainment begins at 10:00 a.m. at the civic center.

Games of “42” and bingo will start shortly thereafter. Lunch will be provided for those involved in the activities.

Over five-hundred people participated in last year’s Mayfest and even more people are expected this year. Anyone with questions about the event are encouraged to contact Donna Sprouse at (800) 256-6848 or (409) 384-7614.

Roadrunners Open Conference Tourney Friday

Gary Stallard

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May 12, 2016

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Roadrunners Open Conference Tourney Friday

AC Looking for One Win Better than 2015 Result

The Angelina College Roadrunners surprised plenty of teams in their 2015 conference tournament run. The team is hoping to add at least one more win to pull off an even bigger surprise in 2016.

AC in 2015 advanced to the tournament championship game, falling one win short of making the trip to the national finals. Some of the players from that squad are on-hand as the ‘Runners open the tournament’s 2016 version Friday in Sugar Land.

Sophomores Chris Estrada, Mitch Henshaw, Carson Lance, Daniel Lingua, Dustin West, Elijah Rodriguez, Zach Rome and Kevin Roe were on the field or in the dugout in ‘15 as head coach Jeff Livin received the trophy for the tournament runners-up.

AC earned the third seed in the conference’s East Zone and will face Wharton College at 1 p.m. on Friday. The Roadrunners took two out of three games in the two teams’ only meetings this season.

Friday’s schedule includes the following games: #2 Panola vs. #3 Alvin, 10 a.m.; #3 Angelina College vs. #2 Wharton, 1 p.m.; #4 Bossier Parish vs. #1 San Jacinto, 5 p.m.; and #1 Navarro vs. #4 Galveston, 8 p.m.

Saturday’s schedule includes The San Jacinto/Bossier Parish loser vs. the Alvin/Panola loser at 10 a.m.; the AC/Wharton loser vs. the Navarro/Galveston loser at 1 p.m.; the San Jacinto/Bossier Parish winner vs. Alvin/Panola winner at 5 p.m.; and the Navarro/Galveston winner vs. the AC/Wharton winner at 8 p.m.

The tournament is scheduled to conclude on Tuesday, May 17, with the winner advancing to the NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.

All conference tournament games will take place at Skeeter Park (Constellation Field) in Sugar Land. TSRN Sports will live stream the entire tournament at tsrnsports.com.

Mamma Mia! National Tour Stops At Angelina College Temple Theater

Grace Baldwin

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May 12, 2016

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Mamma Mia! National Tour Stops At Angelina College Temple Theater

The eighth longest running show in Broadway history, MAMMA MIA! will thrill Lufkin audiences with two performances at the Temple Theater on May 18 & 19, at 7:30 pm. ABBA fans rejoice – there are 27 ABBA songs in the show including ‘Dancing Queen’ and ‘Take a Chance on Me’, and of course ‘Mamma Mia’.

In its various productions, the show has grossed a reported 2 billion + world-wide. Tickets are on sale now and range from $35-$45 (Premium/Box $50). On each show day, May 18 & 19, any unsold tickets go on sale for half-price beginning at 6:30 pm, one hour before performance time.

If all tickets sell-out, the box office will sell RUSH tickets at the door starting at 6:30 pm for $20 each. With a RUSH ticket, the purchaser may go into the theater at 7:25 pm and sit in any empty seat. If they cannot find a seat, they bring their ticket back to the box office for a $20 refund.

Angelina Arts Alliance proudly presents MAMMA MIA! along with show sponsor T.L.L. Temple Foundation & A Friend of the Arts. 2015-2016 15th Anniversary Season sponsors are Georgia Pacific and CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial.

“This National Tour offers a great opportunity to see a professional production straight from New York,” stated Executive Director Tracy Pinkerton. The soaring popularity of MAMMA MIA! is evidenced by the 60 million people who have seen this live production around the globe. People everywhere have fallen in love with the characters, the story and the music that makes this the ultimate feel-good show.

Writer Catherine Johnson’s sunny, funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. The story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship, and every night everyone’s having the time of their lives!

For more information or to purchase tickets visit the Temple Theater Box Office on Angelina College’s Lufkin campus, Monday through Friday 11 am – 5 pm or call (936) 633-5454, or visit www.angelinaarts.org . Follow Angelina Arts Alliance on Facebook for late-breaking news, photos, videos and ticket giveaways.

Soda Slush Experiment

Grace Baldwin

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May 11, 2016

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In 2014, the YouTuber Grant Thompson (a.k.a. “The King of Random”) posted a video with instructions on how to make self-freezing soda slurpees. You can watch the original video here.

This is the account of my attempt to create this instant soda slush myself.

To begin, you shake up a room temperature soda, energy drink, or sports drink as much as possible. I shook it until I felt the bottle expand and could not make the liquid move anymore because of the carbonation. Then you freeze it for about three hours and ten minutes, depending on your freezer’s temperature. There are also several ways to create and serve the slush.

Soda Slush Fail I wanted to try as many of the options the video presented as I could. My first attempt was a canned Sprite. Canned sodas are tricky to begin with, and let’s just say my attempt was less than successful.

Next, I tried a little harder with a bottle of Dr. Pepper. This bottle was in the freezer for about three hours and fifteen minutes. It worked rather well, but because I did not release the pressure fast enough, the slush was not as slushy as I would have liked. The Mountain Dew, which was in the freezer for about three hours and fifty minutes, worked much better. Soda-Slush-DP

I also tried the technique of pouring the drink into a frozen container. I did this with a bottle of Powerade. The technique did not work because the Powerade was already slightly frozen. It did still make the drink slushy inside the bottle rather than on contact with the cold metal container. It was in my freezer for about three hours and thirty minutes.

To test out dropping a piece of ice into a drink to create the slush, I used a can of Red Bull. This worked rather well. The Red Bull was in the freezer for about three hours and forty minutes. Soda-Slush-All-Together-Shot

The video is based in actual science and explains how the process works. Basically, the soda is past the point of freezing, but because the molecules are not in the right configuration yet, it is not frozen. By releasing the pressure and flipping the soda bottle, you allow the soda to do what it wants: freeze.

Overall, the process was a fun summer project that made drinking sodas, sports drinks, and energy drinks a much more enjoyable process. I will definitely be trying this again with my nieces and nephews!