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Celebrate Older Americans Month with Mayfest 2015

By
Lee Allen Miller
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The Area Agency on Aging of Deep East Texas and 2-1-1 Texas will be celebrating Older Americans Month with their “Mayfest” on Thursday, May 21st. The event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Lufkin’s Pitser Garrison Convention Center.

The theme for this year’s Mayfest is “Getting Into the Act”. Participants are encouraged to start their day with a walk-a-thon, sponsored by Adult Protective Services, that begins at 9:00 a.m. from Regions Bank, 203 S. First Street. A health fair , “42”, bingo and entertainment starts at 10:00 a.m. at the Pitser Garrison Convention Center. Games of “42” and bingo will start shortly thereafter. 500 Lunches will be provided for those involved in the activities.

Nearly six-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.

LCVB Hosts Travel and Tourism Week Rally

By
Misty Boggs
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Tara Watson-Watkins, Executive Director of LCVB, opens the National Travel and Tourism Rally held at the Angelina County Chamber of Commerce Tuesday, May 5, 2015.

Lufkin Convention and Visitors Bureau hosted a rally Tuesday, May 5, 2015, at The Angelina County Chamber of Commerce to kick off National Travel and Tourism Week.

“Travel is big business and important to our economy,” said Tara Watson-Watkins, Executive Director of LCVB.

Findings from The Economic Importance of Travel in Texas, conducted by Dean Runyan Associates, were presented during the rally, which highlighted the economic impact of travel and tourism in the Piney Woods region.

“Tourism in Angelina county accounted for 1,400 jobs,” said Lufkin Mayor Bob Brown, citing the study. “Visitors spent $132 million in Angelina county.”

“There is no way that a town of 36,000 could achieve those numbers by themselves,” said Jerry Huffman, President of The Angelina County Chamber of Commerce. “We are very fortunate for facilities for family reunions, softball, soccer, and fishing. The Forestry Festival, Neches River Rendezvous, Piney Woods Purgatory, all of these bring people here.”

“Its not just a local or Texas thing, its an international thing,” said Kevin Jones, owner of Best Western in Lufkin, Texas. “This is a small market with a big advantage.”

According to the study, tourist dollars spent in Angelina county saved the taxpayer an average $65 per homeowner in property tax and added $1.77 million in tax receipts. The study also showed that over 46% stayed at a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast; 27.4% bought food; almost 14% were in the Piney Woods for shopping, and just under 40% purchased transportation.

“These are highly changing times, and these statistics show that” said Lin Lentz, General Manager of Crown Colony Country Club in Lufkin, Texas. “I think the Chamber is reflecting that.”

Lufkin’s Khayln Cole Needs Your Help

By
Lee Allen Miller
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The 2011-12 Panther Pride officers are, from left: Lt. Sydney Verner, Lt. Julie Hemphill, Capt. Khalyn Cole, Lt. Katie McElveen and Lt. Lindsey Cook. Photo by Tracy Cook.
The 2011-12 Panther Pride officers are, from left: Lt. Sydney Verner, Lt. Julie Hemphill, Capt. Khalyn Cole, Lt. Katie McElveen and Lt. Lindsey Cook. Photo by Tracy Cook.

A Lufkin girl needs your help! Khalyn Cole, has worked to be a finalist for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders (DCC) and now she needs your vote. As one of 59 rookie candidates, the top vote getter wins an automatic bid to the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader Training Camp, the next step to becoming a DCC.

You may remember Cole from her Lufkin High School days as the first black Captain in the over 40 year history of the Panther Pride for the 2011-2012 school year. Cole began dancing when she was 3 years old and was a member of Little Drill. She was on JV Drill her freshman year and began dancing with the Panther Pride her sophomore year. Today, Cole is a 3rd year veteran of the North Texas Dancers at North Texas State University.

To vote for Khalyn, go to http://www.dallascowboys.com/content/dcc-vote-2015 – Drag Khalyn’s photo into the #1 slot, enter your name and email and click vote. Tell your friends. Remember, you can vote every day.

Click It or Ticket!

By
Lee Allen Miller
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The simple, law-abiding habit of wearing a seat belt can protect thousands of Texans from serious injury or death. Yet, many people still refuse. For them, the Texas Department of Transportation launched its 14th annual statewide “Click It or Ticket” campaign today with a news conference at the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office. Representatives from ACSO, Lufkin, Hudson and Diboll Police departments, Lufkin Fire, DPS, City of Lufkin and TxDOT participated in the news conference that promoted the statewide campaign designed to augment the federal, stepped-up enforcement period, May 18-31.

John Barton, TxDOT deputy executive director, said the Click It or Ticket campaign is designed to educate and support everyone to how important and life-saving wearing a seat belt can be.

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Angelina County Sheriff Greg Sanches addresses audience on the need for buckling up.

“It’s heartbreaking to know lives are being lost on Texas roadways because people are still not buckling up. These motorists have friends and families who will never get over the loss of their loved one. It’s really simple. Seat belts save lives. Every single individual in a vehicle needs to be buckled up.”

If the deadly consequences aren’t enough to motivate seat belt use, fines and court costs can total up to $200. In Texas, the law requires everyone in a vehicle to be buckled up, including back seat passengers.

In 2014, 2,587 motor vehicle traffic crashes occurred in Texas in which unrestrained vehicle occupants sustained fatal or serious injuries. Wearing a seat belt helps keep occupants from being ejected in a crash and increases the chances of surviving by 45 percent. In pickup trucks, that number jumps to 60 percent, as those vehicles are twice as likely as cars to roll over in a crash.

The Click It or Ticket campaign, combined with enforcement, is credited with motivating millions of motorists to always use their seat belts. Only 76 percent of Texans used seat belts when the campaign started in 2002. Today, 9 out of 10 Texans buckle up. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that since its inception, the Click It or Ticket campaign in Texas has resulted in 4,319 fewer traffic fatalities while preventing 72,926 serious injuries and saving more than $16.7 billion in related economic costs.

Energy Department – 3D Printing Brings Classic Shelby Cobra to Life

By
Lee Allen Miller
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Click here to check out the photo gallery of the 3D Printed Classic Shelby Cobra.

Neches River Rendezvous Early Registration Deadline Ends May 8

By
Misty Boggs
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The deadline to register early for the highly anticipated 18th Annual Neches River Rendezvous is quickly approaching.

Registration  for the June 6, 2015 event is $35 for a single kayak and includes lunch during the 10-mile scenic paddling adventure and an event t-shirt. Registration for a canoe or two-person kayak is $50. After this Friday, May 8th, prices will rise to $45 and $60, respectively.

Life jackets are required and are the responsibility of the participant to provide. Canoes and kayaks must be provided by the participant or rented before the event.

The Angelina County Chamber of Commerce, which hosts the yearly event, asks participants to register early as space is limited to only 300 guests.

For more information, including arrival instructions, rental venues, and registration form, visit www.lufkintexas.org.

 

Value of Land Seminar

By
Lee Allen Miller
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Landowners have much more involved in their properties’ value than the simple price per acre that their land is valued at as real estate. One’s property value also includes water rights, easements, oil and gas leases, and other concerns about development of underground resources.

“The Value of Land,” a conference on issues affecting landowners, will be held May 8 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Angelina County, 2201 S. Medford Drive in Lufkin.

Topics will include oil and gas leasing, water rights, easements, groundwater issues, and a discussion on the whether fracturing is hype or a real health hazard?

This seminar is an attempt address concerns for those who care for the land today as well as those of future generations.

As real estate prices rise, those with any kind of long term interests in their property want to stay on top of developments with the water and minerals that lay beneath their property. The mineral rights obviously aren’t always owned by those own the surface. Likewise any shared ownership of minerals will require a great deal of coordination and cooperation when the exploration and oil/gas production begins.

Ground water concerns are a common question I get. Yes, it is true that private water wells must be declared and marked. Failure to do so might allow other wells to be place near yours and drain yours dry. While this is not a new rule, information on the regulation of private water wells will be covered.

Additionally, any easements held on property you own or that you may hold on others is often a contentious issue.

An easement is defined as a right, privilege or advantage in real property, existing distinct from the ownership of the land. In other words, easements consist of an interest (or estate) in real property that does not constitute full ownership. Most commonly, an easement entails the right of a person (or the public) to use the land of another in a certain manner.

Easements can be private or public. Public easements, as mentioned earlier, are those easements to which the right of enjoyment and use are vested in the public generally or in an entire community. Aside from purchasing, there are three ways public easements may be created. Each method is unique and has different requirements. The three ways public easements may arise without purchasing are: (1) by dedication, (2) by prescription and (3) by condemnation.

With private easements, unless its creation is carefully documented and recorded, its legality is questionable.

Registration for the seminar at the door will be $50 per person or $60 per couple, and also includes lunch. Registration on the day of the event will begin at 8:30 a.m. with the program starting at 9 a.m. and lasting until 3 p.m.

Participants may preregister by contacting the Pineywoods Resource Conservation and Development office at 936-568-0414.

Speakers will include Dr. Judon Fambrough, senior lecturer with Texas A&M Real Estate Center, College Station; Dr. Susan Struver, senior research scientist with the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, College Station; and Jackie Risner, general manager of the Pineywoods Groundwater Conservation District, Nacogdoches.

Sponsors of the event include the Pineywoods Resource Conservation Development council; Pineywoods Groundwater Conservation District; and the AgriLife Extension offices in Angelina, Cherokee, Houston, Nacogdoches, Polk, San Augustine and Tyler counties

Senior Discount Day returns, Tuesday, May 5th in Nacogdoches

By
Lee Allen Miller
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Participating merchants in historic downtown Nacogdoches are gearing up for their monthly installment of Senior Discount Day. The monthly shopping promotion is held on the 1st Tuesday of each month, which means this Tuesday May 5th , seniors can receive an extra discount when shopping the red brick streets.

A variety of downtown merchants participate in the Senior Discount Day. A list of participating merchants will be available for pick up at the Convention & Visitors Bureau, located at 200 E. Main Street. Merchants for March include: A Beautiful You Salon and Spa, Nacogdoches Convention & Visitors Bureau, Brick Street Antiques, CASA’s Blue Ribbon Gift Shop, Glass Castles, Coats Gallery, Macy May’s, Main Street Antique Mall, Old Town Antiques, Special Finds Antiques & Collectibles, Stuff N Such, Refuse to Sink, Heart of Texas, House of Traditions, Dollheads, Madison Park, Rachel’s Antiques & Unique, The Liberty Bell and Lyric’s French Knot Quilt Shop. “Special thanks to all of our merchants for making this in-store promotion possible,” said O’Brien.

While the definition of Senior Citizen varies historic downtown Nacogdoches merchants will honor the Senior Discount to residents and visitors over 55 years of age. The 10% discount will be honored at all of the participating merchants throughout the day on May 5th. Be sure to check individual store hours before making plans to head downtown!

For questions about historic downtown Nacogdoches or the Senior Discount Day you can contact Main Street Manager, Sarah O’Brien at 936-559-2573 or email her at obriens@ci.nacogdoches.tx.us.

CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Lufkin Earns Prestigious Stroke Award

By
Lee Allen Miller
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The Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke GOLD PLUS Quality Achievement Award truly is a team effort. Physicians, nurses, the entire Emergency Department team and quality improvement professionals turn these guidelines into a daily practice to improve the lives of stroke patients. Pictured from left to right: Sabrina Lillard, CV Stroke Coordinator; Sunil Cherry, M.D., Board Certified Neurologist and Medical Director of the CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Lufkin Stroke Center; and Julie Warren, Community Education Coordinator.

LUFKIN, TEXAS (May 1, 2015)… Located deep in the heart of the Stroke Belt, CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Lufkin recognizes the desperate need for quality stroke care and improving the lives of our community. For the fourth year in a row, the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association awarded CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Lufkin with the Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke GOLD PLUS Quality Achievement Award for outstanding stroke care.

CHI St. Luke’s Health is one of an elite number of hospitals to achieve 85 percent or higher compliance with all Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Achievement Measures and 75 percent or higher compliance with five or more Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Quality Measures for two or more consecutive years. Additionally, the hospital was recognized for achieving Time to Intravenous Thrombolytic Therapy in less than 60 minutes in more than 50 percent of applicable acute ischemic stroke patients.

“Our greatest reward is serving our patients to achieve the best possible outcomes. That’s why we’re committed to turning treatment guidelines into lifelines,” said CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Lufkin President and System Chief Operating Officer Shawn Barnett. “Being honored for providing excellent patient care is the best recognition a hospital can receive.”

Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to the latest scientific treatment guidelines.

Angelina County is situated in a volatile area plagued with an overabundance of stroke incidents, called the Stroke Belt. High rates of uninsured and underserved populations coupled with significantly higher risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and overall lack of well-being relates to more patients experiencing strokes each year in this area than in any other region of the country.

Even though May is known nationally as Stroke Month, CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial places a high level of importance on the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, rehabilitation, and recovery of stroke patients every day. With board certified neurologists and neurosurgeons on staff, CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial is the area’s first and only Joint Commission Certified Primary Care Stroke Center.

During the month of May, the American Stroke Association strives to get the word out about the No. 5 deadliest disease in the United States. Every 40 seconds someone in the nation has a stroke, and it is the No. 1 leading cause of disability in the U.S. It’s essential to recognize the signs and symptoms of a stroke, by learning to act FAST.

  • Face Drooping
  • Arm Weakness
  • Speech Difficulty
  • Time to Call 9-1-1

Recognizing these symptoms and calling 9-1-1 could make the difference between life and death or between full recovery and permanent disability.

When a stroke patient arrives at CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial, a dedicated stroke team meets him or her at the door to provide timely treatment. That’s why earning the Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke GOLD PLUS Quality Achievement Award truly is truly a team effort. Physicians, nurses, the entire Emergency Department team and quality improvement professionals turn these guidelines into a daily practice to improve the lives of stroke patients.

The Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke GOLD PLUS award is the highest recognition given by the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association.

About CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial

CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial paves the way for quality, innovative health care in East Texas and provides more than a quarter of a million patient services each year.

Our mission is to provide quality health care to the communities it serves. With hospitals in Lufkin, Livingston, San Augustine and Memorial Specialty – the area’s only long-term acute care hospital – CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial provides millions of dollars in charity care and community support each year.

CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial offers a wide array of services, including the area’s first dedicated heart and stroke care facility and radiation oncology at the Temple Cancer Center. It is also known for the area’s only comprehensive diabetes, heart and stroke education center. Other specialty areas include imaging, orthopedic care, women’s services, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, homecare, wound care and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, kidney & diabetes treatment, sleep disorders treatment and express lab.

HOUSTON COUNTY AWARDED FUNDING FOR PROJECT $11.8 million from Prop 1 funding

By
Rhonda Oaks
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LUFKIN – The Texas Transportation Commission on Thursday awarded 23 projects from Proposition 1 funding that will improve safety, mobility and connectivity for Texas.

Houston County, a part of the nine-county Lufkin TxDOT District, received $11.7 million for a construction project on SH 21 from FM1280 along a 2.32 stretch east of FM 2967, that will be used to reconstruct and add passing lanes. A.L. Helmcamp, Inc. will serve as contractor for the project.

The Commission approved 23 of the 200 projects planned totaling nearly $168 million in roadway construction, rehabilitation and restoration in the latest round of funding Thursday.

“The Texas transportation system will see needed improvement as a result of the projects approved today,” said TxDOT Executive Director LtGen Joe Weber, USMC (Ret). “By working with community leaders and local planning organizations, we have selected these projects that will help address the transportation concerns of our citizens. Texans made a strong statement in voting for Proposition 1 last November, and it is now our responsibility to ensure these funds are put to use in the most efficient and effective manner.”

In total, the 200 Proposition 1 projects will result in more than 800 miles of rehabilitated highways; nearly 500 miles of new highway lanes; 114 bridges replaced, widened or rehabilitated; and an additional 159 miles of passing lanes on rural highways. Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and TxDOT Districts worked together and with the public to formulate the list of projects.

Many TxDOT districts plan to use maintenance funds to repair or rehabilitate highways affected by production in energy sectors. These funds, along with Proposition 1 funds specifically allocated for energy sector needs, will allow projects in impacted areas to receive nearly 30 percent of total 2015 Proposition 1 funding.

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