A total of seven Angelina College Roadrunner baseball players were named to the Region XIV Conference postseason superlatives list, with outfielder Dalton Mullins earning 1st Team All-Conference honors.
Earning 2nd Team All-Conference honors were infielder/designated hitter Michael Herndon, third baseman Sam Hardcastle, outfielder Hayden Hupe, and pitcher Gabe LeBlanc.
Honorable Mention honors went to freshman Mark Henderson (catcher), Sean Bazmore (shortstop), and Spencer Alexander (pitcher).
Mullins, a sophomore right fielder from Baytown, Texas, batted .294 for the season, driving in 35 runs and scoring another 32.
3_Dalton Mullins 1_AC Baseball Media Day 2024
Herndon, a freshman from Pinehurst, hit .357 with four homers, 26 RBI and 21 runs scored.
35_Michael Herndon 1_AC Baseball Media Day 2024
Sophomore Hardcastle, from Richmond, Texas, hit for a .349 average while swatting five homers. He led the team in RBI with 42 and scored another 49.
13_Sam Hardcastle 1_AC Baseball Media Day 2024
Hupe, a sophomore from Brenham, hit for a .353 average, drove in 30 runs, and scored 25 while spending most of his time in left field.
22_Hayden Hupe 1_AC Baseball Media Day 2024
LeBlanc anchored the pitching staff, leading the team with 67 innings pitched. The sophomore from Cushing, Texas struck out 55 hitters, averaging 7.39 Ks per nine innings.
27_Gabe LeBlanc 1_AC Baseball Media Day 2024
Freshman Henderson, from Cinco Ranch, Texas, spent most of the season behind the plate as a catcher, hitting .297 while driving in eight runs. He finished the year with a .975 fielding percentage and 146 putouts.
2_Mark Henderson 1_AC Baseball Media Day 2024
Bazemore, a freshman from Crosby, Texas, finished his year with a .331 batting average, three homers, and 41 RBI. Bazemore also swiped eight bases to tie for the team lead.
34_Sean Bazmore 1_AC Media Day 2024
Lufkin’s Alexander, who came out of the bullpen as a left-handed relief pitcher, ended up tossing 30 innings for the Roadrunners, averaging 6.9 strikeouts per nine innings.
14_Spencer Alexander 1_AC Baseball Media Day 2024 copy
The Roadrunners finished the season as the third-best hitting team in Region XIV with a team batting average of .309.
FRANKLIN, Tenn., May 14, 2024 – Carl’s Jr.® announced today that Emily Zheng of Lufkin, Texas has been selected as one of ten 2024Carl N. and Margaret Karcher Founder’s Scholarship recipients from across the country. A first-generation college student, Zheng will receive $10,000 toward tuition at the school of her choice.
Every year, on behalf of founders Carl and Margaret Karcher, Carl’s Jr. awards $100,000 in scholarships to 10 outstanding individuals who have excelled academically, demonstrated leadership in extracurriculars and community, and have financial need to pursue higher education. Since 1998, Carl’s Jr. has granted more than $1.5 million in scholarships to 1,000-plus deserving students.
Open to students in states with Carl’s Jr. locations, this year saw a sharp increase in applicants, with recipients hailing from Calif., Colo., Oreg., Texas and Wash. Recipients also included four Carl’s Jr. restaurant team members.
“For generations, Carl’s Jr. has been supporting the dreams and ambitions of individuals in our restaurants and business communities,” said Andrew Robinson, Chief Human Resources Officer at CKE Restaurants, parent company of Carl’s Jr. “The selection committee was moved by Ms. Zheng experienced growing up in the community and desire to give back. We know she will accomplish great things, and we are proud to be a small part of her journey.”
More About Emily Zheng
Emily Zheng graduates this month from Lufkin High School and plans to attend New York University. At the age of 18, Zheng is the founder and representative for the nonprofit Book Buddies, which provides gently used books to underprivileged children. She is an AP scholar with honors, a mentor and tutor to underclassmen, a member of the Panther Pride Drill Team, and was voted Class Favorite.
Of the opportunity, Zheng said, “My overall objective is to continue the cycle of compassion and eagerness to help initiated by my teachers, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of circumstance, have access to the same educational opportunities as their peers.”
Congratulations to Emily Zheng on this tremendous accomplishment!
About Carl’s Jr.
Carl’s Jr.® is famous around the world for big, audacious, impossible-to-ignore flavors inspired by its California roots. For a bold move, guests have ordered items like over-the-top, juicy charbroiled burger creations, Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™, Hand-Scooped ice cream Shakes™ and indulgent breakfast burgers for more than 80 years. Together with its Franchisees, Carl’s Jr. operates more than 1,000 restaurants across the U.S. and has a presence in 24 countries worldwide. Learn more at www.carlsjr.com.
Nacogdoches Chamber Stakeholder Conference Call, sponsored by Burke
Sponsored by Burke.
Join the Nacogdoches Chamber Stakeholder Conference Call for updates and reports Feature: May is mental health awareness month. Hear from Burke Director of Communications Kinnie Reina and more about the Nac Safe Place Kentucky Derby event from founder Alana Culpepper.
Local leaders give updates.
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone.https://meet.goto.com/151379029You can also dial in using your phone. +1 (312) 757-3121 Access Code:151-379-029 Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:https://meet.goto.com/install
Date/Time Information:
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 from 10 AM to 11 AM
Members of the Angelina College Associate Degree Nursing Progam’s Class of 2024 pose following their pinning ceremony held this past week. More than 60 new nurses received their awards. (Gary Stallard/AC News Service photo)
More than 60 New Nurses Receive Awards
Angelina College’s Associate Degree Nursing Program’s Class of 2024 last week held its traditional pinning ceremony, recognizing its 62 new members and their journeys into the nursing profession.
Dr. Sandra Brannan, Director of Nursing Programs at AC, presented awards to outstanding students, including Sandy Eastepp (highest class GPA), Caleb Powell, and Nancy Njenga.
Angelina College Director of Nursing Programs Dr. Sandra Brannan (left) presents Sandy Eastepp the award for the highest GPA in her graduating class. The Associate Degree Nursing Program recognized 62 new nurses in last week’s pinning ceremony held on the AC campus. (Gary Stallard/AC News Service photo)
Brannan, with her more than 50 years of nursing experience, reminded the students that the field of nursing never stops changing, meaning learning is a never-ending process.
“Never, ever stop learning,” Brannan said. “Read everything you can, keep working on furthering your education, and remember you’ll never know everything there is to know about this profession.”
The new graduates received their awards on the graduation stage inside Shands Gymnasium, with some of the new nurses getting “pinned” by friends or family members. They followed with the traditional candle-lighting ceremony and the Nightingale Pledge.
The list of nurses celebrating their pinning is as follows:
Victoria Adeoti, Lisette Aguilar, Natalie Aldape, Allison Andrews, Andrew Arriaga, Samuel Belasco, Jasia Berry, Demonica Burse, Yanely Castillo, Joseph Clark, Jessica Crisanto, Tationna Crosby, Teresa Denton, Nevaeh Donaldson, Sandy Eastepp, Christian Elizondo, Grace Ensign, Natalie Epperson, Kate Fuqua, Whitney Greenup, Maritza Guillen, Hailey Hernandez, Jade Hillburn, Jackson Hiltpold, Alivia Jackson, Briauna Jernigan, Katelyn Jordan, Jerrikah Kelly, James Lensing, Rebecca Leyva, Cesar Lopez, Elizabeth Luna, Kaylin Magee, Ashly Martin, Margarita Martinez, Shelby Mason, Chloe Milton, Sonia Modisette, Nancy Njenga, Adriana Ortega, Natali Ovalle, Shabri Parker, Jennifer Phillips, Magan Poindexter, Vanessa Porras, Caleb Powell, Dawson Rapsilver, Amanda Ricks, Giselle Rivera, Madalynne Samuelson, Jacob Schmidt, Elizabeth Scroggins, Madison Smith, Gilbert Soto, Allison Teasdale, Nicole Titler, Mayra Vargas, Eva Velazquez, Melissa Walsh, Marci White, Tatum Williams and Kerri Wilson.
Staff and faculty members included Dr. Winifred Ferguson-Adams, Dr. Sandra Brannan, Kelley Durr, Toni Fleming, Allison Gray, Alicia Hayden, Vergie Hines, Kathy Jackson, Nadia Martindale, Dr. Nancy McClurg, Anna McReynolds, Linda Moran, Peggy Mortensen, Amber Murphy, Henrietta Sells, Dr. Bobbie Williams and Boyu Zhao.
We’re heading into the summer, and these updates will feature a lot less information considering we won’t have any games taking place again until August – but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to be busy.
These next few weeks’ updates are more or less some “heads up” on news and events you can expect soon.
Here’s what’s coming your way:
AC Athletics Boasts More than 50 Graduates
As Angelina College wrapped up its academic year with Friday’s standing-room-only Commencement ceremonies, the Athletics staff celebrated more than 50 Lady Roadrunners and Roadrunners donning their caps and gowns and graduating with various degrees and certifications.
I’ll be getting the full list from our registrar tomorrow (Monday, May 13), and I’ll send it along when I do. For now, I’m attaching photos of the athletes/graduates.
I hope you’ll join me in recognizing all these deserving young people. Being a student-athlete isn’t easy, but they managed to hang tough and make all of us proud.
NOTE: Some of the student-athletes weren’t available for this photo shoot. Some have already left for their next destinations, while others finished up final exams and headed home for the summer.
Baseball, Softball Superlatives Coming Soon
I just received the list of baseball and softball superlatives, and I’ll be writing press releases for each as soon as I get everything confirmed. I’ll have those to you by Tuesday, May 14.
Baseball Holding Evaluation Camps in May, June
In an effort to find more future Roadrunners, the AC baseball team will hold a pair of evaluation camps for prospective players ages 16 and older on Friday, May 25, and Wednesday, June 12, 2024.
The fee for each camp is $40.00.
You’ll be receiving a full press release complete with a link for registration and other information. I’ll also have that release to you by Tuesday, May 14.
Changes, Upgrades Coming to AC Athletics Web Site, Social Media
Angelina College Athletics’ official website (www.angelinaathletics.com) and all related social media will be getting a massive, much-needed overhaul over the summer. Joining our staff are some true website and graphics wizards, and they’re going to help with the redesign and upkeep of all our forms of internet and social media presence going forward.
We’ll send out word once we have everything ready to launch.
Guy Davis Golf Tournament Date, Location Set
The 17th Annual Guy Davis Golf Tournament has a date now, along with a temporary change in location.
The tournament, hosted by the Roadrunner Foundation, serves as the biggest fundraiser for all our AC Athletics programs.
This year’s tournament will take place on Saturday, August 17, with the pre-tournament kickoff dinner taking place on Friday, August 16.
Because of the ongoing course renovations at Crown Colony Country Club – the usual site for the tournament – this year’s golf will take place at the Neches Pines Golf Course in Diboll, Texas.
Crown Colony still will serve as the site for the kickoff dinner.
We’ll send out more details as the event draws nearer.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Camp Roadrunner – Angelina College’s Camp Roadrunner is a series of recreational and athletics camps offered throughout the summer for youngsters of various age groups (Kindergarten through 5th grade). On the Athletics side, there will be camps offered in every sport. Here are the current schedules by sport:
Baseball: June 3-5.
Softball: June 10-13.
Basketball: June 10-13; June 24-27; and July 15-18.
In addition, there likely will be various evaluation camps offered for prospective athletes. We’ll send out notifications as the information is provided to us.
Given the recent flooding that has occurred across House District 9, I want to forego the regular introduction and dedicate this column to highlighting various local, state, and federal resources that will be critical to the recovery process.
First and foremost, I want to re-emphasize the importance of reporting damage to your residential, commercial, or agricultural property through the Texas Department of Emergency Management’s (TDEM) self-reporting survey called the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (ISTAT). With the information you provide, local officials and other partners can help identify resources that may be needed in the community. Completing the survey will also allow you to ask for volunteer clean-up support that may be available. If you haven’t already, please complete the ISTAT survey, which can be found at www.damage.tdem.gov.
In a similar vein, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency also offers disaster assistance for farmers and ranchers through the Emergency Conservation Program. For more information, you can find your local USDA Office at https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app or your local AgriLife office at https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/counties/.
I also want to highlight the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) online Drive Texas map. With the potential for more rain in the near future and numerous road closures across House District 9, the Drive Texas Map offers a current and accurate assessment of road conditions, which are updated every five minutes. You can access the Drive Texas Map at www.drivetexas.org/
Next, the Small Business Administration has opened three Disaster Loan Outreach Centers in our region, and a Virtual Disaster Loan Outreach Center at FOCWAssistance@sba.gov or at (916) 735-1512 is available. The physical outreach centers are located at the following locations:
Jasper Economic Office of Emergency Management at 271 E Lamar Street, Jasper, TX.
Trout Creek Fire Department at 2092 FM-2829, Call, TX.
Tyler County Office of Emergency Management at 201 Veterans Way, Woodville, TX.
Because all six counties within House District 9 fall under the disaster declaration, some property may qualify for a property tax exemption under the Texas Property Tax Code. Qualified property that is at least 15 percent damaged by a disaster in a governor-declared disaster area may be eligible to receive a temporary exemption of a portion of the appraised value of the property. To learn more about the temporary disaster-related property tax exemptions, please contact your local county appraisal district.
While the aforementioned resources represent a myriad of state and federal assistance, I want to emphasize the importance of your local city and county leaders in the recovery process. While state and federal agencies remain ready to assist communities in need, their resources cannot be deployed without the request, coordination, and direction of locally elected officials. As such, I encourage you to stay engaged with your local leaders who will be at the forefront of the recovery process.
As the recovery process unfolds over the coming weeks and months, please be vigilant of any suspicious solicitations to repair or assess damage to your property. There have been reports of scammers seeking to take advantage of affected property owners by masquerading as a repair specialist. If you’re solicited by an individual or an unfamiliar company offering to repair damages for low-cost, cash-only payments, please avoid engaging with them and consider contacting your local police or sheriff’s office.
Please know that my office will continue to closely monitor the ongoing recovery efforts and stands ready to provide any assistance. Though the damage and devastation may have rattled our community, no amount of destruction can bury the resiliency and grit of our Deep East Texas community. I’d like to thank all of our emergency response personnel, local leaders, and fellow Deep East Texans for their tireless efforts to react and respond to these events, and for their commitment to the recovery process.
The mobile office is still on the road this month, and our District Director looks forward to seeing you on May 15 at the Houston County Courthouse Annex in Crockett from 9-11 a.m. and the Trinity County Courthouse in Groveton from 1:30-3:30 p.m
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 and my Capitol office may be reached at (512) 463-0508. Additionally, I welcome you to follow along on my Official Facebook Page, where I will be posting regular updates on what’s happening in your State Capitol and sharing information that could be useful to you and your family: https://www.facebook.com/RepTrentAshby/.
The Texas Blueberry Festival is the most delicious festival in the Lone Star State. June 8, 2024, marks a day-long celebration of the blueberry harvest. As the only state-sanctioned blueberry festival in Texas, this delicious annual event attracts more than 19,000 people to downtown Nacogdoches on the second Saturday in June.
Stay for the week or weekend and fill your calendar with a smorgasbord of activities. Visitors will enjoy live music, blueberry picking, auto exhibits, shopping, and restaurant specials that will entertain and delight people of all ages!
While East Texas is known for growing pine trees and the subsequent timber industry, it is also well known that we raise lots of cattle and hay. Make no mistake, raising cattle is big business in East Texas. Truly, the number one business of private, non-industrial landowners is cattle.
As such, a large part of the Extension office’s educational effort is geared to our cattlemen. This Friday in Hudson, several county Extension agents are holding a joint county program aimed at helping cattlemen from across the region.
Dubbed the Pineywoods Cattle Congress, the day-long program will be at the Sunnyhill Ranch from 8:00 am until 3:00 p.m. at 7611 State Highway 94, Lufkin, TX, located west of Lufkin between Hudson High School and the Neches River on the south side of Hwy 94.
Topics for the day include breeding soundness of bulls, bull selection, the economic outlook for the beef industry, the “Economics of a Cow”, and weed control of grassy weeds by using a ‘wick’ applicator.
The topic of the Economic Outlook for the Beef Industry will be tackled by Dr. David Anderson, Professor and Extension Economist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. The beef industry has seen some very strong prices at the auction barn for cattle. While this is certainly welcome, Anderson will try and help give an understanding of the record-high prices and shed light on what the future may look like for cattle producers.
Dr. Jason Cleere, Associate Professor & Extension Beef Cattle Specialist at Texas A&M will discuss ‘The Economics of a Cow’ to break down the inputs, expenses, and potential profit of a cow, our basic unit of production. Additionally, Cleere will also
Local veterinarian, Dr. Bradley Clary, will discuss the procedure used to ensure bulls are ready to go for a breeding season.
Lastly, attendees will tour the pasture and the efforts by the host Pete Johson to control Vaseygrass and Smutgrass. Both grasses are of little to no value for beef production and can be quite invasive and have proven difficult to control.
Sponsors for the field day are Heritage Land Bank, Jarvis Farm Equipment, and GrassWorks. Farm equipment will be on display and will provide demonstrations in the afternoon for those who are interested.
Individuals with Pesticide Applicator licenses with the Texas Department of Agriculture will receive one CEU toward their pesticide license.
The Pineywoods Cattle Congress will be held on Friday, May 17, 2024, from 8 am to 3 pm. Early registration is requested by Tuesday, May 14. Participants are requested to provide a courtesy call to the Angelina County Extension office at 936-634-6414 x 0, to help plan for the program and the lunch meal.
The Pineywoods Cattle Congress, it is a non-profit, non-political, educational event organized by Extension offices in Angelina, Nacogdoches, Panola, Sabine, San Augustine and Shelby Counties.
For more information contact me at 936-634-6414 x 2.
Honoring the Work and Ministry of The Salvation Army in Lufkin
Lufkin, Texas (May 8, 2024) – The Salvation Army in Lufkin is excited to celebrate National Salvation Army Week, May 13-19, 2024. Since 1943, The Salvation Army has faithfully and consistently worked to help those in need from our community, 365 days a year, aiding individuals and families who may find themselves in crisis, shelter to those experiencing homelessness, food and meals to the hungry, and much more.
In 1954, the week of November 18-December 4 (now recognized in May) was declared by the United States Congress and proclaimed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to be the first National Salvation Army Week, as a reminder to Americans to give freely of themselves. In his speech, President Eisenhower said:
“Among Americans, The Salvation Army has long been a symbol of wholehearted dedication to the cause of human brotherhood. In times of war, the men and women of this organization have brought to those serving their country far from home, friendliness and warm concern. In the quieter days of peace, their work has been a constant reminder to us all that each of us is neighbor and kin to all Americans. Giving freely of themselves, the men and women of The Salvation Army have won the respect of us all.”
Today, The Salvation Army is at work in 134 countries around the world. Here in the USA, The Salvation Army is issuing a rallying cry for Americans to “Love Beyond.” The organization’s message is simply that when we love beyond the circumstances of life, we can provide hope and help for millions who need it: love beyond shelter, love beyond hunger, and love beyond disasters. Love Beyond is also a symbol of the resources and programs that so many people rely on year-round when they turn to The Salvation Army for assistance.
“National Salvation Army Week presents a wonderful opportunity for us to let the community know more about the work The Salvation Army does in Lufkin,” said Captain Jenifer Phillips. “We are beyond grateful for the selfless service and generosity of our amazing volunteers, donors, and partners and want to celebrate and recognize their impact. Their unwavering support has been instrumental in helping us continue our mission of Doing the Most Good in our community.”
With more than 7,000 centers of operation in the United States and services that reach every zip code in Texas, The Salvation Army is uniquely positioned to love beyond and meet needs in Jesus’s name, without discrimination – wherever it exists.
For more information or to make a donation, please call The Salvation Army of Lufkin at 936-223-6624 or visit us at 412 S 3rd St, or online at southernusa.salvationarmy.org/lufkin.
Angelina College to Provide Training in Needed Areas
In April of 2024, Angelina College and Wells LTC Nursing & Rehabilitation located in Wells, Texas partnered to upskill a select group of long-term care employees through the Texas Workforce Commission’s Skills for Small Business (SSB) grant program. The purpose of the program is for qualifying small businesses with less than 100 employees to enhance their business operations by obtaining the training needed to upskill their new and incumbent full-time employees. All training must be provided by a public community or technical college.
As a result, $7,620 was awarded in SSB grant funds for 12 employees to be trained as nurse aides and medication aides through Angelina College. The employees are completing their training in a hybrid format where their coursework is delivered asynchronously online and their clinicals take place at PineCrest Retirement Community and Wells LTC Nursing & Rehabilitation.
Kathleen Mitchell, Administrator of the Wells facility, said grants and partnerships is important for both current and future staff members.
“It’s a great program,” Mitchell said. “One of the most important parts is that it will help some of our employees who don’t have certain certifications to earn the qualifications allowing them to move up within the health care industry.
“The ‘Med-Aid’ class will help with the certified nurse assistants (CNA) we already have to be able to work in either area. They would be more flexible, especially considering the current staffing issues industry-wide. Taking the people we currently have and giving them something more not only will help those individuals, but it will also help the entire health-care industry as a whole.”
Mitchell added such a partnership will also serve notice to future prospective employees that the Wells facility will continue seeking to serve its employees’ professional goals.
“We’re hoping this will help bring in new members,” Mitchell said. “We have a lot of long-term staff here, but the turnover usually occurs with our short-term staff. This program will allow us to bring in and retain those new members so we can help generate more longevity among all our staff.”
Angelina College offers programs that lead to industry-recognized certifications in high-demand career field areas, such as healthcare, business, industry, and public safety. Grant funding is available to individuals and businesses that qualify.
Those interested in applying for the SSB grant or enrolling in a program that leads to a high-demand career field may contact the Angelina College Workforce & Continuing Education division at wce@angelina.edu or call (936) 633-3217.
