August 29 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Let’s enjoy community fun through
Service Teaching Assistance Recreation (STAR)
There will be guest speakers, giveaway prizes, food, vendors and so much more!
Location: Lone Star Baptist Association
Date & Time: August 29, 2026 at 10:00 AM
(409) 384-2762
jaspercc@jaspercoc.org
August 27 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
J.D’s Center of Hope will host its annual Center of Hope Banquet on Thursday, August 27, at 6 p.m. Guests will enjoy dinner, a silent auction, and an inspiring message from keynote speaker Joni Taylor, head women’s basketball coach at Texas A&M University.
Tickets are $45 per person, or $500 for a table of eight. The banquet will be held at 1204 Cain Street in Lufkin. For questions, call 936-633-6867.
September 3 @ 8:00 am – 2:00 pm
Register Here: >> https://gov.texas.gov/business/event/governors-small-business-summit-nacogdoches
The Governor’s Small Business Summit aims to help Texas small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs reach new heights by connecting them with the resources and information needed to start, strengthen and grow a business. This event offers a variety of sessions bringing together local, state and federal resource partners to provide key insights on critical business topics. It’s also an opportunity to network with other business owners and meet experts who will share timely, relevant and actionable advice on a multitude of small business subjects.
September 3, 2026 8:00 am – 2:00 pm
The Fredonia Hotel, 200 N. Fredonia St., Nacogdoches, TX 75961
Panel Sessions:
• Rooted & Resilient: Cultivating Long-Term Growth in East Texas
• Capital & Confidence: Navigating Funding, Cash Flow and Financial Strategy
• The AI Advantage: Practical Strategies for Small Business Owners
Keynote: Bob & Kelli Phillips, Former Hosts of Texas Country Reporter
The Governor’s Small Business Summit — Nacogdoches aims to help Texas small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs reach new heights by connecting them with the resources and information needed to start, strengthen and grow a business. This event offers a variety of sessions bringing together local, state and federal resource partners to provide key insights on critical business topics. It’s also an opportunity to network with other business owners and meet experts who will share timely, relevant and actionable advice on a multitude of small business subjects.
Brief Agenda:
8 – 9am: Resource Fair & Networking Hour
9 – 9:30am: Welcoming & Opening Remarks
9:45am – 1:35pm: Sessions, Speakers & Lunch
1:35pm – 2pm: Closing
The Governor’s Small Business Summit — Nacogdoches is hosted in partnership with the Nacogdoches Economic Development Corporation and Texas Workforce Commission with contributions by the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce.
Registration is $20 and will include access to all sessions, resource providers, lunch and complimentary headshots.
AUSTIN, Texas— Today, Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, M.D., is encouraging the Tyler community and the State of Texas to send at least 100 cards to Mr. Weldon Bowen, a resident of the Watkins-Logan Texas State Veterans Home (TSVH), for his 100th birthday on September 5, 2026.
Weldon Kenneth Bowen was born in Luling, TX. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on August 3, 1945. He completed Basic Combat Training and was stationed at Puget Sound Naval shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. He served during WWII. He was honorably discharged August 23, 1946. He received multiple awards for his service, including the Good Conduct medal and Expert Rifleman.
He is requesting these cards for his centennial celebration through the VLB’s 100 for 100 program.
This program is an outreach effort coordinated by the VLB and the Texas General Land Office (GLO) to garner community support for TSVH residents as they celebrate this incredible milestone.
Texans can show their support and help celebrate this momentous occasion by sending birthday cards to Mr. Bowen here:
Mr. Weldon Bowen
c/o Watkins-Logan Texas State Veterans Home
11466 Honor Lane
Tyler, TX 75708
(Lufkin, TEXAS – August 19, 2026) — Angelina College, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, and National Fitness Campaign (NFC) today announced a partnership to bring an outdoor Fitness Court® and digital wellness programming to Angelina College. The Fitness Court®, located at behind the activity center, will open September 2nd at 10:00 AM with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
This Fitness Court® was developed by Angelina College, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, and NFC to expand free access to high-quality workouts and create equitable access to exercise for communities across the region. The Fitness Court® is the world’s best outdoor gym, letting users leverage their own body weight to get a complete workout using seven exercise stations.
Created for adults of all abilities aged 14+, the Fitness Court® workouts are adaptable for all fitness levels, allowing participants to move at their own pace. Users may also download the free Fitness Court® App, which acts as a coach-in-your-pocket and enhances the outdoor gym into a digitally supported wellness experience. Angelina College is one of 50+ Campaign Partners building a network of Fitness Courts across the state, with the help of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.
“We are proud to partner with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and National Fitness Campaign to bring this incredible resource to Angelina College and to Lufkin,” Dr. Michael Simon, president of Angelina College, said. “Our campus belongs to this community, and the Fitness Court gives us another opportunity to welcome the community onto our campus while supporting health and wellness. We encourage everyone to come out and take advantage of this new resource.”
“Physical activity is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to improve overall health,” Dr. Mark Chassay, chief medical officer at BCBSTX, said. “By investing in Fitness Courts across Texas, we’re creating more opportunities for people to move, connect, and build healthier, more equitable communities for the future.”
“We are excited to have Angelina College join us in the journey to improve health and wellness as we work to make a powerful and long-lasting impact on health outcomes and happiness by building healthy communities across America,’’ Mitch Menaged, founder of National Fitness Campaign, said. “The addition of the outdoor Fitness Court, along with digital wellness programming, demonstrates a tremendous commitment to the health and wellbeing within the Lufkin community.”
Residents are invited to attend the launch event on September 2nd at 10:00 AM to try the Fitness Court®. For more information, visit angelina.edu/news or contact Angelina College at 936-639-1301. For more information on Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas’s support of NFC, please visit https://www.nationalfitnesscampaign.com/texas.
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Angelina College
Angelina College, established in 1968, is a comprehensive community college serving East Texas and beyond. The College offers more than 60 degree and certificate programs, including academic transfer pathways, workforce and technical training, and continuing education opportunities. Angelina College is committed to providing accessible, affordable, and high-quality education that empowers students to achieve their goals. With flexible learning options, including many fully online programs, and a student-centered approach, Angelina College prepares learners for career success, university transfer, and lifelong achievement.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Celebrating 95 years of helping improve the health of Texans, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas — the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas — is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with more than 168,000 physicians and health care practitioners, and 550 hospitals to serve eight million members in all 254 counties. BCBSTX is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Texas, Illinois, Montana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico). Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
About National Fitness Campaign
Founded in San Francisco in 1979, National Fitness Campaign (NFC) is a wellness consulting firm that provides programs and services to cities, schools and sponsors. Our mission is to build healthy communities nationwide. The campaign delivers an integrated wellness initiative, centered around the Fitness Court®– the world’s best outdoor gym. National Fitness Campaign is preparing to welcome its 750th healthy community in 2026, as it continues to grow the country’s largest public-private partnership in support of wellness with the goal of building a Fitness Court® within a 10-minute bike ride of every American. Learn more about National Fitness Campaign at nationalfitnesscampaign.com and follow along on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
A local nonprofit’s year-end numbers can look great on the surface, more first-time donors than ever, a gala that hit its goal, and still hide a problem: the total number of active donors barely budges year over year. Old names quietly disappear and new names replace them. The organization isn’t growing. It’s replacing.
That pattern shows up across the sector nationally, and the data behind it is sobering. According to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, a joint initiative of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy and GivingTuesday’s Data Commons, new-donor retention across the nonprofit world sits around just 16 percent, meaning roughly 84 out of every 100 first-time donors an organization brings in never give again. This figure has held steady for years across causes and organization sizes, which means it isn’t a fluke of a bad year. It’s how the sector currently operates.
Meanwhile, Giving USA’s 2026 report puts total US charitable giving north of $600 billion, a number that looks healthy on its face but, per Giving USA’s own longtime tracking, has increasingly been propped up by a shrinking pool of larger gifts rather than a broad, growing base of everyday donors. For a local church, food pantry, or regional charity, leaning heavily on a handful of major donors is far more fragile than a broad base of two hundred loyal, mid-level donors giving year after year.
According to MSGPR, the Lufkin communications and PR firm that has worked with Deep East Texas nonprofits and ministries since 1991, the good news is that this is almost entirely fixable, and it doesn’t require a bigger budget or a bigger list. The leaks tend to happen in the same predictable spots: silence after the first gift, generic or delayed thank-yous, treating a brand-new donor exactly like a fifteen-year donor, and only ever reaching out to ask for money. None of those are acquisition problems. They’re stewardship problems, and stewardship is something any small organization can build a system around.
A working fix has four simple parts: thank donors within 48 hours and name the specific amount and program their gift supports, share one real impact story per quarter with no ask attached, split new donors from long-time donors so each group gets a message that actually fits them, and space out asks so stewardship touches outnumber solicitations rather than the reverse.
For a Deep East Texas nonprofit trying to figure out where its own program stands, MSGPR’s full guide includes a ten-question self-assessment any development director or board member can run this week to see exactly where the donor pipeline is leaking, along with practical guidance on email strategy and the role a board and volunteers play in retention.
Organizations that want to build that system before this year’s fall appeal calendar locks in can find the complete framework in MSGPR’s guide, or reach the firm directly at 936-637-7593 or msgpr.com.
Read MSGPR’s full guide here: The Complete Non-Profit Communications Guide: From Donor Acquisition to Stewardship.
August 30 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Lufkin’s Boo Bash on the Plaza returns October 30 for a free family Halloween celebration
LUFKIN, TEXAS – Visit Lufkin invites families to celebrate Halloween at Lufkin’s Boo Bash on the Plaza on Friday, October 30, 2026, from 5 PM to 7 PM at the Plaza at the Pitser Garrison Convention Center, 601 N. Second Street in Lufkin.
This free community event brings local businesses, organizations, families, and community partners together for a safe and welcoming evening of trick-or-treating, activities, music, costumes, and Halloween fun.
Families are asked to arrive at 5 PM, when the event officially begins.
Boo Bash on the Plaza is held in partnership with the Museum of East Texas, which hosts Halloween activities on the plaza during the event. The Museum’s popular pumpkin decorating activity will be available for families to enjoy, with pumpkins sponsored by Brookshire Brothers, while supplies last.
Local businesses and organizations will be set up throughout the plaza to hand out candy and treats. Costumes are encouraged, and families should bring a bag for trick-or-treating.
Businesses, nonprofits, schools, churches, clubs, and community organizations interested in participating may register online at:
Participating groups will receive 10×10 booth spaces. Groups needing additional space, including vehicle displays, trailers, oversized games, or large setups, should note those needs during registration so event organizers can plan accordingly. This is a free community event, and sales of products, merchandise, food, drinks, or services will not be permitted during the event.
Boo Bash on the Plaza will be canceled if it rains. Event updates will be shared through Visit Lufkin and City of Lufkin communication channels.
For more information, contact Visit Lufkin at 936-633-0359 or visit VisitLufkin.com.
September 22 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Join us for the Business & Career Expo!
Want to set up and represent your company? Booths are FREE! Come connect with job seekers, students, businesses, and our community.
September 22 | 9 AM–3 PM
(409) 384-2762
jaspercc@jaspercoc.org
August 28 @ 8:00 am – 10:00 am
A clear “why” can inspire, motivate, and create lasting impact. Join us for our August Power Networking Breakfast as Angela Brumley, Senior Training Leader at Etech, shares “Because I Said So Isn’t Enough… The Why Matters.” Discover how communicating the purpose behind your actions can strengthen leadership, build trust, and encourage others to take ownership. Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Amerigy Energy, and our monthly sponsor, Etech, for making this program possible. Join us on Friday, August 28, at 8 AM in the Chamber Community Room, 1615 S. Chestnut.
Register to attend >>> bit.ly/PNB-0826
Ceremony Held for Incoming Students
Angelina College’s Visual and Performing Arts members celebrated its newest group of scholarship students in a signing ceremony held Thursday inside Temple Theater.
A total of nine students signed scholarships in one of the four disciplines offered: Visual Arts, Choir, Music (Band) and Theater. The VPA held an earlier signing back in the spring, when the programs welcomed another 20 new and returning students for the upcoming 2026-2027 academic year.
Following is the list of Thursday’s signees, with home towns and chosen disciplines listed as well:
Elysabeth “Saturn” Bryan (Huntington), Visual Arts; Dexter Alan Balavitch (Lufkin), Choir; Alexia Roman (Lufkin), Graphic Arts; Heather Killingsworth (Katy), Choir; Taylor House (Lufkin), Graphic Arts; Ashari Jackson (Lufkin), Graphic Arts; Kelrick Thomas (Pineland), Graphic Arts; Dedric Smiley (Lufkin), Graphic Arts; and Kattie “Kai” Randles, Graphic Arts.
Instructors for AC’s Visual and Performing Arts programs include Beckie Compton (Chair, Visual and Performing Arts/Choir), Reg Reynolds (Graphic Arts), Le’Anne Alexander (Visual Arts), Paul Berler (Band and Music) and Daniel Anderson (Theater).
For further information on VPA programs, contact Beckie Compton at bcompton@angelina.edu.
Texas Forest Country Living is a digital online magazine featuring the lifestyle and community of the Texas Forest Country region. The Counties include Angelina County, Nacogdoches County, Sabine County, Tyler County, Newton County, San Jacinto County, San Augustine County, Jasper County, Houston County, Shelby County, Trinity County and Polk County
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