Lufkin Daily News - General Excellence (Progress) - 03262022

annual Progress section, highlighting advancements in Angelina County, inside today’s edition of The Lufkin Daily News. SECTIONS F-G

SPORTS

Lady Pack gets past Whitehouse

Mia Harper launches a two-run homer that sails well over the left field wall before shutting down one final Whitehouse threat as the Lufkin Lady Panthers pick up a thrilling 7-6 win over the Lady Cats in District 16-5A softball action at Lufkin High School Friday. PAGE 1B

COMING MONDAY Youth outreach

East Texas Pop-Up Community Showcase aims to raise funds for, awareness of upcoming camps and outreach efforts to unite area youth with mentors and leaders who will provide a listening ear. ONLINE ONLY

WATER pressure

Population increases strain water systems countywide

By KAYLEY FRAZE The Lufkin Daily News

At an Angelina County Commissioners Court meeting in January, a number of individuals representing rural water districts spoke, asking the county to consider the cur-

MILESTONE

rent state of water lines in an attempt to improve the quality of rural water.

In interviews with The Lufkin Daily News, those representatives further discussed issues regarding the need to upgrade the water lines, the reasons their companies have

been prevented from growing and why the county’s water and sewer infrastructures desperately need attention.

James Young, general manager of Hudson Water Supply Corp., and Guy Ham, classfield manager/Class C operator for the Redland Water Sup-

Couple celebrates 74th anniversary

By KAYLEY FRAZE The Lufkin Daily News

HUNTINGTON — Seventy-four years ago, an 18-year-old man and his 16-year-old sweetheart — the prettiest little girl he had ever seen — vowed to love each other forever.

Katherine Ford Gordon and Tommy Gordon will be celebrating that milestone wedding anniversary on Sunday.

The two met when they were young children and lived near each other in Tarrant County.

“She lived down the road from me, about half a mile, and the first time I saw her, she was about 5 and had real

PROGRESS

Partnership providing a stronger voice in Austin

By JESS HUFF

The Lufkin Daily News and VALERIE REDDELL The Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel

Henry Ford, an American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company, once said, “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”

The Lufkin and Nacogdoches communities recently began creating plans to better unify the communities after years of competition.

Leaders in both communities realize working separately on regional issues, including broadband and economic development, weakens, rather than grows, the region.

And it is something they want to fix.

“The future is in regionalism,” Lufkin Mayor Mark Hicks said. “We’re louder together and stronger in numbers. Representing our communities together will get more

ply Corp., said their systems were built in 1962 and 1963, respectively, and need to be upgraded because they are as-

bestos lines that have caused problems.

Redland’s system has several miles of two-inch or inch-

Bovine bonanza

and-a-half lines that have been in the ground for several

LANCE KINGREY/The Lufkin Daily News

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Hudson High School student McKenna Cole, 15, waits to show her steer, Festus, Friday during the Angelina County Fair at the George H. Henderson Jr. Exposition Center. For Friday’s fair competition results and a related column, see Page 5A. For coverage, today’s schedule and more photos, see Page 8A.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Katherine Ford Gordon and Tommy Gordon pose for a photo in their Huntington home. The couple will celebrate their 74th anniversary Sunday.

Off-the-wall

Patrons imitate art at Odd Ball

By JESS HUFF The Lufkin Daily News

A crowd of strangely dressed individuals converged upon the Museum of East Texas at sunset Friday.

Brightly patterned dresses and crowns made of anything from spikes to feathers were among the most normal costumes present at the museum gala. The costumes, though wild, were reminiscent of a pre-World War II era in which German artists and their comrades would enjoy an evening of art and oddities.

The Bauhaus school of art served as the inspiration for the evening’s affairs. The German school, known best now for its movement into modernism, began in the early 20th century. At the time, it would throw bewitching costume parties with a focus on ingenuity, Curbed magazine wrote in a 2014 article on the movement.

“Some of the beginners of modernism, modernism in art, were so progressive that when the Nazis came into power in Germany they shut them down,” said Len Medford, president of the museum’s board of trustees.

The museum’s hope for the gala was to encourage a return to the arts and to reinvigorate members of the museum, she said.

She wants people to know the museum is here for more than just a passive stroll — that it can provide education for enthusiasts and their children as well as events like Friday’s. The event sold out, which is great considering this is the first event of its kind the museum has held since before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.

“We’re really excited people have not lost their enthusiasm,” she said.

Billie Hunter Youngblood, who goes by Hunter most of the time, attended the ball with her husband of 56 years, Jeff. The couple married in the museum’s chapel when the building was still St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church.

She taught at Dunbar Elementary School for a semester after graduating college but moved up to teach at Lufkin High School for a few years. The couple returned to Lufkin in 2017 after several decades

spent in Mississippi and Spring.

“We had always talked about coming back, retiring here,” she said. “And then Harvey flooded us. We had five feet of water in our house and it was time to move.”

The couple joined the museum as members when they returned because of the building’s prevalence in their history but also because they love art. Jeff is an artist and Hunter loves art; the couple still spends time in Texas museums, she said.

Hunter enjoys more realistic, classic pieces. She never quite grew to love modern art, she said.

She encouraged potential art enthusiasts to just start going to museums and develop a personal taste for it.

“They need to go to as many as they can and just be openminded,” she said. “Decide for yourself what you like.”

She and Jeff began their collection just by buying them from smaller artists in college and have grown their tastes over the last few decades.

Guyla Carlton and her wife, Barbara Richard, attended the ball together; Richard had one of her pieces up for auction. She can be found in her gallery at Heritage Antiques, on the second floor, she said.

Richard’s piece was a rendition of flowers she saw while near Austin; she adored the contrast of the green and red in nature. She worked with pastels and a high quality paper to allow her to blend the colors more easily — her fingerprints can be seen in some of her work, she said.

“It’s so much fun to play with it.”

Carlton and Richard’s home is filled with original pieces and those they have collected over the years. They are not picky with the art they like except for one key fact — it must be original, Carlton said.

“Art is art, regardless of the medium,” she said. “It’s anything little bitty kids do to old ladies. It is personal expression — what you feel and what you believe.”

They have been members of the museum for many years, Carlton said. Richard teaches at the art camp and keeps the couple very involved.

They miss the late JP McDonald, the museum’s former

director, but said John Handley, the new director, is doing a great job with the facility.

“It’s so dynamic, the museum itself with the exhibits — the art that’s on display — oh,

BIBLE VErSES

Jess Huff’s email address is jess.huff@lufkindailynews.com.

But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Matthew 9:13 new English translation

POLIcE rEPOrtS

Deputies respond to numerous calls

By BRITTANY BARCLAY The Lufkin Daily News

Angelina County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man after a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 69 south around 1:05 p.m. Thursday.

Someone reported harassment in the 1400 block of Edgewood Circle around 11:25 a.m. Thursday.

Someone reported a disturbance in the 100 block of Lancewood Drive around 8:10 p.m. Thursday.

Someone made an animal complaint in the 300 block of Spring Branch Drive around 8:10 a.m. Thursday.

Someone reported fraud in the 300 block of Redland Theatre Road around 8:50 p.m. Thursday.

The Lufkin Police Department made four arrests late Thursday and early Friday. Arrests and charges include: Embry Jean Walker, age unavailable, of Lufkin, warrant for duty on striking unattended vehicle; Jonathan Cordaro Rodriguez, age unavailable, of Burke, public intoxication and minor in possession of alcohol; Taylor Alexis Theobald, age unavailable, of Huntington, possession less than 1 gram of a penalty group 2 controlled substance; and William James Seay, 46, of Hudson, failure to identify fugitive with intent to give false information.

session of less than 1 gram of a penalty group 2 controlled substance.

The Angelina County Sheriff’s office made five arrests late Thursday and early Friday. Arrests and charges include: Ja’Colby Malik Sharp, age unavailable, of Nacogdoches, warrant for two counts of assault causing bodily injury; Marco Antonio Marines, age unavailable, of Lufkin, driving while intoxicated; Taurus Trevion Roberson, 28, of Lufkin, warrants for evading arrest/detention with a vehicle, no driver’s license and federal hold; Jordan Fraklin Hartt, 32, of Lufkin, warrants for two counts of aggravated robbery and forgery of a government/ national government instrument/money/security; and Jason Kyle Holland, age unavailable, of Nacogdoches, disorderly conduct.

The Texas Department of Public Safety made three arrests late Thursday and early Friday. Arrests and charges include: Wesley Shane Musick, age unavailable, of Zavalla, driving while intoxicated and open container; Jamie Ibarra, age unavailable, of Lufkin, DWI; and Blake Devin Lisio, age unavailable, of Conway, Arizona, possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana.

The Angelina County Jail housed 256 inmates as of 7 p.m. Friday.

We listen to local police and fire departments’

Mr. Holloway was born December 29, 1957 in Lufkin, Texas to Helen Maxine (Reynolds) and James Vernon Holloway, and died Tuesday, March 22, 2022 in a local hospital.

Mr. Holloway was a teacher at Lufkin ISD and then retired from Jasper ISD. He was a very outgoing, fun and free-spirited person, always the life of the party. He never met a stranger and became friends with everyone he met. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed hunting, fishing, and playing golf. But his most favorite things were his grandchildren. Mr. Holloway attended First Baptist Church Lufkin.

Survivors include his son and daughter-in-law, Jamie and Jordan Holloway of Wimberley; grandchildren, Paisley, Grayton, and Charlie Holloway; mother, Helen Holloway of Lufkin; brother and sister-inlaw, Perry and Kay Holloway of Brookeland; nephew and wife, Matt and Lace Holloway of Houston; and numerous other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his father, James Vernon Holloway. Memories and condolences may be added at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.

Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.

Doloris Endsley

The Diboll Police Department made two arrests late Thursday and early Friday. Arrests and charges include: Doyle Ray Hamilton, 45, of Pollok, possession of between 1 and 4 grams of a penalty group 1 controlled substance; and Lisa Wilcox Hadnot, 41, of Lufkin, pos-

Marvin Leon Ray, Jr.

Funeral services for Marvin Leon Ray, Jr., 66, of Lufkin, will be held Sunday, March 27, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. at Shafer Funeral Home in Lufkin with Bro. Elton Music officiating. Interment will follow at Whitehouse Cemetery.

Services

90, of Huntington, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 29, 2022 in the Gipson Funeral Home Chapel, with Bro. Russell Bryan and Bro. Robert Horn officiating. Interment will follow in the Huntington Cemetery.

Mrs. Endsley was born October 31, 1931 in Glazier, Texas, the daughter of the late Vera (Stone) and Albert Farnsworth. She passed away Wednesday, March 23, 2022 in a Houston hospital.

Mrs. Endsley was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She loved being with her family. She enjoyed doing crossword and jigsaw puzzles, quilting and crocheting. She was a member of Johnson Baptist Church. She was retired from Huntington ISD after serving for 25 years.

Survivors include her daughter, Linda Allen; son and daughter-inlaw, Joel and Diane Endsley; grandchildren, Melinda Noble, Jamie Dudley, Clay, Nathaniel and Allie Endsley; great-grandchildren, Caleb, Wren, Abigail, Penelope, Rose, Josephene, Quentin, Alex, Hope and Patrick; and a number of other family members.

In addition to her parents, Mrs. Endsley was preceded in death by her husband, Alvin C. Endsley in 1987; and 6 siblings.

Pallbearers will be grandsons and men from her church.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday evening at the funeral home.

Condolences may be offered at www.gipsonfuneralhome.com Services have been placed in the trust of Gipson Funeral Home.

contact us

■ To submit a news tip or story idea, contact Jeff Pownall, our managing editor, at 631-2623 or jeff.pownall@lufkindailynews.com. You can also submit a news tip — anonymously, if you’d like — at LufkinDailyNews. com/tips.

■ To submit a listing for East Texas briefs, contact 631-2623 or newsroom@lufkindailynews.com.

■ To submit a sports score or sports calendar listing, or to suggest a topic for a sports story, contact Josh Havard, our sports editor, at 631-2608 or josh.havard@lufkindailynews.com.

Judy Marie Reynolds Nall

A memorial visitation for Judy Marie Reynolds Nall, 80, of Lufkin will be held Saturday, March 26, 2022 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Carroway Funeral Home. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Carroway Funeral Home.

Mrs. Nall was born January 8, 1942 in Lufkin, Texas to the late Nona Aline (Perkins) and Charlie Dow Reynolds, and died Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at her residence.

Mrs. Nall owned and operated Country Video in Central for many years and also worked visitations for Gipson Funeral Home. She was an avid reader and loved crossword puzzles. Mrs. Nall was a loving wife who was devoted to her family. Her greatest joy in life was being a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Jeff and Jerri Nall of Lufkin; daughters and sons-in-law, Jennifer and James Davis and Amanda and Dana Henson, all of Lufkin; grandchildren and spouses, John Morris and Morgan Kennedy, Travis Dow and Cherokee Nall, Taylor Marie Nall, Sommer Davis and Josh Huffman, Bethany Davis, Charles Henson, and Samuel Henson; great-grandchildren, Greenlea Nall, Kourtney Huffman, Jaxon Huffman, Schuyler Wilcox, Megan Kennedy, Mason Kennedy, and Myles Kennedy; sister-in-law, Amy Reynolds of Texarkana; nephew and wife, Kyle and Kelsey Reynolds of Texarkana; and a number of other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband of 31 years, Gene Nall; sister, June Phelps; and brother, Chuck Reynolds.

Memories and condolences may be added at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.

Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.

Mr. Ray was born January 20, 1956, in Lufkin, Texas, to M.L. Ray and Hilda Bell Ray, and died Wednesday, March 23, 2022, in Lufkin.

Mr. Ray spent over 50 years doing master electrician work. He worked at Texas Foundry for over 25 years and later ran his own business, Ray’s Electrical for many many years. Mr. Ray was an avid outdoorsman; he was an excellent hunter and fisherman and loved knives. Above all he loved his family dearly. Marvin never met a stranger.

He is survived by his sons, Joseph Fisher and husband, Rob of Lufkin, and Justin Ray and wife, Brandy of Lufkin; grandson, Bentley Ray of Huntington; granddaughter, Layci Hill of Lufkin; sister, Lilian Stilson of Lufkin; niece, Jessica Ray Grigg and husband Johnathan Smith of Lufkin; nephew, Michael Stilson and wife, Ashley of Lufkin; as well as former spouse, Carroll Ray Dickey of Lufkin; along with other family and close friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and son, Jacob Alan Ray.

Pallbearers will be Bryan Graves, Joseph Fisher, Justin Ray, Delton Holcomb, Ronny Bynum, and Michael Stilson.

Honorary pallbearers will be Rob Fisher and Jerry Holland

Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saturday, March 26, 2022, at Shafer Funeral Home in Lufkin.

Shafer Funeral Home, Lufkin directors.

Friday (night): 1-8-5-4 Fireball: 5

Texas Two Step numbers Thursday: 8-13-18-35 Bonus Ball: 15 Mega Million numbers drawn Friday: 3-13-42-51-58

Mega Ball: 17 Megaplier: 2

Powerball numbers drawn Wednesday: 31-32-37-38-48

Powerball: 24 Power Play: 2

Mailing address: P.O. Box 1089, Lufkin, Tx. 75902-1089 Street address: 300 Ellis, Lufkin, Tx. 75904-3817

uSPS 321-820

SuBScrIPtIOn ratES: By carrier in advance. Daily $19.50 monthly; $58.50 for three months; $117.00 for six months; $234 for 12 months. By mail; daily $26 per month; $156 for six months; $312 for 12 months. Military with APO or FPO address, $26 per month. Out-of-state delivery, $26 per month. The Lufkin Daily News is not responsible for advance subscription payments unless made directly to the circulation department. Southern Newspapers Inc., doing business as The Lufkin Daily News, is published mornings daily. Periodicals postage is paid at Lufkin, Texas. POStMaStEr Send address changes to THE LUFKIN DAILY NEWS, P.O. Box 1089, Lufkin, Tx. 75902-1089.

Steve Holloway

Graveside services for Steve Holloway, 64, of Lufkin will be held Monday, March 28, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. in the Garden of Memories Memorial Park with Reverend Mark A. Newton officiating.

for Doloris Endsley,

what a diversified collection,” Carlton said. “This museum has a collection like no one would believe.”

JESS HUFF/The Lufkin Daily News

Guyla Carlton inspects an auction item available at the Museum of East Texas’ Odd Ball Friday night.

Building permits issued by the city of Lufkin from March 18-25, listed by address, owner, contractor, description: New commercial

■ 208 S. Timberland Drive, Jay Maganlal etus Nayana Modi, Brazos Contractors, new commercial construction, commercial interior finish

Commercial repair and addition

■ 2600 N. Medford Drive, Middleking Properties LTD, Mercantile Properties, commercial remodel

■ 1708 Kurth Drive, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Leatherneck Outdoor Services, accessory building

■ 1204 S. First St., BB&S Corp., Southern Home Builders, commercial remodel building Residential repair and addition

■ 514 Card Drive, Guyla F. Carlton, The Shed Movers, accessory building

■ 1215 Carolyn Drive, Greg Randolph, Bob Bowman, roof residential

■ 703 Pine Tree Lane, May Macy, NP Enterprises Investments, roof residential

■ 213 Lee Lane, Donald Ray Young, The Roofing Company, roof residential

■ 101 Hickory Hill Drive, JJ Family Properties LLC, Serbando Martinez, roof residential

■ 1704 Juniper Lane, Eryn Lilly Crow and Steven Peek, Bob Bowman, roof residential

anniversary

Continued from Page 1A

pretty hair,” Tommy said. “I was just two years older.”

While growing up, the two saw each other every once in a while but not very often. One day, Tommy went to Katherine’s house to borrow a piece of equipment from her uncle’s old car, and Katherine walked out on the porch. She was 15 at the time.

“I thought that was the prettiest little girl I had ever seen,” he said. “I kept trying to find ways to get over to her house, and I would play dominoes with her dad.”

Tommy would throw rocks at her house to get her attention.

“Every time I saw her, she had grown up a little bit more — she was just a fascinating lady,” he said. “We got to know each other quite

■ 1501 Betty Drive, Leland Char, Forrest

White Roofing, roof residential

■ 723 Clark Ave., Joe M. etux Frances M. Deason, Forrest White Roofing, roof residential

■ 507 Birch St., Lewis Julia Paye Living Trust, Gonzalez Roofing, roof residential

■ 1610 Wallace St., Russell & Leah Moore, ASAP Roofing & Construction, roof residential

Other

■ 3300 Lotus Lane 103, John Urbin, Oak

Creek Homes Center, any permit not listed

■ 1106 S. Timberland Drive, Taylor 2017 Trust, Tola Electrical, any permit not listed, electrical trade

■ 4601 S. Medford Drive, Dee & Simon Partnership LTD, any permit not listed, city inspection

■ 1307 Myrna Ave., Ceda Alfredo, owner, any permit not listed

■ 113 S. First St., Trustees of New Day Deliverance, Hannah’s Refrigeration, any permit not listed, HVAC Trade

■ 514 S. Second St., Wesley W. Shanklin, Quality Drafting, any permit not listed

■ 1014 N. Raguet St., AE Powell, Diego Vallejo, any permit not listed

■ 400 N. John Redditt Drive, 2020 Saddle Creek Partners LLC, Lindley Electric, any permit not listed, electrical trade

a bit, and one time her and I got to go to a movie not too far away. On the way there, I asked her if she would marry me.”

Katherine told Tommy to ask her father for permission, and Katherine’s father said that while he liked him, he did not think it was the right time.

Right after that, Katherine’s family moved to Fort Worth, and Tommy would catch the bus to go there to talk to her.

“Finally one day, we went up there and we went to a movie and walked back together,” he said. “And when I got back, her mother said, ‘You know what? We’ve been talking about you and we think it would be good for y’all to get married.’”

Katherine and Tommy tied the knot on March 27, 1948, in Fort Worth. She was 16 and he

was 18.

“We went up to Fort Worth to get married, at the courthouse,” he said.

“I met you and your parents and them up there,” Katherine said. “We all met at the courthouse.”

“They went through a lot of trouble to get up there,” Tommy said.

In Fort Worth, Tommy dug graves at a cemetery, and Katherine worked in a hotel restaurant.

“I had to walk four miles to work every day, and every day, she’d be there waiting on me when I got back home,” he said. “A lot of times, I’d run halfway to get home to her.”

Tommy also worked for the Ben E. Keith company in Fort Worth — he didn’t have a diploma because he was pulled out of school when he was in

Assumed names filed in the Angelina

County Clerk’s Office, from March 14-18:

■ Bryans Farm and Ranch, 1505 Davisville Road, Lufkin, Tommy L. Bryan

■ Choice Cut Meat Market, PO Box 757, Lufkin, John Kendrick, abandonment

■ Choice Cut Meat Market, PO Box 757, Lufkin, Tyler Sullivan

■ Moody Lawn Care, 575 Sherman Road, Huntington, Sandra Gail Moody

■ Jay Hector S Tree Service, 5333 FM 2021, Lufkin, James Hector Sr.

Tree Pose: Yoga for Young Kids at the forestry museum

The Texas Forestry Museum will host Tree Pose: Yoga for Young Children from 10-11 a.m. April 9.

Children will learn fun yoga poses, enjoy a snack and play with the museum’s interactive exhibits. East Texans with a yoga mat should bring it with them.

sixth grade so he could work in a dairy, he said.

“They took all of the guys out of the factories and everywhere and put them in the war,” he said. “I never did get back to school.”

Katherine and Tommy moved to Huntington in 1964 and bought the land they still live on today.

“I had an uncle that lived here in Lufkin, East Texas, out in this area and that’s what convinced us to come out here,” Katherine said.

“The deer hunting was real good out here,” Tommy added.

The couple built their house themselves from the ground up and did not have electricity until 1967.

Katherine and Tommy’s eldest son, David, said his parents made sure all of their children were taught the

WaterContinued from Page 1A

decades, Ham said. On March 10, Ham said he had just fixed a leak the day before.

“These lines are all rusted and corroded and are simply not even PVC anymore,” he said. “What happens over a period of time is they get rusted and then the pipe starts to break down and it gets rusted so much it creates a hole in it. And not only that, but the condition the steel line is — it gets rusty and gets corroded, and that’s the problem we’re having.”

Young said while some of the lines in Hudson’s system have been upgraded since the ’60s, his company also is still experiencing a great number of leaks.

“We’ve been having problems with them breaking, and they’re small lines, and our system has grown so that the smaller lines are not adequate to furnish the water needed for the growth,” he said.

Young said water coming straight out of the well takes some of the asbestos fibers out when treated, he said. However, the asbestos lines could be unsafe, Ham said.

This opinion is backed up by the United States Department of Labor, as asbestos is well recognized as a carcinogen and is now highly regulated.

Andy Sexton, manager of the Angelina County Water Supply Corporation, also said his lines have seen upgrades since the ’60s; in the last four years, his company has replaced and upgraded more

than 8 miles of lines. His system has approximately 50 to 55 miles of lines, he said.

Despite the upgrades, it is still hard to keep up with all of the growth in the area, he said.

“It seems that our area is one of the quickest growing areas, which, both sides of (Highway) 69 are growing fast — a lot of subdivisions and growing things,” he said. “A lot of these water lines were put in 30, 40, 50 years ago and they were sized for that time and that population — they might’ve sized them for a little bit of growth, but it wasn’t enough for what we’re seeing now.”

A mile of water line would cost Sexton $130,000-$150,000, he said, but it is hard to put a number on how much it would cost to keep up with the growth he is seeing.

“It puts a burden on the water systems,” he said. “It’s an uphill battle, because every time we get to a point that we feel like we’re seeing light at the end of the tunnel, we have another developer.”

Ham also said that to keep up with the growth in Redland, he would have to upgrade his company’s pumping capacity to supply the residents with the water they need.

“That means I would have

to get a hydropneumatic tank and we’d have to add another one of those with another booster pump to be in compliance with the state of Texas TCEQ,” he said.

Young would have to build new storage tanks and build a new well, he said.

“Right now, we’re not having to borrow any money to do the upgrades, but with the growth rate the way it is, we’re going to have to either borrow money or get a grant,” he said.

“If we borrow money, we’re going to have to go up on the water rates and we don’t want to have to do that.”

Robert Vick, general manager of the M&M Water Supply Corp., said his focus for improvement is more on disaster preparation after Winter Storm Uri.

“Customers’ lines froze during the storm, which required just a huge amount of water demand on our system, and we lost power,” he said. “We had a generator, and we exercised it and ran it the Friday before the storm. It started fine, but as soon as we put it under a load, the electricity cut out. At that point, we were dead in the water.”

Vick wants to be able to have resources to better provide water during disasters

ORDER OF CANCELLATION

The City of Burke hereby cancels the election scheduled to be held on 7th day of May, 2022 in accordance with Section 2.053(a) of the Texas Election Code. The following candidates have been certified as unopposed and are hereby elected as follows:

Candidate: Paul Mettlen

Ricky Morris

Donald Crager

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Silver (troy oz.) $25.60 -1.18%

Crude Oil (barrel) $113.90 +1.39%

Natural gas (btu) $5.57 +3.15%

■ McMack TX Trucking, 604 Markus Ave., Lufkin, Ronald A. McCreary

■ Heritage Coffee Company, 1216 Carolyn Drive, Lufkin, Kimber Tesillo

■ Rocky’s World, 802 Harper Road, Lufkin, Rocky Rodriguez

■ White Leara, 513 Lone Star Road, Lufkin, Hauling Harvey

■ Libreria Cristiana Abraham, 917 Atkinson Drive, Consuelo Cobos

■ Jacks Landscaping, 554 Keathley Road, Lufkin, Nelson Roman

The event is free to the public.

Free day at landfill set for April 2

Angelina County’s Waste Management Center is holding a free day at the landfill from 7-11 a.m. April 2.

During that time any Angelina County resident may bring their household garbage to the landfill and dispose of it free. The free day is only open to county residents.

The landfill does not accept whole tires, batteries, paint, oil or any hazardous material.

Also, every load must be tarped or properly covered or residents will be charged a tarp fee.

The landfill is approximately 5 miles south of Loop 287 on Farm Road 58.

Residents with questions or concerns can call the Waste Management Center at (936) 632-7168 or visit angelinacounty.net.

skills they would need for life, including how to cook and how to quilt.

“Every one of us was taught how to do everything that you needed to do,” he said. “We didn’t have electricity, so I learned to do electrical work to put it in this house. We didn’t have water so we did the plumbing. We learned everything from the ground up all of our life — that’s the way it was. Our mom and dad taught us everything that we know.”

David also learned what a relationship should look like from his parents.

“They were very great examples to us because they showed us the love that we needed and everything to be the kind of people that we needed to be,” he said. “They taught us to be Christians as we should be, and taught the

word of God and all of life, to try to be the best that we can be.”

Katherine and Tommy had six children and currently have 13 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

“We didn’t always know we wanted that many kids,” Katherine said with a laugh. “They just came along.”

The key to having a long, successful marriage is simply to love each other, Katherine said.

“Do what you can for the one you love,” she said.

Tommy agreed, saying Katherine has always been there for him, no matter what he needed.

“She’s been right by my side all the way through it, all these 74 years,” Tommy said. “She’s just part of me.”

Kayley Fraze’s email address is kayley.fraze@lufkindailynews.com.

in the future because water is critical.

“You can ask anybody, and they would rather do without electricity than water,” he said.

To help solve some of these problems, the Angelina & Neches River Authority began concentrating on solving water and sewer problems within the Neches River Basin in 2012, ANRA communications director Kimberly Wagner said.

Since then, a significant portion of water and sewer infrastructure has been developed utilizing federal funding programs for rural areas within Angelina County, she said.

“ANRA has provided solutions for numerous communities in Angelina County, including Angelina County Fresh WSD No. 1, Redland Estates, Rivercrest and, most recently, Prairie Grove Water Supply Corporation,” she said. “An integral objective of our mission is to provide clean, safe water to the people that live in our communities and to protect our waterways from harm. Proper water and sewer infrastructure is tremendously important to achieving both of those objectives.”

Furthermore, there are 21

public water systems currently operating within Angelina County. ANRA has identified four of these systems that have already failed and three that they believe are in danger of failing, Wagner said.

Through ANRA’s On-Site Sewage Facilities Program, they estimate that 15%-25% of the 15,000 licensed septic systems in Angelina County are experiencing some level of failure, she said.

“Through the Clean Rivers Program, ANRA, TCEQ and other partners perform routine water quality monitoring on the major water bodies in the Neches River Basin, but unfortunately, we are unable to monitor every waterway, and our monitoring efforts represent only 36% of the total stream miles in the basin,” she said. “Of the stream miles that we are able to monitor, 42% of water bodies are impaired, including impairments for bacteria, low dissolved oxygen or heavy metals. We estimate that the 64% of stream miles that we aren’t able to monitor have similar issues.”

In total, ANRA has identified $52.6 million in unfunded, unmet needs for water and wastewater infrastructure im-

provements — and that is just within Angelina County, Wagner said.

ANRA believes regionalization to be the best available solution for many of the water and sewer challenges in Angelina County, Wagner said.

Across the United States, regionalization has proven to be a successful solution for water quality problems because it saves money and resources for entities while providing better availability and service to customers, Wagner said. ANRA has seen firsthand the benefits of regionalization in their own projects, she said.

“Our mission is to help everyone have access to clean, reliable water and to protect our natural environment from harm,” she said. “These problems have plagued our county’s rural water for several decades and our goal is to solve these problems so that people can experience and enjoy all the wonderful things about Angelina County for many more decades.”

Office Sought: Alderman Alderman Alderman

A copy of this order will be posted on Election Day at each polling place that would have been used in the election.

Kayley Fraze’s email address is kayley.fraze@lufkindailynews.com.

arOund EaSt tEXaS

accomplished than working separately.”

Tara Watson-Watkins, president and CEO of the Lufkin/ Angelina County Chamber of Commerce, and C. Wayne Mitchell, president and CEO of the Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce, began speaking years ago, Watson-Watkins said. Those talks turned into regular conversations and, ultimately, plans to connect the two cities.

Nacogdoches Mayor Jimmy Mize said he and Hicks have discussed the historic division between the two communities and heard encouragement from several sources to work together more — “especially as it relates to economic development.”

“(Texas Senator) Robert Nichols has told me several times, ‘When you two come together and work together, I can get things done a lot easier than I can if you’re asking for one thing and they’re asking for something different,’” Mize said.

Nacogdoches leaders reached out to Lufkin, and this eventually led to a lunch meeting, Hicks said. And in sharing issues, they learned both communities are tackling many of the same problems, he said, adding that in working together, they may find more success.

The partnership got a boost by some convenient timing. Not only did Mize and Hicks take office at the same time, state Reps. Travis Clardy and Trent Ashby were elected to the Texas House at the same time, Mize said.

“Nacogdoches has been fortunate that we have Travis as our representative, but Trent will help us too — especially on issues that affect Stephen F. Austin State University,” Mize said. “Both of them have always said the same thing, that both communities will do better if they come in with a common goal.”

Collaboration between the two counties is the key to success, Mitchell said. Chamber officials from both communities recently traveled to Austin to discuss regional priorities with state officials. This was something that had been in the works since 2020, WatsonWatkins said. The partnership was slowed, but not stopped, by the COVID-19, she said.

“I’m so proud that our investors were willing to look at this in, I feel like, a new light and were willing to see the benefits of doing a collaboration and a joint partnership with our trip to Austin,” she said. “I think it started with Austin, but it really branched out from there.”

Mitchell said they typically hold such events during legislative sessions but he believes this trip during the interim was productive. Of six items the group discussed in Austin, five are exactly the same for both counties, he said.

While in Austin, business representatives from Lufkin and Nacogdoches spoke with leaders of the Texas Association of Business about their goals and priorities, WatsonWatkins said. These priorities included grants for students to become better trained and supporting Naskila Gaming.

“I think first and foremost, if we can work together, then we represent a larger group of people, of voters, and that obviously makes a difference on a state level,” Hicks said. “We are an area, just like the Hill Country is.”

Watson-Watkins believes this connection is important, not just for economic development but for those who have already invested in the community. They need to know that not only do the chambers have connections in Austin but that they can get information and try to move agendas that help local business owners who are already plugged into East Texas.

Hicks, Watson-Watkins, Mitchell and Mize want this partnership to expand to the other East Texas communities, because what affects

Lufkin and Nacogdoches likely affects others, as well.

“Our competition is not Lufkin, Henderson or Longview — we need to collaborate with them,” Mitchell said. “If we can’t, we’re not going to compete against the metro areas of Texas. They’re very well organized, very well financed and very well positioned. That’s the sad news.”

But it is made easier by the fact that the East Texas cities are past the point of competition, or wanting the kudos for bringing a new business solely to their town, Watson-Watkins said.

What benefits one community can help them all. She pointed to the connection Angelina County has with the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe and Naskila Gaming, where the entities support each other because they know, ultimately, they are stronger together.

“We know that people talk, and we want them to talk positively,” she said. “And if we’re working together, it shows joint collaboration.”

Tourism

The convention and visitors bureaus in both cities are currently looking for ways to work together on events that capitalize on the lakes. Combining the natural assets of the two counties could raise the awareness of the region as an ecotourism destination.

Mize wants to identify a couple smaller projects to increase tourism and log some successes before moving on to bigger goals.

Hicks believes having events running simultaneously could promote both cities better. For example, Nacogdoches holds the annual Blueberry Festival every spring; Hicks has met people who were in town for the festival but staying in Lufkin.

“Why not have something going at the same time (in Lufkin) to encourage travel between the two cities?” he asked.

Economic development

While creative tension is good among entities in the re-

gion, neither can be effective if they’re operating in a silo, Mitchell said.

“There are a lot of small rural towns dying off because everyone is moving away because there are no jobs,” Hicks said. “How do we keep a community relevant? What can we promote there?”

Larisa Philpot, president and CEO of the Nacogdoches Economic Development Corporation, said the differences between her organization and the Lufkin Economic Development Corporation help them work well together.

While Lufkin has been successful in recruiting businesses to fill vacant industrial sites, NEDCO focuses more on relationships and entrepreneurship.

“Each of us is too small to really succeed without the other,” Philpott said. “If one of us is able to land a very large employer, it’s going to be a win for both of us.”

SFA President Scott Gordon helped connect leaders with both cities to IC2 — a think tank at the University of Texas at Austin — to explore economic development in Texas’ smaller, remote communities. What Hicks learned is the region needs to consider what it has to offer and what it can market.

“I know we have a ton of water, so how do we identify companies that need water and how do we make it easy for them to get over here?”

Hicks asked.

But economic development is more complex than just marketing; the region needs to prove it has the space to house new industries and the workforce to support these often million-plus-dollar invest-

ments.

Both communities have to find the space for prospective businesses looking to expand or relocate. Both cities want to have properties to offer these businesses but are bursting at the seams, Hicks said.

“We all face this in economic development,” he said. “We have to have developed properties we can market to prospective businesses and those properties need to be in city limits. The 4B board can offer some properties outside the city limits, but incentives work better inside those limits.”

And having properties within the city limits means the cities can extend utilities to the prospective sites, Hicks said. But this requires annexations and the growth of city limit lines.

It is a bit more challenging to find appropriate sites for larger industry in Nacogdoches — something you might expect in a town that has been here for 300 years, Philpott said.

“It’s easy to drive around town and see, ‘Well, that’s just a bunch of trees on that lot. Why isn’t there a business there?’ Well, the grade may change a hundred feet over this piece of property or we may not have a sewer line within three miles of it,” she said.

The only thing necessary to move those obstacles out of the way is money, Philpott added.

“A billion-dollar capital investment that will bring 400 new jobs to town can suddenly open up a lot more places that we can develop, but it would come at a very high cost,” Philpott said.

Either city also would be challenged to meet the needs of a new business that provides 100 or more jobs. Nacogdoches has been experiencing a housing shortage, but Mize hopes that a new subdivision recently approved by the city council will help to resolve that need.

He is pleased those homes will be built within the city limits since much of the recent growth in both communities has been outside the city limits, where development costs can be lower.

However, several of the smaller community water companies have limited capacity for growth.

“They might be able to deliver to one or two houses but they can’t deliver to a 40-house subdivision,” Mize said.

Looking at the wider area, Angelina and Nacogdoches counties together could accommodate a hundred new families, as well as have a better chance of having workers with the training and experience a new business would need.

Workforce training

Hicks said he learned there are three things a community needs to improve economic development: talent, talent and more talent.

Companies in the digital space like Samsung are choosing to grow in Austin because there are individuals trained in chip manufacturing, he said. They look at Lufkin and see a historically industrial city, and for a tech company, they wonder if those prospective employees would have what it takes, he said.

Both Hicks and Mize believe

resources at SFA and Angelina College will help the workforce grow with the times. The two schools already are working together, so it is time for the cities to do the same, Hicks said.

They are looking at training students looking to graduate from high school in the coming years, as well, Hicks said. Mize said the new Career and Technology Center at Nacogdoches ISD will help provide qualified workers for the future — adding to the training resources SFA and Angelina College currently provide.

Mize is hopeful that NISD will expand options for adult education, as well.

“Angelina is a great resource, but it’s a 35- to 40-minute drive. We’re constantly looking for ways to provide adult workforce training in our community,” he said.

Local industry leaders frequently pass the word through the Nacogdoches Economic Development Corporation that they need workers in the skilled trades.

“They’re always telling us, ‘We can put a welder to work’ or ‘We can use a technician in our business, but we can’t find them,’” Mize said. “They’re left to either pay overtime or hire a contractor to come in and do the work.”

Mize added that most of those businesses would rather have an employee provide those services.

“It’s really frustrating that we can put somebody to work in a probably $75,000 to $80,000 a year job in local industry with good hours, and we don’t have that person,” he said.

What else?

Tourism and economic development are just the tip of the iceberg, but leaders hope to address several other areas of interest. Both communities agree an improvement in broadband access, transportation and health care — especially mental health care — are important.

“We are very much in the beginning stages,” Hicks said. Some of the initial things are cross promotion of the two cities — establishing how to work together to promote both areas … and job training — how to work with the schools on job training.

“It’s about the quality of life.”

Jess Huff’s email address is jess.huff@lufkindailynews.com.

Valerie Reddell’s email address is valerie.reddell@dailysentinel.com.

CONTRIBUTED

Community leaders and elected officials in Lufkin and Nacogdoches are promoting regionalism and striving for a larger voice for East Texas. February’s combined Lufkin/Angelina County and Nacogdoches County Chamber Day in Austin, the first joint effort in 20 years, to better unify the communities. From the left are Tara Watson-Watkins, president and CEO of the Lufkin/Angelina County Chambe of Commerce; Mario Canizares, Nacogdoches city manager; Lufkin Mayor Mark Hicks; SFA president Scott Gordon; state Rep. Trent Ashby; Angelina College president Michael Simon; Nacogdoches Mayor Jimmy Mize; Kevin Gee, Lufkin city manager; and Kelly Daniel, executive vice president at the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce.

CONTRIBUTED

East Texas business leaders, members of the current Leadership Lufkin class and members of the Lufkin/Angelina County and Nacogdoches County chambers of commerce pose for a photo in the Capitol Rotunda between sessions on Chamber Day in Austin. This was the first time in 20 years the two chambers teamed up for the event, allowing Lufkin and Nacogdoches to have a larger delegation while promoting regionalism. Participants had the opportunity to visit with state officials while also learning a little about how state government works.

county fairs, the youth and those incredible volunteers

We’ve just about wrapped up the 73rd Angelina County Fair this week. You will read in other parts of the news about the placings, the livestock, ag mech, foods, crafts and other activities that took place.

Perhaps the highlights would include our “Reach for The Stars Show” for kids with special needs and the generous support of the buyers at the auction, in addition to the groups that have awarded scholarships to outstanding graduating seniors.

But as the auction gets underway late this afternoon, and the ribbons, buckles and banners will be on display, we would be remiss not to say a special thank you to all the volunteers who make each year’s show a success.

Volunteers are truly the heroes behind the scenes who make our county fair successful.

The very first contest of the week was the public speaking competition. Chairman Bo David Williford and several other volunteers assist with this contest. I have been around long enough to remember Williford as an FFA member. Now as the assistant principal at Central Junior High, he continues to assist youth in a new, and very challenging, public speaking competition.

The Home Economics Division is such a large effort that they utilize a three-person co-chair system.

These three folks are Janna Brazil, Joel Redus and Elizabeth Boulware. There were 37 judges needed for all the organization and judging.

Yes, the judges do get to partake of some of the best cakes, pies, cheesecakes, breads and cookies around but they also must test and quiz the students about the ingredients, preparation and nutritional value.

anGELIna cOunty FaIr rESuLtS

MarKEt

Sponsored by allen Loggins & Sons

Grand Champion — Macy Holt, Huntington FFA

Reserve Champion — Clara Wallace, Huntington FFA

Champion Class 1 — Bryson Jones, Huntington FFA Reserve Champion Class 1 — Caylee Chumley, Blue Ribbon 4-H

Champion Class 2 — Alyssa Holland, Huntington FFA Reserve Champion Class 2 — Marshall Dykes, Huntington FFA

Champion Class 3 — Macy Holt, Huntington FFA Reserve Champion Class 3 — Kimberly Oquinn, Huntington FFA

Champion Class 4 — Clara Wallace, Huntington FFA Reserve Champion Class 4 — Dallee Jimenez, Diboll FFA Jr. Market Hog Showmanship — Paul Waites, Blue Ribbon 4-H

Sr. Market Hog Showmanship — Kaitlyn McGuire, Diboll FFA cOMMErcIaL hEIFEr ShOW

Sponsored by heritage Land Bank

Grand Champion Commercial Heifers — Jase Garcia, Lufkin FFA

Reserve Champion Commercial Heifers — James Ward, Diboll FFA Jr. Interview Commercial Heifers — Hayden Harris, Hudson FFA

Sr. Interview Commercial Heifers — Jase Garcia, Lufkin FFA

BEEF hEIFEr ShOW

Sponsored by Polk Land & Cattle — Ray & Carl Ray Polk

Overall Grand Champion Beef Heifer — Sloan Moss, 4-H Horse Club Reserve Champion Beef Heifer — Chloe Stafford, Lufkin FFA

Champion American Heifer — Jase Garcia, Lufkin FFA Reserve Champion American Heifer — Kailey Warren, Diboll FFA

Champion English Heifer — Natalie Thompson, Diboll FFA Reserve Champion English Heifer — Dalton Clary, Lufkin FFA

Champion Exotic Heifer — Sloan Moss, 4-H Horse Club Reserve Champion Exotic Heifer — Chloe Stafford, Lufkin FFA MarKEt StEEr ShOW

Sponsored by Southside Bank

Grand Champion — Dalton Morton, Huntington FFA Reserve Champion — Sloan Moss, 4-H Horse Club

Champion Class 1 — Jase Garcia, Lufkin FFA Reserve Champion Class 1 — Easton Jenkins, 4-H Horse Club

Champion Class 2 — Clay Geesling, 4-H Horse Club Reserve Champion Class 2 — Kaylee Noel, Huntington 4-H

Champion Class 3 — Dalton Morton, Huntington FFA Reserve Champion Class 3 — Sloan Moss, 4-H Horse Club

Champion Class 4 — Dean Moss, 4-H Horse Club

Reserve Champion Class 4 — Preston Ricks, Huntington

FFA

Jr. Beef Showmanship — Paisley Nerren, Zavalla 4-H Chuck Arnold Sr. Beef Showmanship — Riley Jenkins, 4-H Horse Club

While most Family & Consumer Science teachers help lead the event, special recognition is given to those who took off work and spent hours with the competitors.

Keith Spencer is the superintendent of the Ag Mechanics show. A local businessman, he finds judges to evaluate the wood and metal construction and refurbishing efforts done by teams of students.

Superintendents for the livestock show divisions include James Young, Andy Gardner, George Wing, Stephen Shockley, Mike Whiteman, Saundra Renfro, Anna Lamb and Matt Clifton. Each of these men and women also have a number of folks who help with validation, check-in, opening gates and a number of other tasks for each show.

Anita Carraway oversees the Youth Ambassador program. If you watched any part of the fair, you saw youth in blue vests helping. This youth volunteer

program strives to provide high school-aged youth fair participants the opportunity to develop and practice advanced leadership skills and become an advocate for their county fair division. Applications are due in mid-September, and those selected are responsible for workshops leading up the fair, helping during their assigned division, as well as generally helping out whenever they may be needed.

The Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce has numerous volunteers that give of their time for the fair. The County Fair Board consists of Steve Milligan, David Flowers, Bob Brown, Stephen Corley, Chad Murray, Chris Carraway, Anita Carraway, Greg Modisette, Scott Slusher, Sara Vest and Preston Loggins. The Fair Board chairman is Todd Kassaw.

The largest committee for the fair is the Youth Committee. They meet to evaluate the past competitions and prepare for the next year. This

committee is made up of 4-H, FFA and FCLA representatives as well as the superintendents from each areas. Their Tuesday afternoon meetings are held monthly.

Other committee chairs working on other areas of the county fair include Debbie LaRoe, Greg Harrison, Pat Penn, Charlie Grumbles, Brennan Ferrara and Jordan Eldridge.

Finally, donors to the auction help reward the youth on Saturday evening. Brookshire Brothers is our presenting sponsor for the fair. There are numerous, fantastic businesses and families that support the auction, and I also want to personally thank those of you who donated any amount to one of the buyer pools.

If you want to join the auction virtually, donate to the auction, or check out pictures of this year’s winners, go to angelinacountyfair.com. Cary Sims is the county Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources for Angelina County. His email address is cw-sims@tamu.edu.

Young poses with her market

Up before the Market Hog Show at the Angelina County Fair.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Lufkin ISD student Maya Corley, 10, brushes her beef heifer as she waits to show it off to the judge at the Angelina County Fair.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Lufkin ISD student Gavin Sikes, 12, sports a buckle he won from the 2021 Angelina County Fair. He also said the best part of raising and showing is winning belt buckles.

cary SIMS

Friday’s results from the 73rd annual angelina county Fair presented by Brookshire Brothers.

hOG ShOW

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Riley Jenkins and Jacob Thornton, both 17, wait to compete in the Commercial Heifer Show at the Angelina County Fair. To view more photos, visit LufkinDailyNews.com.

Many hands helped make quilt show a success

If you did not go to the Quilt Guild of the Pineywoods this past weekend, you missed a true treat. I have never seen so many beautiful quilts all in one place. There are truly great quilters in Lufkin and our Pineywoods. We were to vote on the three that we liked best, and it was hard because there were so many.

Chairwoman was Linda Dixon, set-up and take-down was Kim Jones, publicity was Diana Meade, program and tickets were Martha and Earnie Iverson, and Mary Needham and Jim Haley were over the entries. Suzanne Bell was over the bazaar, Sarah Bruce over the vendors, Ruth Burman over the volunteers, Linda Fancher over the food, Ruth Burman over the baskets, and the treasurer is Jim Haley

I guess from the program there must have been more than 100 quilts. I don’t know who won the viewers’ vote, but I will try to find out. Marilyn Edens was showing off the quilts.

I bought a raffle ticket from Gayle Fuller Mary Needham and Cile Braden were at the front when Nancy Moore and I went on Friday. We saw Gala Canada, Sheila Wood, Jan Morgan, Susanne Bradford, Janet Read, Janet Paneitz, Jill Bozeman, and JoAnn and Thomas Anderson. If I had a favorite, it was Tara Baker‘s “You R My Sunshine” with big sunflowers and the back was quilted with sunflowers.

SEnIOr nEWS

Very special.

Nancy Moore had her cousin Diane Elliott visit for several days on her stop in Houston on her way from Tucson, Arizona, at a spiritual retreat before she went to Florida. Linda Little took Nancy to the airport to pick up Diane, and they ate at Pappas.

While Diane was here, they had take out from Roma Italian Bistro and went downtown and had lunch at Real Time Bread. Nancy had a pesto sandwich and Diane had a tuna salad sandwich.

Virginia Knibb rode with Nancy to take Diane back to the airport. I was so proud of Nancy for making the drive.

I had a busy week. Tuesday was Mary Hall Mantooth Chapter DRT night for our first in-person meeting at Ralph & Kacoo’s Restaurant. It was so good to see everyone.

Ernest and I went with Rocky Morris to Cotton Patch to eat and saw Diane Gibson and Betty Capps Todd Kassaw and Kim had a celebration of his being elected as 159th district court judge that was to be at Buck Creek Hall, but due to the high winds and rain it was moved last minute to Behannon’s with their St. Patrick Day decorations for the crowd that attended. Bryan Harkness and Sam Shupak were the entertainment and the food was catered by Texas Custom Catering.

Joy Coble celebrated her 90th birthday at PineCrest Retirement auditorium hosted by her daughter Latane Reitz and Emily Kuehrmann Some that I saw were Eloise Richardson, Carolyn Haney, Kathleen Jumper, Mary Lynn Neal, Jeannene Courtney, Elizabeth

Hearne, Melissa and Buford Abeldt, Judy Winger, Janelle Hennington, Mary Etta and Bill Moreau, and Sue Brawley and daughter, Janis Tucker Sunday, Jerene and Jesse Walker celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary hosted by their children: Cne’ and Wade Blake and Shannon and Mark Abney, and grandchildren Walker Blake and Jeb Blake, Allison Abney and Laurel Abney. Wade Blake told me that Walker Blake and Katie Jerman had a son, Travis Carter Blake, born on the Walkers’ March 10 anniversary. This Travis is the fifth generation to bear the name. They plan to call him Carter, and he was a big anniversary present for Jerene and Jesse. Walker and Katie are getting married Oct. 8.

Sunday night was the Ange-

Gospel singing participants making joyful noise at Senior Citizens Center

By JOE WILSON For The Lufkin Daily News

Lynda Davis and her gospel singing group, accompanied by Flo Donaghue and Judy Hickman, sang “In The Garden” with much praise. They were accompanied by Janet Thomas on the piano.

Judy Havard and Lynda Davis sang duets accompanied by Ellen Hodges on the piano. Prayer was conducted by Ken Donaghue of Little Flock Baptist Church. Gospel singing is from 9:3010:30 a.m. every Friday. Come celebrate God with us.

Paige Turner is fulfilling her new position as activity director with enthusiasm and fun ideas in her crafting class, which meets 9:30-10:30 a.m. every Monday. Our exercise class meets from 9:30-10:30 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. We invite everyone, any shape or size, to come get your bodies toned up.

The 42 group will start having two tables of six on April 6 to play 84.

Just as with 42, all table rules will apply. In 84 you play with two sets of dominoes and you will have two partners. The 42 group meets from noon-2:30 p.m. every Monday and Friday. Many come an hour early to wring out the cobwebs before playing time.

Schedule of events

Monday Crafts, 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Bingo, 9:30-10:30 a.m. 42, noon-2:30 p.m. Tuesday Exercise, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Wednesday

Bingo, 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Movie day, noon until ... Thursday Exercise 9:30-10 a.m.

Line dance 10-10:30 a.m.

Game day noon until ... Friday Gospel singing, 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Bingo meets from 9:30-10:30 a.m. every Monday and Wednesday with an average gathering of 35 participants.

Our scheduled caller on Monday is Nancy Stanley with Gipson Funeral Home. Wednesday’s scheduled caller is Belinda Vanglahn with Shafer Funeral Home.

We appreciate all our volunteers and prizes that are donated to the center for our bingo games. A special thanks this past week to Stephanie Cook with Choice Home Care for filling in as the bingo caller on Monday.

We see a lot of Nell Addington these days, who once wrote this column but since her retirement has been able to enjoy the games and fellowship.

The movie scheduled for Wednesday is “Bridge to Terabithia,” starring Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb. It is a boy-meets-girl movie in which their world is turned upside down and into a fantasy world.

The Angelina County Senior Center is at 2801 Valley Drive, off Ford Chapel Road and Renfro Drive, which turns into Valley Drive.

Follow the signs and come see us. If you need additional information, you can reach us at (936) 634-4179. The center also serves the county’s Meals on Wheels, a program with more than 700 meals served daily Monday-Friday.

Our kitchen staff, drivers and volunteers are dedicated to helping the community.

Where else can you get a drink of your choice (water, tea, coffee, lemonade), a salad bar and dessert for a donation of $2? It’s a self-serve drink and salad bar where the staff, with their friendly and courteous employees, will serve you your meal.

Congratulations go to Bill Lumpkin and Elbert Dover this week on their birthdays. Happy birthday, fellas.

lina Arts Alliance production of Viva Momix. It was truly a company of dancer-illusionists who worked with special effects, light, shadow, fabric, props and the human body. They had us all spellbound.

Attending the 123rd Texas State Conference of Daughters of the American Revolution in Houston were: Joan Ragland, Ina Jane Thames, Kathy James, Debi Gresham, Sharon RaglandMosley, Linda Ellis and Julie Jumper-Morris. There were 141 Chapters from Texas represented.

Jamie Durham Burchfield is the chief personal page for the Texas State Regent Marcy CarterLovick. Jamie is the daughter of Suzy Perry Durham and husband Darrell Durham Suzy is a member of the Anthony Smith DAR chapter as was her mother, Rachel

crIMInaL JuStIcE

Perry Dowling. Jamie has five pages under her. This is an honor. Ina Jane Thames was able to get the picture of Jamie with all of her pages.

I probably am going to be in trouble but here I go ... My hairstylist, Shelly Hollis, has been doing hair for 35 years, Cheri McKinney has been working for 34 years, Cyndi Kulback has been doing hair for 54 years and Jolene Alsbrooks had worked 45 years when she retired. I called Jerry Sue Williams, and she has been doing hair for 60 years. Then Wanda Hunt has sold The Looking Glass and moved to Audrey’s, where she will continue to do hair and is at 59 years now, with Theresa Williamson at 56 years. I called Guesna Dixon and she has 51 years of doing hair, and Shelly McDonald at Sassy Reds has been doing hair for 38 years. Lydia Hayden had been doing hair for 35 years when she retired, and Connie Truitt at Connie and Crew has 36 years of doing hair. We need all of these special people in our lives and thank them for all of their service. I know that I have left out some, so let me know your years of service to the women around Lufkin.

Mary Etta and Billy Moreau Jr. hosted their grandson Bill (Joseph) Moreau IV and his 5-year-old Bill (Joe) Moreau V and other son 2-year-old Samuel in town from Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Moreaus’ son is Billy Moreau III, who lives in Hua Hin, Thailand, where he has a rubber tree plantation.

I saw my first hummingbird this spring at 6:05 p.m. Friday. He was a tiny little green thing and he just drank and drank and drank!

Janice Ann Rowe’s email address is roweja@suddenlink.net.

nacogdoches deputies look into report of imposter

Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel

The Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a report of a man impersonating law enforcement by pulling over drivers in the county.

“The sheriff’s office has not been contacted by anyone who has been pulled over by an individual impersonating a police officer but has received a single second-hand report from a concerned citizen,” sheriff’s office spokesman Tim Monzingo said in an email.

The report indicates a white man driving a black Nissan with red and blue emergency lights mounted inside the grill might be pulling over young women driving along state Highway 204 or elsewhere in the

county.

Anyone who has been stopped by the man is encouraged to call the sheriff’s office at (936) 560-7777.

The vehicle might have damage to the hood and passenger side.

Drivers who suspect they are being stopped by someone who is not a law enforcement agent should call 911 to inform dispatchers of suspicious activity and then proceeded to a safe, public location.

“Dispatchers can verify the individual’s name and/ or badge number,” Monzingo said. “Do not exit your vehicle.”

Deputies or officers making stops should have official badges and patches.

“Pay close attention to the clothing, equipment and demeanor,” Monzingo said.

Jamie Durham Burchfield, third from right, with Texas State Regent Marcy Carter-Lovick at the 123rd Texas State Conference of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Houston. Burchfield is the chief personal page for the regent. The other women are pages for Burchfield. The others are under Jamie as pages. She is the daughter of Suzy Perry Durham and a member of the Anthony Smith DAR Chapter, as was her mother Rachel Perry Dowling. Burchfield started in the Children of the American Revolution with her grandmother supporting her. She has been almost a lifelong member of CAR and DAR.

JanIcE ann rOWE

cLuBS and OrGanIZatIOnS

Lufkin Art Guild Spring Show April 8-9

An old-fashioned dinner on the grounds is scheduled, along with gospel country music and a time for fellowship.

Prairie Grove is four miles outside of Diboll on FM 1818.

Services have resumed at the church after a 10-year hiatus. Mike Rushing and pastor Chris Blutto are in the process of restoring the historic church, which was first organized in 1872.

All art entered in the show must be pre-registered. Contact Richard Faviell until noon March 31 at rof@consolidated.net or call (936) 366-0495.

Art will be checked in from 4-7 p.m. April 7 at The Grand.

Angelina Master Gardeners

The Angelina Master Gardeners spring plant sale will be today at the greenhouse in the Farmers Market at 2201 S. Medford Drive.

Gates open at 8 a.m. and will close when everything has sold.

Funds raised are used to give scholarships to graduating seniors and to provide programs for the community.

Master Gardeners also are active helping area school children learn about gardening and eating healthy foods.

All of the plants available in the sale are well-adapted to East Texas. There also will be a good selection of plants to satisfy butterflies and hummingbirds.

Payment is by cash or check only.

Grove Cemetery Association

Prairie

The Prairie Grove Cemetery Association is holding a reunion and homecoming at 11 a.m. today.

BIrth annOuncEMEntS

Want to show off your charming newborn (less than 12 months old) in Charm East Texas magazine? Email your baby’s name, birth date, parents’ and grandparents’ names, and a high resolution photo to charmingbabies@ Lufkindailynews.com.

A&M Mothers’ Club

The Angelina County A&M Mothers’ Club is now accepting scholarship applications for the 2022-23 academic year.

This organization established a scholarship account during the fall of 2000, funded by the Aggie Mothers and friends/families of Aggies. The recipient(s) is(are) to be selected each spring; the scholarship(s) is(are) to be awarded each August. The active members of this organization establish the amount of the scholarship(s) each year.

The club’s scholarship committee, chosen each spring, selects the recipients(s) based on the following criteria for selection:

■ The applicant is a resident of Angelina County.

■ The applicant must have completed 60 credit hours at the time of application.

■ The applicant earned a 2.5 or higher cumulative GPA as confirmed on the Texas A&M University transcript and will be considered a full time student by Texas A&M University during the 202223 school year.

valla announces the birth of her son, Isaiah Daniel Welch, born at Woodland Heights Medical Center, weighing 8 lbs., 12 oz.

■ Transfer hours will count toward the 60 credit hours; however, grades for transfer will not count toward the GPA.

■ The applicant is actively involved in at least one extracurricular activity or is employed. (Proof of membership/ employment must be submitted.)

■ Applicant lists funds received/ awarded from any and all other sources.

■ Applicant lists other family members currently attending a college or university.

Aggie students wishing to apply for this scholarship must submit their completed application and all supporting documentation by 11:59 p.m. April 25. Please share your completed application and all supporting documentation via Google to Kim Herman bhkh@consolidated.net and Misty Dorsey mistylou@ valornet.com.

GriefShare

Do you know someone who is going through the painful loss of someone they love? GriefShare can help. GriefShare offers help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member or friend.

GriefShare is sponsored by Timber Creek Church. Sessions will begin Thursday and meet from 6-8 p.m. every Thursday through May 26. Carroway Funeral Home, 2704 S. John Redditt Drive, will host the seminar in its Family Reception Room.

For more information, visit griefshare. org/groups/142016.

Great-grandparents are Morrie and Beverly Abodaca, Tommy and Cecilia Reynolds and Bennie McDuffie.

and Anthony Adams, Jackie Haley and Charles Haley.

Tommy and Katherine Gordon of Huntington will celebrate their 74th wedding anniversary on March 27. Mrs. Gordon is the former Katherine Ford of Fort Worth. The couple was married in March 27, 1948, in Fort Worth. The couple has six children, Kathy Gordon Box, David F. Gordon, Donna Gordon Wilcox, Judy Gordon Bean, Dirk D. Gordon and A. Shane Gordon. They also have 13 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. The couple has lived in Angelina County since 1964.

Brothers are Jaxyn and Koltyn Tant.

FOODSERVICE WORKERS FORALLDININGLOCATIONS AT STEPHENF.AUSTIN STATEUNIVERSITY TOAPPLY: APPLYONLINEAT: www.aramark.com/careers Searchforopportunities inNacogdoches AramarkisanEQUALEMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTIONemployer-Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran NOWHIRINGFOR FALLSEMESTER FOODSERVICE WORKERS FORALLDININGLOCATIONS AT STEPHENF.AUSTIN STATEUNIVERSITY TOAPPLY: APPLYONLINEAT: www.aramark.com/careers Searchforopportunities NOWHIRINGFOR FALLSEMESTER

By doing so, you are granting The Lufkin Daily News ownership and the rights to license and republish the photograph in any of the company’s publications.

Photos will be published on a first-come, first-served basis. Charm East Texas magazine is available the last Friday of every month. Questions about Charming Babies? Call (936) 632-6631.

Cheyenne Starr and Roy Marshall Jr. of Broaddus announce the birth of their son, King Marshall, born on Jan. 24 at Woodland Heights Medical Center, weighing 8 lbs., 6 oz.

Grandparents are Melissa Marshall, Roy Marshall Sr., Jonas Starr and Laura Pressley.

Great-grandparents are Nancy Whitmore, Michael Whitmore, Shelia Wallace and Roy Marshall.

Jose and Aimme Hernandez of Lufkin announce the birth of their daughter, Lilleyana Gia Hernandez, born on Jan. 24 at St. Luke’s Health-Memorial Lufkin, weighing 7 lbs., 2 oz.

Brother is Joseph Alakai Hernandez.

Grandparents are Maria Robles and Adriana and Jesus Hernandez.

Great-grandparents are Concepcion and Teodoro Robles and Francisco and Lucy Contreras.

Alexis Ann Welch of Za-

Sister is Jayden McCoy. Brothers are Samuel McCoy, Ethan McCoy, Jeremiah Falcon and Noah Falcon.

Grandparents are Violet Ponder and Johnny Welch.

Philip Phuc Nguyen and Thi Kim Anh Pham of Lufkin announce the birth of their daughter, Alisa Nguyen, born on Jan. 26 at Woodland Heights Medical Center, weighing 7 lbs., 11 oz.

Sister is Ivy Nguyen.

Grandparents are Vincent Nguyen and Dep Thi Nguyen.

Alisha Nicole Moore and Eric Lynn Moore of Lufkin announce the birth of their daughter, Mckenzie Raelynn Moore, born at Woodland Heights Medical Center.

Sisters are Maddison Nicole Lamboun and Zoey Faith Moore. Brothers are Dakota Lynn Moore and Mason Dewayne Moore.

Grandparents are Tammi Lynn Neome Hardin, Daval Willie Shoemaker Jr., Thomas Hardin, Jay Harvey and Stephanie Lynn Hutto.

Great-grandparents are Deborah Lynn Jordan, Jeffery Allan Brown, Willie David Shoemaker Sr., Glona Shoemaker, Joann Jordan and Billy Jordan.

Hunter Morgan and Gabrielle Morgan of Hemphill announce the birth of their Maverick Morgan, born on Jan. 26 at Woodland Heights Medical Center, weighing 7 lbs., 13 oz.

Brother is Tucker Morgan.

Grandparents are Tony and Chrissy Reynolds and Martie and Jerry Nugent.

AJ Noel and Linzey Noel of Lufkin announce the birth of their son, Landry Cooper Noel, born on Jan. 27 at St. Luke’s Health-Memorial Lufkin, weighing 4 lbs., 14 oz.

Grandparents are Gary and Susan Noel, Kim and Tim Davis and Donald and Stefanie Vaughn.

Great-grandparents are Joe Noel, Martha Vaughn and Suzanne Rogers.

Harley Frankinburger and Bryson Floyd of Zavalla announce the birth of their daughter, Paisley Grace Floyd, born at Woodland Heights Medical Center, weighing 6 lbs., 5 oz.

Grandparents are Courtney Nelson, Jonathon Frankinburger Sr., Keisha Jordy and Kevin Floyd.

Kaleigh Anderson and Tarance Swindle Jr. of Pineland announce the birth of their son, Traelyn Jayce Swindle, born on Jan. 27 at Woodland Heights Medical Center, weighing 8 lbs., 15 oz.

Grandparents are Grandparents are Edwena Nicole Anderson and Jesse Delbert Anderson III, Latonya Yuvette Davis and Tarance Deshun Swindle Sr.

Great-grandparents are Laura Griffin and Benjamin Griffin, Maria Jones and Jesse Anderson Jr., Letha Adams

Karen A. Esparza and Luis F. Garcia of Center announce the birth of their daughter, Anna Camille Garcia, born at Woodland Heights Medical Center.

Brother is Leonel Garcia.

Tiana Parks of Lufkin announces the birth of her son, J’Kason Kashston Dixon, born on Jan. 31 at Woodland Heights Medical Center, weighing 6 lbs., 12 oz. Brother is J’Kari Amir Dixon.

Alyssa Tant and Kyle Tant of Broaddus announce the birth of their son, Jameson McCrae Tant, born on Jan. 31 at Woodland Heights Medical Center, weighing 6 lbs., 2 oz.

Grandparents are Dena and Rory Dale Perkins, David and Mary Golden, Kandy Tant and Danny and Jessica Tant.

Great-grandparents are Merle and WD Baker, Barbra Perkins and James Golden.

Allison Getro and Taylor Getro of Groveton announce the birth of their son, Kelby Lane Getro, born on Jan. 31 at Woodland Heights Medical Center, weighing 8 lbs., 2 oz.

Grandparents are Tammy and Sam Carlton and Janice and Norman Getro.

of their daughter, Autumn Jade Smith, born at Woodland Heights Medical Center. Brother is Brayden Devante Smith.

Grandparents are Meredith Rene Petersen, Alisha Habibah Carter and Corey Smith.

Great-grandparents are Michael Wesley Perrin, Wanda Denise McCoy and William Darnell McCoy.

Daisy Esparza and Hector Vargas of Lufkin announce the birth of their son, Ezra Cesar Vargas, born on Feb. 1 at Woodland Heights Medical Center, weighing 7 lbs., 11 oz. Brother is Isaiah Dulio Vargas.

Great-grandparents are Joyce and Billy Carlton and Jeannie.

Beverly Monique Petersen and Corey Devante Smith of Groveton announce the birth

Grandparents are Dolores Segura and Julio Cesar Esparza and Juan and Rosa Vargas.

Looking for A career minded pERSON

To work in a fast-paced, creative, sales and deadline driven environment Looking for A career minded pERSON

To work in a fast-paced, creative, sales and deadline driven environment { }

Advertising Sales

Advertising Sales

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and dynamic salesperson to join our team. We are looking for a result-oriented individual with strong presentation and closing skills. Cold calling and outside sales experience is a must.

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and dynamic salesperson to join our team. We are looking for a result-oriented individual with strong presentation and closing skills. Cold calling and outside sales experience is a must.

We offer a terrific suite of publications including our award winning newspaper and our stunning Charm East Texas monthly magazine. This is a full-time position with base salary, commission plan and full array of benefits that will result in a competitive total compensation package for the right individual

*Must have basic computer knowledge, valid drivers license and dependable, insured transportation. Must pass background check and drug screening.

[ [

references to: stacey.mitchell@lufkindailynews.com NO PHONE CALLS OR WALK-INS PLEASE.

resume and references to: jackie.zimmerman@lufkindailynews.com NO PHONE CALLS OR WALK-INS

cover letter,

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and dynamic salesperson to join our team. We are looking for a result-oriented individual with strong presentation and closing skills. Cold calling and outside sales experience is a must.

stunning Charm East Texas monthly magazine. This is a full-time position with base salary, commission plan and full array of benefits that will result in a competitive total compensation package for the right individual. *Must have basic computer knowledge, valid drivers license and dependable, insured transportation. Must pass background check and drug screening.

Members of the Art Guild, as well as middle school and high school students, will exhibit their artwork. All mediums and levels of art will be available and Art Guild members will have art for sale.

Cattle call

Students showcase heifers, steers at Angelina County Fair

By KAYLEY FRAZE AND JESS HUFF/ The Lufkin Daily News

After wowing judges in the market steer show Friday night at the Angelina County Fair, Dalton Morton was named grand champion.

Dalton’s steer is now headed for the auction block at today’s sale, which starts at 4 p.m.

Earlier in the day, Hudson High School student McKenna Cole, 15, was waiting to show her steer, Festus, who is named after an old Western movie she and her grandpa used to watch. The name matches his personality, she said.

“He’s goofy, he’s a big ol’ puppy-dog sweetheart, he is hard-headed, but other than that, he’s a big ol’ baby,” she said. “The hardest thing is feeding him — it’s very expensive.”

This is McKenna’s third year raising steer; she was raised into it, she said.

“I’m mainly a goat person, but my aunt’s into steers, so I moved into it,” she said.

McKenna is happy she made the move, however, because the best part of raising Festus is just having him, she said.

“The bond I get to create with an animal,” she said.

Hudson High School student Camryn Chumley, 15, was waiting to show her steer Jasper. This was her first year raising steer; she began to do it because her grandfather, mother and father all did it in the past, she said.

“I wanted to get into it since I only have four years left to show,” she said. “I like that with steers — when you get them as a baby, most of the time, they’re small enough to where you can handle them and you get to name them.”

The hardest part about showing cattle was learning how to do it; Camryn had never done it before.

Students began the day by showing hogs and commercial heifers.

Hudson ISD student Caylee Chumley, 12, of Blue Ribbon 4-H, had finished showing her hog, Sweetie Pie, at the Market Hog Show. She was awarded Reserve Grand Champion in her division.

“It’s been hard to work with her this year because she was severely underweight,” Caylee said. “But we powered through with tuna, noodles and eggs.”

Sweetie Pie was a really picky eater who didn’t like any of the powders or anything, Caylee said. But she learned how to manage the pig, which had a mind of its own, she said.

Caylee believes her work in the arena contributed to her winning second place; she had to hold Sweetie Pie’s head up for the judge and let him see her. She said the judge is look-

If you go

Schedule for 73rd annual angelina county Fair

Saturday, March 26

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Ag-tivity Center Open — Pavilion (Hog barn)

6-8 a.m. Check-in: Open Heifers — Main arena

8-10 a.m. Check out: Ag Mech, Arts & Crafts & all nonsale items

9 a.m. Buck Bash Heifer Show — Main arena

9 a.m. Washer Tournament Registration

10 a.m. Washer Tournament begins — West parking lot

11 a.m. Pee Wee Show (Goats, Lambs, Hogs, Rabbits) — Pavilion (Hog barn)

10 a.m.-2 p.m. Barbecue Cook-off — West parking lot

3 p.m. Awards program — Main arena

4 p.m. Auction — Main arena

ing for a lot of muscle on the pig.

She was happy with her win because of how much work it took to get Sweetie Pie to where she was Friday morning.

Central Elementary student Raylee Young, 9, with the Central FFA program, was getting ready to show her hog for the first time. Her hair was pulled up into pig-tail braids with big green bows adorning the ends. In the cold, she was wrapped up in an overly large hoodie.

“My pig’s name is Fill Up, and he is very energized,” she said.

Raylee learned pigs are a lot like dogs, she said. She has two dogs at home. It took a lot of food and a lot of practice to get Fill Up ready. She said the hardest part was making sure he stayed by her and did not knock her over.

Diboll ISD student Garen Dunlap, 14, with Diboll FFA, said his pig, Dottie, was pretty good but has a mind of her own. She was named for a large dot on her back, he said.

“But she’s pretty cool, though,” he said.

This was his first year showing, as well, and he said he learned the importance of patience and not getting mad.

Hudson ISD students Jacob Thornton and Riley Jenkins, both 17, of the Hudson FFA program, were waiting for the judges to review their commercial heifers.

It is Jacob’s third year showing commercial heifers and Riley’s first. Riley started out showing cattle but wanted an “in” in the commercial cattle industry, he said. This will help him if he wants to start his own ranch or as he pushes into that field, he said.

“It’s also a good opportunity for us to get a return on our investment,” Jacob said. “With these heifers, if we decide to take them home after the show, then we can put them out to pasture — we can breed

them and make our own little herd of cows.”

But that part is for the judges and the buyers to decide, Jacob said. His advice for newcomers is to spend time with their cows and help them be socialized and relaxed; this helps in the long run to make sure the cow is prepared for the fair and for sale.

“When we get up here, we’re just regular people, and we can see the attitude of all the heifers up here, and you can tell which ones are wild-eyed and which ones would be fine in a big pasture. But for smaller herds, you just don’t want that in a herd,” Jacob said.

“Spend time with your animals and make sure their temperament is on a low level and that they’re easily transportable and easy to handle.”

The teens received their heifers a few months ago and have been keeping track of what it took to raise them and put muscle on them.

“So any expenses we have, we keep that down in the book. At the end we add up weights and how much it cost to put on a pound of muscle,” Jacob said

At the show, the teens bring all that information, speak with the judge about the process of raising their cows and allow the judges to review their numbers, he said.

In the interview, the judges are looking for what the teens know about their heifers and are at liberty to ask about any aspect of raising the cow, Riley said. It’s important judges can see the student has spent time with their heifer, he said.

“And if you don’t know the answer, that looks a little off,” he said.

The most difficult part, though, is the money it takes to care for the animals, Jacob

said. It costs thousands of dollars just to feed the cows, which adds up fast.

Jacob paid for a lot of his with money earned at other shows, and Riley received help from his parents, but money from the auction will help pay off what they spent, he said.

Lufkin ISD student Maya Corley, 10, was brushing her beef heifer as she waited to show it off to the judge. She began showing this year after taking inspiration from her cousin.

“My cousin shows steers, and the first year he showed heifers, I realized that you didn’t have to give them away, so I really wanted to jump into this the second I could get a chance,” she said.

Maya liked the idea of dealing with a huge animal, she said. She also loves the bond

she has formed with her heifer.

“It just seems like a whole adventure,” she said. “You can really get good connections with showing and with your animals.”

The hardest part of showing a heifer is dealing with its attitude, Maya said.

“Also, the hardest part for me, because she’s such a big animal, is working with the hair, because their hair has to be on-point every single time,” she said.

Diboll ISD student Christopher Sikes, 11, was preparing to have his heifer judged. He said he has been showing for two years.

“My mom’s obsessed with showing, and my grandad made me wanna get into it,” he said.

Christopher likes the excitement of winning, though the hardest part is having to get up early to feed his animal, he said.

“Being in the arena and winning buckles is fun though.”

Lufkin ISD student Gavin Sikes, 12, was sporting a buckle he won from the 2021 Angelina County Fair. He also said the best part of raising and showing is winning belt buckles.

“I’ve been doing this for two years,” he said. “My grandfa-

ther — he showed a lot. I saw him in Houston and it got me interested. I saw how beautiful the cows looked.”

The hardest part of raising a heifer is getting them to stop being stubborn, Gavin said.

“It’s hard to get them to actually pay attention and do what you need,” he said.

Zavalla student Paisley Nerren, 12, received a buckle for winning the junior beef showmanship competition.

“It feels great because I’ve never won anything with cows,” she said.

Paisley also shows lambs, but wanted to get into showing cows because they are bigger.

“It seemed more fun,” she said.

Riley was the winner of the senior beef showmanship competition. He has been raising steers since 4th grade, he said.

“I just love the aspect of it,” he said. “They’re amazing animals and I love being a part of that — the cattle industry, the agricultural industry. Winning shows that my hard work paid off — late nights early mornings in the barn. Sometimes it can’t pay off, but this shows it did.”

Fraze’s email address is kayley.fraze@lufkindailynews.com. Jess Huff’s email address is jess.huff@lufkindailynews.com.

Retirement Celebration in Honor of Jay Shands & Trey Denman

31,

Kayley

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

A cow relaxes before the Commercial Heifer Show Friday at the Angelina County Fair.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Students and cattle begin to enter the main barn for competition Friday at the Angelina County Fair.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News Diboll ISD student Christopher Sikes, 11, waits to enter the judging arena Friday at the Angelina County Fair.

hIGh SChOOL SOCCEr

Lady Pack falls to Pine Tree in opening round

Panthers knocked out by

By GARY STALLARD For The Lufkin Daily News

What began with the potential for a Lufkin blowout ended instead with some overtime heartbreak.

Lufkin’s Lady Panthers, after controlling the entire first half and building a two-goal lead, watched as Pine Tree’s Lady Pirates scored the next four goals, including two in the extra period, to beat the Lady Pack 4-2 in Class 5A Region II playoff action at Jase Magers Field in Lufkin Friday night.

Lady Pirate Meredith Fisher headed home the eventual game winner — her second goal of the match — off a corner kick just three minutes into the overtime’s first half. Pine Tree would tack on a meaningless score with fewer than 10 seconds to play, but Fisher’s goal was the one most responsible for ending Lufkin’s season.

Lufkin took a fast 1-0 lead, with Rachel Bonnin taking a nice lead pass from Yvette DelToro and blasting past the Pirate keeper just eight minutes into the match.

In the 21st minute, Lady Panther Maury Spore capi-

hIGh SChOOL

in opening round

Lady Pack gets past Whitehouse 7-6

By JOSH HAVARD The Lufkin Daily News

Harper delivers key blast, gets win in pitching circle

hIGh SChOOL trACK AND FIELD

Panthers win Willie Ross Relays

Longview clips Lady Panthers

By JOSH HAVARD The Lufkin Daily News

The Lufkin Panthers won a spirited Willie Ross Relays as they held off Longview and Marshall at Abe Martin Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

Lufkin finished with 139 points, which was just enough to outlast Longview’s 133.5. Marshall finished with 130 points.

On the girls side, the Longview Lady Lobos outlasted Lufkin for the team title. Longview finished with 127 points while Lufkin had 117.

Following are complete results from the event.

Boys Team

1. Lufkin, 139; 2. Longview, 133.5, Marshall,

130; 4. Carthage, 94.5; 5. Hudson, 60; 6. Nacogdoches, 54.

Individual 100-meter dash: 1. Dekalon Taylor, Longview, 10.21; 2. Jalen Hale, Longview; 3. Kevondrick Taylor, Lufkin; 4. K.D. Bell, Carthage; 5. Khylon Sublett, Longview; 6. Leadon Lajarian, Nacogdoches.

200-meter dash: 1. Jacorius Taylor, Lufkin, 22.07; 2. John Thomas, Marshall; 3. Taylor Tatum, Longview; 4. Zakyire Moon, Longview; 5. Cameron Gibson, Marshall; 6. Kevondrick Taylor, Lufkin.

400-meter dash: 1. Spencer Taylor, Marshall, 50.72; 2. Ked Harper, Carthage; 3. Alec Forney, Lufkin; 4.

LOCAL rOUNDUP

Panthers roll past tyler 12-0

Lady Jacks, Devils win

By JOSH HAVARD The Lufkin Daily News

Sam Flores blasted a tworun homer and Mark Requena and Kolby Kovar combined on a two-hit shutout as the Lufkin Panthers pounded the Tyler Lions 12-0 in District 16-5A baseball action at Tyler’s Mike Carter Field Friday night.

Requena pitched the first three innings, allowing no runs on no hits with five strikeouts. Kovar also struck out five in two innings, allowing two hits.

The Panthers put up four runs in the first inning with the help of some shaky Tyler defense and hits from Christian Mumphery and Bebo Hinojosa.

Flores’ two-run homer and a Requena RBI double made it 7-0 after two innings.

Gavin Del Toro reached on an error in the third inning and scored on a passed pall.

Lufkin tacked on two runs in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth to make the

talized on Bonnin’s takeaway and pass to the front of the box, with Spore drilling the ball into the net for a 2-0 Lady

Pack lead. It seemed that would be the

Mount Pleasant

GARY STALLARD/For The Lufkin Daily News Lufkin’s Melissa Villegas (15) takes possession of the ball against Pine Tree’s Meredith Fisher during Friday’s bi-district match. The Lady Pack’s season ended in a 4-2 loss in overtime at Jase Magers Field in Lufkin.

GARY STALLARD/For The Lufkin Daily News

Lufkin’s Maury Spore (20) battles Pine Tree’s Jessica Garcia for possession during Friday’s bi-district match. The Lady Pack’s season ended in a 4-2 loss in overtime at Jase Magers Field in Lufkin.

Mia Harper launched a two-run homer that sailed well over the left field wall

before shutting down one final Whitehouse threat as the Lufkin Lady Panthers picked

up a thrilling 7-6 win over the Lady Cats in District 16-5A softball action at Lufkin High

School Friday night. Just minutes after giving up a game-tying three-run tri-

ple in the fifth inning, Harper delivered the go-ahead home run. After Whitehouse erased

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

The Lufkin Lady Panthers celebrate Akyshia Cottrell’s two-run homer during District 16-5A softball action at Lufkin High School Friday night. The Lady Panthers picked up a 7-6 win.

SOFtBALL

LESLIE NEMEC/The Lufkin Daily

Lufkin’s Omarion Scott competes against a Longview runner during action at the

Willie Ross Relays at Abe Martin Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

LESLIE NEMEC/The Lufkin Daily News

Lufkin’s Mattie Nicholson competes during the Willie Ross Relays at Lufkin’s Abe Martin Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

OUTDOORS

Reeling in Recognition

By MATT WILLIAMS For The Lufkin Daily News

Fishing records are made to broken, but not all of them are so easy to crack. Youth anglers Trace Jansen of Buda, Cade Childress of Pickton and Jesse Roberson of Goldthwaithe own a few Texas freshwater titles that may be pretty tough to topple.

In February 2021, Jansen was fishing with friends at Lake Travis near Austin when he caught a 15.32-pound largemouth bass. Jansen, only 15 at the time, said he saw the fish hanging around a spawning bed near a boat dock in about three feet of water. He fooled it with a wacky-rigged Senko and subsequently loaned it to the Toyota ShareLunker program.

Childress, 12, was fishing at Lake Tawakoni in March 2021 when he landed a lunker of a different kind, a blue catfish with a serious weight problem. Childress’ fat cat weighed a whopping 72.4 pounds on certified scales. It gobbled up bloody chunk of gizzard shad drifted in about 22 feet of water.

Roberson’s prize catch from March 2006 is another great example to illustrate that age is no barrier when it comes to getting the really big bite.

Roberson, just 10 at the time, was fishing in a 40-acre private lake in Mills County in when he tossed a Texas-rigged Baby Brush Hog into shallow water and reeled in a man-size bass weighing 15.54 pounds.

The lifetime catches earned all three anglers a long list of records and awards through Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Angler Recognition Program.

To wit:

Jansen’s fish is the Junior Angler state record for largemouths reeled in on public waters by anglers under 17. The previous record of 13.68 pounds was set in 2019. It also crushed the Junior Angler lake record of 6.33 pounds set in 2016 and beat out the former Lake Travis water body record for all ages (14.21 pounds) that was set in 1993.

The 50.75-inch blue cat Childress caught while fishing with guide James Evans set four different angling records, according to Natalie Goldstrohm, who heads up the ARP for TPWD.

Goldstrohm said the fish is the Junior Angler state record for blue catfish, Junior Angler water body record for Tawakoni, Junior Angler state catch and release record for blue catfish and the Junior Angler catch and release record for Tawakoni blue cats.

Roberson’s storybook catch has stood as Junior Angler state record for private waters for 16 years. Additionally, it is the heaviest Legacy Lunker ever loaned to the Toyota ShareLunker program by a youth angler since the program’s inception in 1986. It currently ranks as the No. 48 heaviest Texas bass of alltime.

Roberson’s trophy run didn’t stop there. The young angler also won the Sharelunker Angler of the Year title in 2006-07 for turning in the heaviest bass of the season. He took home a bunch of neat prizes and other goodies, including a Texas lifetime fishing license that at the time was valued at $600.

Around for decades, TPWD’s Angler Recognition Program isn’t just about recognizing anglers who catch state and water body records. The program recognizes anglers of all ages in a variety of categories for all sort sorts of angling accomplishments on public and private waters,

alike.

Though some accomplishments may seem insignificant, they could be especially meaningful in the eyes of a youngster who reels in their first catfish, bluegill or crappie. Or a beginning angler who lands a 20-inch spotted sea trout or 15-inch white bass.

Documented properly, such catches can earn anglers a framable certificate under the ARP’s First Fish Award or Big Fish Award categories.

Giving credit where credit is due is the name of the game with the ARP. And plenty of credit is typically dished out over the course of the year.

Goldstrohm says the program has received an average of 700 applications a year since 2012.

TPWD maintains state and water body weight records for all sorts fresh and saltwater game and non-game fish taken using legal means and methods. There are records in a variety of categories such rod and reel, fly fishing, bow fishing, all ages and junior angler in public and private waters, alike.

Additionally, there are state and water body “catch and release” records for public waters by rod and reel and fly fishing in two categories, all ages and junior angler.

Anglers applying for state, water body or big awards should provide as much photo documentation of their catch as possible, along with a completed application from the department website, tpwd.texas. gov/fishboat/fish/programs/ fishrecords/.

Applications should be submitted within 60 days of the catch. Applications for state catch and release records and state weight records require the signature of a notary public. The 60-day limit does not apply for catches recognized as world records by the International Game Fish Association.

If weighing is required, the fish must be weighed on a scale that has been certified for accuracy. If the scale is not certified at the time the fish is weighed, the angler has 30 days to attain the proper certification.

One of the most popular recognition categories with beginning and youth anglers is the First Fish Award. This award is intended commemorate an angler’s first fish, regardless of age.

Another popular award is the Outstanding Angler Award. This award is available for the angler whose catch doesn’t meet the requirements

ArP Award Categories

records by length State Catch and release: For the catch and live release of the longest fish of a qualifying species from Texas public waters.

Catch and release Water Body: For the catch and live release of the longest fish of a qualifying species from a public water body.

rod & reel: Longest fish of a species caught on rod/reel.

Fly Fishing: Longest fish of a species caught by fly fishing with artificial flies.

Weight records State records for Public Waters: Rod/reel, fly fishing, bow fishing and other legal means and methods, excluding nets. State records for Private Waters: Rod/reel, fly fishing and bow fishing.

Public Water Body: Rod/ reel, fly fishing, bow fishing and all-tackle.

Other awards First Fish: For the first fish caught by an angler of any age.

Elite Angler: A lifetime achievement award for catching five different trophy class fish in the freshwater or saltwater divisions.

of other award categories, but still deserves some recognition. One of tallest awards an angler can earn is the Elite Angler Award. This is a onetime award given to fishermen who catch trophy class fish of five different species.

Elite Angler eligibility hinges on the angler earning five freshwater or saltwater Big Fish Awards. The Big Fish Awards are based strictly on length. The bars are set pretty high, as they should be.

Check out tpwd.texas.gov/ fishboat/fish/programs/ to learn more about the TPWD Angler Recognition Program or research state or water body records for a variety of fish species.

Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by email, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com.

TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT

Jesse Roberson, right, was fishing in a 40-acre private lake in Mills County in March 2006 when he reeled in an enormous largemouth bass weighing 15.54 pounds. Roberson, only 10 at the time, has held the Junior Angler State Record for private waters ever since.

COURTESY PHOTO SHILOH CHILDRESS

Cade Childress, center, 12, of Pickton, earned four different awards through TPWD’s Angler Recognition Program when he boated this 72.4-pound blue cat at Lake Tawakoni last March. The fish is the Junior Angler state record for blue catfish, Junior Angler water body record for Tawakoni, Junior Angler state catch and release record for blue catfish and the Junior Angler catch and release record for Tawakoni blue cats.

Pownall Managing Editor jeff.pownall@lufkindailynews.com

Josh Havard Sports Editor josh.havard@lufkindailynews.com

Faison News Editor stacy.faison@lufkindailynews.com

Nemec Charm Editor leslie.nemec@lufkindailynews.com

Lenderman Advertising jenna.lenderman@lufkindailynews.com

The Nose Knows

Allergy season in full bloom as warmer weather starts to make its way into region

Spring isn’t the only thing in the air across East Texas.

Grasses, flowers and trees blooming in the sometimes warmer weather we have been enjoying produce a fine layer of pollen that is coating everything across the region. And it’s only going to get worse if Mother Nature ever makes a decision as to whether or not it’s really spring or still winter.

AccuWeather meteorologists are predicting another challenging year for allergy sufferers in America. Trees are typically the first and biggest pollen producers in the spring, according to AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alan Reppert. That shifts to grass pollen by late spring and early summer, before weed pollen takes over in late summer and early fall, he said.

Pollen levels, often jokingly referred to as the ‘‘snowfall of the south,’’ are high across the region, as they have been for most of March. The anticipated pollen count for today (on a scale that goes up to 12) is 10.2, according to pollen.com. Sunday’s forecasted pollen count is 11.8.

According to the Allergy and Asthma Network: ■ About 1 in 5 Americans have been diagnosed with an allergy.

■ Allergies are the cause of 4 million missed work days each year; that translates into $8 billion in costs.

■ More than 50% of Americans say allergies impact the daily quality of their life.

Pollen allergies are difficult to avoid or prevent because pollen levels can be affected by temperature, time of day and precipitation. Trees release large amounts of pollen that can be distributed miles away, while grass pollen allergies can be regional as well as seasonal.

Higher pollen counts prolong the misery of as many as 67 million Americans for whom spring is a punishment, not a pleasure. An airborne allergen, pollen is one of the most common in the United States. Various trees, grasses and weeds create pollen.

And that, unfortunately, means itchy, watery eyes, sneezing fits and nasal congestion.

While there is no cure-all for seasonal allergies, popular overthe-counter medications can provide relief for the most common symptoms. However, you should always consult your doctor about what medications may work best for your symptoms before taking any. In extreme cases, your doctor may try cortisone therapy or vaccines that contain pollen extracts.

Allergy symptoms vary from

person to person, depending on what is causing the allergies and the severity of the allergic reaction, according to emedtv. com, a medical reference website. Allergy symptoms can range from mild ones (itching, sneezing or eczema) to more severe ones (hives, wheezing and shortness of breath).

Research by Climate Central, a nonprofit science and news organization based in Princeton, New Jersey, suggests the growing seasons are becoming longer across the continental U.S., thus creating a longer pollen season, which could prolong the symptoms many seasonal allergy sufferers endure.

■ Popular over-the-counter antihistamines can provide relief from sneezing, runny noses and irritated, watery eyes by blocking the action of histamine, a chemical in the body that triggers congestion and upper respiratory discomfort. But, doctors say, if you’re running a fever, it’s not allergies.

■ Decongestants like pseudoephedrine relieve a stuffy nose by narrowing the blood vessels in nasal passages so you can breathe more easily. PSEs are located behind the pharmacy counter because they are an ingredient used to cook methamphetamine.

■ Over-the-counter eye drops are specifically designed to treat allergy symptoms can be found in any drug store and can be effective at relieving redness and washing away allergens.

■ Finally, according to some, certain foods you may already be enjoying have allergy-fighting properties. Others swear by home remedies, such as eating raw, local honey.

Other tips for helping steer clear of pollen are:

■ Avoid the outdoors between 5 and 10 a.m.

■ Save outside activities for late afternoon or after a heavy rain, when pollen levels are lower. Rain does actually help wash pollen out of the air.

■ Keep windows in your home and car closed to lower exposure to pollen. To keep cool, use air conditioners and avoid using window and attic fans.

■ Be aware that pollen can also be transported indoors on people and pets.

■ Dry your clothes in an automatic dryer rather than hanging them outside. Otherwise, pollen can collect on clothing and be carried indoors.

■ If you buy trees for your yard, look for species that do not aggravate allergies, such as: crepe myrtle, dogwood, fir, palm, pear and redwood.

HEADLINES IN Local HISTORY

MARCH 26-27

Twenty years ago

■ Three hundred people attend the kick-off luncheon for the 50th annual Angelina Benefit Rodeo.

From the pages of The Lufkin Daily News, compiled by The History Center, TheHistoryCenterOnline.com.

THE FIRST AMENDMENT

Welcoming our new county judge

This past Friday, Keith Wright was sworn in as Angelina County’s acting county judge. After recently winning the county judge race, Keith was to take office in January, however, because of recent events, he has taken office earlier than expected.

I’ve known Keith for many years now. While he was the Lufkin city manager, I learned a lot from Keith during my time as a city council member. From his work with budgets and long-range planning to dayto-day operations, Keith represented the city of Lufkin very well. He and I have always worked well together, and I look forward to working with him as our new county judge.

A strong relationship with the city and the county is vitally important to the success of our region. Having worked with Keith, I know him to be a man of integrity and know-how. He understands the challenges we face and is well prepared to tackle the issues.

The county is preparing to allocate $16.8 million in funds received through the American Rescue Plan Act. These funds, spent wisely, can have a serious impact on our community. As your mayor, I serve on the Airport Advisory Committee. This is one area some of those funds could be utilized. The airport has a major economic impact on the area and plays an important role in the

future economic growth of Angelina County.

The city of Lufkin is optimistic about the county’s future and improvements to the criminal justice system. The jail has been a revolving door in recent years. Expansion of the current jail would allow for those continuously violating our laws to be incarcerated. Keith will work with the district attorney and district judges on ways to improve processing of prisoners and relieving the backlog of cases due to COVID.

Building relationships with the other cities in our county is very important, as well. Keith has already called a meeting with mayors and city managers of towns in Angelina County. He understands the importance of communication and taking all recommendations under advisement.

Our cooperative efforts have already begun. Keith and I met with Congressman Pete Sessions’ office staff this week to discuss the new infrastructure bill and budget appropriations. We discussed several ideas with the staff including, new I-69 improvements and the possibility of working with the Lufkin Economic Development Corporation on an intermodal facility for moving freight from the Port of Houston through Lufkin to other areas throughout the country. Our country is suffering from bottlenecks at our ports, and a new intermodal freight system can help relieve some of the logistics issues in our region. We discussed several other ideas, as well. We will be work-

ing with Sessions and Bob Samford to submit applications for funding in the near future. Hopefully, we can bring some of these proposed projects to fruition.

Keith and I also will be meeting with the county judge and mayor of Nacogdoches to discuss regional opportunities for our communities. We will present a united front in seeking opportunities with state and federal governments in promoting the East Texas region. We are politically stronger together.

The city met with Micheal Simon this past week to discuss education and training for employees of any new industries or businesses locating in our community. We can work with them to develop ‘‘tailormade’’ training classes to provide a workforce that meets their needs.

Angelina College is a great asset for our county and will be a valuable tool in attracting new businesses to our area.

Now more than ever, we need to come together, work together, stay positive and move our communities forward. If we’re going to be competitive in bringing businesses to Angelina County, we must promote a positive working relationship.

These companies have plenty of places to go; let’s give them a reason to choose our community. We need a positive atmosphere of cooperation presented to anyone seeking to bring jobs and new business to our communities. Working together, we can move Angelina County and Lufkin forward.

Mark Hicks is the mayor for the city of Lufkin.

His email address is mhicks@cityoflufkin.com.

By Bruce Tinsley

Public notices belong in your newspaper

Editorial cartoonist Ben Sargent once penned a masterful sketch of a newspaperman — a skinny, bug-eyed fellow in a baggy suit with a press card in the band of his porkpie hat.

The unnamed journalist was depicted in the simple act of entering a dark room at city hall and switching on a light. The cartoon had no caption. It didn’t need one. In your mind’s eye you could see cockroaches scurrying for cover.

Sargent’s message to Austin American-Statesman readers was clear and timeless: Light is the best disinfectant, and nothing shines light on the activities of government like a newspaper. That’s especially true in this era of real-time news coverage, instantaneous online commentary and partisan electronic echo chambers.

Governments today are larger, more pervasive and more powerful than any time in our history. Fortunately for those of us who believe in self-governance, newspapers are still around. And they’re the best source for information on how government spends your money and what government plans to do to you. That’s because newspapers still cover the behind-the-scenes goings-on at city hall and not just the horse-race aspect of political campaigns. It’s also because newspapers are still the home of public notices, and some of the most important journalism in your newspaper arrives in the form of public notices.

across new information on where Little Johnny may be attending school next year while sipping your latte and reading the morning paper. You become aware of this important development in your family’s existence whether or not you follow the superintendent’s social media posts. If you don’t like what you see, you can take action to oppose it.

If you’re a taxpayer and you want to learn out about property tax rates planned for next year before they’re passed, you can appreciate public notices. State law requires cities, counties and school districts to notify you of their intentions before tax rates are set in stone. How? In a public notice printed in the newspaper.

And if you’re a property owner like the folks of Fayette County, you’d appreciate knowing if an outof-town company is seeking a permit to dump Austin sewage sludge in a field beside the Colorado River. A modest legally required public notice in the Fayette County Record brought that plan to light. It didn’t pass the smell test with citizens, and they raised a stink with state officials. The permit application was quickly withdrawn.

online. Citizens can even sign up at no charge to electronically receive notices by subject matter and by jurisdiction.

A few months ago, the state of Florida updated its public notice laws by requiring newspapers to provide this additional electronic service for public notices at no additional charge. But only eight weeks after the new law went into effect, the Florida legislature backtracked. It passed another law allowing governmental entities to post notices on their own government websites and bypass newspapers altogether. In doing so, the state of Florida legalized the concept of the fox guarding the henhouse.

TODAY IN HISTORY

The Associated Press

Today is Saturday, March 26, the 85th day of 2022. There are 280 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On March 26, 2010, the U.S. and Russia sealed the first major nuclear weapons treaty in nearly two decades, agreeing to slash the former Cold War rivals’ warhead arsenals by nearly one-third.

On this date: In 1812, an earthquake devastat-

ed Caracas, Venezuela, causing an estimated 26,000 deaths, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

In 1827, composer Ludwig van Beethoven died in Vienna.

In 1945, during World War II, Iwo Jima was fully secured by U.S. forces following a final, desperate attack by Japanese soldiers.

In 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Baker v. Carr, gave federal courts the power to order reapportionment of states’ legislative districts.

Public notices are mandatory announcements of what a governmental body plans to do or what it has already put into motion. They are not universally popular among government officials. Public notices are printed in newspapers — the civic journals of their communities — because they’re required under scores of laws passed over the past two centuries. The idea behind those public notice laws was to foster transparency to keep government open and accountable.

If you’re a parent and you need to know ahead of time that the school district is drawing up new school attendance zones, you should appreciate public notices. The law requires the district to print that plan in a newspaper. Without even knowing you should look, you can stumble

Public notices in newspapers get noticed. When they do, readers may decide to share a thought or two with the officials involved. Let’s face it: Those officials’ jobs would be ever-so-much less stressful if they didn’t have to interact with upset voters who pay the taxes that fund their paychecks. Some officials are particularly galled that state law requires them to pay newspapers to publish these notices. They complain to legislators that it’s a waste of money — that the notices could simply be posted on the governmental entity’s website without paying newspapers to spread the news.

Their argument doesn’t mention the fact that public notice rates are among the lowest charged by newspapers. It also fails to note that creating, operating and maintaining a government-public notice site would also cost taxpayers money. And it conveniently ignores the immense watchdog value of a newspaper serving as an independent, verifiable and archived third-party source for these important notices.

Today, newspapers are making their notices more visible than ever, and it doesn’t cost the taxpayer an extra dime. In addition to printing the notices for a fee, Texas publishers make public notice information available at no extra charge

If you think that sort of thing can’t happen in Texas, think again. Like Texas, Florida is a conservative state with voters who want to hold government accountable. That’s a good thing. But some overeager legislators committed to cutting taxes, supporting local control and promising to “work with” local officials can be misled by a local official’s suggestion to eliminate newspaper notices and put the money into pothole repair. That, combined with the reckless labeling of all traditional media as “fake news,” means a toxic environment for newspapers that have faithfully served their communities for a century or longer.

Not only should government not be in the business of disseminating their own public notices; government shouldn’t want to. By handling the publication, verification, distribution and archiving of official notices, newspapers keep government from serving as its own publisher, distributor, certifier of the record and archivist. By handling public notices, newspapers give government officials legal protection from accusations of releasing incomplete or untimely information — or of surreptitiously changing the record for the officials’ convenience.

So it comes down to this: If you want to know what’s going on in your hometown, tell your local officials and your legislators to keep public notices in newspapers. It’s the civically healthy thing to do.

Don’t risk waking up one morning to the aroma of something foul being spread in your neighborhood.

Donnis Baggett is executive vice president of the Texas Press Association. TPA represents some 400 Texas newspapers, including this one. TPA campaigns in Austin for open records, open meetings, public notices and government accountability. Baggett may be reached at dbaggett@ texaspress.com.

Leslie

Jenna

The Lufkin Daily News editorial board Jackie Zimmerman Publisher jackie.zimmerman@lufkindailynews.com

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

MALLARD FILLMORE

Jeff

Stacy

MARK HICKS

DONNIS BAGGETT

EMPLOYMENt

Agency attempting to help East texans get back to work

Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas

Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas will continue in April to offer a free, multi-pronged approach to helping Deep East Texas businesses thrive and get individuals back to work or on a path to sustainable careers.

The latest job openings in the region are updated weekly, at detwork.org/job-seekers/jobsnow.

Job fairs

Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas offers job fairs across the 12-county region. In-person and virtual assistance with registering, preparing for, and attending the events is available at the six workforce centers.

Hiring event — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 7 in Shelby County. Local employers and job seekers will have the opportunity to speak about job opportunities and qualifications. Location: Community House, 425 San Augustine St., Center Mega Job Fest — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 28 in Angelina County. Large multi-industry job fair connecting employers with job seekers. Hosted in partnership with the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce. Location: Pitser Garrison Convention Center, 601 N. Second St.

Check with the local workforce centers for hiring events near you. detwork.org/calendar.

Sign up for Jobs News by texting DETX to (855) 502-0026.

Employers are encouraged to participate in the hiring events by calling (936) 639-1351 or emailing mclark@detwork.org.

Pop-up Workforce Centers

To bring services closer to residents of the rural communities, Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas is partnering with local organizations and offering pop-up centers. Individuals have access to useful tools for finding a job, improving skills, and furthering or changing careers.

■ April 4, 9 a.m. to noon, at the Newton County Housing Authority, 103 Sartain, Newton.

■ April 5, 9 a.m. to noon at Tyler County Probation, 203 N. Charlton St., Woodville.

■ April 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Coldspring Area Public Library, 14221 Highway 150 west, Coldspring.

■ April 7, 1-4 p.m. at the Groveton Public Library, 126 W. First St., Groveton.

■ April 12, 9 a.m. to noon at the San Augustine Career Center, 1002 Barrett St., San Augustine.

■ April 13, 9 a.m. to noon at the Newton County Public Library, 212 High St., Newton.

■ April 14, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hemphill Housing Authority, 102 Ash St., Hemphill.

■ April 18, 1-3 p.m., at the Pineland Activity & Nutrition Center, 313 Dogwood, Pineland

■ April 19, 1-4 p.m. at the Groveton Public Library, 126 W. First St., Groveton.

■ April 20, 1-4 p.m., at the Newton Probation Office, 212 High St., Newton.

DAVE rAMSEY SAYS WOODLAND hEIGhtS MEDICAL CENtEr

Stronger, in good financial condition

Dear Dave: My husband and I are getting a divorce, and everything will be final in less than a month.

I haven’t worked outside the home in a few years, but according to the terms of the divorce I’ll receive $75,000 in cash on the day the divorce is finalized.

I also have about $5,000 in debt on a credit card I am responsible for paying. Other than that, I have no debt. Can you give me some advice for moving forward in my life? — Starla

Dear Starla: I’m truly sorry to hear you’re going through this. If you’re not already connected to a good church, I hope you’ll consider finding one. Having caring people of faith around you in times like this can help a lot.

The credit card debt is a small part of your financial picture right now. Still, my advice is to go ahead and pay it off as soon as you receive the settlement. That way, you’ll be completely debt-free and still have $70,000 in the bank.

There’s a bit of a catch, though. You’ll need to live for a while like that money isn’t there. Use just enough to get yourself settled somewhere, and then start looking for a job so you can eat and pay the utilities.

There are tons of places hiring right now, and the money’s decent, so it shouldn’t be too hard to start generating a regular income soon.

If you’ll do this, that big chunk of cash will still be sitting there a year from now when the pain of the divorce has lessened a bit. At that point, you’ll be stronger and more emotionally and mentally ready to think about the future and make real plans.

And if you haven’t already, cut up that credit card and close the account. The last thing you need right now is an avenue to more debt. God bless you, Starla. — Dave

The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. Follow Dave on the web at daveramsey.com and on Twitter at @ Daveramsey.

■ April 21, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Allen Shivers Library & Museum, 302 N. Charlton St., Woodville.

■ April 25, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the J. R. Huffman Library, 375 Sabine St., Hemphill.

■ April 26, 9 a.m. to noon at the San Augustine Career Center, 1002 Barrett St., San Augustine.

■ April 27, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Arthur Temple Sr. Memorial Library, 106 FM 83, Pineland

Virtual webinar Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas host the fourth session for Students with Disabilities from 1:30-3 p.m. April 20. Session Four features college and university representatives discussing how to reach career goals.

SkillUp Deep East Texas

Residents of Deep East Texas have free access to more than 6,000 online learning courses to build skills and knowledge.

SkillUp Deep East Texas is a cost-effective opportunity for people to develop certificatebased job skills and upgrade their existing skill levels without additional expenses for travel, childcare and program fees. Participants receive digital badges or certificates as they complete each training session.

SkillUp Deep East Texas offers free access to workplace, business and IT/software courses, as well as offering Texans the ability to explore career pathways in more than 200 occupations.

Workforce centers open

The six Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas centers are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Specialists are available to help with: job readiness, resume assistance, job search, skills training, paid work experience, virtual workshops, support services and more. Individuals can book an appointment with a workforce specialist.

■ Angelina County, (936) 639-1351, 210 N. John Redditt Drive, Lufkin. Open until 7 p.m. MondayThursday.

■ Houston County, (936) 544-7859, 1505 S. Fourth St., Crockett.

■ Jasper County, (409) 384-9031, 799 W. Gibson, Ste. 300, Jasper.

■ Nacogdoches County, (936) 560-1441, 235 N. University Drive, Nacogdoches.

■ Polk County, (936) 327-5421, 1241 W. Church, Ste. 300, Livingston. Open until 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday.

■ Shelby County, (936) 598-2468, 145 Catco Drive, Center.

For individuals, the courses are a friendly and convenient way to increase skills, change industries, find a new career, or gain better employment in a high-demand industry. Courses are delivered through Metrix Learning provided by Skillsoft, the training provider for more than half the Fortune 500 companies.

To get started, visit detwork.skillupamerica. org or contact a Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas center.

hospital offers new treatment for patients with AFib

our patients off blood thinner sooner gets them back to a normal life quickly and that is our goal.”

The heart team at Woodland Heights Medical Center has successfully performed its first procedure using a minimally invasive therapy to treat people in the U.S. with atrial fibrillation (AFib) who are at risk of ischemic stroke.

This latest advancement seals the LAA, eliminating the need for blood-thinning medication following the procedure.

“This treatment option is the only minimally invasive option to offer immediate closure of the left atrial appendage so blood-thinning medication isn’t needed following implantation,” said Dr. Vivek Mangla, electrophysiologist/cardiologist with ACE Cardiology. “Getting

thE LAWYEr

AFib occurs when the upper chambers of the heart (atria) beat out of coordination with the lower chambers (ventricles) and contract rapidly and irregularly.

In some people with AFib, the LAA — a small, naturally occurring pocket connected to the upper left chamber of the heart — can allow blood to pool and increase the likelihood of a clot formation, which can travel to the brain and cause a stroke.

For patients with AFib who are unable to take blood thinners long-term, physicians may perform procedures to prevent blood clots from leaving the LAA to reduce the risk of stroke.

how do I legally transfer ownership of my LLC?

DEAR JEFF: My son is taking over more of my business, which is set up as an LLC. I am listed as the registered agent but I would like to have him assume that role. How do I make this happen?

Thanks, “Stepping Back” Dear “Stepping Back”: You will just need to file a statement of change of registered

JEFFrEY BAtES

agent with the secretary of state. If he is assuming ownership of the business, as well, you will want to update your public information report online when your annual report is filed in May.

DEAR JEFF: What is the statute of limitations to sue someone for breaking their promises

under a written contract? Thanks, “I’ve Had It” Dear “I’ve Had It”: The limitations period for breach of contract is four years.

Jeffrey Bates is licensed to practice law in the State of Texas, but is not board certified in any area of specialty by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

This column is meant for general information

LEt’S tALK MONEY

and educational purposes only, and neither this column nor the transmittal of a legal question via email constitutes the creation of an attorney/client relationship between the reader and Jeffrey Bates and/or Southern Newspapers Inc. For specific advice regarding legal matters affecting you, consult an attorney.

To submit a question, send it via email to JeffreyPBates@aol.com, or via regular mail to Ask the Lawyer, 101 S. First St., Lufkin 75901, or call (936) 639-2900.

Hi Taylor: I saw the term “superbubble” the other day in reference to the stock market and it seemed to have a pretty bad connotation. Can you explain?

Hey Ginessa: Happy to break down the horrors that are a “superbubble.” To the best of my knowledge, the term was coined by a big hedge fund manager and used to describe a confluence of financial events that will take us toward a worse-than-normal crash. Because there are bubbles, and then there are superbubbles.

Bubbles. You’ve probably heard the housing market crash of 2008 described as a bubble. The bubble analogy makes sense as we think of a floating ball of soap that suddenly explodes and is gone, but the finance behind it is a touch more involved.

The root of these so-called

bubbles is when an asset or market sector experiences massive gains beyond expectation. In the housing collapse, it was the overheating subprime mortgage market. The money outgrew the assets, and suddenly people were left holding notes with no actual value. Bubble = burst.

‘‘Superbubble.’’ When you have multiple bubbles at the same time, that’s when you start hearing this term.

The bubbles in question are A) real estate, where housing prices have been climbing tirelessly for years; B) “Meme stocks”—things like NFTs, electric truck makers and Gamestop and AMC trading, where a lot of money comes into play before the actual value of the asset is settled; and C) declining wealth within blue-chip and speculative

ASK

DAVE rAMSEY

Woodland Heights Medical Center

Dr. Vivek Mangla, electrophysiologist/cardiologist with ACE Cardiology, and members of the Woodland Heights Medical Center Cath Lab team.

the reports take into account the cleanliness of the restaurant or business, not the quality of the food.

■ ■ ■

Subway, 1607 W. Frank Ave., Lufkin

Date of inspection: Feb. 16

Purpose of inspection: routine Number of violations: 5

Reasons for violations: outer openings of a food establishment shall be protected against the entry of pests, with solid self-closing tight-fitting doors, observed gaps along the sides and bottom of door, no daylight from outside should be observed; equipment must be properly designed and constructed and in good repair, observed bare wood planks stacked to hold shelf in reach-in cooler, non-food contact surfaces shall be non-absorbent and smooth material; observed a piece of plywood on small reach-in cooler/prep table, repair; observed standing water where water heater is held, repair; physical facilities shall be maintained and cleaned, observed debris under all equipment in front and back area

Brookshire Brothers no. 25, 1807 W. Frank Ave., Lufkin

Date of inspection: Feb. 24

Purpose of inspection: routine Number of violations: 10

On thE rEcOrd

Marriages

Marriage licenses filed in the angelina county clerk’s Office:

■ Stephen Alexander Edgerton, 32, and Kenna Cheyney McMullen, 32

■ Jacob Ryan Tiemann, 28, and Cheyenne Nicole Garcia, 25

■ Eric McKenna Avery, 26, and Lydia Gayle Williford, 22

■ Donny Delain Davenport, 32, and Jessica Marie Griffith, 27

■ Tommy Ray Smith, 37, and

Amanda Danette Johnston, 38

■ Jesus Morado Tumacas, 46, and Candice Yvonne Shepherd, 51

■ Isidro Garcia Ramirez, 39, and Gloria Maricela Jimenez, 43

■ Jose Angel Reyna, 47, and Dora Celia Garcia, 51

■ Hunter Coleton Lenderman, 20, and Sydney Renea Walden, 19

■ Judd Otis Gangstad, 47, and Stephanie Renee Youngblood, 47

■ William David Roebuck, 35, and Lindsay Paige Harper, 30

■ Daylan Calease Little, 23, and Kryclei Bradyn Loving, 19

■ Marvin Wayne Rochelle, 24, and Casie Ray Coleman, 20

■ Jonathan Michael Dunn, 39, and Meghan Leigh-Ann Larose, 41

■ Brad Dwayne Naron, 46, and Gabriella Denise Vess Roberts, 47

■ Jose Francisco Arevalo, 41, and Virginia Morales De Leon, 45

divorces

divorces filed in angelina county district clerk’s Office:

■ Alisha Marie Townsend and Dalton

Larry Townsend

■ Omar Flores and Nancy Flores

■ John Douglas Clark and Irene Joy Alberca Pojas

■ Ashley Porter and Myles Porter

■ Carla Garcia and Abel Rodriguez

■ Caleb Garber and Morgan Evens Garber

■ Anna Greer and Evan Wayman

Lawsuits

Lawsuits filed in angelina county courts-at-law:

■ Liberty County Mutual Insurance Company as subrogee of Joshua Smith vs. Taniya B. Graham

■ Carl Mewborn vs. the state of Texas

Lawsuits filed in angelina county district courts:

■ PCA Acquisitions vs. LLC vs. Amber Gray

■ Mary Riley vs. Roadhouse Enterprises Inc. and Buffalo Construction Inc.

■ Craig Childers and Jaclyn Childers vs. Daniel Barrera and Daniel Barrera Construction LLC

dispositions

dispositions filed in angelina county courts-at-law:

Brett Breechen, criminal mischief between $750 and $2,500, deferred, one year probation

Reasons for violations: utensils in the deli must be stored in a clean container, utensils moved from white containers, containers washed and utensils washed, consider another storage option; replace rusted shelving in deli reach-in cooler, produce display surfaces must be smooth and easily cleanable, replace shelving utilized for clean dishes, rusted; non-food contact surfaces must be clean to sight and touch, clean can storage rack in deli; general clean of rolling racks needed, build up observed; physical facilities must be maintained and in good repair; general clean of ceiling needed near AC vents; repairs needed at AC vents in bakery and deli and meat market, must be smooth easily cleanable, observed rusted; repair damaged floor in bakery and meat market; repair walls/ceiling in meat department, rusted/chipping paint observed; general clean required under equipment and flooring in bakery and deli, increase cleaning frequency, repeat Storybrook hollow Kitchen, 1407 N. Medford Drive, Lufkin

Date of inspection: Feb. 22

Purpose of inspection: routine Number of violations: 0 Sake cafe, 1905 Tulane Drive, Lufkin

Date of inspection: March 1

Purpose of inspection: routine Number of violations: 7 Reasons for violations: hand sinks must be fully stocked and easily ac-

■ Brittiny Carmelo, possession of drug paraphernalia, deferred, 90 days probation

■ Roger Mason-Blake Carmelo, possession of drug paraphernalia, deferred, 90 days probation

■ Jasmine Angelique Edwards, assault causing bodily injury, deferred, one year probation

■ Gunnar Chase Farr, assault (Class C misdemeanor), deferred, 90 days probation

■ Rodney D. Gibson, driving while intoxicated, convicted, three days county jail, two years probation

■ Fernando Gonzalez, assault/family violence, deferred, nine months probation

■ Douglas Lamar Graham, assault (Class C misdemeanor), deferred, 90 days probation

■ Conner Didrik Groom, possession of less than 28 grams of a penalty group 3 controlled substance, deferred, nine months probation

■ Jamarcus Damon Hall, accident involving damage to vehicle, convicted, 120 days county jail

■ Jason Denman Havard, possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana, deferred, one year probation; harassment/family violence, deferred, one year probation

■ Jerrcorri Jomon Henry, resisting arrest, search or transport, convicted, 90 days county jail; possession of less than 2 ounces of a penalty group 2-A controlled substance, convicted, 180 days county jail; possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana, dismissed

■ Ashley Nicole Lowery, driving while intoxicated, dismissed

■ Alexis Millennium Nudd, theft of property between $100 and $750, deferred, nine months probation

■ Ricardo Paiz, theft of property less than $100 with a previous conviction, convicted, 12 days county jail

■ Miguel Perez, driving while intoxicated, convicted, five days county jail, two years probation

■ Robert Curtis Porter Jr., driving while intoxicated, convicted, three days county jail one year probation

■ Austin Jordan Powell, possession of drug paraphernalia, convicted

■ Isaias Morales Robles, driving while intoxicated, convicted, one year, three days county jail, two years probation

■ Kayla Nichole Simpson, theft less than $20, deferred, 90 days probation

■ Brandon Singleton, criminal trespass of a habit/shelter/superfund, deferred, one year probation

■ Jabroski Deearl Smiley, driving while license invalid with a previous conviction, convicted, 30 days county jail; possession of less than 28 grams of a penalty group 3 controlled substance, convicted, 60 days county jail

■ Revyn Elizabeth Wagnone, bail jumping and failure to appear, dismissed

■ Felisha Elaine White, false report

cessible at all times, rice cooker moved and stocked with soap and reminder needed, corrected on site; all food must be stored off the floor to prevent an environmental contamination, repeat; wiping cloths must be stored clean and dry or in sanitizer, corrected on site; replace damaged/rusted tables, must be smooth and easily cleanable; facilities must be maintained, floors in main prep kitchen chipping; increase lighting in prep area, must reach 50foot candles, observed 26-foot candles; consumer advisory required for all raw or undercooked foods, no disclosure or reminder

S&t Pit Burgers, 1109 Paul Ave., Lufkin

Date of inspection: March 9

Purpose of inspection: routine Number of violations: 0 Logan’s roadhouse, 4201 S. Medford Drive, Lufkin Date of inspection: March 1

Purpose of inspection: routine Number of violations: 0 Eastern Quality/Pilgrims Pride, 1800 W. Frank Ave., Lufkin Date of inspection: March 9

Purpose of inspection: routine Number of violations: 36

Reasons for violations: Persons in charge must be knowledgeable on priority violations, six priority violations noted on routine inspection; hands must be washed between tasks, observed

to a police officer/law enforcement, convicted, three days county jail

■ Marshall Craig White, possession of a dangerous drug, deferred, one year probation

■ Clayton Emory Williams, possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana, convicted, 100 days county jail

■ Jasmine Beard Olalde, assault/ family violence, convicted, 60 days jail dispositions filed in angelina county district courts-at-law:

■ Joel Antonio Ortega, manufacture/ delivery of between 1 and 4 grams of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, convicted, 10 years state prison; manufacture/delivery of more than 1 grams of a penalty group 1 controlled substance in a drug-free zone, convicted, 10 years state prison; manufacture/delivery of between 1 and 4 grams of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, convicted, 10 years state prison; manufacture/delivery of between 1 and 4 grams of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, convicted, 10 years state prison; manufacture/delivery of between 1 and 4 grams of penalty group 1 controlled substance, convicted, 10 years state prison; manufacture/ delivery of between 1 and 4 grams of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, convicted, 10 years state prison; manufacture/delivery of between 1 and 4 grams of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, convicted, 10 years state prison; manufacture/delivery of between 1 and 4 grams of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, convicted, 10 years state prison; possession of between 1 and 4 grams of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, convicted, 10 years state prison

■ Amondo Deleon Adams, manufacture/delivery of between 1 and 4 grams of a penalty group 1 controlled substance

■ Stewart Alan Doyal, theft of property between $1,500 and $20,000, dismissed

■ Jerrcorri Jomon Henry, evading arrest/detention with a previous conviction, convicted, six years state prison; evading arrest/detention with a vehicle with a previous conviction, convicted, six years state prison; possession of less than 1 gram of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, convicted, six years state prison; possession of less than 1 gram of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, convicted, six years state prison; possession of less than 1 gram of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, convicted, six years state prison

■ Pedro Osbaldo Martinez Jr., sexual assault, unadjudicated with; burglary of habitation intending sex offense, unadjudicated with; burglary of habitation intending other felony, unadjudicated with; manufacture/delivery of between 4 and 400 grams of a penalty group 2 controlled substance, convicted, 40 years state prison; manufacture/delivery of between 4 and 200 grams of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, convicted,

employee at register then at raw chicken batter station with no hand washing, observed employee using gloves to open doors, utilize wiping cloth and handle food with no change of gloves; hand sinks must be fully stocked (paper towels) and easily accessible at all times; additional hand sink required, only one hand sink that doubles as the restroom hand sink available; update double hand washing sign — damaged by water; hands must be properly washed for 20 seconds with soap and running water, after washing hands, you must dry hands and utilize disposable towel to turn the water off; raw food (eggs) must be stored above ready to eat foods, repeat, corrected on site; all food must have a protective covering when stored, observed food in coolers and warmers uncovered, corrected on site; single-use gloves must not be used for more than one task, observed employee not changing gloves; hot-hold must be maintained at 135 degrees or above, chicken in warmers were rapid heated and temp increased at warmer, corrected on site; cold-hold must be maintained at 41 degrees or below, when utilizing an ice bath, the food container shall be submerged in ice above the food level, ice shall not come into contact with the food; food contact surfaces must be properly sanitized, observed staff actively ware-washing with no sanitation and dishes stored in

40 years state prison; manufacture/ delivery of between 4 and 400 grams of a penalty group 2 controlled substance, convicted, 40 years state prison; manufacture/delivery of between 4 and 200 grams of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, convicted, 40 years state prison; possession of a between 4 ounces and 5 pounds of marijuana, unadjudicated with; manufacture/delivery of between 28 and 200 grams of a penalty group 3-4 controlled substance, unadjudicated with; unlawful possession of firearm by a felon, convicted, 40 years state prison; unlawful possession of firearm by a felon, convicted, 40 years state prison; unlawful possession of firearm by a felon, convicted, 40 years state prison; stalking, convicted, 20 years state prison; unauthorized use of a vehicle, unadjudicated with; burglary of habitation, convicted, 40 years state prison

■ James Earnest White Jr., unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, convicted, five years state prison; possession of less than 1 gram of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, convicted, 18 months state jail; manufacture/delivery of less than 1 gram of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, convicted, 18 months state jail

■ Jokitha Shantee Oliphant, injury to a child/disabled person with intent of bodily injury, consolidation

■ Andrea Milette Lovejoy, evading arrest/detention with a vehicle, deferred, seven years probation; possession of less than 1 gram of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, deferred, five years probation

■ Tarus Roshawn Arnold, injury to a child/elderly/disabled person with intent of serious bodily injury, dismissed; injury to a child/elderly/disabled person with intent of serious bodily injury, convicted, 40 years state prison; capital murder of person under 10 years of age, dismissed

■ Russell Lee Jones, theft of a firearm, dismissed

■ Jose Eduardo Hernandez, robbery, convicted, 18 years state prison

■ Keo’hse Sade Holman, capital murder of person under 10 years of age, dismissed; injury to a child/elderly/ disabled person with intent of bodily injury, dismissed; endangering a child, convicted, two years state jail; endangering a child, convicted, two years state jail; reckless injury to a child/elderly/ disabled person, convicted, 20 years of state prison

■ Austin Anthony Rodriguez, possession of between 1 and 4 grams of a penalty group 2 controlled substance, convicted, five years probation

Ellis Jackson IV, assault/family violence, dismissed

■ Esteban Chavez Jr., possession of less than 1 gram of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, convicted, six months state jail

■ Jonathan Christian Burke, possession of less than 1 gram of a penalty

the third bay, verbal guidance given on the importance of proper ware-washing; probe thermometers needed at all hot or cold holding units, thermometer needed at pizza machine; probe thermometer for monitoring cooking temps should be stored in the prep area, not the office, adequate means for proper sanitation needed between use, must be cleaned prior to use and after use; working containers for bulk storage must be labeled with contents, container of flour; packaged with food for consumer self-service must be labeled in accordance to federal labeling requirements; manufacturers license needed; increase weather strips at side exit to prevent the entry of pests, no sanitation buckets observed; wiping cloths must be stored clean and dry or in adequate sanitation, several wiping cloths observed on prep surfaces and “rinsed” at ware-washing sink; all scoops must have a handle and the handle must be stored up, discontinue the use of portion control containers for scoops; single-service items must be stored 6 inches off the floor at all times, observed open containers of single-use items on the floor in dry storage; food prep tables must be maintained in original repair, repair rusted prep tables to be smooth, non absorbent and easily cleanable; general clean of microwave needed (top/inside); ware-washing facilities must be maintained, water required to reach all three bays of

group 1 controlled substance, convicted, 12 months state jail

■ Pedro Rodriguez, continuous violence against the family, convicted, seven years state prison

■ Jorge Alejo Lopez, possession of child pornography (count 3), unadjudicated with; possession of child pornography (count 4), unadjudicated with; possession of child pornography (count 5), unadjudicated with; possession of child pornography (count 6), unadjudicated with; possession of child pornography (count 7), unadjudicated with; possession of child pornography (count 8), unadjudicated with; possession of child pornography (count 1), convicted, 10 years state prison; possession of child pornography (count 2), convicted, 10 years state prison ■ Willie Marcell Ballard, evading arrest detention with a previous conviction,

the sink, no faucets installed, repairs required ASAP, maintenance called while onsite to make repairs; increase cleaning frequency to prevent soil accumulation by fryers, significant grease build up observed on walls and ceiling; hot and cold water required at all the bays of the ware-washing sink, water must have sufficient capacity, quantity and availability; physical facilities must be maintained; walls must be smooth, easily cleanable and non absorbent, repair holes and damaged paint at hand sink/ware-washing sink, repair paint throughout, general clean needed; ceiling tiles must be smooth and non absorbent in prep area, all tiles have pits and are absorbent, general clean needed; floors must be easily cleanable and non absorbent, replace missing floor tiles, repeat x5, replace missing coving, seal pits so water/grease doesn’t stand; designated area required for all personal items, observed lunch containers on prep tables and personal food items in reach-in coolers, corrected on site; replace rusted and damaged storage shelves, observed rust (walk-in cooler and prep area); repair rusted door leading into mop room; repairs required at walk-in cooler and freezers, walls and floors must be smooth and easily cleanable, door observed damaged, floor panels not connecting and a risk of tripping; repair chipping paint at AC vents; replace missing coving (floor trim)

convicted, 18 months state jail

■ Bertrain Jerome Williams, driving while intoxicated (two or more convictions), convicted, five years probation

■ Carl David Johnson, theft of firearm, convicted, 13 months state jail; theft of a firearm, convicted, 13 months state jail; burglary of a building, convicted, 13 months state jail; burglary of a building, convicted, 13 months state jail

■ Demetric Marshall, burglary of a habitation, convicted, 14 years state prison; aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, convicted, 14 years state prison; aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, convicted, 14 years state prison

■ Alberto Cantu Jr., possession of less than 1 gram of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, deferred, four years probation

■ Julie Miller, unauthorized use of a vehicle, convicted, 82 days county jail

stocks, indicating that a lot of investors are stashing their capital in safer places.

If we see a big sell-off as interest rates go up, that could be the beginning of the aforementioned ‘‘superbubble.’’ Will it happen? I try to stay away from lofty predictions. I want to be ahead of the curve, but I’m not going to declare something as harrowing as a ‘‘superbubble’’ that upends the American economy.

I believe that what goes up must come down, and I expect that with as hot as the markets have been running for the last three years, we shouldn’t be surprised by a significant decline. At that point, we get to reassess and buy a lot of stocks and assets at a discounted rate before the market starts to claw its way back up.

As long as you don’t have all your wealth tied up in unproven commodities, it’s not

time for an all-out panic.

‘‘Superbubble’’ or no, the market always ebbs and flows. We’ve seen a lot of growth in the last decade and had low interest rates for a number of years, and those are good things to keep in mind as you invest and track the markets.

Thanks for the question, Ginessa

Taylor Kovar is CEO of Kovar Capital. Read more about him at GoFarWithKovar. com. Information presented is for educational purposes only and is not an offer

or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/ or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

To submit a question to be answered in this column, please send it via email to Question@taylorKovar.com, or via regular mail to Lessons on Wealth, 106 E. Lufkin Ave., Lufkin, TX 75901.

Register Now for Adult Sewing Classes

LEGAL NOTICES

Self Storage

The

12:00pm.

14th, 2022.

Southwood Dr. 2250 Southwood drive. Lufkin,Texas 75904.

Jason Bennett, Caree Carol, Brian Lafleur, Shawnique Garner, Joshua Green, Melinda McNeely x2 units, Anthony Parks, Stephen LaquindaPursley, Rigsby, Tyler Sudduth. Hwy 69 North. 4339 Hwy 69 north Lufkin, Texas 75904.

Mellissa Law, Michael Mclin x3 units, Charles Sarver, Janice Thrailkill, Richard Warner x3 units.

Highway 94. 2513 Ted Trout Dr. Lufkin, Texas 75904. Sherron Benton, Tracy CandaceBrock,Davis, Cathryn Johnson x3 units, Jimmy Kee, Kimberly Langley.

Diboll location. 1517 North Temple Dr. Diboll,Texas 75941. Kathy Berad, Paul Herring.

South Colony. 120 Whitehouse Dr. lufkin, Texas 75901. Amy Guillory, David Harrell x2 units, Hanna Holcomb.

Short, sweet & to the point! Classified ads are a quick & easy way to get extra cash in your pocket! Call 936-637-7355 to place your ad order today!

Lufkin Middle School Salvage Sale Beginning March 22-26, 2022 Open 10:00 a.m.6:00 p.m. By Hicks Antiques & Estate Sales Visit the Facebook page at hicksantiques for items and details. Contact David Hicks 936-635-5188

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Nacogdoches ISD is soliciting sealed proposals for Fleet Vehicles.

Interested vendors may obtain specifi- cations and information from the District Support Center at 4632 NE Stallings Drive, Nacogdoches, Texas 75961 or by calling 936-569- 5000, ext. 8816. The information may also be viewed and/ or downloaded from http://www.nacisd. org

Only sealed propos- als will be considered and are due by 4:00 pm, Friday, April 11, 2022, at the District Support Center at 4632 NE Stallings Drive, Nacogdoches, Texas 75961. Proposals will not be read publicly. The District reserves the right to hold all pro- posals for 90 days and may accept or reject any or all bids in the best interest of the district.

Felipe Hernandez, Purchasing Supervisor

A TMDL is a detailed water quality assessment that provides the scientific foundation to allocate pollutant loads in a certain body of water in order to restore and maintain designated uses. The commission requests comments on each of the major components of the TMDL: problem definition, endpoint identification, source analysis, linkage analysis, margin of safety, pollutant load allocation, seasonal variation, public participation, and implementation and reasonable assurance.

After the public comment period, TCEQ may revise the draft TMDLs if appropriate. The final TMDLs will then be considered by the commission for adoption. Upon adoption, the final TMDLs and a response to all comments received will be made available on TCEQ’s website. The TMDLs will then be submitted to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 office for final action. Upon approval by EPA, the TMDLs will be certified as an update to the State of Texas Water Quality Management Plan.

Public Meeting and Testimony. TCEQ will hold a public meeting about the draft TMDLs via video conference on April 13, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. You must register in advance to attend the meeting at https:// tinyurl.com/NechesRiverBelowLakePalestine. Upon registration, you will receive details about how to join the meeting. When attending the meeting, please place your computer’s microphone or telephone on MUTE so that background noise is not heard, and turn your video OFF. The proposed draft TMDLs will be available on the project webpage at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/waterquality/tmdl/nav/118-lufkinwatersheds-bacteria. Please periodically check https://www.tceq.texas.gov/waterquality/tmdl/nav/118-lufkinwatershedsbacteria before the meeting date for meeting-related updates

During the public meeting, individuals will have the opportunity to present oral statements. An agency staff member will give a brief presentation at the start of the meeting and will be available to answer questions before and after all oral statements have been received.

Written Comments. Written comments on the draft TMDLs may be submitted in one of the following three ways: by mail to Tim Cawthon, Water Quality Planning Division, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, MC 203, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas, 78711-3087; by fax to fax4808@tceq.texas. gov, or electronically at https://www6.tceq.texas.gov/rules/ecomments/ between March 25 and April 25, 2022.

File size restrictions may apply to comments submitted via the eComments system. All written comments must be received at TCEQ by midnight

in four assessment units: Cedar Creek 0604A_02, Hurricane Creek 0604B_01, Jack Creek 0604C_01, and Biloxi Creek 0604M_03.

This isn’t your parents’ high school

By KAYLEY FRAZE The Lufkin Daily News

ufkin IDS’s new middle school and high school athletic facilities are sure to have other districts trying to keep up with the Pack.

Lufkin taxpayers in May 2018 approved a $75 million bond project that would provide the school district the funds to build a new middle school, a multi-purpose facility for the high school and new softball and baseball fields at the high school.

Lufkin Middle School unveils new campus L

Almost 21/2 years later, in October 2020, the district held a groundbreaking ceremony and tour of the new digs.

The multi-purpose facility officially opened in the fall of 2021. Trustees voted to name the building the “Panther Activity Center,” or “PAC,” during a board meeting.

Now, after moving into the new middle school this past week, students are able to enjoy another part of the bond project.

“We’re extremely excited about the opportunity the bond has brought to Lufkin Middle School and Lufkin ISD,” LMS principal Andres Mijares said. “We’re really excited about the opportunity the community has given us to be able to give our students an upgrade, which was long past due.”

At just under 1,800 students, LMS is one of the biggest middle schools in Texas.

“Lufkin High School got an upgrade back in 1998-99, and this facility was already here when the middle school moved in,” he said. “We needed to focus on the middle school because it was so old, and we do have a big population of students — that creates a lot of wear and tear. We got to a point where it was better to build a new facility instead of draining money into the existing facilities.”

The original middle school was built in the 1950s and served as the Lufkin High School campus. Along the way, Mijares said the district has upgraded and added to it.

“We were at the point just by me being here this last six months that there were a lot of facilities that just needed a lot of maintenance, and it was going to require a lot of funds to upgrade the facilities that we currently have. So the school district moved forward with the bond — which was voted in by the community — and it was needed,” he said. “The students are going to be able to be in a building that they’re proud of and can take pride in, and we can move forward in providing them with a good education.”

With the middle school project, the district is looking at three phases of construction, Mijares said. The district is currently completing Phase 1, which is the completion of the new middle school.

Phase 2 consists of the old wing — which Lufkin residents can see from Denman Avenue — that goes all

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Purple, gold and black accents highlight the floors, walls and ceilings of the new Lufkin Middle School.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

In May 2018, Lufkin voters approved a $75 million bond project that would allow Lufkin ISD to build a new middle school.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Lufkin Middle School principal Andres Mijares stands in a hallway at the new Lufkin Middle School.

IMPACT Making an

Impact Lufkin continues work to improve life in Wards 1 and 2

By JESS HUFF The Lufkin Daily News

Slowly but surely, Impact Lufkin is accomplishing goals established following an Appreciative Inquiry conducted six years ago in conjunction with Stephen F. Austin State University and the T.L.L. Temple Foundation.

In 2016, the nonprofit released results of the inquiry, which identified the needs of Lufkin’s residents who live in Wards 1 and 2 while setting goals that, if accomplished, could meet those needs. The community wanted to see more jobs and economic development, educational opportunities, housing and community safety.

The survey found residents were impacted by a lack of transportation and the need for beautification in the community.

Early on in September 2018, Impact Lufkin announced its purchase of the old Lufkin Country Club, a 170-acre tract of land sitting off Sayers Street. About 10 days later, a team from Texas A&M University presented a master plan filled with ideas for the use of Impact Lufkin’s land.

The master plan sought to bring affordable housing, a community center, parks, businesses, restaurants, a health care center and more.

Four years after the release of the master plan, those living along Sayers Street have seen the construction of two new houses and East Texas Community Health Services.

Though community health was not brought to the area in partnership with the nonprofit, it meets one of the major goals set forth in the survey and master plan.

“That would have been a part of the neighborhood center we had hoped to build, so we haven’t come up with anything else (for that space),”

Impact Lufkin president Robert Shankle said. “That’s

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Impact Lufkin president Robert Shankle gestures toward parts of the old Lufkin Country Club the nonprofit purchased in 2018. The nonprofit is making progress toward developing the property into an area capable of meeting residential needs.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Two houses were constructed on Sayers Street in 2021 as a part of Impact Lufkin’s goal to create affordable housing.

GAME-CHANGER

New soccer facility latest score for AC athletics

By JOSH HAVARD The Lufkin Daily News

Angelina College has never been one to shy away from building facilities that equal and surpass the normal standards of junior college programs.

On the athletic side, Shands Gym is a facility that has been one of the standards of JUCO basketball programs.

The Larry Phillips Sports Complex features baseball and softball fields that feature top-notch facilities for players and fans alike.

All three teams have hosted regional tournaments.

Next up is an on-campus soccer facility that will be the home of another of AC’s

athletic programs.

The facility is currently set to be open in time for preseason practices in the summer before hosting both the men’s and women’s soccer programs’ openers in August.

“It’s a game-changer,” AC president Michael Simon said. “In terms of building enthusiasm for the program and getting top talent to the school, this is a facility we feel can be very beneficial to the program.”

Angelina’s soccer program

had its debut season in 2016. Since then, both teams have exceeded expectations while competing against some of the top programs in the nation.

This past season was proof of the team’s steady ascent in making a name for itself both at a state and national level.

Despite missing the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both the men’s and women’s teams had some of their best seasons in the history of the program.

The Roadrunners were a nationally ranked team that finished the season with a 13-4 record. The Lady Roadrunners drew national rankings in an 11-5 season that ended with a 2-1 loss to national

powerhouse Tyler. “Soccer is our newest athletic program, and we want to make sure they understand how proud the Roadrunner family is of their success,” Simon said. “They’ve already had quite a bit of success in a relatively short amount of time. We feel this can be another step in continuing to build the program.”

Since the soccer program’s inception, the Roadrunners and Lady Roadrunners have used Lufkin High School’s Jase Magers Soccer Field for their games due to AC not having an on-campus stadium.

Simon said the agreement was a positive one for the program throughout the first

six seasons, which saw AC go from a newcomer to one that steadily competed for playoff spots.

“I want to say we are very thankful to Lufkin ISD and to Dr. Lynn Torres (Lufkin superintendent) for letting us use their facility,” Simon said. “They worked cooperatively with us. They’d provide an announcer for our games. That was a fantastic relationship and we deeply appreciate their support.

“But when you think from a coaching standpoint, now our coaches are able to walk a prospective athlete out on the field while they’re right here on campus and show them where they’re going to compete. That can make a dif-

ference for students making their college decision.”

The new soccer field will be located next to the baseball and softball fields at the Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex.

The new field will be similar to how the baseball field is set up as it will be cut into the side of the hill.

Seating will include a variety of options.

“There will be stands down on the hillside, but we also wanted to have grassy areas for the fans,” Simon said. “Families can set up their own picnic type areas. We feel like you can make a family day out of it. It’s really going

Serving East Texas for 57 Years

GARY STALLARD/For The Lufkin Daily News

Construction is under way on the new Angelina College soccer facility in the Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex. The facility is currently set to be open in time for preseason practices in the summer before hosting both the men’s and women’s soccer programs’ openers in August.

SIMOn

the way to the science wing, he said. The science wing, the new wing and the band hall will be remodeled, and everything between the science wing and the auditorium will come down, along with the third wing behind it, he said. Phase 3 will be finishing up the library and the special education wing. The district hopes to have these projects completed by the spring of 2024.

“These phases are really going to allow us to take our kids into state-of-the-art facilities that are going to provide them with an exceptional academic environment that’s conducive to learning,” he said. “I’m really excited about being able to present this awesome new campus to our community, to our kids and to our staff.”

Mijares said he is most excited about the classrooms in the new middle school. They will provide students with a clean atmosphere that will allow them to focus on their education.

“I’m also focused on our teachers being able to provide them with a good education,” he said. “It’s a school everyone can be proud of. We’re extremely grateful to the community and to our voters and taxpayers because we need to provide our kids with the best Lufkin has to offer.

‘‘We have outstanding kids, we have kids that deserve the best, so we should be able to provide them the best. And I think this middle school is allowing us the opportunity to do so.”

Kayley Fraze’s email address is kayley.fraze@lufkindailynews.com.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Lufkin Middle School principal Andres Mijares sits at a desk in a classroom at the school’s new campus.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

A new science lab is equipped for studies at the new Lufkin Middle School.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News LMS is painted on the court of the new Lufkin Middle School gym.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

A classroom at the new Lufkin Middle School awaits students prior to the first day of classes in the new facility.

Inspiring buzz words decorate a wall at the new Lufkin Middle School campus.

JOEL ANDREWS/ The Lufkin Daily News

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

The new Lufkin Middle School gym features bright accent colors and plenty of light.

Soccer

to be a nice facility to watch a game.”

Simon said the on-campus facility has been made possible due to the support of the community for the college and its various programs.

“We’ve been very fortunate and blessed that there has been very strong support from the community for our soccer program,” Simon said. “Now we’re glad to be able to have this enthusiasm right here on campus. It’s going to be special for them to be able to play in front of their peers.

“We have a great relationship with the community. It’s not just our athletic programs, but it goes on to our visual and performing arts programs and others as well. The college adds value to the community, and the community makes things like this possible.”

The program doesn’t have any immediate plans to name the soccer facility. It will open in the fall as the Angelina College Soccer Field, which will be played at the Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex.

At some point, the facility could be renamed, although that has yet to be discussed.

Simon said AC’s athletic program is one that has benefits all around.

“One of the reasons I was attracted to Angelina College was their great intercollegiate athletics program. It adds so much not just for the student-athletes but for the students as well.”

The AC athletic program has gone through one of its best stretches in school history.

The softball team won the national title in 2014 and was the national runner-up in 2019.

The women’s basketball team won the Region XIV title in 2019, which automatically qualified it for the national tournament.

The men’s basketball team qualified for the national tournament by winning Region XIV in 2020. It was AC’s first time to qualify for the national tournament since 1998, although it was eventually canceled due to COVID-19.

“We want to underscore how much our student-athletes really appreciate having our community come out and support them,”

Simon said. “We’re putting a quality product out there on the courts and the fields. For anyone who hasn’t come out, they’re missing a great opportunity. We encourage everyone to come out and support the product we have put out here.”

Josh Havard’s email address is josh.havard@lufkindailynews.com.

Continued from Page 3F

GARY STALLARD/For The Lufkin Daily News

Work continues on the new soccer fields behind the baseball/softball fields at Angelina College’s Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex.

GARY STALLARD/For The Lufkin Daily News

AC’s new soccer field will open in the fall as the Angelina College Soccer Field, which will be played at the Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex.

still up for discussion.”

But the space will be filled with something that meets the community’s needs, he said.

Phase 1

The houses are a part of the first phase of property development set forth by the nonprofit, Shankle said. Their placement was dictated out of necessity and will result in a reimagining of the original master plan by Texas A&M. But one house is already occupied and the contracts are being finalized on the other, Shankle said.

“Housing was one of the biggest issues — affordable housing,” he said. “That was the first step we took.”

The nonprofit broke ground on the three bedroom, two bathroom houses along Sayers Street in early December 2020. They were constructed by Hicks Co., a company owned by Lufkin Mayor Mark Hicks.

Seven different banks have taken on the initiative to help prospective homeowners into the nonprofits’ new homes — their focus being on helping those who may not otherwise qualify for homeownership,

Shankle said.

Homeownership is crucial for helping low-income families out of poverty, a report released by the national Habitat for Humanity organization states. Homeownership leads to an increase in graduation rates, children’s health and the net family wealth. It also helps reduce reliance on government assistance.

“When you own a house you will take better care of it — not saying people who don’t won’t — but if you have a house, you take more pride in keeping it up,” he said. “Then it just beautifies the scenery of where you live at.”

He hopes to get a community garden started as people begin occupying the homes, something they can walk out behind their homes and help maintain and of which they can enjoy the fruits.

The nonprofit will construct eight homes in total, each with three bedrooms, two baths and a fenced-in backyard. They will cost an average of $139,000, Shankle said.

“To walk through the house, if I weren’t the president of this organization, I’d

be trying to get into one myself,” he said. “Those are nice houses for the price they’re being sold.”

He thinks construction of the eight houses will be completed by December, but said the weather slowed the progress some. He thinks crews will get a lot of work done this spring and summer, though.

“We have to fulfill our promise to the community, and that was one of our promises — we will build affordable housing,” Shankle said. “So it’s up to them now to apply to get one of these houses.”

The nonprofit also will construct a small street through the former golf course property in hopes of relieving the potential congestion issues residents may face with development.

What’s next?

In Phase 2, Impact Lufkin hopes to bring a small community grocery store to the area. Shankle said the nonprofit is in talks with a local grocer. He said he hopes to make a big announcement in 2022 about that particular project.

Another goal was the construction of a light manufacturing facility that residents could find employment with; the nonprofit hasn’t reached the point to bring in any manufacturers, Shankle said. But it did sell 25 acres to the Community Foundation, and Shankle thinks the foundation has some leads on a potential buyer.

The community center will

likely be the last thing the nonprofit works on, he said.

Cost estimates received a few years ago suggested it would cost close to $10 million to construct a facility capable of meeting the needs expressed by the community, Shankle said. And since then, inflation has skyrocketed.

The nonprofit also wants to make sure the center is run by people who know what

they are doing and will make it a true benefit to residents.

For now, the nonprofit will move as it receives grants and such to tackle each of the community initiatives. And in the meantime, the property will be made accessible for events including cross country meets, fishing tournaments and more.

Jess Huff’s email address is jess.huff@lufkindailynews.com.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

This house on Sayers Street was constructed as a part of the Impact Lufkin initiative following the 2016 Appreciative Inquiry. It is the second of two started in 2021, and there are six more to be completed before Impact Lufkin has met its goal for affordable housing.

Flores shares state of parks

By JESS HUFF The Lufkin Daily News

It is spring in Lufkin again, and in the gently warming weather, residents are returning to the city’s parks for some much-needed fun.

Lufkin is home to 16 parks, four trails, three spray plays, two community centers, one swimming pool and one recreation center. And even as the cool days melt into a warm summer, the city has begun working on projects planned before and during the pandemic.

“Green Spaces are a way for a city to protect natural resources in different areas of our city,” Parks & Recreation director Rudy Flores said. “These passive areas allow nature to take full bloom while providing a space where park patrons can relax, reduce stress and boost mental health.”

Parks are designed according to the area’s geographical features, so each of Lufkin’s parks was uniquely designed to meet the needs of its closest patrons when it was constructed, Flores said.

“You can always identify an older playground in a park if you see the tall metal slide we all remember from our childhood,” he said. “The slide in question is a concept from the 1970s. You can spot the age of a park or playground because of that decade’s park design or trends.”

Another example of this is in playgrounds built before the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in July 1990. They weren’t readily accessible for residents with physical disabilities and changed dramatically in the 31 years since.

“The outlook for our parks seeks to form a clear vision to meet our current community’s diverse and changing needs,” Flores said. “Some of the park concepts that are currently trending are technology-enabled interactivity, nature-based design, intergenerational and inclusive design, physical distancing, to name a few.”

The National Recreation and Park Association Magazine in 2017 published an article reviewing the use of technology to engage and inspire children using city parks. Cities across the U.S. have begun including technology into their park plans, the magazine reported. Whether it is the addition of Wi-Fi or the placement of charging benches, cities like Los Angeles are focused on bringing residents to their public amenities by plugging the community in.

Lufkin implemented something similar to this concept in 2019 with the addition of workout stations to the Azalea Trail with which patrons need only scan a QR code with their phones to be provided with short drills they can implement on their walk.

And almost contrasting the goals with bringing technology to nature, some designers believe parks should encourage

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

A man fishes at Jones Park in Lufkin. The city recently installed a walking path around Jones Park Lake to encourage residents to get out and enjoy the waterfront.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

An information board at the Ellen Trout Park tells patrons about the nature trail encircling Ellen Trout Lake outside of the zoo.

First-class facilities benefit students, community

By JOSH HAVARD The Lufkin Daily News

Lufkin has always been quite a sports town. From state championships in baseball, football, basketball and soccer to the back-to-back national titles of the Thundering 13 and Fierce 14s, sports have a way of bringing the community together.

Thanks to some major recent additions, the rest of the state is getting to share what East Texans already knew: The Lufkin area is a pretty special place when it comes to the athletic spectrum.

Lufkin opened what is now known as the Panther Athletic Center prior to the volleyball season in August. After each team played a game there last spring, the new baseball and softball fields officially opened for games in February.

In terms of 5A athletic facilities, it is not an overstatement to say Lufkin stands on its own.

“I think it’s safe to say it’s surpassed expectations,” Lufkin athletic director and head football coach Todd Quick said. “When they passed the bond, the school board and administration went to work on it. They knew we had one chance to really do it right.

“They understood the importance of it. Of course it’s going to affect the kids in school now, but this is also going to affect people for 20 years, not just one. They knew this opportunity only comes once and they made sure they did it right.”

The results already speak for themselves as it has become a venue for events at a statewide level.

The Panther Activity Center, otherwise known as “The PAC,” hosted the Class 6A Region II Volleyball Tournament that featured The Woodlands, DeSoto, Mansfield and Klein. With teams from much larger enrollments in town, Lufkin was able to put on a successful event.

Lufkin hosted both the boys and girls Class 4A Region III basketball tournaments over the recent months.

“Just in basketball, we hosted 12 playoff games, two regional tournaments and a couple of warm-up games,” Quick said. “At Panther Gym, I think we hosted six games one time and everything else was below that. We’ve obviously doubled that with a bigger facility.

“This is a place that people want to come to and people want to play at. It’s rated at 3,500 people both for seating and standing. We hosted Silsbee and Houston Washington, which wasn’t a total sellout, but we were close. There isn’t a chance we could have had a big-profile game between those two teams in the past if we wanted to let all their fans in.”

While the basketball facility has shown the benefits at a regional and statewide level, the local teams also made themselves at home in the facility’s inaugural season.

The Pack basketball team put together their best season since 1979, advancing to a regional tournament of their own. They went undefeated at home until the last week of the regular season.

The Lady Pack basketball team swept its home district games in securing the district’s second seed and just missing out on the 16-5A title by a single game.

Lufkin’s volleyball team was nearly flawless at home on its way to clinching another district title.

Once those teams were on the road for their playoff runs, the new facility welcomed in teams from across the region.

“If you build it, then they’ll schedule it,” Quick said. “It’s been kind of the magnet we thought it would be in terms of teams wanting to play here.”

With the scheduling of the games, Lufkin is able to use the money from those playoffs to help with upkeep on each of the new facilities.

“It goes to the maintenance with the upkeep,” Quick said. “You want to keep the facilities nice where everybody still comes here. This isn’t a museum. These facilities are here to be used.”

Quick also said that while he couldn’t speak to the exact community impact, he was confident those games and tournaments brought plenty of added revenue to the community.

“When the regional tournament was here, one of the teams had to stay north of us because there were no hotel rooms available here in

town,” Quick said. “I think that in itself speaks to how many people were here that weekend. Fans, players, coaches and families come into town for places like this and they’re going to eat, they’re going to shop and they’re going to need a place to stay. I think that has to have a positive impact.”

While the PAC has seen the majority of benefits, the Lufkin baseball and softball teams already have seen plenty of benefits from the new fields.

With winter rain usually wreaking havoc on preseason practice schedules, those teams have had the benefit of the new turf fields.

“We’re so used to having to change the schedule every day that

we almost don’t know how to handle this,” Lufkin head coach John Cobb said. “We’ve had years where we got on the field three times before the season just because it was too wet to play on. This year, it’s been almost nothing. There isn’t any telling how much practice time we’ve saved just by being here.”

The baseball team also hosted two tournaments for the first time. In addition to the annual Pete Runnels tournament, it hosted the Integra Classic.

Each tournament saw a strong level of competition, something Cobb said could be attributed to the new facilities. Only one game was lost between the two tournaments due to weather when a storm hit on the second night of the Integra Classic.

“If they can, most teams are going to try for tournaments with turf fields because you don’t have to worry about losing a whole weekend,” Cobb said. “I think that helped us get a few of these teams here.”

The baseball and softball teams also were having plenty of success as both appear ready for postseason

runs.

An extra benefit for the athletic program has been in the safety aspect of students, something that was a major selling point when the bond issue was voted on.

In past years, softball and baseball players would need to travel across town to Morris Frank Park for after school practices and games.

Basketball players would need to make the trip to the middle school. With the new facilities, all practices and games are at the on-campus location.

“We were all 16 years old at one time, and we know we’d wait until the last second to get where we needed to be,” Quick said. “Anytime you can keep them off the road for a little bit, it’s a positive. Parents don’t know whose riding with who. Then you’ve got three 16-year-old boys or girls in a car. It’s better for all of us that they can just go across the parking lot.

“Besides that, our baseball and softball coaches figured out they’re getting an extra two weeks of practice time throughout the year just from the time it takes to get out there. They’ve got more time to recover, study and relax. All that adds up for student-athletes throughout the season.”

Like the basketball facility, the baseball and softball teams also are expecting a much larger slate of playoff games at their facilities this year.

With the turf fields, there will likely be at least one game or series at each field each weekend throughout April and May.

“We’re not far removed from the situation of looking for a turf field just because all the grass ones weren’t playable,” Quick said. “We drove to Mumford one time just because they had a turf field. We expect we’ll be pretty busy for the playoffs with this facility.”

With all the new facilities wrapping up their first year of use, Lufkin has high school facilities that are built for the long haul.

“The school board, the administration and the community did what’s right for the kids,” Quick said. “That doesn’t go unnoticed.”

josh.havard@lufkindailynews.com.

Josh Havard’s email address is

JOEL ANDREWS/Lufkin Daily News file photo

The “LP” sign is illuminated during an October 2020 tour of Lufkin High School’s multi-purpose facility, recently renamed the Panther Athletic Center or “PAC.”

JOEL ANDREWS/Lufkin Daily News file photo Lufkin’s O’Ryan Hart (12) goes around Marshall’s Domar Roberson for a basket during non-district basketball action in December 2021 at the Lufkin High School multi-purpose facility, recently renamed “The Pac.”

DRONE PHOTO BY LANGSTON CONSTRUCTION

This June 2020 aerial photo shows construction on two Lufkin ISD bond projects for ball fields and a multi-purpose facility at the high school by Langston Construction.

JOEL ANDREWS/Lufkin Daily News file photo

Lake Belton’s Logan Flores dives back to first base in front of Lufkin first baseman Hunter Ditsworth March 11 during baseball action at the Integra Classic at Lufkin High School’s new baseball complex.

Ford embraces forward thinking through skill development program, Lufkin Forward 2.0

By KAYLEY FRAZE The Lufkin Daily News

Those interested in Lufkin’s future can rest assured one of the visionaries moving it forward has her eye on the ball.

Ivorie Ford, owner of F.I.F.T.H. Quarter Performance, joined Lufkin Forward 2.0 in December 2021 because she believes East Texans can progress if they are willing to open themselves to new experiences.

“If we are forward thinking, if one person progresses, then their group of people can progress and it becomes a ripple effect to the community, then it goes to the city, then so on and so forth,” she said.

Ford was born and raised in Lufkin and, with the exception of when she attended the University of Texas in Arlington, has lived here her whole life. She graduated from Lufkin High School in 2011 and studied exercise science in college.

“Growing up, I’ve always been an athlete and I really understood at an early age that life would be more than just sports for me,” she said. “Originally, I wanted to go to school to be a physical therapist, so I went to school and was exposed to a completely different side of the sports industry, which really piqued my interest on the training aspect with that particular degree from internships that I was a part of.”

Ford said her time at college offered her the chance to experience different things she wished she would have had the opportunity to experience growing up as a student athlete in Lufkin.

“It was really the training,” she said. “I wish I had somebody to really take the time and not just encourage me about where I was already advanced but to really help me work on what I would consider minute details about

mechanics, mobility, flexibility, strength, conditioning, mindset, nutrition, the holistic approach of being a great athlete.”

Ford graduated from UT Arlington in 2015 and stayed in the area for about a year but ultimately moved back to Lufkin.

“It was laid on my heart to move back to meet that need that I wish I had when I was a student-athlete here, so in transitioning, I moved back and I was really just doing general fitness because I was trying to find my way,’’ she said. ‘‘But as the years have progressed, it’s become evident to me that my calling, my ministry, is really just to student-athletes so that’s one

of the things I’ve taken more time to do.”

Ford started F.I.F.T.H.

Quarter Performance in 2019 to fulfill that calling. It provides her a way to connect and mentor athletes not just on the court or field but in life in general, she said. The program provides skill development sessions in basketball and volleyball and strength and conditioning.

The program has grown over the years, but Ford said she still has some major goals she wants to accomplish to better serve athletes.

“Really, I just want to provide more services that we can help athletes not have a rural city mindset but to understand that we do have

resources and opportunities that can help you go to the next level — it’s just them being exposed to them,” she said. “In Lufkin, we’re geographically disadvantaged because we don’t have a lot of resources that the city has. My goal is to not necessarily take them there but to bring it to them.”

Ford said she believes God placed her on this earth to share firsthand the things she has experienced. That transitions into Lufkin Forward 2.0 because they are all forward

thinking, she said.

“I believe that F.I.F.T.H. Quarter Performance adds value to that in that that’s what we’re standing for — not to have the mindset that just because we’re in East Texas we can’t do certain things,” she said. “Starting with youth athletes, we’re able to connect with the future generations — if we can cultivate that mindset then it’s only gonna better the city.”

That’s important, Ford said, because one of the reasons she found it difficult to move

back to Lufkin was she felt it was complacent.

“It was a breath of fresh air to me that city officials and leaders really were putting forth an effort to do things different and to bring about a change for the people,’’ she said. ‘‘That’s what I’m all about: bettering ourselves, making sure we’re moving forward, progressing and making sure we’re putting ourselves in a position to grow.’’

Kayley Fraze’s email address is kayley.fraze@lufkindailynews.com.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Ivorie Ford, owner of F.I.F.T.H. Quarter Performance, poses for a photo in the Gains and Glory gym.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Ivorie Ford shares her thoughts on the Lufkin Forward 2.0 project.

Parks

children to play in those made with more natural materials. WGI, a Floridabased engineering firm, has begun constructing playgrounds like this across Florida. In an article by the company, the writer explores ways in which parks created using wood, metal and other more natural products can engage children and still be accessible for those who have special needs.

“The average life of our playgrounds across all parks is around 10-12 years old,” Flores said. “All of our parks are under the new outlook to find what best represents our community right now. I am confident we will see some

over East Texas.”

The city also has Morris Frank Park in its sights as local leaders seek to make it a “premier park and destination for all sports,” Flores said. Morris Frank Park has baseball, softball and soccer facilities, as well as an 18-hole disc golf course, wetland garden, trail, lake, playground and picnic area.

“In the Parks & Recreation world, we like to use the abbreviation C.A.P.P.A. Culture, Active, Passive, Primitive and Aquatics,” Flores said.

Rudy considers those to be the top five ways to define recreation and said green spaces would be a combination of passive space and primitive areas.

“The importance of preserving or developing green spaces ensures our citizens have the freedom to create their type of recreation,” he said.

additions soon”

The city of Lufkin accomplished several projects during 2021 to improve local

parks, he said. The Jones Walking Trail is a new addition to Jones Park and provides a lakeside view for

patrons, he said. “Additionally, the department is excited to be working on the renovations of Kurth

Lake Lodge located on Kurth Lake,” he said. “The new attention to the lodge will attract venue-seekers from all

Jess Huff’s email address is jess.huff@lufkindailynews.com.

Continued from Page 1G

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

The entrance to Morris Frank Park greets guests. Parks & Recreation director Rudy Flores said Lufkin intends to make the space a premier spot for sports in East Texas.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

At the end of the long driveway into Kit McConnico Park sits several softball and soccer fields for sports enthusiasts.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

The playground at Winston Park sits empty on a warm spring day. The park is on the northeast end of Timberland Drive, near St. Patrick Catholic Church.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

The Z&OO Train transports visitors of Ellen Trout Park around the zoo and lake. The train has rumbled down Lufkin’s tracks for around 50 years, with ticket proceeds supporting local nonprofits.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Patrons meander in and around Lufkin’s Kiwanis Park pavilion.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Cars are parked at Kit McConnico Park while patrons enjoy the park’s playground, softball or soccer fields.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News The Jones Park Pavilion is one of several amenities the 47acre park offers the community. Patrons also have access to a bandstand, picnic area, playground, restroom, swimming pool, tennis court, volleyball court, lake, trail and spray play pad.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Local teens play basketball at Grace Dunne Richardson Park. The park also is home to a softball field, baseball field, volleyball court and soccer field.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Children swing in the early afternoon at Grace Dunne Richardson Park. The park is one of two connected to Lufkin’s Azalea Trail. Patrons also can enjoy a pavilion, bandstand and picnic area.

FLOrES

Guerrero’s drive fuels passion to move city forward

By KAYLEY FRAZE The Lufkin Daily News

Liya Guerrero considers Lufkin Forward an investment in her future. Her unique perspective is what she invests in the project.

Guerrero said she was excited to be able to represent the people of Lufkin when she joined the board. The owner of Bella Grace Shoppe in downtown Lufkin, she has lived here her whole life.

“I look like you, I live where you live,” she said.

“Just like you, I could be a wife, I could be a mother, I could be a sister, I could be someone’s cousin, I could be a friend and I’m a business owner, so I feel like we relate to a lot of people in our community because we are true members of the community.”

Guerrero was born and raised in Lufkin, graduating from Lufkin High School in 2009. She worked in corrections for a while at the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office, worked in the medical field in Nacogdoches, worked at a bank and dabbled in photography and makeup artistry before opening Bella Grace Shoppe in 2019.

“I was all over the place; I wasn’t conformed to one idea of what my life should look like, but I knew that it wasn’t going to be in corporate America,” she said.

“I’m a little more artistic in a sense, and creative, and I’m not all black and white. Working all these jobs I felt was necessary to teach me the selfdiscipline and character that I have today. I don’t regret all of the things I’ve put my hand in because they’ve prepared me for seeing an avenue that looks successful to me.”

Bella Grace Shoppe was created from a vision that was all her own, Guerrero said. She built the store from nothing and has no loved ones with prior business knowledge, she said.

“Absolutely no one helped me with my store, and that’s been my biggest success to this day,” she said. “It was a

lot of late nights, determination, self-discipline — and I feel like these things help me with Lufkin Forward, that drive and determination of always wanting more.”

Guerrero didn’t always know she wanted to open her own store, but the idea came about from promoting other businesses, she said.

“In the past, companies would send me free makeup or want me to model clothes — I was always kind of being invested in as an influencer. I figured if the power lies within me, why not take

advantage and hit the ground running and open my own business?” she said. “I was already promoting other businesses — why not go ahead and invest in myself and in my future?”

Guerrero’s store is named after her daughter Grace. She also was adamant when creating the store that ‘Shoppe’ be in the name, not boutique, she said.

“I knew with it being labeled as a shop, I’d be able to carry a lot more than just traditional boutique clothing, so in the long run I do hope

to invest in other things that aren’t traditional boutique items,” she said. “My husband was in the Marine Corps, and eventually, I do want to have a men’s section.”

Just as Guerrero loves being able to bring something unique to downtown Lufkin, she is able to offer that same unique perspective to Lufkin Forward 2.0 by being a Latina, she said.

“The board that we have now is very diverse, and we all are someone in the community that you can relate to,” she said. “I can represent the Hispanic community, and

they’ll feel more open to talk to me, and my store gave me the platform for that because I meet so many people here. If they don’t personally know me, they at least know my face and it’s trusted.”

Guerrero said she dove in head first to Lufkin Forward 2.0 because she had already seen Lufkin Economic Development director Bob Samford speak and had seen how passionate he was.

“I just knew it was going to be a good team, especially when he mentioned the other people he wanted on the advi-

sory council. I knew it was going to be a strong foundation for all of us and a safe space for all of us to grow with the community,” she said.

“It’s a chance for us to build the community together, and I feel like we finally have a shot at it with the diverse board, which is something we haven’t seen, and we have honest, direct members, and we’re going to be able to have those conversations with people and move the city forward.”

Kayley Fraze’s email address is kayley.fraze@lufkindailynews.com.

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JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Lufkin Forward 2.0 member Liya Guerrero, owner of Bella Grace Shoppe, dresses a mannequin in her downtown store.

Ogden brings ability to talk, connect with people to the table in her role with Lufkin Forward 2.0

By KAYLEY FRAZE

Kim Ogden said Lufkin Economic Development director Bob Samford approached her about joining Lufkin Forward 2.0 after her 2021 bid for city council.

She said Samford had been watching her campaign and thought she would be a great addition to the team.

“Bob’s enthusiasm, not just for Lufkin Forward 2.0, but for the community and for this town — it is an all-encompassing excitement, and he relays that to you so well that you want to be a part of it,” Ogden said.

Ogden’s family moved to Lufkin in the early 1980s, and she graduated from Lufkin High School in 1998. She received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Texas A&M University and received a master’s degree in criminology from the University of

Cincinnati.

“I always wanted to be Indiana Jones growing up,” she said laughing. “I got to Texas A&M as an adult and realized there’s no such animal. A&M offered this anthropology course with a very heavy emphasis on forensics and anatomy, and I fell in love with it.”

Ogden had been a police officer before she and her husband — who is a fighter pilot — moved to Corpus Christi so he could train pilots to fly fighter jets.

“I worked for a medical examiner’s office down there as their only female investigator, so what I would do is investigate all unattended deaths in Oasis County and in the 14 surrounding counties,” she said. “The South Texas Rangers division contracted me as an anthropologist to come down to the border and identify human remains in clandestine graves.”

Ogden said she ultimately moved back to Lufkin because she and her husband wanted their children to be raised the

same way they had been.

She began working at Woodland Heights as a clinical and non-clinical recruiter and also worked in the marketing department. Ogden also worked in marketing for Brookshire Brothers and owned Journey Magazine.

“I really found my place working as a medical examiner — that kind of field working with deceased people, I was built for that. I was really good at it; it didn’t affect me,” she said. “When we got back to Lufkin, we have a (justice of the peace) system here, so I didn’t have a job as an investigator here that wasn’t part of a police force. I kind of found my way into marketing and relations for people, and it worked.”

Ogden returned to Woodland Heights five years ago and now works as a registered nurse recruiter.

“I absolutely love my job. I recruit people for this hospital. My dad was a physician here forever and I grew up here. That’s what I love the most about what I do — I get

to talk to brand new people every single day,” she said.

“I talk to all kinds of new people I’ve never met, I get to bring them here to the hospital, I get to introduce them to my work family here, they get to meet our staff, they get to see how our hospital runs and they are able to get hired into it and come on to our team and be a part of us.

‘‘I find the right people to help our patients, help our staff and I love it.”

Ogden’s ability to talk to people is what helps her with Lufkin Forward 2.0, and that is what she brings to the table, she said.

“All of us — myself, Liya, Coach Ivorie — we’re all very involved in our community and we enjoy going out and talking with people and hearing their stories,” she said.

“As this progresses, as Lufkin 2.0 progresses, our jobs are going to be getting out into the community and talking to people, holding different meetings where we meet all different kinds of the community. I think my skill

set I’m bringing is very much a personality to be able to sit and talk and listen and take what I hear and process it in a way that Lufkin Forward can move on a project.”

Ogden said being a part of Lufkin Forward 2.0 means leaving behind a legacy.

“When I ran for city council, that was one of my big things was that I wanted to make a community better than what it is, which, it’s a great community, but to grow it and move it forward and to

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leave something for my son so one day he can look back and be like, ‘That was great. I remember when my mom and this team were able to bring projects to life here so our future generations can enjoy it,’” she said.

“I want Carter and his generation to look at this town and grow up in it and to love it just as much as we do — and to be proud to be from here.”

Kayley Fraze’s email address is kayley.fraze@lufkindailynews.com.

Kim Ogden hopes to make improvements to Lufkin that future generations can enjoy and be proud of in her role with the Lufkin Foward 2.0 project.