Lufkin Daily News - General Excellence - 08202022

School officials weigh in on rating

By KAYLEY FRAZE The Lufkin Daily News

Museum art

achievement,” which evaluates State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness and End of Course exam performances in selected grades and subjects for all students on general and alternate assessments; college, career and military readiness indicators;

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Relatives seeking answers in death of Brian Brown

By JESS HUFF The Lufkin Daily News

Twenty days ago, 36-year-old Brian Lafeyette Brown’s sister found him dead in his home, with his 6-month-old daughter sitting beside his body. Today, his family hopes to see more movement on the investigation of his death.

On Aug. 1, Angelina County Sheriff’s Office Cpt. Alton Lenderman released information on a homicide in the 200 block of Dudley Road — naming Brian as the victim. Dudley Road is a small offshoot road into a community that sits just off state Highway 103 east. It is about a two-minute drive from the Shady Grove RV Park.

EDUCATION

SFA mulls joining university system

By JOSH EDWARDS The Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel

day

In the letters, Westbrook says he was asked to gather input on partnering with one of “several” university systems that had shown interest in SFA.

In a presentation welcoming faculty and staff back to campus,

Angelina County education leaders are feeling proud of their campuses after receiving As and Bs on their latest report cards.

The Texas Education Agency released its 2022 school district accountability ratings earlier this week. Due to COVID-19, the TEA had last rated schools in 2019. This year, 1,195 districts and 8,451 campuses were rated statewide. The accountability ratings are based on three domains, the firstbeing “student

FLOWERS WEBB

THOMAS

GUNTER RISNER

TORRES GASTON CRAWFORD

NACOGDOCHES — Stephen F. Austin State University is exploring joining one of four of the state’s university systems. The university has made no formal announcement about seeking a partnership, but speculation about joining a system has been rampant in recent weeks leading up to letters sent Thurs-

by interim president Steve Westbrook to members of the SFA Alumni Association and university employees.

CONTRIBUTED

Brian Brown and his sister Brinesha pose for a selfie together in May 2022. SEE DEATH, PAGE 3A

Family Day scheduled for Aug. 27

Families can bask in the unseasonably cool temperatures expected for next weekend as the Texas Forestry Museum invites guests to step outdoors for a number of free, fun and kid-friendly activities.

Family Day — set for 10 a.m.-noon Aug. 27 — has been hosted by the museum almost every year for the last nine. The event allows the museum to stress

the importance of getting outdoors and offers guests the opportunity to explore its interactivity. As such, the museum tries to make its events engaging, education coordinator Kaitlin Wieseman said.

WIESEMan

“We feel it’s important to offer the community events that everyone can enjoy and not

GETCAP offers training, education aid

information, email Shawna Jordan at sjordan@get-cap. org or call (936) 615-0522.

have to worry about it costing them too much,” she said. “The event is free and for families from all around to enjoy some fun activities.”

Family Day will take place behind the museum and feature a waterslide, popsicles, sidewalk-painting, games and crafts.

“We hope families will join us at Family Day for all the activities and explore what the museum has to offer,” Wieseman said. Kayley Fraze’s email address is kayley.fraze@lufkindailynews.com.

BIBLE VEr SES

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4 n ew american Standard, 1995

LPD: Intoxicated man repeatedly walks into traffi

The Lufkin Daily News

Lufkin police arrested Kunta Kinte Williams, 45, of Houston, on charges of public intoxication and criminal mischief after he walked in and out of trafficand broke a gas station squeegee in the 800 block of South Timberland Drive around 3:40 p.m. Thursday, according to a police report.

Thursday.

Someone reported a burglary in the 3700 block of U.S. Highway 69 north around 5:05 p.m. Thursday.

As the new school year approaches, East Texans can use the funds for training, retraining or to earn degrees. Funding also is available for the support services those attending classes often need, as well.

“Many people are rethinking their career choices,’’ according to division director Teresa Land. ‘‘The economy has definitey changed with COVID. Short-term training classes, certificte classes or a college degree may be a goal for those wishing to have more stability or a better paying job. Funding and support are now available for those who seek to improve their situation.”

The RISE Case Management Program provides assistance with expenses related to training or education. Support services for rent, utilities and other needs may be available.

Eligibility is based on household income and circumstances. GETCAP is partnering with local community colleges and universities as well as other training entities to encourage students to seek education.

The application can be found at get-cap.org. For more

Merline Roach

“This is the best opportunity we have seen in years for comprehensive support to help individuals complete training and degrees,’’ executive director Karen Swenson said. ‘‘This funding likely will not continue. We really hope many in rural East Texas take advantage of this opportunity. The application process does take some time but can truly be life-changing.”

For more information about all GETCAP assistance programs, visit get-cap.org.

Myrl Ray Luce

Mr. Luce was born September 20, 1937 in Wells, Texas to the late Gertrude (Allen) and Myrl Luce, and died Wednesday, August 17, 2022 at his residence.

Williams also was arrested on a public intoxication charge Wednesday morning for allegedly walking into incoming traf fic in the 600 block of East Lufkin Avenue.

Police arrested a woman on a charge of possession of a controlled substance after a report of suspicious behavior in the 200 block of South Timberland Drive around 2:10 a.m. Friday.

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Mr. Luce resided in Hudson most of his life. He retired following 20 years as an electrician with IBEW Local 479. Mr. Luce was a very strong family man and a devoted husband, father, and Papa. He was a member of Keltys First Baptist Church.

Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Virginia (Fulmer) Luce; children, Timothy Brian Luce and LaNette Luce Childers; grandchildren and spouses, Tricia and Eric Ellingson, Clarissa Taylor, Bruce and Jana Childers, Blake and Kendra Childers, Bradley and Crystal Childers, Craig and Jaclyn Childers, Rayanne Crawford, and Brian Luce; great-grandchildren, Destiny and husband Reid Koon, Grace Hall, Jac Cunningham, Audrey Hollingshead, Chandler Taylor, Layla Taylor, Calli Childers, Aaliyah Childers, Elias Childers, Elkin Childers, Trail Wilkes, Madilyn Childers, Destinie Ford, Riley Crawford and Gus Crawford; great-great-grandchildren, Korleigh Berry, Camreigh Berry, Halston Ford, Ryan Koon, and Allison Koon; niece, Rejena Luce; nephew, Roy Luce, Jr.; special cousin, David and wife Debbie Allen; and special friend of the family, Matt and wife Katrina Harris.

Someone turned over an air conditioning unit at an auto dealership in the 1500 block of South First Street around 12:55 p.m. Thursday.

A woman reported being hit by her granddaughter in the 300 block of East Jodie Avenue at 1:10 p.m. Thursday.

A man stole gas from a gas station in the 1900 block of West Frank Avenue around 1:20 p.m. Thursday.

The Lufkin Police Department made three arrests late Thursday and early Friday. Arrests and charges include: Tamela Tamor Dean, 44, of Lufkin, warrants for driving while intoxicated, accident involving damage to a vehicle greater than or equal to $200 and bail jumping and failure to appear; Humberto Gonzalez, 41, of Lufkin, war rant for assault of a family/household member with a previous conviction; and Shaneque Nicole Maxie, 37, of Lufkin, possession of between 1 and 4 grams of a penalty group 2 controlled substance and warrants for grand jury indictment for bail jumping and failure to appear and theft of property between $1,500 and $20,000.

The Diboll Police Department arrested Juan Santellano 40, of Lufkin, charges of failure to identify giving false/fictitiousinformation, criminal trespass and warrants for terroristic threat of a family/household member.

The Angelina County Sheriff’s Offic made three arrests late Thursday and early Friday.

Gold

He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Michael Luce; and brother, Roy Luce.

Someone stole speakers and tools from a vehicle in the 1800 block of Atkinson Drive around 6:45 p.m. Thursday.

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Funeral services for Merline Roach, 97, of Lufkin will be held Saturday, August 20, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. in the Carroway Funeral Home Chapel with Brother Jimmy Runnels and Brother Erick Koenig officiating. Interment will follow in the Berry Cemetery.

Mrs. Roach was born March 30, 1925 in the Moffett Community of Angelina County, Texas to Jim McKinney and Ida (Haley) McKinney. She passed away Tuesday, August 16, 2022 in a nursing facility in Decatur, Texas.

She was a strong woman of faith; baptized at age 19 she was a faithful, dedicated member of the Lufkin East congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and found much happiness in sharing the Bible, and preaching God’s word to others. Her faith was her guide throughout her life. She loved working in her yard and the garden which she kept until she was 90! She enjoyed dominoes, playing 42, and played many games of Scrabble. One of her greatest joys was being with family-especially the grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.

Survivors include her daughters and sons-in-law, Becky and Doug Hines of Hudson, Sophia and Russell Olds of Decatur; grandchildren, Tanner Hines and wife Kirsten of Hudson, Cindy Johnson and husband Chris of Lufkin, and Brandie Olds of Huntington; greatgrandchildren, Keaton Hines, Brooks Hines, Landry Hines, Zander Johnson, Kylie Langston, Paisley Burchett, and Rustin Burchett; nephews, Lonnie McKinney, Jr., Keith Roach, and Kevin Roach; nieces, Sherri Kowalski and Melanie Grisham; and numerous close cousins and many friends, especially those from the Lufkin East and surrounding congregations.

Mrs. Roach was predeceased by her parents; husband, James Bernard Roach; granddaughter, Callie Hall; sister and brother-in-law, Bonnie and James Warren; brother and sister-in-law, Lonnie and Tommie McKinney; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Kennard and Nell Roach; and parents-in-law, Chris and Lillie Roach.

Pallbearers will be Donald Hodges, Rick Gill, Gilbert Jacinto, Mark Ward, and Mike Free, and Niklas Koenig.

Honorary pallbearer will be Gayland Wallace.

The family will welcome friends and loved ones from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday evening at the funeral home.

Memories and condolences may be added, and live webcasting of the services may be viewed, at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.

Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.

Contact us

■

■ 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.

Pallbearers will be Craig Childers, Bradley Childers, Blake Childers, Bruce Childers, Ken Holland, and Jerron Howell.

Honorary pallbearers will be David Allen, Morris Childers, Judge Bob Inselmann, Judge Paul White, Mac Saxton, DC Wells, Henry Oliver, Ryan Deaton, and Judge Clyde Herrington.

The family will welcome friends and loved ones from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Saturday evening at the funeral home.

Memories and condolences may be added, and live webcasting of the services may be viewed, at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.

Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.

Sarah Jane Botsford

Memorial services for Sarah Botsford, 29, of Lufkin will be held Saturday, August 27, 2022, at 11 a.m. at Shafer Funeral Home in Lufkin with Pastor Rick Williams officiating.

Our Sarah was born January 7, 1993 to Lori Haas in Longview, Texas. Sarah was heaven sent to Dale, Paula and big brother Caleb Botsford on January 9th, 1993. Dale and Paula had the honor of being at her side as she left this world into the loving, healing arms of her Savior, Wednesday, August 10, 2022 in Waco, Texas.

Sarah grew up in Lufkin and graduated from Lufkin High School, Class of 2011. Her life was shaped by many loving hands and hearts at First Baptist Church and Carpenter’s Way Baptist Church. As someone said, “She was a piece of God’s best work”, enduring challenges that were more than some would face. Plenty of grit and grace wrapped up in one package, that was our Sarah. She had a big heart, sensitive to others needs, but she was brassy and had an opinion on most topics! Sarah always had an interest in the legal system, and recently had enrolled in Angelina College to pursue her paralegal degree. Her heart was always sensitive to people who were in need of an advocate, especially children in challenging situations. As an adopted child she knew with great passion the value of life created by our Heavenly Father. She had a big heart, if you needed something she would help if she could, never turning away a friend. Sarah had been working in the service industry over the past several years.

Sarah was survived by her parents, Dale and Paula Botsford of Lufkin, brother Caleb Botsford and partner Danielle Mitchell of San Marcos, Texas and paternal grandmother, Ora Maye Botsford of McKinney, Texas. She also was survived by numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Buddy and Billie McKee, and her paternal grandfather Ray Botsford. She also was survived by her birth mother, Lori, and her husband Clay Haas, and their children, Joshua, Jaycee and Jeremiah, as well as maternal grandparents, Faye Fowler and Bill Fowler

Special memorials may be made to the Pregnancy Help Center of Lufkin, 401 Gaslight Blvd., Lufkin, Texas 75904 or to the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council, 304 N. Raguet St., Lufkin, Texas 75904.

Shafer Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.

Someone reported theft in the 5600 block of U.S. Highway 59 north around 8:10 a.m. Thursday.

Someone reported identity theft in the 300 block of Doyle Edwards Road around 8:35 a.m. Thursday.

Angelina County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a woman on a warrant service at the sheriff’s officearound 11:10 a.m. Thursday.

Someone reported a welfare concern in the 900 block of Phillips Road around noon Thursday.

Someone reported credit/ debit card abuse in the 500 block of Landrum Road at 2:15 p.m. Thursday.

Someone reported theft in the 4300 block of state Highway 103 west at 3:40 p.m.

Arrests and charges include: Justin Kane Lilley, 44, of Huntington, warrant for manufacture/delivery of between 4 and 200 grams of a penalty group 1 controlled substance; Michael Glenn Mur phy, age unavailable, of Lufkin, warrant for interfering with an emergency call; and Everett Charles Lutz, 65, of Lufkin, federal hold.

An undisclosed agency arrested Sean Davin Rowin, 22, of Livingston, on a warrant for stalking.

The Angelina County Jail housed 267 inmates as of 7 p.m. Friday.

We listen to local police and firedepartments’ scanner traffic, but sometimes miss crimes, wrecks, fires or other incidents, especially if they happen overnight. If you know of something we’re not covering yet, please let Managing Editor Jeff Pownall know by emailing him at jeff.pownall@lufkindailynews.com, or submit a news tip online by visiting lufkindailynews.com/tips.

Friday (morning): 9-3-9-4 Fireball: 7

Daily Four numbers drawn Friday (day): 3-4-0-4 Fireball: 3

Daily Four numbers drawn Friday (evening): 5-7-8-6 Fireball: 1

Daily Four numbers drawn Friday (night): 7-2-6-0 Fireball: 8

Texas Two Step numbers drawn Thursday: 12-20-26-35 Bonus Ball: 27

Mega Million numbers drawn Friday: 12-18-24-46-65

Mega Ball: 3 Megaplier: 4

Powerball numbers drawn Wednesday: 23-28-41-50-55

Powerball: 24 Power Play: 2

Mailing address: P.O. Box 1089, Lufkin, Tx. 75902-1089 Street address: 300 Ellis, Lufkin, Tx. 75904-3817 u SPS 321-820

Funeral services for Myrl Ray Luce, 84, of Hudson will be held Sunday, August 21, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. in the Carroway Funeral Home Chapel with Brother Teddy King officiating. Interment will follow in the Aldredge Cemetery.

The National Prayer for

The Greater East Texas Community Action Program has funding available for East Texans to assist with education and training.

The sheriff’s office has bee following up on “numerous leads” and has conducted “several interviews,” Chief Deputy Mark McLin said.

“I just want justice — I know somebody knows something,” said Brinesha Calvin, his younger sister.

The two were only a year apart, so they were close.

Brown would come to her home in the middle of the night and borrow her car, Brinesha said. She works from home, so she usually doesn’t need it.

“I used to be so mad at him for waking me up and asking for the car keys,” she said. “I would do anything to get that back now.”

Brinesha checked on him often because he was a diabetic, she said. One night the week before he died, she was worried because he was not responding to her calls or texts, so she went over to his house and was “literally fussing at him like a mom” while banging on his door.

He had just taken a nap, which is

r atings

Continued from Page 1A

and graduation rates.

The second domain, “school progress,” measures district and campus outcomes in two ways: academic growth, which looks at students who grew at least one year academically or maintained a high performance in reading and math as measured by STAAR results, and relative performance, the overall campus achievement relative to districts or campuses with similar economically disadvantaged percentages.

The finaldomain is “closing the gaps,” which uses student group data in four indicators to demonstrate differentials among racial/ethnic groups, socioeconomic backgrounds and other student groups.

Lufkin ISD superintendent Lynn Torres — whose district received a “B” — said that when considering the challenges the district has gone through in the past three years, she is pleased with the outcome.

“It’s a testament to our teachers and staff who give of themselves day in and day out to facilitate learning during even the toughest of times,” she said. “Our district not only

SFa

why he did not respond, Brinesha said.

On Aug. 1, Brown had borrowed Brinesha’s car a few days before, and she needed it back. She had not heard from him all day, but a friend called and asked if she had heard from him at all.

She waited until she was finishe with her work and had planned to go to his house with their mom, Rhonda Calvin. Rhonda was delayed, and Brinesha instead went with two of her children.

“Me and my brother have a funny relationship,” she said. “When I pulled up in the yard, I was fussing about my car.”

It had trash all over the inside and needed a wash.

She was yelling and fussing about it when she opened the door and saw her brother’s body.

“He loved everybody, he would give anyone anything,” she said. “He didn’t deserve that.”

And it would have required some kind of evil to leave his daughter like that, she said.

Who was Brian Brown?

Brian Brown was a rapper, a loving man, a comedian, a late-night chef and a father to more than just his own children.

He leaves behind four children: 14-year-old Brian Jr., 9-year-old Baccara, 7-year-old Bre’essence and 6-month-old Brielle. But he also left nieces and sisters without a man whom they relied upon.

“He was the first man I met — h was my father figue,” said Brooklyn Davis, one of his nieces. They used to sing and rap together, they would have endless debates — many of which were about boys, school and letting her drive his truck.

She laughed, remembering the full-course meals he would wake up and cook at two or three o’clock in the morning.

He died just one week before they were supposed to be celebrating her acceptance into the nursing program at Sam Houston State University. Instead of her going away party,

they held his funeral services

His mom, Rhonda, said, “He was a comedian, just a comedian. And helpful. He was so full of life. He always has been.”

She cherished his relationship with God and how he cared for his family. She laughed thinking about how he would send people away on Sundays who didn’t attend church before going to her house. And if he didn’t send them away, he may talk about God so much they found somewhere else they needed to be.

His older sister, Brandi Brown Harrison, said she still has sleepless nights and moments of grief that cause outbursts.

“How could this have happened to a person like him?” she asked.

He was actively involved in the lives of his children and his sibling’s kids. He took responsibility for his family and made sure every member was doing OK, even when he wasn’t, she said.

“I could honestly say he was a man for all of us,” Harrison said. “There’s a great big emptiness, a space there.”

Brown had a criminal record in Angelina County and was facing misdemeanor charges from 2019 for interfering with an emergency call and criminal mischief. He had been arrested on other charges over the years, but aside from traffic violtions, county records do not show any resulting in convictions.

Finding justice

Sheriff’s office ivestigators are actively investigating his death and have worked with the family, according to Brinesha.

But it isn’t enough to bring them peace, she said.

“Brian left his kids with no mother or father,” she said.

His family believes someone has to know something. They would be grateful for any bit of help in findin out what happened to him.

His mom wants whoever did it to come forward.

“Someone out there knows something,” she said. “Say something.”

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

experienced the hardships that came along with COVID-19 and virtual learning but also a districtwide cyber security attack last school year that posed a huge disturbance to learning.”

Torres said the district plans to move forward and continue the momentum of growth in student progress.

“We are fortunate to have a supportive board of trustees, strong district leadership and outstanding teachers and staff whose main focus is our students,” she said. “Our theme this year is to Celebrate Lufkin ISD, and we will celebrate these small victories and continue to build from here.”

Huntington ISD superintendent David Flowers — whose district received a “B,” — said he feels that accountability ratings do not capture all the great things the students and staff in his district are doing.

“I am proud of our efforts, and we will continue to do what is best for our students,” he said. “I commend our campuses for their hard work and dedication.”

Hudson ISD superintendent Donny Webb — whose dis-

trict received an “A” — said because the rating system is primarily based on state assessment results, it is only one small facet of a district’s overall health.

“I’ve always been opposed to such a system that grades a school primarily on the basis of a single assessment,” he said “Academically, our focus is on providing quality instruction with high standards and reasonable expectations for such a wide variety of learners.”

Webb said he is proud of Hudson’s teachers and staff for the remarkable job they do each day.

“They ensure our students are growing academically, socially and emotionally and are nurtured in a loving environment,” he said. “They are the heroes on the front line.”

Diboll ISD received an “A” rating under the state academic accountability system, which superintendent Vicki Thomas attributes to the hard work of the district’s staff and students.

“What our staff and students have accomplished is nothing short of amazing,” she said. “Our staff’s dedicat-

ed and focused effort toward achieving our purpose of helping every student to succeed has led to exceptional performance, which has placed Diboll in an elite group of school districts that have been designated as “A” districts by the state of Texas. Our staff and students have brought great pride to our school district, community and state.”

Pineywoods Community Academy’s “A” rating is something for which director Monica Gunter is extremely proud.

“Our ratings are definitey a reflectionof how hard our teachers and students have worked,” she said. “We maintained our “A” rating as a district, high school and elementary. The distinctions earned at each level are impressive.”

Though Dr. Terry Robbins Middle School — PCA’s secondary school — was rated a “B,” Gunter hopes the campus receives an “A” rating next year. In 2018-19, the middle school was a “C” rated campus.

“We knew we needed to make some changes in order to improve,” she said. “Then COVID hit and that added to

our challenge. We put processes in place, addressed the learning loss due to COVID, worked hard and did not give up.”

Central ISD superintendent Justin Risner — whose district received an “A” rating — said that over the last year, COVID-19 and the absences that resulted from it were a big challenge for the district.

“There were many times throughout the year we were short-staffed, which always affects the learning in the classroom,” he said. “Along with staff, our student attendance suffered as a result of COVID, which also leads to creating gaps in student learning.”

Despite those challenges, Risner said the dedication and effort Central ISD gives to its students shows in their rating.

“This was 100% a team effort with every employee playing a vital role in our students’ success,” he said. “Our all-in vision has proven to be the driving force in meeting the high expectations set by our teachers, administrators and our community.”

Wells ISD superintendent Jill Gaston — whose district

received a “B” — also said that considering the academic effects of the pandemic, she is proud of her students and staff and their resiliency.

“We will be working hard this year to overcome our areas of academic need,” she said.

Risner said Central ISD will continue to be all-in for their students by giving what it takes every day to ensure their students are successful.

“We will continue to provide the appropriate resources needed for student growth and for providing safe learning environments that support student learning,” he said.

Zavalla ISD received “B, and superintendent Zach Crawford is pleased with the rating as the district faced the same challenges as other schools across Texas: the hardships of COVID-19, virtual learning and attendance issues.

“It is our teachers’ hard work and dedication to helping our students achieve success,” he said. “We plan to move forward with our student progress.”

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

from Page 1A

Westbrook narrowed the list to four — Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech and the University of Texas.

“[O]ur Board of Regents believes the time is right to engage formally with representatives of those systems that have expressed interest to determine if affilition is beneficial to SA,” he wrote.

SFA and Texas Southern are the only two independent universities in the state. The rest are governed by one of the state’s seven university systems.

Westbrook has served as interim president since Scott Gordon’s abrupt departure in

BIrt H ann Oun CEMEnt S

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. 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. Cha East Texas magazine is available the last Friday of every month. Questions about Charming Babies? Call (936) 632-6631.

Taylor Buzek of Goodrich announces the birth of her son, Kylen Foreman, born on Aug. 1 at St. Luke’s Health-Memorial Lufkin, weighing 8 lbs., 1 oz.

Brothers are David Foreman and Elijah Foreman.

Grandparents are Angel Pennington, Raymond Pennington, Jeffery Buzek and David Foreman.

Great-grandparents are Benita Buzek.

Rylie and Caden McMillon of Lufkin announce the birth of their daughter, Savannah Grace, born on Aug. 5 at St. Luke’s Health-Memorial Lufkin, weighing 6 lbs., 15 oz. Grandparents are Larry Sumrall

April. The university recently said it was not actively seeking a replacement.

The announcement on exploring joining a system was met with mixed emotions from alumni. Some fretted over the the potential for the university’s name to change and it relinquishing its independence. Others hailed the opportunity for more funding and see joining a university system as a way for SFA to thrive.

“I don’t think we have a choice on joining a system. It’s more a matter of do we get to be involved or are we going to let the legislature do it,” said attorney Sean Hightower, who

was named Distinguished Young Alumni in 2021.

The majority of faculty welcome the opportunity to join a university system, said a professor who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak about university business.

“Staying independent is just not possible in today’s world if you want access to the best resources,” the professor said.

SFA is already loosely affilated with Texas A&M. In 2020, the two universities teamed up to offer early childhood and elementary education classes at A&M’s RELLIS Campus in Bryan.

During an event announc-

ing the deal, Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp praised SFA’s ability to train educators and foresters.

Gordon, the SFA president at the time, said SFA was not considering joining the A&M system.

“We are independent. We enjoy being independent. We have a wonderful collaboration, a wonderful relationship and we’re all very happy with that at this point,” he said in October 2020.

The College Station-based system has 11 universities and eight state agencies. All except Tarleton State bear the Texas A&M name.

The University of Texas Sys-

tem is the state’s largest and would likely infuse the most money into a Nacogdoches campus. It receives two-thirds of the state’s Permanent University Fund while A&M receives the other portion.

UT has eight universities and five medical institutions. It also is most likely to change SFA’s name. All of its institutions use the University of Texas name.

The Texas Tech University System is the only one of the four without a campus in East Texas. But there have been rumblings for years that the Lubbock-based system wanted to expand to compete with UT and A&M.

The system currently has five institutions and has partnered with some community colleges to have more of a presence in Dallas/Fort Worth and Central Texas.

The Texas State University System would likely provide the least boost in funding. It was established in 1911 to oversee the state’s teacher’s colleges. SFA was governed by the system until 1969, when it was granted university status by Gov. Preston Smith.

The state’s other three systems are University of Houston, North Texas and Texas Women’s University.

Josh Edwards’ email address is josh.edwards@dailysentinel.com.

and Kelly Sumrall and Lance McMillon and Natalie McMillon.

Great-grandparents are Kenneth Gilchreast, Margie Pruitt and Maydale Sumrall.

Peter Good and Krystal Garcia of Lufkin announce the birth of their son, Peter Good II, born on Aug. 9 at St. Luke’s Health-Memorial Lufkin, weighing 6 lbs., 12 oz.

Grandparents are Gregg and Jacque Garcia and Carl and Mary

Patton.

Allison Nichole Roesch of Jasper announces the birth of her son, River Ray Brown, born on Aug. 9 at St. Luke’s Health-Memorial Lufkin, weighing 6 lbs., 5 oz. Sister is Skylar Nichole Brown.

Grandparents are James and Betty Brown and April Letney and Clarence Martin.

Great-grandparents are Carolyn and Hubert Letney.

Peter and Jessica Susia of Lufkin announce the birth of their son, Rory Allan Susia, born on Aug. 11 at St. Luke’s Health-Memorial Lufkin, weighing 7 lbs., 14 oz.

Grandparents are Theresa Childers and Paul Susia.

Great-grandparents are Evalena King and the late Allan Richard Susia.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED BUDGET FOR YEAR 2023

Angelina County Commissioners will hold a public hearing at 10:00 A.M. on Tuesday, September 13, 2022 at the Angelina County Courthouse Annex, 606 East Lufkin Avenue, Lufkin, Texas.

At this hearing, Angelina County Commissioners will consider and accept public comment on the proposed budget for the year 2023. At the close of this public hearing, Angelina County Commissioners will consider adoption of the proposed 2023 budget.

The proposed budget for the year 2023 is on file with the Office of the Angelina County Clerk and may be viewed on the Angelina County website, at www.angelinacounty.net.

The public is also notified of the following: This budget will raise more total property taxes than last year’s budget by $1,295,186 or 6.45 %, and of that amount $364,819 is tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year.

The public is further notified that the proposed property tax rate in the budget is $0.427120 per $100.00 valuation. This rate is $0.01 less than last year’s tax rate of 0.437120 per $100.00 valuation.

Public input is welcome at this hearing.

Night Howls fundraiser on tap for Aug. 27

By JESS HUFF The Lufkin Daily News

Kurth Memorial Animal Shelter hopes to connect homeless critters with their forever homes while supporting the shelter’s new or sick residents on their journey during its seventh annual Night Howls.

The event runs from noon to 9 p.m. Aug. 27 at the shelter. All adoption fees are waived, though new animal parents will be expected to make a $20 donation to the shelter’s vetting fund.

Kurth accepts thousands of resi-

Marriages

Marriage licenses file in the Angelina County Clerk’s Office

■ Luis Edgar Vazquez Barrientos, 34, and Anna Delores Zapata

■ Adan Duran Medina, 33, and Amanda Joann Griffin, 3

■ Larimy Lee Renfro, 42, and Jessica McCarty Tobias, 40

■ Michael Angelo Vigliotti, 57, and Janet Diane Bryant, 56

■ Jakob Riley Nash, 21, and Morgan Taylor Skates, 20

■ Matthew Adam Ledbeter, 24, and Maricarmen Garcia, 23

■ Francisco Jose Delgado Villarreal, 29, and Silvia Aracely Pizana, 25

■ Clifford William Breakiron, 58, and Jennie Michelle Hyatt, 54

Lawsuits

Lawsuits filed in Anglina County courts-at-law:

■ Allstate Insurance Company as subrogee of Carlos Manriquez vs. Jessie Nicole

dents each year because it is an openintake shelter, meaning it cannot turn away local animals. The vetting fund was created to help the shelter care for the sick or injured animals that find themseles there.

“This fund provides them the means in which they can be seen by a vet and their medical needs can be addressed,” animal shelter volunteer and event coordinator Molly James said. “It is then they are able to have a future with a loving family and a good life they well deserve.”

When the event was firstheld in

Hughes

■ The state of Texas vs. Trent Edwin Faver, principal, and Lester Bellow, dba, American Surety Company, surety

■ The state of Texas vs. Tracy Lavance Jenkins, principal, and Shawna Glawson, dba, Angelina County Bail Bonds agent of Lexington Nation Insurance, surety

■ The state of Texas vs. Joshua Nehemia Russaw, principal, and Lester Bellows, dba, American Surety Company, surety

■ The state of Texas vs. Bobby Ray Collins, principal, and Shawna Glawson, dba, Angelina County Bail Bonds agent of Lexington Nation Insurance, surety

■ The state of Texas vs. Eduardo Barajas, principal, and Shawna Glawson, dba, Angelina County Bail Bonds agent of Lexington Nation Insurance, surety

■ The state of Texas vs. Eduardo Barajas, principal, and Shawna Glawson, dba,

VeraBank was named as one of the 2022 Best Companies to Work for in Texas, its sixth consecutive year to be recognized. This statewide survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize, and honor the best 100 places of employment in Texas, benefiting the stte’s economy, workforce, and businesses.

“At VeraBank, our team is exceptional. We like each other. We respect each other. And we have a culture of achievement, which leads to the recognition we’re honored to receive,” said Brad Tidwell, VeraBank president and chief executive office.

Companies from across the state

SEn IOr n EWS

2015, coordinators hoped it would receive a positive response from the community — they were not disappointed, she said. And the support has not waned in the seven years since.

“Also, as the awareness was raised about this event and its purpose, the support has grown, and many, many donors now contact me to offer their donation of items to help raise funds,” James said.

Coordinating this event has taught James about the generosity of the community over the years, she said. People want to help when they learn

Angelina County Bail Bonds agent of Lexington Nation Insurance, surety

■ The state of Texas vs. Ezekiel Christopher Mendoza, principal, and Shawna Glawson, dba, Angelina County Bail Bonds agent of Lexington Nation Insurance, surety

■ The state of Texas vs. Shawna Glawson, dba, Angelina County Bail Bonds agent of Lexington Nation Insurance, surety, Eddie Dean Fisher

■ The state of Texas vs. Shawna Glawson, dba, Angelina County Bail Bonds agent of Lexington Nation Insurance, surety, Eddie Dean Fisher

■ The state of Texas vs. Shawna Glawson, dba, Angelina County Bail Bonds agent of Lexington Nation Insurance, surety, John Henry Wilson Jr

■ Baylee Mitchell vs. the state of Texas

Dispositions

Dispositions filed i

entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Companies to Work for in Texas. The first pat consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, systems, philosophies, practices and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25% of the total evaluation.

The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75% of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies, and the final ranking.

Workforce Research Group man-

there is a need. They want to make a difference and do whatever it takes to help the local animals.

“One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to have faith and not worry about the outcome of this event,” James said. “The people have shown many times over that they, also, care and want this to be a successful fundraiser, which in turn helps our homeless animals.”

Night Howls is held in conjunction with the national Clear the Shelter month Kurth has participated in all August. The event provides more than just new companions, though.

Angelina County courtsat-law:

■ Bynum Shelina Bynum, criminal trespass, dismissed; theft of property between $750 and $2,500, deferred, nine months probation

■ Fernando Correa, motion to revoke probation, dismissed

■ Jorge Alberto Espinal, driving while intoxicated, convicted, 100 days county jail; resisting arrest, search or transport, convicted, 100 days county jail

■ Martin Alonzo Hernandez, unlawful possession of a fi earm, convicted, 60 days county jail; possession of less than 28 grams of a penalty group 3 controlled substance, convicted, 60 days county jail

■ Ladarrell Demtric Jefferson, criminal trespass of a habitat/shelter/Superfund/ infrastructure, convicted, 90 days county jail; evading arrest/detention, convicted, 90 days county jail

■ Morgan Ann Lilley, criminal trespass, convicted,

aged the overall registration and survey process in Texas and also analyzed the data and used their expertise to determine the fina rankings.

The Deep East Texas Council of Governments’ Board of Directors will hold its regular monthly meeting Aug. 25 in the Trinity County Annex, 223 W. First St. in Groveton.

A luncheon will be served at noon, and the board meeting will be held afterwards.

Shelby County Judge Allison Harbison, DETCOG’s president, invites all interested parties to attend.

180 days county jail

Attendees can enjoy barbecue plates, desserts for sale, a silent auction and raffle James said.

“It’s pretty much a win-win situation for anyone looking to findtheir new companion or just have a fun-fille day,” she said. “It’s a great day for everyone to go to the dogs.”

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

■ Zach Bentley, possession of less than 28 grams of a penalty group 3 controlled substance, convicted, 30 days jail

■ ■ ■

Dispositions filed i

Angelina County district courts:

■ Perry Haggerton, driving while intoxicated, convicted, 10 years probation

■ Justin Lee Hayes, tampering with a government record, convicted, eight months state jail

■ Annabel Trujillo, assault causing bodily injury, convicted

■ Ruby Rachelle Hardee, theft of fiearm, deferred, five years probation

■ Larry Luce, forgery of a financial instument, convicted, 327 days county jail

■ Anthony Wright, burglary of a building, dismissed

■ Justin Lee Hayes, assault of a family/household member while impeding breath/circulation, dismissed;

Anyone needing information can call DETCOG’s office t (936) 634-2247.

Two pre-construction meetings were held recently at the Nacogdoches Area Offic, signaling the beginning of construction.

Work is scheduled to begin Sept. 16 on FM 1878 in Nacogdoches County. The work will rehabilitate the roadway from just west of County Road 240 to FM 95. Pinto Construction Co. Inc. of Nacogdoches will serve as contractor for the $5.5 million project. The project is set for completion in November 2024,

Dementia topic is ‘Keeping the Peace’

By JOE WILSON For The Lufkin Daily News

The center is at it again and we are having a blast. Come out and see what we are all about and partake in some good food and fellowship.

On Thursday, our Caregiver Support Program will hold its eighth session of the 10-part series titled “When Your Loved One Has Dementia.” The session will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. at the center, which is at 2801 Valley Ave.

The Angelina County Senior Citizens Center is just off Ford Chapel and Renfro, which turns into Valley Avenue. Please RSVP, because we offer refreshments during the session.

This month our topic for this session is titled “Keeping the Peace.” Jenny Wright with Harbor Hospice and Stacy Snell with Parkwood Place are presenting the program. You do not want to miss these two ladies and the knowledge they have to offer.

Our very own Pat Campbell took over the exercise class on Aug. 11 for Paige, and he seemed to enjoy his role

Hud SOn SCHOOL n EWS

of being in front of the class. We are fortunate that Pat is willing to step up and lead our class when Paige is unable to attend.

Thank you Pat for all that you do; he will be conducting the class for the next few sessions, so come out and sweat with us. Our class meets from 9:30-10:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Bingo is back with a new schedule. We are on for 9:30-10:30 a.m. every Wednesday. Our callers are very much appreciated and seem to enjoy their time with all the seniors. We thank God for these special people who take their time and resources to have fun with us.

We are still having our Open Mic invitation on Fridays with the gospel singing group, which starts at 9:30 a.m. and ends with a prayer at 10:30 a.m. Lynda Davis wishes to thank everyone who helps her with singing, piano playing and passing of hymns. These people are Janet Thomas, Judy Havard, Judy Hickman, Dennis Rice and Royce Mangrum; thank you all because we could not do it without you.

Our “42” group meets on Mondays

HISD holding tax rate hearing

By KATHY MAHR For The Lufkin Daily News

District news: There will be a public hearing and regular school board meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday in the board room behind the Administration Building.

The public hearing is for discussion of the proposed budget and the proposed tax rate for the 2022-23 school year.

Come out and support our volleyball teams. On Tuesday, JV and varsity teams will play in Onalaska beginning at 4:30 p.m.

The middle school teams will play in Jacksonville at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. On Aug. 27 the seventh and eighth grade “A” teams will be hosting a volleyball tournament.

Child nutrition news: Applications for

free/reduced price meals are now available on the Hudson ISD website for downloading and included in the enrollment renewal packet in Family Access. Applications must be renewed annually.

and Fridays with “84” being played on Wednesdays. “Forty-two” begins at noon while “84” begins at 11:30 a.m. Come early to warm up and have lunch at the center. Prayer is given at the beginning of each session. We hope to see you there.

The Angelina County Senior Citizens Center distributes more than 700 meals daily all over Angelina County with its Meals on Wheels Program. If you meet one of our drivers or kitchen staff, please tell them how much they are appreciated. They are dedicated each and every day to ensure that we have the best possible service and experience.

Come out and meet new people and establish new friendships, the center is the place to build lasting memories. We do have prayer at the beginning of lunch each weekday.

Our happy birthday shout-outs go to Terry Cawley, Kathleen Nick and Blanca Cavazps. Our apologies go out to a late entry into our birthday list to Jeannette Miller. We want to wish all of you ladies the best of days. May God bless you and keep you. Happy birthday.

aSSu MEd na MES

Assumed names filed in th Angelina County Clerk’s Office, from Aug. 8 to 10

Stephens Vending, 4106 College Drive, Apt. 512, Lufkin, Stephen Jackson

Southern Nutrition, 237 Allen Drive, Pollok, Ashley Mayberry

burglary of habitation, convicted, seven years state prison; unlawful disclosure or promotion of intimate visual material, convicted, eight months state jail

■ Armando Colin, driving while intoxicated, convicted, 10 years state prison

■ Adrian Cole Swindle, assault of a public servant, pending

■ Jamarcus D. Jefferson, prohibited items in a correctional facility, deferred, three years probation

■ Francisco Cordero, possession of less than 1 gram of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, dismissed

■ Asa James Nichols, abandoning/endangering a child with intent to return, convicted, five years probation; abandoning/endangering a child with intent to return, convicted, five years probation

■ Billy Joe Dunsford, possession of less than 1 gram of a penalty group 1 controlled substance, other

weather permitting.

A $1.6 million project will begin next week to resurface the roadway and includes locations on U.S. Business 59 from State Loop 224 to U.S. Highway 59 north in Nacogdoches; and state Highway 87 from state Highway 21 in Milam to FM 1175 in Hemphill.

Work at each location is expected to last about 10 days. Moore Brothers Construction Company of Lufkin will serve as the project contractor.

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

Start your child’s day off with breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It provides the nutrients and energy students need to concentrate in school. Research shows that kids who eat breakfast get better grades, pay more attention in class and behave better. Help your child begin their day on the right foot.

A nutritious breakfast is offered daily at school beginning at 7:15 a.m. at all Hudson school campuses.Check out the menu on the HISD website.

School meal prices are: Breakfast will cost $2 for all grade levels. Lunch for grades pre-K-fifth will cost $2.75 and lunh for grades six-12th will cost $3.

Patriot Construction & Consulting, 780 Odell Mills Road, Lufkin, Arik Modisette

Rafter H. Framing, 810 Lawn View St., Lufkin, Jonathan Hicks

Westside Laundromat, 4160 Ted Trout Drive, Lufkin, James P. Adkison

Pet of the Week

Tilly is a lovely pup with adorably defined eyebro. She is super-duper sweet but she doesn’t understand why she is in the busy shelter. She is a bit overwhelmed in the shelter setting but is expected to blossom once in a loving forever home. Tilly certainly has a playful side and enjoys interacting with other friendly dogs. This sweetheart so eagerly dreams of a home where she will be cherished and adored. Please consider her. You can visit Tilly at Kurth Memorial Animal Services & Adoption Center at 1901 Hill St. or call 633-0218 for more information. The shelter is open from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday (closed Sundays and major holidays). An adoption fee of half-price at $15 as Pet of the Week from Monday through Aug. 27 during the already half-price adoption special for Clear the Shelter month includes spay/neuter surgery, initial vaccination, deworming and wellness coupon (+ $10 microchip).

Bu SIn ESS COnn ECt IOn S SPONSORED

Lainey Hoffman one of elite group accepted to medical program at AC

Lainey Hoffman, daughter of Clint and Angie Taylor of Central Heights and granddaughter of John and Sudie Harper, is one of eight students accepted into the two-year Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound program at Angelina College beginning in the fall.

Ernest and I were at Whataburger last week and saw Christi “Gigi” Stage with grandson Johnny Poland IV, who is in the second grade. Christi and Martha Bates had taken Johnny and Martha’s granddaughter, Kinley Bates, to Splash Kingdom Water Park in Nacogdoches. Johnny said it was the best ever time.

Winford Tullos was cooling off during a late break for lunch at Whataburger. He is with Consolidated Communications and “hot.” Times are changing. Even my bread slices are getting smaller. They are hard to get out of the toaster.

CLu BS and Organ IZat IOn S

Oscar Dillahunty treated us to a late anniversary dinner at Cotton Patch. We saw Linda and Frank Latimer with Joy Brooks Ernest and I went to Cheddars for our anniversary dinner. The waiter took our picture with glasses that son Charlie Jumper had sent us. Mine said “Queen” and Ernest’s said “King.” We were in the picture with our glasses. I put our picture on Facebook and had more than 230 responses. Thanks to all of our friends.

The LHS Class of 1957 will be holding its 65-year reunion Sept. 17 at Ralph & Kacoo’s. If you are a member and have not received your notice, please contact Barbara Mathis Davis at (936) 634-6253 or email her at bjmathis@consolidated. net. A few have been returned, so if you have information on the following class members, please contact Barbara: Betty Hood Moore, Charles Edward Lawrence, Tommy D. Thompson, Dennis C. Murphy, Lanell T. Thomason Kruse and Berry R. Berry Fletcher

The Men’s Fieldhouse is starting their class on Aug. 29. They are

recruiting men who need job skills. Classes are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings for 12 weeks. You will learn computer and job skills, resume writing, money management and more. Call (936) 632-2035 and ask for Clay. They meet at 1813 E. Denman Ave.

I was looking for a picture and going through a big box of unmarked, unnamed people with no dates. I am ashamed that I did not write dates and names on them. It is too late now. Baby pictures that maybe their mothers can identify. Please label your pictures if they are a hard copy. On my computer, at least I have a date. I had several pictures of people I did not know and Ernest did not either. I hope you are not like me. I know Darlene Atkinson said she was putting her children’s pictures in their pile. That is a good idea. Give them to the children.

Jim, Mary Jane, Rebecca, Scotty, Jill, Landon, Evan and Nora West spent several days on the West Beach in Galveston. The house they rented was only a five-minute walk from a private beach, which made it very convenient. They were kept busy at the beach, walking on the

Logging camp, sawmill reunion today

The logging camp and sawmill reunion is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today in the meeting room of the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce at 1615 S. Chestnut St.

Scheduled speakers are: 9 a.m., Stanley Fletcher, “Sawmills in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, and Their Extensions into Texas.”

10-10:50 a.m. Chris Cotton, “The Ledger of W. T. Carter & Brother: An Archival Processing Project.”

11-11:50 a.m., Linda Reynolds, “Sawmill Archives Abound in the East Texas Research Center.”

1-1:50 p.m., Karen Kurth Hall, “The Men Who Founded Angelina County Lumber Company.”

2-2:50 p.m., Darrell Bryan, “Boyhood Memories of Sawmills in Huntington, Texas.”

2:50-3:40 p.m., Matt McBroom, “The Sonny Stutts Sawmill: An Example of Boom and Bust in the Timber Industry.’’ 3:40-4 p.m., Rob Tompkins, “The SanerRagley Sawmill at Carmona, Texas.”

GriefShare

The GriefShare seminar is an international program that utilizes a support group setting to assist those who are grieving the death of a loved one. Each session, guided by a facilitator and co-facilitators, includes a video seminar and the opportunity to interact with others who have experienced similar losses.

Karen Norton has facilitated GriefShare in Lufkin since 2009. The group is nondenominational, but does feature biblical teachings about grief and the recovery process. People of all different faiths attend and benefit fom the program.

The program has a $25 registration fee, which covers the cost of the participant workbook needed for the 13-week seminar. People may join a GriefShare seminar at any point as each session is self-contained.

GriefShare meets every Thursday through Nov. 10. The seminar will be from 6-8 p.m. and will meet in the Family Reception Room at Carroway Funeral Home, 2704 S. John Redditt Drive. Pre-registration is not required but encouraged by visiting griefshare.org/ groups/149347.

A Surviving the Holidays Seminar will be from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 17 at the funeral home. Cost for the participant survival guide is $5. Register online at griefshare.org/holidays/ events/41128.

Visit griefshare.org for more information or contact Norton at Karen@lufkin.org.

The Men’s Fieldhouse

The Men’s Fieldhouse, a nonprofit ceter for men, is preparing for Class No. 10. Students must be at least 18 years old and committed to attending the 12-week class that starts Aug. 29.

The center’s plan is to have at least 10 men

starting in this next class and is seeking the community’s help recruit new students.

Classes include job skills necessary for employment. The center offers a 12-week class from 5-8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday that is free for students. Classes include: self development, financial understanding jobs for life training, character building and computer skills.

Men are volunteering as mentors and teachers to help facilitate and lead the classes, using the Bible as a tool.

Goals are to help men get jobs, but also to help them understand their role as a father in the family, even if they don’t live with that family. Some of the men’s children may be grown, but rebuilding those relationships is important for the future of this community.

We are thankful for all the donors, volunteers and community who support our mission of making lives better for men in Angelina County.

Those interested can reach executive director Clay Alverson at 632-2035 or email clay@ themensfieldhous .org. Classes meet at 1813 E. Denman Ave.

Angelina County Conservative Alliance

The Angelina County Conservative Alliance has launched a community website in an effort to engage the citizens of Angelina County in the political process.

Strand, having fun on the Pleasure Pier, playing miniature golf, playing board games, competing in games of cornhole and, of course, eating lots of delicious seafood.

First Christian Church honored the preschool for being “the Best in Lufkin” with hot dogs, ice cream (with sprinkles) and chocolate cake. There were prizes for the teachers, and I enjoyed meeting parents and the precious children.

Staff members are Brett Standifir , director; Debbie Prince, assistant director; and teachers Kenia Bucio, Kristien LaMar, Jade Harris, Galan Click, Andrea Garcia, Fatima Madera, Gloria Valdez, Claudia Young, Ericia Madera, Haileigh Herchman, Lauren Burns, Cheyenne Todd, Ashley Easley, Criss Neal, Rachel Gonzalez, Criss Pearson and Heather Burns

This was Brett’s first ear as a director, and it has for sure been a great one. Their enrollment from last August to this August went from 86 children to 109. Last August, they had eight teachers when she came on and now have 17. Brett is obsessed with the growth.

They currently have waiting lists in all classrooms. Her last goal for the year was to be voted the best of Lufkin, so for them to achieve it makes her even more proud of the program.

There was a little girl, Emma who was hugging all of the little people. She was precious, and I could have taken her home. Her mother said she was almost 2 years old and was that happy and loving all the time. Her two boys had also gone to the preschool.

Cyndi and Steve Kulback went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for a week with grandson Phoenix Waynick from Michigan. They flw from Houston and have a time share through Garza Blanka Resorts.

Eddie Smelley was getting a hair cut and told me he and Linda had seen Derek Spence in a tribute to George Strait at the Crystal Beach Crab Festival. He is coming to The Pines on Aug. 27 in a tribute to George Strait and Carrie Underwood by Felice Garcia. You can get tickets at: angelinaarts.org or lonestarentertainmentgroup.com.

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

Jan ICE ann r OWE

Visit the website at angelinacca.com to explore the links, videos, news and views ar-

ticles to learn about elections and local, state and national government.

Ina Jane Thames, far right on the front row, of Anthony Smith Chapter NSDAR attended an “Our Patriots” workshop at the library in College Station on Aug. 13. The workshop was presented by Jane Cohen, DAR America 250 Committee Chair. In preparation for the workshop, participants researched and planned their “Our Patriot” card. During the process, the group learned more about DAR and their individual patriots. This was one of many planned events counting down to The United States Semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

JOAN RAGLAND/For The Lufkin Daily News

The Mary Hall Mantooth Daughters of the Republic of Texas members recently attended the District IV workshop in Longview. On the front row from the left are Janice Ann Rowe, Dorris Collmorgen, Paula Metzinger and Joan Ragland. On the back row from the left are Rosemary Varsey, chapter president Barbara Davis, Mary Goodwin and Janelle Hennington. Davis invited District IV members to attend the 2023 workshop in Lufkin.

JOAN RAGLAND/For The Lufkin Daily News Barbara Davis, president of the Mary Hall Mantooth Daughters of the Republic of Texas, accepts the Chapter Awards following the District IV workshop in Longview.

Halloween Boo Bash on the Plaza set for Oct. 28

Visit Lufkin and the city of Lufkin are hosting the inaugural Halloween Boo Bash on the Plaza.

The event will offer a safer alternative to the city’s annual Downtown Trick-orTreat, according to Tara Hendrix, the city’s director of tourism and marketing.

“Downtown Trick-or-Treat had grown to the point that the city needed to relocate it for the safety of the children,” Hendrix said. “Halloween Boo Bash on the Plaza will give kids a chance to join spooky fun at the Pitser Garrison Convention Center Plaza while parents don’t have the constant concern of traffi, overcrowded sidewalks and limited parking.”

Visit Lufkin and the City also Tara Hendrix modified the hours to allw parents more time to get kids from school and ready for trick-or-treat.

Halloween Boo Bash on the Plaza will be from 4-7 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Pitser Garrison Convention Center.

To register a business to participate in this event, go to visitlufkin.com/events/ holiday-events/main-street-halloweentrick-or-treat/.

For more information, call (936) 633-0359 or go to VisitLufkin.com.

SFA Gardens to host fruit research field dy Sept. 30

Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host a fruit research fiel day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 30 featuring kiwifruit, muscadine grapes, blueberries, fig, feijoas and other fruits.

Speakers will include David Creech, director of SFA Gardens, and Tim Hartmann and Justin Scheiner, both of Texas A&M University’s Department of Horticultural Sciences.

“We are proud to show off our ever-increasing collection of fruits,” Creech said. “We have the two top fruit specialists from Texas A&M to help us do just that.”

The day will start with presentations at 9 a.m. at the Brundrett Conservation Education Building in the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches. Participants will then go to the fruit research plots at SFA Gardens around 11 a.m. Lunch will not be provided.

The cost of the field dy is $15 per person. Register on-site the day of the event or in advance online at sfasu.edu/sfagardens.

For more information, call (936) 468-4129 or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu

SFA Gardens to host plant sale

NACOGDOCHES — Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host its annual Fabulous Fall Festival Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 1 and 2 at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center at 2900 Raguet St. in historic Nacogdoches.

The sale will feature an array of hardto-find, “exas-tough” plants, with an emphasis on native, pollinator-friendly selections, garden-favorite perennials and trees, including Japanese maples, magnolias and bald cypress. A list of all available plants will be posted on the SFA Gardens website two weeks before the sale.

This popular event raises money for the operations of all the areas under the SFA Gardens umbrella: Mast Arboretum, PNPC, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, Gayla Mize Garden, Kingham Children’s Garden, Hinds Park and the alternative fruits research program.

Parking will be available at SFA’s Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early and bring a wagon for their plants.

For more information and a list of available plants, call (936) 468-4404 or visit sfasu. edu/sfagardens.

Fall gardening seminar today

The Rusk County Master Gardeners are hosting a free fall gardening seminar today.

The seminar will be from 9 a.m. to noon at the Rusk County Extension Offic, 113 E. Fordall in Henderson.

The seminar will feature Joe Masabni, Extension vegetable specialist with the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center.

USDA reminds producers to file cop acreage reports

Agricultural producers who have not yet completed their crop acreage reports after spring planting should make an appointment with the Angelina-NacogdochesTrinity-San Augustine-Shelby County Farm Service Agency before the applicable deadline.

An acreage report documents a crop grown on a farm or ranch and its intended uses. Filing an accurate and timely acreage report for all crops and land uses, including failed acreage and prevented planted acreage, can prevent the loss of benefit.

For more information, contact the Angelina-Nacogdoches-Trinity-San AugustineShelby County FSA office t (936) 564-5891 extension 2.

USDA urges producers to fil for grazing loss assistance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reminds ranchers and livestock producers that they may be eligible for financia assistance through the Livestock Forage Disaster Program for 2022 grazing losses due to a qualifying drought or fie.

The deadline to apply for 2022 assistance is Jan. 30, 2023.

Producers in Angelina, Nacogdoches, San Augustine, Shelby and Trinity counties are eligible to apply for the benefit on improved pasture and native pasture. Producers must complete a CCC-853 and the required supporting documentation no later than the January deadline.

Producers are encouraged to contact the Nacogdoches Service Center at (936) 5645891, ext. 2 for additional information.

Strategies for winter forages amid drought

With the worst of this summer hopefully behind us, and sputterings of rain starting back into our local area, could the last of this drought be behind us?

And what does that mean for cattlemen and hay producers?

Truthfully, we have a way to go. I confess that I get too giddy about fall far too early. When we experience the first elatively cool spell of fall sometime in September, I get far too optimistic.

The hard fact remains, we are behind in rainfall, and it will take some time and effort to remove ourselves from this parched situation.

Barring a hurricane that drops a wonderful amount of rain across the state yet miraculously doesn’t have too much rain to cause flooding or high winds to esult in structural damage, this recuperation will take time.

Visiting with cattlemen in Angelina County and others nearby, I think I’ve learned how to ask how bad it is, without having to ask any personal financial umbers. Case in point, many of the producers I have visited with say they are between 25% and 50% of normal hay production.

Worse, some have even admitted they had needed to feed hay in the summer. Feeding hay in the summer. Summer is the time when excess forage is cut, cured and baled for the winter when grass is not supposed to grow.

Even with half the typically needed winter hay supplies, livestock numbers would have to reduced by half to make that equation work. Indeed, many have begun to cut down herd size. Contrary to some earlier media accounts, we have not seen a massive sell-off locally,

though numbers at the auction barns have been higher.

And fortunately, with national beef cattle numbers low, cow prices at the auction have not taken too serious a hit. These decent prices will help the pocketbook in the purchase of winter feed rations and, perhaps, can be used to rebuild herds when the forages return, and normal grazing can resume.

We must give a shout-out to our U.S. Department of Agriculture for the assistance program called “Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program.” Known simply as ELAP, this helps cover above-normal expenses for hauling water or feed to livestock or hauling livestock to forage or grazing acres.

ELAP provides financial assistance t livestock producers who incur above-normal expenses for transporting feed to livestock during drought. The payment formula excludes the first 25 miles and ay mileage over 1,000 miles. The reimbursement rate is 60% of the costs above what would normally have been incurred during the same time period in a normal (non-drought) year.

Digging through the details and studying the numbers, some producers have identifie high-quality hay such as alfalfa and other legumes that fit under the 1,000-mile ormula that can be a very reasonable feed option. With the reimbursement rate just over half of “normal” costs, the enterprising producer may see some real opportunity here.

For more information, be sure to call your local USDA Farm Service Agency offic. If you don’t know who that is in your county, do an internet search for “USDA FSA service center location.”

But what about the anticipated hay shortfall? Let’s revisit winter pastures, specificaly

a “limit-graze” system to extend the benefit of planted winter pasture.

We say winter pasture as a reference to the intentional planting of forages in the fall that are able to be grazed in the winter months, before the normal spring green up. This intentional input has a real expense and is not without some risk. Planting a small grain (such are rye, wheat or oats) in October can generate grazing opportunities as early as December and will provide quality forage long before any naturally reseeding ryegrass becomes available in March.

Winter pastures have traditionally been annual ryegrass, small grains (like those mentioned above), cool season clovers and a few others. It is my opinion that the small grains offer a real opportunity to cut short winter hay requirements.

To further capitalize on the costs and inputs needed to graze a winter pasture, those stockmen who “limit-graze” these pastures will find the most eficient use o inputs. Stated simply, limit grazing is when a herd is only allowed to graze for a short amount of time during the day. Is this a new concept? Not at all. Will this take some serious time each day to be effective? Absolutely.

Finally, is it worth considering? I believe this can work for several beef producers. In fact, it may be one of the few management options that can get us out of a wreck of a drought. I encourage all who are interested in this to study up on winter pastures as well as the management of limit grazing. Look for hard research on this and give your local Extension agent a call to see if this might work for your scenario.

Cary Sims is the county Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources for Angelina County. His email address is cw-sims@tamu.edu.

Spit? No, it’s just harmless spittlebugs

Perhaps if I worked at it, I could think of a more distasteful word with which to start a column, but I sort of doubt it. But let’s forge on.

As a kid, I remember seeing globs of white, slimy foam on grasses, rushes and other plants. It looked for all the world like — sorry about this — like someone wandering through the weeds had spit on them.

Expectorant, saliva — spit. Apparently I’m not alone, since the foam, appearing throughout East Texas and other areas, is produced by tiny creatures related to aphids, whiteflie, leafhoppers and cicadas, named — yep, you guessed it — spittle bugs.

At some point, because I was a boy and intrigued by ‘‘gross’’ things, I took a stick and poked around in the stuff. It turned out to be a watery, slippery mass of tiny bubbles, which I expected.

The surprise came in seeing the spittle’s small resident squirm out of the way of my stick. Something was living in the foam. That ‘‘something’’ turned out to be a yellow or greenish little insect that looked a bit like a frog — and is also known as a froghopper. It was the source of the foam.

Spittlebugs or froghoppers are technically known as Homopterans. Like cicadas, aphids and their other relatives, they have piercing, sucking mouthparts that they insert into plants to withdraw juices from them. In one sense, they are like mosquitoes, but instead of attacking animals for blood, they go after plants for their nutritious sap.

Hatching in the spring, and generally more numerous during rainy seasons and times of high humidity, the eggs produce nymphs that by the end of the season mature to brownish or black adults about a half-inch long. These lay new eggs that overwinter to start the cycle again.

Spittlebugs occur not here just in East Texas but from the Pacific Nothwest to California, up to the northeastern United States

and south to the Carolinas. In other words, they live in most areas of our country.

What we see inside the foam or ‘‘spittle’’ is the immature or nymph stage of the insect. They are very thin-skinned (kind of like some people I know, but in a different way) and because of that they need protection from heat and dryness

To get that protection, they drink plant juices, use the nutrients for food, mix some of the water with a mucus-like substance and blow bubbles out of their rear. Their tail end pumps up and down and froth squirts out. The bubbles form a protective barrier against dehydration for the insect.

Curious they may be but they can also be a problem for gardeners and commercial growers since they attack ornamental plants, strawberries, beans and peas and their intense feeding can cause weakened, stunted and dwarfed plants.

When infestations are heavy, they can cause mechanical harvesters to become gummed

up from the foam wetting the plants, causing them to tangle in the machine.

Generally, they don’t cause serious damage, and the easiest way to control them in the home garden is to wash them off the plant with a hose. On the ground they are easy prey, and birds, especially, look upon them as gourmet fare. Sevin, Diazinon and Malathion also can be used if chemical control is deemed necessary.

These insects and their so-called spittle are harmless to you, so if you are experimentally minded, curious or just attracted to strange and slightly weird things in nature, gently reach into some of the foam and extract its somewhat bug-eyed owner.

You will have added a little more to your knowledge of the wide variety of interesting wild creatures that inhabit our fields an forests. Maybe you’ll have little fun as well.

Paul Risk is a professor emeritus and biologist in the College of Forestry and Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches. Email: paulrisk2@gmail.com.

74th Atkinson Reunion

Cary SIMS

Descendants of Ephraim Lazarus and Sarah Josey Sayers Atkinson met for their 74th reunion at the home of Eric and Darlene Atkinson on Aug. 7 with 24 attending. The first Atkinson reunion was held in Houston in 1949, hosted by Carroll and Addie Atkinson. Those a tending from the Ben and Shellie Atkinson family were: Shellie (Love) and Scott Davis with Michael and Ryan; Eric and Darlene Atkinson with Austin and Beau; Sarah Atkinson and Remington Tonar and Sinclaire Tonar; Donald Christopher Wagner with James, Raquel and Daniel; Linda Duncan, Daniel and Cassie Duncan with Elizabeth; Deanna Duncan and Chris Pratt. Decedents from Sarah Annie Atkinson Mantooth were Janice Ann Rowe, Bill Royle and Julie Jumper-Morris. Chris Wagner is president of the group with help from Eric Atkinson’s staff. The next reunion will be Aug. 6, 2023, at the home of Eric and Darlene Atkinson. The theme will be All-American (hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, deviled eggs and ice cream). Thanks to everyone for the good food and Darlene for the hospitality of their home and pool

FIELd and FOr ESt FaCt S

BLAKE LAYTON/Misissippi State University Extension/

A spittlebug foaming its way along a grass stem.

Pau L r ISK

What is blooming in extreme heat

After a brutally hot summer, gardeners learn which of their landscape plants are droughtand heatresistant.

Angelina Master Gardeners are preparing for our Fall Plant Sale, which will be at 8 a.m. Sept. 24 at our greenhouse in the Farmers Market, 2107 S. Medford Drive. We will have native and well-adapted ferns, grasses, perennials, shrubs, trees, vines, edibles and spring-flwering bulbs.

I asked several Master Gardeners, “What is blooming in your yard?” to learn what plants were able to survive and thrive in the heat.

Master Gardener Judy Johnson installed raised beds in her yard because the soil was hard and compacted. During this hot weather, Judy waters every other day. She selects native and well-adapted plants that provide nectar for pollinators, as well as host plants, and Judy is rewarded with a yard filled with utterflies and bee. Judy keeps a photographic record of the butterflies tht visit.

Annuals include zinnia and Verbena bonariensis, which Judy sows in her garden in early spring. Perennials include lantana, purple coneflwers, Mexican sunflwers, bee balm and salvias Bees love her Mexican heather, and honeybees cover moss rose. Coral honeysuckle blooms welcome pollinators in early spring.

Judy plants host plants for butterflie, including fennel, parsley, swamp milkweed and passion vine. The herbs fennel and parsley provide food for caterpillars of the eastern black swallowtail butterfly.

Swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata, is the host plant for both monarch and queen butterflie. The native passion vine, Passiflora incanata, hosts the larvae of the Gulf fritillary.

Purple coneflwers, salvias, Mexican heather, coral honeysuckle and swamp milkweed will all be available in our plant sale. A plant description list will be available on our Facebook page and at the Extension office a fw weeks before the sale.

Master Gardener Katrina Echols gave a talk on “Land-

scaping for Wildlife” last Tuesday to a full house at the Extension offic. Katrina has a self-described “higgledy piggledy” garden around her home surrounded by a forest. Some folks might describe it as a cottage garden. Katrina is both an avid birder and photographer.

Katrina has zinnias, vinca, ageratum, Turk’s cap, drift roses, lantana, swamp milkweed, iron weed, perennial hibiscus, Mexican petunias, salvias and Gold Star Esperanza blooming. They have been watered and fertilized. A native passion vine, Passiflor incarnata, fed a Gulf fritillary caterpillar. Katrina said the vine recovered and seems to thrive in the heat.

Zinnias are an annual that can be grown from seed. Katrina said one can get a lot of flwers from a $2 pack of seeds. She lets the seed heads spread seeds for the following year. Butterflies lie the flt landing area of single zinnias.

We will have blue mist ageratum, Turk’s cap and salvias in our sale. Blue mist ageratum is a native and has flufy lavender flwers in late summer and early fall that attract butterflies and bee.

Turk’s cap has been popular

in our sales for years because it is a dependable bloomer from spring to frost, comes back from the roots and feeds hummingbirds throughout our hot, dry summers.

Master Gardener Lexie Allen this year started a flwer garden on the southwest side of her house. Lexie chose perennial drought-resistant pollinator plants and said it paid off.

She watered her garden, so water was not the problem, but the hot sun with no shade has been hard on many plants. The plants that survived so far include white garden mums, blue plumbago, Belleza dark pink gaura, verbena, Skittles lantana and Starry Eyes nierembergia.

The white garden mums look green, healthy and have lots of buds that will open this fall. Blue plumbago is a welladapted perennial that blooms during the heat of summer.

Gaura is a native, airy plant with arching stems that sway in the breeze. The blossoms look like tiny butterflie, and it blooms spring until frost. Belleza dark pink gaura is a cultivar of the native.

Lexie has several colors of verbena in her garden that thrive in the sun in well-

drained soil. They are lowgrowing, and pollinators enjoy nectar all summer. She said their blooming had slowed in the heat, but they will bloom better when temperatures cool.

The best performer in Lexie’s garden was Skittles lantana, which was in our spring plant sale. The flt clusters of orange, pink and yellow blooms attract butterflie, hummingbirds, moths and bees.

“Every day the butterflie, bees and hummingbirds have depended on the lantana and its prolificblooms,” Lexie said. Lantana thrives in our hot, humid summers and will have nectar available when monarch butterflies mirate.

Starry Eyes, nierembergia gracillus, has been Lexie’s favorite as it grows in a pot on a bistro table in the front yard. It has bell-shaped white to pale lavender blooms, making it a favorite stop for the hummingbirds. It needs frequent watering but returns the favor with prolific looms.

Master Gardener Jimmy Schroeder said his garden is slowing down a lot. Okra is still going strong but most other vegetables have shut down.

“I planted tithonia, zinnias and Maximillian sunflwers along with the vegetables, and every morning I was swarmed with bumble bees and butterflie,’’ Jimmy said. ‘‘The tithonia, or Mexican sunflwer, is putting on blooms, and the zinnias keep on blooming. The Maxmillian sunflwers will blast open in about another month. Having blooms in the garden make it enjoyable while picking produce. They also make a great cut flwer arrangement.”

Judy, Katrina, Lexie and Jimmy have gardens that are flourishing in our exteme weather. They have chosen plants that bloom from spring until frost and provide nectar to our native pollinators.

Land has been lost to development and the number of pollinators has declined.

Gardeners can do their part to provide plants that nourish pollinators.

Visit Angelina County Master Gardeners on Facebook for information about our Fall Plant Sale and our educational programs.

Elaine Cameron is an Angelina County Master Gardener. Her email address is cameronelaine634@gmail.com.

KATRINA ECHOLS/For The Lufkin Daily News

A monarch butterfly

LEXIE ALLEN/For The Lufkin Daily News

A butterfly on Skittles lantana

JUDY JOHNSON / For The Lufkin Daily News

An eastern tiger swallowtail.

JUDY JOHNSON / For The Lufkin Daily News

A giant swallowtail.

JUDY JOHNSON / For The Lufkin Daily News A Gulf fritillary on a golden lantana.

JUDY JOHNSON / For The Lufkin Daily News

A silver spotted skipper.

KATRINA ECHOLS/ For The Lufkin Daily News A spicebush swallowtail.

LEXIE ALLEN/For The Lufkin Daily News Starry Eyes nierembergia gracillus growing in a pot.

ELaIn E CaMEr On

Brushing tongue could have adverse health effects

Dear Doctors: I thought brushing your tongue was an important part of oral hygiene. But a friend who is a nurse says it’s not a great idea. She said it has something to do with the mouth microbiome and high blood pressure. I didn’t even know the mouth had a microbiome. Can you explain?

Dear Reader: Although the microbiome we hear about most often is located in the gut, these communities are found throughout the

From wire reports

Court: Russia probe memo wrongly withheld under Barr

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

The Justice Department under Attorney General William Barr improperly withheld portions of an internal memo Barr cited in announcing that then-President Donald Trump had not obstructed justice in the Russia investigation, a federal appeals panel said Friday.

The department had argued that the 2019 memo represented private deliberations of its lawyers before any decision was formalized, and was thus exempt from disclosure. A federal judge previously disagreed, ordering the Justice Department to provide it to a government transparency group that had sued for it.

At issue in the case is a March 24, 2019, memorandum from the head of the Justice Department’s Office o Legal Counsel and another senior department official tht was prepared for Barr to evaluate whether evidence in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation could support prosecution of the president for obstruction of justice.

Barr has said he looked to that opinion in concluding that Trump did not illegally obstruct the Russia probe, which was an investigation of whether his campaign had colluded with Russia to tip the 2016 election.

A year later, a federal judge sharply rebuked Barr’s handling of Mueller’s report, saying Barr had made “misleading public statements” to spin the investigation’s finding in favor of Trump and had shown a “lack of candor.”

Judge: Prosecutors cannot enforce abortion ban

LANSING, Mich. — A Michigan judge on Friday blocked county prosecutors from enforcing the state’s 1931 ban on abortion for the foreseeable future, after two days of witness testimony from abortion experts, providers and the state’s chief medical

body. The word “microbiome” refers to a distinct collection of microorganisms that are living together in a common habitat. And it’s not only humans that play host to microbiomes. They are found in all animals, as well as plants, soil and bodies of water. Even built environments — such as a house, car or office uilding — have a unique microbiome.

When it comes to the human mouth, the number and diversity of microorganisms it contains is second only

office.

The ruling follows a state Court of Appeals ruling this month that county prosecutors were not covered by a May order and could enforce the prohibition following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.

“The harm to the body of women and people capable of pregnancy in not issuing the injunction could not be more real, clear, present and dangerous to the court,” Oakland County Judge Jacob Cunningham said during his ruling Friday.

David Kallman, an attorney for two Republican county prosecutors, said an appeal is planned.

“The judge ignored all of the clear legal errors and problems in this case, it appears to me, simply because the issue is abortion,” Kallman told The Associated Press following the hearing.

Islamic State

to the gut. We think of the mouth in terms of its functions of taking in and tasting food and initiating digestion. However, the bacteria, fungi, benign viruses and protozoa it contains are crucial to oral and systemic health.

As a result, researchers are now exploring the roles the estimated 700 unique species of bacteria in the oral cavity play in health and wellness. Among their findings is a intriguing link to blood pressure regulation.

The focus here is a molecule known as nitric oxide. It is produced by cells throughout the body and plays a crucial role in promoting blood fl w. Known as a vasodilator, nitric oxide helps keep blood

jury convicted him of hostage taking resulting in death and other crimes earlier this year.

Witness about R. Kelly: I didn’t want to ‘carry his lies’

CHICAGO — A woman who says she was sexually abused hundreds of times by R. Kelly as a minor testifie Friday that she agonized several years ago about whether to cooperate with federal investigators who were looking into child abuse allegations involving the singer, but she ultimately did because she didn’t want to “carry his lies.”

vessels relaxed and pliable. This lowers the pressure that circulating blood exerts on the walls of the veins, arteries and capillaries. And that brings us to the research your friend was referring to when she suggested there may be a downside to brushing your tongue.

Several studies have found that certain microbes that live on the back portion of the tongue convert a nutrient found in plant-based foods into nitrites. This results in the production of nitric oxide, which is beneficial to heart and circulatory health. The nutrient that the tongue bacteria convert is called dietary nitrate. It’s found primarily in green

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Friday that he didn’t take any classifie information with him when he left offic.

The disclosure — which would typically be unremarkable for a former vice president — is notable given that FBI agents seized classifie and top secret information from his former boss’s Florida estate on Aug. 8 while investigating potential violations of three different federal laws.

Former President Donald Trump has claimed that the documents seized by agents were “all declassified.

leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and bok choy, and in root vegetables such as carrots and beets.

Some researchers have linked the role of the mouth microbiome in converting dietary nitrate to nitric oxide to the positive health effects of the Mediterranean Diet. They suggest that brushing or scraping the tongue adversely affects the numbers and diversity of the oral microbiome. This, in turn, reduces or even eliminates an important source of nitric oxide, and can lead to hypertension.

A study at the University of Texas adds to the evidence. The researchers found that when volunteers used an

with Ukraine, an official sai Friday, while two civilians were reported wounded by Russian shelling near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as both sides traded accusations about fightin near the facility in southern Ukraine.

The fie late Thursday struck the munitions storage building near the village of Timonovo in Russia’s Belgorod region on Ukraine’s northeastern border. About 1,100 people live in Timonovo and Soloti, about 15 miles from the border. No one was hurt, said Belgorod regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov.

antiseptic mouthwash twice a day, which weakened the oral microbiome, their blood pressure rose. When the mouthwash was discontinued a week later, blood pressure returned to normal.

So far, this all remains theoretical. But with such a promising line of inquiry, we expect to hear more about it the future.

Eve Glazier, M.D., MBA, is an internist and associate professor of medicine at UCLA Health. Elizabeth Ko, M.D., is an internist and assistant professor of medicine at UCLA Health. Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1955, Los Angeles, CA, 90024. Owing to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.

judge on Friday said Sen. Lindsey Graham’s appearance before a special grand jury investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to influence the 2020 election i Georgia should not be delayed to allow him to continue to challenge it in court.

‘Beatle’

gets life term for US hostage deaths

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — El Shafee Elsheikh, who was formally sentenced to life in prison Friday for a leading role in the beheading deaths of American hostages, had a somewhat whimsical nickname as a so-called “Beatle” that belied the viciousness of his conduct.

In fact, he is the most notorious and highest-ranking member of the Islamic State group to ever be convicted in a U.S. court, prosecutors said at his sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court in Alexandria.

Elsheikh and British counterparts Alexanda Kotey and Mohammed Emwazi led an Islamic State hostage-taking scheme that took roughly two dozen Westerners captive a decade ago. The hostages dubbed them Beatles because of their accents. Their appearance, always in masks, invoked dread among the hostages for the sadism they displayed.

“This prosecution unmasked the barbaric and sadistic ISIS Beatles,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh.

The life sentence was a foregone conclusion after a

Hours before jurors got their first glimpse o sexually explicit videos at the heart of the prosecution’s bid to prove Kelly produced child pornography and successfully rigged his 2008 child porn trial, the woman, who is now 37 and going by the pseudonym “Jane” during the current trial, conceded that even after she began cooperating, she lied when she told agents she wasn’t sure if Kelly had abused minors other than her. She said she lied because she didn’t want to get others in trouble.

Jane testified or over four hours Thursday, saying it was she and Kelly in a videotape that was the focus of the 2008 trial, at which he was acquitted. She also said Kelly sexually abused her hundreds of times from the late 1990s before she turned 18. Kelly, 55, was around 30 years old at the time.

While cross-examining her Friday, Kelly’s lead attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, sought to cast the R&B singer in a more favorable light after Jane testified the dy before about how Kelly pursued her sexually starting when she was around 14 years old.

Kelly has been trailed for decades by allegations about his sexual behavior. The scrutiny intensified during th #MeToo era and following the 2019 release of the Lifetime television docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly.”

Pence says he didn’t leave office wit classified materia

DES MOINES, Iowa

Pence, asked directly if he had retained any classified iformation upon leaving offic, told The Associated Press in an interview, “No, not to my knowledge.”

Despite the inclusion of material marked “top secret” in the government’s list of items recovered from Mar-a-Lago, Pence said, “I honestly don’t want to prejudge it before until we know all the facts.”

Russia, Ukraine spar over fighting nea nuclear facility

KYIV, Ukraine — A fie at a munitions depot inside Russia forced the evacuation of two villages near the border

The fie came days after another ammunition depot exploded on the Crimean Peninsula, a Russian-occupied territory on the Black Sea that was annexed by Moscow in 2014.

Last week, nine Russian warplanes were reported destroyed at an airbase on Crimea, demonstrating both the Russians’ vulnerability and the Ukrainians’ capacity to strike deep behind enemy lines.

Graham effort to delay testimony in probe rejected

ATLANTA — A federal

Earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May ordered Graham to honor his subpoena for the special grand jury. Graham’s attorneys appealed that order to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and asked May to stay her ruling and prohibit the special grand jury from questioning him while that appeal plays out. May declined that request in her order on Friday.

“Under the circumstances, further delay of Senator Graham’s testimony would greatly compound the overall delay in carrying out the grand jury’s investigation,” May wrote. “Further delay thus poses a significant ris of overall hindrance to the grand jury’s investigation, and the Court therefore find that granting a stay would almost certainly result in material injury to the grand jury and its investigation.”

For more world news, visit Lufkind ailyn ews.com.

dr s. ELIZaBEt H KO and EVE g LaZIEr

ar Ound t HE WOr Ld

Pack shows promise in scrimmage

Opener against Tyler Legacy next step for Lufkin

By JOSH HAVARD The Lufkin Daily News

The preliminaries are over. Now the real work begins for the Lufkin Panthers.

Playing in their only scrimmage before the season opener, the Panthers showed promise at times while struggling at others against a Huntsville team picked to win its district.

By the time the team walked off the field,it was ready to get to work on getting back to the playoffs after missing out one season ago.

“This was like every scrimmage we’ve ever had,” Lufkin head coach Todd Quick said. “We made a lot of mistakes. But what I told the kids was we want to be better at the end than how we started. I thought we did that.”

The defenses dominated much of the scrimmage with Lufkin scoring the only touchdown in the controlled portion of the scrimmage.

Lufkin outscored the Hornets in the two quarters of live action 10-6.

On the defensive side, Lufkin didn’t allow a play of more than 11 yards until the next to last play of the live portion. Huntsville was unable to

COLLEg E FOOt BALL

Ut hopes to ride r obinson to turnaround

By JIM VERTUNO The Associated Press

AUSTIN — Bijan Robinson and his Lamborghini sum up what most believe Texas football should be: flasy, fun to watch and faster than anybody else out there.

Far too often, however, the Longhorns finda way to run themselves into a ditch.

Texas starts the season unranked after a 5-7 finishin 2021 with no bowl game and the longest losing streak since 1956 in coach Steve Sarkisian’s debut. Years of legacy votes that presumed Texas was deserving of preseason rankings have finaly vanished after too many seasons of unmet expectations.

And yet, there is optimism in Austin. At least the kind that assumes last season was so bad, this one has to be better.

For starters, there is talent on campus in the form of some of college football’s best playmakers. The fluidand powerful Robinson (in and out of that Lamborghini courtesy of a name, image and likeness sponsorship deal) is one of the top backs in the country. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy had an explosive freshman season in 2021 and should be among the favorites for the Biletnikoff Award.

The rest is anyone’s guess.

Sarkisian mined the transfer portal about as well as anybody, and even landed a starting quarterback in freshman Quinn Ewers, who beat out Hudson Card for the job. But that road has been bumpy with one transfer receiver (Isaiah Neyor from Wyoming) lost for the season to a knee injury and another (Agiye Hall from Alabama) suspended indefinitey.

And an offensive line already strapped for depth also lost starter Junior Angilou, who could play multiple positions, for the season to a knee injury.

Lufkin playing in Gold bracket today

HIg H SCHOOL FOOt BALL

GARY STALLARD/For The Lufkin Daily News

Lufkin’s Courtnee Morgan (11) gets up for a spike during Thursday’s game against Madisonville. The Lady Panthers swept through their six pool-play matches with a perfect record. The Lady Pack will compete in the Gold bracket at the tournament today. Lufkin, the top seed, opens with a 10 a.m. matchup against Madisonville. A win would put Lufkin in the winner’s bracket at 2 p.m. The championship match is set for 6 p.m.

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

Lufkin’s Elijah Moody prepares to release a pass while Aaron McMillian and Peyton Havard block during scrimmage action on John Outlaw Memorial Field

at Abe Martin Stadium Friday night.

Sports shorts

Kickball sign-ups currently open

Sign-ups for the 2022 kickball season are ongoing through Aug. 26.

The league is available to 3- to 6-year-olds and games will be every Saturday.

Cost is $40. Sign-ups can be done online at LufkinParks.com or by calling (936) 633-0250.

Fall softball sign-ups open

Fall Youth Softball is holding sign-ups for the upcoming season.

Sign-ups are for teams only at $250 per squad. There will be a 10-game schedule and games will be played in Lufkin on Saturdays.

Leagues available are 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U and 14U.

Registration can be done at LufkinParks.com or by calling (936) 633-0250.

Fall baseball sign-ups open

Fall Youth Baseball sign-ups are currently open through Aug. 26. There will be team registration for T-Ball, Coach Pitch, Minors, Majors and Juniors.

Cost is $250 per team and there will be a 10game schedule. Registration is open until Aug. 26.

Participants can register at LufkinParks.com or by calling (936) 633-0250.

Huntington selling all-sports passes

Huntington ISD is selling all-sports passes for the upcoming athletic seasons.

The passes will be good for admission to all home games at a discounted price.

Passes are good for all high school and middle school games for the 202223 year.

Cost for the passses is $60 for adults and $30 for students.

Passes are available at the administration offic at 908 N. Main St.

The Huntington volleyball season is underway while the football season kicks off in Elkhart on Aug. 26.

The home opener is set for Sept. 2 against Frankston.

For more questions, contact Ashley Slocum at (936) 876-4287.

Soccer sign-ups currently open

Registration for youth fall soccer is currently open through Friday.

The league, which will be offered through Lufkin Parks & Recreation is available for 4-to-14-yearolds.

Cost is $80 per participant and can be done at Lufkin Parks.com or by calling (936) 633-0250.

In-person registration is also available at the Lufkin Parks & Recreation Department at 516 Montrose

Registration includes a jersey and socks and games will be played on Saturdays at Kit McConnico Park.

Late registration with additional fees will be from Aug. 22-26.

SCOr EBOard

Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts Saturday, august 20 aut O ra CIng 11:30 a.m.

USA — NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying, Watkins Glen International, New York 2 p.m.

USA — NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Go Rewards 200 at The Glen, Watkins Glen International, New York 5:30 p.m.

USA — NTT IndyCar Series: The Bommarito Automotive Group 500, World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill. BOXIng

7 p.m.

SHO — WBC Showtime

Championship: Omar Figueroa Jr. vs. Sergey Lipinets (SuperLightweights), Hollywood, Fla. 9 p.m.

ESPN — WBO Top Rank: Emanuel Navarrete vs. Eduardo Baez (Featherweights), San Diego g OLF 5:30 a.m.

GOLF — DP World Tour: The D+D Real Czech Masters, Third Round, Albatross Golf Resort, Vysoky Ujezd, Czechia 11 a.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour: The BMW Championship, Third Round, Wilmington Country Club, Wilmington, Del. 2 p.m.

GOLF — USGA: U.S. Men’s Amateur, Semifinals, The Ridgewoo Country Club, Paramus, N.J. NBC — PGA Tour: The BMW Championship, Third Round, Wilmington Country Club, Wilmington, Del. 6 p.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Dick’s Sporting Goods Open, Second Round, En-Joie Golf Club, Endicott, N.Y. (Taped) 8 p.m.

GOLF — Korn Ferry Tour: The Albertsons Boise Open (Final 1), Third Round, Hillcrest Country Club, Boise, Idaho (Taped) IIHF HOCKEy (MEn ’S) 3 p.m.

NHLN — World Junior Championship: TBD, Bronze-Medal Game, Edmonton, Canada 7 p.m.

NHLN — World Junior Championship: TBD, Gold-Medal Game, Edmonton, Canada LaCr OSSE (MEn ’S) 1 p.m.

ESPNU — World U-21 Championship: U.S. vs. Canada, Final, Limerick, Ireland LItt LE LEagu E BaSEBaLL noon ABC — Little League World

area sports schedule

Saturday aug. 20

High school volleyball

Series: Queensland, Australia vs. Bologna, Italy, Game 13, Williamsport, Penn. 2 p.m.

ABC — Little League World Series: Bonney Lake, Wash. vs. Davenport, Iowa, Game 14, Williamsport, Penn.

4 p.m.

ESPN — Little League World Series: Managua, Nicaragua vs. Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Game 15, Williamsport, Penn. (Joined in Progress) 6 p.m.

ESPN2 — Little League World Series: Middleboro, Mass. vs. Hollidaysburg, Pa., Game 16, Williamsport, Penn.

MILB BaSEBaLL 6 p.m. MLBN — Syracuse at Charlotte MLB BaSEBaLL noon MLBN — Regional Coverage: Toronto at NY Yankees OR LA Angels at Detroit 1 p.m. FS1 — Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs 6 p.m.

FOX — Regional Coverage: Houston at Atlanta, NY Mets at Philadelphia, Seattle at Oakland 9 p.m. MLBN — Regional Coverage: Miami at LA Dodgers OR Washington at San Diego (Joined in Progress) n FL FOOt BaLL noon NFLN — Preseason: Denver at Buffalo 3 p.m. NFLN — Preseason: Washington at Kansas City 6 p.m. NFLN — Preseason: Tampa Bay at Tennessee 9 p.m. NFLN — Preseason: Dallas at LA Chargers SOCCEr (MEn ’S) 6:30 a.m.

USA — Premier League: Wolverhampton at Tottenham Hotspur 8:20 a.m. ESPN — Bundesliga: Werder Bremen at Borussia Dortmund 9 a.m.

USA — Premier League: Southampton at Leicester City 11:30 a.m. NBC — Premier League: Arsenal at Bournemouth 7 p.m.

FS1 — Liga MX: Tigres UANL at Monterrey SOCCEr (WOMEn ’S) 5:20 p.m. FS2 — FIFA U-20 World Cup: Spain vs. Mexico, Quarterfinal San Jose, Costa Rica 7 p.m.

5 p.m. t Hur Sday aug. 25

ESPNU — International Champions Cup: Chelsea vs. Portland FC, Third-Place Match, Portland, Ore. 8:55 p.m.

FS1 — FIFA U-20 World Cup: Colombia vs. Brazil, Quarterfinal San Jose, Costa Rica 9 p.m.

CBSSN — Women’s Cup: Racing Louisville FC vs. OL Reign, Final, Louisville, Ky. (Taped) 10 p.m.

ESPN2 — International Champions Cup: Lyon vs. Monterrey, Final, Portland, Ore. Wn Ba BaSKEt BaLL 11 a.m.

ESPN2 — First Round Playoff: New York at Chicago, Game 2 8 p.m.

ESPN2 — First Round Playoff: Phoenix at Las Vegas, Game 2--Sunday, august 21 aut O ra CIng 9 a.m.

CBSSN — FIM Motocross: The MX2, St Jean d’Angely, France 10 a.m.

CBSSN — FIM Motocross: The MXGP, St Jean d’Angely, France 12:30 p.m.

FS1 — NHRA: Qualifying, Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd, Minn. 2 p.m.

USA — NASCAR Cup Series: The Go Bowling At The Glen, Watkins Glen International, New York 2:30 p.m.

FOX — NHRA: The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd, Minn. BIg 3 BaSKEt BaLL 3 p.m.

CBS — All-Star Game: Team DOC vs. Team ICE, Atlanta 4 p.m.

CBS — BIG3 Championship: Trilogy vs. Power, Atlanta g OLF 6 a.m.

GOLF — DP World Tour: The D+D Real Czech Masters, Final Round, Albatross Golf Resort, Vysoky Ujezd, Czechia 11 a.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour: The BMW Championship, Final Round, Wilmington Country Club, Wilmington, Del.

1 p.m.

GOLF — USGA: U.S. Men’s Amateur, Championship Match, The Ridgewood Country Club, Paramus, N.J.

NBC — PGA Tour: The BMW Championship, Final Round, Wilmington Country Club, Wilmington, Del. 4 p.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Albertsons Boise Open (Final 1), Final Round, En-Joie Golf

Club, Endicott, N.Y. (Taped) 7 p.m. GOLF — Korn Ferry Tour: The Albertsons Boise Open, Third Round, Hillcrest Country Club, Boise, Idaho (Taped)

gy Mna St ICS 11:30 a.m.

NBC — U.S. Championships: Men’s Events, Tampa, Fla. 6 p.m.

NBC — U.S. Championships: Women’s Events, Tampa, Fla.

Jun IOr LEagu E BaSEBaLL 11 a.m.

ESPN2 — Junior League World Series: TBD, Championship, Taylor, Mich.

LItt LE LEagu E BaSEBaLL 8 a.m.

ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Williamsport, Penn. 10 a.m.

ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Williamsport, Penn.

noon

ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Williamsport, Penn. 1 p.m.

ABC — Little League World Series: TBD, Williamsport, Penn.

MLB BaSEBaLL 12:30 p.m.

MLBN — Regional Coverage: Toronto at NY Yankees OR Houston at Atlanta 3:30 p.m.

MLBN — Regional Coverage: Miami at LA Dodgers OR Washington at San Diego (Joined in Progress) 6 p.m.

ESPN — Boston at Baltimore ESPN2 — Boston at Baltimore (KidsCast)

n FL FOOt BaLL noon NFLN — Philadelphia at Cleveland 6 p.m.

NFLN — Preseason: Cincinnati at NY Giants 7 p.m.

FOX — Preseason: Baltimore at Arizona SOCCEr (MEn ’S) 8 a.m.

USA — Premier League: Chelsea at Leeds United 10:30 a.m.

USA — Premier League: Manchester City at Newcastle United 4:30 p.m. FS1 — MLS: Atlanta United FC at Columbus Crew 6:30 p.m.

FS1 — MLS: Portland at Sporting KC SOCCEr (WOMEn ’S) 5:20 p.m. FS2 — FIFA U-20 World Cup: Nigeria vs. Netherlands, Quarterfinal, Alajuela, Costa Ric

t exas

Continued from Page 1B

Texas hasn’t won the Big 12 since 2009 and most pick the Longhorns for the middle of the pack again. Still, that would be a step up from last year.

QUARTERBACK

Ewers is a huge arm talent, he just lacks college experience. He was the quarterback everyone wanted out of high school near Dallas and Ohio State signed him. But a freshman season of sitting around Columbus prompted a transfer.

That put him in a fightfor the job with Card, who started the firsttwo games in 2021 before getting benched. Sarkisian had a quick hook on his QB last year with struggles, so is Card still in play or would he

Panthers

Continued from Page 1B

put together many sustained drives against the Panthers.

Cooper Conrad had a strong scrimmage that included a sack and Ma’Kaleb Credit and Isaiah Menefee each provided big hits.

“I thought when we started out, our pad level wasn’t as good as it needed to be, but it got better as the game went on,” Quick said.

“There’s definitey a difference when you’ve mostly been going against JV guys for awhile then have to adjust. I thought we adjusted to the speed of the game and the size of players we were going against as the scrimmage went on.”

Meanwhile, Lufkin’s offense showed signs of life throughout the night, although it also struggled to move the ball against the Hornets’ defense at times.

Lufkin had 180 total yards of offense in the live portion of the scrimmage after gaining 199 yards in the controlled portion.

consider a transfer?

SECOND HALF FOLLIES

The Longhorns lost five games last season they led at halftime. Texas has to shake off a bad combination of second-half adjustments and suspect conditioning if they don’t want to get dominated in the third and fourth quarters again. Hiring former TCU head coach and defensive guru Gary Patterson as a special assistant may prove to be Sarkisian’s shrewdest move of the offseason.

‘Having Coach Patterson on board has probably been something that has excited me the most out of a lot of things we’ve done this off-season,” Sarkisian said. “I’ve always admired his defensive mind.”

down. Hammond was 9-13 for 131 yards and a touchdown. Neither threw an interception.

“They definitey bring different things to the team,” Quick said.

Both offenses struggled in the controlled portion of the scrimmage with Lufkin finaly getting in the end zone on its fourth set of plays. Kriesan Preston took a short pass over the middle from Moody and sprinted the rest of the way for a 62-yard touchdown.

The Panthers scored late in the firstquarter of the live scrimmage when Hammond executed a nice screen pass to Kedren Young, who sprinted for a 40-yard touchdown. Young also ran for 60 yards on 10 carries.

Huntsville answered with its most sustained drive of the night, eventually findingthe end zone on a five-yard touchdown run. A miscue on the extra-point snap left the score at 7-6.

Lufkin JV, V, Huntington JV, V at Lufkin tournament, TBA tu ESday, aug. 23

High school volleyball Huntington JV, V at Lufkin, 5 p.m. WEdn ESday aug. 24

Men’s junior college soccer North American University at Angelina College, 7:30 p.m.

Women’s junior college soccer North American University at Angelina College,

High school volleyball Lufkin V at Smithson Valley tournament, TBA; Huntington V, Diboll V at Warren tournament, TBA Fr Iday aug. 26

High school volleyball Lufkin V at Smithson Valley tournament, TBA; Madisonville at Diboll 9, JV, V, TBA College volleyball SFA vs. Depaul at SMU tournament, 10 a.m.; SFA vs. UC-Irvine at SMU tournament, 5 p.m.

High school football Lufkin V at Tyler Legacy, 7 p.m.; Madisonville at

EaSt t EXaS FISHIng r EPOrt

By MATT WILLIAMS For The Lufkin Daily News

at HEn S — Water level is 1.44 feet low and clear. Water temp in the upper 80s.

Fishing guide Jim Brack says bass fishing has been slo. Best bite coming along outside grass lines on 12 feet using shaky heads and Texas rigs. Also a few fish hitting Carolina rigs on mai lake humps in 20 feet. Crappie are scattered. Brush piles in 20-25 feet are the best bet. No limits reported.

CEdar Cr EEK — Water level is 4.52 feet low and clear. Water temp in the upper 80s.

Fishing guide Jason Barber says white bass are good in 6-10 feet on main lake humps using slabs and trolling pet spoons. Crappie are best on brush piles in 12-20 feet, suspended 8-10 feet down. Catfish are hit or mis around main lake humps in 12-20 feet using fresh cut bait, most in the 1- to 3-pound range. Black bass are best on boat docks in 4-6 feet with lots of bait fish shallo. Texas rigs, Chatterbaits and jigs are the best bets.

FOr K — Water level is 7.35 feet low

and stained to clear. Water temp in the upper 80s, low 90s.

Fishing guide Brooks Rogers says bass fishing has been tough. A few fi hitting topwater early, but bites are few and far between. Also some fish hittin Texas rigs and medium-diving cranks around channel swings in 6-12 feet. Crappie fishing is fair around brus piles and timber in 18-20 feet using minnows and jigs.

PaLESt In E — Water level is 1.90 feet low and stained to clear. Water temp in the upper 80s, low 90s.

Fishing guide Ricky Vandergriff says bass fishing has been good with th best action coming around boat docks with brush in 4-8 feet using Texas rig worms and jigs.

Crappie are best over 20-26 feet of water using shad pattern jigs around old timber along the river down south. White bass are slow, a few hitting tail spinners on points at suspended depths. Catfish are good on night crawers and punch bait around baited holes in 14 feet.

na COn ICHE — Water level is about 6 inches low and clear with surface temps in the mid-to-upper 80s.

Diboll, 7 p.m.; Huntington at Elkhart, 7:30 p.m.; Corrigan-Camden at Buna, 7:30 p.m.; Groveton at Lovelady, 7:30 p.m.; Shelbyville at Alto, 7 p.m.; Longview Trinitoy School of Texas, 7 p.m. Saturday aug. 27

High school volleyball Lufkin V at Smithson Valley tournament, TBA; Huntington V, Diboll V at Warren tournament, TBA Men’s junior college soccer Angelina College at University of St. ThomasHouston, 5 p.m.

Women’s junior college soccer Angelina College at University of St. ThomasHouston, 7:30 p.m.

David Russell says bass fishin was decent around the full moon using jigs around brush, channel breaks and points in 14-18 feet. Lots of fish stil roaming the water column. Plenty of fish still suspended in 8-10 feet, mos are small.

na COgd OCHES — Water level is 2.73 feet low and stained to clear. Water temp in the upper 80s, low 90s.

Fishing guide Stanley Gresham says bass fishinghas been good up north using Texas rigs along the creek channel. Main lake structure in 12-20 feet also giving up some fish on Carolina rig and cranks. Lots of schooling activity on the main lake during midday and afternoon hours, hitting silver ’Traps and spoons. Most are small. Also a few fish reported on jigs fished around gra in 7-10 feet. Crappie still best around brush piles in 15-20 feet using shiners and jigs.

t OLEd O BEnd — Water level is 4.14 feet low and clear. Water temp in the upper 80s, low 90s.

Fishing guide Stephen Johnston says bass fishing has been good usin Texas rigs (red bug and red shad) and shad pattern cranks around structure

“We made a couple of plays and we have a few problems we need to get fied,” Quick said. “That was like the defense in that I thought we got better as the scrimmage went along.”

One of the biggest question marks for the team entering the season was at quarterback where Elijah Moody and T.J. Hammond are competing for the starting job. They put up similar numbers throughout the scrimmage.

Moody finishedthe night 1017 with 133 yards and a touch-

in 12-18 feet of water. A strong bite around the full moon with several fis up to 10 pounds reported on 3/4 oun spinnerbaits and Texas rigs worked around structure in 9-15 feet. Rhonda Shivley at Bill’s Landing says catfis are good in the 5- to 15-pound range on trotline sets on flats in 8-12 fee along the river, most on cut bait. Some bigger fish up to 50 pounds along th river. Bass are schooling periodically with some in the 2- to 4-pound range. Bream and channel cat are good in the boat channel using crickets and worms under a cork.

SaM ra y Burn — Water level is 4.26 feet low and clear. Water temp in the upper 80s, low 90s.

Fishing guide Brian Branum says bass are ganging up around hydrilla beds, hitting heavy weighted creatures along outside edges in 8-9 feet. Topwaters, whacky worms and Texas rigs are working early, late and in cloudy conditions. Brush piles also productive off and on using big worms. Crappie fishing has been fair with the best bit coming on shiners fished around brus piles early in the day.

PIn ES — Water level is 2.36 feet low

Hammond hit Brayden Murphy on a nice pass for a 46-yard gain late in the scrimmage before Nolan Hansard put through a 20-yard fiel goal for the only other score of the live scrimmage.

Huntsville had a ball drop out of a receiver’s hands on the finalplay of the live scrimmage with a Lufkin defender closing in that allowed the Panthers to outscore the Hornets.

The Panthers will open the season on Friday night when they travel to take on the Tyler Legacy Red Raiders.

Josh

Havard’s email address is josh.havard@lufkindailynews.com.

and clear. Water temp the upper 80s. Jim Tutt says bass fishing has bee good up north using frogs and Texas rigs around shallow grass early, then moving to the river and drops. Farther south, anglers are picking up fish o drops and points in 8-15 feet using Carolina rigs and cranks. Also some fis hitting topwater early on shallow points and rock.

Crappie slow around bridges on minnows in 12-18 foot and along the old river in 23-25 feet.

r ICHLand CHaMBEr S — Water level is 4.38 feet low and clear. Water temp in the upper 80s.

Fishing guide Royce Simmons says crappie fishing has been fair targetin bridge columns and brush piles in 15-20 feet, all on minnows. White bass are slow and hard to locate. Hybrids are good on live shad on hump around the 309 Flats in 20-25 feet. Eating size channel cat and blues are excellent using King’s punch bait, mostly on main lake and secondary points in 15-25 feet pre-baited with soured grain or range cubes. The 309 Flats, Midway and Longarm Branch Point are all producing fish

OUTDOORS

2022 dove preview

Outlook looking bright on heels of drought, late-August rains

By MATT WILLIAMS For The Lufkin Daily News

Texas dove hunters are anxiously counting down to Sept. 1, opening day of the 2022-23 dove season in most of the state. It’s the firstact in another round of long-awaited hunting seasons that will play out between now and next spring.

Dove hunting represents what is arguably the best lowcost, high-quality hunting option available to hunters, and sharing time in the fieldwith friends on opening day is a hallowed tradition that most of Texas’ 300,000 dove hunters had rather not miss.

The lucky ones will finda ringside seat alongside a ripe croton fieldor stock tank buzzing with darting, diving mourning doves, feathered gray streaks that rank among wingshooting’s most challenging targets.

While some hunters will collect a 15-bird limit, most probably won’t. The average dove hunter is a marginal shot, at best.

Dove season opens on a Thursday this year in the state’s North and Central zones, which could mean a five-day marathon for hunters with time off from work ahead of a long Labor Day weekend. The delayed opener in the South Zone falls on Wednesday, Sept. 14.

A feathered cash cow

Dove season is a big deal around here. Even in a poor year, Texas dove hunting is way better than most states thanks to abundant populations of birds and a wealth of places to hunt them on private and public lands.

In 2020-21, Texas hunters shot nearly 5.9 million doves and spent more than 1 million hunter days in the field according to TPWD’s small game harvest survey. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reports show Georgia was No. 2 that year with an estimated harvest of 856,500 birds.

Texas’ resident mourning dove population is estimated at around 20 million, 10 million white-winged doves and about 3.5 million exotic Eurasian collared doves.

The numbers may triple by fall during good hatch years, according to Owen Fitzsimmons, dove program leader for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

Together all of this adds to a feathered cash cow believed to generate more than $450 million annually for the Texas economy, Fitzsimmons said.

Season outlook

Extreme drought conditions hampered dove reproduction in some areas this summer, but Fitzsimmons says resident breeding populations appear to have fared pretty well overall. The biologist says doves usually do better in dry years and that seems to have held true this year.

“I’ve heard mostly positive reports from our staff, and our banding age ratios are skewed really high, indicating a lot of young birds on the landscape,” he said.

“I think we’re looking at a more productive breeding season than we’ve had the past couple of years.”

Fitzsimmons says available water sources in good dove country should be hotspots for afternoon hunts after the birds have fed. Otherwise, he expects the best shoots to happen around drought-resistant native food sources like common sunflwer, croton, pigweed, paspalum and other annual forbs and grasses that have seeded out or any irrigated crops. Food near water will be golden.

Just remember that weather changes can move birds around and alter hunting prospects on a dime. Significant rain events like those witnessed in mid-August in deep South Texas can put water in

places it previously wasn’t and cause birds to scatter. The same holds true for cold fronts that can push resident birds out and usher new ones in.

With long-range forecasts calling for some much welcomed moisture across much of the state through late August, Fitzsimmons says Mother Nature could shake things up ahead of the season opener.

“One thing about these late rains is they can cause some native vegetation to pop up and seed out before winter,” Fitzsimmons said. “That could result in some good hunting in October on through the second split of the season.”

Texas dove seasons

■ North Zone: Sept. 1-Nov. 13 and Dec. 17-Jan. 1

■ Central Zone: Sept. 1-Oct. 30 and Dec. 17-Jan. 15

■ South Zone: Sept. 14-Oct. 30 and Dec. 17-Jan. 22

■ Special white-winged dove days: Sept. 2-4 and Sept. 9-11

Dove hunting field tip

■ Scout: Scout hunting areas ahead of time to findout if birds are present and learn something about their fligh patterns.

■ Picking a spot: Sit in the cooler shade whenever possible, preferably with the sun at your back. Hunting with the sun behind you will make it easier to see incoming birds and more difficultfor birds to see you.

■ Be mindful of movement: Doves have exceptional eyesight and they become inherently spooky once shot at.

Wear drab clothing and be still when birds are approaching. Keep your face downward until the last second.

■ Be mobile: Don’t hesitate to change hunting positions if doves are consistently flying out of range, but don’t infringe on others.

■ Use premium shot shells/choke: Premium ammunition will pattern better and may eject easier from autoloading shotguns than cheap shells. No. 7 1/2 to No. 8 are good shot sizes for doves. Improved, skeet or modifie cylinder chokes are good for dove hunting.

■ Decoy: The spinning wings of a battery-operated dove decoy will sometimes lure passing birds close.

■ Don’t litter: Always pick up spent shot shells and other trash before before leaving your hunting spot.

■ Mark/findbirds: Mark the location of downed birds immediately. Make every effort to locate it before shooting another.

■ Clean and care: Keep harvested birds away from fie

ants and clean them promptly after the hunt. Bring along an ice chest and plastic freezer bags to keep cleaned birds cool.

Staying legal

■ Daily limits: Each hunter is allowed 15 doves daily. A limit may include all 15 mourning doves, 15 whitewinged doves or a combination of the two, but no more than two white-tipped doves. You can’t kill a limit in the morning and another limit in the afternoon.

■ Don’t co-mingle birds: Keep your birds separate from other hunters in case you get checked by a game warden before reaching your finaldestination.

■ Shotgun plug: Pump and auto-loading shotguns must be plugged to accept no more than three shells, including one in the chamber.

■ Hunter education/license and stamp: Hunter education certifiction is required of every hunter in Texas (including out-of-state hunters) born on or after Sept.

2, 1971. Hunters are required to carry proof of certifiction while in the field.Dove hunters need a valid Texas hunting license and migratory bird stamp Licenses valid for this season are now on sale.

■ Avoid baited areas: It is illegal to hunt migratory birds around areas that has been baited. If you suspect an area has been baited, it would be wise to leave before the shooting starts and contact a local game warden. Ignorance is no excuse.

■ Legal shooting hours: Legal shooting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset, except during the special white-winged dove season, noon to sunset.

■ Wildlife resource document: Required anytime you give your birds to another hunter for transport. The document should list the shooter’s name/address/hunting license number, receiver’s name, number of birds and the place of harvest. Handwritten WRD’s are acceptable.

■ Eurasian doves are a bonus: Eurasian collared doves are exotics that don’t count toward your limit. Leave the feathers on all collared doves for identifiction purposes until reaching your finaldestination, just in case you get checked by a game warden.

Playing it safe

■ Stay hydrated: Be sure to bring plenty of cool drinking water along to stay hydrated. The same applies for dog handlers An active dog can overheat quickly in hot temperatures.

■ Look out for others: Always know what is in front of and beyond your target. Never shoot in the direction of other hunters.

■ Don’t swing on game: Swinging on game hunting accidents usually happens when the hunter is tracking a dove or quail then pulls the trigger as the muzzle crosses paths with another individual they may or may not know is there.

■ Play some defense: Never assume anything. Always let other hunters around you know your whereabouts and be mindful of what is going on around you.

■ Eye/ear protection: Wear some eye protection while in the fieldto help prevent injury from stray pellets. Shotgun pellets can pierce the skin or put out an eye from 200 yards or more. Ear plugs will dampen the sound of a shotgun blast.

■ Bugs and snakes: Spray clothing with a good insect repellent to deter chiggers, ticks and other biting insects Good snake boots are advised in rattlesnake country.

Dove hunting bullet points

■ Texas dove hunters: 300,000

■ Combined annual harvest: 5.89 million birds (202021 Season)

■ Mourning doves: 3.9 million

■ White-winged doves: 1.75 million

■ White-tipped doves: 48,800

■ Eurasian collared doves: 200,771

■ Economic value of dove hunting: $452 million

■ Public hunting: TPWD’s public dove lease program offers hunters access to more than 100 areas under lease from private landowners for dove and small game hunting. Most are located near metropolitan areas and offer good dove habitat. A $48 annual public hunting permit is required. To review the leases, check out tpwd.texas.gov/ huntwild/hunt/public. The dove leases are shown as clickable gold stars on the interactive map.

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

MATT WILLIAMS/For The Lufkin Daily News

Texas’ 300,000 dove hunters will head to the field for the annual season opener on Sept. 1. Experts say dove hunting generates around $450 million annual for the Texas economy.

MATT WILLIAMS/For The Lufkin Daily News

Premium shot shells cost a little more but will pattern better and have more knock-down power at long distances than cheap ones. No. 8 heavy loads are ideal for dove hunting when matched with an improved, skeet or modified cylinder choke

MATT WILLIAMS/For The Lufkin Daily News

Doves are among wingshooting’s most challenging targets.

Texas dove hunters may bump into several different dove species including mourning doves, white-winged doves (pictured here), white-tipped doves and Eurasian collared doves. Eurasian collared doves are exotics and don’t count toward your limit.

Pownall Managing Editor jeff.pownall@lufkindailynews.com

Josh Havard Sports Editor josh.havard@lufkindailynews.com

Faison News Editor stacy.faison@lufkindailynews.com

Giacone Production donnie.giancone@lufkindailynews.com

Kingrey Charm Magazine design@charmeasttexas.com

PUC Problems

commission vote

Texans will see their phone bills increase this month after the state’s Public Utility Commission approved a rate hike last month.

The Texas Third Court of Appeals ruled the agency must immediately restore more than $200 million in past-due support to rural telephone providers. The commission “acted without legal authority” when it stopped meeting more than 70% of its service fund obligations in January 2021, the court ruled.

PUC’s solution was to increase the longstanding surcharge assessed on telecommunications providers’ receipts for voice services to 24%. The surcharge, which was 3.3%, is based on the cost those companies pay to provide long-distance service within the state. Once the outstanding obligations are fulfilled, the commision anticipates lowering the rate to a level that maintains the fund balance going forward.

Think about that for a moment. The commission’s solution to pay what is essentially an overdue bill is to jack up rates to raise the $200 million it already has spent elsewhere. How did the commission spend that $200 million? And since telecom companies typically pass those costs on to their customers ...

The rate increase took effect Aug. 1. It will add a couple of dollars a month to the bill of a typical caller who has a cellphone plan. Customers with family plans, or those who pay for calls on a per-minute basis, potentially will see a much larger increase.

That ‘‘solution’’ is just the latest in a long line of troubling ‘‘solutions’’ by the commission.

The Public Utility Commission regulates the state’s electric, telecommunication, and water and sewer utilities.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which is overseen by PUC, bore the brunt of the blame for the state’s power grid failing during Winter Storm Uri in February 2021. At least 151 died due to the freeze and resulting outages, according to The Associated Press, although the real toll is believed to be higher.

As a result, Texas lawmakers made significant hanges during the recent legislative

session to “weatherize” power plants for extreme temperatures and establish new processes to avert communication failures. Gov. Greg Abbott said the new reforms “fied all of the flws” in the power grid.

Is there any Texan who had to suffer through a power outage this summer who really believes any flws were fied? After all, the state made the same empty promises after the power grid failed in 2018, 2011, 2003, 1989 and 1983 because of severe weather and harsh freezes.

The Texas Universal Service Fund helps about 4 million Texans in rural parts of the state obtain basic telecommunications services. That fund is vital to the cellphone network in rural Texas and in keeping 911 service available in those parts of the state, said Mark Seale, executive director of the Texas Telephone Association.

The fund was created in 1987 because costs to build and maintain the telecommunication network over large rural areas are much higher than in densely populated urban areas, meaning many rural Texans cannot afford service without a cost-balancing mechanism. The fund is not part of the state’s general budget.

State Rep. Ken King, a Republican from Hemphill, filed House Bill 425 during th last legislative session, which proposed expanding the use of the universal service fund to provide broadband service in underserved rural areas. Expanding broadband was one of Abbott’s priority items heading into the session. King’s bill was voted out of the House Committee on State Affairs 11-1 with one committee member absent but died on the House floo.

The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, a trade association representing the wireless communications industry, said the increase illustrates an “acute need” to protect Texans from a system that has not been reformed in 25 years.

Consumers expect reliable and affordable phone service everywhere. The universal service fund is a fundamental building block of a connected rural Texas. Seemingly the only question left to ask the commission is, ‘‘Will you listen to us now?’’

HEADLINES IN Local HISTORY

art pieces.

■ Lufkin ISD proposes a $46 million budget for the 2002-03 school year.

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

TODAY IN HISTORY

The Associated Press Today is Saturday, Aug. 20, the 232nd day of 2022. There are 133 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On Aug. 20, 1986, postal employee Patrick Henry Sherrill went on a deadly rampage at a post offic in Edmond, Oklahoma, shooting 14 fellow workers to death before killing himself.

On this date: In 1862, the New York Tribune

published an open letter by editor Horace Greeley calling on President Abraham Lincoln to take more aggressive measures to free the slaves and end the South’s rebellion.

In 1866, President Andrew Johnson formally declared the Civil War over, months after fightin had stopped.

In 1882, Tchaikovsky’s “1812

Overture” had its premiere in Moscow.

THE FIRST AMENDMENT

Wishing all success in new school year

With the start of the new school year, I want to wish our students continued success as they embark on another year of learning, opportunity and lifelong memories.

Throughout the interim, the Committee on Higher Education is tasked with overseeing the implementation of SB 1102, which established the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Program.

on Higher Education also will review the progress of the 60x30 Texas Plan, a goal set by the state in 2015 to have at least 60% of Texans ages 25-34 hold a certificte or degree by 2030.

TRENT ASHBY

As students pour into the hallways and classrooms of schools across the state, I also want to acknowledge and sincerely thank the teachers, faculty and administrators who have worked tirelessly to prepare for the new school year. These men and women play such a critical role in shaping our children’s future, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for their dedicated service.

With that, we’ll dive back into our examination of House interim charges.

This week, our featured interim committee is the House Committee on Higher Education. This 11-member committee has purview over all colleges, universities and all other post-secondary education. The committee also oversees the work of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and numerous university extension agencies, such as the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service.

The TRUE program is a collaboration between colleges and business partners across the state to quickly and efficienty teach Texans the skills needed in high-demand industry occupations that have been displaced because of the recent pandemic.

Additionally, in a joint interim charge with the House Committee on Public Education, members have been asked to evaluate the pandemic’s impact on our state’s teacher workforce and explore options to improve the recruitment, preparation, and retention of high-quality educators

Another piece of legislation on the committee’s radar is SB 1295, which creates financial incentves for comprehensive regional universities based on the success of at-risk students. Comprehensive regional universities educate almost 40% of the state’s university students and overwhelmingly serve students from the areas surrounding their campuses. These universities are essential to our local economies as well as our state’s developing workforce needs.

Over the interim, the Committee

With an ever-evolving job market, the 60x30 Plan creates an ambitious blueprint to not only address the workforce needs of a rapidly growing state but also help sustain prosperity for future generations by creating a pipeline of highly skilled professionals to harness the power of technology and innovation.

Importantly, the committee also will examine the rising costs of higher education and make recommendations on how the state of Texas can help reduce the cost of a quality education.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office i we can help you in any way. My district offic may be reached at (936) 634-2762.

Additionally, I welcome you to follow along on my official acebook page, where I will be posting regular updates on what’s happening in your state Capitol and sharing information that could be useful to you and your family: facebook.com/ RepTrentAshby/.

Trent Ashby is the state representative for District 57 that includes Angelina, Houston, Leon, Madison, San Augustine and Trinity counties. His email address is trent.ashby@house.state.tx.us. He and his staff are available during the week at (512) 463-0508 or (936) 634-2762.

Celebrating a return to normal in school

Welcome to the start of a new school year.

85.8 in 2022.

Each campus is assigned a unique comparison group to determine distinctions.

LYNN TORRES

After experiencing the effects of COVID throughout three different school years (2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22), we are more than ready to have a little relief and an opportunity to return to the type of school year we had all been used to. While those years were not easy, they did teach us we can conquer anything as long as we work together as a team putting the students first and e approach each day with a positive attitude.

As we stated at our convocation, this year we will focus on celebrating all things Lufkin ISD. We will take the enthusiasm from convocation and the timely message from Inky Johnson into a great school year.

Inky Johnson played football for the University of Tennessee after having many challenges growing up in poverty in an inner-city school in Atlanta. His way out was football, but then he had a career-ending injury in his junior year, leaving his arm and hand paralyzed. His message was one of hope, resilience and the importance of mentors and caring teachers.

The staff laughed, cried and gave Mr. Johnson a much-deserved standing ovation. This year will be a year of celebrations.

We have invited our parents, grandparents and community back

MALLARD FILLMORE

We have some great events on the horizon. It’s time for Friday Night Lights. Come out and Meet the Panthers at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Abe Martin Stadium. Join us on Sept. 2 during the Nacogdoches football game as we honor the Dunbar Tigers state championship teams from 1964, 1966 and 1967.

Our football team will wear Dunbar commemorative jerseys and we will recognize players and coaches prior to the game.

The Lufkin Education Foundation should announce the Grant Patrol soon, and we will help them award teacher innovative grants.

We recently received scores from our students’ Advanced Placement tests. We had 253 total AP students who took 457 tests with 137 students receiving a 3 or more on the test. These scores are a testament to the high-quality teachers we have teaching Advanced Placement courses. In addition to AP classes, 730 students took advantage of dual credit opportunities.

The Texas Education Agency announced the 2022 accountability ratings for independent school districts across the state. These ratings are based on student achievement and progress measured by the STAAR test. Lufkin ISD as a whole received the rating of 87 or ‘‘B’’ as well as accumulated 18 distinctions. The district as a whole was rated an “A” in progress all the while the district’s economically disadvantaged rate increased from 76.92 in 2019 to

Lufkin ISD as a district received the Postsecondary Readiness distinction for preparing students for college and career, and the following campuses received distinctions:

■ Lufkin High School — Academic Achievement in ELA/Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies; Top 25 Percent in Comparative Closing the Gaps; and Postsecondary Readiness

■ Lufkin Middle School — Academic Achievement in Social Studies and Postsecondary Readiness

■ Anderson Elementary — Academic Achievement in Math, Science; Top 25 Percent in Comparative Academic Growth and Comparative Closing the Gaps; and Postsecondary Readiness

■ Brandon Elementary — Academic Achievement in ELA/Reading, Math, Science; and Postsecondary Readiness

■ Coston Elementary — Academic Achievement in Science

Exciting news for our staff: Their August paycheck should include the first pyment of the retention bonuses for all staff. That will either be $1,000 for professional staff or $500 for paraprofessionals and auxiliary staff. The check also will include the sign-on bonus, $3,500 for teachers in core areas, SPED and Bilingual.

Thank you to our Board of Trustees for supporting these incentives. Thank you to the teachers and staff for choosing Lufkin ISD.

Let’s celebrate Lufkin ISD!

Lynn Torres is the superintendent of Lufkin ISD. Her email address is ltorres@lufkinisd.org.

By Bruce Tinsley

Donnie

Lance

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.

into the schools. We are all excited for the touches of normalcy that are gradually returning to the schools and the district.

Jeff

Stacy

Texas phone bills will see an unprecedented rate hike after

Several factors at play with supply chain issues

Hey Taylor: I hear more about infltion than supply when people talk about rising costs, but then I read things about supply chain problems. Is that still going on? And still because of COVID-19? —

Bailey

Hey Bailey: That’s a great question and a point more people should be making. We’ve got infltion issues to worry about, but a lot of the sticker shock people are dealing with still has to do with trade and supply in a jumbled global network.

already seen prices go up but we haven’t had to shoulder much of the increased shipping cost yet.

There’s concern that a continued rise in container price might have us paying notably more for everything we get.

■ Changing approach.

Don’t dawdle with latest iPhone update

By MAE ANDERSON and MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Business Writers

t AYLOr KOVAr

■ Operations keep shutting down. A giant port in Shanghai shut down recently because of a positive COVID test. Warehouses are frequently understaffed or closed, we’re still getting things back on track after the Suez Canal closure, and even the functioning ports keep dealing with container shortages.

The pandemic halted most industries, and getting things back up and running is proving to be a big headache. That makes every hiccup, big or small, feel like a major disruption.

In the beginning, it was that people simply weren’t supplying. Now we’ve got people trying to ramp up supply and hitting significant roadblocks.

■ Cost of shipping is way up. In some routes, the cost of sending a container overseas has jumped more than 300% in the last two years. Shipping channels are so bottlenecked that companies can probably keep jacking up prices without losing any business.

Now is a particularly busy time as retailers try to get properly stocked before the holidays, so there’s not much hope for that bottleneck going away until 2022.

This problem might be the scariest because consumers have

I’ve read about a handful of companies that have sought out new manufacturers just so they wouldn’t have to deal with receiving goods via boat.

More and more supplies are being moved by plane, train and automobile, though we’re also experiencing a truck driver shortage.

These changes have the potential to drive up costs, but we have to wait and see how the ripple effect plays out. It’s always impressive to see necessity as the mother of invention in real-time, as businesses will find a ay to provide and consumers will find a ay to buy. Nevertheless, strained supply will continue to squeeze demand and you and I will feel it at the cash register.

Global infltion, trade issues, and an ongoing pandemic have created a historic convergence of issues.

I have complete faith that we’ll get things back on track, but it’s not going to happen overnight.

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 advi 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@ t aylorKovar.com, or via regular mail to Lessons on Wealth, 106 E. Lufkin Ave., Lufkin, TX 75901.

NEW YORK — Apple regularly issues updates to the software powering the iPhone, and sometimes it’s OK to dawdle when it comes to installing them. But that’s not the case with its latest — an upgrade that Apple released to close a security hole that could allow hackers to seize control of iPhones and several other popular Apple products.

Security experts are warning that everyone with an iPhone should install the update as soon as possible to protect all the personal information many people store on a device that’s become like another appendage for many.

Without the latest update, a hacker could wrest total control of Apple devices, allowing the intruder to impersonate the true owner and run any software in their name.

The company also issued fies to block the security threat on iPads and Macs. The flw may already have been “actively exploited,” according to the company, which has had to fix other security p oblems with the earlier this year.

How do I fix this

The good news? There’s an easy fix: ou should be able to find easiy. Start with the Settings app, the one with an icon featuring what looks like gears in an old watch. Go into the “General” section, then “Software Update.” The page you see will offer simple instructions or, if your device has already updated, a message to that effect.

The whole process typically only takes a few minutes, according to security experts.

Why is updating your Apple device so urgent?

Commercial spyware companies such as Israel’s NSO Group are known for identifying and taking advantage of such flws, exploiting them in malware that surreptitiously infects targets’ smartphones, siphons their contents and surveils

the targets in real time. It’s a risk that’s best to avoid.

Why doesn’t my Apple device do this for me?

Apple devices are set to automatic updates by default, but it can take some time before they get around to it. Updates also don’t usually trigger unless can be done and it usually won’t happen unless the iPhone is plugged into a power outlet at the time. It’s quicker just to check for the latest updates and do it manually. Does this mean Apple isn’t doing a good job protecting its users?

No. The reality is that hackers are constantly looking for ways to gain unauthorized access to phones, tablets, computers, and other internetconnected devices for a wide range of malicious and illegal purposes. Apple’s products tend to be a prime

target because they’re popular, making them an attractive target.

“Apple is no different to any technology company in that they’re constantly dealing with vulnerabilities,” said Jamie Collier, senior threat intelligence advisor for the cybersecurity fim Mandiant and an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies. “This is really a function of the fact that they’re innovating. They’re constantly developing, they’re constantly improving services, improving their technology, improving their software. That means they’re constantly rolling out new things.”

What Apple devices are affected?

The affected devices include the

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RICHARD DREW/The Associated Press

The lineup of the Apple iPhone 13 is displayed on its first day of sale on Sept. 24, 2021, in New York. Apple’s latest security update was easy to miss. But security experts are warning everyone should update any Apple device they have immediately. Apple said there are serious security vulnerabilities for iPhones, iPads and Macs that could potentially allow attackers to take complete control of these devices, and that the issue may already have been “actively exploited.”

The following is a list of restaurant inspections performed by the Angelina County & Cities Health District from July 28Aug. 8.

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

■ ■ ■

The Donut Palace, 580 U.S. Highway 69 north, Huntington Date of inspection: July 28 Inspection type: full Number of violations: 47 Reasons for violations: priority violations noted during current inspection, person in charge not knowledgeable of foodborne disease prevention, person in charge not food protection manager; person not informed of their responsibility to report certain symptoms or diagnosed diseases to the person in charge for the person in charge to report to the regulatory authority; person in charge during inspection does not have a current food protection manager certifiction, the person in charge shall be a certified ood protection manager who has shown proficieny of required information through passing a test that is part of an accredited program; no bodily flui cleanup kit on site for responding to vomiting and diarrheal events; no first aid kit on site; no cetified ood manager present on site during inspection, a certified ood manager shall be present during hours of operation; unable to verify food handler certifiction for employee; observed unpackaged sausages taken out of their protective covering and placed directly into cardboard box, discontinue using cardboard box as a holding container, corrected on site, sausage discarded; observed uncovered food in reach-in cooler where kolaches are stored, corrected on site, food discarded; observed uncovered glaze with rodent droppings, food shall be maintained in a protective container, food discarded; observed flour i damaged container, food that is inadequately packaged or contained in damaged packaging could become contaminated by microbes, dust or chemicals introduced by products or equipment stored in close proximity or by persons delivering, stocking or opening packages or overwraps, packaging must be appropriate for preventing the entry of microbes and other contaminants such as chemicals. These contaminants may be present on the outside of containers and may contaminate food if the packaging is inadequate or damaged, or when the packaging is opened. The removal of food product overwraps may also damage the package integrity of foods under the overwraps if proper care is not taken; observed working bulk food containers without labeling with common name of food. Working containers holding food or food ingredients that are removed from their original packages for use in the food establishment such as cooking oils, flou, herbs, potato flaes, salt, spices and sugar shall be identifie with the common name of the food; observed cooked food in contact with dirty equipment and utensils; observed kolaches stored on cooling rack with trays above that were covered in rodent droppings, food discarded; observed cooked eggs on dirty trays, pathogens can be transferred to food from utensils that have been stored on surfaces which have not been cleaned and sanitized; observed wiping clothes on top of equipment and in empty buckets with rodent droppings; observed food exposed to rodent droppings and throughout facility; observed working food containers on tray and reach-in cooler located in food prep area without date-marking, corrected on site, food was voluntarily discarded, time/ temperature control for safety food held in a food establishment for more than 24 hours shall be clearly marked to indicate the date or day by which the food shall be consumed on the premises, sold or discarded when held at temperature of 41 degrees or less for a maximum of seven days; trays not marked according to written procedures, no time and date stamp observed on food items at display counter, unable to verify how long food items were out in ambient temperature, corrected on site, kolaches discarded; probe thermometer needed to monitor cooking temperatures and monitoring foods that will be held utilizing time as a public health control. The presence and accessibility of food temperature measuring devices is critical to the effective monitoring of food temperatures. Proper use of such devices provides the operator or person in charge with important information with which to determine if temperatures should be adjusted or if foods should be discarded; observed damaged gasket on warming cabinet utilized for dough; observed container used to catch water of warming cabinet; observed missing equipment parts, equipment shall be maintained in a state of repair and condition that meets the requirements. Equipment components such as doors, seals,

hinges, fasteners and kick plates shall be kept intact, tight and adjusted in accordance with manufacturer’s specifictions; observed dirty parchment paper being reused for kolaches and other food items. Articles that are not constructed of multiuse materials may not be reused as they are unable to withstand the rigors of multiple uses, including the ability to be subjected to repeated washing, rinsing and sanitizing; observed dirty utensils; observed black buildup and debris on mixer and mixer bowl utilized for dough; observed dirty containers; observed dirty containers to store bulk food items, the objective of cleaning focuses on the need to remove organic matter from food contact surfaces so that sanitization can occur and to remove soil from nonfood contact surfaces so that pathogenic microorganisms will not be allowed to accumulate and insects and rodents will not be attracted; observed encrusted deposits and other soil accumulations on baking trays; observed excessive amount of rodent droppings, dirt, food and other debris on nonfood contact surfaces of equipment (oven, food prep tables, frying equipment, sinks, water heater, etc.). The presence of food debris or dirt on nonfood contact surfaces may provide a suitable environment for the growth of microorganisms which employees may inadvertently transfer to food. If these areas are not kept clean, they may also provide harborage for insects, rodents and other pests; observed food debris and soil accumulation in reach-in cooler. General clean needed; observed encrustations on baking equipment, food-contact surfaces of cooking equipment must be cleaned to prevent encrustations that may impede heat transfer necessary to adequately cook food. Encrusted equipment may also serve as an insect attractant when not in use; observed excessive amount of rodent droppings, dirt and food debris on nonfood contact surfaces of equipment (oven, food prep tables, frying equipment, sinks, water heater, etc.). Increase cleaning frequency; observed boxes of trash and food stored on the ground outside near facility. Refuse, recyclables and returnables shall be stored in receptacles or waste-handling units so that they are inaccessible to insects and rodents; observed broken vinyl tiles throughout facility, floors tht are of smooth, durable construction and that are nonabsorbent are more easily cleaned. Nonabsorbent for areas subject to moisture such as food preparation areas, walk-in refrigerators, warewashing areas, toilet rooms, mobile food establishment servicing areas, and areas subject to flushing or spr y-cleaning methods; observed several openings throughout facility caused by rodent issue; observed gap along exit door; observed gaps where the window air conditioning unit is located. Insects and rodents are vectors of diseasecausing microorganisms which may be transmitted to humans by contamination of food and foodcontact surfaces, the presence of insects and rodents is minimized by protecting outer openings to the food establishment; no paper towels at handsink, provisions must be provided for hand drying so that employees will not dry their hands on their clothing or other unclean materials; light intensity measured at 10 foot candles in warewashing area. At least 20 foot candles in areas used for handwashing, warewashing, and equipment and utensil storage. Increase lighting; light intensity measured at 30 foot candles in food prep area. At least 50 foot candles at a surface where a food employee is working with food or working with utensils or equipment is required. Increase lighting; observed personal items such as pillows, blankets and toys in food prep area, remove personal items that don’t belong in the facility, street clothing and personal belongings can contaminate food, food equipment and food-contact surfaces. Proper storage facilities are required for articles such as purses, coats, shoes and personal medications; observed damaged walls due to rodent issue. Poor repair and maintenance compromises the functionality of the physical facilities. This requirement is intended to ensure that the physical facilities are properly maintained in order to serve their intended purpose; observed evidence of rodent infestation throughout facility. Observed an excessive amount of rodent droppings in front area, food prep area, equipment, sinks, food and nonfood contact surfaces; observed chewedup wires. Facility has been closed until pest control measures have been set in place. Deep clean needed and minimum standards shall be met, including proper sanitation measures to ensure food safety.

Insects and other pests are capable of transmitting disease to humans by contaminating food and foodcontact surfaces. Effective measures

must be taken to eliminate their presence in food establishments; observed buildup of trash, old equipment, and miscellaneous items inside and outside of facility, remove all items not utilized for the operation. The presence of unnecessary articles, including equipment which is no longer used, makes regular and effective cleaning more difficult and less liely. It can also provide harborage for insects and rodents. Areas designated as equipment storage areas and closets must be maintained in a neat, clean and sanitary manner. They must be routinely cleaned to avoid attractive or harborage conditions for rodents and insects; no variance request has been turned in for review. No written procedures on site. Establishment is engaged in a specialized processing method, other operation requiring a variance and a HACCP plan or a process due to using time temperature control.

General comment: Facility has been closed until pest control measures have been set in place. Deep clean needed and minimum standards shall be met, including proper sanitation measures to ensure food safety. Insects and other pests are capable of transmitting disease to humans by contaminating food and food-contact surfaces. Effective measures must be taken to eliminate their presence in food establishments.

■ ■ ■

Dos Amigos Tacos, LLC, 1862 W. Frank Ave., Lufkin

Date of inspection: Aug. 3

Inspection type: full Number of violations: 6 Reasons for violations: no certification was posted. Corrected on site, certified ood managers card was posted; label the spray bottle of oil. Corrected on site, bottle labeled; salsa in portion control cups observed with no date-marking, operator stated they were made last Friday. Any food item held longer than 24 hours is required to have a prep or discard date. Corrected on site, salsa was discarded; keep service window closed when not in use. Corrected on site, window closed; keep the driver’s door window closed or utilize a screen to prevent the entry of pests. Corrected on site, window closed; health permit was not posted for the public. Corrected on site, health permit posted.

General comment: location of the commissary to change within the next 30 days. Call prior to moving for walk-through inspection.

■ ■ ■

Dee Dee Donut, 2213 E. Denman Ave., Lufkin

Date of inspection: Aug. 3

Inspection type: full Number of violations: 13 Reasons for violations: no chemical test strips on site, chemical test strips needed to measure chemical concentration; person in charge during inspection does not have a current food protection manager certification. The person in charge shall be a certified ood protection manager who has shown proficieny of required information through passing a test that is part of an accredited program; bodily fluid leanup kit required on site for responding to vomiting and diarrheal events; no certified ood manager present on site during inspection, a certifie food manager shall be present during hours of operation; maintain a copy of food handler certifiction on the premises for regulatory review; observed working bulk food containers without labeling with common name of food. Working containers holding food or food ingredients that are removed from their original packages for use in the food establishment such as cooking oils, flou, herbs, potato flaes, salt, spices and sugar shall be identified with th common name of the food; observed wiping cloths on top of equipment; mop sink not being utilized for disposal of dirty mop water. Employee stated mop water is disposed at the three-compartment sink. If the wash sink is used for functions other than warewashing, such as washing wiping cloths or washing and thawing foods, contamination of equipment and utensils could occur; observed soiled parchment paper being reused for kolaches and other food items, corrected on site, kolaches discarded, articles that are not constructed of multiuse materials may not be reused as they are unable to withstand the rigors of multiple uses, including the ability to be subjected to repeated washing, rinsing and sanitizing; observed disposable coffee stirrers/straws stored in an open container. Singleservice and single-use articles shall be kept in the original protective package or stored by using other means that afford protection from contamination until used; observed single-service items (napkins, disposable food boxes) stored in bathroom. Discontinue storing any single-service items in bathroom, the improper storage of clean and sanitized equipment, utensils, laundered linens and single-service and single-use articles may allow contamination before their intended use. Contamination can be caused by moisture from absorption, floo -

ing, drippage or splash. It can also be caused by food debris, toxic materials, litter, dust and other materials. The contamination is often related to unhygienic employee practices, unacceptable high-risk storage locations or improper construction of storage facilities; observed gap along bottom of exit door. Outer openings of a food establishment shall be protected against the entry of insects and rodents by solid, selfclosing, tight-fitting doors; did no observe handwashing reminders at handwashing sink in food prep area and bathroom. A sign or poster is required to remind food employees to wash their hands; observed trash outside of the facility in grass areas. The premises shall be free of litter.

General comment: Time/temperature control for safety food held in a food establishment for more than 24 hours shall be clearly marked to indicate the date or day by which the food shall be consumed on the premises, sold or discarded when held at a temperature of 41 degrees or less for a maximum of 7 days.

■ ■ ■

Manhattan Fine Dining, 107 W. Lufkin Ave., Lufkin

Date of inspection: Aug. 4 Inspection type: full Number of violations: 54

Reasons for violations: priority violations noted during current health inspection; employee not knowledgeable on warewashing procedures and chemical sanitation; employee not knowledgeable on cooling TCS foods, person in charge shall ensure employees follow proper procedures; employee stated hands are washed at sink used for thawing. Employees shall wash their hands at designated handwashing sinks; observed employee with long beard without a beard net. Consumers are particularly sensitive to food contaminated by hair. Hair can be both a direct and indirect vehicle of contamination. Food employees may contaminate their hands when they touch their hair. A hair restraint keeps dislodged hair from ending up in the food and may deter employees from touching their hair; no bodily flui cleanup kit on site for responding to vomiting and diarrheal events; did not observe food manager certifiction posted in the food establishment in a location that is conspicuous to consumers; only able to verify three out of 11 food certifictions. Person in charge stated employees have been employed more than 30 days; only two physical copies of certifictions available for review; observed raw proteins stored on above ready to eat foods in reach-in cooler. It is important to separate foods in a ready-to-eat form from raw animal foods during storage, preparation, holding and display to prevent them from becoming contaminated by pathogens that may be present in or on the raw animal foods; observed raw proteins stored on the same shelf in reach-in cooler. Separating different types of raw animal foods from one another during storage, preparation, holding and display will prevent cross-contamination from one to the other; observed working bulk food containers without labeling with common name of food. Working containers holding food or food ingredients that are removed from their original packages for use in the food establishment such as cooking oils, flou, herbs, potato flaes, salt, spices and sugar shall be identifie with the common name of the food; observed improper cooling methods used. Use any of the cooling methods listed above and prescribed by the code. Observed large pot of sauce. Employee stated large pot is placed in walk-in cooler to cool. No monitoring was done to ensure proper cooling curves are met. By reducing the volume of the food in an individual container, the rate of cooling is dramatically increased and opportunity for pathogen growth is minimized; observed food stored in walk-in cooler that exceeded the seven days from the preparation and opening date, observed rice in chip warmer with a July 20, 2022 date, corrected on site, food discarded; observed rusted shelving in walk-in cooler; observed cardboard on shelves where dishes are stored. Remove cardboard. Nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment routinely exposed to splash or food debris are required to be constructed of nonabsorbent materials to facilitate cleaning. Equipment that is easily cleaned minimizes the presence of pathogenic organisms, moisture, and debris and deters the attraction of rodents and insects; no chemical test strips on site to measure the concentration of chemical sanitation at the warewashing machine and three-compartment sink; no chemical sanitation in sanitation compartment at three-compartment sink. Employee is not knowledgeable on manual warewashing procedures. Verbal guidance given; mechanical warewashing machine not dispensing chemical sanitation. Chemical sanitation recorded at 25PPM. Discontinue using warewashing machine and utilize

three-compartment sink; observed damaged gasket on walk-in cooler door; observed damaged fan in walk-in freezer; observed standing water inside cooler located in bar area, proper maintenance of equipment to manufacturer specifictions helps ensure that it will continue to operate as designed; observed old stickers on containers. Remove old labels from all food holding containers when warewashing; observed dirty can opener with black debris. The objective of cleaning focuses on the need to remove organic matter from food contact surfaces so that sanitization can occur and to remove soil from nonfood contact surfaces so that pathogenic microorganisms will not be allowed to accumulate and insects and rodents will not be attracted; observed encrustations on food contact surfaces of metal containers; observed encrustations on pan used for bread, the objective of cleaning focuses on the need to remove organic matter from food contact surfaces so that sanitization can occur and to remove soil from nonfood contact surfaces so that pathogenic microorganisms will not be allowed to accumulate and insects and rodents will not be attracted; observed accumulation of food debris and dirt by stove where bulk seasonings are held; observed accumulation of food debris on bottom shelves of food prep table; observed accumulation of food debris and dirt on tables where equipment is held; observed accumulation of dust and dirt on shelving near grill. The objective of cleaning focuses on the need to remove organic matter from food contact surfaces so that sanitization can occur and to remove soil from nonfood-contact surfaces so that pathogenic microorganisms will not be allowed to accumulate and insects and rodents will not be attracted; observed black substance on ceiling in walk-in cooler; observed dirty fan covers in walk-in cooler; observed dirty walls in walk-in cooler, equipment is used for storage of packaged or unpackaged food such as a reach-in refrigerator and the equipment is cleaned at a frequency necessary to preclude accumulation of soil residues; observed large amounts of black debris buildup inside ice machine and on baffl, ice makers and ice bins must be cleaned on a routine basis to prevent the development of slime, mold or soil residues that may contribute to an accumulation of microorganisms. If the manufacturer does not provide cleaning specifictions for foodcontact surfaces of equipment that are not readily visible, the person in charge should develop a cleaning regimen that is based on the soil that may accumulate in those particular items of equipment; no hot water at handwashing located in the bar. Hot water required for washing employees’ hands, must be available in sufficient quantities t meet demand during peak water usage periods; designate a sink for the disposal of mop water. Mop water and similar liquid wastes are contaminated with microorganisms and other filth. aste water must be disposed of in a sanitary manner that will not contaminate food or food equipment. A service sink or curbed cleaning facility with a drain allows for such disposal; observed food in handwashing sink. A handwashing sink may not be used for purposes other than handwashing; observed water leaking from the faucet at handwashing with faucet turned off (handwashing sink by ice machine). Employee stated water runs all day; observed water leaking at the three-compartment sink with faucet turned off. Employee stated it has been an ongoing issue. Water is turned off at night and turned back on during hours of operation; handwashing sink at bar not draining. Improper repair or maintenance of any portion of the plumbing system may result in potential health hazards such as cross connections, backflw or leakage. These conditions may result in the contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens, or single service or single-use articles. Improper repair or maintenance may result in the creation of obnoxious odors or nuisances, and may also adversely affect the operation of warewashing equipment or other equipment which depends on sufficient olume and pressure to perform its intended functions; observed broken/missing tiles in food prep area, concrete exposed; observed damaged/broken wall tiles by warewashing machine, floors tht are of smooth, durable construction and that are nonabsorbent are more easily cleaned.

Nonabsorbent for areas subject to moisture such as food preparation areas, walk-in refrigerators, warewashing areas, toilet rooms, mobile food establishment servicing areas, and areas subject to flushin or spray cleaning methods; observed exposed concrete due to missing floor tiles in ood prep area; observed chipping/peeling paint on

are there other options for conviction that can’t be expunged?

DEAR JEFF: I have a conviction on my record that I cannot have expunged. However, it has caused me problems with potential employers in the past. The crime was many years ago, and I received deferred adjudication. Do I have any other

JEFFr Ey Bat ES

Inspections

options? Thanks, “Learned My Lesson” Dear “Learned My Lesson”: Without knowing more about your specific sitution and the underlying crime, it is possible that you are eligible for an Order of Nondisclosure. Such an order does not remove your conviction, but it may help limit the number of people who can locate information about the crime. Basically, private individuals would not

floors in alk-in cooler. Provide nonabsorbent for areas subject to moisture such as food preparation areas, walk-in refrigerators, warewashing areas; no soap at handwashing sinks. Hand cleanser must always be present to aid in reducing microorganisms and particulate matter found on hands; no paper towels at handwashing sinks in food prep area. Provisions must be provided for hand drying so that employees will not dry their hands on their clothing or other unclean materials; no handwashing reminders in bathrooms used by employees. A sign or poster that notifies ood employees to wash their hands shall be provided at all handwashing sinks used by food employees and shall be clearly visible to food employees; observed evidence of pests throughout facility. Observed live pests in food prep area on food prep tables and to go containers. Observed dead pest on bag with food. Observed dead pests throughout facility under equipment and under cabinets; observed dead and live pests in boxes of dishware; observed rodent droppings in closet where linens are kept. Facility has been closed until pest control measures have been set in place. Deep clean needed and minimum standards shall be met, including proper sanitation measures to ensure food safety. Insects and other pests are capable of transmitting disease to humans by contaminating food and food-contact surfaces. Effective measures must be taken to eliminate their presence in food establishments; observed old non functioning equipment, and miscellaneous items. Remove

Bu ILd Ing PEr MIt S

Building permits issued by the city of Lufkin from Aug. 12-19 listed by address, owner, contractor and description:

Commercial repair and addition

■ 3301 S. First St., McDonalds Corp., Morrison Construction Co., remodel building

■ 202 Moody St., Hayflo Ivestments LLC, Hayflo Ivestments LLC, remodel building

■ 900 Crown Colony Drive, Crown Colony Country, Bob Bowman, roofin permit

■ 3500 S. First St., Angelina Junior College, Timberline Constructors Inc.,

iPhone6S and later models; several models of the iPad, including the 5th generation and later, all iPad Pro models and the iPad Air 2; and Mac computers running MacOS Monterey. The flw also affects some iPod models.

How do I update iPads and Macs?

You can update your iPad using the same process outlined above: go to “Settings,” click “General” and click “Software Update.” On the Mac, go to “System Preferences,” then “Software Update.”

What’s the risk that my phone was compromised?

Unless you’re a journalist, political dissident or human rights activist, the chances are extremely low. The kinds of spyware created to exploit vulnerabilities of this type are expensive and typically reserved for targeted hacking.

“If you keep the systems updated, you’ll be absolutely fin,” Collier said. “Typically, when vulnerabilities in, say, phones and iPhones, for instance, are exploited, they tend to be pretty targeted, pretty focused on a small subset of individuals. So we’re unlikely to see anything that’s really widespread at this stage.”

be able to access the information, but it would still be available to governmental entities.

Depending on the underlying offense, there are various waiting requirements before the Order of Nondisclosure application can be granted.

You should also be aware that an Order of Nondisclosure is not available for certain offenses.

DEAR JEFF: Did the federal

all items not utilized for the operation. The presence of unnecessary articles, including equipment which is no longer used, makes regular and effective cleaning more difficult and less liely. It can also provide harborage for insects and rodents. Areas designated as equipment storage areas and closets must be maintained in a neat, clean and sanitary manner. They must be routinely cleaned to avoid attractive or harborage conditions for rodents and insects; observed dirt and accumulation of food debris on floors and undeneath equipment throughout facility; observed dead pests and accumulation of dirt under cabinets in bar area and cabinets in kitchen area, cleaning of the physical facilities is an important measure in ensuring the protection and sanitary preparation of food. A regular cleaning schedule should be established and followed to maintain the facility in a clean and sanitary manner. Primary cleaning should be done at times when foods are in protected storage and when food is not being served or prepared; did not observe the health permit posted in the facility. Employee unable to locate permit. General comment: Sink used for food preparation shall not be provided with handwashing aids and devices required for handwashing. Ensure all cold-holding units have a permanent affied thermometer to monitor ambient temperatures. Provide at least one service sink or curbed cleaning facility equipped with a floor drain in a covenient location for the disposal of mop water and for the cleaning of mops and floor leaning tools. The service sink must not be used

remodel building Residential repair and addition

■ 413 N. First St., TMK FLP LTD, Bob Bowman, roofing pemit

■ 717 Martha St., Fidencio Martinez, owner, roofing pemit

■ 303 Saddle Ridge Drive, Emma Wilson, Cover 3 Roofing, oofing pemit ■ 819 S. Raguet St., Laura K. Katz and Jackson K. Royer, D&J roofing, oofin permit

■ 1306 W. Grove Ave., Matthew Ryan etux Aleja Romero, D&J Roofing, oofin permit

■ 117 Trailwood Circle, Tamera Michelle Barker, ASAP Roofing & Constuc-

estate and gift tax limits increase in 2022? Signed, “Planning on the Lottery”

Dear “Lottery”: Yes, the federal estate tax lifetime exemption (per person) increased from $11.7 million in 2021 to $12.06 million in 2022. The annual gift limits increased from $15,000 in 2021 to $16,000 in 2022.

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

for any other purpose. Facility has been closed until pest control measures have been set in place. Deep clean needed and minimum standards shall be met, including proper sanitation measures to ensure food safety. Insects and other pests are capable of transmitting disease to humans by contaminating.

■ ■ ■ Manhattan Fine Dining, 107 W. Lufkin Ave., Lufkin

Date of inspection: Aug. 8

Inspection type: follow-up Number of violations: 0

General comment: Visited facility and reviewed pest control records. I recommend pest control come out more than just once every three months. Increase pest control until no signs of pests are seen in the facility. Gradually decrease pest control and resume for maintenance to prevent any future issues with pests.

Karlene went above and beyond and was able to get the staff to perform a deep clean of the facility and equipment. Old, unused equipment has been removed from the facility, and a cleaning schedule has been implemented. Karlene stated employees will have to bring a current food handler certifiction before they are allowed to return back to work. Overall the facility looks much better. Plumbing issues still need to be addressed (see report) in order to be in compliance.

Verbal guidance was given again on the importance of date-marking. I provided the facility with handwashing signs, employee health policy signs and food storage chart signs. Bodily fluid leanup kit is still needed on site, along with a first aid kit. Bead nets are needed for main cook.

tion, roofing pemit ■ 911 Johnson Ave., Jose Luis Hernandez, owner, roofing pemit ■ 1408 Copeland St., Thomas W. etux Lauren Harris, roofing pemit ■ 617 Willow Oak Drive, Louis etux Betty Neese, Steve Professional Painting, roofing pemit Other ■ 912 O’Quinn Ave., Church of Christ, Drefus Thompson, any permit not listed ■ 1608 N. John Redditt Drive, Jack Jumper and Charles Caver, 5W Consolidated llc, any permit not listed ■ 105 Loop Lane, Ramiro Mendez Ortega, Ramiro Mendez, any permit not listed

Specialization. This column is meant for general information 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.

Which option is best?

Dear Dave: How do you know if a will or a trust is best for you? —

Monica Dear Monica: This is a great question, especially since August is National Makea-Will Month. The first thing ou should do is take a serious look at your needs, your wishes and your overall life and finacial circumstances.

daVE ra MSEy

If you’re like the average person with a couple of kids, a home and some savings, a will is all you need. There’s no reason to bring lawyers into the mix, unless there’s something complicated about your situation. In cases like this, you can even set one up online that’s perfectly legal in just a few minutes.

If you’re older, your kids are grown and your estate is worth $1 million or more, a trust is the way to go. By doing this, you can avoid probate in a way that wills don’t allow.

Now, if you have a large

estate and dependents, having both a will and a trust is a good idea. And you don’t have to worry about the two bumping into each other. They’re separate legal instruments, and there’s generally no conflict beteen them. If there is a legitimate, legal conflict beteen them, the trust usually overrides the will.

Simply put, everyone needs a will. But not everyone needs a trust. Trusts can be more than you need, but they can also be a great tool if you have a larger estate.

So, if you’re in the vast majority of folks who don’t need a trust, just get yourself a will. You’ll spend a lot less money and feel so much better knowing your stuff will go to the right people — and that your family will be taken care of. — 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 @ d aver amsey

Southwood Dr. 2250 Southwood drive.

Lufkin ,Texas 75904.

Richard Craig, Abby Graham, Jodiecia Holmes, Romeka Johnson, Angela Mc- Gaughey, Melinda McNeely, Joy Payne, Gary Rule, Deena Sherman, Brittani Yenter.

Hwy 69 North. 4339 Hwy 69 north Lufkin, Texas 75904.

Amanda Broussard, Shelly Holland, Ash- ley SuriMartin,Rosare.

Highway 94. 2513 Ted Trout Dr. Lufkin, Texas 75904.

Adrian Mora, Cathryn Johnson.

Whitehouse Dr. 120 Whitehouse dr. Lufkin, Texas 75901. Rhonda Swayzer.

At Georgia-Pacific we know from experience that an unstoppable team is formed when a dedicated group of individuals comes together for a single cause. This level of teamwork is how we have remained a leader in the building products industry for over 100 years. If you’d like to be a part of a winning team, consider joining ours!

F. AUSTIN LUMBERJACKS

excited about. That first signing class is really excited because we have a lot of fourth-year players, so we have a lot of guys with a lot of experience.

“It seems like yesterday we were rolling out there to play the Baylor Bears with 35 true freshmen. It’s really good to see the maturation of the program and the maturity of the players over the years. I think we’re all excited to see what this season has the potential to hold.”

In addition to the losses to Sam Houston and UIW, SFA fell to FBS opponent Texas Tech, 28-22, and then No. 24 Jacksonville State, 28-24. The Lumberjacks could have easily gone undefeated during regular season play.

But Carthel and company will use those four losses, the past three years of hard work and tough times to motivate them for 2022 and beyond. Fans are busy buying tickets and planning tailgates and road trips because they know this year could be very special. It could be the first season since 2009 that the ’Jacks win a playoff game.

SKY’S THE LIMIT FOR ‘JACKS

KRUEGER

Stephen F. Austin head football coach Colby Carthel has been in this position before and knew the journey would be full of bumps from day one.

But from that opening 56-17 loss to Baylor in Waco in the fall of 2019 with 35 freshmen on the field, to the 2022 season that’s on the horizon, it’s the patience and hard work by Carthel, his staff and the players that is getting ready to pay dividends.

The 2021 season was a tough one to swallow for the Lumberjacks and their fans, coming within 11 points of an undefeated regular season, before finishing 8-3, and then 8-4 with a playoff loss. Even tougher was the one-point defeat at the hands of then No. 1 and unbeaten Sam Houston 2120. That defeat cost them the Western Athletic Conference championship and forced them to wait for next season.

Now the ‘‘next’’ season is here. And the Lumberjacks “Going From Good to Great” motto has changed to simply, “Finish!” After knocking on the door to a league championship and then earning a FCS playoff berth, only to lose 35-28 in overtime to Incarnate Word, this year SFA is prepared to not bother knocking on the door, but rather knock it down.

And teams might want to get out of the Lumberjacks’ way.

Carthel and his staff built the SFA football team from the ground up, with the blessing of Lumberjack Director of Athletics Ryan Ivey and the administration. From day one, the coach said he did it to “win forever.”

Lumberjack fans will settle — and are expecting — that 2022 is the year to claim that first WAC title and more.

“I think you build your program to be successful on the national stage and compete for conference championships,” Carthel said. “In my opinion, we were able to do that last year. We were one point short of a conference championship (finishing 4-1) and we qualified for the national playoffs. So I think we’re right on schedule.

“I think this is the year I’m excited about, and my players are

And there could be more if the stars are aligned.

Carthel knows all about winning, taking the DII program at Texas A&M Commerce to a national championship in 2017. He did it the same way as he’s planted and watched his garden grow in Nacogdoches. He built most of it with East Texas players.

It will all begin on Aug. 27 in Montgomery, Alabama, against AQ7 foe Jacksonville State in a national televised game on ESPN.

Despite coming up just short a year ago, the Lumberjacks were impressive along the way, averaging 34.3 points and 423.1 yards a game on offense, including 291.6 through the air.

Senior quarterback Trae Self returns for his fourth season as starting quarterback this fall. Last year he completed 63.6% (243-of-382) of his passes for 3,201 yards and 28 touchdowns, compared to only nine interceptions.

“There aren’t many times you get to go into a season with a fourth-year starting quarterback,” Carthel noted. “That’s a great problem to have. Trae’s development through the years here has been fun to watch.

“(SFA quarterbacks) coach Jared May and (SFA OC) coach Matt Storm have watched him grow and evolve through the years, and it’s been a great experience.”

Self’s favorite target has been All-American wideout Xavier Gipson. The top returning vote getter for the Walter Payton Award, which is comparable to the Heisman Trophy on the FCS level, is an Athlon Sports Preseason All-American. Last season he led all FCS players with 1,367 yards receiving, pulling in 74 receptions with 14 touchdowns.

“Xavier is a very special player and hopefully, if things go well, he’ll have a chance to play on Sundays (NFL). He is more than just special, he’s unique.”

Gipson missed spring ball after undergoing knee surgery in January. Carthel said that turned out to be a blessing because not only did his top receiver heal, but he got an opportunity to see some of the other talent shine during spring ball.

Self spread the ball out to receivers such as Josh Thomas (Sr.), who plays in the slot, along with wideouts Jeremiah Miller (Sr.), Moe Wedman (So.), Lawton Rikel (Jr.) and Darryle Simmons (Jr.). Carthel said all of those players’ talent level rose during the spring.

story and photos by JOHN

Another aspect of the offense that Carthel has seen steady improvement in is the offensive line.

“Clint Lapic (Jr.) is a fifth-year guy that will anchor things as center. He was a walk-on tight end from Hallsville when he came here and has turned into an all-conference player for us.

“Keegan Holm (Jr.), Jaret Porterfield (Jr.) and Justice Guillory (So.) and some of those guys have a lot of starts under their belts over the past two-three years. They’ll be the ones we lean on this season.”

SFA will look to shore up its ground game with some healthy runners this season. Leading returning rusher Miles Reed (Sr.) is back after leading the ’Jacks with 678 yards and a 4.1 average a year ago, despite a nagging ankle injury. Reed had surgery on the ankle and is expected to be stronger than ever.

Jaquarion Turner (RS-So.), an all-conference runner from 2020, is back after a season-ending injury against Sam Houston a year ago. Carthel said to also check out Ja’Bray Young (So.) and Korbyn White (So.), along with Jerrell Wimbley, a true freshman from C.E. King in Houston that graduated early and spent the spring at SFA.

On the defensive side, there also will be standouts. The Lumberjack front four rotated with a second group last season and the second four was about as good as the first, and they will be back. They are led by B.J. Thompson (Sr.) and Ahmad Murray (Jr.), who are two of the best, according to Carthel.

“Brevin Randle (Jr.) is a conference-player-of-the-year type linebacker. He’s going into his fourth year and has really anchored our defense. He’s a phenomenal leader and coach on the field.

“And when you look at our safeties, you’ve got two allconference players in Myles Heard (Jr.) and Jeremiah Walker (So.).

“I think we’re going to be really tough throughout the defense on all three levels.”

Heard led SFA in tackles last season with 69, with Randle second with 63 and Murray fifth with 48 to go along with 13 tackles for losses.

And there won’t be any fall-off in special teams. Max Quick (Jr.), the Lufkin native and 2021 Cally Belcher Award recipient, returns after averaging 46 yards per kick on 44 punts a year ago. He had 13 punts over 50 yards, 18 inside the 20-yard line and only five touchbacks.

Nacogdoches native and redshirt sophomore place-kicker Chris Campos is deadly anywhere inside the 50. He was successful on 83.3% (20-of-24) of his field goals last season, including a long of 53. He kicked a 65-yard field goal in the spring game.

Both Quick and Campos were walk-ons when they first arrived at SFA but are now scholarship players.

“Max has done a phenomenal job of handling our punting duties,” the coach said. “And Chris is really in his fourth year here, after redshirting. They’re both team favorites and great teammates.”

Are the pieces falling into place this fall? Only time will tell. But there is reason for excitement in Lumberjack Nation this season.

SFA AT A GLANCE

2021: 8-4 overall, 4-1 in WAC, 4-2 in AQ7, first round FCS Playoffs

COACH: Colby Carthel, fourth year

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Trae Self, Xavier Gipson, B.J. Thompson, Myles Heard, Jeremiah Walker, Brevin Randle, Dennis Osagiede, QuenTyvian Borders, Lawton Rikel, Josh Thompson, Willie Roberts, Miles Reed, Max Quick, Chris Campos, Amad Murray, Chad Aune

KEY LOSSES: Bert Morris (LB), Aretavious Hendrix (S), Da’Leon Ward (RB), Caleb Lawton (CB), Rayshad Nichols (DT)

PRIMARY STRENGTHS: After three seasons under the helm of Carthel, the Lumberjacks finally have a lot of weapons and a long list of strengths. With the NCAA and COVID-19 giving the Lumberjack players another year of eligibility, and the squad going through the growing pains of a young squad for the past three seasons, SFA had depth, talent and a lot of strengths. The

Lumberjack offense is coming off a season where it averaged 34.3 points per game and 432.1 yards of offense, while the defense gave up just 18.8 points and 198.2 yards. Self returns as a fourth-year starter at quarterback, throwing for 3,201 yards a year ago, completing 63.6% of his passes for 28 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. His favorite target was Gipson. A preseason All-American, he caught 74 passes for an FCS-best 1,367 yards as a sophomore, scoring 14 times. Defensively, there are a number of standouts returning. Heard led the team in tackles a year ago with 69, while Randle was second with 63. SFA also has strong special teams, with Quick returning after averaging 46 yards per punt, while Campos successfully kicked

83.3% of his field goals, with a long of 53.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: There aren’t many potential problems for SFA. The Lumberjacks need to shore up their running attack from a year ago that averaged just 113.2 yards per game and 3.2 yards per attempt.

OVERVIEW: This is the year Carthel has been pointing to since being hired in November 2019. He has had some of the strongest FCS recruiting classes in the country, while adding junior college transfers to bolster needs. This should be the year the Lumberjacks are favored to capture the WAC conference championship and go on to record their first FCS playoff win since 2009.

PANTHERS LUFKIN

PANTHERS

LUFKIN OUT TO PUT 2021 IN THE PAST

story by JOSH HAVARD | photos by JOEL ANDREWS

It’s been five years since the Lufkin Panthers found themselves a minute away from a spot in the state semifinals. That was followed by a year that included a district title, a Top 10 ranking and one of the school’s most dangerous teams in recent years.

Those years seem like a distant memory now.

The Panthers are coming off their first losing regular season since 1995 and their first missed playoff appearance since 1997. A 4-6 season saw Lufkin tie for fifth place in 8-5A DI and finish with a forgettable 38-7 road loss to a Waller team that also didn’t make the postseason.

Those memories haven’t faded away as the Panthers try to turn the page for the 2022 season.

“Since day one, everybody knows the goal,” Lufkin head coach Todd Quick said. “You have to get into the playoffs first. I think we had the third longest streak in the state of making the playoffs before last year. Not making it is unacceptable. We have to do what it takes to get in the playoffs and compete for district titles.”

It won’t be an easy task for the Panthers, who have a mixture of returning talent as well as newcomers. Many of those new faces will come from an impressive freshman team that won last year’s district title.

With that in mind, Lufkin’s spring practices were held later in the day, allowing the entire group to work out together. In previous seasons, the incoming sophomores would work out earlier in the day.

This year it was more of a necessity than a luxury to get all those players on the field.

“We’re going to have guys out there that haven’t played on Friday nights,” Quick said. “They have to get ready for that speed before they get out there. We need to have senior leaders out here. But if we’re going to get where we want, we’re going to need some of these young guys to step up early.”

While the focus may be on the young guys, the player that could make the Panthers a threat on any given night is returning running back Kedren Young. He played quarterback for a short stint as a sophomore and missed multiple games with an injury.

Despite that limited workload, he led Lufkin with 973 yards and 11 touchdowns on 168 carries.

Young has already drawn the attention of colleges from across the state and that interest will likely ramp up with another strong year. Quick doesn’t understate the importance of Young’s presence on this year’s team.

“He’s put on some muscle and slimmed down since last year,” Quick said. “He’s not a rah-rah guy but he leads by example. If you put 90 guys out there, he’s the one you’d pick first. He goes out there and outworks people, which you can see when he’s out there.”

The Panthers also have threats outside of Young, mainly with the legs of Javorie Garrett, who is expected to see a larger role after running for 228 yards and three touchdowns on 40 carries last season.

He was one of the players that impressed the staff in the spring as well as the early portions of the summer.

“Javorie was the one that got a lot of the carries in the spring with Kedren being in baseball,” Quick said. “He had a great spring, and we expect he’s going to give us quality touches once the season starts.”

Meanwhile, one of Lufkin’s biggest question marks comes at the quarterback position, where Elijah Moody and T.J. Hammond have been battling for the starting job.

Moody started last season as the starter, finishing with 190 yards on 18-of-32 passing. He also was a running threat where he had a pair of touchdowns on the ground. However, he was injured early in the season and never able to return to the lineup.

After a brief experiment with Young at quarterback, Hammond, then a sophomore, took over down the stretch. He finished the year throwing for a team-high 862 yards and seven touchdowns with three interceptions on 54-93 passing.

Quick said both would likely see action, although the team would name a starter before the season.

“If you’ve got two starting quarterbacks, then you don’t have one,” Quick said. “That’s been a pretty tight race. Both have things they can do better than the other. One can do more with his legs and the other can make those quick decisions in getting the ball out. Whoever does more is the one that’s going to come away with the job.”

Whoever gets the start at quarterback should have some solid if unproven weapons at the receiver position.

O’Ryan Hart was one of the players that showed promise last year before the injury bug hit when his season ended with a broken foot. He finished the year with 14 receptions and a team-high 274 receiving yards with a touchdown.

“He’ll be one of our outside guys and he’s the fastest that we have,” Quick said. “He really came on before the broken foot so he wasn’t able to finish the year.”

Lufkin has plenty of other options at the outsider receiver position, including Bradyn Walker and Amarion Campbell. Walker had 11 catches for 197 yards last season and Campbell had 11 receptions for 120 yards and a score.

The Panthers have plenty of options at the inside receiver as well with Brayden Murphy and Robert Fields returning. Murphy

had 13 receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns last year while Fields had 10 receptions for 207 yards and two scores.

Ke’vondrick Taylor is expected to fill multiple roles as a sophomore.

“He can play at either receiver position,” Quick said. “He can be a mismatch for a linebacker or a safety. He’ll be one of our return/special teams guys and he’ll play on third downs at corner.”

Those types of skill players will give Lufkin a chance to improve on what was a struggling offense, but the biggest key may be on the offensive line, where Lufkin struggled throughout the year.

Jacob Weibe returns to the team as a starting center while Daniel Torres returns after seeing significant time at right guard. Outside of those two players, Lufkin will look for young contributors, including a group of sophomores.

“We’re excited about Weibe coming back as a senior and Torres might have been our most pleasant surprise,” Quick said. “He’s our most consistent and most improved offensive lineman. He’s physical and has a good punch.

“Other than those two, we’ll have some young ones with the opportunity to play there. They’ll need to be ready to go so they’ve got to put the time in to be ready.”

Meanwhile, Lufkin will look to take another step on a defense that was strong at times but struggled at others.

The Panthers have some talent up front, including Bralyn Holman and Christian Crane, two potential playmakers at the defensive end positions.

Crane finished last year with 44 tackles while Holman had 24.

“Those are the two vocal leaders of our defense,” Quick

said. “They have to be the ones that say it all stops here. They’re going to work hard, and they’re two guys that have earned the right to be the voice of the defense.”

While the Panthers have experience on the outside, they’ll need to rely on some new faces on the inside. Brandon Baker is expected to lead the way at tackle with sophomore Zion Williams having the potential to be an immediate force in the middle. Gio Villegas is another incoming sophomore who will need to step up early.

“We’re expecting big things from those young guys in order to be good there,” Quick said.

The Panthers are experienced at inside linebacker where they are led by last year’s leading tackler Tanner Havard. He finished the season with 93 tackles.

Charlie Deaton made an early impact with 11 tackles before missing the majority of the season with a shoulder injury.

“Tanner’s a guy that’s been there before and led us in tackles last year,” Deaton said. “Charlie lost a little bit of weight and has gotten a little faster where he can really make plays. Both those guys can make a bunch of tackles, and they really play the game the right way.”

Kaden Hooper is an incoming sophomore also expected to make an immediate impact at inside linebacker.

Chrismon Sigler is a versatile player who was second on the team in tackles with 73 one season ago. He can play outside linebacker but also has the potential to play at safety.

Another potential playmaker is Isaiah Menefee, who made 48 tackles last season and is one of the solidified players at safety.

“He’s really tall and had a really good spring,” Quick said. “If you opened the gym 365 days, he’d be there all 365 of

them. He understands how to play the game and we love what he brings to the team.”

Michael Mosley, another sophomore, will be another player expected to see key time at safety.

The Panthers have a pair of players coming back at cornerback with the return of Cameron Lister and Jacorius Taylor. Taylor finished with 24 tackles while Lister had 23.

“Those two guys started the entire year last year,” Quick said. “They’re going to be two that keep that group together.”

The Panthers also will have new faces at the kicker and punter position after the graduation of Brandon Cano, who signed to play for Tabor College.

Senior Eddie Vargas and sophomore Nolan Hansard are battling for positions both at kicker and punter.

“We’ve got an older kid in Eddie and a younger one in Nolan,” Quick said. “They both do it all and both of them can be a weapon. It might be one of those things where the duties are split up by the time we get out there.”

It will be a long road for the Panthers both literally and figuratively in 2022. They’re joining a new district that will include plenty of lengthy road trips.

In addition to East Texas rivals Longview and Tyler, the Panthers will be joined by Forney, North Mesquite, McKinney North, West Mesquite and Lancaster.

“We’re used to traveling, but it adds another dimension when you’re going four hours instead of two,” Quick said. “You can’t just drive straight through, get off the bus and be ready to go. You’ve got to adapt, but teams have to do that when they come here as well.”

Prior to those games, Lufkin opens the season with nondistrict games against Tyler Legacy, Nacogdoches and A&M Consolidated.

Regardless of the path, the Panthers know they want the 2022 season to end with a different destination.

“These kids expect to be in the playoffs,” Quick said. “To do that, they have to take the steps it takes to get there.”

LUFKIN AT A GLANCE

2021: 4-6 overall, 3-5 in District 8-5A DI, missed playoffs

COACH: Todd Quick

PLAYERS TO WATCH: RB Kedren Young, S Isaiah Menefee, WR O’Ryan Hart, DB Cameron Lister, DB Jacorius Taylor, LB Tanner Havard

KEY LOSSES: WR Journie Thomas, K Brandon Cano, WR Cameron Jackson, RB Zach Sigler, LB Ladarius Jackson

PRIMARY STRENGTHS: Not many teams have a running back with the playmaking ability of Young, who can break open a game on any play. If Lufkin can get an adequate passing game, Young will be even more dangerous.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: The Panthers know they need to be better on the offensive line and they’ll be turning to a group that may include three sophomores. If they can find their footing early, what was a weakness last season could turn into a strength.

OVERVIEW: Missing the playoffs in 2021 didn’t sit well with the Panthers. They’re picked by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football to finish fifth in district once again. However, with plenty of new faces in the lineup, Lufkin wants to return to prominence both at a local and state level.

DRAGONS NACOGDOCHES

DRAGONS SHOW COMMITMENT TO IMPROVEMENT

story and photos by JOHN KRUEGER

Coming off back-to-back playoff seasons and and fielding a squad with more depth in some areas than they’ve had in the Darren Allman era, the Nacogdoches Dragons could be looking at a move up the league chase this year as they prepare for the 2022 season.

Nacogdoches, along with six squads from last season’s District 9-5A DII race, now make up District 8-5A DII, with Jacksonville dropping down a classification and joining District 9-4A DI.

Allman, 10-22 in three seasons at Nac, is hoping the commitment his players have shown in the last two offseasons is building strength through the offseason program, which could translate into more wins.

The Dragons boast eight returning offensive players who saw starting time in the majority of their games last season, in addition to eight players on defense who also could be considered as starters coming back. Nac also has its starting kicker and punter, Denzel Hinojosa (5-11, 160, Sr.) back this fall.

“I think the thing that will naturally be an improvement for us will be the experience in age,” Allman said. “At one point last year — in Weeks 9, 10 and 11 — we were playing anywhere from 9-13 sophomores at one time. When you look at the list of our roster and some of the players that will potentially be difference makers for us, they were sophomores and 15 years old last season.”

Allman said in addition to the strong junior class of 25 players on the 2022 roster, there also will be a strong presence of 16 seniors.

Seniors Allman mentioned include returning defensive alldistrict player Kaden Fields (DL/TE, 6-2, 265), two-way starter and all-district standout Isaac Jones (QB/DB, 6-1, 180), twoway starter and all-league player D’Marea Weaver (WR/DB, 6-0, 175) and returning all-district offensive lineman Ryan

Larson (OL/DL, 6-4, 285).

“Some of our guys that were impact guys last year were juniors,” Allman said. “So having them back, along with those sophomores from last year who had considerable playing time is going to help us out a bunch.”

The Nac coach said skill position players on both offense and defense should be the strong suit of the squad heading into the fall. He said some of those players started shining brighter as the season went on and should show off their talent this year. Some of them include Weaver, L.J. Leadon (DB/WR, 5-11, 170, Jr.), J.T. Thomas (DB/RB, 5-10, 165, Sr.), Jones and Jaylon Brown (WR/DB, 6-5, 180, r.).

“Some of those guys were a little unknown last year because they were backups or fill-in guys,” the coach said. “Jaylon Brown started most games, but he didn’t get a lot of looks because he was so green.

“But he has had such an unbelievable offseason. He’s grown and gotten stronger and faster and is also one of the better basketball players at the school. He’s turned into one of our better receivers and he’ll be a difference maker. He’s about 6-5, with good speed, and his hands have become consistent, like D’Marea. They both catch everything that comes their way.”

Allman said Weaver and Brown, along with Leadon in the slot, will make the Dragon passing game a threat.

“Having Jaylon on the opposite side as D’Marea and L.J. in the slot should be great for our passing game,” the coach said. “It will give our quarterbacks more threats in the passing game. I think at least one of them should be able to create space and it will help our passing game have a big-play capability.”

There is a lot of big-play potential on this year’s team, and it starts with the two quarterbacks returning from a year ago, Allman said. Jones is a senior, along with southpaw Mikail Lockett (QB/DB, 6-1, 180, Jr.), who was injured late last season but gives the Nac offense a different dimension when he’s in the game.

“We’re going to have a lot of big-play potential, and going into the year with two quarterbacks will help that to happen,” the coach said. “Isaac got a lot of snaps last year on Friday night, and before Mikail got hurt he was getting a lot of snaps in the second half of district.

“Mikail’s ability allows us to use Isaac in many ways, and it will also allow us to continue starting Isaac in the secondary so he’s not playing full time on both sides of the ball. But we’ll continue to use Isaac a lot at quarterback in different packages. They both complement each other.”

The juniors who return this season not only played as sophomores, but many got a lot of playing time on both sides of the ball. Allman said by going both ways, it has helped their confidence and enabled them to grow even more.

“When you look at the guys that were sophomores last year and think about how much they played — Connor McAninch (LB/TE, 6-2, 190, Jr.), James Williams (LB/RB, 5-11, 225, Jr.), Amari Tatum (RB/LB, 5-10, 190, Jr.), Andrew Rogers (TE/ DL, 6-0, 240, Jr.), Corey Hayter (LB/RB, 6-0, 190, Jr.), Jakyron Pruit (RB/LB, 6-0, 200, Jr.), Lockett, Leadon, Curtis Harris (LB/ RB, 5-11, 170/Jr.) and Brown — all of those guys that were sophomores and played significant time for us last year and should be improved this season.”

Another player who can be considered a returning starter for

the 2022 squad is Braxton Jones (LB/RB, 6-1, 230, Jr.), an alldistrict performer as a sophomore at linebacker who missed the 2021 season because of a knee injury sustained in the 2021 Dragon Spring Game. He will be a huge addition to the squad when he returns for training camp this fall.

The challenges the Dragons face are some of the same from a year ago when the squad posted a 3-8 season mark. While carrying a roster in the low 40s as far as numbers, many players will be forced to play a majority of plays on offense and defense. Nacogdoches is probably one of the few teams in District 8-5A DII that has a high number of players seeing a majority of playing time on both sides of the football.

“When you look at our challenges, there are a lot of the same that we’ve had in the past,” Allman said. “Behind the great players we have starting (games) we don’t have a lot of depth.

“We have, at least early in the season, to give these two-way starters some spells so they can have a chance to work their way into shape. Later in the season it won’t be such a factor, but it’s those first 4-5 weeks that it would be the most challenging because a lot of those guys won’t be coming off the field.”

Allman said he and his staff have made some changes in the offseason that will help the offensive output. Although they won’t be noticed as much to the average fan, it should help the team.

“We’re going to allow our offensive linemen to play more to their strengths by utilizing the quarterbacks to roll out more and stretch the game from sideline to sideline,” he said. “We won’t do a lot of drop-back passing, but we will try to exploit the defenses by the way we run and throw the ball.”

The Dragons could have some growing pains on the offensive line. It will return all-district offensive starter Larson and lettermen Christian Ochoa (OL/DL, 6-0, 205, Sr.), Cody Claude (OL/DL, 5-11, 230, Sr.) and Riley Vanscoder (OL/DL, 6-0, 220,Sr.).

On the defensive side of the ball, Allman sees strength in his defensive line and defensive backs while the linebacking crew can hold its own.

McAninch returns in a starting role at linebacker, and Jones

will be back after his injury last season. Williams was a starter on the defensive line last season, but will be making the switch to linebacker. Also look for big plays out of Thacker, Fields and William Whitaker (LB/RB, 5-11, 205, Sr.).

Weaver and Jones are all-district returners in the secondary, along with Leadon and J.T. Thomas, who look to see considerable playing time.

On the defensive line, Tatum and Rogers will anchor the squad. Fields is also a a strong returner.

With an odd number of teams in its league this year, Nacogdoches and the rest of the District 8-5A DII squads will take their open week during league play, and they will be staggered throughout the district slate. Nacogdoches will play 10 straight weeks before having Week 11 off, which could benefit the Dragons if they are headed back to the postseason.

NACOGDOCHES AT A GLANCE

2021: 3-8 overall, 3-4 in District 9-5A DII, bi-district finalist COACH: Darren Allman, 4th year

PLAYERS TO WATCH: DB/WR D’Marea Weaver, QB/DB Isaac Jones, LB/RB Braxton Jones, OL/DL Ryan Larson, OL/DL Kaden Fields. Top juniors: RB/LB Kakyron Pruitt, WR/DB Jaylon Brown, QB/DB Mikail Lockett. Top sophomore: LB/RB Corey Hayter

KEY LOSSES: Lon’Darious Pleasant (LB/RB), Gus Smith (QB/ DB), Braylon Ratcliff (LB/RB), Brennan Jones (DB/RB), Joe Carter (DB/WR)

PRIMARY STRENGTHS: Nacogdoches suffered some tough losses during the 2021 season, but they return 27 lettermen and eight starters on both sides of the football, which could mean the Dragons’ fourth playoff berth in five seasons. In addition to the large numbers of starters coming back, Nacogdoches will bolster talent from a six-win JV program. Weaver had 434 receiving yards and six TDs to go along with three picks on defense. Jones’ 201 yards rushing, 478 all-purpose yards, 4 TD passes) will split time with Lockett in the QB position, which will lend versatality to the offense, while getting Jones back in the offensive backfield and at LB after missing last season with a knee injury.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: As it has been in the last several years, depth will be an area of concern for the Dragons. Nacogdoches probably has more two-way players than anyone in the league, which means they will get outplayed at the end of ballgames early in the season due to fatigue until they are in better shape. But that could possibly turn to a positive late in the season as long as Nac stays away from the injury bug.

OVERVIEW: This could be the best finish for the Dragons in several years, despite making the playoffs the last two seasons and three of the last four. With the two-quarterback system that should keep defenses off-balance, and if Jones is back on his game, he could not only pick up big yardage offensively but close down holes on defense. Weaver could have his best season of his career, which would give him even more DI college looks. The Dragons offensive line should be improved, led by Larson, although there are still some holes to fill. The Dragons will be in a new district (8-5A DII), but with the exception of Jacksonville moving down to 4A DI, the opponents will all be the same.

ETECH BACKS THE JACKS! WE

TUITION.

LUMBERJACKS DIBOLL

in games like last year, then you shouldn’t be nervous when you’re playing in a district game in October.”

The ’Jacks like what they have across the board on both sides of the ball.

Haydn Harris was a strong contributor at quarterback last season before breaking his collarbone. He is expected to be the starter while Isaac DeJesus will bring an added dimension to the team.

“We’ve got two good quality kids we can put out there and be successful,” Morrison said. “We’re confident we can be productive at that position.”

Possibly Diboll’s biggest question mark comes at running back, where the ’Jacks are replacing Johnson, an all-state rusher who ran for 2,000 yards as a senior.

They’ll be replacing him with relatively little experience with Leo Sanchez and Kevon Freeman expected to see the bulk of the carries, at least early on.

DIBOLL NOT LOOKING BACK AFTER MEMORABLE YEAR

story by JOSH HAVARD | photos by GARY STALLARD

Exactly how can a team improve on the most successful season in school history?

That’s the question facing the Diboll Lumberjacks as they prepare to kick off the 2022 football season.

Diboll went 10-4, captured a district title and advanced to the state quarterfinals in a magical 2021 season that included a nine-game winning streak and plenty of memories along the way. It was Diboll’s longest postseason journey in school history.

“I’ve always thought a good goal is to get to the state quarterfinals,” Diboll head coach Blake Morrison said. “After that, you can go after state. I guess after last year, I might need to start preaching about going to state instead.”

There are plenty of reasons the ’Jacks will have a hard time repeating last year’s success, including the graduation of district MVP Jeremiah Gums and Offensive Player of the Year James Johnson Jr.

However, the cupboard is far from bare for Diboll, which has more than enough returning talent to be legitimate contenders to repeat as district champ before turning its sights to the postseason.

“Making that playoff run, a lot of people point out how you get another four weeks of practice and all the good that does for the guys still here,” Morrison said. “That’s all good, but what’s most important to me is the experience of what they’ve seen. They know how one play can change everything.

“I remember years ago when I was on a bus with coach (Bryan) Barbay after coaching in the state title game. He said after playing there, how are you ever going to be nervous again? I think that’s something we can use here. After playing

“We’ve got some suspects out there,” Morrison said. “Leo ran a little last year and Kevon had some touches. We’ve got to find that committee that will take a little bit of the burden off the quarterback.”

Diboll doesn’t lack for playmakers at the H-back and receiver position.

Ian Willis is a returner who can be a playmaker at H-back while Jadarian Kinnebrew is coming up from the JV.

Kolby Stewart, Jeremy Loyd and Zach Phipps are among players who have already made an impact at the varsity level. Jacob Johnson, Angel Rios and Malakiah Mitchell are expected to make an impact as well.

“We lost a good one with Jacoby Watts, but we’ve got a good group of kids returning,” Morrison said. “Between those guys, we should have guys that can make plays.”

The Lumberjacks will have three returning all-district players on the offensive line.

Brody Finley, Jairo Lazcano and Gabe Garcia were each integral to Diboll’s playoff run a season ago and will be back this season.

“They did a great job last year,” Morrison said. “They were young then, but they got 14 games in under their belt. It’s going to be exciting to see that unit gel and what they can do with even more experience. You’re only going to go as far on offense as your line can take you.”

Some of the newcomers on the offensive line include Christian Holman, Eliant DeJesus and Ryan Fisher.

On the defensive side, Diboll’s biggest loss was Gums, who was a playmaker for the last three years. That came after his brother Herbert Gums had dominated the prior three seasons.

“This is the first time in a few years we’ve been without a Gums,” Morrison said. “You don’t replace guys like them, but we’ve still got guys that have been there before that can handle the job.”

Z’Kedric Jenkins, Adrian Villanueva and Elijah Freeman are returning starters on the defensive line. Carson Smith was a regional powerlifting qualifier that could step into a key role.

The Lumberjacks will return three players with experience at the inside linebacker position. Ben Smith, Jaiden Adams and Isaac DeJesus were each contributors last season. Jose Rosales is expected to add depth to the position.

“We’ve got four guys there and we’ll need to find two from

that group,” Morrison said. “We’ll need to find guys that are going to go after the football.”

Antonio Palacio is the only returner at the outside linebacker position after he stepped into a key role last year.

“People tell me he only played five games last year, but those were the five most important games of the season,” Morrison said. “I think he’s grown three inches in the offseason, so we think he’s going to be good.”

Lazcano, Kinnebrew and Willis are among the players who also could step in at outside linebacker.

The ’Jacks also have plenty of talent in the secondary with the return of allstate free safety Phipps and all-district cornerback Lloyd.

Mitchell, Rios and Freeman are players who also could make an impact in the secondary.

“We’ve got guys who have been out there before and other guys that are new faces,” Morrison said. “We’ve got guys penciled in, but I’ve got an eraser.”

The ’Jacks will return Bryan Patlan, who made the game-winning 23-yard field goal against Little River Academy in last year’s regional semifinals.

That collection of talent should make Diboll a team to watch once again this season.

Diboll’s road to the district title will be a tougher one with Woodville and Shepherd being added to the mix. The Eagles were a playoff team with a 7-4 record last year. In addition, Coldspring will be a strong contender for the district title.

“I think when you look at the teams we lost and the ones we added, it’s pretty obvious the district got better,” Morrison said. “We’ll play Woodville right off the bat in district and Coldspring is the game that’s decided the district title for a few years. Winning another district title is what you want to go for, but you can’t take anybody for granted.”

From there, Diboll will see if it can add another chapter following an impressive 2021 season.

“We’ve set up the schedule where we test ourselves early to get ready for district,” Morrison said. “We’ve got guys here that know what it takes to be successful. You want to aim high, but you can’t skip any steps in the process.”

DIBOLL AT A GLANCE

2021: 10-4, 6-0, district champs, state quarterfinalist

COACH: Blake Morrison

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Haydn Harris, Gabe Garcia, Ian Willis, Z’Kedric Jenkins, Elijah Freeman, Ben Smith, Jaiden Adams, Zach Phipps, Kolby Stewart

KEY LOSSES: James Johnson, Jeremiah Gums, Quincy Coleman, Jacoby Watts, Malik Armstead

PRIMARY STRENGTHS: There is plenty to like across the board for the ’Jacks, but one of the biggest strengths is on the offensive line where they’ll return three all-district performers.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: The running game is the biggest question mark after the graduation of all-state performer Johnson. Diboll’s offensive line should ease the growing pains, but it still needs to find a back to carry the load.

OVERVIEW: Diboll already had high expectations on a yearly basis before it raised the bar with last year’s state quarterfinal showing. They’ve got the pieces in place to duplicate that feat but will need the new additions to fit in order to make some serious noise.

DIBOLL 2022 SCHEDULE

DATE OPPONENT ’21 RECORD

26

4-7

RED DEVILS HUNTINGTON

RED DEVILS

career at the collegiate level.

All-district performers Ayden Colbert, Garrett Chancellor and James Paxon will be missed, along with Darion Hale, but the expectations are still high for the Red Devils.

WINNING CULTURE HAS HUNTINGTON AS A PERENNIAL PLAYOFF CONTENDER

story by JOSH HAVARD | photos by GARY STALLARD

Winning can be contagious in the world of sports.

Losing can seem like an outright plague.

That’s what made the 2021 Huntington season one of the most memorable ones in school history.

A team with as much optimism as any in school history opened the year in miserable fashion by dropping six of its first seven games.

Same old Huntington Red Devils?

Not quite.

Huntington responded with the first three-game winning streak in school history. In the process, it took a double-digit win over Palestine Westwood on the final night of the regular season to wrap up its third playoff spot in four years. The school had never made the postseason prior to that stretch.

In the process, Huntington proved once again it’s no longer an afterthought when it comes to high school football.

“That’s a huge momentum boost for the entire program,” Huntington head coach Josh Colvert said. “The kids know it can be done. I really feel like we’ve changed the culture here in Huntington and that was evident the last three games.

“It was do-or-die time and history shows Huntington doesn’t win three in a row because it had never happened before. We had a bunch of kids here that made it come to fruition. They’ve experienced success and that goes a long way to change the culture from apathy to a winning one.”

Some of the players who played major roles in that success will be gone, including three who are continuing their athletic

“As a program, we feel like we can beat anybody when we play up to our potential,” Colvert said. “History says a 1-6 start at Huntington is more likely to turn into 1-9 than 4-6. We talk a lot about being uncomfortable. Being 1-6 while needing three straight wins to make the playoffs is about as uncomfortable as you can get. All the hard work, time, energy and effort paid off. Now we have to carry that into this year. We’d rather not get in that 1-6 hole first.”

The Red Devils will lose one of their best quarterbacks in school history with the departure of Chancellor. However, Elijah Mansfield, who will get his first full season as a starting quarterback, has shown he can get the job done.

He was a first-team all-district running back last year, running for more than 700 yards. He has also started four games in the previous two seasons when Chancellor was out with injuries or illness. He won each of those four starts.

That includes his first varsity game as a freshman when he ran for 100 yards and threw for 150 more in beating Palestine Westwood. That gave Huntington its first four-win season in school history.

“He’s the first true dual-threat quarterback we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Colvert said. “He’s as effective throwing the ball as he is running it. He’s the best athlete in our program, a sub 4.5 guy who is 6-2, 180. He’s a strong leader, and we’re excited about what he can bring to the program. There’s not going to be a drop off at that position.”

He’ll be breaking in several new players at the receiver position with all-district performer Chase Hopson being the only returning starter.

The Red Devils are expecting Gabe Lee, another speed receiver to step in at the other outside wide receiver position.

“Chase has good size, strength and catch radius,” Colvert said. “He’s going to be our go-to guy on the outside. Gabe is a good possession guy with great hands that runs good routes. We’re counting on him to replace Ayden on both sides of the ball. He didn’t get as many chances last year because we played so well there, but he’s got a lot of upside.”

Three players will be competing for time at the inside receiver position. Rain Coronada and Brody Kovar are possession receivers while O’Brian Patton brings a home run threat to the Red Devils.

The lone returner in the backfield is Conner Murray, who

rushed for more than 300 yards last season. Zane Reynolds has moved from the offensive line to provide a bruising presence in the backfield. Patton also will be in the mix for a spot in addition to receiver.

“We’ll see who can handle the load,” Colvert said. “We’ll have a lot of sub packages with multiple kids on the field. We feel like we’ve got a lot of versatility, which is what I like most about our team. We’ll look different, but it’s exciting for a playcaller.”

Colvert said the team’s most versatile position should be at the H-back/tight end slot.

That position will be led by Ashton Capps, one of the players with varsity experience.

“Ashton could be the best receiving H-back I’ve had since I’ve been here,” Colvert said. “I’m excited for what he’s shown us.”

He said the Red Devils would likely rotate a group of players at that position. Caul Page will be the more physical run blocker. Sophomore Hunter Houston was a JV quarterback but will be in the mix for time both at H-back and running back. Reynolds will be another versatile player who also could play at H-back.

The Red Devils will have two returning starters on the offensive line with Nick Smith coming back at center and Jason Payne coming back for a third season at starting right tackle.

“Nick is the quarterback of our offensive line,” Colvert said. “He’s a smart, strong kid who was a regional qualifier in powerlifting. Jason was another regional qualifier. He’s 6-1, 375. He’s a road grater. You just want to line up and run right behind him.”

Sophomores Kyle Suggs-Strickland and Jaylin Miller will be in the mix for starting jobs along with Shaun Monroe.

On the defensive side, the Red Devils have a mixture of youngsters and veterans that should give them a chance to be a solid unit.

The Red Devils will have plenty of new faces in the defensive line rotation, but they will be bolstered by returning players in Payne and Smith at nose guard.

They will be key early on while the Red Devils break in a new group of defensive ends. J.J. Miller, Suggs-Strickland, Page and Murray will be among those working for starting jobs.

Two players with returning experience at inside linebacker are Jason Gee and Capps. Gee started the last half of the season at inside linebacker and will take over at the Mike linebacker position. Capps started the first five games in 2021.

“We’re excited about what Jason brings to the team,”

Colvert said. “He had a great offseason. He’s a powerlifter that made great strides in the weight room. He’s who we’ll build our linebackers around.”

Like the defensive end position, Huntington is looking for newcomers to fill in at outside linebacker. Those in the mix include Logan Moore, Alex Havard, Corbin Franklin and Hunter Houston.

The Red Devils’ secondary will be led by cornerback Hopson, a second-team all-district performer last season. Sophomore Caleb Brady could make an immediate impact along with Lee.

“Chase is the most experienced and talented linebacker we’ve got coming back,” Colvert said. “We consider him a lockdown corner and we feel comfortable putting him out there to go one-on-one against any receiver. Caleb has had a great offseason, and we feel comfortable putting him out there for reps at corner.

Patton is a returning starter for Huntington at safety where he started 10 of 11 games.

“He brings some experience,” Colvert said. “He’s a physical safety who will come downhill and play the run. He’s got the ability to cover the inside slot receiver.”

The other safety spot will be a competition with Coronada, Brody and Kovar.

One of Huntington’s biggest question marks may come on special teams with the graduation of Colbert, who was an allstate and all-district performer as well as being a state qualifier in track.

Conner Leach is competing for the kicking job with Mansfield also expected to be called upon.

“I’ve been here five years, and between Hayden Teer and Ayden, we’ve been really lucky,” Colvert said. “It will be interesting to see where we go from there. We recruited Leach out of the halls, and he’s not to their level yet, but hopefully he’ll get there.”

Colvert said barring any surprises, the team will dress 28 players, meaning the majority will be on the field on both sides of the ball.

He said the expectation, even with a tougher district, is a return to the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.

“We feel like we have the talent and the culture to be a playoff team,” Colvert said. “I don’t see any reason we can’t compete for a playoff spot, and our kids feel the same way. The biggest culture change is the kids believe they have the opportunity to compete on any Friday night.”

BULLDOGS LOOK TO CONTINUE TRADITION

story by JOSH HAVARD | photos by GARY STALLARD

Corrigan-Camden head coach Brett Ratlff knows what the Bulldogs’ tradition is about. As a graduate of the school, he understands the expectations that come along with being one of the state’s traditional powers.

That’s what made a 2-8 season in 2020 that broke a long playoff streak that much harder.

Last season, he showed the wait won’t be a long one for Corrigan-Camden to get back to prominence as the Bulldogs won four of their first five games on their way to a return to the postseason.

It was a good step in the learning process, but Ratliff and the Bulldogs are far from satisfied.

“Making the playoffs is step one,” Ratliff said. “Step two is continuing the process. We want to win district championships. We want to make deep playoff runs. That’s what we expect here.”

While looking toward the future, it doesn’t take a long look at the 2021 season to see the steps being put in place.

Corrigan-Camden was overwhelmed for the majority of the 2020 season both with a new system and from an athleticism standpoint. It only took until opening night of 2021 to see Corrigan-Camden was headed in the right direction.

Facing what he admits was an athletically superior opponent, Corrigan-Camden took it to Crockett, eventually rolling to a physically dominating 35-14 win.

“I think that first game against Crockett was everything,” Ratliff said. “We played against a team that if you looked on paper and looked on the sideline, they looked a lot better than we did. They were bigger, faster and stronger. That didn’t keep us from playing a hard-nosed style of football. I think that game is what showed the kids we could make a run.”

With Ratliff running the show, Corrigan-Camden is no longer the team that puts the ball in the air one or two times a night.

However, he said one of the biggest teaching points was to show that being physical didn’t mean simply lining up and running right at the opponent.

“Even though we’re running a different style, the mentality wasn’t any different,” Ratliff said. “It took awhile for them to catch onto that the first year. I think it being the second year in the program really helped out as well, because when they’re more comfortable with the offense and the defense, that allows them to go out and be more physical.”

It also allowed them to take the first step into true relevance after a 2020 season that was mostly an unwanted learning experience.

“Me being from here, I know what the expectation is for this team every single year,” Ratliff said. “It was the first year in the rebuild, and we didn’t live up to those expectations. That broke my heart. But at the same time, I think it put a chip on their shoulders. They knew they weren’t going to let the tradition die with them.”

A look at this year’s roster shows Corrigan-Camden should take an even bigger step in the 2022 season. In addition to dropping down a classification to 12-2A DI, the Bulldogs have plenty of firepower to go around.

That starts with the return of QB Christian Guzman. Much of Corrigan-Camden’s struggles down the stretch could be attributed to when he went down with an injury. He’s ready for a breakout season.

“He was the No. 1 producer up until he went down with the injury,” Ratliff said. “He can run, he can throw and he’s the team leader. I think him going down really hurt us in a couple of the close losses. He’s recovered now.”

While Guzman is the lead quarterback, the Bulldogs have other options as well. Morgan Rayborn and Jabarian Williams each saw time at quarterback in the final five games while Guzman was out.

Williams may eventually prove to be one of the biggest offensive threats in the state by the time the season ends. He was the Offensive MVP last season, accounting for 2,500 allpurpose yards and 26 touchdowns.

He can line up at quarterback, running back or receiver and make an impact at any spot. Williams is primarily a threat at receiver but can be the versatile player coaches love to have in their lineups.

“He can throw, catch and run,” Ratliff said. “He’s talented on one-on-ones. He’s a quick receiver that can run the inside routes. Williams is a real hybrid piece for us.”

Rayborn is another player who can line up at different positions and make plays. He can play the tight end position as well as receiver.

Tony Cooper will be a possession receiver for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs’ running backs will be led by Anthony Harrell, who Ratliff calls “the staple of the backfield.”

Jadarius Hood and Kaden Murphy will fill the fullback positions while looking to bring some stability to a spot short on experience.

As exciting as the playmakers are, the biggest positive on the offense may be the line, which returns all five starters. Jonathan Cook and Angel Escobedo will lead the way from their tackle positions.

“Those are some big, strong dudes,” Ratliff said.

He describes Nate Blalock and Wesley Smith as strong and aggressive players at guard while Ethan Poole is an anchor at center.

In addition to an offense that should light up the scoreboard, the defense should be a strength as well as it returns nine starters.

It will start on the defensive line with Wesley Smith, who was a first-team all-district defensive end. Rayborn will fill a spot at the edge position while Robert Chinn can provide a speed rush on pass downs.

Aidan Stanley and Ricky Inguanzo will be the guys providing a push in the middle of the defensive line.

One of the strengths of the defense will be at linebacker, which is led by Kadyn Burke.

“The anchor is definitely Kadyn,” Ratliff said. “He’s our defensive MVP. Kadyn is small in stature, but he’s mighty. He brings a punch and it seems like he’s in on every tackle.”

In addition to Burke, the Bulldogs feature a returning alldistrict linebacker in Maddox Murphy.

Jarius Hood and Blalock are two others in the mix at linebacker.

Corrigan-Camden should also be stellar in the secondary, led by Guzman and Harrell.

“They’re good field generals that are going to fly around,” Ratliff said. “They can pick you off.”

Meanwhile Williams is a cornerback who had 84 tackles and four interceptions a season ago. Cooper also can fill a spot in the secondary.

The Bulldogs’ kicking game is solidified with returning alldistrict kicker and punter Pablo Jimenez back.

So many returning starters all over the field make the Bulldogs a true contender for a deep playoff run.

The Bulldogs will be competing in District 12-2A DI along with Normangee, Leon, West Hardin, Groveton and Centerville.

Groveton is a longtime rival of Corrigan-Camden while Centerville was a fourth-round playoff team last year.

“Being back with Groveton is great because I think that’s one

of the best rivalries in the state of Texas,” Ratliff said. “We get them at home this year. Then there’s a state quarterfinalist in Centerville there. We were their only loss in the regular season last year. The district is going to be tough, but they’re all tough in East Texas. We’re excited to get going.”

CORRIGAN-CAMDEN AT A GLANCE

2021: 6-5, 3-3 in District 12-3A DII

COACH: Brett Ratliff

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Christian Guzman, Jabarian Williams, Anthony Harrell, Jonathan Cook, Angel Escobedo, Tony Cooper, Wesley Smith, Pablo Jimenez

KEY LOSSES: Ruger McLain, Jess Shows

PRIMARY STRENGTHS: A full season of Guzman at starting quarterback should be huge for the Bulldogs. It doesn’t hurt that they return the versatile Williams, who accounted for 2,500 all-purpose yards and 26 touchdowns.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: There aren’t many glaring weaknesses on this team loaded with returning starters. The injury bug kept them from at least a few wins last year, and it seems like the only major roadblock between them making a legitimate postseason run this season.

OVERVIEW: The rebuilding process should be complete this season as Corrigan-Camden returns a wide selection of threeyear starters. This will be the season Corrigan-Camden has a chance to legitimately compete for a district title and make a deep playoff run.

CORRIGAN-CAMDEN

2022 SCHEDULE

BEARS TIMPSON

TEAM INFO • TIMPSON BEARS ENROLLMENT • 219 DISTRICT • 11-2A DI STADIUM • JOHN HERBERT EAKIN STADIUM

TIMPSON RELOADING FOR ANOTHER TITLE RUN

KRUEGER

There might not be a hungrier football team — in any classification — across the state this fall than the Timpson Bears. And that hunger, along with the talented squad that seventh-year head coach Kerry Therwhanger puts on the field, might just be enough to capture that elusive Class 2A DI championship.

The past two seasons have been filled with plenty of success in Timpson. Using nine offensive and seven defensive starters in 2020, the Bears averaged 53.2 points a game and rolled to a 14-1 record, losing to eventual state champion Shiner, 49-7, in the semifinals.

The Bears reloaded last season and bolted to wins in their first 12 games of the season, averaging 53.2 points again, while giving up just 12.8 points a contest and boasting four shutouts. Timpson returned to the 2A DI semifinal yet again, where the Bears squared off against Shiner once more. The Comanches had a much tougher time this go around but held off Timpson, 35-28, in the fourth quarter before going on to their second straight 2A DI title.

Last year’s defeat in the semifinals left a bitter taste in the mouths of Therwhanger and his players than the one of the previous year because they said they believed the 2021 THS squad had enough experience and talent to get the job done. Yet it was Shiner that managed to capture back-to-back titles and post a 30-0 record over the past two seasons.

This year the Bears are not only setting their sights on the District 11-2A DI championship, but, as they did a year ago, they want to go all the way to AT&T Stadium in December and bring home that elusive championship.

Despite losing 17 lettermen, the Bears still have a number of weapons returning this fall. With five offensive and seven starters coming back, there’s no doubt Timpson is the team to beat in 11-2A DI and Region III and they could be back in that

semifinal round again this fall.

“We didn’t sneak up on anyone in 2021, but we still handled business and made it back to the state semifinals, coming up just short to Shiner,” Therwhanger said. “That is the most that Shiner has been pushed in over two years.

“With this year’s team, it’s no secret to getting back to where we were, and that’s the skill positions.”

For bragging rights, Timpson will begin the 2022 season ranked No. 2 by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. Only (Region 4) Shiner (4 offensive, 5 defensive starters back) is ranked higher in the preseason poll, with the rest of the Top 5 consisting of (Region 4) Refugio (5/5 starters back from a 13-1 squad), (Region 2) Marlin (8/9 starters back from an 11-4 team) and (Region 1) Hawley (7/8 returners back from a 15-1 squad).

There’s also no secret of who the success of this season’s Timpson Bears will center around. Junior quarterback/ defensive back Terry Bussey will be the dominant player on the team — and most likely in the state.

Leading the spread option offense, he begins the season as the 2A Preseason Defensive Player of the Year by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. Bussey threw for 1,847 yards and 24 touchdowns last season while rushing for 1,550 more, to go along with 29 scores.

Bussey also leads the THS defense, after picking off eight passes and rolling up 73 tackles in 2021.

But Bussey won’t be the only player opponents have to watch this fall. Junior wide receiver/defensive back Vosky Howard tallied more than 1,000 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns last season. He also produced three interceptions and 40 tackles on defense.

Senior quarterback/linebacker L.T. Washington has had two strong years on varsity, generating more than 1,600 all-purpose yards and 26 scores offensively. He also recorded more than

story and photos by JOHN

100 tackles on defense.

Timpson also will look for junior wide receiver/linebacker Tyler Lane to contribute more after securing 150 tackles his first two years on varsity to go along with three forced fumbles.

There will be holes to fill offensively, including Lamar signee and two-way starter Braden Courtney, along with Tyler Junior College players Hunter Tipton and Adrian Caraway, who were a big part of the Timpson defensive scheme a year ago.

Junior linebacker Cam Bennett also will get more spotlight on the THS defense this fall after securing 84 tackles last season.

Therwhanger says playing extra games last year because of the playoffs will not only help his older players, but his younger talent, as well.

“Any time you have extra practices or games, it helps the program,” the coach said. “That’s why we bring some of the guys up to varsity for the playoffs. It gives them some experience of what it’s like to be in big games but also preparing for those games and giving them extra practice time that players at other schools don’t get.”

The Bears’ coach said replacing holes in the offensive line left by graduation will be vital to having another deep run in the playoffs.

Now a member of District 11-2A DI, Timpson’s league will look slightly different than District 10-2A DI did last year. Back are arch rival Garrison, Joaquin, San Augustine and Shelbyville, with the Rams receiving a No. 20 ranking in the DCTF poll with nine starters back on both sides of the ball from a 5-5 squad. Joining the league after UIL realignment are Grapeland and

TIMPSON AT A GLANCE

2021: 12-1 overall, 4-0 in District 11-2A DI, state semifinalist COACH: Kerry Therwhanger - 7th year

PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB/DB Terry Bussey, WR/DB Vosky Howard, TE/DL L.T. Washington, LB Tyler Lane, OL/DL Jacorian Grace, RB/LB Nate Scourton, WR/DB Geo Bryant

KEY LOSSES: Braden Courtney (Lamar), Hunter Tipton (Tyler JC), Adrian Caraway (Tyler JC)

PRIMARY STRENGTHS: When strengths of the Timpson Bears are talked about, there are plenty of them. How about junior quarterback Terry Bussey, who passed for 1,847 yards and 24 TDs last season, while rushing for 1,550 more and scoring 29 touchdowns on the ground? He also leads the Bear defense with 73 tackles and eight interceptions. Then there is junior Vosky Howard, who had 1,000 all-purpose yards in 2021, to go along with 15 TDs. He also added 40 tackles and three picks on defense. Senior L.T. Washington is back. He had over 1,600 all-purpose yards, 20 TDs and 100 tackles over the past two seasons. Don’t forget junior Tyler Lane, who has had 150 tackles and three forced fumbles in high school. They have also got plenty of playoff experience with back-to-back trips to the 2A DI semifinals. Strengths? Oh yeah, there are a few.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: It’s going to be tough to dethrone the Bears from the top of the heap in District 11-2A DI, but the Bears are returning only six starters on offense, with most of the holes in the line. If the Bears can’t fill those holes, it’s going

West Sabine, a program that was part of Class 2A DII a year ago.

to make it harder to run and pass against good teams.

OVERVIEW: There’s no rebuilding for the Bears, only reloading. With plenty of talent in the offensive and defensive backfields, it could be another deep run in the playoffs for the preseason No. 2 Bears. They are picked to win 2A DI Region III for the third straight season and it is possible with the skill position talent they have coming back. Experience is on their

TIMPSON 2022 SCHEDULE

DATE OPPONENT ’21 RECORD

AUG. 26 AT BECKVILLE 12-1

SEPT. 2 JEFFERSON 5-6

SEPT. 9 AT DAINGERFIELD 11-3

SEPT. 16 WASKOM 13-2

SEPT. 23 GRAPELAND* 4-6

SEPT. 30 AT SAN AUGUSTINE* 1-9

OCT. 7 BYE

OCT. 14 WEST SABINE* 4-7

OCT. 21 AT JOAQUIN* 5-5

OCT. 28 SHELBYVILLE* 7-5

NOV. 4 AT GARRISON* 4-5

side, and chances are they’ll be hoisting the District 11-2A DI championship trophy once again. They very likely could go undefeated in league play, but an undefeated regular season mark is up in the air because of their tough non-district schedule. Those non-district games are likely to prepare them for the rest of their run.

2021 RESULTS

WASKOM 49-28

PRICE CARLISLE 55-20

BOONEVILLE, AR 57-40

BULLDOGS

BULLDOGS READY TO RAMP UP OFFENSE

Amped up with nine offensive returners returning from last year’s playoff squad, the Garrison Bulldogs will be shooting for their third postseason run in as many years under the direction of Brandon Alvarez along with the 43rd in the history of the program when the ’Dogs take to the gridiron in 2022.

The Bulldogs are coming off a 4-5 record a year ago, finishing second in the District 10-2A DI race with a 2-2 mark. The only team that finished ahead of Garrison was Timpson (12-1), which advanced all the way to the Class 2A DI State Semifinals and begins the ’22 season ranked No. 2 by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football.

Most of the district’s squads changed to District 11-2A DI this season, with Grapeland moving in from District 11 with realignment. West Sabine moved in when the Tigers moved up from 2A-DII a year ago. West Hardin, which canceled its program last season, is also gone.

Garrison lost 12 seniors from last year’s team but returns 15 lettermen from the 2021 squad, including eight seniors.

“We’ve grown in numbers,” said Alvarez about the program’s continued improvement since he took over in the spring of 2020. “The first year we had to start five freshmen on varsity. The last two years we’ve been a very young team in a lot of key spots. There have been a lot of growing pains.”

Despite graduating a large numbers of seniors last season, the ’Dogs boast nearly all of the starters coming back who ran the Multiple Pro offense a year ago. The offense will be centered around junior quarterback Brayden Davidson (6-0, 187), who became a starter in Game 6 of his freshman year and led the team throughout the 2021 season.

“Brayden is one of those guys you hang your hat on,” Alvarez said. “He’ll only be a junior this season, but he’s already got a lot of experience at quarterback. And he also played middle

linebacker for us last year, so he quarterbacks the defense as well.”

Gone is leading rusher D’marcus Miller but filling the gap will be two worthy players in Omarion Rasberry (RB/NG, 5-8, 163, Jr.) and J.D. Black (RB/LB, 6-1, 205, Jr.).

“(Rasberry and Black) were two workhorses for us last year,” Alvarez said. “I know D’marcus had the most rushing yards, but those two guys were sophomores and Omarion also started as a freshman. They are going to be our older guys now and they understand the offense a lot.”

Alvarez said Christian Clark, Antonio Yarborough and several others also will be counted on to step in and help the ground attack.

The passing game is an area where Alvarez would like to see improvement this season, and he thinks the Bulldogs have the tools to accomplish that.

“The passing game has to improve because everybody’s scared of our running game,” the coach said. “Last year people would put everybody in the box. The last two years a lot of our inability to move the ball as well was because of the immaturity and young guys. Now that a lot of those guys are older — our best two receivers this year are going to be Isaac McCrumby (WR/DB, 5-6, 151, Sr.) and Ja’Christopher Shepherd (WR/DB, 6-1, 181, Jr.) — I think the receiver play is going to be better.

“Another aspect that will make our passing game better, in addition to Brayden (Davidson) being more mature, is the blocking up front. Some games last year we threw the ball really well, but the quarterback kept getting hit. Now that offensive line is more mature.

“Andrew Parker (OL/DL, 5-9, 227, Sr.) played guard for us and ended up being one of our best, if not the best, linemen last year. We’re moving him to center this year.

“Jesse Traxler (OL/DL, 5-9, 182, Jr.) had to play because

story and photos by JOHN KRUEGER

we had some injuries. He really stepped up and I counted on him, and he’s one of the dudes now because he did step up as a sophomore. He was a little undersized, but he’s no longer undersized after working hard in the offseason.

“Magnum Fitzgerald (OL/DL, 5-10, 306, Jr.) has played left tackle for us for two years and started since he was a freshman.”

Alvarez said there are a lot of options at right guard, saying he will take a good look at Adam Rambin (OL/LB, 5-9, 180, Jr.), Jabrahlyn Jones (OL/DL, 6-2, 287, So.) and Gavin Pollard (OL/ DL, 6-0, 233, So.). “Pollard is going to be on the O-line or tight end. He was going to start for us as a freshman, but got hurt in the scrimmages last season,” the coach said.

Alvarez also mentioned Jasper Shaw (OL/DL, 5-10, 350, Sr.) and Parker Perry (OL/DL, 6-0, 261, Jr.) are back from a year ago.

“We’ve now got some options on the O-line when we really haven’t had that,” the coach noted. “Last year I thought our offensive line was going to be really good, but then we had some injuries and we shouldn’t have been young, but we ended up with a lot of young guys playing.

“It wasn’t a good situation in some respects for us last year, but it’ll be good for us this year because a lot of guys got experience that we didn’t plan on.”

Defense will be a work in progress as a number of seniors graduated. Running the 7 Diamond set, Garrison returns five starters from a year ago, with a lot of experience coming in the secondary.

Alvarez mentioned returners Gatlan Holmes (WR/FS, 6-1, 173, Jr.), Black, Perry, Jones, McCrumby and Shepherd as players the Bulldogs will anchor the defensive side of the ball around. Shaw will be counted on in the defensive line, and Christian Clark as well.

“I think we’re probably going to be bigger on the D-line than we’ve ever been since I’ve been here, and that should take some pressure off those guys in (the secondary). Mainly it’s going to be the secondary that we have the biggest holes from graduation.”

The Bulldogs could have more depth than in recent years in the offensive and defensive lines but less in the skill positions. If they stay away from injuries, Garrison will look to make a run at the Bears for the league’s top spot.

GARRISON AT A GLANCE

2021: 4-5 overall, 2-3 in District 11-2A DI, bi-district finalist COACH: Brandon Alvarez, Record 10-10 (3rd year)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: DB/WR Isaac McCrumby, QB/LB Brayden Davidson, WR/DB Ja’Christopher Shepherd, RB Omarion Rasberry, RB/LB J.D. Black, OL Magnum Fitzgerald, OL/DL Jesse Traxler, WR/DB Gatlin Holmes, OL/DL Jabrahlyn Jones, OL/DL Andrew Parker, OL Jasper Shaw, OL/DL Parker Perry, OL/DL Gavin Pollard, QB/DB Jaxon Shaw, RB/LB Christian Clark, RB/DB Antonio Yarbrough, DB/WR Tryton Kruse

KEY LOSSES: RB/DB Maxwell Gipson, RB/DL Marco Miller (SAGU), OL Jeremiah Williams (SAGU), RB/DL D.J. McClure

PRIMARY STRENGTHS: Offensive production appears to be good on the horizon for the Bulldogs. With nine returning starters on offense, including junior quarterback Davidson, who has led the team since midway through his freshman year and is also the team’s middle linebacker, and a pair of junior running backs — Rasberry and Black — who have been putting

in the work since their freshman year, replacing leading rusher D’Marcus Miller might not be such a tough task. McCumby and Shepherd could spark the passing game, and an experienced offensive line led by senior Parker at center, and juniors Traxler and Fitzgerald could mean a strong year offensively.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: The question marks before the season are in the passing game, but that could change as the season goes on, and the defensive front will have to keep linemen off the linebackers. Garrison will have depth in certain areas, but like any 2A school, there will be holes to fill.

OVERVIEW: Garrison has a lot of talent coming back this season. There will be some key personnel to replace, but the Bulldogs have backs and linemen who have seen playing time and could help the offense shift gears this season. Davidson looks to be stronger at quarterback and middle linebacker, and on defense the ’Dogs will have talent. It’ll be tough in 11-2A DI with No. 2 Timpson to contend with. The Bears have been to the state semifinals the last two years. Joaquin also returns nine starters from each side off a 5-5 squad and is ranked No. 20 in the preseason poll. And don’t forget about Shelbyville, who was 7-5 with six offensive and five defensive starters back. Garrison will be in the postseason for the 14th straight year, but how far they go is yet to be seen.

GARRISON 2022 SCHEDULE

DATE OPPONENT ’21 RECORD

AUG. 26 HUGHES SPRINGS 4-6

SEPT. 2 AT ARP 7-4

SEPT. 9 AT WARREN 3-6 SEPT. 16 ALTO 6-3 SEPT. 23 AT WEST SABINE* 4-7 SEPT. 30 JOAQUIN* 5-5 OCT. 7 AT SHELBYVILLE* 7-5 OCT. 14 BYE OCT. 21 GRAPELAND* 4-6 OCT. 28 AT SAN AUGUSTINE* 1-9 NOV. 4 TIMPSON* 12-1 GARRISON 2021 RESULTS

4-5, 2-3 L WASKOM 45-0

AT ARP 33-7

AT CROCKETT 33-24 W GROVETON 48-0 L AT TIMPSON* 51-0

AT SHELBYVILLE* 32-26 W SAN AUGUSTINE* 31-30 W JOAQUIN* 40-32 L HAWKINS 31-20 * DISTRICT GAME

ALTO YELLOWJACKETS

TEAM INFO • ALTO YELLOJACKETS ENROLLMENT • 183 DISTRICT • 11-2A DII STADIUM • CAM’RON MATTHEWS FIELD

‘JACKETS LOOK TO RISE IN NEW DISTRICT

story and photos by JOHN KRUEGER

The Alto Yellowjackets are headed to a new district with a new leader, but despite the changes, they are hoping the football squad’s winning tradition continues despite some bad news weeks before the season began.

Alto was hoping to lock up its 21st playoff berth since 2000 with another strong showing this fall but was banned from playoff contention after the University Interscholastic League on Aug. 2 found administrators underreported enrollment by three students, which pushed the Yellowjackets into a lower classification.

The ’Jackets are coming off a 6-3 showing a year ago, posting a second-place finish in District 11-2A DI with a 4-1 mark. The realignment numbers Alto turned in dropped the school to Class 2A DII.

A year without a playoff appearance will be rare for Alto, which made the postseason 17 times in the past 18 years and clinched six district titles since the turn of the century.

Alto, along with Price Carlisle (5-5, 5-1), will both be dropping down a division, joining Cushing (5-4, 3-3), Mount Enterprise (3-5, 2-4), Overton (0-10, 0-6) and Tenaha (9-3, 6-0) in 11-2A DII.

Brock Grigsby takes over the program after serving as an assistant coach at Center last year. In 2020 he was an assistant on the Alto staff, meaning he knows the district, the school and the team well.

Alto lost only eight players off last year’s squad while returning 17, with six starters coming back on both sides of the football.

Success and Alto go hand-in-hand, with the program’s last district title coming in 2019 (11-1) and the Yellowjackets posting 10-plus win seasons 18 times in school history. The playoff-less season of 2020 (2-8) is something that doesn’t happen often in Alto. In fact, it was the first time since 2003

that it occurred, and only the second time since 1991.

Some of the leaders on the squad who are back from a year ago include senior all-around dominant athlete Jackson Duplichain (5-8, 175), who can play a variety of positions, wide receiver/defensive back Khalil Reagan (6-0, 165, Sr.), quarterback/linebacker Keagan Davis (6-1, 190, Jr.), tight end/ linebacker Landon Cook (6-2, 185, Sr.) and running back/ defensive back Rashawn Mumphrey (6-2, 200, Sr.).

Davis is back as the Yellowjackets’ quarterback, Duplichain will get a large share of carries from a running back spot and Reagan could be the main target for Davis this season.

Look for Tyler Bond and Jay Benton to battle for receiving spots, along with Cook at the tight end.

As in any small school, returners on the offensive line are like gold. Alto has a solid foundation with the return of junior left guard Bryan Hernandez, senior center Clayton Gresham and senior right guard Mason Holmes. Add to that possible starters of Dylan Caldwell at left tackle and Jordan Gravara at right tackle, and the Yellowjacket ground game appears to be in good hands.

“Our goal is to develop some depth up front on both sides of the ball,” Grigsby said. “That’s always the case with a 2A program.”

Six returning starters also will help shore up the defensive squad when opponents have the ball. Gresham and Hernandez will lead the defensive line, along with Caldwell.

Duplichain, Cook and Davis are all back to build the linebacking corps around, with Dean and Zack Battle battling for the other spots.

Grigsby also will test Benton and Bond in the defensive backfield early.

The top seniors returning will look to show the way for the younger players, Grigsby said.

ALTO AT A GLANCE

2021: 6-3 overall, 4-1 in District 11-2A DI, bi-district finalist COACH: Brock Grigsby, Record 0-0 (first year)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: ATH Jackson Duplichain, WR/DB Khalil Reagan, LB/QB Keegan Davis, RB/DB Rashawn Mumphrey, OL/DL Mason Holmes, ATH Tyler Bond, WR/DB Jay Benton, QB/LB Landon Cook

KEY LOSSES: Logan Rogers, Landry Smith, Jackson Howell

PRIMARY STRENGTHS: The Yellowjackets have six starters returning on both sides of the football, including three linemen and three skill position players on offense, including QB Davis, RB Duplichain and Reagan at receiver. The Alto defense should also have a strong core with a pair of defensive linemen (Clayton Gresham, Bryan Hernandez), three linebackers (Cook, Davis, Duplichain) and a defensive back (Reagan) returning from a playoff team.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: There’s always an adjustment period when a new coach comes aboard, but Grigsby served as an assistant coach at Alto two years ago, so the players will

be familiar with him. Depth could be a problem if the team is caught with the injury bug in key positions.

OVERVIEW: The Yellowjackets are dropping from 2A DI to 2A DII, which should be a big plus for them. It is also a winning program, with Alto earning 17 postseason berths in its last 18 years, including six district championships. They were a second-place team with the likes of Jewett Leon and Normangee and join a group of teams that includes No. 11 Carlisle, No. 10 Tenaha, Overton, Cushing and Mount Enterprise. That should give them a shot for the 11-2A DII title or, for certain, a playoff spot.

TEAM INFO • GROVETON INDIANS ENROLLMENT • 223

STADIUM

INDIANS GROVETON INDIANS LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK: WITH NEW LEADER, GROVETON AIMS TO TURN THINGS AROUND

story by JOSH HAVARD | photo by GARY STALLARD

Matthew Woodard knows plenty about winning. He has been a part of state championship coaching staffs at Henderson and Allen and has won at every stop along his coaching path.

Now he is looking to help lead a turnaround at a school known for its football tradition.

It seems like the perfect relationship as the Groveton Indians prepare for the 2022 season.

“I grew up in a coaching family so I’d always hear about Groveton, especially back in the ’80s and ’90s when they were always winning,” Woodard said. “I came from Allen, which was a tradition-based program, so something really caught my eye about Groveton.”

Now he’s ready to put his stamp on a program coming off 3-7 and 1-8 seasons. The Indians last made the postseason in 2019 when they went 11-3 and advanced to the state quarterfinals before falling to San Augustine.

Woodard expects to return to that winning form sooner rather than later.

“I know they’ve fallen away the last couple of years,” Woodard said. “It’s our job to get them back to being the power they need to be.”

Woodard has had plenty of stops during his assistant coaching career. He was most recently the defensive coordinator at Port

Neches-Groves, where they were an 8-5 team and a regional semifinalist.

While it was the latest stop in his path, he has won at every step along the way.

He started at Henderson where the team won a state championship in 2010 along with making several long postseason runs.

He then went to Pittsburg, where a 1-9 team turned into an area finalist.

His next stop was Waco Midway, where the team made the regional finals.

Woodard was then a part of one of the best powerhouse programs in the state at Allen, where his teams combined for a 65-4 record and a state title.

That led up to his most recent coaching job as defensive coordinator at Port Neches-Groves, where the team made an extended playoff run.

He said that track record helps earn the confidence of high school kids looking to build their own success stories.

“It shows you know the expectations and the way to do things,” Woodard said. “You can show the kids this is what happens when you do things successfully. This is the end result that can happen if you do things the right way.”

It is also beneficial to arrive in a town used to a winning

tradition.

“This community has been very successful,” Woodard said. ‘That’s what they expect.”

While Groveton is coming off a 1-8 season, it has some of the pieces in place that should make a turnaround a little easier.

Groveton has a competition for the quarterback position with Ian Utz and Tanner Steubing going after the job.

“Both those guys have a very strong work ethic,” Woodard said. “They’ll do whatever it takes to be successful. They work their tails off.”

The Indians have a potential game changer in the backfield with Bryon Thomas.

David Ayala can provide a steady presence in the backfield, as well.

“Bryon is probably the best all-around athlete we have,” Woodard said. “He’s a difference maker that can go. He’s got some shift to him. David is a workhorse who works his tail off on a daily basis.”

A few of the playmakers at receiver for Groveton are Clifton Davis, Billy Thomas and Dayton Chandler.

“(Davis) is one of our big targets,” Woodard said. “Blly is one that if you put the ball around him, then he can go get it.”

The Indians return a pair of starters on the offensive line in Logan Townsend and Tyler Allen. Townsend is a three-year starter for the Indians.

“Logan’s a good player who will be on the offensive and defensive lines,” Woodard said. “They’re both guys you can run behind.”

Groveton also has some playmakers on the defense it will be able to build around.

Jaylen Lewis and Carter Cox are a pair of forces for Groveton on the defensive line.

“Both those kids have length to them, and they’ve got high motors,” Woodard said. “Lewis has been big in the weight room and is big on all his maxes.”

Chase Blair and Phoenix Bowman are a pair of players expected to lock down the linebacking corps.

The secondary should be solidified by Wyatt Hajobsky and Wyatt Snead.

“Both of those guys will be kids that can help out in the secondary,” Woodard said. “They both do a heck of a job of helping us get lined up.”

Jarrett Lawton is a newcomer who could make a quick impact as well. He was strong in seven-on-seven workouts and was a state qualifier in cross country last season.

Groveton will compete in District 12-2A DI alongside Corrigan-Camden, which dropped down in classification. Other district opponents are Leon, Centerville, Normangee and West Hardin.

The Indians open the season with a short trip to Lovelady before a home game against Trinity.

“Both those are very close opponents so the kids know each other well,” Woodard said. “That makes them big ballgames for them. But for me, it’s about getting better every week. You’ll make the biggest jump between week one and week two and week two to week three. We need to be successful in gaining ground there to set us up for district.”

From there, he hopes to turn the corner into quickly leading Groveton back into playoff contention.

“Our No. 1 priority is being the best team we can be,” Woodard said. “We were 1-8 last year and didn’t make the playoffs the year before. It’s about teaching the kids how to be successful and getting back into the playoffs this year.”

GROVETON AT A GLANCE

2021: 1-9 overall, 1-5 in District 11-2A DI

COACH: Matthew Woodard

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Ian Utz, Tanner Steubing, Byron Thomas, Clifton Davis, Logan Townsend, Tyler Allen, Jaylen Lewis, Carter Cox, Chase Blair, Phoenix Bowman, Wyatt Hajobsky, Wyatt Snead

KEY LOSSES: Ruger McLain, Jess Shows

PRIMARY STRENGTHS: Groveton’s backfield should be a strength with Woodard calling Thomas his “best all-around athlete.” David Ayala is another workhorse in the backfield.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: The Indians have a pair of stalwarts on the offensive line with the return of Townsend and Allen. However, they’ll need to get a few newcomers to step up to help the offense make a smooth transition under Woodard.

OVERVIEW: Groveton has four wins in two seasons since making a run to the state quarterfinals in 2019. The step back to the playoffs isn’t a stretch, although they’ll need the pieces to come together quickly before the start of district action.

AUG. 26 AT LOVELADY 9-3 SEPT. 2 TRINITY 0-8 SEPT. 9 FRANKSTON 5-6 SEPT. 16 AT GRAPELAND 4-6 SEPT. 23 ALTO* 7-3 OCT. 7 AT LEON* 4-7 OCT. 14 AT CENTERVILLE* 12-2 OCT. 21 NORMANGEE* 5-6 OCT. 28 AT CORRIGAN-CAMDEN* 6-5 NOV. 4 WEST HARDIN* 4-5

BEARKATS CUSHING EXPERIENCED LINE TO ‘TOW THE NOTE’ FOR ‘KATS

The Cushing Bearkats might not have a lot of experienced players back for the 2022 season, but fifth-year head coach Josh Moore believes the returning players have the knowledge and are in the right place to lead his team to a third straight playoff berth.

The Bearkats will be looking for their sixth playoff spot in the history of the program and figure to do that with three offensive linemen who know the game and know how to lead. And with Cushing running the veer offense, if he can get his quarterback up to speed, Moore thinks the ’Kats have an excellent shot at locking up a playoff spot in District 11-2A DII.

Cushing is coming off a 5-4 record, clinching the playoffs on the final week of the regular season with a 40-14 victory over Colmesneil.

Moore chose to bring up a freshman athlete who has excelled not only in football, but also baseball and basketball, and Eli Dawson showed him a lot, helping the team to a win in the regular season finale. He also was a key in the opening round of the playoffs against Evadale, which CHS lost 19-13.

As a freshman, Dawson guided the Bearkat junior varsity to a 7-1 record last season and he was named Newcomer of the Year in the basketball and baseball districts. He’ll be looked at to guide the Cushing offense this season.

“The quarterback is the main position on any offense, but even more so for us because we run the veer,” Moore said. “In our offense, the quarterback is either going to hand it off, keep it or pitch it, basically making it 11 of our players against nine of the defensive players. That’s because we leave their other two players unblocked and we read off of them.

“Right now Eli is our No 1 guy. At the end of the day he’s just an athlete. He’s very sport savvy, and he’s shown it in every sport he’s played. If you give him a ball, he’ll be good at that

sport.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that if you give him a football in his hands, he knows what to do with it. Yes, he’s young, but he was newcomer of the year in two sports, and he would have been in football, except I wanted him to get a lot of snaps on JV.”

Moore said he made the decision to start Dawson in the Colmesneil game because it was a game the team had to win and he knew he would get the job done. The Bearkats won. He also started against Evadale at safety in the playoffs.

“I think the experience he got last season was valuable, whether it was in junior varsity or the varsity games. If he can stay healthy and get better at running the veer, I feel pretty good about the direction we’ll be heading.”

Moore said getting used to the speed of the game at the varsity level will be an early test for him, but he thinks by the fourth game he’ll be in good shape. He also said he planned a ‘‘mini quarterback clinic’’ with his sophomore this summer so he would understand the ‘‘ins’’ and ‘‘outs’’ of the offense.

Cushing is bringing back only three starters on each side of the football, but those three on offense could be vital in the team’s success in 2022. All-district returning offensive linemen Landon Owens, Brayden Mobley and Wyatt Sharp are not only strong coming off the football but are smart, and they are a great place to start building toward another playoff run.

Other projected starters on the offensive line are Kaleb Leutwyler and Trenton Taylor.

“When you look at those linemen, you’re looking at probably the valedictorian and salutatorian of next year’s class,” Moore said. “In fact, I think four of the five guys on the offensive line are NOBLE scholars.

“Wyatt Sharp is 6-7, 270 and comes off the ball well. Brayden Mobley is 5-11, 245 and is a third-year starter. And Landon Owens (5-10, 185) will probably be the smallest one, but he’s also the most knowledgable and will play center.

“Then we have some younger guys that are 190-225 pounds. In this offense you don’t have to be big, you just have to come off the ball well.”

Behind Dawson will be a veteran running back who missed last season because of a collarbone injury. Eddie Davis will play fullback and give Dawson some sure hands and strong legs as

story and photo by JOHN KRUEGER

he leads the ground attack.

“Next to the quarterback and offensive line, the fullback is another key position,” the coach said. “I feel good having a skilled offensive line coming back and a strong back in the backfield to hand the ball to.

“It’s great having Eddie back, and his cousin Gavin Crumpton will also be used a lot in the backfield. He brings a lot of speed and power to the fullback spot. He’s a young talent at running back, and they’ll both play on defense.

“Last year we ran the ball a lot because that’s what we hung our hat on. This year I hope we can use our passing game to set up the running game.”

To do that, Moore hopes that Deshawn Tilley will create space on the outside and give Dawson some good looks in the passing game while beating some opponents in 1-on-1 situations.

In addition, Bryan Parker was a guard on the junior varsity but will be used as a tight end this season. And at 6-foot-3, Moore is counting on his size to help him give Dawson another target.

Two other players that could help the Bearkat running game are juniors Austin Johnson and Nick Pollock.

On the defensive side, Cushing also returns just three starters, including Davis at inside linebacker, along with Johnson and Dawson in the secondary.

“Defensively, our secondary will probably be the most experienced because, with the game of football, the O-line makes a lot of the adjustments on offense, and the secondary makes a lot of adjustments on defense,” Moore said. “So these are the two areas where we have the most talent coming back.

“One of the reasons I like our defensive backs is because those guys that are moving up from junior varsity might not have the varsity experience as some, but they’re like a bunch of crazed dogs out there. They love to hit and I’m really excited about them

“If they can put it all together, there’s no telling how well we can do on Friday nights.”

Cushing will still be in District 11-2A DII this season, but the league will look much different. Gone from the league is West Sabine, which has moved up to 2A DI and will play in District 11. Colmesneil and No. 14 Lovelady have been moved from District 11-2A DII to 12-2A DII.

Two ‘‘big dogs’’ have been moved into the district this season with the addition of Alto and Carlisle, who were both in Class 2A DI a year ago.

Remaining are Mount Enterprise, Overton and Tenaha, leaving the district with only six teams this season. Tenaha is a preseason No. 10 by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine, while Carlisle is right behind, ranked No. 11.

CUSHING AT A GLANCE

2021: 5-4 overall, 2-3 in District 11-2A DII, bi-district finalist

COACH: Josh Moore, record 18-20 (5th year)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: OL Wyatt Sharp, FB/LB Eddie Davis, OL Brayden Mobley, OL Landon Owens, WR/LB Nick Pollock, WR Ty Brown, DB Austin Johnson, OL/DL Kaleb Leutwyler, QB/ DB Eli Dawson, FB/LB Gavin Crumpton, DL Brian Parker, DB Kade Jones

KEY LOSSES: Keyshawn Rollison, Tony Aparicio, Adrian Pollock, Jasper Stiles

PRIMARY STRENGTHS: Graduation hit the Bearkats pretty hard, but Moore should have some solid blocking coming back with three all-district performers in Owens, Mobley and Sharp. He also has fullback/linebacker Eddie Davis back after he missed last season with a shoulder injury. Cushing’s defensive backfield will have strength with the return of Eli Dawson and Austin Johnson in the secondary, and Davis holding down the middle linebacker spot.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: A lack of depth and return of skill position players on offense could be the key. The three solid offensive linemen back should help the squad’s ground game, and if the Bearkats can control the football, that will help keep the ball away from opponents.

OVERVIEW: Despite the program only qualifying for the playoffs five times in history, three of those postseason bids have been in the last four years under Moore. Last year’s JV posted a 7-1 record and with some solid line play expected on both sides of the ball, the Bearkats could be making their third straight trip to the playoffs. No.10 Tenaha and No. 11 Price Carlisle, along with Alto dropping down to 2A DII won’t make the postseason chase easy, but they could be looking at a postseason berth.

AUG.

APPLE SPRINGS AIMS TO MAKE STRIDES IN 2022

story by JOSH HAVARD

Simply fielding a team for the season was half the battle for the 2021 Apple Springs Eagles. With low numbers and no experience, the Eagles went through plenty of growing pains in a tough season.

While the results usually weren’t there, it was the next step in their progression.

“I think the big thing was it was a tough year but one we had to go through at some point,” Apple Springs head coach Cody Moree said. “We had to get back on the field and learn to take our lumps. We needed to just get better and the kids did that. They stuck with it.”

The biggest positive for the Eagles was being able to complete a full season after playing just one game in 2020. That year was affected by low numbers and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now as they prepare for 2022, they have the benefit of playing a full 10-game schedule last year.

“They’re all back this year,” Moree said. “We didn’t lose a soul because there weren’t any seniors on that ballclub. We didn’t have any significant injuries. Everybody has a year under their belts now and I don’t think we’ll be in shellshock. We’ll be a little bit better.”

Moree said one of the biggest positives was the players keeping a positive approach throughout a year that didn’t have the best results.

“We had to scramble just to get a full 10-game schedule in,” Moree said. “It was huge getting the 10 games in. We kept telling the kids throughout the year there’s an exponential benefit you couldn’t see at the time. We’re so thankful that’s behind us and that we have that year under our belt.”

Apple Springs has some returning talent that should make

them competitive this season.

It starts with Dakota Campbell, who will be a junior and returning starter at quarterback for the Eagles.

“He took every snap for us last year,” Moree said. “And I’ll tell you every snap wasn’t a positive experience. He had some really good showings, some really good ballgames. He just grew more than the normal 10 games would usually pay off for you.”

Kameron Spencer is the most experienced player on the Apple Springs roster. He is the only player who has been with the team since he was in the seventh grade.

“He’s a leader for us both on and off the field,” Moree said. “We want to make sure he has a really strong senior year.”

Logan Numley is starting his second season of playing sixman football after picking up the sport last season. He will see time at running back and linebacker.

“He played for the first time last year and really took to it,” Moree said. “He adapted really well to how wide open it is. He’s a tough kid. He’s not tall, but he can find the ball on defense.”

Tanner Smith will return for the Eagles as a two-way player on both the offensive and defensive lines.

“He’s probably our main pass rusher,” Moree said. “He puts a lot of pressure on other teams and makes them do what they don’t want to do. He can play a lot of different places. He’ll play center, tackle, wherever. He’s a smart kid who can call blocks and things like that. Then he’s aggressive on defense.

Ashton Ashford is another player who just picked up the sport last year after moving into the school district.

“He was a very good cornerback for us,” Moree said. “He can shut down the sweep and he can cover. He had a really good year and we’re looking forward to him being back there.”

Those five players are ones who gained experience that can help pave the way for the younger players coming up through the program.

He said the returning experience makes it much easier to put a competitive team on the field.

“I think we’re going to be able to fine tune way sooner than we could last year,” Moree said. “We were so fundamentally behind last year that we had to spend more time than normal on that. It’s not that you ever get away from fundamentals, but we’d have to start with ‘this is a football.’ The kids really had to learn what it’s all about.”

Those fundamentals should be more apparent this season as the Eagles look to put together a more natural game plan on both sides.

“This year we’ll be able to do some more things offensively just because they get it,” Moree said. “We’re looking forward to that and being able to establish ourselves early. We’ve got a schedule where we can have some success early, but we also play some really tough people.”

He said that while there were plenty of negatives from last year that the biggest positive was the attitude of the team in adverse situations. He also said that effort couldn’t be overlooked in the progression of where the team eventually wants to get.

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” Moree said. “They were there every day. I couldn’t ask for any more effort than the kids put in.”