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July 2009
United Way sets lower goal this year
As belts are tightening at agencies serving the needy, the United Way is hoping its reduced fundraising goal announced Thursday encourages a financially struggling community to continue its unblemished record of generosity.
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Storm system causes moderate downtown damage Thursday morning
Strong winds leading a system of heavy thunderstorms caused scattered damage Thursday afternoon on the north end of downtown Lufkin.
An oak tree cracked in half near the corner of Thompson Street and Moore Avenue, bringing a power line down with it. Emergency responders were kept busy responding to a report of a line down in Cotton Square behind the Parks & Recreation Department, and of blown transformers in the area until nearly 11 a.m.Link to full story.
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Local dealerships weigh in on new incentive program
A new federal program is allowing East Texans to cash in on their clunkers. The Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), also known as “Cash for Clunkers,” is a billion dollar program that will run until early November, or until the allotted money is used. The program allows people with older, less fuel-efficient cars to trade them in for $3,500-$4,500, depending on their particular vehicle.
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Aspen Power still waiting for decision on proposed Lufkin plant
It is still a waiting game for the parties involved in a dispute over a proposed biomass power plant slated for North Lufkin. Since the company’s state permit hearing concluded on May 8 in Austin, representatives for Aspen Power have been waiting to hear back from the hearing’s administrative judge on whether they will receive a building permit for the plant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
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Commissioners vote on park projects, street names and other items
The Angelina County Commissioner’s Court reviewed a stacked agenda Tuesday morning, voting on park projects, renaming county streets, possible new registration fees, county employee health insurance and more.
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County commissioners trim down landfill, airport budgets
The Angelina County Commissioner’s Court spent the better part of Monday afternoon looking for ways to trim the projected budgets of several county offices in one of its recent budget workshops. Link to full story
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Lufkin native pursues calling to medical mission work
Since graduating from Lufkin High School in 2004, Michael White has pursued a life calling that has taken him far from home. Link to full story
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Seeing green? Minimum wage increase benefits some, not all
The third and final phase of the federal minimum wage hike went into effect nationwide on Friday, boosting minimum wage 70 cents — about 11 percent — from $6.55 to $7.25 per hour. With the country still steeped in a recession, the wage increase has drawn mixed reviews from employees and business owners. Link to full story
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Angelina’s per capita spending low, survey shows
A recent study by Stephen F. Austin University shows that Angelina County spends the third lowest amount on its residents per capita when compared to 13 other Texas counties. Staff at SFA who conducted the study said the survey was meant to reflect the need to increase funding for employee salaries in county government, including in Nacogodches County, where the study was conducted.
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DETCOG waiting on 2nd round of Ike disaster funds
HEMPHILL — A second wave of federal disaster money has reached the state level and 87 percent of it is expected to go to areas affected by Hurricane Ike, according to the Deep East Texas Council of Governments.
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Budget could top $20 million for first time in county’s history
Angelina County commissioners on Thursday began working with a new budget that could top $20 million for the first time in the county’s history. The commissioners’ court met in special session Thursday afternoon to discuss a few items of business before breaking into the first of several budget workshops.
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Council approves $40K for land study at proposed site
Lufkin City Council voted Tuesday to approve two amendments to the city’s current operating budget. The first is an amendment providing for the appropriation of funds to cover approximately $40,000 spent for a land study at a site on U.S. 59 south, near the United Pentecostal Campground, for a new convention center. The study came as a prerequisite to acquire two grants totalling almost $400,000 to construct the new facility, said Jim Wehmeier, director of economic development for the city. The city lost the grant money when it decided to add on to the existing Pitser Garrison Civic Center instead of building a new facility, but still owed the money for the study.
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Angelina County Appraisal Review Board sides with area homeowner
The Angelina County Appraisal Review Board heard a single case Monday morning, siding in favor of the homeowner. Link to full story
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EDITORIAL: Health Care Overhaul: Obama trying to rush through plan to reduce health care costs, but savings could be illusion
In his frenzied push toward what he considers health care reform, President Barack Obama told an audience yesterday the current system is breaking families, breaking businesses and breaking the American economy. This is not the first time Obama has used the “desperate times call for desperate measures” ploy to forward his agenda. Link to full story
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FEMA money will help fund civic center expansion
The city and county signed an agreement last week to use FEMA funds to expand the Pitser Garrison Civic Center. The Office of Rural Community Affairs recently awarded Lufkin and Angelina County $5 million for serving as a designated shelter hub for national emergencies, such as hurricanes. In addition to the $5 million, the county also received an additional $1.3 million and the city an additional $1.2 million in Hurricane Ike funds.
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LISD keeping health, PE requirements
In the most recent Texas legislative session a bill was passed that limited the amount of physical education required for students to graduate high school. At Thursday night’s Lufkin ISD school board meeting, the board voted to overturn one of the state’s new guidelines and use their own standards for the benefit of the kids. Newly passed House Bill 3 lowers the amount of physical education and health credits required for graduation by a half credit each. The school board voted to keep those credits as graduation requirements.
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Diboll Police officers honored for saving life of local man
DIBOLL — City officials on Monday night honored two Diboll Police officers for their heroic efforts in saving the life of a local man last week. Link to full story
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Presidential pen pal: Slack student who wrote letter after inauguration receives response from President Barack Obama
Some responses are worth the wait. That is what Jaylen McCloud found out last week when his mom picked him up early from the Boys and Girls Club in Lufkin. Jaylen, a soon-to-be fifth grader at Slack Elementary, had received a letter from a pretty important address, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Link to full story
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Lufkin’s century of growth: Angelina County Historical Commission working to preserve, document Lufkin’s history for future generations
One hundred years ago a photographer climbed a water tower downtown and captured a bird’s eye view of Lufkin, the fledgling town then barely 20 years old. A century later that event was recreated — and it’s clear the original photographer would hardly recognize the place.
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Lufkin school board to vote on health and PE requirements
The Lufkin School Board will vote in an open public meeting on whether or not to keep health and physical education as a local graduation requirement Thursday — a unanimous proposal by the district’s Student Health Association Committee.
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EDITORIAL: Toasts and roasts: Kudos to Lowery, Chandler and Stanford; thumbs down on appraisal review process
Our weekly collection of cheers and jeers, or Toasts and Roasts, as we like to call it. Link to full story
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Bracelets and barcodes add to patient continuity at Memorial
Memorial Health System of East Texas says it is now the only hospital in East Texas to carry a brand new identification system that will reduce the risk for medication mix-ups or other mistakes. Link to full story
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Army Reserve and National Guard base for Lufkin awaits Senate approval
A new construction project for a U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard base has been given the green light for Lufkin — which could bring as many as 200 troops to the area if built. Link to full story
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Lufkin City Council votes to begin CIP projects this year
Lufkin City Council voted 5-2 Tuesday to go forth with seven CIP projects this year using excess reserve funds with council members Don Langston and Rufus Duncan voting against the budget amendment. Link to full story
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Lowery not a stranger to the pageant scene
In a battle of brains and beauty, 34 girls fought for the coveted Miss Teen Texas title. A Lufkin native walked away with the crown. Link to full story
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To spend or save? That’s the question: City Council on Tuesday to discuss if, how to proceed with Capital Improvement Program
Lufkin City Council members Tuesday will discuss how and if they should proceed with the Capital Improvement Program they formalized in November 2008. A poor economy has some council members questioning how conservative the spending habits for city projects need to be. The council approved a $30 million CIP plan last year after ranking projects in order of importance. Recently, the city council came up with seven projects they believe need to begin this year. All seven of these projects could cost the city $1.71 million. The council must decide whether they should purchase bonds to help pay for these projects or use excess money from a fund reserve the city has available. Full story
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Tea Party-goers express concerns about country’s direction
The East Texas Tea Party at the George H. Henderson Jr. Expo Center in Lufkin did not waste any time getting to the point on Saturday evening. A telephone number to the White House was given to the crowd and those in attendance were urged to call President Barack Obama and tell him “we are not happy, and we are working to make Texas free from his legislation.”
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Appraisal Review Board kicks off protest hearings with a single case
At least 1,000 local property owners have complained about their higher tax values this year, but the Appraisal Review Board met with just one of them in the board’s first protest hearing of 2009.
A dozen would-be protestors failed to appear for the 9 a.m. hearing Thursday, according to chief appraiser Jerry Hogg. Of the two people who did show, only one decided to try his chances with the ARB panel.
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New method of appraisal board hearings begins
A new method in handling appraisal review board (ARB) hearings may leave taxpayers waiting as others argue their assessed property values starting today.
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Tea Party Freedom Rally scheduled for July 4 at Angelina expo center
The Texas Tea Party Freedom Rally, a follow-up to the Tax Day rallies held earlier this year, is set for July 4 at the George H. Henderson Jr. Exposition Center. The rallies are held in protest to what founders of the movement describe as “a violent assault on freedom” by the federal government, in the spirit of one of the pivotal events of the American Revolution, the Boston Tea Party.
