June 23, 2015 - The wildlife education program with live animals was a big hit with both groups of children attending the Lions Club’s summer reading program at the library last Thursday. It was hard to tell which animal the children loved petting the most. One contender was the baby kangaroo in a diaper but the small girls who held the large snake and passed it around was my pick. Sandra, of course, left the room when the tarantula was paraded. I was holding my breath when the ferret was brought out to view. I could visualize it getting loose in the library.

June 21, 2015 - (Full List) The University of Texas at Tyler has named 367 students to the Dean’s List for the 2015 spring semester, President Rodney H. Mabry announced.

June 18, 2015 - LUFKIN – The remnants of Tropical Storm Bill made its way through the Lufkin District Thursday with several of the district’s nine counties reporting trees down and flooded roadways that had motorists looking for alternate routes of travel.

Maintenance crews were busy Wednesday night and into Thursday monitoring rising water and removing debris and fallen trees. Some roads were closed and barriers set to turn motorists around while others roads were reduced to a single lane of travel.

June 18, 2015 - For many children, Father’s Day means giving gifts, enjoying traditions and making memories with their fathers, grandfathers and father figures. But for children in the foster care system, the day can be a painful reminder of their past.

Unfortunately, many children in foster care do not have a reliable father figure in their lives. Removed from their homes due to evidence of abuse or neglect, they are not guaranteed to be placed in state care near their loved ones. It is a constant cycle of uncertainty.

June 15, 2015 - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan today announced a joint operation against four Houston-area stores for distributing products that contain synthetic marijuana while deceptively claiming the products are safe and legal.