Brady Mikes (left) Boots Burleson (right) By Jan Whitejan@hccourier.com The Youth Fishing League [YFL] is a tournament circuit dedicated to teaching young anglers sportsmanship and self-confidence while strengthening their skills and providing them with good clean, competitive fun. This year, two young men from Houston County have risen in the…

By Matthew R. March, MNRDPolk County Extension Agent How many species of freshwater catfish can you find in Texas streams? I suspect most people would answer three to four accounting for the most popular and common catfish like channel, flathead, blue and bullhead. However, Texas streams are home to 11 catfish species from the blue catfish that…

An assortment of freshwater mussels collected by the Sabine River Authority during a sampling trip to Lake Fork Creek, a tributary of the Sabine River, on Sept. 17, 2020. Aubry Buzek/USFWS By Mary Catherine Johnstonmathicket@aol.com Mussel research, facilitated with the BTA’s Thicket of Diversity funding, has resulted in a journal publication in…

B.A. Steinhagen FAIR. Water stained; 78 degrees; 0.42 feet below. Fishing patterns are similar as we head into the weekend. Bass are fair with some topwater action early morning, switching to your favorite plastics along grass lines midday. Crappie are good using minnows and jigs on main lake structures and brush piles. Catfish are good moving…

BITE BY BITEConquering My Culinary Bucket List One Dish at a TimeBy Emily Banks Wooten We were driving down some country roads one recent lazy Saturday afternoon when a Jimmy Buffett song came on the radio. Known for such hits as “Margaritaville,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and “Come Monday” among others, the famous singer-songwriter has referred…

Make sure to buy solar panels from a reputable dealer and research all the cost that can be involved. By Mark Battle In the 1949-1950’s radio series, Dragnet, Sergeant Friday stated that among crooks, the conman has special respect from other criminals for using his intelligence to steal vast amounts of money from his victims without a weapon,…

July is the month of “picking” not “planting”. Courtesy photo By Jolene Renfro July is the month for “longing” not “landscaping” – longing for more water and cooler temperatures as we labor in our established landscapes. However, committed gardeners continue their garden chores as if weather conditions were perfect. Here is what they are doing:…

By Audrey Young As a ninth generation Texan, my family has very strong roots, and I am dedicated to making our state better on behalf of future generations. Improving education is why I have devoted nearly three decades working in public education. It has been my privilege to watch students grow and overcome challenges to find their best next…

By Jacob Spivey One of my most common functions as a County Agent is helping clientele control unwanted insects, weeds, diseases, or some other kind of pest that is affecting their agricultural crops as well as the front flower bed. Extension programs in every state are armed with tremendous, up to date, research-based information to assist…

(Right) Ronnie Charles puts the finishing touches on his Eagle Scout project. (Middle) Eagle Scout Ronnie Charles and Library Director Terri MacIntyre display the puppet theater Ronnie created for the library. (Left) Ronnie Charles displays his Eagle Scout award. By Tony Farkasnews@sanjacnews.com SHEPHERD — Building a puppet theater for the…

By Tim Scallon, MS RDN LDRegistered Dietitian Nutritionist I recently had the opportunity to participate in an archeological field day in the Nacogdoches area where we did preliminary digging at a site not previously explored. It is the site of a Caddo Indian village probably dating before the 1600s. While standing on this hillside surrounded by…

Located 6th Street and Goliad, Crockett Printing building. By Jan Whitejan@hccourier.com Grafitti – the word evokes images of defacement and destruction of public and private property, vandalism, and anti-social behavior.But it wasn’t always that way. Up until the 1850s, graffiti was not only acceptable but encouraged. Historians used “graffiti”…

B.A. SteinhagenFAIR. Water stained; 78 degrees; 0.24 feet below. Fishing patterns are similar as we head into the weekend. Bass are fair with some topwater action early morning, switching to your favorite plastics along grass lines midday. Crappie are good using minnows and jigs on main lake structures and brush piles. Catfish are good moving…

AgriLife Extension experts give tips on avoiding heat stress, exhaustion, heatstroke By Paul SchattenbergAgriLife Extension As outdoor temperatures increase, so does the possibility of heat stress or even heat stroke. But there are ways to avoid getting “overheated” this summer, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. “Now that…

My sister-in-law, Cathy's summer garden. Photo by Emily Banks Wooten­ BITE BY BITE Conquering My Culinary Bucket List One Dish at a Time By Emily Banks Wooten There’s absolutely nothing better than fresh, homegrown tomatoes. We’ve tried numerous times over the years to grow them to no avail. We had a bumper crop one summer, maybe 50ish, but none…

By Jan White It probably comes as no surprise that the campaign to celebrate Father’s Day as a national holiday wasn’t met with the same enthusiasm as Mother’s Day, although both celebrations originated around the same period of time. While listening to a Mother’s Day sermon at her church in 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd decided that fathers also needed…

The Crockett Public Library offers serveral summer programs for children. Courtesy photo By Jan Whitejan@hccourier.com CROCKETT – For those of you seeking inexpensive ways to entertain your kids this summer, look no further than your local public library. Crockett Public Library offers opportunities for your children to have fun and learn at the…

Pineywoods Region Week of June 8, 2022 B.A. Steinhagen FAIR. Water stained; 78 degrees; 0.41 feet below. Fishing patterns are similar as we head into the weekend. Bass are fair with some topwater action early morning, switching to your favorite plastics along grass lines midday. Crappie are good using minnows and jigs on main lake structures and…

Red yucca are a drought and heat tolerant native Texas plant that thrives statewide. By Adam RussellTexas A&M AgriLife ExtensionCommunication Specialist Red yucca, a versatile and tough native Texas succulent, was named the newest Texas Superstar plant. Red yucca, also known as pink yucca, red-flowered yucca, soft-tip yucca or samadoque, is a…

Late Thursday night I was sitting at the dining table attempting to work on some writing projects on my laptop but was filled with frustration because it just wasn’t working out. I looked up to see that Hubby had come into the kitchen and was cooking a skillet full of Earl Campbell sausage. Although that may sound strange to some, it’s a common…

B.A. Steinhagen FAIR. Water stained; 78 degrees; 0.39 feet below. Fishing patterns are similar as we head into the weekend. Bass are fair with some topwater action early morning, switching to your favorite plastics along grass lines midday. Crappie are good using minnows and jigs on main lake structures and brush piles. Catfish are good moving…

By Jolene Renfro Over the past year or two our senses have been bombarded with news of a pandemic, shortages of food and other necessities, crazed people shooting masses of people who are simiply going about their lives, unprovoked war in Ukraine, inflation eating into our pocketbooks, tornadoes and other severe weather. Because of all these…

By Jan Whitejan@hccourier.com Memorial Day is often considered the unofficial beginning of summer. The long weekend is used for family get-togethers – time to fire up the grill and serve classic nostalgia-invoking foods like hot dogs, burgers, potato salad and baked beans. Or gas up the boat, dust the cobwebs off, and take it out for a spin. And…

Alligator Snapping Turtle Snapping turtles survived mass extinction that killed dinosaurs By Matthew R. March, MNRDPolk County Extension Agent Creeks, rivers, lakes and ponds of Polk County are home to turtles that many people think look more like a dragon then a modern-day turtle. A first look at these turtles conjures up images of a long-ago…

B.A. SteinhagenFAIR. Water stained; 75 degrees; 0.48 feet below. Bass are fair pushing out from the shorelines in submerged vegetation and timber hitting senkos, chatterbaits and crankbaits. Crappie are good using minnows and jigs on main lake structures and brush piles. Catfish are good moving shallow biting cut and cheese bait.Bob SandlinGOOD.…

By Jan Whitejan@hccourier.com Baseball season is in full swing. And although some would argue that baseball is no longer “America’s Favorite Pasttime,” it still ranks high as one of the most popular sports for both participants and spectators. Just the word “baseball” evokes more nostalgia than any other sport. Growing up, we heard names like Joe…

By Tim Scallon, MS RDN LD Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Did you ever see the 2009 film Julie & Julia? It’s a cute romantic comedy about legendary cook and author Julia Child and Julie who blogs about her experience working through Ms. Julia’s book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Julie, an aspiring cook and blogger undertakes the…

TYLER COUNTY — During the 2019 Memorial Day weekend in Texas, there were a total of 360 driving under the influence (DUI) alcohol-related traffic crashes, according to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Those crashes killed 16 people and seriously injured another 34. All of these crashes were 100 percent preventable. Texas A&M…