Dr. Tom Johnson speaks to AAJUW

Dr. Tom Johnson, president of Lamar State College Orange, provided the program for the March meeting of the Polk County Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Johnson was …

Local killed in one-vehicle collision

An investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety is underway into a one-vehicle fatality crash that occurred March 17 on FM 356 north of Onalaska. Michael Beasley, 42 of Livingston, was …
Creamy Hazelnut Pie

Nothing like the enticing power of pie

To promote last week’s page about Pi Day, I posted pictures on social media of some of the pies I’ve previously made and written about for my annual homage to Pi Day. As a result, …

Burn ban in effect

As of press time Friday, Polk County remained under a Red Flag Warning issued by the National Weather Service in Houston/Galveston meaning that critical fire weather conditions exist due to a …
Representatives of Polk County, Eastex Telephone, DETCOG, Livingston-Polk County Chamber of Commerce and other well wishers watch as County Judge Sydney Murphy cuts the ribbon for the new 440-foot tower that will provide interoperable connectivity throughout the county.

County puts ARPA funds to good use, now has 100% service

Thursday was a big day for Polk County – particularly for the residents of the north end of the county – as Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy cut the ribbon for the new 440-foot tower that …
This Week In East Texas

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

This Week In East Texas 03-20-2025

Podcasts

Erosion of Rights: The U.S. At A Crossroads

This Podcast is based on Jim Powers editorial "It begins with them"  and was generated using Google's Notebook LLM AI.

All around East Texas
Columnists
This past week marked the beginning of the annual NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, or as we all know it, March Madness. I always relish this time of year as folks all across Texas tune in to …
After the flurry of bills filed on the deadline, we have the final number of bills filed and an accurate picture of the universe of topics we will work on. In total, both the House and Senate …
Last Tuesday, my Subcommittee on Government Operations held a hearing entitled, “Shifting Gears: Moving from Recovery to Prevention of Improper Payments and Fraud.” Witnesses from …
The pace of the session continues to pick up and important deadlines are around the corner. Committee hearings, voting, and debating on the Senate Floor take up most of my days. Only a little over 80 …

Livingston FFA has a grand champion public speaker

Livingston FFA was the only school to have two students place in the top 20 senior individual speakers at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Luisa Perez won grand champion and Edward Turk placed 17th in the competition. (l-r) Turk and Perez.

Livingston High School FFA Student Luisa Perez is the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s Grand Champion Public Speaker. The preliminary rounds were March 15 with the finals on March 16. …

Festival of the Arts kicks off annual fest cycle

WOODVILLE – Spring is in the air, and around these parts, that means ‘It’s Dogwood Time in Tyler County’. The 82nd Annual Tyler County Dogwood Festival is set to kick off …

WISD adopts Bluebonnet curriculum

Sixteen different Woodville ISD educators were awarded cash stipends through a statewide teacher initiative program for excellence in classroom teaching.

WOODVILLE –  The Woodville ISD Board of Trustees voted to adopt the state-developed Bluebonnet Learning curriculum for the district for mathematics instruction. WISD superintendent …

Free disaster legal assistance for Texans available

AUSTIN — Free legal assistance is available to Texans who were affected by Hurricane Beryl. Texans with disaster-related legal issues may receive free legal assistance by calling the State …

County youth shine in annual fair

The Youth Livestock Sale opens with the sale of Laney Peterson’s Grand Champion Steer, which went for $7,100 to Wiesner of Huntsville.

GROVETON — Hard work and dedication paid off over the weekend during the 38 th annual Trinity County Fair and Youth Livestock Show. More than 200 animals and projects were sold at the …

Court moves forward on emergency plan

GROVETON — The Trinity County Commissioners Court will take the next step toward separating from Polk County and the state-required emergency management plan. At the March 11 meeting, …

Coldspring passes intervention resolution

Mayor John Benestante, along with the Coldspring City Council, hands Red Cross representatives a proclamation naming March as Red Cross Month.

COLDSPRING — The Coldspring City Council approved a resolution to intervene in a request from Entergy regarding the route of a new transmission line in East Texas. Mayor John Benestante …

Opinion
And just when I was making a big investment in cat litter boxes for public schools, I see the State is killing my future fortune. When I first heard that a Texas state representative had …
Part of the idea of draining the swamp in favor of a fair government is stopping, and in most cases reversing, the massive amounts of federal rules and regulations that U.S. citizens are force to …
It always begins with them. A group who is demonized, criminalized, stripped of legal protections and turned into scapegoats for an administration intent on consolidating power. It’s the …

Court split on removal of gate over county road

COLDSPRING — The San Jacinto County Commissioners Court order a gate placed over a county removed despite concerns that it was the subject of a pending lawsuit. Kerry Hagan, an attorney …

Shepherd council discusses run-down structures

SHEPHERD — While the Shepherd City Council took no action regarding a resident’s request to do something about dilapidated buildings, the matter was deferred to the police department. …

Cast your votes for 40 under 40

Voting continues but will conclude on March 31 for Polk County Publishing Company’s 40 under 40 Professional Leadership Awards, recognizing the top 40 individuals younger than 40 who …

Diehl speaks to Livingston Lions

Jay Diehl, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent for Polk County, spoke to the Livingston Lions Club Wednesday. “Our responsibility is to provide research-based information for the general …

Sports & Recreation

Livingston girls golf finishes third

Livingston girls golf finished third at the Anahuac Invitational held at Chambers County Golf Course Wednesday. (L-R) Jenna Snook, Maddie Akers, Jadyn Justice and Luisa Perez clubbed the Lady Lions …

King of the hill

Wildcat baseball hosted Hemphill in front of a large crowd in Polk County Tuesday night, as Onalaska’s bats carried them to 9-3 victory over the Hornets. Onalaska got on the scoreboard …
Sadie Garsee comes in to close the game against Colmesneil. BECKI BYRD | TCB

Lady Jackets, ‘Jackets take on Colmesneil, Hemphill

The Lady Jackets picked up two wins this week starting with a 16-0 victory against Newton on Tuesday, March 11. The Lady Jackets got on the board early in the first inning scoring Lily Payne, Marae …

Centerville falls to Groveton, downs Neches

According to GameChanger Media, a double by Wyatt Clede put Centerville on the board in the top of the first, but Groveton jumped into the lead in the bottom of the first when an error scored one …

Schwertner files legislation to strengthen border security measures

AUSTIN — Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, filed legislation to aid county jails in their coordination and collaboration with ICE and provide stronger legal tools to discourage the …

Texas land commissioner urges court to investigate sale of border wall material

Border wall panels in Starr County.

AUSTIN — Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., announced that the Texas General Land Office, the State of Texas, and the State of Missouri are asking a U.S. District Court judge to …

Bite by Bite

Let’s celebrate Pi Day and 5-year anniversary of "Bite by Bite"

"Bottle of Wine Chocolate Pie"

Today is the five-year anniversary of “Bite by Bite” and that amazes me. When the local newspaper publisher contacted me in early 2020 saying she wanted to start a food page in the …

Obituaries
Walker Ray Richardson
It is with profound sadness that we announce the untimely passing of our beloved Walker Ray Richardson, who left us far too soon. Walker was a cherished son, brother and friend, whose life was marked …
Elsie Lois Dowden McNabb
Elsie Lois Dowden McNabb joyfully walked through the pearly gates to be with her Lord and Savior March 13, 2025. For the first time in 60 years, she needed no wheelchair or crutches. She was …
Ted Teague
Ted Norman Teague, 87, of Colmesneil, passed away Saturday, March 8, 2025 at HCA Cypress Hospital in Houston. A service and burial will be on March 29, 2025 at Kemp Cemetery in Kemp, Oklahoma. Ted …
Randy Gibson
Randy Gibson, 58, of Warren, passed away Saturday, March 15, 2025 at Tyler County Hospital in Woodville. Visitation will be held from 5 – 8 p.m. on Monday, March 17, 2025 at Stringer & …
Leonard Shoemaker
Leonard Wiley Shoemaker was invited into the Kingdom of Heaven on Friday, February 28th, 2025, where he was greeted with open arms by his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the love of his life, Jean …
Outdoors

East Texas Fishing Report

B.A. Steinhagen FAIR. Water stain; 55 degrees; 1.04 feet below pool. Very few anglers on the water. Expect fish to start pushing shallow as the water warms. Conroe GREAT. Water …

Pineywoods Fishing Report 03-20-2025

B.A. Steinhagen FAIR. Water stain; 55 degrees; 1.04 feet below pool. Very few anglers on the water. Expect fish to start pushing shallow as the water warms. Bob Sandlin GOOD. Water …

Always have a Plan B

Nobody loves walking a backwoods creek bank tossing small baits to hungry spawning white bass more than I. The white bass run is eagerly awaited each year by countless anglers. But timing the peak of …
Our publications
News from around the web
A brief history of the s'more, America’s favorite campfire snack
Every summer, millions of marshmallows will be toasted over fires across America. Many will be used as an ingredient in the quintessential summer snack: the s’more. Eating gooey marshmallows …
Summer Camps Guide: Helping Parents Choose the Right Fit for Their Child
Summer Camps Guide: Helping Parents Choose the Right Fit for Their Child
Spring break often reminds families of the approach of summer and the need to find the best summer camp experiences for their children. Whether a child is entering kindergarten or transitioning ...
Thrilling Spring Adventures in Myrtle Beach
(BPT) - Looking for the perfect spring getaway? Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is one of America's most beloved family beach destinations, delivering a perfect mix of adventure, entertainment and …
From catfishing to catphishing: The evolution of a romance scam
Spokeo explains how catfishing + phishing leads to catphishing, which happens when the grift goes from messing with your heart to messing with your identity, and maybe even your bank account.
Healthy Foods, Redefined – The Power of Salmon
(BPT) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently updated the nutrition requirements on the claim of using the word "healthy" on food packaging. This updated definition helps consumers cut …