Hi! I grew up in a one-stoplight town in rural Nebraska and my whole family still lives there with three churches, a bar, and a courthouse. I left because I like lots of people and taller buildings, and I don't like cold weather. On those rare days in Texas when it gets snowy and icy, you'll find me inside Googling beach vacations. I don't plan to leave Texas now that I've been here for most of my adult life because the barbecue and fajitas are just way too addictive. I've worked in radio from the moment I graduated from college at the University of Nebraska, and besides getting the hang out with cool people like you every day, I love sports, great restaurants, self improvement, and meeting new people. I love all movies starring Melissa McCarthy or Julia Roberts, and all TV shows with home improvements or food in them. You'll probably hear me talk about my three daughters on the air, along with the challenges of being a single mom. I'm on several of the dating apps, because trying to meet someone in person these days is way too creepy.
Jen Austin
Tyler Makes Lots of Lumpia! It’s Egg Rolls For a Good Cause.
Purple is the color that’s become attached to pancreatic cancer awareness campaigns. Pictured is the memorial for Patrick Swayze, when he died of pancreatic cancer in 2009.
East Texans gathered Sunday to raise money and awareness for one person from Tyler who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. And they attempted to break a world record by doing it.
East Texas Women Compete for Miss Texas USA This Weekend
Brittany Bolin of Tyler and Jennifer Spillman of Palestine will be spending Labor Day weekend on stage, competing along with 113 other Texas women in the Miss Texas USA Pageant in Houston.
John Tyler Kicks off High School Football Season Against Lufkin
The season opener for John Tyler is Friday night at home, and we bet the crowd will be big at Rose Stadium. Fans have been waiting 9 months for the new season to kick off. Ask any pregnant mom. That's a long time!
John Tyler has been picked to do very well this season by our friends over at ETSN.FM.
Hurricane Isaac Hits Louisiana, and Louisiana Hits Back
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Hurricane Isaac so far, it’s that the storm has a mind of its own. First it was making a beeline for the Florida panhandle. Then it changed its mind and headed straight for New Orleans. Isaac finally made landfall in Louisiana late Tuesday night, then retreated briefly back to the Gulf, as if Louisiana had just sucker-punched it right in the face and forced
Hopes are High for the New High School Football Season
It’s that time of year when movie theaters and restaurants are deserted on Friday nights, because everyone flocks to high school football games. Football in Texas is king, and with the new season upon us, hopes are high that our teams are going to impress and win.
What are the expectations this year for East Texas teams?
Some Texans Are Calling 911 for Mosquito Bites
Yes, West Nile is a huge concern across Texas and 47 other US states right now. At last check, there were 19 confirmed cases of West Nile in East Texas.
But it’s not necessary to call 911 when you notice a mosquito bite. Are people really doing that?
Allowances for Kids Keep Going Up
Kids have a pretty sweet situation with allowance money these days.
I think I scored $2 per week from my parents to start, and then later on I got an extra $1.50 or $2 for mowing certain sections of the yard. That’s how I could afford those hot eleven dollar jeans!
The average allowance nowadays is just over $16 a week or $65 per month, according to the American Institute of CPA’s. That comes out
Honda Accord is the Most Stolen Vehicle
The Honda Accord seems to be one of the most common vehicles seen on the roads, not only across the US, but right here in East Texas. Driving on the Loop in Tyler we see tons of Accords, mixed in with several domestic pickup trucks and foreign and domestic SUVs. I'm rockin' a Chevy Traverse, packed full of car seats, diaper bags, and scattered discarded Cheerios. And you?
If you drive a Tahoe
New School Upgrades Unveiled in Palestine
Now that we've taken full advantage of the tax free shopping weekend and we're stocked up on clothes, notebooks, and pens, the attention turns to the actual start of school.
When students in Palestine had back to class, they'll be enjoying brand spanking new facilities that were three years in the making and cost about $65 million. The new high school accounted for $35 million of that.
How Often Do You Check Your Phone?
I read that 20 percent of us check our smart phones every ten minutes.
I hate to admit it, but I’m one of those helpless, pathetic addicts. I just can’t stand not knowing what might be going on inside that phone as it sits there on my desk. Has someone sent a text? What new emails have just landed? Maybe I should check Facebook. Perhaps a celebrity couple has broken up….I should see. Stop the madn
Texas 12-Year Old Banned From Playing Football
Six feet tall and 300 pounds sounds like a good size to play football. But apparently that’s too big at age 12, and in that case league rules say the boy will have to stay on the sidelines.
Fox Sports Southwest did a story that many media outlets are covering, on the 12-year old boy from Mesquite, near Dallas, who was told after a weigh-in Sunday that he wouldn’t be able to play.
And the Oddest Town Name in the US Is …
Texas has its share of strange town names.
The state is dotted with towns with names that stand out like, Nimrod, Bug Tussle, Uncertain, Zipperlandville, and Ding Dong.
But thankfully, none of those were singled out by a new article featuring the most unfortunate town names in the US. Findmypast.com gives us the winner - or perhaps the loser in this case. It's not far away, so maybe you've been