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
Should We Bring a Wife-Carrying Championship to Tyler?
These athletes are serious! Check out the video for the recent wife-carrying contest, won for the 4th time by a couple from Finland.
It got me thinking, what if we organized a similar event in Tyler? Husbands, are you strong enough to pile your wives on your shoulders and carry her over hurdles and through water without dumping her and without falling down?
East Texas Lakes Draw ‘Staycationers’
Sure it’s great to jet off to an exotic location in the summertime and sit by a resort swimming pool and sip beverages with umbrellas in them. But since Hawaii is not on everyone’s agenda or in all of our budgets, we’ve come up with some other ideas to have fun closer to home, and maybe discover some cool places that you didn’t know existed.
Ever Posted An Unflattering Facebook Pic of a Friend?
Most of us have done it. We've posted a picture to our Facebook profiles and tagged a friend, and that picture doesn't exactly show the friend's best side. Sometimes it's a drunk photo, sometimes it's goofy, and sometimes friends just don't like it and say, "Why in the world did you post THAT? My hair isn't right. I look fat. I don't have makeup on. Thanks a lot."
‘No Refusal Weekend’ Still in Effect Even After Fourth of July
On an average weekend, drinking too much and getting behind the wheel is a bad idea.
And this week and weekend we've got a fun holiday full of barbecues, family time, and hanging out with friends. By all means, live it up! But there is extra incentive now to have someone else drive your happy self home.
Parents Unite: It’s A Twist on Fireworks Viewing
It's an interesting dilemma for parents today. Kids love watching fireworks, but the public displays can't start until it gets dark, and that means we have to wait 9:30 or 10:00 to catch a glimpse of the fireworks, and by the time we get the kids home to bed it's 11:00 or later. That's LATE if you have kids under five years old. And then Thursday is a big ole mess with those little biological c
Smart Phones Keep Us Working Off the Clock — Are You Addicted? [POLL]
Smart phones are part of us now. Do you always have it with you, and checking work email on it is second nature? I probably check my phone about every 10 minutes and I hate myself for it.
Tyler Student Wins Essay Contest on Texas History
A Tyler fourth-grader recently took a peak at a slice of Texas History, and his essay was picked from more than 1,500 entries as the winner. Congrats to Tyler ISD Caldwell Arts Academy's Quinn Boozer!
Fireworks Are Fun, Unless You’re a Dog
As we mentioned, the fireworks stands have opened up shop in Texas, and you can buy the fireworks through next Wednesday at midnight.
Fun for all! Except the family dog.
Dogs think they're being tortured! Mine run to take cover in the bedroom every time they hear a pop. If we can't find our two miniature schnauzers shaking under the bed, we can usually find them with the jitters billowing under
UT Tyler Students Build Concrete Canoe
It would seem like a canoe made of concrete wouldn't have a chance at floating. It would be so heavy it would sink, right?
Thanks to laws of physics that are way over my head, concrete canoes DO float, because the weight of the water displaced is equal to the weight of the the boat. Some UT Tyler students know all about that, and the canoe team there has placed in the top 15 nationally. Nice
Tyler Kids Flocking to Boys and Girls Club
After reading more about the Boys and Girls Clubs of East Texas, I wish I was a kid again! It sounds like they’re learning some valuable life skills — even how to change a flat tire. That means 9-year olds who hang out at the Boys and Girls Club this summer, will come in handier in a pinch than most adults.
And one super cool new attraction for the Boys and Girls Club just opened!
The Actual Risk of Skin Cancer in Texas May Surprise You
Summer is great in Texas, on boats and at the pool. It’s all fun and games until somebody gets a nasty, blistering sunburn.
I got one of those several years ago at Lake Travis in Austin. My back was bare while I was on a boat with friends, I didn’t put an ounce of sunscreen on it, and I laid on a raft for about two hours. The next day, if it had been the time period where it was cool to type OMG,
Major Pot Bust in East Texas
A Texas Department of Public Safety officer pulled over a box truck in Jasper County early yesterday morning for a seatbelt violation, and that led to one of the biggest East Texas marijuana busts in recent history.