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
Powerball Jackpot Grows to $185 Million
Anytime the Powerball jackpot starts to swell, the lines grow longer to buy tickets and the pot of cash grows even bigger. So expect that $185 million jackpot to continue to move today as the day goes on.
Feeling lucky? Today is a good day to pool your money at the office and buy lots of tickets. The drawing is tonight, November 14th. Oh, think of the iPads and flat screen TVs you could put un
Some Facebook Users Still Steamed Over Election Posts
Throughout the election season, and especially last week, most of us saw Facebook posts from our friends that were less than friendly. In some cases they were full-on political rants where the friend ran out of room and you had to click "read more" to get to the overall point. It was exhausting at times, right? No matter where you fall in the political spectrum, sometimes you visit Fa
East Texas Cheerleader to Appear in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade always has impressive floats, interesting performances from pop music and broadway, and it's a huge tourist draw for New York City.
One East Texas cheerleader is on her way! We'll watch for her on NBC next Thursday morning.
Anyone Else Have Black Friday Anxiety?
This should be a verifiable disease; "Black Friday Anxiety." I'm pretty sure I have it. How about you?
Many of the Black Friday ads are out and shoppers are planning their attack. As we learned last week, Black Friday is now Black Thursday with several stores opening at 8 or 9pm on Thanksgiving night. Did you know that sale-shoppers and bargain-hunters will actually end up spending more
Texas Woman Scammed, Buys Fake iPad
Something to keep in mind as the holidays approach: People are selling things everywhere! They're even trying to sell iPads at gas stations. But it doesn't always turn out to be legit.
A Texas woman was scammed out of $200 after a man approached her at a gas station and asked if she wanted to buy "an iPad worth $800 for $200." Apple hasn't even shipped the highest-priced iPads yet
‘First Monday Trade Days’ Recognized by CNN
First Monday Trade Days in Canton is not exactly a well-kept secret. It's an East Texas highlight every month, and it draws thousands of visitors from miles around. Now the enormous flea market has been picked by CNN as one of the nation's best!
With Veterans Day Sunday, Events Held Through the Weekend
Perhaps your neighbors have flags flying on the front of their house right now. Mine do. I've noticed the flags flying at some East Texas businesses that don't normally have them out too.
With Veterans Day on Sunday several events are being held today at area high schools, including programs at Kilgore ISD, Hallsville ISD, Pine Tree ISD, and Spring Hill ISD. Schools are having programs, and in som
University of Houston Player Critical after Freak Injury
Doctors say it was a freak injury that they don't usually see in football.
University of Houston cornerback DJ Hayden collided with another player in practice Tuesday, and the force of the hit tore a vein that carries blood from the lower half of the body back to the heart. The injury is considered to be 95 percent fatal.
Thanksgiving Doesn’t Always Mean a Day Off
What's your family tradition on Thanksgiving Day?
For many of us, Thanksgiving means getting up early to put the turkey in, smelling the aroma of baking turkey and coffee-brewing while watching parades all morning, then expecting family to arrive promptly at 11am. The rest of the day is all about grazing over piles of turkey and green casserole and putting black olives on our fingertips to make
Holiday Market Starts Thursday in Tyler
Stats say that at this point in November, about half of us have already begun our holiday shopping. Somewhere in the house we have a box of gifts already stashed away, and many of us started picking up the gifts even before Halloween to stay ahead of the game. Call us crazy, but we consider ourselves geniuses cuz we're not hit with the Christmas bills all at once. It's just effective planning!
Pregnant Woman Votes, Then Has Baby
If you didn’t vote yesterday or during the early voting period in Texas, what was your excuse? Was it because you couldn’t find the time, or because the voting precincts were too far out of your way? Maybe voting was just too big of a hassle. Well take the unbelievable efforts of these folks into consideration.
There was a woman in Illinois who was about to have a baby – she was having contraction
Was Jerry Jones Locked Out of the Cowboys Locker Room?
Wives sometimes complain that husbands sink into a terrible funk after a Dallas Cowboys loss. They don't talk much, they're grumpy, they snap and get sassy when asked a simple question.... Goodness. The Cowboys lose and it can take a family a day or two to get back to normal. May be a week, until the 'Boys can get on the field and win again.
Did you hear Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was locked ou