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
President Trump’s Text is Coming to Your Phone in October
One day in October, we're going to hear everyone's phone go off with an alert at the same time and no one can opt out. The test had been planned for tomorrow (September 20), but it was postponed because of Hurricane Florence.
5 Healthy Foods You’ll Find at Lufkin Gas Stations
Those rotating hot dogs on the gas station rotisserie might look tempting, but they're probably not the healthiest choice to grab next time you fill up.
Just like grocery stores, convenience stores are adding more fruit and protein bars to the grab-and-go areas, and we couldn't help but notice these five.
An East Texas Family Takes On Graffiti With Chalk Art
Maybe graffiti doesn't have to be removed, just enhanced. One East Texas family is gaining attention for the artistic touch that it's adding to the space that vandals have tagged, and it just may catch on.
Six Things We Do in the Carpool Line Besides Wait
If you're able to whip in and whip out when you're picking up the kids from school, there are a whole lot of other parents who are jealous of your mastery of the situation. Sometimes it takes a half hour, and that leaves plenty of time for things like power naps.
Get This Freebie at the Lufkin Library in September
The Kurth Memorial Library is a great resource year round, and there's a big push going on right now to sign up for a freebie that will benefit you for the next several months.
Today Is the Perfect Day to Thank an East Texas First Responder
Every time 9/11 rolls around, I think about the first responders who rushed into the Trade Towers that day in 2001 to save lives, thinking very little about their own. Would any of us have had the guts? It makes today the perfect day to thank a first responder in East Texas for what they do on a daily basis And there's one simple way to do it.
East Texas Dairy Queens Master the Fall Flavors
If you're already growing tired of the lattes, how about churning some of that pumpkin spice flavor into some ice cream?
Dairy Queen has five new Blizzard flavors this month and that makes five reasons why DQ is winning the fall flavor battle.
Texas Could Have Another Brutal Flu Season This Year
If you made it through the last flu season without missing a day of work or school, you're one of the few.
The flu vaccine that was supposed to keep us from getting sick was only 36 percent effective last time around, but the CDC says they've tweaked it to be more effective this year. Hope so!