Jim Bell is a Lufkin native with many years of experience in commercial and public radio news broadcasting. Winner of many awards for news writing, reporting and news production from Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Association, Houston Press Club, Dallas Press Club, Harris County Medical Society and Texas Medical Association. He's been married to the same woman for 35 years, with four children and six grandchildren.
Jim Bell
Red Tide Causes Big Fish Kill in the Gulf
The "red tide" has returned. State officials say this naturally occurring toxic algal bloom is responsible for all the dead fish that washed up on Texas beaches over the weekend.
Stores Bracing for Tax Free Weekend
The Lufkin News reports retail stores across the state are gearing up for the annual tax-free weekend this Friday through Sunday. With the first day of school getting close, parents can save money on everything from school supplies to clothing.
Texans Get Millions in Health Insurance Rebates
Under the new federal Affordable Health Care Law, health insurance companies are required to refund a portion of their customers' premiums if the company spends less than 80 percent of its premium income on medical care.
Giffords and Kelly Moving Back to Arizona
It's reported that former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, have decided to move back to Arizona. This comes a year and a half after she moved to Houston for intensive physical and speech therapy after a gunman shot her in the head at a public event in Tuscon.
Cops Bust Huge Marijuana Farm in Polk County
The Polk County Enterprise reports that more than 100 law enforcement officers from federal, state and local agencies moved in and shut down the biggest marijuana farm any of them had ever seen last week.
College Kids Can Save $$$ on Textbooks
The cost of going to college goes higher every year -- especially the costs of textbooks. Fresh-faced high school grads enrolling in college and signing up for classes often go into "sticker shock" when they go to the campus bookstore to buy the textbooks they need.
There was a time -- in mom and dad's day -- when a student could get all the textbooks she or he needed for a couple of hu
Corrigan 5th Grader Gets Dream Vacation
We all have a dream vacation we wish we could take some day. Well, a Corrigan boy got his dream vacation a few months ago. Travis Bell Jr., a fifth grader at Corrigan-Camden Elementary School, always wished he could go to Hawaii. His wish has come true, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
ETex Health Officials Watch for West Nile Virus
Federal health officials say more serious cases of West Nile Virus have been reported in the United States this year than any year since 2004. The Lufkin News reports through the end of July, 241 human cases have been reported in 22 states, including four deaths.
Most of these cases have been in Texas, especially in the Dallas area. Some were in Angelina County.