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
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.
Try These NFL Picks In Your Office Pool
With the NFL kickoff tonight, it's time to get your picks in! If you're part of an office pool or our online contest, you'll want to save these winners.
A couple of these picks may be wildly unpopular.
Texans Are Short on Free Time
If you feel like you're constantly on the go with very little downtime, you must be a Texan. When it's broken down state-by-state, Texas is in the top ten for hours worked. And we're not very good at vacationing.
Try This Grilled Pizza Recipe At Your Labor Day Cookout
Labor Day weekend is one of the biggest grilling weekends of the year, and if you want a break from the burgers and hot dogs, impress your guests with this recipe for grilled pizza. It's easy!
Do This and End Up in Jail This Labor Day Weekend
We hope your Labor Day weekend is full of fun football parties, road trips, and some good ole brisket smokin' in the back yard. And we hope it doesn't include a trip to jail.
Doing this one stupid thing can land us behind bars this Labor Day weekend, and there's something simple we can do to prevent it.
Texas Millennials Are Hipper Than This
This parody video on millennials has been around for a couple of years, but a friend showed it to me again over the weekend and I thought it was worth sharing to ask a question. Are millennials in Texas this stereotypical?
Will This Wedding Trend Catch on in Lufkin?
Something new is happening with brides and grooms, and while it could be a fantastic new way to tie the knot, it may also really upset your grandma. Would you ever combine last names to invent a completely new one?
When Will Starbucks Release the Pumpkin Spice Latte?
Fall is near. And when Starbucks unleashes its Pumpkin Spice Latte, that will raise the gates for the flood of pumpkin spice cereal, potato chips, beer, hummus, and body lotions to take over stores and wash our houses in orangish brown. We're less than a week away.
The Best Quotes For the First Day of School
With the first day of school at the Lufkin ISD last week and other districts starting today and next Monday, we know two things. Pictures of kids with backpacks are taking over your social media pages, and you might hear someone say, "Is it just me, or did mom seem a little too happy about the first day of school?" We have a few other quotes that might make your first day.
We Hope Lufkin Girl Scouts Will Have The New Secret Cookie
Girl Scouts have a new cookie flavor coming in 2019 that will feed our cookie addiction in a whole new way. Thin Mints are usually #1 in popularity, but a curious new addition will be sweet, salty, and chewy, and probably just as irresistible as the others. Start practicing your willpower now.
An East Texas Jogger is Injured in a Hit-and-Run
Runners can do their best to make safe choices crossing the road and staying to the right, but there comes a point when we have to forge ahead and trust East Texas drivers not to hit us. Maybe we shouldn't.
Why More Millennials Will Move to East Texas
The draw right now is not toward big cities like Dallas, Austin, and Houston, where salaries are eaten up by sky-high rents and a lofty cost-of-living.
Instead, rural Texas towns have a whole new appeal because we've got cheaper places to live and a much simpler time of it overall. So here come the millennials!