History Center Press Clippings . . . . Events from the pages of The Free Press

A Public Service of The History Center

ONE YEAR AGO

Workers put the finishing touches on the new auditorium being built on the Temple Elementary School in Diboll. The new auditorium when completed will be a center of entertainment for the community and school district.

Opening requests are being made by the city of Lufkin for the possibility of housing Class C offenders in the Angelina County Jail.

Isabel and Wayne Hardy wins first place in the Premier Class with their 1958 MG Magnette automobile in the Texas MG Registers Fall Gathering in Fredricksburg.

Jenna Mayo, 9th grader at Hudson High School, wins Red Ribbon Week poster contest with her slogan, "Happy as Can Be...Stayin' Drug Free."

Diboll High School 2006 homecoming queen candidates are Sayori Concha, Tracey Morado, Demekia Williams, Shaanice Hulett, Lindsey Campbell, Magaly Sormiento, Jessica Fisher and Meredith Ruby.

The nurses at Dr. C.H. Cathcart's office at East Texas Family Medical Center in Diboll show their support for the Diboll Lumberjacks this year as their new uniforms proudly displays the Lumberjack mascot. Staff supporting the Jacks are Kim West, Misty Donnell, Alicia Sanchez, Hellen Schmidt, Ivan Escabedo, Julia Escabedo and Nora Sorratos.

FIVE YEARS AGO

Vandalism at Diboll Primary School is to exceed $37,000. Vandals are responsible for water damage to entire main building.

Diboll Hign School's homecoming court this year consist of freshman duchess Lydia Enriquez, sophomore duchess Jade Temple, junior duchess Catina Lewis, senior princesses Ashley Freeman, Marshey Smith, Katrina Hines, Nidia Silva and Megan Jo Paresa.

Andra Self, director of the Wilson McKewen Rehabilitation Center in Lufkin along with other officials break ground for new Theraputic pool.

Cotton Thompson Road, also known as County Road 2234, in the Beulah community, is closed to through traffic at Biloxi Creek until the new bridge is completed spanning that creek.

The 2002 Diboll High School Lumberjack Hall of Fame Inductees are football star Joseph Phipps, track star Jose Mireles, No. 3 all-time single season rush leader, Archie Jackson and football standout Jerry King.

2002 Lufkin High School Homecoming Queen is Laura Standeven.

The State of Texas approves state historical marker for the Whitehouse Cemetery located at Whitehouse Drive in Lufkin. Whitehouse Cemetery is believed to be one of oldest in Angelina County.

TEN YEARS AGO

Diboll Independent School District board of trustees approve budget amendment of $120,000,shifting from major construction funds to technology funds for repairing the district's ailing computer network.

Memorial Health Systems of East Texas with top chef Dudley Smith heading up topnotch cooks submit the top hushpuppies to win the $1,000 in the Southern Hushpuppy Olympics competition.

Hospice of the Pines celebrate tenth anniversary with continued commitment to helping terminally ill patients and their families throughout Deep East Texas.

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class John Smoltz of Lufkin, departs on six-month deployment to the Western Pacific Ocean aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain.

San Augustine County assumes operation and maintenance of facilities at Harvey Creek and Townsend Recreation Areas in the Angelina National Forest.

Diboll's own Shaune Martinez and his band, Autumn Rains, release their first cd of contemporary Christian songs with featured song, "Legacy."

Diboll Police Officer Fred Blakemore is chosen Pilot Club "Citizen of the Month" for October.

Temple-Inland Inc. receives the Environmental Protection Agency's 1997 region 6 Nonpoint Source Pollution Environmental Excellence Award for Watershed Protection.

TWENTY YEARS AGO

Jack Hanna, director of the Columbus, Ohio Zoo, widely known as a guest on ABC's "Good Morning America" and NBC's "Late Night with David Letterman" visits the Friends of Ellen Trout Zoo annual meeting and membership party.

Diboll's Lanny and Pam Wilkerson opens new business in Lufkin, "60 Minute Photo," on Timberland Drive next to Brookshire Bros.

Huntington United Methodist Church receive five-acre plot of land on Highway 69 as gift to be used for the location of the new church building. The donors are Mr. and Mrs. Jack Yoken who live on Lake Sam Rayburn near Stanley Creek.

Diboll's Particleboard Operation's Employees of the Month are Ken Holt, chief electrician and Leroy Smith, boardline foreman.

Diboll school trustees stop short of fully adopting a plan which would place a drug-sniffing dog on Diboll ISD campuses as many as 40 times per year.

The board of directors of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments endorses the construction of Lake Eastex, a 10,000 acre reservoir proposed by the Angelina and Neches River Authority as a water supply source for 23 cities.

Diboll High School 1987 Homecoming Queen and escort are Leanene Garr and Marco Patton.

THIRTY YEARS AGO

Newly elected officers of the Diboll High School Future Homemakers of America are Simone Jones, president; Linda Norris, vice president; Darlene Breazeale, secretary; Tina Grantham, treasurer; Kathy Terrell, parliamentarian; Christy McCollum, reporter; Debbie Wilkerson, historian and FHA Beau Keith.

Diboll City Council approve city budget at $1,316,759.

Dr. Alfred Hamilton, Director of the Angelina County & Cities Health District in Lufkin, confirms a positive rabid bat is found on Ellis Avenue in Lufkin.

Diboll High School homecoming Royalty includes queens Kathy Brown and Mary Anne Carter and their escorts Winell Agent and Kay Capps.

1977 Pineland Day raises $38,700 with the queen's title going to Cookie McNaughton who's group raised $14,000. The other queen candidates include Tammy Alexander ($7,000); Shelia Kilcrease ($11,000); and Carla McDonald ($6,000).

1977 Lufkin Punt, Pass & Kick winners include Edward (Baba) Gibson of Diboll, 13 year olds; Clint Gregg, 12 year olds; Michael Bennett, 11 year olds; Shane Dixon, 10 year olds; Russell Skrehot, nine year olds; and David Wright, eight year olds.