Two Tons of Steel Brings Texas Rockabilly Energy to Summer in the City on June 20

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June 17, 2026

LUFKIN, Texas – Summer in the City continues in Downtown Lufkin on Saturday, June 20, as Texas favorite Two Tons of Steel bring their signature rockabilly sound to Cotton Square.

Presented by Brookshire Brothers, Summer in the City transforms Downtown Lufkin’s Cotton Square into a community gathering place each Saturday evening with live entertainment, food, family activities, and opportunities to explore local shops and restaurants.

Known throughout Texas and beyond for their signature blend of rockabilly, country, and roots music, Two Tons of Steel have built a loyal following through decades of energetic performances and crowd-pleasing hits. Their sound combines classic influences with a modern Texas edge, creating a concert experience that appeals to longtime fans and first-time listeners alike.

Food and drinks begin at 7 p.m., with the concert starting at 8 p.m. in Cotton Square.

Guests can enjoy dinner, shopping, and Downtown attractions before the show, making it the perfect opportunity for a summer evening getaway in Lufkin.

Royal Dog will be serving its popular menu of gourmet hot dogs and specialty creations, giving concertgoers another reason to arrive early and enjoy an evening in Downtown Lufkin. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early, grab dinner, and enjoy everything Downtown Lufkin has to offer before the music begins.

“Summer in the City is all about bringing people together,” said Tara Hendrix, Director of Visit Lufkin. “Two Tons of Steel has built a reputation for energetic performances and crowd interaction, and we’re excited to welcome residents and visitors to Downtown Lufkin for a great summer evening.”

Summer in the City is free to attend and open to all ages.

The 2026 Summer in the City lineup includes:

• June 20 – Two Tons of Steel

• June 27 – Family Movie Night presented by Angelina Arts Alliance

• July 4 – Lufkin’s July 4th Celebration at Ellen Trout Zoo presented by Mike Love & Associates

• July 11 – Keyun & The Zydeco Masters

• July 18 – Music Mingle presented by the Lufkin Limners

• July 25 – Silent Disco presented by Lufkin Parks & Recreation

• August 1 – ZooDust 90’s Party Band

Visitors can find event updates and information at VisitLufkin.com and on Visit Lufkin social media channels.

About Summer in the City
Summer in the City is Downtown Lufkin’s signature summer event series, presented by Brookshire Brothers. The series features live music, family entertainment, food vendors, and community experiences each Saturday evening throughout the summer.

…and don’t forget Visit Lufkin.

200th Podcast Live Recording (Angelina County)

By

Diana De Leon Bon

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June 17, 2026

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June 26 @ 8:00 am – 10:00 am

Join us as we celebrate a major milestone at this month’s Power Networking Breakfast, presented by Amerigy Energy!

Be part of the live recording of the 200th episode of the Chamber Connect Podcast, presented by ITEnabled, featuring CASA of the Pines. This will be located in the Texas Room at the Pitser Garrison Convention Center.

For 200 episodes, we’ve shared stories, highlighted community impact, and connected business and community leaders across Angelina County. Now, we’re inviting you to experience the conversation live.

Register to attend: bit.ly/PNB-0626

Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce

View Organizer Website

The Texas Room

Angelina College Receives $187,500 Grant from the E.L. Kurth, Jr. Foundation

By

Gary Stallard

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June 16, 2026

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Major Grant to Fund Upgrades to Two Lecture Halls and the Hudgins Hall Auditorium

LUFKIN, Texas — Angelina College has been awarded a $187,500 grant from the E.L. Kurth, Jr. Foundation to fund significant upgrades to three campus spaces: two lecture halls in the Social and Behavioral Sciences and Math and Science buildings, along with renovations to the Hudgins Hall auditorium. The one-year grant will fund meaningful upgrades to three of the college’s instructional and event spaces, enhancing the learning environment for students, faculty, and the broader community.

The renovations will modernize key instructional and event spaces that serve hundreds of students and community members each year. Upgrades to the two lecture halls will improve the classroom experience for a wide range of academic programs, while enhancements to the Hudgins Hall auditorium will benefit fine arts performances, college events and public gatherings that bring the campus and community together.

This grant reflects the E.L. Kurth, Jr. Foundation’s deep investment in the educational and cultural life of Angelina County. The Foundation works to honor the philanthropic legacy of E.L. Kurth, Jr. by supporting institutions that strengthen the communities he cared about. Angelina College is honored to be a recipient of that generosity.

“The College’s relationship with the Kurth Foundation is built on a long-standing shared commitment to education and the future of our region,” AC president Dr. Michael Simon said. “We are deeply grateful for this investment in our students, faculty, and campus community. Enhancements to our lecture halls and Hudgins Hall will strengthen the teaching and learning environment for years to come, ensuring Angelina College continues to provide exceptional educational experiences and opportunities for all who walk through our doors.”

The upgraded facilities will support Angelina College’s mission to provide a high-quality educational experience to the students and residents of Angelina County and the surrounding region. Improved lecture halls and performance spaces will benefit not only current students but also the community programs, continuing education offerings, and public events that make the college a hub of activity in Lufkin and beyond.

About Angelina College: Angelina College is a two-year community college located in Lufkin, Texas, dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality education, workforce training, and community enrichment. Through its technical programs, transfer pathways, and continuing education offerings, Angelina College serves thousands of students each year across the East Texas region.

About the E.L. Kurth, Jr. Foundation: The E.L. Kurth, Jr. Foundation is a charitable foundation dedicated to supporting organizations and institutions throughout the Lufkin/Angelina County community. The Foundation supports institutions and organizations that provide significant advances in the area of education, health, community and social service, cultural arts and the humanities.

Media Contact:

Krista Brown
Angelina College
3500 South First Street, Lufkin, TX 75901
[936-671–4780] | [kbrown@angelina.edu]

Harvesting Rainwater: An Old Idea Worth Revisiting

By

Cary Sims

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June 16, 2026

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Closeup shot of rain falling in a wooden barrel full of water in the garden — A closeup shot of rain falling in a wooden barrel full of water in the garden

The collection and storage of rainwater for later use is nothing new. It was done long before any “green movement” was even thought about. History books say rainwater was collected centuries ago in India and the mid-East.

Every time we get one of those East Texas summer thunderstorms, thousands of gallons of water per house run off roofs, down driveways, into ditches, and eventually out of sight. A few days later, many of those same homeowners are dragging hoses across the yard trying to keep plants alive.

That idea would have seemed strange to early residents of Lufkin.

In more recent history, you can see an old photo of Sam Kerr’s sheet metal business on Cotton Square at the Kurth Memorial Library. Kerr manufactured water storage tanks for collecting rainwater in the very early 1900’s. There was a most helpful library employee, Cindy McMullen from the genealogy section, who told me she found records that Kerr’s business burned in 1903 and again in 1906. Kerr then moved his business “across town” to the current location of the Ward R. Burk Federal Building where it remained for 30 years.

Ruth Grant writes in her book “Lufkin Street Stories, Book 2” that cisterns were placed at the back of houses to collect rainwater. According to Grant, the shallow wells around town would dry up in the summer, making rainwater collection an important part of early Lufkin survival.

Today, interest in rainwater harvesting remains strong. So much so that in some dryer climates, newly constructed homes are required to have a rainwater collection system. In other residential areas, municipalities are paying homeowners to remove lawns and install rock/gravel landscapes.

A single inch of rain on 1-square-foot is equal to 0.62 gallons of water. Multiply that out over 1,000-square feet and you have over 620 gallons of water. Continuing this train of thought, take a 2,000-square-foot home. Add the garage, porches, and roof overhangs, and you may easily have 3,000 square feet of roof collecting rainfall. That roof can capture roughly 1,860 gallons of water from a single inch of rain.

As such, the “old” concept of collecting rainwater has gained a lot of new attention. As for me, it is a concept that I can get my head around. Unlike global changes, I can see my water bill, watch rainwater run into the storm drains, and see plants growing or wilting.

Water has been a largely ignored issue amongst most of us in East Texas. Even during the drought of 2011, Lufkin didn’t have any irrigation restrictions. And when you tell just about anyone else in the state that, they won’t believe you!

True, a rain barrel won’t irrigate ‘acreage’, but even a small system can water landscape beds for days. Our grandparents understood the value of storing water when it was available. With a few simple tools, we can do exactly the same thing today

This Tuesday, June 16, the Angelina County Extension office will be hosting a Rainwater Harvesting Seminar at its noon gardening program. Local Master Gardener, Julia Canas, will be discussing how you can harvest rainwater for use in the landscape.

Part of the presentation will be a tour of the rainwater collection system that has been refurbished on the Extension office to water the native plant demonstration bed. A 325-gallon system was installed years ago and just recently upgraded.

The Angelina County Extension office is located near the intersection of Hwy 69 south and loop 287, between Café Del Rio and the Farmers Market.

Advertising Gets You Seen. PR Gets You Trusted. Here’s Why East Texas Businesses Need Both

By

Lee Allen Miller

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June 16, 2026

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There’s an old debate in marketing that never quite gets resolved.

Should I spend money on advertising or invest in public relations?

It’s the wrong question. But it’s the one most business owners ask, because budgets are real and priorities have to be set. So let’s talk about what each one actually does, how they work differently, and why the businesses that grow the fastest in this region use both.

What advertising does well

Advertising is rented attention. You pay for space — in a feed, on a screen, on a billboard, in a publication — and your message goes in front of people.

The advantage is control. You write the message. You pick the audience. You choose the timing. You decide how long it runs. And with digital advertising, you can measure exactly what happened — how many people saw it, how many clicked, how many called, how many bought.

For East Texas businesses, advertising works well for specific, time-sensitive objectives. A grand opening. A seasonal promotion. A new service launch. A hiring push. When you need visibility on a deadline, advertising delivers.

The limitation is trust. People know an ad is an ad. They’ve seen thousands of them. They’ve developed filters — mental and digital — that let them scroll past, skip, ignore, or block anything that feels like a pitch. Advertising can build awareness, but it builds trust slowly. And in a relationship-driven market, trust is the currency that matters most.

What PR does differently

Public relations is earned attention. Instead of paying for space, you earn it by being newsworthy, relevant, or interesting enough that a journalist decides to cover you.

When the local paper writes a feature about your business, that carries a weight no ad can match. It’s a third party — someone with no financial stake in your success — telling their audience that you’re worth knowing about. That endorsement builds credibility in a way that self-promotion never can.

In East Texas, where community reputation is everything, a single media placement can do more for your credibility than months of paid advertising. People clip newspaper features and hang them on the wall. They share TV segments with friends. They remember.

The limitation is that you can’t control the outcome. You pitch the story, but the journalist decides the angle. You hope for Tuesday’s paper, but news happens and your piece gets bumped to next week. You might pitch a great story and get nothing back. PR requires patience, strategy, and the ability to accept that earned media operates on its own timeline.

Why integration matters

Here’s what the most effective businesses in this region have figured out: advertising and PR aren’t either/or. They’re amplifiers of each other.

A newspaper feature about your business becomes the most credible ad you’ve ever run — repost it on social media, reference it in your email marketing, frame it in your lobby. A TV segment gets clipped and becomes a video asset on your website. A quote from a journalist’s story becomes proof in your proposal.

Going the other direction, a well-placed ad campaign creates the visibility that makes your PR pitch more compelling. “You may have seen our recent campaign about [topic]” gives a journalist context and signals that your business is active, invested, and newsworthy.

The businesses that use both — with consistent messaging across paid and earned channels — create a presence that feels omnipresent without being overbearing. Customers see the ad. Then they see the news article. Then they see the social post. Each one reinforces the others. And by the time that customer needs what you offer, you’re the first name that comes to mind.

Where it falls apart

The challenge for most local business owners isn’t understanding the concept. It’s the coordination.

Running ad campaigns requires writing copy, designing creative, managing targeting, monitoring spend, and analyzing results. Managing PR requires building media relationships, writing pitches, tracking editorial calendars, and following up without being a nuisance. And both need to be aligned — same message, same brand voice, same strategic direction.

When these functions operate in silos — or worse, when one is handled by the owner in spare moments that don’t exist — the messaging fragments. The ad says one thing, the press release says another, and the social media doesn’t reference either.

Integration isn’t just a nice idea. It’s the difference between a marketing effort that compounds and one that scatters.

The businesses in this region that are growing with the most momentum are the ones that have figured out how to make advertising and PR work together — not as separate line items, but as parts of a single, coherent strategy.

Lee Allen Miller is the founder of MSGPR Ltd Co, a full-service creative agency in Lufkin, Texas, and author of Entrepreneurship God’s Way. For more insights on marketing and business growth, visit msgpr.com.

Poured Right Here: Texas Materials Welcomes Lufkin’s Contractor’s Supplies

By

Lee Allen Miller

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June 15, 2026

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A nearly 80-year-old Lufkin concrete company joins a fast-growing East Texas family of builders.

When a business has been mixing concrete in the same East Texas town since 1947, it stops being just a supplier and becomes part of the foundation — sometimes literally — of the place it serves. That is the story of Contractor’s Supplies, Inc., the Lufkin-based ready-mixed concrete and masonry company that has now joined Texas Materials, the Texas-and-Louisiana operating arm of global building-materials company CRH.

Locals know the company simply as CSI. For nearly eight decades it has poured the slabs, driveways, foundations and parking lots that quietly hold our region together, while keeping contractors stocked with everything from rebar to safety gear. Over the years it grew well beyond Lufkin, adding ready-mix plants and supply yards in Nacogdoches, Tyler, Longview, Marshall and Athens — a footprint that traces the working heart of East Texas.

According to public source information, CSI will bring seven ready-mix plants, a fleet of mixer trucks and an experienced group of team members into the Texas Materials operation. Current concrete operations are led by Kevin Kipp, vice president of ready-mix for the East Texas and Louisiana area.

For readers wondering who Texas Materials is, the short version is: big. The company is part of CRH, the Dublin-based building-materials giant that trades on the New York Stock Exchange and operates more than 1,700 locations across North and South America. Texas Materials supplies much of the asphalt, concrete and aggregate behind the state’s road and infrastructure work, and it runs its East Texas operations out of offices in Lufkin.

What makes this more than a routine corporate deal is the pattern behind it. The CSI acquisition is the latest in a steady run of East Texas additions that has quietly reshaped who pours the concrete in Forest Country.

In 2024, the same company took on Few Ready Mix, the Jasper-area family business that Arthur Few started in 1954 and ran for years under the motto “our reputation is poured all over East Texas.” Few’s most visible job may be the emergency spillway at Lake Sam Rayburn, poured in the early 1990s and still standing guard west of the dam. When the family sold after roughly 70 years, they were assured the name, the phone number and the local crews would stay in place.

The roots run deeper still through East Texas Asphalt, the Lufkin company that has supplied the region’s asphalt and aggregate since 1958 from hot-mix plants in Lufkin, Paxton, Center and Livingston. It, too, now operates under the Texas Materials umbrella, tying aggregates, asphalt and ready-mix concrete into one connected operation.

Add it up and a picture emerges: aggregate from the pit, cement and asphalt from the plant, and concrete in the mixer truck — increasingly drawn from a single, vertically integrated network with deep East Texas ties. Company leaders point to infrastructure investment and steady population growth as the forces driving demand across the twelve counties of the Texas Forest Country.

For the families and business owners who read this magazine, the headline isn’t really the logo on the side of the truck. It’s that the people who pour our foundations, widen our highways and patch our county roads are still, mostly, our neighbors — now backed by a company with the scale to keep the trucks rolling. In a region built on hard work and long memory, that kind of continuity matters about as much as the concrete itself.

Lufkin District Construction Updates

By

Diana De Leon Bon

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June 15, 2026

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Below is a description of the work planned for June 15 through June 19 in the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Lufkin District.

Project timelines are subject to change due to material availability and weather conditions.

TxDOT offices will operate with reduced staff on Friday, June 19, in observance of Emancipation Day.

Our summer impaired-driving prevention campaign, “Drive Sober. No Regrets.” kicks off Tuesday, June 16. Follow TxDOT’s social media accounts for messages educating the public about the consequences of intoxicated driving. Feel free to share this messaging. It can save lives and make our roads safer.

District-wide Projects: Contract sealcoat work is underway in the Lufkin District. Next week, work continues in Shelby County. It will progress through the district’s counties in this order: Sabine, San Augustine, Nacogdoches, Angelina, Houston, Trinity, Polk and San Jacinto.

This is a moving operation requiring lane closures.

Area Office Projects

Lufkin Area Office (Angelina, Houston, and Sabine counties)

Angelina County

US 59, Redland Project.
Contractors will continue dirt and embankment work, and drill shafts at the Mill Creek Bridge. Northbound main lane closures will occur.
Business (BU) 59/Timberland Drive.
Night-time paving, striping, and milling will occur. There will be lane closures.
FM 324, bridge replacement and roadway rehabilitation.
Concrete bridge girders will be delivered and installed. There will be lane closures for construction vehicles and equipment to enter and exit the jobsite. Expect delays if traveling in the area.
US 69, cable median barrier.
Contractors will be pouring concrete mow strip for the cable barrier on U.S. 69 south of Zavalla. Lane closures will be required. Watch for construction traffic entering and leaving the work zone. The speed limit will be lowered in the work zone limits.
State Loop (SL) 287, auxiliary and turn lanes.
Widening on the eastbound main lanes near Scenic Acres Drive will occur. Scenic Acres Drive at SL 287 will be closed to traffic daily and will be reopened at the end of each day’s work.

Houston County

SH 7 (Houston and Leon counties) Trinity River bridge and reliefs.
Contractors will place sod, mow, and seed in the project area.
US 287 at Beaver Creek.
Work on a temporary earthen wall, the abutment backwall, and wingwalls will occur.
Bridges on County Roads (CR) 4700 and 4050 at Lee Creek and Hart’s Creek tributary
Expect lane closures as workers install guard fencing and crash cushions on the new bridge.
SL 304 overlay.
Paving from SH 21 east to SH 21 west along SL 304, as well as work on curbs and gutters will continue. Traffic will need to follow a pilot car in the area.
FM 2076 rehabilitation and roadway widening.Widening of FM 2076 inside SL 304 and installation of drainage infrastructure outside the loop will continue. Intermittent lane closures will occur.

Livingston Area Office (Polk, San Jacinto, and Trinity counties)

Polk and San Jacinto counties

US 59 Cable Median Barrier
Cable-barrier installation in the median will continue between Leggett and Livingston.

Polk County

US 59, Corrigan Relief Route
Contractors will: tie reinforcing steel for the US 287 bridge; prepare to pour deck on the south railroad bridge; set deck panels and tie steel for the north railroad bridge; work on the north tie-in at the southbound exit; place rock at the north tie-in drainage outfall. On US 287, they will: continue removing old asphalt, install a culvert, and perform dirt work at the south tie-in; build shoulders at the north tie-in. At various locations, they will: cut concrete pavement; tie steel for bridge decks and pavement; drill holes for overhead and roadside signs.
FM 2610 at Menard Creek
Cleanup work preparing for dirt work and form bridge-rail ends will occur.
County road bridge projects
- Big Sandy Creek on Sunflower Road: Establishing vegetation.
- McManus Creek on Kennedy Road: Fence installation and clean up.
- Piney Creek on Carmona Road: Building steel structures for bridge caps.
- Bluff Creek on Darden Road: Fence installation and clean up.
- Long King Creek on Old Bearing Road: prepare to set bridge box beams.

San Jacinto County

US 59, Shepherd to Cleveland upgrade to interstate standards.
Workers will: set bridge-deck panels and tie bridge steel at Tarkington Bayou; pour bridge end supports for the overpass; place road base near Red Road; install retaining wall panels and perform dirt work on several walls; prime-coat the north and southbound lanes.
SH 156, Stephen Creek bridge replacement.
There will be ongoing debris clean-up and bridge demolition.
SH 150 sidewalk project.
Install concrete riprap.

Nacogdoches Area Office (Nacogdoches, San Augustine, and Shelby counties)

Nacogdoches County

US 59 intersection improvements at SL 224
Crews will continue demolishing the old pavement.
BU 59, SH/BS 7, SH/BS 21 and FM 2259 striping
Nighttime lane closures to complete striping operations in various areas will occur.
SH 7 and CR 724, Moral Bayou bridge project
Hot mix will be applied to the bridge.

Sabine County

US 96
Hot mix application will require daily lane closures.

Shelby County

FM 139 at Teneha Bayou
The contractor will be pouring tie beams for the bridge.
County road bridge projectsHot mix will be applied to bridges on County Road (CR) 3689 at Cypress Creek, CR 1440 at Irish Creek and CR 1049 at Straw Creek.

Reminder to Motorists
Drivers are urged to remain alert in work zones, obey posted traffic controls, and watch for construction crews and equipment. Remember to move over or slow down to 20 mph below the posted speed limit when passing or approaching TxDOT vehicles, law enforcement, tow trucks, utility vehicles, municipal waste trucks, and emergency responders with activated overhead lights.

Please remember to buckle up, stay sober, and Drive like a Texas: Kind, Courteous, Safe.

Tim Monzingo
Public Information Officer
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Lufkin District
timothy.monzingo@txdot.gov | 936-208-5651 | TxDOT.gov

Practical Ways to Lower Your Electric Bill This Summer

By

Lee Allen Miller

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June 14, 2026

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The Texas summer is coming. Here’s a straightforward, no-nonsense guide to what actually works — and what doesn’t.

There’s no shortage of advice out there about saving money on electricity. Some of it is genuinely useful. A surprising amount of it is either trivial or actively misleading. After eight weeks of going through how the Texas electricity market works, this column takes a turn toward the practical: what should a regular East Texas household or small business actually do to keep summer bills under control?

The honest version is that there are no magic tricks. Most of the savings come from a handful of straightforward steps that anyone can do, plus a few investments that pay back over a year or two. Here’s the rundown.

The Big Wins

Cooling is where the money goes. In the average East Texas home, air conditioning accounts for roughly half of the summer electric bill. Everything else — refrigerator, water heater, lights, appliances — is splitting the other half. That means almost every meaningful saving is going to come from how you manage your cooling.

Set the thermostat realistically. Every degree warmer you can tolerate saves real money. The standard recommendation is 78 degrees when you’re home and a few degrees warmer when you’re away or sleeping. A programmable or smart thermostat handles this automatically and is one of the fastest-paying upgrades you can make. A $150 thermostat that saves $20 a month pays for itself in less than a year.

Change your air filter monthly during the summer. A dirty filter forces your system to work harder, costs you money, and shortens the life of expensive equipment. Set a reminder on your phone for the first of every month from May through September.

Get an HVAC tune-up every spring. A trained technician can spot problems — low refrigerant, dirty coils, failing components — that quietly cost you 10 or 20 percent on your cooling bill. The hundred dollars or so spent on a tune-up almost always pays for itself within the first month.

The Quick Fixes

Seal the obvious leaks. If you can feel air coming in around a door or window, you’re paying to cool the outdoors. Weatherstripping and caulk are inexpensive and easy. Don’t forget the gaps around plumbing under sinks and where wires come into the house.
Use ceiling fans when you’re in the room. A ceiling fan doesn’t cool the air — it cools the people standing under it through evaporation. That means you can comfortably set the thermostat several degrees higher when fans are on. Just remember to turn them off when you leave the room.
Close the blinds on the sun-facing windows. Direct sunlight through a window can add a remarkable amount of heat to a room. South-facing and west-facing windows are the worst offenders during the long summer afternoons. Cellular shades or thermal curtains make a noticeable difference.
Run the dishwasher and dryer at night. Both produce heat, and running them in the evening reduces the load on your air conditioner during the hottest hours of the day. They also tend to be cheaper to run during off-peak hours if you’re on a time-of-use plan.

There are no magic tricks. Most of the savings on a Texas summer electric bill come from a handful of simple steps almost anyone can do. The mistake is doing none of them.

The Investments That Pay Back

Attic insulation. Most Texas homes built before the early 2000s are under-insulated by today’s standards. Adding insulation in the attic — bringing it up to current code — typically pays back in two to four years through lower cooling bills, and it makes the house more comfortable on extreme days.

Radiant barriers. A radiant barrier is a foil layer installed in the attic that reflects heat away from the living space below. In hot, sunny climates like East Texas, it can reduce attic temperatures by 20 or 30 degrees and cut cooling costs measurably. Often paired with insulation upgrades.

LED lighting. If you still have any incandescent or CFL bulbs in your house, replacing them with LEDs is one of the easiest upgrades available. The bulbs use a fraction of the electricity, last for years, and have come down dramatically in price.

Smart thermostats. Mentioned earlier, but worth repeating. The newer models learn your patterns and adjust automatically, and most can be controlled from your phone.

What About the Bigger Stuff?

Solar panels, whole-home generators, battery storage — all of these can make sense for the right household, but they require more careful analysis. The economics depend on your roof orientation, your usage patterns, your retail plan, available incentives, and a number of other factors. Anyone selling you on these systems with a quick pitch and a fast close is not your friend. A proper analysis from someone who doesn’t depend on the sale to make their living is worth the time.

For Small Business Owners

All of the above applies. A few additional items specifically for businesses:

Look at your operating hours. If you have flexibility on when energy-intensive equipment runs, shifting it out of the 4-to-8 p.m. window can reduce both your demand charges and your contribution to grid stress.
Consider a commercial energy audit. Most utilities offer them at low or no cost, and they can identify specific opportunities tailored to your operation.
Review your contract terms with the seasons in mind. A contract that worked great when you signed it three years ago might not be the right structure for your current operation.

None of this is exotic. It’s the boring, fundamental stuff that adds up over time. The households and businesses that get serious about a few of these items consistently pay less than their neighbors. That’s not theory. That’s what the data shows, year after year.

— Lee Miller

Lee Miller publishes Texas Forest Country Living and is co-founder of Amerigy Energy, a Texas-based electricity brokerage.

Mid Morning Coffee (Houston County)

By

Diana De Leon Bon

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June 12, 2026

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June 18 @ 10:30 pm – 11:30 pm

Thursday, June 18th – Mid-Morning Coffee at Cattleman’s Country Cafe 9:30 AM
Join us for our June Mid-Morning Coffee at Cattleman’s Country Café!

Start your day with great coffee, friendly faces, and meaningful connections as we gather with fellow Chamber members and community businesses. Each month, a different local business welcomes us in to share their story, highlight their goals, and connect with others who help make the Crockett Area thrive.

Whether you’re looking to grow your network, promote your business, or simply stay in the loop with what’s happening in our community, Mid-Morning Coffee is the perfect place to be!

What to expect:
• Networking with local business leaders and community members
• Updates on local events, businesses, and opportunities
• Coffee, snacks, and fellowship — all free to attendees
• Door prizes and raffle giveaways contributed by participating businesses
• Opportunities to introduce yourself, share your business, or promote upcoming events

Want to speak?
Businesses are invited to give a 2–5 minute presentation during the event. Speaking time is available for $2 per minute, or just $1 per minute for Chamber members. All proceeds benefit the Crockett Area Chamber Scholarship Fund.

Come sip, share, and connect — we’d love to see you there!

Cattleman’s Country Cafe
893 TX-7 West
Crockett, TX 75835
Face Book: Cattleman’s Country Cafe
936.546.7477