The small town of Avinger has big plans for April 29, when droves of people are expected to attend its Wildflowers & Wine festival. The festival is part of the area’s historic Wildflower Trails event, and for the first time Avinger will host a wine garden, a hot dog eating contest, Bingo, plus jeep and motorcycle shows.

Bowie County • I-30 – From FM 989 to AR State Line, reconstructing and widening highway, concrete paving in median • I-30 – From FM 989 to FM 3419, extension of frontage roads. FM 2148 closed under I-30 bridge • I-30 – Westbound from FM 2253 to Spur 74, drainage upgrades.

Fishing tournament results can be pretty reliable indicators as to how well the fish are biting from one week to the next. The most favorable results are those where solid weights carry down the line rather stacked two or three deep, right at the top.

Just in time for the spring warm up and the wave of fishing fever that always comes with it, hatchery staff with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s inland fisheries division are gearing up for another round of channel cat stockings at more than a dozen “Neighborhood Fishin’ Lakes” around the state. Depending on where you live, there could be a generous batch of the tasty whiskered fish coming to a small lake or pond near you.

Several Texans placed among the top finishers in the MLF Toyota Series Southwestern Division bass tournament held in early April on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Arkansas. Todd Castledine of Nacogdoches banked $15,500 after weighing 49-06 over three days to finish distant second behind winner Zach King of Clarksville, Arkansas.

Ana Torres is 29 years old and happily married to her husband, Erik Torres. They have two girls and one boy and are the owners of Beauty Galleria.

An abundance of home-grown fruits and vegetables often triggers the desire to can foods at home. While this can be a fun and rewarding way to keep foods long after the season ends, care must be taken to assure that foods canned at home are safe to eat.