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
Today Is Officially The Most Depressing Day Of The Year
They're calling it "Blue Monday," and it's the most depressing day of the year. The good news is, the winter blahs are peaking and it can only get better from here.
Would You Eat This Part of the Chicken?
If you're getting a little tired of eating chicken breasts, drumsticks, and wings, there's a new option from the same bird. When you find out what part of the chicken some folks are eating, you might flip a feather.
Have a Tiny Home Shipped Right to Your Door
We're buying everything else online, so why not a house too? The market for tiny homes in Texas keeps growing, and the easiest way to get one is to buy it online and have it shipped right to your door. Or perhaps to your empty plat of land.
Kick The Habit and Become a Millionaire
Texans who smoke will spend over a million dollars in a lifetime on the habit.
Non-smokers are richer than they thought!
Non-smokers are richer than they thought!
Texas Police Are Warning Speeders With Cardboard Cutouts
This is catching on everywhere, and we'll be seeing more of it in 2019. Fake police officers like "Constable Scarecrow," that are cardboard cutouts made to look like real officers with radar guns.
East Texas Has Several of the Most Dangerous Jobs in the World
If we're inside an office all day, odds are that we're going to be safe and not have to worry too much about getting injured (or worse). But some of our neighbors in Texas are risking their lives by going to work at dangerous jobs every day, and it's not just the just the obvious one…
Girl Scouts, Not Their Parents, Should Sell The Cookies
Parents may mean well by passing the sign-up sheet around the office and posting about their child's cookie sales on social media, but there's one big reason why Girl Scout Cookies should be sold by the girls and not the parents.
Snow Chances Are Slim in Texas This Winter
We've got at least another month of the coldest winter weather in East Texas, and then we'll be out of the woods and it will start warming up. And what about snowfall?
East Texas Pastor Gets Malaria on a Mission Trip
The pastor of a church on Van Highway in Tyler went on a recent mission trip to Africa and came back with a fever, chills, and body aches severe enough to land him in the hospital for four days. But he says he would do it all over again.
Knock Out At Least Two New Year’s Resolutions With One Smoothie
If you don't mind slurping your fruits and vegetables through the same straw, a smoothie recipe that combines a half dozen items from the produce section can jump start your plan to get healthy in 2019. And it can save money at the same time.
Make This Dip And Have a Prosperous 2019
Black-eyed peas are a good luck food that many people eat on New Year's Day, and if you make this dip you can keep the string of luck going for a week or more. With the help of Fritos, which makes it an even bigger win.
A Surprising Number Of People Forget to Spend Gift Cards
If you got a gift card for Christmas, don't forget to spend it! You'd be surprised how many gift cards go unused, and that just leaves free money on the table. Oh, and guess which gender is best at gift-card spending.