The 936

09/09/2026

Records requested by The 936 shows Klein performed 906 Flock searches in 13 days

Records requested by The 936 show former Lufkin police officer Zachary Anthony Klein conducted 906 searches of the city's Flock automated license plate reader system during a 13-day period in December...

09/09/2026

From Second Chance to Helping Others: Shelly Mae’s Opens Food Bank, Resale Shop

Michelle Reynolds knows what it means to need someone to believe there is still a way forward. That experience is behind Shelly Mae’s Food Bank and Resale Shop, a new nonprofit Reynolds hopes will bec...

09/09/2026

Dudley called for leaders of integrity. Does party loyalty demand something different?
"Democrats are perfectly capable of overlooking behavior from Democrats that they would condemn in Republicans, just as Republicans can discover remarkable tolerance for conduct they would find disqualifying in a Democrat."

Something happened at Tuesday night's Angelina County Republican Party meeting that I haven't been able to shake, but to explain why, I need to start with something that happened earlier in the evenin...

09/09/2026

Gohmert on Paxton: ‘Not a good guy,’ but says he’ll vote for him in November

Former U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert offered a blunt assessment Tuesday night of Republican U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton, telling members of the Angelina County Republican Party that he is “not a fan” of...

09/09/2026

The 936 Morning Brief is brought to you by Commercial Bank of Texas.

09/08/2026

East Texas Roots, Film Industry Experience: Metzlers Join Lufkin’s First Behind the Pine Curtain Film Festival

When Nadja Mark-Metzler comes to Lufkin this December, she will be stepping into a new chapter of East Texas filmmaking while also reconnecting with a much older part of the region's history. Mark-Met...

09/08/2026

Jorvorskie ‘J-Train’ Lane Named General Manager of Texas Desperados

Former Lufkin Panther and Texas A&M standout Jorvorskie “J-Train” Lane will help lead Lufkin’s newest professional sports franchise after being named general manager of the Texas Desperados ahead of t...

09/08/2026

Angelina County Adopts 2027 Budget, Raises Property Tax Rate by 1 Cent

Angelina County commissioners unanimously adopted the county’s 2027 budget Tuesday, approving a 1-cent increase in the property tax rate that county officials said is needed to maintain services, reta...

09/08/2026

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS… LUFKIN MALL IS FOR SALE

One of Lufkin’s largest pieces of commercial real estate is officially on the market after being sold in December 2022 to Lufkin Mall Realty Holding LLC. Prior, it had been owned by Lufkin Investments Partners LLC since March 2016.

SVN was retained to sell the Lufkin Mall, the nearly 46-year-old regional shopping center at 4600 South Medford Drive.

The property sits on approximately 33.6 acres and includes roughly 410,887 square feet of total building area, with approximately 350,670 square feet of rentable space.

And this isn’t just a “testing the market” listing.

SVN issued a FINAL CALL FOR OFFERS, with bids due August 26, 2026.

That deadline has now passed.

The mall currently includes JCPenney, TJ Maxx and AMC Theatres, along with two sizeable vacant anchor spaces:

Former Sears comprised of 64,772 square feet
Former Bealls comprised of 30,560 square feet

The sale also includes the mall property’s ground lease with Texas Roadhouse. It does not include the separately owned Boot Barn, IHOP or Tequila Grill properties.

Originally constructed in 1980, Lufkin Mall has been one of the most recognizable retail properties in Deep East Texas for more than four decades.

Now the bigger question:

Who made an offer — and what does the next owner have planned for Lufkin Mall?

09/08/2026

1606 Names Potential Lufkin Plant Operator as $7 Million Financing Remains Unsecured

1606 Corp. has identified the company it hopes will eventually operate a 55-megawatt power plant in north Lufkin, but a new federal filing shows the proposed acquisition still faces significant hurdle...