Click here to watch images of the Northern Lights, as viewed from Crook County, Wyoming, near the town of Sundance on June 23, 2015.
Category: Lane’s Topics
These posts are general interest topics that I address.
WATCH: Time-lapse of flight descent into Charlotte, North Carolina
Click here to watch a short time-lapse of the descent of my flight from Houston, Texas to Charlotte, North Carolina.
Theology on Tap serves up Bible study with a twist
A Christian men’s group in Tyler is reaching out the faithful in an unlikely way, through Bible study with a twist. Theology on Tap provides fellowship and conversations about faith and spirituality in a casual setting. Rev. Justin Braun, a priest with the Catholic Diocese of Tyler, helped start the group in 2012. “We’re East…
The magical musings of illusionist Penn Jillette
Magician Penn Jillette and partner Teller have been entertaining audiences for decades. Their magic, illusions, music, comedy, and myth busting are known around the world. According to their website, the duo have produced “sold out runs on Broadway, world tours, Emmy-winning TV specials, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and hundreds of outrageous…
Jimmy Kimmel Live returns to Texas for South By Southwest
Austin’s iconic South by Southwest festival has gone from an eclectic festival featuring arts and entertainment to a showcase of innovation and ideas. Techies, foodies, and celebrities have also found a home at SXSW, including late-night TV comedian Jimmy Kimmel. This year, the funnyman brought Jimmy Kimmel Live back to Austin for a week of shows,…
WATCH: Light snow coats downtown Tyler streets
Click the video below to look at the tiny flakes of snow accumulating in downtown Tyler.
WATCH: Snow blankets downtown Tyler, Texas
Click here to watch my tour of the snowfall in downtown Tyler, Texas.
Recipe: Great Grandma Abby’s homemade buttermilk biscuits
After an overwhelming number of requests on Facebook, I wanted to share my great-grandmother Abby’s recipe for homemade buttermilk biscuits. I hope you enjoy! Ingredients: (Makes 16) Directions: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Sift the flour and salt together into a bowl. Add the lard/butter and cut together. Use a fork to stir in…
WATCH: Orion spacecraft’s first test flight
Click here for my live coverage of the test flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft, launching atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket.
Texas DMV rejects hundreds of ‘indecent, vulgar’ personalized license plates
Picking a personalized Texas license plate isn’t a free-for-all. The Department of Motor Vehicles uses very specific criteria for reviewing vanity plate requests, resulting in more than 1,600 rejected requests. Car enthusiasts at Saturday’s ‘Classic Cars & Art in the Park’ in Mineola are very familiar with the application process. Dozens of hot rods, rat…
Volunteering: A chance to repay your ‘debt’
I believe one person truly can make a difference in the life of another and I hope to never ignore that calling. It’s quite humbling to think of the special individuals spent countless hours mentoring me — many of whom continue to do so. Counting myself among the extremely fortunate, I’m pursuing my “dream profession” as…
WATCH: Exploring the Canadian Rockies
Click here for highlights of my trip to Alberta, Canada.
Inspirational ‘Chef Jeff’ taping national TV show in E. Texas
A celebrity chef is visiting kitchens across East Texas this week, tasting the comfort foods that stir-up smiles. Chef Jeff Henderson is taping a new syndicated TV show, ‘Flip My Food,’ which promises to take favorite family recipes and make them better, with fewer calories. Henderson’s rise to the top took a different path than…
An honor to be named to Pi Kappa Phi’s ‘Thirty Under 30’ list
I am so very honored to have been selected for Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity’s inaugural ‘Thirty Under 30’ list, among a truly impressive group of young professionals. I’ve served as a volunteer for the organization since 2008, hoping to mentor emerging leaders during their collegiate experience. As a student, I was exposed to countless opportunities for leadership development and owe debt of…
NASA unveils flashy, futuristic new look for spacesuit prototype
NASA is ready to unveil the design of their next-generation spacesuit prototype. Wednesday, the space agency will reveal the winner of a contest on their website put the decision to a public vote. The futuristic Z-2 suit will make future missions possible to asteroids or the surface of other planets. Some of the improvements under…
Dallas Cowboys great Drew Pearson recalls his ‘Hail Mary’ catch
The number 88 on a Dallas Cowboys jersey seems to signify greatness. Drew Pearson, Michael Irvin, and Dez Bryant have worn the number — earning star status on the team and in the league. Pearson, celebrated as one of the all-time greatest wide receivers, he now hosts his own radio show. While he focuses on…
WATCH: Storm chase leads to tornado-ravaged town
Click here to watch raw video of my storm chase through Hopkins County.
WATCH: Tornado destroys N. Hopkins Fire House
Click here to watch my tour of the tornado destruction at the North Hopkins Volunteer Fire Department’s station number 3 on April 3, 2014.
WATCH: Tornado destroys Hopkins Co. homes, businesses
Click here to watch my interview with a Hopkins County, Texas resident who survived a tornado destroying his home and business.
Tornado flattens Hopkins Co. homes, businesses; fire station destroyed
The National Weather Service is expected to survey a nearly five-mile wide debris field to determine if a tornado is responsible for extensive damage in Hopkins County on Thursday, April 3, 2014. A trained storm spotter reported a possible tornado that touched down around 9:15 p.m. Wednesday in the community of Birthright, north of Sulphur…
WATCH: Chasing storms during Thursday’s severe weather outbreak
Click here to watch my report on our storm chase during a severe weather outbreak across northeast Texas.
WATCH: Explaining hail fog in Henderson County
Click here to watch my report explaining the hail fog after a storm passed through Henderson County, Texas.
Online contest will pick NASA’s futuristic new spacesuit design
NASA is leaving the design of their next-generation spacesuit prototype up to the public. A contest on the space agency’s website puts three designs up for a vote, with a fully-functional model to be built by November. The NASA Z-2 suit is a follow up to the Z-1, which Time Magazine named ‘one of the best inventions…
Celebrating the Current Sauce at 100
First printed in 1914, The Current Sauce has been an independent voice for students at Northwestern State University, the oldest permanent site of higher education in Louisiana. The weekend of March 8, 2014, NSU held a Centennial Celebration for current and past staff members of the ‘Sauce’ in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Dozens of former editors, designers,…
WATCH: Aerial survey of the East Texas ice storm
Click here to get an aerial tour of the East Texas ice storm’s impact on Smith County.
WATCH: Icy conditions reported on Interstate 20
Click here to watch my report on thick slush and ice building up along Interstate 20 in Smith County on March 2, 2014.
NASA spacesuit designer reveals changes to new ‘pumpkin suit’
NASA’s aging stock of spacesuits is coming under great scrutiny as the space agency investigates the near-drowning of an astronaut. Wednesday, an investigation board released its report on the July 2013 incident involving a water leak in Italian astronaut’s Luca Parmitano’s helmet. More than a liter of liquid pooled around Parmitano’s eyes, nose and ears,…
WATCH: Making snow for Holiday in the Park
Click here to see how they make snow for Holiday in the Park when Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate.
Next-gen NASA spacecraft to visit E. Texas on cross-country road trip
A test version of the Orion capsule left NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia early Thursday on the bed of an 18-wheeler, headed for California. The four-week road trip will make stops in Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before an early January arrival in San Diego, California. A map showing the convoy’s…
Oscar-winning composer Will Jennings inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame
Will Jennings, a native of Kilgore, Texas, is the newest member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee. I met Jennings earlier this year, learning of his storied career and roots planted firmly in East Texas. In the late 1970s he wrote Barry Manilow’s hit, ‘Looks Like We Made It,’ and teamed with…
WATCH: Breathtaking views from the Rockies of southwest Colorado
Some of the most breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains can be found in southwest Colorado. Click here for highlights from my trip to Durango, Silverton, San Juan Mountains, the “Million Dollar Highway,” Ouray, the Animas River, Telluride, and the Dallas Divide.
‘Name the Shuttle’ contest gives Texans chance to name space history icon
Texans now have the opportunity to name a high-fidelity replica of a NASA Space Shuttle, the centerpiece of a new attraction set to open in Houston. In early 2015, Space Center Houston will unveil an exhibit featuring the Shuttle replica seated atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, the Boeing 747 jumbo jet that ferried…
WATCH: Astronaut Buzz Aldrin speaks at CR Smith Museum
Click here to watch a portion of moon-walking astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s lecture at the CR Smith Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.
Meeting moon-walking astronaut Buzz Aldrin
As a life-long space enthusiast, meeting astronaut Buzz Aldrin was a great honor for me. He gave a lecture and signed copies of his new book, “Mission to Mars,” at the American Airlines CR Smith Museum in Fort Worth on June 22, 2013.
WATCH: West Texas storm chase
Click here to watch our storm chase in the Texas panhandle.
Lane Luckie 