More than 40 volunteers showed up to help a Henderson County family search through what remains of their home, which was destroyed Saturday by a violent tornado.
Category: Lane’s Topics
These posts are general interest topics that I address.
WATCH: East Texas tornado outbreak
Multiple tornadoes touched down in East Texas — leading to fatalities, dozens of injuries, and extensive damage. Click here to watch live coverage.
My Instagram Top 10: Skyscrapers and cityscapes
Interesting examples of architecture is the latest subject of my series of blog posts, ‘My Instagram Top 10.’
My Instagram Top 10: Flowers and foliage
My Instagram account features anything and everything that captures my attention.
I’m curating some of my favorites in a series of posts featuring my favorite Instagram shots.
Astronaut carries friends’ wedding rings to Space
This Summer a special couple will receive a wedding gift that’s truly out of this world. European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who has been aboard the International Space Station since November, posted photo to social media of two wedding rings floating in micro gravity. The flight engineer from France tweeted that he carried in…
Texas’ first capitol was actually in Louisiana
Did you know that the first capitol of the Spanish province of Texas was actually in what is now Louisiana? This weekend, I spent some time exploring the grounds of Presidio Nuestra Senora del Pilar de Los Adaes near Natchitoches, Louisiana. The fort served as the first capitol of Texas from 1721 to 1773. It’s…
My Instagram Top 10: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
My Instagram account features the people and places that capture my attention.
I’ve curated some of my favorites into a series of posts I’m calling ‘My Instagram Top 10.’
WATCH: Judging the Official Texas Gumbo Cook-off
For the last few years, I’ve had the great privilege of being invited to judge the Official Texas Gumbo Cook-off. Click here to check out what goes into the competition!
Police: Rocket debris washes ashore on Texas beach
Debris that washed ashore along the south Texas coast has been identified as part of a rocket, according to law enforcement. A police officer made the discovery last week while investigating a report of possible airplane or boat debris being found at a Brazoria County beach. The large rectangular object is believed to be debris…
Sewing Hope: The extraordinary woman called the ‘Mother Theresa of Africa’
Wednesday, I had the opportunity to spend time with an extraordinary woman who has changed the lives of thousands of young girls, who otherwise would remain on the fringes of society. Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe is gaining worldwide attention for her humanitarian work to rescue children from a notorious rebel army in Africa. She’s helping mend…
Soccer ball recovered from Shuttle Challenger wreckage reaches space three decades later
A soccer ball that was to be carried to space by the ill-fated Space Shuttle Challenger has finally reached its destination, 31 years later. Prior to the January 28, 1986 launch, the ball was presented to NASA astronaut Ellison Onizuka by soccer players, including his daughter, from Clear Lake High School. Onizuka was one of…
Project aims to stabilize, restore Civil War-era Sabine Pass Lighthouse
A witness to history, the 1857 Sabine Pass Lighthouse stands sentinel at the point where the Sabine River empties into the Gulf of Mexico. Rising 75-feet above coastal marsh land, the brick tower, located in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, has survived a half-dozen hurricanes, including monsters Audrey and Rita. Six brick buttresses form its unique octagonal…
WATCH: Exploring southwest Louisiana’s wild side
Southwest Louisiana is home to wildlife and geography unlike any other place in America. Click here for a tour of the scenic prairies of Cameron Parish.
WATCH: A foggy ride on the Cameron ferry
Click the video below to take a foggy trip on the Cameron Ferry, which connects Louisiana Highway 27 over the Calcasieu River Ship Channel between Holly Beach and Cameron, Louisiana.
WATCH: Riding atop a fire engine in Longview’s Christmas Parade
One of my favorite community events in all of East Texas is the annual Longview Christmas Parade. Click here to watch.
Discovering history beyond the books
History isn’t as bland of a subject as it’s sometimes portrayed. Many people probably think of a stack of dusty books taking up space in a classroom or library, but I envision a vibrant picture of stories preserved by people, places, and culture. My fascination with learning and preserving the past is the reason I…
A chance to chat with the next generation of journalists
Learning is a lifelong adventure for any committed journalist, a journey shaped by academic studies, real world application, and experiences shared by those working in the field. There’s always an opportunity to grow for those open to it. Looking back on my college years, I was fortunate to have been exposed to constant advice from professors…
Film profiling folk artist Clementine Hunter premieres in Natchitoches
Clementine Hunter never learned to read or write, but the images she taught herself to paint on canvas, cardboard, window shades or anything she could find, so vividly captured life on Cane River in the early 20th century. On October 15, 2016, the short documentary, ‘Clementine Hunter’s World,’ premiered in Natchitoches, Louisiana to thunderous applause…
WATCH: Kayaking the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in southern Missouri
Click here to explore the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, the first national park to protect a river system, is an exciting adventure.
WATCH: Flying around storms over northeast Texas
Click here to watch a time-lapse of my flights into Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Tyler Pounds Regional Airport.
WATCH: Wheels up over Missouri Ozarks
Click here to watch my flights between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau, Missouri on Cape Air.
Hidden among the pines, The Blue Hole is preserved as a Texas treasure
Nestled in the Angelina National Forest in Deep East Texas, 36 miles southeast of Lufkin, is one of the hidden jewels of Texas. The Blue Hole, as it’s known, is a brilliant blue-green-colored lake surrounded by the craggy white sandstone cliffs of a former rock quarry. First opened in the late 1800s, rock was removed…
WATCH: Dramatic views of Mt. Rushmore, Black Hills National Forest
In honor of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, click here to watch dramatic views of Mount Rushmore and Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota.
WATCH: Kayaking the Lower Mountain Fork River in Broken Bow, OK
Click here to watch my latest trek down the Lower Mountain Fork River in beautiful McCurtain County, Oklahoma.
An unfamiliar place: Making sense of the current political landscape
Time and again the current presidential campaign has defied tradition, shedding any familiarity to previous election cycles. After a brutal primary season for candidates, the two presidential nominees and their running mates are ramping up the rhetoric. The next 100 days are sure to mired in mudslinging, with more tweets, nicknames, and distractions from the…
WATCH: Millions of bats take flight over downtown Austin
Crowds of people gather every Summer evening around dusk to watch as many as 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from the world’s largest urban bat colony. Click here to watch.
WATCH: Swimming, floating, & gliding through the water
Click here to watch a peaceful few moments of aquarium fish gliding through the water.
Behind the scenes of my annual tie tribute
I’ve really grown to love this tradition. Every year, I pull this necktie out of the closet and wear it on or around my grandfather’s birthday. He retired it from his collection and “passed it down” to me when I was in high school, a few years before he died. Sunday would have been “Paw…
WATCH: Kayaking at Tyler State Park
Click here to watch a quick 360 degree view of the 64-acre spring-fed lake at Tyler State Park.
How to capture spectacular shots on your next flight
The romanticism of flying isn’t lost on commercial flights unless you willingly let it become routine. I fly several times a year and still find each opportunity to take to the skies an exciting adventure. Sure, I find myself reading, listening to music, working, and sleeping at times, but I’m intentional about dedicating a few…
WATCH: Wheels up from Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Click here to watch a time-lapse of a takeoff and landing from my recent flight from Charlotte, North Carolina to Dallas, Texas.
WATCH: Inside Tyler’s Cotton Belt Depot Museum
Click here to learn more about the thousands of model trains and East Texas railroad artifacts housed inside the Cotton Belt Depot Museum.
WATCH: Pre-launch interview with NASA astronaut Kate Rubins
Click here to watch my interview with NASA astronaut Kate Rubins before the launch of Expedition 48/49 to the International Space Station.
‘Virus hunter’ astronaut shares details of science mission to Space Station
In July, a self-proclaimed ‘virus hunter’ astronaut will launch aboard a Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station, embarking on a four month, science-intensive assignment to the orbiting laboratory. NASA’s Kate Rubins is counting down the days until the scheduled July 6 launch of Expedition 48/49, which will be the first spaceflight for the molecular…
WATCH: Walk through America’s largest rose garden
Click here to take a tour of the largest rose garden in America, the Tyler Rose Garden. Fragrant roses aren’t the only flowers currently in bloom.
Lane Luckie 