At the ripe old age of 3, Kylie Elizabeth Olive should have her “queen’s wave” perfected along with her pageant smile. Taking part in 24 pageants in her lifetime, she is the newly-crowned “Texas State Tiny Tot Cover Girl.”

Lamar State College-Port Arthur head softball coach Vance Edwards put an impressive cap on an extremely productive recruiting season today, when All-Region XIV and All-American shortstop Christina Jaques signed a letter-of-intent to play a second season for the Seahawks.

The Texas Highway Patrol wants drivers and passengers to have a safe July 4 holiday weekend, so they are increasing patrols to reduce traffic fatalities and crashes. Troopers will be looking for people who are driving drunk, speeding or not wearing safety belts.

“If the thought of killing or injuring others on the road while you’re driving drunk is not enough to make you drive sober, just remember that our troopers will be looking to arrest you,” said Col. Thomas A. Davis Jr, director of the DPS. “Many drunk drivers think that they are sober enough to drive and discover that they are wrong when they’re arrested and taken to jail.”

 Her life was brief. Her brutal murder remains unsolved. But Dannarriah Finley isn’t forgotten.

“I could not be more excited about the opportunity to coach one of the stronger 3-A baseball programs in the state of Texas,” said Chad Landry via our long distance conversation Friday night.

The crowd is hushed, the children have stopped cheering, people stare as if mesmerized at the street in front of them. The only sounds are those of the Soldiers marching down the street to the strains of the Star Spangled Banner being played by the local high school band.

This is my childhood Independence Day memory. Veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam marched down the street. It was the proudest moment of our little town. Every man, woman and child stopped whatever they were doing and pressed their hands over their hearts.

When Sharon Steglich told her parents she wanted to be a nun, she got a lukewarm reception.

Her father, who wasn’t Catholic, said it would happen only “over his dead body.”

The Bridge City Lions Club moved its den to Robert’s Restaurant for the annual installation of officers for terms starting in July. Lions international district governor Fred Renkema was installing officer.
“This is one of the hardest-working clubs in the district,” he said.

 Dan Mohon, past president of the Orange Lions Club installed their 2008-2009 officers at a banquet held June 23 at the Brown Center.