January 17, 2025
January 17, 2025
Next Generation Orange County (NGOC) is a young professionals' organization affiliated with the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce, designed for individuals aged 21 to 40. They hold monthly meetings on the fourth Thursday of each month providing the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow young professionals, share ideas, and build relationships that strengthen our community. Membership is available to those who are either members of the Chamber or employed by a...
The Bridge City Chamber of Commerce held their monthly coffee at the Orangefield Cormier Museum. The networking events gives local businesses the opportunity to interact with each other over a continental breakfast. Mucas Tire Shop was named Bridge City Chamber Business of the Month for January. Ethan McAdams was named Student of the Month for Bridge City High School. Ethan is ranked 115 of 211 with a GPA of 3.7. Pictured:, Dr. Amanda James, Nathan Fowler, Mia McAdams,...
Orangefield Elementary First Grade Highest Honors Alex Adams, Jaxon Arceneaux, Austin Barbosa, Ryker Bearden, Odis Beckham, Cora Beers, Grayson Beitel, Bowen Blacksher, Rowen Brasuell, Darbee Briggs, Gibson Burch, Avaya Cannon, Luc Caswell, Emmylou Cerny, Jacob Chapman, Beaux Chesson, Adeline Chisum, Beau Clark, Grant Cole, Tinley Cook, Jameson Copeland, Chadlynn Cormier, Pierce Crume, Alexander Dennison, Tyler DuBois, Faith Falcon, Mayson Farmer, Cooper Hall, John Harris,...
Eight students from the 11th grade class attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards weekend retreat at Pineywoods Encampment in Woodlake, Texas. Over the weekend of January 10-12, the students enhanced their leadership skills, engaged in group activities, listened to guest speakers, and completed a low ropes elements course. The event is sponsored by Bridge City-Orangefield Rotary Club. Participants included: Blair Butler Jackson Droddy Lauren Fitzsimmons Elyse Gunter...
Sheriff Bobby Smith, of the Orange County Sheriff's Office has become aware of a warrant scam that Is currently occurring within the Golden Triangle area. A warrant scam is a phone or mail scam where someone claims there is a warrant out for your arrest, and you need to pay a fine or fee to avoid jail time. Scammers may use fake caller IDs to appear to be from a law enforcement agency. They may claim the warrant is for a traffic violation, missed jury duty, or other...
Emphasizing commitment to community vitality and education, the Foundation welcomes applications through Feb. 14 The CenterPoint Energy Foundation is currently accepting applications for its first 2025 grant cycle through Feb. 14. Funded separately and financially independent from the utility, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation strives to be a catalyst for good in the communities it serves by leveraging everyday opportunities and resources to increase the vibrancy of these...
Orange County will be commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 20, with a traditional march and activities. Also, some local public offices will be closed, along with federal and state offices. The Orange County Courthouse will be closed as will city offices in Orange and Pinehurst. All non-emergency employees in the county, and for Orange and Pinehurst will have the day off, though law enforcement and fire protection will be on regular duty. Regular...
City of West Orange voters may be getting a chance this year to vote on whether to double the years in a term of city council members. The West Orange City Council is considering whether to call a city charter change election to expand each term for mayor and six councilors to increase from two years to four years. The city council under Mayor Randy Branch on Monday discussed the positive and negative effects that changing the length of terms would have. However, the council...
Orange native Tad McKee, president and CEO of the Stark Foundation, was named Citizen of the Year last week by the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce. McKee, shown in the middle, was given the award during the chamber's annual banquet held at the Orange County Expo Center. To the far left is Chamber President Ida Schossow, and County Judge John Gothia is on the far right. During the banquet and awards, Stacey Brister, superintendent of the LC-M CISD was given the gavel...
While location scouting at Gladys City Boomtown for the short film "Spindletop: The Beginning" in 2019, Orange County filmmaker Penny LeLeux had a vision. A map of Texas popped into her head. She noticed how Interstate 10 traveled all the way across Texas at what would be the belt line, if the state of Texas was a living entity. She also saw that along that belt line there was any type of landscape you could imagine. You have the swamps and forests in Southeast Texas, plus...
Orange County Health Services announced Tuesday the county has its first confirmed case of pertussis, also known as whooping cough. The respiratory illness is particularly dangerous for infants and babies. The news comes after Hardin County reported 11 cases in December and the Texas Department of State Health Services, which tracks the cases, reported three times as many cases in November 2024 to November 2023. The illness is caused by a bacterium in the respiratory system...
The economy is booming in Orange as the city council has approved three new economic development grants, including a new apartment complex. Also, the city will be spending a half-million dollars on improvements to the Riverside Pavilion and Boat Ramp area. The money for the improvements to the recreational area will come from the city's Hotel Occupancy Tax paid by people who stay in local hotels and motels. The city's public works department reports the Pavilion and Boat...
As I sit here in front of this computer I can’t help but be cautiously optimistic about the prospects for the new year on Sabine and Calcasieu. In the years since the upper Texas coast and western half of Louisiana got absolutely hammered by hurricanes the landscape has changed as far as the eye can see. Many traditional fall and winter “hotspots” have either been covered in mud or littered with debris making fishing that spot a much more difficult task. In years past...
Doris Mildred Wood, 92, of Bridge City, Texas, passed away peacefully on January 6, 2025, in Orange. A gathering of family and friends will be from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., Friday, January 10, 2025, at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange. Doris was born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 26, 1932. She was the daughter of George M. Cook and Ann K. Cook (Halpin). Affectionately known as Nana and Aunt Doris, she was a beloved figure in her family and community. Doris was a dedicated...
Laura Hughes and Zoe Henning won first places at Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School for the annual Stark Reading Contest. Hughes will compete in the declamation competition and Henning in the interpretive reading category for the Countywide Stark Reading Contest finals at the Lutcher Theater at 6 p.m. February 6. Each school category winner gets $2,500 in scholarships and each school second place winner gets $2,000 in scholarships. The LCM school-wide finalists were...
Piece together a fun weekend at the Orange Public Library! Join us on Saturday, January 25th at 10:30 am for a Puzzle Competition and Puzzle Swap! In the Puzzle Competition, teams will race to see who can put a puzzle together the fastest! Participants can compete as individuals or in teams of up to four people. Teams: - Adult Only (Ages 12+): 750-piece jigsaw puzzle - Family (All ages with at least one child under the age of 12): 500-piece jigsaw puzzle Puzzle enthusiasts...
This week session began! It will be an exciting and fast-paced 140 days. We will do our best to keep East Texans informed about the goings on in Austin. Here are five things happening around your state: 1. 89th Legislative Session begins On January 14, 2025, the 89th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature began at noon. On the Senate side, members who successfully won in the general election were sworn in. There are three brand new members of the Senate: Senators Molly...
THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT As Joe Biden leaves office the U.S. economy is the envy of the world. Remember that when Biden came into office the U.S. economy was in such bad shape that a recession was widely forecast by Republicans and Democrats. Four years later, no recession ever gripped the American economy thanks to Biden. And the job market flourished under Biden Unemployment hit record lows. The recession never happened. And inflation is coming down. Biden ended America’s...
When I first met Dr. Tom Johnson, the new president of Lamar State College-Orange, who replaced Dr. Mike Shahan, who served 24 years as LSCO president. I liked Mike, he and I were bonded by an old Port Arthur connection but here was this new guy, Johnson, I had no idea where he hailed from but I knew that he was going to be alright. I could tell right away, and I told him so, that anyone who wore a bow tie with cowboy boots had to be alright and would do to ride the range...
