Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
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WITNESSING UNUSUAL DAY IN HISTORY JANUARY 20, 2025 When I woke up Monday morning, like I do most mornings before opening my eyes, I think about what day and time it is. I realized it was Monday, January 20, 2025, and it was going to be a different day, different than all others. This day was a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King but it was much more, it was the day of the inauguration president of Donald J. Trump. After being defeated by Joe Biden, Trump was...
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 l...
DR. TOM WILL BE MISSED I visited with Dr. Tom Johnson by phone over the weekend. He was at his place on Lake Livingston doing nothing, totally deserved rest. “The heaviest thing I have lifted is this coffee mug as I enjoy the outdoors and the million dollar view.” He said he would call me Monday. I know now he must have been deep in thought about his future. He has put in 42 years in government service. That left little time with family. His life and accomplishments at suc...
STATE FUNERAL TO BE HELD FOR CARTER James Earl Carter Jr., an American politician from Plains Georgia, served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. He was a member of the Democratic Party and had previously served in the Georgia State Senate from 1963 to 1967 and as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. A state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter will be held on Jan. 9 in Washington, D.C, according to a presidential declaration by...
CHRISTMAS THE BIRTHDAY THAT KEEPS ON GIVING It’s come on the Christmas season, a joyous time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. On Dec. 25, many people who attend church just once a year will attend religious services. The youngsters will wake up to the joy of gifts under the tree, many not yet realizing why this day of gifts from Santa Clause and the big feast mom has planned is a special day and why we celebrate. Many youngsters are happy that they are going to G...
CHAMBER BANQUETS ORANGE and BRIDGE CITY Dec. 19 at noon is the deadline for reservations to the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce annual meeting and awards banquet. The 2024 Citizen of the Year and the Non-Profit and Business Community Service Awards will be presented Jan. 7, 2025 at the Orange County Convention and Expo Center. Sponsorship tables are $650, while individual tickets are $60 per person. Contact GOACC to reserve your spot. The GOACC is currently seeking...
PHELAN BIG LOSS FOR ORANGE COUNTY The Texas House Speaker is one of the most powerful legislative positions in the state. For a district like ours, it is a big loss to lose Dade Phelan. It really doesn’t matter if a state leader is Republican or Democrat, he always is in a position to bring good things to his district. Phelan, 49, has been one of the most powerful elected officials in Texas. Phelan started to lose his grip on the House last year when Attorney General Ken P...
REMEMBERING PEARL HARBOR, DEC. 7, 1943 I was a youngster when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese. I recall sitting next to the old radio with family and neighbors listening to President Franklin D. Roosevelt address the nation about the attack. My aunt was saying her Rosary. She was praying for her son who was at Pearl Harbor. It turned out he had been severely injured when a lifeboat crashed down on him when his ship was hit. He recovered after a long hospital stay...
A TIME FOR GIVING THANKS It’s come on Thanksgiving time and we certainly have plenty to be thankful for. It looks like Thanksgiving time I remember as a boy with the changing of the leaves. It’s not New England but I still appreciate the bright colors, even on the Tallow trees, Oaks, etc. I hope you all get to enjoy a nice day with your families. This year, for the first time, too many of our tribe are away and can’t get home. On a personal note, I’m very thankful for the man...
CAN PHELAN SURVIVE AS SPEAKER The race for speaker of the Texas House has narrowed, pitting Beaumont Republican Dade Phelan, who has held the gavel since 2021, against Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, who has emerged as the challenger designated by a group disillusioned with House leadership. Phelan says he has the votes to be reelected to a third term as speaker. The speaker race typically takes off in the fall, but the quest to replace Phelan by his critics got started before...
ROY AND WILLIE AWAITING LAST CHANCE (Will History Be Made In Their Lifetime) There is a wide musical space between Beyoncé and Willie Nelson. Both were part of a star powered rally for Vice-President Kamala Harris in Houston. Willie, who is 91 years old and Roy Dunn, 90, said they have waited all these years to witness a female being elected president of the United States. They say they both missed their chance when an October surprise by the FBI head, James Comey, ended Hilla...
JAN. 6 RIOTER JUDGES FEAR REPRISALS According to the Associated Press, over the past four years, judges at Washington’s federal courthouse have punished hundreds of rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol in an unprecedented assault on the nation’s democracy. On the cusp of the next presidential election, some of those judges fear another burst of political violence could be coming. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton said he prays Americans accept the outcome of the next ele...
WELCOME TEXANA TOYOTA Owner of the new Toyota dealership, Rick Jones, said they intend to play a large part in the community. He’s ready to invest time and monetary donations in community projects. County Judge John Gothia said he visited with the General Manager Mike Grewening and staff on Friday and welcomed them to Orange County. Gothia said they sincerely want to be part of the local community, chamber of commerce and overall involvement. Jones also owns other Toyota d...
MILTON CAUSES RECORD EARLY DEADLINE In early predictions hurricane Milton, a category four storm, barrels towards Florida, due Wednesday evening. Thankfully, that has been delayed. However the fear of evacuation and losing power threw us into an early Tuesday afternoon deadline. Mark Dunn, who produces our publications, is in Florida and feared that if we waited any longer to complete the papers to send to press we would be gambling. The eye of the storm is predicted to go...
GONE WITH THE WIND--85 YEARS LATER The 1939 epic Civil War film “Gone with the Wind” celebrates its 85th anniversary. The timeless story of love and war has been re-released nine times. The nearly four hour drama, hailed as a masterpiece, has grossed more than any other movie in history. $1.7 billion. It was nominated for 13 Oscars and awarded 10, including best picture. Vivien Leigh, as Scarlett O’Hara, won best actress. Here’s an interesting sidebar, Best Supporting Actress...
ALLRED AND CRUZ IN TIGHT SENATE RACE There was a time in Texas that the United States Senate race was always the hottest, most expensive race. Orange County was once a hot bed for U.S. Senators. The state has two senators who do not face elections at the same time for six-year terms. Most states have a senator from each party. Texas, for 30 years, has had two Republican senators. This election cycle could change that. A new poll puts U.S. Rep. Colin Allred up by one point...
HURRICANE FRANCINE PREVENTS DEBATE REVIEW The hurricane that followed the Texas coast landed in Louisiana. A small turn however would have put it in our front yard. About 6 p.m. Tuesday winds were starting to pick up. When it’s stormy weather in Southeast Texas you always fear losing power. It is scary when its paper deadline. For us to wait until after the presidential debate Tuesday evening between Vice-President Harris and former President Trump was a gamble we c...
HOSTAGE DEATHS SPARK RENEWED CALLS FOR CEASE-FIRE A nationwide strike has begun in Israel, with the country’s biggest union vowing to shut down the economy in a furious push for the government to agree to a cease-fire deal after the deaths of six hostages taken during Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack. The strike is expected to bring much of Israel's economy to a grinding halt, and to shut government offices, schools and private businesses. Flights were also briefly halted from Isr...
DNC TOPS TV VIEWERS Twenty-nine million TV viewers watched Kamala Harris’s speech, 14 percent higher than for Trump’s July 19 address, which scored 25.4 million viewers. Nielsen data showed that Harris’ well-received acceptance speech was watched by viewers across 15 networks. The speech caped a successful week for the Democratic National Convention, which topped the audience for the GOP’S gathering every night last week. MSNBC, saw its largest audience ever for a Democra...
JOE BIDEN’S LEGACY Awash in his party’s love, President Joe Biden finally did become that bridge to a new generation of leaders. He movingly performed the most profound act a politician in a democracy can undertake, willingly handing over power, as he ceded the leadership of the party to Kamala Harris Monday at the Democratic National Convention. He capped a half-century long career, as a senator, a vice president and finally president, by citing a verse of a song called “Am...
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION AUG. 19-22 Several prominent Democratic figures are set to speak at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week. President Joe Biden, former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have been confirmed as speakers at the convention. Obama and the Clintons delivered speeches during the 2020 DNC, which was largely held virtually to prevent the spread of Covid-19 amid the pandemic. A source...
HARRIS-WALZ FRESH NEW TEAM Vice President Harris has chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate, opting for a former high school teacher and Midwestern Democrat to complete a newly assembled presidential ticket. In a social media post, Harris said Walz’s “convictions on fighting for middle class families” stood out. Walz is scheduled to appear with Harris in coming days in each of the seven most competitive states — Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina,...
8 PARIS OLYMPICS The United States women’s gymnastics team has done it again. It is back on top with its fourth gold medal in the team event in the last 32 years of a medal-earning streak. Team USA had a glorious showing on all four apparatuses heading into the individual finals strong. It's no surprise Simone Biles hit her floor routine Tuesday, the last of 12 chances Team USA had to prove it was worthy of a gold medal. It'll head to the top of the podium with Biles' s...
KAMALA HARRIS TAKES FIRST STEPS TO PRESIDENCY The Vice President used Beyoncé’s 2016 Lemonade hit, “Freedom,” during her first presidential campaign appearance in Delaware on Monday. Harris walked out to the song, sparking speculations that Bey’s approval could also mean she backs her as the 47th President of the United States. After an unforgettable entrance, the 59-year-old gave a 20-minute speech where she asked citizens: “What kind of country do we want to live in: A coun...
EYE WITNESS TO HISTORY I’ve witnessed a lot of history over the years, assassinations and attempted assassinations. I was watching former president Donald Trump start a speech in Butler, PA, July 13, 2024, when an assassination’s bullet from an AR-15, 148 yards away, nipped his right ear. He moved his head right at the moment. Twenty-year-old Thomas Crooks pulled the trigger. Trump’s life was spared by less than an inch from his brains. Trump went to the floor as the Secret Se...
