Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
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WINTER BLAST WELCOMES 2018 The new year brought a winter blast in Southeast Texas that rivaled many northern states. A five day freeze is uncommon in these parts. Low temperatures every day, for five days, are expected and mid to low 20’s, with slight warm up during the day, are predicted. No cold record was set. I recall 14 degrees and 17 degrees a couple of time in the last 30 years. The kind of weather we are having was not uncommon when I was a boy. Many of our winter days brought freezing mornings. Roof tops were snow w...
THE JOY OF MANY CHRISTMASES For many years now Creaux and I have seen many Christmas days come and go. For the past 27 years Creaux and I have worked together. Before him, the Office Hound and I knocked out several years of columns at the Opportunity Valley News. I started writing a 3,000 word column by hand I might add, long before Charlie Wilson was a congressman, Wayne Peveto wasn’t out of law school, the kid from West Texas, the pride of Sanderson, Buddie Hahn, had not yet arrived in Orange County. Sharon Bearden was f...
(week of Nov. 29) GOP JUDGE RACE LIKELY HEADED TO RUNOFF A three man race is shaping up in the Republican county judges race in the March Primary. Those announced are incumbent Brint Carlton, Kenneth Robert Luce, of Vidor and Dean Crooks, who lives in the center of the county, in the Orangefield School District. Judge Pete Runnels, Pinehurst mayor, is not expected to run because of mass destruction of his home by Hurricane Harvey. Rebuilding, even just getting sheetrock up will consume his time. For that reason I believe he...
(week of December 6) DECEMBER 7, PEARL HARBOR—76 YEARS AGO The attack on Pearl Harbor occurred 76 years ago. President Roosevelthadbeen steering the United States away from the war in Europe and Asia but the invasion galvanized our country uniting all Americans who were determined to defend our way of life. Millions of Americans volunteered to serve their country and help the war effort. Every patriotic American wanted to do their part to help secure freedom’s victory over tyranny. I recall when the announcement came tha...
SNOW A WELCOME SURPRISE Out of nowhere Orange County citizens woke up to a beautiful snow-covered morning. The only thing that could have been better would have been the falling snow waiting until Christmas morning. Thirty-two year old Brenda said, “That was my first time to see snow falling.” Twenty-two year old Collin was as excited as any child. Sixty-two year old Joyce said, “This is only the second time I’ve seen snow falling and staying on the ground.” Different amounts of snow fell and piled up. In Bridge City ther...
WE SHOULD ALL BE THANKFUL A person should count their blessings because we all have many. Some are more fortunate than others but all have more positives than negatives. Health wise, we have the best system in the world. In my lifetime, life expectancy has gone from 50-years to 76-years. People in earlier generations worked themselves to death. Today, life is made so easy that one doesn’t even have to get up to change the television channel. It goes way further than that in e...
Sherlock Breaux in the Creaux's Nest CHAOS IN THE GOP Some top Republicans say Roy Moore is unfit to serve in the United States senate even if he survives Alabama’s election. Some Repubs are even suggesting that if he wins they will move to kick him out. Several Women have said that Moore sexually groped them when they were teenagers, one as young as 14. Some reports say at that time, in his young 30’s, Moore would troll shopping malls in search of young girls. I don’t know about all that but what I do know is that Roy Moore...
WE SALUTE ALL VETERANS, PAST AND PRESENT This week the Lunch Bunch is again inviting all World War II veterans to a luncheon in their honor, hosted by Josette and Van Choate at their Tuffy’s Restaurant, 12 noon, Wed., Nov. 8. On this day also the only area survivor of Pearl Harbor will celebrate his 96th birthday. Some of the other WWII veterans that plan to attend are Tom Brooks, who was at the Battle of the Budge, John Pittman, Roy McDonald, Harry Fulton, Maurice Fournet, Althanase Benoit, Robert Rothrock, Eugene G...
ASTROS FACE FINAL CHANCE I thought game two of the 2017 World Series was a game for the ages but one of the greatest comebacks of all times, by both teams, who just wouldn’t quite, was game five. The game featured everything, success, failure, magic and seven homeruns. Finally in the bottom of the 10th inning the Astros won the game 13-12. Houston and all of Southeast Texas went wild. The Astros could really be world champions. The game had lasted way into the night, 12:17 a.m., a five hour, 17 minute calamity. The game, f...
TEN DIED—5,000 RESCUED IN COUNTY For several days Hurricane Harvey, that entered Texas east of Corpus Christi, couldn’t find a low pressure path to move on north. It maundered around in a weird spin that took it back to the Gulf where its eye entered between the Sabine River and Holly Beach, in Louisiana. No storm before had ever affected such a wide area. Harvey dropped from 40 inches to 55 inches of rain from Corpus to Lake Charles. Areas that had not flooded before were turned into lakes. Many homes destroyed by the surge...
LOCAL JUDGE VIEWS ‘COSMIC MAGIC’ Judge Hershel Stagner and his wife Debra, traveled to Hopkinsville, Kentucky on Aug. 21 to view the eclipse at the epicenter of totality. The eclipse lasted 2:41 minutes. It had been 99 years since America’s last Pacific to Atlantic total solar eclipse in 1919 and 38 years since the last such eclipse occurred in the continental United States. In 1979 this writer witnessed it but that was before almost half of Americans alive to see Monday’s eclipse were born. A nation separated by politic...
LESS THAN HALF A YEAR TO GO I believe ten years ago was the year that it rained every day in August. I was starting to believe time was repeating itself. We have been fortunate this summer to have high pressure hanging over the Gulf and Texas. As long as it’s around, we won’t have to worry about a hurricane. We’re good for at least the rest of this month then we will only have to sweat out two months.*****I’ve run far behind and really have a lot to say so I’d best get going. Hop on board and come along, I promise it won’t do...
ENOUGH RAIN ALREADY What would be ideal is if we got a two inch rain every 10 days, year around but weather is never perfect anywhere. I noticed 10 years ago, at this time, we recorded 13 inches of rain in a week. Hopefully it won’t be that bad this week. *****Football two-a-days has started. So far it’s been rainy or overcast. I don’t recall ever practicing in the rain in August. It was always hell hot. No water, just salt tablets and a scorching sun.*****Here at home it looks like the Judge will cave in and give the deput...
TRUMP ATTACKS AG SESSIONS PUBLICLY Attorney General Jeff Sessions has done virtually everything Trump wanted, except protect the boss from a special counsel investigation. Trump, undercutting one of his earliest and most faithful supporters, means he’s motivated by more, like trying to squeeze the AG out as part of the strategy to take control over the Russian inquiry. Sesssions removal would allow Trump to pick an attorney gereral nominee that would take control of the investigation from special counsel Robert Muller. T...
TRUMPCARE DIED IN SENATE Since Obama and the Democrats passed the Affordable Care Act Republicans have won the White House and full control of the congress. For seven years their promise to the voters was to repeal and replace Obamacare. Trump, the self-declared ‘great deal maker,’ promised a better health care package that would become law right away. The main reason for repealing Obamacare was to rob nearly $1 trillion dollars from the Medicaid program to give tax breaks to the super rich. If a good workable health bill eve...
THE VALUE OF OUR INDEPENDENCE Since America declared her independence many of our basic ideals have been watered down or gone down the drain altogether. Over taxation and deterioration of our civil liberties is not what our forefathers envisioned. Wire tapping, hacking, to invasion of privacy, robs all of us of our basic freedoms promised us in the U.S. Constitution. Many women are watching with dismay as hard won progress for women is rolled back by the far-right controlled court. As we celebrate this July 4, we are still...
TROPICAL STORM COULD LAND NEAR US The National Hurricane Center has put the landing of tropical storm Cindy between High Island and Intracoastal City, LA. That’s about a 100 air mile span. It puts the Sabine River right square in the middle. Anything is subject to happen. It could fizzle, go the other way, further west or east. If winds got up to 40 miles it will do some damage. We could get five to 10 inches of rain or very little. Land fall is expected Wednesday evening with gusty winds all day. That will make it very d...
Sherlock Breaux in the Creaux's Nest BE A GOOD KID—HONOR DAD It’s coming on Father’s Day and over the many years I’ve been doing this I’ve had plenty to say about ‘Dear Old Dad.’ Well, to be truthful, I’m proud that I’ve had and still have the good fortune to be a father. That job is a blessing but it’s not always easy. Being a dad can bring many thrills as your youngsters make their way to adulthood. The teenage years can possibly be tough and worrisome. No matter how old they get, if you are their father you are stil...
IT’S NOT ENOUGH ALREADY The rains we needed badly came in bunches. Hopefully we are in for a few days of dry, sunny weather that will help our gardens. Let me tell you what’s coming next weekend, it’s the “Skeeters.” If you are planning outdoor activities at your place in the next few weeks, you‘d best call Donna at Pestco. They will send Tony out to spray and guarantee that you will have several weeks of mosquito free days. *****I’ve really fallen behind and not very organized. With a deadline just a few hours away I’d best...
COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL CONCLUDES The Landry boys, Shea at West Orange-Stark and Chadat Bridge City, had a good run at it. WO-S lost a one game playoff to Robinson to end their season 4-2 in the Class 4-A Region III semifinals last Thursday. Coach Shea has done a great job bringing back baseball at WO-S to a high level. Meanwhile, Coach Chad, at Bridge City, didn’t have the usual senior loaded talent that has made Bridge City a baseball power over the years. Coach Landry didn’t have any players that were super stars, in...
OUR APOLOGIES Unfortunately, in this column last week, we mistakenly reported that Dr. Albert Pugh, a longtime Bridge City Veterinarian had passed away. We regret this mistake and apologize to his family and friends. I did not write the information in this column. I had long been asleep when the staff received the information. I understand how the error came about and had I received the information I probably would have printed it. A few hours earlier the staff had learned that Dr. Pugh had a massive stroke at the hospital...
My thoughts are about my own Mom and all the great Mothers that I have known who are now gone. Many great women who influenced my life more than anyone, not only my grandmother, aunts and other female relatives who played a major role in my life, but other great women who adopted me like I was their own. It saddens me to think they served their time and along the way, one by one, they passed away. When I think back to all of those women as a group, it really makes me aware of how much I have lost, but on the other hand, how...
COURSE OF HISTORY CHANGED THROUGH SHENANIGANS A lot of things have been going on in Washington but none more significant than the appointment of the 113 Supreme Court judge. If you are 21 years old, the new judge, Neil Gorsuch, will probably be on the court your entire adult life, until the day he retires. His appointment came about by the Senate changing the rules, in a historical move, for the first time they appointed a Supreme Court judge just with a simple majority of 52 votes, not the 60 votes required throughout our...
SUMMER ON THE GULF COAST It seems finally after a few cool days and plenty of sunshine that our weather will get back to normal, hot and humid. That’s one of the small prices we pay for living here on the coast. Hurricanes are a big price we have to pay when we’re the target. Enjoy this great weather because I believe me we are in for a miserable, hot summer. Also I even hate to think about it but we are due for another storm to hit somewhere on the Gulf Coast, which could be anywhere from Florida to Brownsville. A high or...
KEEPIN’ ON ROLLING ON Another week rolls around and I’m still here so I guess I’ll do what I’ve been doing nearly 50 years; write another column. When I started this years ago I was just trying to make a small living for a large family. Now I do it because I’m afraid if I quit I’ll just fade away. I can read my column on Wednesday and know I’m still here and still fairly sane. My day started off good. My old buddy J.B. Arrington stopped by for a visit. He always has a story. This week it was a Lannie Claybar story. Lannie...
