Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
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“NO OBAMA WIRETAP” FBI CONFIRMS PROBE OF TRUMP RUSSIAN TIES FBI Director James Comey and National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers claim there is no evidence to support Trump’s claim that former president, BarackObama, had committed a felony by ordering a wiretap of Trump Tower. They discounted the claim. Comey however delivered a bombshell that the FBI is investigating whether Trump’s campaign team colluded with Russia to affect the outcome of the presidential campaign. Meanwhile, President Trump and the White House i...
BUDGET OFFICE “GOP BILL” BOOST COST AND UNINSURED A Republican bill to replace Obamacare would lead to 14 million fewer Americans with health insurance by next year. In 2018 and 2019 the average premiums for single policy holders who did not get insurance from their employers would be 15 percent to 20 percent higher than under Obamacare. Younger citizens would benefit more than older ones. The GOP bill would allow insurers to charge five times more for older patients than younger ones. Senate minority leader Chuck Sch...
STIRRING UP A STINK There is more to the called town hall meeting by County Judge Brint Carlton than meets the eye. I’m not buying that it was simply called to inform the citizens about the death of Robert Montano in the county jail and the $3 million lawsuit settlement. The citizens knew everything there was to know about the case from start to finish. It all came out in court and was reported by various news outlets. My Grandmother used to say, “Son, the more you stir up that dung the more it will stink.” For some reason so...
UP AND DOWN WEATHER FILLS DOCTOR’S OFFICE The doctor’s offices in the area are filled with patients with breathing problems, congestion, etc. Pharmacies are selling plenty of cough syrup, antibodies and other cold medications. After being plum miserableall weekend, early Monday, before the doctor’s office opened at 8 a.m., I was the second one to sign in only to be told they couldn’t see me until 3 p.m. I didn’t have an appointment the receptionist said. Of course I didn’t get sick until Saturday and they were closed. I t...
UNCLE SAM WANTS YOU Legislation, approved by Congress and signed late last year by President Obama, because of rising threats around the world, authorizes the Army to spend $300 million over the next eight months in a blitz of bonuses and advertising. The Army will recruit 6,000 soldiers it needs to fill out the ranks. Recruitments are up this year to 68,500 from 62,500 in the previous year. This makes it the largest yearly increase in the history of the All-Volunteer force that dates back to 1973. By October 1, the Army must...
HOW WILL FUTURE COMPARE WITH THE PAST Mark your calendar, as of Jan. 15, 2017, with the last survey of the jobs monthly report, 227,000 jobs were reported, with a low 4.8 unemployment. Under the Obama Administration surveys showed 19 straight months of jobs growth. Trump took over on Jan. 20. You might want to keep those figures and check them again on Jan. 20, 2020, to see what success the Trump Administration had. Other Obama successes, 2016 was a record year for new auto sales and new home startups, interest rates remains...
HISTORIC SUPER BOWL TO FEATURE LOCAL STAR At one time Jefferson County had more pro football players than any other area in the U.S. In fact, Beaumont was known as the pro football capital because so many players came from the area. It seems every year a local southeast Texas boy is involved in the Super Bowl. This year, in Super Bowl 51, Orange County is represented by Bridge City kicker Matt Bryant. Before Matt was safety Earl Thomas. The late Shane Dronett, from Bridge City, was also a Super Bowler. Then we’ve had Port Art...
BRYANT IN SUPER BOWL LI NEAR HOME It’s great that after a long, successful career Bridge City, native Matt Bryant will have a chance to play in a Super Bowl. The game, played in Houston Feb. 5, is just 90 miles from where he was raised and played high school sports. A fact not known by many is that the very first coaches at Bridge City High School were his father, Casey and uncle, Cecil Bryant. Cecil, who attended Lamar, named the team the Cardinals. Both have died in the last few years. Matt’s mother Mary still lives in Bri...
OBAMA SERVED US WELL On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama became the 44th president of the United States of America now eight years later he leaves office. To truly measure his legacy and accomplishments one has to recall where and when he started. Remember what the world and nation were like the day he took office. Obama was the first president since Roosevelt to enter office in a economic crisis. The auto industry was on the brink of bankruptcy, unemployment was nearly 10 percent, and nearly 770,000 jobs a month were being...
CLEMSON NATIONAL CHAMPIONS What a game. The lead changed three times in the last five minutes. Each time the fans cheered, sure their team had just won the game. With Alabama leading by three points and only six seconds left on the clock, Clemson could have tied it up with a field goal, putting the game in over-time, instead Clemson took the big gamble. On the last down they went for the win, completed a pass in the end zone for a 35-31 win over last year’s champion Alabama. One second remained on the clock. The win sent s...
CHANGE COMING IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT Special thanks to public officials who will be leaving office January 1. The longest serving official is Tax Assessor Linda Gunstream. For many years she has served us well and ran a tight ship. She will be replaced by longtime employee Karen Fisher, who is well qualified for the job and dedicated to giving the best service possible. County Commissioner David Dubose is retiring. His interest over the years has always been the best interest of the county and its citizens. He will be missed. H...
CHRISTMAS, A TIME TO HELP OTHERS Christmas time is just a few days away. I hope for you and yours everything good comes your way. Most of us are truly blessed but there are those among us not as fortunate, those with far less and who are just trying to do their best. Remember them and try to give them a helping hand. It’s a sad time of year for some who are alone. Their loved ones may be gone, they may be fighting poor health or they may be facing the end before long. There is no bigger joy and blessing during the C...
9—THE YEAR OF THE MUSTANGS The West Orange-Stark Mustangs are on the verge of becoming one of the greatest football teams in their long run of successes. There are 1400 schools, with 800,000 student athletes and very few of them have made it to the state football championship three years in a row. If the Southeast Texas Mustangs defeat the West Texas Mustangs, the 2016 West Orange-Stark Mustangs will become legendary. In 2066, 50 years from now, someone will be writing about the great team and the red headed youngster w...
DECEMBER 7, PEARL HARBOR—75 YEARS AGO The attack on Pearl Harbor occurred 75 years ago. President Roosevelt had been 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 that we had been att...
IN SEARCH OF THE STATE CROWN The West Orange-Stark Mustangs, coming off a 49-7 win over Bellville in Porter last week, return to Texas Drive Stadium in Porter Friday at 7:30 to face Giddings. The two teams are vying for the 2016 UIL football state championship in 4-A Division 2. WO-S is the defending state champion. The Mustangs are 13-0, with eight shutouts, scoring 690 points while allowing only 51 points to five teams, 21-2-7-14-7. The Giddings Buffalos have an 11-2 win-loss record scoring 487 points while allowing 274. Th...
REMEMBERING THE DAY JFK DIED As I sit here on Nov. 22 planning this column it hits me that the date has more significance than being my friend H.D. Pate’s birthday. November 22, 1963 comes alive in my mind. I instantly recall every step I took that day. That’s the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. The shooting occurred around noon and the rest of the day that was all my mind was occupied with. I watched every report on a black and white television whi...
WILL THE GLASS CEILING EVER BE BROKEN Hillary, on the campaign trail, often said, “It had a million cracks in it.” Well, now it really does. The voters gave the first woman to run for U.S. president a million more votes than her male opponent, denying Donald Trump a mandate from the people. He will become president through the Electoral College which meets on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. Hillary’s problem goes back to before she announced when Karl Rove branded her untrustworthy and disho...
FBI CAST CLOUD ON ELECTION No doubt the email flap for nine days affected the election for president and down ballot candidates. Twenty-four million voters cast ballots during that period. FBI Director James Comey’s brief notice to Congress on Sunday, effectively ending the bureau’s revived examination of Hillary Clinton’s handling of classified information, may have provided major relief for the Democratic presidential nominee. But the unusual nine-day episode is likely to have lasting consequences for the FBI and the direc...
IT WILL SOON BE OVER By the time voters go to the polls on Nov. 8, the presidential campaign will have run over 600 days, starting with Ted Cruz’s announcement in March of 2015. The ugliness of the campaign throughout the entire Republican Primary and into the General Election’s name calling, lying and sex scandals has added stress to the American people but it hasn’t decreased voter turnout and voting records being set in many places. Of course the email case extension by FBI director James Comey was political even if he di...
HISTORICAL ELECTION IN PROGRESS Early voting for the November 8 General Election got off to a fast start in Orange County Monday with a total of 3,450 votes cast in person and by mail. About 25,000 votes are expected to be cast early and on Election Day. In the 2012 presidential election, 123 million voted. Obama received 63.56 million votes, Romney 59.93 for a total of over 129 million. Obama had 332 Electoral College votes, Romney 206. In 2008, Obama had 365 and McCain 173. What do I expect in this election? I had...
TEXANS PREPARE TO VOTE Over 15 million voters have registered to vote in the Nov. 8 presidential race. Since the March Primaries 777,000 have registered. Donald Trump is favored by three percentage points. Nearly 60 percent are expected to vote. Jimmy Carter was the last Democrat to carry Texas but the state is getting more purple with hopes of going blue in 2020, the year of the census. Every major newspaper in Texas has endorsed Clinton for president. Orange County has registered just over 53,000 up 2,500 percent from...
What will Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones do? His loyalty to Tony Romo has the potential to disrupt the Cowboys this season and likely hurt them in the long run. If Jones would stick with the rookie Dak Prescott and part with Romo in the off season he would have the money to overhaul the defense. With a great offensive line, the defense is the only thing keeping them from the Super Bowl. Romo is 36 years old, he’s only going to get more breakable. He has broken a bone in t...
ANOTHER WEEK ROLLS AROUND We received very good response to last week’s anniversary edition. The staff, under the condition of working with computer problems, left out several advertisements and that ain’t never good. We apologize.*****We had a great time at the presentation of the “Person of the Year” award to Corky Harmon last week. A full house showed up at the Lunch Bunch gathering. Betty and Corky’s family attended. Their sister-in-law, brother Tommy’s wife Barbara, wore her Abbeville tee shirt that made Roy happy. They...
ANNIVERSARY ISSUE HONORS HARMON Carlton J. “Corky” Harmon is the recipient of the “2016 Person of the Year” award. Over many years he and his wife Betty have been active in promoting our community. Betty, who has served on many boards from P.T.A. to bank boards, has been involved in most civic endeavors. For several years she was manager of the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce. She was the more public of the two, often attending evening meetings and functions. Corky often depending on the microwave for his meal bu...
RED STATES--BLUE STATES--SWING STATES I had planned to give my predictions for the upcoming presidential election this week however I have doubts about a couple of states. Depending on how they fall makes a big difference on the Electoral College vote which is what I go by. The polls that show Trump and Clinton tied in national polls have noting to do with picking the winner. Al Gore won the popular vote by nearly 2 million votes but lost Florida by 500 votes thus losing the election. There are 538 Electoral College votes,...
