Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
Sorted by date Results 351 - 375 of 15391
Probably no one in Orange County today will remember the Ready Reserve Fleet, but many still know of the "mothball fleet."40 The U.S. Navy's "mothball fleet" along the Sabine River was a familiar landmark to those who lived here in the 1950s through 1970s. It was part of the federal government's post-World War II plan for the national defense to store navy vessels that were no longer needed. The nickname came from the common household chore of putting woolen clothes in...
Texas had 34 new laws go into effect, including a cost of living increase for teachers in the Retired Teachers Fund. The monthly raise will be between 2 to 6 percent and is the first cost of living awarded since 2013. The teacher pension COLA was one of three measures approved by voters in November after the Texas Legislature passed bills making the proposals law upon voter approval. Another change approved by voters will allow an estimated 67,000 small businesses to not have...
Shawntel Holcombe, center, was honored at a retirement reception after serving nearly 27 years in the Orange County Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace court, where she became chief court clerk. Honoring her were current Judge Rodney Price, and retired Judge Sherri Smith, who hired Holcombe in 1997....
As campaigning is heating up in the March Republican primary election for county offices, filing will be starting for May elections to city councils and school boards. This year, Bridge City, Orange, and Pinehurst will have elections for mayor, with incumbents in the three seats. Besides the city council elections, four of the five public school districts in the county will have elections for boards of trustees. In addition, the Orange County Port and Navigation Board, along...
News in Orange from a century ago isn't much different from that going into 2024. Christian denominations were splitting and the government wanted to save by cutting back on employees. The daily newspaper, Orange Leader, of January 31, 1923, was reporting on local, national, and world affairs. One Associated Press story predicted "the year o the great realignment of the church forces in the United States" "spurred by the war between fundamentalists and modernists." One pastor...
More than 20 years ago, leaders in Orange had a vision to expand commercial business and the tax base along Interstate 10 at 16th Street. After years of negotiations with the state highway department and railroad companies, the dream is coming true as businesses have filled up land along a new interstate frontage road. The project also involved about $2.5 million in city investments with the money coming from the special half-cent per dollar economic development sales tax...
Battalion Chief Joel Gilbert of the Orange Fire Department (center) recently graduated from the regional police academy at Lamar Institute of Technology. The 12-year veteran of OFD received his certification from the Texas Commission on Fire Protection as an arson investigator. He is now one of five certified peace officers in the department. Fire Chief John Bilbo is to the left of Gilbert....
As 2023 comes to a close, most of the public entities with sales taxes have income staying above the inflation rate, but Bridge City and Pinehurst have had stagnant returns. The Texas Comptroller's Office has sent the cities, county, and one special district the sales taxes for sales in the month of October and has calculated the 12 months of sales taxes paid to the entities. Orange ended up with a whopping 28.9 percent end of the year increase from 2022, while Bridge City saw...
A brisk north wind Saturday accompanied Santa to Roberts Ford and blew out the rain before the dealership's Second Annual Jingle Bell Rockout festival. Sarah Helm, marketing manager for the dealership, said the event is a way for the community to get to know the Roberts Ford family and for the business to help the community. That help includes letting small businesses set up booths to sell or get familiar with their products. Helm said the weather forecast of rain kept some...
The Port of Orange is getting $18.1 million from the state and will be able to do new projects to help local industry, thanks to a first-time allocation from the Texas Legislature. Texas Speaker of the House, Dade Phelan, who represents Orange County and part of Jefferson County, and Texas Senator Robert Nichols, whose district includes Orange and Jefferson counties, were at the Port of Orange on Monday to announce the allocation. The four ports in Southeast Texas are...
Lamar State College Orange has once again broken a graduation record with 327 degrees and certificates awarded to 244 graduates at commencement on Friday, December 15, 2023. This represents more than a 12% increase in the number of graduates from last year's Fall commencement in December 2022. "Commencement is without a doubt, my favorite event at Lamar State College Orange," President Thomas Johnson said. "Each and every one of these students has accomplished something...
People in Mauriceville who have an opinion on noisy engine braking on big truck rigs will have a chance to tell Orange County Commissioners Court at 8:30 a.m. on January 9. Precinct 2 Commissioner Chris Sowell has recommended the county adopt a "no engine braking" zone at the intersection of Texas Highways 62 and 12. The court will hold a public hearing for the zone during that time before going into a workshop meeting at 9 a.m. The court had its last meeting of the year on...
The Bridge City Chamber of Commerce annual dinner has been set for January 29, and the deadline is approaching for nominees as "citizen of the year" and "business of the year." The nominating deadline is January 5 and submissions may be made by email, postage mail, or at the chamber office. The 2024 recipients of the two honors will be announced dinner. Tickets to the annual dinner, which will be at the Bridge City Community Center at 6 p.m. January 29, are $20 for each person...
The Bridge City Strutters revealed the 2024-2025 line last Friday. The team consists of: Seniors: Madelyn Bryant, Kaylee DeRouen, Isabella Houston, Raely Ply, and Olivia Romero, Juniors: Marleigh Boyd, Zoee Buchanan, Karli Cooper, Catherine Doan, Atalyn Hale, Brooklyn Landry, Eisley Stansbury, Anaiss Torres, and Addisyn Watts. Sophomores: Jaelyn Bandeau, Hadley Fults, Avery Hernandez, Landry Theriot, and Taylor Tran. Freshmen: Tarah Bradley, Bryleigh Cummings, Chrislynn...
Bridge City Mayor David Rutledge and the city's police department have welcomed three new police recruits after the graduation from Lamar Regional Police Academy. The new recruits, wearing khaki, are, from left to right, Jeremy Broussard, Nathan Noyola, and Alec Lawson. Police Chief Tod McDowell is on the far right. Mayor Rutledge is in the center back. The city sponsored the recruits to the academy....
When Larry David passed away in 2020, he left some big boots to fill, along with a red velvet suit and a beard. James Scales made the fit. The Bridge City native and descendant of two Orange County pioneering families, has now become Santa Claus for Heritage House Museum and the annual Orange Christmas Parade. He will be appearing at Heritage House's Candle Light Tours Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The museum's main house is a restored 1902 two-story house built by J.O. Sims...
Robert's Ford, 1601 Green Avenue in Orange, will be the place Saturday, December 16, to find, Santa and his elves, food, and fun with the Second Annual Jingle Bell Rock Out. The dealership's parking lot will have vendors, food trucks, activities for children and even a snow machine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event includes a raffle with the proceeds to benefit the Sugie Lane Foundation, which helps victims of domestic violence. The prizes include two tickets to see Savanna...
The historic oil community of Orangefield will once again celebrate the Christmas season with a parade and festival Saturday, December 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Chris Kovatch with the Orangefield Fine Arts Boosters said the group has a contingency plan to hold the festival inside the junior high gym in case of rain. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the Orangefield Oil Supply Company on FM 408 and go a short ways to FM 105. Then the parade will turn west and turn north onto...
Filing ended Monday for candidates running in the Texas party primary races in March with only Republicans running for local county elections. Four of the 13 races will be contested, with the sheriff's race drawing the most candidates. Sheriff Jimmy Lane Mooney will be seeking his second four-year term in the position that he won in 2020 after the retirement of Keith Merritt. His challengers include veteran law enforcement officers Ron Dischler, Mike Sanchez, and retired...
It’s time for Texans to brace for cedar fever season once again, complete with runny noses, itchy eyes and general misery. Cedar fever is an allergic reaction to the pollen released by mountain cedar trees, and unfortunately, you don’t have to be allergic to the pollen for it to affect you. In Texas, the predominant species of mountain cedar is Ashe juniper, making cedar fever especially irritating in the Hill Country west of I-35 where there are primarily juniper trees mix...
The National FFA awarded Orangefield High School a $3700.00 grant to purchase welding equipment for the CTE program. We appreciate the National FFA helping prepare our students for the workforce....
President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared December 7th as "a date which will live in infamy" after Japanese airplanes bombed an American naval base Pearl Harbor killing U.S. personnel. As a result, on Aug. 23, 1994, United States Congress, designated Dec. 7 of each year as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. It is a tradition to fly the Flag of the United States at half-staff until sunset in honor of dead patriots. This week marks 82 years since the history changing day...
Two Victorian era buildings, a home and a tiny school, will be open for tours Thursday, December 7,during the 57th Annual Toy Coffee sponsored by the Service League of Orange. Cheryl Sharpton-Stalnaker is chair of the event with Vineen Giordano as co-chair. Beth and Kenneth Wheeler restored both buildings in the Old Orange Historic District and have the decorated for Christmas for the tours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is new, unwrapped toy or money donation for the...
On a stormy night in November 1957, young Gerald Edwards survived a tornado that destroyed the old Stark High field house where he and seven others were after a Carr Junior High football game. Now, Dr. Gerald Edwards, an esteemed Southern Baptist minister and leader, will recount his survival as one of the testimonies to be heard this weekend during the Christmas Crusade for Christ in the Orange County Expo Center. Each night will include a meal for fellowship and music from...
Don't spend your big school property tax cut for Christmas, yet. The tax savings, along with a raise in teacher pensions, are on hold because of lawsuits challenging the elections with accusations about voting machines irregularities. State Senator Robert Nichols told a gathering in Orange Tuesday morning the governor cannot certify the election until the lawsuits are resolved. That could take months, which means counties may have to mail out new tax statements with the full...
