TxDOT Traffic Alert
Jefferson County (NIGHTWORK)
I-10: Eastbound lane closures between 11th and Pine Street from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
US 69: South and northbound right lane closed @ FM 365 and Nederland Blvd. from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.

A small but strong thunderstorm went through Orange Wednesday afternoon, dumping rain, hail, and taking down a tree on 15th St by Orange Savings Bank.  Entergy reported power out to more than 1000 customers.

Lamar State College-Orange is set to confer more than 230 degrees, certificates and awards at Spring Commencement on May 18 at the Lutcher Theater at 7:00 p.m. Graduates are listed according to hometown and degree earned.

Voting dropped drastically in the second day for party primary early ballots. The Republican Party had 389 people Tuesday while the Democrats had 71. The two-day totals are now 1,119 for the Republicans and 466 for the Democrats. The Republicans have the only contested Orange County races this year. The primary elections are Tuesday, May 29. Early voting is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Saturday, then again Monday May 21 through Friday May 25.

The Orange City Council Monday signed a construction contract with SpawGlass Co. of Houston for the downtown riverfront development and construction could begin in two weeks. The council and city's economic development corporation approved the contract during a called meeting, the last for Mayor Brown Claybar before he leaves office next week because of term limits. Claybar has worked on a riverfront development project for the 10 years he was mayor. The two groups had previously awarded the contract to SpawGlass, the low bidder. But before the project could begin, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers along with the Texas General Land Office had to approve the plans because of wetlands issues. The $6.1 million project includes stabilizing the banks of the Sabine River on the curve of downtown. Also, a riverwalk will be built along the river from the landmark boathouse on Third Street around to the site where the old Jack Tar Hotel stood. A park and performance pavilion will be on the hotel site. The area will be landscaped. The economic development corporation issued bonds for the financing and the money will be repaid through the city's special half-cent per dollar sales tax that voters approved in 2002 after the city proposed using the tax for a riverfront park. Councilman Cullin Smith voted against the contract. He has opposed the riverfront project since he joined the council last year. During the meeting, Economic Development Director Jay Trahan and the landscape architect Jeffrey Carbo stressed that the names on the memorial bricks from the 1986 riverwalk in Ochiltree-Inman Park will be preserved.

More than 250 West Orange – Stark High School students were honored at the annual Awards Day Program. Awards were presented in recognition of honor roll, UIL Academic and Speed Skill competition, subject areas, perfect attendance, and Stark Reading Contest achievements. Special recognition was also given to senior class members: Outstanding Boys – Ryan Allen, Devin Hebert, and Julius Knolley; Outstanding Girl – Sarah Ragsdale; Principal Award / Boy – Jamarcus Corks; Principal Award / Girl – Crystal Haynes; Citizenship Award - Josiah Phares. An award was also presented to Spencer Sonnier for 14 years of Perfect Attendance. The “Outstanding” and “Citizenship” honorees were selected by WO-S High School staff members. “Principal Award” honorees are selected by the principal in recognition of outstanding spirit or courage. Paul Thomas was the guest speaker at the event.

Elizabeth Williams, a woman who spent nearly 60 years in Orange promoting history and culture, died Monday night after an illness. She was in her early 80s. Mrs. Williams was the wife of local historian and medical doctor Howard Williams. They shared a love of Orange and Texas history and worked to preserve it. Mrs. Williams was one of the founders of the Heritage House Museum, a restored 1902 home that was moved in 1976 to become a local history museum. For years she worked as a director at the museum and could answer many questions about the past. She was fascinated by the everyday life of people living in the community decades before she was born and was an avid reader of personal diaries that had been donated to the museum by their descendants. In addition, she was a charter member of the Orange County Historical Society. When the City of Orange established the Old Orange Historic District, she was appointed as a commissioner to the historic preservation board because of her expertise, even though she lived in Pinehurst. more

Stark Museum of Art will be open for special evening viewing hours on Friday, May 18, 2012, from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. in honor of International Museum Day. The program will feature spotlight presentations about works of art in museum galleries throughout the evening. Light refreshments will be provided and admission is free of charge. For the spotlights presentations, Chief Educator Elena Ivanova will give an overview tour of the exhibition From Russia: Fechin and Gaspard in Southwest; docent Sue Rathburn will talk about the painting The Last of Their Race by John Mix Stanley; and docent Sherrill Porterfield will talk about the painting Ourselves and Taos Neighbors by Ernest Leonard Blumenschein. These fifteen-minute long presentations will run consecutively starting at 5:15 p.m., with the last presentation beginning at 7:30 p.m. International Museum Day was established in 1977 by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), and more than 30,000 museums in 100 countries will hold special activities on this occasion.

Orange County commissioners reversed a previous decision and decided to allow firearms to be shot in the Quail Trails subdivisions off FM 1442 north of Interstate 10. Two weeks ago the court voted 3-1 to pass an ordinance to ban discharge of firearms. The court held a public hearing two weeks ago and Karen Blanda, who lives by the subdivision, said bullets sometimes whiz by her husband and son while they ski on their private lake. No one else attended that public hearing. But after commissioners agreed to ban the discharge, residents in the subdivision asked for another public hearing. On Monday, the courtroom was packed, according to KOGT's Glenn Earle. Ronald Dischler, a sergeant and 32-year-veteran of the Beaumont Police Department said there are already sufficient laws to protect the average citizen without a ban. Tim Turley, though, said he likes the ordinance because he "almost caught a bullet." He said if the bullet had been gone another three or four inches closer, he might not be there. "I'm not against guns," he said, but he doesn't think they should be discharged in a neighborhood. Precinct 2 Commissioner Owen Burton made the motion to rescind the ban and the rest of the court unanimously agreed. Two weeks ago, Burton, Precinct 3 Commissioner John Dubose and County Judge Carl Thibodeaux voted in favor of the ban. Precinct 4 Commissioner Jody Crump voted against the ban. Precinct 1 Commissioner David Dubose was out of town for the first vote. In other business, commissioners gave Sheriff Keith Merritt permission to build a livestock holding pen off FM 1442 near Trainer Road. Merritt said he will use confiscated drug money to build the pen. The sheriff's office is called to round-up stray livestock like horses and cattle. Veterans Service Officer Gene Smith reported he was having no problems in his office. In April, 192 veterans registered with his office and in March the number was 257. Mark Wimberley, director of maintenance and operations, reported that the "shelter of last resort" on FM 1442 is 60 percent complete and the parking lot has been poured. Also, half of the concrete roof has been poured with the other half scheduled soon.

Neither the rain nor the sun stopped people around Orange from being intoxicated during the past few days. Orange police made several arrests for public intoxication, with people using alcohol and others apparently pills. One man was arrested Sunday evening on the street at Sunset and 20th after he had been continuously calling 9-1-1. Not a good idea when you've been drinking. more

There's a new / former mayor of Pinehurst.  Pete Runnels returns as mayor after he defeated two term mayor T.W. Permenter 184-116.  For Pinehurst City Council there were six candidates running for two at-large seats.  Zerko 150 (winner), Cowling 110 (winner), Chandler 102, Jacobs 42, Harris 37, Ball 30.

In Bridge City there is a new city councilman.  Danny Cole defeated incumbent Lucy Fields 210-202.

In the Orange County Port Board race, the two incumbents won easily.  Pct. 2-Barbara Winfree 1,605, Edward Hawthorne 647. Pct. 3- Jimmy Smith 1,083, Shea Simon 671, Karen Stevens 507.

In the one contested race for Orange County Drainage District Board of Directors, incumbent
Jimmy Scales is re-elected for Pct. 4, defeating Todd Landry 370-106.

In the race for Vidor School Board, Rollie Burr (983) won Position 1, defeating Eddy Byerly (269) and Vanessa Bennett (257). In Position 2 Carrie Vincent (1026) defeated Wayne Sonnier (472).

	This dog was found in Orangefield Bobcat Trail addition. Small black female with brown markings. 670-8579

Marriage Licenses Issued by The Office of Karen Jo Vance, Orange County Clerk For the Week of May 7, 2012 thru May 11, 2012. Joshua J. Thomson and Jennifer L. Day, Robert W. Davis and Karen S. Davis, William L. Myers and Michelle L. Jackson, Travis W. Sellers and Brittany L. Bourque, Stephen D. Flores and Rachael L. Manuel, Edward C. Alexander and Kelsey D. Lemley, Matthew D. Wood and Brittany A. Noe, Joshua W. Trouille and Courtney R. Dawes, Christopher C. Smith and Dewena C. Freeman, Jarrad L. McClelland and Ashley N. Wilson, Joshua C. Sharp and Emily A. Graham, Willard T. Chesney and Clarissa M. Yarbrough, James E. Bellard II and Shannon M. Wilson, Dominic C Maynard and Phyllis J Deshotel.

	The Orange Kiwanis Club won the 14th Annual G.O.A.L.S. Spelling Bee was held at the Lamar Orange Student Center Friday. The Kiwanis Club members included Andrew Culpepper, Rebecca Patterson, and Chris Smith. This is the fourth win in a row for these three. G.O.A.L.S. provides literacy services to the greater Orange area, and the annual spelling bee is the main fundraiser for the organization.

Prom Time in Cardinal Land Bridge City held their Prom Saturday.  You can see pictures in the KOGT Photo Gallery.

Entergy’s Customer Service Centers are receiving numerous inquiries from customers concerning a scam that claims the president of the United States is allowing credits or applying payments to customers’ utility bills. more

St. Mary Catholic School had 65 students on the National Kumon Honor Roll.  Fifteen of those students were in the top Ten Percent in the Nation.  Listed HERE are the students in each grade in their honor roll ranking order.  Those that are bolded are in the TOP TEN Percent.