 |
|
Beausoleil
opened
up
the
Orange
Riverfront
Boardwalk
&
Pavilion
celebration
Friday. |
Two people
from Orange
are
hospitalized
in Beaumont
in stable
condition
after a
wreck on FM
365 in
Jefferson
County
Friday that
involved
five
vehicles. A
47-year-old
Beaumont
man, Robert
Edward
Dewees, died
in the
accident.
The two
people from
Orange,
Sharon
Milligan and
Donald
Nolan, are
at Christus
St.
Elizabeth
Hospital.
Two of
Milligan's
grandchildren,
a 2-year-old
and a
3-year-old,
were not
injured
because they
were in
child
protective
seats,
reports
Texas
Department
of Public
Safety
Trooper
Stephanie
Davis. The
accident was
at 11:20
a.m. at
Hillebrandt
Bayou. Davis
said no
vehicles
ended up in
the water.
She said
Dewees was
driving his
Ford pickup
truck
eastbound on
FM 365 when
it veered
into
traffic.
Milligan was
driving a
Kia SUV and
swerved to
avoid the
pickup. An
SUV behind
her collided
with Dewees'
truck.
Dewees was
not wearing
a seatbelt
and was
ejected.
Then a
Toyota truck
hit Dewees.
A fifth
vehicle came
and hit
Milligan's
SUV. The
drivers of
the three
other
vehicles
were also
taken to St.
Elizabeth
Hospital in
stable
condition.
Those
vehicles
didn't have
passengers.
The wreck
closed
traffic on
the road for
more than
two hours.
 |
No
serious
injuries
were
reported
in a
three-vehicle
accident
on
Highway
87
North
near
about
7:30
Friday
morning.
A
pickup
truck
traveling
north
and
an
SUV
traveling
south
hit
each
other.
The
collision
knocked
a
wheel
off
the
SUV.
The
pickup
truck
landed
in a
ditch
along
the
southbound
lane
and
the
SUV
was
on
the
side
of
the
road
on
the
northbound
lane.
Another
pickup
truck
traveling
south
landed
in a
ditch
trying
to
avoid
the
debris.
The
speed
limit
on
the
two-lane
highway
is
65
mph
at
the
site. |
A decomposed
body was
found in the
Neches River
Thursday
about 8 p.m.
near the
Purple Heart
Bridge at
Interstate
10. A
fisherman
found the
body and
called 911.
The
Jefferson
County
Sheriff's
Office is
handling the
investigation
because of
the location
on that
side.
Another
decomposed
body was
found May 5
on the
Orange
County side
near the
same
location.
That body
has not been
identified
though
authorities
believe it
belongs to a
male because
of the size
12 Adidas
tennis
shoes. An
autopsy
could not
determine
the cause of
death
because of
the
decomposition.
The
Jefferson
County
Sheriff's
Office said
the remains
found
Thursday
have been
sent to the
medical
examiner's
office. At
this time,
the race,
sex or age
of the
person
cannot be
determined.
It is too
early to
tell if the
bodies have
any
connection.
The two city
parks in
West Orange
now have a
night-time
curfew and
other new
rules. The
West Orange
City Council
Tuesday
night agreed
to the rules
because of
recent
problems in
the parks.
Council
members
Shirley
Bonnin and
Mike Trahan
served on
the
committee
that set the
rules, along
with Public
Works
Director
Mike Stelly
and City
Secretary
Theresa Van
Meter. The
rules apply
to
Seale-Alford
Plaza next
to City Hall
on Western
Avenue and
Caffey Park
on Burnett
and Lansing
streets by
Wesco Field.
The park
hours will
be 6 a.m. to
10 p.m.
Other rules
are: No
powered
inflatable
devices
unless at a
city-sponsored
event, No
generators,
No skates,
rollerblades,
skateboards,
bicycles or
motorized
vehicles; No
glass
battles, No
alcohol, No
weapons or
firearms, No
loud music
or excessive
noise,
Animals must
be on a
leash, All
trash must
be placed in
trash
receptacles,
No tobacco
products. In
other
business
Tuesday,
council
members Mike
Trahan and
Chuck
Winter, plus
Mayor Roy
McDonald,
took their
oaths of
office for
new terms.
Councilwoman
Shirley
Bonnin, who
has been on
the council
since 1998,
was chosen
once again
to serve as
mayor pro
tem. The
council also
approved a
new plan for
a
fund-raising
5-K run
sponsored by
the West
Orange-Stark
High Alumni
organization.
Last month
the council
rejected the
request
because of
concerns
that it
would block
traffic in
the city. An
adjusted
plan got
approval. A
date has not
been set for
the benefit
run.
 |
|
Thursday
afternoon
a
load
of
logs
headed
to
the
mill
overturned
as
the
driver
was
turning
south
on
Hwy.
87
from
Hwy.
12. |
| |
 |
Bridge
City
Intermediate
has
"Got
Some
Talent!!
The
Bridge
City
Intermediate
had
there
annual
"Talent
Show"
on
Thursday,
May
16th.
There
was
a
broad
spectrum
of
talent;
singing,
dancing,
playing
electric
guitar,
piano
playing,
gymnastics,
hip-hop
dance,
modern
dance,
acting
skits,
and
more!
It
was
a
true
delight
to
see
all
the
local
talent
at
Bridge
City
Intermediate. |

Texas Parks
and Wildlife
Department’s
Law
Enforcement
Division has
formed a new
Marine
Investigations
Unit made up
of Texas
game wardens
who will
work to
combat boat
theft,
personal
watercraft
theft and
related
fraud. The
new unit,
part of the
Law
Enforcement
Division’s
Special
Operations
section,
will operate
on a
statewide
basis. The
nine game
wardens
assigned to
the new unit
met together
for the
first time
earlier this
week for
initial
training and
equipment
issuance.
“While all
532 Texas
game wardens
handle boat
and personal
watercraft
theft as
part of
their
routine
duties, we
believe this
new unit
will help
TPWD better
focus on
these high
dollar
crimes,”
said Chief
of Special
Operations
Grahame
Jones. “Not
only are we
interested
in
apprehending
thieves and
recovering
stolen
boats, we
think the
new unit
will be able
to
proactively
prevent some
offenses.”
The wardens
assigned to
the new unit
will be the
regional
contacts for
all marine
theft, tax
fraud, and
title fraud
investigations,
said Capt.
Greg
Williford,
who will
supervise
the new unit
along with
Sgt. Ned
Nichols.
Williford
said all
wardens will
continue
working
these types
of
investigations,
but will be
passing on
intelligence
to the new
unit and
otherwise
working with
the wardens
assigned to
the unit.
“TPWD
handles $47
million a
year in boat
registration
fees,”
Williford
said.
“Unfortunately,
it’s pretty
tempting for
boat owners
or thieves
to try to
dodge
registration
fees or
otherwise
commit
fraud. And
when it
comes to
boat theft,
Texas always
ranks in the
top three
states
nation-wide.
There is
only a 10
percent
recovery
rate
compared
with roughly
70 percent
in vehicle
theft. With
this new
unit, we
want to get
that boat
recovery
percentage
heading
upward in
Texas.”
West Orange Police Department calls April 25-May 15
Throughout
the school year, 7th through 10th grade members of Community
Christian School’s Robotics Club met weekly to design and build
robots to perform various activities. The club members ended the
year by dividing into two teams for a friendly competition at
school. The competition included having the robots play soccer and
golf, and complete an obstacle course. Members of the CCS Robotics
Club are: (kneeling) Josh Howard, Marcus Delarosa, Justin Meaux,
Marissa Gray; (standing): Anna Marie Anderson - sponsor, Jordan
Humble, Marlaina Delarosa, Skylar Menard, Nathan Rose, Alayna
Bergeron, Nathaniel Willett.
|
This
2007
gray
Dodge
Ram
truck
was
damaged
in
the
Kroger
parking
lot
Tuesday
evening,
May
14
between
6:30
and
7
pm.
If
you
saw
something
or
someone
suspicious
around
the
truck
at
anytime
between
3 -
7:30
pm,
please
send
an
email
to
krogerwreck@yahoo.com.
There
is a
$300
reward
for
information
leading
to
the
arrest
and
conviction.
The
Orange
Police
Department
is
treating
this
as a
criminal
mischief
case. |
 |
| |
|
 |
The
Stark
Museum
of
Art,
located
at
712
Green
Avenue
in
Orange,
Texas,
will
host
a
Book
Discussion
of
Bless
Me,
Ultima
by
Rudolfo
Anaya
at
2:00
p.m.
on
Saturday,
May
18,
2013.
Organized
in
relation
to
the
Museum's
exhibition
Wild
Beauty:
The
New
Mexico
Setting
and
to
the
Southeast
Texas
Big
Read
program,
this
event
offers
the
public
an
opportunity
to
discuss
the
novel
while
looking
at
the
paintings
by
Southwestern
artists
that
feature
New
Mexico
as
the
subject
matter.
The
Book
Discussion
program
is
included
with
regular
admission
to
the
Museum.
For
more
information,
call
409.886.ARTS
(2787)
or
visit
www.starkmuseum.org. |
| |
|
 |
Orange
County
Unit
of
the
Texas
Retired
Teachers
Association
(TRTA),
installed
new
officers
recently.
From
Left
to
Right:
Linda
Renfro
,Treasurer;
Kay
Kline,
First-Vice
President;
Carolyn
Williams,
Outgoing
President;
Harvey
Wilson,
Incoming
President;
Doris
Wilson,
Secretary;
Miekle
Hoffman,
Second
Vice-
President.
Founded
in
1953
the
Texas
Retired
Teachers
Association
(TRTA)
is
the
largest
association
for
retired
public
school
and
higher
education
employees
and
now
ranks
number
one
in
membership
in
the
nation.
Orange
County
has
over
180
members.
If
you
are
a
retired
public
school
employee,
you
are
invited
to
become
an
active
member
of
the
Orange
County
Retired
Teachers
Association
and
the
TRTA.
If
you
are
a
person
who
is
interested
in
educational
issues,
such
as a
friend
or a
spouse
of a
member,
you
may
join
as
an
associate
member.
For
more
information
contact
Harvey
Wilson
at
886-4804.
|
 |
The
LCM
Battlin
Bear
Band
Colorguard
is
proud
to
announce
their
officers
for
the
2013-2014
school
year.
Senior
Captain
Laura
Daleo
(left)
and
Lieutenant
Hannah
Hodges,
a
sophomore,
are
both
excited
to
lead
the
guard
of
19
members.
Under
the
direction
of
Shannon
Autry,
the
2013-14
LCM
Colorguard
has
grown
from
7
members
during
the
2012-2013
school
year
to
the
current
19
members.
|
| |
|
 |
|
Orange
Deputy
Fire
Chief
Jerry
Ziller
said
the
fire
Tuesday
morning
on
Pacific
Street
is
suspicious
and
the
fire
marshal
is
asking
for
help
identifying
anyone
who
might
have
been
at
the
vacant
house.
The
house
at
2408
Pacific
was
gutted
by
the
fire
that
was
reported
at
10:15
a.m.
Ziller
said
firefighter
Aaron
Long
suffered
second
degree
burns
on
his
arm
while
fighting
the
blaze.
Long
was
treated
and
released
from
the
Baptist
Orange
Hospital
emergency
room.
Anita
Scott,
who
lives
next
door
to
the
house,
said
she
was
getting
ready
for
work
when
she
heard
popping
sounds
outside.
She
looked
out
and
saw
smoke
coming
out
of
the
house
and
she
phoned
for
help.
She
and
her
son
got
out
of
their
house
because
they
were
scared
the
fire
could
spread.
Smoke
blew
into
their
house
and
they
could
see
flames
coming
out
of
the
roof
of
the
burning
house.
The
house
that
burned
was
scheduled
for
demolition
by
the
City
of
Orange.
Scott
said
the
house
didn't
have
electricity
or
natural
gas
service.
|
Class of
2013
Valedictorians
and
Salutatorians
New Orange
City
Councilwoman
Mary McKenna
has resigned
her
appointed
position on
the Board of
Directors
for the
Housing
Authority of
Orange. She
told KOGT's
Glenn Earle
that she
sent a
resignation
letter on
Monday and
the
effective
date was
Monday.
McKenna took
the oath of
office at
the council
meeting
Tuesday
morning to
become the
new
representative
for
single-member
District 4.
Tommy
Ferguson
took the
oath for
District 2.
Both are
newcomers to
the council
and defeated
incumbents
in
Saturday's
election.
Incumbent
Bill Mello
took the
oath to
serve in the
at-large
Position 5.
He had no
opponent in
the
election.
All will
serve a
three-year
term,
changing
from the
previous
two-year
terms.
During the
business
portion, the
council
re-appointed
District 1
Councilwoman
Theresa
Beauchamp to
serve as
mayor pro
tem. The
council also
voted to
annex less
than an acre
at 125 Happy
Home Drive
at the
request of
the property
owner. The
tract is off
the
Interstate
10 west
access road
and east of
Highway 62.
The city
received a
$92,211
grant and
will put
overlays of
1.5 inch of
asphalt on
Bluebonnet
Street and
Zeto Drive.
Council also
agreed to
purchase
road
materials in
advance of
Orange
County doing
any road
projects in
the city
limits.
 |
Buffy
McPayne
Doiron
of
Orangefield
opened
her
own
Independent
Insurance
Agency
in
Mid-county
in
2012
and
at
the
annual
convention
in
Las
Vegas
she
received
the
2012
"Rookie
Branch
of
the
Year"
award
with
TWFG
(
The
Woodlands
Financial
group)
|
The
Pinehurst
City Council
Tuesday set
a test area
of
Nightingale
and Camelot
streets to
get the
proposed
one-a-week
garbage
pick-up
service from
Republic
Waste. The
company has
wanted to
distribute
large,
wheeled
garbage cans
to Pinehurst
customers
and cut back
from
once-a-week
service.
KOGT’s Glenn
Earle
reports that
some worry
that frail
and feeble
citizens
will not be
able to
handle the
garbage
cans.
Councilman
Dan Mohon
told Earle
that about
60 homes
will be in
the test
area and
that
certainly a
few of the
people might
not be able
to use the
large cans.
He said help
will be
provided if
someone
can’t handle
the garbage
can. The
City Council
will use
comments
from the
test group
to see if
once-a-week
service will
be
implemented
throughout
the city.
Earle said
the test
group will
begin the
new garbage
schedule in
early to
mid-June.
City
Administrator
Joe
Parkhurst
told Earle
that council
members John
Zerko and
Dan Mohon
will serve
with him on
a committee
to negotiate
a new
contract
with the
Pinehurst
Police
Association.
Negotiations
will begin
in June for
the 2013-14
budget year.
In addition,
council
members Dan
Barclay and
Ron Cowling
will serve
on the
budget
committee
with
Parkhurst.
A
22-year-old
woman was
cut with a
knife during
a fight at
the City of
Orange's
Sunset Park
Monday
evening.
Orange
Police
Officer R.C.
Campbell
said he was
sent to the
park on 16th
Street about
6:30 p.m.
because of a
fight. The
victim,
Domonique
Guidry of
Beaumont,
ended up
going to
Baptist
Orange
Hospital
Orange
emergency
room.
Campbell
reported she
was treated
and
released.
Detective
Captain
Cliff
Hargrave
said the
suspect in
the cutting
is a woman
who has a
baby with
the man the
victim is
currently
dating.
Orange
County
Commissioners
Court got a
timely
update
Monday from
Patrick
Beebe,
director of
the mosquito
control
department.
He said the
recent rains
could make
an increase
in mosquito
activity.
'By the end
of the week
things could
pick up,' he
said. The
ground
spraying
equipment
and the
county's
mosquito
spray plane
are ready to
go if
needed. He
said
mosquitoes
haven't been
as bad this
year as last
year. This
year, the
county has
spent
$40,000 on
chemicals
for ground
spraying
compared to
$89,000 this
time last
year. After
the first
four months
of last
year, the
county had
spend
$196,000 on
aerial spray
chemicals
and none
this year.
In other
business,
the county
accepted a
road bond to
cover
possible
damage
caused by
the use of
heavy
equipment
using county
roads. One
road leads
to the east
bank of the
Neches River
where the
U.S.
Maritime
Service is
building a
docking
facility for
large ships.
KOGT's Glenn
Earle
reports that
a huge crane
will be
moved down
the road.
County Judge
Carl
Thibodeaux
said he
thinks one
bond is not
sufficient.
He said the
weight of
vehicles
isn't as
important as
the number
of vehicles
using the
road. The
other road
bond is for
the Lakeview
area where a
Houston-based
oil and gas
company will
be drilling.
|
Look Left
and "Cast
Your Vote"
|
|
Show
Off
Your
Senior!
KOGT
is
now
accepting
photos
from
the
Class
of
2013
to
be
feature
in
our
Photo
Gallery.
Email
jpeg
photos
to
KOGT.
Only
one
photo
per
senior
please.
Tyler
Hodgkinson
- BC |
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HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION DATES
Community - Thurs. May 30 at 7pm at the School
Bridge City - Fri. May 31 at 8pm at Larry Ward Stadium
Orangefield - Fri. May 31 at 7:30pm at FL McClain Stadium
Deweyville - Fri. May 31 at 7:30pm at the HS Gym
LCM - Sat. June 1 at 2pm at LU Montagne Center
Vidor - Sat June 1 at 2pm at Beaumont Civic Center
West Orange-Stark - Fri. June 7 at 6pm at DRH Stadium |
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 |
Collie mix found on Friday in the Echo area - call 330-1653 if this
is your dog
Sadie went missing Saturday in Orange
off of Harding Circle. She is a 3 year old female
pug and she has a pink
collar. Contact Casey if you've seen her 409-988-4462
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The cities
of Pinehurst
and West
Orange
continue to
deal with
slight
declines in
sales tax
receipts for
2013. The
figures from
the Texas
Comptroller
for the
first three
months of
the year
show
Pinehurst to
be behind
3.17 percent
from 2012
and West
Orange
behind 1.58
percent.
Bridge City,
Orange,
Vidor and
Orange
County have
increases.
Some of the
large
decreases
and
increases in
monthly
returns have
been
attributed
to
adjustments.
Sometimes a
sales tax
from a
business in
one city is
attributed
by the state
to another
city. Later,
the mistake
gets
adjusted.
Local sales
tax receipts
for March
are:
Orange
County (0.5
percent tax)
March:
$431,203--12.7
percent
increase
from March
2012
Year to
Date:
$2,026,604—24.39
percent
increase
from 2012
Emergency
Services
District No.
3 (1.5
percent tax)
March:
$80,393
Year to
Date:
$375,988
(The
district had
large
increases
earlier this
year because
of corrected
accounting
mistakes.
Comparisons
are not
accurate.)
Bridge City
(1.5 percent
tax)
March:
$121,794—2.83
percent
increase
from March
2012
Year to
Date:
$512,726—5.02
percent
increase
from 2012
Orange (1.5
percent tax)
March:
$311,375—minus
9.56 percent
from March
2012
Year to
Date:
$1,493,855—4.35
percent
increase
from 2012
Pinehurst
(1.5 percent
tax)
March:
$65,380—minus
3.83 percent
from March
2012
Year to
Date:
$300,760—minus
3.17 percent
from 2012
Vidor (1.5
percent tax)
March:
$216,666—minus
3.28 percent
from March
2012
Year to
Date:
$939,439—4.80
percent
increase
from 2012
West Orange
(1.25
percent)
March:
$95,732—minus
0.01 percent
from March
2012 (an $18
drop)
Year to
date:
$448,230—minus
1.58 percent
from 2012
Beaumont
police are
looking for
a 'person of
interest' in
connection
with the
April
shooting
death of a
Bridge City
man. On
Tuesday,
police asked
for help in
finding
21-year-old
Kerry
Collier of
Beaumont.
Last week,
23-year-old
Derek
Robinson of
Beaumont was
arrested in
connection
with the
April 4
shooting of
22-year-old
Nicholas
Rosen. Rosen
had been
shot in the
head while a
passenger in
a car at a
house in the
1000 block
of Gage
Street in
Beaumont.
Police said
the people
in the car
had gone to
the house to
buy drugs.
The driver
drove Rosen
to the
hospital
after he was
shot in the
head. Rosen
died at the
hospital on
April 18.
Anyone with
information
leading to
Collier
should call
Beaumont
Crime
Stoppers at
409-833-TIPS.
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Clay
mud
caked
the
roadway
as a
small
backhoe
dug
through
layers
of
history.
A
narrow
trench
with
straight
sides
went
down
more
than
five
feet.
At
the
bottom
was
an
1800s'
casket.
Archeologist
Dr.
Roger
Moore
of
Houston
marked
the
location
but
left
the
casket
undisturbed.
His
marking
will
assure
that
new
work
on
Cooper's
Gully
will
not
cut
into
any
unmarked
gravesites
in
the
historic
Hollywood
Cemetery.
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The
old,
vacant
Pine
Grove
housing
project
on
Park
Avenue
will
soon
be
demolished
to
make
way
for
a
new,
gated
complex
for
senior
citizens
of
low
to
moderate
income.
The
Orange
Planning
and
Zoning
Commission
on
Tuesday
agreed
to a
request
from
the
project's
contractor
to
give
up
the
right-of-way
to
Pine
Grove
Street.
City
Council
must
approve
the
measure
before
it
becomes
final.
Don
Ball
said
the
complex
with
80
units
is
being
built
through
the
Orange
Housing
Authority.
The
housing
authority
operates
under
the
U.S.
Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development.
Pine
Grove
Street
runs
off
of
Park
Avenue
and
makes
a
semi-circle
through
the
complex
and
runs
to
Wickard
Drive.
Pine
Grove
apartments
have
not
been
used
since
Hurricane
Rita
in
2005.
A
local
non-profit
group
tried
for
a
while
to
try
to
purchase
the
site
to
demolish
the
apartments
and
use
the
nine
acres
for
something
else.
The
complex
is
near
Adam's
Bayou
and
across
the
street
from
the
nature
area
of
Shangri-La.
Pine
Grove
has
its
roots
back
to
World
War
II.
Park
Avenue
in
those
days
was
U.S.
Highway
90,
also
called
The
Old
Spanish
Trail.
House
trailers
were
set
up
in
the
area,
which
was
considered
'out
in
the
country,'
for
the
workers
in
the
wartime
shipyards.
After
the
war,
the
complex
was
built
as
public
housing
with
one-story
and
two-story
units
across
about
nine
acres.
Public
housing
was
segregated
and
for
its
first
two
decades,
Pine
Grove
was
for
whites
only.
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What's
happening
around
town?
Check
the
Happenings
page!
Lamar
State
College-Orange
is pleased
to announce
its 17th
year to host
College For
Kids-Orange
(CFKO)
managed by
the
Continuing
and
Workforce
Education
office. With
a bold look
towards our
future and
the future
of our
alumni after
high school,
LSC-O has
set a new
vision for
the CFKO
program: "By
the end of
this decade,
75 percent
of the
alumni will
continue
their
education
beyond high
school; 10
percent of
the incoming
class at
LSCO will be
alumni of
the program;
and the
majority of
alumni will
stay in the
Golden
Triangle
region to
work and
raise
families" To
accomplish
this vision,
at least 25
percent of
the classes
will
represent
STEM
education
(Science,
Technology,
Engineering,
and Math).
STEM
education
creates
critical
thinkers,
increases
science
literacy,
and enables
the next
generation
of
innovators.
STEM
education
fosters the
first two
pieces of
our vision
statement,
the
continuation
of learning.
We include
an emphasis
on local
culture and
history,
with classes
like Cajun
Language and
the
Contributions
of the
Community of
Color and
the
Perspective
of Native
Americans.
By
introducing
diversity in
our
underlying
regional
values we
hope to
increase
personal
affinity to
the Golden
Triangle.
Classes such
as Hunting,
Fishing,
Martial Arts
and Yoga,
and the
Stark
Cultural
Venues add
insight into
what is
available in
the region
when not in
school or
working.
Practical
Math and
introductions
to
vocational
opportunities
help the
kids to
better
understand
how school
learning is
put into
practical
use when
they finish
high school,
and the need
for further
education to
be
successful.
"The more
our kids
know about
the region,
the more
they will
appreciate
all of the
opportunities
present
here." "We
are proud to
have hosted
these summer
programs,"
said Lisa
Cowart,
director of
Continuing
and
Workforce
Education,
"and proud
to see how
the
program's
alumni have
done so well
as they
continued
into high
school."
Afternoon
classes will
take place
Monday-Thursday,
June 17-
June 20, and
Monday-Thursday,
June
24-27.For
more
information
or to
register for
the 2013
College for
Kids -
Orange, go
to
www.CFKO.OrangeTX.info.
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