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KAZ’S KORNER

DOWN LIFE’S HIGHWAY

SPORTS COMMENTARY

Roy Dunn- Columnist Page 7 Section A

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ORANGE COUNTY

FISHING Capt. Dickie Colburn Page 1 Section B

RELIGION & LOCAL CHURCH GUIDE Page 6B

County Record TheRecordLive.com

Vol. 60 No. 32

The Community Newspaper of Orange, Texas

Week of Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Beauchamp excited by county’s Mauriceville move and inherited a building that had been flooded by Tropical Storm Harvey nearly two and a half years ago. “I’ll believe it when I see it, but I’m elated.” Beauchamp has had a temporary office in a county building on FM 1442. “I share an office with a

mechanic out in the Transportation depot,” she said. But she’s been traveling her precinct far and wide and says Mauriceville is where she belongs. “At first, I wanted it to be a little more central, like on Highway 62 or something,” said Beauchamp, whose dis-

trict runs from Pinehurst to northwest Vidor at the sound end and north to Mauriceville and the county line. “But before you get into something, you don’t know the true picture of anything. But once I got into office, I realized that’s where I needed to be.

“Not only me, but they also need that Sheriff’s presence up in Mauriceville.” The Mauriceville building, on State Highway 87 just south of its intersection with State Highway 12, will once again serve as a substation COUNTY BUSINESS Page 3A

Orange County Commissioner Theresa Beauchamp listens as Kurt Guidry, county maintenance director, talks at Commissioners’ Court about the rebuilding of the Precinct 2 office in Mauriceville. RECORD PHOTO: Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers

For The Record

It was all smiles in the Orange County Commissioners’ courtroom Tuesday. Kurt Guidry, county maintenance director, presented the court’s members a couple

of bids and they chose a contractor, Scarborough Industries, to repair the Precinct 2 office building in Mauriceville. “I’m elated,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Theresa Beauchamp said a year and a week after she took office

LSCO gives 10-4 to truck driving class Dave Rogers

For The Record

Drive, the trucking companies are pleading, and Lamar State College-Orange is set to do its part. The LSCO Workforce Education program is now offering a Class A Commercial Truck Driving Program, a six-week course that will lead to local and national driving jobs. “With the expansion of local industry, truck driving is a high-demand occupation for Southeast Texas. We have a lot of lot of local businesses in Orange ready to hire,” said Thera Celestine, Workforce Education director. “They can work locally and be home every evening or they can be a long-hauling

driver.” LSCO’s first class begins Monday, Jan. 13, and meets from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays for six weeks. Grants from the Texas Workforce Commission are available that pay as much as 100 percent of a student’s tuition and fees, if eligible, Celestine said. “There’s even a Workforce program that offers on-thejob training for businesses,” she said. “If a business wants to pay students, they [TWC] will pay $9 per hour while they train, and if they [local companies] hire them, Workforce will pay up to 50 percent of their salary.” The curriculum requireLSCO Page 3A

Phelan asks Washington for local VA Hospital Larry Johnson For The Record

If State Rep. Dade Phelan has his way, Baptist Hospital Orange could someday have a new life as a Veterans Association hospital. Phelan sent a letter to President Trump Tuesday asking that the VA buy or lease either the vacant Baptist-Orange building or the recently closed St. Mary Hospital in Port Arthur to establish a new VA Medical Inpatient Hospital. The Beaumont Republican who is running this year unopposed for his fourth term serving Jefferson and Orange counties’ District 21, voiced his concern for the lack of reliable healthcare options for more than 1.6 million veter-

ans in Texas. “I am privileged to represent Orange and Jefferson Counties in the Texas House of Representatives,” he wrote the President. “One of the greatest things about my district is the large population of veterans that I am able to represent. There are over 22,000 veterans who live in Orange and Jefferson Counties. “Sadly, we are unable to properly care for our veterans of Southeast Texas, because the nearest VA Medical Inpatient Hospital is over 100 miles away. “Veterans and their families have sacrificed so much for our country and they desperately deserve proper medPHELAN Page 3A

Chris Kovatch, who runs the Orange Grove project for the Greater Orange Chamber of Commerce, reports that more than 100 of the half-ton sculptures have been sold so far and more will be arriving each weekend. RECORD PHOTO: Dave Rogers

Orange Grove promotion sweeps over town Dave Rogers

For The Record

They’re here, they are, they are, they are. They’re here, they really are. Like “those little weirdo things in their flying machines” in a 1967 song about an alien invasion, big, overweight oranges 2-1/2 foot tall have landed all over Orange, Texas, and have staked

out prime real estate in front of the city’s merchants. But they’re here for good – both in purpose and in perpetuity. At 1,130 pounds, more than half a ton, the sculptures are in no danger of being shoplifted. Collectively, they are called the Orange Grove by the Greater Orange Chamber of Commerce, which

sponsors the countywide program to sell and place the oranges to promote pride and beautification. Chris Kovatch, the Chamber board member who actually set up and manages the project, says that soon a smaller, residential-sized Orange Grove option will be on sale for homeowners. “In the middle of this year, once we get through

Bassmasters for the Chamber [the fishing tournament is May 30-June 1], the plan is to work on a residential version that is significantly smaller. It’ll be the size a person can carry, that people can have in front of their homes.” The Chamber is already selling a teeny Orange ORANGE GROVE Page 3A

Final day to nominate BCCC Person of the Year Penny Leleux

For The Record

Today is the deadline for nominations for Person and Business of the Year for the Bridge Chamber of Commerce. Have you submitted your nomination? There is still time. Put it in a sealed envelope and slip it in the mail slot at the Bridge City Chamber of Commerce at 150 W. Roundbunch Road. “Nominations are due by 5:00 p.m. and can be emailed or dropped off at the office. There is a slot in the front door for after hours drop off,” said Barbara Jane (BJ)

Hanneman, director of the Bridge City Chamber of Commerce. “Bridge City is very fortunate to have such a great group of citizens to be able to choose the ‘Citizen of the Year’ from, as well as businesses that have prospered over many years in our community to choose ‘Business of the Year’ from.” Winners will be announced Monday, Feb. 3 at the Bridge City Chamber of Commerce 60th Annual Banquet. Last year’s ‘Person of the Year’ was owner of COS and former city councilman, Eric Andrus. ‘Business of the

Year 2019’ was Olson Engineering. The banquet this year is separate from the Taste of the Bayou, which will be held later in the year, in April. A social with complimentary cocktails kicks off the event Feb. 3. at 6:00 p.m. The program with awards and passing of the gavel begins at 6:30 p.m. “Our outgoing president is Beth Arnold and our incoming president for 2020 is Candace Mulhollan,” said Hanneman. “It will be catered by Tuffy’s. The menu is brisket and sausage and all the trim-

CMYK

mings,” she said The banquet will be at the Bridge City Community Center, 105 Parkside Drive. Tickets for this year’s banquet must be reserved by Jan. 24. Member sponsored tables for 8 are $160 or $15 for individual tickets. Email bcchamber@bridgecitychamber.com or call (409) 735-5671 to reserve your spot. Hanneman said planning is also underway for a onetime event to be held July 3-5 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bridge City’s InTASTE OF THE BAYOU Page 3A


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