CR031820

Page 1

KAZ’S KORNER

DOWN LIFE’S HIGHWAY

SPORTS COMMENTARY

Roy Dunn- Columnist Page 5 Section A

Page 3 Section B

ORANGE COUNTY

FISHING Capt. Dickie Colburn Page 1 Section B

RELIGION & LOCAL CHURCH GUIDE Page 6B

County Record TheRecordLive.com

Vol. 60 No. 41

The Community Newspaper of Orange, Texas

Week of Wednesday, March 18, 2020

OC Judge declares COVID-19 disaster DAVE ROGERS For The Record

County Judge John Gothia declared a local state of disaster Tuesday morning that covers Orange County in response to the imminent threat of widespread illness posed by the worldwide spread of the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. At Tuesday afternoon’s 2 p.m. Orange County Commissioners’ Court meeting, Gothia said there has not been any confirmed cases of COVID-19. Per the authority granted by the Texas Government Code, Gothia ordered: • Any event sponsored by or permitted by Orange

County shall cease effective immediately. • Events involving more than 50 persons shall cease at all loGothia cations throughout Orange County. • Nursing homes and senior living centers shall limit visitation of the public within their facilities. • A 24-hour curfew shall be in place for all individuals under the age of 18 who are not in school or accompanied by a parent, guardian or school personnel. The under-18 curfew, Gothia explained, was to prevent youngsters from gathering in crowds in which

Stores work overtime to keep shelves stocked

Shoppers look over the H-E-B meat counter Tuesday afternoon. The spread of the novel coronavirus has led to a run on local stores. RECORD PHOTO: Dave Rogers

DAVE ROGERS For The Record

So what’s the deal behind the run on toilet paper? Danny Brack, co-owner of two supermarkets in Orange County, says he has no idea. “I don’t understand it. I really don’t,” he said. But he did say that because of the extra demand that has accompanied the fear of the novel coronavirus he has added a second supplier to keep up the stock at Danny’s Super Foods in West Orange and K-Dan’s in Orangefield. “We do have bathroom tissue in the stores,” he said. That was at 11 a.m. Tuesday morning. “Stuff is flying off the shelves,” Brack said. “But we’re restocking on a daily basis, getting trucks every day. We had to go to an outside source for bread and toilet tissue, but we did.” The hoarding of food and supplies in this time of uncertainty as people are told to stay home from work and school has been a short-term boon to sellers. “Our wholesaler was up

like 276 percent on their deliveries last Friday,” Brack said, “so consequently, they had every truck they own running up and down the roads. But as long as there’s product in Texas, we’re going to have some.” Experts around the world have checked in on the reason store owners can’t keep toilet paper on their shelves. Many agree it’s because of “panic buying” which is different from “disaster buying” that occurs when a disaster like a hurricane is imminent. Then, people have a general idea how long they will be isolated and what will be needed. Panic buying happens when people don’t know what they’re in for, the experts say. One suggested it was because toilet paper has a long shelf-life, is packaged in a large bundle and it is prominently displayed on store aisles. “We are drawn to it,” the professor said. “The bigger it is, the more important we STORES WORK Page 3A

the virus might be transmitted. “The biggest lesson in all of this is that younger people can get it and show no signs of it and never know they have it,” the judge said. “They can show no or very little signs of it, but they can take it home to their grandmother, their grandfather, their aunt or uncle, someone who’s elderly, someone who already has a preexisting condition, and pass it on to them.

“Then things ramp up a lot worse. That’s what we’re trying to stop.” Southeast Texas leaders have been meeting since last week to come up with a plan. “We did issue this declaration this morning,” Gothia said Tuesday, “and it was after a whole lot of talk and discussion with our city mayors, our city managers, our school districts, especially in the nine-county region that essentially fits into

Congressman [Brian] Babin’s district. “We all met multiple times, have been on multiple conference calls with the governor, and taking our direction from the CDCP [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and their recommendations, we came to a conclusion of what we were going to do as a county and a region. “All counties are doing essentially the same thing. All the school districts are im-

plementing some sort of what they call a “flexible education program that they will determine by their own school districts to meet “the 50.” “Manage the 50” is the battle cry in Orange County now, based on the CDC recommendation of no mass gatherings of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks. County Emergency Page 3A

Schools turn to flexible education plans DAVE ROGERS

For The Record

The only people going to school in Orange County Tuesday were the little ones. Tanya Sterling’s staff at Kids’ Castle daycare in Bridge City welcomed several dozen youngsters on the day a countywide disaster was declared in response to the worldwide coronavirus scare. But Kids’ Castle was taking state-prescribed precautions sent out Sunday by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. “We don’t allow any of the parents in the building unless they have a legitimate reason to be in,” said Sterling. “And so far, we haven’t come across any legitimate reason. “They drop their kids off at the door. We take their payments at the door.” Before entering, each child is tested. “We take their temperature before they come in,” Sterling said. “We pay attention for any symptoms of respiratory infections, if they’ve got a cough. We’re only allowed to let certain people in.

Buses depart the Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School parking lot Tuesday morning, but instead of going to pick up students, they are delivering breakfast to the students. LCM, the only public school district not on spring break this week, suspended classes because of COVID-19 virus precautions. (Photo courtesy of Lindsey Frugia.

“Yesterday, we did deny four children.” On Monday, Little Cypress-Mauriceville was the only public school district in Orange County holding classes and those were optional. Lamar State College, Orange, West Orange-Cove, Bridge City, Orangefield and Vidor school districts are all on spring break this

week. But LCM sent its students home Monday afternoon until at least April 6 after Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced the cancelation of this year’s STAAR testing requirement and county leaders got the heads-up on the coming Orange County disaster declaration.

LCM and the other school districts have announced they will decided to implement a Flexible Education Program from Tuesday, March 17, through Friday, April 3. State-funded school meals will be delivered to students’ homes during the SCHOOLS TURN Page 3A

Bridge City welcome excites Chamber director DAVE ROGERS For The Record

The new face at the Bridge City Chamber of Commerce is settling in. Debbie Graham looked comfortable Monday in her new office. “This is the first time I’ve had an office to actually go to,” said the Port Arthur native. “And not only do I have an office, I have a museum.” Graham, who spent her earlier working life “running the roads” in outside sales, has taken over as Director of the BC Chamber, a job that also includes curating the Bridge City Historical Museum that shares with the Chamber the old Prairie View Teacherage building at 150 W. Roundbunch Road. The Chamber office is

open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to noon on Friday. Barbara Jane “BJ” Hanneman had held the position for the past six years. But her departure helped bring Graham back into the workforce. She said that after 15 years of covering 17 Southeast Texas counties working for a company called Scholastic Book Fairs that put on scholastic book fairs for schools and sold schools and parents educational books and tools, “I took a year and a half off from work. “I wanted to catch my breath,” she said. “I did. Then this [the opportunity with the Chamber] happened. It was like a blessing that fell NEW BCCC DIRECTOR Page 3A New Bridge City Chamber of Commerce director Debbie Graham.

CELEBRATING 60 YEARS! Everybody Reads ‘The Record’

In Print and Online • The County Record and the Penny Record hometown news for Orange County, Texas

CMYK


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.