DOWN LIFE’S HIGHWAY
Outdoors HUNTING & FISHING Capt. Chuck Uzzle Page 3 Section B
Roy Dunn- Columnist Page 5 Section A
KAZ’S KORNER
ORANGE COUNTY
FISHING
SPORTS COMMENTARY
Capt. Dickie Colburn Page 1 Section B
Page 1 Section B
The Record TheRecordLive.com
Vol. 60 No. 43
Distributed FREE To The Citizens of Bridge City and Orangefield
Week of Wednesday, April 1, 2020
COVID-19 reality sinks in on OC rus. Orange County numbers went from one confirmed case last Friday to seven at the end of Monday. “The sooner we all cooperate to help in the safe distancing, the sooner we’re going to be able to come out of this thing when these numbers start finally dropping,” Orange County Judge John Gothia said Tuesday. The Southeast Texas ReCars of Texas State Troopers line up just inside the Texas state line at the Interstate 10 Texas Welcome Center parking lot in Orange Monday afternoon. The number of highway patrol cars parked went up from two to four during a half hour period but none of the four stopped any vehicles during that time. RECORD PHOTO: Dave Rogers
DAVE ROGERS For The Record
World and national news reports have shown spring breakers congregating at the beach and college kids hosting a COVID-19 party, not following expert advice or government’s order to stay at home and observe proper so-
gional Emergency Operations Center, which covers six counties including Orange, reported a total of 51 confirmed cases, with one death, at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. At midday Tuesday, the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center reported 175,067 confirmed cases and 3,415 deaths confirmed in the United States, 3,342 cases and 48 deaths in Texas. But it’s the outbreak in
next-door Louisiana that has the attention of Orange County. Texas is the second mostpopulated state in the United States, with an estimated 30 million residents. Louisiana ranks 25th in population, at 4.6 million residents. But Louisiana ranks above Texas with 4,025 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 185 deaths. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
imposed travel restrictions Monday which ordered those crossing the borders between Louisiana and Texas to selfquarantine for 14 days. But no sign of enforcement was seen locally. The order exempted commercial truckers and those in the military, health or emergency responders or critical infrastructure. Residents of COVID-19 Reality Page 2A
‘Orders To Go’ Supports Local Restaurants
cial distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19 virus. Monday night, an area TV station brought us a family playing in the surf at Bolivar and declaring, “We’re all going to die – sometime.” But it seems most Southeast Texans are beginning to take for real the threat of the fast-spreading new coronavi-
Governor orders schools out ‘til May 4 DAVE ROGERS For The Record
Students will continue to be closed until May 4 to slow down the worldwide coronavirus spread, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared Tuesday. Local school districts shared the message with their patrons via Facebook Tuesday night. “Our health officials report that cases are continuing to spread in the state, and an increase in confirmed cases in our county seems likely,” Todd Lintzen, Bridge City superintendent, wrote. “Suspending operations for this length of time will allow us to determine, in coordination with local health officials, whether the virus is continuing to have community spread or whether it has been contained. “We are coordinating with
other school districts in Orange County as well as Orange County officials to make decisions on whether there is a need to extend the suspension further.” Dr. Rickie Harris, superintendent at West OrangeCove, said to his patrons, “Thank you for your continued patience as we work together as a community to keep everyone safe. “I appreciate your efforts at home in helping provide our students with continuity of education during this closure period.” Students are to stay in touch with their teachers and continue working their flexible education programs. Student nutrition meal service will continue at the schools. “Remember patience, perseverance and communicaSCHOOLS OUT Page 5A
For The Record
With apologies to the tens of thousands of Southeast Texans who worked in the hospitality, retail sales or personal care businesses until recently, sometimes it appears like everybody down here on the Gulf Coast has an “essential” job. The list of essential businesses exempted from the Orange County Stay at Home
Sheriff going out in blaze of cars DAVE ROGERS For The Record
Orange County Sheriff Keith Merritt plans to leave successor Lane Mooney a welcome-aboard present, one with 40 wheels and 3,500 horsepower. County Commissioners unanimously approved Tuesorder is essentially the same day giving the retiring sheriff as the ones listed by the Tex- permission to purchase 10 as Department of Emergency new 2020 Ford Explorer PoManagement. lice Interceptors for his deIt includes healthcare and partment with nearly half a public health, of course; law million dollars in federal enforcement and other first drug forfeiture funds. responders, duh. Expected purchase price: The TDEM list also in- $410,755. cludes food and agriculture; The Sheriff’s Office mainenergy; water, wastewater; tains three state and federal transportation; public works, asset forfeiture funds with infrastructure support; com- “about $2 million” combined, munications, information Merritt said. Money recovered and ESSENTIAL WORKERS Page 2A money received from the sale
Essential jobs, to-go margaritas DAVE ROGERS
Local restaurants have been limited to ‘take-out’ orders during the COVID-19 pandemic that has now been detected in Orange County as well as virtually everywhere on Earth. For now, local business owners are doing all they can to keep the doors open. Above: At Judice’s Cajun Cafe in Bridge City waitress Mary Reeves serves David Timmons of Mauriceville an order of spicy boiled crawfish with all the extras. Orders-to-Go will be the trend until health officials give the all clear on COVID-19. Until then support our local restaurants and other local businesses every opportunity you have. RECORD PHOTO: Mark Dunn
of seized property assets in drug interdictions is shared by federal, state and local agencies. Merritt That money can be used to purchase crime-fighting equipment. But county commissioners are required to OK all purchases made by the Sheriff from federal forfeitures funds. “It doesn’t hurt my feelings to be buying vehicles out of forfeited funds,” County Judge John Gothia said, noting that wasn’t part of the county budget which is largely funded by taxpayers. Merritt, who opted not to run for a fourth term in office this year, will retire by the end of 2020.
“I did contact the new sheriff-elect [Mooney] to let him know what we’re doing and he’s totally in line with this,” Merritt said. The sheriff also was approved for a $2,500 line-item transfer (moving funds from one line on his county-approved budget to another) to buy more cleaning supplies to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. He also moved $25,000 in another line-item transfer to help pay for prisoner transport expenses that continue despite the shutdown of many activities. Merritt won another unanimous vote of the four commissioners and Gothia to apply for a Port Security Grant to pay $225,000 toward a $300,000 Lenco BearCat Armored Personnel Carrier. The sheriff said the APC is
CMYK
capable of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosion response and rescue operation to “increase and sustain a multi-layer protection plan for the Ports of Orange, Beaumont and Port Arthur.” “For a rescue, you can fit 10 to 15 people in the back, or you can use it as a SWAT team vehicle,” Merritt said. He told commissioners they had signed off on the same grant application in 2017 and his office had used it to replace an old patrol boat. He said that if Orange County was awarded the grant for the APC, it would be available for use by 2022 and shared with other area law enforcement outfits in Jefferson and Hardin County SHERIFF Page 2A