BEST FISHING IN TEXAS
OUTDOORS WEEKLY Capt. Chuck Uzzle Page 1B
Dickie Colburn Page 1B
SPORTS NEWS AND OPINION KAZ’S KORNER Page 3B
County Record Published For Orange Countians By Orange Countians
‘Where the sun rises on Texas and the stars shine first!’
County Record Vol. 52 No. 42
The Community Newspaper of Orange, Texas
Week of Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Orange Riverfront Boardwalk nears completion Debby Schamber For The Record
As of January 1, the Orange Riverfront Boardwalk and Pavilion is overall 80 percent completed, according to Jay Trahan, director of economic development for the city of Orange. However, some parts are more complete than others. The stabilization stage of the project is 100 percent complete. In addition, the boardwalk at the east side of the project near Second Street and the middle section of the proj-
New slate of officers for SRA Staff Report
For The Record
A new slate of officers was elected for 2013 by the Board of Directors at the annual meeting of the Sabine River Authority of Texas (SRA) recently held in Orange, Texas. David Koonce of Center was elected as Board President. Other elected officers include Vice President Cliff Todd of Carthage, Secretary/Treasurer Mac Abney of Marshall and Secretary Pro Tem Connie Ware of Marshall. Other members of the SRA Board include Past President Earl Williams of Orange, Don Covington of Orange, Stan Mathews of Pinehurst, Connie Wade of Longview and J. D. Jacobs, Jr. of Rockwall. President Koonce is president of General Shelters of Texas Ltd. and also has partnership interests
SEE SRA Page 2A
H • SHERLOCK BREAUX Page...................... 4A • Obituaries Page.......................6A •Dicky Colburn Fishing...................1B • CHURCH NEWS Page.......................7A • CLASSIFIED ADS Page......................6B
ect between Fourth and Fifth Streets has been completed too. The storm drainage throughout the property has TRAHAN been improved while the new irrigation system for future landscaping has been completed. The performance pavilion is currently being constructed. It will have a total height of 50 feet and the canopy will provide 2,000 feet of coverage. The boardwalk will be the stage for the pavilion. The perimeter sidewalks are under construction while the 39 new light fixture package along the perimeter and boardwalk have been installed. The boardwalk itself is constructed of a sturdy Brazilian hardwood, Massaranduba, which under most conditions, has a 50-year life span. The historical markers and brick pavers are expected to be installed within the next two to four weeks. Some of the historical markers include infor-
ORANGE Page 3A
An aerial picture of the area shows where the boardwalk will be located.
Orange County crime down 16 percent Debby Schamber For The Record
The annual Uniform Crime Report Statistics have been released from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the overall crime rate in Orange County has dropped 16 percent in 2012 compared to 2011. There were 1,202 cases in 2011 while the number decreased to 1,006 in 2012. Of the 1,202 cases, investigators were able to clear 51 percent with a total of 577 in 2011 while in 2012 they cleared 50 percent of the 494 total. However, the crime of murder actually went higher. There were zero murders reported in Orange County for 2011 while three murders were investigated in 2012. Curtis Allen Garrison, remains in custody on murder charges for the deaths of Aaron Conn, 34, and Summer Conn, 30, of Vidor. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office received a report of gunshots on Friday, Nov. 23, 2012, in the 5600 block of Woodside Drive in Vidor.
Investigators arrived on scene to discover the victims deceased. Both of the victims appeared to have sustained gunshot wounds.Garrison was located at his parent’s residence in Mauriceville area and was detained without incident. A few days later there was a report of another murder in Orange County. Julia Rhoton Andrews, 58, of Vidor, is accused of murdering 42-yearold Randy Peddy on November 30. The OCSO received a phone call about gunshots and responded to the area. When deputies arrived on the scene, they located Peddy lying lifeless in the yard of the residence. Emergency medical personnel with Acadian Ambulance and the Vidor Fire Department determined Peddy was deceased. Andrews was brought in for questioning where she was interviewed by investigators concerning the shooting. Andrews stated she and Peddy had gotten into a verbal and
CRIME DOWN Page 3A
FEMA host meeting on new Flood Zone maps Debby Schamber
For The Record
In spite of the cold temperatures and rain, a steady stream of people arrived at the Bridge City Community Center to see if their residence was now in a flood zone after the federal government released new maps of the area. Those who were not able to attend on Tuesday, still have a chance to attend from 2 p.m.
to 8 p.m. Wednesday. When arriving at the community center, people are asked to fill out a sheet of paper with their address and other various simple information. After waiting in line with their information completed, their name is called and they can meet with a member of the Texas Chart team. On the computer, they assisted to find where their residence is located and if they have been re-
classified into a flood zone or not. The person then can go to many of the stations within the center to talk to their local city or county governments. Other stations have representatives from FEMA such as Appeals and Comments, Flood Insurance, Property Location and Identification, and Mitigation Actions and Emergency Management. John Woods, of Bridge City, arrived to see if his residence
had been rezoned. He stated he was not previously in a flood zone, but had purchased a “preferred risk” flood insurance policy. ‘Because I had a preferred risk policy, my rates won’t go up for now,” he said referring to increase in his flood insurance rates. “But, they still could.” Robert Simonton Sr., of Bridge City, was anxiously waiting in line to see the re-
sults of the new maps. “If they are making a change, then they should let people know,” he said. The Texas based coastal flood mapping effort is part of FEMA’s approach to integrating flood hazard identification and analysis with risk communications for affected coastal counties known as TXCHART.
• Award Winning Hometown News
SEE FEMA Page 3A