Have A Safe And Happy July 4th Holiday
County Record The Community Newspaper of Orange, Texas
Vol. 51 No. 12
Week of Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Orange County extends fireworks ban Greg Hayes
For The Record
Orange County will be celebrating America’s birthday in a much quieter fashion this Fourth of July. In a special session Tuesday, the Commissioners’ Court extended the ban on the sale and use of fireworks through July 5. “Sorry guys,” John Dubose, precinct three commissioner, said to several fireworks vendors in attendance. “The issue here is simply the danger.” The danger comes from the dryness of the area, according to Emergency Management Coordinator Jeff Kelley.
“It is going to take a good, soaking rain to return our situation to normal,” Kelley said. “A few passing DUBOSE thunderstorms won’t do what we need done.” Kelley said that in the next 14-day outlook, only two or three days even received a rain prediction from the National Weather Service. “Those days are only predicted to be from 20 to 30 percent,” he said. “We are in the extreme (of drought).” The court also left the burn ban in effect as well, as County
Judge Carl Thibodeaux said that the banning of fireworks has to be done because of the dry conditions. “This decision had to be made (Tuesday),” he said.
“Once extended, the ban cannot be lifted for seven days. If lifted, we could not have reinstated it.” Precinct One Commissioner David Dubose said that he
felt the fireworks ban had to be done. “All it takes is one fire,” he said. Once the ban was extended, fireworks vendor poured out
of the courtroom. Two such vendors, Kevin Wise and David Husband, co-owners of KN-D Fireworks in Orange, are FIREWORKS PAGE 2A
Use Caution During Holiday Travel
Dannarriah Finley not forgotten, July 4, 2002 Julie Shehane
For The Record
Her life was brief. Her brutal murder remains unsolved, and she would have been 14 on July 22. But Dannarriah Finley isn’t forgotten. Even though it’s now been nine years since her death – another year passes this week without an identified suspect or arrest – every piece of tangible evidence remains on display for investigators at the Orange Police Department. They cannot and will not forget, either the case, or the memory of little Dannarriah, who rests in a small, slightly marked grave, a short drive from the home she once lived with her mother and sib-
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Inside The Record • SHERLOCK BREAUX Page..................... 4A • Obituaries Page......................9A •Dicky Colburn Fishing..................1B • Kaz’s Korner Joe Kazmar...........2B • CHURCH NEWS Page......................9B • CLASSIFIED ADS Page....................10B
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lings. Pieces of the torn, flowered sheet her body was wrapped in at the time it was discovered. Hair follicle and DNA FINLEY test results, conducted for months on area sex offenders and other persons of interest in the case. And an overflowing binder with pages and pages of photographic evidence, show the effort investigators put into the July 2002 kidnapping, rape and murder. In early February 2004, investigators turned that evidence over to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, saying at the time that they believed a Grand Jury Indictment could come in four-to-six-weeks. “We believe we know who did it,” investigators said at the time. But a suspect was not subsequently named and the official status of the case remains unsolved.
The search:
A community-wide search was launched on July 4, 2002. Dannarriah’s mother, Jamie Arnold, called police early that afternoon, saying she had awakened at about 10 a.m. to find Dannarriah’s siblings playing at the home, but the four-year-old could not be found. Hopeful that it was a child abduction case, large and public search parties were immediately launched by both area law enforcement officials and the community. People gathered at churches to set out on foot, while law enforcement agencies from around Southeast Texas combed the area, searching for Dannarriah, who at the time was enrolled as a PreK student at North Early Learning Center in Orange. Her description and picture were at the forefront of media coverage. “She was wearing a white floral shirt and purple shorts. She wore her hair in braids,” the description read. “Her cheeks are chubby and a big DANNARRIAH PAGE 2A
Martin Luther King Jr. overpass in Orange was closed over the weekend recently. The temporary detour allows TxDOT to place bridge deck panels on the new overpass under construction. Upon completion, a wider MLK Drive will be built to pass under the new section of Interstate-10. TxDot expects the project to be completed in late 2012. The Record wants to remind drivers to be careful in construction zones during the upcoming July 4 holiday. RECORD PHOTO: Mark Dunn
Mother uses tragedy to change, save lives
Darla Daigle
For The Record
There are moments in time that change our lives forever. Decisions made, split-second choice that make the day one in which we wish time could be reversed and horrible events prevented. No doubt this is the case for one Vidor woman. Kathy Richard Hernandez has a moment in her past which not only changed her life forever, it has been a shadow over her life every day since. That moment came on April 29, 2007. On this day, in the early morning hours, her youngest daughter, Casey Dawn Hastings, lost her life on a dark highway in Jefferson County. Hers is a story that is excruciating to tell and difficult to hear. It is also a fact that many things in life that are difficult to tell are necessary to hear. For Casey’s tragic story is not just her mother’s to tell. It pain and anguish has been shared by many. Casey was a brilliant spot of light in the lives of all that knew her. Her face always carried a smile and her mood always up beat. Though her passion was cheerleading, she excelled academically as well as athletically lettering in cross-county her freshman year and graduating Magna Cum Laude from Bridge City High in 2006. With her sights set on Forensic Psychology, she was finishing her second semester at Lamar University. During this same time she was chosen to be a cheerleader for the Southeast Texas Arena semi-pro football team the Demons. She was nineteen. April 28 during a media type event to introduce the new team members and cheerleaders, Casey consumed an unknown amount of alcohol from an unknown source. She then made the decision to get behind the wheel of her Mustang and drive. She didn’t arrive at her unknown destination but drove into oncoming traffic causing a head-on collision with another teen. “Casey always made such good decisions,”
Cops and Kids combine fun and education Penny Leleaux For The Record
Kathy said. “To this day I have a hard time understanding why. But it was her choice to drink and drive that caused the accident. It’s not easy to say, a mother feels guilty about what their child does even when they are adults.” Kathy looks down, thinking thoughts that have traveled to and from her mind daily for the past four years. Their frequency doesn’t alleviate the hurt Casey’s death has caused her family, friends and Dani Simien. Casey and Dani are now inextricably linked forever. Dani was the driver of the vehicle Casey hit head on that horrible night. The same moment in time that changed Kathy’s life forever
“Cops and Kids” was held Saturday at Claiborne West Park. “It was a success,” said event coordinator John Badeaux. “We had a lot of children, a lot of happy emergency personnel bonding with the children. It was a wonderful time.” An officer in the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, this was Badeaux’s fourth year to head the event. “Cops and Kids” was started 17 years ago to help build a relationship between children and law enforcement. The Sheriff’s Office wanted to show youngsters that cops were ‘good guys’ and not to be feared. They wanted children to feel comfortable coming to officers if they need help. The event has grown in size every year. They were prepared for over 1,700 youngsters Saturday. Along with blow up slides, kids could ride a train that was built by Joe Droddy, or in a horse drawn covered wagon. A petting zoo was set up where children could feed the animals. Cowboy Church had their chuck wagon on display.
MADD PAGE 3A
COPS AND KIDS PAGE 2A
Kathy Richard Hernandez holds a photo of her daughter 2006 Bridge City graduate Casey Hastings. RECORD PHOTO: Darla Daigle