A one car rollover Thursday afternoon on FM1442 near Thomas Rd. in Bridge City sent one person to the hospital.  Beverly Perkins, 79, of Orange, was sent by Air Rescue to a Beaumont hospital with head injuries according to BC Police after she lost control of her car.

For the Cobb family, "can" is short for cancer. But it also means the family can accomplish their mission to raise awareness and money for childhood cancer. Father Jonathan, mother Jennifer, son Jonathan David, and daughters Jenna and Jaxi are walking across America for their Jucan Foundation. Thursday morning they were guests at Community Christian School and told their story. On October 29, 2013, 8-year-old Julia Cobb died from a rare bone cancer. Her family called her "Ju" and added the "can" to her name for the cancer. This past November the family left Disneyland in California to make a trek across the country. They plan to arrive in Disney World in Florida on March 17, which would have been Julia's 10th birthday. Mother Jennifer told the Community students that they hope to make September the month for childhood cancer awareness with the color gold. The Cobbs said only 4 percent of money raised in the U.S. to fight cancer goes for childhood cancer. Julia went to M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston and St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, two of the best medical facilities in the country. Yet the drugs she received were from the 1960s and 1970s because the FDA has a back-up for approving new drugs to treat pediatric cancer. Donations to the foundation can be made through the website jucanfoundation.org.

- Orange Mayor Jimmy Sims has an opponent in the May 9 election. James "Jim" Bean has filed for the position. Filing for city council and school board races ends at 5 p.m. Friday. Patrick Pullen is the only candidate for the District 1 seat currently held by Theresa Beauchamp. She is ineligible to run because of term limits. Candidates must live within the boundaries of the district that is on the west side of the city.
 - In the West Orange-Cove school board race, Demetrius D. Hunter has filed to run for one of the at-large positions open on the board. As of Thursday, five people are running for the two seats open for full, three-year terms. Incumbent Eric Mitchell has filed, however incumbent Pete Amy is not going to seek re-election. Other candidates are John Gray Jr., Roderick Robertson and Rickey Blagburn. Also on the ballot for WO-C will be a one-year unexpired term for the seat previously held by the late Mary Kirksey. Candidates for that position are Carmen Purgahn, and Linda Platt-Bryant.
 - The Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD has no contested races so far. Incumbents David Jones, Position 2, and Tammy Rountree, Position 4, have filed. Aubrey Milstead is the only candidate for Position 5, the spot long held by Don Anderson.
 - In Bridge City, only one contested race has developed so far for the school board race. Marla Zoch and Brad Thibodaux have filed for Place 1, now held by Lon Hubbard. Incumbent Kirk Ellender has filed for Place 2.  - School administration offices usually close at 4 p.m. but will stay open until 5 p.m. Friday to accept last minute filings. Orangefield and Deweyville have school board elections in November.

The lack of a hospital that admits patients for overnight care will make life different for the Greater Orange community. Dr. Calvin Parker, chief of staff at Baptist Hospital Orange, talked Wednesday about the announcement Tuesday that the only hospital in Orange County will stop admitting patients on June 1. The hospital will keep several out-patient services and a full emergency room open. Parker said people need to use those services to prevent them from being lost. He pointed out that ambulances will take people only to emergency rooms affiliated with a hospital. Without the Baptist Orange emergency room, a person having a heart attack or stroke will be taken to a hospital in Beaumont or Port Arthur. The patient could be stuck in traffic in an ambulance with an EMT rather than being minutes away from a medical doctor with full equipment. In addition, Orange County will have a hard time getting new doctors without a hospital. Doctors want to be affiliated with an admitting hospital. Parker said hospitals recruit doctors with incentive offers like free office rent for a period and an income guarantee. Without a hospital, the community will need to do the recruiting. He said the hospital recruited him 16 years ago and he is now the youngest doctor who has stayed. Orange now could support another two or three general practitioners, especially after the recent death of long-time physician Dr. Howard Williams. Yet, Parker is optimistic for the future. He said county and city leaders are now addressing the problem “behind the scenes” and working for alternative solutions. One way may be getting another company to open a smaller hospital. more

This is the last week to file for municipal elections in May. A familiar name has filed this week in West Orange, former mayor and recently retired County Judge Carl Thibodeaux has filed to be on the ballot as an Alderman. Thibodeaux joins Dr. Frances Lopez and Billie Trahan as candidates for two at-large positions on the city council. Currently Roy McDonald is running unopposed for another term as mayor. Pinehurst has three at-large positions on the ballot in May, but so far only two incumbents have filed, Dan Barclay and Dan Mohon. The other incumbent Matthew Chandler resigned from the council earlier this month. Bridge City has three places up for election. Term limits have prevented Kevin Mott in Place 1 and Robert Simonton in Place 3 from seeking another term. David Rutledge has filed for Place 1. In Place 3 Tammi Fisette and Steve Quibodeaux are seeking a seat on the council. Place 5 incumbent Richard Savoy is being opposed by Terri Gauthier. Applications to be on the ballot must be submitted to the city secretary in each city by the close of business on Friday.

The City of Orange Economic Development Corporation board and the City Council approved the first step of deal with businessman Mark Frey's new company to develop an RV park on Interstate 10. The deal includes an economic development grant of $250,000, with $50,000 to be repaid, plus some tax incentives. Hotel owners and managers, along with some managers of other RV parks objected to spending. Councilwoman Theresa Beauchamp, who also sits on the EDC board, said the park will not "have the kind of construction people that pull their (RVs) along and live in a park two or three months." She said people have RVs that cost $500,000 and the park will attract them. "Those kind of people are usually older and upscale," she said. The economic development money would include $75,000 to demolish the motel, which is now vacant. In addition, $175,000 would be used for infrastructure improvements to water, sewer and drainage. Jack Patel, owner of the Holiday Inn Express, said he objects to the city paying for the demolition of the old motel. He said the bank which has taken ownership of the land should be responsible for the demolition. Patel told the EDC board that he is responsible for the land he owns and that if his grass grows too long, the city sends him a letter telling him to mow. Frey formed a limited liability corporation, Outdoor Hospitality, for the business. He plans to spend at least $1.53 million on the construction. The park will have landscape paver driveways, lush landscaping, gated security fencing, landscape and parking lot lighting. The resort will also have a swimming pool, hot tub, cabana, dog park, shower house, restrooms and laundry facilities. A small retail shop will also be on the premises along with a “rally barn” with full kitchen. Frey said the park will not resemble any of the other RV parks in Orange County because the City of Orange has strict rules for the parks. Those rules, he said, include paved driveways, lighting and water and sewer service to each RV pad. Frey said he has worked with a consultant on the plans for five years.

Cub Scout Pack 311 attended the Orange City Council meeting Tuesday night for a lesson on government. After the meeting City Manager Dr. Shawn Oubre let the boys sit at the council table as he gave a short talk on government.

Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas released the following letter to KOGT Tuesday. After eleven years of financial losses, the Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas Board of Directors has determined that Baptist Orange Hospital is no longer sustainable as an inpatient healthcare facility. Baptist Orange will continue to provide high-quality emergency services to the community including lab and state-of-the-art imaging services such as EKG/EEG, CT Scans, MRI, an OP Infusion Clinic, Pharmacy and a Sleep Center.  Beginning Monday, June 1, 2015 all other inpatient healthcare services will be referred to Baptist Beaumont Hospital healthcare facilities.  more

The West Orange-Cove CISD is dealing with unbudgeted expenses that have to come from reserve funds, or savings. During a school board meeting Monday night, trustees discussed and disagreed on spending more from the reserves to honor a retired coach. Trustee Bryan "Chop" Thomas Muhammad wants to spend money from the reserves to pay for banner signs and an addition to the scoreboard at the high school football stadium to honor Leroy Breedlove "whatever it costs." The board, in a split vote on August 25 agreed to name the football field in honor of Breedlove, a longtime middle school coach and teacher. Monday, Muhammad said "it's almost to the point where it's being disrespectful" to Breedlove by not having the signs installed. He said he wants a banner up for track season, which is starting now. The stadium retains the name of Dan R. Hooks Stadium with Leroy Breedlove Field added. Finance Director Melinda James said she researched how the district paid for the signs for Hooks and the money was raised through donors. Board President Pete Amy said no one has raised money for the Breedlove signage and he suggested that if all the people who spoke to honor Breedlove would donate $50 the signs could be bought. more

A man delivering pizza late Saturday night was ambushed by three people who punched him in the face and stole the pizza. Orange Police Detective Captain Cliff Hargrave said the strong-arm robbery was reported at 11:38 p.m. Saturday from the 500 block of Camellia Street in the Roselawn neighborhood. Captain Hargrave said no one was at the house at the time and it appears the robbers made a fake order. An ambulance was called to treat the delivery man but he declined.

Newton County authorities are looking for a 28-year-old man from Orange who did not appear Monday for his murder trial. Jury selection had been set to start Monday morning for Joshua Latham. Detectives from the Orange Police Department had been set to testify in the trial. Latham was indicted for murder and tampering with evidence in connection with the strangulation death of 41-year-old Tami Higginbotham of Vinton, Louisiana. Higginbotham was reported missing on February 8, 2013, after traveling to Orange the day before to sell her cell phone. She never returned home and relatives called police. Orange police found her abandoned car at Blue Bird Fish Camp off Simmons Drive. A week after her disappearance, her body was found in a wooded area north of Mauriceville in Newton County. Police tracked down Latham and arrested him in Tennessee. Detectives from the Orange Police Department had been set to testify in the trial.

The City of Orange is presenting the Pet of the Week. Our Oscar pick is “America” she is a Lab Mixed Breed. Blonde in color and is about 8 weeks old. She is available for adoption and is located at the City of Orange Animal Shelter @ 806 Simmons. The Fee for adoption is $98.00 this Fee covers the cost for her 1st Rabies Shot and when she is old enough for her Spay. Adoption Hours at the Shelter are Monday – Friday from 8:00 am till 10:00 a.m. then again from 3:00 p.m. till 5:00 p.m. You may contact the shelter @ 409-988-7464.

What's happening around town?  Check the Happenings page!

A 32-year-old Orange man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales. Jason Ryan Bickham pleaded guilty on Sep. 17, 2014 to possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield. According to information presented in court, law enforcement authorities were alerted by a citizen that Bickham had images containing child pornography on his cellular phone. Bickham provided officers consent to search the phone and a forensic analysis revealed multiple images and videos of child pornography. Bickham was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 4, 2014. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Orange Police Department and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall L. Fluke.

Commissioners appointed Minnie Hightower as the Director of Personnel for Orange County at their meeting Monday. The Commissioners Court interviewed four candidates in the morning for the position before choosing Hightower during the court’s afternoon session. Commissioner David Dubose voted against the appointment preferring to hire from within the county. Dubose said there were two candidates from the county with at least 20 years experience in human resources, one in the sheriff’s office the other actually in personnel, and he wanted one of those to get promoted. Commissioner John Banken joined Dubose in opposing the appointment. Hightower does have 20 years experience in human resources work with Toyota in Mississippi and with the city of Lufkin. She is a native of southeast Texas in Galveston County. Hightower is looking forward to moving back to Texas and be closer to her family instead of 500 miles away where she was working in Mississippi. Her first day as Director of Personnel will be Tuesday, March 3. County buses will be used during the Bassmasters Fishing Tournament in March. The Commissioners Court unanimously approved allowing three county buses to be used the weekend of the tournament. The Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission gave Bobby Fillyaw with the Economic Development Corporation permission to use the buses and to establish a set route for the buses to run during the tournament. Commissioner John Banken was the lone dissenting vote in having the county pay for the fuel to run the buses. The Court approved up to 500 dollars from the contingency fund be used to pay for the propane fuel. The Orange County Economic Development Corporation will pay the drivers to operate the buses at $10 an hour. Commissioners approved the preliminary plat for Magnolia Ranch a proposed subdivision in Precinct 3 located south of FM 105 near the Paulwood Subdivision.

The West Orange-Cove school board could have named a new superintendent Monday night. The action was on the board's meeting agenda for the first time. The board has spent a month of going through resumes and conducting interviews with applicants. No board member made a motion to hire an individual. Board president Pete Amy said the board will continue to meet to find someone to fill the position. Beginning January 26, the deadline for applications, the board has held five meetings on the search for a new superintendent. The board met Monday for two hours in closed-door executive session but no decision was made. The board had set a timeline to have a new superintendent on the job by the first of April. Texas education rules require the board to name a lone finalist 21 days before the official hiring of a superintendent.

The city council in West Orange approved Monday night a resolution opposing Senate Bill 343. Opponents of the bill believe it would threaten or diminish the authority of Home Rule Municipalities. West Orange Mayor Roy McDonald says there are two types of cities: Home Rule cities and General Law cities. McDonald explains the difference is General Law cities can only do what the Texas legislature allows them to do through law, while a Home Rule city can pass regulations and ordinances it deems necessary to help govern the premise of their city. Mayor McDonald believes Home Rule is the preferred form of local government because they have a closer touch with the citizens and know better what they need as opposed to being forced to do just what state law says they can do. West Orange accepted Cody Marshall as a member of the city’s volunteer fire department. Marshall has been a junior fire fighter and has turned 18 which qualifies him for the department. Legal services were extended with the law firm Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith which is handling the demolition of condemned property in the city. West Orange still has three or four more properties that may be demolished according to Michael Stelly with the city.

Monday Afternoon LOCATED in Vidor and safe.  Called police after he was told people were looking for him. - The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is asking for assistance in the search of a person who has been reported missing since January 16, 2015. The missing person is a 19 year old white male by the name of Joshua Wayne Jackson. He was last seen where he attends school at the Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School. Jackson is a resident of Mauriceville. Joshua is 6’00” tall, weighs approximately 160 pounds, and has brown hair and hazel eyes. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans and boots. At this time, there is insufficient information available to determine where he might have gone or who he might have been with. All available leads have been investigated and have been unsuccessful in locating Jackson. If anyone has seen or heard from Joshua, please contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Office at 409-883-2612.

The Great Depression had a hold on the nation and Orange. Yet a grand construction project in downtown had people showing local pride. A new three-story courthouse was being constructed. In the summer of 1937 as the courthouse was nearing completion, the news came that a great carved marble eagle would stand on top of the courthouse. Back on September 12, 1937, the Alberene Stone Company sent a telegram to County Judge R. Lee Davis that it would take three to four weeks for the eagle to be carved. The eagle arrived on October 5, 1937, about six weeks before the dedication. The newspaper described it as a "huge marble eagle emblematic of the national government" had arrived. The eagle weighed two-and-a-half tons. Workers took several days to install the eagle at the top of the courthouse. more