The Commissioners Court approved another two-week extension of certificate pay for Sheriff’s Deputies during Tuesday night’s meeting.  County Judge Brint Carlton made the motion to extend until June 4 the bonus pay for deputies who receive additional training.  Judge Carlton shared with the Commissioners that his optimism for the collective bargaining talks with the Sheriff’s deputies’ union had diminished since the last couple of bargaining sessions. The county will advertise for bids on group medical health insurance proposals.  Commissioner Johnny Trahan was named as one of the … [Read more...] about Certificate Pay Extended Again

The city of Orange is applying for a special Texas Department of Transportation grant to build sidewalks along Sikes Road and Martin Luther King Drive southward to the convenience store on the corner with Interstate 10. Tuesday the City Council approved a resolution backing the application. Dr. Shawn Oubre told the council the grant is not an option to reject if TxDOT approves it. The city will have to commit the $68,175 needed for the local match. That amount will include $25,000 for engineering, $24,165 for a contingency, and $19,010 for the project. The grant is through the … [Read more...] about City Building Sidewalks

Phones to the Orange County Courthouse and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orange are without service Tuesday afternoon.  County Judge Brint Carlton called KOGT on his cell phone to say the situation is being checked by the Maintenance Department to determine the cause, but as of 4:30 Tuesday there was no explanation for the loss of phone service.  Calls to the Courthouse or to the Sheriff’s Office would ring twice and then a recording stating that this number was no longer in service would come onto the line making the call.  Judge Carlton indicated they were not sure if the problem was … [Read more...] about Phones Out At Courthouse

On Monday, May 8th the Orange County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the Port Arthur Police Department in reference to a kidnapping that occurred in the Bridge City area of Orange County.  The victim has been identified as 43 year old Jim Sharon Bearden, an Orange attorney. Port Arthur police reported they were out with a subject in the 3200 block of Memorial who stated he had been kidnapped from his residence by 2 unknown males from his home in Bridge City.  He was forced to travel with them, in his Chevrolet Suburban, to a bank in the Mid County area and withdraw a sum of … [Read more...] about Sheriff’s Dept. Gives Some Info On Kidnapping

Contractors at the Blue Beacon truck wash under construction reported someone broke into a trailer and stole an estimated $15,000 worth of tools. Orange police were called to the site on Highway 62 off Interstate 10 at 6:49 a.m. Monday. An employee told police the trailer and tools had been secure at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Officers recovered a pry bar and a bolt cutter. The tools included drills, saws, sanders, grinders and batteries for power tools. … [Read more...] about 15K Stolen From Work Site

  On Monday, May 8th at 5:39 a.m. the Orange County Sheriff’s Office received a call in reference to a shooting that occurred near the corner of  FM 2802 and Aunt Sadie in north Vidor. Upon further investigation, it was found that Matthew G. McBroom, 30, of Vidor had been shot in the cheek area of his face and had been transported to Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont with non life threatening injuries. The male subject told investigators he was driving on Aunt Sadie approaching FM 2802, when he observed what he thought to be a white Dodge Caravan, pulled into a lot and that … [Read more...] about Vidor Man Shot In Face