Robert Mitchell of Orange knows every inch of the old, long-abandoned Southern Pacific Depot on Green Avenue. When he was 18, back in 1945, he got a job as the day porter there. He and former ticket window clerk Juanita Timberlake, also of Orange, are the last living railroad employees who worked at the local depot, which closed to trains more than 40 years ago. Both did video recordings Monday for a project by the Friends of the Orange Depot. The non-profit group is raising money to restore the century-old depot. Their interviews will be part of a museum exhibit when the restored depot opens … [Read more...] about Depot Employees Reminisce

Orange County Road and Bridge Engineer Clark Slacum announced Wednesday the closure of Bessie Heights Road (between Turner and FM408) to through traffic for culvert replacement. The $791,660 project is being funded by a grant administered by the General Land Office and will close Bessie Heights Road for approximately four months according to Slacum. The reason for replacing three culverts is that they were damaged as a result of Hurricane Ike. Slacum said the three drainage structures on Bessie Heights will be replaced with new concrete box culverts. Detour signage is being installed to route … [Read more...] about Bessie Heights Road closure

As announced Monday on KOGT, Orange County approved the settlement with British Petroleum resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010. The amount of the settlement was $1,189,746. Coming a month or so before budget workshops the settlement is good news for the county in preparing for next fiscal year. County Judge Pro Tem David Dubose said the settlement truly is a blessing to the county, and he believes the money should be held in reserve in case of future emergencies. Dubose expressed his desire is to not use the settlement money for equipment or other capital outlay in the coming … [Read more...] about Christmas in July for OC

Signal International uses money from sale of Orange yard to pay off lawsuits Signal International shipyard based in Mobile, Alabama, has filed for bankruptcy because of lawsuits in connection with the company hiring workers from India in 2006 at the Orange and Pascagoula, Mississippi, yards. The lawsuits contend that the company promised the workers green cards to stay or residency in the United States. The workers used their life savings or took high-interest loans to get to the jobs. The filings accused Signal of keeping the workers in slavery-like conditions in small, unsanitary housing … [Read more...] about Signal Bankrupt

Police Briefs- A man had to be taken to the Baptist Emergency Room in Orange Tuesday night after he was hit in the head with a metal pole. Orange Police Officer Isaac Henry reported he was called to the 1600 block of 14th Street at 8:22 p.m. When he arrived he saw a man lying in the yard with a head injury. Detective Captain Cliff Hargrave said two men brought the metal pole to beat up the man. Apparently the two men know someone who knows the victim. A man cleaning his gun was shot in the hand about midnight Tuesday when he was cleaning his pistol. Another man at the house suffered a … [Read more...] about Shot, Robbed, and Hit with a Pole

A man who lives a few feet west of the Confederate Flag Memorial under construction said the Sons of Confederate Veterans should put in parking at the memorial site and not in public streets. Philip Cooper and his neighbor, Chuck Copeland, went before the Orange City Council on Tuesday to ask that the city also prohibit parking along 41st Street where they live. "I back out of my driveway and almost go into the ditch (along the memorial land,) Cooper said. The memorial land is 15 to 16 feet from his land. "I've had problems with people attending to the memorial parking in the middle of the … [Read more...] about Neighbors Don’t Want Visitors On Street

The City of Orange is withdrawing its $25,000 a year support of the Orange County Economic Development Corporation for 2016. The board of the City of Orange Economic Development Corporation and the Orange City Council voted Tuesday to not pay the annual share which will be due on October 1. George Mortimer, president of the city economic development board, said the city has previously asked for the county group to give the city quarterly reports. In addition, the city group has asked for the executive director of the county group to attend the city economic development board meetings, he … [Read more...] about Orange Withdraws EDC Money

The Orange City Council honored a police officer and learned some good news from a sad story. Lieutenant Eric Ellison on May 24 went to the scene of an accident where motorcyclists Riley and Emily Portie were killed by a pickup truck driven by man later charged with manslaughter for being drunk. Lieutenant Ellison had the job of letting their youngest son Kazzie that his parents had died. Kazzie was set to graduate from Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School in six days and he was alone at the house. The lieutenant waited with the teenager and encouraged him to go to his graduation … [Read more...] about Officer Honored