Doctor Voices Concerns Over Loss Of Hospital Feb. 25, 2015 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 … [Read more...] about Doctor Voices Concerns
Thibodeaux is Back
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 … [Read more...] about Thibodeaux is Back
Cubs Get Educated
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. … [Read more...] about Cubs Get Educated
Hospital Closing
Dear Citizens of Orange County: Baptist Orange Hospital has proudly served the community since 1957 as a 99-bed acute care facility. Over the past several years, a number of factors have converged to cause a significant change today in the delivery of healthcare to our neighbors. 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 … [Read more...] about Hospital Closing
WOCCISD meeting
Feb. 24, 2015 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 … [Read more...] about WOCCISD meeting
Pizza Man Robbed
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. … [Read more...] about Pizza Man Robbed
Looking for Latham
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 … [Read more...] about Looking for Latham
EDC Giving Money For RV Park
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 … [Read more...] about EDC Giving Money For RV Park
Bickham sentenced
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 … [Read more...] about Bickham sentenced
Hightower New Personnel Director
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 … [Read more...] about Hightower New Personnel Director
Social Media