Crews Wednesday will begin the last rounds of flood debris removal from state highway right-of-way in eastern Newton and Orange counties on Wednesday.

Residents need to place flood-generated debris in the right-of-way. The last day for debris removal is June 17. After this date, residents will be responsible for the removal of any additional debris.

The post Debris Pickup Begins Final Round appeared first on KOGT.

These ladies enjoy a morning at The Natatorium and said they appreciate the city reopening the public pool after closing it last summer.

The Orange City Council today unanimously without comment approved a development plan that would allow American Airboat owner Stan Floyd to build an alligator farm and tourist courts on land on Lutcher Drive off Interstate 10 at Simmons Drive.

City Planning Director Kelvin Knauf said the city created a Mixed Use Zoning District for the properties north of Interstate 10 at Simmons Drive back in 1999. However, the city never set a development plan for the land.

At this time, the alligator farm and tourist courts are in future plans. Floyd did not attend the meeting.

Knauf said Floyd currently wants to place a billboard on his land, which covers 108, 109, 117, 507 and 537 Lutcher Drive. The development plan approved by the council will allow the billboard if it meets the city’s specifications on signs.

In other business the council approved $46,000 for community programs through the city’s share of the federal Community Development Block Grant program.

The city is allocating $5,000 to the Gift of Life program that helps people with cancer screenings and health; $6,500 to GOALS literacy program that helps people learn to read; $6,500 to the Jackson Community Center in East Orange; $6,500 to the Meals on Wheels program, $6,500 to the Samaritan Counseling Center, $7,000 to the Southeast Texas Hospice, and $8,000 to Stable Spirit, a program which uses horses and riding to help mentally or physically challenged youth.

Grants Planner Sandra Wilson said the money from the city is spent only for residents of Orange who participate in the programs. Orange spends the maximum percentage amount allowed for social services through the block grants.

The city in the 2016-17 budget will be spending an additional $263,398 in block grants. The council approved spending $35,000 for code enforcement, $166,512 for water and sewer improvements and $61,878 for administration.

The council also agreed not to collect sales taxes and franchise taxes from International Paper. The vote confirmed a previous economic development agreement with the plant when the city annexed it by request from the company.

The council also voted to make another 1,100 acres of International Paper property zoned as industrial. When the land was annexed, it immediately became residential.

Fire Chief David Fenzel got permission to put a 1993 pumper fire truck on the Rene’ Bates Auction site. He said the pump on the truck broke and will cost $50,000 to repair. The city earlier this year ordered a new pumper to replace the old one and it is currently being built.

“We may have to pay someone to tow it off,” said City Manager Dr. Shawn Oubre.

District 2 Councilor Dr. Wayne Guidry thanked the city staff for opening the Natatorium this year. The swimming pool was closed last year because of a lack of certified lifeguards. “For some kids, that’s the only vacation they’re going to get this summer,” he said.

District 3 Councilor Essie Bellfield said she doesn’t like the railroad quiet zone and can’t believe the city spent $450,000 to implement it. “Streets in Orange need to be repaired,” she said. “I was going to the country club and I was going bumpity, bumpity, bumpity.”

The quiet zone recently went into effect after an effort that took more than five years. The city closed several street crossings at tracks, placed road barriers in other streets and added a wayside horn to Green Avenue to meet the criteria to have a quiet zone. Now, trains do not blow their horns at road crossings.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-

The post Council Gives Its Approval appeared first on KOGT.

Landscapers Wednesday morning were putting the final touches on shrubs and flower beds at Park Manor Apartments as local officials, chamber of commerce members and others gathered inside a community room.

“This particular property has not been the prettiest place in Orange,” said City of Orange Housing Authority Board President Mike Combs.

Previously, the Pine Grove apartments stood at the site. The 1940s complex was damaged after two hurricanes and left vacant. Now, the housing authority has built the new Park Manor affordable housing. The group gathered for the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony with the chamber.

“I am convinced there was some divine intervention in this property happening,” Combs said.

The housing authority used a variety of funding, including federal hurricane recover money through the Texas General Land Office, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and even Warren Buffet’s Berkshire-Hathaway. Buffet has committed to helping affordable housing. A representative from Berkshire-Hathaway attended the celebration.

Combs praised the late Ike Akbari, the founder of ITEX group, which has worked with the housing authority for years. Combs described him as “a visionary, an honest and caring man and he has passed that onto his son.” Chris Akbari, the son, spoke of the cooperation on the project.

Housing Authority Executive Director LaNita Brown said next Friday is target date for tenants to start moving into the new apartments. The apartments will allow tenants through three different programs. One is the traditional federal housing under HUD. Those tenants will be chosen from the housing authority’s waiting list. The other program is like the Section 8 voucher system, and finally affordable housing for people earning a percentage of the federal poverty level set for the region.

Mike Combs, chair of the housing authority board, and Orange Housing Authority Executive Director Lanita Brown in the kitchen of a new apartment.

The post Affordable Housing Cuts Ribbon In Orange appeared first on KOGT.

An 18-wheel rig carrying 6,000 live chickens caught fire on Interstate 10 eastbound about 12:15 Wednesday afternoon. An estimated 2,000 chickens died and four thousand survived.

Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Stephanie Davis said the Texas Animal Commission come to the scene to assist.

Orange Fire Department Captain Randy Ener said the truck rig had a tire blow out and catch fire. The fire spread under the trailer carrying hundreds of cages with the chickens.

Ener said another motorist saw the flames and flagged the driver to pull over. The driver was not hurt.

Firefighters couldn’t get the chicken cages off the truck because of the way they were loaded, Ener said. The firefighters couldn’t let the chickens loose to run around the interstate, he added.

After the fire was put out, the trailer was towed to Gilbeaux’s Towing Service yard off Highway 62. Captain Ener said the company that owned the chickens was sending someone to go to the yard and load the cages with the surviving birds onto another trailer.

The accident was by Mile Marker 871 near the Orange County Appraisal District office. Traffic on the interstate was backed up for about two hours while the fire was extinguished and the site was cleaned.

The post Blown Tire Kills Chickens appeared first on KOGT.

On Wednesday 20 year old Lakendrick Jarone Sonnier of Orange was sentenced to 35 years in jail after being found guilty of aggravated robbery at Whataburger.  On April 8, 2015 officers responded to the Whataburger Restaurant located at 2300 MacArthur Drive in reference to an armed robbery.  Witnesses said a black male entered the restaurant, displayed a handgun and demanded cash from the register.  The manager recognized the subject as a former employee.  An officer with the Orange Police Department spotted a vehicle leaving the area and conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of 16th Street and Green Avenue.  Sonnier was in the car with a handgun, mask, and an undetermined amount of money.  The case was heard in Judge Dennis Powell’s courtroom.  Krispin Walker represented the prosecution.

The post Sonnier Sentenced In Robbery appeared first on KOGT.

Orange Firefighters responded to a house fire at approximately 6am Thursday at 2113 Oak Forrest in the Oak Creek Subdivision. The homeowners said they heard a boom or loud pop and found the garage on fire. The fire department says fire is under control and they are investigating the cause.

The post House Fire Thursday Morning appeared first on KOGT.

The City of Pinehurst has appointed a seven-member Planning Commission, and Code Enforcement Officer Harry Vine will serve as a non-voting member on it. Vine thinks he has the first task in mind for the new commission.
The Tool Loan Center was started by the City of Round Rock, and Vine believes maybe the Planning Commission can develop a similar plan for Pinehurst. The goal of the Tool Loan Center or TLC, as it is called, is to get a donated trailer and have equipment provided that can be used by volunteers to help take care of the property for other citizens who are less able to do so.
According to Vine it may take some time to develop, but it should be right up their alley for the newly created Planning Commission to organize. It will give citizens the opportunity to donate their time and abilities to help the city. TLC should not cost Pinehurst anything to implement which makes it a win-win situation.
The seven members appointed to the Planning Commission are homeowners and owners of businesses in Pinehurst. Liz Hogan the owner of an All State Insurance firm was selected by the Pinehurst City Council to be the chairperson of the commission.

The post Pinehurst Has Planning Commission appeared first on KOGT.

County officials are responding to requests for help from citizens in the Greenwood Acres housing addition of northern Orange County. Rhonda Vercher said she has met with Commissioner Barry Burton and County Engineer Clark Slacum concerning a drainage problem which has led to an infestation of mosquitoes in the community.

Located north on Highway 12 off of Highway 62 Greenwood Acres is a community of about 273 households with close to one thousand residents and a lot of children. Vercher admitted the community has a problem with standing water as a result of the poor drainage which Burton, Clark, and others are helping to address.

Vercher thanked Patrick Beebe and the Mosquito Control Department for their spraying in her community. She is asking for testing of the mosquitoes with the fear of the Zika virus, adding they would like additional support.

Mosquitoes are not the only pests troubling residents in the Greenwood Acres. Vercher indicated there are also speeders and thieves plaguing the addition. She recognized Constable David Cagle for his putting up a speeding sign to help slow down some of the speeders.

Sheriff Keith Merritt has spoken with Vercher about the crime situation in her neighborhood. He has promised to meet with her and residents in Greenwood Acres to develop a Crime Watch Program there.

Vercher addressed the Commissioners Court during the time for citizens to comment.

The post Greenwood Acres Residents Seek Assistance appeared first on KOGT.

Orange County Health Inspector James Scales gave four perfect scores during his visits to restaurants and other places with food. He inspected 16 places during the first two weeks of June and gave high scores. The lowest was an 88.

The perfect scores were to James Hope Academic Center on West Park Avenue in Orange, Vidor City Pool on South Street, Vidor Middle School and Subway on Highway 12 in Vidor.

He made pre-opening inspections with no score given for two businesses, Write the Vision Learning on 16th Street in Orange and Bright Beginnings Learning Center on Church Street in Vidor.

Scores and demerits are:

Old Orange Cafe, 914 West Division Avenue in Orange: 99. The walls, storage shelves and Vent-a-Hood needed to be cleaned. The bottom of the back door needed to be resealed. CO2 tanks needed to be secured.

Dairy Queen, 780 North Main Street in Vidor: 99. Air vents were dripping water onto the floor.

Whataburger, 7241 Interstate 10 East in Orange: 98. Storage shelves inside the reach-in coolers were rusted on the ends and needed to be repaired. The motor inside the walk-in cooler had an ice buildup and needed to be fixed.

Delta Food Mart, 705 Texas Avenue in Bridge City: 96. Store was cooling cooked rice on top of the county. Products inside the reach-in coolers and freezers needed to be dated.

Domino’s Pizza, 2380 Texas Avenue in Bridge City: 96. Several storage containers were cracked and broken. Several flies and gnats were throughout the store. Mice feces were in the back storage area. Floors needed to be cleaned of old foods.

Waffle House, 4212 27th Street in Orange: 95. Employee was using hand-washing sink to empty drinks and store sanitizer bucket. Hand-washing stations are to be used only for hand-washing. Vent-a-Hood needed to be cleaned of old grease. Floors inside the walk-in cooler needed to be cleaned of old foods. A few flies were found.

Casa Ole’, 1716 16th Street in Orange: 95. Several faucets were dripping water. Employee drinks were stored on preparation table without lid and straw. Floors, walls and ceilings needed to be cleaned of old food. Floor grout was missing. Back storage room needed to be cleaned. Walls needed to be repaired and ceiling tiles replaced.

Popeye’s Chicken, 1604 West Link Avenue in Orange: 93. Motor inside the walk-in cooler was dripping water onto sauce packets. Employee food and cigarettes were stored improperly. Another food establishment bag was on a warmer for cooked chicken with a smoked cigarette on top of the food warmer. Floors needed to be cleaned. Broken floor tiles found near the floor drain in the back prep area. Hot water was needed in restrooms.

Mongolian Grill and Sushi, 3104 Edgar Brown Drive in Orange: 89. Raw meats were improperly stored inside coolers. Dates were needed on products. Old cardboard boxes were lining shelves with food. Employee food and drinks were improperly stored. Floor inside walk-in freezer had a build-up of ice and needed to be repaired. Floors, walls and ceiling needed to be cleaned of old foods and dirt. Back area of restaurant needed to be cleaned of old trash and broken equipment. Restaurant has grease falling from the roof onto the side of the building. The outside of the building needed to be cleaned and repaired.

The Donut Shop, 1125 Texas Avenue in Bridge City: 88. Sausage and eggs were not at proper temperatures. No time record was on eggs and sausage being held at room temperatures. Raw dough was stored inside plastic grocery bags. Lots of dead insects found inside light shields. Shop was using the same pan liner to bake kolaches. Vent-a-Hood needed to be cleaned of old grease. Floors and baseboards throughout needed to be cleaned of old foods and dirt. Damaged ceiling tiles were throughout store.

The post OC Restaurant Reports appeared first on KOGT.

Thursday State District Judge Dennis Powell agreed to a 15-year sentence for 24-year-old Jordan Chancelor Pitre for being the getaway driver to an armed robbery at Sun Loan Company on 16th Street.

Pitre pleaded guilty after agreeing to the 15 years in prison. He is the last of the four men involved in the August 24, 2015, robbery of Sun Loan.

In May, a jury in Judge Powell’s 163rd District Court found 24-year-old Mason Paul Butler guilty of aggravated robbery. The jury gave Butler a 30-year sentence after hearing testimony that he was the gunman.

In April, Judge Powell gave 21-year-old Joshua Tremain Shaw a 33-year sentence after he pleaded guilty.

18-year-old Raymond Charles Young was the first of the four to go to court. He pleaded guilty in exchange for 15 years in prison. Walker said he cooperated with police.

The post Pitre Gets 15 Years In Robbery appeared first on KOGT.

Orange County Sheriff’s Office calls June 8-14
Possession of methamphetamine, 9 a.m. June 8, 19000 block Highway 62. Driver stopped for failure to maintain a single lane of traffic and found in possession. Arrest made.
Fraud, 1:30 p.m. June 8. Complaint filed by someone living in the 16000 block of FM 105 in Orangefield.
Disturbance (fight), 11:45 p.m. June 8, 3400 block Elk Drive in Orangefield.
Simple assault occurred; 11:19 a.m. June 9, 5400 block Church Street in Mauriceville.
Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, 12:22 p.m. June 9, Cheyenne Street in Vidor.
Theft, 3 p.m. 2.36 p.m. June 9, 2700 block North Main Street in Vidor.
Disturbance-family violence, 6:22 p.m. June 9, 3200 block Brent Drive in Mauriceville.
Criminal trespassing, 8:59 p.m. June 9, 6600 block Foxtrot Drive in Mauriceville.
Theft, 8:44 a.m. June 10, 100 block Oldbury Road in Vidor.
Criminal trespassing, 9:23 a.m. June 10, 6600 block Foxtrot Drive in Mauriceville.
Theft, 10:01 a.m. June 10, 10000 block Highway 12 in Vidor.
Burglary of a building, 2:23 p.m. June 10, 3100 block Texas Avenue in Bridge City.
Criminal mischief, 4:10 p.m. June 10, 5000 Mimosa Lane in McLewis.
Trespassing, 8:10 p.m. June 10, 3200 block Little Cypress Drive in Little Cypress.
Theft of a firearm, 8:34 p.m. June 10, 6200 block Burdine Street in Mauriceville.
Disturbance, 9:15 p.m. June 10, 2900 block FM 3247 in Orange.
Simple assault occurred; 6:12 a.m. June 11, 3000 block FM 3247 in Orange.
Simple assault occurred, 12:28 p.m. June 11, 9800 block Longleaf Road in Mauriceville.
Burglary of a habitation, 1:05 p.m. June 11, 1900 block Concord Street in Vidor.
Simple assault, 4:10 p.m. June 11, 5400 block Highlander Street in Bridge City.
Theft of two bicycles, 4:17 p.m. June 11, 2400 block Joe Lane in Mauriceville.
Intoxicated man, 8:41 p.m. June 11, FM 1132 and Highway 12 in Vidor.
Assault occurred, 8:57 p.m. June 11, 1800 block Limerick Street in Vidor.
Disturbance-simple assault, 3 p.m. June 12, 3700 block Granger Lane in Orangefield.
Theft of a utility trailer, 10:52 p.m. June 12, 1400 block Mohawk Street in Vidor.
Fire-vehicle, 1:43 p.m. June 13, 4700 block Old Highway 87 in Little Cypress.
Simple assault occurred, 1:39 p.m. June 13, 900 block Brookwood Drive in Vidor.
Recovery of stolen vehicle, 9:12 a.m. June 14, traffic stop made at 10th Street and Western Avenue in Orange. Car reported stolen in Harris County.
Animal nuisance-two stray dogs, 9:22 a.m. June 14, 8000 block Old Highway 90 (Orange County Drainage District).
Abandoned dogs, 8:37 a.m. June 14, 4200 block Buccaneer Street in Vidor. Six puppies abandoned on June 12.
Burglary of a habitation, 1:20 p.m. June 14, 1900 block Concord Street in Vidor.
Burglary of a building, 3:55 p.m. June 14, 8400 block Interstate 10 in McLewis.
Fraud, 4:37 p.m. June 14, 2200 block Honey Bear Drive in Little Cypress.
Animal nuisance, 4:40 p.m. June 14, 2800 block Call Street in Vidor. Dog chasing livestock.
Injury to a child, 5:58 p.m. June 14, 4200 block Brackinwood Road in Mauriceville. One arrest made.

The post OC Sheriffs Calls June 8-14 appeared first on KOGT.

TS Danielle is located at the bottom of the Gulf and expected to make landfall Tuesday in Mexico.

The post TS Danielle No Threat To OC appeared first on KOGT.

Orange police are investigating an ATV injury with no witnesses. Officer L.T. Holland reported he found an unconscious man lying in the roadway of FM 105 at Highway 87 about 4 a.m. Sunday. The Honda ATV was next to the man and showed no signs of a rollover. Officer Holland said he found no tire tracks or damage to indicate what direction the ATV had been traveling.
The man, 22-year-old Dylan Wilder Thayer of Bridge City, was taken by Acadian Ambulance to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont. His injuries were described as non-incapacitating.

The post Unconscious Man Found Next to ATV appeared first on KOGT.

A 64-year-old woman was stabbed in the left cheek with a pair of scissors Saturday afternoon. She told Orange police another woman tried to take her cell phone, then took scissors and stabbed her. Police said the cut went through her cheek into her gums.
Police were called to Norwood Drive at 4:50 p.m. Saturday. The injured woman had been driven there by a man after she walked away from the house where she was stabbed. When police arrived, the woman was bleeding and also had bloody scratches on her arm.
The woman told police she was visiting with a friend who lived on 17th Street at Barkins Street. She was sitting and chatting with the woman who attacked her before the stabbing.
Acadian Ambulance went to the Norwood house and took the injured woman to Baptist Hospital Orange Emergency Room.

The post Woman Stabbed In Cheek appeared first on KOGT.

The Honey Stop convenience store, 1012 West Park Avenue, was robbed about 11 p.m. Sunday by two men. Police report one had a black, semi-automatic pistol.
Detective Captain Robert Enmon said the two men were wearing black hoodies pulled over their heads. Their faces were covered with only their eyes showing. They were also wearing purple surgical gloves. They are described as black, with one about 5-feet-5 and the other 5-feet-3.
The same store was robbed by two men with handguns last year on June 12. The store did not call police after that robbery, which was reported by employees at a restaurant across the street.
In July last year, police went to a 9-1-1 call to the store after a woman took money from a cash box. She told police she lost money at the eight-liner machines at the store and wanted her money back. Eight-liner machines are similar to slot machines.

The post Store Robbed By Two appeared first on KOGT.

Local lawyer Nolan LeBlanc had his Hummer SUV stolen Monday morning from his office parking space across the street from the Orange County Jail.
“I unfortunately left the keys in it because I thought I was going to go back out right away,” he said.
OnStar tracking system helped Calcasieu Parish sheriff’s deputies to stop the SUV off Interstate 10 in Starks. The SUV was recovered and a 22-year-old man was arrested. LeBlanc’s secretary drove him to pick it up and he had it back in Orange by the afternoon.
The 2007 white Hummer with the Dallas Cowboys decal was parked at his office, 202 Border Street. He said he went outside about 9 a.m. to get his wallet and credit card out and couldn’t find the vehicle.
At first, he thought friends or relatives were pulling a prank. He walked around the block and couldn’t find it; so he called police. He said Orange police officers M.T. Roush and B.P. Latiolais helped with Onstar and the recovery.
The wallet was still inside, but LeBlanc said the thief left behind half a cigarette and a “stinky” baseball cap. The thief took one of LeBlanc’s caps. “When they bring him to jail here I’m going to bring him his cap,” he said.
LeBlanc said he won’t be leaving his keys inside again. “Thank God for OnStar,” he added.

The post Attorney’s Stolen Vehicle Returned appeared first on KOGT.

The three state district judges in Orange County will be posting a job notice seeking a new county auditor. 128th District Judge Courtney Arkeen said current auditor Mary Johnson has not resigned and will stay until a new auditor is hired.
Judge Arkeen said Johnson’s husband has gotten his “dream job” of supervising gardens at Texas A&M University in College Station. Joseph Johnson is the director of horticulture at Shangri La Gardens in Orange.
The judges hired Mary Johnson as county auditor in December 2012. State law sets up the county auditor’s job under district judges so the position is not affected by politics on commissioners court.
The Texas Association of Counties says the auditor’s job includes overseeing accounting records for all county accounts, auditing accounts for every county department, verifying the validity and legality of all county disbursements, and forecasting financial data for budget preparations.

The post County Looking For New Auditor appeared first on KOGT.

Two people were sent to hospital after a three-vehicle collision at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday on Strickland Drive at Edgar Brown Jr. Drive.

Orange police report 52-year-old Barbara Crow, who was driving a pickup truck, was taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont. 38-year-old Christopher Wright, who was driving a Ford Mustang, was taken by Acadian Ambulance to Baptist Hospital in Orange.

Officer J.L. Goins reported Wright’s Mustang was stopped at the traffic light facing south at the intersection. Crow’s pickup was stopped behind the Mustang.

Officer Goins said a Chevrolet Silverado pickup driven by a 33-year-old hit the back of the Silverado, which crashed into the Mustang. The Silverado driver was not injured and was issued a ticket for failure to control speed.

The post Accident Sends Two To Hospital appeared first on KOGT.

The Commissioners Court Tuesday did a reversal of its action from two weeks ago by reclassifying the District Attorney’s Criminal Investigator to an E-3 on the pay matrix. Commissioner David Dubose who missed the meeting on June 28 when the first vote was taken requested the Court reconsider its reclassification of the Criminal Investigator’s position. The reclassification was to go into effect at the beginning of the new fiscal year on October 1 and would have meant a reduction in pay of just under $10,000.

County Attorney John Kimbrough gave a passionate plea for restoring Investigator K. C. Breshears to his previous classification.  In the process Kimbrough suggested Commissioners Court was punishing Breshears because he was helping Texas Rangers investigate former Emergency Management Coordinator Ryan Peabody.  Several other investigators with the Sheriff’s Office and local police departments spoke on Breshears’ behalf before he himself spoke. When the vote was taken Commissioners Barry Burton and John Banken changed their votes from June 28 and joined with Dubose in favor of restoring the investigator position’s classification from an E-2 back to an E-3 with 15 years of service.  After the meeting Breshears said, “I’m truly humbled and appreciate the support I received from my colleagues and the public today in commissioner’s court. I also appreciate the commissioners listening to the facts and supporting me in the end.”

The Court approved unanimously a reduced scope of work for Way Services to perform energy efficiency improvements to buildings owned by Orange County. The original proposal from Way would have cost the county $6.4 million. The option approved by the Commissioners will be worth $5.423 million. Financing for the improvements will be handled through a contractual obligation which was agreed by all parties concerned to be easier and less expensive for the county to undertake. Handling the financing of the project will be U.S. Capital Advisors and Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta, both of which have dealt with similar financing programs involving other counties or municipalities.

The Court received the county’s 2015 audit from an accounting firm Tuesday. Commissioner Banken then requested an outside audit be done of the County Auditor’s Office. County Attorney Doug Manning was requested by Banken and the other commissioners to prepare a resolution stating the reason for the audit which will need to be published for 10 days before the Commissioners Court can vote on whether to follow through with the audit. County Judge Brint Carlton was the lone vote opposing the drafting of the resolution.

Sheriff Keith Merritt received approval to purchase ten new vehicles for his department. Merritt requested at a budget workshop last week that he be able to replace four Ford F-150s, a Dodge 2500, and five Dodge Chargers as patrol cars utilizing Asset Forfeiture funds.
Orange County will join with the City of Vidor in Pride and Progress a residential tax abatement program undertaken by the city as an economic development project. The Court approved a resolution which begins the ball rolling to allow the county to join the program.

The Commissioners took no action on changing again the Orange County Disaster Pay Policy which was changed at their last meeting. Charlie Cox the incoming Emergency Management Coordinator for Orange County attended Tuesday’s meeting and advised the Court that he has been looking into the disaster pay policy of other counties in Southeast Texas. Cox asked the Commissioners Court to delay any action until he officially takes his new position on July 25. He promised to make a report at that time on his recommendation for any changes that were needed to the Disaster Pay Policy.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-

The post Court Restores Pay appeared first on KOGT.

City Attorney Tommy Gunn was reappointed for another year Tuesday evening at the Pinehurst City Council meeting.  Gunn has served as the city attorney in Pinehurst since 1988.  Gunn reminded the council that he was chosen from a pool of several attorneys that applied for the position 28 years ago when current Alderman T. W. Permenter also served on the City Council.

Two revised resolutions connected with two grants applied for by Pinehurst were approved by the council.  The revisions changed the grant administrator from being specifically Robbie Hood to the more generic term of City Administrator which is Hood’s position with the City of Pinehurst.

Sandersen & Scheffer were approved to perform the annual audit for Pinehurst at the end of September.  City Secretary Debbie Cormier informed the council that this is the same accounting firm which has performed previous audits for the city, but has made a slight name change recently.

An easement was granted to give access to the new offices of Innovative Air Services which are moving into a building behind the Pinehurst City Hall.  The owner hopes to be in the new facility in a little over a week. 

The City Council got an update from Boy Scout Adrian Willingham about the Eagle Scout project he is doing for the West Park in Pinehurst.  Adrian described his project as being four Adirondack chairs made out of cypress with a table for parents to have a place to read while their children play on the swings or other playground equipment at the park.  Willingham from Troop 1 said there will also be a sign and a plaque added to indicate that the designated reading center is an Eagle Scout project.  As reported previously another Eagle Scout project is planned for the park to provide benches for walkers to have a place to stop and take a break on the new track being constructed. 

The post Pinehurst Reappoints Gunn appeared first on KOGT.