News

By George Garza The Vidorian

So you have decontaminated and disinfected your water well, and it appears to be pumping out clear and sediment free water. Don’t drink, cook, make ice or even brush your teeth with it until you have it tested. In the days following Hurricane Harvey many of the thousands of water wells in Orange County were inundated with flood waters and those submerged water wells were inundated with dirty, contaminated storm and river water that likely contaminated your will with biohazards, pathogens and other hazardous biological materials.

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By George Garza The Vidorian

The United Christian Care Center traditionally provides “Thanksgiving Baskets” and “Christmas Meal Baskets” every year during the holidays to help those whose situation impairs their ability to provide such feasts for themselves, for whatever reason.

This year, the UCCC has discovered that the number of their clients in need has grown substantially following the devastating floods of Hurricane Harvey. Every year the UCCC receives generous donations from the H.H. and Edna Houseman Charitable Trust, the congregations of its member churches and from civic, educational and social groups to be able to provide a basket containing all of the ingredients necessary to craft a holiday meal.

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By George Garza The Vidorian

Given the conditions of our flooded out homes, many of us are looking towards the biggest retail sale day of the year, Black Friday, as a chance to replace that television, tablet or vacuum cleaner that we lost in the storm, at deep discounted prices.

That’s a good idea, even if it means getting out of our cots before dawn on the day after Thanksgiving. But while you are making plans to save a few dollars this week, you might also want to make plans to stop by the toy department of that retail store where you are shopping for bargains and pick up a small new toy for a boy or girl ages newborn to twelve year old.

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By Randall Luker

Registered sex offenders will face tougher residence restrictions after Vidor City Council approved proposed changes to a city ordinance. The changes will go into effect at the beginning of the year.

Council members approved expanding a prohibition on sex offenders residing either temporarily or permanently within 1,500 feet of a school, child care facility, child care institution, church, park or playground or other places where children regularly congregate.

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By George Garza

With so many families in the Vidor area being displaced by the floods of Hurricane Harvey, it was expected that the Vidor I.S.D. total student enrollment would take a hit this year. During their November Vidor I.S.D. School Board of Trustee’s meeting held this week, Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Jay Killgo announce to the Board that the total student enrollment comparison between enrollment at the end of last week and the total student enrollment for the same date in 2016 had dropped by some 265 students or by 5.5%. The good news that Killgo offered the Board was that last week’s enrollment, while down from last year, has increased by some 147 students since school began on September 19th.

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By George Garza

The City of Pine Forest has voted to authorize City Councilperson Brian Elliot to begin to gather information on the cost to acquire and finish out a prefabricated metal building to replace the city’s badly damaged city hall building.

During their regularly scheduled November meeting in their temporary city hall building, the council discussed the order of the various processes that they must undergo in order to successfully build a new city hall. The Council was informed that they have until December 24 to formulate and decide on a finalized rebuilding plan to be submitted for various state and federal funding for grants to rebuild their flood damaged city hall.

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By George Garza

The deadline for parents and guardians of children in need to apply to the Vidor Police Department “Operation Blue Santa - - Toys for Tots” Christmas gift program is next Monday, November 20, 2017 at 5:00 p.m.

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By  Randall Luker

The Memorial Titans’ captains refused to shake hands with the Vidor Pirate captains during the midfield coin toss ceremony before last Friday night’s football game in Port Arthur. Many fans were upset by the unsportsmanlike display, and not only on the Vidor side.

Because many of the Titan players were jumping up and down excitedly when the Titan captains refused to shake their guests’ hand before the game, the snub appeared pre-planned, raising the question, was just the students’ idea, or were school officials or coaches involved?

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By George Garza

After eight weeks of being closed because of water damage caused by Hurricane Harvey, the historic Orange County Courthouse building in Orange reopened last week for some of its regular occupants. It turns out that flooding was not the issue in the four-story building on Division Avenue in downtown Orange..

“The water damage inside of the Orange County Courthouse was caused by wind driven rains and a few roof leaks,” said Precinct #2 Orange County Commissioner Barry Burton. “A lot of water came in through windows on the south side of the building, but truth be known, some windows leaked on the north side of the building as well.”

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By George Garza

Twelve weeks following the scheduled first day of school for the Oak Forest Elementary School, students, teachers, aides and administrators of that flooded campus gathered together at their new temporary Oak Forest campus for their own first day of school celebration.

“The families seemed happy, there were lots of smiling faces and I really didn’t see any tears,” said Carolyn Wedgeworth, Principal of Oak Forest Elementary School. “I saw happy faces on my students. I saw happy faces on our parents. All of our teachers were smiling. Even our bus drivers showed smiles as they dropped our kids at the school this morning. I think we’re all excited to be right here in our own little campus united again.”

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