A group of students from the Martin Luther King Jr. Support Youth Group of Southeast Texas were recently honored with the Coretta Scott King Champion of Excellence Scholarship. Terry Savoy-Hadley, president of the MLK Support Group, said the scholarship has been in existence for many years, adding scholarships were previously presented during the annual MLK Brunch in January. Scholarship recipients must be members of the MLK Youth Group, which was started five years ago. Criteria for the scholarship are based on leadership skills and good character traits, which are traits Dr. King had, she s ..read more

May is a month filled with excitement and celebration as students across the country prepare to graduate from high school. This year, Memorial High School, along with Woodrow Wilson Early College High School, will celebrate their commencement exercises on Friday/May 24 at 7 p.m. at a new and larger location – Ford Park Arena in Beaumont. This milestone achievement marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, as our students embark on their journey into adulthood. With the month of May comes the importance of earning a high school diploma, as well as considering plans for the fut ..read more

This week’s heavy rain and winds led to fallen trees, downed power lines and street flooding. Andy Tinger with the National Weather Service Lake Charles said the highest wind gust of 85 mph reported at Jack Brooks Regional Airport during Thursday’s storms. Some areas saw small hail, pea and dime sized, while there were reports of hail up to 1 inch in Kountze. No tornadoes were reported in Port Arthur and Mid County, but weather officials believe there may have been damage from straight level winds. Beaumont saw most of the rain for this area with between three to six inches, while the Port Ar ..read more

Alan Roy Hartzel has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty in the 2020 death of his elderly mother. Hartzel, 50, was found guilty Thursday, and the sentence was delivered by a jury Friday in Judge John Stevens’ Criminal District court. Hartzel shared a home in the 2900 block of 5th Street with his mother, Jean Gordan Hartzel, 75. On Feb. 21, 2020, emergency medical services were called to the home, and his mother was taken to a hospital, where she died a short time later. Medical personal and first responders testified this week that the elderly woman was in poor health an ..read more

NEDERLAND — Extensive storms impacted Nederland on Thursday, with damage to trees. Starting on Monday, solid waste crews will be working overtime to haul off green waste resulting from the storms. The greatest storm damage was documented south of Nederland Avenue; thus, the solid waste crews will focus on this area. Customers who are north of Nederland Avenue and have additional green waste resulting from the storm will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. It is necessary for homeowners to place their debris in separate piles as follows: UNBAGGED GREEN WASTE (limbs, tree branches, logs, lea ..read more

In celebration of Arbor Day, Energy Transfer sponsored a tree planting April 26 at S/Sgt Lucian Adams Memorial Park in Port Arthur, which is just a few miles from its Nederland Terminal. “Employment at the facility supports nearly 230 individuals and their families that live in the surrounding communities,” an Energy Transfer statement read. “Given the historic industry presence in the area, Port Arthur represents a significant opportunity for nature-based solution implementation.” Trees selected for this planting include fast growing native species that support flood mitigation and urban hea ..read more

A Port Arthur man was found guilty in the 2020 death of his elderly mother. A jury in Judge John Stevens’ Criminal District courtroom found Alan Roy Hartzel, 50, guilty Thursday of injury to an elderly individual. Sentencing will be held Friday. Hartzel shared a home in the 2900 block of 5th Street with his mother, Jean Gordan Hartzel, 75. On Feb. 21, 2020, emergency medical services were called to the home and his mother was taken to a hospital, where she died a short time later. Medical personal described the woman as being in poor health “as though she had not been properly cared for,” acc ..read more

According to the National Weather Service, showers and thunderstorms will occur through Friday morning and into the afternoon hours. A Flood Watch is posted through 7 p.m. There are good chances for a break from the rainfall Friday night through Saturday. Scattered thunderstorms again on Sunday. Rainfall amounts Sunday are uncertain. School update: All Bob Hope School campuses in Beaumont and Port Arthur will be closed Friday due to inclement weather and power issues. “We ask parents to continue to monitor our website or Facebook pages for any additional information,” a school statement read ..read more

Years ago Kaylei Ballard set a goal for herself, then set out to achieve that goal, meticulously moving step by step. She made it through her freshman year of high school — the year COVID hit and classes were no longer in person. Step by step, year by year she continued to gain knowledge, and next week she is graduating from Lamar State College Port Arthur with an associate’s degree, then from Woodrow Wilson Early College High School. But there’s so much more. Ballard is the recipient of the prestigious Gates Scholarship. The process took more than six months and much work on her part. More t ..read more

In celebration of Arbor Day, Energy Transfer sponsored a tree planting April 26 at S/Sgt Lucian Adams Memorial Park in Port Arthur, which is just a few miles from its Nederland Terminal. “Employment at the facility supports nearly 230 individuals and their families that live in the surrounding communities,” an Energy Transfer statement read. “Given the historic industry presence in the area, Port Arthur represents a significant opportunity for nature-based solution implementation.” Trees selected for this planting include fast growing native species that support flood mitigation and urban hea ..read more