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The Community Newspaper of Orange, Texas TheRecordLive.com County Record Vol. 62 No. 2 Distributed FREE In Orange County, Texas Week of Wednesday, June 16, 2021 Kimbrough backs BCPD’s 2020 investigations doing their jobs. Jackson appeared last week- School grad who had been Davis, who retired as a De- The flames were fueled by end, on the anniversary of Bridge City’s top lawman partment of Safety state protests by victims’ family Jackson’s death. It was also a since 2009, did not respond trooper before he was hired and friends at Bridge City couple of days after Jerry to numerous calls and visits as BCPD’s chief. “He went up Police Department in Au- Jones, city manager of Bridge to his office by The Record [in rank] real fast with DPS. gust, 2020, and at Bridge City, confirmed rumors that Newspapers seeking confir- He retired there and went City Council chambers in Bridge City Police Chief Paul mation of rumors that he over to Bridge City.” April, 2021. Television sto- Davis had turned in his re- was quitting. First responders to the ries featuring the ex-wife of tirement papers. “He was actually a major in crash on FM 1442 found hit-and-run victim Robert Davis, a Bridge City High Austin,” Kimbrough said of BCPD’S Page 3A GLO funds new senior apartments DAVE ROGERS For The Record Orange is getting a new 80-unit senior apartment community near the inter- Bridge City native Paul Davis has been Chief of the Bridge City Po- lice Department since Feb. 2, 2009. Davis is retiring as of June 30. section of Highway 62 and RECORD FILE PHOTO: Mark Dunn Interstate 10. A celebration was held Orange, was charged with Wednesday, June 16, to DAVE ROGERS christen the SilverLeaf at For The Record intoxication manslaughter in a head-on collision that Orange, a project built with Orange County District killed 20-year-old Jillian $8.8 million in funding Attorney John Kimbrough Blanchard of Port Neches on from the Texas General said Tuesday that Bridge FM 1442 in Bridge City. Land Office. City’s Police Department But Watkins has never “It’s nice,” said Precinct 2 “did a fantastic job” investi- been charged in connection County Commissioner The- gating twin fatalities that oc- with the other fatality. resa Beauchamp, whose curred minutes and miles Social media has been broad area includes the new apart on June 13, 2020. ablaze for months, accusing housing. Jarrod Lee Watkins, 24, of BCPD and Kimbrough of not “We needed that in that area,” she said. It will be an affordable rental housing complex, TxDOT’s MacArthur which shared a Wednesday The SilverLeaf at Orange, an affordable rental community for seniors, has been built at 8850 Old debut with the rebuilt 208- Highway 90 with the help of an $8.8 million grant from the Texas General Land Office. unit Pebble Creek Apart- RECORD PHOTO: Dave Rogers street lights plan ments in Port Arthur. The GLO disaster recov- brightens cities ery team awarded $7.5 mil- lion to repair the Port Ar- thur complex. Seventy-two of the Or- DAVE ROGERS putting up the lights and For The Record adding sidewalks along each ange units and 146 of the side of the existing roadway. Port Arthur apartments City council members at Pinehurst and West Or- have been set aside specifi- both Pinehurst and West Or- ange would pay the cost for cally for low-to-moderate- ange have liked what they’ve electricity and meter service income families in accor- seen from proposals to place on each of their sides, which dance with rules set down streetlights on MacArthur TxDOT estimates put at by the U.S. Department of Drive. $1,300 per year. Housing and Urban Devel- “It was a real brief presen- The City of Orange would opment for Community De- tation, and we will talk more, pay for maintaining the velopment Block Grant Di- but based on what I saw, it’s streetlights, which TxDOT saster Recovery (CDBG-DR) going to be a big addition to estimates at $5,425 annually. funds. our city, because it’s aimed at About a year ago, former Commissioner Beau- keeping our citizens safe,” Orange councilman Pat Pul- champ said SilverLeaf of Johnny Asevedo, Pinehurst len held a news conference to Orange will require all resi- councilman, said. protest TxDOT’s then-an- dents to be 55 and over and “We’ve needed lights out nounced plans to narrow the children aren’t allowed to there for quite a few years,” roadway to two lanes each live there. Seventy-two of the 80 units at the just completed SilverLeaf at Orange senior community will be Shirley Bonnin of the West way with a turn lane in the The GLO has disbursed reserved for residents with low-to-moderate incomes. The housing was built with $8.8 million in Orange council said. “It is middle in order to add hike/ $588 million in the grant CDBG-Disaster Relief grants issued after Hurricane Harvey. RECORD PHOTO: Dave Rogers dark and you don’t see people bike lanes on either sides. funds to help rehabilitate, walking. Any lighting would have to reconstruct and construct homes are being rebuilt or low-to-moderate-income an Family Income. Each “I think it’s great that they come in a later project, Tx- 80 multifamily rental hous- newly constructed to re- families with rents capped apartment complex will be finally agreed to put lights up DOT said at the time. ing developments damaged plenish affordable work- at the HUD Home Invest- restricted for low income there.” “They wanted to take out a or destroyed by Hurricane force housing. ment Partnership limits. Per housing for 20 years after In the past week, Kenneth lane of traffic and put a wall Harvey in 48 eligible coun- In this program, builders HUD guidelines, a family is completion of new con- Wiemer of TxDOT present- up and have a bike lane,” Pul- ties outside Houston and applying for the funding are considered low-to-moder- struction and 15 years after ed to both Pinehurst and len said last week. “But you Harris County. required to designate at ate-income if they earn 80% completion of repairs. West Orange councils a new knew that wasn’t going to fix In total, 6,002 rental least 51% of the units for or less than the Area Medi- proposal to place 35 new the problem. Most accidents streetlights, 17 on the Pine- are crossing traffic accident hurst side and 18 on the West situations.” Orange side, along the nine- TxDOT has not shared its lane wide State Highway 87, proposal with Orange’s city Mayor: BC residents need to STAN up also known as MacArthur council yet and nothing has Drive. been finalized by Pinehurst DAVE ROGERS keeps com- that has good safety infor- in affected areas. It delivers The nine lanes include or West Orange, either. For The Record munities in mation for everyone,” Rut- emergency messages to reg- three each for east and west But it’s been received well Southeast ledge said. “It’s also conve- istered cell phones via phone, traffic, plus a center turn so far. Texas in- nient if there’s a water break text or email. With Hurricane Season lane and two paved shoul- “It’s never been about us, formed about in just one area. We can con- The beauty of STAN is here again, Bridge City May- ders. [the cities of Orange or] Pine- emergencies tact just the people who are that it will call you at home or David Rutledge has been MacArthur is the dividing hurst or West Orange. It’s and other im- affected by it. or on your cell if you’re away leading the push for citizens Rutledge line between Pinehurst to about the citizens and the portant “When we need to get a from home so you’ll know if to sign up with STAN. the north and West Orange life of human beings. You events in the message out, we can tailor it something serious threatens That’s the Southeast Texas to the south and the roadway should be able to do whatev- area. to whatever the need is. If your neighborhood. Alerting Network and it itself was annexed many er it takes.” County Emergency Man- Orange County sends out You can also call serves Orange, Jefferson and years ago by the City of Or- Pullen said he spent his six agement teams have joined something that affects 1-877-THE-STAN (1-877- Hardin Counties. ange. years on council pushing for with the Industry of South- Bridge City, it will go to the 843-7826) toll-free, anytime, “We’ve been in it for a It’s been the site of eight fa- lighting on MacArthur. east Texas, the Southeast folks in Bridge City. to receive updates regarding while,” Rutledge said. “We’re tal crashes involving autos “We just didn’t make much Texas Regional Planning “We won’t notify them ev- emergencies, plant opera- just making a concerted ef- and pedestrians between headway,” he said. “But with Commission and local me- ery time there’s a fire in tions, traffic and weather in- fort to make sure everybody 2015-2020, according to this new director at TxDOT dia. town, but if the Veterans formation or other outreach knows about it. Wiemer. [District Engineer Chad More information is avail- Bridge is going to close be- from emergency manage- “With Hurricane Season “And most of those were at Bohne], we felt like things able online and instructions cause of ice, that we will send ment.