SATURDAY–SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19-20, 2020

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2349 Memorial Boulevard, Port Arthur, Texas ~ Subscribe: 729-NEWS $2 WEEKEND Ford Park Locals share stories of SNL funnyman ble for PNG Prime Time, an in- time will remember “Advice from house Friday morning broadcast Andrew,” Johnson said. Saturday Night Live Andrew Dismukes among where the class would anchor the The tongue-in-cheek skit cen- Airs: 10:29 p.m. Saturdays could be announcements, tered around “Dear Abby”-like Where: NBC (KJAC-12.2; Spectrum channel 50) work events, edit letters taken from a box in the new faces of comedy series highlights and cafeteria. The box and letters has the talent to understand you up for more. were part of the skit. have to take it seriously even By Mary Meaux mukes has been a writer for the It was during “He would read the letter and [email protected] show for the past three years. when you are funny.” his senior year ad lib an answer,” she said while Johnson said Dismukes “I’m not surprised,” former that Dismukes giggling. “It was dating advice bids, again Locals have known Andrew worked at his comedy and honed broadcast journalism class convinced his and the most silly thing ever. The Dismukes is a funny guy. Now, teacher Lisa (Mitchell) Johnson his skill. By Mary Meaux teacher to allow bad news about it is the kids in “He told me he planned to write his humor will be on a national said. “When I met Andrew, it him and others [email protected] Andrew the building over the next three comedy,” she said. “I thought, stage as one of the newest cast was, how do you say, he has that to do some fun years begged me to get someone Dismukes ‘Dude, whatever you want to do, members of Saturday Night Live. innate humor in him. He’s just breaks from the else to do it (after Dismukes BEAUMONT — Ford Park you will succeed.’ He didn’t take it Entertainment Complex is back A 2013 graduate of Port Nech- got it.” normal announcements, and left), but you can’t recreate it. on the table as Jefferson County es-Groves High School, Dis- Johnson’s class was responsi- anybody in the building at the You have to have it and Andrew See ‘Dismukes,’ page A7 Commissioners are set to discuss putting the property out for bid, again. Commissioners will meet at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday to discuss rebidding the sale of Ford Park. City of The public can view the meeting online on the county’s website. Checking out books Groves Deborah Clark, purchasing agent for the county, said if commissioners approve the issue it would be advertised twice in tax rate to local newspapers, then published on a Texas state website decrease See ‘Park,’ page A7 By Cassandra Jenkins [email protected] Precious Metals: Gold $1,957.70 $5.60h GROVES — The City of Silver $26.95 $-0.13i Groves approved a tax rate of 74.91 cents per $100 valued Platinum $938.89 $-3.62i for the upcoming year at this week’s city council meeting. The rate decreased from For Current Spot Prices 76.16. Call “Long story short, it goes (409) 791-7225 up a little bit in maintenance and operation and decreases in debt service,” City Manager D.E. Sosa said. “The increase Beaumont, TX revenue cannot be more than Buying/Selling Gold, Silver 3.5 percent by state law, so & Platinum that was one of the big rea- franklinex.com sons the rate decreased this year.” The maintenance and op- eration fund includes govern- Today’s forecast: ment functions and services such as the fire, police, streets, drainage parks, library activi- ty building, garage, and prop- erty maintenance. “The tax rate that we are going to levy is going to bring Mary Meaux/The News in an estimated $5.6 million,” Sosa said. “It costs the city Mary Speight, left, checks out books with the help of Kristi McCurley at the Marion and Ed Hughes Public Library in Nederland on Friday. The $3.7 million to run the police library has officially reopened to limited hours from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. department and $1.7 million to run the fire department. Those property taxes actually and time spent there, library director Vic- only cover fire and police.” toria Klehn said. 0 percent chance of Out of a $20 million budget, Not long after the doors opened rain, high of 85, low of 70 Nederland library opens to $5.6 million comes from prop- on Friday, Mary Speight and Brit- erty taxes. tani Maier were busy getting “The rest is sales tax reve- books. nue and a multitude of other “I’ve missed the library and the ladies DAILY PRAYER limited number of patrons things,” Sosa said. “I think it’s and gentleman that work here,” Speight important for people to un- Dear Lord, bless those By Mary Meaux The library, located at 2712 Nederland said. “They always steer me in the right di- derstand that their taxes are who have a loss in their [email protected] Avenue, is open on a preliminary schedule rection.” paying for only 25 percent of from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Maier was at the library picking up some lives — may they be comfort- general government. The rest NEDERLAND — After months of closed Friday. Curbside service will continue Christine Feehan novels, one of her favor- ed by You. Amen. is made up from other reve- doors, the Marion and Ed Hughes Public from 10 a.m. to noon on the days they are ites, she said. Library is open to the public but with lim- normally open for those who are a little nue streams.” itations. more conservative about where they go See ‘Library,’ page A7 See ‘Tax,’ page A6 INDEX Classifieds B3 Comics B4-5 Dear Abby B2 Editorial A5 Port Neches amends budget for Hurricane Laura, other expenses Local A2, 3, 4, 7 By Cassandra Jenkins and expected expenditures relat- “We were expecting to be di- east Texas missed the brunt of Expenditures jumped from Obituaries A4 [email protected] ed to Hurricane Laura. Expendi- rectly hit by the hurricane,” he the storm. As such, the Mid- and $11,453,150 to $11,893,150. Rev- Religion A6 tures are in the $250,000 range. said. “So I think that in terms South County cities did not meet enue increased from an estimat- PORT NECHES — Southeast “That will include personnel of expectation, it was really the necessary threshold in order ed $11,192,650 to $11,407,650. Timeout/puzzles B6-8 Texas cities dealt with not only costs in terms of preparation unknown until the event hap- to receive monetary aide and re- Purchasing COVID-19 sup- Sports B1 one, but two major disasters this and response to the storm, addi- pened, and the ultimate course imbursements. plies added $24,500 to expendi- year. Throw in the TPC explo- tional costs for collection of de- of the storm dictated the amount “Those expenses will be the tures. Disaster protection wages sions late last year, and the City bris and processing that debris,” of damage that was incurred in city’s to bear in terms of prepa- for TPC totaled $131,000 and E-MAIL US of Port Neches is dealing with he said. “It also includes things Port Neches. It could have been ration, restoration and dispos- disaster repairs around $44,000. [email protected] three incidents. like overtime for employees that significantly more. Conversely, it able costs, which came primarily Wimer said the town would All of these unexpected events remained here and worked in could have been less.” from green waste,” Wimer said. receive reimbursements for led to a $440,000 budget in- advance of the storm and subse- The city spent $225,000 on Other changes that resulted some costs, but not all. crease for the city’s 2019-2020 quently beyond the typical work- emergency preparedness wages in increases in expenditures and “In terms of the TPC incident, Follow us on: fiscal year. day.” for Hurricane Laura. revenue include disasters such those costs were reimbursed,” he City Manager Andre Wimer Wimer said costs could have Due to the last-minute turn as the TPC explosion and onset said one issue involves known been much higher. in the hurricane’s path, South- of COVID-19. See ‘Budget,’ page A7 facebook.com/portarthurnews

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