The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Tetanus vaccinations available:

Orange County will be holding Tdap tetanus vaccination clinics Friday, Sept. 8 through Tuesday, Sept. 12.

The tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccination is being offered for those who have been working in or around the flooded water.

You do not need a tetanus vaccination if you have had the vaccine in the past 10 years, but are eligible to receive a booster if it has been five years since your last shot.

Locations, dates and times are:

First responders only, Vidor City Hall, Vidor

• Friday, Sept. 8 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

First United Methodist Church, 501 N. Main, Vidor

• Friday, Sept. 8 – 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 9 – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Orange City Library, 220 5^th St., Orange

• Sunday, Sept. 10 – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Monday, Sept. 11 – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Pinehurst City Council room, 2497 MLK Jr. Dr., Orange

• Tuesday, Sept. 12 – 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Future clinic dates will be available when additional vaccines arrive.

Mosquito control:

The Orange County Mosquito Control office announced plan to conduct spraying by low flying aircraft soon. Another announcement will be made when the flights begin.

Bridge City trucks began twice-daily spraying Thursday, Sept. 7.

Mobile Medical Unit departs Saturday:

The Mobile Medical Unit located in the Baptist Imaging Center parking lot, 608 Strickland Dr., Orange, will be available to patients until 3 p.m. Saturday.

The unit, provided by the Texas Emergency Task Force, will be transitioning to respond to areas impacted by Hurricane Irma.

Thursday, the mobile emergency room treated 238 residents, pushing the total to 1,038 for the week.

Curfew changes:

Orange County’s curfew will be from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Otherwise, the curfew remains 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Local lawmen, with help from state troopers, will enforce the curfew., remains in effect.

Bridge City announced Thursday, Sept. 7, that it is changing its curfew to 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Schools set opening dates:

Lamar State College-Orange:

Wednesday, Sept. 13 -- Campus offices reopen.

Monday, Sept. 18 -- Fall semester classes begin.

Bridge City:

Monday, Sept. 11 – All staff returns, meet at 8 a.m. in Bridge City Elementary cafeteria.

Tuesday, Sept. 12 -- Students return to school. School will begin at the normally scheduled time.

Teachers and students are instructed to contact their campus principal and/or supervisor if they need more information.

Little Cypress-Mauriceville:

Monday, Sept. 18 – Staff returns.

Wednesday, Sept. 20 – Students return.

Temporary schedules are being developed, as needed, for alternative school locations and modified school hours. Notification of specific times and locations will be provided next week as soon as they are available.

West Orange-Cove:

Monday, Sept. 11 – Only Central Office, Maintenance, Transportation, Custodians, Food Service, Campus Leadership Teams and Campus Office Staff members will be allowed on campuses and buildings.

Wednesday, Sept. 13 – All remaining staff, including teachers, return.

Tuesday, Sept. 19 -- Students return to school.

(WOC noted its timeline “may be adjusted as we continue to assess our school district’s recovery needs.”

Orangefield ISD:

Hopes to return to class in the next 10 days to two weeks.

Disaster’s death toll:

The Orange County Harvey-related death toll stood at 10, as of the latest announcement, on Tuesday, Sept. 5.

Orange County airport:

Through Thursday, Sept. 7, an estimated 2 million pounds of supplies have been delivered to the Orange County Airport and at least 90 percent of that product has been distributed out to the four PODS and 16 areas that have been identified as distribution sites.

The supplies range from water to baby needs to toiletries. Much of the product has arrived via donations.

Government offices:

Orange City Hall reopened Wednesday, Sept. 6. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The City of Orange Public Library resumed normal business hours Wednesday.

The Orange County Courthouse will resume normal hours on Monday, Sept. 11, weather permitting.

Orange Municipal Court will resume regular hours beginning Wednesday, Sept. 13.

Post office:

USPS trucks have begun delivering mail in the parts of Orange County that are accessible.

Post Offices at Bridge City, Orangefield and Vidor have resumed operations, while the Orange Post Office could open Friday.

Currently, mail for Orange zip codes 77630 and 77632 are being delivered out of the Walden Road Post Office in Beaumont.

Deweyville and Mauriceville box sections are operating out of Bridge City.

Connecting through Facebook:

The City of West Orange has created a Facebook page for residents: West Orange Hurricane Harvey Damage. Information and updates will be posted on this page and citizens are asked to post their hurricane stories and photos here also.

Animal Services:

The Cowboy Church of Orange County and volunteers, along with Texas Agri-Life, have many items for our community’s animal needs.

If you need hay or have hay to donate, you can contact Deputy Rocky Bridge at 409-233-9192 or TEXT Deven Michael at 409-738-5461. The Cowboy Church has all types of animal feed and large animal supplies. T2 Arena and Event center has emergency medical services for larger animals.

Smaller animals are also being brought to Cowboy Church by rescuers and pet rescue groups from around the country are operating a “triage and temporary holding facility” under the guidance of Best Friends Animal Society.

Structure repair:

Bridge City Mayor David Rutledge reminds that no reconstruction permits are allowed to be issued until building assessments are completed as required by FEMA.

Pinehurst’s website states: All flood related construction repairs must be permitted through the City of Pinehurst Permitting Office, 2497 MLK Jr. Dr. There will be NO CHARGE for flood related permitting.

Shelter:

A Red Cross shelter is available for those that have been displaced or are in need of a place to stay. That shelter is located at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, 2200 Jefferson, Port Arthur.

Point of Distribution Centers (PODs):

The POD sites dispensing free water, food, ice and more are:

Northway Shopping Center, 3777 N. 16^th St., Orange

Vidor Middle School, 2500 Highway 12, Vidor

Mauriceville, intersection of Highways 62 and 12, Mauriceville

Bridge City Bus Barn, 1025 West Roundbunch, Bridge City

Bridge City Community Center, 105 Parkside, Bridge City

Orangefield, Cormier Museum, 9974 FM 105, Orangefield

Social Security:

Social security checks may be picked up at the Post Office in Nederland. Business hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon; closed on Sunday.

The Nederland Post Office may be reached at 409-729-8837.

TxDOT will pick up state ROW debris:

Texas Department of Transportation will soon announce a schedule of debris pickup for residents living along state roadways.

The right-of-way is the area of residential property that extends from the street to the sidewalk, ditch, utility pole or easement. Keep vegetative debris (woody burnable debris such as limbs and shrubbery) separated from construction and demolition debris, as they will be collected separately.

Loose debris and debris in clear bags will be collected.

Any household hazardous waste, roof shingles or tires resulting from the storm may be eligible for removal and should be separated at the curb.

Do not place debris near a water meter vault, fire hydrant or any other above-ground utility. Only debris placed on the right of way will be eligible for collection.

West Orange trash hauler running behind:

Due to the high volume of trash they are collecting everywhere, Piney Woods Sanitation will be collecting on Saturday in West Orange this week instead of Friday.

City of Orange trash pickup:

The City of Orange resumed commercial and residential routes Monday, Sept. 4, subject to accessibility. Because of the ongoing heavy volume of household garbage, some routes may not be completed on the designated day, but should be picked up the next day.

Debris Management:

Orange County will begin picking up damaged debris as soon as possible.

Any flood related materials that citizens may want removed from the area must be separated into four distinct categories.

FEMA requirements for separation of debris and damaged material are as follows:

• C&D Piles -- construction and demolition materials • Green -- Waste Piles- tree limbs, branches and cuttings • White Goods -- refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, freezers, etc.

  • Hazardous Waste -- paints, household chemicals, etc.

Please place the debris to the side of the road in a manner that is NOT blocking the roadway in any way.

The debris should be placed in the proper piles and also should be accessible for pick up with a grappling truck.

Pinehurst debris: Chief of Police Fred R. Hanauer, III, reminds: Refrigerator and freezers should be emptied prior to be placed outside. For safety, the doors should be secured by duct tape or by similar means that insure entry cannot be made. The City of Pinehurst has a roll-off dumpster for the purpose of disposing of spoiled food products from refrigerators and freezers. The location will be at the City of Pinehurst Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Building, 3000 Gull Street. The building is accessible from 28th Street off of MacArthur Drive. Proof of residency WILL be required. Hours of operation will be 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. beginning Monday Sept. 4.

Also, Pinehurst Municipal Court has been canceled until further notice. We are working on resuming trash pickup and will post when we have more news.

West Orange spoiled food: The city has set up a dumpster at Wesco Little League Park, Burnett Street FOR SPOILED FOOD ONLY – NO DEBRIS! Orange County Landfill:

The Orange County Landfill will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day through Tuesday, Sept. 19. Landfill fees will be waived during this extended operational period.

No hazardous waste (paint or paint thinner, gasoline, car batteries, oil), no tires, no green waste (tree limbs or branches).

Evacuation Orders:

City of Orange (9/2) – VOLUNTARY, for areas south of the interstate, east of the railroad tracks (from the railroad tracks to the Sabine River) in the City of Orange.

“In addition, the following areas may be impacted by the rising water; low lying areas such as Cove and north of the interstate, east of Highway 87 and other areas which may have standing water.

West Orange (9/2) – NO evacuation order.

Bridge City (8/31) – NO evacuation order.

Orange County (8/31)– MANDATORY, for all unincorporated low-lying areas of Orange County west of Highway 105 and north of I-10; the city of Pine Forest; Rose City; all unincorporated low-lying areas of Orange County north of I-10 and east of Highway 87.

Orange County (8/29) – VOLUNTARY, for all portions of Orange County west of Highway 105 and south of Highway 105 up to Bridge City limits; Rose City; Pine Forest; Woodridge Country sections 3, 4, 5, and 6 (Mesquite, Lariet Loop, Lazy Lane, & Ashland); all portions of Orange County north of I-10 and east of Highway 87 (excluding any portions of Orange city limits); Woodland Ridge neighborhood (located off of N. Highway 87).