Sheriff kicks off Leadership Series
Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens spoke to students at Beaumont ISD’s Curtis Elementary School as part of the new campus Leadership Series on Feb. 16.
The series is a recurring event where community leaders visit the campus Cardinal NEST to talk to student leaders. Student Council members established a list of community members they wanted to hear from and have a lineup of representatives scheduled from a host of careers including those that work in the legal system to real estate.
Stephens, one of only two African-American female sheriffs in the U.S., kicked off the series to discuss her career. Student Council and National Elementary Honor Society members heard what made Stephens want to become a sheriff and her journey to get there. Students also learned new information about how the prison system works. Two Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputies accompanied Stephens and shared the gear they wear and the uses of each item.
Vidorian Valentines
Members of the Vidor High School Key Club, a student-led, high school organization, are helping make the world a better place through service. One of the group’s recent endeavors is the hand-created Valentine’s Day cards crafted by the teens for a local nursing home. DeErin Gau is the club sponsor.
Trade Academy awards LIT students
Lamar Institute of Technology HVAC students Danielle Boyd and Melissa Spell have been selected as recipients of the 2023 Trade Academy HVAC Scholarship, which includes $2,500 towards tuition and tools, a one-year supply of WD-40 Brand products, individually selected Truewerk workwear system and a one-year Housecall Pro “Essentials” subscription.
Boyd and Spell are two of 20 students who won the scholarship out of 413 applicants, according to the LIT scholarship announcement.
High school welders earn certification
The Hardin-Jefferson High School welding team competed at the Hawk Well Off on Feb. 17, with a host of scholars earning their welding certifications, including: Cooper Travis, Kolby Sellers, Preston Paschal, Jacob Reeves, Anthony Williams, Truett Tanner, Mason Ademic, John Galbreath, Robert Rubio, Benjamin Riddle, Abby Wagenhauser, Mika Miller, Colton Ray, Tyler Brown, Christian Morantes, Jairen King, Chase Hughes, Elliot Muntz, Leighton Savant, and Aaron Hunter.
In the welding contests, Andres Martinez captured first place, Weston Mcculloough was fourth and Eric Forse finished seventh place in the Level 2 event. Gavin Gilfillian was a Top 10 finisher in Level 3, and John Coates was a Top 10 finisher in the Level 1 event.
Casino Night to support Children’s Museum
The Beaumont Children’s Museum (BCM) will host its third annual Casino Night Gala: Caesar’s Palace on Friday, Feb. 24, from 6 – 11:30 p.m. at the Downtown Event Centre, 700 Crockett St. in Beaumont. Casino Night serves as the museum’s annual fundraising gala to benefit educational programs and services, exhibits, and plans for future expansion.
The Event Centre will be set up as a high-roller casino experience with blackjack, craps, and roulette tables, and additional games for the non-gamblers. The event will also include Houston Keys’ dueling pianos on the main stage, a Golden Ticket Raffle, a silent auction with a variety of fun adult and family-friendly packages that include travel, nights out on the town, health/beauty, spirit baskets, family-fun experiences and more. Additionally, recipients of the Michael Hoke Volunteers of the Year Award and inaugural Chuck Mason S.T.E.AM. Champion Award will be named and honored.
All guests will enjoy a Mediterranean-inspired dinner by Debbie Bando of Bando’s, a full cash bar and signature cocktail, the Hail Caesar, by McMorris Events, and more. Dress is cocktail or classic toga attire. Seating for the Caesar’s Palace Casino Night will include reserved sponsor seating and open tables. Individual general entry tickets are $150 and individual VIP tickets are $250. To purchase tickets, visit www.beaumontchildrensmuseum.org/gala or call the Beaumont Children’s Museum at (409) 347-7919.
SETX program awarded with historical award
Feb. 2, Southeast Texas’ 91.3 KLVU radio was recognized as the 2022 recipient of the Award of Excellence in Media Achievement by the Texas Historical Commission (THC) for the station’s “Bayoulands” documentary series. The Award of Excellence in Media Achievement recognizes “outstanding reporting on preservation or heritage tourism issues to increase awareness of the state’s historic and prehistoric resources. “
Established in 2016, “Bayoulands” explores the people and places of Southeast Texas, including local history, art, topics of interest to residents and cultural sites, often featuring undertold stories of the region and its inhabitants.
“Bayoulands” airs every fourth Sunday at 5 p.m. throughout the KVLU listening area and online at kvlu.org. The show is accessible on Spotify as a podcast, extending its reach to international audiences and bringing new awareness to Southeast Texas’ past and future contributions to progress and education.
Save the date
All are invited to a celebration of the 2023 Pioneering Women honorees on Tuesday, March 7, in the foyer of Beaumont City Hall foyer, 801 Main St., from 12:30 – 1 p.m., welcoming “Women’s History Month” with an unveiling of the nonprofit’s 2023 honorees and luncheon theme. The women of honor will be esteemed at the annual Pioneering Women luncheon on Aug. 3, 11 a.m., at the Walden Road Holiday Inn Plaza & Suites. For sponsorship or tables, call (409) 842-1577.
Miss Orange Pageant deadline this week
The annual Miss Orange County Scholarship Pageant is Saturday, April 1, in the Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School Auditorium.
The contest is open to Orange County residents only, ages 0-18. The deadline to register is Feb. 28.
For more information, visit www.missorangecountytx.org.
AMSET Café Arts presents …
The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will present “ANDY COUGHLAN: A Crack in the World,” on view through May 7 in AMSET’s Café Arts series for local artists, with an opening reception scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 26, from 2-4 p.m. at AMSET, 500 Main St. in downtown Beaumont. The reception is free and open to the public.
Coughlan, originally from Brighton, England, moved to the Southeast Texas area decades ago, and keeps busy as Director of Student Publications for the Lamar University Press, President of the Press Club of Southeast Texas, and producing his own artwork and feature articles for print publication.
For more information, call (409) 832-3432 or visit amset.org.
SHS students advance to state
Four Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) members from Silsbee High School have advanced to state in: Kimberly Cordero for Public Policy Advocate, Level 3; Nayomee McGrue and Azlyn Reid for Focus on Children, Level 2; and Sydnee McGrue for Early Childhood Education, Level 3. The State FCCLA Competition will be held March 31 – April 2 in Dallas.
Speller qualifies for Scripps Spelling Bee
Beaumont ISD Odom Academy Middle School eighth-grader Aiden Ma won the 2023 Zone 4 Regional Spelling Bee this month with the correct spelling of the word “symmetrical,” qualifying the gifted scholar for a future round of the highly-competitive contest. Spellers from Jefferson, Orange and Liberty counties gathered at the Beaumont ISD boardroom to compete on Feb. 17, with Ma taking top honors, followed by BISD Regina-Howell Elementary School fifth-grader Atticus Hillin as runner-up.
Ma advances to the Scripps Regional Spelling Bee, hosted by Houston Community College, on March 25. Regional competition winners will compete in the national competition during Bee Week 2023 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, on May 28.