2008 - Ike - Front Pages

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Inside: Residents bewildered by sudden closure of Piccadilly Cafeteria Page 10A

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WEATHER: Isolated thunderstorms, Highs: 90s, Lows: 70s/2A

SEPTEMBER 9, 2008

VOL.CXXVIII, N O. 309 THE ADVOCATE FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS SINCE 1880 50 Cents

TUESDAY

Sign up for daily e-mail updates at

Average price of a

gallon of regular gasin Southeast Texas:

As of Monday morning Sources: AAA, Oil Price Information Service$3.57

By SARAH MOORE

THE ENTERPRISE

Most forecast models show Hurri-cane Ike hitting the Texas Gulf Coast

sometime Saturday.However, meteorologists acknowl-

edge a lot still could happen betweennow and then, and the models have

not ruled out the possibility that thestorm could make landfall anywherefrom Louisiana to the northern coastof Mexico.

National Weather Service meteor-

ologist Donovan Landreneau saida high-pressure system over the

IKE, page 4A

An ensemble of 44 trumpet players made up of students, former stu-

dents and friends of Raul Ornelas perform during his funeral service

at St. Marks Episcopal Church on Monday. Hundreds packed the

church to honor Ornelas.

Photos by Pete Churton/The Enterprise

Electricbills willincreaseEntergy Texas asksPUC to approvefuel cost surcharge

By DAN WALLACH

THE ENTERPRISE

Entergy Texas customers likelywill pay an extra $8.50 per monthbeginning in December for higherfuel costs the utility incurred fromDecember 2007 through July.

Add to that the extra $4.80 tackedonto to the monthly electric billbeginning with this months billsand the grand total for 1,000 kilo-

watt hours, considered an average

monthly residential bill, rises tonearly $136 a month or an extra$13.30.

The utility Monday asked thePublic Utility Commission toapprove whats called a surchargefor its uncollected fuel costs forthose eight months ending in July.

Entergy is allowed to pass its fuelcosts through to customers. It can-not earn a profit on fuel, and if itovercollects for fuel, it must refundthe difference to customers as well.

Even with the surcharge, EntergyTexas residential rates per 1,000kilowatt hours still are cheaperthan those of electric providers inareas of Texas open to competition.

ENTERGY, page 4A

Evacuation callcould start today

By KYLE PEVETO and

BLAIR DEDRICK ORTMANN

THE ENTERPRISE

As Hurricane Ike hustlestoward the Gulf of Mexico,local officials could decidethis afternoon whether to

begin evacuations of thesick, elderly and financiallyneedy.

Hurricane Ikes quick jaunt

through the Caribbean Seaand expected arrival in theGulf tonight has left South-east Texas with little time toplan, officials said.

An evacuation call forthose with special needsmust be made about 72

hours before the storms pro-jected landfall of Friday.

EVACUATION, page 4A

All eyes on IkeModels point to Texas, but storms path still unknown

Friends, family, students say goodbye to professor

Ellen Rienstra, left, and Lamar University President Jimmy Simmons

along with Betsy Hines, not pictured, play Amazing Grace at the service.

By SARAH MOORE THE ENTERPRISE

BEAUMONT A tribute toteacher and virtuoso musicianRaul Sosa Ornelas lifework shookthe rafters of St. Marks EpiscopalChurch on Monday.

Many, if not most of the 44trumpet players crowded into thebalcony to honor Ornelas, hadbeen his students at Lamar Uni-versity at one time or another.

It was such a tribute to him not only were (so many of them)there, but they were all suchexcellent musicians, said friendand fellow musician Ellen Rien-stra.

Violinist Rienstra, along with

Lamar University President JamesSimmons on clarinet and musicdepartment colleague BetsyHines on piano, performedAmazing Grace for Ornelas.

The intricate Episcopalianfuneral service was like a rich tap-estry woven through with goldenthreads of music.

ORNELAS, page 4A

Hundreds attend funeral service to pay tribute toLamar University teacher, musician Raul Ornelas

He was a kid at heart

INSIDE

Some high schools football games,events rescheduled due to Ike: 5A, 1C

ONLINE

Get the latest hurricane news

SpeakUPIs Ike making you thinkabout evacuating again?

BeaumontEnterprise.com

ONLINE

See video from the serviceat BeaumontEnterprise.com

Biting&fighting

According to local child-care profes-

sionals, biting and overly physical

behavior are some reasons a child

could be asked to leave day care.

Friends & Family: 1B

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Inside: George Jones is among latest to earn Kennedy Center Honors Page 12A

Section designed and copy-edited by Vic Odegar, Christopher Clausen and Megan Kinkade, (409) 880-0795

WEATHER: Partly cloudy, chance of rain, Highs: 90s, Lows: 70s/2A

SEPTEMBER 10, 2008


WEDNESDAY

at beaumontenterpris com

The tastiest bits

of Southeast Texas are on

What if Ikeis like Rita?

Big city, SE Texasevac plans differArea cleared by Houstoncall for mandatory exitdoesnt go as far inland

By KYLE PEVETO

THE ENTERPRISE

The Golden Triangle and theHouston area shared a messyexodus during Hurricane Rita,but the evacuation policies

developed since then differdrastically.

Houstons disaster plan callsfor mandatory evacuation ofareas in the storm surge floodzones which stretch 30 to 40miles inland.

On the other hand, Orange,Jefferson and Hardin preferevacuating entire counties,even moving residents who live

EVAC, page 5A

By SARAH MOORE

THE ENTERPRISE

Southeast Texans might havebreathed a sigh of relief Tuesdayas they saw Hurricane Ikes pro-

jected path move southward

along the Texas coast, but itstoo soon to do the celebrationdance, meteorologists say.

After all, remember Hurri-cane Rita?

Were not out of the woodsyet, said Dennis Feltgen of theNational Hurricane Center.Our standard line applies here:Theres no reason to panic. Just

be vigilant and be sure you havea hurricane plan.

National Hurricane Center

IKE, page 4A

Math professors achievements add up

By HEATHER NOLAN

THE ENTERPRISE

Six Crockett Street venuesthat have been closed sinceJuly should reopen by Octo-bers end, an entertainmentdistrict official said Tuesday.

Art Hanson, Crockett StreetEntertainment Districts prop-erty manager, said the districts

developers are in the finalstages of negotiation with thenew tenants and plan to makean announcement aboutopenings within a week.

Theyre all going to be openreal quick, he said. Were try-ing to make it by Halloween.

A company already has

REOPEN, page 6A

Crockett rebirth afoot

Humble nameand a wealthof flavor

The poboy sandwichis a staple ofCajun cuisine

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Mind, 1B

Retired associate math professor Richard L. Price arrives at the auditorium Lamar University named in his honor.

Photos by Valentino Mauricio/The Enterprise

Developers,new tenantsaim to reopenshutteredvenues byHalloween

Lesson of imprecise forecasting and the twists,turns of hurricanes: Dont let your guard down

Advice & TV......2BBody & Mind....1B

Business..........6B

Classified ........4CComics............4B


Obituaries ........

9AOpinions ........10A

Puzzles ............3B

Dow Nasdaq

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I N S I D E Average price of agallon of regular gasin Southeast Texas:

As of Tuesday morning Sources: AAA, Oil Price Information Service$3.57

SpeakUPDoes downtownBeaumont havean entertainmentfuture? Takeour survey atBeaumontEnterprise.com

By EMILY GUEVARA

THE ENTERPRISE

College professors are frequenttargets of many a students gripesduring late-night cram sessions,

mid-term exams or even 50-minuteclass periods.

But formerLamar Universi-ty professorRichard L. Price

was anythingbut the bad guyThursday.

I cantexplain to you

what he meantto the students

he recruited, said Lamar Universitygraduate Dr. Tamerla Chavis, now aBeaumont neurosurgeon. I cant

PRICE, page 4A

A residentwades past

a roadside

memorial

dislodged

by Hurri-

cane Ike in

Cuba onTuesday.

JavierGaleano/The AssociatedPress

INSIDE

Kountze goes on withHomecoming plans: 3A

Helicopters to remove Ritatrees that have cloggedbayou since 2005: 5A

Some high school foot-ball games get moved toThursday. Check the list: 1C

ONLINE

Video, photogallery ofRichard Price:Beaumont

Enterprise.

com

The sumof a man

LU honors

an educatorwho had anexponentialimpact as hehelped drawblacks intoCollege ofEngineering

During Tuesdays dedication ceremony, Richard L. Price individually

thanked the many teachers who influenced his academic life.

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Advice & TV......2BBusiness ..........6B


Comics ............4B

Life & Style ......1B


Obituaries ........6A

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Inside: SE Texas coach had a prime seat at historic college hoops upset Page 1C

Section designed and copy-edited by Vic Odegar, Christopher Clausen and Megan Kinkade,(409) 880-0795

WEATHER: Mostly cloudy, chance of rain,Highs:90s, Lows: 70s/2A

SEPTEMBER 11, 2008

VOL.CXXVIII, NO. 3 11 THE ADVOCATE FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS SINCE 1880 50 Cents

THURSDAY

Sign up for daily e-mail updates at

DNA confirms identity ofremains found in oilfield

north of Jasper: 3A

Average price of agallon of regular gasin Southeast Texas:

As of Wednesday morning Sources: AAA,Oil Price Information Service

$3.60

Ikes projected path edges northBy SARAH MOORE

THE ENTERPRISE

Hurricane Ike still is forecastto hit the Texas coast as a majorhurricane Friday or early Satur-

day, according to National Hur-ricane Center models.

The burning question oneveryones mind is where.

Wednesday night, center per-sonnel shifted Ikes projected

track from Port Lavaca to anarea between Freeport andGalveston.

National Weather Servicemeteorologist Mike Griffinexplained that the center tries

to avoid making big jumps inthe forecast track every timethe models shift, preferring tomake the change gradually as

IKE,page 5A

Ike watchers haveone-track minds

By RYAN S. CLARK

THE ENTERPRISE

BEAUMONT Top 40 hits blaredthroughout Beaumont Health & Fitness on

Wednesday, but the lunchtime crowd waspaying little attention.

Most took moments from their work-outs to steal peeks at the Weather Channeland other news outlets to see if Hurricane

TRACK, page 4A

Shifty hurricanespull fatal fakeouts

By EMILY GUEVARA

THE ENTERPRISE

BEAUMONT When New York Citys twin towers crasheddown seven years ago today, JimDoane watched in horror just likethe rest of the country.

But Doane didnt stop his reac-tion at the emotional level. TheLamar Institute of Technologyprofessor decided to do some-thing.

So he and others at the LamarInstitute of Technology created aprogram to train students tounderstand terrorism and man-age emergency situations asemployees of law enforcementagencies or private security com-

panies.It opens up job opportunities

for them, said Doane, who isdirector of the Homeland Securi-ty and Criminal Justice programsat LIT.

Five years later, the two-year

SECURITY, page 7A

On guard

By RYAN MYERS

THE ENTERPRISE

Charging into the Gulf ofMexico, Hurricane Ike on

Wednesday looked bound forthe south coast of Texas, wellaway from a Southeast Texaslandfall.

But 47 years ago, a storm witha similar track proved a landfall

hundreds of miles away stillcould be devastating locally.

Hurricane Carla struck theTexas coast as a Category 4storm Sept. 11, 1961.

Like Ike, Carla once aimeddirectly for Southeast Texas,before its path jogged south.

A day before it hit, Carla wasforecast to land between

Aransas Pass and Matagorda,almost 300 miles from Beau-mont.

CARLA, page 5A

7 years after 9/11: Are we safer today?

INSIDE

List of hurricane-related closings: 3A

Vulnerable areas get evacuation orders: 4A

Residents prepare for rough weather: 9A

Ike scrambles high school football: 1C

ONLINE

Live hurricane tracker Evacuation map

Interactive storm map Hurricane tips

Find it all at www.TexasHurricaneNews.com

INSIDE Recordings at multimedia library tell the stories of 9/11: 7A

ONLINE Video of LIT security program: BeaumontEnterprise.com

SpeakUPHow much time

have you spent

tracking Hurri-

cane Ike?

Take our survey

at Beaumont

Enterprise.com

In 1961, Carlas last-minute wobble unexpectedlyextended storms destructive reach into SE Texas

Darrell Werner, a port authority police officer, uses a

rolling mirror to check for hidden objects underneath

the trailer of a truck entering the Port of Beaumont on

Wednesday afternoon.

Students in LIT homeland security program

could be the ones who prevent another attack

Rob Smoak/The Enterprise

Comparing paths

Here are the paths of hurricanes Rita and Carla and the

projected path of Hurricane Ike.

Source: NOAA

Projected path of Ike

Category

one

Tropical

storm

Category

two

Category

three

Category

four

Category

five

JAMAICA

Atlantic

Ocean

Caribbean

Sea

Gulf of

Mexico

80

30

20

Fla.

Ga.Ala.Miss.

La.TEXAS

MEXICO

CUBA

400 MILES

RITA

Sept 17-24, 2005

IKE

Sept 4-15, 2008

CARLA

Sept 3-16, 1961

2 a.m. today

At work, at gym, at restaurants, Southeast Texanscant keep their eyes off reports about hurricane

Photos by Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Tom Noyola teaches a first-level homeland security course at LIT.

Pete Churton/The Enterprise

Allen Anderson of Beaumont watches Hurricane Ike updates whileworking out at Beaumont Health & Fitness on Wednesday.

Forecasters predict landfall Friday or Saturday between Freeport, Galveston

8/9/2019 2008 - Ike - Front Pages

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Down,0% A.P.R. financing for terms up to 36 $0 months on purchases of new Kubota ZD,F,BX, B,L, M,CE,TLB Series form available inventory at participating dealers through September 30,2008. Example:a 36 month monthly installment repayment term at 0% A.P.R.requires 36 payment of $27.78 per $1,000 borrowed. 0% A.P.R. interest is available to customer if no dealer documentation preparation fee is charged. Only Kubota and Kubota performance-matched Land Pride equipment are eligible. Inclusion of ineligible equipmentmay result in a higher blended A.P.R. Dealer charges for document preparation fee shall be in accordance with state laws. Not available for Rental,National Accounts,or Governmental customers. Financing is available through Kubota Credit Corporation,U.S.A.,subject tocredit approval. Some exceptions apply. See us for details on these and other low rate options or go to www.kubota.com for more information.

Advice & TV ....2DBusiness ..........1B


Comics ............3BMarkets ..........2B

Obituaries ........

6A

Opinions ..........8APuzzles ............3D

Sports ............1C

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I N S I D E

LIST OF SCHOOL, CITY SERVICE, HOSPITAL CLOSINGS: 6A


WEATHER:Tropical storm conditions expected, hurricane conditions possible, Highs: Upper 80s, Lows: Near 80/2A

SEPTEMBER 12, 2008


FRIDAY


The tastiest bits


Average price of a

gallon of regular gasin Southeast Texas:

As of Thursday morning Sources: AAA, Oil Price Information Service$3.63

YIKES A stormy previewcould begin aboutmidmorning todayBy SARAH MOORETHE ENTERPRISE A soft kiss on Southeast Texas

from Hurricane Ike on Thursdaybelied what is expected to come inthe next day.

The Category 2 storm which

could be a Category 3 later today atlandfall flung off an outer bandof rain showers that began movingover Texas about 1:30 p.m., saidFelix Navejar, a National WeatherService meteorologist.

Thats definitely a little bit ofenergy coming off of (Ike), he said.

Navejar was a little surprised tobe seeing Ikes influence so soon,but the band passed by quickly.

If the storm stays to its projectedtrack, rain and winds should beginrevving up about midmorningtoday.

By afternoon, things shouldbegin getting interesting.

Ikes eye was forecasted to makelandfall late Friday at Galveston

IKE, page 7A

Empoweryourself: Howto safely usea generator

By HEATHER NOLAN

THE ENTERPRISE

Staying put during Ike? Be sureyou know how to use that genera-tor.

The most important tip to

remember: Do not plug the gener-ator directly into a wall socket.

Robert Seman, a mechanic atM&D Hardware and Supply onCollege Street, said that is extreme-ly dangerous because when thepower comes back on, the amountof electricity running through thehouse will be double what it nor-mally is. That could cause a fire.

Instead, connect the generator toa 50-foot extension cord, then con-nect the extension cord to a powerstrip, Seman recommended.

And make sure the generator isoutside a house or apartment.

GENERATORS, page 4A

Residents jam evacuation routes, checkout lines as Ike threatens

DELIVERY DELAYSBecause of mandatory hurri-cane evacuations, home news-paper delivery to many of ourcustomers will be unavoidablydelayed. The Beaumont Enter-prise will attempt to completeall deliveries as soon as possi-ble. Copies of the newspaperwill be available in racks andnewsstands throughout theregion. Please visit beaumon-tenterprise.com for up-to-datenews and details.

INSIDE Anxious residents head forevacuation staging areas: 3A

Army of utility workers couldshift from Louisiana to Texas: 4A

List of schools, city service,hospital closings: 6A

Fewer special needs resi-dents seek a ride out of townthan during Gustav: 9A

Southeast Texas leaders setcurfews: 7A

Gas prices could rise 30cents a gallon in SoutheastTexas if refineries shut down: 1B

High school football teams tryto figure out how to make upgames canceled by Ike: 1C

Find out which entertainmentevents are off, on: 4D

Couple againseeks shelterin abandonedgas station

By KYLE PEVETO

THE ENTERPRISE

WOODVILLE Along U.S. 69 in Woodville, James A. Blanchard Sr.,76, sat with his caged 9-year-oldcockatiel, Pretty Girl, inside a

decades-old, abandoned concrete-walled gas station.

He and his wife Anna Belle, 67,call it their old home.

Three years ago, when the Port Arthur couple evacuated latebefore the arrival of Hurricane Rita,they were stuck in traffic for so longthey pulled into the gas station forshelter.

Tired of the road and apprehen-sive about the idea about so manypeople in a shelter, they said theystayed for 10 days, sleeping on bor-rowed cots through the wind andthe 100-degree heat.

SHELTER, page 4A

Tales of Ike:Getting readyor getting outof the way

By COLIN GUY, GREG HAYES,

DEE DIXON and HUMBERTO

MARTINEZ

THE ENTERPRISE

Throughout the region, South-east Texans on Thursday prepared

to leave or stay as HurricaneIke approached the Texas coast.

Here is what some of them weredoing:

When people mention hurricanein Southeast Texas, most peoplegrumble, but for boilermakerShane Hall the storms are a silver-lining.

He works at the Golden PassLNG in Sabine Pass and goes hometo his wife and daughter in Dallasevery three weeks.

Because of the hurricanes Ihave been able to get home a littlebit earlier, Hall said as he waited

STORIES, page 6A

Above: The HEB store on Dowlen Road in Beaumont was doing a lot ofbusiness Thursday as residents stocked up on supplies in preparation for Hurricane Ike. Top: Damien Anderson, 4, waits to evacuate with other211 special needs evacuees at West Brook High School.

Photos by Dave Ryan and Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise

Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise

Traffic stalls on Interstate 10 near

Ford Park as evacuees flee Hurricane

Ike in Beaumont on Thursday.

ONLINEwww.beaumontenterprise.com:

Hurricane updates, video, photogalleries and morewww.texashurricanenews.com:

Live hurricane tracker Evac map Hurricane tips

8/9/2019 2008 - Ike - Front Pages

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Advice & TV......2BBusiness..........6B


Comics ............4C

Faith & Values..1B



Opinions ..........6A

Puzzles ............3B

Dow Nasdaq

-11.72 +3.05

I N S I D E

WHATS OPEN AND WHATS CLOSED? SEE LIST ON PAGE 3A


WEATHER: Hurricane conditions expected, thunderstorms could produce tornadoes, Highs: 80s, Lows: 70s/2A

SEPTEMBER 13, 2008


SATURDAY


The tastiest bits


Shawl ministry knitscomfort for others: 1B


As of Thursday morning Sources: AAA, Oil Price Information Service

$3.63

Surging ashore

INSIDE

Surge could subside beforerain accumulates: 4A Those venturing out aftercurfew could be arrested: 7A Coast Guard helicoptercrews rescue dozens of Boli-var Peninsula residentstrapped by rising water: 8A Cafe in evacuation zonestill has hot coffee: 8A $1 trillion in insured prop-

erty is in Ikes path: 6B

ONLINE

www.beaumontenterprise.com:

Hurricane updates, video,photo galleries and morewww.texashurricanenews.com:

What to do after storm hits

NO HOME DELIVERY

Because all newspaper carriers

have evacuated, there will be

no home delivery today. Home

delivery of The Beaumont

Enterprise will resume as soonas possible. Copies of the

newspaper are available in

racks and newsstands through-

out the region. Please visit

beaumontenterprise.com for

up-to-date news and details.

Flooding fears rise as Ike promises immense water push

By COLIN GUY, JANE

MCBRIDE and JULIE SHEHANE

THE ENTERPRISE

BEAUMONT Kris Binagia,57, child-care director at the

Westminster PresbyterianChurch, spent much of Fridaysitting on the church steps.

Binagia, a Nederland resident,planned to ride out HurricaneIke on the third floor of the brickstructure in Beaumont.

Her partner, lab tech RonnieBroussard, 53, and sister, child-care worker Robin Hebert, 50,

would do the same.

We figured this church is 125years old, said Binagia, addingthat it only lost one window dur-ing Hurricane Rita.

The three were not alone. The

STAYING, page 5A

Ready for ride in Southeast Texas

Evacuees escape Ike ... not anxietyBy RYAN MYERS and

CHRISTINE RAPPLEYE

THE ENTERPRISE

PORT ARTHUR With a 20- to24-foot storm surge predicted forPort Arthur, the question was notif Hurricane Ike would best thecitys seawall, but how badly.

Thats worst-case scenario,Phil Kelley, an official with thearea drainage district, said of thestorm-surge forecast. Thats 4 to

8 feet over the seawall.By comparison, when Hurri-cane Rita hammered SoutheastTexas three years ago, the seawall

was left without so much as ahigh-water mark.

At 1 foot above sea level and

SURGE, page 4A

Its 16-foot seawall vs.20- to 24-foot surge

By KYLE PEVETO, JANE

MCBRIDE and JULIE SHEHANE

THE ENTERPRISE

TYLER Sitting in a sheltermore than 200 miles from homeFriday afternoon, Terrance Reese,

17, relied on cell phone calls fromhis Beaumont friends for news ofHurricane Ikes landfall.

No televisions at his Tyler shelterwere tuned to the news, so Reeseand his family nervously asked oth-ers about the storm.

When Jefferson County officials

declared a mandatory evacuationThursday, his mother, RachealHampton, 45, packed up 18 familymembers and headed for The Sal-vation Army shelter where theystayed during Hurricane Rita.

If its mandatory, its mandato-ry, the Beaumont entrepreneursaid. If its mandatory for us toleave, I cant put my kids in that

jam.

The family feels comfortable with the shelter at The Center of

EVACUEES, page 5A


The wind begin to pick up as Miya McCollin waits to evacuate to Beaumont

from the Port Arthur Civic Center on Friday.

A view

from the

top of the

Intra-

coastal

Canal

Bridge on

Texas 87to Sabine

Pass

shows

water over

the road as

Hurricane

Ike getscloser to

the coast.

Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

By SARAH MOORE

THE ENTERPRISE

Fear of extreme flooding joinedworries of high winds and toppledtrees Friday as the teeth of themammoth meteorological buzzsaw

called Hurricane Ike bit into theSoutheast Texas coast.

The cheery, were-staying attitudeamong residents who ignored evac-uation calls the day before gave wayto anxiety over whether the surge

would top levees and cause rivers

and bayous to back up.Ike was expected to come ashore

just after midnight Friday, with winds in the 100 mph neighbor-hood, as its center crossed overGalveston Island, hurling his nastynortheast side into Southeast Texas.

But it was the surge from a stormthat spanned a large portion of theGulf that sparked the greatest con-cerns.

Images of an angry sea climbingover the 17-foot-high GalvestonSeawall filled television and com-

puter screens early Friday, but the worst of Ikes storm surge asmuch as 20 feet was expected tobash the Southeast Texas coast.

Hurricane Ikes influence is

HURRICANE, page 4A


Jacob Alpough watches the water rise and the winds pick up as Hur-

ricane Ike gets closer to the seawall in Port Arthur on Friday.

8/9/2019 2008 - Ike - Front Pages

6/14

WEATHER: Showers and thunderstorms likely, Highs: 80s, Lows: 70s/2A

SEPTEMBER 14, 2008

VOL.CXXVIII, NO. 3 14 THE ADVOCATE FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS SINCE 1880 $1.50

SUNDAY

PHOTO GALLERIES, VIDEO OF IKES AFTERMATH: BEAUMONTENTERPRISE.COM


The tastiest bits


Section designed and copy-edited by Vic Odegar, Christopher Clausen, David Constantine, Megan Kinkade and Dennis Meloncon,(409) 880-0795

Advice ....................2DBusiness..................5D

Careers ..................1F

Here & Now ............1D

History ....................2A

Nation......................2A

Opinions ................3B

Readers Write..........3B

Real Estate ............1E

Sports ....................1B


As of Saturday morning Sources: AAA, Oil Price Information Service

I N S I D E $3.65

INSIDEThe damage varies in PortNeches: 3A

Ikes surge forces outsome who stayed: 6A

Scenes from a disasterarea images of Ikes after-math: 8A

Perry says search and res-cue effort is largest in Texas

history: 10A Houston Texans reschedulegame after Ike tears chunksoff Reliant Stadium roof: 1B

ONLINEwww.beaumontenterprise.com:

Hurricane updates, video,photo galleries and more

www.texashurricanenews.com:

What to do after storm hits

NO HOME DELIVERYBecause all newspaper carri-ers have evacuated, there willbe no home delivery today.Home delivery of The Beau-mont Enterprise will resumeas soon as possible. Copiesof the newspaper are avail-

able in racks and newsstandsthroughout the region. Pleasevisit beaumontenterprise.comfor up-to-date news anddetails.

By KYLE PEVETO

THE ENTERPRISE

Throughout 19 shelters, morethan 3,400 evacuees are beinghoused in Tyler. Most, such asthe First Baptist Church, keepabout 200 people or fewer.

However, more than 1,600evacuees were taken Thursdaymorning to a last-minute shelterat an abandoned Wal-Mart incentral Tyler on Troup Highway.City officials scrambled to pre-

EVACUATION, page 5A

My refrigerator was ... floating

By RYAN MYERS,

COLIN GUY and DEE DIXON

THE ENTERPRISE

Hurricane Ike wasn't as strong as

big sister Rita in 2005, but his effectswere more devastating thanks to ahuge storm surge that submergedparts of Southeast Texas and soseverely attacked power lines thatEntergy-Texas officials said powermight be out an entire month forsome customers.

Saturday, dramatic boat rescues were under way in Orange andBridge City, while the familiar sceneof toppled trees, wrecked buildingsand flooded streets recalled Rita.Power was out for thousands uponthousands of Entergy customers.Flooding was reported as far awayas Jasper County.

Ironically, five homes in Port Arthur near Ninth Street and Stil-

IKE, page 4A

Last-minute shelternot long-term refuge

By DEE DIXON

THE ENTERPRISE

BEAUMONT It was the heatthat woke up 28-year-old Nake-sha Randle.

But it was the rising watersthreatening to flood her homethat snapped her out of the 5

a.m. grogginess.When I woke up, I was like,

Oh, my God, Randle said. All Iheard was bam, bam, bam andswish, swish.

Inside her home, the waterwas shin-deep.

WATER, page 4A

By MARGARET TOAL

THE ENTERPRISE

ORANGE In a scene thatrecalled the post-Hurricane Katrinarescues in New Orleans, boaters inOrange worked Saturday to find res-idents stranded in their homes byflooding caused by Hurricane Ike'smonster storm surge.

The might of Hurricane Ikesstorm surge was felt along theSabine River and Adams Bayou.

Downtown Orange resembled alake. The scene was no less cata-strophic in Bridge City, whereMayor Kirk Roccaforte asked themilitary to help rescue peopletrapped in their homes. Convoys

were staging at Texas 62 and Texas87 to help rescue those stranded inBridge City.

In Orange, boaters met at MeeksDrive to launch rescues at 10th and

RESCUE, page 4A

Rescuers seek thosetrapped by high water

95 mph winds

attack Beaumont

Levees hold in PA

Boat rescues take placein Orange County

Floods reach as far asJasper County

Above: Local residents wade through floodwaters near Pine Street in Beau-

mont on Saturday after Hurricane Ike swamped the region. Top: Butch

Holton, owner of GainesvilleTree Service out of Florida, arrived in Beaumont

on Friday ready to help people with trees they might wanted cut before Hur-

ricane Ike arrived. On Saturday morning he was helping a family on Wade

Street remove an oak from their shattered roof.

Surge+

rescueIke strands residents with severe flooding, kills power withfierce winds; utility repairs could take a month for some


An woman sits on an underpass

after being rescued by boat in

Orange County on Saturday.

Photos by Tammy McKinley and Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

8/9/2019 2008 - Ike - Front Pages

7/14

Officials urge those whostayed to get out now asresidents and businessesstrain generator-poweredwater and sewer systems

Initial supplies of food,water, gas are meant for

emergency operations,Chertoff emphasizes

Section designed and copy-edited by Vic Odegar, Christopher Clausen, David Constantine, Dennis Meloncon and Wendi Wilkerson, (409) 880-0795

WEATHER: Partly cloudy, chance of rain, Highs: 80s, Lows: 60s/2A

SEPTEMBER 15, 2008

VOL.CXXVIII, NO. 315 THE ADVOCATE FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS SINCE 1880 50 Cents

MONDAY


The tastiest bits


Advice & TV ........4CApplause ............5A

Comics ..............3C

History ................2A

Hurricane Ike ......1B

Money Manager ..6A

Opinions ............8A

Puzzles ..............4C

Sports ................1C

Weather..............2A

I N S I D EWhat to do afterin the aftermath

www.TexasHurricaneNews.com

Average price of a gallon ofregular gas in Southeast Texas:$3.62Price as of Sunday morning Sources: AAA, Oil Price Information Service

Dont rush back

Evacuees left scroungingin overwhelmed areas

By JULIE SHEHANE

THE ENTERPRISE

NACOGDOCHES PaulMartinez grabbed what hecould from the bare conven-ience store shelves and took hisplace in line Sunday morning.His family of five would sharetwo jumbo bags of Cheetos, a

EVACUEES, page 4A

By RYAN MYERS and

ASHLEY SANDERS

THE ENTERPRISE

ORANGE Giant pumps begandraining this submerged city Sun-day while rescue crews continued tofree residents trapped in their flood-ed homes.

I have no idea how long it willtake, said Jim Wolfe, the citys public

works director. We have never dealt with anything like this volume ofwater. I dont know, maybe a week.

FLOOD, page 7A

SwampedOrange pumping floodwaterinto swollen Sabine River

By DEE DIXON

THE ENTERPRISE

BEAUMONT Lines of cus-tomers snaked around a handful ofopen gas stations and stores inSoutheast Texas on Sunday only aday after Hurricane Ikes strike,ignoring emergency managementofficials pleas to get out and stayout due to limited resources.

Dont rush back, MichaelChertoff, Department of HomelandSecurity, said Sunday during a jointnews conference in Beaumont with

Southeast Texas emergency man-agement officials at the citysmunicipal court.

MESS, page 4A

By DAN WALLACH

THE ENTERPRISE

Downtown Beaumont lightscould come on as soon as today,but how long it takes for powerto be restored to the rest ofSoutheast Texas wont be knownuntil an assessment is complet-ed sometime this week, Enter-gys top executive said Sunday.

Joe Domino, Entergy Texaspresident and chief executive,

ENTERGY, page 7A

Power now orhow much later?Downtown Beaumont could light up today; restof Southeast Texas awaits Entergy assessment

INSIDE

Rescues scour city: 3A

Roadblock updates: 3A

Volunteers step up: 1B

Aftermath photos: 2-6B

Surge raises bayou: 7B

Yacht club floods: 7B

What stores are open? 8B

HS football in limbo: 1C

ONLINE

www.beaumontenterprise.com: Updates, video, photogalleries and more

NO HOME DELIVERY

Because all newspaper carri-ers have evacuated, therewill be no home delivery

today. Home delivery of TheBeaumont Enterprise willresume as soon as possi-

ble. Copies of the newspa-per are available in racksand newsstands throughout

the region. Please visitbeaumontenterprise.com forup-to-date news and details.

THE AFTERMATH OF IKE FIVE-PAGE PHOTO SECTION: 2-6B

Homeland Security boss warns people to stay away from wrecked towns Mayors say sewage might back up into homes FEMA to pay evac costs


Rescue personnel return from a search and recovery mission where they rescued a dog in Sabine Pass on Sunday.

Guiseppe Barranco/The Enterprise

Standing water surrounds an Auto

Zone on MacArthur Drive in Orange.

Big generator blazes


A Beaumont firefighter and an Entergy worker prepare to extinguisha fire in a generator behind the Travis Street Substation Sunday. The

fire likely was caused by a mechanical malfunction, said Scott Rushof the Beaumont Fire Department. No one was injured.

Cheeto breakfast

8/9/2019 2008 - Ike - Front Pages

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Advice & TV......4BComics ............3B

History..............2A

Ike photos ........8A

Nation ..............2A


Puzzles ............4B

Sports ............1B

Weather ..........2A

World ..............2A

Dow Nasdaq

-504.48 -81.36

I N S I D E

Ike online: BeaumontEnterprise.com

Section designed and copy-edited by Vic Odegar, Christopher Clausen,David Constantine, Tammie Hodges, Dennis Meloncon and Wendi Wilkerson,(409) 880-0795

WEATHER: Partly cloudy, Highs:Near 80, Lows: Upper 50s/2A

SEPTEMBER 16, 2008


TUESDAY


The tastiest bits


Aftermath: How todeal with contractorswww.TexasHurricaneNews.com


As of Monday morning Sources: AAA,Oil Price Information Service

$3.61

Will FEMA aid you?By DEE DIXONTHE ENTERPRISE

BEAUMONT No expedited$2,000 for the Hurricane Ike evac-uees, FEMA officials said Monday.

Following Hurricane Rita three years ago, FEMA issued expedited$2,000 payments to all evacuees

who applied.However, it wont be so automatic

this time, Austin-based FEMAspokesman Dean Cushman said ina telephone interview.

But that doesnt mean there isntany help at all for those who incurhotel costs. But the magic words tomake the money appear are regis-ter with FEMA and keep yourreceipts.

As of Sunday, FEMA will pick upthe hotel tab for those who have

evacuated or whose homes areuninhabitable, Austin spokesman

FEMA, page 6A

Evacuees face cash flow woeBy JULIE SHEHANE

THE ENTERPRISE

LUFKIN Ralph Walfhampeered through binoculars at a signhanging on the front door of a con-venience store across the streetfrom his Lufkin evacuation shelter.

ATM OUT OF MONEY! thehandwritten cardboard sign read.

The Orangefield resident said hesimply must be among the first inline when the cash machine is backonline.

My truck ran out of gas and they

CASH, page 6A


The Gilchrist and Crystal Beach area was devastated by Hurricane Ike, which swept away beach houses and other structures close to shore.

Aerial survey shows scope of devastation: 3A Aerial gallery: BeaumontEnterprise.com

ATMsdrained Be prepared when dealing with insurerBy BLAIR DEDRICK ORTMANN

THE ENTERPRISE

With trees in houses and smashed through cars,insurance officials Monday were telling those withHurricane Ike damage to report, record andrepair.

There has to be damage done, said MarkHanna, spokesman for the Insurance Council ofTexas. We have claims adjusters coming in fromall over the country to deal with this.

Residents with damage should take pictures or

videos of the damage before beginning clean-upor repair work, Hanna said. If neither of those areoptions, people should take detailed notes of theirdamage.

People also should be patient with their insur-ance companies and agents as so many others arealso trying to reach them for the same problems.

INSURANCE, page 6A

Help for Ike victims wont be as easy as $2,000 Rita checks

INSIDE Flood forever changes victims: 3A

After Rita and Ike,some in SabinePass rethink rebuilding: 3A

Beaumont officials urge residentsto limit water usage: 4A

Returnees strain resources: 4A

Orange faces huge cleanup: 5A

School reopenings uncertain: 5A

Rumors fly in wake of Ike: 5A

Residents face Ike, now FEMA: 6A

Openings and closures: 7A

Photos of the disaster: 8A

Montagne Center damaged: 1B

NO HOME DELIVERY

Because all newspaper carriers have evacuated,there will be no home delivery today. Homedelivery of The Beaumont Enterprise will resumeas soon as possible. Copies of the newspaperare available in racks and newsstands through-out the region. Please visit beaumontenter-prise.com for up-to-date news and details.

Have damage? Heres what to do

By DAN WALLACH

THE ENTERPRISE

An operating traffic light at Crow and Fol-som roads Monday night brightened thedusk for drivers passing through, and homes

with lights promised those across the street

that hope was worth having.

Entergy Texas had predicted it will havecompleted its assessments of damage acrossmost of its 15,000-square-mile service territo-ry by this evening, which will yield the utility a

ENTERGY,page 5A

10,000 of 392,000 powered upIn repair effort, Entergy surveys thousands of square miles with 30 choppers

Perry visits


Gov. Rick Perry talks about rescue

and recovery efforts with a member

of the Texas Task Force 1 in Orangeon Monday. Story on page 4A.


Texas Task Force 1 checks a collapsed home for victims on Fifth Street in Orange.

8/9/2019 2008 - Ike - Front Pages

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Advice..............4BComics............3B

Ike photos ......11A

Nation ..............2A

Obituaries ......10A

Puzzles ............4B

Sports ............1B

Television ........4B


World ..............2A

Dow Nasdaq

+141.51 +27.99

I N S I D E

Section designed and copy-edited by Vic Odegar, Christopher Clausen, David Constantine, Megan Kinkade and Wendi Wilkerson, (409) 880-0795

WEATHER: Partly cloudy, Highs: 80s, Lows: 60s/2A

SEPTEMBER 17, 2008


WEDNESDAY


The tastiest bits


Aftermath: Keepan eye on mold



As of Tuesday morning Sources: AAA, Oil Price Information Service

$3.66

Ike online: BeaumontEnterprise.comAFTERMATH ANSWERS:Things you want to know WHATS ON:Search and share info with the online databasefor restored electricity WHATS OPEN: Database on whats open and closed in Southeast TexasSHARE INFO:Videos, photos, forums and news alerts PHOTOS: Latest storm imagesVIDEO: Watch our latest storm videos

Disaster recovery assistancecenters could open withina week, spokesman says

By DEE DIXON

THE ENTERPRISE

BEAUMONT Teri Guerrero had just one question Tuesday as shewaited in line for free food from the American Red Cross: WheresFEMA?

More than 72 hours after Hurri-cane Ike shredded and drownedSoutheast Texas, Guerrero saidFEMA should be more visible andon hand to help.

Im disappointed with FEMA,and they are not making themselvesvisible, the frustrated grandmotherof two said.

She reported having difficultyregistering with FEMA because shecouldn't get through on the 800number. And she couldn't log onto

FEMA, page 4A

By DAN WALLACH

THE ENTERPRISE

Although lights popped on Tues-day throughout Southeast Texas,progress was slowed when 4,000 ofEntergys reconnected customerslost power again, and the companysaid it might be Oct. 6 before elec-tricity is fully restored to the area.

POWER, page 5A

By DEE DIXON

THE ENTERPRISE

BEAUMONT A saltwaterintrusion into the citys water sys-tem means that people shouldboil their water for the next threeto five days, City Manager KyleHayes said Tuesday.

People should not consume thewater, but it is OK for bathing.

Hayes even cautioned againstusing it for more than washingoneself.

Saltwater intrusion can destroydishwashers and washers, Hayessaid.

WATER, page 5A

By CHRISTINE RAPPLEYE

THE ENTERPRISE

OAK ISLAND The only soundsthrough the Oak Island communityTuesday was the wind clanging

metal debris together and a few ofthe residents who came back to seeif anything was salvageable.

Cars, trucks and mobile homeframes stuck out erratically fromditches. Homes that werent ripped

apart from Hurricane Ikes wind andrain Saturday morning were movedoff their blocks or had sectionsripped off.

DEVASTATION, page 4A

Ike victims: Help!Those with no power find it tough to reach FEMA

On again,off againPower restoration is twosteps up,one step back, butprocess should speed up

Hurricane salts Beaumonts waterBeaumonters might have to boil it another 5 days; meanwhile, using washer is ill-advised

Valentino Mauricio/The Enterprise

At Rollover Pass, almost every structure was destroyed by Hurricane Ikes force. Read more about the Bolivar Peninsula: 3A, 8A and 9A.

Towns turned into trash heaps

INSIDE Residents ride out stormin church ... with lion: 3A

Food,water safety: 3A

Orange County quick toshow resiliency: 6A

7-year-old evacuee who

left tooth at home worriedIke got the Tooth Fairy: 7A

Blocked route to landfillthwarts cleanup: 7A

Burn bans in effect formost counties: 7A

Humane society works tofind stranded pets: 8A

Evacuee in Dallas tellsof gratitude, frustration: 8A

Restaurants, grocerystores,pharmacies bring inemployees to reopen: 10A

Aftermath photos: 11A

HS football season couldbe delayed, even canceledfor some teams: 1B

Ike slows SLC, too: 1B

NO HOME DELIVERYBecause all newspaper carriershave evacuated, there will be nohome delivery today. Home

delivery of The Beaumont Enter-prise will resume as soon aspossible. Copies of the newspa-per are available in racks andnewsstands throughout theregion. Please visit beaumontenterprise.com for up-to-datenews and details.

Storms brute force renders unrecognizable the places it didnt completely wash away


Leon Parfait, left, and Bonnie

Daigle collect a free breakfast from

the Salvation Army at the Beau-

mont Municipal Athletic Complex.


With Hurricane Ikes storm surge receding, cities such as Sabine Pass have to deal

with saltwater intrusion in their drinking water and sewage treatment systems.

8/9/2019 2008 - Ike - Front Pages

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Advice & TV......5BClassified ........6B

Comics ............4B


Nation ..............2A

Obituaries ......12A

Puzzles ............5B

Sports ............1B


World ..............2A

Dow Nasdaq

-449.36 -109.05

I N S I D E

Section designed and copy-edited by Vic Odegar, Christopher Clausen, David Constantine,Megan Kinkade and Dennis Meloncon, (409) 880-0795

WEATHER: Partly cloudy, Highs:80s, Lows: 60s/2A

SEPTEMBER 18, 2008


THURSDAY

The tastiest bits





As of Wednesday morning Sources: AAA,Oil Price Information Service

$3.67


LIMITED HOME

DELIVERY

Home delivery of The BeaumontEnterprise resumes today on alimited basis.Customers whoseregular carriers evacuated mightstill experience late or no deliv-ery for a few more days. TheEnterprise is available in racksthroughout the region. Please goto beaumontenterprise.com fordetails and news updates.

On iceINSIDE

Signals out, roads closed: 3A Pleasant cool weather a hurri-cane anomaly: 3A Road to landfill cleared: 4A Rebuilding leads to injuries: 4A Ike opens career doors: 5A Zoo animals dead after Ike: 6A Members of media meet angrylivestock: 10A Future looks bleak for ocean-

front property: 13A Boats bashed at Port ArthurYacht Club: 1B Big Thicket clearing trails: 1B Aftermath photos: 6B

By EMILY GUEVARA

THE ENTERPRISE

At least three Jasper County andtwo Newton County schools will beback to normal operations by Mon-day, according to district officialsand school Web sites.

School resumes today in theBurkeville and Newton school dis-tricts in Newton County. Newton

SCHOOLS, page 9A

Its backto school

yet again

By DAN WALLACH

THE ENTERPRISE

BEAUMONT David Seylertooled around Babe Zaharias Parkon a golf cart Wednesday, weavingaround parked truck trailers.

He pointed out which ones were bunkhouses and whichwere for laundry or showers. He

OPERATION, page 8A

Jasper and Newton Countyclassrooms will lead the way

By SARAH MOORE

THE ENTERPRISE

MCFADDIN WILDLIFE REFUGE The cluster of white tanks lookedas if Hurricane Ike stopped for acold one on his way through, toss-ing down the empties and crushingthem with his massive foot beforemoving on.

Johnny Darcey stood up in the

airboat and pointed to a dark brownline running a foot or so about the

water on a stand of tall grass.

Crude oil.

The distinctive aroma of the thick,tar-like substance floated on thefresh Wednesday morning breeze.

SPILLS, page 8A

By DEE DIXON and

MATTHEW DANELO

THE ENTERPRISE

BEAUMONT Georgia truckdriver Kirk Tenn propped his feeton both sides of his steering wheelas he waited for a third day tounload 50,000 pounds of ice forHurricane Ike victims in Southeast

Texas.He got a call Sunday at his Cov-ington, Ga., home to haul a truck-load of ice to Ford Park. He arrivedMonday. Wednesday afternoon he

was still waiting to unload.Tenn was among an estimated

HELP, page 9A

Ike crushes oil tanksin coastal wilderness

Heres what happens when a hurricane barges in


Two barges were found on Texas 73 near Port Arthur. The barges had been brought from Sabine Pass to Taylors Bayou before the storm.

Cities within cities are repair armys base


State resource officers survey damage to a pumping and storage

facility on Clam Lake. One of the main oil tanks was crushed.

With 14,000 workers on the job,you have to be johnny on the spot with portable toilets,bunks, showers, laundry


This is one of two lines of portable toilets that illustrate the scope of the operation Entergy has in place.

Truckers stack up with supplies awaiting distribution

Almost 150

trucks filled

with hurricane

relief supplies

wait to enter

Ford Park

Wednesday

before being

routed to dis-

tributionpoints.

Matthew Danelo/

The Enterprise

8/9/2019 2008 - Ike - Front Pages

11/14




LegendaryKubotaQualityMore Affordable Than Ever!0% A.P.R.

For 36 mos. on

SELECT NEW Kubotas

AND0DOWN

Down,0% A.P.R. financing for terms up to 36 $0 months on purchases of new Kubota ZD,F,BX, B,L, M,CE,TLB Series form available inventory at participating dealers through September 30,2008. Example:a 36 month monthly installment repayment term at 0% A.P.R.requires 36 payment of $27.78 per $1,000 borrowed. 0% A.P.R. interest is available to customer if no dealer documentation preparation fee is charged. Only Kubota and Kubota performance-matched Land Pride equipment are eligible. Inclusion of ineligible equipmentmay result in a higher blended A.P.R. Dealer charges for document preparation fee shall be in accordance with state laws. Not available for Rental,National Accounts,or Governmental customers. Financing is available through Kubota Credit Corporation,U.S.A.,subject tocredit approval. Some exceptions apply. See us for details on these and other low rate options or go to www.kubota.com for more information.

Section designed and copy-edited by Tammie Hodges, David Constantine,Megan Kinkade and Wendi Wilkerson, (409) 880-0793

WEATHER: Isolated thunderstorms, Highs:80s, Lows: 60s/2A

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008


FRIDAY


The tastiest bits



HOME DELIVERY

Delivery of The BeaumontEnterprise resumes today tomost homes. Customerswhose regular carriers evac-uated might still experiencelate or no delivery for a fewmore days. The Enterprise isavailable in racks throughoutthe region. Please go toBeaumontEnterprise.com fordetails and news updates.

Coming together

VIDEO

See HomelandSecurity SecretaryMichael Chertoffs

Sabine Pass visit atBeaumont

Enterprise.com

INSIDE

$351 million intimber lost to Ike: 4A

Dead fish cleanupnot an easy task forOrange: 10A

Crews work torebury caskets thatfloated out of con-crete crypts in

Orange County: 13A

Advice & TV......5BClassified ........6B

Comics ............4B

Nation ..............2AObituaries ......12A

Puzzles ............5B

Sports ............1B

State................2AWeather ..........2A

World ..............2A

Dow Nasdaq

+410.03 +100.25

I N S I D E Average price of agallon of regular gasin Southeast Texas:

As of Thursday morning Sources: AAA,Oil Price Information Service$3.70

Distributionkinks fixed,Chertoff says

Peninsularesidentsgather infrustration

By DEE DIXON

THE ENTERPRISE

FEMA has doled out more than$927,000 in aid so far to residentsin Orange and Jefferson counties,a spokesman said Thursday.

As of Thursday, 62,000 Jeffer-son County residents had regis-

tered for emer-gency disasterassistance fromthe federal agency,and 20,938Orange Countyresidents hadapplied.

The agency has disbursed$429,000 to those in JeffersonCounty and $498,000 to those inOrange County, spokesmanMarty Bahamonde said.

On his second trip to Beau-mont this week, HomelandSecurity Secretary MichaelChertoff said some kinks in thesupply-distribution chain werecorrected.

FEMA, page 8ACrystal Beach resident, Laura Wolfford, center, has an

emotional reunion on Thursday with Paul Norton, left,

and his wife, Cathy, at Market Basket on Texas 124 in

Winnie.


INSIDE

HomelandSecuritychief holdsnews con-ference: 8A

Weather helps Entergy make big restoration gainsBy DAN WALLACH

THE ENTERPRISE

Southeast Texas electric utilitiesscored big restoration numbersThursday, though almost three-fifths of Entergy Texas service terri-tory still struggled without power.

By this morning, about 150 hours

had ticked by since Hurricane Ikeslandfall near Galveston, knockingout power to nearly all of EntergyTexass 395,000 customers across 26counties.

The Jasper-Newton ElectricCooperative, serving Jasper andNewton counties and northernareas of Orange County, has

restored power to almost two-thirdsof its 17,000 meters, the coopera-tives spokesman said.

By Thursday afternoon, Entergyhad restored almost 150,000 cus-tomers, leaving almost 243,000

without power.Thats about 38 percent of its cus-

tomers, said Dave Caplan, Entergy

Texas communications manager.We are working the plan and

making progress, Caplan said.The weather is cooperating nicely.

Jasper-Newton has had assis-tance from six sister electric coop-eratives who have provided a work

POWER, page 9A

By CHRISTINE RAPPLEYE

THE ENTERPRISE

WINNIE Butch Leger ofCrystal Beach wanted toknow when he could getback in to see what he couldsalvage from his home andbusiness.

He called a few friendsand neighbors to get togeth-er at the Market Basket in

Winnie on Thursday, hopingto get some answers.

MEETING, page 9A

Sabine Pass residents try to pick up the piecesBy RYAN MYERS

THE ENTERPRISE

SABINE PASS Threedogs, three horses, hun-dreds of pages.

At the converted beachbar he called home,retired football coach NeilMorgans third book wasnearing completion.

I put some of the man-uscript in my truck when

we left for higher ground,he said, surveying the

skeleton of his home

Thursday. The rest was ina little shed I used as anoffice. I dont even know

where that shed is now. Itsnot where it used to be.

When Hurricane Ikeroared ashore Saturdaymorning, storm surgehere reached 14 feet.Many homes have all butdisappeared, washedaway into miles of marsh-land at the Southeasterntip of Texas.

IKE, page 8A

Sabine

Pass resi-dent Diane

Bergeron

says her

family will

stay and

rebuild

after Hurri-

cane Ikedestroyed

their

home.


VIDEO

High Island residentsmeet in Winnie to vent

their frustrations relatedto Hurricane Ike at

Beaumont

Enterprise.com

Matthew Danelo/The Enterprise

Department of Homeland Secu-

rity Secretary Michael Chertoff,

center, tours the FEMA staging

area Thursday at Ford Park.

8/9/2019 2008 - Ike - Front Pages

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Advice..............4BClassified ........6B

Comics ............5B


Nation ..............2A


Puzzles ............4B

Sports ............1B

Television ........4B


Dow Nasdaq

+368.75 +74.80

I N S I D E

Section designed and copy-edited by Vic Odegar, David Constantine, Megan Kinkade, Dennis Meloncon and Wendi Wilkerson, (409) 880-0795

WEATHER: Partly cloudy, Highs: 80s, Lows: Mid-60s/2A

SEPTEMBER 20, 2008


SATURDAY


The tastiest bitsof Southeast Texas are on




As of Friday morning Sources: AAA, Oil Price Information Service

$3.68


Crystal Beach, Texas

Approximate location of beachfront homes

SOURCES: U.S. Geological Survey; ESRI AP

A little-known Texas law says thestate can seize private property if astorm changes the beach boundaries,as Hurricane Ike did when the shore-

line was washed away.

Crystal Beach, Texas

Approximate location of beachfront homes

Sept. 9, 2008

Sept. 15, 2008

Bolivar Peninsula

Gulf of Mexico

TEXAS

Galveston

BolivarPeninsula

Gulf ofMexico

0 5 mi

5 km0

Crystal Beach Beach

bummerSome Ike victims mightlose land to government

By MICHAEL GRACZYK

and CAIN BURDEAU

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

GALVESTON Hundreds ofpeople whose beachfront homes

were wrecked by Hurricane Ikemight be barred from rebuildingunder a little-noticed Texas law.

And even those whose houseswere spared could end up seeing

BEACHFRONT, page 4A

ONLINE

Video of BC devastation:BeaumontEnterprise.com

INSIDE

Entergy says Ike recovery willtake as long as Rita: 3A

Town by town info on cur-fews, utilities, services: 3A

Jobless rate could hit doubledigits as it did after Rita: 8A

Ike forces some to go towork where they evacuated: 8A

On the scene in Vidor,China

and Mid-County: 10A No leaks of toxic materialdetected at Veolia incineratorsite on Texas 73: 10A

Sea Rim goes from heavily tocatastrophically damaged: 11A

Ride along with FEMA: 12A

Bridge City folk try to dry out homesBy CHRISTINE RAPPLEYE

THE ENTERPRISE

BRIDGE CITY The driveway to Vance Hardy and

Nancy Adams Bridge City home now is strewn with theircollection of National Geographic magazines, marshgrass, a window screen and other almost unrecognizablepossessions from their home.

Unbelievable, said Hardy as he walked up the drive-way for the first time.

The Rainbow Bridge and Veterans Memorial Bridge are

BRIDGE CITY, page 5A

School renewalBefore resumingclasses, districtshave to coverbasic necessities

By EMILY GUEVARA

THE ENTERPRISE

The Bridge City school district

was no doubt among the mostbadly hurt by Hurricane Ike.

District Superintendent JameyHarrison told The Enterprise earli-er this week that the districts fivecampuses had substantial dam-age.

Work crews still were removingmoisture from the buildings Fri-day while Harrison predicted thatschool could resume as early asOct. 6.

Were going to have a fullschool year, he told The Enter-prise earlier this week. Bridge Cityschools are going to be open.

It is one of 30 districts in theSoutheast Texas region, the major-ity of which felt the sting of Hurri-cane Ike. From wind damage to

flooding, school officials must jug-gle campus repairs along with theneeds of their community.

District administrators said theyconsidered power, their staff andstudents, and their own philoso-phy when making decisionsregarding school openings.

The common thread for all dis-tricts is the presence of electricity.

Almost every district cites func-tioning power, water and sewer

SCHOOLS, page 4A

Dianne Brookshire, who lived at 195 Stapper Street in Bridge City,

could not look into her daughters room as she walked around the out-

side of her home. The storm surge from Hurricane Ike left marsh grass

over everything as it traveled through her home.


HOMEOWNERS COULD

LOSE COASTAL PROPERTY

Whole town

looks like a

flea market,mayor says

of saturated

belongings

set outside

Aid denial

stuns someFEMA procedures can be toughfor those already reeling from IkeBy DEE DIXON

THE ENTERPRISE

BEAUMONT Dealing with FEMAcan be frustrating, especially when a per-son who feels more than qualified forassistance gets an aid denial instead.

That is the situation Bridge City resi-dent Glenn Perritt and disabled Beau-mont resident Norma Rocio found them-selves in this week.

Perritt, a 42-year-old plant operations

AID, page 4A

Recovering

the footballEven in a disasterarea, sports barsare there for fanswith cold beerand big-screentelevisions: 1B

8/9/2019 2008 - Ike - Front Pages

13/14

WEATHER: Partly cloudy, Highs: 80s, Lows: 70s/2A

SEPTEMBER 21, 2008

VOL.CXXVIII, NO. 3 21 THE ADVOCATE FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS SINCE 1880 $1.50

SUNDAY


The tastiest bits


Advice ..................5CClassified..............6C

History ..................2A

Ike photos ............1B

Nation ..................2A

Obituaries............14A

Puzzles ................5C

Sports..................1C

Weather................2A

World....................2A

I N S I D E

Section designed and copy-edited by Vic Odegar, David Constantine, Megan Kinkade, Dennis Meloncon and Wendi Wilkerson, (409) 880-0795

Average price of a gallon ofregular gas in Southeast Texas:

As of Saturday morning Sources: AAA,O il Price Information Service

$3.64

Surviving disaster


By BLAIR DEDRICK ORTMANN

THE ENTERPRISE

The last surviving sibling of aniconic Beaumont family died Sat-urday at a Houston hospital.

Victor Joseph Rogers, a self-pro-claimed eternal optimist whosepersonal motto was you gottabelieve, was 87.

He was the best dad, saidDebbie Rogers, speaking for her-self and her husband, J.W. Rogers.

I want everybody to know what aloving father he was. If he and J.W.

werent together, they alwaystalked. They were best friends.

Born in Chicago in 1921, VictorRogers was the youngest of sixchildren. His father, JosephRogers, died in 1922, and hismother, Minnie Rogers, support-ed her children by buying proper-ties, fixing them up and resellingthem. The children worked at any

jobs they could to contribute to

the family funds, according toEnterprise archives.

The move to Beaumont came inthe 1930s when Sol Rogers decid-ed to open his own optometrybusiness in Houston. Rents, how-ever, decided the business wouldbe opened in Beaumont instead.The family came one by one andnever left.

Debbie Rogers described VictorRogers as a man who was alwayshappy and who loved life, as well

as someone who always stoppedto help someone in need.

I remember more than once,he would see someone with one ofthese street signs, I need food,and would make you turn aroundand find him so he could give himmoney, she said. Everybody whocrossed his path who ever neededhelp, he was there for.

Victor Rogers charitable contri-

ROGERS, page 15A

By PERRYN KEYS

THE ENTERPRISE

BUNA Less than a mile awayfrom the railroad tracks, where atrain whistled and rumbledthrough town Saturday afternoon,

a brilliant sound rose above the

trees: cymbals and drums crash-ing, horns screaming, a sure signthat high school football loomedin Cougar Stadium.

FOOTBALL, page 16A

Even if they were playing on Saturday, Buna andWest Sabine prove you cant kill Friday night lights

Homes that could have been repaired after Rita mighthave to be razed after Ike because of assistance rules

Stories of the storm: Pages 4-6A A week of Ike a photographic journey: Section B

Only game aroundFrom bad to worse INSIDE Entergy powers up 71 percent: 3A Buried power lines would be protect-

ed but expensive: 3A

Cell phone image of flooded BridgeCity Pizza Hut has big impact: 8A

Governor visits Beaumont with praiseand caution: 8A

NWS releases stats on Ike: 8A

Battered Galveston bears down forits second rebirth: 10A

Port Neches to waive some fees: 12A

Amid flood of biblical proportions,churches keep faith: 15A

No matter if thehurricane thattries to run us

off is named Ike orRita. Southeast Texans

may leave their homesand possessions, buttheir hearts are alwayshere.That is why theycome back, strongerand more resilient.

Today, the vignettes onPages 4-6A and a

week of photos inSection B reveal someof the countless storiesof devastation andrecovery unfoldingin this region for thesecond time thisdecade. And so webegin again again.

By COLIN GUY

THE ENTERPRISE

A second beatdown by Hurri-cane Ike could mean some home-owners waiting for federal dollarsto repair their homes instead will

have to have them razed and

rebuilt.Under the $210 million Housing

Assistance Program, eligiblehomeowners in the 22 counties

MONEY, page 16A

Victor Joseph

Rogers never

turned down a

non-profit look-

ing for a dona-

tion, according

to one family

member.

Rogers died

Saturday at

age 87.

Enterprise file photo

Youngest of four who founded TSO, Vic Rogers is remembered for many contributions to BeaumontLast of the Rogers brothers

8/9/2019 2008 - Ike - Front Pages

14/14

Inside: Power has been restored to 80 percent of Southeast Texans Page 3A WEATHER: Isolated thunderstorms, Highs: 80s, Lows: 60s/2A

SEPTEMBER 22, 2008


MONDAY

i

PREPSat beaumontenterpris com

For the latest inhigh school sports go to

Advice ................6BApplause..............7A

Classified............7B

Comics ..............5B

Nation ................2A

Obituaries ..........6A

Puzzles ..............6B

Sports ................1B

State....................2A

Weather ..............2A

I N S I D EHundreds of evacuees

return to PA by bus: 6A

Average price of a gallon ofregular gas in Southeast Texas:$3.63Price as of Sunday morning Sources: AAA, Oil Price Information Service

Tempers flareHundreds of frustrated Bridge City residents flock to meetingfor answers; mayor has harsh words for Homeland Security chief

Sundays sermon reflects on devastating week

By KYLE PEVETO

THE ENTERPRISE

A quick fix will not cometo Bridge Citys housingproblem, federal officialstold the towns residentsSunday, because the federalgovernment will not providesmall travel trailers for floodvictims with unlivable hous-es.

Without housing insidethe city limits, the town of8,000 will shrivel and die,said Mayor Kirk Roccaforte,

who had terse words aboutthe Department of Home-land Securitys secretary.

Hundreds of upset BridgeCity residents attended the

MEET, page 4A

New pastor atOrange churchhas message ofhope for victimsof HurricaneIke during hisfirst sermon

Members of First PresbyterianChurch in Orange thought it wasfitting that during Pastor MikeUmbenhaurs first sermon to thecongregation on Sunday morninghe delivered a message of calm inuncertainty.

Hurricane Ike affected everychurch member when the stormblew through early Saturday, Sept.13, and flooded much of thecounty with water from SabineLake, including the downtownarea where the church is located.

Umbenhaur himself was watch-ing from a hotel room in Kerrville,

wondering what his new ministe-rial job would hold when hearrived.

Events of the last seven to 10days tell you every aspect of lifeis subject to change, he told thecongregation in a gym that wasconverted to a room of worship.

Completed in 1913 after eightyears of construction, the copper-domed Lutcher Building, whichhouses the congregations sanctu-

ary and fellowship hall, was dam-aged when the roof leaked and

water drenched the inside. Thestructures basement flooded.

On Sunday, yellow tape cor-doned off the entrance, and signsin the window warned of micro-bial hazard.

CHURCH, page 5A

SaltwatersmotherslandscapeBridge City water surgeduring Ike wreaked havocon residents plants, yards

By SARAH MOORE

THE ENTERPRISE

BRIDGE CITY Laura Hintonisnt happy with the roof damagefrom Hurricane Ikes winds and

water damage from the storm surgeentering her Bridge City home, butit isnt what breaks her heart.

What she mourns is her lovinglylandscaped front yard, particularlythe hydrangeas.

Losing my hydrangeas is goingto be the hardest thing, Hintonsaid.

The salty surge that coveredmuch of Bridge City during Ikesonslaught smothered yards, gar-dens and trees, cutting off oxygenand tainting the soil with saline.

All over Southeast Texas, in places where the surge intruded, trees,shrubs and other plants intolerantof saline are showing the tell-talesigns of saltwater incursion.

SURGE, page 4A

Roger Schroederwith Xtreme

Demoliton fromLufkin dismantles

a barge that is

blocking Texas73 on Sunday.


Barge cleanup under wayDemolitioncompanyrips cargo

vessels offTexas 73

in pieces

By RYAN MYERS

THE ENTERPRISE

PORT ARTHUR The stretchof Texas 73 between Port Arthurand Winnie could open by mid-

week after two barges droppedon the highway by Hurricane Ikeare cut apart and removed.

Were ripping them apart, onechunk at a time, and then well

haul away the pieces on trucks,said Jeff Fuller with XtremeDemolition, an Oak Island-basedmarine salvage company.

Ikes storm surge pushed thetethered barges almost 10 milesfrom near Sabine Pass, droppingthem across the highway nearEnglin Road. At Sabine Pass,

BARGE, page 5A

INSIDE

Church members volunteer their timeto help Bridge City residents clean uptheir homes: 4A


Some home and businesses in the

Orange and Bridge City area suf-fered major flood damage from

Hurricane Ikes storm surge.

By KYLE PEVETO THE ENTERPRISE


Hundreds of Bridge City residents attended a Town Hall

meeting with representatives of FEMA at the Bridge City

Community Center on Sunday.

Members of the First Presbyterian Church of Orange listen to The Rev. Mike Umbenhaur conduct his first sermon on Sunday.


Rich in faith

VIDEO

See the

demolition teamat work

BeaumontEnterprise.com

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