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**Updated Schedules for School Closures** [Hidden Content] Hurricane Ike School Schedules By The Enterprise The following is an update on school closures: School district*time closed*website Anahuac ISD *At least one month* [Hidden Content] Beaumont ISD *At least through Friday* [Hidden Content] Bridge City ISD *Three to four weeks* [Hidden Content] Buna ISD *Indefinitely* [Hidden Content] Deweyville ISD *Likely through Friday Hamshire-Fannett ISD *At least through Friday* [Hidden Content] Hardin-Jefferson ISD *At least through Friday* [Hidden Content] Jasper ISD *Could reopen Wednesday* [Hidden Content] Kirbyville ISD *Could reopen Wednesday* [Hidden Content] Kountze ISD *At least through Tuesday, further closings depend on power* [Hidden Content] Little Cypress-Mauriceville ISD *At least through Friday* [Hidden Content] Lumberton ISD *Indefinitely* [Hidden Content] Nederland ISD *Indefinitely* [Hidden Content] Newton ISD* At least through Friday* [Hidden Content] Orangefield ISD* At least through Friday* [Hidden Content] Port Arthur ISD *Indefinitely* www.paisd.org Port Neches-Groves ISD *Indefinitely* [Hidden Content] Sabine Pass ISD *Indefinitely* [Hidden Content] Silsbee ISD *Two to four weeks* [Hidden Content] Vidor ISD *Indefinitely* [Hidden Content] West Orange-Cove CISD *Indefinitely* [Hidden Content]

BC official reports no confirmed deaths Debby Schamber The Orange Leader BRIDGE CITY — Although there have been uncofirmed rumors of death after Hurricane Ike Joey Hargrave, Bridge City interim police chief, said there have not been any reported deaths but there are cases of missing individuals which officers are looking into. “Water levels have receded for the most part and we are in search and rescue operations,†Hargave said. “We encourage people to come in check your house, clean them up but leave before curfew from 6 p.m . to 6 a.m.†Calls to Bridge City City Manager Jerry Jones and other Bridge City officials were not immediately return Monday afternoon. City officials from Orange are not restricting access and encourage people to come into the city only to secure property. The city sewage system is not up and running. Once people start using the sewer system, it will begin to no longer function because it is without power, according to Joe Mires, with the Orange Fire Department. “Don’t plan on coming home now,†Mires said. The city of Orange curfew is from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. and the city is still working under evacuation conditions. Mires did say a point of distribution is at Conn’s Shopping Center which is giving out water, ice and MREs. Parts of Orange have received power. Officials confirmed Memorial Hermann Baptist Hospital has power.

[Hidden Content] Gov. Perry: long time to come back from Ike By MATTHEW DANELO Gov. Rick Perry Monday said it will take the state a long time to recover from Hurricane Ike. Perry, who spent around two hours Monday morning flying over effected areas, said he spent a great deal of his time surveying the damage to Orange County, particularly Bridge City. Perry praised local, federal and state authorities for their rescue efforts during a stop at the Orange County Emergency Operations Center at the AT&T building in downtown Orange. County Judge Carl Thibodeaux told Perry there have been no reports of death in the county. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please don't post "unconfirmed" information on matters like deaths. If something official is released we will post. I pray Mr. Thibodeaux is right...

BC's Dr. Harrison said "the plan is to start school in about three weeks" OC school districts report minor damages Gabriel Pruett The Orange Leader Students had not been in school too long before Hurricane Ike blew through Orange County. Now students might have a little bit of an unwanted vacation as school districts work to get campuses back into operational form after flood waters made life difficult in a lot of areas of Orange County. West Orange-Cove Consolidated ISD suffered damage yet Superintendent Dr. Taylor O. Collins hopes to have schools open as soon as possible. “Our greatest damage came at the North Early Learning Center,†Collins said. “That campus is flooded. All in all across the district, the damage was not as extensive as with Hurricane Rita. Our major concern is our students and their families and with our teachers. Flooding is now the issue rather than winds with Rita. I want to get us up and running as soon as possible.†Collins reported no major damage at Anderson, the middle school, Oates Elementary and at West Orange-Stark High School. A car building at the middle school did receive some minor damage after a sky light blew off. “The best place for kids to be after returning is at school,†Collins said. “We can feed them there and take care of them. That is why I want to get us back up ASAP. This might take a little longer because I believe people are going to start coming back a little slower than after Rita. Generators and food are on stand by and ready to come in when I make the call. We are going to be operational and take care of our people. We are a Mustang family and we take care of one another.†Collins wanted to assure pre-school families that students will be moved to other campuses when schools reopen so there is no worry on that end. Bridge City Athletic Director Cris Stump said he is yet to officially talk with Superintendent Dr. Jamie Harrison but has received text messages and voicemails. “What Dr. Harrison said was for the plan to start school in about three weeks,†Stump said. “We had people get back and our schools are bad but not as bad as after Rita. We have crews there and we are in the clean up process. Our schools are trying to get back to normal as soon as we can.†Stump said athletic directors will more than likely have a district meeting to decide on what to do with the volleyball and football seasons. “Volleyball district season starts next week so something will need to be decided,†Stump said. Orangefield Superintendent Phillip Welch reported no major damages to Orangefield schools and while the district was mostly unharmed, his personnel is ready to help others. “I know there is a possibility some teachers at Sims Elementary in Bridge City lost some supplies,†Welch said. “I will be emailing our teachers and try to find materials to get to Bridge City. We also may have extra furniture for those who need it. We are going to do what we can to help Bridge City and West Orange.†Welch reported minor damages at several Orangefield locations. The scoreboard on the softball field had a part removed, rooftop AC units moved around at the middle school and the tennis court had minor damages. “We will try to assess our staff and when they may be able to get back into town once we get power,†Welch said. “So many on our staff live in Bridge City and in Orange. A lot of people have lost their homes. It could be tough.†LC-MISD sent out an email Monday confirming school could be out for several weeks as campuses await power. “Reports indicate that the restoration of power may take three to six weeks,†the email stated. “Power must be restored and necessary repairs made in order for school to reopen. Depending on individual situations, parents may want to enroll their children in another school district until LCM reopens. In the meantime, students should continue to study and practice skills, as appropriate. “The following two links provide grade-specific information that will help students stay focused on the objectives that will be addressed when class resumes. The first link leads to interactive study guides that will allow students to practice on line. [Hidden Content] or [Hidden Content]. We love and value our students and staff and hope to see each one back at LCM soon.†A later press release reported all available Little Cypress-Mauriceville faculty and staff should report to their designated workplace on Friday, September 19 at 8:00 a.m. to prepare for the reopening of classes. Administrative staff meeting will be held at 8:00 a.m. in the Board Room. The exact date of reopening of schools will be determined in the near future.

Caskets wash up in Orange By MARGARET TOAL More than 100 caskets emerged from concrete crypts in Orange during Hurricane Ike. A wooden casket buried in Evergreen Cemetery in 1996 for a 91-year-old woman was seen Monday resting against a chain link fence at the cemetery. Hollywood Cemetery on Simmons Drive is said to have lost 100 caskets to the storm surge. [Hidden Content]

Possible building colapse in Orange By BLAIR ORTMANN Orange firemen are responding to a possible building collapse on North Fifth Street. A distress call heard on a police scanner said the building was located in either the 900 or 1000 block. People are thought to be inside the building. Stay with BeaumontEnterprise.com for more on this story [Hidden Content]

FEMA: We will not make you whole By DEE DIXON [Hidden Content] A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) spokesperson Monday said the national agency "will not make residents whole." Unlike after Hurricane Rita, FEMA officials said they are not currently offering the $2,000 expedited assistance to individuals. The spokesperson said residents should still register with FEMA to see if they qualify for other assistance progams. The agency could assist residents with damage to their homes, depending on the homeowner's insurance coverage. FEMA is encouraging all homeowners impacted by Hurricane Ike to go over their insurance policy to check to see what coverage will be provided to them. For those residents who evacuated, FEMA is encouraging them to keep their receipts for possible reimbursement. FEMA will not cover the purchase of a generator, according to the spokesperson. For FEMA assistance, log onto FEMA.gov or call 1-800-621-3362

LU and LIT begin Recovery Phase [Hidden Content] Lamar University and Lamar Institute of Technology have begun the active recovery phase. The recovery team assembled on campus early Sunday to began a walk-through assessment of the university's more than 80 academic buildings and the 1,000 rooms of Cardinal Village. While significant, damage to the campus was described as less than that suffered during Hurricane Rita. Roofs repaired following the 2005 hurricane appeared to have held up well, officials said. However, windblown rain did penetrate structures around windows and other points, requiring immediate remediation. Assisting campus staff with the work are restoration companies and employees of Davis Brothers of Houston, the builders of the university?s Cardinal Village. The lack of electrical power is seen as the greatest immediate challenge, officials said. The date for the resumption of classes will depend on both the restoration of the campus and the restoration of electrical power and other services to the communities of Southeast Texas. Faculty, staff and students should not return to campus at this time. Check Lamar.edu, LIT.edu or local news media for current updates

Alligators, free-roaming cattle raise concerns Chester Moore, Jr. The Orange Leader Reports of alligators in yards and roadways and free-roaming cattle have come in from a variety of sources in Southeast Texas. Both are potentially dangerous and a cause of concern. Southeast Texas has an alligator population numbering well over 200,000 and many of them have been displaced by the huge storm surge that ravaged the region. Luckily, alligators are not aggressive under most circumstances but they should be respected and certainly not approached. The following are some alligator safety tips from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. # If you hear an alligator hiss, it's a warning that you are too close. # Alligators have a natural fear of humans, and usually begin a quick retreat when approached by people. If you have a close encounter with an alligator a few yards away, back away slowly. It is extremely rare for wild alligators to chase people, but they can run up to 35 miles per hour for short distances on land. Never make the mistake of thinking that an alligator is slow and lethargic. Alligators are extremely quick and agile and will defend themselves when cornered. # It is not uncommon for alligators to bask along the banks of a pond or stream for extended periods of time. These alligators are usually warming their bodies; they are not actively hunting. Often times a basking alligator may be seen with its mouth open; this is a way to cool its body temperature down, since alligators do not pant or sweat. An approaching human should cause these alligators to retreat into the water. # If you see an alligator while walking a pet make sure that your pet is on a leash and under your control. Your pet will naturally be curious, and the alligator may see an easy food source. Alligators have a keen sense of smell. In areas near alligator sightings it is wise to keep pets inside a fenced area or in the house for a few days, during which the alligator will often move on. Free-ranging cattle are another issue and there have been numerous reports of them in rural parts of Jefferson and Orange counties where fences were knocked down during the storm. The danger with these cattle is two-fold. The greatest threat is to motorist not expecting the animals on roadways and colliding with them. When driving in rural areas using extreme caution.The second is that these cattle may be unnaturally aggressive due to consuming saltwater. After Hurricane Rita there were numerous incidents of cattle charging people and vehicles when they were in this strange saltwater induced aggressive state.

LC-M Uncertain of Reopening Special to The Leader The Orange Leader Reports indicate that the restoration of power may take three to six weeks. Power must be restored and necessary repairs made in order for school to reopen. Depending on individual situations, parents may want to enroll their children in another school district until LCM reopens. In the meantime, students should continue to study and practice skills, as appropriate. The following two links provide grade-specific information that will help students stay focused on the objectives that will be addressed when class resumes. The first link leads to interactive study guides that will allow students to practice on line. [Hidden Content] [Hidden Content] We love and value our students and staff and hope to see each one back at LCM soon.

Energy Restores Power to Thousands of Customers [Hidden Content] Entergy has restored power to thousands of customers overnight and a spokesman tells KFDM News although he's "thrilled," customers must understand it could be a number of weeks before everyone has power. Late Sunday night power was restored to a small section of downtown Beaumont, and customers in Orange and in the Orangefield area tell KFDM News their lights came on as well. Sunday power returned to about one third of Lumberton in Hardin County. "We are getting the backbone lit up," said Entergy Texas spokesman Dave Caplan. "This is a very similar path to Rita when we brought power back from the north. It's very encouraging we're able to get power back to portions of Beaumont and other portions, and it's very encourage and we're just thrilled that we're able to do it." Caplan says perhaps another 7,000 customers saw their lights come back on overnight. "This is a very important first step in rebuilding the linkages with our high powered transmission lines from the north that serve this area. You have to get that backbone in before you get hospitals and downtowns back on again. It's what we've been aiming for - to get the power up today - and from there we can build on it. We got one or two substations energized. That's a critical first step to get those links established. I'm just thrilled." Entergy will complete its assessments Monday with helicopter fly-overs. The company says the western part of its service area seems to have experienced more damage. Thousands of Entergy workers and others brought in by the company are working to restore power. "The cavalry is on the way and they're here. 14,000 people from 32 different states and other countries. We want people to try to be patient. At least the initial look at this seems to be not worse than Rita, but we'll get a sense today or tomorrow about restoration times in specific neighobhroods."

Update from Gary Stelly's Blog: [Hidden Content] Sept. 14, 10:15pm- First off the Good News, there is power at the hospital and also in Roselawn. I'm just going to give you an answer rundown and also what we've been told today. People are able to come into town but not at night. BC is supposed to let people in on Monday according to the city mgr. but just to survey damage. There have been no bodies found yet according to Orange, WO, and BC authorities. Yes there were caskets floating in Orange. We're told they popped up from the cemetery that's on Simmons. Water in Orange is fine. WO, BC, Nottingham and Country Squire are under a boiled water ordinance. Gas available in Louisiana. If you're up north, 80% of Jasper has power along with gas and supplies. There have been a few people with 18 wheelers full of generators and selling them around town from the bigger parking lots. Most roads are open in Orange and WO except 16th and Green, South St near Lions Park, Green and 4th to Simmons, Western near Bayou, Holly St, Irving St., Simmons past the Bayou Club south. I'm not sure what roads are still not passable in BC. Schools won't be open for sometime and there's no plan for BC yet. LCM put out a release saying 3-6 wks without power means you may want to enroll your kids into other schools until they open. LSCO said a minimum two weeks because of flood damage. Without our Road Runner service we haven't been able to stream our signal and I apologize for that but it's out of our hands right now. Water, MRE's and ice have been ordered by OC and should be arriving Mon-Tues at the same locations as we had during Rita. Red Cross has some supplies and few people to hand them out so if you're looking to volunteer, that may be the place. They're on I-10 near the MLK overpass. The Corps of Engineers will be in charge of debris removal again and the plan of attack has not been laid out BUT if you begin cleanup remember that you need to separate your waste into piles. And don't put the piles near mailboxes, power poles, fire hydrants, etc because they will be using a grappler truck to pick it up. No word on when Waste Management will be back in business. As for FEMA news check out the front page. I've put their info just as they released it so please ask them the questions not me because I wouldn't know. Sept. 14, 11:10pm- I was able to get to downtown Orange today. Well most of it. But I'm encouraged by a few people who said they didn't get water in their house but almost. Dr. Dileo said he didn't get any in his office and I'm just amazed by that. You can see in some of today's pics where the water/debris lines were. Some of you have asked about the evacuees. This is the report I received from Alan at North Orange Baptist Church...The church was used last night and today as a staging area for bringing folks from search and rescue efforts to placing on chartered buses for transporting to San Antonio… Last night there were some 400 passing through and getting on buses headed for Kelley AFB in San Antonio. At the end of today there were some forty-some folks that were brought by, got their personal information, fed/offered MRE’s prior to leaving. Only ONE bus had been filled and was to leave by 9PM this evening. When I left this evening it was my understanding that buses are to be available tomorrow also. This evening the National Guard folks came in and are staying at the church.. not sure what they will be doing. Thanks to Alan and the people at NOBC. Congressman Kevin Brady, Senator Tommy Williams and State Rep Mike Hamilton were all in town today so I hope their first hand assessment will mean more help is on the way. Nothing like seeing devastation in person to tug at the heartstrings so we appreciate their concern. WOS Supt. Taylor Collins said the North Early Learning Ctr. was the only WOCCISD campus that received significant damage and that was caused by flooding. Once again, I have seen very little damage caused by trees. Trees have fallen, but few on homes. I'm hoping to make it to OF and BC Monday for further assessment. Sept. 14, 11:55pm- More good news. Just got a call that the Cypress Bayou area now has power. We're showin some love to all electricians! It was made official today that the popular boat races that were scheduled for next weekend have been cancelled. Tough break for the area because close to 20,000 came out last year to watch. And you can see from the picture we have of Lions Park that the carnival will not run as scheduled this year. But don't count the Lions out yet. After Rita they still had the carnival in December. But they received a little more damage this go around so we'll wait for the final word. Sept. 15, 6:35am- Good morning! It appears those that are on the Echo Feeder got power last night as well as the hospital and the surrounding area there. Judge Thibodeaux has also said that people are allowed to come home with the knowledge that they're still on their own for the most part

Roadblock updates for Golden Triangle [Hidden Content]

First lights in Beaumont could be on by Monday By DAN WALLACH Downtown Beaumont could have power as soon as Monday, said Joe Domino, Entergy Texas president and chief executive today.... [Hidden Content]

Kicker check your pm please. Thanks

Here is an update from Gary Stelly at KOGT on letting people back in..... "BC city manager Jerry Jones says they're still not letting people in but the water is way down which is the good news. The water is also way down in Orange after the city was able to get some of the pumps back up. Still the downtown area is off limits to most. I will stress to those of you out of town that its not pretty here so I wouldn't plan on staying. Come in, assess your damage, and then head back out. County curfew runs from 7pm - 6am. The DPS are handling things as they did in Rita. Some are getting in and some aren't. Just depends on the area. Sorry we can't be any more clear than that. Cell phones and internet access still sucks. There is no road runner and just a little broadband. Cell service is sporadic but at least better than yesterday." I will also let you know I've heard that the police arent letting certain items back out of the area. So if you come in and then decide to leave again don't plan on taking anything with you. This is to cut down on thefts since there may be no proof on if you own the stuff.

KOGT UPDATE ON ORANGE AND WEST ORANGE [Hidden Content] Sept. 13, 7:55pm- Today's pictures are now in our gallery. Be prepared to pick your mouth up off the floor. Got a chance to check out more of Orange and West Orange after spending most of the day in BC. Lindenwood had its usual trees down but didn't see any trees thru homes. One roof on Poe St. was ripped off. The west side of Park St. had some closed areas near the Adams Bayou bridge and also further down by Camelot. That whole neighborhood was covered in water. In downtown Orange from 10th and John all the way to Simmons had some kind of water on it. Authorities were using the intersection of 10th and John as a boat ramp. I couldn't find any way to get to the Lamar area that wasn't already closed. West Orange suffered a big hit as many homes were flooded including Irving and many of the roads running across it. WOS High School didn't appear to have any heavy damage. Holly St was just about completely covered in water as they have a large ditch that runs through the middle of it. Any place that had a big ditch, bayou, creek, etc, saw flooding. For example, Roselawn floods when it sprinkles yet they did not hold any water compared to others. Didn't get a chance to get to Orangefield but didn't hear of any major damage there or in Mauriceville where most people who called us said they just lost power and maybe a tree or two. Tonight the military and a large group of Urban yada yada Enforcement showed up. Not sure of the title as they were zooming past me in a convoy headed for various areas. It was an impressive group with boats, charter buses, 18 wheelers full of generators, and a lot of camouflage. With limited use of the internet now AND a curfew this will probably be my final post tonight. We hope to be on a better schedule Sunday.

Coop called them and told them he lost his deck (which he did) and they said they would send him the paperwork to fill out

I haven't seen any. All the reports I've been seeing indicate that mid-county is in good shape as far as flooding is concerned. I think the major problem there is no power and no sewer

[Hidden Content] [Hidden Content] [Hidden Content] Orange Leader has photos on front page: [Hidden Content]

[Hidden Content] [Hidden Content] [Hidden Content] Orange Leader has photos on front page: [Hidden Content] Gary Stelly at KOGT will also be updating photos every so often so check back from time to time [Hidden Content]

I heard from the KFDM stream earlier that the windows of the Montagne Center were blown out and you can see up through the roof as part of that is gone as well

[Hidden Content]

Weather Channel just announced that he has declared the whole area a disaster area

Gary Stelly has updated his blog at kogt.com Info on BC and Orange.... [Hidden Content]