A look at the top stories of 2017

Published 12:57 pm Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Port Arthur News has scanned a year’s worth of stories and found the top 10 stories that affected our readers.

Tropical Storm Harvey’s devastating flooding — whose impacts are still being felt — earned the No. 1 spot. No surprise there.

A record-breaking 60 inches of rain fell as the storm stalled over the Golden Triangle area in late August.

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Rescues were made and boats moved across city streets and highways. Shelters were hastily set up, one of which took on water, forcing evacuees to leave to another area.

The sequence of events goes on as residents work to rebuild their lives. A casual glance around Port Arthur, where upward of 80 percent of homes were damaged, suggest things are returning to normal. There is not a struggle to find gasoline; stores are stocked with bread, water, food and other necessities, as it was pre-Harvey.

There are clues, though, that things are still amiss. Some residents and business owners are just now gutting their property and storm debris piles are seen here and there.

Some area homes have travel trailers in their driveways while others have portable-on-demand storage units, or PODS.

But there is a lot that is unseen, behind closed doors where homes await sheetrock and displaced people live with friends, family or in hotels — if they are lucky enough to find an available room.

 

Here’s a look at the other top stories of 2017:

  • German Pellet fire — In late February a fire broke out on a conveyer belt that was loading wooden pellets onto Jobst Oldendorff, a bulk carrier vessel, docked at the Port of Port Arthur.

A hot spot was detected in a silo on April 15 and ignited early the next morning, April 16. The flare-up was immediately extinguished and firefighters began to cool off the No. 2 silo with water to reduce the temperature.

On June 3, after about 50 days of smoldering, a group of citizens took part in a protest citing health problems due to the continuous smoke.

Heavy storms moved through the area that night and at about 4:20 a.m. June 4, the silo collapsed. No injuries were reported and firefighters continue to monitor the site as they have for the past few months.

Then, less than two weeks after the German Pellets silo collapsed at the Port of Port Arthur, a hot spot was discovered in an adjacent silo.

Tragedy struck on October when an employee was operating a skid-steer loader and a large amount of material fell on him and killed him. The company was working to remove the pellets from the silos at the time.

A lawsuit was filed by a group of residents who claim they suffered health issues due to the long-smoldering fire.

  • Port Arthur City Manager Brian McDougal resigns—

City manager Brian McDougal submitted his resignation in late November after being with the city since 2015.

McDougal said in an archive story he has no plans to move or any prospects on new employment. He added that both parties had concerns about things in the city. Furthermore, it was a combination of things that occurred cumulatively over the past three years and things that happened this past year that led to his resignation.

  • Allegations of theft by former Nederland Heritage Festival manager— Longtime NHF manager Wanda Hollier resigned her post in 2016 citing personal reasons but rumors of financial mismanagement began swirling in 2017.

In April 2017, a media statement was issued saying the NHF’s board began a detailed and formal investigation into the issue. At this time the foundation board had a decision to make; proceed with criminal charges or cut a deal that included repayment of a specified portion of the money along with the caveat that the person’s name or other information about the incident not be released.

The board claimed there was no attempt to cover up any wrongdoing by the offending party.

  • Controversy and investigations into several Port Arthur Police officers— In February four police officers were placed on administrative leave.

Two of the officers were reinstated, one of whom left PAPD to work at another police department; one officer resigned and one retired.

The issue grew with when a detective, citing the Texas Whistleblower Act, filed an affidavit against other officers citing obstruction or retaliation and misuse of official information to official oppression.

One of the fired officers was the subject of an arbitration hearing that temporarily went into recess with the hearing to continue at a date yet to be announced.

  • Nick’s grocery closes after almost 60 years— When owner Joe Nicotre made the announcement he was retiring and the store would close customers lined up to buy some of the store’s well-known boudin and homemade sausage.

The store served generations of customers in the nearly six decades of existence.

  • Tax Ratification Election passes for Port Arthur Independent School District—The election on whether or not voters would approve a 13-cent increase in the district’s maintenance and operations portion of the tax rate was approved by voters.

The new rate will generate an estimated $4.6 million in additional local revenue and an additional $1.3 million in state aid, bringing a net M&O revenue of $5.9 million to the district.

The additional revenue will be used to fund a number of services and salaries for the district and its employees, such as improved bilingual education, Virtual School, reading programs, social service needs for students, purchase of auxiliary equipment for transportation, maintenance and custodial operations and a salary increase for all Port Arthur school district employees.

  • Port Neches-Groves Independent School District hired a new superintendent — Mike Gonzales, who served the district as an assistant superintendent, was named to the top spot in December.

He has 22 years of elementary and secondary experience. He currently holds three Texas Educator Certificates in the areas of classroom teacher (1-8), principal and superintendent early childhood-12.

  • Justice of the Peace Tom Gilliam III was shot while in Houston— JP Tom Gilliam was shot while in his car.

He had pulled over to answer a phone call when a woman who asked for money approached him. He refused and she came back at least two more times and he declined both times, according to an archived story.

As he was leaving he saw a man in his rear view mirror quickly approach his car, reach under his hooded coat and produced a pistol from his waistband. Gilliam grabbed his own gun to defend himself but was stuck by gunfire.

  • Snow in southeast Texas— Southeast Texans saw about 3 inches of snow, a rare occurrence, causing for some school delays and plenty of photos of small snowmen.