Hero to the Max

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Max Jones, 9, (right) sits on the lap of Greg Cogswell, his mother's boyfriend and roommate (left), at the Studio 6 Motel in Winnie on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008. When the family's rental home caught fire on Jan. 31 in Stowell, Max woke up and alerted the family.


Kelli Jones (right) helps Max Jones, 9, (left) with his homework at the Studio 6 Motel in Winnie. Firefighters told the family they only had 45 seconds left before they would have all died when Max had alerted them.


Only a burned-out shell of a rental home remains in Stowell. Now, the family can't find a new place to live in the community.

Please read, "9-year-old saved family..." by Sarah Moore.

Moving ahead

East Chambers' Tramain Thomas (No. 1) gains yards against Hardin-Jefferson during a football game in Winnie on Friday, Sept. 21, 2007.

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Trinity bridge inspection

Traffic continues to cross the Trinity River bridge as TXDOT engineers inspect it in Chambers County on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007. A new bridge is under construction to replace the aged bridge.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise



TXDOT engineers inspect the Trinity River bridge in Chambers County. The tragic bridge collapse in Minnesota has prompted officials to inspect all bridges currently in service.



Guard rail damage is evident as TXDOT engineers inspect the Trinity River bridge in Chambers County. The Trinity River bridge is the southernmost connection from Southeast Texas to the Greater Houston metro area.

Buccaneers remain undefeated

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

East Chambers' Justin Hallmark (No. 22, left) pulls down an onside kick as Hardin-Jefferson players move for the ball during a high school football game in Winnie on Friday, Sept. 21, 2007. Hallmark recovered two fumbles.


Hardin-Jefferson's Stephen Smith (No. 9, right) recovers a fumble during a high school football game against East Chambers in Winnie. Both teams entered the game undefeated. East Chambers took the game with a 49-10 victory.

Hurricane Humberto slideshow

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

To make the show play better, CLICK HERE to view only this post.

Hurricane Humberto developed from a tropical depression into a strong Category 1 hurricane in 18 hours. Most Southeast Texas residents went to bed expecting a bad storm and some morning flooding. Instead, Hurricane Humberto hit hard and fast. For residents of High Island and surrounding communities it hit with unpresidented fury.

Luckily, there was only one hurricane-related fatality.

Gatorfest 2007

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Visitors examine stuffed gator heads by Robert W. Snowden during the annual Texas Gatorfest at Fort Anahuac Park in Anahuac on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2007.


Children examine an alligator during the annual Texas Gatorfest at Fort Anahuac Park. The festival celebrates the Texas alligator hunting season. Gator season lasts only 20 days in 22 Texas counties.



Visitors take a ride in an airboat during the annual Texas Gatorfest at Fort Anahuac Park. The festival offers cash prizes to hunters for the largest and most alligators captured during the event.



Darrin Jackson, a GatorFest official, checks out the mouth of a large gator during the annual Texas Gatorfest at Fort Anahuac Park. Hunting gators requires a special permit.

Anahuac Butterfly Count

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Volunteer coordinator Stephanie Martinez (left to right), David Sarkozi of Houston and Stuart Marcus of Liberty examine a butterfly through binoculars during the annual Butterfly Count at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, July 14, 2007.


A Viceroy Butterfly prepares to attack from a leaf during the annual Butterfly Count at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. The count was part of the national butterfly count held each year.



A Giant Swallowtail Butterfly searches for nectar during the annual Butterfly Count at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge.


Video © Mark M. Hancock / DFWmark.com

This is part of the "Movie Mondays" series. Please take a moment to click the Google Video link on the video player and vote for this video (or my others).

Please also see "Butterflies Attack," the horror spoof of this video.

Butterflies Attack

Video © Mark M. Hancock / DFWmark.com

This started as an experiment with directly importing sound and mutated into a 20-second horror movie from a flower's point of view. Please see the real video as well.

Flash flooding

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

A truck turns from Highway 124 into the Market Basket parking lot in Winnie on Friday, July 6, 2007. Area flooding made several streets impassable in Chambers county.


Riley Thornton, 5, of Lufkin floats on his bodyboard over North Gayle Street in Gilchrist after flooding covered the Bolivar Peninsula street.



Vehicles take turns driving through clear passes on Highway 87 in Gilchrist after flooding covered parts of the highway. Area flooding made several streets impassable in Galveston County.

Barn sunset

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

The sun sets through a barn near Highway 124 between Winnie and High Island on Thursday, April 12, 2007. Many barns near the coast still have damage from Hurricane Rita.

Why'd the chicken cross the road?

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

A chicken races a truck at the corner of the I-10 service road and Gulfway Drive in Winnie on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2007. The chicken caused a minor delay at the intersection as motorists stopped to rescue it.


Sally Lyle stands up after trying to coax a chicken from under an SUV at the corner of the I-10 service road and Gulfway Drive.


Heidi Harris takes the scared chicken to her truck after capturing it at the corner of the I-10 service road and Gulfway Drive in Winnie.

Trinity River Bridge to be destroyed

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

A truck travels over the Trinity River bridge on Interstate-10 in Chambers County on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2006. TXDOT plans to replace and widen the bridge over the next three years.

Dangerous dry conditions

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Lenard Bettis III of the Winnie - Stowell Volunteer Fire Department battles a field fire near Interstate 10 in Winnie on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005. The fire began as a controlled burn but got out of control.


A fire spreads toward an overpass near Interstate 10 as the Winnie - Stowell Volunteer Fire Department tries to control it. The VFD chief said the department handled 50 percent more calls this year than last year.
 

Texas Gatorfest tag team

The famous international blogger Fayrouz attended the Texas Gatorfest in Anahuac. Since we both happened to be there at the same time (it's ironic how these synchronicities happen), we decided to both post our images at the same time. Please check out her take on the event.

Yes, we tried fried alligator on a stick. No, I don't think we'll do so again.


Festival attendees watch as a nearly 13-foot-long alligator captured on a private lake by Larry Janik of El Campo weighs in at 508 pounds during the annual Texas Gatorfest at Fort Anahuac Park in Anahuac on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2005. The festival offers cash prizes to hunters for the largest alligators captured during the event. The 20-day alligator hunting season in Texas began Sept. 10.


Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise


Beaver fur-lined gator-skin boots and golf shoes by Houston Custom Boots were among the alligator-based products on display during the Texas Gatorfest.


Fayrouz Hancock (left) gets covered in mud as Randal Breaux takes guests for an airboat ride through a wetlands habitat during the Texas Gatorfest.


Festival attendees scream on midway rides during the Texas Gatorfest.

Torch Award winner

Lilton Sonnier, president of Winnie Welding Works & Construction, Inc., reflects off a welder's mask as he poses for a portrait at the company in Winnie on Thursday, May 19, 2005. The company won the Torch Awards for Marketplace Ethics.

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

 

Hitchin' a ride

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

A water snake lets a damselfly hitch a ride at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Anahuac on Tuesday, May 3, 2005. The refuge will dedicate a new Butterfly and Hummingbird Habitat as well as the Willows Trail during a ceremony on Saturday, May 7 at 10 a.m.

Update: 5/10/2005

Since I like trivia (and snakes), I learned how to tell a water snake from a poisonous water moccasin (also known as a cottonmouth).

Water snakes have round pupils. Water moccasins have slitted pupils like a cat. The body of a water snake sinks into the water. The body of a water moccasin floats atop the water.

So, before anyone freaks at a snake in the water, apply these tests. If it floats and has cat's eyes, ummm... dude, you're in trouble.