Ducky Derby

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Five thousand rubber ducks are released to start of the Ducky Derby at Riverfront Park in Beaumont on Saturday, April 26, 2008. Proceeds from the event benefit the Shorkey Center.


John Gordon with Coastal Paddler of Beaumont moves ducks along the chute during the Ducky Derby at Riverfront Park.


Shorkey Center executive director Karen Newton (left) and executive assistant Linda Gillespie (right) cheer as John Gordon (center) herds ducks to the finish during the Ducky Derby at Riverfront Park.

Neches River Festival parade

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Fans scream for beads as one of the royal floats moves through the Crockett Street Entertainment District during the annual Neches River Festival parade in Beaumont on Saturday, April 19, 2008.


Cheerleaders separate beads as they reflect off a truck hood before the annual Neches River Festival parade.




Horse riders carry the American and Texas flags through the Crockett Street Entertainment District during the annual Neches River Festival parade.

Mercado Days Festival

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise


(Above) Marlon Keffer, 6, of Beaumont smashes open a candy-filled pinata during the Mercado Days Festival in Port Arthur on Saturday, April 19, 2008.

(Right) Mariachi Sol de America performs during the Mercado Days Festival in Port Arthur.

Southeast Texas Chili Cook Off

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Jefferson County Precinct 1 constable Charlie Wiggins (left) talks with deputy constable Ben Collins (right) during the Southeast Texas Chili Cook Off in the exhibit barns at Ford Park in Beaumont on Saturday, March 1, 2008.


Stan Schell with the Hardin Trio chili team stirs his pot during the Southeast Texas Chili Cook Off at Ford Park. Cook off proceeds benefitted the Three Rivers Council of the Boy Scouts of America.


Cade Chiappetta, 14, of Lumberton (left) and Zachary Jowett, 17, of Beaumont compete in a Guitar Hero game during the Southeast Texas Chili Cook Off in the exhibit barns at Ford Park.



Cooks listen to chili referee Malcolm Williams of Beaumont (bottom, center) during the Southeast Texas Chili Cook Off in the exhibit barns at Ford Park in Beaumont.

School lunch victory

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Hausman Foods regional account manager Josh Acut celebrates getting another happy customer during the 8th Annual Food Show and Tasting at the Beaumont Civic Center on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008. About 700 Southeast Texas students, parents, teachers and school administrators were invited to sample foods intended for school consumption.

Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Krewe members prepare for the Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade during the Southeast Texas Mardi Gras in Port Arthur on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008.

See a larger version of this slideshow.

The celebrants include (as appear):   Jennifer Barroeta, Susie Salinas, Laurie Meyer, Renaldo Richard, Bob McNeal, Brittan Chalmers, Dustin Yu, Rhonda Schmidtke, Melissa Evans, Colt Schmidtke, Theresa Guidry, Patti Murphy, Henry Murphy, Arlene Oliver, Garrett Griffin, Joseph Catalina Jr., Reginald Richmond, Tiarra Bob, Brittan McDonald, Tyrone Bolson, Kellie Meaux and Shelley Booker.

Beaumont Boat Show

Arnold and Beverly Malveaux of Lake Charles inspect a boat during the Beaumont Boat Show at Parkdale Mall in Beaumont on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2008. The show will continue during mall hours through Sunday.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise



Stephanie Ross of Beaumont (left) and Stephon Ervin of Houston (right) walk through a Pete Jorgensen Marine display during the Beaumont Boat Show at Parkdale Mall.


Lorretta Young of Beaumont checks out one of Pete Jorgensen Marine's pontoon boats during the Beaumont Boat Show at Parkdale Mall in Beaumont.

Feast of Sharing

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Beaumont resident Julio Raveiro entertains his 5-month-old daughter Solanah Raveiro during the 17th annual H-E-B Feast of Sharing at the Ford Exhibition Hall in Beaumont on Friday, Dec. 14, 2007. All Southeast Texas residents were invited to free entertainment and a holiday meal.


Volunteer Brad Jorgensen distributes pies during the 17th annual H-E-B Feast of Sharing at the Ford Exhibition Hall. Volunteers prepared 7,500 meals for the event plus an additional 3,000 meals to be delivered to homebound individuals in the Beaumont area.


Home-schooled senior Meghan Seim, 17, greets guests during the 17th annual H-E-B Feast of Sharing. H-E-B is the largest privately-owend business in Texas.

Sour Lake Christmas On The Square

Ashley Jones of Beaumont leaves the square with her shotgun after gunning down a man as part of a gun fight show during the Old Timer's Day and Christmas On The Square in Sour Lake on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise




Earl Keith of Sour Lake (bottom) rises from the dead after a gun fight show during the Old Timer's Day and Christmas On The Square.


Sour Lake resident Ann Carpenter announces activities during the Old Timer's Day and Christmas On The Square.




Children ride an oil-barrel train through the square as gunfighters talk during the Old Timer's Day and Christmas On The Square in Sour Lake.

Tree of Angels

Ginger Rode prepares angles before the 7th Annual Tree of Angels at the Jefferson county Courthouse in Beaumont on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007. She prepared angels for a brother, who was a homicide victim, and another brother, who was killed by a drunk driver.

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

The Victims' Assistance Center invited families and friends of a victim as well as survivors of a crime to add an angel ornament to the tree. The tree will be on display throughout the month of December.

National Adoption Day

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Janisha Babbs, 2, (right) smells the corsage of her adoptive mother Linda Babbs of Beaumont (left) during the National Adoption Day ceremony at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Beaumont on Friday, Nov. 16, 2007. The annual event drew the largest response and the most adoptions since Jefferson County began celebrating the annual event.


Video © Mark M. Hancock / NewsEagles

Lumberton Christmas Parade

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Deeann Cisco of Winnie, (from left to right) Carlene Fontenot and Susanne Jones, both from Orange, prepare Buddy, a 2-year-old miniature gelding, for the annual Nighttime Lighted Christmas Parade in Lumberton on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007.


Lumberton High School wide receiver Taylor Granato (No. 9, right) helps put lights on the team float before the annual parade. Lumberton is celebrating both the holiday and the football team's first trek into the playoffs.


Lumberton Municipal Utility District maintenance technician Joel Alpers settles into his role as the Grinch before the annual Nighttime Lighted Christmas Parade.

Lawn decor

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

John Hughes installs an "Eight maids a-milking" lawn ornament at his parents' home on Thomas Road in Beaumont on Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007.


John Hughes installs parts of the "Six geese a-laying" lawn ornament at his parents' home on Thomas Road. Hughes's and his wife Sharon have hand-design and presented a new ornament of the 12 Days of Christmas to his parents for the last 10 years.


John Hughes installs the "Nine ladies dancing" lawn ornament section at his parents' home on Thomas Road in Beaumont. The newest addition, "10 lords a-leaping" will be added this Christmas.

Girls Haven Gumbo Fest

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Jeanne Riley, deputy constable for the Precinct 1 Constable's office, participates in the annual Girls' Haven Gumbo Fest near the Crockett Street Entertainment District in Beaumont on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007.


Gabrielle Long with the City of Beaumont EMS gumbo team stirs a gumbo pot during the annual Girls' Haven Gumbo Fest.




Kate Sueoka, an RN case manager with Memorial Hermann Baptist Hospital, shoots artificial string at passers by during the annual Girls' Haven Gumbo Fest in Beaumont.

Flamin' Hot Car Show

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Fire Museum of Texas docent James Noble (left) walks toward a 1923 Ford Model-T firetruck during the annual Flamin' Hot Car Show at the museum in Beaumont on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007.


Classic cars of all generations gather near the Fire Museum of Texas during the annual Flamin' Hot Car Show. The brown and tan building behind the museum from this angle is The Beaumont Enterprise.


Jim Pell of Silsbee looks up from his 1960 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe during the annual Flamin' Hot Car Show at the Fire Museum of Texas.


James Eaves of Lumberton closes the hood of his wife's 1957 Thunderbird during the annual Flamin' Hot Car Show at the Fire Museum of Texas in Beaumont.

Pink Duck Derby

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Numbered ducks wait to swim during the first annual Pink Duck Derby at Paradise Water Park near Lumberton on Saturday, October 6, 2007.


Margai Bass of Kountze (right) counts ducks before the first annual Pink Duck Derby at Paradise Water Park. The event was sponsored by the Relay for Life of Hardin and South Jasper Counties and benefits the local American Cancer Society.


Cancer awareness brochures were available during the first annual Pink Duck Derby at Paradise Water Park. More than 700 ducks were sold with prizes awarded to owners of the first three numbered ducks to cross the finish line.


Volunteers release ducks during the first annual Pink Duck Derby at Paradise Water Park.


Rhonda Brown of Buna collects ducks after the first annual Pink Duck Derby at Paradise Water Park.

Spook-Tacular Book Sale

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Joseph Scott of Nederland (left) and Cliff Rees of Groves (center) shop during the opening day of the Spook-Tacular Book Sale at the Groves Public Library in Groves on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007. The sale is sponsored by the Friends of Groves Public Library and continues through Saturday during library hours.

Fair-well

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Fairgoers take in the rides and food during the last weekend of the 2007 South Texas State Fair at Ford Park in Beaumont on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2007. Sunday is the final day of the fair.

Award Winner:
2nd Place, Feature Photo, Texas Press Association

Fair sky

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Fairgoers ride the Carousel Swing during the South Texas State Fair at Ford Park in Beaumont on Friday, Oct. 12, 2007. The fair continues through Oct. 21.

Fair friends

Sunny Reese, 15, of Lumberton takes a nap on Anna Belle, her 9-month-old Red Brahman, during the South Texas State Fair at Ford Park in Beaumont on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2007.

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise