Future Lamar pitcher

Hardin-Jefferson High School pitcher Taylor Monse balances a baseball on the brim of his cap during baseball practice in Sour Lake on Tuesday, May 13, 2008.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise



Hardin-Jefferson High School pitcher Taylor Monse fields balls during baseball practice in Sour Lake on Tuesday, May 13, 2008. Monse will sign a letter of intent on Friday to play at Lamar University next year.

Changing pace and salary

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Jeana Hill (left) talks with customer Raymond Bourgeois (right) as she waits tables at The Old Orange Cafe in Orange on Thursday, May 8, 2008.


Jeana Hill returns menus to the hostess desk at The Old Orange Cafe. Hill graduated with an industrial technology degree from Lamar State College-Orange and will start as an operator at DuPont by the end of May.

Anxious grad

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Chemistry major Dakota Doman (from right to left) waits for friends with Ashly Henson, also a chemistry major, and Periloux Peay, a political science major, before the Lamar University graduation in the Montagne Center at Lamar in Beaumont on Saturday, May 10, 2008.

Over the plate

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Lamar's Matt Gore (No. 45, left) pitches the ball to Sam Houston State's Seth Hammock (No. 20, right) during a baseball game in Vincent-Beck Stadium at Lamar University in Beaumont on Saturday, April 12, 2008.

'Tis Frank McCourt

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Author Frank McCourt (right) laughs as junior Kalan Payne, an education major, (left) talks after a presentation in the John Gray Center Auditorium at Lamar University in Beaumont on Thursday, April 10, 2008. Payne explained her mother wouldn't allow her to read McCourt's book "Angela's Ashes" for eight years.

Frank McCourt happens to be Fayrouz's favorite author. While I'm not thrilled with the image she picked (thus, it's not on this blog), you can read her post about McCourt autographing her collection.

Training for craning

Instructors and classmates observe as Crystal Bass of Beaumont operates a crane simulator during a mobile crane operator training program at Lamar State College Port Arthur on Tuesday, April 8, 2008.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise



Edward Randall of Silsbee (left to right) operates a crane simulator as Terry Brickerd and instructor Frank DiMeglio observe during a mobile crane operator training program at Lamar State College Port Arthur. The four-week skills training program is provided through a grant.


Classmates observe as Edward Randall of Silsbee operates a crane simulator at Lamar State College Port Arthur. If students are certified at the end of the course, they anticipate earning from $18 to $30 per hour upon completion.

Please read, "Crane operator class at Lamar-Port Arthur gives students good wage potential" by Heather Nolan.

Lady Cardinals post-season run

 Photos Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise
Soundstripe composed by Mark M. Hancock / DFWmark.com

Lamar University's Lady Cardinals advanced into the semi-final and championship games of the Southland Conference Tournament against Corpus Christi at the Merrell Center in Katy. Their post-season run ended when they lost the championship game to UT San Antonio on March 15, 2008.

People in this slideshow include (in order of appearance): Lamar's Nikki Williams (No. 10), Corpus Christi's Shaye Montgomery, Lamar head coach Larry Tidwell, Lamar's Tamara Abalde (No. 22), Corpus Christi's Adrienne Scott (No. 44), Lamar's Brittney Williams (No. 34), Millie Hoyal of Vidor, Lamar's Aida Bakhos (No. 13), Lamar's Trashanna Smith (No. 25), UT San Antonio's Monica Gibbs (No. 33), UT San Antonio's Amanda Foster (No. 24), UT San Antonio's Amber Gregg (No. 10), Lamar’s Emily Spickler (No. 4), and Ashley Crawford (No. 12).

Lamar loses but advances

Lamar's Currye Todd (No. 31, left) tries to make it to the hoop past Southeastern Louisiana's Kevyn Green (No. 3, right) during a basketball game in Hammond, La. on Saturday, March 8, 2008.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise



Lamar's Kenny Dawkins (No. 14, right) works his way past Southeastern Louisiana's Dekyron Nicks (No. 5, left) during a basketball game in Hammond, La. Lamar started the game positioned to win the conference title outright for the first time since the 1983-84 season.



Lamar's Currye Todd (No. 31, right) defends against Southeastern Louisiana's Daryl Arnold (No. 20, left) during a basketball game in Hammond, La. If Lamar could win, they'd have an automatic berth in the NIT tournament.


Lamar's Coy Custer (from left to right), Lawrence Nwevo and Lamar Sanders watch the final few minutes of a basketball game against Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond, La. Lamar University lost the game 83-73, but tied with Stephen F. Austin University to be Southland Conference co-champions and advance into the SLC Tournament.


Lamar's head coach Steve Roccaforte (center) along with assistant coaches Don Skelton (left) and Kermit Holmes (right) react to a referee's call during a basketball game against Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond, La. on Saturday, March 8, 2008. Lamar University must now win three games in four days to advance to the NIT Tournament.

Please read, "Missed shots..." by Perryn Keys.

Lamar beats Nicholls State

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Lamar's Kenny Dawkins (No. 14, right) eyes the ball and gets an arm in the neck after batting down the ball from Nicholls State's Justin Payne (No. 5, center) as Lamar's Darren Hopkins (No. 21, left) runs to get the ball during a college basketball game at Lamar University in Beaumont on March 6, 2008.


Lamar's Currye Todd (No. 31, right) aims at the hoop while Nicholls State's Anatoly Bose (No. 31, left) tries to block during a college basketball game at Lamar University.



Lamar's Tristan Worrell (No. 44, left) tries to swat a pass from Nicholls State's Dominic Friend (No. 11, right) during a college basketball game.


Lamar's Kenny Dawkins (No. 14, bottom) recovers a loose ball from Nicholls State's Justin Payne (No. 5, right) as Dominic Friend (No. 11, top) watches and yells.



Lamar's Currye Todd (No. 31, left) tries to keep the ball in bounds as he tangles with Nicholls State's Adonis Gray (No. 20, right) during a college basketball game. Lamar won the game 84-67 and looks to earn the No. 1 seed into the playoffs.

Please read, "Lamar one win away..." by Perryn Keys.

Lamar workout

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Lamar University sophomore Jon Puckett, a business major, lifts weights in the recreation center at the university in Beaumont on Friday, Feb. 29, 2008.

Lamar's racial history

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Rain falls on the Wimberly Building at Lamar University in Beaumont on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008. Picketers positioned themselves outside the building in 1956 to protest the school's integration.

Please read, "Equated with equality: ..." by Cheryl Winkelman

Storm engineers

Jack Hopper, Lamar University dean of engineering, (left) and associate dean Victor Zaloom (right) walk through the rain by the Cherry Engineering Building at the university in Beaumont on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008. Tuesday's cold front brought severe thunderstorms and a temperature drop from recent unseasonably warm weather.

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Lamar baseball pre-pre-season

Lamar University junior Matt Gore works on his pitching inside the batting cages at Vincent-Beck Stadium in Beaumont on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008. The baseball team officially begins practice on Friday.

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Lamar paleontology lab

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Lamar University professor Jim Westgate (left) leads a paleontology field project on a beach near Sabine Pass on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2008. Westgate opposes accreditation of an online educator's degree program through the Institute for Creation Research because of the institute's emphasis on inserting theological information into what he said should be scientific studies.


Lamar University junior James Burnes searches for diverse animal shells and bones during a field project on a beach near Sabine Pass.


Shells on a beach near Sabine Pass are studied as a modern analogy to fossil deposits.


Video © Mark M. Hancock

Please read, "Science war brews" by Emily Guevara.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum reopens

A rainbow forms in the water spray during a reenactment of the Lucas gusher during the Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum Grand Re-opening on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008.

Photos and video by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise



Celebrants listen to opening remarks during the Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum Grand Re-opening. The museum was badly damaged during Hurricane Rita.



J.C. Verde of Port Arthur looks authentic down to his boots during the Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum Grand Re-opening.


J.C. Verde of Port Arthur (left) and Harlan Walker of Beaumont (right) keep the peace during the Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum Grand Re-opening.



The Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum held a grand reopening of the facility on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2007. The museum emulates the 1901 roughneck town where the first oil gusher was found in modern Beaumont, Texas. The video shows a reenactment of the famous Lucas gusher.

Lamar fall graduation

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Education major Juwairia Humayun prepares near the loading dock before the fall semester graduation in the Montagne Center at Lamar University in Beaumont on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2007.


Doctoral and masters students prepare in the Cardinal Club before the fall semester graduation in the Montagne Center at Lamar University.


Julie Riggs (left) waits with other College of Business students in the women's locker room before the fall semester graduation in the Montagne Center at Lamar University.

Cards slam the Cavs

Lamar's Justin Nabors (No. 24, left) slams the ball through the hoop against St. Gregory's in the Montagne Center at Lamar University in Beaumont on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise



St. Gregory's Sam Stuart (No. 34, right) tries to block the shot of Lamar's Ashton Hall (No. 15, left) during a college basketball game in the Montagne Center at Lamar University.



Lamar's Ashton Hall (No. 15, left) and Matthew Barrow (No. 23, right) trap St. Gregory's Kyle Lulko (No. 3, center) during a college basketball game in the Montagne Center at Lamar University. Lamar beat the Cavs 95-59 and broke a five-game losing streak.

Rebounding Cardinal

Lamar University sophomore basketball player Ashton Hall stands at the top of an embankment on U.S. 96 where his cousin's car overturned in June near Silsbee on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2007. Hall suffered neck and shoulder injuries, but will be ready to play for Lamar this year.


Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise


Ashton Hall poses for a portrait with remaining pieces of his cousin's car where it overturned near Silsbee. He's suffered through months of rehab to be able to play basketball again. He hasn't completely recovered, but he gets stronger each day and has earned the respect of teammates.

Please read, "Cardinal baller rebounds from terrifying accident" by Perryn Keys.

Bella Cucina

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Johnny Carrabba, co-founder of Carrabba's Italian Grill (right), and Wayne DaSilva, proprietor of the Beaumont restaurant (left), demonstrate how to cook a restaurant specialty in the Dishman Art Mueum at Lamar University in Beaumont on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2007. The program was part of the annual La Dolce Vita: Bella Cucina cooking demonstration and wine pairing.

Lamar block attempt

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Southeastern Louisiana's Lydia Adeosun (No. 3, right) fires a ball past the block of Lamar's Destiny Mason (No. 7, left) during a college volleyball match at Lamar University in Beaumont on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2007.

Lamar is on a winning streak. I think it's partially due to the "new gym" having no light. I recently shot in a 2A gym with almost three times more light than this one. It's sad.