West Brook handoff

West Brook's Christine Michael (No. 33, center) takes a handoff from Christian Louis (No. 12, right) during a high school football game at Memorial High School in Port Arthur on Friday, Oct. 26, 2007.

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Southeast Texas elections

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Javan Lofton (center) campaigns for his uncle, Kenneth W. Lofton, in the median of 9th Avenue near the Stilwell Technical Center in Port Arthur on Saturday, May 10, 2008.


Peter Morrison (left) walks his son Luke Morrison, 4, (right) through rows of political signs at Lumberton Middle School in Lumberton. The city held a hotly contested bond election.

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.

First LNG shipment arrives

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

U.S. Coast Guard members provide security as boats maneuver the Celestine River LNG vessel into position during the first arrival of liquified natural gas at the Sabine Pass LNG on Friday, April 11, 2008.


U.S. Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Niya J. Williams (bottom) makes photos from the deck of the Sabine Pilot II as boats maneuver the Celestine River LNG vessel into position during the first arrival of liquified natural gas at the Sabine Pass LNG. The 145,000 cm-capacity vessel transported the cargo from Nigeria to the facility owned by Cheniere Energy, Inc.


The Sabine Pilot (center) passes as boats maneuver the Celestine River LNG vessel (right) into position during the first arrival of liquified natural gas at the Sabine Pass LNG.

Please read, "Massive tanker ushers in new wave of LNG supplies" by Christine Rappleye.

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.

Sinegal wins runoff

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Port Arthur resident Majdi Hemad (right) goes into the Jefferson County Sub-Courthouse to vote during a runoff election in Port Arthur on Tuesday, April 8, 2008. Thurman Bill Bartie and Michael Sinegal are in the runoff election to be the Democratic candidate for Jefferson County commissioner, Precinct 3.


Kerry Thomas of Port Arthur (from left to right), Tim Champagne of Nederland and Yvette Sinegal, wife of candidate Michael Sinegal, (right) talk outside the Stilwell Technical Center in Port Arthur during a runoff election.


Yvette Sinegal, wife of candidate Michael Sinegal, (left) talks with supporter Kerry Thomas of Port Arthur (right) during a runoff election outside the Stilwell Technical Center in Port Arthur. Sinegal's campaign hit an early technical speedbump with the party until a visiting judge cleared his name to appear on the ballot.


Thurman Bill Bartie (left) and campaign manager Rev. Glenn Alexander celebrate early election results during an election party at Bartie's election headquarters in Port Arthur.


Thurman Bill Bartie (left) greets supporters during an election party at Bartie's election headquarters in Port Arthur.


Thurman Bill Bartie (left to right), Charles Hicks of Houston and campaign manager Rev. Glenn Alexander consider options during an election party at Bartie's election headquarters in Port Arthur. Bartie had an uphill battle as well. In 2004, he was barred from holding judicial office in Texas.

Please read, "Sinegal wins tight runoff for Precinct 3" by Sarah Moore.

Port Arthur drive-by neighborhood

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Port Arthur homeowner Julius Mathias talks about the east Port Arthur neighborhood, which has suffered an increase in drive-by shootings, in Port Arthur on Thursday, March 27, 2008.


Graffitti remains on a new fence at Julius Mathias' property in east Port Arthur.


Port Arthur homeowner Julius Mathias talks about the east Port Arthur neighborhood, which has suffered an increase in drive-by shootings, in Port Arthur. Mathias, a retiree originally from Trinidad, is considering selling the home and returning to the Caribbean island.

Please read, "Drive-by shootings rattle Port Arthur residents" by Fred Davis.

Images are part of the Faces of Immigration series.

OSHA plant safety

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

The sun sets over a refinery in Port Arthur on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008. For decades, major plants and refineries in Southeast Texas have avoided incidents such as the March 2005 BP plant explosion in Texas City. The BP explosion killed 15 workers.
Southeast Texas industrial officials point to heavy investment in safety personnel, regular equipment upgrades, stringent training requirements and regular testing of plant emergency warning systems as the reasons for safer workplaces.

Please read, "Region's plants stress safety" by Colin Guy.

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.

Texas-sized refinery

The Motiva refinery plant reflects off a commemorative shovel during the ground-breaking ceremony for the Motiva refinery expansion in Port Arthur on Monday, Dec. 10, 2007. The $7 billion expansion will increase the refinery's capacity to be the largest in the United States.

© Mark M. Hancock and The Dallas Morning News

Abdulaziz F. Al-Khayyal, senior vice president of industrial relations for Saudi Aramco, signs commemorative shovels during the ground-breaking ceremony for the Motiva refinery expansion in Port Arthur. The project is funded by Shell and Saudi Aramco.



Work continues at the existing Motiva plant during the ground-breaking ceremony for the Motiva refinery expansion. This is the single largest capital investment in the history of Texas.



Ziad Labban of Saudi Refining (left) talks on a phone while Ahmed Subaey of Saudi Aramco (right) encourages another executive during the ground-breaking ceremony for the Motiva refinery expansion in Port Arthur.


Please read "Foreign oil companies building Texas-size refinery..." by Elizabeth Souder and Jim Landers.

Port Arthur hospitality boom

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Vijay Sinh Vansadia, owner of Comfort Inn & Suites under construction in Port Arthur, removes shipping boxes from the inn on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007. It's one of several hospitality businesses under construction or renovation on Highway 69 near Central Mall, restaurants and other consumer businesses.
Vansadia, who is from India, said 80 percent of the local hospitality businesses are Indian owned or managed.

Image is part of the faces of immigration series.

Building jobs

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Work continues on the Golden Pass LNG plant in Port Arthur on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007. The Port Arthur City Council is concerned about the number of local jobs created by industrial construction.

Please read "... how many locals are hired ..." by Christine Rappleye.

World Trade Building

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

The former World Trade Building in downtown Port Arthur is scheduled to be repurposed as an apartment complex. Many vacant buildings in southern Jefferson County are finding a new life as business returns to the area.


The former World Trade Building in downtown Port Arthur is scheduled to become an apartment complex. Repurposing existing buildings saves construction costs while reducing vandalism and security problems as well as increasing a city's tax base. Several historic buildings have been saved recently.

Pimp C funeral

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Friends and family attend the funeral service of UGK rapper Chad "Pimp C" Butler at Robert A. Bob Bowers Civic Center in Port Arthur on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007. Hundreds of fans braved the cold and rain to attend and pay their respects to the rapper and his family.


Video © Mark M. Hancock / DFWmark.com

Friends, family and fans gather for the funeral service of rapper Chad "Pimp C" Butler in Port Arthur on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007. Video features brief after-funeral interviews with Diamond White, Nickey Ephriam, Clarence Griffin and DJ Bird.

Please read "Pimp C Funeral" by Fred Davis.

Port Arthur's explosives canine

Nick, a German shepherd and Port Arthur's new explosives canine, takes a break at Fire Station No. 1 in Port Arthur on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise



Nick, a German shepherd and Port Arthur's new explosives canine, walks with handler Mark Sastre at Fire Station No. 1 in Port Arthur.




Video by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Hurricane Humberto video

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

Hurricane Humberto made landfall in Texas between High Island and Sabine Pass on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2007. For the first time in recorded history, a storm went from a tropical depression to a strong Category 1 hurricane in less than 18 hours. The hurricane surprised many Southeast Texas residents.

Motiva expansion

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Motiva plans to build an additional delayed coking unit (DCU) similar to this one at the Motiva Enterprises plant in Port Arthur on Friday, Sept. 21, 2007. The planned expansion will make the Port Arthur plant the largest oil and gasoline production in the nation with a throughput of 600,000 barrels per day.


Todd Monette, general manager of the Port Arthur plant, discusses the new $6 billion to $8 billion expansion at the Motiva Youth Training Academy in Port Arthur. More than 4,000 constructions jobs will be created by the expansion and more than 250 permanent jobs.


Please read, "Expansion will make PA refinery nation's largest" by Heather Nolan.

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.

We're OK

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

A power line balances atop a fence on the southern end of Pleasure Island in Port Arthur on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2007. Hurricane Humberto made landfall near Sea Rim State Park early this morning.

We're OK. Fayrouz got a four-day weekend a la Humberto. Consequently, she's blogging this weekend while I'm covering some clean-up and football (nothing stops Texas football).

I don't want to downplay Humberto until the full damage assessment is done. However, I'll say it was a "Girly Boy" compared to Hurricane Rita. So, we're not doing dawn-to-dark reporting like we did last time. Local folks are encouraged to check out today's paper. It has a special section of photos and stories about Hurricane Humberto. I'll start building a slideshow this weekend for y'all and post it next week.

Port Arthur desegregation order lifted

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Students walk in front of the stained glass from the three previous Port Arthur high schools at Memorial High School in Port Arthur on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2007. After 37 years, the PAISD was released from the desegregation order on Tuesday. During segregation, Port Arthur ISD high schools were (from left to right) Stephen F. Austin, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.

Please read "Judge lifts Port Arthur ISD desegregation order" by Christine Rappleye.