News

Police describe complaint process as contractors answer client claims

William Boutte pictured with unfinished construction

In last week’s edition of The Examiner, the newspaper exposed two situations in which contractors failed to finish work on Southeast Texas homes. One of those contractors highlighted in last week’s story — silent at first — now wants to answer some of the charges levied against him, and the Port Arthur Police Department (PAPD), warning the public about citizens’ ongoing difficulty with construction contractors, is explaining the difference between civil and criminal complaints.

Contractors answer claims

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Crime Stoppers opening media room at BPD station

Crime Stoppers logo

Crime Stoppers of Southeast Texas announced the grand opening of a brand-new, Regional Media Center on Jan. 11 at the downtown Beaumont police station. According to Crime Stoppers Board Chairman Larry Crumpton, the new media center will offer Crime Stoppers affiliated law enforcement agencies a way to enhance video, create public service announcements (PSAs) and much more.

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Missing Texas girls found safe in Colorado

Terry Miles

Cell phones in the Houston area lit up Jan. 1 with an Amber Alert for two missing girls from Round Rock: Luluvioletta Mariposo Bandera-Magret, 7, and Lilianais Victoria Cake Griffith, 14.

The girls were taken by Terry Allen Miles, who was a person of interest in their mother’s death, Round Rock police explained in news releases and press conferences.

The Amber Alert advised the public to look for a gray 2017 Hyundai Accent with Texas license plate number JGH9845.

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Murder-suicides hit close to home

City of Galveston Police Badge

Six people are dead in two separate murder-suicides that occurred within days of each other, and a Galveston officer is sending heartfelt sympathy to victims’ friends and families left behind by the sudden acts of violence.

Williamson County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a rural residence in the city of Thrall at about 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 3. They discovered a woman, killed by a single gunshot wound, and a deceased male with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators immediately suspected it was a murder-suicide.

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County officials elect not to pay special prosecutors

District Court Judge Layne Walker

After ultimately heading the state’s investigation into four current and former officers of the Jefferson County Courthouse, special prosecutor/attorney pro tem Josh Schaffer is attempting to collect his fees. However, County Commissioners are refusing to pay the bill – with an attorney for the elected officials citing case law as to why the county has already overpaid for the work that’s been performed.

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Harbor to open Jasper in-patient facility

Harbor Hospice Jasper facility under construction

Harbor Hospice is expanding its footprint to the Jasper area. The hospice care provider is building a new, 13,367 square-foot in-patient facility at 1440 FM 777 in Jasper.

According to Harbor Hospice, construction began in January 2017 and is expected to be completed this spring. The contractor for the job is BEGA Design + Construction out of Houston. According to the city of Jasper, the cost of the project is $600,000.

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Tax breaks for storm's victims

Rep. Kevin Brady

Those who made unreimbursed hurricane-related repairs will be eligible for thousands of dollars more than usual in post-disaster tax breaks as the storm season comes to a close and tax season starts thanks to a bill signed into law shortly after multiple hurricanes struck the U.S. late in 2017. In addition, those using retirement plan savings to make repairs will also see a break when they report to the IRS, as will many who gave to hurricane relief charitable organizations.

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Deadline draws nigh to declare Hurricane Harvey damage in Jefferson County in advance of tax bills

JCAD Chief Appraiser Angela Bellard

Southeast Texas streets lined with family heirlooms, belongings that took a lifetime to amass, objects once treasured now turned to trash with the torrential rainfall wrought by Hurricane Harvey, are now streets lined with homes that are worth only a fraction of what they were prior to the August storm. Still, unless homeowners report the damage to the proper appraisal district, home valuations used in calculating property taxes will not reflect the accurate value of the damaged property.

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Local woman sentenced for intoxication manslaughter

Jefferson County Criminal District Attorney Bob Wortham announced Jan. 11 that Vanessa Ann Davis, 56, was sentenced by Judge Raquel West to 18 years in Texas prison following trial in the 252nd District Court.

Shortly before 7 a.m. on July 5, 2015, Port Arthur Police, Fire, and EMS responded to reports of a major vehicle crash near the intersection of Gulfway Drive and 9th Avenue. A Buick Lesabre, driven by Vanessa Ann Davis, had flipped after hitting a brick flower bed and crashed into a light pole in a parking lot.

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Police find heroin and cocaine at Orange residence

Narcotics detectives with the Orange Police Department arrested a 63-year-old man after finding heroin and cocaine while executing a search warrant at his Barkins Avenure residence Jan. 11, reports Capt. Robert Enmon.

According to Enmon, the detectives made forced entry into the home in the 1300 block of Barkins at about 6 a.m. and found Knogs Wills. During the search of the residence, detectives reportedly discovered approximately 6.4 ounces of heroin and 5.7 ounces of cocaine.

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