Here’s what’s up in SETX,
Summer is basically knocking on the door and Entergy Texas is offering free AC tune-ups to help you answer it. Meanwhile, BISD is cutting 34 mental health and behavior support positions under its new TEA-appointed superintendent, the Cardinals baseball team punched their ticket to the Southland championship series, and a Beaumont bishop did something quietly beautiful at the Neches River on Saturday. Port Arthur also voted to kick out eight-liners for good, and Disney's Aladdin is closing its run this weekend so catch it if you can 😉
Today's newsletter is brought to you by Tailored Financial Solutions.
Let's get into it. 👇
📰 THE BIG NEWS
BISD Is Cutting 34 Student Support Roles — And Parents Are Worried 🏫
Under new Superintendent Sandi Massey — the TEA-appointed leader who arrived April 29 — Beaumont ISD has confirmed it's eliminating 20 Behavior Interventionist positions and 14 Wellness Coordinator roles going into the 2026–27 school year. That's 34 staff members who specifically existed to support students' emotional and behavioral needs, now being "repurposed" out of existence. Of the 34 employees, 16 will transition to other roles; those shifted into classroom teaching were told their pay will likely drop. The restructuring is framed as a move toward an "instructionally focused model."
For parents, that phrase doesn't make the math any easier. These weren't administrators sitting in offices — they were the adults students turned to on hard days, after a fight, or when something was going wrong at home. With the TEA takeover still fresh and the school year's end approaching, a lot of BISD families are asking the same question: who fills that gap next fall?
💡 The bottom line: When a district eliminates 34 student support roles in a single move, the need doesn't go away. It just shifts onto teachers, counselors, and families who are already stretched thin.
📋 THE RUNDOWN
🎰 Port Arthur Bans 8-Liner Game Rooms — For Good — The Port Arthur City Council voted unanimously on May 5 to ban eight-liner machines and the game rooms that house them from all city limits. Officials cited a direct connection between game rooms and increased theft, criminal trespass, and neighborhood blight. First offense: $200 fine; second offense: $500. The ordinance aligns with a 2018 state court ruling that called eight-liners illegal lotteries — and several neighboring cities have already made the same move. For neighborhoods that have dealt with these spots for years, this is a meaningful change. Read more →
🏘️ New City Manager's First Move: Showing Up to Woodland Acres — Chris Boone officially became Beaumont's city manager on May 1, and he's already in the community. His first public neighborhood outreach brought him to Woodland Acres — an area that has waited a long time for city leadership to take notice. It's a small signal, but in a city where residents have often felt overlooked, the new CM showing up in person before he's even settled in is worth tracking. Read more →
🌊 Bishop Toups Blessed the Neches River. Hurricane Season Starts June 1. — Every year since his first Monday on the job — when Hurricane Laura was bearing down on Beaumont — Bishop David Toups of the Catholic Diocese of Beaumont has led a water blessing ceremony at Riverfront Park. Saturday was the sixth. All were welcome, it was livestreamed on the Diocese's Facebook page, and Toups put it plainly: "We're asking God to hear our prayers." A quiet, grounding tradition before the storm season begins. Read more →
🌡️ Entergy Texas Is Offering Free AC Tune-Ups — This Is Real — Through its CoolSaver program, Entergy Texas is offering qualifying customers free HVAC tune-ups valued at more than $200 per home, plus weatherization help and energy efficiency products. A community event was held at Riverside Pavilion in Orange, and year-round sign-ups are open at entergytexas.com/energy-efficiency. With extreme heat arriving earlier every summer in SETX, this program is the kind of thing you'll wish you'd signed up for before your AC gives out in July. Read more →
⚾ Lamar Baseball Is in the Southland Championship Series — After surviving the tournament bracket — bouncing back from a 2-0 loss to SFA with a 3-2 come-from-behind win over UTRGV — the Cardinals baseball team punched their ticket to the Southland Conference Championship Series against McNeese, set for May 21–23. This is a different squad from the softball Cardinals who made a deep run this spring. Two SETX programs in championship contention in the same postseason. Worth following. Read more →
📬 Which story caught your eye?
Your action items this week!
✅ Catch Disney's Aladdin before it closes — Final performances are Friday May 22 and Saturday May 23 at Southeast Texas Stages, 4155 Laurel Ave, Beaumont. Bilingual (English/Spanish) production. Tickets at setxs.org or 409-833-4664.
✅ Sign up for a free AC tune-up through Entergy Texas — The CoolSaver program provides no-cost HVAC services worth $200+ to qualifying customers. Sign up at entergytexas.com/energy-efficiency before summer heat peaks.
✅ Get your hurricane prep in order — season starts June 1 — Check your emergency kit, save copies of your insurance documents somewhere safe, and make sure your family has a storm plan. Two weeks away.
✅ Friday Movie Night: Pirates of the Caribbean — Dead Man's Chest plays at Jefferson Theatre this Friday, May 22 at 7 PM (doors 6 PM). $6 adults / $4 kids under 12. Tickets at the Beaumont Civic Center box office or at the door starting at 5 PM.
✅ Running a small business or thinking about starting one? — Tailored Financial Solutions offers bookkeeping, CFO-level guidance, and financial clarity for local entrepreneurs. tailoredfinsolutions.com 💰
📅 COMMUNITY EVENTS
Mark your calendars for these upcoming highlights.
THIS WEEK
Ongoing through May 23: Disney's Aladdin | SE Texas Stages, 4155 Laurel Ave, Beaumont. Bilingual (English/Spanish) musical production. Tickets at setxs.thundertix.com or (409) 833-4664.
May 19: Meet Me at the Pool — Jump into Summer! | Magnolia Park & Alice Keith Park pools, Beaumont. The city's official summer pool season kickoff. Free. All ages.
May 19: Studio D Dance Company Recital — "Bloom" | Julie Rogers Theatre, Beaumont. 6:00 PM — spring dance recital from one of SETX's youth dance companies. Tickets at Ticketmaster.
May 20: Music Bingo Night — Classic Rock Edition | Madison's on Dowlen, Beaumont. 7:00 PM — guess the song, bingo-style. Great for groups.
MOVIE NIGHTS @ JEFFERSON
May 22 - Pirates of the Caribbean @ 7 pm
THIS WEEKEND
May 23: May Days Market | 525 S Archie St, Vidor. 10:00 AM. Outdoor market on Archie Street — local vendors, goods, community atmosphere.
May 23: Turnpike Troubadours with Avery Anna & Rattlesnake Milk | Ford Amphitheatre, Beaumont. Evening concert — check fordamphitheater.live for gates and showtime. Tickets at AXS and Songkick.
COMING UP
May 26–29: Youth Summer Sports Camp (Week 1) | 1405 W. Orange Ave, Orange. 9:00 AM–1:00 PM both days. City of Orange summer program for kids.
May 26 to June 13th: Scholastic Book Fair | 220 5th Street Orange, TX 77631. 10:00 AM-7:00 PM. Sponsored by Friends of the Orange Public Library, Inc.
May 28: Ribbon Cutting — ShareCast Studios | Beaumont. Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce event welcoming a new local podcast and video production studio.
Which event are you hitting up? Reply and let us know! And if there's an event we missed, send it our way for next week's issue. 🎉
🍽️ FOOD CORNER
🍔 Tabu Bar and Grill — Port Arthur
Tabu Bar and Grill - Courtesy of Google Business Profile
Port Arthur's dining scene has a new anchor worth knowing about. Tabu Bar and Grill at 3350 Jimmy Johnson Blvd brings serious food to a city that deserves it — think Wagyu burgers with truffle aioli, smash burgers with crispy onions, Seductive Shrimp in a spicy cream sauce, and craft cocktails to wash it all down. It's the kind of menu that makes you forget you're not in Houston, served in a lively bar-and-grill atmosphere that runs from lunch deep into the night. Whether you're grabbing dinner before a night out or capping off a long week, Tabu earns a spot on your rotation.
📍 3350 Jimmy Johnson Blvd, Suite B, Port Arthur, TX 77642
📱 @tabubarandgrill on Instagram
🤤 Had a great meal somewhere in SETX lately? Reply and tell us — we feature reader picks.
🏢 BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Tailored Financial Solutions
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This section is sponsored by Tailored Financial Solutions. Want your business featured here? Email us at [email protected].
🌲OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
🐷 Plastic Piggy Banks Are Washing Up on Texas Beaches — No, Really
Courtesy of Fox West Texas
Here's something you won't find in a travel guide: plastic piggy banks — manufactured in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and other countries — have been washing up on Texas Gulf Coast beaches from the Bolivar Peninsula all the way down to South Padre Island.
Marine scientist Jace Tunnell has documented as many as 14 in a single day along the Texas shoreline. Lightweight and buoyant, the banks enter waterways at their source and drift thousands of miles via ocean currents before ending up at your feet. It's a quirky, unexpected window into just how connected our Gulf Coast is to the broader Atlantic world — and an excellent excuse to take the kids out for a beachcombing morning at Sea Rim State Park or the Bolivar Peninsula this weekend.
Find one? It's a keeper.
🏕️ What's your favorite outdoor spot in the Golden Triangle? Reply and tell us — we'll feature the best ones in a future issue.
💼 JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Blue-collar jobs are booming across SETX — employers say they can't bring on skilled trades workers fast enough for the refineries, plants, and ports that power this region. This week, three local school districts are also holding job fairs with on-the-spot interviews and same-night job offers.
💼 Tax Professional Lead — Tailored Financial Solutions | Remote
Detail-oriented tax pro needed for a growing local firm. Fully remote. Ideal for a CPA, enrolled agent, or experienced tax preparer looking for flexible work with real local roots.
How to apply: Apply: tailoredfinsolutions.com | [email protected]
👷 Blue-Collar Skilled Trades — Port Arthur / Sabine Pass
Patriot Security EOC is hiring 60+ positions across Port Arthur and Sabine Pass. Strong market region-wide for welders, operators, and industrial support roles. Ask about openings at your nearest WorkForce Solutions SETX location or check local job boards.
🏥 Healthcare Careers — CHRISTUS Southeast Texas | Beaumont
CHRISTUS is actively recruiting clinical and support staff heading into summer — registered nurses, technicians, and patient care roles are in demand.
How to apply: Apply at christushealth.org/careers
👩🏫 Teachers & Support Staff — Vidor ISD / Lumberton ISD / Hardin-Jefferson ISD
Three area school districts are running job fairs this week with on-the-spot offers — Vidor ISD has 20–30 openings (teachers, sped, bus drivers, custodial, food service), Lumberton and H-J ISD are seeking teachers, aides, transportation, and nutrition staff. Show up ready. Details →
🤝 Community Relations Coordinator for What’s Up SETX
We're looking for a local SETX connector — part community ambassador, part relationship builder. If you're already in the room at networking events and love sharing good news about this region, this role is for you.
Interested? Reply to this email or reach out at [email protected]
💼 General SETX Openings
Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas posts current openings across industries — manufacturing, healthcare, education, and skilled trades.
How to apply: Browse the full board at setworks.org or stop by a local office in Beaumont or Port Arthur.
🌿 Tailored Lawn Care
Looking for outdoor work this spring? Tailored Lawn Care is hiring for local routes. Good steady gig with a local company.
Call or text Frederick: (409) 365-4887
💼 Hiring in SETX? Send us your job listing and we'll include it — free for local businesses. Just reply to this email.
📣 Your Turn
Hurricane season starts June 1. Is your household actually prepared? What's one tip you'd pass along to a neighbor who isn't?
See you next week neighbor 📍,
The What’s Up SETX Team
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