Here’s what’s up in SETX,
Port Arthur's energy infrastructure crossed a major threshold this week — Sempra's Louisiana Connector is officially in service, putting one of the nation's biggest LNG export projects one step closer to reality. Meanwhile, Juneteenth celebrations are already warming up across both Beaumont and Port Arthur with a parade, a block party, and a Beaumont-born Olympian.
Today's newsletter is brought to you by Tailored Financial Solutions.
Let's get into it. 👇
📰 THE BIG NEWS
Port Arthur's Energy Lifeline Just Went Live 🔧
On June 9, Sempra Infrastructure flipped the switch on the Port Arthur Pipeline Louisiana Connector — a 72-mile, 42-inch diameter natural gas line running from Southwest Louisiana to the Port Arthur LNG Phase 1 construction site in Jefferson County. The project came in ahead of schedule and under budget at less than $1 billion, which in the world of major pipeline infrastructure is genuinely rare. At full capacity, this connector moves 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day — feeding what will be one of the largest LNG export terminals in North America, right here in Port Arthur.
When Port Arthur LNG Phase 1 comes online, every molecule of U.S. natural gas heading to global markets will pass through infrastructure anchored to our region. That means long-term construction jobs now, operations and maintenance roles for years after, and a strengthened case for additional industrial investment in the Golden Triangle.
💡 The bottom line: This pipeline isn't just a win for Sempra. It's the physical plumbing that ties Port Arthur into the global energy trade for decades, and the tax revenue, jobs, and downstream business activity that come with it will ripple through SETX long after the ribbon is cut.
📋 THE RUNDOWN
🏙️ Beaumont Sets a Big Population Goal: 120,000 by 2030 — City Manager Christopher Boone announced June 9 that Beaumont is targeting 120,000 residents by 2030 — reversing decades of population decline through a six-pillar strategy covering public safety, housing, infrastructure, and economic development. The General Fund balance is projected to drop from $53.5M in FY2022 to $35.2M by end of FY2026, so this isn't just aspiration — the city needs a bigger tax base to keep the lights on. More residents means more businesses, more housing demand, and a stronger economy for everyone in the Golden Triangle.
🏥 New Dialysis Center Proposed for North Beaumont — Fresenius Medical Care is pursuing a 24-station dialysis clinic on North Major Drive — their second Beaumont location. With operating hours from 4 AM to 10 PM, patients would have far more scheduling flexibility than most dialysis facilities offer. For a city with a significant population managing kidney disease, another accessible clinic is a real quality-of-life win. Council was expected to vote this week.
📬 Seniors at The Crossing Raise Alarms Over Mail Delays — Residents of The Crossing Senior Living on East Lucas Drive in Beaumont are speaking out about persistent mail delivery problems. For seniors relying on the mail for prescription deliveries, benefit checks, and essential correspondence, delays aren't a minor inconvenience — they're a health and financial issue. This fits a broader pattern of USPS service concerns reported across SETX neighborhoods in recent months.
📬 Which story caught your eye?
Your action items this week!
✅ Movie Night Tonight — "To Wong Foo" at Jefferson Theatre — Doors open at 6 PM, film at 7 PM at 345 Fannin, Beaumont. Special guest Wanda Lust makes a lobby appearance before showtime. Grab tickets at the Civic Center box office or online.
✅ Perfect Game Baseball Championships This Weekend — Youth tournament wrapping up at Doggett Ford Park, Beaumont, June 13–14. Come out and watch some serious competition at the diamond.
✅ Plan Your Juneteenth Weekend Now — Port Arthur's Juneteenth Parade is June 19 at 3:30 PM on Procter St, followed by the Kulture Block Party at 5 PM. Beaumont's Juneteenth Celebration is June 20 at the Civic Center, 4–9 PM. Both are free. Elandon Roberts is grand marshal in PA. Don't miss it.
✅ FotoFest Artist Meet & Greet — Free, June 16 — Meet SETX photographers Ray Carrington III, Keith Carter, and Earlie Hudnall Jr. at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas, 500 Main St, Beaumont. Free reception, 5:30–7:30 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
Jun 10: Sow It Sundays | 1–7 PM at Sterling Pruitt Activity Center, 2930 Gulf Ave, Beaumont. City-hosted free family program — recreation, games, and mentorship for all ages. Children under 12 must be with an adult. Free.
Jun 11: Ribbon Cutting — Beaumont Bone & Joint Institute | Beaumont. New facility opening with the Greater Beaumont Chamber — time and location to be confirmed. Verify at bmtcoc.org before heading out.
MOVIE NIGHTS @ JEFFERSON
June 12 - To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar @ 7 p.m.
June 18 - Selma @ 7 p.m.
THIS WEEKEND
Jun 13–14: Perfect Game Baseball End of Season Championships | Doggett Ford Park, Beaumont. Multi-day youth baseball tournament — championship action all weekend long.
Jun 13: Beaumont Farmers Market + Storytime | 6525 College St (Beaumont Athletic Complex), Beaumont. Weekly Saturday market 8–11 AM with local produce, baked goods, and artisan vendors — plus a special Storytime session for kids this week.
Jun 13: Sow It Sundays | 1–7 PM at Sterling Pruitt Activity Center, 2930 Gulf Ave, Beaumont. Free family recreation and community engagement event. Free.
Jun 14: The Big Bang Boom: Dance Showcase | Doors 2 PM, show 3 PM at Jefferson Theatre, 345 Fannin, Beaumont. Local dance teams take the stage for their standout pieces — stick around after the show to meet the performers.
Jun 14: Sow It Sundays | 1–7 PM at Sterling Pruitt Activity Center, 2930 Gulf Ave, Beaumont. Free family recreation event. Free.
COMING UP
Jun 15 & 17: The Music Man | Lutcher Theater for the Performing Arts, Orange. Classic Broadway musical production — both performances at 6:00 PM.
Jun 16: Mix and Mingle — Dugood Credit Union | Beaumont. Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce networking mixer hosted by Dugood Credit Union. Details at bmtcoc.org.
Jun 16: FotoFest 2026 "Close to Home" — Artist Meet & Greet | 5:30–7:30 PM at Art Museum of Southeast Texas, 500 Main St, Beaumont. Free reception celebrating the work of photographers Ray Carrington III, Keith Carter, and Earlie Hudnall Jr. Free.
Jun 19: Juneteenth Brunch | Opulence Lounge, Port Arthur. Part of Port Arthur Cultural Coalition's Juneteenth series. Date unconfirmed — verify at visitportarthurtx.com before attending.
Jun 20: City of Beaumont Juneteenth Celebration | Beaumont Civic Center, Beaumont. Annual Juneteenth celebration with live entertainment, cultural performances, and community programming. 4–9 PM. Free.
Jun 20: 8th Annual Juneteenth Parade & Festival | Downtown Port Arthur. Port Arthur Cultural Coalition's signature event, with Grand Marshal Elandon Roberts — Port Arthur native and NFL Super Bowl champion. Free and open to the public.
Jun 20: Beaumont Renegades vs. Oceanside Bombers | Doggett Ford Park, Beaumont. Home game at Ford Park.
Jun 20: City of Beaumont Juneteenth Celebration | 4–9 PM at Beaumont Civic Center, 701 Main St, Beaumont. Live entertainment, cultural performances, and community celebration downtown. Free.
Jun 20: Great White Shark Family Day | 10 AM–1 PM at Museum of the Gulf Coast, 700 Procter St, Port Arthur. Free hands-on shark education and family activities for all ages. Free.
Jun 25: Ribbon Cutting — Doggett Toyota | Beaumont. New dealership celebrated with the Greater Beaumont Chamber — time and location to be confirmed at bmtcoc.org.
Jun 25: Go Skate Beaumont! | 5–8 PM at Beaumont Skate Park, 999 Laurel Ave, Beaumont. Free outdoor skate competition for ages 18+ hosted by EVRYNG and the City of Beaumont for National Go Skate Day. Free.
Jun 27: Kids Fish | 9 AM–12 PM at Sea Rim State Park, 19335 State Hwy 87, Sabine Pass. Free youth fishing event on the Gulf Coast — instructional activities and family fun at the water's edge. Free.
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
☕ Rosie's Soul Food — Old Town Beaumont's Home-Cooked Gem
Old Town Beaumont has been quietly holding onto one of the Golden Triangle's most authentic restaurants — and if Rosie's Soul Food isn't already on your rotation, consider this your nudge. Tucked into the corner of Hazel Ave. and 7th Street, this family-run kitchen has been serving up grandmother-style comfort food in a neighborhood that feels like it was made for exactly this kind of place. Walk in once and you'll understand why regulars keep coming back.
The menu is built around home cooking — the real kind, the kind that takes time. Rosie's runs on four values that show in every plate: quality cuisine, attentive service, cleanliness, and great people. That last one matters. The staff treats you like family, and the food — slow-cooked, seasoned right, served with intention — feels like someone made it with you in mind.
Open Monday through Friday 11 AM to 8 PM, and Saturday through Sunday 11 AM to 6 PM. If you haven't made the drive to Old Town Beaumont for Rosie's yet, clear a lunch hour this week and make it happen.
📍 2306 Hazel Ave. @ 7th St., Beaumont · Old Town District
🤤 Had a great meal somewhere in SETX lately? Reply and tell us — we feature reader picks.
🏢 BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
SETX's Marketing Networking Group
In 2025, Emily Rhine started an informal, free networking group for marketing professionals across Southeast Texas because there wasn't one.
The group meets regularly at local spots around the Golden Triangle and the conversations are open: AI in marketing, what's actually working, business development, shared challenges. Every industry is welcome from financial services to construction to entertainment. No dues, no strict agenda. Miss a meetup? No worries, you're always welcome at the next one.
Members have built real connections and launched ideas that grew out of these conversations. It's a genuinely good group of people doing interesting work across SETX. If you work in marketing and want a community to grow with, this one's worth checking out.
👉 Reach out to Emily Rhine on LinkedIn if you work in marketing and want in.
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This section is sponsored by Tailored Financial Solutions. Want your business featured here? Email us at [email protected].
🌲OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
🌊 Sea Rim State Park — Sabine Pass
June is one of the best months to get out to Sea Rim State Park, 25 miles south of Port Arthur on State Hwy 87. The park spans 15,000 acres of Gulf Coast beach and freshwater marsh along the Bolivar Peninsula — and right now the beach is wide open for swimming, surf fishing, and watching the Gulf from a stretch of coast that doesn't have a condo tower in every direction. The marsh boardwalk is prime for birding in June; egrets, herons, and roseate spoonbills work the cordgrass in the early morning and just before dusk. If you're bringing kids, mark June 27 on your calendar — there's a free Kids Fish event at the park from 9 AM to noon with instructional activities right at the water.
To get there: Take TX-87 south from Port Arthur through Sabine Pass — park entrance is at 19335 State Hwy 87. Admission: $5/person, or free with a Texas State Parks Pass. If you don't have a pass yet and spend any time outdoors in SETX, it pays for itself fast.
🏕️ 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
The Beaumont-Port Arthur metro posted a 5.1% unemployment rate in April 2026 — more than a full percentage point above the state average of 4.6%, with roughly 9,700 people actively looking for work. The good news: Port Arthur LNG Phase 1 is in active construction, and with the Louisiana Connector now live, Bechtel's workforce demand for skilled trades, operators, and CDL drivers is ongoing. If you're in the trades, this is one of the bigger projects in the region's near-term history.
🏗️ Construction Trades — Port Arthur LNG Phase 1 | Port Arthur
Bechtel is the EPC contractor at the Sempra Infrastructure LNG terminal site. If you hold certifications in pipefitting, welding, electrical work, instrumentation, or heavy equipment — or if you have a CDL — this project is hiring through the construction phase. Steady work, local to Jefferson County.
How to apply: bechtel.com/careers | Search: "Port Arthur LNG"
💼 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
Juneteenth celebrations are coming to both Beaumont and Port Arthur next week. Are you planning to attend any events? Which ones are on your list?
See you next week neighbor 📍,
The What’s Up SETX Team
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