Orange Worthy Radio

The Orange Public Library is hosting a variety of summer reading programs.

The Summer Reading Program for high schoolers entering 9th—12th grades will be held on Thursdays from June 6 to July 2, 2024, from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. at the Orange Public Library. Readers will hang out in the library with a different activity each week, including video and board games, a murder mystery, and an escape room.

The Summer Reading Program for middle schoolers entering 6th—8th grades will be held on Tuesdays from June 4 to July 23, 2024, from 5:30 pm to 6:45 pm at the Orange Public Library. Readers will spend time in the library participating in different activities each week, including game night, a scavenger hunt, and an escape room.

The Summer Reading Program for children in 1st—5th grades will be held on Wednesdays from June 5 to July 24, 2024, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Readers will participate in a different program each week featuring art, agriculture, science, and wildlife.

The Preschool Read-to-Me Summer Reading Program will be held on Wednesdays from June 5 to July 24, 2024, from 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Each week, a different member of the community will read to children and their guardians in the library’s Children’s Room.

The Adult Summer Reading Bingo Challenge begins on June 1, 2024, when adult readers ages 17+ will enjoy some fun in the sun while reading! Bingo squares feature specific reading prompts and activities, and participants earn entry into a prize drawing for each Bingo they complete!

• Blackout – 15 entries
• Straight – 1 entry
• Four Corners – 1 entry

Return the initialed Reading Bingo Card to the Circulation Desk at the library by August 1, 2024, to be entered in the drawing. You do not have to be a member of the library to participate. Reading Bingo Cards can be picked up from the Library Circulation Desk or printed here on the Orange Public Library website.

For more info on any of these programs, visit their website.

Orange County Judge John Gothia has announced a proactive response to a significant mosquito infestation affecting all of Southeast Texas.

“It’s been one of our worst years in the past several years that we’ve had. We’ve been talking to other county judges, and they’re having the same issues,” Gothia stated.

To tackle the issue, the county has allocated $101,000 for increased mosquito spraying, essential for combating the growing insect population. Without this additional funding, the county would have exhausted its insecticide supply before year-end.

“$101,000 is what we approved in court. We’re into next year’s budget of allocated mosquito spray. We’ve already spent our entire budget for mosquito spray this year, and we still have five months to go,” Gothia explained.

The county employs mosquito control insecticide  Fyfanon for ground and aerial spraying after dark, concentrating efforts near waterways and high-water areas. Over the past three years, the county has averaged slightly over 3,000 gallons of insecticide annually for aerial use. However, the recent request included an additional 1,300 gallons.

Since October, over 4,400 gallons of insecticide have been utilized, surpassing the average coverage area with only half the fiscal year completed.

“We’re staying on top of it as best we can. We make every opportunity to fly when we can fly and drive when we can drive,” said Gothia.

Residents are advised to eliminate standing water around their homes to reduce mosquito breeding grounds.

For more information on protecting yourself from the mosquito surge, go to the Orange County Emergency Management website.