The Rotary Club of Beaumont, TX, is a large and diverse fellowship of inspired business, professional, and civic leaders with significant community connections that foster the ideals of Service Above Self and high ethical standards.
If you are attending in person, we ask that you use this linkto make a reservation by Monday, March 4, 2024.
Ina Pinkney is a Chicago legend of the tastiest kind. Known as the “Breakfast Queen”, she fed Chicagoans for 33 years – first, out of a small bakery and then from her beloved breakfast restaurant in the West Loop, which she closed in December of 2013.
An undeniably outstanding chef and astute businesswoman, Ina is so much more.
She’s a community leader, a pioneer, a television personality, a columnist at the Chicago Tribune, the subject of an award winning documentary called BREAKFAST AT INA’S, and author of a memoir cookbook called Ina’s Kitchen.
The title she wears most proudly is polio survivor.
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March 6, 2024
Invocation
Jennifer Gregory
Human Resource Officer
Beaumont Housing Authority
Pledges to USA & Texas Flags
Mitch Templeton
Judge
172nd District Court, Jefferson County
Introduction of Guests
Lori Higgins
Assistant Vice President, Business and Community Development
Rave Financial
Introduction of Speaker
Jay Wilson
Operations Manager
Express Employment Professionals
Please volunteer for Head Table responsibilities through the
Board Secretary Misty Fountain reported changes to membership.
Classification Change:
Fatima Javed, VP of New Business Development, True Insurance Solutions Classification: “Business Services-Insurance Agency”
The Board of Directors meets monthly and the meetings are open to all members. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, March 26. If you would like to attend the lunch meeting, please make a reservation in advance with the Executive Director.
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March
6
International Women's Day- Ina Pinkney
13
The ARC
20
Rotaract
26
Board of Directors Meeting, MCM Elegante, 11:30 AM
27
T. Kelsey Lamb Awards
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DISTRICT CONFERENCE
Early Registration--$200 per person 2/15/2024-2/29/2024
Registration--$225 per person 3/1/2024-3/31/2024
Late Registration--$250 per person 4/1/2024-4/20/2024
Additional tickets are available for the Friday Welcome Reception and Saturday Dinner.
There is another conference while we are at South Shore. Rooms may be limited if you wait too long. South Shore has given us a conference rate of $151.42 per night inclusive of tax.
The Vidor Rotary Club is having a 50th anniversary banquet on March 8th and would love to have you come.
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Shannon Allen
March6
Alan Hefty
March 9
Leonard Juncker
March 10
Randy Shelton
March 10
Cicely Moore
March 10
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Deborah Drago
March 8, 2017
7 years
Jamie Pope
March 8, 2017
7 years
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PROGRAM REVIEW
February 28, 2024
Keith Giblin, United States Jefferson County District Attorney
Brit Featherston, Assistant US Attorney
Update on Initiatives to Curb Serious Drug Use in Jefferson County
By Diane Bass
Keith Giblin and Brit Featherston were generous with their time to step in at the last minute to present an extremely important program and update the Rotary Club of Beaumont on the measures to reduce the number of drug overdoses in our community. New laws and programs will have a significant impact on saving our youth and giving law enforcement additional resources to fight this battle.
Both gentlemen have ties to Lamar University and have been involved in the fight against fentanyl use as well as other deadly drugs that are taking the lives of our citizens. The Fentanyl crisis faced by our country has prompted a new approach through the updated Section 19.02 of the Texas Penal Code. This provision of HB 6 added that it is considered first degree murder if a person “knowingly manufactures or distributes” any quantity of fentanyl and someone dies because of injecting, inhaling, or introducing it into their body. Mr. Featherston stated that unlike other requirements for a murder conviction, “intent” does not play a factor. For the first time an overdose is considered a criminal event and is being investigated as a crime.
What Scares us Next? A new and more dangerous drug is Xylazine, also known as “Tranq” or the “Zombie Drug.” This is a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer and is not approved for human use. It is used to sedate large animals such as elephants. It does not respond to Narcan and does not reverse its effects because it is not an opioid.
Another topic of interest was a new program that will be promoted in our region to connect residential and commercial video systems to a system that will be accessible to local law enforcement. This technology will provide live video monitoring with AI to assist police officers in the pursuit of those who break the law and pose a threat to our community.
Another program being introduced in Jefferson County is ReVision which was founded by Charles Rotrammel in Houston 20 years ago. It has reduced the recidivism of Harris County Juvenile Detainees by 65% and is funded by a federal grant. It is a mentoring program for those incarcerated and helps youth acquire resources to be successful. The mission is to provide mentors and resources to engage at-risk youth for the purpose of stopping their pathway into the criminal justice system. This is done by partnering with churches, schools, courts, nonprofits, and the juvenile justice system.
Our thanks to each of these trusted servants and we are encouraged by the new programs and initiatives for our community.
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