Spidey's hitting the yogurt shop this week.

Good morning, Neighbors. There's a lot to catch you up on this week. A local hospital just hit a big number in surgical care, and a group of nursing students got a well-earned thank you from the Food Bank. There's a bazaar worth putting on your Saturday, and a free movie night that's just the right kind of easy. Let's get into it.

St. Elizabeth Hits 10,000 Robotic Surgeries

CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth marked a real milestone this week, 10,000 robotic-assisted surgery cases since the program launched back in 2013. That's a decade of investing in technology that means smaller incisions, less pain, and faster recovery for patients right here in Beaumont. Dr. Kevin Dean, one of the general surgeons on staff, put it well: this represents thousands of people who got advanced surgical care without having to leave Southeast Texas. It's worth knowing your hospital is keeping pace with the big-city options.

Lamar Nursing Students Get a Thank You From the Food Bank

The Southeast Texas Food Bank gave a well-deserved shoutout to Lamar University this week. Students from the JoAnne Gay Dishman School of Nursing put in more than 250 volunteer hours in 2025, more than any other student organization on campus, sorting donations, packing senior food boxes, and assembling school supply kits. Representatives accepted the Food Bank's Volunteer Appreciation Recognition Award in a small ceremony at the organization's Beaumont headquarters. Good people, doing good work, before they've even graduated.

Here's a handful of good things to do this week.

Family Fun

Community Bazaar at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church · Saturday, Aug 15, 8am–1pm · 3081 Hollywood St Local vendors, fellowship, and a good excuse to shop small on a Saturday morning.

Meet Spider-Man at The Yogurt Bar · Saturday, Aug 15, 1pm–4pm · 6025 Phelan Blvd Ste D Free photo op with a froyo purchase, bring the camera.

Out on the Town

Business Development Group Meeting · Wednesday, Aug 12, 9am · Port Arthur (1800 Lakeshore Dr) Greater Port Arthur Chamber's monthly meeting.

Movie Night: Clueless · Friday, Aug 14 · 7 pm Jefferson Theatre Free and easy.

General Knowledge Trivia Night · Wednesday, Aug 12, 7pm · Little Woodrow's Backyard Bar Random facts, brain teasers, and friendly competition.

Lecture: Mostly Texas, Robert Rauschenberg at 100 · Thursday, Aug 13, 6:30pm · McFaddin-Ward House Visitor Center, 1906 Calder Ave Kristen Clevenson, Assistant Curator at the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, on the Port Arthur-born artist's legacy.

Southeast Texas Big Game Banquet · Friday, Aug 14, doors 6pm, dinner 7pm · Beaumont Elks Lodge #311, 11431 US-90 RMEF Texas hosts the biggest night of the year for elk country supporters, dinner, auctions, and a good cause. Seats sell out every year.

Coming Up

White Linen Night · Friday, Aug 21, 6pm · Southeast Texas Stages. The theater's signature fundraiser, honoring Maurice Abelman this year. Tables and sponsorships open now.

BBB Integrity Golf Classic, Presented by Entergy · Monday, Aug 17, 8am & 1:30pm tee times · Beaumont Country Club BBB Southeast Texas tees off to support integrity and trust in the local business community.

Star Party 2026 · Friday, Aug 21, 7:30pm · Tyrrell Park Nature & Visitor Center Telescopes out, stars up, easy date night or family plan.

Worth the Drive

The Color Orange Exhibition · Now through Oct 3 · Stark Museum of Art, Orange Works from the Stark's collection.

Community Exposed. The good stuff nobody's talking about.

A Port Tour Opens Career Doors for Local Students

Not everyone knows the Port of Beaumont doubles as a classroom. Middle and high schoolers from around the area have been getting a firsthand look at what actually moves through it, and it's more than most people guess. One student figured it was mostly crude oil and military equipment. Turns out toiletries and Brazilian pop are on the list too. Another said the visit opened her eyes to how many career paths are sitting right here in Beaumont that she never knew existed. The port also teamed up with local first responders so students could learn CPR, work a fire truck ladder, and tour the Beaumont Police Department's real-time crime center. Good on Beaumont for showing its kids the whole city, not just the classroom version of it.

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Part 2 of 6. Six small AI tips this month, bite-sized and built to actually use, not just read.

This week: Stop typing. Start talking.

Here's what nobody tells you. When you type into an AI, you ration. Your thumbs are tired, so you give it ten words. Then you get a short, generic answer back and decide the whole thing is overrated.

When you talk to it, that stops. You ramble a little. You explain the situation the way you'd explain it to a friend over lunch. And all that extra detail you never would have bothered typing is exactly what it needed to give you something useful. You also talk three times faster than you type, which is its own reward.

You already have the button. On your phone, tap the little microphone on your keyboard. In the ChatGPT or Claude app, there's one right in the message box. Talk like a person. Don't worry about the ums and the false starts; it reads right through them.

Try it: think of something you'd normally type in ten words. Say it out loud in fifty instead. Same question, a lot more to work with. See what comes back.

That's the tip. Small things, added up. Try it and hit reply; I want to know how it went.

Small thing. Adds up fast.

That's the week, Friends. Go put the bazaar or the movie night on your calendar before the week gets away from you. See you around town.

Jenny Lee · Locally written. Community trusted.