Here’s what’s up in SETX, 

Port Arthur's next big chapter started with a ribbon-cutting last Thursday and it involves 2,275 acres, 900 permanent jobs, and a renewable energy corridor on Pleasure Island that didn't exist a week ago. Chuck Norris may be gone at 86, but a Beaumont gym owner is keeping his memory alive with a friendship story you won't expect. Plus: LSCPA just launched a workforce program that could reshape the trades pipeline, the South Texas State Fair is officially open at Ford Park, and Touch of Cajun Cafe in Nederland is serving exactly what your cravings have been waiting for.

Today's newsletter is brought to you by Tailored Financial Solutions.

Let's get into it. 👇

Pleasure Island Powers Up

Last Thursday, Diligence Offshore Services held a ribbon-cutting on Pleasure Island, officially launching the Pleasure Island Power Collective with a 2,275-acre energy and technology corridor spanning Pleasure Island and Sabine Lake. The project will generate 391 megawatts of clean power through coastal onshore wind (225 MW), floating solar panels, and a utility-scale battery storage system, all feeding a data center for artificial intelligence applications. Managing members Harry and Paulette Crawford made it clear from the jump: hiring will put SETX locals first.

The job numbers are hard to ignore. The development is projected to create 900 permanent positions plus an estimated 1,500 to 3,000 construction jobs coming online across project phases. Port Arthur City Council already approved the wind turbine facility agreement 4-2, meaning the permits are in place and the clock is running.

💡 The bottom line: Port Arthur is landing its most significant clean energy investment in recent memory and if the "local first" hiring commitment holds, thousands of SETX residents could have a direct shot at those jobs.

🤠 Beaumont's Jody Nolan Mourns a 30-Year Friend — Chuck Norris — Actor and martial arts icon Chuck Norris died March 19 at age 86. For most people it was the loss of a cultural legend. For Jody Nolan — Beaumont native and World Gym owner — it was the loss of a genuine 30-year friendship that once landed him on the set of Sidekicks alongside the Norris family. Some goodbyes hit closer to home than others. Read more →

🎓 LSCPA + TotalEnergies Open SETX's First Machinist & Millwright Degree Program — Lamar State College Port Arthur and TotalEnergies held a ribbon-cutting last week for the region's first Associate of Applied Science in Machinist and Millwright technology. The two-year program — with Port Arthur EDC scholarships available — puts students on a direct path from classroom to plant floor in one of the few fields where SETX employers are actively hiring. Four students enrolled in the inaugural class. Read more →

🔥 Hardin County: Hold Off on the Backyard Burn Pile — Dry conditions have Hardin County's Office of Emergency Management urging residents to skip outdoor burning for now. No formal countywide ban has been declared, but officials are asking people to play it safe until things green up. If you're in Hardin County and planning a burn, check local emergency management updates before striking a match. Read more →

🤖 Lamar University Lands $800K TxDOT Grant for AI Vessel Monitoring on SETX Waterways — Dr. Maryam Hamidi at Lamar University secured a state-funded research award to build an AI system that tracks ship movement along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in real time — using video feeds, marine data, and computer vision to classify vessels and flag collision risks. For a region where freight on the water is a daily economic reality, smarter waterway management is a direct investment in regional safety and commerce. Read more →

📉 Beaumont-Port Arthur Unemployment Drops to 4.9% — The Texas Workforce Commission reports local unemployment fell from 5.3% to 4.9%, driven largely by a 22.6% surge in construction jobs over the past year. For anyone with trades experience — or anyone willing to get some — the local market is leaning hard in your direction right now. Read more →

🎭 Could Mardi Gras Come Back to Port Arthur? — Mayor Charlotte Moses sat down with the Port Arthur Convention and Visitors Bureau board to explore bringing Mardi Gras back to the city under new organizational leadership. No vote has been taken, no timeline set — but the conversation is happening, and that's a start. Read more →

📬 Which story caught your eye?

Mark your calendars for these upcoming highlights.

THIS WEEK

MOVIE NIGHTS @ JEFFERSON THEATRE

THIS WEEKEND

COMING UP

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. 🎉

It's crawfish season in Southeast Texas, and if you haven't made the trip to 1147 Boston Ave in Nederland yet, you're overdue. Touch of Cajun Cafe has earned its reputation on award-winning boiled crawfish and a menu that goes deeper than most — the crawfish plate pairs fried tails with étouffée ($23.99), the seafood sampler brings gumbo, étouffée, fried fish, shrimp, and oysters to the table at once ($24.99), and the crawfish fondue pistolette starter ($11.99) will have you ordering a second round before the first one lands. BBQ crabs, Cajun seafood pasta, brisket burgers, and daily Southern specials round it out. They also cater, which means your spring crawfish boil already has a solution.

📍 1147 Boston Ave, Nederland, TX

⏰ Check Facebook @cajuncrawfishcafe for current hours and daily specials

🤤 Had a great meal somewhere in SETX lately? Reply and tell us — we feature reader picks.

Tucked into 40 acres of the former Port Arthur Country Club at 15075 Country Club Drive in Beaumont, The Venue at Belle Oaks is the kind of event space that earns a genuine gasp the moment you arrive. Surrounded by water and old-growth oak trees, the property centers on a 6,500-square-foot industrial-chic ballroom that accommodates up to 625 guests, with an elegant smaller event space and a stunning open-air pavilion rounding out the grounds. Every package includes exclusive property access from morning to midnight, a fully-equipped prep kitchen, and a full-service bar — plus the freedom to bring your own caterer. Beyond weddings and galas, Belle Oaks hosts a monthly Bayou Live Concert series that keeps the property alive and the community coming back. If you're planning a big moment in SETX, this is where you start the conversation.

🌐 thevenueatbelleoaks.com

This section is sponsored by Tailored Financial Solutions. Want your business featured here? Email us at [email protected].

If you've never made the drive up to Woodville for dogwood season, this is a good year to fix that. The Tyler County Dogwood Festival kicked off its Festival of the Arts weekend on March 22 and runs across multiple weekends through early April — just about 50 miles north of Beaumont in the heart of the Piney Woods. Each weekend brings artists, food vendors, and live music to downtown Woodville, but the real draw is the landscape itself: East Texas roadsides lined with white dogwood blossoms that peak in late March and are typically gone by mid-April. It's an easy half-day trip. Pack a cooler, hit the festival grounds, then take one of the scenic back roads south on your way home. No gear required, no technical skills needed. Just a car, some good company, and a few hours away from everything.

📍 Woodville, TX — Tyler County, approximately 50 miles north of Beaumont via US-69

🏕️ What's your favorite outdoor spot in the Golden Triangle? Reply and tell us — we'll feature the best ones in a future issue.

The What's Up SETX Team is on the hunt for amateur photographers based in the Golden Triangle to partner with us for our social media and newsletter so we can reach and help more people stay in the know.

If you're already out there capturing community moments, local businesses, or everyday life around here, we'd love to start a conversation about working together.

Or if someone came to mind while you were reading this, send it their way.

Interested? Email us at [email protected] with your portfolio or Instagram handle.

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.

🦐 Have you been to Touch of Cajun Cafe in Nederland? What's your go-to crawfish spot in SETX when the season rolls around?

See you next week neighbor 📍,

The What’s Up SETX Team