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Despite a judge's insistence that the trial of former Beaumont ISD contract electrician Calvin Walker get under way as quickly as possible, a Monday hearing likely set the stage for another round of appeals over its constitutionality. Walker faces six charges of fraud and money-laundering in Jefferson County's Criminal District Court. In 2012, he pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor charge of failure to pay taxes in a timely manner after his trial in U.S. District Court for fraud and money-laundering ended in a hung jury and a mistrial.

Vidor students and community members will be asked to help name the newest member of the Vidor Police Department, a K-9 officer who will start patrol in February.

For the past two decades, students from the St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica School have donated toys to the Empty Stocking Fund for families in need. The school's preschool through 8th grade students collect around 200 toys each year, said sponsor Jo-Ann Conrad. "We try to emulate the spirit of St. Nichola," she said.

The mayor of Rose City is heading to the Big Apple this week to appear on NBC's "Megyn Kelly TODAY" to advocate for more Tropical Storm Harvey relief funding. Bonnie Stephenson said she was asked by producers to appear on the morning talk show Wednesday on behalf of her Orange County town, which has been struggling to recover from Harvey. She will fly to New York on Tuesday. "I'm going to tell our story," Stephenson said on Monday. "I'm going to talk about the damage and what's been doing on.

WASHINGTON – Texas U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, who used $84,000 in taxpayer dollars to settle with a former aide who sued him for sexual harassment in 2014, says he's going to pay back the money.