Local shelters giving a temporary home to about 1,100 Port Arthur evacuees are benefiting from the presence of the Texas State Guard, 1st Regiment.

Approximately 95 guardsmen came to Texarkana to help with shelter management and operations and their presence has been a big help, local officials say.

“They’ve been great,” said Dave Hall, Texarkana emergency management director. “They’ve been here since early on and they’ve been very helpful. I’ve had a lot of good feedback from the shelters ... so we want to keep them here as long as we can.”

Texas State gua...

Log-In to view full story or view our Registration Guide.