While repairs at the Port Arthur News’ office in Port Arthur continue daily, the staff continue to serve readers and advertisers from offices at the Orange Leader in Orange.

“We have email, and a lot of customers have email, but we still get out every day in person, too,” said senior advertising coordinator Ed Kestler. “Everybody’s been very understanding.”

Kestler added that if businesses are trying to get ahold of an advertising representative, they can call his cell.

That number is 409-719-6527.

The ad team has been extra busy offering a special Harvey-related ad package for area businesses.

“We have a special Harvey page going. It runs every day at a reduced price,” explained Kestler. “It’s usually full color.”

Tropical Storm Harvey flooding inundated most of Port Arthur and the News was not spared. The building, located at 2345 Memorial Boulevard, took in several feet of water. Publisher Rich Macke said he expects to be back in the building before Thanksgiving.

In the meantime, the day-to-day operational affairs have smoothed out as employees have been able to return home and to work.

Jeree Powell, the business office manager, said she enjoys the drive to Orange.

“The only thing I don’t like is the refinery traffic, but I come early to avoid that and I either leave early or leave late to avoid it. Other than that I love Orange,” she said. “To me it has the rural small town feeling that I like. The Orange Leader folks have been very gracious hosts to have us share their offices with them.”

Powell said her only ongoing concern is helping customers take care of any delayed or misplaced invoices from August.

“The only hindrance has been because both post offices have been closed so long, so a lot of people have not received their August invoices,” she said. “If they need them, they should feel free to call to get those.”

The working number for most Port Arthur News employees is 409-883-3572.

One area in which some readers may have noticed a disruption is circulation.

Circulation supervisor Dee Jordan said that immediately after the flooding, many delivery drivers could not run their routes and so that delayed circulation for a while.

She said drivers have returned to work but she said some readers experience frustrations when they call the paper.

“The subscribers were having a hard time getting a hold of us at first because of no phone numbers,” she said. “Now we have one telephone here but when we get a multitude of phone calls, we can only answer then one at a time and that puts a damper on things.”

Finally, while the news reports are out in the Port Arthur area working on stories and do not work out of the Orange offices, any news tips can be either emailed to jesse.wright@panews.com or may be called to 662-313-6618.