In this three-part special report for Beaumont’s KFDM-TV, reporter Tom Wright asks viewers to rethink the Neches River’s reputation as a polluted waterway. Speaking with Lamar University professors and government officials, Wright examines how environmental regulations drastically improved the health and water quality of the river, opening it up for safe recreational use. Joining the station in 1985, Wright has worked for KFDM for more than 30 years. He currently serves as a news managing editor.