H Published For Orange Countians By Orange Countians H
County Record TheRecordLive.com
Vol. 58 No. 40
The Community Newspaper of Orange, Texas
Week of Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Election sign-ups begin in Orange County Dave Rogers
For The Record
Incumbent Larry Spears, Jr., has drawn an opponent for the upcoming City of Orange council election for at-large Place 6. Veronica Monique Woodle, 40, a former City of Orange police officer, brings the list of candidates for two city council seats up to five. Filing for the May 6 election for city councils and
school boards began Jan. 18 and ends at 5 p.m. Feb. 17. In the City of Orange’s single-member District 3, a seat currently held by Essie Bellfield, Paul Burch and Terri Salter have signed up along with Bellfield. In Bridge City’s council race, Carl Harbert and Phillip Todora, Jr., have filed in Place 1, with incumbents Tammi Fisette, Place 3; and Terri Gauthier, Place 5, seeking re-
election. Kevin Mott, Place 1 incumbent, has not yet filed. In Pinehurst, incumbent council members T.W. Permenter and Dan Mohon are the only ones to have filed for
three at-large seats. Incumbent Sarah McClendon had picked up the forms to file, City Secretary Debbie Cormier said. Mayor Roy McDonald has filed for re-election in the
City of West Orange, the only person to have filed as of Tuesday morning. Also up for election this year are the seats held by Carl Thibodeaux and Frances Droddy-Lopez. Two seats are open in the
Bridge City ISD and incumbents Michael Johnson in Place 6 and Mark Anderson in Place 7 are the only ones to have filed so far. ELECTION SIGN-UPS Page 2A
Reliable Cleaners looks back to the future
Bridge City’s Matt Bryant will play a crucial role for the Atlanta Falcons when they collide with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 51 on Sunday.
Winning would be ‘super for BC’s Matt Bryant Dave Rogers
For The Record
When called on to kick an extra point or field goal in Sunday’s Super Bowl 51, Bridge City native Matt Bryant will be giving the Atlanta Falcons all he’s got. “My philosophy has been to always do good today so they’ll let you come back tomorrow,” he said. The leading scorer in the NFL this year for the highestscoring team in the NFL is playing in his first Super Bowl
“For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
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game after 15 seasons in The League. “As a kid, you always watch that game. Then as you get older, you’re going to somebody’s house with buddies to watch that game,” Bryant said. “Then after you get into the league, you hope you can get to that game. “And now you’re here. It’s a pretty neat experience.” The Falcons went 11-5 in the regular season to win their division, then averaged 40 points scored and a 20-point winning margin in the playoffs. Bryant earned his first Pro Bowl invite this season but had to pass on last weekend’s all-star event in Orlando to get ready for Houston. As sweet as the journey has been to get to NRG Stadium and the big showdown with the New England Patriots, one thing would make it sweeter. “A win,” he said. It could only be better, if … “I wish my dad was still here to experience it … and my son Tryson as well,” Bryant said. Matt and his wife Michelle have seven healthy children between them, all under 20. Tryson Bryant died as an infant from SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome, in 2008. His father, William S. “Casey” Bryant, was one of the first coaches for Bridge City High and a 50-year employee of the school district. He died in 2009 at age 77. Matt says he always wanted to be a linebacker. Kicking was just something he did to kill time when he was young and growing up in Bridge City. “I wanted to be a linebacker,” he recalled in an interview last week. “I wanted to WINNING Page 2A
Keith Wallace bought Reliable Dry Cleaners & Laundry in 2006. He has 22 employees. His Reliable Dry Cleaners & Laundry recently celebrated its 75th anniversary. RECORD PHOTO: Mark Dunn
Keith Wallace’s Reliable Cleaners celebrates 75 years Dave Rogers
For The Record
Keith Wallace has been a fixture in Orange civic circles for two decades or more. His Reliable Dry Cleaners & Laundry recently celebrated its 75th anniversary. But the realities of modern-day economics are forcing Wallace to consider going back to reach the future. “Dry cleaning is not a necessity product; as the dollar in your pocket dwindles away, you see more and more stuff you can do for yourself
at home,” he said. So Wallace, who has made drive-through drop-off and pickup lanes a staple of Reliable Cleaners, is looking to expand his offerings to his regular customers by adding home and business pickup and delivery service. “When we first came to town, we had one location and six delivery trucks,” he said. “My first job when I was 16 was home pickup and delivery. “We grew our business through routes and then we opened our storefront loca-
tions.” Reliable Dry Cleaners & Laundry currently consists of one dry cleaning plant and headquarters at 1131 Green Ave., Orange, and three storefront locations (3011 N. 16th St., Orange; 2230 Texas Ave., Bridge City; and 1415 N. Main St., Vidor). The business does daily pickups at Orange hotels and plants. Wallace, 52, grew up in Beaumont and was in the last graduating class at Forest Park High School. His father, Bill Wallace, had worked at the Industrial Towel & Uniform Co. in Beaumont until it closed and then he bought Smith Reliable Dry Cleaners in Orange in 1979. Wallace said he helped as his dad, with step-mother Jane Wallace and aunt Jean Phillips, built the former
Smith Reliable into a business with many locations. His father also operated a uniform business, which he sold in 2005. Keith Wallace bought Reliable Dry Cleaners & Laundry in 2006. He has 22 employees. “The drive-through is our niche,” he said. “Our saying is ‘Never Unbuckle.’ Our girls know who you are and you never have to get out of your car.” Wallace and wife Shelly have two sons, Logan, 17, and Lance, 15. He serves as a Port of Orange commissioner and was a member of the Orange County Economic Development board of directors, prior to its recent reorganization. RELIABLE Page 2A
Former Orange County detective sentenced Debby Schamber For The Record
BEAUMONT– A 47-yearold former Orange County Sheriff’s Detective has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today. Chad Wayne Hogan, of Orange, Texas, pleaded guilty on Sep. 6, 2016, to money laundering and was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone. According to information presented in court, from March 2009 to August 2015, Hogan, while employed as a detective with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deposited approximately 4,302 checks into a bank account at
MCT Credit Union titled “Starcomm Wireless,” all of which represented proceeds from unlawful activity. Starcomm Hogan Wireless was a business once owned and operated by Hogan, but closed prior to 2009. Hogan, however, kept the Starcomm Wireless bank account open and active after the business ceased operation. The checks were written on bank accounts held by Beverly Place apartments, Cedarwood apartments, and Villa Main apartments, all in the Port Arthur/Groves, Texas area and ranged in amount from $2 to
$277, totaling $187,706. Employees of the apartment complexes would meet with Hogan, give him the checks, which he would deposit in his account. Hogan would then give approximately 2/3 of the money back to the employees, keeping the remaining 1/3 for himself. The checks Hogan received from the employees were payable to tenants of the complexes and were written under the Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) utility assistance program. The HUD utility assistance program provides qualifying persons a monthly check to help offset their utility costs. However, many of the tenants at Beverly Place, Cedarwood, and Villa Main were not aware they were receiving these benefits. On-site managers at the
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complexes engaged in a scheme to fraudulently sign tenants up for HUD benefits without the tenants’ knowledge, and then take then use the money provided by HUD for themselves. Hogan was aware that the checks he was depositing represented the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity, and did so to disguise the nature of the funds. Hogan was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $187,706, as this was his portion of the scheme. This case was investigated by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher T. Tortorice.