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H H H H H Your Hometown Newspaper Since 1960 H H H H H

The     Record TheRecordLive.com

Vol. 53 No. 43

Distributed FREE To The Citizens of Bridge City and Orangefield

Week of Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Election season just around the corner David Ball

For The Record

The primary elections in March will be here before one knows it. The Texas Sec. of State web site and the Orange Co. Elections Adm. office provide some helpful info for voters. The last day to register to vote for the March 4 Primary Election is Monday, Feb. 3. Early voting for the March 4

Lousiana man arrested for Orange bank robbery From Staff Report For The Record

A 50 year old Cameron, La., man has been sentenced to federal prison for bank robbery in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales. Allen Keith Miller pleaded guilty on Aug. 28, 2013 to bank robbery and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison on Jan. 24, 2014 by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone. According to information presented in court, on June 25, 2013, Miller entered the Capital One Bank branch office located on 16th Street in Orange, Texas, wearing a blonde wig, baseball cap, longsleeve shirt, tan pants and a black knee brace. Miller approached a bank teller and presented a handwritten note advising that the bank was being robbed. Miller also advised that he was armed although a weapon was not displayed. Media outlets broadcast footage of the bank robbery and Miller was identified by citizens. Miller was stopped by law enforcement officers in Louisiana, at which time items from the robbery, including the BANK ROBBER Page 3A

H • Obituaries Page.......................6A •Dicky Colburn Fishing...................1B • CHURCH NEWS Page......................7A • CLASSIFIED ADS Page......................6B

Primary Election runs Tuesday, Feb. 18 - Friday Feb. 28 at the following locations: • Orange Public Library • Bridge City Public Works building • Raymond Gould Comm. Center in Vidor • First Baptist Church of Mauriceville Last day to apply for ballot by mail (received, not postmarked) is Friday, Feb. 21. Primary Election voters will vote in one of the two political party elections. The chosen candidate (unless a runoff election is necessary) will represent the party in the Nov. 4 General Election. Early Voting begins Feb. 18 and ends on Feb. 28. Residents vote at any polling location in their county. Check for Early Voting times and locations on the Orange County voter registrar web site at www.co.orange.tx.us/Elections_Administration.html. Last day to Register to Vote for the March Primary Election is Feb. 3. To register: Pick up a voter registration application at your library, any government office or download one from this site. Mail your completed application to the voter registrar in the county. Upon acceptance, your voter registration will be effective 30 days from registration. You’ll be mailed a voter registration certificate or card with your name, address and the number of the precinct in which you’ll vote. Unless you are a voter with a permanent exemption on your voter registration certificate, show your approved form of photo ID to the election official. Depending on the type of voting machine used, they’ll provide you with a paper ballot or, for an electronic voting machine, a number or ballot activator card that enables you to vote on the machine. Texas has created laws requiring all polling places to be accessible to persons who are elderly or physically disabled. Texas was also the first state to require that all electronic voting systems purchased after Sept. 1, 1999 provide voters who have disabilities a practical way to cast a secret ballot. Strict accessibility standards include a location on the ground floor that can be entered from the street or via an elevator with doors that open at least 36 inches. Doors, entrances and exits used to enter or leave the polling place that CANDIDATES Page 5A

Lady Cardinal junior Alexus Henry goes up to shoot against Silsbee. (More Photos Section B) RECORD PHOTOS: Mark Dunn

Bridge City sophomore Bailee Bacon brings the ball down court in the Lady Cardinal’s 66-36 victory over Silsbee.

Breaking Barriers

Mark Dunn

For The Record

For the first time in decades a Bridge City girl’s basketball team is poised to break into the state playoffs. But on Friday night the hometown girls face their toughest contender in a duel that could decide a district championship. The Lady Cardinals go on the road to battle the only team in Dist. 21-3A to defeat them, the Hamshire-Fannett Lady Longhorns. The match-up will pit the state’s 18th ranked Lady Cardinals against the states 16th ranked Lady Longhorns in a season that has produced amazing heroics for both teams. In their first match up, the Lady Longhorns prevailed 56-45 on Bridge City’s home court. On Friday, the Lady Cardinals step into the Lady Longhorn’s arena looking to even the score. The latest state rankings by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches were released on Monday. The Lady Cardinals have posted an extraordinary 27-4 season going into the contest, a feat unprecedented in Bridge City basketball. The Lady Longhorns are 25-5 and waiting for the perceived underdog Bridge City girls for the final showdown. Hamshire-Fannett remains undefeated in Dist. 21-3A, 7-0.

Second year Lady Cardinal Head Coach Jennifer Willis gathers her team during time-out against Silsbee.

Lady Cardinal senior Caylin Choate eyes the basket and shoots to score for the Lady Cardinals defeating Silsbee 66-36.

The Lady Cardinals are currently 6-1 in the standing going into Friday night’s pivotal game. On Tuesday night the Lady Cardinals smoked the Silsbee Lady Tigers 66-36 at home. Bridge City’s performance on Tuesday was a for the upcoming match with Hamshire-Fannett. The Lady Cardinals, under second year head basketball coach Jennifer Willis, have proved their status in Dist. 21-3A in hard fought victories against the West Orange-Stark Lady Mustangs (50-49 and 60-54), the Orangefield Lady Bobcats (4530 and 39-23), and then there was the unforgettable comefrom-behind victory over the Hardin-Jefferson Lady Hawks… After four quarters of basketball and desperately trailing by three points as the buzzer sounded, Lady Cardinal Bailee Bacon hit the net from just past mid court to throw the critical district contest into overtime. It would take two gruelling overtime periods before the Lady Cardinals would inevitably prevail over the Hardin-Jefferson Lady Hawks 56-52 in Sour Lake. The Lady Cardinals will face HardinJefferson again in the season finale scheduled for Feb. 4. “These girls have the will to win. We will fight till the LADY CARDINALS Page 3A

Reported crimes in OC drop 58 percent Debby Schamber For The Record

The annual Uniform Crime Report Statistics have been released from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the overall crime rate in Orange County has dropped 58 percent in 2012 compared to 2013. There were 1006 reported crimes in 2012 while the number decreased to 586 in 2013. Of the 544 actual crimes in

2013, investigators were able to clear 44 percent with a total of 240 while in 2012 they cleared 50 percent of the 494 total. The number of murders in Orange County significantly decreased from three in 2012 while there were none in 2013. The last time it was reported to be zero was in 2011. In addition, there was one case of manslaughter by negligence in 2012 compared to zero cases in 2013.

The number of forcible rape cases doubled in 2012 with 12 cases in 2012 and six cases in 2011. However, the number of reported cases dropped to 38 percent to 4 cases. Investigators were able to clear one of the cases in 2013. Forcible rape is the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will. Rapes by force and attempts or assaults to rape, regardless of the age of the victim, are included. Statutory offenses with no force

used and the victim under age of consent are excluded, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Robbery cases decreased by 80 percent in 2012 with 3 cases and the number of cases continued to decline with three cases in 2013, These cases included involving firearms, with a dangerous weapons and strong-arm robberies. Robbery is defined as the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the

care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/ or by putting the victim in fear, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The number of assaults also dropped. In 2012 there were 351 reported cases. But, in 2013, the number of cases dropped 66 percent to 233 reported cases. In addition, there was a 66 REPORTED CRIME Page 3A

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