H H H H H YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1960 H H H H H
The Record TheRecordLive.com
Vol. 52 No. 01 Week of Wednesday, April 4, 2012
The Penny Record of Bridge City and Orangefield • Founded 1960
Oil drilling leaves mess at Claiborne David Ball
For The Record
Man arrested in BC for illegal entry, firearms
It appears from photos taken Magnum Producing, LP of Corpus Christi have their work cut out for them cleaning up Claiborne West Park near
Vidor after their gas and oil drilling operation proved to be unfruitful. Representatives with the company were at the meeting of the Orange County Commissioners’ Court Monday afternoon to explain their clean
up process. Hampton O’Neill with Magnum said the company drilled a hole at the park and they are now trying to clean things up. Precinct 3 Commissioner COUNTY BUSINESS PAGE 2A
BC Strutters win national awards
David Ball
For The Record
A house raid on an illegal immigrant who resided on Norbert Street in Bridge City also netted a firearm possession charge. Officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI, and the Port Arthur and Bridge City Police Departments’ Narcotic Divisions served a federal warrant on Luis Becerra for illegal entry into the United States, according to information from the Port Arthur Police Department. He was deported out of the country February 12 and returned to the U.S. 15 days later. Bridge City Police Chief Paul Davis said the BCPD did not participate in the raid. During the search of his house, two handguns were found. Becerra said he was holding them for a friend. Illegal possession of a firearm were also added to the charges.
Elections approach ballots in place The following is a list of candidates for the May 12 school and city elections and May 29 primary election that will appear on the ballots. Elections for May 12 City of Pinehurst Mayor: T.W. Permenter BALLOTS SET PAGE 2A
H Inside The Record • SHERLOCK BREAUX Page..................... 4A • Obituaries Page......................7A •Dicky Colburn Fishing...................1B •Outdoors Weekly Chuck Uzzle..........6B • CHURCH NEWS Page......................9B • CLASSIFIED ADS Page....................10B
Magnum Producing, LP of Corpus Christi was ordered by the Orange County Commissioners’ Court at their meeting Monday afternoon to clean up their drilling operations at Claiborne West Park near Vidor. This is one of the results from the drilling operation at the park.
Teen indicted for shooting OC deputy Dillon Dwight Schlegel, 16, was indicted on March 29 for two counts by a Jefferson County Grand Jury in the shooting of Orange County Deputy Fred Ashworth. Schelgel was indicted for alleged capital murder and also for shooting Ashworth, 45, with a firearm, according to the indictment. According to a prior The Record article, Ashworth was shot in the chest twice on January 26 and is back on the job. He was shot at the Minnie Rogers Juvenile Justice Center on Highway 69 in Beaumont at the sally port of the facility by a juvenile suspect he was transporting from Orange County.
Ashworth took off his firearm to enter a secure area. Schlegel allegedly was secured in the back seat of the ASHWORTH patrol vehicle and somehow managed to reach the firearm in the front portion of the vehicle. A news release from the JCSO the day after the shooting read: Deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Beaumont PD immediately responded. Upon the arrival, the deputy was barricaded in the sally port with the sus-
The Bridge City High School Strutters earned top awards in the American Dance National competition in Denton last weekend.
Staff Report
For The Record
The Strutters attended the American Dance National competition this past weekend at the University of North Texas in Denton. The officers earned second runner-up overall in medium team category. They won National Champions in novelty and first runnerup in open and modern. They also won Gussie Nell Davis Award and the Best of the Best Award. Officers are Captain Nicole Encalade, 1st Lieutenant Karli
Anderson, Lieutenant Kaitlyn Ezell, Lieutenant Madison Woodruff and Lieutenant Sydney Shepherd. The Strutter competition team won first runner-up National Champions overall in medium team category. They won National Champion award in prop and first runnerup in novelty, kick, open, and pom. They also won National Academic Champions runnerup, Gussie Nell Davis Excellence Award, and the Best of the Best Award. The StrutBC STRUTTERS PAGE 3A
TEEN INDICTED PAGE 3A
Johnson, 20, takes over OC GOP David Ball
For The Record
At age 20, Zach Johnson of Vidor may not be the youngest party chairman in Texas but he figures he’s one of the youngest. “I was born with a passion. I loved politics since I was a kid. I want to get my bachelor’s in political science (at Lamar University-Beaumont0,” Johnson said. “It’s fun. I enjoy it. I will work my hardest.” Though he’s still too young to drink, Johnson will take over the reigns of the Orange County Republican Party in June and his name will appear on the November General Election ballot. Until then, present chairwoman Trudy Pellerin is still running elec-
tions and the county convention. Johnson has never been to a convention and looks forward to it as a learnJOHNSON ing experience. In addition to his new duties, Johnson is also a parttiime student at Lamar State College-Orange, he works part-time for his parent’s contracting business, and he’s also campaign manager for county court at law candidate, Rodney Townsend. “I’ve been in the party for three years. I got involved after the ‘08 election,” Johnson said. “I worked on my first JOHNSON LEADS PAGE 3A
The Bridge City Chamber of Commerce named Bridge City Bank ‘Business of the Month.’ Pictured are staff members Loretta Strong, Kim Davis, President Scott Hale, Chamber Ambassador and Board President Bobby Vincent.
Ellis, Sherman awarded ‘Students of the Month’ by BC Chamber Staff Report
For The Record
The Bridge City Chamber of Commerce announced the Students of the Month for March at their monthly networking coffee held on March 20, at David Self Ford located at 1601 Green Avenue in Orange, Texas. James Ellis was chosen as the Bridge City Student of the Month and Ariel Sherman was chosen as the Orangefield Student of the
James Ellis
Ariel Sherman
Month. James Ellis is the son of Ron and Cheryl Ellis. He is ranked 3 out of his class of 176 with a grade point average of 4.75. His awards and honors are: Received the Mirabeau Scholarship, First Place Individual District UIL History 2011, First Place Team District UIL History 2011, Fourth Place Individual Regional UIL History 2011, First Place Team Regional UIL History 2011, State Contender UIL History,
President’s Education Award for 2005, 2008 and 2011, Area Marching Contest 2010, All Region Band 2011 and 2012, All Region Jazz 2012, All Area Band 2011 and 2012, All Area Jazz 2012, ATSSB All State Band 2012, First Division UIL Solo and Ensemble Contest 2009-2012, Second Division Solo Texas State Solo & Ensemble Contest 2010, First Division Solo Texas State Solo & STUDENTS PAGE 3A