NEWS

Saving local businesses county banks help with PPP

Published

4 years ago

04/25/2020

By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Montague County small business owners are taking advantage of the Coronavirus Paycheck Protection Program receiving and anticipating loans to help pay their employees until they are able to return to some semblance of normal working conditions.
A new block of funding, $480 billion, has been approved by the Senate and House this week and could come into play as soon as next week. The new package includes $310 billion for PPP with $250 billion refilling the program and $60 billion set aside specifically for smaller institutions like credit unions and community banks.
Across the nation’s main streets the mom and pop shops, diners, hair dressers and others have had to close temporarily, lay off or release employees creating unprecedented unemployment in the county. In Texas alone more than 300,000 unemployment claims have been filed.
A National Federation of Business Research Center survey showed 92 percent of small employers are negatively impacted by the virus outbreak. Almost all small employers are now impacted by economic disruptions from COVID-19 with only five percent stating they are not currently affected. That could change if it continues to spread and businesses remain closed.

Read the full story in your weekend News on how area banks are responding to their small business customers need to apply for federal assistance related to COVID-19.

NEWS

Rain runoff still helping lakes fill

Published

7 hours ago

05/08/2024

bowienews

Runoff from the ongoing spring rains are bringing great benefits for Montague County lakes as they continue to slowly rise.
Lake levels
Amon G. Carter
May 7 – 100% full,
920.86 msl
April 30 – 100% full,
920.68 msl
Lake is full at 920 msl

Lake Nocona
May 7 – 83.7% full,
824.79 msl
April 30 – 73.1% full,
822.91 msl
Lake full at 827.5 msl

NEWS

Pending litigation leads to executive session

Published

7 hours ago

05/08/2024

bowienews

Members of the Montague County Commissioner’s Court face a lengthy agenda when they meet at 9 a.m. on May 13.
An executive session is listed for deliberation on pending litigation. The court also will begin the preliminaries of budget planning with a workshop.
The court will review an engagement letter with Edgin, Parkman, Fleming and Fleming to conduct the annual outside audit.
The sheriff’s office staff will submit several items lead by a request to purchase a radio console for dispatch, along with a memo of understanding between Flock Safety and the SO and an application for participation with the Law Enforcement Support Office.
Commissioners will finally close out the Federal Emergency Management Agency project 4223 for county flood damage during the spring of 2015.

Read the full story on all the agenda topics in the mid-week Bowie News.

NEWS

Bowie BISD bond vote fails, 73% say no

Published

7 hours ago

05/08/2024

bowienews

By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Bowie Independent School District trustees said they wanted a mandate one way or another in regard to the $65.8 million bond proposal, which was one of multiple reasons it went back on the ballot.
While voter turnout out was smaller than the Nov. 7, 2023 election, the mandate was clear as 73.28% of voters said no to the bond. Trustees had hoped a massive education campaign and a single issue election would boost voter turnout, however, that was not the case.
BISD asked voters to reconsider the same $65.8 million proposal that failed 855-1,079 last November. In that Nov. 7 election 1,934 people voted.
On May 4 there were 1,785 total voters, 149 less than in the fall. There were 477 votes supporting the bond and 1,308 saying no. The bond failed by 831 votes with only 26.72% saying yes.
Forestburg ISD asked voters to consider a pair of infrastructure centered bonds and the results were close. The most recent bond election for FISD was in 2018 and it failed 301-195.

Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.