NEWS
New Montague County Grand Jury panel seated
After several months of delays in grand jury deliberations due to COVID-19 restrictions, a new Montague County Grand Jury panel was recently selected and had its first deliberations Monday.
District Attorney Casey Polhemus said potential jurors were selected on Feb. 25 using a Zoom meeting for not only Montague County, but Archer and Clay in the 97th District.
The follow indictments were returned on March 8.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Richard Camilo Vela Jr., 54, Round Rock, evading arrest and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, Aug. 21, 2020, $25,000 total bonds on the two counts.
Vela was arrested Aug. 21, 2020 after area law enforcement stopped him after an extensive chase that saw him speed into Bowie and back out only to finally be stopped on Highway 101 and Lawhorn Lane.
He was reported to be armed and dangerous, wanted in Travis County for aggravated robbery with a weapon. Polhemus said he was wanted for homicide in Austin after the victim reportedly died.
Brady Lee Baird, 20, Sunset, indicted on a charge of criminal mischief $2,500-$30,000, April 20, 2020 offense, $10,000 bond.
Dustin Suede Bell, 26, in jail, abandon/endanger a child criminal negligence, March 29, 2019, $5,000 bond.
Chelsea Marie Brown, 22, Bowie, abandon/endanger a child
See the grand jury indictment list in the mid-week Bowie News.
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
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.
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.
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