COUNTY LIFE
Education, shooting: Couple combines their passions to assist others
![](https://bowienewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/helice-for-web.jpg)
By DANI BLACKBURN
Michael Higgins and his wife, Melinda Branchini, of Forestburg found a way to ingeniously unite their two passions — education and shooting — in a way that gives back others when they created the Higgins Branchini Shooting Foundation.
The HBSF is a national charitable organization providing funds to collegiate students competing in clay target shooting sports.
“We don’t have any children and we wanted to give back,” explained Branchini. “I’m interested in academics and my husband is interested in shooting, so we blended the two.”
HBSF is possibly the only organization of its kind giving grants to individual collegiate shooters rather than groups and teams. Since its creation, the organization has given $120,000 to students at 42 different universities in 22 different states from California to Connecticut.
Higgins began shooting at nine-years-old with rifles, before trying a shotgun with moving targets. He eventually grew tired of clay targets and discovered Helice in the early ‘90s. He was hooked.
“I thought moving targets were more fun than stationary, and I’m a capitalist at heart and realized I could compete and make money. I mostly paid for college doing that, I went to the Olympic stuff, I didn’t make the team, but got close,” recalled Higgins.
Read the full feature in the mid-week News.
COUNTY LIFE
Bowie, Nocona libraries wrap up summer reading this week
![](https://bowienewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1.jpg)
Local libraries wrap up their children’s summer reading programs this week.
The Bowie Public Library brings the popular Creature Teacher with all their spectacular animals for the final event on July 23 at the Bowie Community Center.
The program begins at 10 am. The children also will receive their prize books for their summer logs.
The Nocona Public Library ends its program at 10 a.m. on July 24 at the H.J. Justin Building at 100 Clay Street. The program will be “Our Own Action Heroes -” Nocona fire, police and EMTs.
Top photo – Smokey Bear visiting Bowie last week at summer reading.
COUNTY LIFE
Color added to outside kennels at Bowie Animal Shelter
![](https://bowienewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/DSC_0081.jpg)
Rachel and Roger Whitaker gave this metal storage container a fresh look with this colorful mural at the Bowie Animal Shelter. (Photo by Barbara Green)
COUNTY LIFE
Youngsters attend swimming lessons this week
![](https://bowienewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/DSC_0115-scaled.jpg)
Swim lessons for youngsters of all ages were conducted the past two weeks at the city pool. It was a good place to be during this summer heat. See more photos in the weekend News. (Photos by Barbara Green)
![](https://bowienewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/jumping-off-the-board-970x1024.jpg)
![](https://bowienewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/learning-to-float-1024x967.jpg)
-
NEWS2 years ago
2 hurt, 1 jailed after shooting incident north of Nocona
-
NEWS8 months ago
Suspect indicted, jailed in Tia Hutson murder
-
NEWS1 year ago
SO investigating possible murder/suicide
-
NEWS2 years ago
Wreck takes the life of BHS teen, 16
-
NEWS12 months ago
Murder unsolved – 1 year later Tia Hutson’s family angry, frustrated with no arrest
-
NEWS1 year ago
Sheriff’s office called out to infant’s death
-
NEWS2 years ago
Bowie Police face three-hour standoff after possible domestic fight
-
NEWS2 years ago
Driver stopped by a man running into the street, robbed at knifepoint