COUNTY LIFE
Welcome spring!
From the Farmer’s Alamanac
On Tuesday, March 20, 2018, at 12:15 p.m. EDT, we welcome the official arrival of spring with the Vernal Equinox. This is the moment in the Northern Hemisphere when the Sun crosses the equator and the days and nights are equal in hours.
What Does Vernal Equinox Mean?
Vernal translates to “new” and “fresh,” and equinox derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night). Regardless of what the weather is doing outside, this day is the official start of the spring season.
So what does that mean? Essentially, our hours of daylight — the period of time each day between sunrise and sunset — have been growing slightly longer each day since the Winter Solstice in December, which is the shortest day of the year (at least in terms of light). Even after three months of lengthening days, though, we still see less light than darkness over the course of a day. The Vernal Equinox marks the turning point, when daylight begins to win out over darkness.
Spring has sprung! And while most of us are familiar with “April showers bring May flowers,” there are many weather folklore sayings associated with spring, which is a season notorious for wild, crazy weather. Have you heard any of these?
March
- Is’t on St. Joseph’s day (19th) clear,
So follows a fertile year;
Is’t on St. Mary’s (25th) bright and clear,
Fertile is said to be the year.
April
- If it thunders on All Fool’s Day, it brings good crops of corn and hay.
- A cold May and a windy April, a full barn.
- March’ll search ye, April try ye; May’ll tell, whether live or die ye.
- If the oak is out before the ash then we are in for a splash;
But if the ash is out before the oak we are in for a soak. - April cold and wet fills barn and barrel.
- When April blows its horn
Then it stands good with hay, rye, and corn. - A cold and moist April fills the cellar and fattens the cow
(Top image: Courtesy photo, Jody Langston runs an informative table on Wise Hope Shelter & Crisis Center at the National Night Out Oct. 6.)
An American is sexually assaulted every 73 seconds. One in three Texans experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Statewide, intimate partner violence claimed the lives of 160 individuals in 2025 alone.
Behind these staggering statistics from organizations like Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network and the Texas Council on Family Violence are real people, and that is precisely why the Wise Hope Shelter & Crisis Center exists.
This October, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the agency stands as a vital resource. Originally founded on Aug. 2, 1999, following the 1997 organization of the Wise County Domestic Violence Task Force, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit was created to address violence in rural north-central Texas.
Supported by hundreds of volunteers, Wise Hope has since grown to encompass a 20-bed, 4,800-square-foot shelter, three outreach offices and a thrift store, and the agency is preparing to announce an upcoming renovation project soon.
Read the full story in your Thursday Bowie News.
There will be a community blood drive from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov 2 at AVIR in Bowie, 700 W. U.S. Highway 287 South.
The Carter BloodCare Bus will be present with its staff to collect blood donations. The sign- up link is: greatpartners.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/168764.
Carter BloodCare is offering a plush new blanket to thank local blood donors for giving in November. Carter BloodCare’s annual blanket incentive has become a popular holiday tradition. The blanket is available while supplies last.
Eligible donors can give blood starting at age 16 with parental consent; those 17 and older can donate on their own. Donors must weigh at least 110 pounds and feel well at the time.
Carter BloodCare donors help Texans with life-threatening injuries from car wrecks; children fighting cancer; burn patients; older adults with health issues; organ transplant recipients; new mothers and others in need.
For details, visit CarterBloodCare.org or call 800-366-2834.
Carter BloodCare has proudly served Texans since 1951. The independent community blood center provides transfusion resources in 59 counties of North, Central and East Texas, supporting thousands of patients in more than 225 medical facilities. Carter BloodCare is one of the largest nonprofit blood programs in Texas, delivering more than 450,000 doses of blood, platelets and plasma each year to meet the health care needs.
As the holiday near blood is often in short supply, but the need never goes away. Make time to scheduled your date to donate blood to help your community to be prepared for the upcoming season.
The Montague County Commissioner’s Court opened bids for the reconstruction of the Montague County Veterans Memorial Wall during regular session Oct. 26.
The memorial, located on the courthouse square, was heavily damaged on March 4, 2025, when a severe storm with high winds supposedly caused two large black panels containing the names of local veterans to fall over and shatter.
It was the second time a panel had fallen at the site. A single panel previously fell in November 2021, costing $16,000 to replace and raising questions regarding the monument’s structural integrity. Following the 2021 incident, it was discovered no steel rods or internal supports secured the stone panels to the concrete foundation.
Read the full story in your Thursday Bowie News.
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