COUNTY LIFE
By DANI BLACKBURN
When life gets tough, the tough get going, and no one proves that more than Bowie High School graduate Shelby Avara.
The high school senior has traveled an obstacle-ridden road on her journey to receiving a high school diploma, something not many in her family have done.
The adversity she faced began when she was just six-years-old as a first grader in Iowa, when her mother was killed in a car crash. The tragic accident catapulted her into a life of instability and independence.
Avara, along with her sister and father, a rancher, moved to multiple states in the years that followed, including Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma before settling in Bowie. The family lived in multiple homes in each state, in Bowie alone the teenager is in her fourth home.
Along the way, her father began driving a semi-truck hauling cattle which took him on the road quite a bit. Avara became acquainted with being alone and faced some scary situations, including a family that held the young teenager captive.
“When my dad and sister moved to Texas, I was stuck in Oklahoma,” recalled Avara. “We had been staying with my sister’s best friend’s parents. They made me sign these papers and told me that my dad had signed papers giving up his rights to me.”
They cut off all communication between the young teenager and her father and took away all her electronic devices, forcing her to do many things like take part in religious studies every night while verbally abusing the young girl.
“They told me we would never amount to anything, and that my dad never loved my mom. They told us all kinds of crazy things, including what horrible people we were,” recalled Avara.
Fortunately, the young teenager eventually made contact with her father using an old Nokia phone, and her dad hit the road to pick up his teenage daughter and brought her to Bowie where the family lived with Avara’s aunt and uncle. It was the middle of her eighth-grade year. Bowie Junior High became the fourth middle school she would attend.
While Avara remained in Bowie, her struggles were far from over but she continued to persevere.
This week she looks toward the future as she graduates Bowie High School and looks back at overcoming a series of obstacles thanks to friends. Read her full story in the weekend News.
The Nocona City Council gave its budget proposal a final once-over before setting a public hearing for it and the proposed tax rate for Sept. 9 at 8 a.m.
Council members also heard from Blake McNew who is against the recently approved fee and registration process for golf carts and related vehicles.
Last month the council approved an ordinance that set forth registration requirements for these vehicles with a $50 registration fee. After several close calls and complaints from downtown business people and citizens on near misses with ATVs and golf carts driving unsafely downtown the council took the step to add the ordinance.
City Secretary Revell Hardison said after some discussion the council asked for it to be back on next month’s agenda with possible consideration for repealing the fee. After some research she added a person can go through the state to obtain a license plate for these vehicles and the local sticker would not be needed.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
The staff of Texas Education Agency on Aug. 14 announced the release of 2026 A-F Accountability Ratings for public school systems and campuses across the state.
Almost all of the school districts in the county saw their district ratings increase or remain consistent, along with some of their campuses.
There were 1,202 districts and 9,105 campuses rated in 2026. Some 24% of both districts and campuses increased in rating compared to 2025.
Read the full story and see all the county ratings in your Thursday Bowie News.
2026 state accountability ratings
Bowie Independent School District – B, 80 of 100 points
Elementary/intermediate – C, 74
Junior high – B, 84
High school – B, 86
Bellevue ISD – A, 92
Forestburg ISD – B, 82
Gold-Burg ISD – C, 76
Montague ISD – A, 93
Nocona ISD – B, 86
Elementary – B, 80
Middle school – C, 79
High school – A, 94
Prairie Valley ISD – B, 88
Saint Jo ISD – B, 82
Elementary – D, 66
High school – A, 92
Friends of the Bowie Animal Shelter will host the annual Clear the Shelter event from 8 a.m. to noon on Aug. 22.
The shelter is located at 1508 E. Wise. While this is a nationwide effort to recognize the work of animal shelters, their staff and volunteers, this also is a chance to support their efforts by attending the bake sale, silent auction and food vendors.
Adoptable dogs from the Bowie shelter as well as Easy Street Shelter of Saint Jo, Lucky Paws in Nocona and McCares of Montague will be present.
If your family is considering adopting a pet this would be a great time to visit with the animals and meet the volunteers who can tell you a bit about the animals. Prospective volunteers also are welcome, so ask your questions.
Staff from Cross Timbers Vet will be giving reduced price vaccinations.
There will be a prize drawing at noon for a bounce house and a Turtle Box speaker. Tickets are $5 each for a chance to win either prize. Drawing at noon.
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