NEWS
Burn ban tabled as rains green up area; budget debates continue
By BARBARA GREEN
Thanks to recent rains that have “greened up” the county, Montague County Commissioners declined to implement a ban on outdoor burning Monday tabling the ban for consideration at the next meeting.
Commissioner Mark Murphey, also a Nocona volunteer firefighter, said the county is below the drought level in the KBDI due to the recent rainfall. A check of the index shows a range of 600-700 in the southern part of the county to 400-500 in the northwest, plus a small patch of green in the 300-400 range. The index has a maximum of 800 for full drought.
Murphey also said he talked to five local fire chiefs and all but one agreed they don’t need a ban at this time although it should be closely monitored. Commissioner Bob Langford said a little more than a week ago it looked like things were heading toward a ban with the triple-digit temperatures and no rain. Since that time rains ranging from one to four inches across the county have fallen creating improved conditions. The ban was tabled.
The court breezed through an agenda of mostly routine business before going into a budget workshop.
Sheriff Marshall Thomas provided a update on the six-month old K-9 program with Deputy Chase Pelton and Ace. The K-9 team has seen 35 deployments and made 38 arrests.
The district attorney also had her request to have Kevin Benton come work part-time at her office to wrap a few investigations he has been spearheading before he takes over at justice of the peace in the new year. A lengthy round of budgets hearings also were conducted.
Read the full story in the mid-week News.
Several personnel issues including the superintendent’s summative evaluation and filling the vacant intermediate principal position face the Bowie School Trustees when they meet at 5:30 p.m. on June 16.
The superintendent’s review is usually done in two parts during the year with the summative an effort to evaluate overall progress. Donna Hale’s contract also will be considered. as she marks her first year leading the district.
For the intermediate principal’s job, Jason Childress left the post last month taking the new formed director of student services, which will handle many of the tasks the assistant superintendent handled such as curriculum and test scores. That assistant position was eliminated by the board after Lee Ann Farris left the job. Childress’ resignation has been submitted.
Filling the principal’s job and consideration of a rental agreement for a portion of the bus parking lot property also are set for executive session. Any action all these topics will be considered back in open session.
On the regular agenda, the board will receive the 2025 fiscal audit for Jack County. A small portion of the district runs into that county.
The superintendent will provide operational reports and personnel updates. Childress will present the preliminary STAAR scores and the status of board goals, while Paula Peterson, finance director, gives the monthly financial report.
Numerous annual items will be up for action: Contract for cafeteria software; budget amendments; consider the ESSA application, the Montague and Jack County Tax Appraisal District budgets; library books for the elementary; ESC 9 contracts and a Texas Association of School Boards policy updates.
The board also will consider offering open enrollment for pre-kindergarten students for the next school year.
Six Montague County volunteer fire department have received grants from the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The service recently approved $29.3 million in funding for grants to through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program.
In the fourth funding round of the year, the program awarded 531 grants addressing volunteer fire department requests for personal protective equipment, slip-on units, fire and rescue equipment, water tenders, small brush trucks and training aids.
Nocona Hills Volunteer Fire Department received a $300,000 grant for a water tender vehicle. Montague and Sunset VFDs each received $45,000 for a slip-on unit, and the Nocona rural, Nocona city and Saint Jo VFDs each received $25,000 for fire and rescue equipment.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
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