COUNTY LIFE
Montague County celebrates its veterans with program
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
During Monday’s Montague County Veteran’s Service Office Veteran’s Day program, Everett Ruddick, veteran of the Vietnam War, shared his unique story of surviving the service only to fight for his life when he returned home and was burned almost 80 percent of his body in an oil fire.
While Montague County experienced its first dose of wet and cold winter weather Monday, a small crowd of guests attended the program in the courthouse annex community room.
After the National Anthem sung by Marjorie Hess and the invocation from Pastor Joe Caballero, Ruddick was the guest speaker. Born in Port Lavaca, TX on May 28, 1946, the fifth of 13 children, he later served in the U.S. Army in 1965 going to Eislingen, Germany before going to Vietnam. His enlistment ended at Fort Hood in 1968 when he married his wife Debra.
Within months of getting out of the Army, Ruddick was dumping trash at a private dump site when he was set on fire after some diesel fuel canisters exploded. He was burned across 80 percent of his body with some of the injuries down to the bone. At that time burns more than 50 percent were considered fatal; however, Ruddick tells the tale of his battle to survive and how God and his faith brought him through it.
The 22nd annual July Jam returns on July 27 to the Bowie Community Center West Hall, 413 Pelham Street in Bowie.
There will be a “chickin’ pickin’ fiddling fun time” as guests will be entertained by amazing fiddling tunes and enjoying a chicken meal with delicious homemade jams because it wouldn’t be July Jam without it.
Tickets are just $15 with the event starting at 6 p.m. The funds raised help provide awards for the Championship Fiddler Competition during Chicken and Bread Days Heritage Festival on Oct. 5.
This attracts talented musicians from all over to visit downtown Bowie to test their fiddling skills on stage in the Bowie Fire Hall on Oct. 5.
Along with the live fiddling entertainment, come hungry and be ready to outbid your neighbors at the silent auction or just stop by for a great meal, fellowship and soak in the air conditioning.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
The Nocona City Council met this past week making plans for budget and tax rate hearings.
Councilors received a brief update on the 2024-25 budget preparations. City Secretary Revell Hardison said the final proposal is almost complete and they now await the arrival of the no-new revenue tax rate that will be reviewed by the council after it is calculated by the tax collector.
The proposal includes a tax rate increase of about 3% similar to last year and there will be a small increase in water and sewer rates, but Hardison said the final crunch on those will come after the tax rate projections arrive.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
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