NEWS
County Judge says county can stay at 75 % opening for its restaurants; new cases confirmed
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
New Montague County Judge Kevin Benton jumped into the fray just a few days after taking the oath of office as he fielded phone calls Friday about how Governor Greg Abbott’s Friday executive order impacts the local area.
In that order Abbott closed all bars and similar establishments which receive more than 51 percent of their gross receipts from the sale of alcoholic beverages. However, these businesses may remain open for delivery and take-out, including alcoholic beverages.
Restaurants may remain open for dine-in service, but at 50 percent of indoor capacity beginning June 29 instead of the previously allowed 75 percent. Outdoor gatherings of 100 or more people must be approved by local governments with certain exceptions.
Benton issued a letter Monday outlining the limits within Montague County based on case count. He explained counties with a current attestation filed with and approved by the State Department of Health and Human Services regarding the minimal cases of COVID-19, will remain at the 75 percent occupancy rate.
“Montague County falls within that classification. In paragraph five of the order, any outdoor gathering in excess of 100 people, other than those set forth in paragraphs one, two or four (a lengthy set of activities covered by the executive
order) must be authorized by the mayor if within the incorporated city limits or the county judge if the activity is proposed in
the unincorporated area of the county,” stated Benton.
Those stipulations could change if the county’s case totals continue to escalate.
Dr. Delbert McCaig, county health authority, reported as of June 30 there are 18 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county and four probable for a total of 22.
Within those cases there has been one fatality, a Sunset area resident, and the remainder have reportedly recovered and almost all are out of quarantine.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
August 25 – Montague County, TX will be under an ELEVATED FIRE THREAT and EXTREME HEAT WARNING today. Please be careful!
Air quality is poor across the area as large grass fires are being found in Wise and Jack County. The smell of smoke and ash are in the air.
Posted around 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 21 – The Montague County Sheriff’s Office is currently evacuating residences in the path of the wildfire in the 1800 block area of Starkey Road. If told you need to leave, please do so immediately. If you don’t live in the area, please stay out of the area to give responders room to work. (Information from the Emergency Communications Team for Montague County)
According to Saint Jo VFD – 11:30 (update) A brush truck and a tender has been requested by every department in the county to the scene of a large grass fire on Starkey Road, which is closed at this time.
Saint Jo Fire Department is assisting Nocona Rural Fire Department on a grass fire on Starkey Road near the Starkey Cemetery. Please avoid the area.
Companies on scene:
Saint Jo: Brush-341, Brush-241, Tender-141
Nocona Rural: Chief-131, Brush-231, Brush, 531, Tender-131.
Nocona City: Chief-130, Brush-130
Montague: Brush-151
Members of the Bowie City Council will meet at 6 p.m. on Aug. 25 to finalize the budget and conduct a public hearing on a proposed tax rate.
The ordinances adopting both the 2026-27 budget and the 2026 tax rate are on the agenda for action. The public hearing on the tax rate presents a rate of .5750 cents per $100 in property value, which is slightly higher than the 2025 rate that is .5430.
The new rate is projected to generate $2,990,998, compared to $2,703,176 from last year’s rate. This is the first significant change in the rate since 2019, when it was .5445 cents. The next year it went to .5447 cents, where it stayed until 2023, when it went to .5430 cents, through 2025.
A bid will be awarded for the Rock and Pillar Street drainage project. Wall Contractors will be recommended by the city engineer and staff review. The bid came in about $1.3 million, which was lower than the estimated $2 million. It is expected to straighten the channel and get this intersection reopened for traffic after more than a year of closure to collapse of a portion of the pavement on the street.
The council will consider stop signs regulating traffic flow around the Kingdom Ridge Subdivision next to the elementary school.
In the city manager’s report Bert Cunningham will provide information on the hazard mitigation plan, the 2025-26 audit preparation and the bid for the Rock and Pillar project.
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