COUNTY LIFE

Domestic violence has many faces: Emotional, financial, gaslighting

Published

2 years ago

10/30/2021

By BARBARA GREEN, [email protected]
During 2020, 228 Texans were killed by their intimate partners.
Three or more U.S. women are murdered every day by their current or former intimate partner.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is important to note domestic abuse is not about arguments or violent tendencies, it is about domination and control.
Men who kill their female partners usually dominate them first, sometimes without any physical violence. For some 28-33% of victims the homicide or attempted homicide was the first act of physical violence in the relationship.
A local woman shares her story of coercive control and how it almost led to her death twice. To protect her identity, The Bowie News is using a pseudonym for her, Sarah, and her aggressor, Tom. She hopes her story will shine a light on this facet of domestic violence.
The beginning
Sarah, now 50, grew up out of state, but has spent the last 10 years or so in Texas raising her family. She is an intelligent, faithful woman who loves her children, has worked as an educator and has an active role in ministry at her church.
Her relationships with her married partners have been fraught with joy and turmoil. Married to her first husband and high school sweetheart,

with whom she had three children, they were together 20 years when he came home one day and said he was not happy and left her for another woman.
Sarah hoped to have found happiness again only to see her second husband pass away during the night from a massive blood clot just nine months into their marriage. He had battled colon cancer, which led to an addiction to pain pills cutting their time together short during those nine months.
Her “rebound marriage,” as she calls it, turned out to be her aggressor during the seven years of their married life together.
“When I married Tom it as out of fear of being alone. When he started doing certain things, I did not see any red flags, as he isolated me. He would schedule a romantic get-away the same weekend as my grandson’s birthday party. He didn’t want me to be with family,” recalls Sarah.

Read the full story in the Saturday Bowie News.

COUNTY LIFE

Saint Jo Panthers ready homecoming events

Published

1 day ago

09/20/2023

bowienews

Saint Jo High School celebrates homecoming this Friday as the Panthers take on Gold-Burg. Members of the homecoming court include Junior Princess Taylor Patrick, Junior Princess Ava Rossin, senior candidates Jacie Weger, Presley Deweese, Kyler Dunn, Saraiah Vasquez, Sophomore Princess Maxey Johnson and Freshman Princess Jordyn O’Neal. The queen selected from the senior ladies will be crowned during halftime ceremonies at Harley Sewell Stadium Friday night. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. Courtesy photo.

There will be a homecoming dance starting about 15 minutes after the football game. A king will be crowned at the dance.

COUNTY LIFE

Fall home and garden section inside today

Published

1 day ago

09/20/2023

bowienews

Are you looking to spruce up your home as the seasons change? In your mid-week Bowie News read the Fall Home & Garden special section. Gets tips for your yard to be ready for next spring or a facelift for the inside or the home. Also see the special from sponsoring merchants.

COUNTY LIFE

Shebang to feature lots of great live auction items; event supports TNT

Published

5 days ago

09/16/2023

bowienews

Tales ‘N’ Trails Museum will host its primary fundraiser, Shebang on Sept. 23 with dinner, a live auction, music and the popular bucket auction at the H.J. Justin Building at 100 Clay Street.
Proceeds from the event go to pay for the museum’s annual operating costs as well as special projects like the current restoration of two of Dell Motley’s large leather art pieces. TNT celebrates its 13th year of operation in 2023.
Tickets for Shebang are $50 or $350 for a table of eight and will feature dinner and entertainment, plus the live auction, silent and bucket auctions. It is BYOB.

Tickets are available at the museum office at 1522 E. Highway 82.
The live auction will feature some unique items this year. How about a house concert with Thom Shepherd and Coley McCabe performing a two-hour acoustic set at your home on an agreed-upon date. Minimum bid is $1,000. This pair is an award-winning duo and songwriters for songs like “Redneck Yacht Club” and “Lucky For You.”
How about a three-hour tour of the Red River by airboat for five people or a Invacare Lynx L-4 travel scooter? Then how about a load of base rock or gravel, beautiful western art, a custom made Nokona ball glove or pair of Fenoglio boots?
Live bids are now open at the shebang website at tntshebang.org. Online bids on many of these items will end on Sept. 21 and the last one will be the opening bid at the live auction at Shebang.
Bidders have to be present for the bucket and silent auction, but you can see some of the items on the webpage.
Call the museum at 825-5330 to reserve tickets. The TNT Board of Directors invites you to visit Montague County’s largest museum that showcases the unique history of the area. Visit the museum webpage at talesntrails.org.