NEWS
Examining school security – BISD has undertaken many improvements to enhance security
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Each time there is a school shooting incident in America it launches a debate on the security of our schools. The May 24 mass casualty incident at Uvalde in Robb Elementary was no different although seemingly even more tragic with the loss of 19 elementary school students and two teachers. The 18-year-old gunman, Salvador Ramos, was killed at the scene.
This shooting came just 10 days after a shooting at a Tops supermarket in New York that took the lives of 10 people.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Education Agency late last week to provide strategies to make Texas public schools safer. Specifically, districts were asked to identify actions they can take prior to the start of the new school year to make campuses more secure; instruct districts to conduct weekly inspections of exterior doors to verify they are secure during school hours and develop strategies to encourage school districts to increase the presence of trained law enforcement officers and school marshals on campus.
All the superintendents in the county will be meeting in Bowie Thursday in response to the Uvalde shooting. Enlow said they will talk about what they are doing in their districts, new information and ideas and thought processes that may be set up in responding to the Texas incident.
Buildings
Bowie Independent School District has undertaken many steps to increase security and several projects are in the works. Superintendent Blake Enlow said the Uvalde shooting occurred just a few days before the school year ended in Bowie and it was on everyone’s mind at the annual staff breakfast on the last day.
Read the full story on the improvements made for school security in the last five years in your mid-week Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Trustees of the Bowie Independent School District welcomed one new member this week following the Nov. 5 election and accepted the 2023-24 outside audit with no exceptions.
Incumbent Trustee Jacky Betts returned to place one and Angie Christmas took the place two seat. After the board officers were dissolved with the new ones taking the oath, officers were elected. Betts will continue as president, Guy Green as vice president and Kent Dosch as secretary.
Paul Fleming of Edgin, Parkman, Fleming & Fleming, PC, presented the audit telling there were no issues and the process went smoothly. He noted the biggest change was the Legislature compressing the district tax rate and additional changes in the tax law. State aid formula grants increased due to the state’s funding formula compensating for lost property tax revenue due to the law change previously mentioned.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Information was the watchword for the second hospital/emergency room community meeting Tuesday night, as the steering committee was announced along with additional financial considerations.
About 50 people attended the meeting. Melody Gillespie, who was named chairperson for the committee, said the goal is to gather information to get it out into the community. This group was formed after the Bowie emergency room was closed by Faith Rural Health System in early October just shy of one year of operating in Bowie.
Kylie Ward, one of the public relations volunteers, said, “This committee is not here to force things on you and there are assumptions already we are proposing a tax. We are not, we don’t have that ability, we are just a research team here to explore all the options.”
Other members of the committee include Tiffany Chandler and Damon Benton handling finance and grant research; Jennifer Tellef, secretary; Valerie Tomerson, grant research; Ann Smith, PR and Margin Latham and Gillespie, legislative research. It was pointed out there are other members of the sub-committees who are helping with research, but they also invite anyone interested to help with the process.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Top photo – Jack County Judge Keith Umphress spoke at this week’s steering committee meeting. (Photo by Barbara Green)
The following indictments were filed with the 97th District Clerk following the November session of the Montague County Grand Jury.
There were a total of 13 indictments with one sealed awaiting the arrest of a suspect.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Read the full list of indictments in your mid-week Bowie News.
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