NEWS
Sheriff asks for 2 more deputies, 1 jailer, 1 communications officer, jail software
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Sheriff Marshall Thomas made a pitch for two more deputies, two more jail/communications officers, along with a new jail management software as county budget workshops got underway with the Montague County Commissioner’s Court Monday.
The county elections administrator and justice of the peace two also offered their budget requests to the court.
Thomas and Chief Deputy Jack Lawson offered the requests to the court, with county growth the primary factor for the two additional deputies. The sheriff presented a population-to-officer ratio for Montague, Clay and Archer Counties. The county has 938 square miles with about 20,000 in population. There are 12 sheriff’s deputies serving the county, plus 16 on the Bowie Police, three on Saint Jo Police and five on Nocona Police.
Clay County has 1,117 square miles with 10,500 in population with 18 sheriff’s deputies. Archer County has 925 square miles with 8,500 people. Twelve deputies serve the county, three Holliday police and two Archer City police.
In other figures he stated Bowie is 5.5 square miles with 5,075 people; Nocona, 2.8 square miles with 2,982 people; Saint Jo is one square mile with 863 people and the county has the remaining 928.8 square miles with 11,080 population.
“I ask for two more deputies that will help us maintain what we have, but with 11 subdivisions coming in there will be an increase in workload and at a certain point it is a safety issue. People moving in will see we are understaffed. I would not ask if I didn’t think it was necessary,” said Thomas.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
City of Bowie officials were on hand to inspect the emergency electrical generators that were delivered last week.
Mayor Gaylynn Burris and City Manager Bert Cunningham inspected one of three emergency electrical generators purchased as part of an ongoing Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Grant. They also talked with Jay Evans, head of the city electric department, and Jerry Sutton, director of the water treatment plant about the next step for installation of the generators.
This grant provides funding for one 150 kW and two 250 kW generators for use at the water treatment plant.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
City Manager Bert Cunningham and Mayor Gaylynn Burris talk with the electric and water department staff about the new generators. (Photo by Cindy Roller)
No action was taken on a legal issue after members of the Bowie City Council met in a called closed session at 4 p.m. on July 12.
City Secretary Sandy Page said the council met for almost one hour for “consultation with attorney – Midwest Waste Services LLC vs. City of Bowie.
This lawsuit goes back to August 2019 when Midwest sued the city for its action requiring those who receive city water outside the city limits to use the designated waste collector, which is Waste Connections. This was shortly after the city signed a new long-term contract with WC.
The suit was dismissed in June 2020 on two points in the suit, but City Manager Bert Cunningham said a third point remained in mediation.
The Department of Public Safety has provided information on an auto vs. motorcycle accident that reportedly occurred on July 4.
James Lee Hilton, Nocona, was driving a 2019 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and Daniel Parra, Chico, was driving a 2018 Ford Fiesta. Both vehicles were north on State Highway 101 outside Sunset with the motorcycle behind the car.
Parra was attempting to turn left on Farm-to-Market Road 2265 when the motorcyclist attempted to unsafely pass to the left states the report. The bike struck the left side of the Fiesta. Both vehicles came to rest off the roadway on the northwest corner of SH 101 and FM 2265.
Hilton was transported to Denton Medical City with
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