Texas Comptroller Don Huffines is reminding shoppers they can save money on clothes and school supplies during the state’s sales tax holiday on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 7-9.

State law exempts sales tax on qualified items — such as clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks — priced below $100, saving shoppers about $8 on every $100 they spend. The dates of the sales tax holiday and list of tax-exempt items are set by the Texas Legislature.

“I am encouraging Texas families to take advantage of this sales tax holiday,” Huffines said. “As a father of five, I know how fast these expenses add up, and this weekend is the perfect time for Texans to save cash on the items they need.”

Huffines estimates that shoppers will save $142.5 million in state and local sales tax during this year’s sales tax holiday.

The exemption applies whether shoppers buy items in stores, online, by telephone or by mail.

Shoppers using layaway also can benefit. Items placed on layaway or final payments made on existing layaway purchases during the holiday are tax free, provided the individual item price remains below $100.

If a retailer mistakenly charges sales tax on a qualifying item, customers may request a refund directly from the seller. For more information about sales tax refunds, go to the Comptroller’s website.

A full list of tax-free items is available at TexasTaxHoliday.org.

While the use of license plate reader cameras, aka Flock cameras, are being hotly debated in Bowie, an incident occurred this past week that resulted in a pursuit from Bowie into Wise County that resulted in one arrest.
Bowie Police Chief Guy Green reported dispatched received a phone call at 1:16 p.m. from a woman who said she saw a woman hanging out of the window of a dark colored Jeep screaming for help and to call 911. It was first seen in the area of the Allsup’s on Wise Street and a short time later a Sunset Flock camera picked up the vehicle near Sunset. After a brief chase and foot pursuit one man was arrested, Hector Borrego, as a suspect in the case.

Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.

Montague ISD has began construction on campus for an expansion designed to better serve students for generations.
The project will add four new classrooms, three offices and modern restroom facilities, while creating one of the district’s most anticipated improvements; connecting the main school building directly to the gymnasium. When completed, students will be housed under one roof, creating a more unified campus and enhancing safety for students, staff, and visitors.

Read the full story in your Thursday Bowie News.

Photo – Staff and school board members from Montague Independent School District broke ground on a new expansion project. (Courtesy photo)