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Bowie ISD staff feels good about where its facilities are with the safety standard

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By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Texas school districts received the latest school safety standards and have begun checking the status of their buildings and how they are going to pay for the updates required by the state.
Spurred by the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde where 19 children and two adults were killed, Gov. Greg Abbott charged the Commissioner of Education Mike Morath with rule development to ensure existing school facilities are held to heightened safety standards and to determine costs of more secure facilities in schools. On Oct. 3, the governor also appointed John P. Scott as the new Texas Education Agency chief of school safety and security.

With these directives and $400 million in additional school safety funding, districts have been informed of the standards rule and state-funded grant opportunities, plus information on the silent panic alert technology grant now available.
The commissioner is proposing legislation to address school safety and ensure minimum school safety standards. It requires all school system instructional facilities have access points that are secured by design, maintained to operate as intended and be appropriately monitored.

Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.

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Early deadline for New Year’s week paper

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The Bowie News office will be closed Dec. 24-25 for the Christmas holiday, and Dec. 30 and Jan. 1.
There is an early deadline of 4 p.m. on Dec. 27 for the Jan. 1 Bowie News for all news and ad items.
Your Jan. 1 edition will be delivered to the mail and racks one day earlier due to the New Year’s holiday. We hope you have a great Christmas week.

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Your Bowie News staff wishes you the blessings of a wonderful Christmas as you enjoy time with family and friends. Our offices will be closed Dec. 24-25 for the holiday.

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County obligates ARPA funds for sewer plant project

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Montague County Commissioners wrapped up a few items before the end of the year as they met on Dec. 23.
Grant Coordinator Charley Lanier asked the court to go ahead and obligate $276,961.84 from the American Rescue Funds to complete the new wastewater treatment plant that will serve the courthouse complex.
He explained Dec. 30 is the last date where grant funds can be obligated, and he did not expect any issues since this project had already been approved in court using ARPA funds, he called it a “safety net,” to avoid any problem and possible return of the funds to the federal government.

Montague County has about $276,961.84 in grant funds which has not been allocated.
The court gave approval on the request.
Lanier also asked the court to apply for a grant for a tire cutter. Funded through the Nortex Regional Planning Commission and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the application will ask for $26,865 to purchase a larger gas-powered cutter on a trailer, which can be moved around for use. It would cut the larger tires into four pieces, which would be allowed into a landfill. Lanier said if the cutter comes through the county would need to obtain a permit for its use from TCEQ, which he added should not be an issue.
Commissioner Mark Murphey said he picks up more tires abandoned on the county roads than he disposes of at his own yard, adding he probably has 500 at his yard. The court gave approval to apply for this competitive grant.
The remainder of Monday’s brief meeting were year-end items. Bonds for the justice of the peace one, county clerk, county attorney, district attorney, sheriff, commissioner three and constable two were accepted.
A cooperative agreement with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the county was approved, along with a license and services agreement with Local Government Solutions to provide software for both justice of the peace officers. The county attorney’s Chapter 59 Asset Forfeiture report was presented with no new seizures or forfeiture.

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