COUNTY LIFE
Nocona barber ready to take on CC leadership
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
When Emory Roden and his wife Dr. Kelly moved to Nocona in 2019 and he set out his barber pole for his new shop, it only seemed natural to him to approach the chamber of commerce.
The young businessman will be introduced as the new president of the Nocona Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors during the annual banquet Tuesday night. See the related story on page 4A.
Back in his hometown of Ralls, TX Roden had been active in the chamber and also served on the city council. The 34-year-old worked as a mechanic but he also grew up in his grandpa’s barber shop learning how to cut hair.
He recalls he and his brother, who was three years older, always talked about going into a shop together, and his sibling did just that in their home town cutting hair 10 years before he was fully licensed. His brother’s unexpected death in 2016 occurred just before Emory and Kelly moved to Lindale.
The Rodens met while they were in college and married in 2015. Both grew up in small towns so they knew that was the lifestyle they wanted for their future family. Dr. Kelly earned her doctorate of medicine in 2016 from Texas Tech and began work in emergency care, before being recruited by Nocona General Hospital for family medicine in fall 2019.
Emory had been “twisting wrenches for Firestone,” not making that much money and virtually no benefits. He still had aspirations to cut hair and have his own business, so the time seemed right when they came to Nocona. Kelly encouraged him and he began studying for his license, which takes about 1,500 hours of study.
Roden’s Barber Shop opened up a short time after they made the move to Nocona, and he has been enjoying getting to know his new home.
Read the full feature in your weekend Bowie News.
NOCONA CHAMBER BANQUET
The Nocona Chamber of Commerce celebrates its past year with the Boots and Bling banquet on Aug. 29 at the H.J. Justin Building.
As of Thursday there were tickets still available for $20 or $25 at the door. This annual event honors the work of community leaders and chamber leaders. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the dinner and program 6-8 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend.
The banquet will feature live music and barbecue prepared by the awarding winning Nocona High School barbecue team. Guest speaker is Carol Lipscomb author of “The Lady Makes Boots.”
Awards will be presented to Citizen of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Volunteer Organization of the Year and Business of the Year. The final award goes to the best decorated table winner. Those who wish to purchase a ticket may call 940-825-3536.
Officers for the board will be: Emory Roden, president; Jason Castle, vice president; Bob Taylor, treasurer; Donna Lemons, secretary and Emily Carminati, director. Board members are: Amber Harper, Becky Fenoglio-Hankamer, Carol Cecil, Corissa Miller, Glenda Womble, Jana Staley, Jodi Womble, Michelle Fenoglio, Mitzi Fenoglio and Susie Grant.
https://www.bestprosintown.com/tx/nocona/rodens-barbershop-/
(Top image: Courtesy photo, Jody Langston runs an informative table on Wise Hope Shelter & Crisis Center at the National Night Out Oct. 6.)
An American is sexually assaulted every 73 seconds. One in three Texans experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Statewide, intimate partner violence claimed the lives of 160 individuals in 2025 alone.
Behind these staggering statistics from organizations like Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network and the Texas Council on Family Violence are real people, and that is precisely why the Wise Hope Shelter & Crisis Center exists.
This October, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the agency stands as a vital resource. Originally founded on Aug. 2, 1999, following the 1997 organization of the Wise County Domestic Violence Task Force, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit was created to address violence in rural north-central Texas.
Supported by hundreds of volunteers, Wise Hope has since grown to encompass a 20-bed, 4,800-square-foot shelter, three outreach offices and a thrift store, and the agency is preparing to announce an upcoming renovation project soon.
Read the full story in your Thursday Bowie News.
There will be a community blood drive from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov 2 at AVIR in Bowie, 700 W. U.S. Highway 287 South.
The Carter BloodCare Bus will be present with its staff to collect blood donations. The sign- up link is: greatpartners.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/168764.
Carter BloodCare is offering a plush new blanket to thank local blood donors for giving in November. Carter BloodCare’s annual blanket incentive has become a popular holiday tradition. The blanket is available while supplies last.
Eligible donors can give blood starting at age 16 with parental consent; those 17 and older can donate on their own. Donors must weigh at least 110 pounds and feel well at the time.
Carter BloodCare donors help Texans with life-threatening injuries from car wrecks; children fighting cancer; burn patients; older adults with health issues; organ transplant recipients; new mothers and others in need.
For details, visit CarterBloodCare.org or call 800-366-2834.
Carter BloodCare has proudly served Texans since 1951. The independent community blood center provides transfusion resources in 59 counties of North, Central and East Texas, supporting thousands of patients in more than 225 medical facilities. Carter BloodCare is one of the largest nonprofit blood programs in Texas, delivering more than 450,000 doses of blood, platelets and plasma each year to meet the health care needs.
As the holiday near blood is often in short supply, but the need never goes away. Make time to scheduled your date to donate blood to help your community to be prepared for the upcoming season.
The Montague County Commissioner’s Court opened bids for the reconstruction of the Montague County Veterans Memorial Wall during regular session Oct. 26.
The memorial, located on the courthouse square, was heavily damaged on March 4, 2025, when a severe storm with high winds supposedly caused two large black panels containing the names of local veterans to fall over and shatter.
It was the second time a panel had fallen at the site. A single panel previously fell in November 2021, costing $16,000 to replace and raising questions regarding the monument’s structural integrity. Following the 2021 incident, it was discovered no steel rods or internal supports secured the stone panels to the concrete foundation.
Read the full story in your Thursday Bowie News.
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