NEWS
Area firefighters battle huge wildfire south of Bowie
According to the Montague Emergency Communications team, Bowie Rural VFD, Sunset and Bowie VFDs responded to a fire in the 2500 block of Fruitland Road near the intersection with Highway 101 sometime after 2 p.m. About 2:45 p.m. deputies with the Montague Sheriff’s office began contacting residents in this area urging them to evacuate. At 3:06 p.m. the deputies asks all residents on Fruitland Road between Smyna and Brushy to evacuate immediately.
At 3:45 p.m. the team reported the fire was moving toward Cole Road and possibly toward Smyrna and Brushy Road. Evacuations of Cole, Smyrna to Brushy Roads continue.
At 4:15 p.m. Cole Road was closed at Brushy. At 4:30 p.m. additional evacuations began from Brushy at Cole to Orchard Road. This area should be avoid due to not only the fire but all the emergency personnel in this area.
UPDATE
5:12 PM Update
Gina McDaniel
For anyone displaced by the fire, we have cabins with beds, restrooms and showers available at Charis Hills Camp in Sunset. please ask them to call Molly at 940-366-3902
5:09 PM Update
First Baptist Church of Sunset 407 Spur 511, Sunset, has also opened a shelter.
5:49pm Update
At this time, forward progress has been impeded but there is still 0% containment. We have been advised that the wind will be shifting around 10pm this evening. PLEASE, if you are in the area, be prepared to evacuate.
4:53 pm Update
Brushy Road has been shut down at 1341 Brushy through to Smyrna Road. There are more reports of vehicles blocking access by fire response. PLEASE GET OUT OF THE AREA!
4:50pm Update
A shelter has been set up in the Bowie Intermediate School gymnasium. You can go into the back entrance to the gym on the Williams Street side.
4:30pm Update
Evacuations have started from Brushy Road at Cole Road North to Orchard Road. Please heed the evacuation warnings and avoid the area.
Bowie High School staff and students welcomed veterans for their annual tribute and breakfast on Veterans Day. Members of the FFA, Kyle Keeler and Rylan Cole folded the American flag as each fold was explained during the ceremony.
Newly elected members of the Saint Jo City Council will take the oath of office when they meet at 6 p.m. on Nov. 13 in city hall.
While the city did not conduct an election due to none of races being contested, new officers will include Mayor Kelly Williamson and returning Aldermen Colton Thomas and Melissa McPherson. A new mayor pro tem also will be elected and the mayor, mayor pro tem and one council member will be added to city financial accounts.
The majority of Wednesday’s meeting is reorganization with member changes to the economic development boards and other officers.
New appointments to the Saint Jo Economic Development Board 4A are: Amber Smith, president; Melissa McPherson, vice president; Kelly Bob Bayer, treasurer; and Jennifer Vogel, secretary. Smith and Bayer will be added to the board’s bank account signatures, while Carla Hennessey and Lucas Thompson will be removed.
Hennessey resigned from the boardin July and Thompson is no longer on the council. Debbie Dennis, city secretary, said these changes were made at the directive of the bank to have specific updated names for those who can sign documents.
Colton Shelton will be removed from the 4B board bank account.
Other topics
Beau Mauldin will make a request to place a tiny home on property located at 101 Katy Lake Road.
The council will discuss removing James Tidwell with Wolfe, Tidwell & McCoy as the city attorney and approve Zac Renfro of Reeves, Renfro Law Group as the new city attorney.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
While Montague County’s ban on outdoor burning expired, commissioners still urge residents to use caution.
Commissioner Mark Murphey in public comments told the court Tuesday while the burn ban has expired after its 90 days, people should still exercise extreme caution with burning. He urged any person doing major burns to call the sheriff’s office at 894-2871, ext. 1, to let them know.
In a brief post-holiday meeting Tuesday the Montague County Commissioners approved numerous routine items.
The court paid two invoices out of its American Rescue Plan federal funds for work on the sewer plant for the courthouse/annex complex. One bill is the permit fee of $620 from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. County Judge Kevin Benton said this will be an annual fee, which they will pay for with ARPA funds this year and budget it next year.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
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