NEWS
Faith Community Health System opens Bowie ER for patients today
Shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday the new Faith Community Health System Bowie emergency room went “live” and began accepting patients.
That announcement was greeted with loud applause as a reverential dedication ceremony for employees, families and community leaders came to an end. Frank Beaman, chief executive officer for Faith Community, turned to the ER director and said it was a go everything was ready.
The return of emergency medical care in Bowie has been a major concern for businesses and citizens who have been without immediate ER care in the city since Feb. 4, 2020 when Central Hospital closed its doors. The property was in an out of the bank’s hands many times and up for sale on the courthouse steps before it landed with investors who worked with Faith Community to establish a new ER in the former hospital. Bowie has been without a fully operational hospital since Nov. 16, 2015 when Bowie Memorial Hospital closed after nearly 50 years of service to the community. BMH was purchased and reopened as Central Hospital in May 2017, but it never really got its footing and closed in early 2020. Bowie emergency care has relied on Nocona General Hospital and Wise Health Care in Decatur.
It was a major undertaking as the building had been left to waste after it closed. Rain, freezing weather, thieves and neglect took a drastic toll by the time Faith launched the renovation and announced its intention to open an ER in August 2021. The last two years have been fraught with delays and unexpected costs many caused by the pandemic and post-pandemic business environment.
Top photo – Faith Community Rural Health System Medical Director Shawn White welcomed guests to Sunday’s ceremony.
Members of the Bowie City Council will consider naming one of five applicants to fill the vacancy in precinct one-north ward when they met at 6 p.m. on Dec. 11.
The opening came last month when Laura Sproles resigned her seat due to a move into another precinct. There is one year remaining on the two-year term for the precinct one council position.
As of Friday those who have submitted their application were Tawni J. Jones, David Love, TJay McEwen, Phillip Warren and Valerie Thomerson.
Jones lists herself as an entrepreneur on the application and she has lived in the precinct 6.5 years. Love lists his occupation in sales with 22 years in the precinct. TJay McEwen is a bank manager at Wellington State Bank and has lived in the precinct eight years.
Warren is a lease operator and has lived in the precinct just over 14 years. Thomerson is retired and lived in her precinct three years. If the council makes a selection the new councilor will be sworn-in that night.
Two Bowie Public Library board members also will be appointed: Karen Milchanowski and Lua Brown, both reappointments and Jessica Burris, new member.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Government moves at a snail’s pace, but the City of Bowie has finally received its directive to proceed with a $9.7 million sewer line replacement project.
Bowie City Manager Bert Cunningham was ecstatic to receive the letter Tuesday from the Texas Water Development Board. The engineer and contractor joined in the joy and scheduled a pre-construction conference for Dec. 8.
The city has been waiting several months to receive the final go-ahead from the TWDB, which is providing a low-interest loan to Bowie for the project. BCAC Underground, Haltom City, won the bid back in August at $832,802.75, which was about $160,000 less than the estimate.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
The Texas Broadband Development Office, operated by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, is soliciting input from the public on the new Texas Digital Opportunity Plan.
The plan outlines how these entities will connect the Lone Star State for a brighter future by making it easier for all Texans to access and use the internet. From today through Jan. 5, 2024, Texans can give their opinions on the Texas Digital Opportunity Plan by visiting broadbandfortexas.com/tdop.
Almost 2.8 million households and 7 million people in our state lack access to broadband, or high-speed internet, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
The Digital Opportunity Plan will provide these Texans with the technology and knowledge they need to fully participate in an increasingly digital world.
Read the full story in the weekend edition.
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