COUNTY LIFE
Hearing loss doesn’t slow down Lady Indian Reagan Phipps
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Reagan Phipps is the typical 16-year-old teenage girl. She giggles, hangs out with girlfriends, plays sports and loves Taylor Swift; however, she also has
a challenge in her young life, significant hearing loss that requires wearing hearing aids to properly hear.
The Nocona High School junior is the daughter of Rocky and Traci Phipps. She has a little brother, Lincoln, who is an eighth grader.
Phipps is an active student athlete running
cross country where the team has gone to state the last two years, and plays basketball and softball. Her other school activities include National Honor Society, PALs and yearbook.
Her hearing loss may be hereditary as her mother has an implant to assist with her hearing loss that began several years ago. Her great aunt also had hearing issues.
“My hearing has always been ify, but the last four-five years it has gotten much worse. My mom’s loss came on after she was pregnant the second time,” she said.
For Phipps it was a gradual loss and she would wonder why everyone was being so quiet or why they were mumbling. She recalls not being able to hear well in cars due to the engine noise and people needed to look at her when they were talking.
“I wasn’t scared, but I told my mom and she said I may have what she has and I needed to
get tested before it became a problem,” Phipps explains.
During the past four years or so her hearing has gotten worse especially in cars and in restaurants where there is background noise. As for the high school gym filled to the rafters for basketball, she can’t hear at all.
It is hard for her to hear school announcements and answering a phone is difficult because having the hearing aids close to the phone can create noise like a speaker and microphone being too close together. The phone issue can be problematic since she works at a restaurant.
In Christmas 2022 Phipps was able to obtain hearing aids when they went to being sold over county making it more convenient and less expensive for her family.
Read the full feature in your weekend Bowie News.
Top photo – Lady Indian Reagan Phipps is a real go-getter on the court and she does not let her hearing loss slow her down a bit. (Photo by Jordan Neal)
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
It was family night for the City of Bowie Fire Department as members gathered for the annual pre-Thanksgiving awards dinner this week.
Firefighter of the Year awards, service awards and officers and firefighters were pinned with their new badges.
Fire Chief Doug Page opened the evening with a remembrance of a fallen firefighter, James Dunham who died 25 years ago on Nov. 18. This Saint Jo firefighter was responding to a car accident at Forestburg and after he arrived suffered a heart attack. Page noted his daughter is auxiliary member Renee Hart.
Chad Long, member of the department for one year and one month received the Firefighter of the Year Award. Kelly Tomlin, nine-year member, was selected by the volunteers to receive the Roy Gene Williams Award.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Top photo- New lieutenants Michael Burrows and Chad Gerlach received the oath from Mayor Gaylynn Burris. (Photo by Barbara Green)
The new Montague County Animal Rescue, which will be helping with operation of the new county animal shelter, invite you to “Wine Like A Dog” on Dec. 3 at Kimber Creek Wine Bar and Gift Shop in downtown Bowie.
The evening will include wine and charcuterie from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., while raising funds for the rescue organization. Tickets are $50.
Melanie Gillespie of Montague County Animal Rescue said the new 501c3 has completed its agreement to work with Montague County operating the animal shelter.
“Your support enables us to launch the opening of the first county-run animal shelter. We invite you to join our mission of rescuing, rehabilitating and finding loving homes for animals in need,” said Gillespie.
Limited tickets will be offered at the door based on availability. Those with questions may call Gillespie at 469-951-0215 or email [email protected].
The Candy Cane Sip & Stroll With Me kicks off Fantasy of Lights Christmas weekend in Bowie on Dec. 6.
Bowie’s popular strolling event will be from 5-8 p.m. on Dec. 6 throughout downtown. Participating merchants invite strollers to enjoy wine or other drinks and holiday munchies as they shop stores and visit retailers. There will be live music, a holiday photo booth and carriage rides.
Wristbands may be purchased at any of the participating merchants for $15. Strollers will receive a wine glass with their wristband, but they also are welcome to use a previous glass.
Proceeds go toward downtown beautification projects by the Bowie Community Development Board.
Participating merchants are: Rooted Souls Studio, Brandi’s Hair Salon, Beauty Bar + Co., Sharing the Love of Dolls, Broke Gals Boutique, Culpepper’s Trading Post, Hwy. 59 Boutique and Gifts, Studio 81, Wheat Jewelry Design, Mowens Slingin that Wax, Wise Street Mercantile, Silver Bullet Web Solutions and Cross M Beef, Hat Rack Hair Styles, Reboot Tech Repair, R&K Sound and Entertainment, Kimber Creek Gift Store, Sister Act Connection, The Element Salon, TScott designs, The Cactus Flower, The Wildflower Downtown, Rustic/Wings/Belle Rose, Thrift Angels Thrift Store, H&R Block, LaBelle Vintage Mall and Bowie Smoke Shop.
Sip & Stroll is a prelude to the Fantasy of Lights Christmas Festival on Saturday that has activities throughout the day, and a Christmas home tour on Sunday afternoon.
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