COUNTY LIFE
Finding qualified applicants, keeping them is hard for Bowie PD and Fire
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Trying to keep the staff rosters full of trained personnel at the Bowie Fire and Bowie Police Departments continues to be an ongoing problem, as employees leave after a brief tenure primarily to take more high paying jobs often in the Metroplex.
Both departments have been taking applications and testing for their vacancies. Police Chief Guy Green said in the last few weeks they have lost one long-time dispatcher who is leaving to take a job with the county clerk’s office, and one more patrol officer, as Cpl. Andrew Poole resigned to take a school resource officer position at Valley View.
Earlier last month, the PD lost Patrol Officer Marlon Bryant who left the job to help his father who lives in the Panhandle area, where Bryant is working for the Hemphill County sheriff’s office.
Cameron Hughes, patrol, left for another job on Dec. 14, but that vacancy was filled by Justin Walker who came to Bowie from the Van Alystyne Police Department with about two years of experience. Poole, who lives in Nocona, will remain as a BPD reserve. The department is budgeted for 17 people across the entire department.
While the fire department is fully staffed with one new person coming on to fill a pending departure, Chief Chief Doug Page said since August 2023 they have seen seven officers leave, some with short tenures and a few others with several years depart for other jobs. That number jumps to eight with one leaving this weekend and his replacement coming in.
Bowie fire is budgeted for 15 paid members.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Montague County Commissioners face a routine agenda of business when they meet at 9 a.m. on Oct. 14.
Interim District Attorney Katie Boggeman will discuss using Senate Bill 22 funds for a part-time position.
These funds were frozen during an investigation into District Attorney Casey Hall’s use of the funds.
The 2025 resolution for the indigent defense grant program will be presented.
Other topics on Monday’s agenda will be: Consider the appointment of Addie Kirkpatrick to the Montague County Child Welfare Board; reschedule the Veteran’s Day Nov. 11 meeting to Nov. 12; allow sheriff’s office to accept unanticipated revenue of $450 for donations to the National Night Out program; pay two invoices from federal grant funds for bid notices for the wastewater treatment plant; precinct one to enter a finance agreement to purchase a 2025 Mack truck for $161,175 and finance $120,000 and consider naming the private road off South Ford Road to Brom Loop in precinct two.
The 29th annual Chicken and Bread Days Heritage Festival saw the Harvest Sip & Stroll as its prelude with about 20 merchants participating. One merchants said he estimated serving about 300 people during the evening but the strollers were out in force for the fall evening. See lots of photos in the weekend Bowie News.
Top photo- The new Culpepper Trading Post on Smythe had a soft opening as they participated in Sip & Stroll.
The Montague County Historical Commission and the Montague County Cemetery Board will be hosting a Talking Tombstone Tour featuring the Nocona Cemetery at 2 p.m. on Oct. 19.
This tour will begin at the gazebo in the center of the cemetery. There is no charge for this event.
Before the tour begins, there will be a brief program to honor the unveiling of a new historical marker. The competition for a historical marker is high.
For the cemetery to be awarded a second marker speaks to the historical significance of the cemetery and represents hours of research and dedication of many people. This marker focuses on some of the founding settlers of Nocona.
Because of the size of the cemetery, the tour also will be at the gazebo. Bring your lawn chairs and listen to the stories and learn about the lives of some of the early settlers of the area. The graves of each person represented will be marked, making it easy to find the people.
As always there are too many from the past to recognize in a day. After the presentations, enjoy some light refreshments and stroll through cemetery, sit and visit with friends or share stories of your own knowledge of history.
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