NEWS
Tornado crosses Montague County, throttles Valley View
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
The National Weather Service confirmed Monday the tornado that tracked through Montague County and into Cooke County Saturday night was an EF-2 with estimated peak winds of 135 mph; while the one that struck nearby Valley View in Collin County was an EF-3 with winds up to 165 mph.
While the emergency sirens came on three times in the City of Bowie Saturday evening, the community was spared any significant damage as the long-track tornado came east across the county. Nearby Clay County also had tornadoes spotted in the Windthorst area.
In Cooke County, the small community of Valley View, which is only 50 miles east of Bowie was hard hit. Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington reported on Sunday there’s “just a trail of debris left” in the town that lies along I-35 just south of Gainesville.
The sheriff said seven people were killed in this area including two children ages two and five in Valley View which only has a population of about 800. Two other children, ages 15 and nine were later confirmed to have also died. The bodies of three family members were found in one residence said Sappington.
Governor Greg Abbott in a Sunday news conference said at least 100 others were injured in the Valley View area and more than 200 homes and buildings were damaged along with 120 other structures in the area.
These powerful weekend storms left 15 people dead across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Another tornado tore through Denton County Saturday night damaging homes and knocking out power.
On Sunday the governor signed the state’s severe weather disaster declaration to add Denton, Montague, Cooke and Collin Counties, bringing the total number to 106. This tornado was rated an EF-3.
“As further assessments are made those death and damage numbers may increase. It has been a harrowing week with lives lost, property reduced to rubble and crushed hopes and dreams of those that owned homes or small businesses,” said Abbott.
The governor also encouraged those whose homes or businesses have been damaged to contact their insurance companies as soon as possible and to report damages at damage.tdem.texas.gov.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
Top Photo – Brad and Rebecca Largent captured this photo of the tornado near Windthorst Saturday on Deer Creek Road in Clay County on FM 1883. They said it was about eight miles from their home.
A major crash on East Wise in front of the Second Monday parking on July 11 shut down traffic for several hours in the morning and sent two people to the Bowie emergency room.
The accident occurred at 9:53 a.m. Thursday at 1616 E. Wise involving a large sign installation truck and an SUV.
Briana Rollison, Bowie, was driving a 2001 Ford Expedition east in the 1600 block of E. Wise and the large truck from Turner Signs System of Richland Hills was traveling west on East Wise driven by Joshua Thompson.
The preliminary accident report states Thompson lost control of the vehicle crossing the double yellow line striking the SUV in front of the Parker Properties and Farm Services Building. The SUV was knocked into the ditch and later made it back on the roadway.
The truck rolled on the passenger side and slid about 50-100 feet west of the incident location. Skid marks from the truck were observed to start approximately 300-350 feet east of the crash location.
See the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Bowie City Councilors this week got their first look at the 2024-25 proposed budget seeing a balanced plan with a total operational budget of $23,296,885 in expenses, which is a little more than $1.4 million above the previous year’s budget.
Mayor Gaylynn Burris said Monday night the budget looks “eerily familiar” to last year, despite adding a few equipment purchases. City Manager Bert Cunningham said he had already slashed more than $300,000 from the department requests in order to get a balanced budget.
The utility fund is balanced with expenses of $12,595,995 and revenues projected at $12,601,000. In the general fund revenues are projected at $10,705,568 with expenses at $10,700,890. Total budget expenses are $23,296,885 and overall revenue projected at $23,306,568. Cunningham said it leaves a small margin to set forth a balanced budget.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Top photo: New chip and seal was laid on Elba and Lamb this week repairing well-worn roads near the Nelson/Mill drainage project. (Photo by Barbara Green)
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Few additional details have been released in connection with the Tuesday theft arrest of 97th District Attorney Casey Hall, and in a statement to the media the DA called the allegations “unfounded.”
The Montague County Grand Jury issued an indictment for Hall following the presentation of evidence in the case Monday by Assistant Attorney General Matthew Shawhan. The indictment is the result of an investigation initiated by county officials.
The indictment is for theft of property $2,500-$30,000 in value. Sheriff Marshall Thomas served the arrest warrant Tuesday afternoon. Justice of the Peace Two Jack Pigg arraigned Hall at the jail after her arrest at 2:33 p.m. She was released on $5,000 bond, which was set by retired District Judge Jack McGaughey on Monday.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
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