NEWS
Winter storm watch issued by weather service
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch from late Wednesday through Friday afternoon for most of North Texas including Montague, Cooke, Jack and Wise Counties.
The warning states heavy snow and mixed precipitation are possible with total snow accumulations between three and six inches and ice accumulations around one-tenth of an inch possible.
Roads and especially bridges and overpasses will likely become slick and hazardous. Travel will be difficult to impossible states the report and hazardous conditions could impact the Thursday morning and evening commutes.
Winter precipitations is forecast to start early Thursday morning and increase in intensity and coverage through the day Thursday and into Thursday night before tapering off during the day Friday.
NWS officials said the greatest uncertainty in the forecast is snowfall amounts across the west and northwest counties where accumulations may be lighter than currently forecast. The map shows Montague County located in an area forecast to get 3-6 inches of snowfall. As the storm moves south it turns more to ice.
Preparedness action include monitoring the latest forecasts and updates on the weather situation. Persons should consider delaying travel during this time.
If travel is absolutely necessary consider taking a winter storm kit along with you including tire chains, booster cables, flashlight, shovel, blankets and extra clothing. Also take water, a first aid kit and anything else that would help you survive in case you became stranded.
All 12 Texas Department of Transportation maintenance offices spent Monday pre-treating bridges and overpasses with brine in the Wichita Falls District. Crews in the largest cities sprayed brine on secondary highways and roads first before moving onto the primary freeways. Employees transformed more than 86 dump trucks into snowplows and adding brine tanks and sand spreaders.
Tuesday was spent laying down brine on all primary high traffic roadways and making more brine for the holding tanks and tanker trucks.
Motorists can obtain travel information, road conditions and see 15 Wichita Falls traffic cameras and 1 Vernon camera by visiting DriveTexas.org or calling (800) 452-9292. Traffic cameras are also at TxDOT.Gov. You also can follow the Wichita Falls District on its Facebook page.
If you experience an emergency on the road, call 9-1-1 for help and stay buckled up inside your vehicle.
NEWS
Amon Carter Lake Board to meet
Members of the Amon Carter Lake Water Supply Corporation will meet at 6 p.m. on May 26 in the office at 607A Lindsey for a monthly meeting.
Items on the agenda include a consent agenda and minutes and financials. Possible discussion/action may be considered on the following topics: Treasurer’s report, review of finance and current loans; president’s report as to the written agreements with contractual employees; consider current water rates and a possible increase; and review of expenses and areas that need amendment.
An executive session may be entered to discuss personnel issues.
NEWS
Saint Jo City Council hires fire marshal
The City of Saint Jo has a new fire marshal as the city council made the appointment during its May 13 meeting.
Gary Hines, a retired professional firefighter and certified fire investigator, will take the position. City Secretary Debbie Dennis said the post is required by ordinance but has not been filled for a long period.
The council set dates for a budget workshop for 2 p.m. on June 14 and 2 p.m. on June 28 for the ordinance workshop, as the council works to update its rules.
Aldermen gave their support to a proposition by Councilman Jack Dunn who is asking the Legislature to allow Texas’ smallest cities, those with 2,500 or few in population, to receive an additional share of sales and use tax. He would like to see the funds used in these communities to repair and replace aging infrastructure without new taxes or reliance on state grants.
In letter to State Rep. David Spiller, whom Dunn will meet with on June 1, the alderman explains much of the state’s 6.25% share generated locally flows into general funds and is spent on other priorities. He would like Spiller to author this legislation. Dunn gave the letter to the council along with a powerpoint on the plan.
“A single water treatment plant upgrade or sewer rehab carries massive, fixed costs that do not shrink with population size. These communities, often with only a few hundred or a couple thousands residents, simply cannot spread those costs across enough ratepayers or a broad tax based,” the letter states.
Dunn suggests a “graduated sales tax retention policy:” 1% additional share for cities with 2,500 or fewer residents; .75% for those 2,500 and 5,000; and .50% for cities between 5,001 and 10,000. It would be dedicated to infrastructure. Dunn says the overall statewide fiscal impact would be negligible, but could help sustain small, rural cities.
NEWS
City of Nocona buys water storage tank, review dam repair
The Nocona City Council approved a bid for a new 203,000 gallon capacity tank for potable water at the water plant and learned a slide repair to the lake dam is going to be pretty costly.
At its May 12 session the council received three bids on the tank and went with one from Tank Depot of Cleburne for $193,923. It is for a a 217,600 gallon tank usable for 203,000 gallons. The price could change slightly since it was based on estimate freight costs.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
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