NEWS
Missing swimmer’s body found Monday
The body of Bowie man was found in off the point of Selma Park on Lake Amon G. Carter after he went missing while swimming out to help his children who appeared to have gotten too far from shore due to the winds.
The search for Randall Carpenter began around 1 p.m. Sunday following a 911 call. He was reportedly swimming out to get his two children ages eight and 13, who had drifted too far from shore and could not get back. A 911 call about swimmers in danger went to the Montague County Sheriff’s office and Bowie Police also responded. First responders were able to get the attention of some two boaters who assisted and got the children out of the water and back to shore. They were taken by ambulance to Decatur Medical City and were treated for inhaling water.
An afternoon search for the father continued with high winds creating large white caps and dangerous boating conditions. Boats were pulled out around around 4 p.m. due to those concerns, however, Police Chief Guy Green said they continued to search the shoreline and the sheriff’s staff sent up a drone to search. At dark the search was halted, but resumed Monday morning around 8 a.m. with a Wise EMS rescue boat and two parks and wildlife boats with sonar searching for the missing man.
Sonar found the man on the bottom of the lake and divers from the Wichita Falls Police Department recovered Carpenter around 10 a.m. Monday.
(Pictured at top) Wise EMS and Texas Parks and Wildlife boats were on Lake Amon Carter Monday morning continuing the search for a missing swimming that began Sunday afternoon. (Photo by Barbara Green)
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
While the budget was the primary topics for the Montague County Commissioners on Aug. 10, there were several other topics handled by the court.
Tax Assessor Collector Kathy Phillips presented the certification of value and rates for the 2026 taxes. The certified net values are $3,017,685,102 with rolling railroad stock at $15,954,716.
The county’s total taxable value is $3,033,639,818. Total appraised is $7,930,674,437, total assessed at $3,629,932,719 and total taxable value of new property at $93,632,505.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewssonline.com
The proposed 2026-27 budget for Montague County was finalized Monday, but not without a few fireworks between the sheriff and county judge.
Sheriff Marshall Thomas said his budget requests for two additional deputies and two jailers may not have been clearly presented to either the court or public. During the July 27 budget workshop, the increase for operational expenses of the sheriff’s office and jail were reviewed, but there was no discussion on the staff requests.
At that meeting Thomas said his staff requests had been taken out by the County Judge Kevin Benton, but afterward the judge emphasized he had met with Thomas about the requests and he knew the staff additions would not be included in the proposal.
On Aug. 10 during the budget workshop, Thomas said he had some questions from constituents and he also thought some of the commissioners were not aware of the requests.
“I asked for two more deputies and we need two jailers. The standard ratio is 2.5 to 2.7 per 1,000 people in the Nortex region, we are at .75 for 938 square miles. We have two jailers in training and two out for months on major medical. The standard is 1:48 inmates. Our comp time is through the roof because in the jail with such short staff others have to come in and cover,” Thomas told the court Monday.
Things only got more intense between the two men as Benton said he felt like he was being accused of keeping information from the court,, while Thomas said he understood the court may not have received the request and citizens have asked him why he did ask for more staff.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
The board of directors of the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District met with the Montague County Commissioner’s Court Monday to present the major proposed rules changes for the district that will be considered at an Aug. 27 board meeting at 5 p.m. at the Springtown office.
Board President Tracy Mesler and Assistant General Manager Kyle Russell explained the proposals that focus on permit allocations for non-exempt wells, hydrogeologic reports for high volume permits, minimum tract size and spacing for new wells. The district addresses groundwater issues in Montague, Wise, Parker and Hood Counties. The public is invited to attend these public meetings and the full agenda is located on the district website at uppertrinitygcd.com.
Read the full story on all the proposed rule changes in Thursday’s Bowie News.
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