NEWS
Montague County is now under a ban on outdoor burning
Montague County Judge Kevin Benton issues an emergency order for a ban on all outdoor burning at 11:15 a.m. on Aug. 4.
This order will expired in seven days until additional action is taken.
The order states the imminent threat of disaster from wildfire and drought continues to exist, mitigation of these factors prohibits the burning of trash and domestic waste, maintenance or land clearing, brush, campfires and trees.
This order limits outdoor burning activities related to public health and safety authorized by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for firefighter training, public utility, natural gas pipeline or mining operations, harvest or agricultural crops or welding allowed with the following restrictions:
Area should be clean 15 feet or more on welding site; there should be at least 55 gallons of water with the ability to pressurize and spray welding site; an additional person should be on site with welder to spot fires and a fire extinguisher on site.
City of Bowie officials report Montague County, TX will be under an ELEVATED FIRE THREAT today. Please be careful. Hear Audio Alert:https://hrpow.us/H9U9gWU
A heat advisory also continues until 8 p.m. tonight. Remember to check on pets and older neighbors. Stay safe.
Photo of a previous grass fire, Bowie News file photo.
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.
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