NEWS
BEDC annual report tempered with bad, good news
By BARBARA GREEN
The Bowie Economic Development Corporation 2015-16 annual report explored both the good and bad news looking toward the new year with positive plans.
Janis Crawley, executive director of the BEDC and 4B Sales Tax Corporation, gave the report to the Bowie City Council at its Tuesday meeting,telling them the past year had been a hard one economically for the greater Bowie area. Some of the major impacts were:
• Sales tax revenues are down 37 percent.
• The unemployment rate has increased by one point and for the first time since 2013 the local rate is higher than the state average, 5.0 versus 4.8 percent.
• Bowie Memorial Hospital closed losing 136 jobs, and when the “trickle-down” is calculated, there was a 176 job loss.
However, the director then tempered the bad news with some more positive such as bids to start construction at the Bowie Business Park and the reopening of the hospital.
Read the full story in the weekend News.
NEWS
Bowie School Board swears in two members
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Trustees of the Bowie Independent School District welcomed one new member this week following the Nov. 5 election and accepted the 2023-24 outside audit with no exceptions.
Incumbent Trustee Jacky Betts returned to place one and Angie Christmas took the place two seat. After the board officers were dissolved with the new ones taking the oath, officers were elected. Betts will continue as president, Guy Green as vice president and Kent Dosch as secretary.
Paul Fleming of Edgin, Parkman, Fleming & Fleming, PC, presented the audit telling there were no issues and the process went smoothly. He noted the biggest change was the Legislature compressing the district tax rate and additional changes in the tax law. State aid formula grants increased due to the state’s funding formula compensating for lost property tax revenue due to the law change previously mentioned.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
NEWS
ER/hospital steering group formed
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Information was the watchword for the second hospital/emergency room community meeting Tuesday night, as the steering committee was announced along with additional financial considerations.
About 50 people attended the meeting. Melody Gillespie, who was named chairperson for the committee, said the goal is to gather information to get it out into the community. This group was formed after the Bowie emergency room was closed by Faith Rural Health System in early October just shy of one year of operating in Bowie.
Kylie Ward, one of the public relations volunteers, said, “This committee is not here to force things on you and there are assumptions already we are proposing a tax. We are not, we don’t have that ability, we are just a research team here to explore all the options.”
Other members of the committee include Tiffany Chandler and Damon Benton handling finance and grant research; Jennifer Tellef, secretary; Valerie Tomerson, grant research; Ann Smith, PR and Margin Latham and Gillespie, legislative research. It was pointed out there are other members of the sub-committees who are helping with research, but they also invite anyone interested to help with the process.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Top photo – Jack County Judge Keith Umphress spoke at this week’s steering committee meeting. (Photo by Barbara Green)
NEWS
Montague County Grand Jury issues November indicted cases
The following indictments were filed with the 97th District Clerk following the November session of the Montague County Grand Jury.
There were a total of 13 indictments with one sealed awaiting the arrest of a suspect.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Read the full list of indictments in your mid-week Bowie News.
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2 hurt, 1 jailed after shooting incident north of Nocona
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Suspect indicted, jailed in Tia Hutson murder
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SO investigating possible murder/suicide
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