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DPS encourages an extra helping of safety during the holiday weekend

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AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is reminding motorists to make safety an integral part of their Thanksgiving travel plans and to celebrate the holiday responsibly.

“As Texans are traveling to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends, DPS is reminding drivers of their duty to help keep our roadways safe – and we urge everyone to take this responsibility seriously,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “We are especially thankful this holiday for our Troopers and other law enforcement partners who will be giving up part of their holiday and time with their families to help patrol Texas roads and keep us safe.”

DPS Troopers and other Texas law enforcement agencies will be patrolling around-the-clock during the extended holiday weekend looking for drunk drivers, speeders, seat belt violators and other motorists who are endangering themselves or the public.

During the 2017 Thanksgiving holiday, DPS Troopers issued more than 73,000 traffic citations and warnings for a variety of violations, including 8,449 speeding and 1,005 seat belt/child safety seat citations. DPS patrols also resulted in 324 driving while intoxicated arrests, 290 fugitive arrests and 235 felony arrests during the same time period.

Show your thanks this holiday to those working on the side of the road by following the law: Slow down or move over for police, fire, EMS, Texas Department of Transportation vehicles and tow trucks stopped on the side of the road with emergency lights activated. Also, show the same courtesy to fellow drivers stopped alongside the road.

DPS offers the following tips for safe travel during the extended holiday weekend:

 

  • Do not drink and drive. Make alternate travel plans if you are consuming alcohol.
  • Slow down – especially in bad weather, construction areas, heavy traffic and unfamiliar areas.
  • Eliminate distractions while driving, including the use of mobile devices. Texas law prohibits using a portable wireless device to read, write or send an electronic message unless the vehicle is stopped.
  • Buckle up everyone in the vehicle – it’s the law.
  • Drive defensively, as holiday travel may present additional challenges.
  • Don’t drive fatigued – allow plenty of time to reach your destination.
  • If you see a road hazard or if you observe anything suspicious, report it to the nearest law enforcement agency.
  • On multi-lane roadways, use the left lane for passing only. Not only is it courteous driving and avoids impeding traffic, Texas law requires slower traffic to keep to the right and to only use the left lane for passing (when posted).
  • Before your trip begins, make sure your vehicle is properly maintained and always double check to make sure all cargo is secure.
  • Monitor weather and road conditions wherever you are traveling. For road conditions/closings in Texas, visit https://drivetexas.org.
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Senate District 30 runoff early voting to open

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Texans continue to go to the elections polls as voters decide who will face off in the November general election to fill the 30th Senatorial District seat.
Both the Democratic and Republican Parties will have party primary runoffs on May 28 as they try to select a candidate to fill the seat of Senator Drew Springer (R-Muenster) who chose not to see a second-four-year term after winning a special election in 2020. He ran unopposed in 2022.
There were multiple candidates in both party primaries back in March and no one was able to garner the necessary majority. The top two vote-getters will face off to determine a winner for the November ballot.
Early voting for the runoff runs May 20-24 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Montague County Courthouse Annex Community Room. This is the only location for early voting.
On election day voting polls will be located in the courthouse annex, Bowie Senior Citizens Center, Nocona City Hall and Saint Jo Civic Center. They will be open 7 a.m.. to 7 p.m.
Those who voted in the March primary can only cast ballots in that party primary, voters cannot switch parties. Those who did not vote in the primary can vote in either party primary.

Read more on this story in the mid-week Bowie News.

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County to bid SO radio console

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By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Montague County Commissioners will make plans to take bids for a radio console at the sheriff’s office after a portion of the unit went down.
That was just one of the many topics in Monday’s court session. An executive session to discuss pending litigation was tabled after County Judge Kevin Benton reported a conference call with the other party’s attorney and County Attorney Clay Riddle showed they were not ready for discussion and he asked it be tabled, which was approved.
On the radio console, the court has been talking about the unit since Sheriff’ Marshall Thomas reported the console has reached the end of its life expectancy of eight years and was having lots of problems. The county had applied for a grant to help pay for it, but it won’t be announced until June.
The radio system has two parts said Thomas and one unit has completely stopped working, however, they are still able to use the radio for now and handle 911 service. Judge Benton said in looking at the estimated costs it was expected to be just under the $50,000 bid limit hovering around $42,000; however, they also have found the unit needs five radios through which it can transmit from the two computers which will push up the price.

Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.

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Building projects lead Bowie City Council agenda

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Infrastructure projects once more dominate the agenda of the Bowie City Council when it meets at 6 p.m. on May 13.
A pair of proclamations open the meeting, one for Emergency Medical Services Week and National Travel and Tourism Week.
City Manager Bert Cunningham will present information on the substation transformer project, the phase two sewer line replacement contract, status of the infrastructure fund and plans for the budget.
A pair of public works requests will ask for $24,000 out of the infrastructure fund to buy nine fire hydrants and $29,825 from the meter tap account to buy replacement meters. Public Works Director Stony Lowrance is expected to make that presentation.

Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.

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