NEWS
Commissioners get testy discussing assistant’s salary
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By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Things got a bit testy Monday as the Montague County Commissioners attempted to adopt the budget as one court member debated against changing the county attorney’s administrative assistant salary back after it was reduced $3,255 at the last court workshop.
County Attorney Clay Riddle argued Commissioner Roy Darden was comparing apples to oranges, which led to every more anger as Darden alluded to past “buddy deals,” on the court which longtime Commissioner Bob Langford took personally.
At the Aug. 26 budget workshop the court voted to change the administrative assistant’s salary from $49,292 to $46,037 which is what other chief deputies make. Darden had raised the question why this staffer made $3,255 more than other similar employees. During the discussion there was a question if this assistant had any special certifications, but no one knew.
Monday, during the public hearing on the budget Riddle asked Judge Rick Lewis if he could answer those questions. He explained the staffer is the victim’s assistance coordinator working with the state victim’s fund to assist local residents, assists those merchants who bring in hot check cases, fields victim calls, file paperwork for pursuing judgement nisi, assist with civil matters along with all the other traditional office duties. This person also attends training to be a certified victim’s assistant.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
NEWS
Petition seeks to remove DA from office
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By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
A petition was filed mid-week with the 97th District Clerk seeking the removal of 97th District Attorney Casey Hall for “incompetency or official misconduct.”
The document was filed by Tim Cole, former DA and longtime area attorney, on July 17. Texas law allows any resident of the county where the allegations occurred to file such a petition on any elected official.
As of Friday noon, no judge had been assigned and Hall had not been served notice of the filing per the district court.
A recent example of this type of petition occurred in Clay County in January 2023 after Sheriff Jeff Lyde was arrested on charges of official oppression. Former District Judge Frank Douthitt filed that petition and the state was represented by Hall and the Clay County attorney Seth Slagle.
Casey Hall, DA for the three-county 97th District since 2016, was arrested on July 8 on a grand jury indictment for theft of property $2,500 to $30,000, a state jail felony. She was released on a $5,000 bond. The allegations stem from misappropriation of state grant funds with the investigation conducted by the Texas Attorney General’s staff.
Removal action
The removal action is directed to David Evans, judge of the 8th administrative judicial region, which has jurisdiction in this case. It seeks to have the officer removed for incompetency or official misconduct, acts or omissions while in the performance of her duties as the district attorney.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
NEWS
Nocona family searches area for missing son
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A missing person’s alert has been issued for Bryce Dingler, who was last seen July 16 at his parents’ home in Nocona around 10 p.m. as he left going home to his apartment in Plano.
The 29-year-old is the son of Dr. Len and Waynette Dingler of Nocona. According to missing person circulars posted by the Clay County Sheriff’s office and Put Me First, Dingler’s vehicle, a 2015 white Ford F150 lifted with large tires and Dallas Cowboy’s star on the tailgate was found on the side of U.S. Highway 287 in the early morning hours of July 17. His ID and phone were left in the truck.
The initial SO posting stated Dingler was at the courthouse Tuesday to midday, and he told his parents that night was he was heading home to Plano. His family tried to call him throughout Wednesday, but he never answered. It states his last known location was near Butler Road, 1 mile west of Jolly on U.S. 287. Those with any information are urged to call the Clay County Sheriff at 940-538-5611. Case #24010013.
The Put Me First circular stated a license plate reader picked up Dingler’s truck around midnight in Plano. He was wearing a light color T-shirt, dark grey athletic shorts and tennis shoes. He has a left lower arm sleeve with pine trees, leaves and a wolf. He is 5-foot-6-inches tall, 135 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
It continues the truck was spotted July 17 around 6:30 a.m. on the westbound side of U.S. 287 by Duck Creek. Put Me First states Dingler had a “promising job interview” the day he went missing, noting this is “not normal behavior.”
As of 2 p.m. Friday Dingler was still missing.
NEWS
Bowie Council meeting cancelled
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The regular meeting of the Bowie City Council for July 22 has been cancelled. City Manager Bert Cunningham and Mayor Gaylynn Burris will be attending the Texas Public Power Association conference.
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