NEWS
Pair of fatality accidents occur in Montague County
Oct. 10, 2019 fatality
A 41-year-old Alvord man was killed in a one-vehicle accident on State Highway 101 north of Sunset on Oct. 10.
The crash occurred at 10:30 a.m. Thursday. Department of Public Safety officials report Brian Earl Love was driving a 2002 Ford F-150 pickup north on Hwy. 101 and drove off the roadway to the right.
The driver overcorrected to the left which caused the pickup to skid sideways across the road and enter the south side ditch. The pickup rolled several times and ejected the driver. Love was pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace David Allen.
Oct. 2, 2019 fatality
A 50-year-old Denton man died from injuries in a two vehicle crash between Nocona and Saint Jo on U.S. Highway 82 on Oct. 2.
The accident occurred at 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 2 on U.S. 82, one mile east of Dixie School Road. According to the Department of Public Safety, Steven Anderson had parked on the right shoulder of U.S. 82 facing west in his 2007 Ford SUV.
A second vehicle, a 2013 Hyundai car driven by Cheryl Johnson, Saint Jo, was westbound on U.S. 82 when she drove onto the improved shoulder and struck Anderson from behind. Johnson’s vehicle came to rest in the roadway, caught fire and completely burned, but the driver was able to exit the vehicle.
Anderson’s vehicle was pushed off the road where it rolled down the embankment coming to rest on the other side of the property line fence. Nocona firefighters arrived and Nocona EMS worked to remove Anderson from his vehicle and stabilize him. He was airlifted by helicopter and taken to a Denton Medical City with serious injuries. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
Saint Jo EMS arrived and transported Johnson to Nocona General with reportedly non-life threatening injuries. She was treated and released.
The Nocona News reported earlier in the day a sheriff’s deputy and Nocona EMS had been dispatched to make a welfare check on Anderson who was sitting in his vehicle.
Anderson reportedly told them his SUV had broken down and he was waiting on someone to help him haul it back to Denton. The News reports a Nocona volunteer firefighter recommended Anderson not wait inside the SUV for safety’s sake.
Members of the Bowie City Council will meet at 6 p.m. on Aug. 25 to finalize the budget and conduct a public hearing on a proposed tax rate.
The ordinances adopting both the 2026-27 budget and the 2026 tax rate are on the agenda for action. The public hearing on the tax rate presents a rate of .5750 cents per $100 in property value, which is slightly higher than the 2025 rate that is .5430.
The new rate is projected to generate $2,990,998, compared to $2,703,176 from last year’s rate. This is the first significant change in the rate since 2019, when it was .5445 cents. The next year it went to .5447 cents, where it stayed until 2023, when it went to .5430 cents, through 2025.
A bid will be awarded for the Rock and Pillar Street drainage project. Wall Contractors will be recommended by the city engineer and staff review. The bid came in about $1.3 million, which was lower than the estimated $2 million. It is expected to straighten the channel and get this intersection reopened for traffic after more than a year of closure to collapse of a portion of the pavement on the street.
The council will consider stop signs regulating traffic flow around the Kingdom Ridge Subdivision next to the elementary school.
In the city manager’s report Bert Cunningham will provide information on the hazard mitigation plan, the 2025-26 audit preparation and the bid for the Rock and Pillar project.
Montague County Commissioners will adopt a budget and tax rate when they meet at on Aug. 24 in the courthouse annex.
The budget hearing will be at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 24, followed by a public hearing for the proposed tax rate at 8:45 a.m.
During the regular meeting at 9 a.m., there will be one final budget workshop for any last minute tweaks or changes, followed by adoption of the 2026-27 budget and 2026 tax rate.
The proposed tax rate is .4961 cents per $100 in property value, which is the same rate as 2025. Due to the increase in property values despite the same rate, the total tax levy on all properties will see a 3.64% increase.
A copy of the proposed budget is available on the county website at https://www.co.montague.tx.us/.
Several other financial related items are on the agenda. Accumulated comp time in the sheriff office and jail will be discussed. The commissioners also will consider any year-end expenditures utilizing any or the budget year contingency funds.
Other items on the agenda will include: Acceptance of the District Attorney’s 2023- 2024 and 2025 Chapter 59 asset forfeiture reports and authorize DA Katie Boggeman to sign them; imposition of optional fees from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles for 2027; House Bill 3834 cybersecurity and AI training certification for state and local governments compliance reports; interlocal cooperation agreement between the Department of Public Safety and the county court and district court; review the sherif office application for sheriff immigration law enforcement grant program Senate Bill 8; consider distribution of state grant HB 3000; and consider using Real Estate Station LLC Agent Denise Thurman to sell 5.9 acres on the corner of U.S. 81 and State Highway 59.
It should be no surprise, the month of July is recorded as the hottest month on record for the country.
July wrapped up with seven straight days of 100 degrees or higher July 25-31. August also opened hot with the first 100-plus degree day on Aug. 3 and it has topped that marked through Aug. 19. On Tuesday the high was 107 degrees at the water plant, but in town thermometers recorded 108 and 109 degrees.It was expected to top that mark on Wednesday.
There was no rainfall recorded in July or in August. Bowie has only 21.71 inches for the year so far and Nocona has 22.35 inches.
Lake Amon Carter
Aug. 19 –
917.22 msl, 80.2% full
July 19 – 918.10 msl, 86.1%
Aug. 19, 2025 – 919.84 msl, 98.8% full
Lake is full at 920msl
Lake Nocona
Aug. 19 – 823.48 msl, 76.3% full
July 19 – 824.41 msl, 81.05%
Aug. 19, 2025 – 826.878 msl, 95.85%
Lake full at 827.5msl
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