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NEWS

F1 tornado hits Bowie Friday, massive damage to buildings

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By BARBARA GREEN
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An F1 tornado tore through the heart of Bowie on May 22 damaging or destroying more than 106 businesses and 316 residences. Throughout the weekend citizens started picking up the pieces with the help of neighbors and a barrage of state and area resources.
Graduation day
Last Friday was an exciting day in Bowie as the high school senior class was celebrated with a huge down town parade providing a new tradition to what has been a non-traditional graduation season thanks to COVID-19. With everyone looking forward to commencement at 8 p.m. at Jackrabbit Stadium, no one had any idea things were about to change for the community.
Graduation was cancelled about an hour before tornado sirens started going off at 8:28 p.m. as emergency communications teams and the weather service issued the tornado warnings.
One funnel was seen outside Bellevue at the edge of Montague County and other swirling formations were being watched as the system moved closer. The F1 tornado arrived in the midst of heavy rain, straight line winds and hail of varying sizes.
Read the full storm on Friday’s tornado and the resulting damage in your mid-week Bowie News.

Bowie Mayor Gaylynn Burris and Gary Steelman of Samaritan’s Purse at Sunday’s press briefing. (Photo by Barbara Green)
A crane lifts a roof from a building on Smythe Street. (Courtesy photo)
Damaged apartments at Wilbarger and Mill. (Photo by Barbara Green)
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NEWS

Crash closes East Wise 2 hours, two injured

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A major crash on East Wise in front of the Second Monday parking on July 11 shut down traffic for several hours in the morning and sent two people to the Bowie emergency room.
The accident occurred at 9:53 a.m. Thursday at 1616 E. Wise involving a large sign installation truck and an SUV.
Briana Rollison, Bowie, was driving a 2001 Ford Expedition east in the 1600 block of E. Wise and the large truck from Turner Signs System of Richland Hills was traveling west on East Wise driven by Joshua Thompson.
The preliminary accident report states Thompson lost control of the vehicle crossing the double yellow line striking the SUV in front of the Parker Properties and Farm Services Building. The SUV was knocked into the ditch and later made it back on the roadway.
The truck rolled on the passenger side and slid about 50-100 feet west of the incident location. Skid marks from the truck were observed to start approximately 300-350 feet east of the crash location.

See the full story in the weekend Bowie News.

This large sign installation truck turned over after striking an SUV on East Wise Street Thursday morning. (Photo by Barbara Green)
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Bowie city budget offered to council

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By BARBARA GREEN
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Bowie City Councilors this week got their first look at the 2024-25 proposed budget seeing a balanced plan with a total operational budget of $23,296,885 in expenses, which is a little more than $1.4 million above the previous year’s budget.
Mayor Gaylynn Burris said Monday night the budget looks “eerily familiar” to last year, despite adding a few equipment purchases. City Manager Bert Cunningham said he had already slashed more than $300,000 from the department requests in order to get a balanced budget.
The utility fund is balanced with expenses of $12,595,995 and revenues projected at $12,601,000. In the general fund revenues are projected at $10,705,568 with expenses at $10,700,890. Total budget expenses are $23,296,885 and overall revenue projected at $23,306,568. Cunningham said it leaves a small margin to set forth a balanced budget.

Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.

Top photo: New chip and seal was laid on Elba and Lamb this week repairing well-worn roads near the Nelson/Mill drainage project. (Photo by Barbara Green)

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DA’s case details still remain unclear

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Casey Hall

By BARBARA GREEN
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Few additional details have been released in connection with the Tuesday theft arrest of 97th District Attorney Casey Hall, and in a statement to the media the DA called the allegations “unfounded.”
The Montague County Grand Jury issued an indictment for Hall following the presentation of evidence in the case Monday by Assistant Attorney General Matthew Shawhan. The indictment is the result of an investigation initiated by county officials.
The indictment is for theft of property $2,500-$30,000 in value. Sheriff Marshall Thomas served the arrest warrant Tuesday afternoon. Justice of the Peace Two Jack Pigg arraigned Hall at the jail after her arrest at 2:33 p.m. She was released on $5,000 bond, which was set by retired District Judge Jack McGaughey on Monday.

Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.

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