NEWS
Despite mistrial, Ricky Howard pleads guilty on one count
A Nocona man named a person of interest in the 2015 disappearance of a local 18-year-old pleaded guilty Tuesday to preying on the boy when he was a minor, announced Prerak Shah, acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
Hours after the court declared a mistrial due to juror injury, Ricky Dale Howard, 59, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. The Nocona News reported a juror fell and broke her foot when leaving the courthouse Monday night.
The former Nocona rancher and banker now faces up to 30 years in federal prison.
According to evidence presented in court before the mistrial was declared, law enforcement obtained several of Howard’s computers during an investigation into the disappearance of a high school senior, Caleb Diehl, who was reported missing on April 1, 2015, just two weeks after his 18th birthday.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
Update July 21 8 a.m.:
After presstime Tuesday The Bowie News found Howard is scheduled for sentencing Oct. 27 at the U.S. Courthouse in Fort Worth.
City of Bowie officials were on hand to inspect the emergency electrical generators that were delivered last week.
Mayor Gaylynn Burris and City Manager Bert Cunningham inspected one of three emergency electrical generators purchased as part of an ongoing Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Grant. They also talked with Jay Evans, head of the city electric department, and Jerry Sutton, director of the water treatment plant about the next step for installation of the generators.
This grant provides funding for one 150 kW and two 250 kW generators for use at the water treatment plant.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
City Manager Bert Cunningham and Mayor Gaylynn Burris talk with the electric and water department staff about the new generators. (Photo by Cindy Roller)
No action was taken on a legal issue after members of the Bowie City Council met in a called closed session at 4 p.m. on July 12.
City Secretary Sandy Page said the council met for almost one hour for “consultation with attorney – Midwest Waste Services LLC vs. City of Bowie.
This lawsuit goes back to August 2019 when Midwest sued the city for its action requiring those who receive city water outside the city limits to use the designated waste collector, which is Waste Connections. This was shortly after the city signed a new long-term contract with WC.
The suit was dismissed in June 2020 on two points in the suit, but City Manager Bert Cunningham said a third point remained in mediation.
The Department of Public Safety has provided information on an auto vs. motorcycle accident that reportedly occurred on July 4.
James Lee Hilton, Nocona, was driving a 2019 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and Daniel Parra, Chico, was driving a 2018 Ford Fiesta. Both vehicles were north on State Highway 101 outside Sunset with the motorcycle behind the car.
Parra was attempting to turn left on Farm-to-Market Road 2265 when the motorcyclist attempted to unsafely pass to the left states the report. The bike struck the left side of the Fiesta. Both vehicles came to rest off the roadway on the northwest corner of SH 101 and FM 2265.
Hilton was transported to Denton Medical City with
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