NEWS
Water well applications reflect new growth across Montague County
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Officials with the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District told the Montague County Commissioners they are starting to see development connected with the new subdivisions, but it is still moving slowly as the projects are sold and get off the ground.
Doug Shaw, executive director of the UTGCD, and Tracy Mesler, chairman of the UTGCD board of directors, met with the court at its Monday meeting. Shaw said there have been 101 water well applications through May 31 with five more in June so far for a total of 106. The historical average is 116 for the year.
“Well applications are a good indicator of growth especially in rural areas where there are no water systems. Who knows what is going to happen with the economy and rates are going up? With all that you would assume the number building houses would decline, we are not seeing that right now, it is just blowing and going. One of the developers up here has done projects elsewhere in the district, they don’t seem to be slowing down. We are a lot busier in Montague County than we have been,” explained Shaw.
The well applications for 2022 are spread out across the county and there has not been a lot done in those subdivision projects with the exception of a few test wells.
He anticipates once that building starts those number will go up. In reviewing recent domestic well statistics show 179 well applications in 2021, the highest point since 150 in 2011.
Read the full story in your mid-week Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Trustees of the Bowie Independent School District welcomed one new member this week following the Nov. 5 election and accepted the 2023-24 outside audit with no exceptions.
Incumbent Trustee Jacky Betts returned to place one and Angie Christmas took the place two seat. After the board officers were dissolved with the new ones taking the oath, officers were elected. Betts will continue as president, Guy Green as vice president and Kent Dosch as secretary.
Paul Fleming of Edgin, Parkman, Fleming & Fleming, PC, presented the audit telling there were no issues and the process went smoothly. He noted the biggest change was the Legislature compressing the district tax rate and additional changes in the tax law. State aid formula grants increased due to the state’s funding formula compensating for lost property tax revenue due to the law change previously mentioned.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Information was the watchword for the second hospital/emergency room community meeting Tuesday night, as the steering committee was announced along with additional financial considerations.
About 50 people attended the meeting. Melody Gillespie, who was named chairperson for the committee, said the goal is to gather information to get it out into the community. This group was formed after the Bowie emergency room was closed by Faith Rural Health System in early October just shy of one year of operating in Bowie.
Kylie Ward, one of the public relations volunteers, said, “This committee is not here to force things on you and there are assumptions already we are proposing a tax. We are not, we don’t have that ability, we are just a research team here to explore all the options.”
Other members of the committee include Tiffany Chandler and Damon Benton handling finance and grant research; Jennifer Tellef, secretary; Valerie Tomerson, grant research; Ann Smith, PR and Margin Latham and Gillespie, legislative research. It was pointed out there are other members of the sub-committees who are helping with research, but they also invite anyone interested to help with the process.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Top photo – Jack County Judge Keith Umphress spoke at this week’s steering committee meeting. (Photo by Barbara Green)
The following indictments were filed with the 97th District Clerk following the November session of the Montague County Grand Jury.
There were a total of 13 indictments with one sealed awaiting the arrest of a suspect.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Read the full list of indictments in your mid-week Bowie News.
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