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Burn ban extended for county; budget draft finalized

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By BARBARA [email protected] County Commissioners went through their 2023-24 budget office by office during a called workshop Monday finalizing a draft proposal that will officially be voted on during the Aug. 14 meeting. The public hearing and vote on the budget will take place on Aug. 28. The court also extended the emergency burn 90 days after the initial seven-day order initiated by County Judge Kevin Benton last week. All outdoor burning in the unincorporated areas of Montague County are prohibited due to the dry and hot conditions continuing across Texas. Violations of the burn ban can lead to a $500 ticket. During the weekend local firefighters were kept busy at grass fires across the area. Friday night about 60 acres burned in the North Field area outside of Nocona. Another fire occurred on Yowell Road on Sunday burning about 65 acres. See the related box for all the specifics about what is allowed during the burn ban for outdoor cooking and welding.

Budget review

Judge Benton offered the court a draft that included many of the primary items its members asked for early in the process including a raise for employees and funding what is needed. Based on the proposal a tentative tax rate would be .5017 cents per $100 in property values, a .0019 below the present tax rate of .5036. The court approved a $5,000 across-the-board raise per employee. Commissioner Bob Langford said they want to try and do whatever they can for the employees and this is a significant increase.

Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.

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Bowie Council accepts phase two sewer line bid

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By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
The Bowie City Council accepted a $1.38 million bid for phase two of the sewer line replacement program and received an engineer’s update on Nelson Street drainage.
Council members met Monday night and opened the evening with the presentation of proclamations for Emergency Medical Services Week and National Travel and Tourism Week. Members of the Bowie EMS service accepted the first proclamation and Cindy Roller of Bowie Community Development accepted the second.
City Manager Bert Cunningham reported the city received one bid for phase two of the sewer line project that will replace the Glenn Hills lift station and sludge pumps at the wastewater plant. While the bid came in above the original estimate, Mike Tibbetts of Hayter Engineering, said there are several things that can be removed to lower the costs.

Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.

Pictured – replacing a manhole in phase one. (Courtesy photo)

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Bowie budget revenues not meeting projections

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By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
In its six-month financial report for fiscal 2024-25 Bowie City Council members saw budget revenues were not coming in as high as projected, despite the budget using conservative figures.
During the Monday meeting, Finance Director Pamela Woods reviewed the numbers at the half-way point of the year. She said all the department heads are doing well keeping their expenses within budget just below the 50% level or 49.26% overall. Despite that, expenses are above revenues in the utility fund by almost $100,000.
In the utility fund revenues are 46.11% of budget in water; 53.19% in sewer and 43.74% in electric. The total utility fund revenue is at 46.42% of the budget or $5,572,694.

(Pictured above) Carol Moore also addressed the council on disrepair at the Pelham Park walking track urging it to make repairs and maintain it.

Read the full council story in the weekend Bowie News.

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Chain-reaction crash in work zone injures two

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Two people were transported to the hospital with possible injuries from a three-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon in a highway department work zone on State Highway 59.
The accident occurred on Hwy 59 near Allison Road at 4:09 p.m. on May 14. There were three vehicles containing a total of six people.
Vehicle one driven by Carlin Jaster, Bowie with his passenger Zana Lara, Bowie, were traveling south on Hwy. 59. Two other vehicles driven by Kjersti Compton, Sunset and Edward Meadows, Grapevine were also southbound but stopped in a construction zone.
Jaster failed to control his speed and a chain-reaction crash occurred as he struck Compton who then hit Meadows.
Jaster and Lara were transported to Nocona General Hospital with non-incapacitating injuries. The others were uninjured. Tuesday was the first day for road construction along State Highway 59. Digital signs were posted for delays.

(Pictured above) Bowie Rural Fire Department and Bowie EMS responded to this three-vehicle chain reaction crash on State Highway 59 near Allison Road on Tuesday afternoon. There were a total of six people in the three vehicles, and two were transported to Nocona General with possible injuries. (Courtesy photo)

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