Schools to Start Late Friday Morning
Several Bowie County schools will be starting late Friday morning. DeKalb, New Boston, Simms, and Maud are all scheduled to begin classes at 10am Friday morning. Stay with 1530 The Light KLBW and 1530thelight.com for the latest updates on possible school closings, business closings, and road conditions.
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Winter Storm Hits Bowie County
A winter storm has hit Bowie County. Forecasters are saying some parts of the county could see accumulations of 4 inches or more before the system driving the storm moves eastward. Follow the link below for the latest from the National Weather Service.
Roads could become slick after midnight tonight causing some issues for your morning commute on Friday morning.
www.srh.noaa.gov/shv/
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2010 Prius Brakes Under Investigation
The Transportation Department opened an investigation Thursday into brake problems in the 2010 Prius, the latest in a series of safety troubles at Toyota that have confused drivers and strained the Japanese automaker's relationship with U.S. regulators.
Toyota earlier Thursday acknowledged design problems with the brakes in its prized gas-electric hybrid, but said it was still deciding how to inform customers and whether a recall is needed.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Transportation Department's safety agency, said it has received 124 reports from consumers about the Prius brakes, including four reports of crashes. The investigation will look into allegations of momentary loss of braking capability while traveling over uneven road surfaces, potholes or bumps.
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J.C. Penny Doing Better Than Expected
J.C. Penney Co.’s January same-store sales fell 4.6 percent, slightly better than the company and analysts expected as women’s apparel and fine jewelry led the store.
Plano-based Penney and most chains had lower inventory after Christmas resulting in less clearance merchandise to sell in January. Penney said that contributed to the weakness in children’s sales vs. a year ago. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected sales to fall 4.9 percent. Last year, the company’s sales fell 16.4 percent in January.
Sales of new spring merchandise in January increased in the high single-digits.
Internet sales increased 9.2 percent last month with double-digit increases in some departments and all merchandise categories showing higher sales than a year ago.
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Gov. Rick Perry in Texarkana
Gov. Rick Perry was in Texarkana Monday at the North Forty. Gov. Perry spoke to a great crowd on the economic condition of Texas. He talked about how that overall Texas is doing better than most states in the U.S. He is expecting Texas to be the economic leader as the state shakes off the effects of the recession. Gov. Perry also brought out his idea of a virtual high school. He also talked about his idea of high school dropouts not getting their driver’s license.
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New Class and District for New Boston and DeKalb
Find out what class and district New Boston and DeKalb will be playing in starting in 2010.
http://www.uil.utexas.edu/
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Democrat Governor candidate Farouk Shami accuses his opponent Bill White
Hair-products tycoon Farouk Shami said Tuesday that Bill White, his top Democratic rival in the race for governor, took jobs from poor Houston residents and gave them to friends.
"He is discriminating," said Shami, visiting Dallas for two days of campaigning. "He's taking jobs from African-Americans and giving them to his friends. ... He's a failure and cannot run a city."
White's campaign spokeswoman, Katy Bacon, pointed out that the candidate had twice been elected mayor of Houston with strong support from throughout the diverse city.
"We're not going to respond to all these fabrications," she wrote. "Bill White fights for all the people he represents."
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GOP Governor candidate Debra Medina's new clothes
GOP governor candidate Debra Medina spent $2,437 of her campaign's money on clothing, records filed with the state show.
State law prohibits the use of campaign funds for personal benefit, and the Texas Ethics Commission has issued rules indicating that only clothing appropriate for a campaign appearance can be purchased, and it can't be converted to everyday wear.
Medina aides said they took the rules into account when she shopped for clothing at stores such as Dillard's, Nordstrom and the Limited. Campaign manager Penny Langford Freeman said the clothing items won't be worn by Medina other than for campaign appearances. After the election, they'll be donated to charity, she said
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TAAKS being replaced by STAAR
The next generation of student testing in Bowie County and the state of Texas will be called the STAAR.
Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott said that the much-maligned Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills will be replaced with the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, or STAAR.
The new testing system, which was mandated by the Legislature, will replace the TAKS beginning in the 2011-2012 school year. It includes 12 end-of-course exams in the four core subject areas in high school. This year's seventh graders will be the first class required to meet end-of-course testing requirements to graduate.
New tests also will be developed for students in third through eighth grade.
The new accountability system is still being developed. State ratings will be suspended in 2012 and the new rating system will debut in 2013, according to the Texas Education Agency.
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Governor Rick Perry will not seek endorsements from Texas Newspapers
Republican Gov. Rick Perry has decided not to seek endorsements from Texas newspapers before the March 2 GOP primary.
Perry spokesman Mark Miner said Monday that Perry won\'t attend newspaper editorial board meetings, adding that there are better uses of the governor\'s time.
At a Lubbock campaign stop Monday, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said she\'ll seek newspaper endorsements. In her words, "I think it\'s very important that we offer ourselves." She added her belief that "it\'s a little arrogant on the governor\'s part to just say he\'s not going to talk about his record. I mean what is he afraid of."
Miner, responding to Hutchison\'s remark, said the governor has a record that "he\'s proud to talk about every day as he travels the state."
Perry, Hutchison and Debra Medina are vying for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.
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Hooks City Council Meeting
The Hooks City Council met last night and set the city elections for May 8th. According to Mayor Mike Babb, the three positions will be up including the position of mayor. Mayor Babb told KLBW news that he will not be seeking re-election. Mayor will have served twelve years at the end of his current term. The two other positions include Place 3 currently held by Henry Martin and Place 5 currently held by Tammy Parker.
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Bowie County Commissioners Court
The Bowie County Commissioners Court met this morning at the courthouse in New Boston. The Court passed a resolution to enter into an inter-local agreement with the city of Texarkana, Texas concerning the Tax Increment Financing Reinvestment Zone. The Court also approved a $10 fee on civil cases filed with the District Clerk’s office. The fee is required by state law.
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Sen. Hutchinson Accepts Money from Road Builder
Kay Bailey Hutchison has campaigned against the Trans-Texas Corridor, but she has accepted contributions from the state’s premiere toll-road builders.
Bartell Zachry, whose San Antonio-based construction company partnered with the Spanish company Cintra to develop the multi-billion transportation project, gave Hutchison $25,000, according to a campaign finance report filed with the state.
Hutchison campaign spokeswoman Jen Baker said the senator was happy to accept money from the toll-road builder, even though she has denounced the Trans-Texas Corridor as a land grab and has pledged to curb toll-road construction if she's elected governor.
"Clearly, Zachry agrees with 60 percent of primary voters that don't have any interest in four more years of Rick Perry," said Baker, referring to Perry's 39 percent share of the vote when he won re-election in 2006 in a four-way race.
Perry campaign spokesman Mark Miner said Hutchison is being hypocritical.
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Conference in Mt. Pleasant
You are invited to the "Together We Care...- Family, Business, Community" Conference that will be held on February 6, 2010 at Mt. Pleasant High School in Mt. Pleasant Texas from 8:30AM to 1PM. This event is being sponsored by Region VIII Education Service Center. This conference is focused on impacting adult learning and improving student performance in school. A Keynote Speaker, door prizes and breakout sessions are part of the day's festivities.
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New Boston City Council Met Last Night
The New Boston City Council had their monthly meeting last night and amongst several city ordinance changes being passed. a new City Secretary was named. Karen Lightfoot was unanimously voted in as the new city secretary, after Carol Ensey retired back at the first of the month. The city also voted to give Mrs. Ensey supplemental insurance in the amount of $200 a month for the rest of her life.
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New Boston ISD to Meet
The New Boston Independent School Board will be having their monthly meeting tonight 6:30 PM in the Board room of the Administrative Building. The School Board will be reviewing Dr Van Deaver’s contract and discussing renewing it for the upcoming year. All New Boston citizens are encouraged to attend.
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Protesters in Austin
Approximately 600 showed up in Austin Saturday for what was called a State Rights Rally. The rally was in protest to what the protesters consider unconstitutional federal mandates such as health care. Businessman Adrian Murray, president of the Fort Worth 912 Project, another take-back-your-government group, said the federal government is violating the Constitution "and should be viewed as a hostile power ... a clear and present danger to the people of the United States."
"The time has come for people to rise up and defeat their anti-American, Marxist agenda," he said of the Obama administration and the Democratic Congress, as the crowd cheered.
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What Will Texas Students Be Learning?
Texas high school students will have to learn about leading conservative groups from the 1980s and 1990s – but not about liberal or minority-rights groups – under U.S. history standards tentatively adopted by a politically divided State Board of Education on Friday.
The Republican majority on the board also gave a thumbs down to requiring history teachers and textbooks to provide coverage on the late Sen. Edward Kennedy and new Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, as well as leading Hispanic civil-rights groups such as LULAC and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Led by the board's social-conservative bloc, Republicans left Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, the nation's first black justice, on the list of important figures that will have to be covered in history classes.
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Hutchinson Lead Perry in Fundraising
According to the Dallas Morning News Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison leads incumbent Rick Perry in money with more than $12 million in the bank as the Republicans go into the final stretch of their gubernatorial battle. Hutchison raised $6 million in the latest period- which means she has collected over $20 million so far in her bid to unseat the Gov. For his part, it was reported yesterday that the Republican governor raised more than $7 million in the last six months and goes into the March 2 GOP primary $11.6 million in the bank.
Sen. Hutchison’s campaign manager Terry Sullivan says "Fundraising has been strong and consistent and we're very pleased." The contest between Perry and Hutchison to win the Republican nomination is expected to cost the candidates more than $25 million each - and millions more if there's a runoff.
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Farmers to Scale Back Rate Hike
Farmers Insurance agreed Monday to scale back a double-digit rate hike for homeowners coverage in Texas. But the company will get to keep millions of dollars it has collected the past six months, even though the state declared those premiums excessive.
Farmers, one of the largest insurers in Texas, had proposed a statewide increase of 10 percent, with an 11 percent hike for the Dallas area, in June. The company said the rates were necessary because of increased property losses and a jump in the cost of reinsurance – which insurers buy to help pay claims after a catastrophic event such as a hurricane.
State Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin, who called the initial rate plan "excessive and unfairly discriminatory," signed a consent order Monday agreeing to a 4.5 percent increase for the 300,000 customers of Farmers' largest home insurance subsidiary.
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Texas is Behind
Four months into its new two-year budget, Texas already is nearly $1 billion behind its expected pace of sales tax collections, according to new figures released late last week.
Comptroller Susan Combs said there's no need for panic, as tax collections should start growing again in the first or second quarter of the year.
But the decline is dramatic. A year ago, Combs forecast essentially flat sales taxes receipts in the budget year that started Sept. 1; instead, they've decreased by 12.9 percent in the first four months.
To meet Combs' biennial revenue estimates, Texas needs to collect nearly $44 billion from its revenue workhorse, the 6.25-percent state sales tax. It produces 57 percent of state tax revenue and about a quarter of overall funds, including federal money.
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Traffic Patterns to Change in Texarkana
Traffic control patterns will change this week on Richmond Road (Farm-to-Market Road 559) near the Interstate 30 overpass beginning.
“In order for the contractor to prepare the approaches to the new turn-around bridges on each side, we will restripe the roadway to do away with the left-turn lanes near and across the overpass,” said Kenny Icenhower, area engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation in Texarkana. “This is all in preparation for the replacement of the old bridge during coming months.”
There will still be two lanes of traffic on each side of the overpass, but through-traffic should use the outside lanes as traffic will tend to back up in the inside lanes for traffic turning left onto the frontage roads. Eventually all traffic will be moved onto the turn-around bridges for a detour as the old bridge is demolished and replaced.
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Hooks Makes the List
The annual list of the worst public schools in Texas this year includes a Bowie County school and nearly 500 campuses statewide. Released Tuesday by the Texas Education Agency, the list was made up of schools where student test scores were too low or recent school ratings were "unacceptable," giving students the right to transfer out next year under the state's Public Education Grant program. In Bowie County Hooks High School made the list. Other area schools on the list include Clarksville Elementary and Clarksville High School.
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Courthouse To Be Lit
The Bowie County courthouse lighting ceremony will take place tomorrow night in New Boston. The festivities will begin at 5:30pm and will feature the arrival of the bearded one. The courthouse will stay lit throughout the Christmas season.
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Bridges to Be Demolished
Thursday night and Friday night traffic will be detoured on I-30 as crews demolish the overpasses at the Hwy 59 interchange. Kenny Icenhower said “Once these bridges are removed, the contractor will be able to finish the remaining overpass structures and complete the frontage road connection along the interstate main lanes”. Sandifer went on to say “all I-30 traffic will be detoured onto the frontage roads in each direction and may have stopped delays of up to 20 minutes during some points in the demolition of the bridges.”
Westbound I-30 traffic will be detoured onto the frontage road just past Richmond Road and will re-enter the Interstate at the Kings Highway interchange in Nash. Eastbound traffic will be detoured onto the frontage road just past Kings Highway and will follow the frontage road around to enter Hwy 59 South down to the Westlawn exit. Traffic will then take the turnaround under Hwy 59 and re-enter on Hwy 59 north which will take a direct connection back to I-30 eastbound.
The demolishion will begin at 8pm each night.
Anyone having any questions about the demolition or construction work can call 903-838-8574 for more information.
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Changes to I 30 Corridor
The I 30 corridor in Texarkana continues to change. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday will bring some changes to Hwy 59, Summerhill Road, and Richmond Road along I 30.
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Bowie County Commissioner's Court
The Bowie County Commissioner’s Court met this morning at the Bowie County Courthouse in New Boston. The Commissioners approved several resolutions including one proclaiming November “Home Care and Hospice Month”. The Commissioners also voted to cast their ballots for Bowie County Judge Carlow as a board member of the Bowie Central Appraisal District. The Commissioners voted to canvass the results of the November 2nd election on Monday.
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DeKalb City Council to Meet
The DeKalb City Council will meet this evening at the DeKalb City Hall beginning at 6:30pm. The Council is scheduled to take a look at a resolution concerning using excessive force by the police department, they will hear a report from Gale Goodwin about code enforcement concerns, and they will hear from David Watkins about the upcoming Kiwanis 1st Annual DeKalb Cookoff plus other items that are on the agenda.
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Texas To Toughen Standards on Teachers
The state of Texas will toughen standards for teacher training programs beginning next year. The new rating system will hold programs accountable for their graduates’ effectiveness on the job especially when it comes to student performance. The State Board for Educator Certification has already given the new program approval and will finalize the rules for the program in February.
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Fall in the Park
Coming up Saturday the New Boston Chamber of Commerce will present Fall in the Park. The event complete with vendors and food will take place at the Trailhead Park in downtown New Boston. Fall in the Park will begin at 9am Saturday morning and last until 4pm.
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Book Sale
The Friends of the New Boston Public Library will begin their annual book sale this evening. The sneak peek begins at 5pm this evening is for anyone who is a member and for those considering membership. The sale will continue tomorrow from 10am – 4pm. Also on Friday, from 11-1 you can enjoy the Rootin Tootin Cornbread and Beans Lunch at the New Boston Public Library. The lunch is free. The three-day sale concludes on Saturday.
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City Garage Sale in Texarkana
A city wide garage sale will be held at Spring Lake Park tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 6th from 8:00 - 4:00 with 116 vendors providing antiques, new Christmas and fall decorations, clothing and all items needed for home and lawn. This is the annual fall fundraiser to benefit the public's shopping needs and benefit our Texarkana Park and Recreation Dept.
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All Eleven Pass
The Texas State constitution will now have eleven new amendments. Voters in the Lone Star State approved all eleven constitutional amendments yesterday. Prop 11, one of the most publicized propositions, passed with 81% of Texans voting for the eminent domain amendment.
In other elections, the citizens of Mt. Pleasant rejected a couple of propositions that would have made off premise alcohol consumption legal, the citizens of Atlanta approved a new school proposition while citizens in Clarksville rejected a proposition that would have given them a new school.
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Judgement Day TEA Party
A Judgement Day TEA Party is set to take place this evening in Mt. Pleasant. Speakers include Cathie Adams of the Texas Eagle Forum, Dr. Issacc Osborne who will speak on health care, and Tommy Oglesby.
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New Agency Begins Today
Today marks the beginning of a new agency in the state of Texas. Today is the first day of operations for the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, also know as TxDMV. The new agency will employ more than six hundred people and will oversee the state’s motor vehicle services i including registering and titling passenger vehicles, granting operating authority to commercial motor carriers, regulating dealerships and helping to prevent auto burglary and theft. The new agency was created by the 81st Texas Legislature.
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City of Texarkana, Texas to Consider Convention Center
The Texarkana, Texas City Council will meet tonight in the Municipal Building beginning at 6pm. The Council will consider among other items, authorizing an economic development agreement with a private developer for the construction of a convention center.
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Gas Prices Are Up in Bowie County and the State
Gas prices across the state of Texas are up on average twelve cents since last week. According to Texas Triple A the average price of a gallon of unleaded gas in the Lone Star State last week was at $2.42. Today, its $2.54 for a gallon of unleaded gas. The average in Bowie County is at $2.53 which is up eleven cents from last week when it was $2.42.
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Click Here To Listen To DeKalb Bears Football
Listen as the Bears take on Paul Pewitt. Jim Weaver has all the hard hitting action of DeKalb Bears Football on 1530thelight.com. Listen at 3pm Saturday for the replay on 1530 The Light KLBW.
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The Texas Education Agency has written a letter to school superintendents across the Lone Star state warning that Texas has been cited by the U.S. Department of Education for not requiring new teachers to take an exam testing knowledge in reading, math, writing, science, and social studies. An agency spokesperson said as many as 30,000 new teachers could be affected by the interpretation of the term a highly qualified teacher as defined by the No Child Left Behind law. The ruling would affect not only reporting by school districts on their teacher ranks, but also require districts to send out notification to all affected parents, advising them that their child is being taught by a teacher not deemed "highly qualified."
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Break in Weather Construction Continues
The break in the weather is allowing TxDOT to continue their construction on Interstate 30 at the Hwy 59 interchange in Texarkana. Kenny Icenhower with Tx DOT said “rain and equipment problems continued to delay work this week, so we will be trying again next week. The lane closings will take place between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. each night in order to impact traffic less some nights we will have all the lanes closed and others will have only one direction closed. All detour routes will be signed accordingly”. Anyone having any questions about the lane closures, detour routes or construction work can call 903-838-8574 for more information.
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Sen. Hutchinson wants a Yes to Prop 11
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson will continue today to promote a proposed amendment to the Texas Constitution. Sen. Hutchinson who is on the road with the head of the Texas Farm Bureau is urging Texans to approve Prop 11 which puts limits on how the state can take private property in eminent domain cases. The Texas Farm Bureau endorsed Sen. Hutchinson last week. Early voting is under way in the Texas Constitution election.
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Construction Continues on I 30
Weather permitting crews will shutdown I-30 tonight at the Hwy 59 interchange in order to do more bridge work. The lane closings are scheduled to begin at 9pm tonight and last until 6am tomorrow morning. Marcus Sandifer with TxDOT said ““We ask that local motorists use extra caution driving in and around the construction zones as other motorists unfamiliar with the area may try to find alternate routes”.
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Water Conference
Today is the second day of a two-day conference on groundwater availability. According to Kathryn Nachlinger, an event organizer with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, ““The conference will look at statewide groundwater issues as well as take a closer look at the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer system which stretches from Texarkana to Laredo and is a major source of water for thousands of ranchers, farmers, rural homeowners and many industries and cities”. Today’s part of the conference will focus on groundwater assistance provided by the water development board.
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Flooding in Bowie County
Bowie County and the surrounding area experienced flooding yesterday. The area was hit with heavy rainfall yesterday which combined with above average rainfall in recent weeks produced flooding that closed roads and schools. Several streets in Texarkana were shutdown for a period of time yesterday. Several schools released students early and Hwy 67 near Omaha was closed for a time yesterday.
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Gas Prices Hold Steady in Texarkana
Gas prices are staying steady according to Triple A. Currently the price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline in Texarkana is $2.27 which is up two cents from last week but less than the state’s average which stands at $2.30 a gallon. Last month the average cost of a gallon of unleaded gasoline in Texarkana was at $2.37 whereas a year ago it was at $2.91 a gallon. Triple A expects gas prices to remain steady for the near future.
AAA
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Texas Could Lose Federal Money
Texas could lose $173 million of federal money that pays half of the state’s food stamp program’s overhead according to a federal official. A recent report ranked Texas near the bottom when it comes to processing applications. Now families whose applications have not yet been processed are flooding food pantries across the state. Jan Pruitt, president of the North Texas Food Bank said “"We were set up to fill a gap and tide people over for a few weeks, but now we're turning into a system for chronic needs we really do have problems."
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Road Construction Continues In Bowie County
Construction will continue on Interstate 30 in Bowie County near Texarkana.
Texas Dept. of Transportation
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Texas Near Bottom In Health Care
Texas is near the bottom when it comes to health care in America. According to a report released by the Commonwealth Fund Texas ranked 46th among the 50 nations in the country. The Lone Star State ranked last in access to health care. he Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation based in New York, supports congressional efforts to overhaul the nation's health care system and expand health insurance to all Americans. The fund's scorecard is one of the few measures available for comparing health care across the country. It relies on data reported by the states as well as federal surveys of Medicare patients and their hospitals and doctors.
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School Bus Safety Week
Next week is School Bus Safety Week. The Texas Transportation Institute under a TxDOT safety grant will be promoting driver awareness of the school bus stop-arm law and the dangers and consequences of violating the law. An estimated 1.4 million schoolchildren ride school buses in the Lone Star State. Last year an estimated 2.96 million drivers illegally passed stopped school buses. Breaking the law can result in a fine of $1000 plus court costs and charged with a class A misdemeanor. A second violation can result in a $1000 fine plus court costs and charged with a state jail felony
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County Jail Passes Inspection
The Bowie County Commissioners’ Court met yesterday. During the meeting Bowie County Judge James Carlow said the Bowie County Correctional Center passed an inspection performed by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. Judge Carlow said the jail passed with “flying colors”. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards is the regulatory agency for all county jails and privately operated municipal jails in the state of Texas.
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Better Hearing Care
4628 Summerhill Road
Texarkana, TX 75503
903.794.5839
800.344.4710
Better Hearing Care
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Last Day to Register
Today is the last day to register to vote in the November 3rd constitutional election. Texans will vote on eleven proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. You can find a list of those amendments at 1530thelight.com. The Texas constitution has been amended 456 times since 1876.
The Amendments
The Explanations
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Gas Prices Are Down
Gas prices in Texarkana are down from a week ago according to Texas Triple A. The price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is on average at $2.25 which is down six cents from last week and down nineteen cents from last month’s price of $2.44. Last year at this time, the price for a gallon of unleaded gas was $3.58.
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Construction Continues on I 30
More lane closures are in store for Interstate 30 in Texarkana. Starting Monday and going through Thursday one or both lanes may be closed at the Hwy 59 interchange starting at 9pm and lasting until 6am. Eastbound traffic will be detoured of I-30 at the Kings Hwy exit then to the loop with the Westlawn Drive exit as the turnaround. Westbound traffic will be detoured off I-30 just past Richmond Road down the frontage road to Kings Hwy then back on interstate.
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Flu Cancels School Till Monday
New Boston ISD has decided to close all campuses due to the large number of absentees. According to New Boston ISD Superintendent Gary VanDeaver all campuses will be closed until Monday and all extra curricular actives have been cancelled as well. The New Boston Lions football game with Hughes Springs has been cancelled and the district volleyball games will be re-scheduled. Mr. VanDeaver said crews will be disinfecting all campuses in order to get them ready for the resumption of school on Monday.
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Taxes Could Go Up in Texarkana
The Texarkana, Texas City Council will convene this evening at 6pm in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Among the items on the agenda the Council will consider approving a new tax rate. If passed residents of Texarkana will see an increase in their taxes.
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New Budget for Bowie County is Approved
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No Shot No School at Maud
Absentees have almost double at Maud Elementary according to Principal Susan Fields. Fields says the absentees are due to the flu. Last year the school recorded 59 absentees from the start of school to Sept 21st. This year, there have been 113 absentees during the same time period. According to the district, there are 13 students who have not yet received their shots and are facing expulsion if they do not comply with the state-mandated deadline of Sept 30th.
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Voter Registration Deadline Nears
Secretary of State Hope Andrade is reminding Texans that the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 3 Constitutional Amendment election is Monday, Oct. 5.
“The deadline is approaching, but there is still time to register if you have not already done so,” said Andrade. “It only takes a few minutes to fill out a voter registration application – or to update information if you have moved – to be eligible to cast a ballot in November.”
Voters will decide on eleven proposed amendments put forth by the 81st Legislature.
Texans can review ballot language, explanatory statements regarding each proposed amendment and a sample ballot for the Nov. 3 election at the Secretary of State’s Web site: www.sos.state.tx.us.
Individuals who have yet to register may obtain an application from many county offices, post offices and libraries or may download an application from the VOTEXAS Website: www.votexas.org. A person may also check their registration status on the Web site or by calling the Secretary of State’s voter hotline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683).
Texas residents are eligible to vote if they are a United States citizen, at least 18 years old on Election Day, not a convicted felon (unless sentence, probation, and/or parole have been completed), and not declared mentally incapacitated by a court of law.
Vote Texas
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Higher Taxes in Texarkana?
The Texas side city council of Texarkana will hold the first of two public hearings tonight at the Texarkana City Hall in the Council Chambers beginning at 5:30pm. The two public hearings are giving the residents of Texarkana the opportunity to ask questions about a proposed tax rate increase. Residents of Texarkana could be paying as much as $20 to $75 in more taxes on the average home in Texarkana.
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Texarkana, TX City Council Approves Budget
The Texarkana City Council met with opposition regarding the 2009-2010 proposed budget at their noon meeting yesterday. Dr. Jon Hall, president of the Main Street Texarkana board of directors objected to cuts in the budget that affect Main Street Texarkana.
Originally the councils’ proposed budget would move $20,000 of the allocated $30,000 for operations and a director’s salary and dedicate it to improvement for grants downtown for business.
Mayor Steve Mayo offered a compromise, with $20,000 for Main Street and the other $10,000 going for business grants. This passed unanimously.
Also the council made another amendment and allocated $45,000 to the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce. This item had been zeroed out in the original proposed budget.
The Texarkana City Council is also holding a public hearing Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Municipal Building at 3rd and Texas Blvd regarding the proposed tax rate.
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Commissioners Approve $34.7 million Budget
The Bowie Commissioners’ Court met this morning at 10am at the Bowie County Courthouse. During the meeting, the commissioners approved the 2009-2010 budget. The $34.7 million budget includes a 3% cost of living raise for county employees. The Commissioners also voted to keep the tax rate the same as last year.
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DeKalb Chamber Makes Way for Octoberfest
The DeKalb City Council approved closing downtown streets during Oktoberfest on the first weekend of October to make way for the 5K Run, the parade and vendors. The Council tabled the AEP-SWEPCO resolution regarding rate increase and will take 90 days to do further research on this proposal. The Council is excepted to schedule special meeting next Monday night for a public hearing regarding a proposed tax rate. After the public hearing, a the council may hold their meeting consider and adopt the tax rate for DeKalb.
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Texarkana, Texas City Council to Raise Taxes
The Texarkana, Texas City Council took action today on a proposed budget the eliminates positions and raises taxes. The budget also designates $150,000 for marketing and promotions. The tax increase is expected to approved in the near future and will go toward replacement of the city’s fleet.
Special Meeting 9/16
Texarkana, TX City Budget
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Another GOP Throws Hat Into Ring
Debra Medina, a business owner and rancher from Wharton announced today that she is running for governor in the Republican party against Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson and Gov. Rick Perry. Medina, who said she believes in small government and that her priority is fixing the economy, and her prescription includes scrapping property tax entirely in favor of a broader sales tax. She wants to curb illegal immigration and protect the right to bear arms, and she describes her stance on abortion as "pro-life — period."
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Bowie County Commissioners' Court Met Today
The Bowie County Commissioners' Court met this morning at the Bowie County Courthouse. The Court heard from the public concerning the proposed tax rate. Following the public hearing the Court approved a plan that will aid the District Clerk’s office in the preservation and restoration of records. The Court did not act on the grant application for money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
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9/11 Remembered
There are a couple of 9/11 ceremonies taking place this evening. First Baptist Hooks will the site of a 9/11 observance complete with a choir made up of Policemen and Firemen. That event begins at 7pm. State Line in Texarkana will be the scene of another ceremony tonight. This 9/11 Freedom Rally will feature Cathy Adams the President of the Texas Eagle Forum. That event will begin at 6:30pm.
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Tax Rate Public Hearing
The Bowie County Commissioners’ Court will hold a public hearing regarding the Proposed Budget for 2009-2010 on Monday, September 28, 2009 at 10:00 A. M. in the Commissioners’ Courtroom, Bowie County Courthouse New Boston, Texas. Any taxpayer of the county may attend and may participate in the hearing. Should you need assistance due to a disability please call the County Judge’s Office 903.628.6718.
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More Construction on I 30 in Texarkana
More lane closures are scheduled this week for Interstate 30 in Texarkana as work crews place steel beams for new bridges over the interstate at the US 59 interchange.
“The lane closings will take place between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. each night in order to impact traffic less,” said Kenny Icenhower, area engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation in Texarkana . “Some nights we will have all the lanes closed and others will have only one direction closed. All detour routes will be signed accordingly.”
Tonight and tomorrow night one or both directions of traffic maybe closed. Detour route will be the same as above for each direction.
“We ask that local motorists use extra caution driving in and around the construction zones as other motorists unfamiliar with the area may try to find alternate routes,” Icenhower said. “Closure schedules can also change due to unexpected problems and adverse weather conditions, but we will try to keep traffic moving as efficiently as possible.”
Anyone having any questions about the lane closures, detour routes or construction work can call 903-838-8574 for more information.
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Bowie County Schools Balk At President's Speech
President Barack Obama spoke to school children across America today but not all of America heard it live. At least six school districts in Bowie County decided not to air the speech live and instead recorded it.
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Bowie County Schools Scramble To Comply With New Law
Bowie County Schools Scramble to comply with a new state law making them teach the Bible.
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Road Construction Continues In Texarkana
Motorist are being urged to use caution as construction continues on Interstate 30 in Texarkana. Kenny Icenhower with TxDot says "The lane closings will take place between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. each night in order to impact traffic less. Some nights we will have all the lanes closed and others will have only one direction closed. All detour routes will be signed accordingly." Tonight and tomorrow night all westbound lanes will be closed. Traffic will be detoured off I-30 at the Hwy 59 exit just past Richmond Road to Kings Hwy and then back onto I-30.
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