The Bowie County Citizens Tribune contacted the Texas Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday, and state officials conformed that there have been no reported or confirmed cases of West Nile virus in Bowie County.

As the map indicates, only 5 Texas counties have had any confirmed Arbovirus activity, as of yesterday, June 12.

The Tribune was contacted today concerning a reported case of West Nile. We then contacted the Bowie County Sheriff's Office, the CDC and the Texas Health and Human Services office in Austin to dispel the rumor.

Maud's Emily Jennings among those chosen to go to D.C.

Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) met with a group of high school students from Texas’ 4th District this week who were selected by Texas Electric Cooperatives to participate in the Government-in-Action Youth Tour for 2018.

The annual tour provides high school students in rural Texas a cost-free opportunity to visit the nation’s capital and meet with their representatives in the federal government. Students are selected for the tour by their local electric cooperatives through essay or speech contests.

By Heather Russell Wilson

Staff Reporter

On Monday, June 11, 2018 at approximately 3:15 p.m., officers with the New Boston Police Department were called to 102 Meadow Drive to investigate a death.  DPS officers found John Markus Littleton dead in his home when they attempted to serve warrants issued for Littleton for sexual assault of a child.

By Heather Russell Wilson

Staff Reporter

AR-TX REDI board members were notified today of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s need to postpone his visit to Texarkana to speak at the launch event of the new AR-TX Regional Economic Development Incorporated initiative originally set for May 31. The change in schedule is due to the Governor’s priority work on the prevention of school violence and issues related to the Santa Fe ISD tragedy.

Sonja Hubbard, AR-TX REDI president, said the event will be rescheduled once a new date is confirmed with both Abbott and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. 

From the Bowie County Sheriff's Office...

Around 5:29 AM on May 24, 2018 a 911 call was received from a distraught female saying she was being assaulted by her husband and she had just shot him. Bowie County deputies dispatched to this shooting found a deceased male lying on the floor of the home when they arrived. Deputies spoke with the female caller who was still at this residence in the 100 block of Parkway. She introduced herself as Tonya Barnett and told deputies the deceased male was her boyfriend Cecil Ellis Jr.

According to Ms. Barnett, Mr. Ellis choked her to the point that she passed out while he was assaulting her. She picked up a handgun to protect herself when she regained consciousness. Mr. Ellis continued his assault of Ms. Barnett and was shot during the confrontation. It was obvious to the deputies who arrived on the scene that Mr. Ellis had succumbed to his injuries prior to their arrival.

From the Bowie County Sheriff's Office---On May 16, 2018 around 2:08 PM, a local resident was driving a tractor in the 6600 block of Farm to Market 992 when he discovered a female lying on the side of the roadway. This female was found to be deceased. She was identified as Susan Marshall Wilson.

Evidence at the place where Mrs. Wilson was found indicated that she was struck by a vehicle. The Texas Department of Public Safety initially investigated this scene as a hit and run accident. At the time, investigators were unable to locate Mrs. Wilson’s husband, Jeffrey Wilson. He was finally located around 12:30 AM on May 17, 2018. Investigators spoke with Mr. Wilson about finding his wife deceased on the side of the roadway. He originally claimed to be out of town at the time and did not provide investigators with any other useful information.

From the Bowie County Sheriff's Office---On May 13, 2018, Deputy Nick Moses observed a black four door Chevrolet travelling westbound on Interstate 30 while failing to maintain a single lane of traffic. He conducted a traffic stop and identified the driver as Thomas Ray Brooks Jr.

Brooks was recognized as a person of interest in recent methamphetamine trafficking and was asked for permission to search his vehicle. Brooks consented to the search. Deputy Nick Moses was assisted by New Boston Police Officer Rusty Hill during this search. They recovered a hypodermic syringe containing suspected methamphetamine. A more thorough search resulted in the recovery of two plastic baggies holding a substantial quantity of suspected methamphetamine that had been concealed behind an overhead console. The suspected methamphetamine weighed approximately 28 grams.

Computers not wiped clean by system installs

By Kenny Mitchell

Publisher

This morning, the Tribune was at New Boston City Hall to investigate the allegations that city owned computers had been “wiped clean” by the city’s contracted networking specialist, or by city employees.

 Retrofits will add 270,000 sq. ft. of move-in-ready space