All Articles

By Pam Kumpe Across from the shelter, a weathered van sat with both side doors rolled open. A black dog stood at the entrance like a faithful guard, though his open mouth and wagging tail made him look more like he was welcoming visitors than warning them away. Inside, a short, stocky older man covered in faded tattoos looked up at me. “Hi, I’m Pam.” I smiled. “Would you like a cold Gatorade?” He shook his head. “Nah. I don’t drink those sports drinks.” I held one up, beads o

By Kenny Mitchell kenny@westbowiepost.com Bowie County leaders have taken the first step in the direction of what they see is the most viable way to protect our most valuable resource, as they have approved a resolution to join with other counties across Texas to form a Regional Water Conservation District. At last Monday’s meeting of the Bowie County Commissioners Court, the county leaders approved a resolution that will see the county join with neighboring counties to ask t

By Kenny Mitchell kenny@westbowiepost.com A chance visitor at the office last week spurred a conversation with an old friend and it was nice to just sit and talk for a few minutes with someone else who truly cares about the community of Bowie County. People are so busy these days just trying to keep paddling that it is a rare thing to have a few minutes in the still to just sit and talk, but it was definitely a surprise pleasure for yours truly when my buddy Tommy Crouch came

By Kenny Mitchell kenny@westbowiepost.com The day is fast approaching for the annual Glow Walk in New Boston, scheduled for September 19, 2026. A plethora of fundraising activities are underway for this year’s event, and organizer Stephanie Hawkins says that this is again a year “where every story matters.” One of those fundraising activities is labeled Pie for a Purpose, and it is exactly as it sounds. A long list of volunteer contestants has signed up and the donation jar t

By Kenny Mitchell kenny@westbowiepost.com A 6th grade student at Hooks Junior High has made it her mission this year to make the world a better place with simple acts of kindness. Katelyn McElroy was crowned earlier this year as Young Miss Hooks and she has decided to use her platform as a member of the Miss Hooks court to help her community and bring it together by simply being kind. Katelyn says, “When I became Young Miss Hooks, I wanted to do something to help people by sp

“No new supply agreements, reservation capacities or participation contracts have been made beyond those already existing with the Member Entities.” By Kenny Mitchell kenny@westbowiepost.com With the organized opposition to the construction of proposed AI data centers in Bowie County, much has been said about where the water will come from to supply the water thirsty cooling towers that come with them. Opposition leaders have raised the issue of water consumption and water

By Rylee Freeman Welcoming an exchange student into the family can create lifelong relationships while introducing new cultures to both the student and the host family. Foreign Links Around the Globe (FLAG) was founded by former Brazilian exchange student Mazi Cunha and his American host mother. Local coordinator Laura Shaw recruits host families willing to welcome an exchange student during the school year and treat them as part of the family. Shaw ma

By Kenny Mitchell kenny@westbowiepost.com In these dog days of summer, many are in the middle of preparing for another school year, and that is surely the case for the folks at Plentiful Harvest in New Boston as the efforts are in full swing for their 9th annual Back to School Bash. This year’s event is set for Saturday, August 1, from 11 a.m. til 2 p.m. at the church, located at 500 N. Merrill. As always, the much anticipated event will bring the community together to provid

By Allyson Pebsworth allyson@westbowiepost.com There’s no crying in baseball, a quote most people are familiar with. However for some people it’s more than just a quote the way playing ball is more than just a game, regardless of age. Harper Hankins, daughter of Jacey and Michael, has been playing ball since she was 5 years old, starting with t-ball and quickly jumping up to play on teams with kids much older than herself. Watching the Women's College World Series with her m

By Kenny Mitchell kenny@westbowiepost.com Members of the community in Avery have come together for a common purpose, and that purpose is to honor those who have served our country in the armed forces. An effort is underway to honor and all of the veterans laid to rest in the Avery Cemetery by placing a special commemorative wreath on their final resting place for Christmas this year. The work being done now is to identify all of the veterans in the cemetery and that is where

By Allyson Pebsworth allyson@westbowiepost.com Bringing a lifetime of restaurant experience to Hooks, Don Baughman and wife Cheryl, are excited to continue serving customers in the area, this time with a variety of bar-b-que and sweet treats. Born in Texarkana to parents Charles and Yeda Moore, Cheryl met Don during her youth while living in California. After building a life that grew to include daughters Jena Reis and Kalen Baughman, Don and Cheryl moved back to Texas to be

DeKalb’s Zadie Kaye Bates came home with a long list of honors from the American Junior Simbrah Roundup held last week in Brenham, Texas. ZK earned Grand Champion in Public Speaking, Grand Champion in Skill-a-thon, Grand Champion in Sales Talk, Grand Champion in Livestock Judging, 3rd place in Cattleman’s Quiz, 3rd place in Showmanship, Reserve Grand Champion in her Division with her Simbrah show heifer and Overall High Point Junior. The future of FFA and 4-H is bright in Bow

By Rylee Freeman Reporter Whether in the mood for a hot coffee to start the day, a refreshing lemonade to cool off or an energizer for a midday boost, customers no longer have to drive miles out of town to satisfy the craving. The Hudson Roast brings familiar favorites to the Maud community, offering many of the same drinks found at larger coffee shops while providing the convenience and inviting atmosphere of a locally owned business. After living in Maud for 12 years, owner

By Kenny Mitchell kenny@westbowiepost.com The New Boston family of Reagan Hancock and her unborn child Braxlynn have authored what they see as lifesaving legislation that could be made into law by the next session of the Texas Legislature. Reagan’s mother Jessica Brookes and her sister, Emily Shirey, joined together to pen the proposed legislation in an attempt to prevent other families from having to live through the nightmare that began for them in October of 2020. In the p

By Kenny Mitchell kenny@westbowiepost.com Bowie County is set to vastly expand its service and assistance to local veterans this fall through a new partnership with Cass, Marion and Morris County that will open the door for what Precinct 4 Commissioner Mike Carter says is a veterans assistance program that is the first of its kind for Bowie County veterans and their families. The assistance comes in the form of an $800,000 grant from the Texas Veterans Commission. Governor Gr

By Connie Pinkham It has become a job description in the age of social media. The word regularly finds its way into conversations. People speak about an influencer they follow like we used to talk about our favorite weather man or news commentator. They operate through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and probably others I’m too old and out of touch to know about. I remember when my mother-in-law talked about Ron Young like he was a personal acquaintance. She called him Ron. D

By Betty Simpkins Have you ever seen any of the paintings by Norman Rockwell? His artwork is synonymous with Americana because he knew how to put average people in the limelight. One of my all time favorites is the scene depicting a ridge along a seashore upon which stands an old sea captain and his very young protégé. I’m sure you’ve seen it a time or two on a calendar or in a magazine. But there is more to the picture than the immediately pleasing spectacle of a wind-ruffl

By Ken Esten Cooke Guest Columnist The World Cup — that “other” football event played every four years — has returned to North America. And the world’s most popular sport has brought the world’s most joyful fan bases with it. The Scottish Tartan Army is bringing laughs — and a huge economic boost — to the greater Boston region. Those Scot fans talked of running out of beer on the flight over, then proceeded to drain many a local watering hole of their supplies as well. On gam

By Kenny Mitchell It comes to mind that there are some days that life makes it extremely hard to make lemonade. Life has a tendency to throw things at us that will even not want to even think of drinking lemonade of any kind, and it is those days when we need it most. I play around with the word lemonade a lot here in this weekly spot, with the hopes that you will understand the real meaning behind the words. Obviously, lemonade has a hodgepodge of meanings, but in most cases

By Pam Kumpe I admit it. I followed her. It started with an innocent glance from my car window when I saw her sitting in the shade of a tree, almost hidden by low branches. The day was warm. I rolled down my window and called, “Would you like a Gatorade?” She waved me off, grabbed her backpack, and walked the opposite way. That should have been the end of it. But apparently, I am not always a “that should be the end of it” kind of person. At the corner of the street, I turned