HOUSE FIRE – Four Wise County fire departments battled a house fire in the 6700 block of Farm Road 51 North early Sunday afternoon. The blaze, near the intersection of County Road 2625, was first reported about 12:15 p.m. Greenwood/Slidell, Decatur, Alvord and Paradise fire departments responded. Firefighters rotated quickly in the 98 degree heat as medics worked alongside trying to keep them cool. No one was in the home when it caught fire, and the cause of the fire is unknown. Firefighters were still in attack mode almost two hours after arriving at the scene trying to save a section of the home. According to the Wise County Appraisal District the house was built in 1986 and is valued at approximately $311,000. The 3,500-square-foot home is owned by Mark and Kathy Fleckenstein.
FATAL ACCIDENT – Stuart Brooks, 24, of Decatur was killed in a motor vehicle accident Saturday afternoon near Bonham. Details of the wreck were unavailable as of Update’s press time, but Brooks was operating a motorcycle at the time of the accident. His funeral is 10 a.m. Wednesday at Immanuel Baptist Church in Decatur with burial at Lonestar Cemetery. Family visitation is 6-8 tonight at Coker-Hawkins Funeral Home in Decatur.
WOMAN IDENTIFIED – The body of a woman found Friday morning near an RV park just south of Briar near the northwest shore of Eagle Mountain Lake has been identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s website as Tricia Herron, 29. Her address was listed as the same address where her body was found, 6925 Liberty School Tapp Road. The medical examiner’s office has not issued a cause of death. It is the second body found near the north end of Eagle Mountain Lake in less than a month.
JURY CANCELED – The jury trial scheduled for 1:30 p.m. today in Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace court in Boyd has been canceled.
AMPUTEE MEETING -Amputees in Motion (AIM) meet today. For times, email aimdecatur@yahoo.com or search Amputees In Motion on Facebook. Amputees and their family members are invited.
NEW ID REQUIREMENTS – Starting today, new rules will be in place for vehicle title registration and initial registration. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles’ requirements for an “acceptable ID” include a photograph, unique identification number, birth date and expiration date. The types of IDs that will be accepted include a driver license or state identification certificate issued by a state or territory of the U.S., U.S. or foreign passport, U.S. military ID, North Atlantic Treaty Organization ID or identification issued under the Status of Forces Agreement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security ID, U.S. Department of State ID, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services document. These changes are requirements of new state laws (House Bill 2017 and 2357). They do not apply to vehicle registration renewal.
SCOUT MEETING – Boy Scout Troop 145 will begin meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, starting today, at the First United Methodist Church, 540 S. Allen in Boyd. Boy Scouts is open to all boys ages 11-17. Email BoydScouts@gmail.com for more information or call Gerald Stuteville at (817) 891-1763.
FFA CLAY SHOOT – The Bridgeport FFA Second Annual Clay Shoot is Saturday at Fossil Pointe Sporting Grounds. Registration starts at 8 a.m. Cost is $400 per four man team. Awards will be given for the top three teams. There will also be door prizes and a raffle for a Browning shotgun. For more information call Ron Hunter at (940) 393-1219, Bill Cline at (940) 577-4741 or Dawn Swenson at (940) 389-3611. All proceeds benefit the Bridgeport FFA Booster Club Scholarship Fund.
PUBLIC HEARING NO. 2 – The Decatur City Council will hold a second required public hearing tonight on its 2012-13 ad valorem tax rate. No one spoke at the first hearing, held Aug. 27. Tonight’s hearing is at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 201 E. Walnut. The proposed tax rate of 66.3 cents per $100 valuation would raise taxes on a $100,000 home by approximately $9 a year.
BRIDGEPORT COUNCIL – The Bridgeport City Council meets tonight with a pre-council meeting at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 900 Thompson St. Items on the agenda include the presentation of a grant to the library from the commissioners court, a second public hearing on a 58.75 cent tax rate and awarding a bid for flocculator drive replacement at Walter Hales Water Treatment Plant.
BULLS BOOSTER CLUB – The Bridgeport Bulls Football Club meets at 6:30 tonight in the team meeting room in the old high school gym. A short meeting will be followed by a viewing of the game film. Anyone interested in supporting the Bulls is invited. The club will meet every Monday at 6:30 p.m.
BULLDOG MANIA – The Alvord Booster Club will hold Bulldog Mania tonight at Bulldog Stadium. Hamburgers, chips and drink will be served starting at 6 p.m. for $5, with introductions of players and cheerleaders at 7.
TOUGH START – The first Friday night in the 2012 high school football season didn’t get off to a good start for most local teams last week. Only Alvord was victorious with a 62-7 thrashing of Millsap. Other scores included Gunter 34, Boyd 27; Alvarado 64, Bridgeport 13; Frost 42, Chico 19; Trinity Christian 55, Decatur 24; and Grandview 47, Paradise 6.
LIONS CLUB PROGRAM — Wise County Democratic Chair Mark York will be the guest speaker presenting his message “Political Extremism” at the Bridgeport Lions Club on Wednesday. The club meets at 1107 8th St. Call Corey Lane today to RSVP as a guest at no charge at (940) 683 4080.
FUNERALS – Service for James Hughes, 38, of Decatur is pending at Coker-Hawkins Funeral Home in Decatur.
FUNERAL for Stuart Brooks, 24, of Decatur is 10 a.m. Wednesday at Immanuel Baptist Church in Decatur with burial at Lonestar Cemetery. Family visitation is 6-8 tonight at Coker-Hawkins.
GRAVESIDE service for Geneva Lee Howell, 90, of Bridgeport is 1 p.m. Thursday at Merriman Cemetery in Ranger. Hawkins Funeral Home in Bridgeport is handling arrangements.
MEMORIAL service for Elizabeth Ann Largent, 80, formerly of Wise County is 10 a.m. Wednesday at Decatur Ave. Baptist Church in Fort Worth. Hawkins-Bridgeport is handling arrangements.
