2011-03-05

Housing authority clarifies rent options

The “Housing authority hangs ‘vacancy’ sign” article in the Sunday, Feb. 27, edition of the Messenger incorrectly described rent options and utility allowances. According to Bridgeport Housing Authority Executive Director Sherry Henderson, rent is based on 30 percent of the family’s monthly adjusted income. However, a flat rent based on the number of bedrooms is set. For a one-bedroom apartment, […]

Nike, Apple set to visit DHS

Two Fortune 500 companies will be at Decatur High School this week. One company will be focused on providing tools to make students run faster, while the other company will be focused on providing tools to allow students to keep up with the quickly-changing pace of technology. Representatives from Nike contacted cross country coach David Park last week to schedule […]

Postal service route changes planned

Residents in Chico and Newark will not notice a change in their mail delivery, but the United States Postal Service may be cutting routes and administrative positions to save money. Sam Bolen, public information officer for the USPS Fort Worth District, said three Chico routes will go through Bridgeport starting in June. The post office in Chico will remain open […]

Red Cross seeks volunteers for disaster response

Cities across the county have proclaimed March as Red Cross month in recent weeks. But despite the support by proclamations, the organization lacks assistance in manpower. Locally, Fields Richardson and his wife, Frances, of Decatur, are the only volunteers. “Fortunately, it’s been really slow,” he said. “That’s always a good thing. But we’d hate to miss a disaster just because […]

1 week left to file

Filings for places on the May 14 election ballot for cities and schools began Feb. 14 and continues through March 14. Here is the latest list of who’s filed. Alvord City Council Mayor – Terri Freeman (She filed to run for mayor, but withdrew her application.), Malcolm Hardy Place 1 – Kirk Gibson Place 2 – No filings Alvord School […]

City approves bill pay extension

Bridgeport residents who need extra time to pay their utility bill could soon find the help they need. Bridgeport City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to amend the utilities code of ordinances to add an article for payment extensions. The adopted ordinance allows for a verbal agreement between city staff and a citizen for a 10-day payment extension if the citizen: […]

County still waiting for a rating

Selling bonds for the Weatherford College Wise County project has been delayed again as county officials continue to wait for a bond rating. Construction of the new campus between Decatur and Bridgeport will require the sale of $26,345,000 in bonds. At the beginning of the year, bond sales were planned for February. Now county officials hope to be selling bonds […]

3 arrested for firearm smuggling

The Wise County Sheriff’s Office executed arrests on three Bridgeport men late Friday morning for allegedly conspiring to commit firearm smuggling. The three are also possibly connected to a string of car burglaries in the Chico and Bridgeport areas in December and January. John G. Torres, 21; Nicholas R. O’Neal, 19; and Israel T. Rodriguez, 17, were all arrested without […]

Truck rollover injures 1

A Fort Worth man has been released from the hospital after being trapped in his tanker truck for more than an hour early Wednesday morning. Steven Lee Mitchell, 29, was northbound on Farm Road 51 South around 5:40 in his Coffman Tank truck when he came to the intersection of Texas 114 and FM 51. According to Trooper William Wallace, […]

Faith child: Teen mom struggles to balance motherhood, school

At 3:35 p.m., brakes on a yellow school bus screech to a halt at the end of a gray gravel drive. The road leads to a line of mobile homes just south of Boyd. Sixteen-year-old high school sophomore Jewel Weesner steps down from the bus. Her 12-year-old brother Robert follows in step. The pair tromp to their house, the first […]