WEDNESDAY VOLUME XXIX NUMBER 26 Section 1 8 pages
July 3, 2024 Home of the ‘Lone Star Flag’ and Shannon Cartwright
Montgomery County’s Only Locally Owned Newspaper
Established 1995
Montgomery County News
Montgomery, Texas 77356
50 Weekly
PRE-SRT POSTAGE PD #80 MONTG. TX
PBOX Magnolia, TX 77353
Texas Conroe's Freedom Fest: News from Weekly A Celebration of America the Lake Creek Gas Prices Average gasoline prices in Texas have risen 5.9 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.09/g today, according to GasBuddy's survey of 13,114 stations in Texas. Prices in Texas are 4.7 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 3.7 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has risen 1.4 cents in the last week and stands at $3.77 per gallon. According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Texas was priced at $2.43/g yesterday while the most expensive was $4.05/g, a difference of $1.62/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.43/g while the highest was $4.05/g, a difference of $1.62/g. The national average price of gasoline has risen 5.0 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.46/g today. The national average is down 6.0 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 5.4 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country. Historical gasoline prices in Texas and the national average going back ten years: July 1, 2023: $3.13/g (U.S. Average: $3.52/g) July 1, 2022: $4.43/g (U.S. Average: $4.83/g) July 1, 2021: $2.81/g (U.S. Average: $3.12/g) July 1, 2020: $1.88/g (U.S. Average: $2.18/g) July 1, 2019: $2.43/g (U.S. Average: $2.72/g) July 1, 2018: $2.65/g (U.S. Average: $2.84/g) July 1, 2017: $2.03/g (U.S. Average: $2.23/g) July 1, 2016: $2.10/g (U.S. Average: $2.27/g) July 1, 2015: $2.56/g (U.S. Average: $2.76/g) July 1, 2014: $3.49/g (U.S. Average: $3.67/g) Neighboring areas and their current gas prices: Midland Odessa- $2.94/g, down 1.3 cents per gallon from last week's $2.95/g. San Antonio- $3.10/g, up 3.7 cents per gallon from last week's $3.07/g. Austin- $3.12/g, up 3.8 cents per gallon from last week's $3.08/g. “As we approach July 4 later this week, motorists have seen the national average price of gasoline inch up ever so slightly for the third straight week," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "While the increases have been fairly tame, with oil continuing to hold above $80 per barrel, we could continue to see the national average climb slightly. Other areas that see price cycling saw prices shoot up early in the week, but those areas are now starting to see prices fall back down. For many Americans hitting the road for the July 4 holiday, prices in most areas are very comparable to what we saw last July 4. However, with Hurricane Beryl now formed in the Caribbean, we're reminded that gas prices could experience some jolts in the second half of the summer should a storm threaten refining capacity in Texas or Louisiana." SOURCE GasBuddy
Index Community........2, 3, 4, 7, 8 Commentary...................3, 4, 5 Church Directory..............5 Legals.................................6 Business Directory.............8
by Ruben Borjas, Jr MCN contributing writer
It was a little humid, but the gentle breeze kept the larger beads of sweat at b a y, a s c i t i z e n s o f Montgomery County and beyond gathered around Downtown Conroe to enjoy the festivities associated with the Founding of Our Nation. The 4th Annual Freedom Fest, held this past Saturday, had vendors scattered from Simonton Street (and Heritage Place) east of Frazier/TX-75 to North Pacific Street, next to the railroad tracks, with additional attractions and booths along N. Main Street. The event was organized in partnership with several corporations such as Enercorp, Pro Directional, and Complete Home Remodeling. In addition, numerous businesses in Historic Downtown Conroe chipped in to bring about a gathering for young and old to come and hang out, listen to some patriotic music, and watch some fireworks. “ We a r e h e r e t o celebrate America,” said David Usifah, a Nigerian
Settlement: The First Roads and Traces Are Still with Us By Kameron Searle
Freedom Fest goers and Conroe Symphony Orchestra supporters, enjoyed the Fireworks at the Freedom Fest at Heritage Park this past Saturday Top LtoR: Carl Howard, John Tryon, Charlotte Belin, Margie Taylor, Jim Hamilton Bottom LtoR: Lyn Howard, Gaby Tryon, Kathleen Hamilton
born naturalized American, who spent 23 years in the U.S. Navy. Usifah spent the day enjoying the festivities with his wife and daughters. “I’m proud to be an American, a Texan, and a Veteran.” The streets were very active starting from before noon, with tons of activities geared for kids of
all ages. Along Main and Simonton Streets there were water slides, a dunk tank, a rock climbing wall, and cornhole tournaments. If you needed to shelter from the heat a bit, you could drop into one of the local watering holes to cool off with a beer, glass of wine, a mixed drink, or even some mead. Of course there was plenty of
water and colas available for everyone to wet their whistles. “We came this evening to remember my son,” said Margie Taylor, who was attending with her husband Jeff. Taylor’s son, U.S. Army Specialist Joey Lenz, 32, passed away at See Freedom , page 2
Innovative Aquifer Compaction and Subsidence Study Launched In the heart of Texas, beneath the surface, lies a hidden world of immense importance: aquifers. These vast underground reservoirs serve as a crucial source of water for our communities, agriculture, and industries. Understanding their intricate workings is paramount for long-term groundwater management. Enter the Lone Star G r o u n d w a t e r Conservation District (Lone Star GCD), a stalwart guardian of our groundwater resources, embarking on a pioneering journey, and the first of its kind. Currently underway is a monumental compaction and subsidence study led by the Lone Star GCD. This ambitious endeavor involves drilling deep into the Chicot, Evangeline, Jasper aquifers and the Burkeville confining unit, extracting core samples that hold the key to
unlocking valuable insights into their geological dynamics. The core samples obtained during the drilling process will serve as time capsules, offering a glimpse into the past, present, and future conditions of these vital aquifers. By analyzing the composition and structure of these samples, scientists can discern information affecting compaction and subsidence over time, providing invaluable insights into the health of our groundwater resources. One of the primary objectives of this study is to collect aquifer data from Montgomery County to update the GMA 14 groundwater availability model, a sophisticated tool used for groundwater management in the region. By integrating the data gathered from the core samples, the model will be enhanced with more a c c u r a t e a n d
c o m p r e h e n s i v e groundwater production information, empowering and conservation efforts. Unlike current surface policymakers, and s t a k e h o l d e r s t o m a k e measurement tools, these informed decisions See Aquifer page 9 regarding future
During my decade-long investigation into the early history of Montgomery County and the City of Montgomery, I’ve had the privilege of making frequent visits to the Texas General Land Office. These visits provided me access to the original Mexican land grants issued by Stephen F. Austin to the sixteen colonists who settled in what is now western Montgomery County in 1831. These colonists, including Benjamin Rigby, John Corner, William Atkins, William C. Clark, Raleigh Rogers, Zachariah Landrum, William M. Rankin, and Jacob Shannon, each received expansive tracts of land known as leagues, totaling an impressive 4,428.4 acres per grant. All of these grants were initially surveyed by E. R. Wightman, with early colonists and settlers assisting as his chain carriers. Wightman’s detailed surveys also documented the three roads or traces running through these land grants. According to Gary L. Pinkerton, author of ‘Trammel’s Trace: The First Road to Texas from the North,’ “a trace denotes a path worn through the wilderness by the passage of men or animals.” Remarkably, portions of these three paths identified by Wightman in 1831 continue to be in use today. In his field notes for the Benjamin Rigby League, Wi g h t m a n n o t e d t h e ‘ C o n t r a b a n d Tr a c e , ’ running north and south a l o n g t h e l e a g u e ’s easternmost boundary and descending down into the Zachariah Landrum League. This trace was used illicitly by smugglers and colonists to transport goods from the United States, circumventing Mexican authorities and tariffs. The Contraband See Lake Creek, page 2