WEDNESDAY VOLUME XXVIII NUMBER 39 Section 1 12 pages
September 27, 2023 Home of the ‘Lone Star Flag’ and Pixie Twomey
Montgomery County’s Only Locally Owned Newspaper
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Montgomery County News
Montgomery, Texas 77356
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Texas Just West of Montgomery Weekly County, A Little Church’s Gas Prices 129th Bazaar Average gasoline prices in Texas have fallen 8.6 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.33/g today, according to GasBuddy's survey of 13,114 stations in Texas. Prices in Texas are 4.9 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 23.7 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has risen 9.9 cents in the last week and stands at $4.53 per gallon. According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Texas was priced at $2.53/g yesterday while the most expensive was $4.29/g, a difference of $1.76/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.53/g while the highest was $4.29/g, a difference of $1.76/g. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 3.1 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.80/g today. The national average is up 1.3 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 13.6 cents per gallon higher 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: September 25, 2022: $3.09/g (U.S. Average: $3.67/g) September 25, 2021: $2.83/g (U.S. Average: $3.19/g) September 25, 2020: $1.86/g (U.S. Average: $2.19/g) September 25, 2019: $2.36/g (U.S. Average: $2.66/g) September 25, 2018: $2.61/g (U.S. Average: $2.86/g) September 25, 2017: $2.44/g (U.S. Average: $2.55/g) September 25, 2016: $1.93/g (U.S. Average: $2.20/g) September 25, 2015: $2.04/g (U.S. Average: $2.29/g) September 25, 2014: $3.14/g (U.S. Average: $3.34/g) September 25, 2013: $3.19/g (U.S. Average: $3.43/g) Neighboring areas and their current gas prices: Midland Odessa- $3.41/g, down 1.4 cents per gallon from last week's $3.42/g. San Antonio- $3.35/g, down 14.6 cents per gallon from last week's $3.49/g. Austin- $3.41/g, down 10.5 cents per gallon from last week's $3.52/g. "It's been a mostly quiet week for the national average price of gasoline, with most states seeing gas prices cool off. But, new and continued refinery issues in some regions have had an oversized effect on gas prices in some states, especially in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "While most states are likely to continue seeing gasoline prices fall in the week ahead, any new refinery issues as others begin maintenance could be problematic. For diesel prices, however, the opposite is playing out, with prices that continue to rise as demand for diesel strengthens. Overall, the largest issues impacting gas prices remain refinery disruptions, but also the price of oil, which has held around $90 per barrel as Saudi Arabia and Russia maintain significant production cuts." SOURCE GasBuddy
MCN Contributing Writer, Ruben Borjas Jr For a little place out in the countryside North of Plantersville, St Mary’s Church temporary populace becomes larger than the actual population of the city it represents; by eight or nine times, each first Sunday in September. It was the little Church’s 129th Bazaar, with the first one happening in 1894. For St Mary’s, it’s the main fundraiser of the year. And thanks to tireless parishioners who put in the sweat equity for a few days, their efforts permit St Mary’s to continue serving and ministering to the area's Catholic families and less fortunate for the rest of their calendar year. People come from all parts of Southeast Texas and beyond, to take part in the games and activities
that the different booths offer. Many parishioners of the church hail from Montgomery County, and others surrounding Grimes County. With all that set aside, for attendees; and especially the children, it's all about fun, fun, fun. St Mary’s has perfected the art of the bazaar. From the moment you enter the parking area, a golf cart is on standby to track you down, and post you to the Bazaar entrance. It was a little dusty ride this year. But still, if you had to park in the boondocks, you don’t have to legg it from and to your vehicle, as had been done long ago. Most youngsters first hit the Kid’s Zone, but not before passing the yearly train ride for kids, driven by a golf cart driver in Evelyn Smidt, 3, from Bryan, TX; shoots her last appropriate engineering skeeball in The Kid’s Zone, at St Mary’s Church Bazaar, while her father, Army Captain, Gary Smidt, left, looks on.
Kids eagerly await their turn for games in The Kid’s Zone at St Mary’s Church Bazaar
attire. Then you still have to pass the Hi-Strikers Ring-the-Bell Carnival game, where boyfriends try not to embarrass themselves in front of their girlfriends, in their attempts to showcase their manly strength. The Kid’s Zone itself had a plethora of activities. From Skeeball, Balloon Animals, Plinko, to Hunting and Fishing, where kids find worms in a
First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive To x i c s A c t o f 2 0 2 2 , ” commonly known as the PACT Act, was passed and signed into law last year. The new law provides improved access to healthcare and funding for veterans, who during their time in service, were exposed to toxic substances. But there is a catch to all that. The final date to notify the Veterans Administration of your intent to file a claim is quickly approaching on September 30th. The Act goes beyond the usual filings of Veterans who file for serviceconnected conditions that they obtained while in military service, such as chronic back pain, breathing problems, hearing loss, scar tissue, loss of range of motion, Community....2, 3, 4, 11, 12 ulcers, cancers; as well as Commentary.......................3, 4 Kay Lee, Montgomery County Veterans Service Officer anxiety, depression, mental or physical health Devotional..........................5 M C N C o n t r i b u t i n g Deadline for Vets Looms conditions related to For Veterans who are Legals................6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Writer, Ruben Borjas Jr military sexual trauma The PACT Act: Filing unaware, the “The Sergeant Business Directory...........12
Index
box of balls for a book, or tug on a fishing line behind a blind. And of course the kiddos loved their choice of several bouncy houses. Kids patiently waited patiently in pockets of blazing Sun to attend each booth. When they finished, they took any accumulated tickets from the games to a prize tent, for toys and dolls, some of See Bazaar, page 2
The PACT Act: Filing Deadline for Vets Looms
(MST), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The PACT Act expands and extends the eligibility for VA health care for Veterans exposed to toxic chemicals who served in Vietnam, Gulf War, post9/11 conflicts, and to some who were not deployed overseas at all. Normally, Veterans need to prove that their service caused their disabling condition. But now with the PACT Act, the VA automatically assumes, or presumes, that your condition was caused by known toxic exposures, provided you were in a given area of hazardous duty on or after August 2, 1990, in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Somalia, and the airspace above. Additionally, for those who served on or after September 11, 2001, in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon,
See PACT, page 2
PRE-SRT POSTAGE PD #80 MONTG. TX
The Friends of the Conroe Symphony hosted their Membership Meet and Mingle The Friends of the Conroe Symphony hosted their Membership Meet and Mingle Social to begin the 26th season for the Conroe Symphony Orchestra. Many old and new Friends attended the Conroe Music Centre entertained by Brooke and Dan Zeegler’s fantastic live performance on clarinet and piano. Delicious treats and libations were provided by the Friends of the Symphony. Gaby Tryon welcomed everyone with a call to action encouraging supporters to volunteer their time and talent while having fun to promote the CSO in a variety of ways to help keep the music alive in our greater Montgomery County community. This includes concerts at accessible prices, a Youth Orchestra and Outreach Programs. Email FOS@conroesymphony.org or call 936-448-1342 for further information concerning the Friends of the Symphony. Bill Thompson, president of the Conroe Symphony Board, complimented our talented and dedicated musicians and further encouraged men and women to join the Friends of the Symphony. He announced the calendar for the four matinee performances to be held at the First United Methodist Church Conroe, 4308 West Davis Street. Gary Liebst, the CSO Artistic Director, provided more details, illuminated the o r c h e s t r a ’s v i t a l i t y a n d concert schedule as follows: October 21,2023, With a Latin Flair; December 16, 2023, Tis the Season to be Jolly; February17,2024, Rodeo Roundup; April 13, 2024, The Final Frontier. These concerts will be at 2:30 pm. For more information and to order tickets/season tickets, v i s i t www.conroesympony.org
Montgomery HS Choirs named Mark of Excellence National Winners Montgomery HS Choirs named Mark of Excellence National Winners for third consecutive year Madrigals and Chorale Women take 2023 top honors from across the nation The Foundation for Music Education announced this year’s Mark of Excellence National Choral Honors Project winners and both the Montgomery Madrigals and the Choral Women’s Choir were named National Winners, receiving this honor for the third year in a row. “Our choirs each gave a stunning performance and I am beyond proud of these students and their passion for choral excellence,” MHS Choir Director Heather Orr said. “This national honor is a product of the continued effort they give to their training and the way they rise to the top when they compete.” The Mark of Excellence
See Choirs, page 2