WEDNESDAY VOLUME XXX NUMBER 18 Section 1 8 pages
May 6, 2026 Home of the ‘Lone Star Flag’ and Maria Plotrowska
Montgomery County’s Only Locally Owned Newspaper
Established 1995
Montgomery County News Texas Weekly Gas Prices Average gasoline prices in Texas have risen 27.0 cents per gallon in the last week, a v e r a g i n g $ 3 . 8 9 / g t o d a y, according to GasBuddy's survey of 13,114 stations in Texas. Prices in Texas are 8.8 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand $1.19/g higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has increased 21.3 cents compared to a week ago and stands at $5.621 per gallon. According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Texas was priced at $3.09/g yesterday while the most expensive was $5.29/g, a difference of $2.20/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.09/g while the highest was $5.29/g, a difference of $2.20/g. The national average price of gasoline has risen 38.2 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.42/g today. The national average is up 32.6 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands $1.31/g 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 five years: May 4, 2025: $2.70/g (U.S. Average: $3.12/g) May 4, 2024: $3.27/g (U.S. Average: $3.64/g) May 4, 2023: $3.07/g (U.S. Average: $3.55/g) May 4, 2022: $3.89/g (U.S. Average: $4.24/g) May 4, 2021: $2.62/g (U.S. Average: $2.92/g) Neighboring areas and their current gas prices: Midland Odessa- $3.81/g, up 15.8 cents per gallon from last week's $3.66/g. San Antonio- $3.86/g, up 35.7 cents per gallon from last week's $3.50/g. Austin- $3.80/g, up 31.2 cents per gallon from last week's $3.49/g. “Gasoline prices rose in every state over the last week, with some of the most significant and fastest increases concentrated in the Great Lakes, where states like Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois saw sharp spikes, while Wisconsin ex p er ien ced mo r e mo d es t gains,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “At the same time, diesel prices surged to new records in parts of the region, with some areas touching the $6per-gallon mark. While refinery outages were a key driver behind those outsized increases, early signs of improvement could help ease some of the most extreme price pressures in the Great Lakes in the days ahead. Beyond the region, markets are also digesting a wave of new developments— including OPEC+ raising production for June and President Trump outlining a plan to free stranded ships— which could help restore some supply. However, with so many moving pieces, the outlook remains highly fluid, and while some localized relief may emerge, broader price volatility is likely to persist in the near term.” SOURCE GasBuddy
Index Community............2, 4, 5, 8 Commentary...................3, 4, 5 Church Directory..............5 Legals.................................6 Business Directory.............8
Montgomery, Texas 77356
50 Weekly PBOX Magnolia, TX 77353
“Silver Lining” Article by Mark Hooker Saturday May 2nd brought the area unseasonably cooler weather, as a massive cold front passed through the area on Friday the 1st. This abrupt weather change was welcomed at the weigh-in on Saturday as the temperatures were fantastic. However, as many of you seasoned Fisherman out there are aware, drastic changes in the weather can affect how and where you will be successful. Those that adapted flourished, while those that were not, perished below the cutline to advance to the State Championship. The Anglers from Conroe High School proved why the lake was named after the City of Conroe, as they won both the School, as well as the Individual Championships. They were led by the Anglers of the Year from the Bayou Division Preston Wilson and Jack Cobler. The pair brought in a massive 5 fish stringer that tipped the scales at 26.33 pounds, cementing their dominance in the Texas High School Bass
PRE-SRT POSTAGE PD #80 MONTG. TX
Countryman, Fox, retain seats in Montgomery; Ligon joins GOP cadre in State Senate by Ruben Borjas, Jr
Association Tournaments this year, and claiming the Individual Team Championship Trophy. They were followed by Charles Dendy and Payton Leeck, who brought in another 5 bass limit for Conroe High, which tipped
the scale at 21.47 pounds. The third highest placing team from Conroe in Cole Compton and Tyler Turner with 5.07 pounds, which helped Conroe High win the event as a program, with a combined total weight of their top 3 Teams
being 52.87 pounds. A strong contingent from Comal ISD came in second place at this Regional event which pitted 182 Teams from 52 See MISD, page 2
Local Woman Turns Personal Trials into Community Lifeline: Tiffany Plunk’s Heart & Hammer TX Restores Homes and Hope battling memory loss, and facing closed doors in her trade, Tiffany Plunk made a radical choice: she would use her second chance at life to serve others. In December 2024, just weeks after being cleared to return to construction work she had performed for over a decade, Tiffany launched three o rg a n i z a t i o n s — t w o nonprofits and one small business — dedicated to lifting up those in need. Today, she stands as the founder and driving force behind Heart & Hammer TX, Undefeated TX, and her for-profit remodeling By Dan Edwards mysterious life-threatening company Femme Fix It. illness that left her on bed “I promised myself that A f t e r s u r v i v i n g a rest for nearly two years, if I survived my illness, I
would dedicate my life to helping others,” Tiffany said, reflecting on the journey that began in 2019 when she became seriously ill. After years of misdiagnoses, surgeries (including the removal of an organ), and a period of severe brain swelling that erased her short-term memory for nearly 18 m o n t h s , s h e e m e rg e d determined to live with purpose. Her travels around the world — from riding camels near the Egyptian p y r a m i d s a n d sandboarding in the Sahara to surfing in Costa Rica and dog sledding in Alaska — See Hope , page 2
Te x a n s w e r e b u s y voting this past Saturday as voters in Montgomery and surrounding cities went to the polls to choose Mayors, and places for City Council. The polls in Texas Senate District 4 were also open for voters to give the nod for a new State Senator to fill in for the unexpired term of Brandon Creighton, who resigned his SD4 seat last October to accept the chancellorship of the Texas Tech University System. In Montgomery, incumbent Mayor Sara Countryman, was reelected with approximately 46% of the vote, defeating her opponents, Mark Gess (28%), Art Aguilar (24%), and Kristin Gyldenge (3%). In the race for Place 4 of the Montgomery City Council, Cheryl Fox retained her position with 69% of the vote, defeating her opponent Efrain Lucas. The race for State Senate District 4 featured former Montgomery County District Attorney, Republican Brett Ligon, versus his opponent Democratic candidate Ron Angeletti. Senate District 4 consists of Texans from Montgomery, Chambers, Jefferson, Harris, and Galveston counties in the Texas Senate. Ligon handily defeated Angeletti with 75% of the vote, of the over 34 thousand votes cast. For Montgomery ISD School Board Position 3, incumbent Laurie Turner chose not to seek reelection. The open seat pitted Matt Mitchell versus Jennie Drude. Mitchell received over 76% of the vote. In Conroe, City Council candidates Kristin Hoisington (Pl. 3), Ken Blevins (Pl. 4) and John Sellars (Pl. 5) won their open seats respectively. While Tanya Maddux won the race for Conroe Municipal Judge with nearly 50% of the vote. All results remain unofficial until canvassed.