WEDNESDAY VOLUME XXX NUMBER 15 Section 1 12 pages
April 15, 2026 Home of the ‘Lone Star Flag’ and Tiffany Teague
Montgomery County’s Only Locally Owned Newspaper
Established 1995
Montgomery County News
Montgomery, Texas 77356
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PRE-SRT POSTAGE PD #80 MONTG. TX
PBOX Magnolia, TX 77353
Texas Camp Invention’s Fun, Splendora High School Weekly Action-Packed Summer Teacher Arrested Gas Prices After STEM Program Coming Stabbing Investigation to Your Area Reveals
Average gasoline prices in Texas have fallen 2.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.78/g today, according to GasBuddy's survey of 13,114 stations in Texas. Prices in Texas are 42.7 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand $1.04/g higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has increased 4.1 cents compared to a week ago and stands at $5.617 per gallon. According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Texas was priced at $2.89/g yesterday while the most expensive was $5.39/g, a difference of $2.50/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.89/g while the highest was $5.39/g, a difference of $2.50/g. The national average price of gasoline is unchanged in the last week, averaging $4.07/g today. The national average is up 39.1 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 93.4 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 five years: April 13, 2025: $2.74/g (U.S. Average: $3.13/g) April 13, 2024: $3.17/g (U.S. Average: $3.62/g) April 13, 2023: $3.32/g (U.S. Average: $3.65/g) April 13, 2022: $3.67/g (U.S. Average: $4.07/g) April 13, 2021: $2.60/g (U.S. Average: $2.86/g) Neighboring areas and their current gas prices: Midland Odessa- $3.74/g, down 23.3 cents per gallon from last week's $3.98/g. San Antonio- $3.85/g, up 4.8 cents per gallon from last week's $3.80/g. Austin- $3.88/g, up 7.3 cents per gallon from last week's $3.80/g. “Average gasoline prices surged for many Americans through the first half of last week before easing in some areas after oil prices slipped following President Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “However, with a breakdown in talks and renewed escalation over the weekend, motorists should prepare for another round of price increases. The move toward a full blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is compounding global supply concerns and risks further disrupting flows, which pushed oil prices sharply higher in Sunday night trading. As a result, gasoline prices are likely to jump again this week, with diesel expected to follow, until there is a meaningful restoration of shipping through the Strait.” SOURCE GasBuddy
Index Community........2, 5, 11, 12
Commentary...................3, 4, 5 Church Directory..............5 Legals................6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Business Directory...........12
Hoax
Caption: In Camp Invention’s Make Waves experience, children ride the waves of entrepreneurship and invention by creating prototypes, pitching their products and building a billboard boat. Credit: Camp Invention Montgomery, TX — Camp Invention®, a nationally recognized, nonprofit summer enrichment program, is coming to the following locations. Magnolia: Nichols
Sawmill Elementary School the week of June 1, 2026 - June 5, 2026. Huntsville: First Baptist Church the week of July 13, 2026 - July 17, 2026. Regional program
sponsors include Johnson Controls Foundation and Overdeck Family Foundation. A program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame® in partnership with the United States Patent
and Trademark Office, Camp Invention challenges children in grades K-6 to tap into their natural curiosity and use See STEM, page 2
Elizabeth Smart Announced as ATHENA Keynote Speaker
CommunityHuman InterestChamberGeneral News ArticlePress Release Conroe, TX – Inspiring survivor-turned-advocate Elizabeth Smart will
deliver the keynote address at the Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce AT H E N A L e a d e r s h i p Aw a r d L u n c h e o n , presented by Better Bookkeepers. The luncheon is scheduled for Friday, July 24, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Conroe. “Better Bookkeepers is proud to continue supporting the ATHENA L e a d e r s h i p Aw a r d Luncheon,” said Melanie K. Bush, owner of Better Bookkeepers. “Women leaders throughout our community are driving meaningful change and inspiring others to reach higher. Like this year’s
speaker, ATHENA leaders set the standard for excellence while lifting others along the way. Their leadership creates opportunity, and we are honored to celebrate their influence and impact.” For the ninth year, the Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce will partner with ATHENA International, an organization that develops, supports, and honors girls and women from the classroom to the boardroom, building a global pipeline of women leaders. “Through her advocacy and ongoing fight for
change relating to child abduction, recovery programs and national legislation, Elizabeth Smart has changed lives, g i v i n g w o m e n empowerment, vision, leadership and hope,” said Scott Harper, President of t h e C h a m b e r. “ H e r message is the perfect fit for our audience, and her story will inspire women of all ages who have experienced trauma but have persevered.” Smart will speak on leadership and empowerment in the context of resilience and See ATHENA , page 2
On April 9, 2026, at approximately 8:45 AM, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office received a panic alarm activated by a teacher at Splendora High School. Three school resource officers already on scene immediately placed the campus on lockdown while the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and multiple surrounding law enforcement agencies responded to the scene. Approximately 100 law enforcement personnel arrived to assist with securing the high school and ensuring the safety of all students and staff. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division arrived on scene within 30 minutes of the reported incident to begin their investigation. Major Crimes Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators immediately began reviewing surveillance videos, interviewing witnesses, and collecting physical evidence. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that no assault on a teacher had been committed by a student. Detectives discovered that the injury sustained by the teacher was self-inflicted and the evidence supports that the entire incident was a hoax. The teacher has been identified as 53-year-old Nicole Truelove, who has been employed with Splendora ISD for one year. Truelove has been transported to the Montgomery County Jail where she is charged with Felony Tampering with Evidence and False Report/False Alarm. This remains an isolated incident and there is no ongoing threat to the public. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and all local law enforcement take school threats with the highest level of seriousness. Our office holds adults just as accountable as students in these types of incidents. We would like to thank the Montgomery County Pct. 4 Constables, Texas Game Wardens, Splendora ISD, Splendora PD, New Caney ISD, Texas DPS, Liberty County Sheriff's Office, and the Montgomery County Fire Marshal's Office for their rapid response and assistance with this incident.