WEDNESDAY VOLUME XXX NUMBER 3 Section 1 10 pages
January 21, 2026 Home of the ‘Lone Star Flag’ and Julie & Nate Hutchinson
Montgomery County’s Only Locally Owned Newspaper
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Montgomery, Texas 77356
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ISD: Texas Montgomery Council Montgomery Where Community Weekly Honors the Memory of and Career Education Meet Gas Prices Tom Czulewicz;
How a Landmark CTE Center and Strategic Partnerships are Redefining Career Readiness.
Average gasoline prices in Texas have risen 3.0 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.36/g today, according to GasBuddy's survey of 13,114 stations in Texas. Prices in Texas are 8.5 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 29.8 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has decreased 1.0 cents compared to a week ago and stands at $3.465 per gallon.
According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Texas was priced at $1.59/g yesterday while the most expensive was $3.95/g, a difference of $2.36/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $1.59/g while the highest was $3.95/g, a difference of $2.36/g. The national average price of gasoline has risen 3.1 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.76/g today. The national average is down 8.6 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 32.3 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 five years: January 19, 2025: $2.66/g (U.S. Average: $3.09/g) January 19, 2024: $2.65/g (U.S. Average: $3.09/g) January 19, 2023: $2.96/g (U.S. Average: $3.38/g) January 19, 2022: $2.93/g (U.S. Average: $3.32/g) January 19, 2021: $2.09/g (U.S. Average: $2.40/g)
A member of the Freedom Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution accepts the America 250 Celebration Year Proclamation from Mayor Countryman and the Montgomery City Council by Ruben Borjas, Jr
Following the Montgomery City Council Vo t e t o C o n s i d e r Workshop Meeting of Action on Community January 8th, council held Center, new Municipal its first regular meeting of 2026 on January 13th. Building Mayor Sara Countryman
r e a d s e v e r a l proclamations, while issues stemming from the December 9th council meeting and the recent workshop were voted on by the city council regarding
Community..............2, 5, 10 Commentary...................3, 4, 5 Church Directory..............5
Legals......................6, 7, 8, 9 Business Directory...........10
See Meeting , page 2
Mary McCoy honored with the prestigious Women in American History Award
Neighboring areas and their current gas prices: Midland Odessa- $2.30/g, down 8.7 cents per gallon from last week's $2.38/g. San Antonio- $2.37/g, up 18.5 cents per gallon from last week's $2.19/g. Austin- $2.40/g, up 15.9 cents per gallon from last week's $2.24/g. “After seven straight weeks of declines, the national average price of gasoline has moved higher, breaking the streak as oil prices have climbed back near $60 per barrel after dipping into the mid-$50s,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum a n a l y s i s a t G a s B u d d y. “There’s still a window of opportunity to revisit—or even beat—recent gas price lows, but that window will begin to close soon. California will soon start transitioning back to cleaner summer gasoline, with most of the rest of the country following in a little over a month. However, with a surplus of winter gasoline built up after large inventory Corresponding Secretary, Susan Hutchison-Johnston, Mary McCoy and Regent, increases in recent weeks, we’re likely to see localized Cindy Amburgey of the Mary Vaughan Corner Chapter, NSDAR discounts as that fuel is cleared from the system before the seasonal rise becomes more organized in the weeks ahead.” SOURCE GasBuddy
Index
two notable consent agenda items, issues that will affect Montgomery for the foreseeable future. The
The Mary Vaughan Corner Chapter, NSDAR, proudly honored Mary McCoy with the prestigious Women in American History Award at the January 6, 2026, chapter meeting. This award recognizes women who have made significant contributions to their communities, professions, or fields of study, and who have helped shape American history through their dedication and service. Mary McCoy was honored by the Texas DAR State Conference in 2024 with the TXDAR Media Award but until now was not recognized with the Wo m e n I n A m e r i c a n History Medal. See McCoy , page 10
Nestled in the heart of Texas, the Montgomery Independent School District stands as a point of pride and a deliberate draw for the region. “It is a very proud district with a lot of extensive history of success academically, athletically, extracurricular, fine artswise,” says Superintendent Dr. Mark Ruffin, with the district having firmly established itself as a destination for families seeking a top-tier education. This reputation is no accident, it is the direct result of a strategic, community-driven vision to “be premier.” Dr. Ruffin explains that this guiding principle starts with the district’s people, noting, “we are very intentional about trying to invest in our people in a way that we add value to them, so they, in turn, can add value to their students.” This drive for excellence cements the d i s t r i c t ’s r o l e a s a cornerstone of community development, strategically building the talent base that fuels local economic growth. The Strategic Foundation The district’s forward momentum is meticulously guided by a comprehensive strategic plan, a document born from one of the most significant undertakings in the district’s recent history. In 2021, Montgomery ISD convened a strategic plan committee that ultimately engaged close to 400 community members, parents, and staff. This intensive, months-long process crystallized the community’s core belief that the best possible investment is in its young people. “Our community truly believes that the best thing we can do is invest in our kids,” says Dr. Ruffin. “You can see that from the support of bond elections to helping us fill needs at a more localized, specific need of a campus or a student that is struggling.” “As district leadership, our job is to honestly march to those orders,” Ruffian notes of the strategic plan, explaining that they operationalize this community mandate by ensuring the offerings and environments they create align with the values held dear. A key priority is preserving the district’s character amidst growth. “Even though we have grown over the years… we don’t want to lose that small town feel,” he says, emphasizing the importance of every student feeling they have a purpose and a place. This is reinforced by a unique ecosystem of support where “Each one of our campuses are very unique, but each one has a
See MISD , page 4