WEDNESDAY VOLUME XXIX NUMBER 4 Section 1 10 pages
January 31, 2024 Home of the ‘Lone Star Flag’ and Austin Williams
Montgomery County’s Only Locally Owned Newspaper
Established 1995
Montgomery County News
Montgomery, Texas 77356
50 Weekly PBOX Magnolia, TX 77353
Texas VFW Post 12223: Feeding Weekly The Troops in Eagle Pass Gas Prices
Average gasoline prices in Texas have risen 9.9 cents per gallon in the last week, a v e r a g i n g $ 2 . 7 5 / g t o d a y, according to GasBuddy's survey of 13,114 stations in Texas. Prices in Texas are 9.1 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 33.6 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has fallen 0.5 cents in the last week and stands at $3.87 per gallon. According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Texas was priced at $1.59/g yesterday while the most expensive was $4.16/g, a difference of $2.57/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $1.59/g while the highest was $4.16/g, a difference of $2.57/g. The national average price of gasoline has risen 4.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.07/g today. The national average is down 4.1 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 41.2 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: January 29, 2023: $3.09/g (U.S. Average: $3.49/g) January 29, 2022: $2.99/g (U.S. Average: $3.36/g) January 29, 2021: $2.12/g (U.S. Average: $2.42/g) January 29, 2020: $2.16/g (U.S. Average: $2.48/g) January 29, 2019: $1.98/g (U.S. Average: $2.27/g) January 29, 2018: $2.35/g (U.S. Average: $2.58/g) January 29, 2017: $2.08/g (U.S. Average: $2.26/g) January 29, 2016: $1.59/g (U.S. Average: $1.81/g) January 29, 2015: $1.84/g (U.S. Average: $2.04/g) January 29, 2014: $3.07/g (U.S. Average: $3.27/g) Neighboring areas and their current gas prices: Midland Odessa- $2.93/g, up 13.3 cents per gallon from last week's $2.79/g. San Antonio- $2.72/g, up 8.3 cents per gallon from last week's $2.64/g. Austin- $2.75/g, up 7.6 cents per gallon from last week's $2.67/g. “We've seen the national average price of gasoline bounce back up after cold weather related refinery shutdowns pushed up the wholesale price of gasoline. Plus, recent GDP data and new attacks in the Red Sea have pushed oil prices to their rjas Jr highest level since November," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "While prices have inched up and may continue to slowly rise, I believe the larger increases will be witnessed in a few weeks as we enter mid-February, lasting through April or May, during which the national average could rise 35 to 85 cents per gallon. Other issues and tensions could complicate how quickly prices rise or how high they go, so while the rise is not completely charted, it could deviate from our expectations." SOURCE GasBuddy
Texas Army National Guard soldiers along with Texas VFW Cook Team members
by MCN contributing Pass. V F W C o o k Te a m s writer, Ruben Borjas Jr began arriving on Friday The VFW mission of afternoon, to prepare for #StillServing was on full the event, with dozens of display in Eagle Pass, at briskets started in the early Base Camp Charlie, across evening, since they took from the Maverick County the longest time to cook. A i r p o r t o n S a t u r d a y, Members from each team January 27th. Ten VFW s t a y e d o n l o c a t i o n Posts from across the State overnight to attend to their of Texas, including VFW s m o k e r s . V F W P o s t P o s t 1 2 2 2 3 i n 12223, started 10 racks of Montgomery, sent their ribs shortly after and Cook Teams to ’Feed the treated all the teams to a Troops’ of Task Force late night evening snack, Eagle, in an event designed while other teams took on to provide BBQ and all the t h e b r e a k f a s t fixings to soldiers of Texas responsibilities later in the Army National Guard as morning. Chicken was well the Texas State Guard started after the briskets ( u n a r m e d s o l d i e r s ) , were rested, then sausage stationed on the US- was the last item to be Mexico border. It was the smoked, taking the least second year that the VFW amount of time to cook. had fed the troops in Eagle T e x a s V F W S t a t e
Business Directory...........10
were located. All were grateful for the meals provided. The VFW holds no animosity against the Border Patrol, nor their union, which are generally s u p p o r t i v e o f Te x a s Governor Greg Abbott’s directive to occupy the park. ’’For the VFW coming out here and taking time out of their week, I think it’s an amazing thing,’’ said Sergeant Sampson, who has been at Base Camp Charlie for nearly a year. ’’For someone who has been in the Texas National Guard for 12 years, I’m just as impressed as the newly arrived to camp. This is awesome.’’ See VFW, page 2
Market Street Announces 2024 Change For Charity Recipients
THE WOODLANDS, TX – Montgomery County charities will benefit from the thousands of dollars in change inserted in Market Street’s premium parking meters throughout the year Community......2, 3, 4, 9, 10 as the shopping, dining and entertainment destination Commentary...............2, 3, 4, 5 announces the beneficiaries Church Directory..............5 of the 2024 Change for Legals.........................6, 7, 8 Charity program: Executive Women’s Alliance of Vision
Index
Commander Larry Sanders, and other state officials were on-hand at Base Camp Charlie, to welcome and salute the troops before the lunch service began. ’’The VFW is like a machine, Everyone operated well, and there were no problems,’’ said Sanders. ’’We never forget our troops on the border.’’ Besides feeding Base Camp Charlie, Sanders and his Cook Teams had enough leftover from their original tasks, that they sent food down to Shelby Park in Eagle Pass. where TXARNG Troops, State Troopers from Texas and Florida, as well as personnel from the U.S. Border Patrol who operate from their boat launch
Program, Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County, and the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in The Woodlands. During the 4th quarter, Market Street will support local public schools by donating to the school that wins The Sing-Off, scheduled for December 5, 2024. The Woodlands Car Club also generously raises money for the Change for Charity recipients throughout the year at their events, held the first Sunday of each month. Their contributions, coupled with the amount donated to Market Street’s 68 parking meters make up the total amount given to a selected charity each quarter. “We are honored to have been able to give back more
than $300,000 to the local community since the Change for Charity program began,” says Noemi Gonzalez, marketing director at Market Street. “Our generous visitors to Market Street along with guests to The Woodlands Car Club events are who makes this program possible.” The program’s firstq u a r t e r b e n e f i c i a r y, E x e c u t i v e Wo m e n ’s Alliance of Vision Program, is a nonprofit executive women’s organization that provides personal and professional development for its members alongside educational outreach programs for young women through EWA’s Women of Vision program. Scholarships are provided
to the young women in the Women of Vision program upon graduation, to attend institutions of higher education for purposes of facilitating their entry into business and/or professional careers. The second-quarter beneficiary, Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to putting God’s love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Their goal is to empower communities and provide strength, stability, and selfreliance through affordable housing. W a l k t o E n d A l z h e i m e r ’s i n T h e
See Change, page 2
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PRE-SRT POSTAGE PD #80 MONTG. TX
The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce Forms Innovation Council With Houston Exponential The Woodlands, TX – T h e Wo o d l a n d s A r e a Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce a new partnership with Houston Exponential to form The Innovation Council to improve the innovation ecosystem in South Montgomery County and integrate better with the greater Houston innovation community. The council's objective is to identify and support the innovation economy by providing advocacy, marketing and connection opportunities and resources to innovation/technologyoriented businesses and organizations. The Houston region is often not recognized as a top hub for innovation, this has prompted business and community leaders to invest in innovation to diversify the area economy and to promote existing technology and innovation. The Chamber formally added a goal to its Strategic Plan to be a “Catalyst for Innovation a n d Te c h n o l o g y i n t h e Region” and entered a formal agreement with Houston Exponential to create the Innovation Council. “We are proud to partner with Houston Exponential to promote innovation in the region,” said J.J. Hollie, President & CEO of The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce. “The Woodlands is a hotbed of innovation, boasting forward-thinking, cuttingedge innovators in medicine, life sciences, energy and many more industries. Through the Innovation Council, the Chamber will fulfill our responsibility to support the growth of this crucial part of our business community.” Natara Branch, President & CEO of Houston Exponential said, “We're excited to embark on this journey with The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce; a collaboration aligned with our commitment to supporting thriving ecosystems and driving innovation for economic opportunity. The Innovation Council, we believe, will channel collective wisdom, unlock unprecedented potential, and build an innovation legacy in the Woodlands area.” The Innovation Council will host a Kickoff Reception on Wednesday, January 31, 5:00PM 7:00PM at 9950 Woodloch Forest Drive, The Woodlands, TX. The Innovation Council meets monthly on the second Tuesday of the month, 1:30PM - 2:30PM at the Chamber office located at 9320 Lakeside Blvd., Suite 200, The Woodlands, TX. Monthly meetings are open to members of The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce.