Category: Howe News Bulletin

Stanley Stewart passed from this earth late last night.  He and his wife Pat have been married 53 years.

Posted on the City of Dorcester’s website:

“We are saddened to report that longtime neighbor, volunteer, and community leader Stanley Stewart passed away.  Stanley followed his father’s footsteps and served as an alderman to the city from approximately 1973 to 1991, and then he served as Mayor from 1991 to 1996.  He served again as alderman from 2003 until present and was also Mayor Pro-Tem from 2008 until present.  Our deepest sympathies and prayers go out to his family and friends, he will be missed terribly.”

Family night will be Thursday night at FBC of Dorchester 6-8 and funeral services will be at FBC of Dorchester at 10AM on Friday.  Full obituary to come soon.

Jan 24 – Officer Jordan Clark arrested a 56-year-old Garland man for DWI after stopping him on US Hwy 75 for speeding (106 mph). The violation occurred in Howe, but the stop occured in Van Alstyne near exit 54. The officer noticed a handgun laying on the front passenger seat when he walked up to the suspect’s vehicle. The officer removed the handgun and smelled the odor of alcohol coming from inside the vehicle. The suspect complied with commands to get out, but refused to walk to the back of the car. The suspect resisted, but was eventually handcuffed and arrested. A search warrant obtained for a blood draw. While at a local hospital getting the blood draw, the suspect complained of chest pains. He was admitted to the hospital. A warrant will be obtained for the suspect for DWI (3rd), Resisting Arrest, and Unlawful Carrying a Weapon.

Jan 25 – At approx 11:30 am, Officer Jamie Morris arrested a 47-year-old Howe woman for DWI in the 100 block of Duke Street. Officer Morris attempted to stop the woman on the west access road of US Hwy 75 in response to a report of erratic driving. The suspect was driving in the wrong lane on the access road when the officer attempted to stop her. She continued driving until she reached a residence on Duke Street. The suspect failed a sobriety test and consented to a blood draw at a local hosptial. She was then taken to the Grayson County jail and booked in. This is the suspect’s second arrest by Howe PD for DWI.

This Saturday night at Grayson College South Campus in Van Alstyne, the Hurricane Creek Rotary Club will host their annual casino night which will also feature prizes, drinks, hor d’oeuvres.  Proceeds go to fund scholarships and teacher of the year awards in Howe, Anna, Van Alstyne.

Tickets are $50 for individual or $75 per couple and available at the Howe Development Alliance office in Downtown Howe.

6:00 pm – Doors open
Food and Bar opens
Silent Auction opens
6:15 pm – Casino Tables open
9:15 pm – Live Auction begins
10:00 pm – Casino Prize Drawing

Nearly 20 years ago with Downtown Howe looking like a ghost town, M.E. Curtis convinced the city council to place a “hotel” in the historic business district which would leave the zoning as a commercial district.  The “hotel” then became “apartments” where tenants pay by the week.  Marie Curtis, representing her husband, told the Howe City Council on Tuesday night that because of the commercial zoning of “hotel”, it will cost them $500 more per year for insurance and requested to change the zoning to multi-family.  She also told the council that they plan to add additional units to the north side of the complex.

Councilwoman Debbie Lowery stated that she had phone calls from citizens that opposed making Howe’s commercial historic downtown district a multi-family zone.  Councilman Bill French said that he was concerned that changing the zoning to multi-family would affect what type of businesses could be in the downtown area.

“The downtown area does not make as much money now as it did when there was an upholstery shop that was paying taxes, a beauty shop that was paying taxes, and a hardware store that was paying taxes.” said Marie Curtis to the council.  “It looks good, but you don’t get as much revenue.”

With the recent upgrades and renovation of the buildings that housed the former beauty shop and hardware store, the taxable value of each building increased by over $30,000 each.  The renovation to the building that housed the upholstery shop increased the taxable value by nearly $30,000 according to the Grayson County Appraisal District.

The council unanimously denied the zoning change and the “hotel/apartments” will remain as is.  Any additions to the property will have to be approved by the city as a standard hotel.

(full story in Monday’s Howe Enterprise)