The Ector County Commissioners held public forums this week to go over a sale tax increase that’s about to go into effect across the county at the beginning of April. People gathered at these meetings to share where they’d like to see their tax dollars to go.
Steve Dabbs in his workshop in Marathon, TX. (Diana Nguyen / Marfa Public Radio)
Thursday Interview: A Glimpse Of The Big Bend Through Sonic IDs
On this episode, Elise Pepple interviews producer Diana Nguyen about Sonic IDs — a project that explores the experiences and perspectives of people in West Texas in thirty seconds.
West Texas Talk is broadcast each Thursday at 6:00 PM and rebroadcast each Friday at 9:00 AM.
Texas Parks and Wildlife photograph, by Earl Nottingham. Scenic Mountain marks the western edge of the Edwards Plateau, and its summit, in Big Spring State Park, offers a dramatic view of the vast plains of the Llano Estacado.
Big Spring State Park: A Scenic Vantage on a West Texas Crossroads
Travelers on Interstate 20 east of Midland see it from dozens of miles away – a bluff rising 200 feet above the otherwise unbroken West Texas plains. The promontory has always been a landmark. Abundant springs once flowed at its … Continue reading
Nature Notes is broadcast Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:35 am and 4:45 pm.
The Building of the Southwest was imploded just as the sun was rising over Midland. ( Mitch Borden / Marfa Public Radio)
Explosions Echo Across Midland As The Building Of The Southwest Is Demolished
By Mitch Borden
After sitting vacant for decades in downtown Midland, the Building of the Southwest was demolished early Saturday morning. Crowds gathered on street corners to watch the seven-story building come down and at 8 a.m loud explosions rang across the city as the tower crumbled to the ground.
A flare burns on May 24, 2018, atop a drill pad on land near Carlsbad. The oil-rich Permian Basin straddles West Texas and southeastern New Mexico. (Robin Zielinski for the Center for Public Integrity)
The Sierra Club Takes Aim At Permian Basin Facility It Says Is Big Polluter
By Mitch Borden
An environmental group plans to take legal action against a Permian Basin facility it says is one of the area’s biggest polluters.
Before formally filing a lawsuit, the Sierra Club sent a letter to the owners and operators of the James Lake Gas Plant. The environmental group claims the facility has repeatedly violated the federal Clean Air Act.
Julián Castro at his campaign announcement in January and Beto O'Rourke at a campaign event in September 2018. (Julia Reihs (left) and Montinique Monroe / KUT)
In A First, Two Democrats From Texas Are Running For President At The Same Time
With former El Paso Congressman Beto O’Rourke’s announcement today, two Texas Democrats are now seeking the presidential nomination in 2020.
Water from the Rio Grande and underground are shared across the border. Both sides try to just take what they need, and they share information, so no one accidentally overdraws.
Presidio County’s Water Regulatory Group Looks To Start Again
By Carlos Morales
This month, Presidio County’s local water regulatory group elected a new member — the first time in months the district has had a complete committee.
The district, like groundwater conservation entities throughout Texas, is charged with overseeing water use. For this corner of the state that means local officials are keeping tabs on water pumped from multiple aquifers, Presidio-Redford Bolson, the West Texas Bolsons, and the Igneous aquifer.
It’s a big undertaking, but getting the board together at first was a “rough start,” said Trey Gerfers, the board chairman for the Presidio County Underground Water Conservation District.
The town of Honey Grove is about a 30-minute drive from the Texas-Oklahoma border. It's not uncommon to see tractors travel down two-lane roads, cattle grazing farmland and grain silos. (Stella Chavez / KERA)
How An Immigration Raid Near A Small Texas Town Touched A Whole School District
The day of the raid still haunts principal Tammy Mariani.
On August 28, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, raided a Northeast Texas factory that makes vehicle trailers. In the nearby Honey Grove Independent School District, nearly two dozen children have parents who were arrested and detained by ICE agents.
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Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw, testifies during Senate Education Committee on March 19th, 2013 (Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune)
DPS Director Takes “Full Responsibility” For Data Errors In Texas Voter Citizenship Review
After being rebuked by Gov. Greg Abbott for the state’s botched review of the voter rolls, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety took “full responsibility” Tuesday for providing data to the secretary of state’s office that included thousands of individuals whose citizenship should never have been in question.
Testifying before the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, Steve McCraw offered a mea culpa for the role his agency played in transmitting flawed data to the secretary of state. That data led state officials to mistakenly challenge the eligibility of almost 25,000 registered voters who had already proved their citizenship status to DPS.
Officer Nathan "Hayden" Heidelberg, in a flag draped casket, is placed into a hearse. (Mitch Borden / Marfa Public Radio)
A Week After A Midland Officer Is Shot And Killed, Questions Remain
By Mitch Borden
It’s been a week since Midland Police Officer Nathan Heidelberg died in the line of duty while answering a call at a local residence.
Previous police accounts of the incident stated, Heidelberg identified himself before beginning to enter the house. The homeowner, according to their arrest affidavit, mistook him for an intruder. Since then, the homeowner, an oil executive, was arrested and posted bail shortly after. Meanwhile, the Midland community continues to mourn. There’s been little information released so far, but there are some big details that haven’t been released yet that could determine how this case unfolds.
Events company C3 Presents will attend a community forum to discuss a proposed festival in far West Texas. The forum will be April 11 at 6 p.m. at the U.S.O Building in Marfa. (Carlos Morales / Marfa Public Radio)
Company Behind Austin City Limits Will Attend Public Forum About Proposed Festival
By Carlos Morales
Next month, an Austin-based event company will be center stage at a community forum in Marfa. The company is planning to address concerns over a proposed festival in far West Texas.
Stories From Love On The Range
These stories are from Marfa Public Radio’s “Love On The Range” event at the Marfa USO Building on February 28, 2019.
The storytellers for the evening were David Williams, Eve Trook, Michael Stevens, Suzanne Dungan, and Allison Scott.
This program was made possible by Localore Live. Thanks to the Association of Independents in Radio for their support.
Tagged live storytelling, love on the range
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Nine-Block Area Closed Off For Building of Southwest Demolition
By Mitch Borden
After standing for more than a half-century in downtown Midland, the nine-story Building of the Southwest is slated for demolition tomorrow morning.
“After decades of an empty building, we are thrilled to remove this eyesore,” said Midland Mayor Jerry Morales in a press release. “This is a milestone in our efforts to revitalize and renew the heart of downtown.”
Since late January, Midwest Wrecking Company of Texas has slowly been demolishing the building, first by breaking down the interior, the basement level and an adjacent garage. The 54-year-old Building of the Southwest will be imploding tomorrow, beginning early Saturday.
Tagged Building of the Southwest, Demolition, Midland
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The Navajo Code Talkers of World War II
The Navajo Code Talkers of WWII were bilingual Navajo speakers, specially recruited during World War II by the US Marine Corps to serve as radio men in the Pacific theater.
Lonn first heard of the Code Talkers in the early eighties when a friend of his in Santa Fe, who grew up on the Navajo Reservation, told him the stories that were passed down over the years.
Contrary to popular belief, The Navajo Code Talkers were not the first of their kind – During WWI, units of Cherokee and Choctaw were used during the Second Battle of the Somme and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
On this edition of The Rambling Boy. Lonn explores the histroy behind Native American radio men throughout the years.
The Rambling Boy is broadcast Mondays after the 10 am newscast and again after the 7 pm newscast.
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Beto O’Rourke Running For President
Tagged 2020, Beto O’Rourke
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Thu. Mar 14 Interview: Writer Kerry Howley On Larry Nassar, MMA, And American Surveillance
On this episode, Rachel Monroe speaks to Lannan writer-in-residence Kerry Howley. Howley is a contributor to New York Magazine and teaches at the University of Iowa’s Nonfiction Writing Program.
They discuss Howley’s writing on Larry Nassar (the USA Gymnastics national team doctor who abused countless patients, mixed martial arts, and American surveillance – the subject of Howley’s forthcoming book.
Howley will read at the Crowley Theater at 6 pm on Sunday, March 17th.
West Texas Talk is broadcast each Thursday at 6:00 PM and each Friday at 9:00 PM.
Tagged Lannan
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