Joe Ely was a Texas music legend who drove humbly at the leading edge of an evolutionary wave in alternative country music, and many talented West Texas musicians came with him. Butch Hancock and Terry Allen spoke with KTTZ about the life and career of their close friend, the role that West Texas played in their music, and the role Joe Ely played in their lives.

Joe Ely never broke out into the mainstream, but has been a beloved Texas treasure for five decades. His death Monday at age 78 brought tributes from fans and fellow musicians alike.

Senate Bill 17, which took effect in September, bars people with citizenship, permanent residence or political ties to China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from acquiring most types of real estate in Texas.

Owl sightings aren’t unusual in West Texas. You might spot a great horned owl in Alpine or Marfa, a barn owl in a farm building in Presidio or a burrowing owl on the Marathon grasslands. And the irresistible elf owl – which, at less than 6 inches long, is the world’s smallest owl – summers in Big Bend.