A long line filed through to feast on Cowboy Camp's buffet of home cooked meals. (Jessica Lutz)
The annual chili cook-offs usually bring thousands of visitors to the Big Bend, but were cancelled last year because of the pandemic. Now, the two events have gotten the all clear from local officials to host guests in early November.
The Marfa Country Clinic in Marfa, Texas. (Carlos Morales / Marfa Public Radio)
A recent spike of 15-20 cases in the community of about 1,600 has one local doctor advising Marfans to mask up to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
A Republic Services worker in Houston assists with garbage collection on a summer afternoon. The company has been fined in the wake of heat-related deaths of workers but says it has implemented prevention policies. This worker was not interviewed for the story. (Lucio Vasquez / Houston Public Media)
Without a legal standard setting out what must be done to prevent heat deaths, workplace regulators have a hard time making violations stick.
In Presidio, a beautification project led by a new nonprofit has prompted heated debate over the city’s approach to downtown development. Tensions recently came to a head over a publicly funded mural, with locals and their new neighbors offering differing visions for the city’s priorities. | Lea esta nota en español
Some advocates say the issue could be headed to legal fights and a state-versus-federal dispute.
Midland’s only hospital is opening a mass vaccination clinic that officials hope will spur more residents to get vaccinated — and encourage third shots, and eventually boosters, to those who need them.
Today, Fort Stockton is pocked with dusty craters and empty canals, but this West Texas town was once known as the “Spring City of Texas.” The nickname came from Comanche Springs, which flowed prolifically until the 1950s when groundwater pumping picked up and dried the springs.
Unassuming as it is, the Cementerio del Barrio de los Lipanes holds a key piece of West Texas history. It’s the final resting place of nearly 50 people –– at least some of whom were members of the Lipan Apache tribe. (Sarah Vasquez for Marfa Public Radio)
In Presidio, a small cemetery just off Market Street appears forgotten, full of overgrown, unmarked graves. But descendants of the Lipan Apache people buried there have been working to protect the site for years.
Now, historians and tribal members have joined them to help preserve it — and tell its story. | Lea esta nota en español
En Presidio, un proyecto de revitalización provocó un acalorado debate cuando sus organizadores decidieron no contratar a un artista local para un mural. Las tensiones llegaron a un punto crítico en una reunión reciente, con los lugareños y sus nuevos vecinos ofreciendo visiones diferentes de las prioridades de la ciudad. | Read this story in English
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A rainy summer has brought a special beauty to all of West Texas. But Linda Lakes – the salt playas beneath the Guadalupe Mountains – have been the season’s stars. The lakes are shallow and short-lived, but they shine like … Continue reading
High vaccination rates, geography and a sense of community in the wake of 2019’s Walmart shootings help keep El Paso’s delta numbers low, experts and locals say.
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Revised numbers show the industry has recovered less than 9,000 jobs since last September.
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This year’s summer rains have transformed our region, to stunning effect. Many ephemeral lakes – including the life-giving playas of the West Texas plains – have filled for the first time in more than a decade. Linda Lake – beneath … Continue reading