Travis Bubenik
News DirectorTravis has waltzed across Texas throughout his career in journalism, covering everything from pipeline protests in the Big Bend and oilfield flaring in the Permian Basin to Gulf Coast hurricanes and courtroom battles all over the state.
A Houston native and University of Texas alum, he got his start in public radio as an intern at Marfa Public Radio, where he has at various times been a reporter and host of both Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
Travis’ reporting has frequently appeared on NPR and public radio’s Marketplace. His dog Valentine is indeed named after the town.
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection says a plan to install lighting infrastructure along the Rio Grande in El Paso and Starr counties has been placed on hold because of a legal fight between Texas and the Biden administration over border funding. -
County commissioners voted Tuesday to fire Peggy Fonseca after expressing concerns about her leadership and budget problems at the county-run ambulance service. -
City council members are discussing possible changes to the city’s existing ordinance on Airbnbs and other short-term rentals. -
A wildfire that burned about 33 acres near a roadside picnic area west of Alpine is being investigated as arson, authorities confirmed this week. -
Voters in the Big Bend and Permian Basin weighed in on local city council races on Saturday. -
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is advising the public to be on the lookout for sick or dead birds on their properties, after the infectious disease Trichomoniasis was spotted in doves in the Trans-Pecos and Rolling Plains regions of the state. Experts say this disease, unlike the bird flu, is not a threat to humans or pets. -
The proposal stems from a yearslong push for stronger mountain lion protections from Texas conservationists. -
City officials are considering changes to local zoning rules that would allow people to live in buildings currently restricted to commercial or industrial use. That’s already happening in some instances, but officials say formalizing it could lead to new housing options. -
The McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis plans to be open with small, sun-safe telescopes available for viewing the partial eclipse, which should be visible in the Big Bend and Permian Basin between noon and 3 p.m. -
Park officials are planning major changes for how and when visitors will be able to access one of the park’s most popular hiking areas during the course of a $22 million project to rebuild the Chisos Mountain Lodge.