West Texas Talk

West Texas Talk is an interview program that airs Thursday at 6 pm, and rebroadcasts Friday at 9 am.

The program features interviews with community members discussing issues that affect our region, along with upcoming local programs and events. You’ll also hear from local and visiting, artists, musicians, authors, scientists, and other interesting personalities.

The program made its debut when the station launched, and as a result, it’s become a repository of hundreds of local profiles. The program is hosted by a revolving list of community members. The theme music for West Texas Talk was composed by Andy Stack.

Listeners can sign up for our podcast feed on iTunes. Subscribe today.

Recently on West Texas Talk:

Wednesday, Jun 18, 2014:
Into the Woods Premiering at Theatre of the Big Bend

Gregory Schwab, Brett Scott and Johanna Miller joined our host K. Yoland to talk about their take on Tony award winning musical, Into the Woods.

The director and two actors from the latest Sul Ross musical spoke about Theatre of the Big Bend’s 49th season, the nature of musicals, and even give a sample of what to expect from the show.

James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone’s favorite storybook characters and deliver a fractured fairytale version of ‘Happily Ever After’ in an outdoor environment, the Kokernot Outdoor Theatre in Alpine, TX.

Into the Woods runs June 20 – July 6 with performances Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 8:15 PM.

Friday, Jun 13, 2014:
Sixth grader Colee Charlesworth of Marathon Competes in National Rodeo Competition

12-year-old Colee Charlesworth of Marathon, TX has earned a position on on the Texas National Junior High Rodeo Team and is heading to Des Moines, IA in late June to compete in the sport of Pole Bending.

Pole Bending is a timed event in which a rider weaves their horse in and out of six poles with the goal of having the shortest time.

The 10th Annual National Junior High Finals Rodeo (NJHFR) will be held June 22-28, and it will be Colee’s first time competing in the world’s largest junior high rodeo.

The girl who’s been riding horses before she could walk talks about her love of competition and her excitement for the upcoming challenge.

Thursday, Jun 12, 2014:
TAAK presents Summer School Marfa Second Edition

Renee Ridgeway, Lindsey White, Sarah Jones, and Theo Tegelaers join us in the studio to promote “TAAK presents Summer School Marfa Second Edition”.  The program finds twenty young artists and their instructors here for a three-week field trip and fieldwork studio through June 13.  This interview includes five art pieces, perceivable by sound;

I. Donald Judd – Future Shark by Gerard Ortin and Remur Puscarui
II.  The time which is by Sarah Jones
III. Untitled by Gerard Ortin
VI. Prolouge by Alice Gancevici and Remur Puscarui
V. Hypnosis a skript by Magna F. Birnir, nurse MSc, clinical hypnotist & Jóhanna Helga, visual artist.  Read by Magna F. Birnir and Commissioned by Arnar Ásgeirsson, a visual artist.

To follow TAAK Summer School Marfa’s visit learn.taak.me

Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014:
Richard Petree, the Property Appraisal Consultant for Presidio County

Last month property owners in Presidio County received preliminary notices of re-appraised values on their property. This was part of a sweeping reassessment ordered by the county’s Appraisal District to correct years of imbalance. For example, one home that was appraised at $90,000 had a sale value of $900,000.

Homeowners were surprised to find values for 2014 so much higher than last year. The biggest jumps were in the city of Marfa, known regionally for its hot housing market.

On Tuesday night (June 10) at Marfa City Hall, consultant Richard Petree addressed the Council on behalf of the Presidio County Appraisal District. Many were in attendance: “I think people are shocked by the amount of the increase.”

According to Petree, the year 2014 is the year in which Marfa catches up. Historically, housing sale values have been out-of-whack compared to annual appraisals going back more than a decade. So out-of-whack that there were fears the state was going to get involved to mandate a correction. Continue reading →

Tuesday, Jun 10, 2014:
Juarez Cartel On Trial In El Paso: A Conversation With Jason McGahan

Independent inJason McGahanvestigative reporter Jason McGahan has written extensively on organized crime and drug trafficking and drug trafficking both in Mexico and the United States. He has delved into drug distribution networks, the prosecution of high-level cartel leaders, the use of cartel informants by law enforcement the United States and the connection between organized crime and politicians in Mexico.

On Tuesday June 10, 2014, McGahan was interviewed by Marfa Public Radio’s and West Texas Public Radio’s Fronteras Desk reporter Lorne Matalon. Matalon was joined in the studio by Morning Edition anchor Travis Bubenik and Liz Rogers, formerly a senior assistant federal public defender and a former assistant U.S. Attorney in El Paso.

Matalon asked McGahan about the case of Arturo “Benny” Gallegos, a convicted leader of two groups of assassins–one recruited from the ranks of Mexican police, the other from Juarez Cartel foot soldiers–who killed on orders from the top echelon of the cartel fueling a war that claimed 1000 victims a month in Juarez during 2010.

McGahan covered the trial of Arturo Gallegos, one which revealed how a Mexican working with the killers had a change of heart after innocent people were killed by a cartel car-bomb meant to send a signal to Mexican federal police.

Monday, Jun 9, 2014:
Marfa International School Young Writers Group

1891402_10152402925788213_4254658109012164903_oStudents from Marfa International School (MIS), Felix Benton, Avery Beltran, Huck Roch, and Athena Milani, (Amos Duffy, also in the class was absent), their instructor Sterry Butcher, and MIS teacher Sarah Cook were interviewed by Marfa Book Co. owner Tim Johnson about work with poetry, manifestos, nonfiction, letter writing and more in the Young Writer’s Group. The students have a final reading at the book store tonight, June 9, at 6 p.m.

Friday, Jun 6, 2014:
Big Bend author, Beth Garcia, returns with the Deputy Ricos Series

Writer Beth Garcia,  joined K. Yoland in the studio today to  speak about not only her most recent three books, all of which belong to the Deputy Ricos Tales, but also her personal writing process.  The first book of the series, One Bloody Shirt at a Time won the Texas Authors Association’s “Best Crime Novel of the Year” award in 2013.  Ms. Garcia will be at the Alpine Public Library tonight reading  selections from her work.  The reading and book signing starts at 7 and goes till 9, the address is 805 West Avenue E.  Tickets are $25 and include wine and snacks. All proceeds benefit the library.  For more information contact the library at (432) 837-2621.

Thursday, Jun 5, 2014:
Marfa International School Art and Media Show

The Marfa International School in conjunction with the Dixon Water Foundation will screen their first annal MIS Art & Media Show tonight at the Crowley Theater.

The students have been working individually and in teams to create visual art, musical compositions, and short films which were shot on location at Mimms Ranch and Sul Ross State University.

Mimms Ranch inspired artwork will be on display as part of the reception at the Crowley which begins at 6:30 whith the soundscaped (from 3rd to 5th grade students) followed by films (from students of all grade levels) starting at 7pm.

 

Wednesday, Jun 4, 2014:
A Tour of Van Horn Clark Museum Hotel

Patricia Golden takes KRTS on a walking tour of Van Horn’s Clark Museum Hotel, an adobe saloon and post office built in 1901.  Later enlarged, it served as the county courthouse when Culberson County was organized in 1911. In 1920, local resident Fred Clark converted the building to a hotel, which also became the town hub, hosting theatrical programs and school graduations. How is the building today? K. Yoland finds out.

Tuesday, Jun 3, 2014:
Summer Shakeup Chinati Foundation with School and Master Naturalist

Andy Peters, Michael Roch, Garrick Stephens, Gabby Garballo, Patricio Schmiegelow, and Jennie Lyn Hamilton stopped by KRTS to speak about the 2014 Summer Shakeup. The program targets both preschool to first graders and those entering the 5th to the 12th grade.

The Summer Shakeup is a joint effort of Marfa Live Arts, the Chinati Foundation, the Tierra Grande Chapter of Texas Master Naturalist Program, and Marfa ISD.

For more information, contact Marfa ISD by calling (432) 729-4252