Featured Stories
37 puppies rescued in Terlingua, owner arrested
Terlingua Over the weekend, concerned citizens in South Brewster County rescued 37 puppies from extreme neglect at a private residence on Terlingua Ranch.…
Candelaria raids target longtime residents
Candelaria, Texas In the early morning hours of August 19, 2025, six patrol cars pulled into the unincorporated town of Candelaria, Texas, about…
OJ mayor’s bodyguards kidnapped, returned alive
Aldama, Chihuahua Gang conflict in the state of Chihuahua put a damper on holiday festivities in the region after four police officers assigned…
Public group hikes Chinati park for the first time
Presidio County On New Year’s Day,about two dozen folks were the first members of the public to explore the Chinati Mountains State Natural…
Art in Review: Part II
Shoshannah White and Andrea Caretto join forces on Ghost Keepers Ghost Keepers, a two-person show at RULE Gallery opened on December 13 and is…
Art in the Rearview Mirror Part II
By R. Parks Shoshannah White and Andrea Caretto join forces on Ghost Keepers Ghost Keepers, a two-person show at RULE Gallery opened on December…
Joe Ely — A Tribute
1947-2025 Very few musical collaborations have been as successful and long-lasting as the beloved Texas troubadour band The Flatlanders—Joe Ely, Jimmy Dale Gilmore, and…
Acosta released on bond in gun case
Pecos Presidio resident TIburcio “Butch” Acosta was released on a bond of $3,000 on December 12 after spending a month in detention on charges…
Acosta sale en libertad bajo fianza en caso de tráfico de armas
Pecos Tiburcio “Butch” Acosta, residente de Presidio, fue puesto en libertad con una fianza de 3,000 dólares, el 12 de diciembre, tras pasar un…
Obituary: Gabriel Modesto Tavarez
Gabriel Modesto Tavarez, 5 years old, of Fort Davis, Texas, passed away peacefully at home on January 1, 2026, surrounded by his beloved family.…
Our Water Matters: Latest update on Presidio County’s water projects
Back in the fall of 2021, Presidio County embarked on a journey to identify the many water and wastewater needs of communities throughout the…
Detentions rise markedly in Western District
Between November 14 and 20, 2025, federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 233 new criminal immigration-related cases, the highest single-week total…
Nuestra agua importa: Última actualización sobre los proyectos EDAP del condado de Presidio
En otoño de 2021, el Condado de Presidio emprendió un proceso para identificar las numerosas necesidades de agua y aguas residuales de las comunidades…
Presidio ISD announces budget surplus, pay raises
By Kate Bubacz Presidio At a special meeting on Dec. 16, the Presidio ISD School Board revealed a budget surplus of $1.2 million from…
Secuestran a guardaespaldas de la alcaldesa de Ojinaga, son liberados con vida
Aldama, Chihuahua Los conflictos entre bandas criminales en el estado de Chihuahua empañaron las festividades navideñas en la región después de que cuatro policías…
Redadas en Candelaria contra residentes de larga data
Candelaria, Texas En la madrugada del 19 de agosto de 2025, seis patrullas llegaron al pueblo no incorporado de Candelaria, Texas, a unas 50…
Obituary: Victoria Molinar Holquin
Master of needlework gifted crafty creations Victoria Molinar Holguin, 91, from Alpine passed away peacefully on December 14, 2025. Her life’s work was her…
Obituary: West Texas will echo with the sound of a talented musician, Tony Lujan
Tony Lujan was born on September 21, 1950, in Alpine, Texas, and passed away on December 11, 2025, in Midland, Texas. A beloved father,…
Obituary: Maria Granado lived a life of learning and educating
Maria Granado, a beloved wife, daughter, mother, and cherished friend, departed this world on December 16, 2025, in Odessa, Texas, at the age of…
Art in the rear view mirror
Origin myths worth retelling: Art’s intrinsic value 2025 may be remembered as a tumultuous year in the world of the global art market, especially…
El resumen del año: El pasado se ha reparado
El pasado se ha reparado Si bien los despidos, los cierres de empresas y las demostraciones de fuerza federal dominaron los titulares durante gran…
El resumen del año: Políticas agresivas impactan la frontera
Dos acontecimientos del pasado brindan algo de tranquilidad Los efectos de la agresiva política fronteriza de Trump se sintieron en comunidades de todo Estados…
A thank you to Marfa and Sentinel
What an unforgettable experience I have had over the last six months! I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve as a design intern at…
Judge faces open meeting violation allegation
Former commissioner alleges judge violated Open Meetings Act Marfa After last Wednesday’s Commissioners Court meeting, former Precinct 4 Commissioner David Beebe filed a complaint…
Tri-County news highlights 2025
New Historical Commission launches We entered 2025 with the appointment of new Presidio County Historical Commission (PCHC) members after County Commissioners wanted to shore…
District championships, rhythm and noise defined the year in sports
The 2025 athletic year was filled with competitiveness, growth, and memorable achievements across all Marfa ISD programs. From championship runs to breakthrough performances, Marfa…
Fight over substation, while geothermal brings hope
Geothermal takes center stage in economic development policy The City of Presidio’s bold attempt to harness geothermal power is on track, according to its…
Alpine water issues persist, new police chief takes helm
New software to solve hard problems Throughout the year, issues of old and failing water infrastructure from meters to pumps and routing systems were…
Shrinking enrollment, curriculum controls, staff arrests, create rising tension at MISD
Area schools also impacted by changes in state law Marfa ISD and other Big Bend area schools met some tough challenges this year, introduced…
Jingle all the way (Part III)
Service offers comfort for those with ‘the blues’ Marfa Blue? Yes, blue as in the blues. As in “I am feeling blue.” Not everyone…
Closed primaries, closed futures
Last week, while driving across parts of rural West Texas, I spoke with Nick Troiano, the executive director of Unite America. Our conversation focused…
A thank you to Marfa and Sentinel
What an unforgettable experience I have had over the last six months! I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve as a design intern at…
Capital Highlights: December18, 2035
Crockett, Talarico to face off in Democratic primary By Gary Borders U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, entered the U.S. Senate race on the final…
Maverick Bank names new senior vice president
Alpine Maverick Bank has appointed Stacey Wood as senior vice president of commercial and agricultural banking. In her new role, Wood will work alongside…
Mental Health Series
In a mental health crisis, Big Bend residents have options for help
Direct Hotline 988 is in place, but few know of its existence TRI-COUNTY — Few Americans are aware of a relatively new…
The weight of the badge: Customs and Border Protection responds to rash of agent suicides
US-MEXICO BORDER — As journalists and politicians endlessly dissect the current situation on the southwest border, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is…
Alpine program provides mental health support for seniors
TRI-COUNTY — A program housed in the Big Bend Regional Hospital provides crucial mental healthcare services that brighten the lives of seniors,…
A ‘deficient’ safety net
TRI-COUNTY — Jeff Davis County Justice of the Peace Mary Ann Luedecke picks up her frantically chiming cell phone. “I don’t know…
Hospital district, Big Bend National Park explore addition of mental healthcare providers
BREWSTER COUNTY — The Big Bend region’s dire need for more mental health resources was central to discussion among local political and medical…
Big Bend’s isolation creates challenges to addressing mental health
TRI-COUNTY — Brian Enlow is much different than his brother Greg was. Greg embraced an artistic world, immersed himself in music and lived…
The Big Bend Sentinel partners with Presidio County Community Fund for mental health reporting series
MARFA –– The Big Bend Sentinel is publishing a series of articles on mental and behavioral health starting with next week’s issue,…
Schools play a vital role in student mental health but face several challenges meeting needs
TRI-COUNTY — The need for mental and behavioral health resources in schools has never been more dire, with rates of depression, anxiety and…
Few options available for substance abuse treatment in the Big Bend
FAR WEST TEXAS — Big Bend residents are no strangers to tackling problems posed by the physical isolation of their home turf.…
New community-based therapy offers benefits for rural areas
TRI-COUNTY — A series of articles on mental health published by The Big Bend Sentinel the past two months has highlighted both…
Visuals
The ARTS
The Trio performs poetry and music at Do Right Hall
“The Trio” will perform at Do Right Hall Thursday, December 18, at 7:30 p.m. The group includes guitarist Steve Gunn, who has played many times in Marfa, and…
‘Ghost Keepers’ brings ancient ice and pillars to RULE
Marfa RULE Gallery is pleased to present Ghost Keepers, a duo exhibition featuring works by Andrea Caretto and Shoshannah White. Together, their practices consider the material world as…
Marfa Book Co. features Terry’s ‘watercolors’
Join Marfa Book Co. on Friday, December 12, from 5 to 7 p.m., for an opening of watercolors, an exhibition of new work by Nick Terry. The event…
Ornament sale raises $8K for food pantry
The spirit of Marfa rose up and shone brightly Saturday night at Do Right Hall as throngs of folks seeking some 400 ornaments made by those near and…
The real horror of the Epstein story isn’t the crime—it’s the indifference.
As someone who was subjected to childhood sexual abuse for years, I have a complicated relationship to the Epstein story (as I expect most people in my position…
Valverde on display at the Museum of the Big Bend
Visual artist Miguel Valverde of Chihuahua City, Mexico, has more than two decades of experience devoted to the exploration of color, identity, and cultural symbolism. His body of…
Poet seeks dreamers in Marfa on Monday night
Marfa Poet Mathias Svalina will be in residence in Marfa over the next few weeks and is seeking volunteers in town to record their dreams on the night…
Art in Context
Chinati’s ‘Art in Context: Art, Architecture’ set for Houston this weekend There are plenty of examples of someone’s hard work and creative genius vanishing without a trace. It…
Poet recollects experiences at father’s diner
New Jersey poet Frank Rubino will be reading from his work and in conversation with Marfa resident, poet Eileen Myles, at Stop & Read Books—215 Highland Street in…
Presidio Artist is highlight of annual Artwalk
Alpine Artwalk Alpine, West Texas’ longest-running arts festival will celebrate its 32nd year on November 21–22. The street festival transforms the main streets of Alpine into a vibrant…
Library features ‘Mexican Fiestas’ exhibit
A variety of photographic works await visitors to the Jeff Davis County Library which is hosting a travelling exhibit, Mexican Fiestas, from November 3 through December 12. Created…
Hayden Pedigo to perform at the Bullroom
Marfa Ballroom Marfa is inviting music lovers to a special performance Friday, November 14, by the innovative instrumentalist Hayden Pedigo. He will be joined by guests Jens Kuross…
Before The Hill, After The Hill
Introduction, photographs and poems by Sam Karas. Download as a PDF for correct poetry layout or see the images below. BEFORE THE HILL When the artist James Magee…
French artist continues to explore ‘Connections’ with adobe church installation
Ruidosa, Texas Romain Froquet vigorously scrapes his iron file back and forth against a fist-sized rock until powder begins to form a pile next to it on a…
2025 Art Blocks weekend
One of the pieces on display over Art Blocks Weekend was Edge of the West, a piece by Delta Sauce inspired by the lonely gas stations of Far…
Free screening of Parisian artist’s ‘Connections’ set for Saturday
The Friends of the Ruidosa Church, a nonprofit restoring the historic adobe church on the Rio Grande, will host a screening of French artist Romain Froquet’s documentary film—Connections—on…
Chinati weekend showcases artists
The annual cultural right at the Chinati Foundation took over Marfa last weekend.Here are some of Jennifer Pittinger’s photographs capturing the weekend. Donald Judd’s untitled mill aluminum was…
Mallary’s Cybernetic Highway kicks off at Do Right Hall
In 2021, the collected artworks of American artist Robert Mallary were rediscovered in shipping containers in New Haven, Connecticut. The conservation and restoration of the work has been…
5th Annual Art Blocks Weekend to bring hundreds of visitors
Art Blocks Marfa Weekend, the premier event for generative art, is set to return to Marfa for its fifth annual gathering, today through Sunday—so expect yet another weekend…
‘Inspired by every inch of this place’: Earth artist Colleen O’Brien returns to the Big Bend
Terlingua An actually-rainy rainy season has brought green to unexpected places around the Big Bend—and it’s also brought back earth artist Colleen O’Brien. Most recently of northern New…
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