Featured Stories
The Trump administration is facing scrutiny for how it’s handing out billion-dollar border wall contracts
A new lawsuit alleges the Trump administration awarded the bulk of new Texas border wall contracts to two firms without “genuine competitive opportunities.” One of the…
Tickets on sale now! Get ready to celebrate a century of independent local news at the Big Bend Sentinel Centennial, a weekend of music, art, conversation,…
Herrera takes commissioner seat in runoff
Jesus “Junie” Herrera came out victorious in the only local race in Tuesday’s primary runoff—the Democratic candidate for Presidio County Precinct 2 county commissioner. Since he…
Artist’s tintype portraits takes photos into the realm of fine art
Macartney’s work centerpieces a weekend devoted to local artists See the full MarfaMUST Artist Weekend schedule at marfamust.org and @marfamust. To hear Carolyn Macartney talk about…
City Council narrows in on rate hikes for water but says ‘no’ for now
UPDATE: The city of Alpine announced late yesterday that it is now going to Stage 2 water restrictions. Pool opening contingent on city’s return to Stage…
Former National Park superintendents ask DHS not to waive laws for border wall construction
Seven former superintendents of Big Bend National Park penned a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin last week imploring the federal government…
En español
Ver todas las historias en español
Continúa la batalla de un multimillonario por adquirir tierras cerca de Shafter
Una nueva empresa minera sigue decidida a reanudar sus operaciones Shafter El propietario del complejo turístico Cibolo Creek Ranch, situado al norte de Shafter, ha interpuesto una demanda para…
Encabezado: Superintendentes de parques buscan cooperación, no exenciones
Ex superintendentes de parques nacionales solicitan al DHS que no exima del cumplimiento de las leyes para la construcción del muro fronterizo Siete ex superintendentes del Parque Nacional Big…
Flash floods strand cars at Terneros Creek
Presidio At least a dozen drivers were stranded for hours as the Terneros Creek flooded outside of Presidio Saturday evening. A severe thunderstorm passed…
National Trust lists America’s most endangered historic places
Ruidosa adobe church makes the list Washington, D.C. The National Trust for Historic Preservation unveiled its annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic…
Obituary: Jeff Cowell
Fixture of local music scenes, Alpine grad Jeff Cowell passed away after a short illness on May 7, 2026. Born in Alpine on August…
Letters to the Editor: May 28, 2026
7 park superintendents make their case for open security process The Honorable Markwayne Mullin Secretary United States Department of Homeland Security Dear Secretary Mullin:…
Billionaire’s fight to acquire land near Shafter continues
New mining company still intent on starting operations again Shafter The owner of the Cibolo Creek Ranch resort north of Shafter is suing to…
San Angelo man charged with multiple felonies after standoff with police
Jerad Shipman, 43, of San Angelo, is still in the Brewster County Jail, charged with multiple felonies, nearly a week after allegedly kidnapping and…
A life imagined
Hetzler Marfa presents Rinus Van de Velde’s ‘The Dinner’ Over the past 15 years, Rinus Van de Velde has been composing what he calls…
School board switches officers, and a track athlete returns victorious
Marfa Marfa ISD School Board trustees took action to reorganize board structure at Monday night’s meeting and gave a special nod to student athlete…
Largest border wall contract in US history to span Big Bend National Park
Last week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) gave its largest-ever up-front award for first-time border wall construction to a segment of barrier that…
Presidio City Council still seeking new member
Presidio The Presidio City Council appointed a new member and declined to fill a second vacant seat, despite four candidates being considered. Letters of…
Enthusiasm growing for project to save rail station
Alpine Saving a piece of Alpine history would be worthwhile, but making a dream come true for someone who cares so deeply about it…
Students make music for Summer Shake-Up
MARFA Marfa Live Arts is teaming up with Marfa ISD, The Chinati Foundation and other area nonprofits once again for the 2026 installment of…
Library friends group awards 4 scholarships
Fort Davis It was a tough decision, but the selection committee for the annual Friends of the Jeff Davis County Library Scholarship chose a…
County officials travel to Mexico City NAD Bank meeting
New solid waste disposal system discussed By Obed EscontriasPresidio County Commissioner Presidio County Judge Jose Portillo Jr. and Presidio County Commissioner Obed Escontrias traveled…
Capital Highlights: Early voting in runoffs ends Friday
Early voting in both the Democratic and Republican runoff races ends Friday, May 22, with the election on Tuesday, May 26. On the GOP…
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
‘Mimi’ biography offers an intimate look at one of Big Bend’s most famous women
While many in the Big Bend know some of the more famous exploits of Terlingua’s Mimi Webb Miller—a former lover of Mexican drug lord Pablo Acosta—a new book…
GHOST TOWN BRONZE
New sculptures in Shafter capture early ranch life When John Poindexter, Cibolo Creek Ranch owner, and Tom Davis, the ranch manager, set out to restore a series of…
Foundation reaches milestones with Ranch Office, land acknowledgement
Dear Friends, Last Saturday Judd Foundation celebrated two milestones with the opening of the Ranch Office. The first, is that we are here because of one artist, Donald…
Chinati Community Day to feature art, music, workshops and dinner
The Chinati Foundation is once again opening their doors to celebrate our local communities with an open house, workshops, music and a free dinner on Sunday. The morning…
Ranch Office pays homage to Judd’s Ayala de Chinati
Marfa When artist Donald Judd purchased a former grocery on Highland Avenue in downtown Marfa in 1991, it was one of the last buildings he acquired in town…
Cardboard Zoo Collective adds critters to wall protests
Photos by Jennifer Pittinger A massive joint protest took place in Austin at the state Capitol on April 4, along with a floating protest on the Rio Grande…
Community Day set for Chinati
The Chinati Foundation will hold another Community Day on Sunday, April 26, for a day celebrating the tri-county community. This year’s Community Day activities include open viewing of…
Free play, ‘La Casa de Bernarda Alba,’ opens at Bullroom Friday
Marfa Ballroom Marfa presents La Casa de Bernarda Alba, directed by Richard Maxwell of New York City Players, at the Bullroom on April 10–11 at 7:30 p.m. at…
Greeson captures raw beauty of the natural world
Bobby Greeson is a multidisciplinary artist equally comfortable with photography, filmmaking or design. His parents enrolled him in painting classes at age 6 and bought him his first…
Colossal glazed stoneware coming to Ballroom Marfa
Raven Halfmoon’s Flags of Our Mothers, the first major traveling exhibition for the artist, featuring new and recent works made over the last five years, will open at…
Group exhibition asks artists to ‘take a position’
MAINTENANT, Marfa’s boxing and gallery space, is presenting What Are You Fighting For, a group exhibition that asks artists to take a position—responding visually, materially, conceptually or textually…
Works signal outward and encounter a return
Marfa RULE Gallery presents Signal and Return, two concurrent solo exhibitions featuring paintings by Joe Clower (1937–2024) and Polaroid works by the artist collaborative El Disco. Installed in…
Marfa Live Arts showcases playwrights
Marfa Monologues by Marfa Junior High students will come to life at Marfa Lives Arts’ Spring Showcase Theater with local actors at Planet Marfa on Tuesday, April 7,…
Ballroom Marfa to present ‘La Casa de Bernarda Alba’ in the Bullroom
When Federico García Lorca was only eight years old, he began eavesdropping on neighbors’ conversations from the shared well that served his aunt Matilde’s home in Valderubbio, Spain.…
Artists to collaborate on pieces reflecting on a border wall
Artists are invited to gather and create at “Artists Against the Wall” on Saturday, March 28, from 1-9 p.m. at the Rio Grande Village group campsite in Big…
Art meets music: Rubinstein’s ‘Bonus Tracks’ opens in Marfa
Marfa Country Clinic is hosting Bonus Tracks, the first exhibition in the United States by French artist Sivan L. Rubinstein, featuring paintings on wood and canvas from 2000…
‘Brush and Bronze’
Museum visualizes ‘The New American West’ The Museum of the Big Bend in Alpine has brought together two very different artists—a sculptor and a painter—to visualize The New…
Dim Zayan: ‘A Three-Quarter View of the Future’
Artist’s first solo exhibit engages questions about time, erosion, and human intervention. Envisioning the future, we stare directly into the past. Zim Dayan’s debut solo exhibition, A Three-Quarter…
Students come out on top at cowboy poetry contest
On Saturday, February 21, 15 students from the Big Bend Area gathered with family and friends at the Event Center of the Museum of the Big Bend to…
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