READ BIG BEND SENTINEL Vol. 94 No. 27: August 4, 2026
More questions than answers as contractors descend upon Big Bend National Park
Terlingua Tensions are high in South Brewster County as federal contractor Southwest Valley Construction, a subsidiary of Nebraska-based Kiewit, moved heavy equipment into Big Bend National…
Marfa ISD hires new super
Stephen McCanless will begin his tenure as Marfa ISD’s new superintendent on August 10, according to MISD Board of Trustees President Philip Boyd. McCanless was unanimously…
Border wall updates
The Department of Homeland Security has granted billions of dollars in contracts for a series of “smart walls”—a combination of steel bollard walls, detection sensors, lights,…
Local governments talk tax rates for FY 24-25
PRESIDIO COUNTY — Over the summer, local governments have been diligently plodding through the grueling process of setting their tax rates and budgets for the upcoming…
En español
Ver todas las historias en español
Ordenan a contratistas del muro fronterizo detener obras no autorizadas en terrenos estatales
CONDADO DE PRESIDIO — La empresa Barnard Construction, con sede en Montana, recibió una amonestación formal de la Oficina General de Tierras de Texas (GLO, por sus siglas en…
Se jubila el administrador municipal de Presidio
El Concejo recibe actualizaciones sobre subvenciones y pospone el debate sobre la ordenanza de vehículos recreativos Presidio El Concejo Municipal de Presidio entregó un certificado de reconocimiento al administrador…
Previous Print Editions
Herritt draws from Charles Dickens for fabric, paper installations
RULE Gallery presents By Degrees, Other Shapes Emerged, Linda Herritt’s second solo exhibition with the gallery and her first at the Marfa location. Bringing…
Resort owner urges residents to comment on Shafter mine
Shafter Cibolo Creek Ranch owner John Poindexter is ramping up his efforts to contest a renewal permit for wastewater discharge from the Shafter Silver…
The clock is ticking for New Mexico to cut Rio Grande water use
For now, the state is counting on voluntary cuts among vegetable and pecan farmers. But that might not be enough. Photos by Paul Ratje…
Council sets proposed tax rate, hears final word on water project funding ineligibility
Marfa The City Council has set a proposed tax rate, slightly lower than last year’s, and it heard at its Thursday meeting that there…
August 4, 2026: Public Notices & Classifieds
Budgets and Tax RatesPresidio ISDBig Bend Regional Hospital District Help wanted at aramarkAramark Campus Dining is now hiring for the following positions for afternoon/evenings:Food…
July 31, 2026: Public Notices & Classifieds
Help wanted at aramarkAramark Campus Dining is now hiring for the following positions for afternoon/evenings:Food Service WorkerLead CookPay is based on experience.Please visit our…
Capital Highlights: July 31, 2026
New challenge to school funding system The Midland school district is suing Education Commissioner Mike Morath and other state leaders in another challenge to…
Presidio city administrator retires
Council hears grant updates, tables discussion on RV ordinance Presidio Presidio City Administrator Pablo Rodriguez was presented with a certificate by the City Council…
Letters to the Editor: July 31, 2026
To build or not to build? To abide by the rule of law or not to abide by the rule of law? That is…
Jeff Davis commissioners still working on contractor road agreement
Fort Davis A road-use and improvement agreement between Jeff Davis County and Barnard Construction — a border wall contractor — was presented to the…
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
Myles to read early work
Marfa Marfa Poet Eileen Myles will read from a 1979 poem while also celebrating the publication of what she calls a “new (old)” book at the Marfa Book…
Hand Upon the Land on exhibit at RULE
RULE Marfa currently is showcasing a group exhibit, Hand Upon the Land, through August 1. Artists Nathan Abels, Evan Anderman, Joseph Coniff, Jason DeMarte, Amy Hoagland, Martha Hughes,…
Schoolhouse Rock Live! on stage at the outdoor theatre in Alpine
Alpine Schoolhouse Rock Live!, a stage musical adaptation of the classic 1970s cartoon series, opened Thursday, July 2, at the Kokernot Outdoor Theatre in Alpine. “I have been…
Visualizing the ‘emotional imprint’ from a book
Dimick exhibit at Eugene Binder features 457 pages of paintings The premiere of artist Lucas Dimick’s 2666 Project will take place June 12-20 in Marfa at Eugene Binder…
‘Martha Invitational’ reunites Marfa artists past and present
A friendly crowd donning free VIP stickers lingered in the rooms at RULE Gallery Friday night to survey the works curated in the “second non-annual” Martha Invitational pop-up…
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 how she…
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 a “fictional autobiography,” a…
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 Summer Shake-Up, with Marfa…
‘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…
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