August 2024

The Trans-Pecos region of Texas is an area of incredible biodiversity with more rare and endemic species of wildlife than anywhere else in the state. Chihuahuan Desert grasslands are one of the most critical natural systems in the Trans-Pecos, providing important habitat for myriad species from pronghorn to a variety of grassland birds.

Barrio Fest 2024 has several entertainment venues scheduled for this year starting Friday, September 13 through Sunday, September 15. The music on Saturday sponsored by the CVB will be hosted by Tejano Mix from El Paso starting at 10:00 a.m. until The Cumbia Movement from Austin takes the stage at 8:00 p.m. for a street dance.

This past Monday, the Fort Stockton Independant School District with its students, parents, and teachers began their new school year. Many people have been working tirelessly this and the previous month to prepare for the encroaching scholastic calendar.

Texas public schools received more than $19 billion in pandemic relief funds over the last four years, but that pipeline of cash will largely end on Sept. 30, The Texas Tribune reported.

With school back in full swing, I’d like to say a few words about teachers, without whom none of us would know what in the heck to do with the word “whom.” I come from a long-ish line of teachers myself. My mother taught elementary and middle school for over thirty years, and my grandmother also had a brief stint practicing the pedagogical arts.I guess you could say teaching is in my blood – like a serious infection.

The Fort Stockton Panther Tennis Team faced a challenging series of matches this past weekend, kicking off their final stretch before the school year with grit and determination. The Panthers first took on 6A powerhouse Odessa Permian on Friday, August 9, in Odessa, Texas.

Panther Stadium was buzzing with energy last Thursday evening, not just from the usual sights and sounds of football, but from a unique blend of grit and love that filled the air. The scoreboard read “FORT STOCKTON VS. EVERYBODY,” a fitting backdrop for an evening dedicated to the most important women in the lives of Fort Stockton High School football players—their moms.

In a season filled with unforgettable moments, the Alpine Cowboys capped off their recordbreaking year by winning the Pecos League Championship, their first since 2019. The Cowboys defeated the Garden City Wind to claim the Mountain Division Championship and then took down the reigning champions, the San Rafael Pacifics, in a thrilling two-game series at the historic Kokernot Field. This championship win marks 13 total for the Cowboys Franchise.

GARDENER’S MAILBAG Dear Neil: My wife purchased a lovely orchid recently. It had about an 8-inch white bloom on one of the stems.

Fort Stockton Pioneer Photos are from the Fort Stockton Pioneer archives at the Pioneer’s office located at 210 N. Nelson St .