News

West Texas and the Big Bend are known for their starry night skies, made possible in part by ongoing efforts to preserve them. Recently, McDonald Observatory and the non-profit organization Texan by Nature recognized the efforts of Catalyst Midstream Partners, a joint venture between Howard Energy Partners and Devon Energy Corporation, to reduce light emissions at their County Line processing plant near Orla. 

Another layer of protection to further ensure the safety of students and staff will be in place for the upcoming school year at Fort Stockton ISD.

The school district unanimously passed the guardian plan at their regular meeting on July 26. The plan enables teachers/staff to possess a firearm on district property under state guidelines and by board approval.

If you happen to visit a high-traffic area in one of the state’s larger cities, you might come across some folks wearing sandwich boards, such as one sees during tax season or mattress sales. The Texas Department of Transportation has adopted this marketing device to promote its “Be Safe. Drive Smart” pedestrian safety campaign this month.

Viva Big Bend returns for its 11th season July 27-31 with live music in Alpine, Marathon, Marfa, Fort Davis, and Terlingua. More than 60 shows are scheduled, showcasing musicians featured from the past year in Texas Music Magazine.

Texas Music Magazine has been covering all genres of Texas music while profiling artists from every corner of the state since 2000, and the line-up at Viva reflects that diversity.

On July 19 a federal jury convicted Thomas Scott Perkins, 31, of Fort Stockton on child pornography charges.  

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Homeland Security Investigations agents determined that Perkins was sharing child pornography online. A search warrant was executed at Perkins’ residence, and multiple hard drive devices were discovered that contained 95,316 images and 1,237 videos of child pornography.  

Theresa Y. Quiroz has been named Chief Executive Officer of Rio Grande Electric Cooperative, Inc., effective July 20, 2022.