News

Last week my wife and I would sit on our couch in the evenings and watch the highlights of the Olympics. We loved seeing the different events and seeing all the athletics from different countries. It takes a lot of dedication, sacrifice and effort to qualify for the Olympics. Anyone there is a winner, but some get special recognition like gold, silver and bronze.

GARDENER’S MAILBAG Dear Neil: For years we have been told weed-and-feed products are not a good idea. Now the “big box” stores sell all three in one sack (insecticide also included) and don’t even appear to sell pre-emergents.

The Pecos County Senior Citizens Center will host its monthly potluck on Friday, March 13, at 12:00 noon. It will be a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, so everyone is asked to wear green and bring green-colored side dishes or desserts, if possible.

It was truly a family milestone. Beyond the official ceremony, community members enjoyed the opportunity to meet the families behind the business, including the owners' children, Inaya and Taha Osman. The entire La Quinta team was on hand, showcasing the hospitality that guests can expect under the new leadership.

On the evening of February 9, the women of Xi Zeta Lambda proudly announced Melanie Guest as this year’s Valentine Sweetheart. Guest, a long-time resident of Fort Stockton, has been an active member of Beta Sigma Phi for several years.

A multi-state investigation into the sexual abuse of multiple children has concluded with a severe sentence for the perpetrator, Eduard Steven Quinones. On January 15, 2026, Quinones was found guilty on all counts in the Superior Court of Hall County, Georgia, and was subsequently sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.

In a unified voice, five elected sheriffs from the Big Bend region of Texas have issued a joint statement arguing that a continuous physical border wall is “not the most practical or strategic approach” for their specific stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border. The statement, signed by Sheriffs Arvin West (Hudspeth), Oscar Carrillo (Culberson), Danny Dominguez (Presidio), Ronny Dodson (Brewster), and Thaddeus Cleveland (Terrell), emphasizes that border security strategies must be informed by “local terrain, operational realities, and fiscal responsibility”.

In March of 2025, the Fort Stockton Pioneer, Big Bend Sentinel and Dallas Morning News carried a story about a rare mammoth tusk discovered in Brewster County. According to the wire reports, it was only the second mammoth tusk ever found west of the Pecos.

The Pecos County Civic Center was filled with local pride last Thursday, February 26, as the community gathered for the 82nd Annual Fort Stockton Chamber Banquet. Under the patriotic theme “250 Reasons We Love America,” the evening served as a dual celebration of the United States’ upcoming 250th birthday and the dedicated volunteers and members who sustain the local community.

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