Featured Stories
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,…
Alpine city secretary arrested on narcotics charges
Charges also included tampering with evidence, resisting arrest This story was updated extensively to include information from an arrest affidavit. Alpine Police arrested Geoffrey “Geo” Raul…
Shopkeeper injured in robbery
Apprehended man has history of drug abuse, theft, acquaintance says. By Rob D’Amico Marfa What started as a possible theft of high-end rings at a local…
Smuggled horses seized by Presidio sheriff deputies
Presidio Six smuggled horses were recovered by Presidio County Sheriff’s Deputies during a traffic stop on May 27. The sheriff’s department did not confirm if anyone…
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Caballos de contrabando incautados por agentes del sheriff de Presidio
Presidio Seis caballos de contrabando fueron recuperados por agentes del sheriff del condado de Presidio durante una parada de tráfico el 27 de mayo. El departamento del sheriff no…
¡Las piscinas vuelven con fuerza!
Tras permanecer cerrada el verano pasado por falta de socorristas, la piscina municipal de Marfa reabrió sus puertas para la temporada 2026 el miércoles 3 de junio. Ubicada en…
‘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…
Gran jurado no imputa a hombre de Valentine por muerte en bar
Un gran jurado del condado de Jeff Davis se negó a imputar a Maxie Slover por la muerte de Gary Morton, residente de Valentine,…
Letters to the Editor: June 4, 2026
Protecting the land, culture and sotol Amigas, amigos y vecin@s, The importance of the Marfa Agave Festival cannot be overstated, as it offers a…
Pools return with a splash
Marfa After a closure last summer, the city of Marfa pool reopened for the 2026 season on Wednesday, June 3. The season will run…
Marfa sees high crime week in mid May
The Marfa Police Department had a busy mid May after two felony arrests. On May 16 at 11:37 p.m., residents of a W. Paris…
Grand jury no bills Valentine man in bar death
A Jeff Davis County grand jury has declined to indict Maxie Slover in the death of Valentine resident Gary Morton, who died on August…
Obituary: Gary ‘Silver’ Schmidt
World traveler and running, cycling enthusiast taught at Alpine school Gary “Silver” Schmidt passed away on May 4, 2026 at Bronte Health & Rehab…
Obituary: David Eric Molinar
Former Shorthorn running back lived life of unwavering faith David Eric Molinar, a beloved son, brother, father, uncle, and cherished member of his Alpine,…
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…
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…
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:…
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
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…
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…
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