January 2022

Early on Jan. 13 Leroy Walter Kemp was driving north on U.S. Highway 118 south of Alpine when U.S. Border Patrol agents attempted to conduct a traffic stop on his 2011 Kia Sedona. Kemp refused to yield, and a Brewster County deputy joined in to assist.

Driving through scenic Big Bend National Park will soon be a smoother, safer, and more enjoyable experience. Over the next three months, all the park’s 120 miles of paved roads will be cleaned, prepped, and resurfaced. During this time, park visitors may experience up to 15-minute delays, but no road closures are expected. Work is expected to be complete in April 2022.

The City of Alpine held its regularly scheduled council meeting on Jan. 18, and waste disposal and trash collection considerations drove the discussions, along with department updates.

January is School Board Recognition Month, and Alpine ISD is honored to celebrate its trustees for their dedication and commitment to the district’s schools and students. “Our school board members are selfless volunteers who spend long hours working to ensure all of our students have the opportunity to learn and grow,” Interim Superintendent Dennis McEntire said.

The Texas Mountain Trail Region is part of the Texas Historical Commission’s award-winning Texas Heritage Trails Program tourism initiative. This economic development initiative encourages communities, heritage regions, and the state to partner and promote Texas’ historic and cultural resources. These successful local preservation efforts, combined with statewide marketing of heritage regions as tourism destinations, increase visitation to cultural and historic sites and bring more dollars to Texas communities.

Beginning Feb. 1 and continuing through May 31, the National Park Service will again temporarily close select areas in the Chisos Mountains to protect nesting falcons.

Dennis Brian Stephenson peacefully passed away surrounded by his family at home in League City, Texas, on Jan. 13, 2022, at the age of 85.

Why can’t we keep organizations going in this town? A few have survived but many have gone belly up. Why? We created the Alpine Downtown Association about six years ago and we’re still here, but it hasn’t been easy.

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” — C.S. Lewis, British writer and lay theologian.

Having been born and raised in Alpine, I grew up hearing, “If you don’t like the weather, just hang around for a while and it will change.” Earlier today, I did a wellness presentation. The topic that I covered included how human beings are able to adapt to change.