February 2024

Although he may have passed through at some point, to the best of my knowledge John Caldwell Tidball never visited Texas. However, he was one of those individuals somewhat lost to history, but a man who lived life to the fullest and had an impact on all of us. Tidball, from Ohio, graduated 11th in the 1848 class of West Point and was assigned as Second Lieutenant to the U.S. Artillery.

The Alpine ISD Board of Trustees met last Wednesday night to discuss the Texas Academic Performance Report, approve numerous donations, and receive reports from Alpine ISD principals and the athletic director. Absent from the meeting was Jimmy Morris.

The Alpine Emergency Services Board (AESB) held its regular scheduled meeting last Thursday, February 22 at 5:30 p.m. Top on the agenda was a presentation by Alpine City Manager Megan Antrim and Brewster County Judge Greg Henington of funds obtained by the auction of surplus items.

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” — Well-used term, credited to French critic Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (1808 - 1890) Taking stock of what has silently disappeared over time, I thought about neighborhood grocery stores last week. How they’ve all but disappeared from the American way of life.

While beef cattle operations are a staple across the state of Texas, beef cattle production is far and away the largest agricultural commodity found in the Big Bend region of Texas. The ranching industry can be challenging anywhere, however producing high-quality beef in the Chihuahuan Desert comes with a unique set of challenges, making area-specific programs a unique and valuable opportunity for local producers.

The Alpine Lady Bucks track and field team traveled to Fort Stockton last week for the Comanche Relays. Despite the unseasonably warm February temperatures, the girls held up well according to their head coach Cory Cason.

After last week’s loss to the Pecos Eagles, the Alpine Bucks baseball team hit the road last Thursday for a tournament in Fort Stockton. The Bucks would end up taking a win on Thursday against Big Lake but would fall in their second game against Monahans and again to Midland Classical Academy on Friday.

The Alpine Fightin’ Bucks fought their way up to the Area challenge last week, after defeating the Denver City Mustangs in Bi-District play on February 20. The Bucks then traveled to Roscoe to meet the Canadian Wildcats on February 23 for the Area playoff title.

The Alpine powerlifting team has completed their regional qualifying meets and many of the Lady Bucks are heading to regionals because of their impressive performance. The girls’ final qualifying meet was on February 15 in Wink.

The Alpine High School golf team traveled to Fort Stockton this past weekend for tournament play. Although the boys’ team had two tournaments under their belt, having played in Pecos and Monahans, this was the first tournament of the season for the girls.