December 2024

Stokes announces that she will step down from council

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The Alpine City Council held its first regularly scheduled meeting of the new year, during which council member Judy Stokes of Ward 1 announced that she would be stepping down from the council. “After much deliberation, I have decided to step down, by May 2024, as Ward 1 Councilor for the City of Alpine due to personal and health reasons.

Marathon ISD student speaks at Smithsonian

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Marathon ISD student speaks at Smithsonian Marathon’s Keller Barlow set about the task of competing in the Regional History Fair at Sul Ross with boundless enthusiasm, never realizing where it all would end. According to Marathon ISD superintendent Dr.
Keller Barlow, a student from Marathon was recently invited to speak and present his History Fair project at the National History Museum of American History. Barlow is pictured here in Washington, D.C. where he participated in the National History Fair. Courtesy photo

After the ashes: Ivey looks to the future

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What was once the cornerstone of the downtown Alpine business district now sits in charred ruins. The majority of the 100 block of West Holland Avenue, lost to the devastating fire on May 26 sits in question to its future.

Alpine sees series of overdoses

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In the last few weeks, Alpine has seen three drug overdoses resulting in two deaths. The first overdose occurred at the Uncle’s truck stop and the other two occurred at a local residence.

McGuire re-sentencing trial results in lesser sentence

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Lisette McGuire, formerly of Marathon was found guilty of the murder of local Alpine resident Aquiles Gonzales in June of 2023 in the 394th District Court and received an initial sentence of 39 years. In an article published in the Avalanche back in February of this year, a new punishment trial was set to begin on May 6.

Museum of the Big Bend named Best Small-Town Museum

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Museum of the Big Bend named Best Small-Town Museum USA Today hosts an annual 10Best Awards and thanks to many voters, the Museum of the Big Bend secured the top spot in the Best Small-Town Museum category. The 10 Best Awards are highly coveted and recognize excellence in their many categories across the United States.

Texas grants mountain lions historic protections

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At the recent May 23 Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting, commissioners unanimously voted to ban the canned hunting of mountain lions and to require that live mountain lions not be held in traps for longer than 36 hours.

BBRHD gets new executive director

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The Big Bend Regional Hospital District held its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, May 30. The meeting was held at the Alpine Public Library due to debris and the smell of smoke still in their office due to the structure fire earlier in the week. Secretary Angela Juett was the only board member absent.