September 2025

When we talk about healthcare in Alpine, one reality is always clear: access matters. In a rural community like ours, the distance between a patient and a nurse can mean the difference between timely care and a dangerous delay. That is why the nursing pathway at Sul Ross State University is more than just an academic program; it is a lifeline for Alpine and the Big Bend.

“Tell me facts, and I’ll learn. Tell me truth, and I’ll believe you. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever” — Native American Proverb We became gas pump neighbors one afternoon a few days ago.

Elizabeth Granado Pineda, a devoted caregiver, beloved daughter, sister, and aunt, passed away peacefully on August 22 at the Central Texas Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Ballinger, Texas. She was 67 years old.

William Walter (Billy) Mitchell, surrounded by his loving family, passed away on September 5. Born in Amarillo on March 25, 1939, Billy was a devoted partner, father, grandfather, and friend.

The Alpine Lady Bucks varsity cross-country team left it all on the mountain this past Saturday during the annual Big Bend Mountain Ramble, hosted at Kokernot Park, and earned the team division by a margin of almost 70 points.

The Alpine Lady Bucks volleyball team opened their week with two very different matches: a tough home loss against a state-ranked opponent and a thrilling five-set road win that tested their unity and determination.

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The Office of the Provost at Sul Ross State University is proud to announce the Fall 2025 schedule for the Science Seminar Series. The program was launched following a recommendation from the “Research Forum for the Sciences” in Fall 2023. The goals of the seminar series are to highlight the research expertise available across the sciences at Sul Ross State University, inspire students to pursue careers in the sciences, and encourage interdepartmental collaboration. The seminar series is open to all students, faculty, and the Big Bend community. They are each one hour long, after which all participants are encouraged to continue conversations at an off-campus mixer. All seminars will be held in the Warnock Science Building, Room 201, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., with a mixer following at The Ritchey. The schedule is as follows: Thursday, September 18: Dr. Erika Blecha, Archeologist, Center for Big Bend Studies: “No Bones About It: Understanding the Intersection of Past Environments and People Through Animal Remains.” Tuesday, October 14: Dr. Justin French, Big Game Specialist, Borderlands Research Institute and Assistant Professor of Wildlife Management, Department of Natural Sciences: “Big Scales and High Stakes: Quantitative Approaches in Big Game Management.” Thursday, November 20: Dr. Elizabeth Measures, Professor of Geology, Department of Natural Sciences: “Geology and Math: Flexibility in Research and Teaching.” Wednesday, December 3: Dr. Clifton Albrecht, Assistant Professor of Botany, Department of Natural Sciences: “Blank Places on the Map of Trans-Pecos Botany: Selected Knowledge Gaps in Taxa and Localities.”

When the Big Bend Regional Hospital District (BBRHD) brought mobile mammography services back to the region this May, nearly 200 women in Presidio, Alpine, and Terlingua received screenings—many for the first time in years. But in the days following the event, community members and providers raised concerns about report delivery and the number of test results labeled BI-RADS Category 0, which indicates that more imaging is needed to complete a diagnosis.