February 2026

At least 11 people have died in Texas, nearly half of them children, after Winter Storm Fern swept the state last week, the Texas Standard reported. Among those killed were three young brothers who fell through ice on a private pond near Bonham, about 60 miles northeast of Texas. In the Dallas suburb of Frisco, two teens died after a sledding accident. They were riding on a sled being pulled by a vehicle.

Many voters may have received postcard applications to submit for an absentee ballot for the Republican Primary by mail recently. The postcard applications ask for your sensitive personal information, such as birthdate, social security number, and driver’s license number. They are also preprinted with your voter identification number, name, and address. The return address to Cynthia Cox, Brewster County Elections Administrator, is also printed on this card.

HEAD OVER MEALS Nothing stirs up division quite like meatloaf. Once a staple in American kitchens during the 1950s and ’60s, it has quietly faded from everyday menus, yet it remains a hearty meal that can spark strong reactions; either warm nostalgia or complete turnoff, depending on where you land.

Send your community events to kara.gerbert@alpineavalanche.com February 7 Pioneer Reunion February 7 Bake Sale, 9 a.m. at Lowe’s Market, Boy Scout Troop 41 will have breakfast items and a variety of baked goods for sale to earn money for summer camp.

Cereal arrived at the shelter in early January, one of many dogs and puppies rescued from a publicized hoarding case in Terlingua. All the other dogs that were seized found foster placements, except Cereal. Alpine Animal Services, in collaboration with Brewster County authorities, was able to extend the welcome open door to Cereal.

The Paisano Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, presented DAR Good Citizen Awards to seniors from area high schools at an awards ceremony on Sunday afternoon, February 1, held in the First Presbyterian Church of Alpine.

The Alpine High School Lady Bucks varsity basketball team came up just short on the road last week, dropping a hard-fought district game to Kermit High School, 47-41, in a battle until the final horn.

Sul Ross State University Women’s Basketball (3–15, LSC 2–10) earned a hard-fought Lone Star Conference victory Saturday afternoon, defeating Texas A&M University–Kingsville (4–14, LSC 4–8) 62–58 at the Pete P. Gallego Center.

S______ _._ B__ B__ __ D____ M _______ C _____ Alpine Avalanche Photos from the Alpine Avalanche Archives at Archives of the Big Bend, Bryan Wildenthal Memorial Library and Portal of Texas. .

Dear Neil, Regarding your recommendation of crape myrtles along streets, I do admit that under certain circumstances they can be spectacular, but they are not native to our state, and their seeds can spread into natural areas and crowd out species more useful to our environment. I would say that the yaupon hollies would be a better choice. They are native. Their fruit is preferred by birds, and their branching is used for nesting. I appreciate your column and almost always agree with you!