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This is your local and area news.
Francisco Armando Baeza – cherished father, grandfather, brother, and friend – passed away peacefully on Dec. 23 in Odessa, Texas.
Born in 1939, Francisco lived a life full of joy, passionate adventures, and deep connections with family and friends.
Francisco, a proud Army veteran who served from 1958 to 1962, dedicated his life to his family and community. He married his beloved wife, Hermina, in June 1967, and together they built a loving home filled with laughter and stories. A devoted father, he is remembered for entertaining his children with tales of his adventures and his infectious love for life.
Those who knew Francisco will fondly remember his love for bingo, western movies, and his musical talents, as he enjoyed singing in local bands. He was also an enthusiastic baseball fan, always cheering for his favorite teams. Francisco’s altruistic spirit led him to volunteer with the Knights of Columbus and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), where his outstanding service earned him multiple awards and recognition.
Francisco’s legacy will be carried on by his six loving children and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great grandchildren, nieces and nephews and friends whose lives he touched.
In honor of Francisco’s life, a public viewing will take place at Alpine Memorial Funeral Home – Memorial Chapel on Jan. 2 from 4:00 p.m. A rosary will be held at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church on Jan. 3, at 9:30 a.m., followed by a mass at 10:00 a.m.
Francisco will be laid to rest at Holy Angels Cemetery on January 3 at 11:15 a.m.
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The Big Bend Arts Council is looking for submissions for its next show, “Way out West-Wildlife.”
The show will run from Jan. 8 to Feb. 24, and the group is looking for work centered on a theme of wildlife to coincide with Wildlife Weekend in Alpine.
The deadline to get your work to the gallery is Jan. 6 at 4:30 p.m.
For more information and requirements for the work, contact Shelly Rogers at agshelly78@aol.com.
The show takes place at the Big Bend Gallery, located at 121 West Holland Avenue.
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The 35th Annual Black Pea cookoff takes place in Terlingua on New Year’s day. To join the competition, all you have to do is make some “Good Luck Peas” and take them to Terlingua ghost town. There will be live music, a raffle and prizes for the best dish.
All proceeds from the event benefit local high school graduates.
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On New Year’s Day, Balmorhea State Park invites the public to head to the pool to get 2026 started with a plunge into the park’s cool spring-fed waters.
On Thursday, Jan. 1 at 11 a.m., the park will bring the swimmers together to count down with them and leap into the pool.
The event is free with paid entry into the park.
For more information visit the Balmorhea State Park Facebook page.
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The next Wildlife Weekend in Alpine will focus on the owls of the Davis Mountains.
The event is a three-day celebration of the Chihuahuan Desert wildlife, and will feature guided walks, speakers, film screenings and activities. Some of the speakers include experts from Borderlands Research Institute, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, and other conservation organizations.
All events are free and open to the public. The third annual Wildlife Weekend will take place from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1.
For more information, contact the visitor’s center at visitorcenter@visitalpinetx.com, or call (432) 837-2326.
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Next month (January), a city-county taskforce will hold three town halls to get public feedback on ground ambulance services in the region.
The taskforce has been meeting to figure out how to move forward with those services, since the contract with the current EMS provider will not be renewed, and it ends in May of next year.
The taskforce includes Alpine, Brewster County officials and community members.
The first town hall will be Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. at the Civic Center. The other town halls will be Wednesday, Jan. 26, at Sul Ross State University and Saturday, Jan. 31.
This has been your local and area news for KVLF 98.7 FM, 1240 AM & KALP 92.7 FM. Local news can be found on our website at bigbendradio.com.