Photo by Sam Cole
RESCUE WORK – Emergency crews worked to extract victims from two cars that collided on the Pecos River Bridge on
US Highway 90 Saturday. The accident killed one and injured seven when a car speeded past the red light controlling one-way traffic
through construction on the bridge.
DEL RIO – A two-car head-on collision on the Pecos River Bridge 40 miles west of here Saturday afternoon killed one and injured seven
others, closing the bridge for four hours.
Monika Rowitha Kretshmer, 64, of Germany, was killed in the accident when the westbound
car in which she was a passenger apparently disobeyed a stop light at the entrance to the bridge and collided head-on with an eastbound
car.
Sanderson teacher Beth Hamilton said she was returning from a shopping trip to Del Rio to get supplies for the prom and saw the
accident happen.
“I was stopped at the light waiting to cross when this car passed me on the shoulder and went on down the bridge with cars coming,” Hamilton said. “It all happened so fast and he was going so fast, I don’t see how anybody had time to get out of it.”
DPS Trooper Marcos Hernandez said Laufer Hellmuth 82, of Littleneck, NY, was the driver of the car and Kretshmer was riding in the back seat.
He said Hellmuth passed at least one vehicle and a truck hauling two truck tractors, then sped onto the bridge.
Hernandez said the speedometer of the Hellmuth car was stopped at 75 miles per hour after it slammed head on into the eastbound car.
Read more...Poets, Trappings today
ALPINE – Sul Ross State University will be busy this weekend with the Texas Cowboy Gathering and Trappings of
Texas, both marking their 23rd annual event.
The Cowboy Poetry Gathering opens at 10 a.m. today, Feb. 27, in Marshall Auditorium on the campus.
Chuck Jividen will host the “Howdy! Let’s Get Started” session. Doris Daley, Michael and Dawn Moon and Dave Stamey will perform during the session.
Read more...Brewster County Judge
Val Beard
P. O. Box 1630
Alpine, TX 79831
432/819-2412
Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson
201 W. Ave
E.
Alpine, TX 79830
432/837-3488
County Commissioner
Ruben Ortega
P. O. Box 233
Marathon. TX 79842
432-294- J 096
Marathon
ISD Superintendent Conrad Arriola
N. 5th Street
Marathon. TX 79842
432/386-4431
Terrell County Judge
Leo Smith
P. O. Box 4810
432/345-2421
Terrell County Sheriff
Clint McDonald
P. O. Box 320
Sanderson, TX 79848
432/345-2525
Terrell County
ISD Superintendent
Gary Hamilton
P.O. Box 747
Sanderson, TX 79848
432/345-2515
MARATHON - The Marathon Mustang boys have made the transition from basketball to golf without missing a beat, taking first in a tournament
last week.
The team traveled to Marfa Saturday to play nine holes on a blustery winter day in a tournament which included teams from Terlingua, Marfa, Van Horn and Fort Davis.
Read more...By ARLENE GRIFFIS
Marathon Editor
MARATHON – The Famous Burro restaurant and Pitaya verde clothing store teamed up for a community-wide
birthday party at the Famous Burro to honor those with birthdays in January, February and March.
The event drew 10 of the 25 people known to have birthdays during the first quarter of the year.
Read more...Dust devils hot, arid episodes
By MARK GLOVER
Contributing Editor
A whooshing sucking roared out of the earth as if some Genie had been released from the metallic fiber of the inner world.
The spiral of dust and air danced across the field inhaling rocks, sticks, seeds and centipedes, a commotion unto itself on an otherwise hot and calm day.
Read more...By KIM RAPP
News Leader Production Manager
SANDERSON – To see cyclists cruising through town is not that unique – unless they’re hauling
300 pounds. Sam Cole of Austin did just that.
Formerly homeless, Cole is an “extreme alignment photographer” whose purpose for this particular trip is to take pictures of everything from Comet Lulin to Big Bend National Park and to share the word of God with those he comes across.
Read more...By MARK GLOVER
Contributing Editor
FORT DAVIS – I bought goat cheese from a sidewalk merchant on the first lunch break of the annual
Texas Forest Service Wildland Fire Fighting School at the courthouse here last weekend.
The soft texture of the cheese provided relief after the hard facts of fighting fire.
Read more...Our own UFO sighting
SANDERSON – A stargazing couple reported more than stars in the eastern skies over Sanderson about 11 p.m. Sunday.
Cristian and Destiny Thompson said they spotted unknown lights, or “UFOs,” over the hills northeast of town.
Read more... Library Friend
I read an amazing book this week, which I had given to my sister-in-law last year for her birthday and just got it back from her a couple of weeks ago so that I could read it.
It is called “Polio: An American Story” by David Oshinsky, who was the recipient of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for history for his research and authorship of this fascinating work.
Read more...Pastor, Marathon Baptist Church
MARATHON – Criticism is something we all have to deal with. Constructive criticism can
be helpful and allow us to correct mistakes we may have been totally unaware of.
Unfortunately there is another type of criticism
that isn’t helpful at all, destructive criticism.
The destructive critic has no desire to use their critiques as a tool to help someone
improve.
They use criticism as a weapon to harm, hurt and offend another human being.
Read more...FORE – Mustang golfers include, from left, Colten Johnson, Marisol Aguilar and Cito Hernandez. They contributed to first-place win
at Marfa Saturday.
TULETA – Louella Graham, who died last week, was honored by the Pettus-Tuleta Fire Department for her many years of dedicated service. She was the mother of Perry Graham of Sanderson.
The department presented her with a plaque last month.
Graham joined the department in 1955 as the first woman in the department.
Read more...
PITAYA NOW OPEN – A large group of Marathoners showed up recently for a ribbon cutting at Pitaya verde, the town’s newest clothing
store. It is in the former Artesanias east of the Gage Hotel. If anyone in town did not get in the picture, please let us know.
FOLD YOUR TENT – Writer Mark Glover and Bruce Burkman of the Davis Mountain Resort Volunteer Fire Dept folded the fire tent for another
practice round. The two participated in the Texas Forest Services’ Wildfire Fire Fighting School at Fort Davis last week.
TEACHERS – Teachers at the Texas Forest Service Wildfire Fire Fighting School in Fort Davis last week were Dick Canino, retired NYC
fire fighter and now volunteer at the Fort Davis VFD, and Bruce Burkman of Davis Mountain Resort VFD.
THE WORD – Sam Cole of Austin pointed to the words “Jesus is Lord” scrawled on the truck of his bicycle trailer. Cole is spreading
the word on his trip out west, photographing everything from Comet Lulin to Big Bend National Park. He hauls 300-pounds of equipment
behind his bike with electronics and other equipment.
SANDERSON – The 10th annual Falkfest, honoring the late Walter Falk, is in the books.
For a decade, approximately 20 people or so have gathered for barbecue and a show of Falk’s art.
It all started when Falk and a few friends thought Boquillas, Coah, was a beautiful place for an art show and began it with a show and a free barbecue which moved on to Sanderson.
Read more...BACK AGAIN – Joyce Malatek and Mary Adkins sported their new jackets they bought from Paris Galvan at this year’s Falkfest. The twosome
will return for Falkfest every year for as long as it continues.
