In honor of veterans day, we partnered with the Midland Centennial Library to collect stories from veterans in West Texas. You’ll hear personal stories from Roxie Neal, Jim Besse, Sarah Cotton, Scott Jimenez, and Eduardo Aguilar. 

Thanks to Kimberly Reddin for helping collect these stories.

This episode was produced by Bayla Metzger, Carlos Morales, Diana Nguyen, andJackson Wisdorf. Hosted by Elise Pepple for KRTS

On this episode of West Texas Talk, a discussion about rural healthcare and how to shop for health insurance during this year’s open enrollment period, which runs November 1st until December 15th. For the episode, we talked to Amy Elizondo, who works as program services vice president for the National Rural Health Association.

To learn more about how to find health insurance during open enrollment, call 1-800-318-2596 or go to healthcare.gov.

Other resources are available at the Texas Rural Health Association website and Kaiser Health News.

Hosted by Elizabeth Trovall for KRTS

The "Voices of Blackwell” series was produced in partnership with the Blackwell School Alliance. The segregated institution was open from the late nineteenth century and closed in 1965 with the integration of schools in town. Although Hispanics were not legally segregated, Marfa practiced de-facto segregation. Anglo children attended Marfa Elementary, and Hispanic children went to the Blackwell School. 

The series explores the social mores of this era through the eyes of those who lived through it.

Mario Rivera attended the Blackwell School in the fifties and went on to become Presidio County’s Treasurer for 32 years.

Lionel Salgado attended the Blackwell school from 1941... Hosted by Diana Nguyen for KRTS

From East LA to West Texas, tonight's episode of West Texas Talk features a lively, music-filled conversation with psychedelic cumbia band Thee Commons. David and Rene Pacheco and Jose Rojas talk about the wide range of sounds and music that influenced their style and most recent album, Paleta Sonora.

Hosted by Elizabeth Trovall for KRTS

On this edition of West Texas Talk, a conversation with Laura Langham. Executive Director of Grand Companions, about homeless pets in west Texas.

Grand Companions was established in 1989 in response the growing need for an acceptable means of dealing with stray animals. Since its inception, they have grown to an organization with 18 staff members serving the Texas Trans-Pecos region and Permian Basin.

Hosted by Elise Pepple for KRTS

For Halloween, that station hosted "Ghost Town Stories" at the Starlight Theater - paranormal experiences from West Texans. A big thanks to Lisa and Bill Ivey for hosting us, in addition to Jeffro Greasewood and Sharron Gavin for organizing the event.

The storytellers you’ll hear on this program are Lisa Ivey, Carlton Leatherwood, Warner Limelighter, also known as Buckner Cooke, Romaldo Pena, and Sally Martin (reading a story from Sian Farris).  

Lisa Ivey is owns the Starlight with her husband, Bill Ivey, and has lived in Terlingua for several years. She was raised on the border.

Carlton Leatherwood has lived in Terlingua since 2006 and has written four books abou... Hosted by Elise Pepple for KRTS

In this conversation, Kerry Manzo and Maureena Benavides discuss the need for more support of transgender individuals in West Texas and the mission of the "Out in West Texas" symposium. Manzo is a doctoral candidate in the Department of English at Texas Tech University. Her areas of interest include gender and sexuality studies within a global context, and queer studies more broadly. Maureena Benavides, M.A., LPC is the owner/operator of On the Couch Counseling in Midland,TX. As a licensed professional counselor, Maureena helps individuals, couples, and families with struggles in communication, intimacy and anxiety and depression and also specializes in helping gender non-conforming clients... Hosted by Diana Nguyen for KRTS

In this episode of West Texas Talk, we speak with Dr. Andrew Sansom, Executive Director of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University. Dr. Sansom explains Texas' fragmented regulator system and how water conservation is inextricably linked to working with landowners. Hosted by Diana Nguyen for KRTS

On this edition of West Texas Talk, a conversation with poet, writer, performer, and political/cultural advocate Anne Waldman.

Waldman is the author of more than 40 collections of poetry and poetics, an active member of the Outrider experimental poetry movement, and has been connected to the Beat movement and the second generation of the New York School - Her work as a cultural activist and her practice of Tibetan Buddhism are deeply connected to her poetry.

Waldman will be speaking at 6 PM Sunday, October  29th, at Marfa's Crowley Theater. Hosted by Jana La Brasca for KRTS

On the eve of Halloween, we speak with entomologist Dr. Chris Ritzi about the diverse range of insect life in West Texas: from tarantula mating to scorpion hunting to vinegaroon spray, and more. He also fills us in on the ways that Hollywood has drawn inspiration from insect's alien ways. Ritzi is the Chair of the Biology, Geology and Physical Sciences Department at Sul Ross State University. The university has an Insect/Anthropod Collection with about 80,000 specimens.

Hosted by Bayla Metzger for KRTS