In a first for the state of Texas, the Gazette has confirmed that the General Land Office is selling land with the state reserving solar energy rights to the property. The GLO has long reserved other rights such as mineral, geothermal; more recently wind rights and now solar energy. by John Waters    more »

Granted, my visit was on Memorial Day weekend, so a vibe was to be expected, but with the temperature at 102, the number of guests moving around was impressive. Impressive too was that people were still outside, on the patio, imbibing cold beverages, seemingly unbothered by the heat. For the first time in my living near and reporting on Lajitas in nearly five years, the place had a buzz. Could Lajitas be rising like a phoenix out of the ashes? by John Waters    more »

exas General Land Office Commissioner Jerry Patterson has responded to the National Park Service’s proposal to acquire the Christmas Mountains in Brewster County. His answer: No guns, no deal: create a National Preserve and we can talk. by John Waters    more »

On a stunningly clear mid-January afternoon Texas General Land Office Commissioner Jerry Patterson pilots his 90-horsepower Citabria aircraft from San Marcos to land at Terlingua Ranch’s 4,000-foot dirt runway, at 1:30 pm. On board with Patterson is a chilled Sam Gwynne, writer from Texas Monthly, who has endured the three-hour flight in the back of the small aircraft, sitting behind Patterson where the aircraft’s heat does not reach. Patterson is in Brewster County to explore the Christmas Mountains and Big Bend National Park by air, foot, truck and all-terrain vehicle. by John Waters    more »

Kelcy L. Warren of Dallas has bought the bankrupt Lajitas Resort for $13.5 million. Today Bankruptcy Court officials in San Antonio confirmed the price, and said a final hearing is set for December 18. An internal Lajitas memo issued today... by John Waters    more »

he U.S. Bankruptcy Court has again postponed a decision regarding Lajitas Resort. The resort has received several bids ranging from $13.5 million to $18 million. The resort, which filed for bankruptcy protection in July, continues to operate fully.The Bankruptcy Court has scheduled a hearing on December 7 to consider several motions... by John Waters    more »

• Big Macs and The Bible: Americans are more familiar with Big Macs than the Bible, a recent poll has found. Less than half of respondents – 45 percent – could recall the commandment “honor thy father and mother” but...   more »

Lawyers for the bankrupt Lajitas Resort have postponed a bankruptcy court hearing until November 16. by John Waters    more »

The land sale had proceeded with scant notice outside the Big Bend until mid-September when the Austin American-Statesman and the Houston Chronicle reported that the original donors on the land, the Mellon Foundation and the Conservation Fund, had communicated to the GLO their opposition of the sale. by John Waters    more »

Now I am a journalist in search of the truth. To be more accurate, I am a reporter covering the issues and people of the Big Bend. Over the past several years we have strived to provide a quixotic lens on a unique region by way of thorough research, investigation and analysis. We have had our ups and downs.   more »

During a regularly scheduled meeting of the Big Bend Ranch Advisory Committee in Lajitas on August 7, Poindexter outlined his proposal whereby he would buy land from Lajitas Resort in Brewster County that may be of interest to Texas Parks and Wildlife. That land would be appraised, then offered as a swap to TPWD in exchange for land of equal value for part of BBRSP land near Cienega Creek that adjoins Poindexter’s Cibolo Creek Ranch in Presidio County. by John Waters    more »

On the evening of April 6, Terlingua resident Jim Carrico returned home around 10:30 pm, and had just barely opened his front door a few inches when their family cat, Spoke, bolted out into the desert. “He was wound up tighter than a tick, and out he went,” said Jim. Out he went indeed.... by John Waters    more »

Lajitas Resort, the financially beleaguered south Brewster County resort, filed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition July 2, and has been given 90 days by U. S. Bankruptcy Judge Ronald King to either find new financing or auction the property. by John Waters    more »

While Smith and his team were busy building his resort, the locals with fond memories and a proprietary sense of ownership stayed away. The new resort would cater to a different clientele, ones with private jets or the ability to rent one. Promotional materials were designed to sell the proposed lakeside cottages used such phrases as “Master of Our Destiny.” In real estate it is said, “If you build it, they will come.” Apparently they did not. by John Waters   more »