By David C. Stout This week, our lawmakers in Austin gaveled in another legislative session, a 140-day event certain to be even more unpredictable because of the pandemic. However, counties and cities across Texas can ...
By the Rt. Rev. Michael Hunn Part of my job as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande, a diocese of the Episcopal Church consisting of the state of New Mexico and Far ...
By Rep. Joe Moody Yesterday saw the very foundations of our representative government shaken by naked fascism. Let me first say what needs to be echoed by every patriot in a position of public trust: ...
By Rabbi Stephen Leon There is a huge secret which lives in our unique city of El Paso. Most of our residents are unaware of it and yet this secret has had an impact on ...
By Minerva Morales Minerva Morales’ son, Daniel Morales, was an El Paso nurse who died of COVID-19 on Aug. 4, 17 days before his 40th birthday. He left behind a wife and four children, and ...
By David C. Stout As our nation transitions, we need to pursue ways for Americans to become united again. An El Paso history lesson provides a way forward for the healing our nation needs. Marcelino ...
By Rabbi Levi Greenberg Often in conversation nowadays people share with me that — although they continue following social distancing guidelines and all — they are emotionally done with this virus. The constant disruption of ...
Students at UTEP will present their documentary photography projects to the public virtually on Wednesday evening. Working all semester, students in Corrie Boudreaux’s digital photography class visually documented the impact of the pandemic in the ...
By Rabbi Levi Greenberg A friend confided in me that Thanksgiving this year will be dreadful as he won’t be celebrating with family back east. I hear this sentiment from so many here in town ...
By Anna Aleman The world’s oldest and largest mega event, the World Expo, will be hosted for the first time in the Middle East. El Paso is one of 28 cities across the United States ...
By Peter Svarzbein Note: City Rep. Peter Svarzbein originally made this statement at the opening of Monday’s City Council work session. As COVID-19 spread like wildfire across American cities, I have researched what others have ...
By Mark Lusk The pandemic that is raging through the United States is killing nearly one American a minute. With no unified or coherent public health response at the national level, we can expect that ...
By Joe Moody With COVID-19 still gripping El Paso, our families have to make a difficult choice this Thanksgiving. It wasn’t an easy one for my family, but in the end, we’ve chosen to stay ...
By Michelle Alejandra Booth Your co-worker’s cousin, your cousin, then you – all with COVID. Whateight8 months ago started as a “New York problem” and a third degree of separation knowing someone who knows someone ...
By Robert Storch To make Downtown El Paso a truly vibrant, modern and livable urban environment, the interstate highway and transcontinental railroad must be moved out of the city center. The Texas Department of Transportation ...
By Graciela Blandon For years, El Paso County’s Democratic Party has existed as a shadowy figure to the average voter. With limited digital and field teams, Democratic Party organizing has happened mostly within its own ...
By Tom Laign It’s my pleasure to serve as president for The Arc of El Paso, where the recent surge in COVID-19 cases has given us reason to pause our activities as we re-evaluate the ...
By George Lopez ¿Qué chingados pasó? At heart, my job as a comedian and artist means I’m a storyteller. And these days I’m troubled by the story I see about our country and how we, ...
By Kaitlyn Urenda-Culpepper My mother, Genevieve Martinez, died in Sierra East Medical Center on July 22 at age 62 from the novel coronavirus. A school nurse at Barron Elementary, our entire family has lost our ...
By Dr. Juan Escobar As a practicing cardiologist in El Paso, I frequently encounter patients who confide in me that they are unable to afford the medications that I or other treating physicians prescribe for ...
By Melissa Martinez The “American Dream” is something I know a little bit about. As an immigrant who came to this country as a small child, my parents made sacrifices to provide a better future ...
By David C. Stout The pandemic has taken so much from us — jobs, our way of life, our health, and for far too many, relatives and loved ones have been lost here in El ...
By Clifton Tanabe, Ph.D., J.D. The disruption to our education system caused by COVID-19 has been a historic challenge for the El Paso community. We have witnessed dedicated educators rise to meet this challenge, and ...
By Rep. Mary González If your child’s pediatrician told you that your actions were “counterproductive and threaten the short- and long-term health” of your child, how would you respond? Like most parents, you would immediately ...
By Pat Thompson In 1957, Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus activated his National Guard to block nine black students from entering Little Rock High School. President Eisenhower responded by ordering the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division ...
By Rabbi Levi Greenberg Many seek a silver lining to the life-altering reality caused by COVID-19, and while it no doubt continues to cause so much local and global pain and suffering, I am constantly ...
By Sandra Nevárez García Domestic violence is one of the most prevalent and underreported forms of abuse across the globe. The pandemic has affected so many aspects of our daily lives, especially those living in ...
By Peter Svarzbein My parents Leonardo and Sylvia were immigrants to the United States. When it came time to raise a family and establish roots they settled in El Paso. My parents were welcomed into ...
By David C. Stout When we started the Census 2020 journey more than two years ago, I truly believed the battle for a complete count would be against apathy and against logistics. We have certainly ...
El Paso Matters Voters Guide
Your guide for the Nov. 3, 2020, General Election in El Paso. It includes:
- How candidates responded to our questionnaires on key issues
- Where to find sample ballots
- Voting locations and methods
- Important dates
Borderland Coronavirus Updates
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Messages for Graduates
Graduation Video Special: Notable El Pasoans and Juarenses salute our community graduates
Editor’s note: Ryan James Solis will contribute essays to El Paso Matters that will be published each Thursday By Ryan James Solis Jan. 6, 2021, will be remembered through it’s images. Portraits from a nation ...