Travis Bubenik
News DirectorTravis has waltzed across Texas throughout his career in journalism, covering everything from pipeline protests in the Big Bend and oilfield flaring in the Permian Basin to Gulf Coast hurricanes and courtroom battles all over the state.
A Houston native and University of Texas alum, he got his start in public radio as an intern at Marfa Public Radio, where he has at various times been a reporter and host of both Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
Travis’ reporting has frequently appeared on NPR and public radio’s Marketplace. His dog Valentine is indeed named after the town.
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Presidio County commissioners on Wednesday approved a six-month contract for a new local group called High Desert Golf to run the county-owned golf course and nearby Vizcaino Park. -
Midland voters reelected Mayor Lori Blong and City Council Member Jack Ladd. A $5.5M “certificates of obligation” measure failed in Presidio County. -
As Texans weigh in on 17 proposed amendments to the state constitution, West Texas voters will be deciding on just a handful of local items, including the race for Midland mayor. -
The Trump administration is planning a sweeping mix of technology and physical barriers across the southern border. Meanwhile, the administration is also waiving federal regulations to speed up construction across the Big Bend region and the country’s southwestern border. -
Back in the 1990s, in an off-the-grid neighborhood in the mountains of Far West Texas, a wannabe vintner started his own Wild West nation. He called it The Republic of Texas, and he wanted to secede from the United States. At first, his neighbors wrote him off as a joke, a local eccentric. Then, things got very, very serious. -
Officials say two teachers at Midland and Odessa schools, along with one tutor, have faced employment consequences for inappropriate comments after the assassination of the conservative activist last week. -
Presidio County commissioners on Wednesday voted to eliminate funding for the county-owned facilities. One official who opposed the move says the facilities will remain open to the public. -
The West Texas Water Research Center has named an interim director as it gears up for research efforts focused on water supply, sustainability and other pressing issues across the region. -
A yearslong project to tear down and rebuild the park’s Chisos Mountains Lodge was scheduled to begin this month. It’s now set to start in May 2026. -
AEP Texas, the power lines company serving Marfa, is asking city officials to rezone a residential property for industrial use in order to build a new electric substation. The proposal has prompted pushback from some locals.
