El Paso Matters

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El Paso is stronger, brighter, and more informed when we’re in this together. Our NewsMatch campaign starts today, and we’re aiming to raise $150,000 to sustain the independent journalism El Paso relies on. Every donation you make will be matched, doubling your impact. With your support, we can keep shining a light on the stories that matter to our community and keep El Paso informed, inspired, and empowered. Together, we shine. ? Join us by making a donation: https://lnkd.in/gT9_rZTe

UT System News of the Day: When the UT System announced the restart of The University of Texas at El Paso mining engineering degree program last month, one of the strong voices of support belonged to Walter Vernon Kramer. Kramer, 84, is the last person to earn a mining engineering degree in 1966 and the first to receive a master’s degree in geology from the university in 1970. He credited his UTEP education for setting him on a 30-year path to success. Via El Paso Matters https://lnkd.in/g4VFVH_4

We published a (long) story on El Paso Matters this weekend exploring a seemingly very local issue: should the government ban diesel semi-trucks from crossing at one of the international bridges in El Paso because they emit a lot of pollution in the adjacent historic, low-income neighborhood of Chamizal? But a decision about commerce at the border here inevitably reverberates throughout North America, prompting big pushback from companies tied to importing and exporting goods. I followed Chamizal residents periodically over the last year to understand the problem -- and witnessed a massive industrial fire in the heart of the neighborhood -- all while private firms and business groups argue removing trucks from the Bridge of the Americas won't help the Chamizal.

El Paso Giving Day Ends at Midnight! Your donation today can help ensure that local, independent journalism continues to thrive in our community. Donate now to help us reach our $20,000 goal–every gift counts towards keeping El Paso informed and empowered. Don’t miss your chance to support local journalism! ?? https://lnkd.in/geUg73-a #ElPasoGivingDay

Today is the day! El Paso Giving Day has begun. Help us reach our $20,000 goal to support local, independent journalism. If you donate today between 12-1 PM you can help us win an extra $1,000 maximizing your impact.?Your support keeps our community informed and empowered. Thank you!? ?#ElPasoGivingDay https://lnkd.in/geUg73-a

?? In Collaboration with El Paso Matters, We Are Proud to Present "El Pasoans in the White House"! ???? On Tuesday, October 22 at 6 p.m., head to the El Paso Community Foundation Room for an inspiring event celebrating three incredible El Pasoans who’ve made their mark in the White House under different administrations. Hear firsthand from: ? Crystal Saavedra (Biden Administration) — An advance specialist for President Joe Biden, now with the EPA and supporting Kamala Harris' presidential campaign. ? @oliviaoftroye (Trump Administration) — Former homeland security advisor to Vice President Mike Pence. ? Tim Roth (Reagan Administration) — Former economics advisor and UTEP professor. Gain unique insights into the journeys and contributions of these distinguished El Pasoans and discover how our city impacts national politics! ?? RSVP now at elpasomatters.org to secure your spot for this impactful discussion. Free and open to the public. Don’t miss out! #ElPasoInDC #ElPasoansLead #WhiteHouse #NationalImpact #UTEP #CommunityLeadership #PoliticalJourney #InspiringElPaso #ElPasoEvents #FutureLeaders #RSVP #CivicEngagement #WhiteHouseJourney #elpasopride Progress321 and El Paso Matters are supporting organizations of the El Paso Community Foundation.

I wrote about the four candidates who are running to represent much of West El Paso on City Council. They all had similar focuses, like lowering homeowners' property tax burden, but we tried to highlight some differences on stances like climate change and the Downtown deck park idea. More election stories to come in El Paso Matters!

I wrote about what the future of El Paso's climate action plan may look like after the city lost out on grants worth hundreds of millions of dollars that local officials sought to fund the plan. Last year, El Paso experienced the hottest year on record and the lowest amount of rainfall in 20 years, according to the NWS. And this year’s summer was?the second-hottest on record?going back to 1887, only slightly behind last year. Yet the business community here appears to be minimally involved in the development of a climate plan. And how the city will fund implementation of the CAP when it's completed next year is an open question.