This is your weekly news roundup, which takes a quick look at some developments in government, politics, education, environment and other topics across El Paso.
EPCC Trustees OK $1.7 Million Lab/Classroom for Occupational Therapy
The El Paso Community College Board of Trustees voted 7-0 during its June 25 meeting to proceed with a $1.7 million, 2,400 square-foot state-of-the-art instructional space for its new occupational therapy assistant program at the college’s Rio Grande Campus, 100 W. Rio Grande Ave.
The two-story building was designed as a residence to replicate the environment occupational therapists will find in the field.
The structure will have a kitchen, dining room, living room, two bedrooms, two restrooms, a laundry area and a staircase. It also will have classrooms and specialized laboratories with modern instructional equipment.
Souraya Hajjar, dean of Health, Career and Technical Education, said the facility will provide students with hands-on training in activities of daily living, mobility, safety and adaptive techniques within a realistic home setting.
“This will expand EPCC’s capacity to educate occupational therapy assistants, helping address workforce needs in the region while providing students access to modern, simulation-based healthcare training environments,” Hajjar said in an emailed statement.
The trustees awarded the contract to AO General Contractor Inc. Construction should begin in a few months at the vacant lot on the northwest corner of El Paso Street and Rio Grande Avenue. The first student cohort of the associate of applied science degree program should be using the building in early 2027.
The Rio Grande Campus is the college’s main site for health occupations and nursing programs. College officials said the new building will alleviate overcrowding at the existing facilities.
The funds for this project will come from the RG Occupational Therapist Assistance Classroom account.
El Paso ISD Accepting Trustee Applications Through July 27
The El Paso Independent School District began accepting applications Thursday to appoint new members to the Board of Trustees’ District 6 and 7 seats to replace Daniel Call and Valerie Ganelon Beals. Both resigned in early June.
EPISD trustees Wednesday unanimously approved the appointment process, which will include a public candidate forum and interviews with the board. Candidates must submit a statement explaining why they want to serve on the board, a resume and complete a background check.
The applications can be found on the district’s website and submitted in person or by mail to the Office of the Superintendent, El Paso ISD, 1014 N. Stanton St., El Paso, Texas, 79902.
Applications must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. July 27.
Candidate forums will be held at Franklin and Coronado high schools Aug. 3-5. The board will vote on the appointment that same week.
The new trustees will be appointed just before the board decides whether to call for a November bond election of up to $450 million.
Candidate Filing for City Representative Opens July 18
El Pasoans interested in running for city representative seats can begin filing applications July 18. The filing period runs through Aug. 17. Four City Council seats are up for election in the Nov. 3 general election.
Candidates must be age 21 or older, must have lived in the city of El Paso for at least one year and must live within the district they are wanting to represent for at least six months prior to the election. Candidates cannot have any outstanding debts to the city, including property taxes or municipal fines. The filing fee is $250, or a petition with at least 25 qualified voters who are eligible to vote for that candidate, according to the City Charter.
Two seats up for election are the Westside/Upper Valley District 1 and the Far Eastside District 5 now held by Alejandra Chávez and Ivan Niño, respectively. The two were elected in December 2024 to fill unexpired terms left open by Brian Kennedy and Isabel Salcido, who resigned to run for mayor unsuccessfully.
RELATED: Why El Paso’s mayor, city representatives are getting a 15% pay raise
The other two positions are the Downtown/West El Paso District 8 seat held by Chris Canales and the Lower Valley and a portion south of Loop 375 District 6 seat held by Art Fierro. Canales and Fierro would be seeking their second terms if they run for reelection.
City representatives can serve two four-year terms. The salary for city representatives is $63,183, but will increase to $72,800 Sept. 1.
The City Council sets tax rates, adopts budgets and makes wide-ranging policy decisions. City representatives also appoint a city manager, city attorney and chief internal auditor.
Texas Tech Physicians Launch Program to Address Burnout
Residents at Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso at Transmountain Family Medicine were awarded a $5,000 grant to start the Wellness Passport, a project they designed to improve mental health among international medical graduates.
Almost 90% of the graduates from the Transmountain Family Residency program are international, according to a news release. Dr. Arushee Bhatnagar, a third-year resident and lead on the project, said international medical students experience social stress.
“You are away from your family, you are in a new country, you do not know how things function here. That can be very isolating,” Bhatnagar said.
The project measures residents’ reports of burnout before and after participating in the Wellness Passport, which is printed in several languages and tracks milestones in the academic year. Participants earn stickers in their passport for activities related to hydration, sleep, movement, mindfulness and time spent together outside the clinic. Activities include yoga, meditation, painting, pottery and group outings to White Sands National Park.
Intealth, an organization that sponsors J-1 visas for physicians entering residency and fellowship programs, selected the Wellness Passport out of more than 60 proposals.
The post EPISD opens trustee search as EPCC approves $1.7 million lab appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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