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.
Hal Marcus Memorial, Artwork Unveiling Set for April 26
A public memorial honoring El Paso artist Hal Marcus, along with the unveiling of one of his most recognized works, is scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 26, at Casa Ford, 5815 Montana Ave.
Organizers said the gathering will center on “El Paso Gracias a Dios,” a painting by Hal Marcus that depicts what is widely described as the first Thanksgiving in what is now the United States, held along the Rio Grande in 1598. The piece, previously displayed at the Chamizal National Memorial, will be unveiled in its new permanent home at Casa Ford.
“Hal wasn’t just an artist to me. He was a friend who showed me what it means to live with purpose every day,” said Casa Auto Group Vice President Luke Lowenfield in a statement. “His work will always be part of El Paso, and his impact will continue to be felt across our community.”
READ MORE: Hal Marcus, celebrated El Paso artist and musician, dies at 74
Additional works by Marcus will be displayed, with select pieces and books available for purchase. The event will also include a presentation titled “The First Thanksgiving” by Duncan Earle, as well as live performances by Eden Performing Arts and refreshments from Café Mayapan.
Marcus, who died April 12, was known for work that reflected the culture and history of the Borderland.
YISD César Chávez Academy May Be Renamed Under New Policy
The Ysleta Independent School District may rename the César Chávez Academy after accusations of sexual assault came out against the titular labor rights organizer.
The YISD school board voted 5-1 Wednesday to revise its policy on renaming schools, which previously only allowed campus name changes if their “educational function” or “support activity” is adjusted.
Trustee Connie Woodruff was absent and Trustee Shane Haggerty voted against the motion.
Haggerty raised concerns that the district is rushing to remove Chávez’s name without input from the Lower Valley community, where the alternative school sits.
“The name on the building isn’t just honoring a man, it’s honoring our community’s history, their labor, their struggles. And I think any decision to change that name shouldn’t be made by seven individuals reacting to allegations. It should be made by the community as a whole,” Haggerty said.
READ MORE: Borderland reassesses César Chávez legacy amid abuse allegations
Under the YISD policy, Superintendent Xavier De La Torre can recommend a campus name change, which will need to be voted on by the board.
The district plans to hold community meetings to get input on a name change, but did not provide details.
Since the allegations against Chávez were made public, schools, cities and organizations around the country have renamed buildings and covered or removed statues honoring him – including the Las Cruces Public School District, whose board this week voted to remove the name from an elementary school. The district will adopt a new name in July after community input, according to Organ Mountain News.
El Pasoan Named to EPA’s Science Advisory Board
El Pasoan Kristina Mena has been appointed to the Science Advisory Board of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mena, a microbiologist and dean of the El Paso campus of the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, accepted the appointment last week.
The Science Advisory Board is made up of academic experts and industry players who provide scientific recommendations to the EPA. This is Mena’s third appointment, after serving on the board during President Barack Obama’s second term and President Donald Trump’s first term. She was also appointed to the Drinking Water Committee.
The makeup of the board has reset with each recent change in presidency, as administrations purge and replace appointees. The percentage of chemical and agriculture industry representatives grew under Trump’s first term.
READ MORE: The unregulated link in a toxic supply chain and how it affects El Paso
Mena’s focus encompasses access to clean drinking water and sanitation. The country will need to address two areas: aging infrastructure, which impacts ability to deliver water with consistency, and severe weather events that disrupt water services, she said.
Both of these are issues El Paso faces, though El Paso has generally been better than other cities at expanding access to potable water, such as in the colonias, Mena said.
Mena said the Science Advisory Board’s overarching goal is to use peer-reviewed studies and best information available to inform policy making. The science should be the same regardless of who’s in office, she said.
“In general, public health speaks to so many things that’s related to water, air, food, access, social determinants of health, economics,” Mena said. “Those topics tend to be interwoven in everyday political conversations and decision making … Regardless of political party, those aspects impact everyone.”
Sun Bowl to Keep ACC-Pac-12 Matchup in 2026
The Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl will maintain its Atlantic Coast Conference-Pacific-12 Conference (or Pac-12 Legacy) matchup for the 2026 edition of the game, preserving a structure that has defined the El Paso bowl’s recent contests.
The decision was announced April 17 by Bowl Season, the organization that serves as a collective for every college football bowl game. The 93rd edition of the Sun Bowl is scheduled for noon Dec. 31 at Sun Bowl Stadium.
The decision follows the College Football Playoff extending its current format through the upcoming season, prompting bowl organizers to keep existing conference tie-ins in place for at least one more year. For the Sun Bowl, that continuity ensures another pairing between two high-profile conferences at a time when the broader postseason landscape remains in flux.
RELATED: As college football shifts, the Sun Bowl holds its place
“We are excited to continue with the ACC and Pac-12 Legacy schools in 2026,” Sun Bowl Association Executive Director Bernie Olivas said in a statement Monday. “Both conferences’ universities have given us incredible games in recent years.”
The matchup format has produced competitive results in recent years. In the 2025 game, Duke University, the ACC champion, defeated Arizona State University.
The Sun Bowl’s reliance on established conference affiliations has remained a cornerstone of its national profile, even as college football leaders continue to weigh changes to the postseason model. Broader discussions about conference alignments and bowl partnerships are expected to resume ahead of the 2027 season once the playoff format is finalized.
FAFSA Adds Identity Fraud System
The U.S. Department of Education on Sunday will add a real-time identity fraud detection capability to its Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, but this should not concern students and families, an El Paso Community College official said.
Rebecca Escamilla, EPCC interim vice president of Student and Enrollment Services, said that people who fill out the form may notice that students have to verify their identity as they work on their application. The Department of Education may flag forms with unexpected information for an additional review.
Escamilla said that students might see a few extra steps initially, but the overall financial aid process should get faster with fewer delays.
The Department of Education, which will work with a financial services firm, decided last year to include the new detection service due to what it called coordinated efforts by artificial intelligence bots and international fraud rings that pretend to be students. Last December, the department announced that it had prevented more than $1 billion in federal student aid fraud.
Bill DeBaun, senior director for data and strategic initiatives at the National College Attainment Network, said the education department’s Federal Student Aid office suspects that very few legitimate FAFSA forms will be flagged as fraudulent.
“Fraud detection for a real student will seem invisible while completing the form,” DeBraun said in an email to El Paso Matters. “Fraudulent FAFSAs will see the security screens pop up.”
Escamilla encouraged students to fill out the FAFSA because it could unlock thousands of dollars in financial aid for those who want to attend college. She said students and families may contact EPCC financial aid advisers with questions, or attend the FAFSA information session from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at Region 19 – Education Service Center, 6611 Boeing Drive.
The deadline to submit a FAFSA for the 2025-26 academic year is June 30. The next round of applications should open Oct. 1.
El Paso ISD Adopts Renewable Energy Resolution
The El Paso Independent School District is aiming to transition all its facilities and vehicles to be powered entirely by renewable energy by 2050.
The EPISD school board voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt a sustainability and energy efficiency resolution promising to invest in renewable energy to save money on electricity as energy costs continue to rise.
EPISD is eyeing a bond election to improve schools and upgrade outdated air conditioners, which have forced teachers and students to work in sweltering classrooms.
The resolution aligns with the city’s Climate Action Plan, adopted by the El Paso City Council in March, to address extreme heat, excessive dust, drought and other environmental issues.
Under the resolution, EPISD promised to create cooling plans for schools with poor air conditioning, which include setting up portable coolers, shade structures and water stations.
The district will have to create an advisory committee on sustainability that will monitor the district’s progress on reaching its energy efficiency goal.
It plans to complete at least 10 different projects that address classroom temperatures by August 2027 and replace all outdated evaporative coolers with energy efficient air conditioning by the end of the 2028-29 school year.
The district also hopes to replace outdated school buses and other vehicles with electric vehicles or low-emissions options.
El Paso Animal Services to Hold Volunteer Orientations
The city is having volunteer orientation events as part of the El Paso Animal Services Volunteer Appreciation Week slated to end April 27.
Volunteers spent about 52,000 hours over the last year providing support to thousands of shelter pets from daily animal care to specialized assistance with some individuals volunteering for more than 1,000 hours each.
As a thank you, the city will produce a social media campaign featuring volunteer stories with behind-the-scenes work and the bonds that have formed between the volunteers and animals they help care for.
The department offers multiple ways for people to get involved with volunteer opportunities. Volunteering opportunities are available to individuals age 14 and older. Shelter volunteers perform tasks including data entry, dog walking, enrichment, training and customer service. Rescue Runners walk or run shelter pets Sundays, groups can volunteer to participate in shelter beautification, outdoor, landscaping projects or pet enrichment, among other programs.
Children ages 8-13, can participate in the Kitty Reading Book Club, which is designed to strengthen reading skills while helping socialize shelter cats.
There will be two volunteer orientations – one for children ages 8-13 and another for ages 14 and older.
The Kitty Reading Book Club orientation is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday, April 26, at El Paso Animal Services, 5001 Fred Wilson Ave.
The Volunteer Orientation will be at 6:30 p.m. May 19 at the Fred Wilson location.
El Paso Animal Services has three divisions – animal control and shelter services, administrative services, and veterinary services. The department has three adoption centers – the main campus at 5001 Fred Wilson Ave., the Westside adoption center at 5625 Confetti Drive, and a Mission Valley adoption center at 9068 Socorro Road.
Information: El Paso Animal Services
The post Hal Marcus memorial set; YISD moves on César Chávez Academy appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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