Home Care In Bend, TX

A good book can bring people together — even when one of those readers happens to be a four-time Grammy Award winner. Houston-native singer and rapper Lizzo will join Fort Bend County Library's first virtual read-a-thon on Tuesday, to help promote the joy of reading on World Literacy Day.

"I'm so excited to be celebrating library card sign-up month and World Literacy Day with y’all and Fort Bend County Libraries," Lizzo said in a pre-recorded video for the event.

Lizzo is one of the many special guests who will be featured on the 24-hour streaming program, which will launch 10 a.m. on Tuesday through Wednesday the following day on the county library's social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

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Lizzo will make her appearance at the virtual read-a-thon while on tour for her new children's book, Lil Lizzo Meets Sasha B. Flootin,' but will read from what she called her favorite book growing up, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Other scheduled contributors will include bi-lingual author Erika Andrade Smith, who will be reading her book iPapas y Papas! in Spanish, and Sugar Land Mayor Carol McCutcheon reading The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper.

Library Director Roosevelt Weeks said literacy is a fundamental human right for people of all ages because it opens the door to greater freedoms. More than 4 million Texas adults read below a basic level, according to nonprofit Literacy Texas, which ranks the state fourth-lowest in the country for adult literacy.

"Whether people know it or not, there's quite a few people in our area and also in the Houston surrounding areas where at least 30 percent or one-third of the people cannot read," Weeks said. "We want to stress that it is important that we take literacy and see that it is a crisis and it is something that we need to help fix."

Sept. 8 marks the 60th anniversary of the internationally-recognized event, which was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, in 1966. The event highlights the universal right to education and the importance of literacy for creating a more just and peaceful society, according to the organization.

Weeks said they look forward to hosting the read-a-thon annually with more local celebrity guest readers to gauge more community interest.

"What we want to be able to show is that reading is important," he said. "We are getting people from all across the community to read at least 10 minutes of any book of their choice. And the goal is to show that if you just pick up a few minutes every day to read, either to yourself or your family, you'll see the importance of what it means to an individual and to a family as a whole."

Border barrier expansion along Big Bend’s Rio Grande imperils rafting in this remote national park

On an overcast August morning, river guides shuttled a group of visitors and a trailer of canoes through Big Bend National Park’s rugged expanse. When they reached the riverbank, the journey downstream began. “Paddle straight!” a guide called to the zigzagging boat. “Otherwise, you’ll go Texas, Mexico, Texas, Mexico.”

The sightseers paddled through the Rio Grande’s labyrinthine canyons, snaking through clusters of willows and prickly pears. Great blue herons waded along the shallow banks in search of a meal. Ocotillos waved their leafy tentacles as if to greet boaters who had trekked to one of the country’s most remote regions to paddle the river.

For many of the park’s estimated 550,000 annual visitors, floating the waterway is a pilgrimage to honor the nation’s protected public lands. “We were completely blown away,” said Ariel Cannon, a lawyer from Manhattan who had recently completed a different paddling trip. “We left with this amazing appreciation for what the landscape looked like before people built things on it.”

But in early August, the Trump administration began the construction process for a border barrier in Big Bend. While locals, conservationists, and environmentalists have lamented the ecological toll, outdoor guides fear an additional consequence that could put them out of business and cut off a way of connecting with the park. If put up, these structures could block off the river, triggering the demise of its storied rafting outfitters.

The effort to militarize this region started in February, when former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem declared an “acute and immediate need” for barriers in the Big Bend sector, deeming it “an area of high illegal entry.” But Customs and Border Protection data shows that the national park itself accounted for only 0.045 percent of apprehensions at the US-Mexico border last year. Meanwhile, locals in nearby Terlingua—a tiny town of spunky nature-lovers—say they have never seen migrants traversing sheer cliff faces and vast expanses of desert to cross the border in Big Bend. Residents feel so safe that many never lock their doors.

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“All it takes is seeing this place with your own two eyes to see that there’s no crisis,” said Billy Miller, a longtime Big Bend rafting guide.

Still, the federal government waived dozens of environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act, the National Fish and Wildlife Act, and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, to expedite construction. It also allocated $1.7 billion to construction in the Big Bend region. Soon after, 18-wheelers and heavy machinery rolled into town. Private contractors cleared acres of land to house workers.

“It feels like an occupying army is invading,” said Miller.

These days, when Miller and other guides take visitors to the river, they pass bulldozers and road graders set to clear protected lands. For those who live and work in the region, the Rio Grande is no less than a piece of the divine. Having guided for over two decades, Miller has memories on every curve of the river—floating in crystalline water, telling campfire stories, and tracing constellations in one of the continent’s darkest skies. When his son was born, Miller named him after the river.

“The Rio Grande is where home is. It’s a connection with the natural world. It's a connection with humanity from the past,” he said. “Now, they’re planning to sever that connection.”

The Department of Homeland Security’s original plan was to build a 30-foot steel wall in Big Bend National Park, mirroring other parts of the US-Mexico border. But in tranquil west Texas towns more disposed to exploring the outdoors than protesting the federal government, the decision united people from across the political spectrum against the wall.

After months of public outrage, the administration nixed its initial plans and instead proceeded to build a new road and vehicle barrier, a railing with alternating four- and six-foot steel posts. But river outfitters and residents say the vehicle barrier is just as unacceptable as a wall and have continued organizing against the construction. Signs reading “no border wall” and “no service for contractors” adorn Terlingua’s homes and businesses.

Visitors to Big Bend, too, have been compelled to join the campaign. Awestruck by the animal tracks along the riverbank and appalled by the government’s plans, Cannon’s 16-year-old decided to donate some of his personal savings to the nonprofit No Big Bend Wall.

“He said it’s the first time he’s felt politically activated,” Cannon said.

Now, the community is working to convince the administration that Big Bend needs no physical barrier at all. With the impending construction, some visitors have canceled their reservations because of the destruction. Others are rushing to visit the park before it is irreparably damaged. Meanwhile, the future of Big Bend’s river outfitters is in flux.

The administration’s plans have been opaque and inconsistent, incensing stakeholders. Despite requesting updates and construction plans, locals only find information through officials’ social media feeds. They pore over contradictory CBP maps, trying to make sense of it all.

Billy Bartko is the owner of Far Flung Outdoor Center, a Terlingua-based outfitter that has guided tens of thousands of visitors onto the Rio Grande since 1976. “The beauty is in what man hasn’t touched,” he said. “There’s just zero value in that to this administration.”

On August 13, Bartko and other plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the barrier expansion, adding to at least three other legal actions. Four days later, after months of public outrage, Customs and Border Protection commissioner Rodney Scott paused construction in the national park, flying in to evaluate the project.

For now, Bartko said he can sleep at night knowing there will be no destruction in the park. But the administration’s plans often oscillate, and the community is too scared by CBP’s occlusion and blatant disregard for the park to rest assured. “I personally do not trust them at all,” Bartko added.

As rafting outfitters hold their breath, one thing is certain: River trips could prove impossible even if access is partially preserved. Put-ins and take-outs, where river trips begin and end, shift as the river changes course, making one year’s access point unviable the next.

Customs and Border Protection pledged gates to access the river, said Miller. But outfitters are hesitant to believe them: Elsewhere, CBP has often broken the same promise. Gates that were constructed sometimes broke or obstructed emergency vehicle access.

Floods could also wash construction materials, like jagged metal and broken cement blocks, into the water, creating dangerous obstacles. And vehicle barriers pose a safety risk by impeding ambulances during emergencies. “They’re basically spending billions of dollars to create hazards to boaters,” said Miller.

Most of all, river guides say, barriers and patrol roads would transform a remote natural haven into a militarized political arena. “The whole premise of doing a river trip out here is to enjoy the wilderness,” said Miller. “Nobody’s going to want to do that when you’re camping literally under surveillance towers.”

Thania Rodriguez, a Houston native, drove through the night to paddle the Rio Grande with Far Flung. En route to the put-in, she scrolled through photos of the bulldozers at work. “It makes me sad that we’re destroying a national park,” she said. “I don’t want to come see a wall.”

On her three-hour float down the river, Rodriguez and her group saw nothing other than pure wilderness. Imagining barriers alongside the river that she had traveled 10 hours to see, Rodriguez wondered aloud, “Would I come back?” She paused. “Honestly, probably not.”

River outfitters themselves can’t conceive of saying goodbye to the Rio Grande. But Bartko believes that if access was restricted, at least half of Terlingua’s annual revenue would dry up, posing an existential risk for river businesses. Still, Bartko, Miller, and other guides and outfitters refuse to back down when it comes to defending Big Bend from the Trump administration.

“I’m terrified that we won’t win this battle. I fear for future generations,” said Miller as the sun set behind him, casting long shadows across the ineffable desert landscape. “But even if they build what they want to build, people care so much about Big Bend and the Rio Grande that the fight won’t be over.”

The Trump administration has temporarily halted border-security construction inside Big Bend National Park following mounting opposition from residents, conservationists and elected officials of both parties.

Crews had begun clearing land near Santa Elena Canyon for patrol roads, surveillance equipment and vehicle barriers.

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott announced the pause Aug. 17, saying he would inspect the area and consult local stakeholders.

Planning and assessments will continue, and the project has not been permanently canceled. CBP says it does not currently plan to erect the 30-foot steel wall used elsewhere inside the national park.

Construction plans elsewhere in remote West Texas remain active. Federal contracts call for about 175 miles of traditional border wall through Hudspeth and Presidio counties, along with hundreds of miles of patrol roads, detection technology and other infrastructure across the broader Big Bend region. A federal judge recently rejected Presidio’s request to stop wall construction through the city’s levee system.

The administration says barriers, roads and surveillance technology are needed to deter illegal crossings and improve Border Patrol access. Critics counter that the region’s mountains, canyons and desert already form an imposing natural barrier.

Opposition has included protests, petitions, local resolutions and lawsuits. All five sheriffs serving the Big Bend Border Patrol sector have opposed a continuous physical wall, arguing that security should be tailored to the terrain. A Native American preservation group also sued, alleging construction threatens Lipan Apache religious and archaeological sites.

Residents and businesses fear construction could fragment wildlife habitat, damage internationally recognized dark skies, restrict river access and undermine a tourism economy built around the region’s largely undeveloped landscape.

Guests:

Roland Gutierrez is a state senator from San Antonio representing District 19.

Laiken Jordahl is a national public lands advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity.

"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m.

Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 833-877-8255 or email [email protected].

This interview will be recorded live on Thursday August 20, 2026, at 12:30 p.m.

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, Texas – At the foot of Santa Elena Canyon – perhaps the most iconic and photographed stretch of Big Bend National Park – Joan Stutts Escamilla sits in silence by the edge of the Rio Grande.

“It’s such a god-given gift,” the 70-year-old said, looking up at the canyon’s 1,500-foot tall limestone cliffs. “There’s just nothing, there’s nothing else like this.”

But , federal contractors have moved , bulldozing through desert shrubs and clearing ecologically sensitive land.

Bright pink ribbons now mark a construction path where willow and mesquite trees once stood.

The construction plans include a combination of vehicle barriers, winding patrol roads and new surveillance technology.

It’s all part of the Trump administration’s effort to stop illegal border crossings into the U.S. The Trump administration is for the project. This month a federal judge to block construction.

In the Big Bend area, the plans have ignited an impassioned coalition of landowners, outdoor enthusiasts and business owners – people across the political spectrum – who all say any work in the national park would forever change the rugged and beloved land often called “Texas’ gift to the nation.”

“If we lose places like Big Bend, we never get them back,” said Laiken Jordahl with the Center for Biological Diversity, a national conservation nonprofit currently the federal government over its border barrier projects. “The destruction that will be inflicted here will truly be irreparable.”

The Trump administration’s . , contractors will now build patrol roads, vehicle barriers and surveillance systems, according to details shared by Customs and Border Protection.

In a to NPR, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said the work is intended to help border patrol “detect illegal crossings, respond faster, and assist visitors in danger.”

But illegal border crossings in the Big Bend Sector – an area covering 517 miles along the U.S.-Mexico border – have dropped significantly.

According to CBP, they along the Texas border in fiscal year 2025. Within the national park itself, the number is even lower, according to a local advocacy group.

Commissioner Scott said that what people are seeing within the park right now is related to survey and design work and not construction. The purpose of the new infrastructure, he said, is to secure the park and “protect its legacy.”

“We already have effective border security here,” said Bernadette Devine, a local educator and former river guide, who is calling on the state’s top politicians to help stop the construction.

Republican Sen. John Cornyn last week to meet with locals before moving forward with any additional work here.

Gov. Greg Abbott’s office didn’t respond to NPR’s recent requests for comment on the work within the national park, and instead shared a previous comment on the area. “Rugged, isolated areas like Big Bend are great opportunities to deploy technology to aid in securing the border,” the governor’s press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris said.

Defending Big Bend

At Santa Elena Canyon, local river guide Billy Miller speaks into a megaphone – his voice slightly bouncing off the canyon walls.

“The river’s being threatened as we speak,” Miller told a crowd of nearly 150 people on Wednesday, some standing in the river’s waters, others on the banks holding signs that read ‘don’t bulldoze my church’ and ‘don’t tread on Big Bend.’

“A lot of people might think, ‘Well, we saved it from the 30-foot wall, we won the battle,” Miller said. “The battle is just now beginning.”

While the fight inside the national park is reaching a critical point, the federal government’s border security efforts are also progressing outside the park.

Staging sites have been set up in rural West Texas, where the Trump administration is looking to secure to make way for up to

On the morning of August 4, contractors began moving heavy equipment into Big Bend National Park, a major development in the months-long standoff between the federal government and local officials and residents over the construction of a border barrier in the park. As Sam Karas of the Big Bend Sentinel first reported, the move came after weeks of speculation about whether construction projects were imminent as survey crews and staging areas began popping up around the park.

Photographer Brian Finke was in Terlingua, just outside the park, taking part in a two-week artist residency when the activity started. Finke, who is originally from Houston, had intended to photograph the park to show off its sweeping landscapes and natural beauty. When he heard that bulldozers had been moved in, he grabbed his equipment and set up near Santa Elena Canyon, where 1,500-foot cliffs on either side of the Rio Grande cut a dramatic scene. Near the base of the trail, at the river access point, Finke captured the beginnings of road construction. On Thursday, Customs and Border Protection commissioner Rodney Scott said in a statement that the agency is proceeding with the installation of vehicle barriers, detection technology, and a new access road.

During his time in Terlingua, he’d seen the posts from activists and other residents who had been learning about the threat to Big Bend in bits and pieces. But seeing crews beginning to raze the land he’d hoped to capture made it real. “It felt important for me as a documentary photographer to go and share,” he said.

Update, August 14, 2026: This story has been updated to include information about Customs and Border Protection’s statement about the construction on August 13.