Oil, gas prices showing impact on Texas economy

EL PASO—Gas prices have been on a roller coaster ride since the beginning of the year, but the days of filling up a car with a crisp $20 bill may be a possibility for the summer. Gas prices started to rise again at of the end of January, reaching $2.42 in February and have since slowly decreased as the maintenance of refineries in the U.S. have finished and have gone online worldwide. “Other cities are more geographically compact because they don’t have mountain ranges or military bases preventing them from getting to their destination. We tend to use a lot more gasoline per capita in El Paso,” said Tom Fullerton, professor of economics and finance at the University of Texas at El Paso. “So when gasoline prices go down, it helps us a lot.

Grassroots Rios Online Radio to promote El Paso music talent

EL PASO — Beer bottles clink in the hands of burly men as ACDC pounds on the speakers. Under the sound of televisions playing football games, a faint chatter can be heard on the second floor of the Pershing Inn bar—“Welcome to Rios Online Radio…”
Since January 2013, Joseph Brooks and Gabriel Acuña, producers for Rios Online Radio, have met every Sunday at the Pershing Inn, 2909 Pershing Dr., to host a podcast aimed at promoting El Paso, its residents and the local music scene. Rios has produced about 40 shows in two seasons, under Chuco Talks, Rio Sports, and Rio Pod Co. “I used to do podcasts with my friends a couple years ago in my garage, using a cell phone in a can hanging in the middle of the room. We just shared it among friends,” Brooks said.

Annunciation House at 1003 East San Antonio Ave. (Aaron Montes/The Prospector)

Annunciation House provides shelter, safety for those in need

EL PASO – The Annunciation House tries to help people that have been affected by violence or suffer from poverty by supporting them and spreading awareness of these issues throughout the El Paso community. Annunciation House started in February 1978, when a group of individuals sought to connect more with poverty-stricken individuals and the Gospel. With weekly meetings and very little direction, they were able to come up with a plan of how to help people – whether refugees, immigrants or homeless – who were struggling with poverty, unemployment, abandonment, injustice or oppression. Annunciation House has opened their doors to many individuals who have all suffered in one form or another, whether it is losing their family and leaving them homeless or being subjected to the violence surrounding the drug cartels. Many families go to Annunciation House as refugees after escaping the violence that corrupted their homes in Juárez, as in the case of one family who requested to stay anonymous.