Retired El Paso priest Msgr. Arturo Bañuelas to be honored for decades of service; county denies sheriff’s overtime for Usher concert

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. 

Retired El Paso Priest Msgr. Bañuelas to Receive Lumen Christi Award

Msgr. Arturo J. Bañuelas, a retired El Paso Catholic priest who last served as pastor at St. Mark Parish, has been selected to receive the prestigious Lumen Christi Award for 2026-27 by the Catholic Extension Society.

The award is the highest honor given to people who “radiate and reveal the light of Christ present in the communities where they serve,” according to the national papal organization.

In 1988, Bañuelas established the Tepeyac Institute in El Paso, a Roman Catholic formation center that trains ordinary laypeople for active parish ministry. He is also the founding chair of the Hope Border Institute, created in 2015, where he has worked to promote dignity, justice and pastoral care across the U.S.-Mexico border region. 

Bañuelas served as pastor of St. Pius X Parish from 1988 to 2014 and later at St. Mark Catholic Church until his retirement in 2022. Since then, he’s assisted with Mass at about 10 parishes throughout the Diocese of El Paso and continues teaching at Tepeyac.

He recently helped launch Corazón Ministry, an initiative serving people with disabilities, and is helping lead the Romero Institute, a yearlong formation program that prepares Catholics to engage in justice and advocacy work throughout the community. 

Last fall, he was part of a delegation led by El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz that briefly met at the Vatican with Pope Leo XIV to present him with letters and a video that captured the fears and anxieties of people facing deportation from the United States.

Bañuelas was chosen from among eight finalists and nearly 50 nominees submitted by bishops from across the nation. He will be presented the award by Seitz during a ceremony at St. Mark Catholic Church on Nov. 3.

County Denies Sheriff’s Office Overtime Request for Chris Brown, Usher Concert 

El Paso County Sheriff Oscar Ugarte requested a $7,000 budget transfer for overtime to have deputies work the Usher and Chris Brown concert at Sun Bowl Stadium Saturday, but Commissioners Court did not authorize the expenditure.

The Commissioners Court rejected the overtime request, citing a lack of urgency for the additional expense since other law enforcement agencies like the El Paso and University of Texas at El Paso police departments would have a presence at the event.

Ugarte noted Commissioners Court approved a resolution for more overtime for the Sheriff’s Office ahead of the Global K-pop superstars BTS concert in May at Sun Bowl Stadium.

Ugarte attended the Commissioners Court meeting Monday at its request to discuss ongoing budget concerns regarding his office’s overtime expenditures.

LEARN MORE: Commissioners Court letter demands ‘immediate action’ by sheriff on overtime spending

The Sheriff’s Office ended the 2026 fiscal year with a nearly $6 million budget deficit largely driven by overtime expenses at the two county jails.

The Commissioners Court now requires advance approval for all pre-planned, non-routine overtime operations by the Sheriff’s Office to reduce overtime costs. 

Ugarte said he will return to the Commissioners Court with a list of future planned operations next week that include the Thanksgiving holiday operation, Fourth of July and planned DWI operations for the 2027 fiscal year.

City Seeks $4 Million Meta Grant; Plans Future Funding Requests of Tech Giant

The city of El Paso is asking Meta for $4 million in grant funding – only the first in what could be multiple applications seeking dollars from the tech giant for local infrastructure and initiatives.  

The grant application seeks $2 million for solar-powered lights at parks and walking trails, $1 million for water efficiency technology at parks and $1 million for pedestrian safety infrastructure near schools, such as speedbumps, cross walks and signage, according to Fernando Berjano, the city’s climate coordinator. The city doesn’t have to provide matching funds. 

In mid-September, city staffers separately discussed creating a community benefits agreement with Meta in which the city would seek a chunk of a $1 billion fund Meta established to dole out cash to communities that host the company’s data centers. Meta is building a $10 billion, 1,000-acre data campus in far Northeast El Paso that’s expected to start operating next year. 

Berjano said Meta will likely issue a decision in February or early March on whether to approve all or a portion of the city’s grant application. The city can apply for grants from Meta every year.

Berjano suggested the city will seek additional funding in the future from Meta. City staffers, however, said they had no information about when or how Meta will disburse the $1 billion pot of money. 

“How they are going to allocate the $1 billion is something they’re working on. We don’t have clarity right now, but we’re still having conversations with” Meta, Berjano told El Paso Matters. “We expect (there) to be other opportunities for probably larger projects.” 

District 2 city Rep. Josh Acevedo said splitting the $1 billion fund evenly among the dozens of towns that host Meta data centers would mean El Paso would receive around $30 million. Mayor Renard Johnson also suggested should Meta direct more funds to El Paso beyond the $4 million grant the city is applying for. 

“The amount of investment that they’re making into the data center, we should get the bulk of the funding,” Johnson said during Tuesday’s council meeting. “I would rather see a lot more than this come to our community.” 

Neuroinvasive West Nile Virus Cases Reported in El Paso

As recent rains encourage more mosquito activity, the El Paso Department of Public Health confirmed the seventh case of neuroinvasive West Nile virus this year in the community – the most since 2022.

This year’s cases include men and women in their 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s with underlying health conditions who have been hospitalized or placed in a rehabilitation facility to recover, according to city news releases.

West Nile virus spread through mosquito bites. Most people who contract the disease do not show symptoms. Those who do develop symptoms can experience mild to serious ailments, from fever to inflammation of the central nervous system.

“This disease is extremely dangerous and can lead to potential complications, disability or even death,” City-County Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza said in a news release. “With the recent rain, the public should continue to be careful and decrease the risk of getting infected with WNV by practicing the four Ds to prevent mosquito bites.”

• DEET: Apply an EPA-registered insect repellent when outdoors.
• Dress: Wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks. Apply repellent to clothing, as mosquitoes can bite through thin fabrics.
• Dusk and Dawn: Limit outdoor activities during dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus are most active.
• Drain: Remove standing water. Refresh pet water daily.

Residents can report standing water or mosquito breeding sites by calling 915- 212-6000 or 311.

First Wild Screwworm Case Detected in West Texas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the first wild case of New World screwworm in the United States this year, caught in a monitoring trap in Brewster County, about 220 miles away from El Paso.

The female fly was found just a day after the USDA reopened the Santa Teresa, New Mexico port of entry to livestock imports. The USDA closed the busiest cattle crossing in the country for more than a year because of the screwworm outbreak that has crept north from Central America and Mexico, infesting more than 50 domestic animals in Texas and New Mexico. The nearest case to El Paso occurred in a dog in Ciudad Juárez in August.

READ MORE: As screwworm fight continues, Mexican cattle ranchers prepare for border reopening

The wild fly capture indicates the presence of New World screwworm living, roaming and potentially breeding in the area. Prior to this case, screwworm in the borderlands had been found as maggots burrowed in livestock, primarily cattle.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the United States is “not out of the woods yet.” Though screwworm cases in the United States and Mexico have trended down from their peak, both countries are ramping up their sterile screwworm facilities to eradicate the pest once more.

New CREEED Program to Help Students Transition to College, Earn Credentials

A new program designed to enhance how high school students attain college credits, their transition to college and the completion of career-ready credentials of value was unveiled Thursday during the 3rd annual Education Matters Summit.

The announcement was part of a panel discussion during the summit organized by CREEED, or the Council on Regional Economic Expansion & Educational Development, at the Starlight Event Center, 6650 Continental Drive.

Ascend involves a three-year collaboration of El Paso Community College, the Anthony, Canutillo, Socorro and Ysleta school districts, and employers, as well as CREEED, an El Paso-based nonprofit focused on improving public education, and other philanthropic partners.

The districts will hire dedicated “transition coaches” that will be supported by implementation teams. A designated EPCC liaison will help manage the transition. CREEED will serve as the fiscal agent and assist with employer engagement.

“We are at the very beginning of year one, and the immediate work right now is to establish the people, the data, the routines, and the relationships that can produce stronger student outcomes over time,” Ivette Savina, Ascend program director, said before the summit.

Much of the funding for this program will come from two state outcomes-based systems: House Bill 3, which was passed in 2019 to help school districts, and House Bill 8 from 2023 that reformed the funding formula for community colleges.

Savina mentioned Texas Education Agency data from the class of 2024 that showed how Region 19 Educational Services Center had $51 million in College, Career and Military Readiness outcomes bonus funding from HB 3, but districts only claimed $7 million, or about 14%.

Carlos Guerra, assistant superintendent of Schools with the Socorro Independent School District, said the district was excited to participate in this program because it will benefit students and the districts.

He said this program will help the districts to take full advantage of HB 3 funds that will pay for the program’s continuation.

“It’s a huge deal,” he said.

Artists Invited to Submit to Mexican-Palestinian Exhibition

Marah Abdel Jaber, a Palestinian scholar from El Paso, and Alana Guzman, an artist from Ciudad Juárez, invite artists and writers from their hometowns to submit pieces for “Aquí Seguimos: A Legacy of Love and a History of Resistance.” 

The duo curated the traveling exhibition, which opened in Baltimore last month. It is scheduled to come to Nova Gallery in El Paso and a yet-to-be-determined gallery in Juárez in November for the inaugural SUTURA, a binational art and culture event taking place over five days.

The exhibition’s theme is tied to the Mexican War of Independence from 1810 to 1821 and the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre in Beirut during Israel’s still-ongoing war on Palestine. “Aquí Seguimos” showcases the connection between Mexico and Palestine, their shared history of liberation and efforts from the two communities, including diaspora, to preserve their culture from attempts to erase them.

“Honestly, for both of us, it means the world,” Abdel Jaber said about the chance to bring the project to El Paso and Juárez. “For me especially, I can bring this back home to a community where I developed my identity, in the borderland community.”

Abdel Jaber said they want to uplift local perspectives and are looking for art from Mexican and Palestinians on both sides of the border that “embodies lived experiences rather than performs a particular identity.”

Artists can use this online form to submit a diverse range of work including visual media, digital and sound pieces, poetry and writing. The deadline to submit is Wednesday, Oct. 7.

For more information contact [email protected] and follow instagram.com/aquiseguimos.

The post Retired El Paso priest Msgr. Arturo Bañuelas to be honored for decades of service; county denies sheriff’s overtime for Usher concert appeared first on El Paso Matters.