Author Archives: VBR

Local Medical Partnership Receives Training Funding

Commissioner Juilan Alvarez presents a Skills development fund check to representatives from Valley Regional Medical Center and Texas State Technical College.

Valley Regional Medical Center and Texas State Technical College are teaming up to provide job training using a $202,162 grant. The grant provides custom training to 153 new and incumbent workers for training in industry-related topics. This includes vocational nursing, physical therapy and accounting. Trainees will include administrative assistants, cardiac lab technicians, diagnostic imaging technician, nursing assistant and social workers. Benefiting workers in the Workforce Solutions Cameron area, the Skills…

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Teacher Receives Lifetime Award

Kelsey E. Martin

McAllen Memorial High journalism teacher Kelsey Martin will soon receive the Edith Fox King Award from the Interscholastic League Press Conference. The lifetime achievement award will be presented May 4 in Austin. She is the first journalism adviser/teacher from McAllen ISD to receive this honor. She is also only the fourth in the Rio Grande Valley. The award recognizes those people who have a life dedication to continuing the ideals…

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UTRGV Launching Executive Education Programs

UTRGV Executive Education program instructors Zoila Zambrano and Elaine Hernandez (Courtesy)

UTRGV, through its new Office of Professional Education & Workforce Development, will launch several executive education programs in the coming months. Given the complexity of leading an organization in today’s fast-changing world, providing both knowledge and guidance for top-level decision makers is becoming increasingly important. The design of the new UTRGV’s programs keep in mind today’s executives. The first program is the hybrid course, Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership. It…

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UTRGV Offers New Online Graduate Certificate

UTRGV graduate certificate

The Graduate College at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley will offer a new graduate certificate in the fall, preparing students for careers in international sustainability management. An offering of the Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship, the certificate is open to all majors who have a bachelor’s degree. It will consist of four graduate business classes totaling 12 credit hours. “Sustainability has now become key for all modern enterprises and it involves…

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McAllen Library Wins Awards

McAllen Public Library awards

McAllen Public Library is celebrating being a recipient of two notable awards. The library is the 2018 recipient of the Texas Municipal Library Directors Association Achievement of Excellence in Libraries Award as well as a Texas Library Association Branding Iron Award. Each year, TMLDA confers awards for outstanding contributions to public libraries. To receive the Achievement of Library Excellence Award, the applicant must exhibit excellence in providing services to underserved…

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McAllen Students Win National Awards

Students from McAllen ISD’s Video Production course at the Student Television Network National Contest held March 27-31. KMAC won two first-place awards and one fourth-place prize.

McAllen ISD’s KMAC, the video production students at McAllen ISD, recently returned from Seattle, Wash., with three awards from a national competition. Nineteen KMAC students were in competition with approximately 3,500 other students at the annual Student Television Network National Contest. Here, students from across the country competed in multiple film and journalism categories. Each category had 60 or more teams competing. Awards going to McAllen ISD students returning with awards are…

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Trail Park Planned for Elsa

City of Elsa Community Trail Park

An abandoned railroad property that runs through the center of town will soon face a transformation into the $1.25 million City of Elsa Community Trail Park. On March 20, the project became closer to reality thanks in part to a $500,000 grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. The city government will be providing $250,000 in local funds for the park. They are further expecting to receive $500,000 from the…

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McAllen, Aeromar and Mexico Stronger Together

McAllen representatives in Mexico CIty

The City of McAllen recently participated in key government and business meetings in Mexico City. Officials traveled to the area to forge stronger tourism and ties, while also increasing awareness of Aeromar Airlines’s non-stop flights. The meetings provided an opportunity for preliminary discussions to begin the process of forging Sister City ties with Mexico City. City of McAllen officials visited Mexico’s capitol city to continue promoting Aeromar’s non-stop route from McAllen…

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Lemonade Day Seeks Business Locations

Lemonade Day McAllen

Lemonade Day McAllen is currently seeking business locations to host youth-run lemonade stands May 4. Businesses must have a location within the City of McAllen. They must also be open during the community event hours of 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., providing restrooms to participants. The ability to host two or more stands is also a must. The young entrepreneurs will take care of the rest, including setting up their…

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STC and Hidalgo ISD Receive TWC Grants

STC, Hidalgo ISD and TWC representatives come together for a check presentation benefiting students in manufacturing and healthcare.

South Texas College, Hidalgo Independent School District and Texas Workforce Commission united for a check presentation benefiting student workforce training for careers in manufacturing and healthcare March 28. The grant provides both equipment and instruction for students in manufacturing and pharmacy technology career fields. More than $166,000 came from TWC in the form of the High Demand Job Training Grant and the Jobs and Education for Texans Grant. In partnership with TWC and…

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