Texas added 58,200 positions in Feb. 2023, leading the nation in jobs added over the month. In February, the state reached 13,831,900 total nonfarm jobs. February also marks two full years of uninterrupted monthly job growth in Texas. Since Feb. 2022, 611,400 jobs have been added in Texas. The Texas seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to 4.0 percent. However, the civilian labor force increased by 64,800…
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division have announced an agreement to bring 30 resident physicians to Brownsville and McAllen by summer 2024, with plans to seat 150 total resident physician positions by 2029. Residents from the UTRGV School of Medicine will train at HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division affiliate hospitals Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen and Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville. This is the first…
Luis H. Zayas, PhD, is the new UTRGV’s new provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs. He will start his new role on June 1. From 2012-2022, Zayas served as dean of the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin. He is currently the Robert Lee Sutherland Chair in Mental Health and Social Policy at UT Austin while also holding an appointment as…
For the second consecutive year, South Texas College will host the Prevent, Treat and Beat Diabetes Symposium this week. The event focuses on raising awareness about one of the Rio Grande Valley’s most prevalent diseases. In collaboration with South Texas Health System, Prominence Health Plan and Unidos Contra la Diabetes, STC’s Nursing and Allied Health campus will host multiple events and activities regarding nutrition and exercise. The events are free and…
Food Bank RGV is the recipient of a $75,000 grant from the Morgan Stanley Foundation to expand food choices. This approach offers families, children and rural communities in Cameron and Willacy counties increased choice among available foods at Food Bank RGV’s partner agencies and program sites. The increase in choices provides healthy options and ensuring access to foods aligned with preferences and dietary requirements. Now in its second year, this…
Each spring, monarch butterflies migrate north during March and April. On April 1, Quinta Mazatlan will host the seventh annual Monarch Fest presented by H-E-B with live music, dance, vendors, arts and crafts, migration path, scout/youth projects and more. The festival takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the Mayors Bug Parade at 11 a.m. in the park. Leading the street parade are the famous McHi Drumline &…
The Pharr Economic Development Corporation has launched its new Pharr EDC II Small Business Grant. The program offers small and emerging for-profit businesses grant assistance to establish or expand into the City of Pharr to support long-term success. The Pharr EDC will host workshops in English and Spanish on March 29 at Pharr One (1121 E. Nolana Loop) to inform local businesses about the grant opportunities. The English workshop will…
McAllen Public Library hosts its second annual Community Family Health Fair on March 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Main Library, located at 4001 N. 23rd Street. Attendees are invited to take advantage of free health screenings, such as blood pressure checks, BMI testing, diabetes screening and hearing screening. Easter Seals will also provide children’s developmental screenings. Additionally, families and young children can enjoy inflatable slides, a…
SBA’s Lower Rio Grande Valley District recently announced the 2023 District Small Business Week awardees for five small business categories. Taking top spot as Small Business Person of the Year is Arely Lugo of Beautiful Beginnings Child Care Learning Center LLC. Lugo, a single mother of four from Brownsville, worked her way up to become the director of a local childcare learning center. Despite her success in childcare, Lugo opened…
With the demand for insurance agents rising across the region, state and nation, South Texas College has partnered with SafeGuard Insurance Agency, to offer a first-of-its-kind course that will prepare students to enter the insurance industry. STC Dean for Continuing, Professional and Workforce Education Olivia de la Rosa said introducing the Property and Casualty Insurance License Preparation Course is a new venture for the college, one that she said will…