Category Archives: Community

McAllen Accepting Teen Court Program Applications

Community e-Brief Features News Comments

The McAllen Municipal Court is continuing its long-standing Teen Court Program and is taking applications now through May 15. The Teen Court Program initiative has positively impacted local youth for years while helping shape the next generation of community leaders. It gives students hands-on courtroom experience, strengthening leadership, public speaking, and real-world skills that support both academic success and future career goals. It is one of the many ways the…

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Search is On for Top Texas Nature Photographer

Arts e-Brief Features Featured News Comments

Wildlife in Focus is currently seeking its Texas Wildlife & Nature Photographer of the Year. The nonprofit conservation organization is accepting photography submissions statewide until June 7. “Our mission has always been to use photography as a bridge to conservation,” said Miles Phillips, photo contest director for Wildlife in Focus. “This new Photographer of the Year contest invites every Texan to tell the story of our state’s wildlife, from prairies…

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City Grows With Purpose & Prosperity

Community News Comments
Brownsville’s mayor says Starbase on Boca Chica Beach plans on having 25 rocket launches per year. (Courtesy)

Brownsville is celebrating a succession of big announcements and developments that are powering a thriving local economy – and the city’s mayor says there’s more big news on the way. At a recent State of the City address, Mayor John Cowen said another “multi-billion-dollar investment” at the Port of Brownsville will soon be confirmed and made public. It would add to the recent announcement of a new refinery being built…

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EDC Program Inspires ‘Majestic’ Comeback

Community News Comments
The Majestic Event Center will be ‘a one-of-a-kind' events center in Harlingen.

Jesse Flores looked down the block on north Commerce Street in Harlingen and saw an empty 6,500-square-foot building whose origins go back to the 1920s. Flores had renovated a next-door building and repurposed it to a multi-use structure that houses a variety of businesses. Might he do the same with the available building just a stone toss away? “I don’t want it,” Flores recalled telling the owner of the large…

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Astronaut Touts Opportunities In RGV

Education News Comments
Opportunities in engineering and advanced manufacturing are looking up with new companies and industries in the Rio Grande Valley. (Courtesy)

The dean of South Texas College’s math and science programs sees a Rio Grande Valley emerging as a technology-driven region where education and workforce development must work together.  “We have no other choice than educating our students about what is happening in our region,” said Ali Esmaeili, the STC dean, in a college media office report. “The growth in STEM is going to transform our region, but we haven’t scratched…

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Discover the Hidden World of Plants

Community Community Events News Comments
Joey Santore

Quinta Mazatlán invites the community to deepen their understanding of the plant world during a special extended Thursday Night Live presentation, “Concrete Botany,” with naturalist, author, and educator Joey Santore on April 23, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. In this 90-minute program, participants will learn how to identify plants and their key features, recognize plant families, and discover why grouping plants this way reveals so much about their ecology…

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UTRGV and South Texas ISD Expand Early College Pathways

e-Brief Features Education Featured News Comments
UTRGV and South Texas ISD celebrate the continued partnership with a group photo that included students from the district. (Photo by South Texas ISD)

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and South Texas ISD announced on Tuesday an enhanced partnership to explore the development of a new Collegiate High School. This collaboration expands on what began four years ago between UTRGV and South Texas ISD – the Expanded Collegiate Partnership, a dual-credit program developed to increase college accessibility for students across South Texas. Through the partnership, UTRGV has invested more than $6 million…

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Four Local School Systems Awarded $1.9 Million Combined

e-Brief Features Education News Comments
Community Partnerships Grant

Mercedes ISD, Progreso ISD, Santa Rosa ISD and Vanguard Academy recently received a combined $1,940,000 in state funding through the Texas Education Agency’s Community Partnerships Grant. According to TEA, the funding supports significant improvements in educational and developmental outcomes for children by expanding access to wraparound services, strengthening family and community partnerships, and increasing access to academic supports. “Communities will soon have access to local and regional resources that will…

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RGV Startup Week Announces Lineup

Business Advice Community e-Brief Features News Comments
RGV Startup Week

RGV Startup Week has announced its lineup, featuring six flagship programs scheduled across the week of April 24 through May 2, with events hosted in Brownsville and partner cities throughout the Rio Grande Valley. More premiere events will be announced. In addition, dozens of panels, workshops, networking sessions, and community-driven programming will be held throughout the week across Brownsville and partner cities. Keynote: Ramón Soler Mallet, Commercial Director of Dr.…

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TWC Announces Adult Diploma Workforce Program

Community e-Brief Features Education Featured News Comments
diploma completion

The Texas Workforce Commission is now accepting applications for its Workforce Diploma Pilot Program. This funding opportunity is intended to support programs that help adult learners in Texas obtain a high-school diploma, earn industry-recognized credentials, and develop employability skills. The Workforce Diploma Pilot Program is designed to create new career pathways for adult learners. The program connects adults who have not completed high school with education providers that offer a…

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