Isaias Pena stood out as a high school student when participating in welding competitions held at the Texas State Technical College campus in Harlingen. Pena represented La Joya High School and TSTC instructor Raul Saldivar recalls a student who was always a top three finisher in the SkillsUSA welding competitions. Pena’s attention to detail and the ability to visualize demonstrations and apply them to practical applications has always been evident,…
Edinburg Mayor Omar Ochoa summarizes his city’s rapid growth as being one of “relentless progress” and has the numbers to prove it. The city’s population is expected to reach nearly 115,000 residents by 2028, an expected gain of 15,000 over the 2020 Census. The 15 percent population growth over the last six years makes Edinburg the Rio Grande Valley’s fastest growing city of any community with over 25,000 residents. At…
An elementary school rose on Edinburg’s east side in 1926 and its purpose during times of segregation was made clear. “The Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District established Stephen F. Austin Grade School for Mexican students,” states a Texas Historical Commission plaque that was recently placed in front of the century-old school. “They chose a site at E. Kuhn and N. 21st Streets near many of Edinburg’s Mexican families.” Stephen F.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…