The International Museum of Art & Science is planning to reopen to the public on June 11. An IMAS member preview will take place June 9 from 3-7 p.m. When the museum opens, there will be a capacity limit of 25 percent, following the recommendations of the Texas Department of State Health Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of the interactive areas will not be accessible…
Yolanda Carrillo and her staff of chaplains at hospitals in the Rio Grande Valley have seen heartache and felt its pain in recent months. The outbreak of COVID-19 has consequently separated the sick from their loved ones with the denial of hospital visitations. Hospital chaplains have stepped in best they can. They are waving hellos and also making signs of prayer through windows looking into intensive care units. The Valley…
A nonprofit executive like Traci Wickett has connections everywhere in a community. The president and chief executive officer of the United Way of Southern Cameron County heard from Brownsville’s Good Neighbor Settlement House about growing needs they were seeing as furloughs and unemployment set in with the outbreak of COVID-19. The demand for served meals and emergency pantry items doubled in less than one week in early April. “Unemployment sent…
UTRGV is now offering a Fall/Spring Relief Package which will provide eligible students with up to $1,500 in financial assistance during the 2020-21 academic year. The funds come through a combination of CARES Act funds and university funds. Starting This Fall: All enrolled eligible students will receive a $500 CARES cash grant they can use to defray expenses they may have incurred while attending school during the pandemic. This includes…
The annual celebration of high-school theater in the Rio Grande Valley, the Palm Awards is going online. Event organizers of the Palm Awards will livestream the awards show May 24 at 3 p.m. on the Palm Awards Facebook page, on TV (Somos El Valle channel 5.2 or cable 1240) and also streaming online. “The Palm Awards is the ultimate celebration of high-school theater in our region, with over 1,700 in…
In this time of online teaching, one Mercedes teacher took a day off on May 8 to instruct her students in person. Donning gloves and a face mask while carrying around a large bottle of hand sanitizer, Mercedes High School physics teacher Roxana Merino stepped out to help some of her students with their assignments. Merino first set a block of time in the morning to teach and/or tutor her…
The Harlingen Economic Loan Program for Small Business committee convened May 13 to review and consider more than 60 loan application submissions. Applications come from businesses experiencing a more than 25 percent economic loss during the current crisis versus last year’s revenue. The committee also evaluated the required documentation, including financial information, in order to make a fair decision. In April the Harlingen EDC board set aside $1,000,000 to fund…
Some face-to-face classes are gradually returning to South Texas College this summer after integration of federal, state and county safety protocols. STC will begin in-person courses for select programs and will continue for summer courses which officially begin on June 1. STC is currently open for its police and fire academies at the Regional Center for Public Safety Excellence. Throughout the week of April 27, nearly 200 students were completing…
South Padre Island will celebrate Memorial Day weekend with a fireworks display on May 24. The fireworks show continues to be the traditional kick off for the summer season. “We are excited to welcome everyone for a much needed long weekend on the Island,” said Ed Caum, executive director for the convention and visitors bureau. “There’s no better way to show our appreciation than with a rousing fireworks display in…
On May 9, the graduating class of the UTRGV School of Medicine made history, both as the inaugural class and graduating via a virtual ceremony. The ceremony was a poignant way to honor the challenges graduates now heading into a time of pandemic. Online participants and visitors heard messages from both UTRGV and UT System leaders. Keynote speaker was Dr. Kenneth Shine, former executive vice chancellor for Health Affairs for…