Category Archives: Community

Teaching Program Inspires RGV Students

Education News Non-Profit Comments
The 2025 TFA Corps training hard and preparing to team up with mentor teachers for summer practicum. (Teach For America Rio Grande Valley photo)

Princeton University student Wendy Kopp formulated the idea of Teach For America in 1989 for her undergraduate thesis.  The first participants in the nascent TFA program began their lifelong pursuit of educational excellence in 1990. Teach for America Rio Grande Valley was founded the following year. The national organization and its affiliates around the country are non-profit institutions. They recruit and train recent college graduates and professionals to teach in…

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Startup Texas Accelerator Accepting Emerging Industries Applications

Community e-Brief Features News Comments
Emerging Industries Accelerator Program

The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation, in partnership with the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation and the UTRGV Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center, is now accepting applications for the Startup Texas Accelerator Fall 2025 cohort. The accelerator helps early-stage startups refine their business models, access funding opportunities and build the connections necessary for growth in Brownsville. The program focuses on entrepreneurs in high-impact sectors such as cybersecurity, digital health, e-commerce, automation, environmental technology…

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46th Annual Collage Gala Set for Sept. 6

Arts e-Brief Features News Comments
IMAS Collage Gala

The International Museum of Art & Science will host its premier black-tie fundraiser, the 46th annual Collage Gala, on Sept. 6. IMAS will honor John Sharp, retiring chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, in recognition of his leadership and impact on education and public service throughout the Rio Grande Valley. “The Rio Grande Valley is a place we’re proud to call home, and IMAS represents the heart of what…

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Squeeze the Day at Lemonade Day Weslaco

Community Events e-Brief Features News Comments
Lemonade Day Weslaco

The Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center hosts Lemonade Day Weslaco at the Isaac D. Rodriguez Park Weslaco (1200 E 6th St, Weslaco, TX) on July 19. From 5:30 to 8 p.m., the community’s young entrepreneurs will be selling lemonade via lemonade stands. The event also includes a selection of food vendors, entertainment and activities. Last year, Lemonade Day Weslaco earned participants over $10,000, all of which they…

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Local Mother Named Family Leader of the Year

Community e-Brief Features News Comments
Maria Del Rosario Gazca with her family and the Region One ESC GEAR UP team on July 15 during the NCCEP/GEAR UP National Conference.

Representing Region One ESC GEAR UP and La Joya ISD’s Palmview High School, Maria Del Rosario Gazca, mother of sophomore Rosvelt Ortiz, was named GEAR UP Family Leader of the Year by the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships. According to the organization, the GEAR UP Family Leader of the Year is passionate and committed to the GEAR UP movement and the goal of ensuring that college access and…

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Lone Star National Bank Hosting School Drive

Community Events e-Brief Features Finance/Banking Giving Back News Comments
LSNB Back to School Drive

Lone Star National Bank’s annual Back to School Drive has begun and community members are welcome to participate by dropping off supplies at local banking centers. The drive has been taking place for more than 15 years at LSNB and will run from now through July 23. With support from employees, customers and community partners, the drive provides essential school supplies to children in need across South Texas, ensuring they…

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McAllen to Host Independence Day Celebration

Community Events e-Brief Features News Comments
McAllen Independence Day Celebration

The City of McAllen will host a slew of patriotic festivities on July 4 during its Independence Day Celebration, presented by H-E-B. The 97th annual Independence Day Celebration features an early morning 4K race at 7 a.m. At 8 a.m., the festivities kick-off with a musical Patriotic Program which will take place at Archer Park, 101 N. Main Street, followed by the Main Street Parade, running north along Main Street…

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Get Prepared As Storm Months Approach

Community News Comments
Torrential rains in March 2025 swamped the Harlingen area with over 15 inches of rain in a 24-hour period of time. (Courtesy)

The torrential March 2025 rains that soaked the Rio Grande Valley provided local residents with a perspective of what could await them as this year’s hurricane season began on June 1.  “Those heavy March rains were a wakeup call,” Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza said. “It was a powerful reminder that we can’t afford to be complacent.” Garza made those remarks during a recent Hurricane Preparedness Joint Regional Conference that was…

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New Census Numbers Show Growing RGV

Community News Comments
Weslaco has seen a surge of new home construction in recent years as the city has solidified itself as a key midway point in the Rio Grande Valley.

Mid-Valley cities for years touted their heart-of-the-region location as a selling point for economic development and an ideal place to live for commuters with jobs in every part of the Rio Grande Valley. For years there were no real numbers or data to back up the middle-of-the-Valley rationale as a winning strategy. New numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau are changing that narrative. Cities like Mercedes and Weslaco show some…

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Quinta Mazatlán Hosts “Patriotic Pops in the Park”

Community Events e-Brief Features News Comments

Quinta Mazatlán hosts a star-spangled evening of music, family fun and festive treats on July 3 with Thursday Night Live: Patriotic Pops in the Park. The event takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. with the Valley Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet headlining with patriotic favorites at 7 p.m. The Quintet regularly performs at the VSO’s annual Merry & Bright holiday concert at the San Juan Basilica. It has also been featured at…

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