Downtown Edinburg has lost much of its luster with aging infrastructure and block after block of lawyers’ offices filling up what were once retail spaces. For one day at least, on May 1, downtown was buzzing again. It was the day when the new Hidalgo County Courthouse celebrated its much-delayed completion and the venerable Citrus Theater marked its rebirth with a grand reopening event. Frustrations mounted in recent years over…
The urban forests found throughout McAllen and at its wildlife sanctuary are creating new habitats to help counter dwindling butterfly populations in the region and across the country. The efforts to do so have become a citywide initiative with educational programs at the Quinta Mazatlan sanctuary and a butterfly garden at McAllen City Hall. At local schools, students gather for tree-planting events at the urban forests and develop awareness of…
Pharr resident Maria “Mily” Moreno found herself at a crossroads in life. Divorced and the mother of two sons — ages 25 and 15 — she knew she needed to find a new path. Moreno resigned from her dead-end job and accepted a position as a part-time contract employee for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. This move cut her income by $20,000 a year. One day, Moreno encountered a South…
VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System invites veterans, their families, and caregivers to the Whole Health and Caregiver Summit on May 17 at Tropical Texas Behavioral Health Conference Center. Attendees will gain insights into VA’s whole health and wellness delivery system and the caregiver program, both of which support health and well-being. The summit takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the back of the building…
Texas Southmost College welcomed representatives from its various industry partners to the ITEC Center on May 9 for the Business, Engineering, Architecture and Technology Industry Partner Meet and Greet. The event was TSC’s way of showing appreciation for the different industries who have contributed to helping enhance the various Workforce Training and Continuing Education programs, ensuring that students in those programs are learning the skills to fully prepare them once…
Thanks to the recent opening of two new Patent and Trademark Resource Centers at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Libraries, Valley innovators will no longer need to drive 300 miles to the nearest patent office in Austin to secure intellectual property protection. Community members with big ideas for new technologies, products or brands now have access to essential resources in their own backyards with these university locations in Edinburg and…
April was Financial Literacy Month, and during that time, Lone Star National Bank banking center representatives visited schools from Brownsville to Roma and up to San Antonio. Many of LSNB’s banking center managers are proud products of the very communities they now serve, returning to local schools not only to give back but to reach forward. Financial Literacy Month, manager of the Alton Banking Center, recently visited Juan De Dios…
The McAllen Chamber of Commerce on May 2 will host a special event honoring women who have played prominent roles in business and in their communities. The event is titled Legendary McAllen Woman: Celebration of Women in Business. A luncheon will take place at the McAllen Convention Center in conjunction with the celebration. It will be the fifth such event the chamber has hosted. “The Legendary McAllen Woman initiative celebrates…
Edinburg’s mayor describes 2024 as marking the “end of an incredible three-year run.” From 2021-2024, the Rio Grande Valley’s fastest-growing city surpassed the 100,000 population mark and today stands at about 106,000 residents. Mayor Ramiro Garza Jr. described Edinburg as “a city on the move” during a recent state of the city speech at the new Arts, Culture & Events Center. The mayor’s speech included an elaborate and well-structured video…
April is Second Chance Month, and Harlingen resident Miguel Martinez III knows all about second chances. Dec. 5, 2024 is a day he will never forget. Martinez was released from prison after serving three years for burglary of habitation and theft of a motor vehicle. According to cleanslataeinitiative.org, Second Chance Month is “a nationally recognized celebration of second chances, fresh starts and breaking barriers for people who have been impacted…