The drive from Buffalo, NY to McAllen takes approximately 28 hours. That road has led Evan Thielman on personal and professional journeys he could not have foreseen. Born and raised in Buffalo, Thielman earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. He accepted a job with a medical device manufacturer in his native state that had a manufacturing facility in Reynosa. Every few months, Thielman flew to South Texas to work…
It’s the sort of 70s-degree January day that draws Winter Texans to the Rio Grande Valley as Cathy Sutton stands on a riverside pavilion at one of the two RV parks she manages in Mission. It’s the weekly hamburger lunch day at the Chimney Park RV Resort, a Wednesday treat that features live music played by Winter Texans from area parks. Sutton calls it “coming up with ideas on what…
Raudel Garza’s first year as executive director of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has been “100 mph from day one.” Garza is hardly complaining in making that assessment with Edinburg. The city is growing at such a rapid clip, he said, and bringing with it “lots of opportunities and challenges.” For an economic development specialist, it’s a fertile field to grow jobs and recruit new industries while nurturing small businesses…
McAllen ISD is set to welcome all 4-year-old children to Pre-Kindergarten next year. Pre-Kinder is the way to establish a foundation to a child’s education and now all children can participate at no cost. In the past, certain criteria applied for students to qualify for Pre-Kinder or parents had to pay tuition, but now, the program is free to all children who meet the age requirement. “Our world-class Pre-Kinder program…
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program returns on Jan. 29 to South Texas College to help taxpayers process their returns ahead of the filing deadline of April 15. VITA offices at STC will be at the college’s Pecan and Mid-Valley campuses. Both locations will service the community for a six-week period until March 6 (Mid-Valley) and March 7 (Pecan). The Mid-Valley campus office will be open on Mondays from 9…
The International Museum of Art & Science invites the public to the 12th annual Lunar New Year Festival on Jan. 27, celebrating the Year of the Dragon. The day-long event features traditional Chinese, Korean and Taiwanese crafts, games and more. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., patrons can discover the art of calligraphy, create a dragon puppet, and enjoy local eateries Snow Bite, Ulike Tea and Han’s Katsuya. Paper fan…
Eleazar Olivarez first heard about the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement when he was still in high school in Mission. At the time, his mom was enrolled as a nursing student. She heard about VIDA and told her son about it. Nearly 30 years ago, Valley Interfaith joined forces with a group of Valley business leaders who recognized the critical need to serve underserved residents of the region. They…
The 55th annual Fiesta Edinburg takes place Feb. 29 to March 3 at Bert Ogden Arena, celebrating the vibrant spirit of the City of Edinburg. Put on by the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce, the event features live entertainment, food, diverse vendors and the Heart of America Carnival. The chamber is currently seeking sponsors, vendors and exhibitors for the family-oriented festival. Sponsor support will contribute to the success of Fiesta Edinburg…
For working adults looking to navigate rising costs and fight the stress of inflation, financial services company Empower set out to find the most affordable U.S. cities. To create its rankings, it analyzed 113 U.S. cities across multiple categories, including data on home prices, average income, cost of living and employment rates. It also asked 800 working adults about what they look for in a city and where they want…
The Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has launched its Façade and Lot Improvement Program, an initiative aimed at providing financial assistance to local small businesses that have faced significant challenges in recent years. FLIP addresses the aftermath of the pandemic, high inflation, and severe weather storms that have adversely affected the local economy, causing damage to signs, awnings, facades, parking lots and more. The EEDC will support the community’s recovery by…