Category Archives: Community

Project SHARE Scholarship Applications Open

Community e-Brief Features Education News Comments
2025 Project SHARE Scholarship recipients

The Brownsville Public Utilities Board is accepting applications through March 9 for ten $2,000 Project SHARE Scholarships that will go to graduating high school seniors whose households have a BPUB utility account for water, wastewater or electric service. To be eligible for the Project SHARE Scholarship, applicants must have a BPUB account at their primary residence for at least one year prior to the application deadline. Applicants must be graduating…

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UTRGV Recognized for Excellence in Online Education

e-Brief Features Education News Comments

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has achieved significant recognition in the recent U.S. News & World Report rankings for online programs. The university’s online master’s degree in Criminal Justice ranked 15th, marking a jump of 12 spots from the previous year. Additionally, the online MBA program also saw a significant increase, surging 66 positions to 136th, along with other business programs improving their standings. In the 2026 U.S. News & World…

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McAllen ISD Named a Texas Honor Roll District Again

e-Brief Features Education News Comments

For the third straight year, McAllen ISD has been named a Texas Honor Roll school district. In addition, 15 McAllen ISD schools were named 2025 Texas Honor Roll schools. The list is based on data released by a non-profit organization that is part of a national effort to identify higher-performing schools and school districts. The McAllen ISD campuses include: Achieve Early College High School Brown Middle School Cathey Middle School Fossum…

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RGV Seeks Ways To Help Arroyo

Community News Comments
Grasslands and thick stands of native brush along the Arroyo Colorado are vital green belts for birds and wildlife.

The Arroyo Colorado at its historical core is an ancient channel of the Rio Grande that formed during one of the main river’s many flood events. The Arroyo is 90-miles long. Its headwaters are located south of Mission. From there it winds east – most prominently through Harlingen – in crossing through three counties before flowing into the Laguna Madre. The Arroyo cuts through the heart of the Rio Grande…

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Brownsville Developing Its Downtown Jewel

Community News Comments
Vendors of all types are part of First Friday events that draw thousands of visitors to Downtown Brownsville every month. (Courtesy)

The City of Brownsville made a $3 million-plus decision 10 years ago that it was going to invest in and revitalize its Market Square. It is the historic heart of Brownsville with its origins going back to the early 1850s when it opened as an open-air market. In the years that followed it would house city offices and later become a hub for its bus system. Market Square looked worn…

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RGV Startup Week 2026 Opens RSVPs

Community Events e-Brief Features News Comments
RGV Startup Week

RSVPs are now open for the third annual RGV Startup Week, taking place April 24 through May 1. What began just two years ago has grown exponentially into one of the Rio Grande Valley’s largest entrepreneurship gatherings, drawing regional, state and national attention to the innovation happening locally. RGV Startup Week 2026 will once again bring together entrepreneurs, students, small business owners, investors and ecosystem partners from across the Valley…

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STC Campuses Set to Host VITA

Community e-Brief Features Government News Comments
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program has returned to South Texas College, offering free tax preparation services to qualifying residents across the Rio Grande Valley ahead of the April 15 filing deadline. VITA offices are available at both STC’s Pecan Campus and Mid-Valley Campus, concluding March 12 at Mid-Valley and March 14 at Pecan. Services at the Pecan Campus will be offered Monday through Thursday from noon to 4 p.m.…

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Hispanic Chamber Reaches Across Region

Community Featured News Comments
The RGV Hispanic Chamber hosts workshops throughout every year that inform small business owners and provide them with information on important resources. (Courtesy)

The RGV Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at its launch nearly 30 years ago had to overcome the perception that it was needed in a region full of similar-named organizations. Local chambers then and now are commonly found across the Rio Grande Valley. Why would a new chamber that was then known as the McAllen Hispanic Chamber of Commerce be needed? “It was business owners in downtown McAllen who voiced the…

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McAllen ISD Schools Earn National Recognition

e-Brief Features Education News Comments

Four schools from McAllen ISD earned a spot among America’s Best Schools Honor Roll – a national platform for schools with strong academic achievement. The list, created by the National Center for Urban School Transformation, includes James “Nikki” Rowe High, Brown Middle School, Seguin Elementary and Thigpen-Zavala Elementary. The 2026 America’s Best Schools Honor Roll recognizes “an exceptional group of schools whose applications demonstrate strong evidence of academic success for…

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STC Dual Credit Programs Recognized Nationally

e-Brief Features Education News Comments
South Texas College Dual Credit Program

South Texas College Dual Credit Programs earned national recognition after being selected to participate in a research study conducted by the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University. The study examined how colleges can strategically invest limited resources to sustainably scale practices that provide students with more purposeful and impactful dual enrollment experiences. Based on its findings, the research team expressed admiration for STC’s dual credit model, highlighting…

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