Javier Villalobos set out clear priorities when elected McAllen’s new mayor in mid-2021. “Water, sewer, public safety and the police department,” he said, recalling some of the key issues of his campaign. What Villalobos didn’t figure is that education would emerge early on as a pressing issue in his tenure. More than 20,000 students in the McAllen school district were suddenly put into remote learning situations. Public health concerns in…
Lou Ann Sarachene was already well-versed on David’s Law. It was passed by the Texas legislature in 2017 to strengthen the penalties for cyberbullying while teaching ways to combat all forms of bullying. Sarachene reached out earlier this year to Maurine Molak, the co-founder (along with husband Matt and sons Cliff and Chris) of David’s Legacy Foundation. Sarachene is the former principal of Ruben Hinojosa Elementary School in Sharyland. She…
The headlines and buzz in recent years when it comes to higher education has been focused on the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and South Texas College. In Brownsville, the oldest college in the Valley has been quietly and steadily building momentum of its own. Texas Southmost College was established in 1926. Some of its programs and offices are based out of historic Fort Brown buildings that date back…
The City of McAllen recently earned 82 multiple awards, as well as an international designation and a coveted industry award, at the IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Insurance Pinnacle Awards and the IFEA World Festival & Event City Awards. The accolades came during the 65th annual International Festival & Events Association Annual Convention, Expo and Retreat, held just recently in McAllen. “I am proud and honored of the amazing work that the…
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley will develop a McAllen Academic Medical Campus and its first piece is a major one. The university is planning an Oct. 14 groundbreaking, commemorating the start of construction for a $145.7 million UT Health RGV Cancer and Surgery Center in McAllen. It is being described as the single largest project in UTRGV’s history. The campus and its signature building will sit on Pecan…
The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center is accepting entries for the 2023 Texas division of Wildlife Forever’s Fish Art Contest through Feb. 28. The Fish Art Contest is part of an international conservation education program to foster youth interest in fisheries and fishing. “The Fish Art Contest does a tremendous job of exposing students across Texas to the wonders of fish and fisheries resources through the nexus of art,” said TFFC…
The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation was recently recognized for its work in the Downtown Brownsville Business Improvement and Growth Programs and the eBridge Center for Business and Commercialization during the International Economic Development Council annual conference in Oklahoma City, Okla. BCIC received a Silver Award in the category of Neighborhood Development for the BIG programs. BIG programs are reimbursable and stackable grants to provide financial support to commercial property owners…
Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley will now be providing student food pantries at South Texas College’s Mid-Valley and Pecan campuses with free food supplies for one year estimated at more than $10,000. “We want to make sure our students are focused on their education and not where their next meal is coming from,” said Libby Ann Saenz, Food Bank RGV co-chief executive officer. “We are very big on…
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has agreed to boost its dual credit offerings with an area school district that has campuses throughout the region. The South Texas Independent School District and UTRGV announced this week an expansion of an existing dual credit program. Beginning in 2023, STISD students will be able to take college courses through UTRGV if they plan to attend the Valley’s university. The two educational…
Dulce Cortina is the new director of membership for the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce. She will work closely with chamber staff and the board of directors to expand and service more than 400 chamber members. Cortina demonstrates a strong commitment to leadership growth and training, having more than eight years of experience in management. “I am excited to be able to join the team and have a positive impact on…