Category Archives: Community

Finding Fertile Ground In `Underserved’ Weslaco

Community News Comments
Schlotzsky's is among the restaurant chains entering the Weslaco market in recent years.

Corporate Asset Partners has developed retail and business plazas across South Texas and one of its chief executives has come to a conclusion about Weslaco. “The community has been underserved,” said Craig Garansuay of the San Antonio-based asset partners.  Garansuay has crunched the numbers and determined that Weslaco is above area market averages in some key consumer categories. In Weslaco, restaurants featuring hamburgers are 35 percent above area averages in…

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Mission Ranks As Top Texas City For Winter Texans

Community News Comments
RV and trailer parks have daily events for Winter Texans residing in their facilities.

The City of Mission every February hosts a Winter Texan Fiesta to show its appreciation for tourists who are often seen more as local residents than visitors. Winter Texans have been mainstays in the Rio Grande Valley economy for decades. Mission perhaps more than any other Valley city has a reputation for catering to its winter visitors. It has more RV parks than other Valley cities. The Greater Mission Chamber…

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School Of Rock Beating Strong In McAllen

Arts Featured News Professional Services Comments
Leo Salazar, left, owns School of Rock McAllen with JJ Gomez working as his musical director.

The practice rooms at the McAllen school on North Ware Road bear the names of musical icons whose songs students learn to play. Zeppelin, Hendrix, Queen and Rush are among the names on windows looking into the practice rooms at School of Rock McAllen. Inside there are guitars in blues, black and green standing tall on stands where the instruments lean over just right. Drum sticks line up like pencils…

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Bid 2021 Adieu With A First Day Hike In 2022

Community Events e-Brief Features News Comments
First Day Hike

Welcome 2022 with a First Day Hike at one of 89 Texas State Parks. Parks statewide will host a variety of self-guided and guided events so visitors can walk, bike or paddle their way into the new year. First Day Hikes at Texas’ state parks and natural areas aim to help visitors commit to their New Year’s resolutions to get healthy. Last year, 2,668 visitors ushered in 2021 by hiking, biking…

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UTRGV Offers New Doctorate Degree

e-Brief Features Education Featured News Comments
Mathematics and General Classrooms Building on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus. (hoto Silver Salas, UTRGV)

UTRGV now offers a doctorate in Mathematics and Statistics with Interdisciplinary Applications in the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences. The program provides a strong mathematics and statistics background that supports intense quantitative work in a wide range of disciplines. The curriculum prepares scholars to work on problems at the intersection of mathematics, science, engineering, medicine, finance, computer science and other quantitative disciplines. It aims to be the most inclusive…

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RSTEF Awards UTRGV $5M Scholarship Endowment

Education Featured News Comments
(Photo Paul Chouy, UTRGV)

The Rio-South Texas Education and Community Development Foundation recently announced it will establish a $5-million endowment on behalf of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The endowment will be funded annually over the next five years. UTRGV will match each annual payment to establish a total endowment of $10 million by 2026. Funds from the endowment will enhance UTRGV’s new Graduate Select Scholarships for students in Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources,…

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Queen City Food Park Coming To Mercedes

Community e-Brief Features Featured Food & Entertainment News Comments
Queen City Food Park owners Ashley and Roy Gonzalez.

  The Mid-Valley area will soon be getting a second food truck park when Mercedes opens its version in early 2022. The Queen City Food Park will be located right alongside the south side of Expressway 83 on its access road where it intersects with Virginia Street. Its owners are Ashley and Roy Gonzalez, who began the process of having a food park in mid-2020. The couple has worked closely…

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TSC Nursing Lab Ready To Transform Education

e-Brief Features Education Healthcare News Comments
TSC's newest nursing simulation lab located at the ITEC Center. (photo STC)

A new era of technology was recently celebrated at Texas Southmost College with a grand opening and ribbon cutting for the Associate Degree in Nursing program’s new state-of-the-art nursing simulation lab.  The new simulation lab’s design at the TSC International Technology, Education and Commerce Center resembles a hospital floor. The lab features mid- to high-fidelity simulation mannequins. TSC Director of Nursing Beth Kasprisin said this lab has been a longtime…

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VIDA Receives State Training Grant

e-Brief Features Education Featured News Comments
VIDA training

Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement is one of 44 Texas nonprofits recently receiving recognition from Texas Mutual for its initiatives in workforce development. VIDA’s $41,667 grant from Texas Mutual will go towards workforce development, training VIDA students in target demand occupations. “We are immensely thankful to Texas Mutual Foundation for selecting VIDA as one of its grant recipients during COVID-19 recovery,” said VIDA Deputy Executive Director Felida Villarreal. “Career…

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TSC, SteelCoast Company Receive Job-Training Grant

Education Featured Government News Comments
commissioner-alvarez-presents-skills-development-fund-grant-twc

The Texas Workforce Commission has awarded Texas Southmost College and their partner SteelCoast Company LLC a $283,325 Skills Development Fund grant. The grant will benefit workers in the Workforce Solutions Cameron area. This grant will help create 170 new jobs while providing upskilling for an additional 80 workers. This grant will provide customized training such as ESL training, craft skills training including rigging and forklift, safety and health care training, and…

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