Category Archives: Community

Local Salvation Army Welcomes New Leadership

Community e-Brief Features News Comments
Salvation Army of Harlingen's new leaders, captains Benjamin and Wendy Deuel.

The Salvation Army of Harlingen recently welcomed new leaders, captains Benjamin and Wendy Deuel.  Salvation Army officers periodically transfer to different locations, typically every three to five years. The Deuels are enthusiastic and dynamic leaders, and come to Harlingen from Florence, Ala. Here, they were responsible for the programs and services of the Florence Salvation Army. Benjamin and Wendy Deuel met at The Salvation Army seminary in Atlanta, Ga. in…

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RGV Reef Project to Benefit Local Economy

Community e-Brief Features Featured News Comments
Concrete railroad ties at the Port of Brownsville create an artificial reef for the RGV Reef Project. (photo Port of Brownsville)

Founded in 2015, the RGV Reef Project holds the title of largest artificial reef in the state. This endeavor has been a collaborative labor led by the non-profit organization Friends of the RGV Reef with the help from the Port of Brownsville, port tenants and contributors. The reef is 13 miles northeast of South Padre Island and encompasses 1,650 acres. Since 2016, the Port of Brownsville has provided a staging…

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SPI Chamber Receives Media Awards

Community Featured News Comments
Marketing Director Dianna Harvill receives media awards on behalf of the SPI Chamber of Commerce. (photo SPI Chamber)

South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce staff members are recent recipients of two communication awards from Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives. The award presentation took place during the TCCE’s conference recently on South Padre Island. The chamber won first place for its “2021 Official Guide to South Padre Island” in the Print and Electronic Publications category. The “Official Guide to South Padre Island” aims to bring tourism, new business and…

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A Comeback Greater Than The Setbacks

Community e-Brief Features Featured News Comments
Adela Tann

Adela Tann had her future all figured out. She completed the Patient Care Technician program at South Texas College in 2013 and enrolled in the college’s Vocational Nursing program, graduating in 2015. Next on her list was earning the title of registered nurse. But before she could pass the National Council Licensure Examination, Tann moved to Iowa to help care for her sister, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. In…

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Partnership Lights Up Colonias with Solar Power 

Community Featured News Comments
Live In The Lights, solar power

Proyecto Azteca and Live In The Lights, a student-run sustainability and economic prosperity non profit, are working to secure and install high-wattage portable solar panels and light battery banks for more than 100 families in the Colonias area of the Rio Grande Valley. The joint initiative will also tackle persistent financial stagnation in the region through economic empowerment strategies and tools.   Live The Lights was founded in 2018 in…

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SpaceX Launches Waves Of Hope

Community News Comments
A mural of SpaceX founder Elon Musk on a downtown Brownsville building.

The city of Brownsville for decades had a motto that was simple and got to the point about the city’s allure. “On The Border By The Sea,” was the saying often attached to city marketing and official communication. As of a few months ago, Brownsville’s signature saying was altered to reflect recent developments. “On The Border By The Sea – And Beyond!” is the new slogan.  Brownsville has fallen for…

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Bringing Expertise & Services To Higher Level

Community News Comments
Nathan Burkhart of the BCIC is helping to oversee the building of the new "eBridge." (VBR)

These are heady days for the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation as it incorporates emerging technology and the excitement of SpaceX at Boca Chica into a growing economy. The BCIC funds economic development and boosts quality of life projects. There’s plenty of that in Brownsville right now. Downtown improvements and a flurry of small businesses are seeing early successes and working to scale up operations. The BCIC is in the middle…

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Extending Bicentennial Gives McAllen True North

Community News Comments
Bicentennial Boulevard street sign points northward in its intersection with Auburn Avenue.

McAllen is an elongated-shaped city that’s hemmed in by Edinburg and Mission on its eastern and western flanks, with boundaries running long-and-narrow.  The city’s shape may appear narrow on a map, but it has hardly kept Hidalgo County’s largest city from growing over the years. For decades, the historical north-south corridors of 10th and 23rd streets were sufficient for traffic flow. City planners knew years ago that wouldn’t be enough. …

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TSTC Offers $2,000 Scholarship At Lineworker Event

Education Comments
TSTC lineworker

Anyone interested in a degree in Electrical Lineworker Technology at Texas State Technical College has the opportunity to streamline their enrollment in the program and earn $2,000 in the process. The only catch is they need to enroll during a special, ongoing event each Wednesday this summer from 3-5 p.m. on campus in Harlingen. The recruitment event, which continues until August, includes an informational session with enrollment coach Charyck Mascorro…

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Independence Day Celebration Includes Veterans Benefit Run

Community Events Featured News Comments

Anyone wishing to help veterans this Fourth of July just needs to lace up their running shoes for McAllen’s Independence Day 4K Run July 3. Part of the City of McAllen’s Independence Day Celebration presented by H-E-B, the run is approximately 2.5 miles. All proceeds benefit the local chapter of Team Red White and Blue, a national veterans’ organization whose mission it is to enrich the lives of America’s veterans…

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