Leo Rivera left the Rio Grande Valley to get his art training and education at a Denver-area design school. It was in Colorado where the Harlingen native did his first large-scale wall mural. Rivera was active in the Denver arts scene for 11 years after graduating from the Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design. Returning home in 2020, Rivera set off to work as what he calls an “artist…
In the new year, South Texas College is introducing a new community course – Essentials of AI, or artificial intelligence. The course, beginning Jan. 20 through STC’s Continuing Education and Workforce Development, is an entry-level introduction to AI. Faculty from STC’s Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics Technology and Cybersecurity programs will teach the course. Vice President and Provost of Academic Affairs and Economic Development Anahid Petrosian said for the last two…
South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce‘s “Shop the Island” initiative is back Nov. 22 through Dec. 16. For every $20 spent with any Island businesses, shoppers may register for a $500 Island shopping spree. Every dollar spent locally also ensures a healthy and growing South Padre Island economy. Original receipts may be dropped off no later than the close of business on Dec. 16 at the following SPI Chamber member…
The South Pole Illuminated Festival, presented by H-E-B Helping Here, will bring the community together to celebrate the joy of Christmas with lights, festive entertainment, and new attractions for 2025. The festival’s signature Tree Lighting Ceremony on Nov. 28 will once again mark the start of the holiday season in McAllen, officially transforming the city into the South Pole of Texas. During a press event on Nov. 11, McAllen Mayor…
Cristina Solis Wilson’s 26 years in the military have imbued her with the values of the U.S. Army and ones that serve as the foundations of coaching business owners to success. Purpose, motivation and direction are the principles learned in a military life that have seen her rise to the ranks of being a command sergeant major and representing the pinnacle of enlisted ranks in the Army. Only a small…
Daniel Villarreal’s exit from the U.S. Army came in 2006 and he knew the next mission ahead. He wanted to train dogs for law enforcement and detection work and to help fellow veterans who need service dogs. Villarreal had received an introduction to the world of dogs and how they are trained before enlisting in the Army. He was eager to do that work full time in his post-military life…
The Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will host Ramiro A. Cavazos, president and CEO of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, as its keynote speaker for the second annual “Manual for Success” men’s conference and expo on Nov. 5 at the Memorial Event Center in Edinburg. Cavazos leads the nation’s largest business advocacy organization for Hispanic communities, bringing decades of experience in business development, leadership and community…
The International Museum of Art & Science invites the community to honor loved ones and celebrate cultural traditions at its annual Día de los Muertos Festival & Market on Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival is a day-long celebration of art, music, food and community. General admission includes access to the festival, hands-on activities including a community piñata-fied mural, the museum’s exhibits, artisan vendors and the…
Nayelli Valdemar was ebullient on a sun-splashed September morning in looking out the windows of her newly expanded business. Valdemar’s Funky Flower Shop in Mercedes enjoyed a chamber of commerce ribbon cutting in mid-September to commemorate a doubling of the square footage of her business. The new floor space of Funky Flower at 400 square feet may not register much excitement at the H-E-B stores where she once worked. It…
Lou Castro creates what his TXQ Rubs call “Texas love” in the kitchen of a north Brownsville home nestled by a resaca. Castro’s kitchen serves as a laboratory for the mix of spices, powders and ingredients that make up his growing collection of rubs for meats, vegetables and Mexican pastas. The TXQ Rubs are now on the shelves of hundreds of H-E-B stores, meat markets and specialty shops across Texas.…