Motivation can be derived from a variety of sources. Maritza Hernandez didn’t need to look far to find hers. A single mother, she merely looked at her daughter to gain motivation, determined to provide her with a better future. Already earning a steady income as a private-duty nurse, Hernandez knew that she needed to further her education to open the doors of opportunity in her field. “I first heard about…
Quinta Mazatlan and The Valley Land Fund are currently hosting the annual nature photography contest for kids, Southern Exposures. The contest offers prizes for every child who enters, including cash and a photo feature in the Award Winning Exhibit. Photographs should have a nature or wildlife theme and must be taken in the Rio Grande Valley. “Observing and photographing nature is an enriching hobby that helps your child learn in…
The McAllen Police Department is now accepting applications for its next Citizens’ Police Academy. Starting Aug. 14 and running through Oct. 15, the 10-week academy will meet every Thursday evening from 6-9 p.m. There is no cost to apply and selected applicants must be 21 years of age or older, able to attend all classes, work or reside in McAllen, and turn in a completed application by July 25. “The…
The Public Utility Commission of Texas is urging all Texans to stay alert and informed during the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which began this week and extends through Nov. 30. Texans can track potential power outages and restoration times using the PUCT’s Storm Resources webpage. “Every Texan should take time to create or review their severe weather plans and prepare their families and property for a potential storm,” PUCT Chairman…
Downtown Edinburg has lost much of its luster with aging infrastructure and block after block of lawyers’ offices filling up what were once retail spaces. For one day at least, on May 1, downtown was buzzing again. It was the day when the new Hidalgo County Courthouse celebrated its much-delayed completion and the venerable Citrus Theater marked its rebirth with a grand reopening event. Frustrations mounted in recent years over…
Pharr resident Maria “Mily” Moreno found herself at a crossroads in life. Divorced and the mother of two sons — ages 25 and 15 — she knew she needed to find a new path. Moreno resigned from her dead-end job and accepted a position as a part-time contract employee for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. This move cut her income by $20,000 a year. One day, Moreno encountered a South…
Thanks to the recent opening of two new Patent and Trademark Resource Centers at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Libraries, Valley innovators will no longer need to drive 300 miles to the nearest patent office in Austin to secure intellectual property protection. Community members with big ideas for new technologies, products or brands now have access to essential resources in their own backyards with these university locations in Edinburg and…
Carmen Garza describes she and her daughters as antique collectors who “love the hunt” and they have plenty of spaces to fill at their shop in downtown Harlingen. Jackson Street Antiques on the corner of Jackson and Commerce streets is one of the anchors of the specialty niche that downtown Harlingen has developed over the years. The collection of antique stores and like-minded businesses have given the downtown area an…
April is Second Chance Month, and Harlingen resident Miguel Martinez III knows all about second chances. Dec. 5, 2024 is a day he will never forget. Martinez was released from prison after serving three years for burglary of habitation and theft of a motor vehicle. According to cleanslataeinitiative.org, Second Chance Month is “a nationally recognized celebration of second chances, fresh starts and breaking barriers for people who have been impacted…
Quinta Mazatlán hosts a celebration of the spring migration of monarch butterflies with the ninth annual Monarch Fest on April 26. The festival offers family-friendly fun with live music, cultural performances, arts and crafts, educational booths and youth activities. Admission to the 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. event is free with the donation of a recyclable plastic bottle or plastic bag. Kids can join the festival favorite, the Mayors Bug…