Parenting happens to be one of the most difficult jobs of all. Single parenting increases that difficulty exponentially. The story of Maria Quintana exemplifies this, but her story is also one of triumph. Quintana has two young children. Unemployed, she received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for her and her children’s meals. Homeless, she and her children stayed with a friend three days a week. They then lived in her…
H-E-B recently announced its finalists for the 11th annual Quest for Texas Best competition and representing the Border Region is La Pale Frozen Fruit Bar. Owners Daisy and Gerardo Alcazar will join nine other Texas-based finalists in the coming days in Dallas, competing for a combined $70,000 in cash prizes and a chance at placement on H-E-B’s shelves. Launched in 2019, Gerardo and Daisy Alcazar embraced a family tradition of…
Sonia Marroquin contemplated naming her ice cream shop the Golden Spoon or Golden Scoop. She also seriously considered investing in a franchise. The shop she envisioned had its own vibe so Marroquin decided to go to school instead – the ice cream school. This wasn’t Marroquin’s first trip to school. She earned her undergraduate degree at The University of Texas at San Antonio before gaining acceptance into the highly competitive…
The space now taken by The Deep End restaurant and entertainment center has lived many lives over the years on the west side of Harlingen. The spacious Business 83 location has been a dance hall, a honky-tonk and sports bar, among other variations. Under new ownership, there is a fresh concept with investments in facilities that have reimagined dance floors and traditional bar setups into a place suited for family…
The City of Pharr has launched its Public Safety Sticker Program, a new initiative designed to enhance interactions between first responders and citizens with special needs such as autism, Alzheimer’s, diabetes or deafness. This program is part of the city’s commitment to ensuring a high level of customer service and safety for all residents. The Public Safety Sticker Program provides reflective stickers that can be placed on the rear window…
DHR Health, together with the Valley Athletic Trainers Association, hosts the second annual Texas Emergency Sports Medicine Seminar July 26-27 for individuals who work with student athletes of all ages. Taking place at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance, 118 Paseo Del Prado, the event provides information and training on the latest guidelines and advancements in the sports medicine field. Several DHR Health physicians and special guest speakers from out…
The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation is accepting applications for a new cohort for the StartUp Texas Emerging Industries Accelerator Program. The 12-week intensive program will start in August and is designed to equip innovative startups throughout the Rio Grande Valley with the necessary tools for growth. The program focuses on fostering forward-thinking solutions in various sectors such as technology, manufacturing, healthcare, aerospace and green energy. Since its inception in 2019,…
The second oldest of five girls, Marisol Munoz has always felt, and embraced, the responsibility to serve as a role model to her younger sisters. When she graduated from the Academy of Health Science Professions in La Joya ISD, Munoz felt the true weight of that responsibility. Daughter of immigrant parents. First-generation college student. The pressure was on. In high school, Munoz completed training as a certified nurse assistant and…
The road to Isla Blanca Park being named USA Today’s Best Beach in Texas for 2024 began decades before when the South Padre Island park’s old pavilion featured a lean-to metal roof and an open view to the Gulf of Mexico. Isla Blanca Park for decades was the place for Rio Grande Valley families to gather with homestyle picnics. The venue provided a fun and inexpensive getaway. The amenities were…
The first time Lamar Jones saw his bottles of gourmet barbecue sauce lined up on the shelves of an H-E-B store he felt like a musician hearing one of his songs on the radio for the first time. “It was surreal to see it,” Jones recalled of that 2016 memory. “To see something I started making in my kitchen and then developing it to a brand being sold at H-E-B,…