The usual formula to fuel economic development focuses on manufacturing, transportation and distribution. At South Padre Island, the path to boosting the economy has branched out to also include art and how creative endeavors can lead to growth. The Art Business Incubator South Padre Island seeks to give both new and existing art businesses support to establish a presence in the local economy. Its program director Alexa Ocean Ray is…
Texas wineries and distilleries are facing a crisis. As Texas continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, tasting rooms at hundreds of wineries and distilleries remain closed. This limits consumer access, negatively affects sales, impacts jobs and reduces tax revenue for local and state governments. Gov. Greg Abbott’s Executive Order closing bars had the consequence of forcing Texas winery and distillery tasting rooms to close. Industry leaders recently announced the launch…
With the beginning of the fall semester, services are available for student-parents at the South Texas College Mid-Valley Campus Child Development Center. Staff and faculty at the site say they have implemented stringent safety measures to protect children and parents. This includes electronic forms, zoom parent meetings and temperature checks. These are in addition to all the required sanitizing procedures as mandated by the CDC and state childcare licensing. “As…
In July, Texas saw a decrease in the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to 8.0 percent. This is the third consecutive monthly decrease. It is also the lowest rate since March 2020 when the Texas economy saw impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. Texas is below the national seasonally adjusted rate of 10.2 percent. “July’s unemployment numbers continue to show the underlying strength of Texans and our economy,” said Texas Workforce…
Small businesses are a critical part of the economy in Alamo, and the Alamo EDC works closely with those businesses to ensure their success. The EDC helps to cultivate an economically-healthy environment while also encouraging businesses to succeed while supporting the creation of jobs. The Alamo EDC assists and supports businesses through two main programs, the Revolving Loan Program and the Micro-Loan Program. The Revolving Loan Program offers small businesses with a low-interest…
Karla Ugarte and Juan Palma were coming off nine solid months of new business success when they reached for more in opening their second Keto Sweets & Treats. The husband-and-wife team were building from solid ground with the customer and revenue gains from their Alamo bakery along Expressway 77/83. Moving into the bigger McAllen market with a location near the always busy intersection of 10th Street and Trenton Road was…
The Leadership Edinburg steering committee is now taking applications for its XXXII Class. The annual leadership program will continue to train emerging leaders virtually. It will also be implementing safety protocols during its session in accordance with local health and public official recommendations. Since the program’s conception 30 years ago, 500 people have participated in the professional development and community learning program. “This program is beneficial for emerging leaders as…
The third – and largest – of South Padre Island’s Sea Turtle Art Trail turtles has “hatched” at Beach Park on South Padre Island. Painted by mother and daughter artists Beth and Chelsea Fedigan, the enormous turtle is near the entrance of Beach Park Water Park. The 11-foot-tall sea turtle depicts the beauty of living on the island. The Fedigans have spent months on the design depicting sea life, palm…
The City of Pharr held its annually Pharr First Responders Festival last weekend. Originally planned as a traditional festival, this year’s event became a drive-thru. During the successful event, the city and first responders gave away 2,000 bags of school supplies to the community. “It was wonderful to witness our city departments, first responders and employees join together to help our community,” said Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez. “These past few months…
Otherwordly adventures await young readers with“13th Street,” the newest work by Dr. David Bowles, UTRGV associate professor of English. A series of books for children, it tells the tales of three Latinx youth in South Texas and their mysterious adventures filled with zombies, monsters, ghouls and skeletons. Bowles’s literary adventure began in 2018 with the approach of publishing giant HarperCollins with the concept of “13th Street,” a chapter book series for…