Category Archives: Industry

Chamber Organizes Brownsville Day at the Capitol

Community Events e-Brief Features Government News Comments
The Brownsville Chamber of Commerce hosted Senator-Elect Adam Hinojosa on Dec. 20, discussing priorities for the upcoming Brownsville Day at the Capitol. (Courtesy)

The Brownsville Chamber of Commerce will once again be hosting Brownsville Day at the Capitol in Austin from Jan. 28-30. The two-day event offers an opportunity to represent Brownsville and advocate for key issues impacting the community while also engaging with Texas legislators and state officials. Topics of interest and priority include water advocacy, infrastructure development, transportation and healthcare. Attendees of Brownsville Day at the Capitol will not only connect…

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Entrepreneur Builds Brands & Positivity

Food & Entertainment News Comments
Espresso, lattes, cappuccino, smoothies and more are served up at Rossina. (Photo Gaby Cueva)

Gaby Cueva doesn’t mind being seen as a disruptor. In fact, she wears the label with pride. A disruptor was formerly referred to as an individual who causes disturbances or chaos. Today, the term also denotes a person who causes a noticeable or even radical change in a market through innovation. Cueva has been disrupting the taco and café scene in the upper Rio Grande Valley in recent years, and…

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Bequita’s Flowers Sees A Vision Bloom

Agriculture News Retail Comments
Bequita’s Blooms offers books, plants and insights at a shop near downtown Harlingen.

Rebecca Rodriguez describes herself as being a florist – and a farmer. The latter is a distinction well-earned given Rodriguez grows many of the flowers she sells at her shop in Harlingen. Rodriguez tills the soil and grows an array of flowers at a family farm located between Harlingen and Santa Rosa. Her farm-grown flowers include marigolds, zinnias, cosmos and anemones. She refers to the farm-to-shop model as being “sustainably…

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McAllen Appoints New Assistant City Manager

Government News Comments
Juan Olaguibel

The City of McAllen has appointed of Juan Olaguibel as assistant city manager, overseeing McAllen’s EB-5 and foreign investor programs, international relations, intergovernmental relations and special projects. In addition, Olaguibel will continue to remain in his position as superintendent of bridges for the McAllen International Bridge System. “Juan’s extensive experience in international affairs and his proven leadership at McAllen’s international bridges make him uniquely qualified to excel in this new…

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Pushing Through a Journey of Hurdles

Education News Non-Profit Comments
Alyssa Soto

When it comes to surmounting barriers to higher education, Alyssa Soto of Pharr could be a first-place hurdler. In her mid-30s, Soto is a single mother of three children, ages 8, 9 and 14. Prior to 2022, she had been a stay-at-home mom for 10 years. When her circumstances changed, Soto realized she needed to pursue a degree; she chose nursing and gained acceptance to South Texas College in the…

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Port of Brownsville Breaks Ground on Channel Deepening

e-Brief Features Featured Manufacturing/Industrial News Comments

The Brownsville Navigation District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held a groundbreaking ceremony on Dec. 6 for Phase 2 of the Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project. The project will deepen the 17-mile-long Brownsville Ship Channel from 42 feet to 52 feet, improving navigational safety and enabling larger commercial vessels to access South Texas. “The Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project is paramount to the Port of Brownsville’s…

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McAllen Festival Lights Up Holidays

Community Events News Recreation & Tourism Comments
The nation’s tallest digital Christmas tree is a centerpiece attraction at South Pole Illuminated Festival. (Courtesy)

The McAllen Holiday Parade with its towering balloons and lighted extravaganza of features attracts tens of thousands of spectators. The massive event headlines Christmas celebrations in the city.  Yet, there is another holiday event in McAllen that quietly but surely has developed a following of its own. The South Pole Illuminated Festival, with its month-long run on the grounds of the McAllen Convention Center, now attracts 128,000 visitors annually. It…

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Winter Texans Host Global Tourney

News Recreation & Tourism Comments
Chalkboards keep track of scores at the World Shuffleboard Championship.

The facts and figures of the Winter Texan industry in the Rio Grande Valley are well-researched with data and statistics released every few years to gauge where things stand. The latest figures from the UTRGV Business and Tourism Research Center show there are just under 100,000 Winter Texans in the region. They provide a nearly $2 billion economic impact and support 10,000 jobs in the Valley. What can go unnoticed…

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New CEO Finds Harbor In Brownsville

Manufacturing/Industrial News Comments
William Dietrich came to Brownsville in the mid-1990s to work as a police officer and today finds himself at the Port of Brownsville as the harbor’s chief executive officer.

William Dietrich was fresh out of college after serving in the U.S. Army when deciding he wanted to be a police officer.  That ambition brought him to Brownsville. The city’s police department was hiring and Dietrich went to where the job was being offered. Starting as a police officer, he saw the job as a stepping stone that would soon enough take him out of Brownsville. The first scenario may…

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DHR Health Building New Behavioral Health Hospital

e-Brief Features Healthcare News Comments
DHR Health behavioral health hospital groundbreaking

DHR Health has been awarded a $85-million grant from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to construct 100 beds at a new behavioral health hospital in Pharr. The new facility will help address the need for additional inpatient mental health beds. DHR Health currently operates an 87-bed inpatient behavioral hospital. The new campus at 4800 North Jackson Road will include a new 161,000-square-foot facility. It will have a total…

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