Lone Star National Bank has been named a top performing bank in the S&P Global Market Intelligence Top 50 Community Banks with assets of $3-10 billion. LSNB is the only bank headquartered in central and south Texas to be named and only one of five banks in the entire state that made the list. The rankings assess the performance of banking institutions based on returns, growth and funding, while placing…
The City of McAllen Passport Division Facility will be open on April 13 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the City of McAllen Passport Facility, located in the Downtown Parking Garage at 221 S. 15th Street. “Passport processing times vary depending on the volume and we want to make sure that anyone wishing to travel has their required documents on time,” said Yasminda Garza, passport facility administrator. Appointments are…
Pam Le has a story to tell of a mother who came to the United States at age 17, knowing no one and speaking only her native Vietnamese. Hoa Le is the daughter of a U.S. serviceman she never met and a Vietnamese mother who died when Hoa was only eight years old. Coming to Houston through a sponsorship program, Hoa Le went about building an American life that would…
Esmeralda Estrella’s students in a Texas State Technical College classroom are huddled around incubator equipment used to support newborns in neonatal intensive care units. The students on the Harlingen campus are enrolled in TSTC’s biomedical equipment technology program. Students jot down notes and confer in teams as if they were in real-world hospital settings. Maintenance and repair of this sort of equipment is critical to sustaining and saving lives. “The…
Eloisa G. Tamez has worn many hats over the course of her life: an American civil rights leader, a professional nurse, a lifelong learner, a professor and an officer of the United States Army’s Nursing Corps. In 2024, she added another accolade to her list of achievements: “Leader and Legend of Texas Nursing.” The Texas Nurses Association recently selected Tamez, professor and associate dean for Student Success & Engagement at UTRGV School of Nursing,…
The Rio Grande Valley’s well-deserved renown for being a national birding hotspot overshadows another element of wildlife that attracts eco-tourists to the region. The Valley has a stunning array of butterflies. Almost 40 percent of the over 700 species of butterflies in the United States live in the region. The National Butterfly Center south of Mission is at the forefront of this brand of eco-tourism. The center’s 100-acre site features…
More than $25 million is coming to the 15th Congressional District following the passage of the recent 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 ensures funding for critical government functions and programs, supporting various sectors and agencies in fiscal year 2024. Part of the total funding was the $7.4 million allocated for terminal improvements at the McAllen International Airport. “Thank you to Congresswoman De la Cruz for…
Resident physician opportunities at the UTRGV School of Medicine will soon be expanded by a $17.5 million grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The funding spans the 2024-2025 academic year and bolsters expansion of the UTRGV School of Medicine’s Graduate Medical Education programs by offering new residency options within the community. The School of Medicine’s goal is to increase its resident training capacity by academic year 2025 with…
Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission recently authorized the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to pursue acquisition of approximately 477 acres for a new state park in exchange for approximately 43 noncontiguous acres from Boca Chica State Park. “This is an exciting opportunity to acquire land that has been of interest to us and the conservation community for many years,” said TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz. “We look forward to working…
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has acquired H-E-B Park, designating the venue as the primary home for the upcoming Vaqueros football program. The announcement came during a recent press conference at H-E-B Park, now to be referred to as UTRGV Stadium. Since 2017, the venue had served as the home of the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros of the United Soccer League. The organization ceased operations in December…