A whirlwind is how Erika Soveranes described it. A normal work week was proceeding at Brownsville Lopez High School where she works as a music program director. Mid-week, a call came in from Arlington, Texas. Mexican boxing hero Canelo Alvarez had a huge fight on tap at AT&T Stadium. Would the Mariachi Margaritas – an all-women group of which Soveranes is a member – be willing to sing behind legendary…
At 16, Eliza Garza’s father ignited the raspa flame within her. Her dad saw that South Padre Island needed a raspa stand. He believed his family could run it every summer. Garza carried that flame with her as she finished high school and worked as an event planner, fundraiser, energy broker and idea generator. Last year, a friend of Garza’s took charge of the Beach Resort at South Padre Island…
Aaron Salinas began his health care career at the ground level. His start came as an emergency medical technician. Here, Salinas got a firsthand look at the essential medical needs of Rio Grande Valley residents. “There were a lot of things that didn’t add up,” Salinas said of observations he made as an EMT, and then a paramedic, in going into the homes of residents in Hidalgo and Cameron counties.…
Aeromar recently announced it is increasing the number of Mexican cities it serves to and from McAllen International Airport to seven. Travelers will now be able to avoid connections and changing terminals with the addition of the Aguascalientes, San Luis Potosí and Torreon extended service via the same aircraft, which includes an intermediate stop in Monterrey. This extended service translates into significant time and cost savings, as well as a…
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is now offering the long-awaited Monarch Butterfly conservation license plate. Fees from the plates will raise money to help conserve monarch butterflies and other native Texas, non-game, at-risk species. “The monarch butterfly is a species that is beautiful and iconic in that it is one of nature’s great migration stories,” said John Davis, TPWD’s Wildlife Diversity Program director. “This species migrates through Texas from…
Following the continued economic recovery in Texas and the announcement of Texas opting out of certain Federal Pandemic Unemployment benefits, the Texas Workforce Commission is ending job refusal guidance associated with the COVID-19 emergency orders. The guidance for individuals at high risk from COVID-19 were put in place a year ago. The decline in COVID cases in Texas, widespread availability of vaccines, and greater availability of services such as child…
The Palm View Golf Course will once again host the 2021 Frost Bank McAllen Golf Championship June 25-27. Entries close at 7 p.m. June 11. “We always want to bring the most premier, competitive golf tournaments to McAllen and host the best players, in not just our area but the entire state and even the world,” said Carlos Espinosa, director of Palm View Golf Course. “Every year, I really look…
Becoming an entrepreneur and starting a business during a pandemic has taught Karina Saldivar some valuable lessons while deepening her appreciation for local support of small businesses. The latter has been vital for the success of her business, Amor y Pan. The bakery and store promotes healthy living with products that appeal to fans of keto, vegan and paleo lifestyles. A look inside her stylish shop just off Expressway 77/83…
Sunoco LP, one of the largest independent fuel distributors in the United States, recently announced the development of a refined products terminal at the Port of Brownsville. The greenfield terminal will have 560,000 barrels of storage. The location will provide supply flexibility to the company’s existing fuel distribution business in South Texas. The site at the port will also facilitate Sunoco’s efforts to sell into the growing fuels export market…
Debbie Garcia and Alicia Garza met at a neighborhood block sale on Nyssa Avenue in McAllen over 15 years ago. It was a chance encounter neither guessed would lead to a sisterly friendship and a business partnership. That is exactly what happened. The two women already had a few things in common when they met. Both were teachers in the McAllen school district. Garcia was an English teacher at DeLeon…