The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is urging members of the alcoholic beverage industry to prepare now for a month-long pause from TABC in accepting applications for new licenses or permits. The pause begins Aug. 1 and will remain in place until Sept. 1 for new primary licenses, subordinate licenses and supplemental changes. The licensing pause will affect any industry member looking to apply for an original permit, TABC Executive Director…
When the staff at Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement think of Eva Alvarado, two words come to mind: perseverance and resilience. Alvarado is a divorced mother of three, two who are adults and now live on their own. Her youngest, a 14-year-old son, lives with her in Brownsville. Two years ago, her youngest was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, dyslexia and autism. Alvarado quit working because he required all…
As aviation continues to grow in the Rio Grande Valley, so does the need for more mechanics and technicians. “We have had more students applying and expressing interest in the program than I have ever seen,” said Leo Guajardo, lead instructor in Texas State Technical College’s Aviation Maintenance program, which encompasses Aircraft Airframe Technology and Aircraft Powerplant Technology. Guajardo said some credit for increasing program curiosity can be given to…
McAllen’s Downtown Parking Services Division has resumed full parking enforcement as of May 1. Enforcement was suspended last spring in efforts to support local businesses, and help keep employees and community safe. People visiting downtown McAllen should now comply with all parking regulations. Parking enforcement includes city parking meters and off-street parking lots where decal permits are required to park. Parking payments can be made at the meters or via smart…
Dalinda Gonzalez-Alcantar felt the frustration growing during the 2015 presidential campaign as she listened to depictions of the Rio Grande Valley. During that time, she tuned into a National Public Radio series about the border. “Obese, crime-infested, dirty. It wasn’t the home I’ve known,” Gonzalez-Alcantar said of the descriptions of her region. “This is why we haven’t given ourselves permission to be proud of where we live. We have a right…
There are stories of rock bands and software engineers getting modest starts working out of their garages on their first steps to success. It worked for Van Halen and Steve Jobs. In Brownsville, there’s a hometown brewery that got its start among friends in a westside neighborhood off the Military Highway. Pluton Brewery Company was named after a street by that name in the Galaxia neighborhood. This is where some…
Jason Cano as a young homebuilder learned the business from his father. He could have taken a traditional path in being employed by a construction company and working his way up. The Harlingen native, as a fresh college graduate in 2004, went through several job interviews with national home building companies. He was offered various positions. It wasn’t for him, Cano decided. He wanted the freedom and latitude to take…
Valley International Airport last spring resembled a high school campus in June. “Empty hallways” is how Jose Mulet, the airport’s director of air service and development described it in looking back to the start of what would be a difficult year for the U.S. aviation industry. In McAllen, City Manager Roel Rodriguez said McAllen International Airport “went through the worst year it has ever seen, maybe, and will ever see,…
The road back to tourism recovery in McAllen leads through its youth soccer, baseball, softball and football fields in the view of a city official who has spent years cultivating relationships that have brought teams and visitors by the thousands to local parks. Robert Lopez, the vice president of Visit McAllen, is hardly allowing the setbacks of 2020 to temper his ambitions to bring more youth sports events and tournaments…
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recently approved the degree proposal for a doctorate in human genetics for the UTRGV School of Medicine. The new human genetics Ph.D. program will be a full-time, four-year, 72-credit-hour degree plan. It will focus on applications of human genetics to medicine. The program will also address the growing need for researchers in human genetics and genomics in South Texas. The program still must now receive…