Category Archives: Industry

New TABC Training Combats Human Trafficking

e-Brief Features Government News Comments
police officer

A new course from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and its partners provides training to prepare peace officers across Texas to combat human trafficking and rescue survivors. The agency joined forces with the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service and Texas Commission on Law Enforcement to produce the new continuing education course. The course will keep Texas officers at the forefront of combating these crimes. Training includes learning to recognize and…

Read More

RGV Banker Elected To State Association Board 

e-Brief Features Featured Finance/Banking News Comments
Ricky Leal

An executive with First Community Bank has been elected to the board of directors of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas. Ricky Leal, the senior vice president/commercial lending for First Community, was selected during the organization’s recent virtual annual convention. Leal joined First Community 15 years ago as a commercial lender before rising to serve on the company’s executive team. First Community is the only bank company of its type…

Read More

First Podiatry Program in State Coming to UTRGV

Education Featured Healthcare News Comments
Dr. Lawrence Harkless, interim dean of the UTRGV School of Podiatry (Jennifer Galindo, UTRGV photo)

The first school of podiatry is coming to Texas in the fall of 2022. Furthermore, it will be right here in the Rio Grande Valley at UTRGV. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has approved a request from the university to create a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine with a major in Podiatric Medicine for the UTRGV School of Podiatry. The school will allow students to pursue careers in the medical…

Read More

McAllen Reopens Two Public Pools

Community Featured News Recreation & Tourism Comments

Two City of McAllen aquatics facilities are now open for adult lap swimmers as part of the city’s Phase 2 reopening plans. The Municipal and Boys & Girls Club pools are now available Tuesdays through Saturdays. Municipal Pool at 1921 North Bicentennial Blvd. operates from 7-11 a.m. and 3-9 p.m. on days of operation. The operating hours for Boys & Girls Club Pool at 617 South 27th Street is 7-11…

Read More

Pharr Celebrates Start of Produce Season

Agriculture e-Brief Features Events News Comments

City of Pharr officials and Pharr International Bridge leaders recently celebrated the start of the 2020-2021 Produce Season. Also attending the bi-annual celebration at the bridge were produce growers, importers, distributors, and consumers from the United States and Mexico “The Pharr International Bridge is the heart and soul of Pharr for economic development,” said Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez. “We are especially proud of the hard work of our bridge staff…

Read More

Arroyo Trail Expanding Its Reach In Harlingen

e-Brief Features Featured News Recreation & Tourism Comments
Harlingen’s network of trails seeks to link parks, retail centers and the Texas State Technical College.

Harlingen is extending its most popular hike-and-bike trail from the Arroyo Colorado to Dixieland Park as the city works to expand its trails master plan. The 1.6-mile extension along the banks of the Arroyo Colorado will be the first trail addition in five years. It will take the trail from its current end adjacent to Boggus Ford along Expressway 77/83 and wind it near the Tony Butler Golf Course. It…

Read More

Navy Ships Arrive to Port for Recycling

Featured Manufacturing/Industrial News Comments

The U.S. Navy’s USS Ticonderoga and USS Charles F. Adams are now at International Shipbreaking LLC at the Port of Brownsville for stripping and recycling. Both ships are scheduled to be completely demilitarized by 2021. The USS Ticonderoga was built at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., and then delivered to the Navy in 1982. Her service includes providing naval gunfire support off the coast of Lebanon on her maiden voyage…

Read More

Port of Brownsville Steams Ahead 

Manufacturing/Industrial Transportation & Travel Comments
The Port of Brownsville has been especially busy in recent years in reporting record annual revenues. (courtesy)

The Port of Brownsville is utilizing record revenue years leading up to COVID-19 to deal with the pandemic’s challenges. The port reported a record $25.4 million in annual revenue in fiscal year 2019. The figure tops the previous record from 2018 with continuous robust growth over the last six years. The port’s performance was recently recognized by Moody’s Investor Service, ranking the Port of Brownsville third among all U.S. ports…

Read More

RGV Gaining New Ecotourism Center

News Recreation & Tourism Comments
Construction is ongoing at a site that will be the South Texas Ecotourism Center.

The Rio Grande Valley is one of the nation’s top destinations for those who enjoy watching, learning and photographing flora and fauna. The region is the home of the World Birding Center, a turtle center and a bird festival that attracts hundreds of people from all over the United States. People even come from as far as England and Australia to the festival. The Valley also has several state and…

Read More

Bayview Nursery Offers Paradise of Possibilities

Agriculture News Retail Comments
Greenhouses at Paradise Gardens offer hundreds of varieties of fruit trees.

Jason Hess took a tour of a nursery by a resaca in Bayview in 2017 and discovered a paradise. It was River’s End Nursery back when Hess first saw it. He works in the healthcare field, with a hobby and passion for growing fruit trees, so the tour was of special interest to him.  Hess was in awe of the splendor at River’s End. Ed and Kathy Pechacek took a…

Read More