The U.S. Census Bureau is moving up the final day to respond to the 2020 Census by more than a month from their original deadline. Previously, residents could respond by Oct. 31. However the new date to complete the survey is now Sept. 30. According to U.S. Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham, the date change is in order to ensure their department has enough time to process the data by…
Eddy Berges earned medical degrees and training in his native Dominican Republic and then in Puerto Rico. A major goal still lay ahead and Berges pursued it by applying to several medical schools in the United States. Berges’ goal was to be accepted into a residency program. He found one in the Rio Grande Valley, and a program barely getting off the ground. Berges and five other physician residents from…
Cynthia Duran is gearing up to start another school year – in whatever form that may take – but she’s always teaching. The Weslaco school district art educator has navigated through an interesting summer at her Busy Bristles Art Studio. The downtown Weslaco business also had its COVID-19 ups and downs. The enthusiasm for art never waned. The interest of children and adults to get before a canvas again ran…
A $7-million roadway connecting two busy parts of Expressway 77/83 in Harlingen is on schedule for completion this month. Spur 54 links southbound and westbound traffic on the expressway, running east-west behind Bass Pro Shops and in front of the Sam’s Club store in Harlingen. Construction on the 1.2 mile-long roadway began a year ago. It is already busy with traffic and leading to the development of new retail and…
Patrick Alvarez walks into big-box stores and their rows of school supplies and his trained teacher eye makes an astute observation. “A lot of the inventory doesn’t move,” said Alvarez, a social studies teacher at a Brownsville charter school. “It’s not what teachers really need.” The dollar stores offer discounts on inexpensive items like glitter and markers, but what about the more specific supplies and decorations teachers commonly need to…
The words of Dr. John Krouse, dean of the UTRGV Medical School, became the headline of a story in the July issue of Valley Business Report. Addressing the high incidence of obesity, diabetes and heart and lung disease in the Rio Grande Valley, Krouse stressed that we need to “build a culture of health.” When addressing physical health, the tendency is to focus on nutrition and fitness, which are undeniably…
People all over the world enjoy having a glass of wine. Some make special trips in search of this spirit that has been produced for decades in countries like France, Spain, New Zealand and Australia. Some go to the Texas Hill Country, now home to dozens of wineries. Others go to California’s Napa Valley, the top producer of wine in the United States. But do you know that sometime this…
The City of McAllen’s Building Department is launching a program to conduct live remote video residential building inspections. The purpose of the Remote Video Inspections program is to provide an alternative to on-site locations. “As we try to navigate through these unprecedented times, the business of the city must go on,” said McAllen City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez. “Homes are being constructed or renovated and we must make sure that…
The Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley recently received a generous donation from DHR gastroenterologist Dr. Murthy Badiga to support the food bank’s on-going ‘Resource Readiness and Response’ Campaign. Badiga’s personal donation of $4,000 will provide up to 20,000 meals for those in need in the Rio Grande Valley. “The Food Bank RGV is a great organization doing an awesome job of helping those in need with life sustaining…
The City of McAllen and the McAllen Chamber of Commerce are currently on the second round of funding in its $1.5 million COVID-19 Small Business Grant program. McAllen small businesses have until July 31 to submit their applications. Small businesses with revenues less than $2 million may receive grants for up to $5,000 each. The program helps fund businesses or programs that creatively address a need to create, enhance, restore…