David Garza opened his San Benito pharmacy on April 1, 1980. That same day, his wife Dorothy gave birth to their first child. It’s 40 years later and The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy endures. The landmark anniversary has been met by a worldwide pandemic in the spring of 2020. The COVID-19 virus has put a dent in the longstanding community pharmacy. It perseveres, however, under the primary watch of a second…
Lone Star National Bank President David Deanda knew he and his staff had the challenge of a banking lifetime before them. The outbreak of COVID-19 had brought the South Texas economy to a sudden and shocking halt. Small businesses in the Rio Grande Valley were soon desperate for help. The federal government offered two lifelines. One was the Paycheck Protection Program. The other was the Economic Injury Disaster program. Both…
The Rio Grande Valley’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis will be prolonged. It could take 12-to-18 months, at the minimum, said leading bankers and economic development specialists. They say the recovery from the widespread business shutdowns this spring will stretch well into 2021. Recovery will also be dependent on one key factor. “It’s all going to depend on how we contain COVID,” said David Deanda, the president of Lone…
“Be prepared, not scared. Be proactive, not reactive.” ~ Stuart I.R. Haniff. When your mission is to fight hunger and to feed hope, countless people in your community are relying on you to be prepared. Stuart I. R. Haniff, the chief executive officer of the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley Inc., took that mission to heart in preparing his organization’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. Haniff and his…
During these rough times, the Alamo Economic Development Corporation continues to offer its programs to aid businesses in Alamo. One of the EDC’s most popular options is the Micro-Loan Program. The creation of the Micro-Loan Program came in order to help local business owners with storefront improvements, repairs and renovations. This program now utilizes a micro-loan as working capital to help alleviate operating costs that business owners have trouble covering.…
The Port of Brownsville ranks third among U.S. ports for “strong financial resilience” surveyed in a new report issued by Moody’s Investor Services. This underscores the ongoing value of the port’s prudent financial stewardship in light of economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. Moody’s analysis evaluated American ports on a range of key factors surrounding financial responsibility. This includes the ability to handle the impact of a significant decline in…
Some face-to-face classes are gradually returning to South Texas College this summer after integration of federal, state and county safety protocols. STC will begin in-person courses for select programs and will continue for summer courses which officially begin on June 1. STC is currently open for its police and fire academies at the Regional Center for Public Safety Excellence. Throughout the week of April 27, nearly 200 students were completing…
South Padre Island will celebrate Memorial Day weekend with a fireworks display on May 24. The fireworks show continues to be the traditional kick off for the summer season. “We are excited to welcome everyone for a much needed long weekend on the Island,” said Ed Caum, executive director for the convention and visitors bureau. “There’s no better way to show our appreciation than with a rousing fireworks display in…
On May 9, the graduating class of the UTRGV School of Medicine made history, both as the inaugural class and graduating via a virtual ceremony. The ceremony was a poignant way to honor the challenges graduates now heading into a time of pandemic. Online participants and visitors heard messages from both UTRGV and UT System leaders. Keynote speaker was Dr. Kenneth Shine, former executive vice chancellor for Health Affairs for…
Hidalgo County’s Hidalgo Cares website HidalgoCares.org is live to respond, recover and rebuild in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new community-based website provides recovery assistance information to businesses and individuals. It includes a guide to local restaurants, as well as utility assistance and housing information. There is also the latest information on economic recovery, and available resources for food, health, safety and education. Other helpful resources for bolstering…