Category Archives: e-Brief Features

BCIC Accepting Pitch Summit Applications

Community e-Brief Features Featured News Comments

The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation’s third annual StartUp Texas Pitch Summit is now open and accepting applications. The event will be the first ever in-person version since the program began in March of 2020.  The Startup Texas Pitch Summit is a live event where early-stage companies pitch their product/service to industry experts, venture capitalists, and high profile journalists. This spring, the winning pitch will not only receive $25,000 in startup…

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McAllen Zooms To Top Of Remote Working List

Community e-Brief Features Featured News Comments
Chase Bank Tower in downtown McAllen

The city of McAllen has fared well in recent national surveys when it comes to best communities of its size for places to do business and ranking high for public safety. This week the city learned of another distinction. The home-search website Ownerly.com lauded McAllen in ranking it at the top of its Best Zoom Town Cities. The ranking cites affordable housing, high-speed Internet accessibility, outdoor green spaces and good…

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TABC, TRA Promote Safe Alcohol Delivery, To-Go Sales

e-Brief Features Food & Entertainment News Comments
alcohol to go

The Texas Restaurant Association and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission have launched a new effort to promote TABC’s certification course on alcohol delivery safety. The Texas Responsible Alcohol Delivery Course shares with delivery drivers and foodservice establishment operators the necessary information to safely conduct alcohol-to-go deliveries. The TRA has added the course to its catalog of training resources available for members across the state. The course is for persons who deliver…

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VIDA Boosts Mom’s Nursing Dream to Reality

Community e-Brief Features Featured News Comments

Earning $2.13 per hour plus tips as a server at Texas Roadhouse in Brownsville made it difficult for single mom Itssen Izaguirre to meet all of her financial obligations. This was especially true when she decided to pursue a career in nursing. Nursing had sparked her interest in middle school and Izaguirre felt the time had come to pursue it. “I knew there was a shortage of nurses,” Izaguirre said,…

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SBA Revises Small Business Size Standards

e-Brief Features Government News Comments
SBA logo

The U.S. Small Business Administration issued four final rules to modify revenues-based small business size standards in 16 North American Industrial Classification System sectors that will increase small business eligibility for SBA’s federal contracting and loan programs for approximately 59,000 additional firms. The final rules are part of the second five-year review of size standards, as required under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. As part of the review process, the…

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McAllen’s Sunset Live Returns Saturday

Community Events e-Brief Features Featured Comments
(photo Sunset Live)

After a brief pause for two years, McAllen’s Sunset Live outdoor music festival returns in its full capacity April 9. The concert series features local musical groups, as well as other regional and national bands. Kicking off the festival is a Tex-Mex Country R&B musical celebration at the McAllen Convention Center Oval Park. This will be the 43rd concert for Sunset Live, making it the leader in outdoor live music events…

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Port Progress Brings Positive Outlook

e-Brief Features Manufacturing/Industrial News Comments
Brownsville Navigation District Chairman Sergio Tito Lopez delivers his remarks during the 2022 State of the Port Address March 24. (photo Port of Brownsville)

The Port of Brownsville remains a stronghold for the Rio Grande Valley’s economy, providing record-setting tonnage and robust operating revenues for FY 2021. Brownsville Navigation District Board Chairman Sergio Tito Lopez highlighted these achievements at the 2022 State of the Port Address last week at the Rancho Viejo Convention Center. The unaudited operating revenues for FY 2021 surpassed the $30-million mark for the second consecutive year at $34 million. Cargo…

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UTRGV Establishes Local Collegiate High Schools

e-Brief Features Education News Comments
UTRGV and McAllen ISD announced their partnership to create a UTRGV High School in the McAllen district. (photo David Pike, UTRGV)

Two Rio Grande Valley school districts have recently signed Memorandums of Understanding with UTRGV in support of the development and implementation of Collegiate High Schools. The McAllen Independent School District and the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District made the commitment to provide their students additional opportunities to pursue college credit during high school. “The leaders at the McAllen and Edinburg school districts know how important it is for students to…

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TSC Helps Community Prepare Taxes Via VITA

Community e-Brief Features Featured News Comments
Sophia Lopez is a TSC Accounting student and a volunteer at the VITA program site. She, along with her classmates, provide free income tax services for the community. (photo TSC)

For Sophia Lopez, a typical Saturday the last few weeks has included preparing and filing tax returns for people in the community as a Texas Southmost College Accounting Technology student and volunteer for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.  The 24-year-old, along with others in her class, have all completed a Federal Income Tax course within their curriculum. They have also earned certifications through the Internal Revenue Service for tax…

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Valley Regional In Top Five Percent of U.S. Hospitals

e-Brief Features Featured Healthcare News Comments
2022 Patient Safety Excellence Award

Valley Regional Medical Center is the recipient of a 2022 Patient Safety Excellence Award from Healthgrades. The distinction places Valley Regional Medical Center among the top five percent of all short-term acute care hospitals as evaluated. Valley Regional Medical Center colleagues protect the safety of their patients with daily safety huddles. It also consistently has real-time systems in place that use data and analytics to identify and manage risks. This includes…

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