Category Archives: e-Brief Features

McAllen Arbor Day Celebration Goes Virtual

Keep McAllen Beautiful Arbor Day Celebration

Keep McAllen Beautiful celebrate its 10th anniversary of the Arbor Day Celebration March 6. The event’s 5K and 10K runs, and 25-mile and 100-kilometer bike tours will be virtual this year. Participants can set their own date, place and time to get the miles in and enjoy the Rio Grande Valley spring weather. “Arbor Day is a day when we celebrate nature’s gift of trees, the tall providers of shade,…

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SBA Seeks Local Emerging Leaders

leadership

The U.S. Small Business Administration recently announced the launch of the 2021 Emerging Leaders initiative. The program is for executives of small businesses poised for growth in underserved markets. The SBA program draws on the experiences of advisors and business leaders in urban communities across the country. The comprehensive curriculum provides the tools to grow companies to the next level. It also helps them emerge as a force in the…

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Annual Event Removes Abandoned Crab Traps

(photo Texas Parks and Wildlife Department)

Each February for 19 years, countless volunteers spend 10 days on the water along the Texas coastline. They search the bays for abandoned crab traps left to foul shrimpers’ nets, snag anglers’ lines, “ghost fish” and create unsightly views. To date, they’ve hauled off more than 38,000 of these derelict traps. From Feb. 19-28, Texas coastal waters will be closed to crabbing with wire mesh crab traps to facilitate the…

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One Door Closes, Another VIDA Opens

Etta King has a better life for her and her children thanks in part to VIDA.

Life was good for Etta King when she moved to Weslaco in 2011 from Lake Tahoe, Cali. Five years later, her world turned upside down. Her husband left, creditors repossessed her car and eviction forced her to move from their home to a small apartment. With no money, she had to attend divorce court without legal representation. Her only family in the Valley consisted of her two sons and daughter.…

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Sign Up for the SPI Beach Winter Clean-Up Feb. 5

(photo Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Program)

Turning the tide again beach debris, an Adopt-A-Beach Winter Clean-Up takes place Feb. 5 on South Padre Island. Volunteer registration is open now through the duration of the cleanup. Volunteers should wear closed-toe shoes, and bring drinking water and gloves. Organizers have only been able to secure a small amount of gloves, so volunteers should bring their own set of disposable, garden or work gloves. Adopt-A-Beach will provide all necessary…

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TSTC Launches New Career Bootcamps

programming

TSTC will soon launch two new online boot camps that train for in-demand careers in both cyber security and full stack web development. These boot camps require no previous experience, and contain tools and support to help students obtain a well-paying job in a short amount of time. TSTC’s Cybersecurity Analytics course incorporates 13 weeks of online training beginning March 1. According to TSTC, there will be 3.5 million unfilled…

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MyTXCareer.com Helps Texans Find Jobs

The Texas Workforce Commission has launched MyTxCareer.com. The new online job search site helps Texans quickly register, search for and apply for jobs available in Texas. There are currently more than 500,000 job postings available posted by more than 20,000 employers. “MyTxCareer.com is another valuable resource from TWC to help Texans find the jobs they need to get back into the workforce,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “At TWC, we remain focused on…

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Keep McAllen Beautiful Seeks Homes to Beautify

Volunteers with Paint McAllen Beautiful paint a home in 2014. (photo mcallen.net)

Keep McAllen Beautiful is now accepting applications for its annual Paint McAllen Beautiful project where KMB volunteers paint homes throughout McAllen, to help beautify the neighborhood. Qualifying McAllen applicants must be a McAllen resident, own the home, be low income, be 60 years of age or older, or be of any age with a permanent disability. Through a grant from Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep McAllen Beautiful will be able to…

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A Life Is Turned Around with VIDA

Maria Delgado

Each month, VBR shines a spotlight on a current participant or a graduate of Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement. VIDA’s mission is to simultaneously address the need for skilled works in the Valley while preparing unemployed and underemployed residents for high-skill, high-wage jobs. This month, the spotlight is on Maria Delgado. The story is written in her words just prior to her graduation in December 2020, which will provide…

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5X5 “Bombshells” Into H-E-B

Brunette Bombshell

“Brunette Bombshell” from Mission-based 5×5 Brewing Co. is now available at seven Rio Grande Valley H-E-B stores. It is the brewery’s first beer to enter the retail market. The Mission EDC, in an announcement, says the release is made possible through an exclusive partnership with L&F Distributors. As the largest distributing brewery in the area, 5×5 Brewing Co. is one of a number of businesses receiving Mission EDC support over…

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