Category Archives: e-Brief Features

Weslaco Area Chamber Honors Residents

Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Barbara Garza, Velma Hirlas of Peter Piper Pizza, Luis Reyes, Mary Mattar, Carla McCaleb, Joe Vidales and Emiliano Montenegro. (photo Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce)

The Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce held its annual membership and awards luncheon Oct. 30 at the Knapp Medical Conference Center. Chamber recognitions included Man, Woman and Business of the Year, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award. Also receiving recognition were Volunteer and Board Member of the Year recipients. Man of the Year The 2019 Man of the Year is Joe Vidales, Weslaco’s resident expert historian. Vidales has been…

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McAllen Named a Safe City

McAllen City Hall

McAllen is once again receiving accolades as being a safe city in the United States, this time by the website 24/7Wall St. The ranking puts McAllen as four on the list of 294 midsize and large U.S. cities tracked by the FBI. All cities have a populations of at least 100,000. To identify the 50 safest U.S. cities, 24/7 Wall St. reviews violent crime rates in cities with at least…

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Coming Together to Build the Reef

Red snapper swimming in the artificial reef. (Courtesy)

Gary Glick, president of the nonprofit group Friends of RGV Reef, said recreational red snapper fishing generates several times the economic force of commercial red snapper fishing. People who come to fish also spend money on food and lodging, gas, tackle, charter trips, etc. Glick estimates that Friends of RGV Reef has spent about $400,000 on deploying reef material so far. The group has managed to do it for roughly…

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San Benito EDC Starts Anew

Vida Nueva Creations is one San Benito new business receiving a rent subsidy from the EDC to help with initial start-up costs.

Rebeca Castillo is building from the ground up in giving San Benito its first viable economic development corporation. The San Benito Economic Development Corporation is in its third month of being a standalone entity from city government. The EDC is in its own building on Bowie Street. It is adjacent to the Heavin Memorial Park which wraps around the city’s main resaca. Furniture and refurbishment of a facility that was…

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Brownsville Hosts Paella for Prosperity

Paella in Prosperity

Ready to have one of Spain’s ancient-styled dishes cooked by some of the best Rio Grande Valley chefs? If so, head out this Saturday, Oct. 19, to Brownsville’s Historical Market Square for the first annual Paella for Prosperity. The food extravaganza will take place for a good cause. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Close to 20 cooking teams will be doing their best to come out with the best entries…

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Brownsville Hosts Paella for Prosperity

A meal like this one from two Brownsville firefighters will be the main dish at this Saturday's Paella for Prosperity in Brownsville.

Ready to have one of Spain’s ancient-styled dishes cooked by some of the best Rio Grande Valley chefs? If so, head out this Saturday, Oct. 19, to Brownsville’s Historical Market Square for the first annual Paella for Prosperity. The food extravaganza will take place for a good cause. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Close to 20 cooking teams will be doing their best to come out with the best entries…

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Tour Highlights Weslaco’s 2019 Developments

Kapal Cabinet operations in Weslaco. (photo Weslaco EDC)

Rolling by the Kapal Cabinet House, a director with the Weslaco Economic Development Corporation makes an observation of what economic vitality means to a city. “Everyone enjoys seeing life back in the building,” said Steve Valdez as he moderates the Weslaco EDC’s 2019 bus tour.  The tour is an annual event that brings together community and business leaders to view Weslaco’s economic gains. They also witness how the EDC’s efforts…

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Living Life in Terms of Music

Founder of Musical Living Academy Edelir Garza offers one of his students some pointers after a private lesson.

Exploring a unique avenue in education is Edelir Garza, founder, instructor and owner of Musical Living Academy in McAllen. Garza knew that this was the next step in his musical journey. Music had been instilled in his heart since he was only 8 years old. “I remember listening to songs and there was this one that would stand out above all … it wasn’t until my father helped me pinpoint…

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Preparing for Ghost Hunts

Thomas Hotcaveg has been seeking ghosts for about 17 years. Later this month, he hopes to make his first discoveries in Downtown Harlingen along with dozens of regular citizens who also have an interest in locating paranormal activity.  “We are hoping maybe the founder of Harlingen will still be around,” Hotcaveg says about the upcoming ghost tour in the city. “Maybe some of the spirits from those who had businesses…

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Free Latin Jazz Festival This Weekend

This weekend’s Latin Jazz Festival will bring the reverberating sounds of congas, drums, guitars, saxophones and other musical instruments to Brownsville. From today, Oct. 10, through Oct. 12, the 23rd annual music and dance spectacle will feature three well-known groups hailing from this part of South Texas. They are The Clay Moore Group, The Brew and Del Castillo. The Brownsville Society for the Performing Arts hosts the festival which saw its beginnings 23…

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