Category Archives: News

Saving Texas Wineries & Distilleries

Featured Food & Entertainment News Retail Comments
wine tasting

Texas wineries and distilleries are facing a crisis. As Texas continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, tasting rooms at hundreds of wineries and distilleries remain closed. This limits consumer access, negatively affects sales, impacts jobs and reduces tax revenue for local and state governments. Gov. Greg Abbott’s Executive Order closing bars had the consequence of forcing Texas winery and distillery tasting rooms to close. Industry leaders recently announced the launch…

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STC Child Development Center Adapts

Education Featured News Comments
South Texas College Mid-Valley Campus Child Development Center

With the beginning of the fall semester, services are available for student-parents at the South Texas College Mid-Valley Campus Child Development Center. Staff and faculty at the site say they have implemented stringent safety measures to protect children and parents. This includes electronic forms, zoom parent meetings and temperature checks. These are in addition to all the required sanitizing procedures as mandated by the CDC and state childcare licensing. “As…

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Texas Unemployment Rate Falls

Featured News Comments

In July, Texas saw a decrease in the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to 8.0 percent. This is the third consecutive monthly decrease. It is also the lowest rate since March 2020 when the Texas economy saw impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. Texas is below the national seasonally adjusted rate of 10.2 percent. “July’s unemployment numbers continue to show the underlying strength of Texans and our economy,” said Texas Workforce…

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Alamo Program Works for Small Business Owners

Business Advice Featured News Comments
Alamo EDC Revolving Loan Program

Small businesses are a critical part of the economy in Alamo, and the Alamo EDC works closely with those businesses to ensure their success. The EDC helps to cultivate an economically-healthy environment while also encouraging businesses to succeed while supporting the creation of jobs. The Alamo EDC assists and supports businesses through two main programs, the Revolving Loan Program and the Micro-Loan Program. The Revolving Loan Program offers small businesses with a low-interest…

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Keto Bakeries Change Lives

Featured Food & Entertainment News Retail Comments
A treat of keto-friendly cupcakes is shown at Keto Sweets & Treats in Alamo.

Karla Ugarte and Juan Palma were coming off nine solid months of new business success when they reached for more in opening their second Keto Sweets & Treats. The husband-and-wife team were building from solid ground with the customer and revenue gains from their Alamo bakery along Expressway 77/83. Moving into the bigger McAllen market with a location near the always busy intersection of 10th Street and Trenton Road was…

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UTRGV Offers Bachelor’s Degree in Cybersecurity

e-Brief Features Education News Technology Comments
cyber security

UTRGV will offer a new Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity starting Sept. 1. The program will teach students about information assurance, network and computer security, digital forensics, operating systems security and more. Students in the 120-hour program will study the security aspects of computing and cyberspace. This is central to the rapidly expanding security concerns in an ever-changing technological world. The program requires 50 advanced hours of instruction for core,…

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Hidalgo Grant Aids Veterans With Living Expenses

Community e-Brief Features News Comments
Broken Arrow aids veterans

The Hidalgo County Veterans Service office is now taking applications for the Broken Arrow Financial Assistance Grant. The Veterans General Assistance provides funds to organizations serving veterans and their families. It is supported by a grant from the Texas Veterans Commission Fund of Veterans’ Assistance. “Guiding and offering help to the veterans in our community is our top priority,” states Hidalgo County Veterans Service Officer Felix Rodriguez. “Through this grant,…

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Beach Park Debuts Largest Sea Turtle Sculpture 

Arts Featured News Recreation & Tourism Comments
Chelsea Fedigan shows just how tall the latest member of the South Padre Sea Turtle Art Trail is.

The third – and largest – of South Padre Island’s Sea Turtle Art Trail turtles has “hatched” at Beach Park on South Padre Island. Painted by mother and daughter artists Beth and Chelsea Fedigan, the enormous turtle is near the entrance of Beach Park Water Park. The 11-foot-tall sea turtle depicts the beauty of living on the island. The Fedigans have spent months on the design depicting sea life, palm…

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Pharr Hosts Drive-Thru First Responders Festival

Community Education Featured Government News Comments

The City of Pharr held its annually Pharr First Responders Festival last weekend. Originally planned as a traditional festival, this year’s event became a drive-thru. During the successful event, the city and first responders gave away 2,000 bags of school supplies to the community. “It was wonderful to witness our city departments, first responders and employees join together to help our community,” said Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez. “These past few months…

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McAllen Seeks Next Man & Woman of the Year

Community e-Brief Features News Comments
2019 Man and Woman of the Year Bob Boggus and Jessica Delgado

Every year, the McAllen Chamber of Commerce selects two volunteers to be McAllen’s Man and Woman of the Year. Nominations are now being accepted with a deadline for submission of Sept. 30. “Our community is currently going through a time where we must do things differently,” reads a release from the chamber. “But we do not want the people who have continued to make McAllen their priority and have made…

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