Playing the long game in scaling up a business is a cumbersome process and often met with disinterest from would-be partners. Karina Saldivar’s Amor Y Pan in Brownsville was established as a successful health lifestyle market and bakery by 2024. Her business ambitions always extended outward beyond one location to getting her products on grocery store shelves. Getting to that goal via phone calls and introductory e-mails and receiving no…
Summer in Texas means scorching temperatures and the risk of heat-related illness, so Texas State Parks offers seven tips to help parkgoers beat the heat and safely enjoy the beauty that Texas has to offer. Last year, 44 state parks reported a total of 192 heat-related illnesses, with 10 of those incidents involving pets. Texas recorded 36 more heat-related illnesses last year than in 2023. Texans can reduce heat-related incidents…
Quinta Mazatlán hosts a star-spangled evening of music, family fun and festive treats on July 3 with Thursday Night Live: Patriotic Pops in the Park. The event takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. with the Valley Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet headlining with patriotic favorites at 7 p.m. The Quintet regularly performs at the VSO’s annual Merry & Bright holiday concert at the San Juan Basilica. It has also been featured at…
Motivation can be derived from a variety of sources. Maritza Hernandez didn’t need to look far to find hers. A single mother, she merely looked at her daughter to gain motivation, determined to provide her with a better future. Already earning a steady income as a private-duty nurse, Hernandez knew that she needed to further her education to open the doors of opportunity in her field. “I first heard about…
McAllen Municipal Court’s Teen Court Program has opened applications for local teens to volunteer as teen attorneys and jurors beginning in July and through December. McAllen Municipal Court’s Teen Court Program allows teenage offenders to dispose of their citations in a court of their peers. In lieu of a conviction and fees, the teens are represented by teen attorneys and the case is tried to teen jurors. As long as…
The Brownsville Navigation District has awarded 34 graduating high school seniors the 2025 Port of Brownsville Scholarship, recognizing academic excellence, community service and leadership. Each recipient will receive a $1,000 scholarship upon enrollment at a college, university or technical school. Students were selected based on their academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, community engagement, work experience and a personal essay. Recipients represent 17 public and private high schools within the navigation district.…
Quinta Mazatlan and The Valley Land Fund are currently hosting the annual nature photography contest for kids, Southern Exposures. The contest offers prizes for every child who enters, including cash and a photo feature in the Award Winning Exhibit. Photographs should have a nature or wildlife theme and must be taken in the Rio Grande Valley. “Observing and photographing nature is an enriching hobby that helps your child learn in…
The City of Pharr is once again offering the Pharr Initiative Summer Internship Program, a dynamic four-week paid internship program designed to provide high school juniors and seniors, as well as college freshmen and sophomores, with an immersive experience in municipal operations. This internship offers an opportunity for individuals to explore their interests, gain hands-on experience and make connections within local government. Interns will have the opportunity to work across…
South Texas College leadership recently celebrated the expansion of the Starr County campus by officially opening its newest facility, a brand-new $2.5 million 3,272 square-foot Starr County Building Q Automotive Lab expansion. STC President Ricardo Solis also announced an increase of more than $6 million in Starr that will include more than 13,000 square feet of additional lab and lecture space for technical programs and resources. “This is a long-awaited…
The McAllen Police Department is now accepting applications for its next Citizens’ Police Academy. Starting Aug. 14 and running through Oct. 15, the 10-week academy will meet every Thursday evening from 6-9 p.m. There is no cost to apply and selected applicants must be 21 years of age or older, able to attend all classes, work or reside in McAllen, and turn in a completed application by July 25. “The…