Category Archives: News

Mandates Are Not Pro-Business

Business Advice Community Featured News Comments

Pro-business. Pro-business autonomy. Pro-personal freedom. You cannot support one without the others. VBR is and always has been a pro-business advocate for our Rio Grande Valley businesses and families. Current mandated mask orders on businesses in both Hidalgo and Cameron counties are government overstep. These are dangerous precedents, and we cannot and will not support them. Hidalgo and Cameron county officials are stepping on the rights of business owners ……

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UTRGV Offering Online Services For Job Searches

Business Advice Education Featured News Comments
job search

The UTRGV Career Center is currently providing students with a number of tools to help in their job search. “Right now, it is very tentative. There are some industries that are doing well, so usually it is looking like individuals that have degrees are faring a lot better than those individuals who did not,” said Lourdes Servantes, the center’s associate director. More than 1.6 million people are unemployed in Texas.…

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Doors Now Open for Janet Oliva Cortez

e-Brief Features News Non-Profit Comments
VIDA: Janet Oliva Cortez

The team at Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement knows all too well about doors closing in keeping underemployed and unemployed people in the Rio Grande Valley from career advancement and higher pay. Janet Oliva Cortez knows about those challenges. Cortez works for the Weslaco Independent School District as a data entry clerk. It’s a good employer, secure job, and a decent salary. Cortez knew, however, that without a degree,…

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Work Search Requirement Reinstates July 6 for Unemployment

Business Advice Community e-Brief Features News Comments
unemployment

Work search requirements for Unemployment Insurance benefits in Texas will return July 6, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. The requirements were temporarily suspended due to COVID-19. Work search is a federal requirement to receive unemployment benefits. Individuals will continue to receive benefits, but must document their efforts to find new employment, with the first report due to TWC on July 19. Those currently receiving unemployment should keep good records…

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Pipes Turn Into Artist Canvases in McAllen

Arts Community e-Brief Features Featured News Comments
(Keep McAllen Beautiful photo)

The Rio Grande Valley is known for its irrigation pipes alongside the network of canals that have historically provided water from the river to farm fields. The pipes remain standing amid a now urbanized region with farming pushed further out from expanding city limits. McAllen is among the Valley cities that have utilized property alongside canals for hike-and-bike trails. There are more than 200 irrigation pipes in the city, many…

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STC Students to Earn Google IT Certificates

Education Featured News Technology Comments
A $10,000 grant by Jobs for the Future will allow STC students in the CITP program to complete a Google IT Support Professional Certificate.

South Texas College students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the Computer and Information Technologies Program will soon have the opportunity to improve their ability for employment in the IT industry with a Google IT Support Professional Certificate. A $10,000 grant by Jobs for the Future allows those pursing a bachelor’s degree in the CITP program the opportunity to also complete a the certificate program. “The certificate impacts students by creating…

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TWC Grant Benefits Local Advanced Skills Training

Education Featured Manufacturing/Industrial News Comments
TWC’s Skills Development Fund will provide $332,042 in funding to train 181 new and incumbent workers in the advanced manufacturing industry.

A recent $332,042 grant from the Texas Workforce Commission to South Texas College will continue to provide customized training to the workforce for local industry partners. TWC’s Skills Development Fund will provide funding to train 181 new and incumbent workers in advanced manufacturing. “We are committed to fostering long-term sustained economic growth by providing superior workforce training programs to local business and industry partners,” said South Texas College Associate Dean of…

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Lamar Academy Teacher Earns State Award

Education Featured News Comments

Lamar Academy teacher Vivian Tamez is the recipient of the 2020 Liberty Bell Award from the Texas Young Lawyers Association. This state-wide award annually recognizes a non-lawyer who has made selfless contributions to their community. In turn, they also strengthen the effectiveness of the American system of justice.   “Your work is truly exceptional, and it exemplifies the level of dedication recognized by this prestigious award,” TYLA President Victor Flores…

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McAllen Public Library Offers Grab & Go Summer Meals

Community Community Events Featured Giving Back News Comments

McAllen Public Library invites the public to pick up a Grab & Go meal bundle as part of the Summer Feeding Program. The imitative aims to provide meals to those ages 18 and under in the most underserved McAllen communities. Starting June 15, families can pick up at the entrance of the McAllen Public Library, 4001 N. 23rd Street. The meal bundles include breakfast and lunch as well as a…

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Port of Brownsville Excels Amid Challenge

Featured Manufacturing/Industrial News Comments
Port of Brownsville

The Port of Brownsville ranks third among U.S. ports for “strong financial resilience” surveyed in a new report from Moody’s Investor Services. The ranking underscores the ongoing value of the port’s prudent financial stewardship in light of economic impacts from the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Moody’s analysis evaluated American ports on a range of key factors surrounding financial responsibility. This includes the ability to handle the impact of a significant decline…

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