Carmen Garza describes she and her daughters as antique collectors who “love the hunt” and they have plenty of spaces to fill at their shop in downtown Harlingen. Jackson Street Antiques on the corner of Jackson and Commerce streets is one of the anchors of the specialty niche that downtown Harlingen has developed over the years. The collection of antique stores and like-minded businesses have given the downtown area an…
Edinburg’s mayor describes 2024 as marking the “end of an incredible three-year run.” From 2021-2024, the Rio Grande Valley’s fastest-growing city surpassed the 100,000 population mark and today stands at about 106,000 residents. Mayor Ramiro Garza Jr. described Edinburg as “a city on the move” during a recent state of the city speech at the new Arts, Culture & Events Center. The mayor’s speech included an elaborate and well-structured video…
Joseph Mayers by training is an auto technician who also has a flair for style and design as part of his skill set. All of those skills and others would be called upon in his early 30s when he became visually impaired due to an ongoing medical condition. Today, Mayers says, he is legally blind and is not able to see clearly past 20 feet without magnification. The adversity he…
StartUp Texas launched in 2019 as a means to provide local entrepreneurs with modest amounts of capital while providing insights on how to scale up their businesses. The event coincided with the opening of the 36,000-square-foot eBridge Center in downtown Brownsville, which houses the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation. StartUp Texas is the creation of BCIC and is styled after similar events in other metro areas in the state and country.…
April is Second Chance Month, and Harlingen resident Miguel Martinez III knows all about second chances. Dec. 5, 2024 is a day he will never forget. Martinez was released from prison after serving three years for burglary of habitation and theft of a motor vehicle. According to cleanslataeinitiative.org, Second Chance Month is “a nationally recognized celebration of second chances, fresh starts and breaking barriers for people who have been impacted…
South Texas College has been awarded a $100,000 Safety Education Grant from Texas Mutual Insurance Company, the state’s leading provider of workers’ compensation insurance, to support the college’s workplace safety training. Texas Mutual has given the college over $300,000 in grants over the last few years to expand trainings that reskill and upskill regional employees. Since 1999, Texas Mutual has awarded over $14 million in safety education grants to Texas…
The City of Pharr’s Grants Management & Community Development Department is now accepting applications for the Community Development Block Grant Program for Program Years 2025–2026. This funding opportunity is open to nonprofits, public agencies and other eligible organizations working to improve the quality of life for Pharr residents. The CDBG Program supports projects that address community needs, such as housing and public services. Interested organizations can pick up an application…
Food manufacturer Westa Inc., the first tenant of the Port of Brownsville’s 118-acre business park, is finalizing the layout for its $20 million facilities at the port. Taking advantage of the port’s maritime access, Westa Inc. will receive grains via barge from the Midwest, enhancing the company’s supply chain operations for its high-capacity flour mill and sunflower seed processing plant set to employ 120 people. Last April, the company celebrated a…
Quinta Mazatlán hosts a celebration of the spring migration of monarch butterflies with the ninth annual Monarch Fest on April 26. The festival offers family-friendly fun with live music, cultural performances, arts and crafts, educational booths and youth activities. Admission to the 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. event is free with the donation of a recyclable plastic bottle or plastic bag. Kids can join the festival favorite, the Mayors Bug…
The McAllen Chamber of Commerce and the City of McAllen will host their annual Administrative Professionals Day Luncheon on April 23 at the McAllen Convention Center. The event, which sold out last year, is expected to welcome over 400 attendees to celebrate the contributions of administrative professionals. “We host this event to recognize the invaluable contributions of administrative professionals,” said Xiomara Mier, VP of Membership at the McAllen Chamber of…