Category Archives: News

Pharr’s Easter EggStravaganza Returns Saturday

The City of Pharr welcomes back its Easter signature events of the Easter EggStravaganza and the Easter Scavenger Hunt  on April 12 at the Pharr Sports Complex Park. Easter EggStravaganza, hosted by the Pharr Memorial Library, will feature an Easter egg hunt with more than 15,000 eggs, games, prizes and snacks. Registration for the egg hunt will take place on-site at the park  at 201 East Moore Road, beginning at 9 a.m.…

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STC Instructor Accepted Into Prestigious Fellows Program

Elizabeth Gonzalez

South Texas College Biology faculty member and lead Microbiology instructor Elizabeth Gonzalez is one of seven who were selected nationwide for the Community College Presidents’ Initiative in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Fellows Program. CCPI-STEM is a national initiative to strengthen leadership skills among community college faculty and administrators to support the growth and diversification of the STEM technician workforce. Gonzalez will join a cohort of seven fellows who are…

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McAllen Ranks as a Top City for Inbound Moves

According to the website moveBuddha.com’s recent analysis of mover search data, McAllen ranks 14th among U.S. cities with the highest inbound-to-outbound move ratios for 2025. The study, which analyzed data from thousands of searches conducted on the moveBuddha.com  moving cost calculator, found that for every person leaving McAllen, almost two are arriving. McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos highlighted the city’s continued growth, saying “McAllen’s affordability, safety and quality of life make…

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Greatest American Clean-Up April 12

Greatest American Clean-Up

Keep McAllen Beautiful hosts its annual Greatest American Clean-Up & Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-off on April 12, inviting the community to help clean up the streets, trails, schools and parks of McAllen. The event takes place from 8 a.m. to noon at McAllen Municipal Park. Volunteers who participate will receive safety vests, gloves, trash bags and a free t-shirt, and then be assigned a designated area to pick up litter.…

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BCIC Approves Millions for Quality of Life Projects

Brownsville Sports Park is one of many quality-of-life facilities due to receive support from the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation.

The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation board of directors recently approved a total of $5,915,394 million to fund 25 quality of life enhancement projects throughout Brownsville. The projects are designed to significantly enhance community parks, recreational facilities, and public spaces, improving the well-being and experience of residents and visitors. The 25 approved projects fall under three funding categories: BCIC’s FY 2025 Quality of Life Grants, the City of Brownsville FY 2025…

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Sunset Live Returns with Free MIJA Fest

Sunset Live

The Sunset Live Outdoor Music Series is back for its 23rd season on April 12, bringing free live music, arts and outdoor fun to the McAllen Convention Center Oval Park. The Saturday kick off is also the inaugural McAllen International Jazz Alliance Festival, a free, all-day, family- and pet-friendly celebration featuring musicians from across the U.S. and Mexico. The festival will feature two stages and an expanded schedule, running from…

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LiftFund Revitalizes Communities

Los Pastelas has utilized LiftFund loans to improve its stores and products, including this one in McAllen.

Rodrigo Cadena started his business life in the United States with a single pastry and cake shop in Mission. As the CEO of Los Pastelas Caseros de Gaby’s, his goal from inception was to scale up with more locations in the Rio Grande Valley. The cake shop company has its roots in Mexico, where it has three locations in the Reynosa area. Cadena aimed for similar successes in the U.S.…

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McHi Graduate Finds Path At UT

Grace Kelly speaks as part of a Longhorn Family Partners Panel. (photo Grace Kelly)

The McAllen school district in 2001 became the first school district in the Rio Grande Valley to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The city’s business community and the McAllen Chamber of Commerce played a pivotal role in the process. They recognized it as a way to attract businesses and families to the region. The district’s IB students have a home campus where they participate in UIL activities. In 2021,…

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TSTC Meets Need For Auto Techs

TSTC students in Harlingen go over checklists as part of a class requirement.

The open-air labs of the automotive technology program at Texas State Technical College feature lifts, computerized equipment, tools and students huddled around their instructors as they troubleshoot and diagnose scenarios. Rosendo Rodriguez is one of the auto tech instructors at the TSTC campus in Harlingen. On a recent sunny morning, he pointed out what the different groups of students were doing. One instructor was going over a large engine placed…

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Active Chambers Boost Small Towns

The blue coats as led by the Mercedes Chamber of Commerce’s former president Fred Gonzalez, center, have been active at business openings such as this Starbucks celebration in 2024. (Courtesy)

Elma Chavez was in the midst of a busy work day and reflecting on the one before as a self-described “one-man show” at the Raymondville Chamber of Commerce. It has been about two years since Chavez was called back from the private sector to revive a chamber that had lay dormant since 2020. She knew what she had to do. A previous tenure as executive director of the Raymondville Chamber…

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