Veterans and community members are encouraged to “Roll Up Your Sleeve” and give the gift of life during VA blood drives Dec. 13 and Jan. 14 in McAllen and Harlingen, respectively. The Dec. 13 drive takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the McAllen VA Outpatient Clinic at 901 East Hackberry Ave. Jan 14’s drive is from 9 a.m. to noon at the Harlingen VA Outpatient Clinic, 2106 Treasure…
Keep McAllen Beautiful hosts its third annual Christmas Posada at Archer Park on Dec. 14, featuring the traditional posada procession that reenacts Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging. The 7 p.m. event features a special performance by Nikki Rowe’s Razz Ma Tazz Show Choir. The posada procession culminates at a nativity scene, with shepherds and the Three Wise Men. The posada will be accompanied by traditional singing during the procession…
The City of Pharr kicks off the holiday season and invites the community to Winter Wonderland on Dec. 6 in Downtown Pharr. This evening features a tree lighting, live music, food, holiday activities and more. The free event takes place from 6-11 p.m. at 118 S. Cage Blvd. The annual Lighting of the Christmas tree will begin at 7:30 p.m. This year’s entertainment includes performances by local dance teams, Gatos Locos…
The Camille Playhouse in Brownsville has a full season ahead of and is looking to attract more Winter Texans to its community theater. Two plays are in the books and four more are on the way. The next show up is “A Christmas Carol,” which has a run of six shows from Dec. 6 to the 13th. In January, there’s “Oklahoma!” and following in February is “Tartuffe.” The season will…
The McAllen Holiday Parade with its towering balloons and lighted extravaganza of features attracts tens of thousands of spectators. The massive event headlines Christmas celebrations in the city. Yet, there is another holiday event in McAllen that quietly but surely has developed a following of its own. The South Pole Illuminated Festival, with its month-long run on the grounds of the McAllen Convention Center, now attracts 128,000 visitors annually. It…
The facts and figures of the Winter Texan industry in the Rio Grande Valley are well-researched with data and statistics released every few years to gauge where things stand. The latest figures from the UTRGV Business and Tourism Research Center show there are just under 100,000 Winter Texans in the region. They provide a nearly $2 billion economic impact and support 10,000 jobs in the Valley. What can go unnoticed…
William Dietrich was fresh out of college after serving in the U.S. Army when deciding he wanted to be a police officer. That ambition brought him to Brownsville. The city’s police department was hiring and Dietrich went to where the job was being offered. Starting as a police officer, he saw the job as a stepping stone that would soon enough take him out of Brownsville. The first scenario may…
The white sign along Business 77 on the Harlingen/San Benito line has seen its better days. It leans over a bit with wear that has not worn well. It reads “VFW Post 2410” with an arrow pointing north to where the lodge sits on Whalen Road. It is there where post Commander Trey Villela walks among boxes of toy donations for distribution throughout Cameron County. The boxes of Legos, Star…
The students sat around a large table in the science lab at Lamar Academy in McAllen. Their exuberance felt palpable, smiling as their teammates spoke. The Lamar Academy International Baccalaureate Science Olympiad Team discussed how they got to this point. In January, the 20-member team will travel to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. to compete against 65 other teams in a national tournament. The Lamar Academy Team…
DHR Health has been awarded a $85-million grant from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to construct 100 beds at a new behavioral health hospital in Pharr. The new facility will help address the need for additional inpatient mental health beds. DHR Health currently operates an 87-bed inpatient behavioral hospital. The new campus at 4800 North Jackson Road will include a new 161,000-square-foot facility. It will have a total…