Nick Dozer grew up a metal rocker and a buckeye in the rolling hills of southern Ohio. Dozer considers himself part of Buckeye Nation, as in Ohio State University football lore, but these days he finds himself in the Rio Grande Valley. He met a Valley girl while living in Nashville where both he and Dina Obrego were what he called “musicnaries.” It was ministry through music as Dozer and…
David Arturo Muñoz-Matta has had a fascination with finance for years. He moved to the United States with his mom, Mariel Muñoz-Matta, at the age of 6, having no idea where that fascination would eventually take him. Muñoz-Matta would talk about stocks with his science teacher, Mike Aranda, during his years at Brown Middle School. He laughs, noting he was not a stellar student then. He preferred to study people…
Dr. Aaron Unterbrink got through 2020 and 2021 when, as a dentist, he tended to one emergency after another. Unterbrink had five dental offices at the time in Hidalgo County. His main office was in McAllen with another one in Alton and another in Donna. The frantic pace of those years and the constant medical emergencies he dealt with took a toll. It convinced Unterbrink there had to be a…
Nayelli Valdemar is a one-woman shop for now, a young mother who has aligned her personal values with a passion to run “a business I know inside out.” Only 25, with the energy of a budding entrepreneur, Valdemar embodies her motto, uno solo puede. “One can do it” is a general translation and is reflective of the work ethic demonstrated recently at her Funky Flower Shop in Mercedes, just a…
The Fun N Sun RV Resort in San Benito fits the description of a community within a community with its over 2,000 residents coming and going like a small town. The San Benito resort is one of the longest active RV parks in the Rio Grande Valley. It got its start decades ago in Harlingen near the Air Force base that would be redeveloped into the Valley International Airport. Fun…
Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda is known for making the rounds of her city and dropping in on locally-owned small businesses. In mid-January, she made such a visit to The Reading Turtle. In the mayor’s words, it’s “a cozy bookstore” and where she made a pact with her young son. “I’ve made a deal with my son,” Sepulveda wrote on her Harlingen mayor Facebook page. “Every time he completes a book,…
Tickets are now on sale for the International Museum of Art & Science’s 16th annual Night at the Brew-seum presented by Clark Chevrolet and Clark Knapp Honda taking place on April 13. This fundraiser benefits the IMAS and supports year-round art and science education in the Rio Grande Valley. The beer festival celebrates the region’s ever-growing dedication to and curiosity for the world’s oldest fermented beverage. Night at the Brew-seum…
McAllen International Airport has partnered with Volaris to announce its newest nonstop route to Cancun, Mexico. Already on sale, this new partnership will connect two key destinations for tourism and business starting on July 3 with two weekly departures (Wednesday and Saturdays). “McAllen’s newest partnership with Volaris to launch air service to a world class destination like Cancun reinforces our commitment to develop strong economic ties with Mexico and beyond,”…
Windsor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center of Raymondville recently unveiled to the public its newly remodeled skilled facility at 1700 South Expressway 77. The ceremony incorporated speeches from the administrator Joe Longoria, Regency Integrated Health Services Senior VP of Operations Matt Triplett, family members speaking highly of the facility and care provided to their loved ones, Mayor Gilbert Gonzales and Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Elma Chavez. After the ceremony, guests…
The Rio-South Texas Education and Community Development Foundation has awarded $2.4 million to eight non-profit South Texas educational and workforce development organizations. The 501(c)3 nonprofit focuses on postsecondary education and workforce development to help residents attain vocational trade certifications and/or degrees for in-demand professions, thus improving the region’s economic conditions and quality of life. Receiving funding are South Texas College, Laredo College, Workforce Solutions, TAMIU, TSTC Harlingen, Texas A&M University…