Category Archives: News

We Need Emotionally Intelligent Leaders

It was well established in the literature that leaders who had the ability to inspire, motivate and intellectually stimulate followers saw positive organizational outcomes such as increased job satisfaction, high employee morale, lower turnover rates and more employee motivation. However, there is emerging research that suggests transformational leadership is not always the best way to lead. In fact, there are a handful of studies that found that the use of…

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SPI Restaurant ‘Off Beaten Path’ Thriving

The hula chicken sandwich with a grilled slice of pineapple reflects the years Lobo Del Mar's owners spent in Hawaii.

Ben Little describes his South Padre Island restaurant as being “a bit off the beaten path,” on the bay side a block off Padre Boulevard. Lobo Del Mar Café is on Palm Street at a spot adjacent to where the road ends before getting to the Laguna Madre. A recent visit to the restaurant on a late January weekday morning was busy, even during an off-season winter month when tourist…

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EDC Building Team To Match City’s Growth

Raudel Garza, left, is using his experience in economic development to build a team in Edinburg that can effectively promote the city. (Courtesy)

Raudel Garza’s first year as executive director of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has been “100 mph from day one.” Garza is hardly complaining in making that assessment with Edinburg. The city is growing at such a rapid clip, he said, and bringing with it “lots of opportunities and challenges.” For an economic development specialist, it’s a fertile field to grow jobs and recruit new industries while nurturing small businesses…

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Pharr Police Department See Decrease in Crime Rates

police, crime

Chief Juan Gonzalez of the Pharr Police Department announced a reduction in the city’s crime rates based on the Uniform Crime Reporting system. Gonzalez recently presented statistics outlining the positive trend in crime reduction. Key statistics are: 2020 Crime Rate: 19.6 percent 2021 Crime Rate: 18.9 percent 2022 Crime Rate: 17.9 percent Gonzalez emphasized the department’s consistent success in steadily decreasing the crime rate by approximately one percent annually over…

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McAllen ISD Offering Free Pre-K to All 4 Year Olds

Pre-K

McAllen ISD is set to welcome all 4-year-old children to Pre-Kindergarten next year. Pre-Kinder is the way to establish a foundation to a child’s education and now all children can participate at no cost. In the past, certain criteria applied for students to qualify for Pre-Kinder or parents had to pay tuition, but now, the program is free to all children who meet the age requirement. “Our world-class Pre-Kinder program…

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VITA Tax Preparation Services to Begin at STC

Cynthia Sanchez, left, assists volunteers recently at a VITA training. (photo STC)

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program returns on Jan. 29 to South Texas College to help taxpayers process their returns ahead of the filing deadline of April 15. VITA offices at STC will be at the college’s Pecan and Mid-Valley campuses. Both locations will service the community for a six-week period until March 6 (Mid-Valley) and March 7 (Pecan). The Mid-Valley campus office will be open on Mondays from 9…

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Celebrate the Year of the Dragon at IMAS

Guests participating in the fan painting activity at the Lunar New Year Festival at IMAS. (Courtesy)

The International Museum of Art & Science invites the public to the 12th annual Lunar New Year Festival on Jan. 27, celebrating the Year of the Dragon. The day-long event features traditional Chinese, Korean and Taiwanese crafts, games and more. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., patrons can discover the art of calligraphy, create a dragon puppet, and enjoy local eateries Snow Bite, Ulike Tea and Han’s Katsuya. Paper fan…

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VIDA Aids Student & Ultimately Local Community

Eleazar Olivarez

Eleazar Olivarez first heard about the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement when he was still in high school in Mission. At the time, his mom was enrolled as a nursing student. She heard about VIDA and told her son about it. Nearly 30 years ago, Valley Interfaith joined forces with a group of Valley business leaders who recognized the critical need to serve underserved residents of the region. They…

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Fiesta Edinburg Returns Feb. 29

Fiesta Edinburg

The 55th annual Fiesta Edinburg takes place Feb. 29 to March 3 at Bert Ogden Arena, celebrating the vibrant spirit of the City of Edinburg. Put on by the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce, the event features live entertainment, food, diverse vendors and the Heart of America Carnival. The chamber is currently seeking sponsors, vendors and exhibitors for the family-oriented festival. Sponsor support will contribute to the success of Fiesta Edinburg…

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McAllen in Top 10 of Most Affordable Cities

McAllen 2040 Comprehensive Plan

For working adults looking to navigate rising costs and fight the stress of inflation, financial services company Empower set out to find the most affordable U.S. cities. To create its rankings, it analyzed 113 U.S. cities across multiple categories, including data on home prices, average income, cost of living and employment rates. It also asked 800 working adults about what they look for in a city and where they want…

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