Category Archives: News

De Hoyos Becomes McAllen ISD Acting Superintendent

e-Brief Features Education News Comments
Rosalba De Hoyos

Last week, McAllen ISD‘s Board of Trustees unanimously selected longtime educator Rosalba De Hoyos as the acting superintendent of Schools at a Special Meeting. Outgoing Superintendent J.A. Gonzalez made the recommendation.  “She has done a phenomenal job,” Gonzalez said. “She’s a tremendous educator. I have all the confidence in the world of her.” During her 29-year career, De Hoyos has served as a teacher (both elementary and secondary), counselor, dean…

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IMAS Invites McAllen Residents To Back To School Bash

Arts Community Events e-Brief Features Featured News Comments
IMAS Educator Edgar Cortez gives a Science on a Sphere presentation to McAllen ISD students.

The International Museum of Art & Science and McAllen Public Utility host the Back to School Bash on Aug. 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The immersive event celebrates the new school year with a fusion of art, science and community engagement, and will feature a wide range of activities and community partner booths for attendees of all ages. In addition to the engaging activities, the Back to School…

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STC First In Nation To Offer RN Apprenticeship

Education Featured News Comments
STC RN Apprenticeship Program Announcement

In a historic moment for South Texas College, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship, in collaboration with the Texas Workforce Commission, recently announced that the college is the first in the nation to be approved to implement a newly formed Registered Apprenticeship Program in the occupation of Registered Nurse. “This heralds a new era in nursing education and solidifies STC’s standing as a state and national leader in…

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UTRGV/San Benito Link Boosts Growth

Community News Comments
Ramiro Aleman has worked since late 2022 to promote San Benito's central county location as the city's EDC executive director.

Aracely Salinas’ medical uniforms business in San Benito has done well for itself over the last five years, getting established and now hitting a marker where it needs a boost. The San Benito Economic Development Corporation is helping with that aspiration. Salinas is one of 10 participants in a Kauffman FastTrac program, an intensive seven-week course taught by UTRGV instructors at the EDC offices. It’s a nationally acclaimed program that…

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Electrician Program Fills Industry Needs

Education News Comments
STC's electrician technology program has seen steady growth over the last 20 years. (Courtesy)

In 2006, Daniel Sanchez was an aspiring student working his way through South Texas College’s emerging electrician technology program.  There were only about 20 students in the program back then with eight courses and two instructors. Flash forward to the present where Sanchez today is an instructor and program coordinator with more than 100 students enrolled at the McAllen tech campus and branches in Weslaco and Rio Grande City.  The…

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Restaurateurs Build New Brand Across RGV

Food & Entertainment News Comments
Lotzapan has opened four Schlotzsky's restaurants in the Rio Grande Valley in recent years as it establishes the brand across the region.

Laurie and Robert Lozano met at a Dairy Queen in what would be the beginning of a personal relationship and one that led to the world of business. They were fellow DQ employees in Premont, a little town along U.S. Highway 281, heading north to Alice from Falfurrias. At the time, Laurie was one of the younger DQ managers in the venerable ice cream-and-hamburger restaurant chain. Years later, and now…

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Grant Addresses RGV’s Nursing Shortage

Education Healthcare News Comments
Members of the VIDA team display a symbolic $3 million check representing the organization’s Nursing Expansion Grant Award from the U.S. Department of Labor. (Courtesy)

The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced that it had selected 25 organizations to receive grants totaling $78 million to “develop professional pathways to nursing.”  The list of recipients includes only one organization in Texas. It’s the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement, which is based in Mercedes. A grant of $3 million was awarded to VIDA to help train and develop more nursing professionals in the Rio Grande Valley. …

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McAllen Branches Out With New Trees

Community Featured News Comments
Planting seedlings has become a community event and cause in McAllen. (Courtesy)

The grouping of trees bunched on the frontage road of Bicentennial Boulevard and Expressway 83 are just above sapling size and draw little attention from motorists buzzing by on a busy McAllen intersection. But there they are, breaking up the concrete and urban life of a growing city. They add greenery with the benefits of a sound barrier and deep roots that will absorb stormwater when heavy rains come. McAllen’s…

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BIH Project at Port of Brownsville Gets a Boost

Featured Manufacturing/Industrial News Comments

The Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project continues to move forward, as Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation recently announced the receipt of Notice to Proceed to perform essential improvements to the Brownsville ship channel for NextDecade Corporation’s Rio Grande LNG project at the Port of Brownsville. Great Lakes will commence Phase 1 of the project later this year. The historic BIH project will deepen the 17-mile-long Brownsville ship channel…

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City Of McAllen Launches Ask McAllen

Community Government News Comments
Ask McAllen

The City of McAllen now has a new customer service platform, Ask McAllen. The additional customer service tool includes a text message feature and an accessible web chat assistant on the City of McAllen’s website. This new feature is part of the City of McAllen’s well established 3-1-1 Customer Service Call Center and its mobile app. To start a conversation via text message, text the word “Hello” to MC311 (62311).…

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