The first launch of SpaceX’s Starship off Boca Chica Beach was spectacular even as it fell short of its goals and ultimately blew to pieces over the Gulf of Mexico. Some of the debris from the sky and launch pad would fall and settle over Port Isabel, causing consternation there to go with stern words from the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency said it would review safety and public health…
The chief executive officer of a major San Antonio development company referred to Weslaco in late 2021 as a “community that has been underserved.” Craig Garansuay offered that description during a Weslaco City Hall meeting as local leaders were making their pitch to business interests gathered to learn more about the community. Weslaco at the time was seeing its first signs of new retail and housing construction growth coming out…
From bean to bar, there can be no rushing the in-between at Hidalgo’s Mozna Chocolate factory. Rosario Matulewicz and her team work meticulously at their craft in what was once a meat market. Today, large sacks of cacao beans from around the world stand near a grinder that whirls around the clock. It’s a days-long process. The beans will soon form into a thick batter-like substance to temper and mold…
Andrew Crowe enjoyed his first craft beer at Roosevelt’s at 7 on Main Street in McAllen. Crowe was a home brewer and envisioned partnering with a friend to someday open his own brewery. It could be a place where family and friends could gather. Crowe’s friend changed course and became a firefighter while Crowe went on to work at Roosevelt’s. He would eventually decide to apply for a two-year brewing…
There was always one skill Ryan Henry had in his back pocket as he saw his journalism fade like a setting sun in one of his paintings. The Rio Grande Valley-area newspapers that Henry so capably served for over two decades have clearly seen their better days. There was no lessening of his own interests and commitment to newspapering, but Henry grew tired of years-long struggles as an editor in…
VBR is featuring a series of Q&A articles from SCORE, a nonprofit organization that fosters vibrant small business communities through mentoring and educational workshops. It features a large network of volunteer business mentors who help small businesses plan, launch, manage and grow their projects and ideas. In this Q&A, insights are offered on buying a business. Q: What do I need to know when buying a business? A: The most…
Catch a wave or make a splash — oh how we enjoy our beautiful beaches and the cool, refreshing water of a backyard pool. Luckily, South Padre Island has both! Summer fun does come with precautions. We parents and grandparents are eyes and ears wide open to ALWAYS know where the little ones are at all times. It’s that time of the year we warn the kids to not venture…
Ramiro Aleman picked up on a key element missing in San Benito when he was recently named executive director of the city’s economic development corporation. “There was no presence of UTRGV in San Benito,” Aleman recalled thinking when starting his new job last fall. “How can we change that?” On March 30, Aleman and his board welcomed UTRGV’s Office of Workforce and Economic Development to San Benito. The start of…
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is recognizing the very best in American small business. Beginning this year, its newly reimagined America’s Top Small Business Awards (formerly Dream Big Awards) will honor the achievements of small businesses and highlight their contributions to America’s economic growth. The winner of America’s Top Small Business 2023 will receive national recognition and a $25,000 cash prize. Additional non-cash prizes, including prizes for finalists, are online. To…
The community partnership between the UTRGV School of Medicine, UT Health RGV and Hidalgo County Precinct 4 hosted a ribbon-cutting last week for the new UT Health RGV AHEC Primary Care Annex Building. The new annex clinic will open its door to patients on May 30, increasing availability for primary healthcare for the underserved San Carlos community. ‘Extremely Successful’ Six years ago, in 2018, the Hidalgo County Precinct 4 and the…