The McAllen Independent School District is the home of the Regional Day School Program for The Deaf and has long played a key role in the education of hard-of-hearing students. The McAllen program got its start in 1979 as the Regional School for the Deaf. An Easter Seals donation came to the program in the form of an audiometric booth for conducting student audiological examinations. On March 24, McAllen’s regional…
The development of open spaces along Expressway 83 between Pharr and Harlingen is accelerating as developers look to fill gaps and bring brand names in retailing and restaurants to smaller communities. Cities like Donna and Mercedes were formerly excluded from the Rio Grande Valley’s rapid growth of the last two decades. The same was once the case for San Juan. In the early 2000s, San Juan was a community that…
Anna Gomez and Deborah Rios were the best of friends before deciding to become business partners. Friendship and business don’t always mix but this is a partnership that works. Gomez is a banker by profession and manages a branch bank in north McAllen. Rios is a teacher in Edinburg who co-owns a business with her husband. They had previously bandied about the idea of someday going into business together. For…
Eduardo Campirano has been the chief executive officer at the Port of Brownsville for 16 years. For the majority of those years, one grand project has rattled around as a possibility during his administration. He recalled that 12 years ago, the earliest discussions began of a liquefied natural gas plant at the port. What began as both a distant dream and remote possibility has evolved over the years to one…
Brownsville’s band of brewery brothers is inching closer to opening the city’s first soup-to-nuts craft beer business. The Pluton Brewery Company is nearing completion of its 5,280-square-foot building on 805 E. Elizabeth in the city’s downtown. It’s a long time coming for Daniel Arizpe and Joey Martinez along with their partners and team of employees. They are taking their dream from making beer in the garage of a west Brownsville…
When Donna Jo Pena applied to Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement in late 2021, it wasn’t déjà vu that came over her. Rather, she experienced actual memories from 2004-2005 when VIDA played a significant role in helping her become a licensed vocational nurse. VIDA, a nonprofit organization serving the Rio Grande Valley for over 25 years, provides financial assistance and support services, removing the barriers that often prevent Valley…
Texas has set new records in March 2023 with the largest civilian labor force and greatest number of people employed in state history. The seasonally adjusted civilian labor force increased by 78,800 to reach a series-high 14,898,100 people. The unemployment rate also held steady at four percent. Texas added 28,600 positions to reach another series-high job count at 13,839,200 total nonfarm jobs. Since March 2022, 575,100 positions have been added.…
The City Nature Challenge is back for the eighth year, inviting Texans to explore nature in their immediate surroundings. The friendly community competition takes places April 28 – May 1 among 15 Texas metropolitan areas, including the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The program is the product of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department through the Texas Nature Trackers program, encouraging people to explore outside their front doors, in their yard or…
Love’s Travel Stops is now serving customers in Harlingen with a new location that opened on April 20. The location along I-69E at exit 30 adds 50 jobs and 62 truck parking spaces to Cameron County. On the same day, the chain opened a location in Mansfield, La. “In adding a 19th location in Louisiana, and a 79th in Texas, Love’s is strengthening our commitment to bringing Highway Hospitality to…
Nearly 200 workforce leaders and educators from across the state recently gathered for South Texas College’s second annual Workforce Summit. The event provided attendees an understanding of how STC is impacting the region and its workforce while also serving as a chance to engage the community and seek input on current workforce needs. “The future of tomorrow is here today,” said STC President Ricardo J. Solis. “We are the college…