Category Archives: News

UTRGV School of Medicine Award To Expand Cancer Research

Education Healthcare News Comments
Wayne Roberts, CEO of Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, and Dr. Michael B. Hocker, dean of the UTRGV School of Medicine. (photo Paul Chouy, UTRGV)

UTRGV and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas recently gathered in McAllen with community leaders and key legislators to celebrate a five-year, $6-million award from CPRIT to the university’s South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research. The ST-CECR grant is the first of its kind and amount for the academic medical institution and the border community, and is part of CPRIT’s Texas Regional Excellence and Cancer Award…

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TWC Accepting JET Grant Applications

Education Featured News Comments

The Texas Workforce Commission is accepting applications through March 14 for the Jobs and Education for Texans grant program. The JET program provides funding for equipment to eligible educational institutions for the purpose of developing career and technical education courses leading to a license, certificate or post-secondary degree. Funding may go to courses offering dual-credit and technical education programs. Grants are available for public junior, state and technical colleges; Texas…

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STC Launches Corrections Academy This Summer

e-Brief Features Education Featured Government News Comments
The County Corrections Academy will begin this summer at the Regional Center of Public Safety Excellence in Pharr.

To tackle a never-ending shortage of correctional officers in the state, South Texas College is getting ready to launch one of its newest programs – the County Corrections Academy. The program will begin this summer, expanding on the Public Safety program offerings at the Regional Center of Public Safety Excellence in Pharr. “County correction officers must be licensed through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, our program is designed to…

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McAllen International Airport Awarded $1.98 Million

e-Brief Features News Transportation & Travel Comments
McAllen International Airport

The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded McAllen International Airport $1.98 million for HVAC and lighting improvement. The funds come via  the $5-billion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, providing grants for airport terminal development projects for improvements aimed at addressing the aging infrastructure of the nation’s airports. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants fund safe, sustainable, and accessible airport terminals, on-airport rail access projects, and airport-owned airport traffic control towers. “The federal funding we received…

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South Texas All Hazards Conference Coming March 22-23

e-Brief Features Events News Comments
South Texas All Hazards Conference

The ninth annual South Texas All Hazards Conference takes place March 22-23 at the McAllen Performing Arts Center and McAllen Convention Center.  As the second largest training conference of its kind in Texas, STAHC and is the only conference offered at no charge to invited participants. Organizers expect more than 3,000 individuals from public health, public safety, public works, incident and emergency management, law enforcement, and educational institutions to attend.…

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Counselor Takes ‘Leap Of Faith’ To Help Others

News Professional Services Comments
Christina Vasquez has utilized her years of experience as a school counselor to establish her own counseling and consulting company in Weslaco.

Christina Vasquez in her 15-plus years of being a school counselor believed in getting out of the office.  “Be visible, be out there,” Vasquez said, recalling how she greeted students in school hallways. “I always felt that it was important to be out there and to have that visibility with the kids.” Vasquez was initially a teacher before settling into working as a counselor for students at every grade level…

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Disability Chamber Advocates For Opportunities

Community News Comments
Evelyn Cano, co-founder and president of the Disability Chamber of Commerce – RGV, shares important resources available for employers.

The Edinburg Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a lunch-time workshop with a focus on diversifying workforces in recruiting people with disabilities. Evelyn Cano co-founded the Disability Chamber of Commerce-RGV. She serves as the nonprofit organization’s president and presented the Jan. 19 workshop. She also serves on the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities. The governor appoints all 12 members with at least seven board members being persons with disabilities.…

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Therapists Recover & Heal At SPI

News Professional Services Comments
Beach resorts are one place Pippa Brooks goes to give her clients massage therapy. (Courtesy)

South Padre Island with its soothing feel and leisurely coastal vibe is as good a place as any to start over again. It has been that and more for two massage therapists who came to the Island years ago after divorces required them to start anew. Pippa Brooks tells of coming to South Padre in 2008 with nothing. Fellow therapist Mina Amesquita recalls getting to SPI “with $60 in my…

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Entrepreneur Goes ‘Savage Not Average’

Food & Entertainment News Comments
The variety of hot dogs at Qweenie are "savage not average."

Kimberly Avila had a college degree in hand, a bachelors in cognitive psychology, and worked in law offices and as a car sales manager among a variety of jobs tried. Nothing in those employment fields, or others she could think of, felt or sounded fulfilling. Avila then decided to go way outside of her comfort zone and venture into something her parents warned had little chance of being successful. Avila…

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Volunteer Firefighting Endures In RGV

Community News Comments
The fire department of Los Fresnos is staffed by 35 volunteer firefighters. (Courtesy)

The Los Fresnos Volunteer Fire Department is celebrating its 75th anniversary of serving southern Cameron County and one constant has defined it through the years. The department is manned by volunteer firefighters. It is, in fact, an all-volunteer force, the only one of its kind in the Rio Grande Valley. The department is unique in another way as well in that it is not part of a city government. The…

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