The Gladys Porter Zoo is refreshing itself with new exhibits and property acquisitions that will meet the standards of national accreditors as the facility overhauls and redesigns its presentations. The Brownsville zoo opened in 1971 and had begun to show its age in recent years. Space restrictions were addressed in late 2024 when Brownsville city government and the zoo entered into an agreement with the local school district to acquire…
The father of the Port of Brownsville journeyed from a distant land to South Texas in the early 1900s and began championing the audacious goal of building a deepwater port along the U.S/Mexico border. Louis Cobolini immigrated from Italy to Galveston in the mid-1860s after being part of failed efforts to gain Italian independence from the Austrian Empire. In his early 20s, Cobolini, like millions of immigrants through the ages,…
The Brownsville Public Utilities Board invites the community to its Big Public Utilities Bash on Oct. 2, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 1425 Robinhood Drive. The free family event, held in recognition of Public Power Month, will give residents a chance to meet the employees who keep our community’s essential services running, explore the trucks and equipment used by crews, and take part in hands-on activities. Guests can also…
Saronic Technologies will begin construction later this year of a $3.2 billion next-generation shipyard at the Port of Brownsville. The 835-acre facility – which is to be named Port Alpha – will build autonomous maritime vessels and is expected to create up to 10,000 direct jobs over the next 10 years. The shipyard site in Brownsville has the potential to expand to 4,400 acres as it ramps up the manufacturing…
The outdoor college graduations that became hallmarks of community life in Brownsville ended abruptly in late 2024. Brownsville Mayor John Cowen was not pleased when learning that UTRGV was moving all graduation ceremonies – including those of its Brownsville-based students – to Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg. What made it worse for the mayor was that he first heard of the move as “a rumor prior to the official announcement,”…
The corporate jets lined up tip-tip on a Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport runway after SpaceX filed the legal paperwork to begin the transition to becoming a publicly traded company. Investors from around the world flew into Brownsville in April as they traveled to SpaceX’s nearby Starbase to assess the company’s business model and growth plans. The Brownsville airport has grown accustomed to this sort of business travel since…
Valley Regional Medical Center has been recognized as a top performing hospital in the 2026 Modern Healthcare 100 Top Hospitals program powered by Premier. “We are extremely proud of and grateful to our colleagues and clinicians on our medical staff whose dedication made this achievement possible,” said Joe Hernandez, CEO of Valley Regional Medical Center. “Our commitment to best practices helps us deliver high-quality care with our patients at the…
Brownsville is celebrating a succession of big announcements and developments that are powering a thriving local economy – and the city’s mayor says there’s more big news on the way. At a recent State of the City address, Mayor John Cowen said another “multi-billion-dollar investment” at the Port of Brownsville will soon be confirmed and made public. It would add to the recent announcement of a new refinery being built…
RGV Startup Week has announced its lineup, featuring six flagship programs scheduled across the week of April 24 through May 2, with events hosted in Brownsville and partner cities throughout the Rio Grande Valley. More premiere events will be announced. In addition, dozens of panels, workshops, networking sessions, and community-driven programming will be held throughout the week across Brownsville and partner cities. Keynote: Ramón Soler Mallet, Commercial Director of Dr.…
Joey Lopez took office in 2019 as Cameron County’s Precinct 2 commissioner. He took office with $500,000 for park development as made available from a successful 2012 bond vote. The funds, Lopez said, were just sitting there and not being utilized in his northwest county precinct. Lopez began scouting for landowners who could donate tracts of land to the county for park development. The county commissioner set his focus on…