Ed Dramberger’s goal was to travel the world. Fifteen years ago, he started the business Destination Dr., a global consulting firm serving the travel industry, that has let him do just that. During November he is working in Stockholm and London but is back home in Brownsville for Thanksgiving. The past few months have taken the Destination Dr. to Vietnam, Galveston, China, India, Denver and Jacksonville, Fla. In 10 years,…
Some of Rodney McClanahan’s best days as a youth were spent at a mechanic’s shop in west Brownsville on the Military Highway. It was from the ages of 5 through 12 that McClanahan shadowed his father, whom he described as being a “big buff dude,” as his dad repaired and tinkered with cars at Rodney’s Garage. The big Rodney would introduce his namesake to another passion – lifting weights –…
One of three liquified natural gas facilities proposed for the Port of Brownsville has cleared another regulatory hurdle that keeps the project on track for the company to make a final investment decision in about a year. NextDecade Corp. has announced that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued a draft environmental impact statement for its Rio Grande LNG project, as well as the associated Rio Bravo Pipeline. “We appreciate…
Although the city of San Benito bills itself as the Resaca City due to the waterway that meanders through the town, there are other parts of Cameron County that boast the historic channels cut into the landscape by the Rio Grande over the centuries, among them the Brownsville, Rancho Viejo, Los Fresnos and Bayview areas. A resaca is an old river channel created by floods that carved out the Rio…
The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation is accepting applications for its Partnership Grant. The grant is awarded to 501(c)3 organizations with projects that will significantly impact the city’s sales tax revenues. This includes events, activities and campaigns taking place from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2019. The Partnership Grants is the replacement for the Promotion & Community Events Grant. This grant provided supplemental funding for marketing expenditures towards community events, campaigns or…
Incoming Brownsville Chamber of Commerce Board Chairwoman Monica Garza welcomed an energetic crowd Oct. 18 to the Brownsville Events Center for the annual Leadership Luncheon. The event honors outgoing chamber board officers and incoming board officers. Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez also spoke to the crowd on leadership. “A leader is well prepared, relentless in pursuit and emotionally stable (takes the drama out of decisions), while also possessing good character and…
Construction of the first of two containerships is underway at the Port of Brownsville. On Sept. 25, Keppel AmFELS cut the first steel plates for the M/V George III, one of two ‘Ohana Class vessels the Brownsville-based company is building for the Pasha Hawaii fleet. This fleet provides service to the Hawaii/Mainland trade lane. Once built, the new 774-foot U.S. Jones Act vessels will carry 2,525 TEUs, with a sailing speed…
Rio Grande LNG recently announced a major milestone that puts the project on track to receive federal authorization in July 2019 to proceed with construction. This timing is based on the Notice of Schedule released Aug. 31 by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The federal agency reviews and permits all liquefied natural gas projects in the United States. This Notice of Schedule sets the dates for the final steps leading…
Downtown Brownsville is a happening place again. The once thriving central business district is undergoing a major transformation, and much of the credit is going to the city’s leadership and to the progressive vision of some of its residents. Brownsville’s downtown used to be a place bustling with people shopping for a variety of merchandise, ranging from fashionable clothes to ropa usada to household goods to furniture to gadgets of…
From the moment people walked into the Brownsville Event Center for the Business to Botana Expo on Sept. 19, they were surrounded by the sights and smells this event was showcasing. There was no shortage of food booths with everything ranging from Taco Palenque to Bara Exotic Food to Vita Zumo. Free to the public, this popular event drew crowds of all ages. Babies in strollers ate pieces of fruit…