Tag Archives: Jim Darling

Inaugural Monterrey Flight Takes Off From MFE

On April 22, the McAllen International Airport celebrated Aeromar’s inaugural international nonstop flights to and from Monterrey International Airport (MTY). The new nonstop route is the Rio Grande Valley’s very first to Monterrey. “The relationship between our communities is vital and will only flourish with our new nonstop flight,” said McAllen Mayor Jim Darling. “Our airport is leading the region in creating these connections. We are grateful for our partnership with…

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City of McAllen Named a Safest U.S. City

McAllen Convention Center (photo City of McAllen)

McAllen has once again received recognition for being a safe city nationally. SmartAsset.com’s recent rankings of the Safest Cities in the United States puts McAllen at nine. McAllen was also part of the rankings in 2019, coming in at 10. The financial planning website looks at data from 200 of the largest cities across five metrics. These include violent crime, property crime, vehicular mortality rate, drug poisoning mortality rate and…

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Time for the Great American Clean-Up

Keep McAllen Beautiful is spring cleaning the city of McAllen with its annual Great American Clean-Up and Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off. KMB is asking interested individuals to gather their favorite people and create a small group of up to do a litter clean-up around town April 5 through May 1. The Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off is April 17, part of the Great American Clean-up. “Put on your cleaning shoes…

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2020 Brings Changes To Business Recruiting

EDC officials are hoping to utilize the USMCA to spur new growth in border trade such as operations at the McAllen Foreign Trade Zone. (Courtesy)

The handshake, lunch meetings and traveling where necessary to meet promising prospects are all part of what makes economic development successful. In 2020, some of those elements have been put to the side. It has been a challenge to deal with for economic development professionals. The same is so for the business world they connect with daily. The trips to a company’s headquarters have been replaced with Zoom calls. Longer…

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Efforts To Fully Open Bridges Fall Short 

Vehicular and pedestrian traffic across the Progreso International Bridge and other spans has been limited in 2020.

McAllen Mayor Jim Darling recently made a suggestion in advocating for fully reopening international bridges. The border, he said, could have a temporary move to the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias. Darling made the suggestion somewhat in jest and out of frustration that he and other Rio Grande Valley leaders have been unable to open the crossings to non-essential travel. “It didn’t go over too well with some folks,”…

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National Magazine Touts McAllen’s Quality Of Life

The city of McAllen has hike-and-bike trails throughout the community.

Jim Darling first came to McAllen and the Rio Grande Valley in 1977. The freshly minted graduate of the Baylor Law School who was looking for something new. “I saw the palm trees and felt the warm weather, and thought, ‘I think I want to stay here,’” said Darling, a native of Rochester, NY. Stay Darling did, serving 28 years as McAllen’s city attorney. Many of those years, he was…

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Anzalduas International Bridge Inaugurates New Lanes

Anzalduas International Bridge lane opening

On Oct. 29, the McAllen Bridge System officially inaugurated additional northbound lanes at Anzalduas International Bridge Port of Entry. Aiding were federal, state and local stakeholders. The newly constructed lanes are part of improvements to increase northbound vehicular traffic at the bridge. The total construction cost for the improvement was $2,867,922. “Our international ports of entry are extremely important to our local and state economies, said Texas Senator Juan “Chuy”…

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McAllen Named Best in U.S. for Home-Based Business

homees

JustBusiness.com, a website which aims to help new business owners make informed decisions, says McAllen is the best city in the United States for starting a home-based business. According to the site’s study, McAllen’s high ranking takes into account low home prices and a low effective media income tax rate. Texas’s low cost of doing business in the state was an additional reason, which includes McAllen’s limited liability corporation filing…

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McAllen Ranks in Top for Quality of Life

McAllen Convention Center (photo McAllen.net/City of McAllen)

McAllen now ranks third in the nation for Best Places to Live for Quality of Life in the U.S. in 2020-2021 by U.S. News & World Report. The ranking reflects resident satisfaction with their daily lives by metro area. U.S. News analyzed 150 metro areas’ quality of life, job market, value of living and people’s desire to live there. “This ranking is no surprise to anyone who lives in our…

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McAllen Hosts 2020 Juneteenth Observation

Juneteenth

McAllen Juneteenth celebrations and events will begin June 13 and run until June 19. Events on the schedule include clean-up events, cultural arts and book displays, and a documentary and screening. This year’s celebration theme is “Perfecting Unity.” Juneteenth is the oldest national commemoration of the abolition of slavery in the United States. The celebration is state holiday or special day of observance in 45 states, including Texas, every June…

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