People across the Rio Grande Valley came out in full force 22 years ago to support Monica Montanaro, a senior at McAllen Memorial High School. Monica was fighting osteosarcoma (bone cancer). A group of Monica’s classmates became known as Monica’s Angels when they worked with Rosemary Treviño, a local angel-pin designer, to create a “Monica” angel. People lined up on Dec. 18, 1998, Monica’s 18th birthday, for the first Monica’s…
Mariana Linaldi-Rodriguez makes weekly runs to the Valley International Airport in Harlingen to pick up flowers. If she can’t get there, her husband Rodrigo does, or maybe an employee of their Southern Roots Flower Market makes the run for them. Flowers are coming in from Ecuador via Miami. They need to be fresh and ready to fill up the marketplace room at the Rodriguez’s floral business in McAllen. It’s not…
Victor Rodriguez and Sally Fraustro-Guerra are the McAllen Chamber of Commerce’s Man and Woman of the Year. The two will receive honors in 2021 at the chamber’s annual banquet. Fraustro-Guerra is a McAllen native, graduating from McAllen High School and The University of Texas-Pan American. She is a real estate broker at Coldwell Banker La Mansion, serving in that role for more than 20 years. She is also the owner/publisher of…
Today, SBA’s Lower Rio Grande Valley District honored the 2020 District Small Business Week awardees for six small business categories. The virtual ceremony is part of National Small Business Week going on now through Sept. 24. Michelle and Danny Quiroz of Reserva Coffee Roasters were named the district’s Small Business Persons of the Year. Both previously had successful careers working for large companies. However, Michelle’s passion for coffee drove their…
A produce distribution drive-through takes place Sept. 10 to provide free fruits and vegetables to veterans. The event is made possible via a partnership between VA Texas Valley Costal Bend Health Care System and the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley. Food insecurity is a serious issue affecting many Americans either daily or at the end of the month when financial resources are exhausted. Food insecurity is especially prevalent…
Karla Ugarte and Juan Palma were coming off nine solid months of new business success when they reached for more in opening their second Keto Sweets & Treats. The husband-and-wife team were building from solid ground with the customer and revenue gains from their Alamo bakery along Expressway 77/83. Moving into the bigger McAllen market with a location near the always busy intersection of 10th Street and Trenton Road was…
Every year, the McAllen Chamber of Commerce selects two volunteers to be McAllen’s Man and Woman of the Year. Nominations are now being accepted with a deadline for submission of Sept. 30. “Our community is currently going through a time where we must do things differently,” reads a release from the chamber. “But we do not want the people who have continued to make McAllen their priority and have made…
On April 24, 2020, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope celebrated the 30th anniversary of its launch aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. In honor of that occasion, a new Hubble image called “Cosmic Reef” was released virtually and will be on display at the International Museum of Art & Science beginning Aug. 7. The IMAS is one of 74 locations across the nation to unveil the Hubble 30th anniversary photo to the…
South Texas College’s enrollment centers at Starr, Mid Valley and Pecan campuses are open on all Saturdays throughout August to help students with registration for the fall semester. Both enrollment centers and financial aid areas will be open for students by appointment only. Students can sign up for an appointment online, or by downloading the Qless app and searching for South Texas College. Enrollment centers will be open from 10…
MPLKids Book Bundles is a new curbside delivery service for children ages from birth to 10 years old. Parents and caregivers can now choose a curated book pack from a variety of themes based on their child’s age. The new service is available during the hours of Curbside Pick-Up at the McAllen Public Library, 4001 North 23rd Street. “MPLKids Book Bundles is a new and innovative way to provide customized services…