Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement has received an anonymous donation of $200,000, allowing VIDA to further its impact and continue its work in enhancing career pathways for low-income students. The anonymous donor’s generosity reflects a deep commitment to making investments in today’s students. The $200,000 donation will be instrumental in supporting VIDA’s ongoing programs and initiatives. VIDA has a long history of empowering underserved residents within our region with…
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Mohamed Sharaf’s initial business visit to the Rio Grande Valley was one of getting a feel for a region where he wanted to build and open a travel center. The concept is one of a modern-day truck stop with lots of floor space for food, snacks and beverages with extra-large bathrooms. Think Buc-ee’s with a different variation of a similar template as designed by Sharaf’s Victron Energy Corporation. One of…
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The 15th annual Texas Street Festival takes place in downtown Mercedes on Sept. 2 from 200 South Texas Ave. to 500 South Texas Ave. The free event is includes food and craft vendors, main stage with live music performers, car show, carnival rides and more.
The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced that it had selected 25 organizations to receive grants totaling $78 million to “develop professional pathways to nursing.” The list of recipients includes only one organization in Texas. It’s the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement, which is based in Mercedes. A grant of $3 million was awarded to VIDA to help train and develop more nursing professionals in the Rio Grande Valley. …
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Jason Martinez’s career in retailing was taking off in the early 2000s as the Mercedes native returned to the Rio Grande Valley with the recent opening of a Foley’s department store at La Plaza Mall. The McAllen mall went into another gear in that era after landing a big department store from a renowned regional chain with Houston roots. It was in those years that Martinez graduated with a business…
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A new Wendy’s location held its grand opening May 5 in Mercedes with the Mercedes Area Chamber of Commerce and the Development Corporation of Mercedes. The new location is at 8001 E. Expressway 83 on the northeast corner of Mile 2 E and Expressway 83. Highlighting the grand opening celebration were music, prizes, and giveaways. The first 100 dine-in customers were awarded free Wendy’s for a year. “We are thrilled…
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The view from the levee separating the 200-acre Llano Grande Resort from its 18-hole golf course is worthy of stopping for a moment to take in. It’s the expanse of what’s essentially a small town within Mercedes’ city limits. The resort has over 1,100 spaces where its 2,000-plus residents reside in homes, cottages, apartments, mobile homes and RVs. Llano Grande recently celebrated its 50th anniversary in Mercedes and is nestled…
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The development of open spaces along Expressway 83 between Pharr and Harlingen is accelerating as developers look to fill gaps and bring brand names in retailing and restaurants to smaller communities. Cities like Donna and Mercedes were formerly excluded from the Rio Grande Valley’s rapid growth of the last two decades. The same was once the case for San Juan. In the early 2000s, San Juan was a community that…
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Arturo Leon had never been to the Rio Grande Valley when he came here in 2014 to scout for a place to locate his specialized painting business. He had already been to southern California, where his father lived after relocating from Mexico. Warehouse space there was hard to find and what was available didn’t meet his needs. Visiting the Valley, Leon liked the cultural fit and immediate proximity to Mexico.…
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As a child, Kendra Chyann Hernandez tried to negotiate with the tooth fairy for an increase in the rate paid for what was placed under her pillow. Kendra left a handwritten note, saying the teeth she was offering were worth more than $2. She asked for a raise to $4. Her mother, Josie Ann Hernandez, smiles at the memory. She calls up an old photo of the note on her…
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