Elma Chavez was in the midst of a busy work day and reflecting on the one before as a self-described “one-man show” at the Raymondville Chamber of Commerce. It has been about two years since Chavez was called back from the private sector to revive a chamber that had lay dormant since 2020. She knew what she had to do. A previous tenure as executive director of the Raymondville Chamber…
The 900-foot-high KGBT tower just south of La Feria does more than just transmit television signals. The long-standing tower is held upright by high-tensioned guy wires and is visible for several miles in a wide radius around La Feria. At about 200 feet up, the KGBT tower houses a row of tile-looking squares that are providing what executives of VTX1 Companies call “the next generation of fixed wireless” Internet service.…
Windsor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center of Raymondville recently unveiled to the public its newly remodeled skilled facility at 1700 South Expressway 77. The ceremony incorporated speeches from the administrator Joe Longoria, Regency Integrated Health Services Senior VP of Operations Matt Triplett, family members speaking highly of the facility and care provided to their loved ones, Mayor Gilbert Gonzales and Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Elma Chavez. After the ceremony, guests…
A city without a chamber of commerce isn’t whole. In Raymondville, that essential piece was missing before a long-standing community leader returned to revive a dormant organization. Elma Chavez was running her own business in Raymondville when city leaders approached her early this year. Their suggestion was more of a plea. She had retired five years prior from her post as executive director of the Raymondville Chamber. The community needed…
The South Texas Chile Co. is on a dual-track mission that sets it apart from other Rio Grande Valley nurseries. The first goal is to grow all the chiles, “from jalapeno to the wild chiles like chile de monte,” as the nursery’s website states. The Raymondville nursery does offer more standard plant choices such as cucumbers and beans, but it has set out to be the chile specialty nursery of…
This month marks 20 years for the Texas Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program, taking place Feb. 18-27. Texas coastal waters will close to crabbing with wire mesh crab traps to facilitate the annual volunteer crab trap cleanup. Any traps left in bays — including traps tied to docks — will be assumed abandoned and considered “litter” under state law. This allows volunteers to legally remove any crab traps they find.…
VTX1 Companies has acquired TISD Inc., a wireless internet service provider headquartered in Victoria, Texas. TISD’s service area consists of more than 3,000 square miles with a subscriber base of 9,900 customers. The acquisition increases VTX1’s existing subscriber count to approximately 34,000 subscribers in the South Texas Region. This elevates them to become one of the largest independently-owned internet service providers in Texas. “TISD is happy and excited to be…
VTX1 Companies is extending broadband services to more than 100 units with the Willacy County Housing Authority. The $100,000-plus investment by VTX1 is a major plus for housing residents who work from home, students who need the services for homework, and senior citizens who need to connect to healthcare providers. Jaime Serna, the executive director of the housing authority, praised VTX1 for its service to the community. “We are excited…
Due to the unprecedented winter weather impacting the state, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is asking volunteers in the annual volunteer crab trap cleanup to wait until Feb. 22 before removing any traps with buoys from the open water. Texas coastal waters will close to crabbing with wire mesh crab traps for 10 consecutive days beginning Feb. 19. The annual closure facilitates the removal of abandoned crab traps from Texas…
Each February for 19 years, countless volunteers spend 10 days on the water along the Texas coastline. They search the bays for abandoned crab traps left to foul shrimpers’ nets, snag anglers’ lines, “ghost fish” and create unsightly views. To date, they’ve hauled off more than 38,000 of these derelict traps. From Feb. 19-28, Texas coastal waters will be closed to crabbing with wire mesh crab traps to facilitate the…