In an effort to prepare the community for hurricane season, emergency preparedness fairs are going on this week across Hidalgo County. The 10th annual Dare to Prepare fairs aim to assist residents in planning for weather-related emergencies. To better reach the public, some of the fairs are in the evening and at larger and more convenient locations. Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez, who also serves as the county’s emergency…
Going from one classroom to another, Janie Garza Reyes gives a tour of a barber school that started with a handful of chairs 30 years ago, and is now the largest school of its type in the Rio Grande Valley – and one of the largest in Texas. “We opened this school from zero,” Reyes said, referring to the longtime partnership between herself and Angie Moreno in starting and building…
They came. They competed. They won. Regional high school student teams recently participated in the BBVA inaugural Young Entrepreneur of the RGV Challenge, culminating in an awards ceremony April 30. There was a selection and awarding of competition winners, but all 19 groups are in a league of their own. Working together on a business plan and other crucial elements, presenting before a distinguished, local team of successful business leaders and…
There was a time that the round, domed building with 12-inch-thick concrete walls stored much of Weslaco’s water supply. But for almost half a century, the historic structure has served as a community theater. Now, following a renovation with the help of the Weslaco Economic Development Corporation, the Tower Theater has a new lease on life. Constructed in 1928, the ground-level water storage facility was replaced in 1941 by the…
Building a business from scratch is enough of a challenge, and as Mike Barrera can attest, coming back from a tragedy will test you anew. Barrera was three years into establishing a successful restaurant business in Weslaco – Ranch House Burgers – when a fire struck in 2014 as he was making plans to get his second restaurant open in Mission. All that Barrera had built in Weslaco was gone…
The Weslaco Economic Development Corporation recently filled a vacancy on its board during a time when the city is experiencing robust growth and planning for additional development. Juan Jose Serrano was recently appointed by the City Commission. He fills the vacancy left as a result of the passing of businessman Rudy Cisneros. In his facility leader position as the H-E-B Retail Support Center in Weslaco, Serrano oversees 250 employees. The…
Fresh out of college at 23 years of age, David Hernandez saw an opportunity and then seized it. With $30,000 in hand from his relatives, Hernandez used it as seed money to open the first of what would become 12 Pop-A-Top stores in the Rio Grande Valley. The yellow stores with blue trim became ubiquitous across the region. “Coldest Beer In Town” was the Pop-A-Top signature line and Hernandez meant…
More than 300 women attended the second annual RGV Women of Purpose Mixer March 21 at IBC Bank on S. Broadway in McAllen. Business women from across the Valley gathered to network and hear inspiring words of wisdom and encouragement. San Antonio First Lady Erika Prosper shared her presentation, I Am Enough. The attendees were encouraged by the keynote speaker to not be too hard on themselves and other women.…
Region 6 Small Business Advocate Rhett Davis of the SBA’s Office of Advocacy host two local small business regulatory forums March 28. The forums are held in an effort to further the goals of presidential executive orders on regulatory reform. The goal of the visit is to hear directly from small business owners about federal regulations that concern them. This is an opportunity for small businesses to educate the Office of Advocacy through first-hand…
Walk into La Real Michoacana on north Texas Boulevard in Weslaco and you’re met by splashy colors of yellow and orange and vibrant reds with big photos of ice cream cones and paletas. It’s a happy vibe at a business geared to families and fun get-togethers as customers revel in what general manager Hilario Lozano said is “un sabor de Mexico.” A taste of Mexico from a state in the…