by Legislative Media | Jan 21, 2016 | Politics
Featured, from left: Dr. Kelly Cronin,Vice President for Advancement, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen; Verónica Gonzáles, Vice President for Government and Community Relations, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; and Dr. Guy Bailey, President, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, at the main campus in Edinburg on Wednesday, January 20, 2016.
Photograph By PAUL CHOUY
From the fields of Peñitas to the jungles of Vietnam to the halls of the Texas Capitol, Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, says he has created a political legacy he could never have achieved without family, friends and supporters. Now, he is “paying it forward” by helping first-generation college students, like himself, at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. (Paying it forward is an expression for describing the beneficiary of a good deed repaying it to others instead of to the original benefactor.) On Wednesday, January 20, 2016, Hinojosa presented UTRGV a $50,000 gift to support “The Cotton Fields of Peñitas” Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa Endowed Scholarship, an endowment he began in 2013 at The University of Texas-Pan American, a UTRGV legacy institution. “For me, education is the best equalizer we have in our society,” Hinojosa said during a press conference at the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex on the Edinburg Campus. “Education is knowledge and knowledge is power. Education is a way out of poverty.” The scholarship supports first-generation college students pursuing degrees in all majors at UTRGV. UTRGV President Guy Bailey called Hinojosa “a true ambassador for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley” and “one of the best public servants in the state of Texas. “Sen. Hinojosa exemplifies excellence in giving back to our community, state and our nation, and always supporting education,” Bailey said. “I don’t know where we would be without him. If you look at what he has done for the institution and what he has done in the last Legislature, we all owe him continuous thanks for what he has done.” The longtime legislator/attorney offered himself as an example to others that almost any obstacles can be overcome to reach personal and professional successes. “If I myself, (an American citizen) who was deported (to Reynosa) when I was 5 years old, who couldn’t speak English until I was 7 years old, who grew up the oldest of a family of eight can graduate from Pan American University, become a lawyer, and now be Texas senator, that means any young person can also do the same thing,” he said.
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by Legislative Media | Jan 20, 2016 | Politics
Featured: Edinburg Mayor Richard García addresses the community on Thursday, January 22, 2015 at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance as he prepares to welcome Gov. Greg Abbott to the city, which was part of a legislative tour organized by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership. A year later, Edinburg’s economy continued its strong performances, including reaching $139.5 million in total construction activities in 2015.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
Construction and related building activities in Edinburg totaled more than $139.5 million in value in 2015, almost $20 million ahead of the figure reached in 2014, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. For the month of December 2015, all construction activities totaled more than $11.7 million, also ahead of the pace for the same month in 2014, which came in at almost $7.4 million. The value of construction of new homes during 2015 led all year-to-date categories, amounting to almost $48 million, compared with more than $35.7 million during 2014. The EEDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The EEDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mark Iglesias as President, Harvey Rodríguez as Vice President, Ellie M. Torres as Secretary/Treasurer, and Mayor Richard García and Richard Ruppert as Members. Richard García and Agustín García, Jr. are not related. The most valuable construction project to receive a building permit in December 2015 was a facility, classified as Multi-Family Residences New Construction/Addition/Remodel, valued at $5 million. The facility, whose owner is Edgeware LLC, will be located at 615 South Sugar Rd., Phase II Subdivision. Four single-family residences rounded out the top five most valuable projects issued building permits in December: $ 371,000 – Reynold and Angelien Martínez, 4804 Oxford St., Bentley Estates Subdivision; $ 280,000 – Pin Point Investments LLC, 2522 Terranova Cir., Emerald Pointe Subdivision; $ 260,000 – Pin Point Investments LLC, 2510 Terranova Cir., Emerald Point Ph. 2 Subdivision; and $ 250,000 – Jesús González Clemente, 4806 June Dr., Summerfield Manor Subdivision. Three hundred forty new homes, valued at almost $48 million, led all construction activities in 2015. The top categories in Edinburg during 2015 were: $47,969,918– Single-Family Residences New Construction; $27,756,178 – Commercial New Construction; $24,519,797 – Non-Taxable New/Alterations (government, religious, but not including the value of construction activities at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley or its School of Medicine); $18,761,863 – Commercial Alterations; $14,314,122 – Multi-Family Residences New Construction; and $6,237,533 – Residential Alterations. A building permit includes the estimated value of the work, but does not include the costs of the lot, equipment and furnishings. In general, a building permit is legal permission given by the City of Edinburg to erect, construct, renovate, maintain, or conduct any other specified activity on any building or structure, or on any installations or facilities therein. The term “building permit” includes but is not limited to building permits, electrical permits, mechanical permits, and plumbing permits.
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by Legislative Media | Jan 18, 2016 | Politics
Featured, seated from left: Rep. Sergio Muñoz, D-Mission, fields questions on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives from Steve Taylor, the publisher and editor of the online publication, The Rio Grande Guardian.
Photograph By HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY
Children who are victims of sexual assault now have 15 years instead of five years to bring civil lawsuits against alleged sex offenders or others who are liable for the injuries sustained as a result of such crimes, said Rep. Sergio Muñoz, Jr., D-Mission, who supported House Bill 189, which became state law on September 1, 2015. House Bill 189, which was approved by the Legislature late last spring, also removed any statute of limitations on the criminal prosecution of suspected serial rapists, whether their victim is a child or an adult. “I have a proven record in the Texas Legislature of supporting the creation of laws, policies, and new funding that protect crime victims and prosecute criminals,” said Muñoz. “I have no pity for rapists, child molesters, or other sexual predators, and I never place the blame of these victims because it is never their fault.” Prior to the passage of HB 189, there was a 10-year statute of limitations in the criminal prosecution of sex offenders who were considered serial rapists. A statute of limitations is generally defined as a law that sets a time limit for bringing certain kinds of legal action. Sexual assault is generally defined as any unwanted, non-consensual sexual contact against any individual by another. In 2014, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety, there were 18,756 sexual assaults in the state, an increase of 5.1 percent over 2013. House Bill 189, effective September 1, 2015, was needed because of the seriousness of these crimes and the special circumstances that can limit when these victims are ready to speak out about the crime, according to the bill analysis by the House Research Organization. Despite these circumstances, a measure of justice always should be available to victims of these crimes, the HRO report stated. “The significance of HB 189 removing the statute of limitations for serial rape cases is well-documented in the bill analysis,” Muñoz emphasized. “The House Research Organization noted that his vital new protection is tremendously important for fighting sexual assault and violence against women because it encourages survivors to come forward to report their cases, preventing those convicted from attacking again.” Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, the author of HB 189, provided some of her key perspectives soon after she first filed the legislation on November 10, 2014, which was approved by the Legislature on June 1, 2015, and signed into law by the governor on June 18, 2015. “Rape is a horrible crime that is not only physical but mental,” said Thompson. “According to the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, sexual assault is a crime in which the assailant uses sexual contact to inflict humiliation or to exert power and control over the victim. Currently, there are 1.8 million survivors of sexual assault in Texas.” As for the civil lawsuit aspects of HB 189, Muñoz, an attorney, said any crime victim may be able to seek monetary damages against people who caused them harm. Muñoz, a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which heavily influences the shaping of the $200+ billion state budget, was a coauthor of another new state law, enacted as a result of House Bill 10, that gives law enforcement in Texas more power to fight human trafficking, a multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise that preys most fiercely on women and children. “Human trafficking is modern day slavery, which also exposes their victims to sexual exploitation,” said Muñoz, who in 2012 was named to the groundbreaking Joint Interim Committee to Study Human Trafficking, which also included Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen. “One of the results of HB 10 is that even if a victim is an undocumented immigrant, the power of Texas shall be brought to bear to protect the powerless who are forced into the illegal sex trade,” said Muñoz. Muñoz, a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which heavily influences the shaping of the $200+ billion state budget, was a coauthor of another new state law, enacted as a result of House Bill 10, that gives law enforcement in Texas more power to fight human trafficking, a multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise that preys most fiercely on women and children. “Human trafficking is defined as a crime against humanity, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. It involves an act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them,” said Muñoz. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad, according to the United Nations. Every country in the world is affected by trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims.
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by Legislative Media | Jan 17, 2016 | Politics
Featured, from left, promoting the “Salute to Small Business” luncheon set for Thursday, January 21, 2016 at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance and which will feature Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos, are, from left: Marty Martin of Rio Valley Realty, who serves as Chairman of the Board for the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce; Letty González , President, Edinburg Chamber of Commerce; Nelda Ramírez, Assistant Executive Director, Edinburg Chamber of Commerce; Mayor Richard García; Elva Jackson Garza of Edwards Abstract & Title Company, who serves as Vice Chair of Public Affairs, Edinburg Chamber of Commerce; Agustín García, Jr., Executive Director, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; and Jacob De León of Memorial Funeral Home, who serves as Vice Chair of Membership, Edinburg Chamber of Commerce.
Photograph By RONNIE LARRALDE
Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos’ upcoming visit to Edinburg on Thursday, January 21, 2016 will provide local leaders and area residents a direct link to Gov. Greg Abbott and will help keep the city’s best legislative interests on a high priority, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. The EEDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The EEDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mark Iglesias as President, Harvey Rodríguez as Vice President, Ellie M. Torres as Secretary/Treasurer, and Mayor Richard García and Richard Ruppert as Members.Agustín García, Jr. and Mayor Richard García are not related. Cascos, a former Cameron County county judge who was sworn in on March 7, 2015 by Abbott as the 101th Texas Secretary of State, will be the featured guest for the “Salute to Small Business” event, which will congratulate and honor more than 20 small business owners in the community. “The event is supported by the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation and the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce, who are keenly aware of the importance of small business in our economy,” said Elva Jackson Garza of Edwards Abstract & Title Company, who serves as Vice Chair of Public Affairs for the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce. “Several of our Edinburg Chamber members are operated by the second-, third- and perhaps fourth- generation families and we want to give them the recognition that they deserve.” Cascos’ appearance will provide South Texas insights into the latest news and developments going on in Texas which are important to small businesses,” said Mayor García, who will welcome the Texas Secretary of State to Edinburg. “He has promised in the past that the economic well-being and future of the Rio Grande Valley are important for all of Texas.” The gathering will take place at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance, located at 118 Paseo Del Prado. With a seating capacity of about 250, interested residents are encouraged to purchase their tickets for the event, which will cover the cost a hot lunch, beverage and dessert. The tickets are $15 apiece or $150 for a table of 8, with a cut-off of 5 p.m. on Tuesday, January 19, set for reservations. For more information or to make a reservation please call the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce at 956-383-4974. “Edinburg, in partnership with our state legislative delegation, has always been a key player in shaping state laws and policies which benefit us here in deep South Texas,” added Iglesias. “With his direct access to the governor, and with his tremendous knowledge of the people and issues of the Valley, Secretary of State Cascos is a very valuable resource for us to help reach our legislative goals, which include higher education, highways, infrastructure, medical education, health care, border security, and jobs creation.” EEDC Executive Director Agustín García, Jr. said it is vital when the state’s top leadership comes to the city. “The first trip that Gov.-elect Abbott made after his election in November 2014 was to the Valley, and the first trip that Gov. Abbott made after his inauguration was in late January 2015, also to the Valley, including to Edinburg,” recalled the EEDC Executive Director. “In many ways that count, Secretary of State Cascos is the governor’s right-hand man, and we plan to continue building our relationships with both men on behalf of Edinburg.” The Secretary of State is the state’s chief election officer, the liaison to the governor on border and Mexico affairs (born in Mexico, Cascos immigrated to the United States as a child and became a permanent resident and citizen during adolescence) and Texas’ chief protocol officer for state and international affairs. “Judge Cascos will give the Rio Grande Valley a strong voice in Austin, and he will also show the rest of Texas the outstanding leaders produced by the Rio Grande Valley,” Abbott said when he announced Cascos as his first gubernatorial appointee in November 2014. “Judge Cascos will give the Rio Grande Valley a strong voice in Austin, and he will also show the rest of Texas the outstanding leaders produced by the Rio Grande Valley.”
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by Legislative Media | Jan 13, 2016 | Politics
Featured, from left: Edinburg City Councilmember David Torres; Edinburg City Councilmember Richard Molina; Edinburg Mayor Richard García; Edinburg Mayor Pro Tem Homer Jasso, Jr.; and Edinburg City Councilmember J.R. Betancourt, following the mayor’s State of the City Address on Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at the Edinburg Municipal Auditorium.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
Projected growth at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley main campus in Edinburg, along with the anticipated opening next fall of a School of Medicine, are leading to the planned construction of a luxury, off-campus student housing community near the intersection of Chapin Street and Sugar Road, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. The EEDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The EEDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mark Iglesias as President, Harvey Rodríguez as Vice President, Ellie M. Torres as Secretary/Treasurer, and Mayor Richard García and Richard Ruppert as Members. The mayor and the EEDC executive director are not related. Domus Development LLC, based in Dallas, will be in charge of the project, which will be located on a 16.17 acre tract of land near UTRGV, according to Carlos Garza, P.E., of AEC Engineering LLC in Edinburg, who represented the firm in successfully having the property rezoned to allow for its construction. “Right now, we are looking at somewhere in the vicinity of at or above 550 beds,” Garza said following unanimous approval for the needed rezoning on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 by the Mayor and Edinburg City Council. “We will have one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and four-bedroom apartments, all with private baths, in the complex.” Garza said he did not have the preliminary estimates or timeline for the project because Eric O. Jakimier, owner of Domus Development, was traveling in Europe on business and unavailable for comment. “I don’t have the specific dates yet but we will move quickly,” said Garza. “Obviously, the longer we sit on the property and not building the facility, it’s more financing we’re putting into the project.” But based on similar projects by Domus Development, such as a recently constructed complex that serves Texas A&M University-Kingsville, the planned local project will be the latest boost to the quality-of-life in Edinburg, as well as an economic asset, should come sooner rather than later. “This new community will promote and protect not only our residents, but also our neighbors,” Garza said. “It will be a gated community, beautifully landscaped, have on-site management, have a clubhouse and other amenities, comply with building and fire codes, fire protection, parking, landscaping, solid waste services, utilities, and all other city requirements that apply.” The housing complex in Kingsville, known as Legends at Kingsville, is valued at $22 million, and provides students with a wide range of amenities to create an ideal community for residents to live, study and play. Mayor Richard García noted that news of the planned off-campus luxury student housing community by Domus Development follows recent announcements by local city leaders of other major advances in Edinburg’s housing and retail sectors. Less than two months after announcing that Edinburg will be home to the new $10 million Marriott TownePlace Suites prototype in America, the City of Edinburg and the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation disclosed on Wednesday, January 6, 2016 that Wyndham Garden Hotels will build a four-story facility on the site of the 120-acre The Shoppes at Rio Grande Valley. The Wyndham Garden Hotels will feature 120 rooms, a restaurant, bar service, catering, and meeting space for private and public events, just northeast of Burlington Coat Factory at The Shoppes at Rio Grande Valley. The mayor said more housing developments, such as the planned Domus Development student complex and the additional national chain hotels “come at a perfect time, when more and more people are making their way to Edinburg for work, shopping and entertainment. Thousands of sports fanatics will be visiting Edinburg within the next few months to attend soccer games at the soon-to-be-finished soccer arena and The Bert Ogden Arena being built less than a mile away.” The 189,000 square-foot Bert Ogden Arena, which is being constructed on 40 acres of land on Alberta Road and I69 Central, will be home to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, an affiliate of the NBA Houston Rockets, and will feature 8,500 seats and 2,400 parking spots for entertainment events such as major concerts. Meantime, the soccer arena on Raúl Longoria Road is slated to be ready for play in late March featuring 10,000-seat outdoor stadium seats complete with a public park and an amphitheater. It will be home to the Rio Grande Valley Toros, an affiliate of USL Pro, which develops players for Major League Soccer, and will be affiliated with the Houston Dynamo soccer club. Mark Iglesias, President of the EEDC Board of Directors, said construction activities through most of 2015 – the December 2015 report has not yet been compiled – demonstrate the growing strength of the city’s economy. “With one month to go in 2015, construction and related building activities in Edinburg reached almost $128 million in value, with more than $13.1 million of that amount taking place in November,” said Iglesias. “Both of those figures are ahead of the pace for the same periods last year, when total construction activities from January through November 2014 came in at more than $113.1 million, and more than $4 million for November 2014.” Also on Wednesday, January 6, 2016, the Mayor, Edinburg City Council, and EEDC Board of Directors revealed that two new businesses would be added to The Shoppes at Rio Grande Valley. Bob’s Steak & Chop House, continually recognized as one of the best steakhouses in the country, will be locating at The Shoppes at Rio Grande Valley, along with A’GACI, popular among young women for its stylish fashions, which will open just west of the Academy Sports+Outdoor Store, said EEDC Executive Director Agustín García, Jr. “Wyndham, Bob’s Steak & Chop House, and A’GACI will join Texas Roadhouse and Ulta, the latest companies to open for business at The Shoppes at Rio Grande Valley, which is located at the corner of Trenton Road and I69 Central,” said the EEDC executive director. “This shopping complex benefits from one of the busiest corridors in Edinburg with more than 99,000 vehicles per day.”
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