FEATURED: Robert Peña, Jr., 58, a former Edinburg Democratic state legislative candidate, longtime school board trustee, economic development leader, and veteran of Operation Desert Storm, on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, passed away. He was a 2012 Democratic candidate for District 40 of the Texas House of Representatives, which was won by current Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg. Peña is also known for serving as a member of the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District (ECISD) from 2008 to 2020, including holding the positions of president and vice president of that governing board.
Photograph Courtesy RGV DETACHMENT OF THE MARINE CORPS LEAGUE
FEATURED, FROM LEFT: Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, and Sen. Adán “Adam” Hinojosa, R-Corpus Christi, on Thursday, March 24, 2026, at the McAllen Performing Arts Center. The three Rio Grande Valley leaders were on hand for the announcement by Valeo, a French multinational automotive supplier, that the company is going to build in McAllen a $225 million project involving a 337,000-square-foot facility focused on advanced automotive technology. It is reported to be the largest single industrial investment in Hidalgo County history.
FEATURED, FROM LEFT: Former Edinburg mayors Ramiro Garza, Jr. and Joe Ochoa, Edinburg Mayor Omar Ochoa, and Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, during Mayor Omar Ochoa’s State of the City Address at the Edinburg Arts, Culture, and Events (ACE) Center on Thursday, April 9, 2026. A city announcement on Thursday, May 7, 2026 that an $18 million to $20 million redevelopment of the existing Comfort Inn and MainStay Suites, located at 4001 S. Closner Boulevard in Edinburg, will be taking place is the latest evidence of the continuing strength of commercial construction in the four-time All-America City, said Mayor Omar Ochoa. Former Mayor Joe Ochoa and Mayor Omar Ochoa are father and son.
FEATURED: Front row, from left: Travis Pinter, Alondra Gutiérrez, Ingelise Johnson, Lorene Pazmino, Carmen Valladares, and Victoria García. Back row, from left: Leroy Garza, Dante Morris, Lorena González, Gabriel Martínez, Óscar Castillo, and Rena Roberts. This image was taken on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at Nike Rowe High School in McAllen during “A Soul’s Journey: The Resilient Artist” art contest.
Photograph By ANTHONY ACOSTA
FEATURED: Lucas Castillo, P.E., founder of Atlas Engineering, speaks during the awards ceremony as McAllen ISD art coordinator Mrs. Carmen Valladares looks on at Nikki Rowe High School in McAllen on Thursday, April 30, 2026 during “A Soul’s Journey: The Resilient Artist” art contest.
FEATURED, FROM LEFT: Edinburg Mayor Omar Ochoa; Edinburg First Lady Leah Wise; Congresswoman MónicaDe La Cruz, R-Edinburg; Erica Canales, Elected Member, Board of Directors, Hidalgo County Appraisal District, and her husband, Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg. A landmark state law, led by Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, and Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, that in 2013 created the University of Texas School of Medicine, continues to bring major advances to deep South Texas, with a plan in the works to build a $160 million biomedical research center in Edinburg, Mayor Omar Ochoa has announced.
FEATURED, FROM LEFT: Erica Canales, an elected member of the Hidalgo County Appraisal District, and her husband, Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, in February 2026, at a function benefitting the Boys & Girls Club of Edinburg/Rio Grande Valley. Rep. Terry Canales is joining the effort to continue a $7.4 million federal grant for HOPE for Small Farm Sustainability, a nonprofit organization that seeks to close the local food system gaps by providing training and education to low-income and disadvantaged families, small-scale farmers, and individuals interested in growing, preparing and selling their own organic food to meet the essential needs for families and communities.
