FEATURED: The City of McAllen, led by Mayor Javier Villalobos, supported a new state law by the Texas Legislature, which went into effect on Friday, June 20, 2025, intended to provide local governments and state agencies, boards and commissions more protection against cybersecurity breaches of their critical infrastructure, such as computer systems that make vital public services run effectively, according to South Texas attorney Omar Ochoa. Villalobos is seen here during the 4th annual Mexico-United States Binational Convention held in Mexico City in September 2025. During that event, Villalobos joined other leaders to discuss collaboration and investment between the two nations.
FEATURED, FROM LEFT: Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, The Vaquero (skilled horseman), who is the mascot of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley sports teams, and Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg. The two state lawmakers were on hand on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, for the grand opening of the $145.7 million UT Health RGV Cancer and Surgery Center, located at 1400 N. Commerce Center Street in McAllen.
FEATURED: Longtime State Rep. R.D. “Bobby” Guerra, D-McAllen, seen here with his wife Leslie Yoder-Guerra at the Texas Capitol in Austin, has become the most recent member of the 150-member Texas House of Representatives to announce he will not seek reelection – in his case, to an eighth two-year term that would have begun in January 2027. Guerra said he would complete his current term, which ends on Tuesday, January 12, 2027.
FEATURED, FROM LEFT: Former U.S. Congressman (1997-2017) Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes, and his wife, Martha López Hinojosa, and Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, at the 46th Annual International Museum of Art & Science Collage Gala held in McAllen on Saturday, September 6, 2025.
FEATURED: Dr. Leonel Vela, a Valley native and the first physician in his family, is retiring after years of service as Division Chief for Population Health at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, where he helped turn the long-standing dream of a South Texas medical school into a transformative reality for the region.
FEATURED: From a decade-long career as an IDEA Public Schools counselor, Executive Director of Rio Grande Valley LEAD (Linking Economic and Academic Development) to now Executive Director of the South Texas College Foundation and External Affairs, Marcos Silva, Ed.D., has made it his mission to serve his community through education. STC recently welcomed Silva to the higher education system, tasking him with the duty of raising funds that will provide life-changing scholarships to students. Silva is seen here on Friday, May 3, 2024 at the City of McAllen’s MXLAN International Economic Summit, which was held at the McAllen Convention Center.
Photograph Courtesy RIO GRANDE VALLEY LEAD FACEBOOK
