“It’s a newspaper’s duty to print the news and raise hell.” Longtime Valley journalist Gilbert Tagle, Jr., 68, passes away, leaves behind legacy of speaking truth to power, fighting for the underdog
FEATURED: Alma Alisia Arévalo with her husband Gilbert Tagle, Jr., in this June 21, 2020 image. Tagle, 68, a longtime Valley journalist passed away on Friday, February 2, 2024 at Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco. He leaves behind a legacy of speaking truth to power, and fighting for the underdog.
Photograph Courtesy GILBERT TAGLE, JR. FACEBOOK
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read more…John Villarreal Rigney and Michelle Vallejo, Democratic candidates for Texas Congressional District 15, to participate in public forum to be broadcast by Futuro RGV, on Thursday, February 15, 2024, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at McAllen Public Library
FEATURED: Business owner Michelle Vallejo of Alton and Attorney John Villarreal Rigney of Edinburg, the two candidates in the Tuesday, March 5, 2024 Democratic Party primary for Texas Congressional District 15, will participate in a forum sponsored by Futuro RGV on Thursday, February 15, 2024, to be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the McAllen Public Library, 4001 North 23rd Street. The event is free and open to the public. It will also be broadcast live, and remain available on videotape online until the party primary election day at: https://www.facebook.com/FuturoRGV/. A forum is a place, situation or group in which people exchange ideas and discuss issues. Candidate Forums are arranged when 2 or more candidates for a contested race on the ballot respond to the invitation. For the Primary Election, it must be a contested race on the ballot for the particular party.
Photograph Courtesy VALLEJO and RIGNEY CAMPAIGNS, RESPECTIVELY
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read more…UTRGV president, athletic director, and football head coach to present economic impact of its athletics program on Tuesday, February 13, 2024 at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance
FEATURED: The top leadership of the athletics program at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley will be the featured guests at the Public Affairs Luncheon, set for Tuesday, February 13, 2024, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance, the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce has announced. Tickets for tables of eight and for individual tickets are available for purchase through 5 p.m. on Monday, February 12, 2024, by calling 956/383-4974 to make reservations.
Graphic By NAYELI ZENTENO
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read more…Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen, which recently celebrated groundbreaking of $49.9 million Nursing Education and Research Building, to host public Open House on Saturday, February 17, 2024, from 10 a.m. to noon
FEATURED: Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, featured in his trademark white hat, is welcomed by Manny Vela, Associate Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen, to the groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, January 25, 2024, for the $49.9 million Nursing Education and Research Building. On Saturday, February 17, 2024, the campus, which is located at 6200 Tres Lagos Boulevard, will hold its spring Open House event – open to the public – from 10 a.m. to noon.
Photograph By CAMERON JOHNSON
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read more…Seven Democratic Party candidates for three Hidalgo County judicial courts will participate in forum to be broadcast by Futuro RGV on Tuesday, February 6, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
FEATURED: Seven Democratic Party candidates for three judicial courts in Hidalgo County will be participating in a forum, which is free and open to the public, on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, which will be held at Rio Bank, 701 E. Expressway 83 in McAllen. The event also will be broadcast live that evening, and the videotape recording will remain available at https://www.facebook.com/FuturoRGV/ until Tuesday, March 5, 2024 – which is the primary election day for the Democratic and Republican parties.
Graphics By THOMAS GARCÍA
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read more…DHR Health’s Mario Lizcano continues building his deserved reputation as a “Servant-Leader” on behalf of the Valley and Texas, say area state lawmakers
FEATURED, FROM LEFT: Kelly Rivera Salazar, President, Board of Directors, Edinburg Chamber of Commerce; Sabrina Walker-Hernández, 2023 Woman of the Year, Edinburg Chamber of Commerce, and Mario Lizcano, Administrator of Corporate Affairs, DHR Health, and Immediate Past President, Board of Directors, Edinburg Chamber of Commerce. This image was taken Wednesday, November 8, 2023, during the organization’s Annual Installation & Awards Banquet, held at the Region One Service Center, 1900 W. Schunior Street in Edinburg.
Photograph By NAYELI ZENTENO
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Hidalgo County sheriff Democratic Party candidates J.E. “Eddie” Guerra and Frank Guerrero to participate in forum to be broadcast on the Internet by Futuro RGV on Thursday, February 1, 2024 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
FEATURED: Dr. Nedra Kinerk, President of Futuro RGV, on Friday, December 8, 2023, is congratulated by Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortéz for that citizens group’s most recent forum, hosted by South Texas College in McAllen, which focused on helping improve South Texans’ quality of life in the Rio Grande Valley. On Thursday, February 1, 2o24, Futuro RGV will be hosting its next forum, featuring the two Democratic Party candidates for Hidalgo County Sheriff: J.E. “Eddie” Guerra and Frank Guerrero. The event will take place at the Monitor newspaper in McAllen, and will be available for viewing, at no charge, at https://www.facebook.com/FuturoRGV/. The forum will be broadcast live from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 1, 2024, and the videotaped recording will remain available on Futuro RGV’s Facebook until the party primary election day, which is Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Ezequiel “Zeik” Jurado, III is the only candidate seeking the Republican Party nomination. The Democratic and Republican Party primary elections both take place on Tuesday, March 5, 2024.
Photograph Courtesy FUTURO RGV FACEBOOK
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read more…Valley lawmakers helped lead establishment of new state law that further protects healthcare staff in hospitals not owned by government from assault that causes bodily injury, reports DHR Health
FEATURED: A new state law, supported by the Rio Grande Valley state legislative delegation, makes it a minimum of a Third Degree Felony for anyone who assaults a healthcare worker – such as physicians, physician assistants, nurses, maintenance or janitorial staff, receptionists, and other individuals – when those personnel are on duty at a nongovernment hospital property, including all land and buildings owned or leased by the hospital. In 2021, there were 517 hospitals in Texas, of which 266 were nongovernment complexes, such as DHR Health, of which a portion of one of its Edinburg campuses is highlighted in this image.
Photograph Courtesy DHR Health Facebook
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read more…Democrat Morgan LaMantia and Republican Adam Hinojosa each file for a possible rematch in November 2024 election for Senate District 27
FEATURED: Sen. Morgan LaMantia, D-South Padre Island, and Adam Hinojosa, R-Corpus Christi, have both filed for their respective political party’s nomination to represent Senate District 27, which features all or portions of Bee, Cameron, Hidalgo, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, and Willacy counties. The party primaries in Texas will be held on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The nominees – which will likely include candidates from the Green and Libertarian parties – will face off in the Tuesday, November 4, 2024 general election.
Photograph Courtesy FACEBOOK
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read more…Campaign finance reports at local and regional levels in Texas now available through the Internet for free while protecting the identity of any person seeking such information about political figures
FEATURED: On Friday, September 1, 2023, a new state law went into effect that requires all political subdivisions to post on their website all campaign finance reports filed on or after September 1, 2023, according to attorney Omar Ochoa. “Campaign finance reports are public documents, but for many people who wanted to review or make copies of that crucial information, they had to go to the government building where they were located, such as a city hall or courthouse, reveal their identity to government officials to get that material, and pay for any copies of that report,” said attorney Omar Ochoa. “But a couple of months ago, a new state law – which was led by and supported by the Valley’s state legislative delegation – changed all of that.”
Photograph By JOHANA ZARATE
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read more…
$135.5 million Student Housing and Dining project, $9 million renovations of college football stadium, and optometry program in Edinburg among major projects to be considered by UT System Board of Regents on May 8 and May 9, 2024, reports Dr. Luis “Louie” G. Alamia, PT, DPT
Cancer prevention, health insurance, and nursing-related postsecondary education and scholarships to be reviewed Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at the Texas Capitol by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, reports DHR Health
Border security, stopping use of deepfakes technology and artificial intelligence by child predators, further cutting property taxes, and broadband infrastructure among legislative issues to be examined by Sen. Hinojosa and other state senators in the coming weeks and months
Edinburg City Attorney Omar Ochoa, champion of open government, to leave position in order to focus more on his successful private legal practice
Futuro RGV, McAllen officials to bring leaders of government and nonprofit organizations to meet and serve residents of Commissioner Castillo’s District 4 on Saturday, April 6, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in first-ever “Government for a Day” gathering at Palmview Community Center
DHR Health, Texas hospitals praised for “keeping the lights on during a total time of darkness” during COVID-19 pandemic disaster in America
In honor of Vackar family generosity to UTRGV, newly-acquired football stadium in Edinburg named Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium
Sen. Hinojosa, Rep. Canales pay tribute to Edinburg’s successes, future as part of 2024 State of the City Address by Mayor Ramiro Garza, Jr.
“Lives lost, lives saved, and those who saved them.” – Rep. Guerra, Sen. LaMantia, DHR Health preparing for first-ever, statewide COVID-19 Heroes and Memorial Day, with event open to the public, to be held at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance on Monday, March 4, 2024
Luis Antonio Alamia, Jr., and 12 other Edinburg residents, are honored by citizens and Mayor/City Council as Hometown Heroes for “extraordinary public service or exemplary contribution”