by Legislative Media | Mar 25, 2018 | Politics
Featured: Texas General Land Commissioner George P. Bush, center in red plaid shirt, was a special guest of honor at Edinburg City Hall on Friday, March 2, 2018, where he was welcomed with a performance by the Edinburg North High School Mariachi Oro. Among the area leaders in attendance for the visit, where the discussions focused on potential parternships for the future and the Mayor and Edinburg City Council’s vision for moving forward, were, from left: Councilmember Gilbert Enríquez; Land Commissioner Bush; Mayor Richard Molina; and Councilmember Jorge Salinas. “We’re looking to have a lot more projects and a lot more daily contact with our representatives up in Austin,” Molina said. “It’s very special for Mr. Bush to be here in our city hall.” Bush endorsed the direction by the mayor and the city council members: “We want to be partners for the future of this great region.”
Photograph Courtesy PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE/EDINBURG CABLE NETWORK
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by Legislative Media | Mar 11, 2018 | Politics
Featured: Erika Stubberud, left, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Nursing student from Brownsville, and Alejandra Benítez, UTRGV Environmental Science student from Reynosa, Mexico, in front of the UTRGV sign as winter weather brought rare snow to the campus on Friday, December 8, 2017 in Edinburg. Edinburg’s retail economy during the November and December 2017 holiday season – which feature Thanksgiving and Christmas – showed an improvement of 0.51 percent over the same two months of the 2016 holiday season, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. The Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council, along with the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation and its Board of Directors, lobby the Texas Legislature and the UT System Board of Regents on matters that benefit and protect UTRGV and its School of Medicine, which have major campuses in the city.
Photograph By PAUL CHOUY
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by Legislative Media | Mar 10, 2018 | Politics
Featured: The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley honored three outstanding alumni with the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award during a ceremony on Thursday, March 1 at the McAllen Country Club. The award recognizes high-achieving alumni who have made significant contributions to society through their accomplishments, affiliations, careers and philanthropy. Shown at the event are, from left: UTRGV Founding President Guy Bailey, who presented the awards; recipient Gen. William F. Garrison of Hico, Texas, a retired major general of the U.S. Army and 1966 graduate of UTRGV legacy institution Pan American College; recipient Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa of McAllen, a 1970 graduate of Pan American College who has served Texas Senate District 20 since 2002; and recipient Welcome Wilson Sr. of Houston, a real estate developer and businessman and a 1946 graduate of UTRGV legacy institution Brownsville Junior College; and UTRGV Vice President for Institutional Advancement Kelly Scrivner, who opened the event. The Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council, along with the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation and its Board of Directors, lobby the Texas Legislature and the UT System Board of Regents on matters that benefit and protect UTRGV and its School of Medicine, which have major campuses in the city.
Photograph By SILVER SALAS
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by Legislative Media | Feb 25, 2018 | Politics
Featured, from left: Isael Posadas, P.E., Secretary/Treasurer, Board of Directors, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; Edinburg School Board Trustee Miguel “Mike” Farías, who also serves as Vice-President, Board of Directors, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; Mayor Pro-Tem David Torres; Mayor Richard Molina; Plinio “Joey” Treviño, Executive Director, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; Councilmember Jorge Salinas; Councilmember Gilbert Enríquez, who also serves as President, Board of Directors, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; Julio César Carranza, Member, Board of Directors, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; and Noé Sauceda, Ph.D., Member, Board of Directors, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation. This image was taken on Friday, February 16, 2018, following the announcement by city leaders that Treviño had been selected as the administrative leader of the Edinburg EDC, which is the jobs-creation arm of the Mayor and Edinburg City Council.
Photograph Courtesy EDINBURG PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
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With their new executive director, Plinio “Joey” Treviño, beginning his first week officially on the job, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, starting at noon on Tuesday, February 27, 2018, will take up a full agenda of key issues when they hold their regular monthly meeting at Edinburg City Hall. Familiar names and prospective new projects will be reviewed and acted upon by the five-member governing board of the Edinburg EDC, including: Memorial/Eisenhower Sports Complex; Edinburg Transit Facility; First Hartford Realty; La Sienna sales tax reimbursement; Ed Payne Motors; Inc; Innovation-Based Learning Institute; Greater McAllen Association of Realtors annual TR Leadership Update Mega Regional Meeting; Grindstone; Nu-Co Tool, Inc.; Oceangate; GRH Investments, LLC; 3-0 Ranch Edinburg/RGC Properties LLC; Fazil, LLC; and Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District Baseball Program for the All American Baseball Classic.
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by Legislative Media | Feb 23, 2018 | Politics
Featured, from left: Councilmember Jorge Salinas, Mayor Pro-Tem David Torres, John H. Krouse, Dean of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine and Vice President of Health Affairs at UTRGV, and Mayor Richard Molina, following Krouse’s keynote speech at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance, held on Wednesday, January 31, 2018, as part of the Public Affairs Luncheon organized by the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce.
Photograph By RONNIE LARRALDE
A plan to build a $12.2 million Classroom and Office Building for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s School of Medicine in Edinburg will be considered in Austin when the University of Texas System Board of Regents meets on Monday, February 26, 2018 and Tuesday, February 27, 2018, according to Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, and the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation. Once finished, with the substantial completion date projected for November 2019, the School of Medicine Classroom and Office Building will increase enrollment at the Edinburg campus from 100 to 200 students within one year of completion. The construction could begin as early as September 2018. “This facility is necessary to accommodate current and expected growth in the School of Medicine while maintaining the mission of the school as a catalyst for education in health care,” states the executive summary provided to the UT System Board of Regents by UT System leaders. “The building will house faculty and administrative offices, small group study spaces for the growing medical student population, flexible and general purpose classrooms, conference rooms, and support spaces.” The proposed project will be an extension of the existing $54 million, 88,260 gross-square-foot Medical Education Building, which opened in the summer of 2016, when the first class of future physicians began their advanced studies in Edinburg. The Edinburg EDC is the jobs-creation arm of Mayor Richard Molina, Mayor Pro-Tem David Torres, Councilmember Homer Jasso, Jr., Councilmember Gilbert Enríquez, and Councilmember Jorge Salinas. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of City Councilmember Gilbert Enríquez as President, Edinburg School Board Trustee Miguel “Mike” Farías as Vice-President, Isael Posadas, P.E., as Secretary/Treasurer, and Julio César Carranza and Noé Sauceda, Ph.D. as Members. Canales represents House District 40, of which UTRGV and its School of Medicine have major campuses in the heart of Edinburg.
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by Legislative Media | Feb 19, 2018 | Politics
Featured: Leadership Edinburg Class XXIX members who recently completed their community service session include, front row, from left: Mary Lou Escobedo (Escobedo & Cárdenas, LLP); Maricruz Z. Nieto (Townplace Suites by Marriott); Nydia M. Treviño (Memorial Funeral Home); Marivel Valdéz (Open Range Enterprises); Deborah Tomai (Co-Founder and President, RGV Down Syndrome Association); Perla Reyes (Mujeres Unidas); Jasmine M. Champagne and Erica Pérez (RGV Town Planner Community Calendar); Mónica Ann Vega (Oceangate Hospitality); and Priscilla C. Whiteaker (Farmers Insurance). Back row, from left: Johnny Rodríguez (Bert Ogden Auto Group); John Mark Atchley (South Texas Health System Edinburg); Joe A. Delgado (Halff Associates); and Abel Garza (Wells Fargo).
Photograph By RONNIE LARRALDE
An offer by the Board of Directors for the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation to provide almost $435,000 to help cover the costs of the Memorial/Eisenhower Sports Complex is set for action by the Edinburg City Council on Tuesday, February 20, 2018, when city leaders hold their regular bimonthly meeting, beginning at 6 p.m., at Edinburg City Hall. In another item on the city council’s agenda relating to the Edinburg EDC, the Mayor and City Council are scheduled to appoint a City Secretary following the announcement that longtime City Secretary Myra Ayala Garza has resigned, effective Tuesday, February 13, 2018, to begin working with the Edinburg EDC. On Friday, February 16, 2018, the Edinburg EDC Board of Directors, joined by the Mayor Molina, Mayor Pro Tem David Torres, Councilmember Enríquez, and Councilmember Salinas, participated in a news conference at Edinburg City Hall to announce they had selected Plinio “Joey” Treviño as the Executive Director for the Edinburg EDC. The Edinburg EDC is the jobs-creation arm of Mayor Richard Molina, Mayor Pro-Tem David Torres, Councilmember Homer Jasso, Jr., Councilmember Gilbert Enríquez, and Councilmember Jorge Salinas. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of City Councilmember Gilbert Enríquez as President, Edinburg School Board Trustee Miguel “Mike” Farías as Vice-President, Isael Posadas, P.E., as Secretary/Treasurer, and Julio César Carranza and Noé Sauceda, Ph.D. as Members.
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by Legislative Media | Feb 14, 2018 | Politics
Featured: Mario López, Jr., an American television host and actor, featured back row, center, was the honored guest during the 11th Annual “Steak” In Your Community fundraiser held on Sunday, January 18, 2018 for the Boys & Girls Club of Edinburg Rio Grande Valley. As part of the gala, Brianna Capetillo was selected 2018 Junior Youth of the Year, with Brianna García being named 2nd runner-up, and Alicia Alemán taking the 3rd runner-up honor. Each received a technology gift bag and certificate. According to the Boys & Girls Club of America, Junior Youth of the Year seeks to develop junior leaders ages 10-13 within the Club environment. The program fosters Club members’ emerging leadership abilities while preparing them for later participation in the Youth of the Year program. In addition to recognizing the leadership achievements of Club youth, Junior Youth of the Year also cultivates their leadership potential, providing the foundation they need for advanced leadership development, academic excellence and postsecondary success. Through this program, Club youth become motivated to seek opportunities for leadership and to act as responsible citizens and change agents. From left are: Brianna García, 2nd runner-up; Brianna Capetillo, 2018 Junior Youth of the Year; and Alicia Alemán earned 3rd runner-up honors. Back row, from left, are: Marissa Castañeda, Chief Operating Officer, Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, who served as the Honorary Chair for the event; Mario López, Jr; and Joe Quiroga, President, Texas National Bank South Jackson Branch who also serves as Chairman of the Board for the Boys & Girls Club of Edinburg RGV. Mario López, Jr. has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway. He is known for his portrayal of A.C. Slateron Saved by the Bell, whom he also portrayed as a regular on Saved by the Bell: The College Years. He has appeared in numerous projects since, including the third season of Dancing with the Stars and as host for the syndicated entertainment news magazine show Extra. He has also hosted America’s Best Dance Crew for MTV. In 2012, he co-hosted the second season of American version of The X Factor with Khloé Kardashian-Odom, and was the sole host for the third and final season.
Photograph Courtesy BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF EDINBURG RGV
The Board of Directors of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation on Friday, February 16, 2018, is scheduled to conduct interviews for the position of Executive Director, and possibly take action for the hiring of the new administrative leader of the organization. The Board of Directors special meeting, which is open to the public, will be held in the Council Chamber at Edinburg City Hall, located at 415 W University Drive, beginning at noon. However, the interviews may take place in executive session, according to the agenda, which is posted outside of Edinburg City Hall, and is also posted online at: http://edinburgedc.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2-13-18-Agenda.pdf Any action – including no action – taken by the board of directors on all executive session items would have to be announced in public. The agenda states: “In accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Vernon’s Civil Statutes Annotated, Government Code, exception to requirements that meetings be open, Section 551.074 Personnel Matters, and Section 551.071 Consultation with Attorney, the Board of Directors will announce that it will adjourn into Executive Session to deliberate the following items. The EEDC Board may elect to go into Executive Session on any item, whether or not such item is posted as an Executive Session item, at any time during the meeting, when authorized by the provisions of the Texas Open Meeting Act. The EEDC Board will deliberate on the following items: a. Conduct Interviews for the position of Executive Director and possible action for the hiring of the position of Executive Director; and b. Consultation with Attorney.” The Edinburg EDC is the jobs-creation arm of Mayor Richard Molina, Mayor Pro-Tem David Torres, Councilmember Homer Jasso, Jr., Councilmember Gilbert Enríquez, and Councilmember Jorge Salinas. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of City Councilmember Gilbert Enríquez as President, Edinburg School Board Trustee Miguel “Mike” Farías as Vice-President, Isael Posadas, P.E., as Secretary/Treasurer, and Julio César Carranza and Noé Sauceda, Ph.D. as Members.
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by Legislative Media | Feb 9, 2018 | Politics
Featured: Conrad Brown, Assistant Director, Ambulatory Services, SED, representing South Texas Health System, and Mayor Richard Molina led the traditional ribbon-cutting during the grand opening ceremony for the hospital system’s open house and health fair event held on Saturday, January 6, 2018 of STHS ER Monte Cristo, a new stand-alone emergency room located at 3615 N. Interstate 69-C in north Edinburg. The facility is providing 24-hour emergency services year-round, and is staffed and equipped with the same diagnostic technology available in STHS’s hospital-based emergency rooms. The new STHS location is the first in north Edinburg and will serve approximately 60,000 residents in the area. From left, first row, are: Fabian Borrego, Market CFO, STHS; Martha Pérez, House Supervisor, STHS; Conrad Brown, Assistant Director, Ambulatory Services, SED, STHS; and Mayor Richard Molina. Other hospital officials in attendance were Daniel Caldwell, CEO, McAllen Heart Hospital; Doug Matney, Regional Vice President of South Texas Health System; Jennifer Garza, CEO, Edinburg Regional Medical Center/Edinburg Children’s Hospital; and Lance Ames, COO, Edinburg Regional Medical Center/Edinburg Children’s Hospital. STHS ER Monte Cristo, which represents an $8.6 million private investment, was among the more than $271 million in construction activities that took place in Edinburg in 2017.
Photograph Courtesy SOUTH TEXAS HEALTH SYSTEM
Total construction activities in Edinburg for the year – January through December 2017 – including more than $8 million for the month of December, were valued at more than $271 million, compared with more than $209 million during 2016, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. The building permits do not include the value of the land for the homes and buildings. In general, a building permit is legal permission given by the City of Edinburg, through the Code Enforcement Department, 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. The top categories in Edinburg for 2017, which led to the total figure of $271,400,571, were: $84,537,000 – Non-Taxable New (government, religious, but not including the value of construction activities at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley or its School of Medicine); $61,972,808 – Multi-Family Residences New Construction; $59,715,790; Single-Family Residences New Construction; $37,456,294; Commercial New Construction; $13,180,161; Commercial Alterations; $8,653,359 – Non-Taxable Alterations (government, religious, but not including the value of construction activities at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley or its School of Medicine); and $5,885,159 – Residential Alterations. During 2017, building permits were issued for 496 new single-family residences, valued at $59,715,700, and building permits were issued for 325 multi-family residences, representing 938 units, valued at $61,972,808. The Edinburg EDC is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of City Councilmember Gilbert Enríquez as President, Edinburg School Board Trustee Miguel “Mike” Farías as Vice-President, Isael Posadas, P.E., as Secretary/Treasurer, and Julio César Carranza and Noé Sauceda, Ph.D., as Members.
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by Legislative Media | Feb 3, 2018 | Politics
Featured: An artist’s rendition of the city-owned Bert Ogden Arena, a first-class indoor multi-purpose center being built at the corner of Interstate Highway 69-Central and Alberta Road in east Edinburg, which according to building permits issued by the City of Edinburg, is valued at an estimated $88.3 million. On Tuesday, February 6, 2018, representatives for The Vipers Arena, LLC will present an update on the project before the Edinburg City Council at Edinburg City Hall. The city council session begins at 6 p.m.
Illustration Courtesy of THE VIPERS ARENA LLC
Representatives for The Vipers Arena LLC, which is overseeing all aspects of construction of the $88.3 million, city-owned Bert Ogden Arena, on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, are scheduled to make a major presentation on the progress of the complex before the Edinburg City Council, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. Vipers Arena LLC of McAllen, whose principal agent is Alonzo Cantú of McAllen, is serving as the private investor in the Public-Private Partnership. Vipers Arena LLC is overseeing all aspects of the construction of the facility, with Cantú Construction of McAllen, which is a company owned by Alonzo Cantú, building the Bert Ogden Arena. Vipers Arena LLC will also serve as the major tenant of the Bert Ogden Arena, and will be responsible for the operations, maintenance, scheduling of events, and marketing of the facility, which will feature 8,500 fixed seats, which includes 1,200 club seats, 12 luxury suites, a restaurant/club area, locker rooms, offices for sports team personnel, and marquee signs by the expressway. The Edinburg EDC is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of City Councilmember Gilbert Enríquez as President, Edinburg School Board Trustee Miguel “Mike” Farías as Vice-President, Isael Posadas, P.E., as Secretary/Treasurer, and Julio César Carranza and Noé Sauceda, Ph.D. as Members.
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by Legislative Media | Feb 1, 2018 | Politics
Featured: Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, left, is interviewed by Mark Hanna, Publisher, Rio Grande Guardian, on Thursday, January 25, 2018, at Bob’s Steak and Chop House in Edinburg. The two men discussed numerous major issues relating to the Texas Legislature, South Texas, and Hidalgo County. That conversation, which was broadcast live and is available on the Rio Grande Guardian, which is South Texas’ first online newspaper, is available at no cost by logging on to: https://www.facebook.com/rgguardian/videos/1800590286640933/?sid=0.46409932360984385 .
Photograph By STEVE TAYLOR
National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)/Texas, the state’s leading small business association, has announced that Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, is the only state legislator from Hidalgo County – and only one of three Democrats in the Texas Legislature – who earned a perfect 100 percent rating on key measures of vital importance to small businesses in the state. “Small businesses are the life blood of our South Texas economy, and I will always make an effort to support policies that help small businesses grow, operate, and flourish,” said Canales, the House District 40 lawmaker. “I invite anyone who has ideas to help small businesses to contact me with their vision, and I will help them learn about and become part of the state legislative process.” He may be reached at his House District Office in Edinburg at (956) 383-0860 or at the Capitol at (512) 463-0426. House District 40 includes portions or all of Edinburg, Elsa, Faysville, La Blanca, Linn, Lópezville, McAllen, Pharr and Weslaco. “These distinguished lawmakers understand and value the true backbone of Texas’ economy, small business owners, and the impact public policy changes will have on these owners’ abilities to own, operate, and grow their businesses,” said NFIB Executive Director Will Newton. “Lawmakers who vote with small business during session are fulfilling their campaign promises to keep the Texas economy robust, as small businesses account for 99.8 percent of all businesses in the state.”
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