by Legislative Media | Sep 28, 2017 | Politics
Featured: Borja Angoitia, goalkeeper for the Rio Grande Valley Football Club Toros professional soccer team, helps defend against the Liga MX side C.F. Monterrey Rayados on Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at the club’s new H-E-B Park for the venue’s inaugural game.
Photograph By DIEGO REYNA
H-E-B Park, a $16.8+ million sports and entertainment outdoor complex that features a 9,700 seat capacity soccer-specific stadium, has scored another major goal for its hometown with news that WalletHub, a national personal finance website, has named Edinburg as 2nd Best Small City for Soccer Fans for 2017, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. In addition, WalletHub rated Edinburg 29th best among all U.S. cities for soccer fans, an accomplishment that places it in the top 10 percent in the nation, among the cities involved in the study, for community involvement in that sport. “Once more, a national, independent, and very credible source has concluded what we know very well here at home – Edinburg has a very high quality-of-life to offer its citizens from all walks of life,” said Agustín García, Executive Director for the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation. “We have one of the best public school systems in the state, we feature one of the largest University of Texas campuses, with its own School of Medicine, our hospital systems are nationally-ranked, and by the time 2017 is completed, the construction of new homes and businesses in Edinburg for the year is anticipated to pass $200 million.” The Edinburg EDC is the jobs-creation arm of Edinburg Mayor Richard García and the Edinburg City Council, which includes Mayor Pro Tem J.R. Betancourt, Councilmember Homer Jasso, Jr. Councilmember Richard Molina, and Councilmember David Torres. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mayor Richard García as President, Harvey Rodríguez, Jr. as Vice President, Elías Longoria, Jr. as Secretary/Treasurer, and Richard Ruppert and Dr. Peter Dabrowski as Members. Mayor Richard García and Edinburg EDC Executive Director Agustín García, Jr. are not related.
The state-of-the-art H-E-B Park in Edinburg has many amenities, including a full-service restaurant, executive lounges, a sports bar, and 33 suites. Suites include VIP amenities and a 16-seat capacity. Park grounds include practice fields for 7v7 and 5v5 soccer, various bench areas with picnic-sized tables, a playground, and an amphitheater with a capacity for more than 2,000 individuals. H-E-B Park hosts top-of-the-line professional soccer, musical concerts, high school sporting events, and other forms of entertainment. The stadium, which is modeled after the Houston Dynamo’s BBVA Compass Stadium, is located at the intersection of East Freddy González Drive and South Raúl Longoria Road.
Photo Courtesy RGV FC TOROS
“We are about three months away from opening the $88+ million Bert Ogden Arena, which will be the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex south of San Antonio, and people from all over the Valley, Texas, and the U.S. have a direct, nonstop way to get to Edinburg because we are served by Interstate Highway 69 and the South Texas International Airport at Edinburg. Those assets are just the tip of the iceberg of what makes our community a ‘Destination City’,” said Agustín García, Executive Director of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation. “But most important, the vision of our elected, business and community leadership, and the amazing people of our community are who make Edinburg the American Success story that it has become.” Even the symbol of the hometown professional soccer team, the Rio Grande Valley Football Club Toros, proudly portrays Edinburg’s and the Rio Grande Valley’s regional strengths, according to the team’s website, which explains, “The Toros’ logo follows the mold of a traditional soccer shield, but offers a twist with the addition of horns to allude to the Toros nickname. The stripes at the bottom of the shield represent the agriculture industry of the Rio Grande Valley, which historically bright trade and commerce to the region. The vertical lines at the top of the graphic represent the sun and Valley heat, while also reflecting an element of the Toros’ Major League Soccer single-affiliate Houston Dynamo’s logo.” H-E-B Park at all its amenities enables Edinburg to be a staple as an entertainment hub in the Rio Grande Valley, and considerably helps it in the city and Edinburg EDC leaderships’ efforts to market the community as a “Destination City”.
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by Legislative Media | Sep 26, 2017 | Politics
Featured: Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, son Terry Andrés II, and Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, during a break on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives during the special session of the Texas Legislature held earlier this summer. Canales is married to Erica E. Canales, whose family also features Caleb Ezra, Catalina, Juliana and Trígo. They live in Edinburg.
Photograph By HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY
Noting his successes on behalf of economic development and jobs creation, criminal justice reform, and openness, accountability, and honesty in government, Rep. Terry Canales, a Democrat who represents House District 40 in Hidalgo County, has announced his bid for reelection to a fourth term in the Texas House of Representatives. The Democratic and Republican Party primaries for all state representative seats in Texas are scheduled for early March 2018, with the general election to be held in November 2018, for new two-year terms to begin in mid-January 2019, when the 86th Texas Legislature convenes for its five-month regular session. “My record speaks for itself – it is public and available for all to see on key websites, including my Facebook Page (facebook.com/RepTerryCanales/) and at http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/,” Canales said. “With the conclusion of the recent special session of the Texas Legislature, which ended on August 15, I have been back in the Rio Grande Valley, meeting with community leaders and preparing for the 86th Texas Legislature.” The Edinburg-based attorney emphasized the importance of House District 40 residents being involved in all aspects of the state legislative process. “As always, I look forward to receiving ideas from my my constituents on what state laws and policies are needed to help them in their businesses, their jobs, and with their families,” Canales said. “This office does not belong to me, it belongs to all of the people of House District 40. I always ask for their help and advice in being a leader who is also their servant.” A constituent is a person who lives in an area for which they are able, if qualified, to vote for elected officials. A constituent does not have to be a property owner to be qualified to vote. Canales, D-Edinburg, who was born in Hidalgo County and is a native of South Texas, was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2012. His legislative district, anchored by the majority of Edinburg, covers the heart of Hidalgo County, and includes Elsa, north Pharr, San Carlos, La Blanca, Faysville, and portions of McAllen and Weslaco. “House District 40, the Rio Grande Valley, and all of South Texas continue to build into amazing economic powerhouses for Texas and our nation because of our people, our work ethic, our education and skills, and our relentless drive for excellence,” said Canales. “It is an honor and a privilege for me to help the people of this tremendous region to share in the American Dream, so that everyone has opportunities to be happy and successful.”
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by Legislative Media | Sep 24, 2017 | Politics
Featured, from left: Marissa Castañeda, Senior Executive Vice-President, Chief Operating Officer, Doctors Hospital at Renaissance; Rep. Sergio Muñoz, Jr., D-Mission; Rep. R.D. “Bobby” Guerra, D-McAllen; Rep. René Oliveira, D-Brownsville; Cary Zayas, News Anchor, KRGV-TV in Weslaco; Rep. Armando “Mando” Martínez, D-Weslaco; and Edna X. De Saro, Senior Vice President and Marketing Director at Lone Star National Bank. The group met at the KRGV-TV studios, one of the locations for donations, on Wednesday, September 20, 2017.
Photograph By JUSTIN CANTÚ
The Rio Grande Valley’s state House and Senate members have collectively donated $10,000 to help victims of Hurricane Harvey, the devastating superstorm that hit most of the Texas coastal region, including Houston, on Friday, August 25, 2017, stalling over that region of the state for days, causing billions of dollars of property damage, displacing tens of thousands of residents, and killing at least 81 people. The contribution is going towards the Valley Relief Fund, coordinated by KRGV, Lone Star National Bank, and other area businesses. All monetary donations to the Valley Relief Fund will go to the Salvation Army and American Red Cross. “The devastation of Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath are on a scale of historic proportions,” said Rep. R.D. “Bobby” Guerra, D-McAllen. “This is one way the Rio Grande Valley can help in the efforts to restore those communities affected. I’m honored to belong to a delegation that is willing to step up and help our fellow Texans.” Muñoz also shared his thoughts, and offered the following prayer from the Holy Bible for everyone hurt by Hurricane Harvey: “Do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand! – Isaiah 41.10.”
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by Legislative Media | Sep 9, 2017 | Politics
Featured: The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine in Edinburg. During their meeting in Austin on Wednesday, August 23, 2017 and Thursday, August 24, 2017, the University of Texas System Board of Regents reinforced its commitment to The UTRGV School of Medicine, which has a major campus in Edinburg, by approving $20 million in Permanent University Funds (PUF) for capital expenses. “We are grateful to the Board of Regents for its continued support of the UTRGV School of Medicine,” said Dr. John Krouse, Dean of the UTRGV School of Medicine and Vice president for Health Affairs. “This allocation will enable the School of Medicine to become a leader in research that will benefit the Rio Grande Valley and beyond, and prepare the next generation of physicians who will provide exceptional care to the communities they serve.” 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
For the second straight month, Edinburg and McAllen were the only two major Valley cities which posted unemployment rates under six percent, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. The unemployment rate is a key indicator of the strength of the local economy. For the month of July 2017, the latest figures available from the Texas Workforce Commission, Edinburg had an unemployment rate of 5.7 percent, which was an improvement from June 2017, which came in at 5.9 percent. This latest data also showed that Edinburg saw a growth of 492 jobs when comparing the monthly totals of July 2017 (36,037)and July 2016 (35,545), according to the Edinburg EDC. Edinburg and McAllen, which posted an unemployment rate of 5.2 percent, compared favorably with other large population centers in the Valley, which reported unemployment rates ranging from 6.5 percent (Harlingen) to9 percent (Weslaco). During 2017, Edinburg has recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates among Valley cities in April and May, and came in with the second-lowest unemploymentrates during the other months in 2017 through July. McAllen, which came in with a 5.4 percent unemployment in May 2017, tied Edinburg for the best showing for that month. For the past several years, Edinburg has registered the lowest or second-lowest monthly unemployment rates among all Valley cities. The unemployment rate is the number of persons unemployed, expressed as a percentage of the civilian labor force, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. The civilian labor force is that portion of the population age 16 and older employed or unemployed. To be considered unemployed, a person has to be not working but willing and able to work and actively seeking work. Edinburg’s July 2017unemployment rate of 5.7 percent is part of a consistent pattern of positive reports, including June 2017 (5.9), May 2017 (5.4 percent), April 2017 (5.4 percent), March 2017 (6 percent), February 2017 (6.4 percent) and January 2017 (6.2 percent). The Edinburg EDC, of which Agustín García is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mayor Richard García as President, Harvey Rodríguez, Jr. as Vice President, Elías Longoria, Jr. as Secretary/Treasurer, and Richard Ruppert and Dr. Peter Dabrowski as Members. Mayor Richard García and Edinburg EDC Executive Director Agustín García are not related.
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by Legislative Media | Sep 6, 2017 | Politics
Featured, key leaders and most of the new members of Hive Effect, an entrepreneur development initiative created by the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, following their orientation session on Wednesday, August 23, 2017, at the offices of Grindstone Coworking, located at 506 West University Drive. From left, front row, are: José Chávez; Gerardo González; Donica Landa; Renee Sánchez; and Dani Marrero. From left, back row: Cooper Thompson; Steven De Los Santos; Agustín García, Executive Director, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; Daniel Rivera, Founder, Grindstone Coworking and Director of Hive Effect in Edinburg; Elizabeth Martínez; Marco Barrios-Espinoza; Mark Laguñez; Pete Díaz; and Cirano Lagunas. Not shown in this image are Noé Ramos, Mark Harris, and Mauricio Atilano.
Photograph By JENNIFER CABRERA
The Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, in collaboration with Grindstone Coworking, has announced the second cohort (new set of members) of the Hive Effect, which is an innovative entrepreneur development initiative designed to help local businesses, particularly small firms and sole proprietors, to succeed and prosper. According to its website (http://hiveeffect.com/about-us/): Hive Effect uses a three-pronged approach to cultivate the entrepreneurial ecosystem and promote regional collaboration. It utilizes coworking, education, and mentorship to help both startups and existing businesses; Hive Effect conducts a six-month education program called the Hive Effect Learning Program (HELP). Applications for HELP are reviewed for acceptance twice each year to select cohort participants. Hive Effect partners with local and regional entrepreneurial organizations and businesses with programs and events that aim to grow the entrepreneurial ecosystem across the Rio Grande Valley; and Grindstone Coworking, located at 506 West University Drive, is a membership-based office in Edinburg. Designed for mobile workers, freelancers, and startups, the office provides workspace, phone booths, private suites, conference rooms, training rooms, a copy center, mailboxes and other amenities for today’s modern businesses. “The EDC is excited to again partner up with Grindstone Coworking to promote this second, six-month initiative,” said Agustín García, Executive Director, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation. “Hive Effect has become a valuable resource for some of our city’s most exciting new businesses.” Daniel Rivera, founder of Grindstone Coworking and Director of Hive Effect, added: “We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished with Hive Effect since its launch in September 2016. Our coursework, mentorship and implementation of the coworking concept last year helped 10 entrepreneurs achieve great things for their respective businesses, and we’re happy to announce our second cohort (new set of members) of 15 individuals to our growing community.” The Edinburg EDC is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council, which includes Mayor Pro Tem J.R. Betancourt, Councilmember Homer Jasso, Jr. Councilmember Richard Molina, and Councilmember David Torres. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised Mayor Richard García as President, Harvey Rodríguez, Jr. as Vice President, Elías Longoria, Jr. as Secretary/Treasurer, and Richard Rupert and Dr. Peter Dabrowski as Members. Mayor Richard García and Edinburg EDC Executive Agustín García are not related.
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by Legislative Media | Sep 4, 2017 | Politics
Dr. Lydia López Aguilera, Director of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley/UT Austin College of Pharmacy and Clinical Associate Professor in the UTRGV Cooperative Pharmacy Program, has added another level of expertise to an impressive list of accomplishments by achieving board certification in ambulatory care pharmacy from the National Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS). Aguilera is a native of Edinburg.
Photograph By PAUL CHOUY
Visitors to Dr. Lydia López Aguilera’s office are greeted by a wall full of framed educational accomplishments, recognitions of her achievements and thankful notes from her pharmacy students at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Now, at age 60, the director of the UTRGV/UT Austin Cooperative Pharmacy Program has added another level of expertise in her field by achieving board certification in ambulatory care pharmacy from the National Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS). “Gaining the certification builds your foundation of knowledge. It’s a review, but you also learn new things – and knowledge is power – allowing you to not only help your patient, but also your team of doctors, nurses, dieticians and other healthcare team members,” said Aguilera, a Clinical Associate professor who has headed UTRGV’s cooperative program since 2010. The announcement of her latest achievement was made on Thursday, August 31, 2017. Board certification through the BPS is recognized as the highest standard for determining which pharmacists are qualified to contribute at advanced levels of practice.
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by Legislative Media | Aug 29, 2017 | Politics
IDL TIFF file
As Hurricane Harvey approached the shores over coastal Texas on Thursday, August 24, 2017, Edinburg and Rio Grande Valley were alarmed over the possibility that it could strike close to home. Instead, deep South Texas was spared from what became one of the most powerful hurricanes in history – a category 4 storm thaton Friday night, August 25, 2017 packed wind gusts up to 132 miles per hour northeast of Corpus Christi, and which has caused billions of dollars in damages and human suffering from flooding in the Houston region in the following days.
Photograph By NASA
Local officials and organizations are pulling together resources as part of a national effort to help the countless Texans hurt by Hurricane Harvey, which on Friday, August 25, 2017 slammed into the Texas Coastal Bend, anchored by Corpus Christi, threatened metropolitan areas of San Antonio and Austin, and has produced epic flooding in the Houston region, including the displacing of thousands of homeowners, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. “We wish all those (affected by Hurricane Harvey) well, and we ask that you put them in your prayers, because God knows they need it,” Agustín García, Jr., Executive Director for the Edinburg EDC, said Monday, August 28, 2017, during the Edinburg EDC Facebook live broadcast, “Edinburg Connects”. In response to the humanitarian disaster that has taken place elsewhere in Texas, the City of Edinburg, the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District, and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, which has its main campus and its School of Medicine in Edinburg, have announced their respective assistance plans, which began on Monday, August 28, 2017 and will continue through the upcoming weekend and beyond. 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 Mayor Richard García as President, Harvey Rodríguez, Jr. as Vice President, Elías Longoria, Jr., as Secretary/Treasurer, and Richard Ruppert and Dr. Peter Dabrowski as Members. Mayor Richard García and Edinburg EDC Executive Director Agustín García are not related.
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by Legislative Media | Aug 27, 2017 | Politics
The Edinburg Economic Development Corporation will launch “Edinburg Connect”, a live interactive broadcast on its Facebook page, beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday, August 28, 2017. “We have a new medium, ‘Edinburg Connect’, and we are going to reach out to you so you can reach out to us, and we can talk with each other, live, on Facebook,” explains Agustín García, Executive Director of the Edinburg EDC, in a recent posting on the Edinburg EDC Facebook page.“You can ask questions and we are going to give you answers. We will have guests from the city, guests from the county, guests from everywhere. We are very excited about our new initiative, ‘Edinburg Connect’, here at the Edinburg EDC.” One of the viewers who participates in the live event will have the chance to win a $100 gift card to Bob’s Steak & Chop House in Edinburg. The Edinburg EDC’s Facebook page is available at:http://www.facebook.com/edinburgedc
Photograph By JENNIFER CABRERA
The Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced the creation of “Edinburg Connect”, a live broadcast on the Edinburg EDC Facebook page that will provide viewers worldwide the chance to see and hear from, and to interact with, city, county and other leaders about economic development activities, successes and related goals for the city. The first episode will go online live on Monday, August 28, 2017, beginning at 10 a.m. The Edinburg EDC is the jobs-creation arm of Edinburg Mayor Richard García and the Edinburg City Council, which includes Mayor Pro Tem J.R. Betancourt, Councilmember Homer Jasso, Jr., Councilmember Richard Molina, and Councilmember David Torres. In addition to Mayor García, who serves as President of the Edinburg EDC Board of Directors, the other board members are Harvey Rodríguez, Jr. as Vice President, Elías Longoria, Jr. as Secretary/Treasurer, and Richard Rupert and Dr. Peter Dabrowski as Members. Mayor Richard García and Edinburg EDC Executive Director Agustín García are not related. New live broadcasts of “Edinburg Connect” are scheduled to take place every two weeks, and all episodes will be remain on the Edinburg EDC Facebook page.
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by Legislative Media | Aug 22, 2017 | Politics
Featured, from left: Agustín García, Executive Director, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, and Mark Hanna, Publisher, Rio Grande Guardian, pause for a photograph at the Edinburg EDC complex, located in the city’s downtown, prior to a live video broadcast on Wednesday August 16, 2017 by the international news publication, which launched in July 2005. García, in an hour-long interview, provided detailed information on the achievements and goals of the Edinburg EDC, which is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The interview, in its entirety, is available for viewing at the Edinburg EDC Facebook page.
Photograph By STEVE TAYLOR
Total construction activities in Edinburg from January through July 2017, including more than $23.3 million for the month of July, reached $194.6 million, compared with $152.4 million during the first seven months of 2016, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. During July 2017, new construction of multi-family homes and new construction of single-family residences led the way, with the issuance of building permits for investments valued at more than $9.5 million and more than $6 million, respectively. The top construction projects in Edinburg for July 2017, not including the value of the land, are: $8,603,477 –Wisconsin Street Housing LP, 2132 E. Wisconsin Rd., The Heights Subdivision; $2,100,000 – Lakeside Produce USA, 1302 S. 28th, Tex-Mex Subdivision; $1,500,000 – Dan and Jacky Damon Family Trust, 508 W. Trenton Rd., Kelly-Pharr Subdivision; $1,498,000 – City Of Edinburg Fire Station No. 3, 8502 Jasman Road; and $1,400,000 – Raising Cane’s Restaurant, LLC, 718 W. University Dr., Edinburg Original Townsite Subdivision. Those year-to-date and monthly totals do not include the value of any building-related activities at The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley and the UTRGV School of Medicine in Edinburg because the state government, not the city, oversees all construction at the Edinburg campus. The building permits do not include the value of the land for the homes and buildings. The Edinburg EDC, of which Gus García is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mayor Richard García as President, Harvey Rodríguez, Jr. as Vice President, Elías Longoria, Jr., as Secretary/Treasurer, and Richard Ruppert and Dr. Peter Dabrowski as Members. Mayor Richard García and Edinburg EDC Executive Director Gus García are not related. 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.
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by Legislative Media | Aug 21, 2017 | Politics
Featured, Terry Andrés Canales, II, son of Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, seated at his father’s desk on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives in a photo posted on the state lawmaker’s Facebook page on Monday, July 24, 2017. The youngster, one of five children of Terry and Erica E. Canales, is set to undergo a series of heart surgeries at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio beginning on Wednesday, August 23, 2017, for a heart defect called coarctation of the aorta. According to http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/coarctation-of-the-aorta: “Coarctation of the aorta is a congenital heart defect where the aorta is narrowed (obstructed) and usually occurs just past the left subclavian artery (supplies blood to the left upper body) and results in decreased blood flow to the lower body. The left ventricle (pumping chamber) of the heart must work harder in order to pump blood through the narrowed aorta.”
Photograph Courtesy REP. TERRY CANALES FACEBOOK
Terry Andrés Canales, II, a son of Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, and wife Erica E. Canales, is set to undergo a series of heart surgeries at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio beginning on Wednesday, August 23, 2017, for a heart defect called coarctation of the aorta. In addition to Terry Andrés Canales, II, the House District 40 state representative and his wife also a parents to Caleb Ezra, Trígo, and Catalina, and the lawmaker is the stepfather of Juliana Figueroa. “I would be less than honest if I said we weren’t racked with fear of the uncertain, and that this hasn’t consumed our every waking moment for the last several months and left us virtually sleepless,” the House District 40 lawmaker readily acknowledged in his Facebook posting on Sunday, August 20, 2017. “But our faith in God is unwavering. Their son, “Bebo”, was two years old when he was diagnosed with the heart defect, Canales explained on his Facebook page. “Our family has hoped and prayed that the situation would correct itself, but with every passing follow up, that didn’t seem to be the case,” Canales said. “This Wednesday (August 23, 2017), my wife and I will travel to Columbus, Ohio with him where he will undergo the first of what we are told will be a series of heart surgeries.”
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