by Legislative Media | Nov 15, 2016 | Politics
Featured: University of Texas Rio Grande Valley students Selene Salinas and Jorge Calderón present their research on the effect of economic variables in voting behaviors, during the Border Economic Development and Entrepreneurship Symposium (BEDES) on Wednesday, November 9, 2016, at the Embassy Suites McAllen Convention Center. The symposium was organized by the UTRGV Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and the McAllen Chamber of Commerce. The Edinburg Mayor, Edinburg City Council, and Edinburg Economic Development Corporation lobby the Texas Legislature and the UT System Board of Regents for advances at UTRGV and the UTRGV School of Medicine in Edinburg.
Photograph By PAUL CHOY
Edinburg continues to lead major Valley economies with 4.54 percent growth rate from January through September 2016, compared with the same period last year, while statewide, all cities combined showed only a 0.9 percent increase, according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. For the month of September 2016, Edinburg’s retail economy – as measured by local sales taxes generated from purchases of eligible goods and services – had the second-best showing among the Valley’s largest cities, coming in with a 3.70 percent improvement over the month of September 2015. Those figures are based on sales made in September 2016 by businesses that report tax monthly, and sales made in July, August and September by quarterly filers. The local sales tax data is among the latest economic barometers featured in a detailed summary provided by the state comptroller’s office, which released retail sales figures on Wednesday, November 9, 2016. During the first nine months of 2016, Edinburg’s retail economy produced $19,526,679.52 in local sales taxes, compared with $18,676,992.00 for January through September 2015, representing an improvement of 4.54 percent. For September 2016, Edinburg’s retail economy generated $1,933,808.59 in local sales taxes, compared with $1,864,640.98 during the same period in 2015, representing the improvement of 3.70 percent, also according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
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by Legislative Media | Nov 5, 2016 | Politics
Featured: The Red Gate Power Plant uses 12 of the largest natural gas-powered reciprocating engines in the world to produce 224 net megawatts of electricity. To provide a sense of scale, each of the 12 massive engines stands over 21 feet high and 63 feet long with 20-inch pistons producing over 26,000 horse power per engine.
Photograph By ALEX RÍOS
The formal grand opening in late-October 2016 of the $210 million Red Gate Power Plant north of Edinburg is the most recent symbol of population and economic growth in Hidalgo County, including in his House District 40 legislative district, said Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg. “I am honored to have such an innovative project in my district, employing so many local citizens and helping to conserve water, protect the environment and ensure the reliability of the electric grid in our community and beyond,” Canales said of the state-of-the-art electricity-generating power plant, which is locate at 3428 West FM 490, about 15 miles north of Edinburg. “As an example of its generating capacity, it will produce enough energy to power 50,000 homes.” The Red Gate Power Plant is owned and operated by the South Texas Electric Cooperative (STEC), which is made up of eight member cooperatives, including the Hidalgo County based Magic Valley Electric Cooperative. Canales said the power plant also symbolizes “clean energy” and will continue to draw attention to the Valley and Texas as a champion of renewable resources. “Texas produces more wind energy than any other state, accounting for one-fourth of all wind power in the United States. But sometimes the wind stops blowing and that can cause a lot of stress on our electric grids. Natural gas power plants are essential because they can be switched on instantly when these other renewable sources stop producing,” said Canales, who serves on the House Energy Resources Committee in the Texas House of Representatives.
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by Legislative Media | Oct 27, 2016 | Politics
Featured, from left: During the Tuesday, October 18, 2016 unveiling for Bob’s Steak and Chop House at The Shoppes at Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg are Elías Longoria, Jr., Member, Board of Directors, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; Dr. Peter Dabrowski, Member, Board of Directors, Edinburg EDC; Councilmember J.R. Betancourt; Councilmember Homer Jasso, Jr.; Mayor Pro Tem Richard Molina; Harvey Rodriguez, Jr., Vice President, Board of Directors, Edinburg EDC; John Toic, President, First Hartford Realty; and Peter J. Higgins, Vice President/Director of Leasing of First Hartford Realty.
The groundbreaking on Tuesday, October 18, 2016, of the multi-million dollar Bob’s Steak and Chop House, which is being built at The Shoppes at Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, also drew attention to the ongoing development of a major “entertainment corridor” in South Texas that is designed to create jobs and improve the quality of life for the city. The Shoppes is located at 591 E. Trenton Road in Edinburg, right off U.S. Expressway 281, a six-lane highway which has become part of U.S. Interstate Highway 69. The Shoppes and Bob’s Steak and Chop House are perfectly located to draw business from at least three major entertainment venues now under construction along U.S. Expressway 281/IH 69C: H-E-B Park, which features a soccer-specific,9,700-seat stadium that will serve as home for the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros of the United Soccer League; the IMAX Theatre, which will be part of the existing Carmike 2o Cinemas; and Bert Ogden Arena, the 8,700-seat, 189,000 square-foot enclosed venue, which will be home to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, a professional basketball team associated with the D-League of the National Basketball Association.
Photographs By RONNIE LARRALDE
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by Legislative Media | Oct 25, 2016 | Politics
Featured, from left: Dr. Jonikka Charlton, Assistant Vice President for Student Academic Success, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; Zaena Zamora, Mathematics Lecturer, UTRGV; and Justin González, Tutor, Learning Center Jumpstart, help help high school students prepare for college through the UTRGV JumpStart program, a five-week summer curriculum meant to help students overcome scholastic challenges. The Mayor, Edinburg City Council and Edinburg Economic Development Corporation lobbies the Texas Legislature and the UT System Board of Regents for advances that help UTRGV and its School of Medicine in Edinburg.
Photograph By PAUL CHOUY
Representatives for as many as 30 major employers will gather at the Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library, located at 1906 S. Closner Boulevard, from 8 am. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, October 27, 2016 for a job fair, which is free and open to the public, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. The event, coordinated by the Edinburg EDC, Workforce Solutions, the City of Edinburg, and the Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library, is part of a partnership between those entities to match qualified persons for jobs being offered in the city, said Leticia Reyes, Director of Business Development and Public Affairs, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation. “Our job fairs are designed to make it easier and more convenient for employers and prospective employees to get together,” said Reyes. “They are for every kind of person, from people who want to get a job for the first time, to individuals who are already employed, but are looking for a better job or a different career.” People looking for employment will be able to learn about the job vacancies from the employers, leave their résumés, and in some cases, employers will conduct a job interview immediately, she added. The Edinburg EDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. 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. Richard García and Agustín García, Jr. are not related. More information is available by contacting Reyes with the Edinburg EDC at 956/383-7124 or José Tamez, Assistant Director, Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library, at 956/383-6246.
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by Legislative Media | Oct 24, 2016 | Politics
Featured: Dr. Havidán Rodríguez, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, signs a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with Somchai Wongkasem, President of Rajabhat Maha Sarakham University (RMU), on Friday, October 21, 2016, at the International Trade & Technology building on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus. RMU is located in the Muang District in northeastern Thailand. Rodríguez is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, which is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The Mayor, Edinburg City Council and EEDC lobbies the Texas Legislature and the UT System Board of Regents for advances that help UTRGV and its School of Medicine in Edinburg.
Photo By PAUL CHOUY
Edinburg and McAllen were the only two Valley cities which posted unemployment rates under 5.6 percent during the month of September 2016, according to the Texas Workforce Commission, which also reported on Friday, October 21, 2016, that Edinburg saw a growth of almost 1,000 jobs when comparing employment in September 2016 with September 2015. The Texas Workforce Commission reported that there were 36,302 people employed in Edinburg during the month of September 2016. That performance represents an increase of 975 jobs in Edinburg when comparing the employment figures for September 2016 (36,302) and September 2015 (35,327). That state agency found that McAllen and Edinburg came in with 5.2 percent and 5.5 percent unemployment rates, respectively, for the month of September 2016, according to the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation. The Edinburg EDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. 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. Richard García and Agustín García, Jr. are not related.
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by Legislative Media | Oct 20, 2016 | Politics
Featured: Dr. Guy Bailey, President, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, on Saturday, July 23, 2016, addressing the inaugural class of the UT Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, which opened its $54 million Medical Education Building at the Edinburg campus, welcoming 55 students into its charter class. In a related development, the UT System Board of Regents on Monday, September 26, 2016, unanimously approved the leasing of an approximately 85,000-square-foot facility from Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, which is based in Edinburg, to UTRGV for medical research and educational and clinical uses. The Edinburg Mayor, Edinburg City Council, and Edinburg Economic Development Corporation lobby the Texas Legislature and the UT System Board of Regents for advances at UTRGV and the UTRGV School of Medicine in Edinburg.
Photograph By DAVID PIKE
More people continue to move into Edinburg, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced, based on the latest year-to-date figures which show that between January and September 2016, more than $108 million in new homes and multi-family residences were approved for construction. For the month of September 2016, total construction activities during that period totaled more than $13.5 million. Also year-to-date, construction and related building activities for all categories have approached the $180 million level, based on information collected by the city’s Code Enforcement Department. The increasing number of residents in Edinburg is reflected in the most recent population estimates by the U.S. Census Department, which show the city has grown more than 13 percent between April 1, 2010 and July 1, 2015. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Edinburg’s estimated population as of July 1, 2015 was 84,497, compared with 74,541 on April 1, 2010, representing a growth of 13.4 percent. Year-to-date (January through September 2016), building permits were issued for 357 single-family residences, valued at $47,071,342, compared with 257 single family residences, valued at $37,102,917 from January through September 2015. Year-to-date (January through September 2016), building permits were issued for 230 multi-family residences, representing 928 units, valued at $61,655,264, compared with 36 multi-family residences, representing 71 units, valued at $5,365,356, from January through September 2015. The Edinburg EDC, whose executive director is Agustín García, Jr., 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.
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by Legislative Media | Oct 14, 2016 | Politics
Featured: Letty Reyes, Director of Business Development and Public Affairs, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; and Juan Guerra, City Manager, City of Pharr. Both area leaders on Friday, October 7, 2016 participated in a panel discussion about entrepreneurial innovation during the Fourth Annual Binational Innovation Conference (INNO 2016), which was hosted by South Texas College (STC) in McAllen. The Edinburg EDC was a sponsor of the event. INNO 2016 was held at the STC Technology Campus located at 3700 W. Military Highway in McAllen. Also on the panel, but not shown in this image, were: Keith Patridge, President/CEO, McAllen Economic Development Corporation; Francisco “Frank” Almaraz, CEO, Workforce Solutions, Lower Rio Grande Valley; and Bobby Villarreal, County Executive Director, Hidalgo County.
Photograph By LAURA VELA
Edinburg’s retail economy from January through August 2016 has improved more than 4.6 percent, which is the best showing of all major Rio Grande Valley cities, and better than the statewide average of a 1.1 percent increase of all cities in the state, according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. For the month of August 2016, Edinburg’s retail economy – as measured by local sales taxes generated from purchases of eligible goods and services – also remained healthy, showing an almost two percent improvement over the month of August 2015. Those figures are based on sales made in August 2016 by businesses that report tax monthly, according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The local sales tax data is among the latest economic barometers featured in a detailed summary provided by the state comptroller’s office, which released retail sales figures on Wednesday, October 12, 2016. During the first eight months of 2016, Edinburg’s retail economy produced $17,592,870.93 in local sales taxes, compared with $16,812,351.02 for January through August 2015, representing an improvement of 4.64 percent. For August 2016, Edinburg’s retail economy generated $1,702,561.82 in local sales taxes, compared with $1,671,788.87 during the same period in 2015, representing the improvement of 1.84 percent, also according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The sales tax, formally known as the State Sales and Use Tax, is imposed on all retail sales, leases and rentals of most goods, as well as taxable services. Texas cities, counties, transit authorities and special purpose districts have the option of imposing an additional local sales tax for a combined total of state and local taxes of 8 1/4% (.0825). The local sales tax is used in Edinburg to help pay for many city services, while the Edinburg EDC uses its one-half cent local sales tax to help generate economic development in the city. The amount of local sales taxes collected also helps reflect the strength of an economy, along with construction activities, per capita income, education, historical performances, and related trends. The Edinburg EDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. 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, Elías Longoria, Jr., Harvey Rodríguez, Jr., Richard Rupert, and Dr. Peter Dabrowski.
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by Legislative Media | Oct 6, 2016 | Politics
Featured, from left: Leticia Reyes, Director of Business Development and Public Affairs, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; Jonathan Torres, Production Specialist, City of Edinburg; Pepe García Gilling, Independent Filmmaker, Monterrey, Mexico; Viviana Ozuna, Business Consulting and Marketing, McAllen; Luis Suner, MG Digital Group, Edinburg; and Dr. Dahlia Guerra, Assistant Vice President for Public Art, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. These individuals were gathered on Saturday, September 10, 2016, during the South Texas International Film Festival 2016 awards banquet held at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance. The Edinburg EDC was the major financial sponsor for the event, which organizers said drew more than 1,000 people to the three-day event, held from Thursday, September 8 through Saturday, September 10, 2016. STXFF is a competitive international film festival in the categories of Best Short Film, Best Feature Length Film, and Best Regional Film. This year’s edition showcased local, regional and international films that have a unique voice and style. As an added bonus, STXFF premiered the first local 3D movie filmed and produced in the Rio Grande Valley as part of the Festival’s opening. More than 102 submissions in Feature Film, Short Film, and film projects from more than 12 countries were in the running for awards.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
Leticia Reyes, Director of Business Development and Public Affairs for the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, on Friday, October 7, 2016 will participate in the Fourth Annual Binational Innovation Conference (INNO 2016), which is being hosted by South Texas College (STC) in McAllen. The Edinburg EDC is one of the sponsors of INNO 2016. INNO 2016 is a bi-national collaborative effort between STC and El Instituto Internacional de Estudios Superiores in Reynosa, Mexico, and takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, October 7, 2016 at the STC Technology Campus located at 3700 W. Military Highway in McAllen. Reyes will be part of a panel of representatives from various economic development corporations in the region talking about entrepreneurial innovation as part of the INNO 2016. Joining her on the panel, which will be featured from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., will be Keith Patridge, President and CEO of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation; Rose Benavídez, Member, Board of Trustees, South Texas College, and President, Starr County Industrial Foundation; and Frank Almaraz, CEO of Workforce Solutions. They will focus on “Entrepreneurial Innovation”. The Edinburg EDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. 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, Elías Longoria, Jr., Harvey Rodríguez, Jr., Richard Rupert, and Dr. Peter Dabrowski.
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by Legislative Media | Oct 5, 2016 | Politics
Featured: Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, and his wife, Erika Canales, on Friday, August 26, 2016, following a panel discussion that included Rep. Canales, Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, and Rep. R.D. “Bobby” Guerra, D-McAllen, hosted by the Texas Tribune at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg.
Photograph By ALEX RÍOS
With one in three adult women in Texas having been victims of abusive men, Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, says he will continue to support increased state funding for family violence centers, which provide shelter and support services to battered women and their children, while he continues to vote for laws that will punish batterers. “It’s real simple. In Texas, a man should never hit his wife or girlfriend, daughter, mother, grandmother, sister, any family member, or any woman or child,” said Canales, who is a member of the crime-fighting House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence. “I don’t care if such a wretched man is drunk, on drugs, angry, jealous, envious, narrow-minded, or just plain mean. In Texas, we will have a jail cell waiting for you.” Canales’ comments came as the nation was observing October 2016 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which included a proclamation from President Obama, who explained the importance of “shining a light on this violation of the basic human right to be free from violence and abuse.” The physical and emotional scars of domestic violence “can cast a long shadow,” Obama added. “Too many individuals, regardless of age, ability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, circumstance, or race, face the pain and fear of domestic violence. During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we pledge to ensure every victim of domestic violence knows they are not alone, and foster supportive communities that help survivors seek justice and enjoy full and healthy lives.”
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by Legislative Media | Sep 27, 2016 | Politics
Featured: Dr. Havidán Rodríguez, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, on Friday, August 26, 2016, gave welcoming remarks for the university’s first Project Sin Fronteras banquet, hosted by the UTRGV Office of Sustainability at the Embassy Suites McAllen Convention Center. Rodríguez is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, which is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The Edinburg EDC, its Board of Directors, the Edinburg Mayor and the Edinburg City Council lobby the Texas Legislature and the UT System Board of Regents 0n behalf of UTRGV and its School of Medicine in Edinburg.
Photograph By PAUL CHOUY
Edinburg and McAllen were the only two Valley cities which posted unemployment rates under 5.5 percent during the month of August 2016, according to the Texas Workforce Commission, which also reported on Friday, September 16, 2016, that Edinburg saw a growth of almost 1,000 jobs when comparing employment in August 2016 with August 2015. Edinburg’s 5.4 percent unemployment rate for August 2016 is the same as the August 2015 level (5.4 percent), and both of those figures were the best for that month since August 2008, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. McAllen’s 5.3 percent unemployment rate for August 2016 was the best showing among all Valley cities for that month. The Texas Workforce Commission reported that there were 36,091 people employed in Edinburg during the month of August 2016. That performance represents an increase of 995 jobs in Edinburg when comparing the employment figures for August 2016 (36,091) and August 2015 (35,096). The Edinburg EDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. 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. Richard García and Agustín García, Jr. are not related.
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