by Legislative Media | May 24, 2016 | Politics
Featured: With his image on a big screen, Mayor Richard García delivers his State of the City Address before a full house at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance on Thursday, May 19, 2016. The entire State of the City Address is available for viewing on the City of Edinburg web page – http://www.cityofedinburg.com.
Photograph By DIEGO REYNA
Add a new nickname to Edinburg – “Destination City”. As the city has undergone tremendous changes in just one generation – about 20 years – it has proudly been known for being a “Gateway to the Future” city, a “university city”, a “three-time All-America City”. Now, with so much positive growth going on in his beloved hometown, Mayor Richard García is promoting the latest moniker, which he came up with, for Edinburg – “Destination City.”
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by Legislative Media | May 23, 2016 | Politics
Featured: Councilmember David Torres, Mayor Richard García, and Mayor Pro Tem Richard Molina, at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance on Thursday, May 19, 2016, following the mayor’s State of the City Address about Edinburg to about 300 area residents in attendance and thousands more who viewed it on the Edinburg Cable Network.
Photograph By DIEGO REYNA
Edinburg’s unemployment rate for April 2016 of 4.5 percent marked the fourth consecutive month that the city posted a monthly figure of less than five percent, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced, The April 2016 figure of 4.5 percent is the best showing for that month in almost a decade, when the city posted a 4.0 percent unemployment rate in April 2008. According to the Texas Workforce Commission, there were 36,636 people employed in Edinburg during the month of April 2016. That performance represents an increase of 758 jobs in Edinburg when comparing the employment figures for April 2016 (36,636) and April 2015 (35,878).
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by Legislative Media | May 18, 2016 | Politics
Texans are approaching the day they will have the option to carry a virtual version of their driver license on their smartphone, as illustrated in this image, as a result of a state law by Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, that is now in the development stage by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Photograph By MORPHO TRUST TECHNOLOGY
“Under my legislation, which was contained in Senate Bill 1934 and became law on September 1, 2015, the Texas Department of Public Safety was required to conduct a study concerning the use of a digital mage for identification and proof of licensure purposes,” Canales reported. “As a result, five major proposals on how to achieve this goal have been submitted for the first time to the DPS.” Canales’ idea would result in Texas developing a system where such digital driver licenses could become a reality in Texas within the next few years.
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by Legislative Media | May 16, 2016 | Politics
Featured, from left: Karina Cardoza, Governmental Relations Consultant, Pharr Economic Development Corporation; Keith Patridge, President and CEO, McAllen Economic Development Corporation; Hidalgo County Commissioner Precinct 4 Joseph Palacios; Hidalgo County Commissioner Precinct 3 Joe M. Flores; Hidalgo County Judge Ramón García; Hidalgo County Commissioner Precinct 2 Eduardo “Eddie” Cantu; Hidalgo County Commissioner Precinct 1 A.C. Cuellar, Jr.; Cynthia Garza, Director of Business Development & Infrastructure, Pharr Economic Development Corporation; and Sergio Contreras, Executive Director, Pharr Economic Development Corporation. In honor of the 90th anniversary of the International Economic Development Corporation, the Commissioners Court designated May 8-14 as Economic Development Week in Hidalgo County.
Photograph Courtesy JULIA BENÍTEZ SULLIVAN
Construction and related building activities in Edinburg totaled almost $17 million for April 2016, bringing the total value of construction activities in the city to more than $82 million during the first four months of the year, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. The latest positive data comes as the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court on Tuesday, May 10, 2016, designated May 8-14 as Economic Development Week in Hidalgo County. This year represents the 90th anniversary of the International Economic Development Corporation.
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by Legislative Media | May 14, 2016 | Politics
A football feasibility study committee, chaired by legendary coach Mack Brown, will hold an organizational meeting on Thursday, May 19, 2016 during a time and location to be announced later by officials with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, has announced.
Photograph Courtesy of UTRGV ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT
“College football has a positive economic impact on a region in many ways, such as through the millions of dollars that would be generated from thousands of visitors coming to the Valley for the games and related activities,” said Canales. “It also is a tremendous marketing tool for UTRGV, which is one of the best universities in Texas in terms of its proud reputation in academics and sports. Football generates excitement on and off the field.”
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by Legislative Media | May 12, 2016 | Politics
Featured: An IMAX theater, similar to the one featured in this image by pocket-lint.com, will be coming to Carmike 20 Cinemas in Edinburg and is scheduled to open next year, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. The news comes as the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts released statewide data showing the retail economy in Edinburg for the month of March 2016 is more than eight percent better than the same month last year.
Photograph: pocket-lint.com
Edinburg’s retail economy during March 2016 was more than eight percent ahead of the same period last year, much better than the statewide average of all Texas cities for the same period, which came in with a 1.4 percent improvement, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. This latest positive news about the Edinburg’s economy, which was prepared by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts and released on Wednesday, May 11, 2016, came as Carmike Cinemas’ corporate headquarters revealed they have begun large-scale renovations at its Carmike Cinemas 20 entertainment complex in Edinburg. The nearest IMAX to the Valley is located in Corpus Christi.
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by Legislative Media | May 9, 2016 | Politics
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Chapter of the American Marketing Association recently earned awards at the AMA shown here with their awards from the AMA annual competition in New Orleans. Featured, from left, are Eric Rodríguez, Saydahli Mejía, Julio Salinas, Óscar Ramos, David Pérez, Fabiola Cortés, Fuad Chagollán, Jolene Arellano, Martín Nievez, Ángela López, Albert Adame and Alexandra García. The AMA Collegiate Case Competition is an annual, international contest open to undergraduate teams at schools that have an affiliated AMA Collegiate Chapter. The purpose of the competition is to provide AMA Collegiate members an opportunity to work together on a problem that illustrates a real marketing situation, and to provide competition sponsors direct contact with marketing students who have possible real-world solutions to a marketing problem.
Photograph By PAUL CHOUY
Where and when concealed handguns may be carried at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, allowing Doctors Hospital at Renaissance to use trademarks of UTRGV’s School of Medicine, and creating a new Ph.D program to take advantage of the coming creation of the SpaceX launch site are among key items that will be taken up on Wednesday, May 11 and Thursday, May 12, 2016, by the UT System Board of Regents, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. The EEDC, along with the City of Edinburg, promote the best interests of UTRGV and the UTRGV School of Medicine through its extensive legislative lobbying efforts before the UT System Board of Regents, the Texas Legislature, and Congress.
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by Legislative Media | May 3, 2016 | Politics
Featured, from left: Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, and Leonel Vela, M.D., Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, on Wednesday, April 26, 2016, during a tour of the $54 million Medical Education Building in Edinburg.
Photograph By ALEX RÍOS
A major boost to the area economy in underway as a result of an estimated $172.4 million in direct expenditures from the ongoing construction of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine in Edinburg and the planned establishment of the Doctors Hospital at Renaissance Medical Research Facility in neighboring McAllen, Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, has announced. “The total economic impact of the UTRGV medical school in the Rio Grande Valley is significant, according to an analysis by the university provided at my request, and this is just the beginning,” said the House District 40 lawmaker. Through the multiplier effect, the $172.4 million in direct spending creates 2,578 jobs, generates $75.1 million in labor income and adds $100.6 million in value added, for a total economic impact of $261.8 million, noted an economic analysis prepared by the university. Spending associated with the UTRGV medical school generates $7.3 million in state and local tax and $12.9 million in federal tax.
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by Legislative Media | Apr 30, 2016 | Politics
Featured, from left: Sonia Marroquín, Assistant City Manager, Myra Ayala Garza, City Secretary, and Ascensión Alonzo, Director of Finance, who all work for the City of Edinburg. The City Finance Department reports that Edinburg’s local retail economy in 2015 grew almost eight percent over the previous 12-month period in 2014. Local sales taxes in 2015 were $20,386,379, an increase of 7.65 percent over the 2014 total of $18,937,282.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
Construction and related building activities in Edinburg totaled almost $20 million during March 2016, bringing the total value of construction activities in the city to almost $65.2 million during the first three months of the year, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. Combined, building permits from January through March 2016 were issued for work valued at $65,173,203, compared with $41,367,340 for the same period in 2015. During March 2016, building permits for work valued at $19,710,781 were issued by the city, compared with $11,888,509 in March 2015.
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by Legislative Media | Apr 29, 2016 | Politics
Featured, from left Councilmember J.R. Betancourt and Mayor Pro Tem Richard Molina on Monday, February 18, 2016, during a work session of the Edinburg City Council and the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court, review options for Edinburg in the proposed construction by Hidalgo County for a $150 million courthouse in the city’s downtown.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
Valuable vacant property owned by First National Bank of Edinburg (which was closed in September 2013) is on the way to becoming yet another success story for the city following recent action by the Edinburg City Council, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. When completed, the new residential community will help provide more high-quality housing for Edinburg, and pump an estimated $47 million into the local economy, based on the values of the lots and homes.
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