by Legislative Media | Jun 10, 2016 | Politics
Featured, from left: William H. McRaven, Chancellor of The University of Texas System; Janet Ogden Vackar and Robert “Bob” C. Vackar, owners of the Bert Ogden Auto Group, which began in Edinburg and spread Valleywide; and Dr. Guy Bailey, President, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. The UT System and UTRGV were celebrating a donation of $15 million by the Vackars to UTRGV by naming its business college the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship. The Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, along with the City of Edinburg, also promotes 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.
Photograph By PAUL CHOUY
Edinburg’s retail economy during April 2016 had the best rate of improvement – 3.05 percent – over the same month last year among the Valley’s major cities, while by comparison, cities statewide reported a combined average decrease of 1.2 percent in April 2016 compared with April 2015, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. A growing economy in the city is influenced by the hard work ethic of the community and by the generosity of business success stories in the city, such as the Vackar family, whose last name on wife Janet’s side of her family, is set to grace the Bert Ogden Arena currently under construction in southeast Edinburg, and which will be the largest entertainment venue in South Texas.The Vackars – owners and principal dealers of the Bert Ogden Auto Group, which includes 13 dealership locations housing 16 individual franchise lines across the Valley – both grew up in the Valley, the children of entrepreneurs who owned Edinburg-based businesses and inspired dedication to hard work and community service.
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by Legislative Media | Jun 8, 2016 | Politics
Featured, from left: Harvey Rodríguez, Jr., Vice-President, Board of Directors, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, and Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, at Canales’ District Office in Edinburg on Monday, December 14, 2015.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
An Open Government seminar, offered by the Office of the Texas Attorney General and the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, will take place on Thursday, June 9, 2016 at the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, 1200 Ash Avenue, Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, has announced. “Access to public records gives our citizens the opportunity to participate in public life, help set priorities, and hold their governments accountable. A free flow of information can be an important tool for building trust between a government and its citizens. Public access to our government’s work is a fundamental human right,” said Canales. “Democracies die behind closed doors. The First Amendment, through a free press, protects the people’s right to know that their government acts fairly, lawfully, and accurately.”
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by Legislative Media | Jun 6, 2016 | Politics
Featured: Dr. Havidán Rodríguez, a former member of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, has been selected by the American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity (AAAED) to receive its distinguished 2016 Cesar Estrada Chavez Award, the Edinburg EDC and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley have announced.
Photograph By PAUL CHOUY
Dr. Havidán Rodríguez, who served on the Edinburg EDC Board of Directors from 2013 to 2015, is founding Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at UTRGV. Mayor Richard García said Rodríguez’ efforts on behalf of Edinburg and UTRGV have been impressive. From working with the Edinburg EDC and the Edinburg City Council on its joint efforts that have brought hundreds of millions of dollars in economic growth to the community, to helping the city’s leadership on its pro-business and high quality-of-life strategies that have resulted, for years, in one of the lowest unemployment rates in deep South Texas, Havidán Rodríguez has made his presence felt in these and many other ways.
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by Legislative Media | Jun 2, 2016 | Politics
Featured: Korean War veteran Antonio “Tony” Muñiz of Falfurrias accepts the Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of a grateful nation from Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, during ceremonies held on Monday, May 30, 2016 – Memorial Day – at the Brooks County Courthouse in Falfurrias.
Photograph By ALEX RÍOS
Antonio “Tony” Muñiz was with the 3rd Recon Company, which was attached to the 65th Infantry Regiment – known as The Borinqueneers – during the Korean War. The 65th Infantry Regiment is the first Hispanic Unit and the sole Unit from the Korean War to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. The regiment is also credited with the last battalion-sized bayonet assault in army history. “This award has been bestowed to a very few men, so I am very honored,” said Mr. Muñiz, who served as an Army combat medic. “But I must say the ones who should be honored the most are the ones who died for our freedoms, who made the ultimate sacrifice.” Mr. Muñiz has deep ties to Hidalgo County with three adult children and five grandchildren in Edinburg and McAllen.
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by Legislative Media | May 31, 2016 | Politics
Featured, from left: Mack Brown, former football Head Coach of the Texas Longhorns, and Oliver Luck, Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for the NCAA, accompanied by Manny Mantrana, Head Coach of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley baseball team, on Thursday, May 19, 2016. Brown and Luck participated in throwing out the ceremonial first pitches at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in Edinburg.
Photograph By JÉSICA GONZÁLEZ
Mack Brown and Oliver Luck, two national college and professional sports figures, are helping guide a special football feasibility study committee, organized by Dr. Guy Bailey, UTRGV President, and Chris King, UTRGV Director of Athletics, which held their first session, behind closed doors, to meet with and hear from the UTRGV leadership and the blue-ribbon group that will have a major say on the prospects for a NCAA college football team for the university.
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by Legislative Media | May 26, 2016 | Politics
Featured: The Congressional Gold Medal, which is one of the nation’s highest civilian honors, will be bestowed to Korean War veteran Antonio “Tony” Muñiz of Falfurrias, who has deep ties to Edinburg, announced Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg. Canales will present the Congressional Gold Medal during a public ceremony on Monday, May 30 – Memorial Day – in the Brooks County Courthouse, 100 E. Miller Street in Falfurrias, beginning at 2 p.m.
Image Courtesy Coinworld.com
Antonio “Tony” Muñiz was with the 3rd Recon Company, which was attached to the 65th Infantry Regiment – known as The Borinqueneers – during the Korean War. The 65th Infantry Regiment is the first Hispanic Unit and the sole Unit from the Korean War to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. The regiment is also credited with the last battalion-sized bayonet assault in army history.
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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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