MCALLEN, Texas - Rio Grande Valley Partnership President Daniel Silva recently sat down for an in-depth conversation about marketing the region with Rio Grande Guardian anchor Mark Hanna. The Partnership has been tasked with marketing the Valley and has selected “One Region, One Voice,” as its mantra. However, Silva said his group is not averse to …

MCALLEN, Texas - Rashmi Chandran, executive director of AltaCair Foundation, says her group is going to focus on unserved colonia residents, rather than the underserved. On a Rio Grande Guardian podcast, Chandran said “very helpful” research conducted by UT-Rio Grande Valley has helped AltaCair identify the colonias that need the most help. “Living…

MCALLEN, Texas - Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement (VIDA) will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year. The community-based nonprofit came about thanks to the efforts of Valley Interfaith and private-industry business leaders. The impetus was the need to empower the underserved residents of in the Rio Grande Valley with the tools, …

REYNOSA, Tamaulipas - COBIFER members learned all about the new RioPlex marketing initiative at a meeting at Grupo Río San Juan on July 24. And they liked what they heard. Indeed, the Q&A portion of the meeting went on for an hour and 15 minutes, with members wanting to know more and expressing their support. RioPlex, created by the CEO Group and a…

McALLEN, Texas - CEO Group leader Joaquin Spamer recently sat down for an in-depth conversation about the new RioPlex marketing initiative with Rio Grande Guardian anchor Mark Hanna. The CEO Group is an offshoot of the Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force and comprises business men and women from the Rio Grande Valley and northern Tamaulipas. When …

EDINBURG, Texas - All the stucco on the outside of the new Hidalgo County Courthouse has to be taken off and replaced, County Judge Richard Cortez has revealed. The reason is that water is leaking in between the stucco and the outer wall. Cortez says the stucco cannot be replaced at the moment because we are in hurricane season. Cortez first reveal…

EDINBURG, Texas - All the stucco on the outside of the new Hidalgo County Courthouse has to be taken off and replaced, County Judge Richard Cortez has revealed. The reason is that water is leaking in between the stucco and the outer wall. Cortez says the stucco cannot be replaced at the moment because we are in hurricane season. Cortez first reveal…

MCALLEN, Texas - Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez recently sat down for an in-depth conversation about county matters with Rio Grande Guardian anchor Mark Hanna. Among the topics discussed were the Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force, the RioPlex marketing initiative, the new Hidalgo County Courthouse, and utilizing jail space for county inmate…

PHARR, Texas - Construction is underway for yet another cold storage facility within the Pharr Produce Park. The latest project sees Greenway Construction building a 50,000 square foot warehouse for its sister company, LakeWay Produce. This is just the first phase. The second phase will see it expanded to 94,000 square feet. The new building is les…

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro held a Zoom call to discuss President Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. In a statement about the decision, Castro, a Democrat from San Antonio said: “Nearly four years ago, American voters swept Joe Biden into office with faith in his vision for our nation. Since his first da…

PHARR, Texas - Luis Bazan, director of the Pharr International Bridge, has given an early preview of the 4th Industrial Warehouse Summit, which takes place in October. IWS is an event co-hosted by the Pharr Bridge Board and Pharr Economic Development Corporation. Bazan gave details of the next IWS when he attended a groundbreaking ceremony for Lake…

PHARR, TEXAS - Pharr Economic Development Corporation President Victor Perez went off script to recognize industrial developer Joaquin Spamer at a groundbreaking ceremony. The focus was supposed to be on another warehouse developer, Ramon Mery, and later in the proceedings it was. But Perez said he wanted Spamer to come to the podium because he, Pe…

HARLINGEN, Texas - When Mario Reyna, a leader with the Prosperity Task Force, made his opening remarks at a RioPlex event he described Harlingen as the center of the Rio Grande Valley and the center of the universe. Up next was Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda. She was happy to receive Reyna’s accolade. “Good morning, everyone. I like that welcome t…

HARLINGEN, Texas - There was an absorbing discussion at Harlingen Convention Center over whether the creation of RioPlex duplicates the work of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership and/or COSTEP. The discussion occurred in a Q&A session that followed a keynote address by businessman and consultant Rolando Pablos. The event was co-hosted by the CEO Gro…

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton of Phoenix, Arizona, says this is an incredibly important moment in U.S.-Mexico relations. And the reason it is important is the nearshoring phenomenon. Stanton, was a panelist at the Mexico Institute’s 10th Annual Building a Competitive U.S.-Mexico Border Conference, held recently in Washington, D.C. The p…

WASHINGTON, Texas - U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar says that if all the trucks that cross the border each year at the Laredo port of entry were lined up they would go around the world 3.4 times. Cuellar, who hails from Laredo, Texas, was a panelist at the Mexico Institute’s 10th Annual Building a Competitive U.S.-Mexico Border Conference, held recently in…

WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Rep. Lou Correa of California says the elephant in the room that no one talks about is the United States’ attitude towards Mexico and Mexico’s attitude to the U.S. Correa was a panelist at the Mexico Institute’s 10th Annual Building a Competitive U.S.-Mexico Border Conference, held recently in Washington, D.C. The panel was ti…

When I ran the Bob Krueger campaign, I was his campaign manager, San Juan had just elected a majority of city councilmen who were Hispanic. Because, let's face it, the white Anglo political establishment was running everything down here. And when Bob Krueger put his campaign together, he put Juan front and center. And when they wanted to have a cam…

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Orlando Campos, executive director of Harlingen Economic Development Corporation, made a pitch to potential investors from India. Campos made his pitch at an event hosted by the Council for South Texas Economic Progress that was held at the Port of Brownsville. Here is an audio recording of Campos’ remarks. Go to www.riograndeg…

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Jason Wolfe, president and CEO of NovaLink, recently made a sales pitch to potential economic development investors from India. He made his remarks at the Port of Brownsville at an event hosted by the Council for South Texas Economic Progress (COSTEP). Also making a pitch to the potential investors were Brownsville Navigation D…

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Businessman René Xavier González recently gave a presentation on the work of CODEM to investors from India. CODEM is a privately run economic development corporation based in Matamoros. Gonzalez’s company, SIDEE Construction is a member of the group. González made his remarks at the Port of Brownsville at an event hosted by the…

MCALLEN, Texas - McAllen businessman Michael Fallek says he fully supports the new RioPlex marketing initiative started by the Prosperity Task Force’s CEO Group. Fallek was attended a recent meeting at the McAllen Country Club where the name RioPlex was adopted. The Rioplex region encompasses the Rio Grande Valley and Northern Tamaulipas. Here is a…

MCALLEN, Texas - Adam Gonzalez, CEO of COSTEP, says he fully supports the new RioPlex marketing initiative started by the Prosperity Task Force’s CEO Group. COSTEP stands for the Council for South Texas Economic Progress. Gonzalez was attended a recent meeting at the McAllen Country Club where the name RioPlex was adopted. The Rioplex region encomp…

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - On the day he announced his retirement as chancellor of Texas A&M University - effective a year from now - John Sharp was happy to recall his love for South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. In an audio interview with the Rio Grande Guardian, Sharp recalled that back when he was running for office and he was in a bad mood, his s…

MCALLEN, Texas - Various economic development organizations from across the Rio Grande Valley recently made a pitch to three investors from India. McAllen Economic Development Corporation had an advantage: it could point to a successful collaboration with an Indian firm. McAllen EDC Vice President Ralph Garcia told the story of how Zoho, a billion-…

WESLACO, Texas - The Council for South Texas Economic Progress is working on an agreement with Startup Runway, a Frisco-based company that brings manufacturing and tech companies across from India. COSTEP CEO Adam Gonzalez said his organization will make sure any potential companies are well-vetted. Then, he or his colleague Rick Carrera, the group…

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - The Rio Grande Guardian has posted a number of stories featuring support for liquefied natural gas export terminals at the Port of Brownsville. Here are the links to a couple of stories featuring such support for the Texas LNG project: https://riograndeguardian.com/serna-projected-revenues-from-texas-lng-to-cameron-county-over-…

MCALLEN, Texas - The CEO Group, which comprises business leaders, entrepreneurs and bankers from across the Rio Grande Valley and North Tamaulipas, has confirmed its brand name for the region - Rioplex. The announcement was made at a meeting at McAllen Country Club on Wednesday, June 19, with white T-shirts bearing the brand being distributed to ev…

ROMA, TEXAS - Adam Gonzalez, CEO of the COSTEP, the Rio Grande Valley’s regional economic development organization, has praised everyone involved in developing Las Americas Roma Logistics and Industrial Park. Gonzalez attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a secondary Customs and Border Protection inspection station at the new park on June 18. Gonz…

Judge Treviño, commissioners, thank you very much for allowing me the time to be here this morning. I know I don't have very much time so I'm going to jump right into this. The first thing that I wanted to start off with was safety. Safety is our number one concern with regards to community, with regards to our employees, and with regards to the en…

Just to refresh everybody's memory. Rio Grande LNG leased a 984-acre site from the Port of Brownsville. The project will consist of five LNG trains. The estimated investment on the project is $18 billion with $12 billion of that being for phase one alone, with trains one to three. At the peak there will be over 5,000 construction jobs or five to se…

EDINBURG, Texas - Growth, growth, and more growth. That was the message Carlos Garza, project manager for Edinburg Economic Development Organization, made a pitch to investors from India. The event was hosted by the Council for South Texas Economic Progress and was held at the Casa De Palmas in McAllen. “One of the things that we boast here is that…

MCALLEN, Texas - Belén Guerrero, Mission Economic Development Corporation’s chief operating officer, recently spoke to investors that are keen to bring manufacturing and high-tech companies from India to the Rio Grande Valley. The event was hosted by the Council for South Texas Economic Progress and was held at the Casa De Palmas in McAllen. Guerre…

PORT MANSFIELD, Texas - Several tons of trash was collected during the annual Port Mansfield Cut & Beach Cleanup. Hundreds of volunteers participated in the event Miller and Kathie Bassler began organizing 15 years ago with the idea of keeping the area clean of debris and trash from across the harbor all the way to the cut. Dozens of boats owned by…

La maldición de Miranda Juan Martín de Miranda era el mayor de cuatro hermanos por parte de padre, y el único legítimo. Influyó notablemente en los acontecimientos, pero los cuerpos etéreos nunca fueron considerados por los historiadores.By fotovision2000

En lo profundo de la sierra, donde la noche se tiñe de secretos y peligro, se tejía una historia de contrabando...By fotovision2000

Historias. En apariencia, en la Edad Media, los gatos tenían mala reputación. Se los asociaba con el paganismo y la brujería, y eran seriamente sospechados.By fotovision2000

HARLINGEN, Texas - While there were a few surprising omissions in her 2024 State of the City Address, Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda did cover a lot of ground in her one-hour presentation. Sepulveda did not mention the work of the Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce, Texas State Technical College, the Port of Harlingen, and Los Indios International…

La incomprensión y falta de comunicación pueden resultar fatalesBy fotovision2000

Un relato en el cual la ignorancia y la urgencia arruinan lo importante y trascendente.By fotovision2000

HARLINGEN, Texas - Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda says the South Texas border region does not get fair news coverage at the national level. Too many of the stories are negatively slanted, she says, which is why the South Texas Coalition of Mayors is so important. Ron Whitlock Reports interviewed Sepulveda on a range of subjects just before she wen…

MCALLEN, Texas - South Texas Manufacturers Association members heard about apprenticeship programs at their most recent monthly meeting, held at the Doubletree Suites by Hilton in McAllen. The presentation was made by Dr. Carlos Margo, associate dean in the Office of Industry Training & Economic Development at South Texas College. Margo gave an ove…

MCALLEN, Texas - Adrian Villarreal, president and CEO of IBC Bank-McAllen, says the North American Free Trade Agreement - now known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement - has transformed Deep South Texas. Villarreal spoke about his bank’s heavy involvement in NAFTA and USMCA while participating in a bankers panel at the City of McAllen’s re…

PHARR, Texas - Manny Vela, vice president and chief operating officer for Texas A&M McAllen, said the excitement in the room during a panel discussion about higher education at the recent IWS3 was palpable. Vela was joined on stage by South Texas College President Ricardo Solis and UT-Rio Grande Valley Associate Vice President for Workforce and Eco…

PHARR, Texas - Maroula Khraiche, an assistant economics professor at UT-Rio Grande Valley, spoke about a range of economic topics at the recent IWS3. She concluded her remarks by saying, “the conclusion is the next five years are likely to be experiencing less globalization and more protectionism, which can damper competition.” Before that Khraiche…

HIDALGO, Texas - The first cohort of students have graduated from Valley View High School with a high school diploma and a minor in Spanish from UT-San Antonio. Valley View, one of the smallest school districts in Hidalgo County, used to have a similar tie-up with UT-Pan American and then UT-Rio Grande Valley. But these days, the emphasis on helpin…

PHARR, Texas - South Texas College President Ricardo Solis says his college would be in a much stronger position to help the Rio Grande Valley grow if it was also operating in Cameron County. Currently, STC is limited by statute to Hidalgo and Starr counties. But maybe one day that might change, Solis said. “South Texas College by the way, we are j…

EDINBURG, Texas - A collaboration between McAllen Economic Development Corporation and a team of four marketing students from UT-Rio Grande Valley is already paying dividends. The Xolat marketing agency - comprising Karla Medrano, Susana Ibarra, Melanie Garza, and Regina Cerna-Matamoros - was formed within the Robert C. Vackar College of Business &…

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - The City of Harlingen and Harlingen Economic Development Corporation are working hard to make sure access to capital is not a barrier for budding entrepreneurs in the city. This was the message Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda gave when she appeared as a panelist at RGV StartUp Week. The weeklong event, held at the eBridge Cente…

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS - Brownsville Mayor John Cowen, Jr., won many plaudits for his first ever State of the City Address. “Epic is an understatement when your mayor, John Cowen, rocks the 2024 State of the City,” said Brownsville City Manager Helen Ramirez. The event was held at Texas Southmost College’s Performing Arts Center. TSC had never staged s…