Rio Grande Guardian's Podcast

PHARR, Texas - Joined by trucking company owner and a cold storage facility owner, gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke held a news conference near the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge last week. The news conference was held inside the Keystone Cold facility on South Keystone Drive in Pharr. Keystone Cold LLC is an independent third party logistics and cold storage warehousing operation serving...

WESLACO, Texas - Texas Governor Greg Abbott and with Tamaulipas Governor Francisco Garcia Cabeza de Vaca met in Weslaco, Texas, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between their states. The agreement aims to enhance border security measures in order to prevent undocumented immigration and drugs crossing from Tamaulipas to Texas and improve the flow of traffic across the bridges between Tamaulipa...

LAREDO, Texas - Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Nuevo León Governor Samuel Alejandro García Sepúlveda met at the Colombia Solidarity International Bridge to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between their states. The agreement aims to enhance border security measures in order to prevent undocumented immigration and drugs crossing from Nuevo León into Texas and improve the flow of traffic across th...

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Governor Greg Abbott and with Chihuahua Governor María Eugenia Campos Galván met at the state Capitol in Austin to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between their states. The agreement aims to enhance border security measures in order to prevent undocumented immigration and drugs crossing from Chihuahua into Texas and improve the flow of traffic across the bridges between Ch...

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Governor Greg Abbott and with Coahuila Governor Miguel Ángel Riquelme Solís met at the state Capitol in Austin to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between their states. The agreement aims to enhance border security measures in order to prevent undocumented immigration and drugs from crossing Coahuila into Texas and improve the flow of traffic across the bridges between Coah...

MCALLEN, Texas - South Texas College President Ricardo J. Solis says the traditional ways of learning in higher education are no longer relevant to the workplace. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony held to celebrate a new industry-recognized customs specialist course, Solis said four-year degree programs are no longer the best way to meet the needs of industry. Rather, he said, the trade school approach...

MCALLEN, Texas - Customs broker Federico Zuniga recently spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by South Texas College. Zuniga is director of the National Educational Institute at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA). The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to celebrate a partnership between STC, NCBFAA and the Mid-Valley Customs Brokers Association. The pa...

EDINBURG, Texas - The CEO of the Museum of South Texas says cities that are more tolerant and have a good cultural arts scene tend to be more economically vibrant. Francisco Guajardo spoke about the subject at a recent Edinburg2040 town hall meeting. The meeting was held at the Edinburg Boys & Girls Club. Guajardo said Edinburg, with its university, museum, and school district, is different. “...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – In a Zoom interview with the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service , Helen Ramirez has discussed a new project that will see 125 net zero carbon rental homes built in Brownsville. Ramirez is deputy city manager for the City of Brownsville and executive director of the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation.  The new project comes from Astreia, which describes itse...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - In a Zoom interview with the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service , Helen Ramirez has discussed Pineapple RE Holdings’ proposed five-story Hilton Garden Inn. Ramirez is deputy city manager for the City of Brownsville and executive director of the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation.  Last month, Brownsville City Commission approved a funding agreement for the...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - In a Zoom interview with the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service , Helen Ramirez has discussed the Madeira Texas Living master-planned community project. Ramirez is deputy city manager for the City of Brownsville and executive director of the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation.  The Madeira project encompasses 1,300 acres of land just east of I-69 East and j...

MCALLEN, Texas - According to surveys and medical records, one in ten people in the United States have diabetes, while one in every five people do not know they have the disease. The numbers in the Rio Grande Valley are believed to be even higher. This has prompted South Texas Health System to host a Diabetes Symposium at South Texas College in McAllen on Saturday, March 26, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m....

After a two year hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Day of the Tourist returned on Monday, March 21, at the Nuevo Progreso International Bridge.  The day-long celebrations are held by the cities of Nuevo Progreso and Rio Bravo, Mexico, to honor the Winter Texans that flock to the restaurants, bars, dentists, doctors, and street vendors located close to the Progreso-Nuevo Progreso Internati...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - The City of Brownsville has been named a winner in IDC Government Insights’ fifth annual Smart Cities North America Awards.  Brownsville was recognized for their efforts on the Connect Brownsville project in Digital Equity and Accessibility.   The awards were designed to recognize the progress North American municipalities have made in executing Smart Cities projects, as well...

MCALLEN, Texas - Pedro "Pete" Alvarez, the Pharr District engineer for TxDOT, recently gave a presentation on the projects his office is currently working on in the Rio Grande Valley. The presentation was made at a State of Real Estate Forum that was hosted by Edwards Abstract & Title Co. and held at the McAllen Convention Center. The presentation lasted just under 20 minutes.  Alvar...

MCALLEN, Texas - Pedro "Pete" Alvarez, the Pharr District engineer for TxDOT, recently gave a presentation on the projects his office is currently working on in the Rio Grande Valley. The presentation was made at a State of Real Estate Forum that was hosted by Edwards Abstract & Title Co. and held at the McAllen Convention Center. The presentation lasted just under 20 minutes.  After...

 MCALLEN, Texas - Jorge Torres, president and co-founder of InterLink Trade Services, has produced another webinar on the USMCA trade agreement. He does these twice a year in conjunction with McAllen Economic Development Corporation. During his most recent webinar, Torres discussed supply chain disruptions in Southeast Asia. He said Mexico is benefiting because U.S. manufacturing companies and the...

HARLINGEN, TEXAS - Valley Baptist Health System CEO Manny Vela said he was brought up with the mantra that one always gave credit where credit was due. He said he wanted to give credit to the leadership of Cameron County during the COVID-19 pandemic because, led by County Judge Eddie Treviño, the county leadership had made an “incredible effort.” Vela said the public-private partnership the county...

PHARR, Texas - Hidalgo County Commissioner Eduardo “Eddie” Cantu says one of his proudest achievements has been building an inclusive park for Precinct 2. The park, which is fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, is one of the largest of its kind in South Texas. Cantu was recently invited by the Disability Advocates Coalition-RGV to speak at a Disability Issues Forum. “I am prou...

MCALLEN, Texas - Four state lawmakers from the Rio Grande Valley were asked what was the most important positive piece of legislation passed last session for the region. Reps. Terry Canales of Edinburg, Sergio Muñoz of Mission, R.D. ‘Bobby’ Guerra of McAllen, and Oscar Longoria of La Joya were asked the question by moderator Jim Darling, the former mayor of McAllen, at a McAllen Chamber of Commerc...

MCALLEN, Texas - Four state lawmakers from the Rio Grande Valley were asked what was the most important negative piece of legislation passed last session for the region. Reps. Terry Canales of Edinburg, Sergio Muñoz of Mission, R.D. ‘Bobby’ Guerra of McAllen, and Oscar Longoria of La Joya were asked the question by moderator Jim Darling, the former mayor of McAllen, at a McAllen Chamber of Commerc...

MCALLEN, Texas - Four state lawmakers from the Rio Grande Valley were asked what is one specific area that needs to be addressed in the next legislative session.  Reps. Terry Canales of Edinburg, Sergio Muñoz of Mission, R.D. ‘Bobby’ Guerra of McAllen, and Oscar Longoria of La Joya were asked the question by moderator Jim Darling, the former mayor of McAllen, at a McAllen Chamber of Commerce event...

MCALLEN, Texas - Four state lawmakers from the Rio Grande Valley were asked what has changed the most in the Legislature over the past ten years.  Reps. Terry Canales of Edinburg, Sergio Muñoz of Mission, R.D. ‘Bobby’ Guerra of McAllen, and Oscar Longoria of La Joya were asked the question by moderator Jim Darling, the former mayor of McAllen, at a McAllen Chamber of Commerce event.  Held at the R...

HIDALGO, Texas - Hidalgo County Commissioner Eduardo 'Eddie' Cantu has spoken in depth about the Dicker Road expansion project in south Pharr and Hidalgo. Cantu said the east-west corridor will spur economic development, in addition to providing an alternative route for trucks going to and from the Pharr International Bridge from the west McAllen and Mission area. Here is a podcast on th...

EDINBURG, TEXAS - For the latest in our Meet the Candidate podcast series, Rio Grande Guardian editor Steve Taylor met up with John Villarreal Rigney. Villarreal Rigney, a Democrat, is running for the open Texas Congressional District 15 seat. The seat is open because incumbent U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez has moved to a neighboring district. In the podcast, Villarreal Rigney, an attorney and small...