Rio Grande Guardian's Podcast

BROWNSVILLE, RGV - Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez has made eliminating the digital divide a top priority for his administration. In his first state of the city address, Mendez said for Brownsville to have a huge digital divide is “totally unacceptable” and “almost makes us third world.”  He said he wants to have a “strategic broadband plan” to address the issue in place by May 2020. According to th...

BROWNSVILLE, RGV - Toyota Motors North America has donated two used manufacturing robots to Brownsville for educational purposes.  One robot was delivered to Texas Southmost College's ITEC Center and another to Brownsville ISD's Porter High School.  Mario Lozoya, executive director of the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation, helped secure the robots for BISD and TSC. Lozoya was an...

BROWNSVILLE, RGV - The U.S. Economic Development Administration has announced a $900,000 investment for Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation’s e -Bridge Center for Business & Commercialization. In the above podcast, BCIC Chairman Michael Limas, BCIC Executive Director Josh Mejia, and BCIC Marketing & Small Business Development Director Nathan Burkhart discuss the investment, what...

MCALLEN, RGV - Thanks to certain provisions in USMCA, the successor trade agreement to NAFTA, U.S. suppliers to the big auto manufacturers will no longer be moving to Mexico or the U.S.-Mexico border region. That is the prediction of Keith Patridge, president and CEO of McAllen Economic Development Corporation.  However, also thanks to USMCA, Asian and European manufacturing firms will be attracte...

LAS MILPAS, RGV - Eduardo “Eddie” Anaya, a leader with Valley Interfaith, is urging a “yes” vote for Proposition 2 in the November constitutional amendment elections. Anaya was a guest of Rio Grande Guardian presenter Mari Regalado on a Facebook LIVE event last week. While much of the interview was in English, Anaya did also urge voters to vote “yes” in Spanish.  The above podcast focuses on the c...

WESLACO, RGV - A roundtable discussion on flood mitigation and drainage held Oct. 14 in Weslaco could end up being one of the most consequential events in the Rio Grande Valley this year. The in-depth discussion took place at the offices of Hidalgo County Precinct One, with the $400 million Raymondville Drain project the top issue.  Among those who spoke at the event were U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, Ja...

With a cricket game in Weslaco between an Indian team and a Pakistani team as the backdrop, Rio Grande Guardian editor Steve Taylor reviews the week’s news in the Rio Grande Valley. Among the topics discussed are McAllen Economic Development Corporation’s recent trip to China, McAllen Mayor Jim Darling’s disappointment with state lawmakers over a new annexation law, flood mitigation in the Rio Gra...

WESLACO, RGV - Via Twitter, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn says he has spoken to appropriators and received tentative agreement that the cash-strapped International Boundary & Water Commission will get an extra $15 million.  Cornyn heard of IBWC’s financial woes at a roundtable discussion on flood management, held at the offices of Hidalgo County Precinct 1. Jayne Harkins, the new commissioner for the...

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, RGV - Author W.F. Strong autographed copies of his book, Stories From Texas - Some of Them Are True, at Paragraphs bookstore on South Padre Island this past weekend. Rio Grande Guardian presenter Mario Muñoz was there to catch a brief interview. It was Muñoz, when he was a morning show presenter on RGV Public Radio 88 FM, the Rio Grande Valley’s previous NPR station, who encour...

PHARR, RGV - The start of the 2019-2020 fresh produce season has been celebrated at Pharr International Bridge, which is now in its 25th year of operation. Pharr International Bridge is the No. 1 port of entry in the nation for the importation of fresh produce. It is also the fourth largest gateway on the U.S.-Mexico border and the 7th fastest growing port in the United States.  The celebration in...

PHARR, RGV - Pharr International Bridge is to undergo a $35 million infrastructure improvement program, its director has announced. Luis Bazan was interviewed by the Rio Grande Guardian at the bridge during an event staged to celebrate the start of the 2019-2020 fresh produce season.  “We are part of the donations acceptance program which is a CBP program. We now have a signed MOU with GSA and CBP...

BROWNSVILLE, RGV - The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and UTHealth in Houston are teaming up to fast track the development of new treatments for disease.  The Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences at UTHealth recently announced that is partnering with UTRGV on clinical trials and other research.  Joseph McCormick, MD, the director of the center’s clinical research unit in Brownsvil...

Among the topics discussed are the chances of USMCA being ratified by Congress while the impeachment process is going on, a bus tour around Weslaco hosted by Weslaco Economic Development Corporation, KEDT FM becoming visible in the Rio Grande Valley, and podcast interviews with musical acts.  Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos. 

Award-winning pianist Wei Luo has a self-titled debut album out on Decca Gold. Her passion is Russian music from the classical era. “Ever since I was very young, my mother took me to Russian ballet, such as Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty,” Luo told Rio Grande Guardian presenter Mario Munoz. “I was really fascinated by the beautiful melodies and the stage setting and the stories. I think that is whe...

Tim Gonzalez has been referred to as the Carlos Santana of the harmonica. Gonzalez, a Brownsville native, is now Nashville session musician. He has made music with the likes of B.B. King, Ronnie Milsap, Doug Stone, Pam Tillis, and Toby Keith. Gonzalez will be playing a gig at the LongBoard Bar & Grill on South Padre Island on Oct. 12, 2019. I recently touched base with Tim Gonzalez about his n...

In their first joint collaboration on disc, Pacifica Quartet and classical guitarist Sharon Isbin have recorded an album on Cedille Records titled ‘Souvenirs of Spain and Italy.’  The album features works for guitar and strings by Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Vivaldi, and Boccherini. Pacifica Quartet are Grammy Award-winners. Isbin is a multi-Grammy Award winner.  "It's really beautiful music wi...

WESLACO, RGV - An interactive map has been created as part of the Explore RGV project highlighting 44 sites where birders can see exotic and rare birds in the Rio Grande Valley. The new “ Adventure Guide ” has been launched to coincide with the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival that takes place in Harlingen, Nov. 6-10. The announcement came at a board meeting of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Develo...

ALAMO, RGV - Matt Ruszczak has confirmed that sales tax revenues continue to go up in the Rio Grande Valley. Looking at the latest numbers issued by the Texas Comptroller’s Office, the executive director of Rio South Texas Economic Council says the four-county Valley region experienced a 13.49 percent increase in sales tax collections in July, 2019 - as compared to the same month last year.  “This...

MISSION, RGV - Along with thousands of other manufacturing companies across the country, Royal Technologies will open its plant to the public on Friday - National Manufacturing Day.  The aim is to inspire young people to pursue careers in manufacturing and engineering.  At Royal Technologies’ advanced manufacturing plant in Mission, students involved with the FIRST RGV robotics nonprofit will rece...

SAN JUAN, RGV - Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD has hosted a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony for its newest facility, the Dr. Daniel P. King PSJA College & University Center. It is named for their longtime superintendent who retired this past week. Mariza Saenz, principal of PSJA College & University Center, said the center would house all of Dr. King’s education awards and memorabilia.  D...

HARLINGEN, RGV - The South Texas Birding Festival is coming up on Nov. 6, 2019. Birders from all over the United States and the World converge in Harlingen for the Festival. If you look at a map of the United States you will see that the Rio Grande Valley is a sort of “funnel” into Central and South America. What this means is that birds from all over the United States and Canada travel through th...

LAREDO, Texas - The co-founder of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations gave a keynote speech at the recent Pathways For Trade Symposium in Laredo. Agustín Barrios Gómez, a former federal congressman, spoke in depth about U.S.-Mexico relations. He said he believes the relationship with Mexico to be the most important the United States has. “I believe this and I can argue it ’til the cows come h...

HARLINGEN, RGV - This week’s wrap-up of the week's news features discussion on: Explore RGV Possible expansion of the RGV Metropolitan Planning Organization The Bishop Daniel Flores/Valley Interfaith photo ID card Naming PSJA ISD’s College & University Center for retiring Superintendent Daniel P. King The McAllen Empresarios Internships for UTRGV trainee journalists Go to www.riograndegua...

EDINBURG, RGV - U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez says before violence erupted in northern Mexico, Mexican nationals would deposit hundreds of millions of dollars in Rio Grande Valley banks. Because of the violence, these individuals are now flying over the Valley to places like San Antonio, Houston and Dallas. As a result, investment by Mexican nationals in Valley banks is down and their second homes on...

MCALLEN, RGV - McAllen Economic Development Corporation is taking a trade delegation back to China for the second time this year. The group has never visited the world’s most populous country twice in one year before. McAllen EDC President Keith Patridge says this is an indication of just how much interest Chinese manufacturing firms have in opening plants on the U.S.-Mexico border. “It is a combi...