Rio Grande Guardian's Podcast

In this week’s wrap-up of the news, news anchor Mario Muñoz and reporter Steve Taylor look at: 1) The BiNational Chambers of Commerce Reunion; 2) The push by McAllen city leaders to get more involved in economic development; 3) The recent McAllen Economic Development Corporation trade mission to China; 4) A ribbon-cutting ceremony for a UT-Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine multi-specialty clini...

MCALLEN, RGV - Chambers of Commerce from across Tamaulipas met with the McAllen Chamber of Commerce on Friday at the Double Tree Suites in McAllen. The McAllen Chamber hosts the BiNational Chambers gathering every two years.  Chamber leaders spent two and a half hours discussing issues such as border security, border bridge wait times, the impact of migration patterns, USMCA, the need for Presiden...

MCALLEN, RGV - The Rio Grande Valley continues to do well in sales tax revenues, Matt Ruszczak reports. Ruszczak, executive director of South Texas Economic Council, crunches the numbers each month to see if sales tax revenues are up or down, compared to the same time last year. He gets the numbers from the Texas Comptroller’s Office. The latest report focuses on sales tax revenues for June, 2019....

LAGUNA VISTA, RGV - A federal grant of $700,000, coupled with $300,000 in local matching funds, will allow for sewer and water infrastructure for the eagerly-anticipated South Texas Eco-Tourism Center in Laguna Madre. Among the speakers at a news conference to announce the funding were U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, state Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., state Rep. Alex Dominguez, Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviñ...

In this week’s wrap-up of the week’s news, Mario Munoz and Steve Taylor look at: The El Paso shootings; congressional visits to the Northern Triangle countries and the detention of asylum seekers; efforts to build a second causeway to South Padre Island; plans to build a new workforce training facility at the Port of Brownsville; a $1 million eco-tourism center at Laguna Vista; and the National Pa...

RAYMONDVILLE, RGV - Willacy County Judge Aurelio ‘Keter’ Guerra has commented on the heavy flooding that occurred in the Rio Grande Valley in June. Guerra said that while FEMA is responding to individual homeowners, the federal agency has not said it can help municipalities.  The interview with Guerra was arranged by Ron Whitlock of Ron Whitlock Reports.  Click on the link above to listen to the i...

SAN BENITO, RGV - Thanks to legislation from state Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., and state Rep. Eddie Lucio, III, the City of San Benito can access hotel/motel tax money for economic development projects. In this podcast, the Lucios and San Benito Mayor Ben Gomez discuss the legislation and plans to build a convention center, hotel and sports complex. Related story: Gomez: San Benito's economic land...

EDINBURG, RGV - In a podcast with the Rio Grande Guardian , state Rep. Terry Canales looks back at his first legislative session as chairman of the House Committee on Transportation. In an exclusive interview with reporter Steve Taylor, Canales talks about working long and grueling hours at the state Capitol, legislation impacting the Houston Ship Channel, the merger of the Rio Grande Valley’s thr...

SAN BENITO, RGV - Anchor Mario Muñoz and Reporter Steve Taylor look back at the top news stories for week-ending July 26, 2019. Among the topics covered are:  A Facebook LIVE event with Ron Garza of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council and Sergio Contreras of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership; Business support for the ratification of USMCA;  Ensuring a full and accurate Census 2020 coun...

ALAMO, RGV - Hidalgo County continues to lead the Rio Grande Valley in sales tax revenue growth, new statistics show. The Texas Comptroller’s Office collects sales taxes and redistributes them to cities and counties. The figures for May, 2019, compared to May, 2018, show Hidalgo County up 9.2 percent. This compares very favorably with the statewide average, which only showed a 0.3 percent increase...

HARLINGEN, RGV - Rio Grande Guardian columnist Nydia Tapia-Gonzales recently met up with Ed Meza, manager of Downtown Harlingen. Nydia wanted to learn more about the new stores that have opened and about the renovation of historic Baxter building. She and Meza also spoke about the fact that eight local businesses have been located in downtown Harlingen for 50 years.  Harlingen is one of eight Texa...

BROWNSVILLE, RGV - Brownsville city leaders and UT-Rio Grande Valley professor Rick Jenet have officially launched the Expanding Frontiers nonprofit. The aim is to help to help spur economic activity in Space commercialization and exploration, and to help create NewSpace Brownsville. The nonprofit was launched in the famous Pan American building at Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airp...

BROWNSVILLE, RGV - Brownsville city leaders and UT-Rio Grande Valley professor Rick Jenet have officially launched the Expanding Frontiers nonprofit. The aim is to help to help spur economic activity in Space commercialization and exploration, and to help create NewSpace Brownsville. The nonprofit was launched in the famous Pan American building at Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airp...

MCALLEN, RGV - One of the top rocketry experts in the Rio Grande Valley has produced a podcast about the Apollo 11 space mission. Saturday, July 20, marked the 50th Anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin setting foot on the Moon. In this podcast. Randy Ashley, founder of the RGV Model Rocketry podcast, recalls this “giant leap for mankind.” Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest...

BROWNSVILLE, RGV - Anchor Mario Muñoz and Reporter Steve Taylor look back at the top news stories for week-ending July 19, 2019. Among the topics covered are: Congressman Henry Cuellar seeking to get reimbursements for border communities that have spent millions of dollars assisting asylum seekers. CK Technologies, a company that manufactures plastic injection molding parts for buses and trucks in...

BROWNSVILLE, RGV – Brownsville city leaders and UT-Rio Grande Valley professor Rick Jenet have officially launched the Expanding Frontiers nonprofit. The aim is to help to help spur economic activity in Space commercialization and exploration, and to help create NewSpace Brownsville. The nonprofit was launched in the famous Pan American building at Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airp...

BROWNSVILLE, RGV – Brownsville city leaders and UT-Rio Grande Valley professor Rick Jenet have officially launched the Expanding Frontiers nonprofit. The aim is to help to help spur economic activity in Space commercialization and exploration, to help create NewSpace Brownsville. The nonprofit was launched in the famous Pan American building at Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport....

BROWNSVILLE, RGV - Brownsville city leaders and UT-Rio Grande Valley professor Rick Jenet have officially launched the Emerging Frontiers nonprofit. The aim is to help to help spur economic activity in Space commercialization and exploration, to help create NewSpace Brownsville. The nonprofit was launched in the famous Pan American building at Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport....

BROWNSVILLE, RGV - Traci Wickett, president and CEO of United Way of Southern Cameron County, is promoting the latest educational attainment report card from All In Brownsville. All In was established in 2011 with a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation with the goal of doubling the number of individuals in Brownsville who achieve post-secondary credentials with labor market value by...

MCALLEN, RGV - The Rio Grande Guardian is running a four-part series titled Connecting the RGV to Europe. This is Part Four and it features Stefan Aengenheyster of Germany. Aengenheyster is a director with the Transatlantic Business & Investment Council. Aengenheyster and other members of the TBIC visited the Rio Grande Valley for a four-day tour hosted by Rio South Texas Economic Council. In...

BROWNSVILLE, RGV - Brownsville city leaders and UT-Rio Grande Valley professor Rick Jenet have officially launched the Emerging Frontiers nonprofit. The aim is to help to help spur economic activity in Space commercialization and exploration, to help create NewSpace Brownsville. The nonprofit was launched in the famous Pan American building at Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport....

MCALLEN, RGV - As we go to press, McAllen Mayor Jim Darling, members of McAllen Economic Development Corporation, and a representative from the state of Tamaulipas are in China. They are there at the invitation of a major Chinese company. They were invited to speak to hundreds of Chinese companies in Shenzhen and Shanghai that are interested in investing on the U.S.-Mexico border.  In an interview...

RIO GRANDE CITY, RGV - Reporter Steve Taylor and anchor Mario Muñoz look back at the week's news for the week ending July 12, 2019. Among the topics covered are NewSpace Brownsville, asylum seekers and economic development in Starr County. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos. 

EDINBURG, RGV - Dr. Raúl Barreda, M.D., trauma medical director at DHR Health, has made the case for the Rio Grande Valley securing a Level 1 Trauma Center. In May, DHR Health announced it is now functioning as a Level 1 Trauma Center. The institution believes it will secure the appropriate accreditation in the near future. Also in May, the state Legislature approved a budget that includes $6 mill...

BROWNSVILLE, RGV - Earlier this year, Josh Mejia was named executive director of Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation. BCIC focuses on economic development projects aimed at improving the quality of life of Brownsville residents. “We have a history of working on the development of parks. trail systems, improving tourism. But now you are starting to see a little bit more about working with...