General Interest

MISSION—The first round of Ruby Red Ventures grants were awarded last week. The grants are part of a new program offered by Mission Economic Development Corporation, and, of the four grants awarded, Samuel Shipp, owner of Brilliant Elegance LLC, was recipient of one of the larger ones. He received $10,000 to finance the expansion of his business, which he started as a window washing service in 2007.

Read more: MBA window washer captures MEDC grant

A report on possible water shortages due to drought conditions was presented to the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court by Rio Grande Valley Water Authority Executive Director, Joe Barrera, during their Tuesday, Feb. 26, meeting. He said the situation is as critical as it was in 1998-99 because the irrigation districts are running out of water and cannot provide the full amount of water needed.

Barrera stated that so far this cycle (five year period) Mexico is 380,000 acre-feet behind in the amount of water that should have been released for Texas’ use according to the Guadalupe Water Treaty.

Read more: Water shortages approach critical levels as Mexico’s water debt is mounting

Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day for the tenth annual Mission Classic Car Show at the Sports Park at Sharyland Plantation. Absent show founder Jim Schroeder for the first time since his passing last fall, the Schroeder family put together another great car show with lots of help from the Mission Paving staff, the City of Mission, Parks & Recreation, the chamber and volunteers.

Read more: 1932 Ford Roadster Captures Best In Show

Local community leaders, businesses and RV resorts want to know more about Winter Texans – particularly those of the Baby Boomer generation. A new study created by the Valley Markets and Tourism Research Center at the University of Texas-Pan American is designed to help researchers gather important data that will help local cities, mobile home and RV resort owners, and others meet the needs and interests of the next generation of Winter Texans.

Dr. Penney Simpson, director of the Valley Markets and Tourism Research Center, said this study would benefit Winter Texans by communicating to community leaders what Winter Texans want and need.

Read more: University study seeks to understand younger Winter Texans

The 10th annual Mission Classic Car Show will be held Saturday, Feb. 23, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Mission Sports Park (The Grove) at Sharyland Plantation, located 2.2 Miles South of Expressway 83 on Shary Road. It will feature classics, muscle cars, street rods and hot rods ’76 and older. Over $5000 in cash and prizes will be given away.

Read more: Mission Classic Car Show is Feb. 23

The Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville announced the birth of a baby female Western lowland gorilla. This was the first offspring of the 14-year-old mother, Kiazi, and 29-year-old silverback male, Moja. The new mother has not taken a motherly-instinct to her first offspring, and the zookeepers are stepping in to rear their new charge until she is reintroduced to the larger group. She weighed in a four pounds, eight ounces. She can be seen inside the nursery of the Small World exhibit at the zoo.

One of the greatest things that can happen to a child with disabilities, or who has Type I diabetes, is to be able to go to camp and do the things a child without disabilities or diabetes can do. Many camps for children will not accept children with these problems and are not equipped to handle their special needs. But the Texas Lions Camp is different.

To help raise funds for the Texas Lions Camp there will be a benefit concert performed Feb. 15 at Trinity Worship Center in Pharr at 7 p.m. The Rio Grande Valley Concert Band will play, and the Men- of-A-Chord will perform a 45-minute program.

Texas Lions Camp, located in Kerrville, Texas is not your typical summer camp. It is the place where children with all kinds of disabilities, including blindness, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, Type I diabetes and cancer, discover they can do things they never thought they could do.

Read more: Concert to benefit Texas Lions Camp

MISSION – MissionHealth, a clinic affiliated with Mission Regional Medical Center (MRMC), celebrated the opening its second location last week with an open house and ribbon cutting.

Read more: Mission Regional Medical Center celebrates opening of new clinic