MISSION – Four recent fires—all in a three-block area between Oblate and Keralum Avenues, off 9th Street—have spurred a bit of concern for the Mission Fire Department. While only two of the fires related, there is something to be learned from all four of them.

Two fires have occurred in unoccupied, abandoned buildings. Both buildings have been torn down since the fires.

Read more: Rash of building fires causes concern in old Mission

MISSION — The Upper Valley Art League celebrated the opening of its new building, Art Link, last week with artists, friends, as well as chamber and community members.

Many of those in attendance were artists, UVAL members, teachers or regular visitors.

The name Art Link has a dual purpose said Gloria and Keith Dietrich as several league members had a different name in mind.

Read more: UVAL opens new building

LA JOYA – At this week’s La Joya Independent School District board meeting, board members voted to give employees a choice of whether they want to be paid bi-weekly or monthly.

The district had conducted a survey where 1,356 employees casted their votes. Of those votes, 625 (46 percent) employees preferred to be paid on a monthly basis and 731 (54 percent) employees preferred to be paid on a bi-weekly basis. Professional and para-professional employees were surveyed.

Read more: LJISD employees given choice on paycheck option

ALTON—The Alton City Commission approved a budget and program amendment for Urban County Funding during their March 26 meeting. Assistant City Manager Steve Peña explained they hoped to utilize remaining surplus funds from previous years.

The total remaining funds from Street Improvements projects in 2009 -2011 and Section 108 line item, repayment from a loan component under Housing and Urban Development Funding, is $195,331.

Read more: Alton Commission reallocates $195,000 in Urban County funds

MISSION—Mayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas argued that a property developer should have some assistance from the city on the project in constructing a lift station for its commercial development, which includes an apartment complex.

“It’s too much money that has nothing to do with construction,” he said at Monday’s Mission City Council meeting.

Read more: Mission mayor objects to high cost for developer

MISSION—Eight selected Mission Boys & Girls Club members ran excitedly, from room to room through a newly painted and furnished club building last Thursday. A large painted space ship seems to fly off the wall in the front entrance and polka dots decorate the hallways to individual playrooms.

The facelift to the Boys and Girls Club building was provided courtesy of 150 T-Mobile employee volunteers who converged on the club last Thursday, performing a one-day, sweeping makeover of the facility. The volunteers repainted rooms, added painted murals, prepared flower beds and created outdoor games for the children. The club also received new furniture, school supplies, books and games.

Read more: T-Mobile employees give Boys & Girls Club facelift

MISSION — The Special Weapons and Tactics, better known as SWAT, teams are a common staple on television. They carry shields and batons going into dangerous riots, geared up and ready to run into a house to apprehend a suspect and rescue hostages.

Read more: S.W.A.T. - Mission PD trains special tactics unit

PALMHURST—City officials gathered with representatives from H-E-B to celebrate not only the ground breaking of a new H-E-B store in Palmhurst, but also the 85^th anniversary of the chain servicing the Rio Grande Valley.

“The Valley represents the time the company started gaining some traction, so we are thankful for the support that all of you have given H-E-B over the years,” Director of Retail Operations Tony Gonzalez said. “The store will be 96,000 square feet…it is going to be a pretty large store.”

Gonzalez added that the new store will be unique to the area, and he hopes it will meet the needs of the community. He said the store would be a different type of model with a larger bakery, guacamole station, a party center, and will offer a larger variety of fully cooked products and quesos frescos.

Read more: H-E-B breaks ground on Palmhurst store