MISSION — When retired U.S. Army Sgt. David Guzman sits in his backyard at the end of the day and listens to the mockingbirds sing and watches the trees sway in the wind, he asks himself what good, if any, he’s done for the day.

“I’m just here to do what I can,” Guzman said. “My second chance in life is to pass on what I can to other veterans.”

Tomorrow, Guzman and fellow veteran and Mission police officer Rolando Perez, both Mission residents, will honor wounded soldiers and remind the community that military members need all the support they can get.

The Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride will be in San Antonio for a 15-mile bike ride. The event allows wounded soldiers to “battle the physical and psychological damages of war,” through cycling officials said.

Read more: Vets in Soldier Ride ask for soldier support

EDINBURG — Hidalgo County honored nine fallen soldiers during a ceremony at the courthouse on Nov. 5 adding their names to the memorial wall on the east lawn and their pictures to a wall in the administrative building.

Hidalgo County Judge Ramon Garcia said the memorial was to honor the memory and sacrifice the individuals made.

“Most of all the sacrifice that was made by these nine young men that we honor here today and their families,” said Garcia. “Freedom has been earned by their sacrifice.”

Read more: Hidalgo County honors fallen soldiers

EDINBURG — As a committee of residents continues their ongoing discussions on improving the Hidalgo County Courthouse, it still remains unclear if the county wishes to relocate to another city.

“All I’ve heard is what Edinburg is willing to do,” said Edcouch Mayor Pro-Tem Eddy Gonzalez at a committee meeting Monday. “I’m sure there are other communities out there interested.”

Read more: County committee discuss options for courthouse

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Pharr District will be performing a lane closure (west bound main lanes) on US 83 in Weslaco to perform roadway work on Thursday, Nov. 10.  The outside lane near the shoulder will be closed between FM 1015 and FM 88 to complete this work.

The work will be conducted between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Motorists should expect delays and are advised to observe all posted warning signs and speed limit signs. The entrance ramp before Airport Rd. will be closed as needed. The exit ramp after Airport Rd. will be closed as needed. The entrance ramp before FM 88 will also be closed as needed.

MISSION —Voters approved the Sharyland Independent School District bond election to raise taxes to pay for a second high school in the district Tuesday.

Nearly 1,000 Sharyland voters turned out to vote for the bond. Of those, 70 percent of the voters approved the bond that will help the school district build a second high school on 6 ½ Mile Line and Shary Road.

The new high school is projected to cost the district $55 million. Taxes could rise by as much as $0.097 cents, making the total tax rate for SISD $1.297 per $100 valuation. District residents with a home valued at $100,000 could see their taxes go up by as much as $97; or with a home valued at $200,000, taxes could go up by $194.

Read more: Sharyland voters approve bond

MISSION — Two individuals were charged with aggravated kidnapping of a Mission businessman this week.

Armando Hernandez and Edgar Daniel Saavedra were both charged with aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony that carries a potential life sentence in prison.

Mission Municipal Judge Horacio Peña originally set a bond for $100,000 for Saavedra and $350,000 for Hernandez. An attorney for the suspects asked for leniency in the bonds. Peña posted the bonds at $75,000 for Saavedra and $200,000 for Hernandez. The higher bond for Hernandez was due to a possible flight risk since he is not a citizen.

Read more: Two charged with aggravated kidnapping

McALLEN – The City of McAllen will be performing a complete lane closure on SH 495 (Pecan Ave.) to perform roadway and utility work. The lane closure will be between Main St. and 10^th St.

The lanes will be closed Tuesday, Nov. 8 and Wednesday, Nov. 9, 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Traffic will be detoured onto SH 336 (10^th St.) and Main St. Alternate routes are recommended to avoid delays. Motorists should expect delays and are advised to observe all posted warning, construction detour and speed limit signs.

AUSTIN — After a Hidalgo County Sheriff deputy was shot in an exchange with suspected cartel operatives this week and Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño told local media the encounter was spillover from drug cartels in Mexico, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott wrote President Barack Obama urging him to dedicate more border security in the area.

“We cannot simply rely on good fortune to protect American lives from the ever-present threat of cartel violence on our southern border,” Abbott said in the letter sent to the White House on Wednesday.

On Oct. 30, a deputy was shot in an altercation east of Edinburg responding to a kidnapping attempt following a failed drug transaction, law enforcement officials said. One of the suspects was fatally shot in the incident. Six people suspected to have ties to the Gulf Cartel were arrested.

Read more: Abbott to Obama: ‘The threat from the cartels has only grown’