AUSTIN—Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Alex Meade III of Mission and reappointed William H. “Bill” Dietz Jr. of Waco to the State Affordable Housing Corporation Board of Directors for terms to expire Feb. 1, 2019. The board oversees the provision of affordable housing for low income Texans.

Meade is CEO of the Mission Economic Development Corporation. He is a member of the Texas Economic Development Council, Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, International Council of Shopping Centers, Industrial Asset Management Council, Texas Border Coalition, 281 Coalition, and I-69 Alliance. He is also a past member of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Oversight Committee and Advisory Board of Economic Development Stakeholders, and past interim director and manager of economic development for the Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce. Meade received a bachelor's degree from St. Edward's University and a Master of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Brownsville.

Read more: Gov. Perry appoints Alex Meade to Affordable Housing Board

MISSION—Mission CISD held a committee meeting to discuss possible safety and security costs in upgrading each campus in the district, including the administration building. Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Lucio Mendoza showed the committee proposed costs and purchases for the proposed campus security enhancements.

Principals were asked to fill out a report of any issues and concerns they have relative to their campuses, explained Mendoza. He added, they don’t have reports from the high schools or Mission Jr. High since a walk-through with Mission Police Department has not yet been conducted.

The most common concerns were based on entrances, fencing and rolling gates. Mendoza said their main focus has been on the purchase of magnetic locks. Magnetic locks would stay locked throughout the school day and only open while students change from class to class.

Read more: MCISD considers $1.8 million for security changes

A 13-year-old student at Rafael Cantu Junior High in Mission CISD was caught with a handgun at the school Thursday, March 7, according to Mission Interim Police Chief Robert Dominguez. The student was arrested and charged with unlawful carry of a weapon and carry of a weapon in a prohibited area.

A letter sent home to parents by the junior high principal states that administrators acted on a tip that a student had a weapon on campus. The school was put on lockdown and police were immediately called.

Dominguez said the staff did a tremendous job in how they handled the situation.

Read more: Student caught with gun at Mission school

A student was arrested Thursday, March 7, and charged with unlawful carry of a weapon and carry of a weapon in a prohibited area after being caught with a gun at school. The student is a 13-yr-old at Rafael Cantu Junior High in Mission Consolidated Independent School District, according to Mission Interim Police Chief Robert Dominguez.

Mission Police investigating the case believe the student was having bullying issues and had taken the gun to school as a scare tactic.

The gun belonged to a relative. According to police, the student pried open a lock to get to the gun.

Mission Police are now investigating the incident.

Dominguez said MCISD dealt with the incident correctly.

Look for more details in the upcoming issue of the Progress Times, March 15.

LA JOYA—The 2013 May elections are on the horizon, as March 1 marked the deadline to file ballots for the next term. In Western Hidalgo County, only the City of La Joya will be holding an election in May.

La Joya City Administrator Mike Alaniz said the city will hold a home rule election, to determine if residents want La Joya to become a home rule city. Early voting for the May 11 election will begin on April 29.

Read more: La Joya to hold Home Rule Election May 11

Longtime Mission CISD agriculture teacher Jose “Joe” Correa, Jr. passed away Tuesday, March 5, at Adalante Assisted Living in San Antonio.

Visitation will be held at Ric Brown Family Funeral Home in Mission from 2 to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. The funeral mass will be Saturday, March 9, at 10 a.m. at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Mission. Burial will follow at El Toro Cemetery in San Perlita.

Correa’s lasting imprint of “service over self” was recently recognized when the district’s agriculture farm was renamed in his honor last month. A sign created by students in the welding program now stands at the entrance of the newly-designated “Jose ‘Joe’ Correa, Jr. Agriculture Science Lab.”

Read more: Former agriculture teacher Joe Correa passes away

MISSION—Mission Boys and Girls Club is forming a special baseball and softball league for children with disabilities.

The 2013 Pony Champions League Baseball and Softball is now open for applications from participants, ages 3 to 18. The league divisions include T-Ball and a Coach Pitch Division, based on skill level.

Read more: Mission begins adaptive baseball for special needs children

MISSION – Sharyland ISD Athletic Director Richard Thompson was named Region VII Athletic Administrator of the Year at the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association state conference this week in San Angelo.

Members of THSADA Region VII, which comprises all Rio Grande Valley and Corpus Christi athletic administrators, chose Thompson for the award.

Thompson has spent his entire coaching career at Sharyland High School, starting as a varsity assistant football coach in 1980. Before becoming an assistant athletic director, Thompson served as the head boys track coach, head boys cross country coach and head girls cross country coach. Thompson has been the athletic director for 13 years, taking the position in 2000.

Read more: Richard Thompson named AD of the Year