Monday – almost six weeks after the Mission City Council cut off all funding to MEDA – the council rescinded the authority of MEDA (Mission Economic Development Authority) to conduct any economic development activities on behalf of the city, effectively immediately.

Tuesday, Mission City Manager Julio Cerda visited with the employees of MEDA, asking them to go to work for the city. This was a limited time opportunity.

Read more: Mission rescinds MEDA’s authority, hires its employees, except Townsend

BROWNSVILLE - The Gladys Porter Zoo announced the first birth of the zoo’s first endangered addax antelope on March 22. The healthy female calf was delivered by zookeepers and veterinary staff and is now under her mother's care. This birth is significant because in their native Africa the population of addaxes is dwindling.

Read more: Gladys Porter Zoo welcomes new arrivals

The Mission City Council has rescinded the authority of MEDA (Mission Economic Development Authority) to conduct any economic development activities on behalf of the city. The action taken in the Monday, March 28, city council meeting repealed, effective immediately, the resolution that authorized MEDA to serve as the city’s economic development arm in 1989.

Read more: Council strips MEDA’s authority

Editor’s note: For more news about the standoff between MEDA and the Mission City Council, see the web-only story about last Thursday’s MEDA meeting. Look for the headline “MEDA board tells council, ‘slow down’” at www.progresstimes.net.

After rebuffing the Mission City Council’s push to replace their entire board of directors with a council-appointed board, MEDA (Mission Economic Development Authority) accepted the resignations of seven board members Tuesday evening.

Read more: MEDA rebuffs city takeover of board

Last week, a group of youth from the San Antonio Covenant Presbyterian Church (SACPC) spent their spring break helping hurricane victims in the Rio Grande Valley.

The group arrived here through the Faith Community Disaster Relief (FCDR) that is affiliated with the First United Methodist Church in McAllen. FCDR assists families and organizations in need. This year, over 40 people were here to repair hurricane damage from Dolly and Alex, help non-profit organizations and assist other families.

Read more: Spring breakers help repair damage by Dolly, Alex

MERCEDES — Several students from local school districts participated in the 72nd annual Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show over the last two weeks, coming home with a number of awards.

Sharyland Independent School District Sharyland 4-H winners include: Daniel Hinojosa, grand champion medium wool market lamb; Evan Acevedo reserve grand champion Brahman heifer; Meaghan Welch reserve champion market goat division; John Kroeker reserve champion market goat in the medium to heavy weight division; Sarah Labus, second place market goat.

Read more: Local FFA students win big at RGVLS

The standoff between the Mission City Council and Mission Economic Development Authority (MEDA) has taken another unexpected turn.

On Thursday, MEDA board members rejected the council’s plan to restructure the board, adopting their own arrangement instead.

Read more: MEDA board members tell council, ‘Slow down’

Mission Mayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas and the city council unanimously voted in support of a proposal presented by City Attorney David Guerra calling for MEDA (Mission Economic Development Authority) to amend its bylaws to restructure its board of directors. The proposal, if approved by the MEDA board, would replace the current 15-member board with seven directors to be appointed by the council – a departure from the present self-elected directors of MEDA. The action took place following executive session at the Monday, March 14 city council meeting.

The plan calls for the resignation of the entire MEDA board. Eight members would resign immediately, and the remaining seven would resign effective upon approval of a new council-appointed board, according to Guerra.

Read more: Mission council supports MEDA board restructuring