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OBITUARY – George Helle

MISSION – George Thompson Helle, 87, of Mission, passed away Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018, at Rio Grande Regional Hospital. Mr. Helle was born in 1931, in Yonkers, N.Y. His family moved to the Rio Grande Valley in 1947. He graduated from Mission High School in 1949, attended Pan American College and worked for Sun Oil…

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OBITUARY – Edward Cottrell

MISSION – Edward Ray Cottrell, 74, passed away on Friday, Jan. 4, 2019, at McAllen Medical Center. Mr. Cottrell was born in Indianapolis, Ind., in 1944. He was a Vietnam veteran serving as a U.S. Air Force as a supervisor with the military police and was a Sentry K-9 handler. He retired from Southwestern Bell…

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Ramon Garcia on the law library to be named in his honor

After serving three terms as a Hidalgo County Judge, Ramon Garcia is ready to go back to practicing law full-time. At a recent Commissioners Court meeting in Hidalgo County, the law library in the new courthouse was dedicated to Garcia. Upon completion of construction, Garcia’s name will be above the entrance to the library. Garcia,…

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In reversal, Pharr releases city manager’s salary

After attempting to keep City Manager Alex Meade’s salary a secret, Pharr announced Wednesday that “in the interest of continuing its commitment to transparency” the city would release the information. Former Mission Economic Development Corp. CEO Alejandro “Alex” Meade III, 42, of Mission accepted the city manager position last November. When the Progress Times requested…

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After domestic violence arrest, Hidalgo fires police chief

The city of Hidalgo fired police Chief Rudy Espinoza on Tuesday, nearly two weeks after the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office arrested him on a domestic violence charge. The Hidalgo City Council discussed the arrest on Monday night. On Tuesday morning, City Attorney Rick Perez contacted Espinoza’s attorney, Roberto “Bobby” Garcia, with an ultimatum: Espinoza had…

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Faced with 3 felony charges, Hidalgo County attorney surrenders his law license

Faced with three felony charges, a well-known Hidalgo County attorney surrendered his law license last month. James P. “Jim” Grissom, 71, of Pharr — who filed several lawsuits after the Panama Unit corruption scandal — struck a deal with the Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office. After he paid restitution and agreed never to practice law…

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Man sues city of Mission after police shooting

No amount of money could compensate Steven Wilson for a shotgun blast to the stomach. A check for $5 million, though, certainly wouldn’t hurt. Wilson filed a lawsuit against the city of Mission and police Lt. Ted Rodriguez on Dec. 18 — nearly two years after police accidentally shot him with a “breaching round” designed…

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Mission hires federal representation to extend Presidential Permit

During a special called meeting held Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018 council voted and approved the hiring of H.R. Bert Peña to provide Mission with federal representation in Washington, D.C. in order to extend the city’s presidential permit. The item was tabled at the last regular called city council meeting, as a few council members had…

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