Area Breaking News

It’s official: The La Joya Independent School District will keep Leo J. Leo Elementary School and Rosendo Benavides Elementary School open for another year. During a meeting on Wednesday afternoon, the school board voted 7-0 to keep Leo Elementary and Benavides Elementary open. Both campuses, however, must boost enrollment to 410 students and maintain 95%…

The ongoing corruption scandal in the West has now added one more person to the list of defendants. A federal grand jury indicted Veronica O’Caña on Tuesday. She was arrested the following day. According to the indictment, Veronica O’Caña stands accused of witness tampering, violating the travel act, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. She…

After nearly five years, Richard Molina’s fate in the 2017 Edinburg Municipal Election charges has been decided. After two days of deliberations, the jury found the defendant not guilty on one charge of engaging in election fraud and 11 of illegal voting. Visiting Judge Carlos Valdez read the verdicts aloud to a full court, giving…

Peñitas Mayor Rodrigo “Rigo” Lopez pleaded guilty to a federal theft charge on Thursday. During a hearing on Thursday afternoon, Lopez “admitted that in 2018 he aided and abetted the La Joya Independent School District (LJISD) athletic director in committing fraud against the district,” according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for…

Businessman Fred del Barrio may win the Palmhurst mayoral race without a runoff, according to preliminary results published by the Hidalgo County Elections Department on Wednesday. del Barrio won nearly 57% of 475 ballots cast by mail and during the 11-day early voting period, according to the preliminary results. He defeated former City Councilman Israel…

A businessman accused of tampering with a witness in the western Hidalgo County corruption case pleaded not guilty Wednesday. Jorge O’Caña Jr., 43, of Mission — the nephew of Mayor Armando “Doc” O’caña and the brother of Hidalgo County Court-at-Law Judge Patricia “Patty” O’Caña-Olivarez — pleaded not guilty on Wednesday. During a hearing on Wednesday…

The FBI arrested Peñitas Mayor Rodrigo “Rigo” Lopez on federal theft charges Monday. Rodrigo “Rigo” Lopez, 38, of Peñitas paid a La Joya Independent School District employee to approve purchases from his company, Xizaka LLC, according to the indictment against him. In response to a request for comment, the FBI released a statement. “The FBI…

Former City Councilwoman Norie Gonzalez Garza will become the next mayor of Mission. Gonzalez Garza defeated Mayor Armando “Doc” O’caña during a runoff election on Saturday, according to preliminary results published by the Hidalgo County Elections Department. Nearly 56% percent of about 7,000 people who cast ballots supported Gonzalez Garza. O’cana won about 44%. “I’m…

The four-way race for mayor of Mission will head to a runoff between City Councilwoman Norie Gonzalez Garza and Mayor Armando “Doc” O’caña. Gonzalez Garza received nearly 37% of 7,576 ballots cast during the mayoral election, according to preliminary results published by the Hidalgo County Elections Department on Saturday night. “I just think that our…

A judge sentenced former La Joya Mayor Fito Salinas to nearly 3 years in federal prison Thursday for participating in schemes to defraud the city of La Joya, the La Joya Housing Authority and the La Joya Economic Development Corp. During a hearing on Thursday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane sentenced Jose A. “Fito”…