Area Breaking News
Former political candidate drops temporary restraining order, allowing Pharr to proceed with Hidalgo County EMS deal
An attempt to stop the city of Pharr from buying the assets of Hidalgo County EMS during a bankruptcy auction failed spectacularly on Friday. Lorena Singh — a social worker and longtime Pharr resident who mounted an unsuccessful campaign for City Commission in 2019 — filed a lawsuit against the city, attempting to stop the…
Read MorePharr reaches ‘agreement in principle’ to acquire Hidalgo County EMS
The city of Pharr apparently plans to acquire the assets of Hidalgo County EMS and start a city-owned ambulance service. The city submitted a bid for Hidalgo County EMS — a privately owned ambulance company that responds to emergency calls in Pharr, Edinburg and rural parts of South Texas — during a bankruptcy auction that…
Read MoreTrial in Weslaco water treatment plant bribery case delayed until September
A federal judge on Thursday rescheduled the Weslaco water treatment plant bribery trial for September. Concerned about the prospect of bringing together three defendants, a half-dozen attorneys, federal prosecutors, witnesses and jurors for a high-profile trial in the middle of a pandemic, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez delayed jury selection until Sept. 8. In January,…
Read MoreFormer Customs and Border Protection officer pleads guilty to bribery
A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer pleaded guilty to bribery on Thursday, when he confessed to accepting $17,000 during a federal sting operation. Oziel Cantu, 47, of Alamo — a former Customs and Border Protection officer assigned to the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge — pleaded guilty to bribery on Thursday morning. During a federal…
Read MoreMission firefighters warn about ‘toxic and hostile’ work environment
The Mission Fire Fighters Association warned the City Council on Tuesday that Fire Chief Gilbert Sanchez had created a “toxic and hostile” workplace — and requested an investigation. Firefighters are frustrated with Sanchez and Assistant Fire Chief Rene Alvarez, according to a letter from association President Robert Lopez to members of the City Council. The…
Read MoreHidalgo County EMS receives bid from prospective buyer
Hidalgo County EMS received a bid Monday from a prospective buyer, a major development in the company’s long-running bankruptcy case. Chief Restructuring Officer Richard S. Schmidt confirmed that Hidalgo County EMS received a bid, but he couldn’t publicly identify the prospective buyer or provide any details about the offer. With just a single bid on…
Read MoreBankruptcy judge threatens to issue bench warrant for Hidalgo County EMS owner
A federal judge threatened to issue a bench warrant for Hidalgo County EMS owner Kenneth B. Ponce on Friday, concerned about his apparent failure to provide information to Ford Motor Credit Company during the bankruptcy process. Donald L. Turbyfill, an attorney for Ford Motor Credit Company, said he asked Ponce and Hidalgo County EMS to…
Read MoreHidalgo County EMS owner pleads guilty to bankruptcy fraud
The CEO of Hidalgo County EMS pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud on Wednesday, when he confessed to concealing assets from a bankruptcy court and siphoning cash from the struggling company. Kenneth B. Ponce, 48, of Lyford — the CEO of Hidalgo County EMS, a privately owned ambulance company that responds to emergency calls in Edinburg,…
Read MoreJury finds former Progreso cop guilty in sexual assault case
After a two-day trial, a jury took less than two hours Wednesday to find a former Progreso police officer guilty of violating the civil rights of people he arrested. Two men testified that former Progreso police Officer Matthew Sepulveda sexually assaulted them after traffic stops in June 2019. The jury found Sepulveda guilty on two…
Read MoreAttorney: Hidalgo County EMS will either find a buyer ‘in the very near future’ or shut down
A federal bankruptcy judge may start the process of shutting down Hidalgo County EMS if the company can’t find a buyer “in the very near future.” During a hearing on Friday, attorney Nathaniel Peter Holzer of Corpus Christi, who represents Hidalgo County EMS, told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David R. Jones the company had shared financial…
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