Area News

Concerned that residents of Hidalgo County are not taking seriously the emergency shelter-at-home order now in place, Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez is asking local law enforcement to step up efforts to enforce the order to keep people home. “We know there is a tsunami coming,” Cortez said in a Tuesday news release. “It hasn’t…

There are now a total of 38 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the county after 10 more people tested positive for the disease, the county announced Monday There are now a total of 71 cases of people testing positive for coronavirus across the Rio Grande Valley. The positive cases come at a critical…

The Sharyland ISD counseling department will continue to provide resources for students, staff, parents while maintaining social distancing. The district’s counseling department announced the creation of the Mental Health Moment, a video message intended to provide information and common sense stability in the midst of this unstable time. As part of this message, all campus…

A 47-year-old Weslaco male has become the 28th person in the county to test positive for the COVID-19 virus, according to a Sunday news release form Hidalgo County. Early indications suggest this is a travel-related case, according to the release. No other details on the individual were available.  Investigators with the health department have begun…

With a total of 37 cases of coronavirus in Cameron and Hidalgo County, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley announced they are opening two drive-thu testing sites in Brownsville and Edinburg. The sites will open on Monday, March 30 and will be open to employees, students and the public, according to a Friday news…

There are now 18 cases of COVID-19 in Hidalgo County after seven more people tested positive for it, the county announced Friday. Early indications are that most of the new cases are travel related, said Hidalgo County health officials. All of the new positive cases are residents of McAllen and Judge Cortez has alerted McAllen Mayor…

MISSION, TX – Mission Mayor Dr. Armando O’Caña elevated the city’s emergency readiness to Level One on March 25, its highest level due to concerns about the spread of coronavirus. “My top priority as mayor is keeping our city, our community and our employees safe,” he said. “Part of the plan directs departments to identify…

Local students speak on attending school from home Students throughout the county, state and country have been making the transition from attending class on campus to doing school work from home. This week, students in La Joya ISD, Sharyland ISD and Mission CISD have “returned” from Spring Break only to find their classrooms in their…

Nearly 3.3 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits last week, almost five times the previous record set in 1982 according to a Thursday report by the Associated Press. The surge in applications is a reflection of the damage caused by a widespread economic shutdown caused by the coronavirus as several businesses from gym, bars,…

Mission native reflects on stay in coronavirus-stricken Spain Empty streets, panic and misinformation dominated what was supposed to be a spiritual vacation for a Valley family. Earlier this month, Mission native and UTRGV Marketing Director Alex Garrido returned from Spain after a week there with his family. The trip, he said, was an ordeal unlike…