Area News
Putting Peñitas on the board
This article originally ran in the Dec. 16, 2022 issue of the Progress Times. This week the Peñitas community flocked to the Walmart at 1705 Expressway 83 in the hopes of getting their hands on a tailor-made party game with familiar sites and attractions — Peñitasopoly. The Peñitas-themed board game is a customized version of…
Read MoreDowntown Mission gets official revitalization plan
This article originally ran in the Dec. 16, 2022 issue of the Progress Times. Since the 1990s, the City of Mission has put money toward breathing new life into its downtown district. And although millions of dollars and events have gone toward reviving the area, the city did not have an official plan in the…
Read More‘I’m Speechless’: Alton residents receive gift cards in place of traffic citations
For the fifth year in a row, the Alton Police Department gave gift cards in place of citations to community members who committed traffic violations. The Alton PD launched the Annual Gift Cards in Lieu of Citations initiative Wednesday morning. Alton Assistant City Manager and Police Chief Jonathan Flores invited the press to participate in…
Read MoreFaced with state investigation, La Joya ISD will invite the Texas Education Agency to appoint monitor or conservator
Faced with a Texas Education Agency investigation, the La Joya school board will invite the state to appoint a monitor or conservator for the district. Trustees made the decision Thursday during a six-hour meeting that ended minutes after midnight. “And so, as part of this action, we’d be reaching out to TEA,” said attorney Eden…
Read MoreSISD feels effects of HVAC shortages
Ongoing issues with heating, ventilation and air conditioning supply chains have reached Sharyland ISD, and there is not much district leaders can do about it. The board of trustees approved HVAC building upgrades at Sharyland High School at the November meeting, but the estimated completion date for the project is in 2024. SISD leaders have…
Read MoreComing soon to the City of Mission
City Manager Randy Perez spoke about upcoming initiatives and projects planned for the City of Mission. CONSTRUCTION The old Kmart building on Bryan Road will be a Murdoch’s in the not-too-distant future. The sporting goods and supply store will fill the 100,000 square foot space; it will be the first one in the Valley and…
Read MoreOne more falls in Western Hidalgo corruption scandal
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…
Read MoreA different kind of Thanksgiving, how a Sharyland educator celebrates
Dr. Leila Flores-Torres has spent the last 20 years traveling for Thanksgiving. Her destinations of choice? Areas with rich Indigenous cultures. Flores-Torres is a Mexican immigrant who has lived in the United States for 26 years. She moved to the U.S. at age 24 after she earned her degree and became a licensed psychologist. Once…
Read MoreCalling local artists, Mission launches recycling program
The City of Mission calls on local artists to submit their work for the opportunity to design and paint a mural on the new recycling drop-off building. When the city received a $25,000 grant from the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council, they decided to use the funds to set up Mission’s first recycling drop-off…
Read MoreAgua SUD replaces former board president with her husband
The Agua Special Utility District replaced Director Esmeralda Solis — who resigned to join the La Joya school board — with her husband on Monday. During a meeting on Monday afternoon, the utility board appointed Narciso V. Solis, 49, of rural Mission to represent District 3. “I wanted to continue the work my wife had…
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