Area News
Pharr pulls out of ambulance agreement, may stop responding to 911 calls in western Hidalgo County
Faced with financial problems, Pharr EMS may stop responding to 911 calls in rural parts of Hidalgo County. Pharr sent Hidalgo County a termination letter on Monday, informing the county that Pharr EMS would stop responding to 911 calls in Precinct 3 — the western part of Hidalgo County — unless the county paid at…
Read MoreRichard Molina found not guilty on indictment of election fraud and illegal voting
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…
Read MoreChild dies after being left in car outside La Joya ISD elementary school
A child died Thursday after being found in a car outside an elementary school near Mission. On Thursday afternoon, the La Joya Independent School District Police Department responded to a call about “an unresponsive child in a car” outside Dr. Americo Paredes Elementary School, according to a news release from La Joya ISD. Medical personnel…
Read MoreReport suggests La Joya ISD should cut more than 250 teachers
Faced with declining enrollment, the La Joya Independent School District should consider eliminating more than 250 teaching positions, according to a report prepared by the Texas Association of School Boards. The school board reviewed the report during a work session on Wednesday afternoon. “We’re not making recommendations right now,” said Superintendent Gisela Saenz. “We’re just…
Read MoreFormer Edinburg mayor testifies on voter fraud case
Former Edinburg Mayor Richard Molina took the stand Monday evening after his defense team examined witness statements on the election code and a sealed indictment. Taking the stand during the last half hour of the Monday trial, Molina gave the jury a look into his life and mapped out how he came to be in…
Read MorePeñitas appoints new mayor
The Peñitas City Council appointed a new mayor on Monday. During a meeting on Monday afternoon, the City Council accepted Mayor Rodrigo “Rigo” Lopez’s resignation and appointed City Councilman Ramiro Loya to replace him. “It’s truly an honor to be the mayor of Peñitas, the city that I love so much,” said Loya, 72, a…
Read MoreTom Landry stadium nearly ready for football season
Mission CISD is in the final stretch of the repairs project at Tom Landry Hall of Fame Stadium. Although there has been much back and forth between the school district and the contractors, the plan is to have the stadium ready for the football game on Aug. 26. The home side of the stadium, which…
Read MoreBalancing safety and culture at SISD
Sharyland ISD held its second safety and security town hall meeting Aug. 10, where a panel of experts updated parents and the community on the district-wide strategies for the 2022-2023 school year. And while SISD has increased its security measures from previous years, parents that spoke at the town hall felt it is not enough. …
Read MoreNew Mission CISD dress code policy stays
Superintendent Dr. Carol Perez said Mission CISD is keeping the dress code policy the district initially temporarily implemented during the spring 2022 semester. At the Aug. 10 school board meeting, Perez said parents received information over the summer regarding the updated dress code for the 2022-2023 school year. Additionally, the district posted detailed information on…
Read MoreMolina’s former business partner takes the stand, key to Ray Molina’s apartment revealed
Prosecutors welcomed the former business partner of Richard Molina, Julio Carranza, as a key witness to their case on Thursday morning. John Waits, a sergeant investigator with the Texas Attorney General’s Office assigned to investigate the defendant’s case, was one of the witnesses who exhibited physical evidence to the jury while explaining his investigation process.…
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