Area News

Mission, Texas –  Mission Regional Medical Center, a member of Prime Healthcare Foundation, today announced that it has been recognized by Healthgrades as a 2022 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ recipient. This distinction places Mission Regional among the top 5% of all short-term acute care hospitals as evaluated by Healthgrades, the leading marketplace connecting patients and…

Palmview police Chief Gilberto Zamora agreed to resign Monday after the City Council offered him a $45,000 severance package.   The City Council approved the severance package during a meeting on Monday afternoon. Zamora submitted his resignation letter hours later. “It was a mutually agreed separation,” said attorney Javier Peña of Edinburg, who represents Zamora.…

Faced with higher costs for electricity, chemicals and fuel, the McAllen Public Utility plans to discuss a major rate increase next month. The Public Utility Board plans to discuss proposals to increase water and sewer rates during budget workshops in August. While the board is always reluctant to increase rates, the utility simply can’t absorb…

The state Public Safety Office lifted a financial hold on Peñitas Police Department and Peñitas Fire Department grants last month. Texas slapped Peñitas with a financial hold on June 15 — two days after the FBI arrested Mayor Rodrigo “Rigo” Lopez on federal theft charges. “PSO has four active grants with the City of Penitas.…

To be more transparent with the community, Mission City Council will publicly disclose any conflicts of interest with vendors or potential vendors at city council meetings. A longstanding item labeled “disclosure of conflict of interest” will be near the top of each meeting agenda, which the city posts at least seven days before a meeting.…

Palmhurst will start the process of picking a new mayor next week. Monday marks the start of early voting in Palmhurst, where four candidates are vying to replace former Mayor Ramiro J. Rodriguez Jr. “We’ve never had this type of election, with so many candidates running for the same spot,” said City Councilman Robert A.…

A judge sentenced a former Customs and Border Protection officer to 10 years in prison Wednesday for accepting a $17,000 bribe during a sting operation. U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced Oziel Cantu, 48, of Alamo to 10 years in federal prison followed by three years on supervised release. “I’m sorry,” Cantu said Wednesday afternoon,…

This article originally ran in the July 8 issue of Progress Times.  Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza fulfilled another promise she made during her election campaign by increasing the citizen’s participation time during Mission City Council meetings from two to three minutes.  In every city council meeting, there is a designated time when public members can…