Area News

This article originally ran in the July 1 issue of Progress Times.  The Mission CISD board of trustees approved a $174.6 million budget for the upcoming school year, which is about $14.7 million less than last year’s budget.  For months, the district’s finance division has kept an eye on how the budget would look for…

This article originally ran in the Feb. 11 issue of Progress Times.  When Mission CISD designed the $189.3 million budget for the 2021-2022 school year, they did so with a 13,822 average daily attendance in mind. But as the district closes out its 4th Six Weeks, administrators have calculated a lower ADA than they projected. …

This article originally ran in the July 1 issue of Progress Times. For the fourth year in a row, Mission CISD increased teacher salaries by more than $1,000 and now sits above the market median for teachers at all experience levels. The board of trustees also approved a 3.5 percent midpoint increase for all other…

A judge sent a sex offender back to prison Monday after he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Randy Crane sentenced James Archie Wells III, 64, of Edinburg to 15 years in prison during a hearing Monday morning. “I am sorry for what I’ve done,” Wells said. “Not only this case…

When the Peñitas City Council met on Monday, nobody saved a seat for Mayor Rodrigo “Rigo” Lopez. Lopez — who is awaiting trial on federal theft charges — hadn’t shown up for a City Council meeting since April. “We would like for him to show up or step down. Fulfill his duty or give it…

  The FBI returned 19 boxes of documents to La Joya in July, nearly three years after federal agents raided City Hall. Agents seized the documents in August 2019 during a public corruption investigation that focused on former Mayor Jose A. “Fito” Salinas, former City Administrator Mike Alaniz and the mayor’s daughter. La Joya picked…

The Mission City Council had second thoughts last week about a decision to limit public comment. Texas law mandates that Mission allow members of the public to address the City Council during meetings. The law, however, doesn’t specify how long members of the public may speak. Mission originally allowed people to speak for three minutes.…

EDINBURG, TX – The City of Edinburg celebrates the 2022 FridaFest, a festival that honors renowned Mexican Artist, Frida Kahlo along with the spirit of perseverance and empowerment. FridaFest is a free two-day festival open to the public that includes live music, artists, look-a-like contests, food vendors, plenty of children’s activities, and lots of great…

Mission police Chief Cesar Torres attempted to stop officers from speaking with the Mission City Council, a flagrant violation of their First Amendment rights, according to a letter from the Texas Municipal Police Association. Torres told officers they couldn’t speak with City Manager Randy Perez or members of the City Council about “Police Department operations”…