Area News

The Mission Police Department suspended eight officers in March after investigating a high-speed chase that injured an innocent bystander. Officers failed to follow department policy in September, when they chased a Dodge Durango from Mission to San Juan at speeds of up to 125 mph, according to documents released under the Texas Public Information Act.…

The state Public Safety Office placed a financial hold on Peñitas Police Department and Peñitas Fire Department grants last month after the FBI arrested Mayor Rodrigo “Rigo” Lopez on public corruption charges. Grants from the Public Safety Office provide the city of Peñitas with body cameras and fire department equipment. They also pay for a…

The Mercedes Police Department, The Uniting Neighbors in Drug Abuse Defense (UNIDAD) Coalition, and Behavioral Solutions of Texas partnered up to install a permanent prescription medication box at Mercedes City Hall, located at 400 S. Ohio Avenue. Placement of the box here at Mercedes City Hall, will facilitate access to residents, so that they can…

The board of trustees approved the $133.4 million budget at the June 22 school board meeting. But with property values going up, state funding for public education is going down, making balancing the budget a little more of a challenge each year.  Three elements determine how a school district generates revenue, which determines the budget…

In one of Norie Gonzalez Garza’s first acts as Mission mayor, she requested City Attorney Gus Martinez write a code of ethics for the city’s code of ordinances. At the June 21 meeting, Mission City Council unanimously approved ordinance 5184, adopting the code of ethics for elected officials, committee and board members and city directors. …

IDEA Public Schools filed a lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton last month, attempting to block the release of videos that reveal what board members discussed in public meetings. The Progress Times filed a public information request in November for videos of IDEA Finance Committee meetings. IDEA, however, claimed that portions of the videos…

The Peñitas City Council had plenty to discuss on Monday. Heavy trucks had damaged Tom Gill Road. The sewer system had problems, but the parts Peñitas needed to make repairs are back-ordered. And residents on the south side of town had petitioned the City Council to install speed bumps. Mayor Rodrigo “Rigo” Lopez, though, didn’t…

Mercedes, TX: One of the nation’s premier fuel distributors will develop and open a 12,000-square-foot travel center in Mercedes – a first of its kind in the Rio Grande Valley. Victron Energy, Inc., plans to break ground on the project this summer and open its travel center in early 2023. The center will include a…

Mission swears in leaders, makes history Norie Gonzalez Garza is now officially the first woman to hold the mayoral position for the city of Mission. With the crowd chanting her name and standing ovations, Judge Letty Lopez swore in Gonzalez Garza as Mission’s next leader. Although Gonzalez Garza made Mission history when voters elected her…

The Alton Police Department announced its participation in the Reliant First Hero Pilot Program, which provides mental health wellness services to first responders Friday afternoon. “Our participation in this program is just another step in our commitment to ensure that our first responders have all the resources available to them to take care of their…