Area News

This article appeared in the Jan. 7 issue of the Progress Times.   Federal prosecutors dropped all charges against former Rio Grande City school board Trustee Daniel J. Garcia last week in the Weslaco water treatment plant bribery case. Prosecutors had accused Garcia of accepting $100,000 from Leonel J. Lopez Jr., a Starr County power…

The Texas Rangers arrested three men last month after they allegedly threatened a Border Patrol agent during a traffic stop in La Joya. Jose Guadalupe Castellano, 28, of La Joya; his brother, Marco Antonio Castellano, 27, of La Joya; and his friend, Brandon M. Vergara, 20, of La Joya, were charged with obstruction or retaliation,…

This article appeared in the Aug. 20, 2021, issue of the Progress Times.   Whether or not Brandon really planned to release a lion in La Joya depends on who you ask. Brandon M. Vergara, 20, of La Joya said he made up the story in July, when officers demanded to know why he crossed…

  Former La Joya school board Trustee Armin Garza confessed Thursday to participating in a kickback scheme that involved Performance Services Inc., a company that convinced local governments in western Hidalgo County to borrow millions for “energy savings” projects. Armin Garza, 42, of Peñitas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States during a…

This article appeared in the Dec. 24 issue of the Progress Times. The City of Palmview and the Palmview Chamber of Commerce collaborated with community businesses and local schools to celebrate their Annual Posada last Thursday. Vendor tables lined up outside the Palmview Parks & Recreation Gym, selling food, warm drinks like coffee, accessories, and…

This article appeared in the Dec. 24 issue of the Progress Times. The Palmhurst Police Department gave their time to help distribute toys to community children during last Friday’s Second Annual Christmas Toy Giveaway. A toy drive that originally began for a Palmhurst school spread into a Toy Drive that neighboring cities could also partake…

Federal prosecutors on Tuesday filed a motion to dismiss all charges against former Rio Grande City school board Trustee Daniel J. Garcia in the Weslaco water treatment plant bribery case. Marco A. Palmieri, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice Public Integrity Section, announced the decision Tuesday during a hearing before U.S. District Judge…

This article first appeared in the November 19th issue of Progress Times. The Palmhurst Municipal Court celebrated Municipal Court Month in honor of the contributions that the court makes to the safety and well-being of the city and residents. According to the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center, Municipal Court Week is the opportunity to show…

A former Border Patrol agent pleaded guilty to a federal drug trafficking charge on Friday. During a hearing Friday morning, Oberlin Cortez Peña Jr., 22, of La Joya pleaded guilty to attempting to aid and abet the possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General…

The Alton City Commission approved an $8,000 per month contract with Med-Care EMS on Tuesday to handle 911 calls within city limits. Med-Care EMS, a privately owned ambulance company, replaced Palmview EMS, which had served Alton without charge. During the past six months, however, competition for paramedics left Palmview scrambling to staff ambulances. “Frankly, they…