Area News
Former correctional officer sentenced to 18 months in prison for providing inmate with cocaine
A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced a former guard at the East Hidalgo Detention Center to 18 months in prison for providing an inmate with cocaine. U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced former Correctional Officer Erasmo Loya, 56, of La Villa to 18 months in prison during a hearing on Tuesday afternoon. In exchange for…
Read MoreJudge pauses 13 border wall lawsuits until January
More than six months after President Joe Biden paused construction on the border wall, whether or not the government will drop lawsuits against Rio Grande Valley landowners remains a mystery. During a hearing on Wednesday morning, Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Smith III told U.S. District Judge Randy Crane the government wanted to conduct a…
Read MoreMission CISD prepares to welcome students back during pandemic
Mission CISD is taking steps to welcome its faculty, staff, and students for the upcoming school year to in-person learning at 100% capacity. Superintendent Dr. Carol G. Perez for the Mission Consolidated Independent School District said that protocols the district adopted at the start of COVID will still be in place to ensure everyone’s safety.…
Read MoreMission meets with developer about Madero bridge project
Members of the Mission City Council met with a Houston-based company Tuesday about a proposal to fund the Madero bridge project. Mayor Armando “Doc” O’caña, City Councilwoman Norie Gonzalez Garza and City Councilman Ruben Plata met with Emilio Guzman, an executive vice president at Houston-based DC Partners, on Tuesday afternoon. DC Partners — a real…
Read More4th Annual Walk By Faith Journey sends prayers to students and staff
La Joya ISD school board member Alejandro Cantu will be hosting the Walk By Faith Journey this coming Saturday for the fourth year in a row as La Joya welcomes back its students full-time. Cantu began the walk in 2017, when he pondered how to incorporate religious values and time of prayer to support the…
Read MoreFinance director claims former La Joya mayor fired her for political reasons
Finance Director Gregoria Jackson filed a lawsuit against the city of La Joya last week, claiming the City Council fired her for political reasons — and violated her First Amendment rights. Gregoria Jackson filed the lawsuit against the city, former Mayor Jose A. “Fito” Salinas, former City Councilwoman Anna Lisa Ruiz and City Councilwoman Mary…
Read MoreEdinburg North High School mourns the loss of beloved track coach
Edinburg North High School track coach and teacher Douglas Erickson passed away Saturday evening, leaving students, staff, family, and community members in a state of mourning as they remember his legacy. Homer Martinez, head cross country coach and distance coach at ENHS, said Erickson “is one of those rare ones” that come in once in…
Read More2 men charged with bribing Border Patrol agent
Two men bribed a U.S. Border Patrol agent to allow unauthorized migrants through the Falfurrias checkpoint, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday. Edwin Alejandro Castillo, 22, of Sullivan City and Jose Luis Duran, 25, of Mission paid the Border Patrol agent $2,000 on June 11, according to the indictment. Three days later, they participated in…
Read MoreTexas Chicano Brotherhood ‘enforcer’ sentenced to 10 years in prison
A federal judge sentenced a former Starr County gangster to 10 years in prison Monday. U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey sentenced Hector “Pelon” Guerra, 41, of La Rosita — a former “ranking member” of the Texas Chicano Brotherhood in Starr County — during a hearing Monday afternoon in Victoria. Guerra pleaded guilty to conspiracy…
Read MoreFormer mayor sues Mission over ‘energy savings’ contract
Former Mayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas sued the city of Mission on Tuesday, attempting to stop a nearly $17 million “energy savings” project. Beto Salinas — who plans to run against Mission Mayor Armando “Doc” O’caña in 2022 — filed the lawsuit on Tuesday afternoon. The lawsuit claims Mission didn’t follow procurement and competitive bidding procedures,…
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