Area News

A 47-year-old Weslaco male has become the 28th person in the county to test positive for the COVID-19 virus, according to a Sunday news release form Hidalgo County. Early indications suggest this is a travel-related case, according to the release. No other details on the individual were available.  Investigators with the health department have begun…

With a total of 37 cases of coronavirus in Cameron and Hidalgo County, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley announced they are opening two drive-thu testing sites in Brownsville and Edinburg. The sites will open on Monday, March 30 and will be open to employees, students and the public, according to a Friday news…

There are now 18 cases of COVID-19 in Hidalgo County after seven more people tested positive for it, the county announced Friday. Early indications are that most of the new cases are travel related, said Hidalgo County health officials. All of the new positive cases are residents of McAllen and Judge Cortez has alerted McAllen Mayor…

MISSION, TX – Mission Mayor Dr. Armando O’Caña elevated the city’s emergency readiness to Level One on March 25, its highest level due to concerns about the spread of coronavirus. “My top priority as mayor is keeping our city, our community and our employees safe,” he said. “Part of the plan directs departments to identify…

Local students speak on attending school from home Students throughout the county, state and country have been making the transition from attending class on campus to doing school work from home. This week, students in La Joya ISD, Sharyland ISD and Mission CISD have “returned” from Spring Break only to find their classrooms in their…

Nearly 3.3 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits last week, almost five times the previous record set in 1982 according to a Thursday report by the Associated Press. The surge in applications is a reflection of the damage caused by a widespread economic shutdown caused by the coronavirus as several businesses from gym, bars,…

Mission native reflects on stay in coronavirus-stricken Spain Empty streets, panic and misinformation dominated what was supposed to be a spiritual vacation for a Valley family. Earlier this month, Mission native and UTRGV Marketing Director Alex Garrido returned from Spain after a week there with his family. The trip, he said, was an ordeal unlike…

Citing the first few positive cases of coronavirus in Starr County, Rio Grande City CISD Superintendent Vilma Garza announced Thursday the district is cancelling school for the rest of the school year. “Your child’s well-being and education is of the utmost importance to me and please know that we will continue on our path of…

Two women from Pharr and San Juan have tested positive for the COVID-19, announced Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez. This brings the total number of positive cases in the county, Cortez said in a Thursday news release. Each of the two people, a 61-year-old San Juan woman and a 48-year-old Pharr woman,  have been placed…

A 31-year-old Pharr man is now the 9th person in Hidalgo County who has tested positive for COVID-19 Investigators with the Hidalgo County Health and Human Services Department are actively involved in interviewing the patient who has been hospitalized at a location outside of Hidalgo County, health officials said in a Thursday news release. Pharr Mayor Dr.…