Area News

Mission couple celebrates 57 years of marriage Last December, Mission residents Gordon and Connie Willems reached a new milestone after celebrating their 57th wedding anniversary. “I felt very blessed about having lived this long while being able to do this,” Connie, 77, said. “When I got married, I just didn’t think about considering the possibility…

Katrina Park will be host to even more children and parents following last weekend’s ribbon cutting. On Sat. Feb. 8, Precinct 3 Commissioner Joe Flores, in partnership with Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service, held a ribbon cutting for the grand re-opening of Katrina Park in Peñitas. Local leaders from across the area, including Espie Ochoa…

Andy Lopez, along with several other skilled bowlers, spent last weekend at Main Event for a competition that evens the playing field. Last week, Special Olympics Texas partnered with Main Event to host the 2020 Special Olympics Texas State Bowling Tournament. Districts from across the RGV participated, including Sharyland, Mission, La Joya, Donna, McAllen and…

Granjeno celebrates community in annual festival The city of Granjeno’s 14th annual Friendship Festival was a lot bigger this year. That’s according to Virginia Lender, who visited the festival in the small city with a little more than 301 citizens. “When I attended last year, it was more of a tailgate party without a lot…

Faced with a federal investigation into a La Joya Economic Development Corporation project spearheaded by the daughter of the city’s former mayor, the La Joya city council voted to replace everyone on the city EDC board. “We’ve been having some issues with the Economic Development Corporation so I will be making appointments to replace the…

The day after being arrested on wire fraud charges, former La Joya Mayor Jose A. “Fito” Salinas, 81, walked out of the McAllen federal courthouse Thursday alongside his wife and lawyer, out on a $75,000 bond. Salinas, who is accused of participating in two separate corruption schemes, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan Alaniz Thursday…

Former La Joya Mayor Jose A. “Fito” Salinas was arrested Wednesday after he was indicted on two counts of wire fraud. According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Salinas, 81, was indicted on two counts of wire fraud Tuesday relating to a public relations contract and…

Decades after its release in theaters, a movie set and filmed in the city of Mission was honored Wednesday. “She Came to the Valley,” a 1979 film set in the city of Mission, was screened to audiences at the Mission Historical Museum at two sold showings throughout the day. The movie was based on the…

Due to a waiting list containing four years’ worth of applications, the Mission Housing Authority will temporarily refuse incoming housing applications next month. “We really don’t have a problem, it’s just we have an excessive amount of applications on file which is normal,” newly appointed interim MHA Executive Director Antonio “Tony” Sandoval said. “Some agencies…

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa is taking his support of 5×5 Brewing Co. to the next level. Hinojosa, a Marine Corps veteran from the Vietnam era, became an investor for the local craft brewery located in Mission last week. An announcement was made regarding his joining of the ownership team at the brewery, located in the…