Area News

The FBI on Wednesday arrested a McAllen businessman accused of paying “thousands of dollars in bribes” in exchange for a $300,000 payment from the Weslaco Economic Development Corp. Sunil B. Wadhwani, 56, of McAllen — who owns the Motel 6 in Weslaco and La Quinta hotels in Pharr and McAllen — surrendered to FBI agents…

Hidalgo County EMS, a privately owned company that provides ambulance service to parts of Hidalgo County, filed for bankruptcy Tuesday. Chapter 11 bankruptcy would protect Hidalgo County EMS from creditors while the company attempts to restructure debt. “This voluntary filing was determined to be in the best interest of the company at this time, and…

Former Weslaco City Commissioner David Fox pleaded guilty Monday to making a false statement during a federal grand jury proceeding. David Robert Fox, 50, of Weslaco pleaded guilty Monday afternoon during a hearing at the federal courthouse in McAllen. Fox admitted to accepting $2,000 in exchange for a vote when he served on the Weslaco…

Palmview Finance Director Rachel Chapa abruptly resigned last month. The City Council accepted her resignation Monday, when the meeting agenda included “Discussion and Possible Action in regard to the Finance Director position.” Basic details about her resignation — including the date and reason — remain unclear. “She was a good person,” said Mayor Rick Villarreal.…

The city of Mission held a workshop this Wed. Oct. 2, 2019 to discuss potential city projects that would be funded by a bond election in 2020. Mayor Armando O’caña and City Manager Randy Perez presented several projects to the council members who attended the workshop, Beto Vela and Jessica Ortega-Ochoa. City Attorney Gus Martinez,…

A federal judge may send former Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office Cmdr. Jose Padilla back to prison. U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ruled Wednesday that Padilla — who pleaded guilty to bribery in April 2014 and served a 38-month prison sentence — violated the conditions of his supervised release by stealing money and associating with a…

Right before their approved budget for the next fiscal year was set to begin, the city of Palmview lowered their budget to reflect revenues that fell short. The budget amendment was approved Monday by city commissioners after City Manager Michael Leo informed the board that revenues for the previous fiscal year fell short, leading the…

Pet lovers across the Valley are invited to a local event to celebrate their furry best friends. Tomorrow, the Mission Pawsible program will host their first ever Barktober Community Pet Fair, an event to bring the community and their pets together. “It’s so we can all have a little fun and educate the public about…

DHR Health is aiming to expand the range of people who can benefit from physical therapy. Last Thursday, Doctors Hospital at Renaissance held an official opening of their new Aquatic Therapy Institute, located at 2001 S. Cynthia St. in McAllen. According to the institute’s director, Dr. Amir Esmaeili, the community will be “witness to a…

The La Joya Housing Authority board approved a three-year contract with Executive Director Ruben Villarreal on Wednesday. Under the contract, which must be approved by an attorney, the housing authority will pay Villarreal an $84,000 annual salary. He will receive a 5 percent raise after the first year. “It gives me a sense of relief…