Area News

Queen Citrianna LXXXVII Riza Renae Hernandez is this year’s Queen Citrianna, a young lady with her heart set on uniting her community through service while balancing a full schedule with grace. “I’ve learned more about balance,” she said. Hernandez’s schedule includes plenty, such as attending the International Baccalaureate at Lamar Academy through McAllen Memorial High…

The Texas Education Agency installed a board of managers and a new superintendent to lead La Joya ISD Thursday after years of corruption at the school district. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath described the move as a last resort for the state, but one that’s justified in the case of La Joya. “First of all…

Friday, volunteers tended Edinburg’s Restlawn Cemetery and painted Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church in efforts for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service following last week’s freeze. The city of Edinburg partnered with their Juneteenth Committee Chair, Village in the Valley, and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to brighten two African American historical…

McAllen ISD’s board of trustees voted Monday to formally revisit about $4.35 million in commitments to expansion projects at Quinta Mazatlan and the International Museum of Art & Science in the hopes that partners on those projects forgive at least part of the debt or let the district pay what it owes late. McAllen ISD…

Palmview Mayor and La Joya ISD employee Ricardo “Rick” Villarreal alleged in a grievance last year that district leadership demoted him for failing to support board members politically and described his cooperation with federal law enforcement activity at La Joya ISD. In the grievance, Villarreal claims that he lost his position as assistant superintendent for…

The city of Alton will see the addition of a full-time Sex Crimes investigator for their Police Department. Alton Chief of Police Mark Perez requested to re-apply for the project under the Violence Against Women Justice and Training Grant Program to the Alton City Commission on Tuesday evening. “We’re trying to do our best to…

The Mission City Council voted to terminate MedCare EMS Wednesday to pave the way for the city running a completely in-house ambulance service. Mission has been growing a fire-based EMS service for years. The city rolled out those services in 2021, buying its first ambulance and hiring Dr. Ivan Melendez as medical director. Since then,…

McAllen ISD’s board of trustees voted Monday to unassign $25.8 million in federal ESSER monies in an effort to shore up district finances. The district is facing a $6 million budget shortfall, the latest hurdle in an ongoing financial struggle that started in 2022. The district blames tight finances on statewide school funding issues and…