Area News

Thursday, Precinct 3 announced acquiring additional funding of $4.9 million for Peñitas’ Liberty Road Project, a four-lane corridor expansion from US Highway 83 to the 3 Mile Line. The project, with finalized planning done in 2020, is Phase I of urban roadways that will connect rural communities to the growing urban city sites. The substantial…

Abiel Flores is in his last few days as a City of Mission council member. After a year and a half in the Place 3 seat, the Missionite resigned from the position to run for Hidalgo County District Court Judge in March 2024. But with the special election for his replacement complete (with a runoff…

The city of Edinburg authorized its city manager Tuesday to enter into a real estate purchase agreement related to acquiring H-E-B Park as a venue for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s football program. The council and the city’s economic development corporation have been discussing the deal  under the name “Project Swap” since September,…

The city of Mission canceled a special meeting scheduled for Wednesday to discuss finances in the wake of alleged fiscal liquidity issues that surfaced this week, which the city largely denies. That meeting would have followed a bitter city council race. A city spokesperson did not respond to questions about why the meeting was canceled…

Marissa Ortega Gerlach finished drastically ahead of her three opponents in the city of Mission’s special city council race Saturday and may even avoid a runoff — though that’s not completely certain yet. To avoid a runoff, she’ll need 50% of the vote plus one additional ballot. With all precincts reporting Saturday, Gerlach had received…

The Hidalgo Independent School District Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to issue a no trespass order to one of its own members that restricts him, in most instances, from going on district property. A resolution passed by the district’s board Tuesday reaffirms a previous board censure of Trustee Raymundo Martinez from May that included directives…

The La Joya Independent School District Board of Trustees voted in Esmeralda “Esmer” Solis as its president Wednesday. Solis, an owner of a packing and shipping franchise, has served on the board for a little over a year. Alex Cantu, the board’s previous president, noted Wednesday that trustees’ traditional practice is to rotate the presidency…

For its final meeting of the year, Texas Citrus Fiesta briefed on a Memorandum of Understanding between the TCF board and the city of Mission to hire office workers and a temporary director after Lisa Rivera’s resignation earlier this month. Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza, Chief of Police Cesar Torres, and City Manager Randy Perez were…

The good news? Sullivan City council members hired a fulltime city manager last month. The bad news? Their city secretary quit Monday. The turnover continues an unenviable leadership exodus trend Sullivan City has seen unfold for at least the past four years, one the municipality hopes its new city manager can reverse. Sullivan’s city council…

In a race that’s mostly featured candidates ponying up their own money on the campaign trail, campaign finance reports for Mission’s special city council election show candidate Marissa Ortega Gerlach spending more than all three of her opponents combined. Gerlach had, as of last Friday, doled out almost $90,000 on the campaign trail, largely out…