PHARR, TEXAS - Victor Perez, president of Pharr Economic Development Corporation, has welcomed COMCE to the city. COMCE stands for Consejo Empresarial Mexicano de Comercio Exterior, Inversión y Tecnología (Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology). It is a non-profit organization representing the Mexican private sector …

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - The Rio Grande Valley is becoming no different than some of the bigger metros in Texas, says Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation CEO Gilberto Salinas. “Austin-San Antonio is really one big area, Houston is just a huge monster when it comes to people, numbers and cities around it, DFW? DFW is kind of like McAllen-Brownsvi…

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., has made the case for a “yes” vote on the Cameron County Arena project. In an in-depth audio interview with the Rio Grande Guardian, Treviño points out that property taxes will not be used to fund the project. Rather, he said, much of the money will come from an existing venue tax source…

STEM Nation 2025 is a student conference organized by the Rio Grande Valley Philanthropic Foundation. STEM stands for Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. The conference takes place at the Bert Ogden Arena on Tuesday, May 29, 2025. Diane Milliken Garza, executive director of RGV Philanthropic Foundation says the conference is important b…

AUSTIN, Texas - Dan Diorio is senior director of state policy for the Data Center Coalition. Via a zoom, Diorio recently gave an update to the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service on the legislation he is tracking in Austin. He was joined on the zoom by Guillermo Aguilar of Blackstone Consultants. The Data Center Coalition’s website expla…

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - When he appeared as a panelist at RioPlex’s Texas Port to the Stars FDI Summit in Houston, Brownsville Mayor John Cowen, Jr., said this is the best time ever to be the leader of his city. Cowen said: “I think we have an extremely strong value proposition. I always tell people it's the greatest time ever to be mayor the city of …

Carlos Ealy is assistant secretary of state for Mexican and Border Affairs in the Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Ealy spoke at a reception held for the Texas Port to the Stars FDI Summit hosted by RioPlex at the Westin Galleria in Houston. Here are his remarks from the stage. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news s…

HOUSTON, Texas - Valerie G. Segovia is vice of president of investor relations for the Texas Economic Development Corporation. Segovia spoke at a reception held for the Texas Port to the Stars FDI Summit hosted by RioPlex at the Westin Galleria in Houston. Here are her remarks from the stage. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest borde…

PHARR, Texas - The Pharr EDC Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing scholarship opportunities for graduating students residing in the city of Pharr. The foundation supports both college and trade school career paths. One of the foundation’s main fundraisers is an annual Casino Night. This year’s event will be held at the Rege…

LAREDO, Texas - Legendary workforce development leader Blas Castañeda has been mentoring high school students for 49 years. The retired president of CTA Global Solutions will join with Area Health Education Center to hold his Annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony on March 27. This event recognizes the exceptional academic accomplishments of students p…

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas - Veteran broadcaster Ron Whitlock, of Ron Whitlock Reports, recently interviewed U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar about Mexico’s water debt to the U.S. Whitlock asked Cuellar if the U.S. should withhold water from Mexico in California, in retaliation for Mexico not releasing water into the Rio Grande. He also asked the Laredo cong…

MISSION, Texas - Many of the state lawmakers that participate in next week’s Texas Water Day at the Capitol will likely know about the dire water crisis facing the Rio Grande Valley. Certainly those that traveled the region as part of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership’s recent 2025 RGV Legislative Tour will be aware. That is because they heard twic…

WESLACO, Texas - Famed businessman Alonzo Cantu has thrown his support behind the work of the Rio Grande Valley Broadband Coalition. The RGVBC unveiled its RGV Broadband and Digital Opportunity Plan at the offices of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council. The coalition noted that the Valley still lacks reliable internet access, holding th…

MCALLEN, Texas - During his 2025 State of the City Address, McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos said he is often asked why he spends so much time in Mexico. “Simple,” Villalobos said, answering the question. “Mexico believes in McAllen. Mexico embraces McAllen. Mexico invests in McAllen. Quiero que sepan mis amigos Mexicanos. Que McAllen entra alla a M…

MCALLEN, TEXAS - The Institute for Leadership in Capital Projects (I-LinCP) is partnering with the Rio Grande Valley Partnership to present its inaugural program in the Rio Grande Valley. Building the Valley - Uniting for RGV Regional Growth will highlight the significant of organizations like the RGV Partnership and UT-Rio Grande Valley in shaping…

AUSTIN, Texas - State Sen. Juan Hinojosa has given a shoutout to retiring Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp for his critically-acclaimed Bordering the Future report. Sharp published “Bordering the Future: Challenge and Opportunity in the Texas Border Region” in 1998 whilst he was Texas State Comptroller. The report gave an in-depth assessment …

WESLACO, Texas - President Trump said he would pause his planned 25 percent tariff duty on imported goods from Mexico due a “very friendly” telephone conversation with his Mexican counterpart, Claudia Sheinbuam. Trump said the tariffs would be put on hold for month while further discussions with the Mexican president take place. Trump’s tariffs wer…

AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas Association of Business is launching a new coalition, Texas Leads Trade, to ensure Texas businesses have a strong voice in the upcoming US-Mexico-Canada Agreement renegotiations. The Rio Grande Guardian International News Service broke the story through an exclusive telephone interview with TAB President Glenn Hamer. “We’r…

MCALLEN, Texas - Futuro RGV, a citizenry group dedicated to improving quality of life in the Rio Grande Valley, recently held an in-depth discussion of the region’s water crisis. The RGV Water Solutions Forum was held at Rio Bank’s corporate headquarters in McAllen. The panel discussing the water crisis consisted of former McAllen Mayor Jim Darling…

EDINBURG, Texas - The agricultural industry of the Rio Grande Valley has great supporters in Congress but needs more help at the state level. This is the view of Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association. In an exclusive interview with Ron Whitlock Reports, Galeazzi said state leaders could help by providing h…

WESLACO, Texas - Javier Guerra, Channel 5 News morning co-anchor, gave the introductory remarks at the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council’s first ever State of the COG. COG stands for Council of Government. LRGVDC represents Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties. Guerra pointed out that the gathering represents an evolution of the LRGVDC’s…

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Area residents Daniel Garcia and Joel Tijerina have been thinking about doing business with the state government for some time. In particular, they would to sell their services and/or products to one of the Lone Star State’s biggest buyers of goods and services but don’t know how to go about. But this week, the two are among a …

MCALLEN, Texas - Kathryn Lueders, general manager of Starbase says the local community means a big deal to SpaceX. Lueders gave the keynote speech at the Vistas from Texas seminar co-hosted by UT-Rio Grande Valley’s Center for Border Economic Studies and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Her presentation was titled: “SpaceX’s presence and impact …

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - In our latest episode on how to avoid the next coronavirus, through the lens of Dr. Madhavan A. Pisharodi, we discuss bats and rats. Pisharodi is a neurosurgeon who has been practicing in Brownsville, Texas for the last 31 years. Although a medical physician, some people might mistake him for an engineer, given the number of pa…

MCALLEN, Texas - Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association (TIPA), worries that some of the smaller RGV cities will have their water supply rationed just like it was in Monterrey and Reynosa. And it will be for the same reason - because water that should be coming to South Texas and Tamaulipas under a 1944 int…

HARLINGEN, Texas - The Port of Harlingen will try again to expand its overweight corridor route in the 89th Legislature starting in January. As in the 88th session, the legislation will be carried by state Rep. Janie Lopez, R-San Benito. The legislation failed to make it into law in 2023, in part because of opposition from the Texas Department of P…

RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas – The Rio Grande Valley Partnership held its latest Commercial & Investment Tour in Rio Grande City. It was hosted by the Rio Grande City Economic Development Corporation. One of the sponsors was McAllen-based ERO Architects. The CEO of ERO, Brian Godinez spoke about the work of ERO, plus a new company he has co-launched, Sou…

Dr. Mostafa Malki is a professor at UT-Rio Grande Valley and executive director for business development at America’s Additive Foundry Center for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Cyber Systems. He is also the founder of Aaron Economic Consulting. Dr. Malki recently gave a presentation about business opportunities tied to additive manufacturing…

EDINBURG, Texas - Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez has been named honorary Field Marshal for the War on Poverty in Hidalgo County. The award was bestowed by Hidalgo County’s Community Service Agency (CSA) at the group’s inaugural Access to Success Program Banquet, held Dec. 12 at Monza Social Event Center in Edinburg. “We have amongst us someone…

In an exclusive interview with the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service, land developer Michael Fallek said McAllen South Industrial Park is master planned and divided into ten lots. “That is the way things are being utilized, sold and marketed,” he said. “But there are different conversations going on. We have four or five of the lots th…

MCALLEN, Texas - The new 125-acre McAllen South Industrial Park is not yet finished but already the owners have sold lots to companies from abroad. The park, with a buildable area of about 1.8 million square feet, is being going up off Military Highway between 10th and 23rd streets in south McAllen. “Already, we've got an Asian firm that is purchas…

RAYMONDVILLE, Texas - Working with Willacy County Navigation District, leaders of the Texas Youth Hunting Program have helped quell the once sizable deer population in the Port Mansfield area. The Texas Youth Hunting Program, administered by Texas Parks & Wildlife, helps teach young people how to hunt responsibly, with safety to the fore. “We're he…

EDINBURG, Texas - Raudel Garza, executive director of Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, says he expects great things from UT-Rio Grande Valley’s highly anticipated Workforce Economy Research and Community (WERC) Complex. The complex sits next to I-69 Central in Edinburg. Back in the day it used to be the old Haggar Clothing Company buildin…

RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas - Rose Benavidez, president of Starr County Industrial Foundation, won warm applause when she provided telling statistics that show a vastly improved economic and educational picture in her county. Benavidez gave the wrap-up remarks at SCIF’s 50th Anniversary Dinner, held at Julabe Reception Hall No. 2 in Rio Grande City on N…

RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas - Starr County Judge Eloy Vera has praised the work of Starr County Industrial Foundation. Vera spoke at a dinner held to celebrate group’s 50th Anniversary. It was held at Julabe Reception Hall in Rio Grande City on November 21. “It is truly an honor and privilege to be here to speak to such an outstanding group of people, a…

RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas - Sam Vale, chairman of the Starr Camargo Bridge Company, has given an update on plans to expand the Starr-Camargo Bridge in Rio Grande City. Vale said his partner on the project will be Eduardo A. Garza Robles, owner of Nuevo Laredo-based Uni-Trade Group. “We've been we've been friends for several years and we've decided tha…

In our early days of travels to Mexico George Gause and I spent several 20 de Noviembres in Mexico City and other places commemorating the start of the Mexican Revolution in 1910. On November 20, 2024, I was all smiles at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Arts, Culture and Event Center (ACE) in Edinburg. For my longtime library and arts colleague…

EDINBURG, Texas - At a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the City of Edinburg’s new Arts, Culture and Events (ACE) Center, Mayor Ramiro Garza made a point of singling out for praise Letty Leija. The director for the office of library and cultural arts played a big role in the project from the very beginning, the mayor said. “I want to take this moment to…

EDINBURG, Texas - Pharr businessman Robert Lozano, CEO of F&P Brands, and his wife Laurie are to donate $1 million from the Robert & Laurie Lozano Family “Life Currency” Endowment to benefit Driscoll Children’s Hospital in the Rio Grande Valley. Driscoll’s leadership says the funding will ensure children in the Valley will always have access to wor…

MCALLEN, Texas - A former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico says chambers of commerce and the business community in general can help turn down ugly political rhetoric. Antonio Garza was asked if political rhetoric hampers trade negotiations and good trade policies. He was asked this question by Cynthia Sakulenzki, president and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber …

AUSTIN, Texas - Viva Benefits, which was co-founded by former Rio Grande Valley teacher Michael Barnes, has announced a $2.2 million pre-seed fundraising round led by Chingona Ventures. Viva Benefits is a network of affordable housing partners that helps renters access essential benefits like health, education, and financial wellness. Chingona’s mo…

AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas Transportation Commission has appointed Teclo J. Garcia, CEO of the Mission Economic Development Corporation, to two advisory committees. They are the Border Trade Advisory Committee (BTAC) and the Freight Advisory Committee (FAC). Both make recommendations to the Texas Department of Transportation. TTC Commissioner Alejan…

PHARR, Texas - DHR Health has held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new public-private behavioral health facility it is building in north Pharr. The hospital campus will be located at 4800 North Jackson Road in Pharr and will include a new 161,000 square foot building. The City of Pharr is providing the land. Following an appropriation by the Texas …

MCALLEN, Texas - Dr. Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, Ph.D., still calls the Rio Grande Valley home, even though she is now a professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. The renowned scholar taught for many years at UT-Rio Grande Valley in Brownsville. She came back to the region recently for two speeches. One was ti…

HARLINGEN, Texas - Eugenio Marín, CEO of Fundación México-Estados Unidos para la Ciencia (FUMEC), gave an in-depth presentation on the semiconductor industry at Texas State Technical College in Harlingen on Nov. 5. The "Friends of COSTEP" event was titled “Navigating the Growing Semiconductor Industry.” It was co-hosted by the Council for South Tex…

MCALLEN, Texas - Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico Antonio Garza recently appeared on a webinar hosted by the RGV Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. In his remarks, Garza gave his predictions about future US-Mexico relations and what the new presidency of Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico might mean. Garza also spoke about violence in Mexico and international …

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez has presented a $2 million-plus check to Brownsville Public Utilities Board to support the city’s Resaca Restoration Project. In his remarks at the check presentation, Gonzalez said he wished other cities in his district had the beautiful resacas that Brownsville had. “It’s always a pleasure to bring …

PHARR, Texas - An expert in manufacturing told students from Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD and IDEA Public Schools about the benefits of working in the industry. Mike Willis, executive director of the South Texas Manufacturers Association, managed a maquiladora plant in Reynosa for 26. He was one of the keynote speakers speakers at Pharr Economic Develo…

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - To coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, DHR Health Brownsville has unveiled its newest mammogram unit. Aida Coronado-Garcia, DHR Health Brownsville executive vice president and chief operating officer, said the new unit - a Siemens Mammomat Revelation - represents the latest in breast imaging technology, allowing for en…

PHARR, TEXAS David Ortiz, director of UT-Rio Grande Valley’s Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center, has encouraged high school students to consider manufacturing as a career. Ortiz spoke to students from Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD and IDEA Public Schools at Pharr Economic Development Corporation’s 4th Annual Manufacturing Day in Pharr. The event was …