The Food Bank RGV thanks Whataburger for their sponsorship of both Empty Bowls fundraisers. Whataburger’s sponsorship will enable the Food Bank RGV to provide up to 50,000 meals for the community. Courtesy Image
Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – The Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley is excited to announce Whataburger as a grapefruit sponsor for Empty Bowls Lower Valley: Brownsville Edition presented by Boggus Tipton. In addition to sponsoring the Food Bank RGV’s newest Empty Bowls fundraiser in the Lower Valley, Whataburger has also committed to sponsoring Food Bank RGV’s Luncheon and Silent Auction in the Upper Valley, this fall. These sponsorships will enable the Food Bank RGV to provide an additional 50,000 meals for families in need this summer.
“We are so grateful for Whataburger’s generous sponsorship”, said Libby A. Vaughan, CEO of Food Bank RGV. “Our community’s needs this summer are greater than ever, and thanks to Whataburger, we’ll be able to feed more families.”
Empty Bowls Lower Valley: Brownsville Edition Presented by Boggus Tipton will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, 2022 at Brownsville Market Square, 1150 Market Square St, Brownsville, TX. With the price of admission, guests will enjoyed a night out at Market Square with delicious cuisine from local area restaurants, drinks, music, raffles and more. Guests will also receive a unique hand painted ceramic bowl to serve as a reminder of the hunger faced by many in the Rio Grande Valley.
Effective 7/5/22, the City of Brownsville has increased the threat level matrix to level two due to a rising number of COVID-19 cases. Image for illustration purposes
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Effective 7/5/22, the City of Brownsville has increased the threat level matrix to level two due to a rising number of COVID-19 cases. During the past two weeks, virus transmission rates have increased, especially for unvaccinated individuals.
The number of positive COVID-19 cases has surpassed 1,000 cases, with two confirmed deaths this week. The public must stay vigilant and aware that this can take a toll on every member of the community, including the most vulnerable and healthcare staff.
“We want to remind citizens that it is essential to continue to be vigilant and practice safe health practices. Please remember to wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, practice social distancing, and wear a mask,” said Dr. Rodriguez.
Currently, the vaccination rate for Cameron County is at 92.80% for individuals 65 years and older and 81.83% for people five years and older. Getting the COVID-19 vaccine has been found to be the safest and most effective way to protect the immune system from COVID-19. Call the COVID-19 Hotline at 956-394-0012 or visit the Brownsville Cares website for more information regarding COVID-19 vaccines.
The Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) announced on Tuesday that senior Julie Lucio, sophomores Sophia Tejeda and Mercedes Vega, and graduate student Rachel Yu of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women’s golf team have been named 2021-22 WGCA All-American Scholars. Courtesy Image
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CORAL SPRINGS, Florida- The Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) announced on Tuesday that senior Julie Lucio, sophomores Sophia Tejeda and Mercedes Vega, and graduate student Rachel Yu of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women’s golf team have been named 2021-22 WGCA All-American Scholars.
In order to be named a WGCA All-American Scholar a student-athlete must have a grade point average of 3.50.
Lucio, Tejeda, Vega, and Yu each earned Academic All-WAC honors this past academic year while also earning Fall and Spring AD honors.
In total, 1,485 women golfers around the country earned the honor. The WGCA was founded in 1883 and is a non-profit organization representing women’s collegiate golf coaches. The WGCA represents over 650 coaches throughout the United States and is dedicated to educating, promoting, and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes they represent.
A pumpjack next to a home in Gardendale. Texas is the nation’s top natural gas producer but the state has started exporting more of it to other countries, which contributes to rising utility costs for Texans. Photo Credit: Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune
Texans are seeing skyrocketing home electric bills this spring and summer, with many customers paying at least 50% more than they did for electric bills at this time last year.
And nobody seems to know when costs will go down.
“I am worried people are going to be shocked,” said John Ballenger, vice president at Texas retail electric provider Champion Energy. “Realizing this is 50 or 60 or 70% higher than what they had paid before, I’m just not sure it’s real to people yet. If it’s not, it will be very, very soon when the bills hit this summer.”
Here’s what Texans need to know about why utility bills are getting more expensive:
What’s driving electricity and gas bills higher?
The elevated utility bills have primarily been driven by the price of natural gas, which has shot up more than 200% since late February when Russia, a top gas-producing country, invaded Ukraine and upended the world’s energy market.
Since then, Texas, the leading natural gas-producing state in the U.S., has not been able to keep offering its own residents cheap energy.
Since the war in Ukraine began, Texas has been exporting more natural gas than ever before, sending much of it to Europe as many countries try to wean themselves off Russian gas. Congress lifted a longtime ban on exporting U.S. oil and gas in 2015, which opened world markets to Texas oil and gas producers.
“People are lining up around the world to get our product,” said Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil and Gas Association.
But demand for natural gas has also been growing at home as more people and businesses continue to flock to Texas. A hotter-than-normal spring and early summer also have driven demand for power to record-high levels. Most Texas power plants run on natural gas.
“We’ve seen Texas gas go over to Europe, which has then created a supply issue locally in the state of Texas,” said Cory Kuchinsky, chief financial officer and treasurer for CPS Energy, San Antonio’s municipal utility that provides energy to more than 1 million customers. “Our customers feel the real-time impact of changing fuel costs.”
The hike in utility bills comes during difficult financial times for many Texans, who have also been facing high prices at grocery stores and the fuel pump due to growing inflation.
How long will Texans see higher utility bills?
With the war in Ukraine dragging on and upending the world energy market, Texas electricity providers are cautioning customers that the high rates could linger for months or longer.
The higher prices will, however, benefit some Texans. As a major gas producer, the state typically benefits from high oil and gas prices in the form of jobs and state taxes on oil and gas production. Cities located in the state’s oil fields usually benefit even more.
“I grew up in Odessa in the middle of oil and gas, and there’s always been this inverse relationship,” said Carrie Collier-Brown, lawyer for the Alliance for Retail Markets, a trade group for Texas electric providers. “For folks out there, it’s better for their economy when gas prices are high.”
But despite the spike in demand, the oil and gas industry isn’t seeing major production growth because of a backlog of orders for vital equipment due to supply chain issues stemming from the pandemic, said Garrett Golding, energy economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
“There’s also a shortage of labor across most of the oilfield services,” Golding said, noting that companies are trying to hire aggressively. “But we’ve seen it for several quarters now: It is a struggle to get qualified people into the positions (companies) want right now.”
Is the price of natural gas the only cause?
While they agree the price of natural gas is the primary driver behind Texas utility bills, energy experts say there are other factors at play.
The state’s main power grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, has been managing the grid more cautiously since last February, when millions of people were without power for days in subfreezing temperatures after a combination of cold weather across the state and skyrocketing demand for energy shut down power plants as well as the natural gas facilities that supply them with fuel. Hundreds of people died.
Public Utility Commission chair Peter Lake, appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott after the winter storm to lead the agency in charge of ERCOT, has said the grid operator is no longer prioritizing providing Texans cheap power. Instead, Lake said, its main focus is the grid’s reliability, especially during extreme hot or cold weather. But that has a price.
“Conservative operations add costs,” said Cathy Webking, a longtime Texas energy lawyer.
ERCOT’s new approach to operating the grid means asking power plants to be online and available in case they’re needed, and that means paying generators a prescribed price to operate no matter what happens. Before the 2021 winter storm, power plants ramped up or went offline based on market demand.
Golding, with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, said Texans are paying for last year’s grid disaster — and will for years. Texas lawmakers last year approved roughly $7 billion in ratepayer-backed bonds to deal with the financial fallout from the storm. Some electricity utilities were strapped with billions in new debt after paying exorbitant prices for electricity set by ERCOT during the storm — the high prices were an incentive for power plants to provide more electricity — and the debt drove some utilities into bankruptcy.
“On everybody’s bill, there are also these surcharges for paying for what happened in 2021,” Golding said.
Monica Mondragon, Mathematics Teacher, MATHCOUNTS Coach and UIL Coach at Clark Middle School, is a testament that the AEL department continues impacting lives through its various programs. Courtesy Image
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The Laredo College Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) Department has accomplished major achievements to help thousands of Laredoans grow academically. Monica Mondragon, Mathematics Teacher, MATHCOUNTS Coach and UIL Coach at Clark Middle School, is a testament that the AEL department continues impacting lives through its various programs.
The AEL Department serves approximately 1,200 students in Webb, Jim Hogg and Zapata counties every year with English as Second Language, Civics/Citizenship, High School Equivalency (GED), Digital Literacy and Workforce Skills courses.
“Its mission will continue to assist adults in obtaining the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency, assist parents in becoming full-time partners in their children’s education and assist adults in completing their education,” Community Education Dean Sandra Cortez said.
In 2007, Mondragon was first introduced to the High School Equivalency Program, commonly known as the GED, where she completed it in only one month. Since she was born and raised in Mexico City, she decided to also learn English simultaneously. By 2008, she began her associate’s degree at LC.
While at LC, she was part of the STEM Program, was a college model, a tutor at the learning center and a work-study in the Community Education Division. Mondragon mentions the continuous support she received from the AEL Department. Employees and teachers were always encouraging her to continue her education, specially Dean Cortez. She states it was a great life experience”.
Once Mondragon completed her associate’s degree at LC, she transferred to Texas A&M International University to complete her bachelor’s degree. In 2012, she graduated from the Education Program with a concentration in Mathematics. She continued her academic journey and earned a master’s degree in Mathematics Education at UT Arlington. Today, she is a certified middle school and high school teacher at United Independent School District.
Our institution is proud of students who succeed thanks to their continuous efforts to excel academically. For the past 75 years, the college has provided the necessary tools for their academic enrichment and growth. It is an honor for Laredo College to prepare our students to positively impact our community and the economic growth of the South Texas region.
Over the weekend, Rio Grande Valley Sector (RGV) Border Patrol agents encountered 403 migrants in three large groups and disrupted two human smuggling events. USCBP Image for illustration purposes
Texas Border Business
EDINBURG, Texas – Over the weekend, Rio Grande Valley Sector (RGV) Border Patrol agents encountered 403 migrants in three large groups and disrupted two human smuggling events.
RGV agents encountered three large groups totaling 403 migrants in Starr County. The groups were comprised of 195 family members, 52 unaccompanied children, and 156 single adults. The migrants were from Cuba, and various Central and South American countries.
On July 2, Rio Grande City Border Patrol Station (RGC) agents working in coordination with La Grulla Police Department, received information of a suspected stash house in La Grulla. RGC agents and local law enforcement convened at the residence and discovered six migrants who were unlawfully present in the U.S. No caretaker was identified.
On July 4, Brownsville Border Patrol Station camera operators notified agents of several people attempting to enter a black Chrysler sedan in a well-known smuggling area near Brownsville. Agents responded to the area and were able to apprehend one subject in the nearby brush. Agents lost visual of the vehicle as it attempted to evade apprehension. Moments later, the vehicle was located abandoned after striking a power line pole and chain link fence. Agents approached the vehicle and encountered another migrant in the backseat. Both the migrants were determined to be unlawfully present in the U.S. and the driver was not located.
Rio Grande Valley Sector (RGV) Border Patrol agents arrested five gang members and a sex offender during the first four days of July. USCBP Image for illustration purposes
Texas Border Business
EDINBURG, Texas – Rio Grande Valley Sector (RGV) Border Patrol agents arrested five gang members and a sex offender during the first four days of July.
McAllen Border Patrol Station (MCS) agents apprehended three Salvadoran Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang members. One of the gang members was convicted of assault and sentenced to seven months confinement in Maryland in 2010. One of the others served two years confinement for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Houston. He was subsequently expelled from the U.S. in 2021.
Additionally, MCS agents arrested a Mexican Valluco gang member near Hidalgo. Record checks revealed the migrant was sentenced to 40 days for larceny and public order crimes. He was also sentenced to 157 days confinement for being present in the U.S. after deportation.
On July 1, Harlingen Border Patrol Station agents responded to a request for assistance from Transportation Security Administration at the Harlingen International Airport to identify a possible migrant. Agents arrested a Salvadoran national who claimed to have served 12 years incarceration for aggravated robbery in his home country and his affiliation to the 18th Street gang.
MCS agents apprehended a group of six migrants near Mission. Among the group was a Mexican national who was sentenced to 29 months incarceration for criminal sexual conduct in Michigan and was subsequently removed from the U.S. in Brownsville in 2020.
The driver was subsequently arrested and agents were able to open the toolboxes finding three adult males from Honduras inside those oxygen restricted containers without any means to escape. USCBP Image for illustration purposes
Texas Border Business
EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Sector U.S. Border Patrol Agents have disrupted 25 human smuggling events rescuing 170 migrants in the last seven days.
The most significant events occurred on June 30 at 10:10 a.m. when Border Patrol Agents assigned to the Ysleta Station checkpoint encountered a black Chevrolet Silverado pick up on Texas Highway 62/180 East.
Upon a routinely immigration inspection, Border Patrol Agents were alerted by a K-9 agent to the back of the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was a U.S. Citizen who was sent to secondary inspection who admitted possession of a personal amount of marijuana and a handgun pistol. Agents questioned the individual on the content inside two toolboxes in the trunk stating that he did not have the keys.
The driver was subsequently arrested and agents were able to open the toolboxes finding three adult males from Honduras inside those oxygen restricted containers without any means to escape.
Fortunately, the smuggled migrants were medically evaluated, and found in good health condition. The driver will remain in custody and will be charged with 8 USC 1324, Conspiracy to Transport.
In another event on June 28, a concerned citizen called the Santa Teresa Border Patrol station advising of a white SUV picking up people off of Highway 9 near mile marker 120, an area known for human smuggling.
The Santa Teresa Anti-Smuggling unit responded and encountered the white SUV, heavily laden, driving east on Highway 9. An immigration stop was performed on the vehicle, and agents encountered 15 smuggled migrants crammed inside the vehicle. Small children (with parents) were also located inside the SUV. All subjects were medically evaluated. All migrants were from Mexico and expelled back to Mexico under T42. The driver, a U.S. citizen, was processed and charged with human smuggling.
And again on June 24th, Border Patrol Agents assigned to Deming Station along with New Mexico State Police encountered 37 migrants that were smuggled in five different vehicles.
New Mexico State Police authorities were conducting a temporary DUI traffic checkpoint on Highway 26 when vehicles were observed trying to go around the checkpoint inspection. Upon intercepting and stopping these vehicles, New Mexico State Police officers searched the five vehicles and discovered they were transporting smuggled migrants. NMSP officers immediately notified Border Patrol Agents who took custody of the migrants illegally in the United States.
These latest events add up to more than 590 human smuggling incidents disrupted by U.S. Border Patrol Agents of the El Paso Sector since the start of Fiscal Year 2022.
“Endangering human lives by using dangerous and despicable smuggling tactics is the modus operandi of transnational criminal organizations. Many times smuggled migrants are locked in confined spaces with restricted oxygen,” said El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez. “I am extremely proud of the actions of our El Paso Sector Border Patrol Agents as they often encounter high risk situations, where if not for their dedication and intervention, events as these would turn into tragedies. Our Border Patrol Agents are true heroes as they display compassion and professionalism everyday.”
These incidents are under investigation. No other information regarding the cases is available at this time. Further information will be release as it become available.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol while remaining anonymous by calling 1-800-635-2509.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1.5 million grant to the city of South Padre Island, Texas, for construction of the Historical Museum of South Padre Island. Image for illustration purposes
Texas Border Business
WASHINGTON, DC. – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1.5 million grant to the city of South Padre Island, Texas, for construction of the Historical Museum of South Padre Island. This grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan.
This project will support the local tourism industry by attracting new visitors to the city and its businesses through this new local attraction on South Padre Island. This EDA grant will be matched with $375,000 in local funds and is expected to generate $1.2 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.
“This project will boost tourism and attract new visitors to South Padre Island while providing economic stability for the region.”
“The Economic Development Administration works closely with communities to develop projects to boost the local economy,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This EDA investment will support the development of a cultural, heritage and maritime museum that will draw tourists to the region while creating new jobs and economic opportunities.”
“The Economic Development Administration’s investment will help create new jobs and economic opportunities for the South Padre Island community, all while honoring the city’s rich history,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “The Historical Museum of South Padre Island will serve generations of Texans to come as both a cultural and historical symbol and help educate new visitors about the region’s heritage as we continue to boost our tourism and regional economies in the Lone Star State.”
This project is funded under EDA’s $240 million competitive American Rescue Plan Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation program. EDA awarded $510 million in 2021 to all 50 states and territories. The two programs are designed to accelerate the recovery of communities that rely on the travel, tourism and outdoor recreation sectors. Effective May 26, 2022, EDA has officially closed all of its American Rescue Plan programs for applications. The $3 billion program funding will be awarded on a rolling basis through September 30, 2022.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov) The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.
TSTC alumna Carina Garcia (middle) was a gold medalist in the Early Childhood Education category at the recent 58th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo courtesy of TSTC.
HARLINGEN, Texas – Recent TSTC graduate Carina Garcia earned a gold medal in Early Childhood Education, and current student Raymundo Salinas received a silver medal in Medical Terminology.
Recent TSTC graduate Carina Garcia earned a gold medal in Early Childhood Education, and current student Raymundo Salinas received a silver medal in Medical Terminology.
Amanda Posada, interim provost at TSTC’s Harlingen campus and the college’s statewide dual enrollment executive director, said having the two compete at the national level was gratifying.
“Witnessing their passion and commitment in their respective fields and having the opportunity to showcase their skills and talent learned at TSTC is part of what SkillsUSA is all about,” she said. “Our medal recipients were excited to be recognized as the best of the best.”
Garcia, who recently completed an Associate of Applied Science degree in Education and Training, said she was filled with happiness to be announced as a gold medalist for TSTC.
“Myself and my fellow competitors were on stage to hear the final results,” Garcia said. “Then they announced the bronze and silver medalists. I was happy to hear my name as a gold medalist.”
Salinas, who is pursuing a certificate of completion in Vocational Nursing, said he was proud to be a silver medalist and to represent TSTC.
“This is an incredible achievement,” Salinas said. “Next year, that gold medal will be mine.”
Garcia said her category of the competition included a written exam based on knowledge of child development and effective teaching strategies.
“We were informed to create a lesson plan, a transition activity, a read-aloud to demonstrate in front of the judges, and we were interviewed,” she said. “This competition level was a bit intimidating because I was competing with the best from different states. I had a strong feeling I was going to be a finalist after I completed my competition.”
Salinas said his approach for the competition was speed.
“I knew if I could catch keywords as I read each question and eliminated answers I did not need, then for sure I had it,” he said. “Flash cards were my tools to master the speed for this test. Anatomy and physiology, medical math and pathophysiology played a big role for nationals. The test was 200 questions with a two-hour time limit.”
Garcia added that her SkillsUSA advisor, Myriam Aguila, was the key to her success.
“She is a role model,” Garcia said. “She has a huge passion for teaching and inspired me to possibly teach abroad one day.”
Aguila, statewide department chair of TSTC’s Education and Training program, said Garcia was a model student.
“I advised her to be confident, knowledgeable, passionate and enthusiastic about her performance,” Aguila said of the SkillsUSA national competition. “I suggested … to imagine a class of students was in front of her at all times.”
Salinas noted that he is thankful for his SkillsUSA advisor’s contribution.
“(Beyda) M. Ramirez’s knowledge is amazing,” he said. “Her goal is to witness her students succeed. I am grateful she witnessed my achievement.”
Ramirez, a TSTC Health Information Technology instructor, said her focus was to make sure that Salinas understood the many areas covered in the Medical Terminology competition.
“I advised Raymundo to rigorously prepare because the medical terms are the foundation of my Medical Terminology course,” she said. “It is composed of prefixes, suffixes and combining forms. That helped him better understand the medical language and the systems. Most importantly, that contributed to him winning a silver medal at the SkillsUSA national level.”
Registration for TSTC’s fall semester is underway. To learn more, visit tstc.edu.
