ALA has provided $1.55 million in emergency relief grants to 77 libraries that have experienced substantial economic hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic. Courtesy Image
Texas Border Business
MERCEDES, Texas – There is great news for the City of Mercedes. The Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library has been awarded $20,000 to support library services and operations through the American Library Association (ALA) COVID Library Relief Fund.
ALA has provided $1.55 million in emergency relief grants to 77 libraries that have experienced substantial economic hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic. The grant funding will be used to update valuable network infrastructure in order to continue providing excellent service.
The ALA COVID Library Relief Fund represents a significant non-federal grant opportunity for libraries. The monies support libraries’ efforts to increase and enhance technology access, digital instruction, staffing, and outreach, while maintaining and amplifying existing services through the end of 2022.
Since the start of the pandemic, funding has decreased and staffing has been reduced. With this grant, the library will rebound and the community of Mercedes will anchor itself as a strong institution creating a robust center for learning, conversation, and connection.
The City of Mercedes and Dr. Hector P. Memorial Garcia library, are extremely grateful and appreciative to be chosen as a recipient. Both organizations look forward to using this opportunity to better serve the community.
Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol (RGV) agents and local law enforcement partners disrupted four human smuggling events. USCBP Image
Texas Border Business
EDINBURG, Texas – Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol (RGV) agents and local law enforcement partners disrupted four human smuggling events.
Yesterday morning, RGV agents arrested five non-citizens near San Manuel. Agents attempted to initiate an immigration inspection on the occupants of the vehicle and observed the driver of a Chevrolet SUV veer off the road and drive through a ranch fence. The migrants are from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.
USCBP Image
Later that evening, RGV agents observed a suspicious Dodge Ram traveling at a high rate of speed near Delmita. Moments later, agents encountered the vehicle with the doors open and seemingly abandoned on a ranch after driving through a fence. A search of the vehicle resulted in the apprehension of 11 migrants found concealed underneath the bed cover and inside the truck. The driver was not located. All the migrants were determined to be in the U.S. illegally.
Also on June 6, RGV agents working in coordination with Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office deputies received information of a suspected stash house in Mission. RGV agents and local law enforcement convened at the residence and discovered four migrants who were unlawfully present in the U.S. No caretaker was identified.
On June 7, Rio Grande City Border Patrol Station agents encountered 136 non-citizens near La Grulla. The large group consisted of 22 unaccompanied children, 70 family unit members, and 44 single adults. The migrants are from Cuba, South and Central America.
Roberto Benavides, TSTC Safety Health and Environmental Affairs officer, is responsible for overseeing the safety and security of students, staff and faculty on the TSTC Harlingen campus. (TSTC photo)
Texas Border Business
HARLINGEN, Texas – June is National Safety Month — as well as the start of the hurricane season — and Texas State Technical College is ready to spring into action to safeguard the well-being of its students, faculty and staff.
Roberto Benavides, TSTC’s Safety, Health and Environmental Affairs officer, said his department partners with the TSTC Facilities Management department to coordinate response efforts for the upcoming hurricane season.
“On a monthly basis, we ensure that the emergency generators are ready for usage,” he said. “We also check the shut-off valves because they are not utilized as often.”
If a hurricane warning is issued for Cameron County, then TSTC’s Harlingen campus will close based on certain criteria.
In the event of an emergency or a campus closure, TSTC’s Emergency Notification System, which is coordinated by the college’s Communication department, sends electronic messages with timely information to all TSTC students, staff and faculty who have signed up to receive them.
In the event of a hurricane, teams from TSTC Campus Safety, TSTC Facilities Management, the TSTC Police Department, and the Office of the Provost partner to monitor the severity of the storm and coordinate with Cameron County Emergency Management.
“TSTC personnel monitor the strength of the hurricane and other factors 120 hours in advance, based on alerts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,” Benavides said. “It will be determined if our college campus will be closed or remain open in the 36th hour.”
The evacuation route for Cameron County is designed for civilians to depart for a higher elevation.
“That route leads toward McAllen on I-2,” Benavides said. “Then it changes to the I-69C interchange toward Edinburg and departing the Rio Grande Valley.”
Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents from the Laredo North Station arrested several convicted criminals over a 24-hour period. USCBP Image
Texas Border Business
LAREDO, Texas – Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents from the Laredo North Station arrested several convicted criminals over a 24-hour period.
The first incident occurred during the evening of June 3 when agents arrested one undocumented individual during a traffic stop on Mines Road in northwest Laredo, Texas. Record checks revealed the individual as being Samuel Hernandez-Castro, a 67-year-old Mexican national with an extensive criminal history. Hernandez-Castro has a felony conviction for two counts of Sexual Battery of a Child Under the Age of 12.
The second and third arrests occurred the next day at Interstate Highway 35 checkpoint north of the city. Agents apprehended one individual with fraudulent documents on a commercial bus. Record checks revealed the individual to be Alfonso Chavez-Martinez, a 51-year-old Mexican national with a conviction for 1st degree manslaughter. The other arrest occurred later that day when agents apprehended several individuals in a gray sedan attempting to cross through the checkpoint illegally. One of the individuals was identified as being Ingrid Morales-Rodriguez, who has a conviction for 2nd degree murder.
All of the individuals were taken into custody pending further investigation.
Help take a stand against criminal organizations and their potentially dangerous acts by reporting suspicious activity. To report suspicious activity such as human and/or drug smuggling, contact the Laredo Sector Border Patrol toll free at 1-800-343-1994.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque announced on Monday the hiring of Houston Moore, who spent last season as the assistant coach at the University of Houston, as the new men’s golf head coach.Courtesy Image of Coach Moore; BGD Image for illustration purposes
Texas Border Business
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque announced on Monday the hiring of Houston Moore, who spent last season as the assistant coach at the University of Houston, as the new men’s golf head coach.
Moore helped the Cougars to a win at the Border Olympics in February, where they paced a field of 14 teams with a 12-under par 852. Moore also guided the Cougars to four top-five finishes, including a third place finish at the American Athletic Conference Championships.
Moore helped the Cougars to their second-straight NCAA Regional appearance while coaching five student-athletes to All-Conference honors, including American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year Jacob Borow.
“Houston will be a great addition to our department and I am confident he will do a tremendous job leading our men’s program,” Conquesaid. “He brings a wealth of experience at various levels and his passion and vision for UTRGV men’s golf impressed us throughout the search process. Houston comes to us with glowing recommendations from the golf community and by those he has worked with over the years. The hiring of Coach Moore, coupled with the groundbreaking of our state of the art golf facility later this summer, makes this an exciting time for Vaqueros golf!”
Prior to his tenure at Houston, Moore spent two seasons (2019-21) at Cameron University, where he led the Aggies to three top-five team finishes, including a third place finish at the Lone Star Conference Championship. Moore also saw his team record two top-five and six top-10 individual finishes.
During the shortened 2019-20 season, Moore saw his team record three top-five finishes and guided Tyler Kaman to the Lone Star Conference Newcomer of the Year award.
Before arriving at Cameron, Moore spent two seasons (2017-19) as the men’s and women’s head coach a Ranger College. Moore helped the women’s team to some of their best performances as they recorded the program’s first two wins, the first individual win, and their highest Golfstat ranking at No. 4.
Moore also helped the men’s team to their second win in program history while guiding one of his golfer’s to the No. 1 ranking in the country. He led the team to its best regional finish in school history and a sixth place finish at the NJCAA National Championships.
Moore also coached a pair of All-Americans, two All-American Scholors, and guided the team to a program-best scoring average of 286.4.
“I would like to thank Director of Athletics Chasse Conque and the search committee for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be the next head men’s golf coach at UTRGV,” Mooresaid. “Early in this process, it was apparent to me that UTRGV’s vision and commitment to athletic success was something I wanted to be a part of. With that being said, I couldn’t be more excited to join the Vaqueros community!”
Prior to becoming a coach, Moore played four years of collegiate golf as he spent one year at Clarendon College, one at Concordia University, and two at LeTourneau University, where he was a two-time Player of the Year and team captain.
Moore also set the LeTourneau record for most top-20 finishes in a season and recorded the fourth-best scoring average in program history.
Moore graduated from LeTourneau with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Communication in 2016.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT HOUSTON MOORE
Jonathan Dismuke, Houston Men’s Golf Head Coach
Coach Moore was a tremendous asset to our program at the University of Houston. He is a great coach and will be dearly missed. Wishing him the best as a fellow head coach.
Jim Jackson, Cameron University Athletic Director
There are certain people that have the knack to get people to follow them. Coach Moore has that quality. He is a special person destined for success.
Mike McGraw, Baylor Men’s Golf Head Coach
Houston is one of the really good young coaches I have come across in the past several years. His future in this profession is promising indeed.
Walt Williams, Midland College Men’s Golf Head Coach
Congrats to UTRGV in naming Houston Moore as their next head coach! Houston was a great player and leader for me as a collegian. His dedication and work ethic as a player has carried over as a coach. He has improved the results and the ranking at each coaching stop as he has climbed the ladder in the coaching ranks. Houston will do a tremendous job at UTRGV, and his energy and enthusiasm will have the Vaqueros in the championship conversation in the WAC very soon!
That’s the Occam’s Razor conclusion behind court action in Washington last week that added new details to a growing mountain of evidence about the true forces behind the sensational “Russia collusion” allegations that nearly brought down the Trump presidency. Clinton Image Source: Twitter. BGD image for illustration purposes
Judicial Watch
Hillary did it. And the FBI helped.
That’s the Occam’s Razor conclusion behind court action in Washington last week that added new details to a growing mountain of evidence about the true forces behind the sensational “Russia collusion” allegations that nearly brought down the Trump presidency.
John Durham, the special counsel appointed to investigate the Russia mess, lost his case in a DC courtroom. The jury acquitted Washington attorney Michael Sussmann, a DC insider with deep connections to the Democratic Party and the intelligence community, on the only charge Durham managed to bring: a single false-statements count alleging that Sussmann lied to the FBI when he brought it allegations of a link between Trump and Moscow’s Putin-connected Alfa Bank.
Why did the DC jury acquit Sussmann? As Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton tweeted last week—politics in the heavily Democratic district aside—the “simplest answer is the evidence— which suggested the Obama FBI leadership knew full well the Clinton gang was behind the Alfa Bank-Russia smears of Trump. Durham tried to pretend Obama FBI was a victim. It was a co-conspirator.”
Sussmann’s defense relied on the preposterous claim that the attorney—a former Justice Department cybersecurity prosecutor, lawyer for the Democratic National Committee, and adviser to the Clinton presidential campaign—was merely acting as a “good citizen” when he sought an urgent meeting with FBI General Counsel James Baker to pass along the Alfa Bank tip. Sussmann came to the meeting highly prepared. His indictment notes that he offered Baker “three ‘white papers’ along with data files allegedly containing evidence supporting the existence of this purported secret communications channel” between Trump and Alfa Bank.
Baker knew Sussmann well. It emerged at trial that Sussmann did not even need a pass to get into the highly secured FBI headquarters for his meeting with Baker—he already had one. Evidence also showed that Baker, tasking FBI subordinates with investigating the Sussmann tip, withheld Sussmann’s name—a suggestion that maybe not everyone at FBI HQ would view an allegation from a DNC insider on the eve of a presidential election with such credulity. In trial testimony and earlier interviews, Baker suffered convenient memory lapses and uncertainty about what Sussman actually said, opening a path of reasonable doubt for the jurors.
There’s no doubt, however, that one of Sussmann’s clients was the Clinton presidential campaign, and Durham established that it was deeply involved in the Alfa Bank smear. Durham showed that the Alfa Bank allegations were cooked up by Clinton campaign allies and operatives, including the investigative firm Fusion-GPS—the key force behind another sensational Clinton smear, the Steele Dossier. Prosecutors introduced evidence showing Sussmann billed many hours to his law firm for meetings with Clinton campaign officials on Alfa Bank.
In bombshell testimony, former Clinton campaign manager Robbie Mook said Mrs. Clinton herself authorized giving the Alfa smear information to the media. Under oath, Mook described a conversation with Clinton about the Alfa Bank material, telling her, “hey, we have this and want to share it with a reporter.”
Mook added, “she agreed to that.”
Not only did Clinton agree, she enthusiastically supported the story when it was published on the left-wing website, Slate. She tweeted a link to the piece with the comment, “it’s time for Trump to answer serious questions about his ties to Russia.”
Campaign adviser Jake Sullivan—now President Biden’s national security adviser—chimed in, issuing a statement declaring, “This could be the most direct link yet between Donald Trump and Moscow. Computer scientists have uncovered a covert server linking the Trump Organization to a Russian-based bank.”
Calling it a “secret hotline,” Sullivan prodded the FBI, saying he could “only assume federal authorities will now explore this direct connection between Trump and Russia as part of their existing probe into Russia’s meddling in our elections.” The bogus story appeared just nine days before the election. October Surprise: mission accomplished.
Later this year, Durham will take a closer look at that other infamous smear, the Steele Dossier. Durham indicted an alleged key source of the dossier, Ivan Danchenko, on five counts of lying to the FBI. Danchenko has pleaded not guilty. It seems likely Mrs. Clinton, her associates, and the FBI will play a central role in that prosecution, too.
he University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Tuesday the hiring of Marques Dantzler. Courtesy Image for illustration purposes
Texas Border Business
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Tuesday the hiring of Marques Dantzler, who has nearly two decades of experience working in college athletics, including this past year as the associate athletic director for NCAA compliance at Manhattan College, as senior associate athletic director for compliance and administration.
In his new role, Dantzler is responsible for the direction, coordination and maintenance of a comprehensive compliance program and managing in accordance with university, conference, and NCAA rules, regulations, and procedures. He serves as the liaison for athletics to the NCAA Eligibility Center as well as university legal and UT System legal counsel on administrative matters for the department. He is also the liaison for undergraduate admissions and financial services, working collaboratively with units across campus to develop policies and procedures that ensure institutional, conference, and NCAA compliance.
During his time at Manhattan, Dantzler oversaw the compliance and student-athlete development efforts of the department’s 19 Division I sport programs and its student-athletes.
“I am excited to welcome Marques to our department,” UTRGV Deputy Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator Molly Castner said. “He brings a wealth of experience in college athletics and is going to be a great asset to our student-athletes and coaches. As administrators, we are here to help our student-athletes and coaches succeed, and Marques will be a key element in maintaining and elevating our success.”
Coming to UTRGV is a return to the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) for Dantzler, who previously chaired the WAC Administrators Group and served as a member of the WAC Board of Athletic Advisors while serving as the senior compliance administrator at Chicago State from July 2019 through Nov. 2020.
This is also a return to South Texas for Dantzler, who previously worked at Texas A&M-Kingsville as assistant athletic director for compliance (June 2011 through May 2013) and assistant athletic director for academics and compliance (Sept. 2014 through May 2016), a tenure interrupted only by a year at Incarnate Word, which is joining the WAC on July 1, as assistant athletic director for compliance.
“We are excited to have Marques join the UTRGV family and we welcome him back to south Texas,” UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. “His wealth of experiences, coupled with his passion to help student-athletes and coaches, makes him a great addition to our department. We are in the midst of transformational times at UTRGV, and Marques will play a very important role in helping our department reach our full potential.”
A 2017 graduate of the NCAA Pathway Program, Dantzler started his career in college athletics as a facilities assistant at Buffalo State in 2002-03. He then took on the dual role of assistant men’s basketball coach and sports information intern at Hilbert College in 2003-04 before transitioning into compliance at Troy in 2004-05. Dantzler spent the next six years working in compliance at Power 5 institutions, first at Michigan as assistant compliance coordinator (2005-07) and then at Oklahoma as director of compliance (2007-11).
“I am very excited about returning to South Texas and joining the UTRGV team,” Dantzler said. “I want to thank Chasse Conque, Molly Castner and everyone who participated in the search process. The future is bright for UTRGV, and I look forward to contributing to its success.”
Dantzler majored in finance and earned his Bachelor of Science in Business at Auburn in 2000. He initially went to work as a bank examiner for the State of Alabama Banking Department before moving to Buffalo, N.Y., to earn his Master of Science in Sport Administration at Canisius and work at Buffalo State.
Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation against Twitter for potentially false reporting over its fake bot accounts in violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Image for illustration purposes
Texas Border Business
AUSTIN, Texas – Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation against Twitter for potentially false reporting over its fake bot accounts in violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
On Twitter, “bots” are automated, non-human accounts that can do virtually the same things as real people: send tweets, follow other users, and like and retweet others’ posts. Spam accounts like these inflate followers and reach, and often push deceptive and annoying activity. Bot accounts can not only reduce the quality of users’ experience on the platform but may also inflate the value of the company and the costs of doing business with it, thus directly harming Texas consumers and businesses.
Twitter has received intense scrutiny in recent weeks over claiming in its financial regulatory filings that fewer than 5% of all users are bots, when they may in fact comprise as much as 20% or more. The difference could dramatically affect the cost to Texas consumers and businesses who transact with Twitter.
To address this concern, Attorney General Paxton issued a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) to investigate whether Twitter’s reporting on real versus fake users is “false, misleading, or deceptive” under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The CID requires Twitter to turn over documents related to how it calculates and manages its user data and how these numbers relate to Twitter’s advertising businesses. Twitter has until June 27 to respond to Attorney General Paxton’s Demand.
“Texans rely on Twitter’s public statements that nearly all its users are real people. It matters not only for regular Twitter users, but also Texas businesses and advertisers who use Twitter for their livelihoods,” said Attorney General Paxton. “If Twitter is misrepresenting how many accounts are fake to drive up their revenue, I have a duty to protect Texans.”
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Edinburg’s population has grown to 102,483 residents as of July 2021. Background image source: google maps.com; image for illustration purposes
Texas Border Business
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Edinburg’s population has grown to 102,483 residents as of July 2021. In just one year, Edinburg saw a 2.4 percent population increase and grew by 2,444 people, up from 100,039 residents per the July 2020 Census numbers. The data, released in late May 2022, shows that the city’s growth ranks the highest amongst fellow Rio Grande Valley cities.
Courtesy Image City of Edinburg
The data is as follows:
July-2020
July-2021
Change
Growth (%)
City of Edinburg
100,039
102,483
2,444
2.4%
City of McAllen
142,347
143,920
1,573
1.1%
City of Brownsville
186,762
187,831
1,069
0.6%
City of Mission
85,870
86,223
353
0.4%
City of Harlingen
71,803
71,925
122
0.2%
City of Pharr
79,836
79,697
-139
-0.2%
The city of Edinburg is the 5th fastest-growing large city in Texas. In addition, Edinburg grows by an average of about seven people per day, and ranks in the top 20 fastest-growing large cities in the United States with a population of 100,000 residents. Previously, Edinburg’s population grew by 30.01 percent between Census 2010 and Census 2020.
For more information on city economic development and growth, visit the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation’s website at https://edinburgedc.com.
The City of Laredo Health Department is teaming up with the National Health Crisis Hotline 9-8-8 to bring to the community a new life line! 9-8-8 will be available on July 2022. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call 9-8-8!
