It’s summertime, and that means that the shelter is OVER CAPACITY. With more than 1,200 pets in custody, not a single kennel is available most days in the shelter. Courtesy Image
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It’s summertime, and that means that the shelter is OVER CAPACITY. With more than 1,200 pets in custody, not a single kennel is available most days in the shelter. To help alleviate our capacity concerns, we depend on partnerships with rescue groups across the country who have space in their shelters. Transporting pets is expensive (more than $100 per pet just for ground transport!), which is why we can’t be more excited about working with Dog is My Co-Pilot.
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This amazing team FLYS into the RGV and takes out many dozens of pets at a time, and they fundraise to pay for that amazing transportation. We’ve already completed one flight this year, and we’re looking at another planned for June!
The downside of air transport? We need crates to send with our pets! If you have any 22, 24 or 26-inch crates at home that are plastic-sided that you aren’t using, can you bring them to us? Even better, can you visit our wishlist on Chewy and purchase some crates for us? We love sending out all these pets at once, and we’d love it even more if you can help us get “crated up” so we can save lives!
Mayor Pete Saenz awards these recognitions continue to uplift people of the local community for their efforts and encourage others to continue working hard towards their goals. Courtesy Image
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LAREDO, Texas – During the City Council meeting on Monday, May 16, Mayor Pete Saenz and Members of Council recognized three individuals for their accomplishments. Two recipients represented Laredo through the martial arts while the other participated in a global athletic event. The City of Laredo is pleased to continue these recognitions in honor of the achievements of local residents who represent Laredo through their professional careers or extracurricular activities. Monday’s recipients were the following:
Elizabeth Villarreal
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Ms. Villarreal, a black belt master, was recognized for being selected to be inducted to the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame in San Antonio, Texas. Her induction will take place on July 16, 2022. The City of Laredo congratulates her for leading by example and promoting the martial arts in Laredo.
Jesus Javier Martinez
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Mr. Martinez, a member of the Laredo Tennis Association and a stroke survivor, has also been inducted to the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame in San Antonio, Texas. His induction will take place on July 16, 2022. He has achieved a 5th Degree Black Belt. The City of Laredo congratulates him for leading by example and promoting the martial arts in Laredo.
Victor Treviño, Jr.
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Mr. Treviño was recognized for competing and finishing the 2022 Ironman World Championship in St. George, Utah on May 7, 2022. Considered the most iconic one-day sporting event in the world, the Ironman World Championship sees over 94,000 athletes. The City of Laredo congratulates Mr. Treviño for representing Laredo at a global scale.
These recognitions continue to uplift people of the local community for their efforts and encourage others to continue working hard towards their goals.
Governor Greg Abbott today delivered remarks at Texas Instruments’ (TI) potential $30 billion investment groundbreaking ceremony in Sherman. Photo, Office of the Governor
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AUSTIN, Texas – Governor Greg Abbott today delivered remarks at Texas Instruments’ (TI) potential $30 billion investment groundbreaking ceremony in Sherman. Last year, Governor Abbott announced that TI selected Sherman as the location for their next 300-mm fabs, with potential of up to four fabs on the site to meet demand over time. During the groundbreaking ceremony, Governor Abbott thanked local officials for their hard work to bring TI to Sherman and noted the significance of TI’s investment in Texas. Governor Abbott also presented TI with a proclamation and Texas state flag commemorating the new facility.
Photo, Office of the Governor
The Governor was joined at the ceremony by TI President, Chairman, and CEO Rich Templeton, Senator Drew Springer, Representative Reggie Smith, Grayson County Judge Bill Magers, Sherman Mayor David Plyler, and other local community leaders.
“In the midst of a worldwide chip shortage, TI’s historic, long-term investment in Sherman will expand Texas’ global economic influence and benefit Americans across the country by strengthening our domestic semiconductor supply chain,” said Governor Abbott. “This new plant will be a boon to the hardworking people of North Texas, and I thank TI for their continued investment in the Lone Star State as we develop our growing advanced technology industry and keep our state a national leader in semiconductor manufacturing.”
Photo, Office of the Governor
“Today is an important milestone as we lay the groundwork for the future growth of semiconductors in electronics to support our customers’ demand for decades to come,” said Rich Templeton, TI Chairman, President, and CEO. “Since our founding more than 90 years ago, we’ve operated with a passion to create a better world by making electronics more affordable through semiconductors. TI is excited to bring advanced 300-mm semiconductor manufacturing to Sherman.”
Photo, Office of the Governor
TI was founded in Dallas in 1930 and has additional locations in Richardson and Sugar Land. Ranked number 210 on the list of Fortune 500 companies, TI is one of the largest employers in the state and the only semiconductor company headquartered in Texas.
Dr. Jesus Gonzalez, assistant professor of practice, UTRGV Engineering Technology Program; Eugenio “Gene” Reyes, engineering technology student; and Dr. Immanuel Edinbarough, professor, UTRGV Engineering Technology Program, have partnered with the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville to help the organization find a reputable solar panel company to carry out installations, as well as help educate UTRGV engineering students on the impact of using solar energy as a cost-effective resource for environmentally friendly energy. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
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By Amanda A. Taylor-Uchoa
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Glinting in the sun across South Texas, solar panels have made a push into the region touting cleaner and more affordable energy.
Splayed over the roofs of homes, scattered across open fields, or towering in parking lots, solar panels can be spotted everywhere these days.
The recent push for clean energy has been adopted by many large companies, such as Target and Apple to name a few. Closer to home, the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville has taken a step toward green energy, as well.
The Catholic Diocese, a nonprofit organization, owns 72 parishes, 44 missions and 14 Catholic schools across Starr, Hidalgo, Willacy and Cameron counties.
The partnership with UTRGV will help the organization find a reputable solar panel company to carry out installations, as well as help educate UTRGV engineering students on the impact of using solar energy as a cost-effective resource for environmentally friendly energy.
Dr. Jesus Gonzalez, assistant professor of practice in the program, said the diocese reached out to them for help with technical support.
“We were contacted by a representative from the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville for help with powering some of the parishes with solar energy,” Gonzalez said. “We would provide technical support, not fabrication or installing the project for them, but rather consulting them on what solar panel energy is and how it could help them and how to select a viable vendor.”
With so many solar panel companies in existence, he said, it can be hard to decipher which companies are legitimate.
“We are helping them select better candidates to go on to the next steps and proceed with the project,” he said.
The first part of the project includes the UTRGV program providing requests for qualifications (RFQs) and requests for proposals (RFPs) to the Catholic Diocese, which entails research and time.
Eugenio “Gene” Reyes, a UTRGV junior from Raymondville who is pursuing an engineering technology degree, serves as an intern with the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville to maintain project flow on the solar panel project. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
“My aunt was taken advantage of by a solar company, and the energy bills were actually higher than before the installation,” he said. “With the church reaching out to us, they know that there are scammers out there, so it’s reassuring to them that we are looking for companies that have done many projects for many years.”
Dr. Immanuel Edinbarough, a professor in UTRGV’s Engineering Technology program, said that while the diocese has parish members and potential investors to help support continuity of the solar panel project, they were lacking the technical knowledge for implementation.
“They want the university to be the neutral authority coming in and giving them advice on the technical front, including who is going to implement the installation and how it is going to be maintained,” Edinbarough said.
Within the project, there is potential for future research projects for UTRGV students to learn about the performance of solar systems on a larger scale.
“They assured us that once we fully implement the project and it’s running, we will have free access for our students to go there and look at how the project was implemented, and they will learn the technical support of a project like that,” Edinbarough said.
While no solar panel company has been selected yet, the Catholic Diocese has received all documents from UTRGV to help them select companies to be interviewed for the project. The installation process is slated to start next year.
The UTRGV Engineering Technology Program, overseen by Dr. Robert Jones, will continue to be a part of the project in the future.
The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (“ARPA-H”) was recently established as a new federal agency with the mission of transforming health research and innovation. Image for illustration purposes
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Dr. M. Ray Perryman President and Chief Executive Officer of The Perryman Group
The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (“ARPA-H”) was recently established as a new federal agency with the mission of transforming health research and innovation. The concept is similar to that of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which has fostered countless breakthrough discoveries (and is about the coolest place on earth). ARPA-H is charged with finding solutions to society’s most challenging health crises, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, and AIDS. Moreover, treatments are to be broadly accessible to improve outcomes across the globe while simultaneously containing medical costs.
Federal funding for basic research can be decisive in conquering the most difficult diseases and other challenges (as a polio survivor, I am acutely aware). While private sector resources are essential, publicly funded research can be more broad based and promote more creative thought in many arenas, thus complementing corporate efforts which must focus on market-based programs.
ARPA-H would support promising projects across a spectrum of disciplines which may help us better understand and solve critical health issues. Whether in a university lab or a private institution, the multi-faceted approach can accelerate discoveries and their implementation.
Texas has provided a prototype — the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). Taxpayers have twice voted overwhelmingly to support CPRIT, providing about $6 billion in funding for cancer research and screening (more than any entity other than the federal government). As a result, hundreds of leading scholars have flocked to the state. The primary objective is improving health outcomes, and there has been impressive progress. The activity also generates economic benefits which my firm has been measuring for years. In 2021, we estimated that for every $1 in funding, CPRIT operations, prevention/screening, and research programs generated $66.87 in state economic output.
Texas would be an excellent location for ARPA-H, and I am pleased to be part of a coalition seeking to make that happen. In addition to the CPRIT commitment and success, the state has a long list of advantages — world-class health care institutions, research organizations, universities, national laboratories, and medical schools. The world’s largest medical center and the nation’s largest military medical complex are also in Texas. A large, growing, and diverse population and tens of thousands of graduates in key fields every year provide the requisite sustainable workforce. A culture of innovation and a regulatory environment conducive to getting things done are Texas hallmarks. I could go on…and on…and on.
A bold move of this magnitude requires a setting where ARPA-H can thrive and successfully fulfill its mission, with the necessary support to enhance its effectiveness. The ultimate location will vault ahead in biomedical technology and related fields. The world desperately needs this initiative, and Texas can make it happen. Stay safe!
Dr. M. Ray Perryman is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Perryman Group (www.perrymangroup.com), which has served the needs of over 2,500 clients over the past four decades.
Damian Leal, a TSTC Aircraft Airframe Technology student, stands next to a Fairchild PT-26B World War II trainer aircraft at the RGV Wing of the Commemorative Air Force Museum in Los Fresnos, where he is a volunteer. (TSTC Photo)
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HARLINGEN, Texas – Damian Leal, of Rio Hondo, grew up playing video games, many of which happened to be related to world wars.
Little did he realize that his love for those games would lead to an education at Texas State Technical College.
“These games introduced me first to military tanks and then aircraft,” he said. “I became very fascinated by them.”
In high school, Leal grew curious about potential job opportunities that might be available with a connection to world war-based vehicles and airplanes. After he graduated from high school, he learned that Texas State Technical College offered an aviation maintenance program.
“I spoke with (Leo) Guajardo, TSTC’s aviation maintenance instructor in Harlingen, and I expressed my interest in aviation mechanics and how it piqued my interest,” he said.
Now not only is Leal pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree in Aircraft Airframe Technology at TSTC’s Harlingen campus, but he has also volunteered at the RGV Wing of the Commemorative Air Force in Los Fresnos through a suggestion from Guajardo.
Leal has enjoyed his volunteer work at the aircraft flying museum.
“It is a great experience,” he said. “Some of the aircraft are privately owned, but they are historic. The people, pilots and other volunteers I am surrounded by are very supportive.”
His duties consist of aircraft maintenance and ground operations.
“Sometimes I will join a pilot on a flight in good weather to ensure the engines work efficiently,” he said.
Leal will always remember two such flights in particular.
“I recorded the experience with my cell phone after we departed the initial time,” he said. “Then I enjoyed it as a sightseeing experience the second time. The aerial view of South Padre Island and the Gulf of Mexico was incredible.”
Col. Chris Hughston II, operations officer for the RGV Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, said it is not easy to find people like Leal.
“It is particularly difficult to find young people who will give up their weekend to do hard work, and often uncomfortable labor with no pay,” he said. “Mr. Leal is one of those outstanding men who can and does sacrifice his time because he shares our passion.”
Guajardo noted that his student leads by example.
“Leal is very passionate about historic vehicle and aircraft technologies,” he said. “It truly is a rare quality, but he is driven to surround himself with mechanical history.”
The need for aircraft mechanics and service technicians in Texas is forecast to grow 8% by 2028, according to onetonline.org. The average salary for a technician is $66,710, the website showed.
TSTC offers Associate of Applied Science degrees and certificates of completion in both Aircraft Airframe Technology and Aircraft Powerplant Technology at its Abilene, Harlingen and Waco campuses.
Registration for the fall semester is underway. For more information, visit tstc.edu.
South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce –What a wonderful evening everyone had Friday night, May 13, 2022 at the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for The Art Lounge, the Island’s newest art venue. Courtesy Image
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South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce –What a wonderful evening everyone had Friday night, May 13, 2022 at the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for The Art Lounge, the Island’s newest art venue.
From the music, to the food, the live art performances, and everyone that attended, it was truly a wonderful event. We are so excited for Shelley Hamsa as she sees her dream come true. Congratulations, and thank you for your commitment to our business community!
If you were unable to attend be sure and stop by and see all of the wonderful things going on at The Art Lounge. They are located at Sea Ranch Marina.
While “2000 Mules” documents a massive illegal ballot harvesting operation that was carried out in the 2020 election, another report has put together a comprehensive accounting of exactly what went down in the wee hours of the morning in Detroit on Nov. 4, 2020.
After ballots dropped off by a mysterious white van at 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. at Detroit’s TCF Center, Michigan added 149,000 votes at 6:31 a.m. the Gateway Pundit reported. Of those, 94% were for Joe Biden.
Most of Michigan’s other counties had already reported their final totals by 8 p.m. on election night. Which begs the question, where did those additional votes come from?
There are only a few sources of potential late-arriving absentees, the report said: 1) Zuckerberg Drop Boxes, 2) Satellite Voting Centers and 3) last minute In-Person Same-Day Registration Voters.
Elections worker Jessy Jacob said the Zuckerberg drop boxes were cleared every hour. Others who have spoken out about possible voter fraud in Michigan have reviewed the video from 19 drop boxes and estimate that no more than 61 total votes were observed being picked up at the 19 boxes they have reviewed video from, an average of 3 per box in the last hour. The most ballots observed collected from any single box was 13. That same rate, across Detroit’s 30 drop boxes, only yields 90 last-minute drop-box absentee ballots being picked up at 8 p.m.
In addition to the Zuckerberg drop boxes, there were also 23 “Satellite Voting Centers” where voters could drop off ballots in Detroit. Witnesses relay that roughly the same number of people voted there as used the drop boxes. That explains 69 additional votes, the Gateway Pundit report said.
The number of same-day registrants who voted in the Wayne County Clerk’s office was 455 on Nov. 2 and 1,471 on Nov. 3.
149,000 votes?
“The counting boards counted ballots in batches on election day, where they counted the absentees first, the in-person votes second, and then counted the remaining ballots from that day last. There is no large batch of ballots that accounts for the late-night surge of Biden votes,” Gateway Pundit’s Ben Wetmore noted.
Other details of the report include:
• Jacob also said that there were no ballots left to process at the Detroit Department of Elections by 8:30 p.m. on election night.
• Jacob said that she was instructed not to challenge any ballot, that every ballot was processed through the Detroit Department of Elections. This matches a well-documented controversy where Democrat Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson illegally eliminated the signature verification process for absentee ballots.
• All witnesses the Gateway Pundit spoke with said that there were no ballots left to count and tabulate by around 9 p.m. on election night at the TCF Center. Many left the location because there was nothing left to do.
• Every other county in Michigan other than Wayne County and three others that tilted heavily for Biden had already reported their totals on election night. Wayne County was suspiciously last to report their election totals.
• The Edison data from Michigan was showing voter results in real-time, a service offered to media outlets. The Edison data for Michigan shows a major spike of late ballots in Wayne County/Detroit.
• Dominion Whistleblower Mellissa Carone reported that she saw Dominion officials panic at 11:30 p.m. on election night and claim there was a “data loss” and they had to head over to the Department of Elections.
There were 600 Zuckerberg drop boxes installed across the state of Michigan for the 2020 election. Detroit had 23 Satellite Voting Centers.
“Detroit had at least one ‘Relia-Vote’ machine parked at the Department of Elections according to voter fraud investigator Phil O’Halloran. There was no public right to review the process at the Department of Elections, as citizens do not have the right to review the signature verification process. This machine allows users to manufacture a replacement ballot. It is essentially a ballot-printing machine,” Wetmore wrote.
“What patriots witnessed in the 2020 election was systemic, wholesale, voter fraud,” Wetmore added. “They witnessed machines that flipped votes, machines and clerks that always erred in favor of Biden and against Trump. Machines that were web-connected to provide a real-time view of voter results to unknown outside persons who were able to stop voting in multiple battleground states when Trump was ahead, and then resume it and magically find ballots that made Biden the front-runner.”
The El Paso Public Library has increased the number of programming options available to visitors at all neighborhood branches. Image Source: Wikipedia for illustration purposes
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EL PASO, Texas – The El Paso Public Library has increased the number of programming options available to visitors at all neighborhood branches.
The library branches are offering several new standard programs for young people as well as adults. The programs will allow the City of El Paso to continue serving its mission of providing educational, cultural and recreational opportunities for our community.
The free programs are available and open to public on the same days and times at all library locations.
· Family Story Time: 4:30 p.m. every Tuesday
· Conversational English: 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday
· Preschool Story Time: 11 a.m. every Wednesday
· Citizenship Classes: 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday
· Teen Hangout: 4:30 p.m. every Thursday
· Computer classes offered at all library locations on a flexible schedule
The programs reflect traditionally the most popular and most requested programs offered by the El Paso Public Library.
Apart from standard programs, the public library offers varied programming throughout the year
For more information on programs and services offered by the El Paso Public Library, visit www.elpasolibrary.org or call a neighborhood branch.
