Sheriffโs Dept: Woman hid Xanax pills inside bra, groin area
Cameron County sheriffโs deputies have arrested a woman accused of trying to smuggle 385.8 grams of Xanax across the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville. Authorities said Ashley Nicole Padron, 25, hid the Xanax pills in her bra and in her groin area, the Cameron County Sheriffโs Department said in a news release. It was at the inspection area and a search of Padron where authorities found a bag containing Xanax pills inside โher brassiere,โ the news release said. CBP officers found a plastic bottle containing additional Xanax pills concealed in Padronโs groin area. The case was turned over to the Cameron County Sheriffโs Department and Padron was taken into custody and charged with possession of a controlled substance.
myrgv.comโMagical spaceโ: Trio transforms former Galeria 409
A key aspect of Curio 409 is that itโs ever changing. Galeria 409 operated until 2018 and Clark has since moved to Corpus Christi to open Mi Vida Loca Gallery. โI wanted to offer in our community a platform for artists, local talent, just anybody that has something beautiful to offer and celebrate all the local people, things, crafts, art,โ Edge said. Alexandra Pelaez, former owner of Alex & Raw Boutique, joined the Curio 409 team about a year ago and serves as on-site manager. For now, she and her team are focused on cultivating Curio 409 as a place of and for Brownsville.
myrgv.comโMagical spaceโ: Trio transforms former Galeria 409
A key aspect of Curio 409 is that itโs ever changing. Galeria 409 operated until 2018 and Clark has since moved to Corpus Christi to open Mi Vida Loca Gallery. โI wanted to offer in our community a platform for artists, local talent, just anybody that has something beautiful to offer and celebrate all the local people, things, crafts, art,โ Edge said. Alexandra Pelaez, former owner of Alex & Raw Boutique, joined the Curio 409 team about a year ago and serves as on-site manager. For now, she and her team are focused on cultivating Curio 409 as a place of and for Brownsville.
myrgv.comBrownsville cathedral opened doors to emergency shelter as need grows among immigrant families
BROWNSVILLE โ A familiar opportunity knocked at the door of a Brownsville church last Christmas Eve when a journey-worn family sought shelter from the church in the midst of their holiday mass. Maria Carolina, a Venezuelan mother who preferred not to share a last name for safety reasons, remembered feeling a little more than the expected emotions that came with finally setting foot on U.S. soil. โIt was so close, but it felt so far because we didnโt know the address,โ Maria Carolina said. By the time they reached the church, Maria Carolina was finally able to distinguish excitement from pain. Bishop Flores said they keep close watch on the needs to determine if they will need to operate the temporary shelter on long term.
myrgv.comBrownsville cathedral opened doors to emergency shelter as need grows among immigrant families
BROWNSVILLE โ A familiar opportunity knocked at the door of a lcoal church last Christmas Eve when a journey-worn family sought shelter in the midst of their holiday Mass. Maria Carolina, a Venezuelan mother who preferred not to share a last name for safety reasons, remembered feeling a little more than the expected emotions that came with finally setting foot on U.S. soil. โIt was so close, but it felt so far because we didnโt know the address,โ Maria Carolina said. By the time they reached the church, Maria Carolina was finally able to distinguish excitement from pain. Bishop Flores said they keep close watch on their needs to determine if they will need to operate the temporary shelter on long term.
myrgv.comJames Beard taps Las Ramblas: Brownsville bar makes โOutstanding Barโ semifinals
Downtown Brownsville cocktail lounge Las Ramblas at Market Square has been selected as a semifinalist for a 2023 James Beard Foundation award in the Outstanding Bar category. Co-owner Michael Limas said the business has been enjoying some momentum with a recent article in Texas Highways, and that the recognition helps showcase Brownsville talent. The Outstanding Bar category isnโt limited to cocktail lounges but also includes beer and wine bars โ even coffee bars โ as long as beverages are the primary offering. Limas wondered weather Las Ramblasโ community involvement, such as hosting cocktail competitions for instance, could have helped it in the eyes of the judges. Five finalists will be announced in March and the final winners revealed at the JBF Awards ceremony in Chicago in June.
myrgv.comNiche filled: Traditional bookstore opens in downtown Brownsville
It was through these visits with organization members that he learned there was something many in Brownsville yearned for but was missing: a traditional bookstore. Fast forward from those meetings, the 27-year-old Brownsville native opened the first traditional bookstore in this city with a population of about 186,000 plus. Although thereโs a Catholic bookstore in Brownsville, a used bookstore in Harlingen, and a couple of bookstores in the Laguna Madre area, there was no bookstore that could fill the niche that Brownsville book lovers needed. The idea of opening a bookstore in Brownsville came to Hernandez while he was in the shower on Jan. 8, 2022, he recalled. Soon it will be a watering hole.โโThis gives Brownsville a little taste of the bookstore experience,โ he said.
myrgv.comDeadline to pay property taxes without being delinquent fast approaching
Cameron County Tax Assessor-Collector Tony Yzaguirre Jr. is reminding taxpayers that all 2022 taxes are due by Jan. 31, and after that, they become delinquent. Approximately 79.03% of property taxes have already been collected. โIt is very important to pay all property taxes because our office will continue with aggressive collection programs this year,โ Yzaguirre said. Taxes can be paid over the internet, by mail or in person at one of the nine county taxes located throughout Cameron County. >> Brownsville Tax Office: 835 E. Levee St.>> Harlingen Branch Office: 3302 Wilson Rd.
myrgv.comMcDonaldโs Hispanic owner-operators inform, treat Lopez students
Students at Lopez Early College High School are getting major encouragement from McDonaldโs Hispanic owner-operators to apply for college scholarships and specifically some $500,000 in McDonaldโs 2022-2023 HACER National Scholarships. She added that the Hispanic McDonaldโs owner-operatorsโ stories โmatch our stories as far as coming up from humble homes, low socio-economic status, just the struggle, because they struggled, but they made it. โThe HACER Scholarship was created by the Hispanic McDonaldโs owner-operators. โGEAR UP is a program that helps students that maybe are first generation college students or maybe come from low socioeconomic homes, to help them get motivated for college. โIt can be college, university, a certification program, but we want our kids to be ready for their future.
myrgv.comMcDonaldโs Hispanic owner-operators inform, treat Lopez students
Students at Lopez Early College High School are getting major encouragement from McDonaldโs Hispanic owner-operators to apply for college scholarships and specifically some $500,000 in McDonaldโs 2022-2023 HACER National Scholarships.
myrgv.comBrownsville man admits to smuggling cocaine; says it was his first time
A Brownsville man arrested for allegedly smuggling cocaine from Mexico into the United State said it was the first time he had smuggled drugs across the border, a federal criminal complaint reads. Juan Trevino Naranjo, born in 1972, also told U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers that he was being paid to smuggle cocaine. Trevino Naranjo appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya III, who ordered he be held without bond. According to the federal criminal complaint, Trevino Naranjo was attempting to cross into the U.S. from Mexico via the Free Trade Bridge in Los Indio Tuesday morning. The truck was X-rayed and officers found bundles, which were later determined to be cocaine, stored behind the backseat, the criminal complaint states.
myrgv.comMan arrested for placing tracking device on womanโs vehicle
Placing a tracking device on the vehicle belonging to the mother of his baby has lead to the arrest of a Brownsville man on a charge of unlawful installation of a tracking device. The mother filed the complaint on Jan. 10 and stated she had found a GPS tracking device on her vehicle, according to the release. According to the news release, the woman became suspicious and โafter inspecting her vehicle, the victim found an Apple Airtag tracking device that was placed by Reagan,โ the news release stated. After conducting an investigation, it was discovered that the tracking device was registered to Reaganโs phone number. Cameron County sheriffโs investigators were able to make contact with Reagan and obtain a confession, the news release stated.
myrgv.comBrownsville joins push against South Texas ISD taxing authority
Trustees with the Brownsville school district on Tuesday approved a resolution taking aim at South Texas ISDโs funding structure after that district dug in its heels against a legislative push to eliminate its taxing authority, which began last week. South Texas ISD, meanwhile, is arming faculty and staff with talking points justifying its funding structure that it says employees can share with legislators to aid its resistance to change. South Texas ISD currently taxes residents in Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties in a system that critics say charges taxpayers unfairly and pushes an uneven amount of money toward the district. Brownsville ISDโs resolution says South Texas ISD collects $3.13 million from taxpayers and enrolls less than 4% of special education students, whom it was originally meant to serve when it was created in the 1960s. The letter argues that critics of the districtโs funding structure are deceiving the public and urged the community to unite against the reform push.
myrgv.comUTRGV volunteers pitch in on National Day of Service
About 50 volunteers from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley joined day-to-day operations at Brownsvilleโs Good Neighbor Settlement House on Monday, the National Day of Service honoring civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
myrgv.comIn Service to Others
About 50 volunteers from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley joined day-to-day operations at Brownsvilleโs Good Neighbor Settlement House on Monday, the National Day of Service honoring civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Karen Castillo, a senior special education major from Brownsville was one of them. She said she had been unaware of the GNSH, and that she was glad she had volunteered during the national service day. โWeโre a soup kitchen, weโre a food pantry, we have our welcome center downtown. In all, about 100 UTRGV students, staff and faculty volunteered their time to four social causes across the Valley in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his vision of a โbeloved community.โCongress passed the King Holiday and Service Act in 1994, designating the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday as a National Day of Service. At the Salvation Army soup kitchen in McAllen, volunteers prepared and served food, while also helping hang clothes, restock shelves and cleaning at the agencyโs family store.
myrgv.comLongtime Los Fresnos volunteer assistant fire chief retires
But while working for the Brownsville Fire Department, Sheldon also served as a volunteer with the Los Fresnos Volunteer Fire Department at the same time. For the last 42 years, Sheldon has served as a volunteer firefighter, assistant fire chief and fire chief for the Los Fresnos Volunteer Fire Department. He also served 34 ยฝ years as fire marshal for the city of Los Fresnos. Earlier this month, he was recognized as the 2022 citizen of the year for the City of Los Fresnos. Geronimo Sheldon remembers the first fire station he worked at in Los Fresnos had three little stalls.
myrgv.comWoman arrested on injury and child endangerment charges
A 33-year-old Brownsville woman was arrested by police after she was accused of striking another woman who was holding her 2-year-old daughter in her arms. Ofelia Christine Monares, 33, is charged and arrested on warrants charging her with assault, injury to a child, criminal mischief, and child endangerment. Monares started to punch the victim several times while the victim was carrying the child,โ Sandoval said. โMonares started scratching the victimโs face and struck the childโs head. Monares continued the assault without any concern for the child,โ Sandoval said.
myrgv.comMan indicted on multiple charges in Porter High School incident
An 18-year-old Brownsville man involved in an Aug. 16, 2022 police chase, officer-involved shooting and stolen car incident near Porter Early College High School has been indicted on multiple charges. Moments later, at 8:48 a.m., Brownsville police received a call for assistance from Brownsville Independent School District police dispatch. โThe safety and security of our students there at Porter was never compromised. โฆ Our officers are well trained and this training came into practice today. โฆ Iโm thankful that everything we have done to keep our students and staff safe was in practice today.โRivera remains jailed at a Cameron County facility on a $365,000 bond.
myrgv.comMan sentenced to 25 years in prison for brutal attack on girlfriend
A Brownsville man who severely beat his girlfriend leaving her almost dead has been sentenced to 25 years in state prison after a Cameron County jury found him guilty of the brutal attack. The attack occurred Sept. 15, 2021, and it was so brutal that his 41-year-old girlfriend ended up hospitalized for one week. The attack happened at the coupleโs La Brisas apartment at 2426 Barnard Road in Brownsville. The woman told police her boyfriend had severely beaten her, and she didnโt know if he was still inside the apartment, Sandoval said. The woman told police she had let her boyfriend inside her apartment and that the assault occurred shortly after a conversation between the two, Sandoval said.
myrgv.comTexas border cities plan for cold, busy end to Title 42
Texas officials are preparing relocation, coordination and emergency aid plans ahead of an expected dramatic increase in the number of asylum-seekers crossing the U.S.-Mexico border as pandemic-era immigration restrictions are set to expire this week.
Texas needs to do more to help Hispanic students graduate from college, university leaders say
In a Texas Tribune event Tuesday, university leaders discussed why Hispanic students finish higher education programs at a lower rate than the state average but have better performance in the Rio Grande Valley and El Paso.
After months of store closures and layoffs, border businesses eager to welcome back Mexican customers Nov. 8
For 19 months, business owners along the Texas-Mexico border have seen a drastic drop in customers because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. With land borders scheduled to reopen Nov. 8, they are banking on a return to pre-pandemic sales.
U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, whose seat is targeted by Republicans in 2022, says he will not seek reelection
WASHINGTON โ U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, emerged as a Republican target in 2022 after President Donald Trump performed better than expected along the Texas-Mexico border. Vela was first elected in 2012 and represents much of the South Texas Gulf Coast. Ad"Filemon was extremely dedicated to the people of South Texas during the time he has served in Congress," Borjon added. Vela won reelection in 2020 by nearly 14 percentage points in a district that has generally been considered safe for Democrats. AdBorjon acknowledged that the race to replace him will likely be tougher than in the past, given Republicans' over-performance in South Texas.
Emergency sites for migrant children raising safety concerns
A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. President Joe Bidenโs administration has been sharply criticized for its response to a surge in crossings of unaccompanied immigrant children. โI feel like I have to wait and try again.โThe Biden administration is not expelling immigrant children unaccompanied by a parent or legal guardian. But Pfluger and other Midland officials said the Biden administration wasnโt answering their questions or giving them assurance that officials would keep the surrounding community safe. HHS opened the Midland site without notifying some top local officials who say many of their questions aren't being answered.
Republicans seize on immigration as border crossings surge
Team Brownsville, a humanitarian group, is helping the migrants reach their final destination in the U.S. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. Still, the encounters of both unaccompanied minors and families remain lower than at various points during the Trump administration, including in spring 2019. They deride the policies Trump implemented to deter asylum as cruel and inhumane and an abdication of the countryโs humanitarian responsibilities. "The Trump administration did everything in their power for four years to make the already broken immigration system as cumbersome and ineffective as possible. ... You leave yourself nowhere to go.โAdโTheyโre kind of stuck in a corner,โ agreed Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies think tank, which advocates on behalf of more restrictive immigration policies.
Republicans seize on immigration as border crossings surge
Team Brownsville, a humanitarian group, is helping the migrants reach their final destination in the U.S. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. Still, the encounters of both unaccompanied minors and families remain lower than at various points during the Trump administration, including in spring 2019. They deride the policies Trump implemented to deter asylum as cruel and inhumane and an abdication of the countryโs humanitarian responsibilities. "The Trump administration did everything in their power for four years to make the already broken immigration system as cumbersome and ineffective as possible. ... You leave yourself nowhere to go.โAdโTheyโre kind of stuck in a corner,โ agreed Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies think tank, which advocates on behalf of more restrictive immigration policies.
Houston Zoo welcomes a new zebra
Thereโs a new zebra in town at the Houston Zoo! The Grantโs zebra, Rosalita, comes to Houston from Brownsville, TX. Rosalita, a Grantโs zebra, came to the Houston Zoo from Brownsville. The Houston Zoo provides support and training for local communities in Kenya to protect wild zebras. AdWhen guests visit the Houston Zoo to see zebras Kapuki and Rosalita, they will also help save wild zebras in Africa.
Gov. Greg Abbott rejects aid from Biden administration in dispute over coronavirus testing for migrants
Abbott and Biden have been fighting for days over coronavirus safety protocols and whose actions have been putting the health of Texans at risk. After Abbott announced this week that he was lifting Texas' statewide mask mandate and capacity restrictions on businesses, Biden called that decision "Neanderthal thinking." Ad"The Biden Administration is recklessly releasing hundreds of illegal immigrants who have COVID into Texas communities," Abbott wrote in one tweet Wednesday afternoon. He argued in a statement that border security is โstrictly a federal responsibility,โ and thus the Biden administration alone should "test, screen, and quarantine" migrants who may have COVID-19. โInstead of doing their job, the Biden Administration suggested it did not have the sufficient resources and, remarkably, asked Texas to assist them in aiding their illegal immigration program,โ Abbott said.
5 things for Houstonians to know for Thursday, Jan. 28
A federal judge on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. (AP Photo/Emilio Espejel, File)Here are things to know for Thursday, Jan. 28:1. โHe didnโt mind if he killed usโ: Shots fired as couple caught in street takeover makes daring escapeA Houston couple described a 30-minute nightmare that grew more violent by the second. Federal judge temporarily blocks Bidenโs 100-day deportation moratorium after Texas sues administrationA federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked the Biden administrationโs 100-day moratorium on deportations of some undocumented immigrants. Texans expected to hire Ravensโ David Culley as new head coachThe Houston Texans have offered the job of head coach to David Culley.
U.S. Supreme Court will hear cases on border wall funding, "remain in Mexico" policy
In the border wall funding case, the high court will consider a challenge to the Trump administration's use of about $2.5 billion earmarked to pay members of the U.S. military to instead fund construction of part of his long-promised wall on the southern border. That case, Sierra Club v. Trump, was brought by the ACLU on behalf of the Sierra Club and the Southern Border Communities Coalition. Gloria Smith, managing attorney at the Sierra Club, said the Supreme Court will hear the larger case that challenges the use of both types of Pentagon funding. "Stopping this wasteful and irreversible damage is long overdue, and we look forward to making our case before the Supreme Court,โ she said in a statement. Implemented as a way to deter migrants from seeking asylum, the policy has sent about 60,000 asylum seekers, most of them from Central America and Cuba, across the southern border.
SpaceX looks to build 21st-century resort in tiny Texas town
HOUSTON Boca Chica Village may become a new popular Texas getaway destination as American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company, SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, looks to build its first resort. According to an online job listing, spotted by CNBCs Michael Sheetz, SpaceX is looking to employ a Resort Development Manager to oversee the development of the companys first resort in Boca Chica Village, near Brownsville, Texas. SpaceX is hiring a Resort Development Manager to develop the Boca Chica Village in Texas into a 21st century Spaceport and the companys first resort. https://t.co/AEfUaCIVGr pic.twitter.com/rhJqq2rnIV Michael Sheetz (@thesheetztweetz) August 10, 2020Boca Chica Village, once a secluded beach town, is the latest launch site of SpaceXs Starship, and the companys next-generation launch vehicle. RELATED: How a remote Texas village transformed when SpaceX became its neighborAccording to the job listing, the new resort is a part of SpaceXs plan to transform the tiny town into a 21st-century Spaceport.
Hurricane Hanna weakens to tropical storm, rain remains biggest threat to Texas
Some areas in South Texas had already reported receiving up to 9 inches (23 centimeters) of rain, including Cameron County, which borders Mexico and where Brownsville is located. Sherry Boehme, who lives in a condo along the beach in Corpus Christi, said the stormโs approach had increased the anxiety she has felt during the pandemic. Everybody is good and strong and sticks together.โHanna came nearly three years after Hurricane Harvey made landfall northeast of Corpus Christi. More than 43,700 people throughout South Texas, including Corpus Christi, Harlingen and Brownsville, were without power Saturday evening, according to AEP Texas. Other counties and cities throughout South Texas had also opened shelters, with many requiring face masks.
Hanna's rain remains biggest threat to virus hot spot Texas
Chris Headen battles with his umbrellas as Hurricane Hanna begins to make landfall, Saturday, July 25, 2020, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Some areas in South Texas had already reported receiving up to 9 inches (23 centimeters) of rain, including Cameron County, which borders Mexico and where Brownsville is located. First responders in Corpus Christi proactively placed barricades near intersections to have them ready to go if streets began to flood, Mayor Joe McComb said. More than 43,700 people throughout South Texas, including Corpus Christi, Harlingen and Brownsville, were without power Saturday evening, according to AEP Texas. Other counties and cities throughout South Texas had also opened shelters, with many requiring face masks.
Longtime Democratic state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. leading over challenger from his left
Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, spoke during during a Senate State Affairs committee hearing on July 23, 2017. According to early returns from the Texas Secretary of State, Lucio was leading Stapleton-Barrera 54%-46%. Another Senate runoff that drew considerable attention was the Democratic race to go against state Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton. Flores fell short in his bid to upset state Sen. Carlos Uresti for the seat in 2016. As of late Tuesday evening, the special election to replace former state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, remained fluid.
Julin and Joaquin Castro criticize Gov. Greg Abbott for reopening Texas too soon
Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, in Brownsville in 2018. "If we'd had a better federal response and state response, perhaps we would have already been around the quarter on this," Julin Castro said. Joaquin Castro said the number of beds, hospitals, and infections could have also been significantly reduced. "We're not saying that there would have been no consequences," Joaquin Castro said. All of the money that has been used is been money that's come from the federal government," Joaquin Castro said.
These are the Texas beaches closed to the public because of coronavirus concerns
With stay-at-home protocols in place for most of Texas, residents in need of fresh air flock to beaches only to find them closed due to coronavirus concerns. Other beaches followed suit with Galveston to block off beach access to the public. List of beaches closed in TexasGalvestonGalvestonโs public beaches are closed from March 29 - Apr. BrownsvilleEddie Trevino Jr., Cameron County Judge issued a public service announcement on their response to COVID-19, which includes the closure of all beaches and parks in the Brownsville area. MatagordaAccording to Matagorda County, all beach access points are closed effective March 23, with no end date.