In McAllen, Gov. Greg Abbottโs border inspections meant late deliveries, rotten produce and lost business
The delays caused by the stateโs inspections are the latest blow to farmers and produce businesses in the Rio Grande Valley recovering from the pandemic and losses from last yearโs winter storm.
International trade halted at Texas border crossings as truckers protest Greg Abbottโs new inspections
Commercial traffic at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge stopped Monday and a similar protest affected traffic into and out of El Paso. The blockades could impact the flow of produce to restaurants and grocery stores.
Beto OโRourke targets South Texas in bid to win back Democratic voters heโll need to beat Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022
OโRourke has ground to make up after his own underwhelming performance with voters there in 2018 when he ran for U.S. Senate โ and turning out more Latino voters has long been key to Democratic hopes statewide.
Texas man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice minor through social media
A 27-year-old McAllen man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after admitting he intended to engage in sexual activity with a minor female, Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery announced Thursday.
U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez will run for a different House seat in 2022 after redistricting made his more competitive
Texas lawmakers made Gonzalezโs current 15th Congressional District more competitive for Republicans. The representative now plans to run in the 34th District, which is safer for Democrats.
Houston ranked among the top 5 hottest metros in the country
Affirming what weโve all guessed at by now, a new report ranked the hottest urban heat islands across the U.S., and unsurprisingly, Houston ranked high -- like the setting most of us crank our A.C.โs at all summer long. This confirmation comes courtesy of Climate Central, a nonprofit news organization that analyzes and reports on climate science.
Man sentenced for attempting to smuggle 23 kilos of meth into TX, told border authorities he was โtraveling for workโ
A 53-year-old U.S. citizen living in Tamaulipas, Mexico, was ordered to federal prison for importing meth into the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery announced Friday in a release.
Decrease seen in Texans showing up for COVID-19 vaccine
MCALLEN, Texas โ Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday that heโs hoping to increase the number of Texans getting COVID-19 vaccines after seeing a drop in people showing up for the shot. โWeโre beginning to see a decrease in demand for vaccinations,โ Abbott said at a news conference Thursday in border city of McAllen. โSeniors who contract COVID are the people who are most likely to either be hospitalized or lose their life because of COVID,โ Abbott said. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 3.3 million Texans have completed their vaccinations.
Who goes to State? Region IV Finals Preview
The Regionals finals are upon us and whoever wins these matchups is going to the state tournament. Region IV - 6AIn Region IV - 6A, the Westlake Chaps will match up against San Antonio Clark. This is no surprise that the Greyhounds are in the regional finals and look to join the girl's team at the state tournament. On the other side is Somerset who beat last year's Region IV champion Stafford 57-50. This Somerset team hasn't lost a game in two months and hopes to avenge that early-season defeat.
Kamala Harris visits Houston during Texas campaign swing
Kamala Harrisโ trip to Texas on Friday will include three stops across the state, including in the Rio Grande Valley, according to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Bidenโs campaign. Fort Worthโs Tarrant County was the stateโs most populous county that Republican President Donald Trump won in 2016. Harris will be the highest-profile Biden surrogate to come to Texas in the general election yet, following visits in recent weeks by Bidenโs wife, Jill Biden, and Harrisโ husband, Doug Emhoff. Harrisโ visit is not the only notable activity by the Biden campaign this week in Texas. Sign up for The Brief, the Texas Tribuneโs daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
TribCast: More discrepancies with state coronavirus data and voting issues in the courts
A COVID-19 testing site at the Nomad Shrine Club in McAllen. July 2, 2020. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune(Audio unavailable. Click here to listen on texastribune.org.) In this week's TribCast, Matthew speaks with Ross, Emma and Shannon about another change in how Texas reports its coronavirus data and the legal fights related to voting that have reached the state Supreme Court.
With 1,000 new coronavirus fatalities in Texas in just 6 days, the state's death count is rising faster
According to state data released Sunday, 5,038 people in Texas have died from the virus. Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneTexas reached another grim milestone Sunday when it surpassed 5,000 deaths from the new coronavirus. In doing so, the state reported 1,000 deaths in six days, four days faster than it took to hit that total the previous time. According to state health data released Sunday, 5,038 people in Texas had died from the virus. In the past week alone, state data appears to show new daily infections leveling off, albeit at nearly record highs.
Hidalgo County judge tries slowing coronavirus, but Gov. Greg Abbott has limited his options
McAllen sits in Hidalgo County, whose top official issued an emergency order Monday in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneAs the Rio Grande Valley grapples with an onslaught of coronavirus infections and hospitalizations, Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez is pushing hard for residents to stay at home. In the new Hidalgo County order, only a second violation to the statewide mask order can be punished by a $250, in accordance with the existing state rules. In Hidalgo County on Monday, 524 people tested positive for the virus, bringing the total number of infections there to 12,787, according to data released by the county. U.S. Navy teams were deployed Sunday to the Rio Grande Valley, a region that includes Hidalgo County.
2 officers killed in shootout in south Texas border town
(AP) Two police officers were shot and killed Saturday in a South Texas border town after reportedly responding to a disturbance call, authorities said. The McAllen police officers were shot on the south side of the city and transported to an area hospital, said Lt. Christopher Olivarez, spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety. A suspect in the shooting was also shot, though that persons condition was not immediately available. We have lost two brave public servants who sought only to keep peace in our City," McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez told The (McAllen) Monitor. Olivarez said DPS sent troopers to secure the scene after the McAllen Police Department requested their assistance.
Only in Texas: Videos shows horse walking through traffic on 288
HOUSTON This is something you would only see in Texas. A horse was spotted walking along State Highway 288 at McAllen Friday morning. Video from Instagram shows the horse meandering alongside cars just after 11 a.m. Friday. Houston police were dispatched to the scene but it was rectified. It is unknown how long it took to get the horse back to safety or how it got loose in the first place.
How many more are coming? What its like inside hospitals as coronavirus grips Texas Rio Grande Valley
Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneNurses prepare to enter the COVID-19 unit at the DHS Health Center in McAllen. Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneHealth care workers at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance prepare to enter the COVID-19 unit by donning personal protection equipment. Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneWe're getting more and more and more, and that's the problem, said nurse Apryle Pelshaw. Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneLocal officials eye the filling hospitals with trepidation. Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneA nurse expressed fear of burning out from the long hours of treating COVID-19 patients.
Texans struggle to find work in the Rio Grande Valley, where unemployment has nearly tripled
And in the Rio Grande Valley, the lack of jobs is even more pronounced. In February, before the pandemic gripped Texas, the Rio Grande Valley's unemployment rate was 6.5%. Salvador Contreras, a professor of border economics at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, said that in Texas, Black and Hispanic workers saw larger declines in employment than white employees. So this clearly had an impact on the number of Mexican visitors into the Rio Grande Valley, Contreras said. So we know that the retail sector is very important to the economy of the Rio Grande Valley.
A Texas man who wielded a chainsaw at protesters has been arrested by police
McALLEN, Texas A man who was seen in a viral twitter video brandishing a chainsaw and yelling racial slurs at protesters is now in custody by police, NBC News and the McAllen Monitor reported. The video of a man with a long-sleeved shirt and jeans carrying a large chainsaw quickly gained over a million views on Twitter. He wielded the chainsaw and yelled racial slurs and profanity at protesters outside a store, McAllen Monitor reported. The tirade continued as he walked towards protesters with the chainsaw as they fled, NBC News reported. McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez told McAllen Monitor that they were able to confirm the identity of the man in the Twitter video.