SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Brownsville Mayor John Cowen, Jr., has resurrected talk of building a weir dam on the Rio Grande south of his city. Cowen believes such a reservoir could help provide more water for the drought-stricken Rio Grande Valley and northern Tamaulipas. He notes that the 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty allows for three dams on the Rio Grande. The two already established are Falcon Lake and Amistad Dam. Opposition from groups such as the Region M Rio Grande Regional Water Planning Group stymied discussion of a Weir Dam 20-plus years ago. Cowen reinstated the discussion when appearin ..read more

HARLINGEN, Texas – Marv Esterly, director of aviation at Valley International Airport, gave the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service an in-depth interview during a recent news conference held to announce a new air traffic control tower. Asked why the new air traffic control tower is important, Esterly said: “It is so important to take us into the future. As you heard today, this airport is growing tremendously. We need to be prepared for that growth. So, air traffic control is a key point in that.” Esterly pointed out that the current air traffic control tower at VIA was constructed ..read more

MCALLEN, Texas – Jeremy Santoscoy, the City of McAllen’s aviation director, has given an update on his airport’s Terminal Capacity Study. “So, we started our Terminal Capacity Study. And so, with that study, what that’s going to entail is looking at the existing conditions, look at what’s upcoming, so we can know where we need to expand or make spaces more efficient,” Santoscoy said. Santoscoy spoke about the study in an interview with Rio Grande Guardian International News Service during a recent press conference the City of McAllen held to announce Delta Air Lines is now flying nonstop from ..read more

MCALLEN, Texas – Local stakeholders have joined Delta Air Lines and Aeroméxico in criticizing plans by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to terminate an Antitrust Immunity Grant (ATI). The ATI has allowed the two airlines to forge a Joint Cooperation Agreement (JCA) that has resulted in more flights to Mexico. DOT has tentatively decided to dismiss a pending application by Delta and Aeroméxico to renew their ATI. The termination of the ATI could happen as soon as October 26, 2024. If it does, it is expected to lead to the cancellation or capacity reduction of 23 non-stop f ..read more

DALLAS, Texas – Senior executives from two border-based banks were on a panel that discussed nearshoring. Michael Scaief, chairman of the board and CEO of Texas Regional Bank, and Gerald ‘Gerry’ Schwebel, executive vice president of IBC Bank, spoke at the Texas-Mexico Business Forum in Dallas. It was hosted by the Dallas chapter of the Asociación de Empresarios Mexicanos (AEM). The title of the panel was “Shaping the Future. Financial Services and Nearshoring Insights.” Also on the panel was Rodolfo Hernandez Sada, executive director of international trade and agribusiness for Santander Mexic ..read more

RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas – Manuel ‘Manny’ M. Vela has explained what the nonprofit AltaCair Foundation is all about and why it wants to establish a pilot program to help in the colonias of Hidalgo County. Vela is a proud board member of AltaCair. “I am incredibly proud to be a founding member of the board. Rashmi (Chandran) and all of our fellow board members are completely aligned, Steve, in regards to wanting to do what we possibly can to help those members of our community, throughout our communities in South Texas, who don’t necessarily have access to the things we take for granted,” Vela s ..read more

MCALLEN, Texas – Ralph Garcia, vice president of international business recruitment for McAllen Economic Development Corporation, has spoken about new industrial space being created on the north side of his city. “As we continue to grow as a community, one of the challenges that we have on the south side, being close to the border, is availability of real estate. And so the City took the initiative on the north side,” Garcia explained. “They purchased a 1,200-acre site along with the McAllen Foreign Trade Zone. The FTZ purchased an additional 211 acres and it’s right between an airport and an ..read more

In the Rio Grande Valley, where over 75 percent of citizens are overweight and 40 percent classify as clinically obese—double the national rate—the pressing issue of obesity has sparked concern among residents and healthcare providers alike. Overlooking this epidemic claims over 300,000 lives annually in the United States. Recognizing the urgency, the IDEA Mission HOSA Obesity Awareness Campaign has taken proactive measures to address this critical health issue head-on. Obesity, a multifaceted condition influenced by genetic predisposition, certain diseases, medication, and dietary habits, fi ..read more

EDINBURG, Texas – May is National Mental Health Month and to commemorate it South Texas Health System is to host a webinar on the topic. The virtual seminar is entitled “Let’s Talk Mental Health.” It takes place Thursday, May 2, from 5:50 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. via STHS’s Facebook page. Kevin Trussell, MSN, RN, is director of nursing at STHS Behavioral. He will lead the interactive discussion. Trussell says he will provide an overview of how mental health can affect one’s overall well-being, highlight warning signs and treatment options for mental illness and practices to support one’s mental heal ..read more

MCALLEN, Texas – Dr. Duncan Wood, an expert on supply chain policy, critical minerals geopolitics, and U.S.-Mexican political relations, is coming back to the Rio Grande Valley to give a keynote presentation. Wood is currently a senior advisor to the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute. However, in July he takes over as president and chief executive of The Pacific Council on International Policy, a membership-based organization based in Los Angeles that focuses on global issues. As he did in 2023, Wood will give a keynote presentation at this year’s MxLAN International Economic Summit, hosted by ..read more