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The McAllen

The McAllen

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Brownsville’s pocket of Italy: La Gondola serves Italian food in the Lower Valley

B ROWNSVILLE — The middle of the afternoon can often wear on the soul with its drab stillness and its quietness and the aching fatigue. The stillness and the fatigue can feel more draining when you walk into a fine and elegant Italian restaurant like La Gondola — and you’re the o...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsAug 19, 2026

Judge sets bond at $1 million for businessman with Gulf Cartel connections

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A businessman with Gulf Cartel connections turned himself in last week after more than three years on the run. Rigoberto Brown, 41, of Brownsville allegedly worked for Carlos Favian Martinez, the son-in-law of Gulf Cartel boss Osiel Cardenas Guill...

ValleyCentral (KVEO NBC 23 / CBS 4) - Local NewsAug 18, 2026

Commentary: The limits of power

D onald Trump has built one of the most remarkable political careers in modern American history. For decades, he has cultivated an image of personal invincibility. Business failures became evidence of resilience. Investigations became proof of persecution. Criticism became confir...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsAug 16, 2026

From the archives: Harlingen man smokes joint during city workshop

A s the battle against marijuana legalization as well as efforts to fight Texas’ recent ban on various hemp-derived THC cannabis products continues, there was one Harlingen man who took his commitment for legalization further 33 years ago. Charles Schoonover attended one of Harli...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsAug 15, 2026

Mission is transitioning into using AI. Here’s what that’ll look like.

Co-Interim City Manager Andy Garcia M ISSION — The city is planning to implement artificial intelligence into its everyday processes in an effort to improve efficiency. During a budget workshop Tuesday, Co-Interim City Manager Andy Garcia told the council following a presentation...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsAug 13, 2026

Commentary: The news isn’t all good

W e are accustomed to Texas topping virtually every ranking relating to the economy — most major corporate locations and expansions, top CEO perceptions, highest investment, and many others. By one measure, however, the results are more of a mixed bag. The list of top states for ...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsAug 13, 2026

Hot and breezy trend continues into the weekend

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Another hot day is in store for the Valley today. Temperatures will quickly start to warm up, with highs ranging from the upper 80s to the lower triple digits. The heat risk will range from a moderate level to an extreme level today, so make sur...

ValleyCentral (KVEO/CBS4) - Main NewsAug 13, 2026

Boxfest XX to be televised live from Payne Arena

Giovanni Marquez will headline Red Owl Boxing’s live televised event in Hidalgo, Texas on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Courtesy: PlaceNEW Studios) R ed Owl Boxing, a promotional company dedicated to platforming the next generation of boxers, will host Boxfest XX on Sept. 11 at Payne ...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsAug 13, 2026

A first look at 'Prometheus', a 50-foot bronze statue at Starbase

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — French sculpture group Atelier Missor has revealed the first look of its 50-foot bronze statue of Prometheus being built in Starbase, Texas. Atelier Missor, a French foundry, is a traditional metal-casting workshop that specializes in titanium s...

ValleyCentral (KVEO NBC 23 / CBS 4) - Local NewsAug 12, 2026

Beat the Heat: Enjoy food, music, shopping at the cooled Mercado District in McAllen

M cALLEN — It’s too hot. No matter what you think of why it’s so hot or if it was always like this, but Valley summers are scorching with almost 100-degree days nearly all season. With this type of heat and humidity, I get why no one wants to go outside for anything. I consider m...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsAug 10, 2026

Edinburg breaks ground on workforce center, clubhouse at Ebony Hills Golf Course

A nearly century-old golf course in Edinburg was the setting for a groundbreaking Monday as the city works toward modern investments in regional workforce advancement. The city and its economic arm celebrated the commencement of construction for a Workforce Resource Center and ne...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsAug 10, 2026

Buc-ee's to open new location in San Marcos

On Aug. 12, Buc-ee's will open its newest travel center in San Marcos, marking the company’s 57th location.

ValleyCentral (KVEO/CBS4) - Main NewsAug 7, 2026

Judge sets bond at $100,000 for ropa usada businessman linked to La Familia cartel

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A judge on Thursday set bond at $100,000 for a businessman who allegedly laundered money for La Nueva Familia Michoacana. Fernando Mireles, 32, of San Juan owned a business that allegedly laundered money for La Familia, a drug cartel based in Mich...

ValleyCentral (KVEO NBC 23 / CBS 4) - Local NewsAug 6, 2026

Proposed property tax hike among McAllen budget workshop highlights

M cAllen city leaders kicked off a series of budget workshops on Tuesday as they work toward crafting a balanced budget for the upcoming fiscal year, work which may include a property tax increase. As this was an introductory meeting, nothing discussed is set in stone until the b...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsAug 6, 2026

Edinburg hopes to revitalize downtown with new food hall in development

EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Edinburg is slated to be the next Valley city to tackle plans to revitalize its downtown area. Renovations are underway in a building on E. Cano St. to transform it into what will be called the Las Almas Food Hall. The Edinburg Economic Developme...

ValleyCentral (KVEO NBC 23 / CBS 4) - Local NewsAug 5, 2026

Behind the Flavor: Letty's Cafe

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — En el nuevo episodio de Behind the Flavor, el conductor gastronómico Ismael Martínez, pasa por Brownsville para visitar el restaurante mexicano Letty's Cafe. Letty Robles, dueña del restaurante mexicano Letty's Café, abrió sus puertas en 2019 y ...

ValleyCentral (KVEO NBC 23 / CBS 4) - Local NewsAug 4, 2026

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright says Brownsville reflects Trump priorities

B ROWNSVILLE — U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright delivered brief remarks and took questions from media at the Port of Brownsville administration building on Tuesday. It was originally planned as a double billing, with Wright meant to accompany Vice President J.D. Vance to Browns...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsAug 4, 2026

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright visits Port of Brownsville

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright visited the Port of Brownsville to discuss American energy and economic growth. Vice President JD Vance was initially scheduled to visit the Port of Brownsville for the discussion. The Port of Brownsville an...

ValleyCentral (KVEO NBC 23 / CBS 4) - Local NewsAug 4, 2026

Another Dollar Tree is coming to Brownsville

A new Dollar Tree is coming to Brownsville. According to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation registration filed Tuesday , the new store will be located at 1325 Ruben M. Torres. The $700,000 project’s scope of work includes a new 9,839-square-foot building shell to be c...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsAug 4, 2026

Garcia-Kalifa family to open $1.6M food hall in downtown Edinburg

A s Edinburg works toward developing a “downtown master plan” for the first time in a decade, a member of the city’s downtown steering committee is opening a dining destination vying to become a community gathering point in the heart of the district. On Monday, Edinburg’s Economi...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsAug 4, 2026

No surprise: More heat in store for Valley through September, NWS says

T he National Weather Service Brownsville/Rio Grande office has released its latest three-month outlook, which calls for — brace yourselves — hotter and drier conditions than normal for August through October, with some caveats. The greatest confidence for hotter-than-normal weat...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsAug 3, 2026

Pharr expressway reopens after law enforcement activity

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The eastbound expressway at Business 83 in Pharr has reopened after law enforcement activity prompted a closure, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. According to a spokesperson for the city of Pharr, a male attempted to jump nea...

ValleyCentral (KVEO NBC 23 / CBS 4) - Local NewsAug 3, 2026

Letters to the Editor | Week of Aug. 3-8, 2026

Trickle-down budget woes R oast beef or baloney — that’s the real question behind the “trickle down theory of economics” first sold in the 1980s and revived through the 2017 federal tax cuts signed by President Donald Trump. Both versions made the same promise: give large tax bre...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsAug 3, 2026

Commentary: Saronic brings opportunity

S aronic Technologies’ decision to build its Port Alpha shipyard at the Port of Brownsville is more than another economic development announcement. It is a signal that Brownsville is becoming a destination for sophisticated, technology-driven industries that once might have seeme...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsAug 2, 2026

Editorial: Texas policies create one of the world’s great economic powerhouses

T he state of Texas has one of the largest economies in the world. In fact, if it were a country it would rank as the eighth-richest in the world. Its gross domestic product, perhaps he most popular measure of economic activity, tops $2.9 trillion, placing it ahead of most countr...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsAug 1, 2026

Local nonprofit provides free baby supplies for Valley families

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — With grocery prices on the rise, a local nonprofit organization is helping Rio Grande Valley families on a no-questions-asked basis. Hannah's Foundation, a nonprofit located at 203 E. Business Highway 83, Suite 110, in Weslaco, was founded by An...

ValleyCentral (KVEO NBC 23 / CBS 4) - Local NewsJul 31, 2026

Data center permit request withdrawn as Brownsville considers moratorium

Southwest Key’s Casa Padre immigrant holding facility is pictured Monday, June 18, 2018, in Brownsville. An unidentified company seeking a special use permit to build a data center and cold storage facility at the now-vacant building withdrew its request on Wednesday, July 29, 20...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsJul 30, 2026

Brownsville data center application withdrawn

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- What once was a Walmart and later a shelter for undocumented migrant children once again remains vacant. The unidentified company that filed a permit request to develop a data center near the Port of Brownsville has withdrawn its application. T...

ValleyCentral (KVEO NBC 23 / CBS 4) - Local NewsJul 30, 2026

Better Business Bureau warns of new phone scam

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Better Business Bureau is warning that scammers are impersonating well-known retailers, government agencies, or even law enforcement to obtain personal information. According to the BBB, the call starts off with the scammer claiming to be fr...

ValleyCentral (KVEO NBC 23 / CBS 4) - Local NewsJul 29, 2026

Sweet success: Pineapple Ninjaz returns to SPI as waterfront bar & grill

S OUTH PADRE ISLAND — After being the first food truck at the Island eight years ago, Pineapple Ninjaz — owned by Penitas’ Jerry Leal — celebrates its homecoming with a full restaurant and bar right on the bay. With about a month and a half of summer remaining, I finally made my ...

MyRGV.com (The Monitor) - All NewsJul 29, 2026

Female athletes surge in NIL deals as Learfield reports a 123% jump in participation

College sports marketing company Learfield saw a 123% increase in female athlete participation in name, image and likeness compensation activities over the 2025-26 fiscal year, the company revealed in a report released Tuesday. Solly Fulp, ​Learfield’s head of NIL, doesn’t think ...

ValleyCentral (KVEO/CBS4) - SportsJul 28, 2026

Brownsville evaluating permit for proposed data center

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — What was once a Walmart and later a shelter for undocumented migrant children could now possibly turn into a data center. An unidentified company has filed a permit request with the City of Brownsville to develop a data center at 7480 Padre Is...

ValleyCentral (KVEO NBC 23 / CBS 4) - Local NewsJul 22, 2026