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McAllen open house seeks public input on downtown area - KRGV
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Joaquin Niemann penalized for throwing club at US Open
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — Joaquin Niemann became the latest example of golf cracking down on bad behavior when the USGA penalized him two shots Friday for heaving his club while making a 9 — which turned into an 11 — late in the first round of the U.S. Open. Perhaps as spectacular...
News
Christian Pulisic to miss US World Cup match against Australia because of calf injury
SEATTLE (AP) — U.S. star Christian Pulisic will miss Friday's World Cup match against Australia because of a calf injury and was replaced in the starting lineup by Ricardo Pepi. United States coach Mauricio Pochettino made the announcement during an interview with Fox about 90 mi...
News
Cape Verde’s star goalkeeper Vozinha gets a family boost before Uruguay clash
TAMPA, Florida (AP) — Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha will have his family close by when his team takes on Uruguay on Sunday, days after his standout performance against Spain turned him into one of the most talked about players of the World Cup. The 40-year-old was named player of...
Local
Judge orders alleged ‘port runner’ held without bond in ammunition smuggling case
McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A man accused of smuggling ammunition across the border was held without bond last week. Esteban Padron Jr. allegedly sped across an international bridge to stop U.S. Customs and Border Protection from searching his truck. “The government believes...
News
US hopes to give fans reason to revel when it faces Australia in Seattle, even without Pulisic
SEATTLE (AP) — Cristian Roldan is familiar with how loud Lumen Field can get. The U.S. midfielder has played for the Seattle Sounders since 2015, getting plenty of love from fans in this soccer-crazed Pacific Northwest city. With the Americans coming off a 4-1 victory over Paragu...
News
Azzi Fudd joins globe-trotting Project B, chasing her dream of playing abroad
Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft this past April, will play in Project B this offseason, she announced on social media Friday. The Dallas Wings rookie joins No. 3 pick Awa Fam as part of the new 5-on-5 league that will play all over the world from November to April. So...
News
Texas Supreme Court rejects attempt to block beach closures for SpaceX launches
Siding with SpaceX and the attorney general’s office, the Texas Supreme Court on Friday ruled that environmental groups did not have a right to sue to preserve public access to a beach that has been closed during rocket launches. The unanimous ruling said a trial judge properly d...
safety
Edinburg firefighters save cat stuck in dog food can
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — An Edinburg deputy fire chief, along with the Edinburg firefighters, saved a kitten from what could've been a cat-astrophe. Photos shared by the Edinburg Fire Department show a stray calico kitten with their head stuck in a can of H-E-B-brand we...
library
Freeing verse: McAllen Poet Laureate liberates poetry through napkin challenge
Gabriel Sanchez has been selected as McAllen’s poet laureate, celebrated for giving voice to border communities and his unwavering commitment to preserving cultural narratives at Speer Library Friday, May 1, 2026 in Mission. (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com) “The power of ar...
News
Harlingen Animal Shelter to host microchip clinic for Harlingen pet owners
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Harlingen Animal Shelter is hosting a microchip clinic for Harlingen pet owners on Saturday. The clinic will take place from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Harlingen Animal Shelter, located at 1106 Markowsky Ave, where Harlingen residents can get ...
News
Los Fresnos City Manager Mark Milum retires after 22 years on the job
Los Fresnos City Manager Mark Milum stands in front of his collection of Rodeo Festival belt buckles as Milum prepares to retire at the end of June after more than two decades of public service. (Miguel Roberts | The Brownsville Herald) Mark Milum has been a city manager for long...
schools
Harlingen kids make smash burgers, walking tacos during summer vacation
Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District (HCISD) culinary arts program students at Gutierrez Middle School cook smash burgers Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (Miguel Roberts | The Brownsville Herald) HARLINGEN — The gloved hands sliced through tomatoes and gathered chopped le...
parks
Border wall construction set to begin in Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge
A U.S. Border Patrol agent parks on the side of a road at the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge on Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Alamo. (Joel Martinez | jmartinez@themonitor.com) The Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in Alamo announced that construction on the levee will begin ne...
Local
East All-Stars win RGVSBCA’s inaugural all-star game
Rio Grande Valley softball had not had a coaches association until this past sporting season, the 25-26 season, there has been all-star games held in the Valley in previous years, but now the Rio Grande Valley Softball Coaches Association is leading the way. The president of the ...
schools
West rallies past East in BCARGV All-Star Game
Bryan Ramos | Staff Writer WESLACO — The top high school baseball seniors from across the Rio Grande Valley took the diamond one last time at the Baseball Coaches Association of the Rio Grande Valley (BCARGV) 5A-6A All-Star Game on Thursday at Weslaco High School. The all-star ga...
News
World Cup players with dual eligibility face a tough choice about which country to represent
GENEVA (AP) — Almost every World Cup matchup has a storyline of a player who could have represented another country. Take Folarin Balogun who scored twice in the United States’ opening win over Paraguay. He chose to play for the U.S. where he was born instead of England where he ...
News
San Benito family produces nation's first cotton bale of the year
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A San Benito family was recognized for harvesting the first bale of cotton in the United States of 2026. The Rhyner family operates Brown Tract Land & Sugar and picked 3,480 pounds of field cotton. It will be ginned into a bale when the cotton g...
News
Leafs acquire Darren Raddysh from Lightning and sign him to an 8-year contract
The Toronto Maple Leafs took a big swing at improving their blue line before the start of free agency, acquiring Darren Raddysh's rights from the Tampa Bay Lightning and signing the defenseman to an eight-year contract. The contract is worth $68 million, according to a person fam...
News
Send over your dad jokes to ValleyCentral
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The saying is true: laughter is the best medicine. This may be why dad jokes make us feel better. Dad jokes come in many forms; Some are corny, some are cheesy, and some are just flat out bad. But that's okay, we love our dads and dad figures un...
Local
Teen Charged With Capital Murder In Alton Triple Family Homicide - Fox Rio Grande Valley
Teen Charged With Capital Murder In ...
safety
McAllen Police Seek Joanna Coronado In Assault Investigation - Fox Rio Grande Valley
McAllen Police Seek Joanna Coronado In Ass...
News
Morocco star Achraf Hakimi will stand trial in a rape case, French appeals court confirms
A French appeals court confirmed Friday that Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco star player Achraf Hakimi will stand trial in a rape case. The defender, who is currently playing with Morocco at the World Cup after winning the Champions League for a second straight year with PSG, had...
News
Arsenal starts Premier League title defense against promoted Coventry
LONDON (AP) — Arsenal will begin its Premier League title defense at home against newly promoted Coventry, kicking off the league’s 2026-27 season on Aug. 21. Manchester City, in its first season in 10 years without Pep Guardiola as manager, will host Bournemouth in its opener, a...
News
Mexico becomes first country to reach knockout stage of World Cup, beating South Korea 1-0
GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Mexico took advantage of a defensive blunder by South Korea to win 1-0 and become the first team to advance to the knockout stage of the World Cup on Thursday, sending fans onto the streets across the country to celebrate. It marks a major triumph for a...
News
Jonathan David's hat trick propels Canada to its first World Cup win, 6-0 over Qatar
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — While Canada made World Cup history against Qatar, its celebration was tempered by concern for an injured teammate. Jonathan David scored three goals and Canada won its first World Cup match while all but securing a spot in the knockout round wi...
schools
Raymondville ISD Health Clinic set to close its doors
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- The Raymondville Independent School District Health Clinic is set to close its doors in July. The decision to close the clinic was announced on Monday in a social media post. "As a health clinic, you need to have a certain amount of patients to...
Local
New bus service helps visitors around downtown McAllen at no cost
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- A trolley style bus is making its way around McAllen out to help customers make their way around the city's most visited downtown areas at no cost. The downtown circulator is a new service in an effort to help visitors navigate downtown, reduce...
News
LabPadre provides the latest updates at Starbase: June 18
STARBASE, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- Booster 20 went through its first cryo test at the Massey Outpost on the 6th. The booster was given a full load of cryogenics and was detanked at the end of the test. A second shorter duration cryo test was performed later the following day. Thi...
Local
Dangerous heat cooking the Valley turns to a nice, normal weekend
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- Temperature and humidity combine to make the Rio Grande Valley mighty miserable when those conditions push the (feel like) temperature near 130 degrees. It looks like the Valley will endure another really hot day Friday with the heat index, wha...
News
Canada's Koné to undergo surgery after gruesome injury against Qatar
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Canada’s historic first World Cup victory was overshadowed by a gruesome injury to midfielder Ismaël Koné. Koné injured his left leg when Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo tackled him from behind in the second half, sending the 24-year-old to the gr...
safety
Motorcyclist charged with murder, intoxication manslaughter in Mission crash
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — More than a month after being accused of causing a fatal crash, a Mission motorcyclist has been charged with murder. Apolonio Perez, 39, of Mission was charged with murder, a first-degree felony; intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle, a secon...
News
No bond for Alton suspect accused of killing parents, grandmother
Gaurav Chopra, who is charged with killing his parents and grandmother, appeared for a bond hearing Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Edinburg (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com) EDINBURG — A 19-year-old man accused of fatally gunning down his parents and grandmother on Tuesday nigh...
safety
Rio Hondo city administrator files lawsuit over false arrest
RIO HONDO — In a federal lawsuit, longtime City Administrator Ben Medina claims former Police Chief William Bilokury arrested him without probable cause, while his sergeant “lied” in affidavits used to obtain search warrants for a cellphone along with city recording equipment whi...
parks
Downtown trolly hits the streets of McAllen this weekend
McAllen’s new downtown circulator will officially start running this weekend. The circulator offers a free, air-conditioned ride around downtown on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s an effort toward improving mobility in a dense retail sector with limited parking and one of the city’s ...
Local
Landmark $211M tax-break deal could trump SpaceX’s deal in South Texas
By Berenice Garcia | The Texas Tribune McALLEN — A South Texas community once cited as the poorest in Texas is courting an Austin-based defense technology startup that promises to bring 10,000 jobs over 10 years, more than SpaceX’s initial promise of 300 back in 2014. The Cameron...
safety
Man to serve 6 months in jail after crash killed two Los Fresnos woman
Rogelio Campos Leal A Los Fresnos truck driver charged with two counts of criminal negligence homicide was sentenced to six months in jail this Tuesday for a deadly 2023 stop sign crash. On Sept. 26, 2023, Rogelio Campos Leal, who was 66 at the time the crash, ran a stop sign whi...
library
‘A Valley of Readers’: Three sisters to host South Texas’ biggest book market
Are you a Book Babe? Three South Texas sisters have discovered that the Rio Grande Valley’s reading culture is much bigger than it seems. To meet a growing demand for literary events and strengthen the local reading community, Three Sisters Co., founded by Maria, Linda and Nayell...
government
BPUB announces scholarship recipients, students receiving $2,000 each
The Brownsville Public Utilities Board has awarded 11 graduating high school seniors with Project SHARE Scholarships of $2,000 each to help pay the cost of attending an accredited university this fall. BPUB’s Project SHARE was created in 1985 to help local families with utility b...
News
‘The People’s Artist’: Mission artist in quarterfinals of national art competition
Mission native Dulce Leal Rodriguez’s passion for art has led her to compete in “The People’s Artist,” a nationwide competition in which the winner gets $25,000, a feature in Artforum Magazine and to display their artwork at The Art of Elysium’s Salon in Los Angeles. Currently in...
News
Suspect in Alton triple homicide identified, set for arraignment
Gaurav Chopra, who is charged with killing his parents and grandmother, appeared for a bond hearing Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Edinburg (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com) Jail records indicate the suspect accused of gunning down three people in an Alton subdivision on Tuesda...
government
'He was like a brother': Palmview mayor remembers Sweeta Ram after Alton family tragedy
PALMVIEW, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A tragedy involving an Alton family is sending shockwaves through both Alton and Palmview, where friends and community leaders are remembering Sweeta Ram as a businessman, friend, and longtime supporter of the community. Hidalgo County investigat...
Local
'Be proud of where you're from and just do big things': Los Fresnos artist Staarz on the rise
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — From using a closet as a soundproof room to getting national attention on a popular TV show, a Rio Grande Valley artist is on the rise and putting the 956 on the map. Staarz, a 25-year-old Los Fresnos native, recently had her cover of "Therefore...
Local
Caught with three AK-47s, gun smuggler pleads guilty
McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A man who attempted to cross the border with three AK-47s pleaded guilty Thursday. Edgar Emanuel Reyes Balderrama, 32, of Mexico attempted to cross the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge in December. During a search, officers discovered three AK-4...
News
There are many questions about the Iran deal. Here are (some) answers.
By JOSEPH KRAUSS | Associated Press The agreement struck between the United States and Iran aims to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, ease sanctions on the Islamic Republic and relaunch nuclear talks with a 60-day deadline. But the brief document signed by U.S. President ...
safety
McAllen police seek woman in connection with assault investigation
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The McAllen Police Department is asking for the public's help in locating a suspect in an ongoing assault investigation. The assault was reported on April 29 on the 7600 block of North 10th St. in McAllen. Police identified Joanna Coronado, 35, ...
business
Cafecito’s Espresso Bar Expands Presence in Downtown McAllen - Texas Border Business
Cafecito’s Espresso ...
safety
Mission man accused of posing as vet, injecting dog for $150
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A man known as "Rick the Vet" was arrested almost six years after he was accused of posing as a veterinarian during the COVID-19 pandemic, records indicate. Ricardo Arispe Chavez, of Mission, was charged with violating veterinary regulations, a ...
Local
Cooling centers open across the Valley amid extreme heat warning
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — With a heat spike sending temperatures into the triple digits, cities in the Rio Grande Valley have opened cooling centers to help residents find relief. According to the Valley Storm Team, an extreme heat warning is in place from noon to 7 p.m....
Local
UTRGV makes U.S. News' Best Global Universities ranking
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley was ranked in U.S. News & World Report's 2026-2027 Best Global Universities list. UTRGV was ranked No. 1,153 in the Best Global Universities ranking, out of more than 2,250 universities from 105 countrie...
News
'Still looking into the possible motive': Man accused of fatally shooting parents, grandmother inside Alton home
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A 19-year-old man accused of shooting and killing his father, mother and grandmother inside their Alton home was charged with capital murder of multiple persons on Thursday. Gaurav Chopra has also been charged with attempted capital murder, a fi...
News
Thursday's heat index to push 120-degree mark
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A strong subsidence pattern, where large‑scale sinking air warms as it compresses, is driving temperatures sharply upward across the Valley. This setup produces extremely hot conditions, with heat index values climbing even higher. Forecast hig...
Local
'Mosquitoes are out like crazy': Weslaco, Cameron County launch spraying efforts
WESLACO, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Recent rainfall across the Rio Grande Valley has created ideal conditions for mosquitoes to thrive, prompting local governments to begin spraying operations. Officials are urging residents to eliminate standing water around their homes as mosquito...