The Monitor

McALLEN — "Almost an impossibility."

While it's so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of life, many tend to forget about what's really important.

It’s well-established that the hardships incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic drove many to alcohol, illicit drugs or other harmful substances. The Rio Grande Valley was not the exception during that time, according to data provided by behavioral health experts in the region which showed a rise in substance abuse here.

Rio Grande Valley law enforcement agencies have seen a significant rise in the number of car thefts, which some officials say is the result of organized criminal activity that’s driving demand for specific vehicles stolen in the region before being smuggled across the border.

Four members of a Mission family pleaded guilty for their roles in money laundering and in smuggling 300 people into the U.S., according to a U.S. Attorney's Office news release.

Hidalgo County will be unveiling in April what it’s calling a new state-of-the-art healthcare facility capable of testing for virology diseases, such as SARS-CoV2, in addition to other laboratory work.

A 38-year-old McAllen man was sentenced to prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to transporting child pornography using his Google account, according to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

A woman who was falsely indicted and jailed on a murder charge for having a self-induced abortion has filed a federal lawsuit against Starr County, its district attorney and the assistant district attorney who attempted to prosecute the case.

Even with recent developments in retail, finance and aerospace, agriculture remains the biggest part of the Rio Grande Valley’s economy, and three crops have dominated our agriculture market: citrus, cotton and sugar cane.

Last month, the Biden administration announced a pause on new liquefied natural gas export approvals while it reconsiders the impacts these projects have on the public’s health and safety, the climate, the economy and national security. This “pause” is a baby step in the right direction.