Quinta Mazatlan will close its summer series with the annual Bubble Party on Thursday, Aug. 15. (Courtesy photo)
As summer break draws to an end, Quinta Mazatlán invites the community to burst their own bubbles.
The center will host its traditional Bubble Party from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, at 600 Sunset Drive in McAllen.
The popular event began in 2014, then titled “Bubble Concert in the Park,” and has drawn crowds as large as 600 people to the nature center. The program admission is $5 per person and tickets can be purchased at quintamazatlan.ticketleap.com.
“We are excited to close out the summer with a huge Bubble Party that will be fun for the whole family!” said Victoria Villarreal, venue coordinator for Quinta Mazatlán. “It will be a night of music, fun and lots of bubbles.”
The outdoor event is also set to include dancing, singing and more. Attendees may bring their own bubbles, or visit the center’s Bubble Hut. In addition, The Mix Academy will supply bubble blowing machines. Families are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets.
Thursday Night Live takes place Thursday evenings until the end of August and is sponsored by South Texas Health Systems Children’s.
A McAllen man who threatened children into providing nude images of them or their friends has been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison.
Israel Ruiz, who pleaded guilty on March 29 to attempting to coerce and entice a minor, was sentenced to 17 1/2 years on Thursday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced in a press release.
Ruiz used Instagram in January and February of 2020 to solicit explicit images from children as young as 9.
“The investigation revealed he used several tactics to obtain the pornographic materials including contacting the minor victims via the social media platform,” the press release stated. “He also intimidated the minors through threats to post other nude images of them or their friends online if additional images were not given to him.”
During the sentencing hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane heard information about Ruiz’s manipulation and exploitation of children.
“In handing down the prison terms, Judge Crane noted the danger this offense poses to the community,” the release stated.
Following his sentence, Crane ordered him to serve five years supervised release and he will have to comply with numerous requirements to restrict his access to children and the internet. Ruiz was also ordered to register as a sex offender.
Ruiz, who has remained in custody since his arrest, will be transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility in the near future.
A group of local religious leaders representing different faiths and denominations have joined together to pen a letter in opposition of a book ban that has been proposed at school districts throughout the Rio Grande Valley.
Known collectively as the McAllen Faith Leaders Network, the religious group has been meeting informally once a month to discuss issues of faith and the ongoings in their community.
Recently their attention has turned toward a pastors’ group known as Latino Faith, which is associated with the Christian nationalist group Remnant Alliance. Latino Faith has called upon local school boards to remove books on a list of about 600 titles from their libraries.
The effort is part of an operation of the Florida-based Citizens Defending Freedom USA Foundation Inc.
“We got together and said, ‘This is not what our faith teaches,’” Rabbi Nathan Farb of Temple Emanuel said. “It’s not what we believe how decisions should be made in our public schools, and we felt the need to speak out about it.”
Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 900 into law in September last year. The law aims to rid school libraries of inappropriate books by requiring book vendors to rate materials.
In May, Pastor Luis Cabrera, national director of Latino Faith, urged school boards in Harlingen and Brownsville to remove 676 books that his group described as containing graphic sexuality.
He later said on Facebook that his group would be working to remove those books from school libraries in McAllen, San Benito, Mission, Edinburg, Pharr, Mercedes, Weslaco and Los Fresnos.
“As religious leaders in South Texas, we hold nothing more important than our religious freedoms,” the letter goes on to state. “For this reason, we strongly support the independence of our congregations, our schools, and the separation of church and state.”
“We do not believe that the government should have a say in our religious practice,” the letter continues. “We don’t believe that a religious organization should exert decision making power over our public schools or any public body. We patriotically support these rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States, and we oppose efforts to undermine them.”
The rabbi said that he and other religious leaders who signed the open letter believe that educators and librarians should be trusted to do their jobs without the influence of religion.
“That just doesn’t make sense to us when we have excellent educators and librarians that are checking our libraries, and they are seeing which books are there and which books are appropriate for our kids in our schools,” Farb said.
“There are faith leaders who’ve signed this letter who operate their own schools or educational programs, and just like they would not want an outside organization telling them what they should or should not include in their programs, we don’t think that it’s right in the public schools either.”
“The main thing is we want to make sure that our educational leaders — our educators, administrators, librarians — we want to make sure that they know they have the support of the religious community in carrying out their responsibilities,” Farb said. “They have our support and our trust, and we don’t believe it is the job of religious leaders to tell public school educators how they should be doing their job.”
DONNA — Officials here called off a municipal election that would have seen two council seats placed on the November ballot after questions over how long an elected official may serve in office.
However, the decision drew vociferous dissent from residents, who crowded into the small legislative chamber and spilled out into the hallway inside Donna City Hall on Monday.
“No offense to any candidate or anyone here at all, but when you have served your term, and if your actions speak for themselves because you’re doing such a wonderful job, then there’s no reason why you should not be able to be reelected again,” Donna resident Graciela Bustos said during a special meeting.
“That’s never happened before, so why should it now?” Bustos added.
At issue on Monday was a charter amendment approved by Donna voters during a November 2021 election.
Proposition A, which called for extending terms of office for the mayor and city council seats from three years to four, passed by a narrow majority of 51.33% in favor, and 48.67% against, with a total of 1,428 people casting a ballot.
At the same time, Donna voters also chose who they wanted to represent them at the Place 2 and Place 4 city council seats.
Place 2 Councilman Joey Garza, who ran unopposed, received 1,103 votes, while Oscar Gonzales defeated then-incumbent Eloy Avila Jr. by 315 votes for the Place 4 post.
Back at city hall, it was questions from those two councilmen that spurred Monday evening’s spirited discussions.
Officials wanted to know if that term length extension applied to the two councilmen, or if the city needed to call an election.
The meeting agenda included two items related to the discussion — one that could have caused an election order to be made, and another seeking an outside legal opinion on the matter from Gilberto Hinojosa, a Brownsville attorney known for his expertise in elections law.
But the proposal to seek Hinojosa’s opinion incensed some members of the public who crowded into the chamber, especially since the city’s own attorney, Robert Salinas, had already been asked for his legal input, as had the Texas Municipal League.
Both TML and Salinas had come to the same conclusion: the proposition’s ballot language did not specify that term length extensions would apply to the candidates then running concurrently in the 2021 election.
As such, the new four-year terms shouldn’t apply to the victors of those 2021 races.
“Those councilmembers would need to run for reelection at the end of the whole terms, which is a three-year term, not a four-year term,” said Donna resident Jesse I. Casiano as he read from a copy of the TML opinion during public comments.
Moments later, Donna Mayor David Moreno called for a motion on the order of election, pausing to ask Salinas, the city attorney for his opinion.
Salinas replied by saying this wasn’t the first time the question had come up.
Indeed, prior to the November 2023 election that saw Moreno beat incumbent Rick Morales for the mayoral seat, Morales had asked the city attorney the very same question.
In November 2020, Morales fended off a challenge from Ernesto Lugo to keep his mayoral seat by just 147 votes.
But that reelection win came one year before Prop A passed.
Nonetheless, as election season rolled around last fall, he, too, wondered if the new term lengths applied to him.
Salinas told Morales no then, and stood by that legal opinion on Monday.
“The opinion has not changed. I have seen no law and no facts that would make a change,” Salinas said, reading from a prepared statement.
“The extension of a term in office is not applicable to the officeholders in which the referendum calling for an extension of terms of office was adopted unless the referendum specifically made the extension applicable to the current officeholders,” Salinas added a moment later.
After some more explanation from Salinas, including a description of how Gilberto Hinojosa led an inquiry into a similar situation in the city of Combes, Mayor Moreno called for circumspection from the council.
“Having heard this, I truly urge the city council to make the right decision,” Moreno said.
“I’m not a fortune teller … but I can predict what’s gonna happen. … Somebody’s gonna appeal this,” he added a moment later.
The two councilmen whose fate rested on Monday’s decision didn’t say much during the meeting, save for Garza, who said the proposition ballot language was vague.
However, one councilman did speak up — Ernesto Lugo.
Lugo said the amendment’s lack of clarity is what prompted the discussion, not any attempt to “deny anybody the opportunity to vote.”
He said seeking a third opinion would give the council an opportunity to perform its due diligence.
But as Lugo made his comments, he was oftentimes shouted down by residents.
“Dictator!” one man shouted.
“Then you pay for it!” another woman said when Lugo spoke of hiring Hinojosa.
Lugo motioned for the city to not call a November election. Oscar Gonzales, one of the councilmen who would have been up for reelection, seconded Lugo’s motion.
All four councilmen voted to call off the election, while Mayor Moreno cast the sole “nay” vote.
With the election off the table, the council considered Hinojosa’s hiring a moot point.
Speaking after the meeting, Casiano, the resident who had read TML’s decision aloud, said the decision was “predetermined.”
“Our voice was silenced today by three councilmembers benefiting themselves. Two of them benefiting themselves directly, one in cahoots with them,” Casiano said.
A view of Valley International Airport on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Harlingen. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)
Airline passengers wait for their luggage at Valley International Airport’s baggage claim area Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Harlingen. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)
HARLINGEN — A years-long federal revenue stream is pouring $3.8 million to close Valley International Airport’s new $32 million runway billed as the longest landing strip south of Austin.
Last month, officials opened the runway, planning to draw bigger cargo jets while featuring new technology aimed at cutting aircraft approach minimums in half.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s grant is closing the runway extension project which Aviation Director Marv Esterly described as a “critical investment in the future of Valley International Airport.”
“Funding has come over time,” he said. “This whole project was made possible through the FAA. This is the last grant to finish that project out. This will go into our coffers to reimburse us.”
The 18-month construction project extended the runway from 8,300 feet t0 9,400 feet, Esterly said, making the landing strip the longest south of Austin and Houston.
“Improved infrastructure at Valley International Airport means more opportunities for business growth, increased tourism and enhanced connectivity for the entire Rio Grande Valley,” Mayor Norma Sepulveda said, adding U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Brownsville, helped push for the airport’s funding.
Gonzalez, who helped pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, offering millions aimed at upgrading South Texas infrastructure, including roads, water systems, broadband and airports, called the grant a “significant investment for Valley International (which) will enhance our ability to meet current and future demands of our transportation hubs.”
The project’s part of a national drive aimed at beefing up “safety and efficiency” in airports across the country, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a news release.
“Americans are flying in record numbers this summer and the Biden-Harris Administration is continuing to invest in our nation’s airports to make travel more convenient for passengers,” he said. “The funding we’re announcing, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help airports across the country make needed improvements to ensure safety and efficiency now and for years to come.”
Airline passengers arrive at Valley International Airport on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Harlingen. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)
Before officials here undertook the project, the airport’s cargo jets were operating at 48% of their maximum take-off weight, Esterly said.
Now, on the longer runway, jets flying for such companies as FedEx will be operating at 75% of their take-off weight, he said.
As part of the project, two upgraded approaches, known as instrument landing systems, will help cut aircraft approach minimums in half, Bryan Wren, the airport’s assistant aviation director, said.
The technology, part of a Category II system, allows pilots a much lower ceiling in which to approach for landing, helping guide them in poor visibility.
The runway’s new aircraft approach landing system comes as “the newest and greatest currently available,” Wren said.
“It helps aircraft get lower and closer to the runway’s end,” he said. “It also enhances safety during inclement weather.”
Airline passengers arrive at Valley International Airport on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Harlingen. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)
The runway’s extension comes as officials are launching a grant-funded $20 million project to build an air traffic control tower.
After years of planning, they’ve competed work on the control tower’s design, Wren said.
Last month, the Houston-based Trevino Group offered a low construction bid coming in under budget, he said.
Now, officials are planning to launch construction in November or December, he said.
Amid growing air traffic, they’re building a 120-foot air control tower, expected to open in about two years.
The new tower will replace the airport’s out-dated 65-foot tower built in 1971.
Brownsville’s first Lit Fiber-BTX customers for high-speed home internet Jay Hicks and Tracy Rocha celebrate with the city of Brownsville on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, at Lit Fiber-BTX Demo Center in downtown Brownsville. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)
The city of Brownsville held a press conference/celebration on Wednesday in honor Lit Fiber-BTX’s first customer, Jay Hicks, a self-described semi-professional stream and content creator on YouTube.
Lit Fiber, the city’s new, high-speed internet network, still under construction, is the result of a partnership between Lit Fiber, the city of Brownsville and the Brownsville Public Utility Board. The city used $19.5 million of its American Rescue Plan Act funding to build 100 miles of below-ground “middle mile” fiber, the backbone of the network that will eventually feed homes and businesses throughout the city.
The initiative, which began under the administration former mayor Trey Mendez, was in response to Brownsville being ranked among the nation’s least-connected cities in 2018 and 2019. Mendez has said that helping make Lit Fiber-BTX a reality was his greatest accomplishment as mayor.
The city leveraged its ARPA investment to attract other capital, including $70 million from Lit Fiber itself and Oak Hill Capital to build out the remainder of the network.
Hicks lives in the downtown area, which gave him access to the first of six fiber “rings” the city has installed. At the press conference, which took place in the new Lit Fiber Demo Center in a former Goodyear tire shop, he presented himself as a satisfied customer.
Hicks said that as a streamer and content creator, reliable, high-speed internet is a must, though he wasn’t necessarily getting that with other internet service providers (ISPs).
“You definitely need that speed with stable connections, because when you’re streaming or gaming a dropped connection is going to cause you a lot of problems,” Hicks said.
When he heard Lit Fiber was coming to town, Hicks jumped on it, he said, noting that the installation was smooth with no issues.
“Seeing that speed test from zero to a (gigabyte) in like half a second, I was surprised,” he said. “Blew my mind. And it has been stable, no drops, ever since. If you are a streamer here in the city or you make videos on YouTube or any type of social media, I say definitely go with Lit Fiber, because you will not be disappointed.”
Brownsville’s first Lit Fiber-BTX customers for high-speed home internet Jay Hicks and Tracy Rocha celebrate with the city of Brownsville on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, at Lit Fiber-BTX Demo Center in downtown Brownsville. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)
Hicks was presented with a gift basket from the city as a token of appreciation.
City Manager Helen Ramirez, taking her turn at the podium, said the new, more affordable network will benefit generations of Brownsville residents and will be essential for their success.
“This is the culmination of many, many years or hard work,” she said. “You’re witnessing history. It’s very rare that you build such a large network in any city anywhere in the world, I would say.”
Ramirez called the public-private partnership that made the network possible a “model for the nation,” noting that the Brownsville City Commission in 2020 identified connectivity as a top priority and “one of the main pillars within an economic development infrastructure.”
The first ring of the fiber network was installed in and around downtown because it’s the mostly densely population part of the city, she said.
Ramirez said Lit Fiber’s business plan includes a promotional $14.99 monthly charge for children who participate in a free-lunch program at school, and for residents 65 years or older on supplemental income.
City Commissioner and Mayor Pro Tem Rose Gowen, who is also a physician, said the “COVID years” revealed Brownsville’s glaring connectivity shortcomings.
“Many patients that I tried to call to do tele-video visits, I could not, because they either didn’t have internet or their internet speed was not fast enough to support the video portion,” she said. “Telemedicine is a necessary option sometimes.”
Noting the affordability aspect, Gowen said that “if we can connect the least fortunate and the least privileged, then we’ve connected everyone that needs to be connected.”
Brownsville’s first Lit Fiber-BTX customers for high-speed home internet Jay Hicks and Tracy Rocha celebrate with the city of Brownsville on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, at Lit Fiber-BTX Demo Center in downtown Brownsville. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)
Ron Frye, Lit Fiber vice president of field operations in Brownsville, provided details on what new residential and business customers can expect after sign-up, depending on whether the fiber connection to the home or business is underground or overhead. For underground customers, the fiber “drop” will be 8 to 10 inches in the ground, which “they cut open like a knife,” he said.
Unlike non-fiber ISPs, customers won’t have to share bandwidth, Frye noted.
“There’s an individual fiber for every customer. … Your bandwidth is your bandwidth,” he said, adding that Lit Fiber’s upload and download speeds are “very much symmetrical.”
“That’s unheard of in a lot of your cable providers or your old telecomm providers,” Frye said.
Once the service is installed, Lit Fiber’s maintenance and support team will be dedicated to solving any problems that arise quickly, he said.
“We want to correct that issue within 24 hours, because we want your experience to be top notch,” he said.
The city said it expects Lit Fiber to be serving more than 10,000 households and businesses by the end of this year.
The Region One Education Service Center later this month will start free adult education classes that feature English learning and GED prep, and the deadline to register is approaching.
Yoelia Nava, Region One adult education program administrator said the GED prep courses are scheduled to begin Aug. 26.
The English as a second language (ESL) will start Sept. 9.
“The idea here is to offer all of these services to elevate the economy here in our area,” Nava said. “We’re trying to get these people employed. We want them to have a higher skill set, a higher education to be able to obtain and sustain employment in our area.”
The GED prep is a class for adults 19 years and older that did not complete high school and want to improve their basic skills in reading, writing, math and science.
The class prepares students for the high school equivalency test such as the GED. The program offers various levels spanning from pre-literacy to high school to meet the requirements of participants.
The ESL classes target non-native English speakers who want to enhance their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.
The classes additionally cover U.S culture, history and government. The classes encompass various proficient levels from beginner to advanced to accommodate individuals with their language skills.
Civics is embedded in all of the curriculum and helps adults preparing for the U.S citizenship exam. The topics covered range from the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, the U.S government and constitution to U.S history and geography.
The class also helps students practice their English language skills and prepare for the interview and test. Adults interested in the program must complete an Adult Education Program interest form.
The form is essential for the program to see students’ levels to see what class is best for them and where the adult classes can be offered in an area if enough people are interested.
Upon completion of the form, students must attend an orientation where they will complete registration and receive more information on what classes are available and where they will be offered.
Last year, Nava said Region One had classes across the Rio Grande Valley from Rio Grande City to Donna.
Students will also be notified via a phone call, email and through a Facebook post about orientation.
Adults interested need a valid ID to register for classes.
Nava added that adults interested in the program should fill out an interest form in the next two weeks but have until the first day of class to join.
The classes are around 12 weeks and are on a Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday schedule.
“Last year, I want to say (the program) had almost close to 2,500 students,” she said. “That is definitely our target again this year. Within the last three weeks, we’ve been doing some orientations, and we are already at 700 participants that are registered.
A mother breastfeeds her baby as a breast pump and bottle milk are seen in focus (Adobe Stock)
BROWNSVILLE — The bonding and the feeding and the nourishing in the first minutes of a baby’s grand journey through life lay a solid foundation for the power of that journey.
That is why physicians everywhere recommend mothers breastfeed babies within the first hour of life.
“Breast feeding is probably the best start that a newborn can get in life,” says Miriam Longoria, director of women’s services at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Brownsville.
Breast feeding is important at the beginning of life and that benefit extends to the end of life. That’s why medical professionals everywhere are using the beginning of August to start observing National Breastfeeding Month until the end of August.
“We’ve always been taught that breast milk is the best source for babies, and so we encourage our mothers to try and breastfeed, if possible,” Longoria said. “National Breastfeeding Month is important for making sure our community is aware of that.”
The World Health Organization says that breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival.
But why?
The reasons are varied and wide ranging.
Babies who are breastfed have few childhood infections of the ear, respiratory system and the digestive system, says healthline.com
But again, why?
Because breast milk contains antibodies from the mother. These proteins help strengthen the infant’s immune system so it can defend itself.
Breastfed babies have a lower risk for developing obesity, type 1 diabetes, asthma, and sudden infant death syndrome, said Sammy Jo Luna, a board-certified lactation consultant at Valley Baptist-Brownsville. Luna has aided thousands of mothers breastfeeding.
“Breastmilk is easily digested and lowers risks of diarrhea and constipation in newborns,” Luna said.
However, breastfeeding has benefits not only to babies but also to the mothers who nurse them.
“Breastfeeding helps prevent hemorrhage in mothers after delivery by reducing bleeding and shrinking of the uterus,” Luna said. “Breastfeeding lowers the risks of Mom developing breast and ovarian cancer. Breastfeeding also lowers the risks of Mom developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease.”
Longoria said surprisingly few mothers who come to have their babies have given little thought to breastfeeding. That’s where education comes in, and that’s why National Breastfeeding Month is so important.
“What we frequently experience at Valley Baptist is that new moms are sometimes apprehensive to breastfeed simply due to a lack of awareness,’ Longoria said. “Education and support are a critical first step in enabling a mother’s efforts to breastfeed.”
Seen from left to right in this undated photo are Donna school district officials including: Jose R. Reyna, vice president; Eva Castillo Watts, board member; Dr. Maricela Valdez, board member; Dr. Angela Dominguez, superintendent; Dr. Daniel King, Region One Education Service Center executive director; Fernando Castillo, president; Ida M. Garcia, secretary; Jose L. Valdez, board member and Eloy Avila, board member. (Courtesy: Donna ISD/Facebook)
Seen from left to right in this undated photo are Donna school district officials including: Jose R. Reyna, vice president; Eva Castillo Watts, board member; Dr. Maricela Valdez, board member; Dr. Angela Dominguez, superintendent; Dr. Daniel King, Region One Education Service Center executive director; Fernando Castillo, president; Ida M. Garcia, secretary; Jose L. Valdez, board member and Eloy Avila, board member. (Courtesy: Donna ISD/Facebook)
The Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) has named the Donna ISD school board as one of five 2024 Honor School Boards, making them a finalist for the title of Texas Outstanding School Board.
The program recognizes school boards for commitment and service that has made a positive impact on Texas public schools.
The 2023-24 Donna school board is led by President Fernando Castillo alongside Vice President Jose Rogelio Reyna, Secretary Ida M. Garcia and members Eloy Avila, Jose L. Valdez, Dr. Maricela Valdez and Eva Castillo Watts.
The five honor boards were selected by a committee of Texas superintendents. The selection committee’s decisions were based on criteria that include support for educational performance, support for educational improvement projects, commitment to a code of ethics, and supportive relationships among board members.
“I am so proud of our trustees,” Superintendent Angela Dominguez said. “They go through a lot of training and development and people don’t realize this is an unpaid role and they invest a lot of time in preparation.”
This is the board’s second nomination for a state award as they were named state finalists for the 2024 H-E-B Excellence in Education Outstanding School Board Award.
Also being named the 2024 Outstanding School Board of the Year by the Region One Education Center, Castillo said it is an honor for the school board to receive these recognitions.
“This is kind of like a combination of two different entities who have state school administrators … then you have (an entity with) school boards as well and to us, it’s a big honor,” he added. “It speaks volumes of how our board is working together and how our goals and vision are the same.”
Castillo said the team of board members and Dominguez might disagree at times but at the end of the day, they all work together for the best outcomes for students.
“I really see that it’s made a big difference,” Castillo said. “Because we are working collaboratively with our superintendent who has that vision and goal for student success at all levels, we can’t just talk about it but you have to have evidence.”
Donna ISD administration offices on Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, in Donna. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])
TASA states on their website that the School Board Awards Committee was impressed by the early childhood initiatives put in place by the Donna ISD school board.
The academy focuses on students from pre-K through second grade through dual language classroom instruction and multiple hands-on activities.
“As a district, we’re about 57% ESL and bilingual,” Castillo said. “We have some elementaries that are as high as 77%, where their first language is Spanish. We had to capitalize on that. That’s one thing we’re doing district-wide and the outcomes are phenomenal.”
The School Board Awards Committee also noted how fiscally responsible the board is and how well board members maximize opportunities despite limited resources.
The board will be interviewed on Sept. 27 at the TASA convention in San Antonio where one board will be named the Texas Outstanding School Board.
The Rio Grande Valley now has another voice representing the region’s healthcare needs on the Texas Hospitals Association Board of Trustees that represents 85% of the state’s acute-care hospitals and healthcare systems.
Lance Ames, chief executive officer of South Texas Health System Children’s and STHS Edinburg was appointed to the board Tuesday in which his term began immediately and will end on Dec. 31, 2026.
The THA is an organization whose goal is to advocate for the state’s hospitals and health care to improve accessibility, quality and cost-effectiveness of health care throughout the state.
Ames, who joined STHS in 2013 has since helped expand and develop “much needed” hospital services at both hospitals and overseen the completion of a $105 million new patient tower project.
Throughout his time with the hospital system STHS Edinburg has been named a Best Regional Hospital by the U.S. News & World Report for three consecutive years as well as other national recognitions.
Now as a member of the board, Ames hopes to advocate for the Valley which is one of the state’s medically underserved areas with issues such as poverty and lack of access to health care.
“I’m honored to receive an appointment to the board of the Texas Hospital Association, an organization that has spent decades advocating for hospitals, caregivers and support team members to ensure adequate funding and resources are dedicated to meet the needs of each community in Texas,” Ames said in a news release.
“I look forward to representing the great people of the Rio Grande Valley and serving as a voice in the decisions being made about healthcare across the state, including our medically underserved communities across the region.”
