The 2016 Atlantic Hurricane forecast has been released and federal officials say it will be a “near-normal” hurricane season.

Kathryn Sullivan, administrator for NOAA, said this year’s forecast calls for 10 to 16 tropical storms, 4 to 8 hurricanes, with 1 to 4 major hurricanes.

Her announcement was made this morning during a NOAA press conference in which officials released the forecast for the season.

Over the past few years a strong El Nino has prevented the development of hurricanes in the Atlantic since an El Nino tends to push storms away. However, officials said it appears the current El Nino is winding down and that there is a 70 percent chance that an La Nina could develop at the peak of hurricane season which could favor more tropical storm activity.

The peak of hurricane season occurs during the months of August, September and October.

Hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.

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HARLINGEN – A group of World War II veterans departed from Valley International Airport on Friday, en route to being honored for their service and sacrifice in Washington, D.C.

Eleven men and women were staging for their Honor Flight departure at the Texas Travel Information Center at 2021 W. Harrison Ave.

“It’s a special flight only for World War II veterans for Memorial Day flight,” said Honor Flight of the Rio Grand Valley’s Lisa Dwyer. “We’re going to meet in Austin with another group and we’ll be up there for a special presentation.”

Dwyer said this is the first flight to be exclusively for World War II veterans for the Valley organization.

“Usually we have World War II, Korea, and any other veterans we can get to fill up the flight,” she said. “We’re really focusing on World War II because we really want to make sure they get this experience.

“Unfortunately, we’re losing our World War II vets really quickly,” she added. “And they’re our heroes – big-time.”

Garcario Hernandez, 93, was preparing for departure.

“I was up there in the Army,” he said, serving in the Pacific in the Philippines. “And from the Philippines until they dropped the second one, the atomic bomb.”

Fellow veterans Edwin Janowski, 95, served in the U.S. Army in Europe, he said.

He’s also a veteran of Honor Flights, too, he said.

“Oh, I’ve been before.”

The Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization created to honor America’s veterans for their service.

It transports veterans at no charge to Washington, D.C., to visit and reflect at their memorials.

To date, Honor Flight has provided the opportunity to see those memorials to more than 100,000 veterans.

HARLINGEN — Four young men have been arrested after police said they stole beer and other alcoholic beverages from H-E-B.

Tuesday night officers responded to the H-E-B on Expressway 77 in reference to a theft in progress.

The caller told police two suspects were inside a vehicle in the parking lot and two others fled on foot.

Police said officers detained all four suspects.

An investigation revealed all four young men worked together to steal beer and other alcoholic beverages valued at $63.89. The stolen beer was returned to the store.

The suspects identified as Austin Durivage, 20, of Edinburg; Nathan Durivage, 19, of Harlingen; Antonio Trejo, 17, of San Benito; and Clyde McDowell, 19, of Harlingen were arrested and transported to the city jail.

All four were charged each with a class C misdemeanor for theft and a class B misdemeanor for engaging in organized criminal activity.

LAGUNA VISTA — The memorial to Adrian Garcia grabs at your heart.

A simple cross and flowers, and “Gone Fishing, Adrian” marks the spot on remote Holly Beach just north of this city where he launched his kayak for the last time.

Garcia, 20, a Los Fresnos High graduate, was kayaking in poor conditions on March 31 at Holly Beach, which is known for being an easy place to launch but a tough place to paddle.

Fog rolled in, along with high winds, and somehow Garcia became separated from his friends. His body, without a life jacket, was found a day later near Port Isabel.

For paddlers along the Gulf Coast, Garcia’s story was a wake-up call, and it caused a storm of message board conversations, emails and text messages about kayak safety.

For Boating Safety Week this week, kayaker John Hern of South Padre Island passed along some of his observations about paddling safety in the Laguna Madre and in the Gulf of Mexico.

“The number one mistake is they don’t put on their life jacket,” Hern said. And when it comes to quality, a life jacket isn’t the place to try to save money.

“Are you willing to spend just $5.99 on a life jacket to protect your life?” he asked. “No. You spend what your life is worth.”

Hern said that being out on the water is never safe, and no one should ever become complacent about that. But there are ways to minimize risks.

“Number two is I always have a whistle hanging from my life jacket,” he said. “Your voice won’t penetrate fog like a whistle will.”

His third safety tip involves those floating pool noodles you buy for kids. But they’re anything but kid stuff, Hern says.

“One of those noodles holds up 45 pounds in the water,” Hern said. “My hull is always full of those noodles.”

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SAN BENITO – They’re healthier, slimmer and happier.

Ever since the administrators at Rangerville Elementary instituted a new wellness program, the school’s children – and staff – are eating better and exercising more.

The program has been so effective, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation has just named the school a recipient of the Gold Award through its National Healthy Schools initiative. This after submitting paperwork outlining policies which are helping the school’s 365 students be more health conscious.

Parents and staff are also joining in the cause of fitness, and The Gold Award affirms their efforts are working.

“We are really grateful we got it,” said Principal Diana Atkinson. “We have seen students’ bodies change.”

Those changes have resulted from Atkinson and her staff developing new policies which meet the criteria of National Healthy Schools.

Those policies include requiring healthy foods at classroom birthday parties and other activities. Specifics about healthy foods were created by a committee of parents, teachers and two fifth graders.

“A lot of birthdays are celebrated, people want to bring in pizza, they want to bring cupcakes,” Atkinson said. “They started bringing healthy snacks, edible arrangements (fresh fruit), yogurt parfait, fruit cups.”

The new guidelines even affected how the PTA does fundraisers.

“The PTA has always sold chocolate,” she said. “This year we had to do away with that. We sold tumblers and we raffled off a picnic table.”

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McALLEN — Gov. Greg Abbott classified the Obama administration’s transgender policy as an overreach Thursday at a book signing here.

When asked about Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s calling for the resignation of the Ft. Worth superintendent who issued rules to accommodate for transgender students, Abbott said Patrick was “exercising his First Amendment free speech rights.”

Texas and 10 other states filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the Obama administration for its policy to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity.

“The legal action that has been taken is the action that defends the constitution from presidential overreach,” Abbott said in his seven-question, roughly five-minute press event before his book signing.

Several people waiting in line said they were not well versed enough in Obama’s transgender policy to have much to say.

A crux of the lawsuit is the Obama administration is overreaching from a national level to state level.

More than 30 protesters marched on the sidewalk outside Abbott’s book signing. They waved flags, chanted in unison and held up signs.

Some of the signs read “Trans Rights Are Human Rights” and “Make Texas Equal Again.”

Four women stood nearby holding pro-life signs.

They wouldn’t give their names, but said they believe in a “traditional” marriage “between a man and a woman.”

J.T. Troche, a transgender military veteran who “served in silence” during the Persian Gulf War, said this lawsuit from Texas against the Obama administration is “inappropriate.”

Troche was told that Abbott said Patrick exercised his right of free speech in dealing with Fort Worth.

“Does he (Abbott) just determine who’s exercising free speech and who isn’t?” Troche said. “We’re also exercising free speech. But it shouldn’t stop with the lieutenant governor. Free speech shouldn’t stop with anyone.”

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — Larry Polsky said he will file a petition with the Texas Supreme Court if he has to.

Polsky wants to build a residential subdivision a half mile north of beach access six on the Island.

Now, he is disputing an order from the General Land Office to stop construction even though he has a permit given to him from Cameron County with the approval to develop ocean front land.

For the last four years his effort to develop beachfront property he owns on the Island has been on hold.

“It’s a terrible situation and I absolutely harm no one,” Polsky said.

In 2008 Polsky purchased his 1.5 acres of land totaling three lots. He said he wanted to live on one lot and sell the others.

In 2009, he was reported to the GLO for pouring concrete on the beach around his property.

Polsky said he filed a petition for a rehearing to the Third District Court of Appeals who upheld a lower court’s decision in an opinion stating that Polsky’s development project violated state, coastal and county dune protection laws.

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RAYMONDVILLE — After three years, the school board has a new slate of officers.

But Lupe Ruiz, who has served as president since winning election in 2013, no longer serves as president or an officer.

Board members held an election of officers in a special meeting May 16, days after Ruiz was released from jail, where he was held for failure to pay child support.

In the election, Jessica Cantu-Ramirez, who had served as vice president since winning election in 2013, was chosen the board’s president.

Meanwhile, Daniel Garcia, who won election last year, was selected vice president, while Jaime Villarreal, also elected last year, is the board’s new secretary.

Rolando Longoria was re-elected assistant secretary.

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SANTA ROSA — Prior to January, Santa Rosa senior snare drummer Donovan Olivarez had only ever performed with an ensemble.

But once Olivarez decided to tackle his first solo, he felt right at home with the idea of being able to express himself through his craft.

“I’m used to being in a drum line and I’m used to being technical and match others,” Olivarez said. “With (a solo) I was able to interpret any way I wanted. At first I played a little tight, having to be aware of everything.

“Directors then told me to do it my own way and it sounded pretty cool.”

Just five months later, Olivarez finds himself preparing for this tomorrow’s state UIL solos and ensembles contest in Austin.

Olivarez qualified for the state contest by earning a superior Division I rating on a fully-memorized performance of a Class I solo entitled ‘Hercules’ at the local UIL solos and ensembles contest in San Benito back in late February.

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LYFORD — After months of planning, a project to turn a flood plane into a $150,000 five-acre park is on.

City commissioners are searching for an engineering firm to design Central Park on city-owned land off Spur 154.

As part of the search, officials are seeking engineers with “similar experience with other public service projects.”

The city will use a $75,000 Texas Parks & Wildlife grant along with a $50,000 Willacy County donation will help fund the project, City Secretary Lydia Moreno said yesterday.

The park will feature a $28,593 amphitheater; a $96,000 lighted softball field; a $15,592 boardwalk and nature viewing area; a soccer field; and picnic tables and benches.

For years, city officials debated ways to make use of the area, some of which lies in a flood plane.

Now, the city plans to turn its “eyesore” into its second park.

De La Paz said the park is expected to be completed in September.