After years of going by the code name “Project Sizzle,” the veil has finally been lifted on a major industrial investment coming to Brownsville.

Assistant Secretary of Commerce Arun Kumar was among the officials on hand Wednesday morning at Brownsville Economic Development Council headquarters to announce the imminent arrival of SATA USA, part of Italian firm SATA Group, a top supplier of machined parts to Caterpillars, John Deere and many of the world’s auto manufacturers.

SATA USA filed with the Texas Secretary of State as a domestic for-profit corporation, with a registered office in Brownsville, on Oct. 31, 2014. The company plans to build a foundry-machining operation that will anchor a 350-acre heavy manufacturing corridor on F.M. 511.

BEDC officials were in talks for years with the company, which was also considering Monterrey, Mexico.

Brownsville will be the SATA Group’s first presence in the United States. SATA USA will invest about $400 million in the project, which officials say will create a number of jobs during the construction phase and 300 jobs long term.

We’ll have more details soon.

HARLINGEN — Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos needs your help.

He sent out a message on his Twitter page this week directing Texans to an online Secretary of State customer satisfaction survey to give him feedback on his work and how his office has performed for Texans during his time in office.

“This survey lets my agency hear directly from the people we are serving, the citizens of Texas,” Cascos said. “By learning about their experiences we can find ways to improve and make the agency more effective.”

The survey is a short fill-in-the blank questionnaire.

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The answers fall into these categories: business, elections, border affairs, government filings, the weekly publication Texas Register, the uniform commercial code and not applicable.

The survey will be up at least through May 20.

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HARLINGEN — The Downtown Improvement District board of directors yesterday voted to seek more time and information about possibly moving the Harlingen Farmers Market four blocks west.

The market operates Saturdays from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at 122 N. A St. between Jackson and Monroe.

In documents presented to the board, farmers market manager Kate McSwain indicated any moving of the market — in this case four blocks over to the Centennial Park parking lot — would have to include a shade structure for both farmers and their customers.

A grant from the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation to the Mayor’s Wellness Coalition included funding for just that.

McSwain informed the board previously that those involved with the market are onboard with the relocation — so long as there’s shade.

The board declined to give its approval to moving the farmers market, with several voicing concerns about parking on West Street where Centennial Park is located.

“They need to realign West Street,” said board chair Bill DeBrooke. “It needs to be realigned one-way north is the logical thing to do, and have angle-in parking up against the sidewalk next to the parking lot. You can’t do angle-in parking on both sides — the street’s not wide enough.

“What you have right now in terms of permanent parking is three rows of parking,” DeBrooke continued. “If you do the farmers market you’re left with one row of parking for the public, which doesn’t make much sense if you’re moving the farmers market there to get better access.”

The board voted to seek more information on how West Street could accommodate the market and what would have to be reconfigured to account for traffic flow and parking.

SANTA ROSA — While much of the talk this weekend surrounded the shock that was heard around the Valley after PSJA Memorial ousted San Benito from the postseason, the Santa Rosa Lady Warriors were quietly making school history.

First softball district championship — check.

First team to go undefeated in district play — check.

First team to post a bi-district playoff victory — check.

First team to advance to an area round match — check.

In a season full of firsts, it’s hard to believe that the Lady Warriors are sill hungry for more.

Full story at RGVSports.com

SANTA ROSA — While the Santa Rosa Warriors did take down the Santa Gertrudis Academy (Kingsville) Lions in last year’s bi-district series, their inexperience showed and eventually led to a loss in the area round.

This year, as they prepare to face those same Lions to open the postseason this Friday and Saturday, that nervous bunch is now a playoff-tested group.

“It’s definitely different this year,” junior catcher Francisco “Chicago” Figueroa said. “Last year, nobody but our senior AJ Mendiola and then-junior Manny Sanchez had playoff experience. We were nervous, but after going as far as we did last year, we’re pretty confident.”

See full story at RGVSports.com

HARLINGEN — With one swift move, Michael Casas had his opponent “pinned.”

Casas, 10, had gone into attack mode with his bishop, moving it forward toward his opponent’s piece in a chess move called a pin.

His opponent, Izabel Vasquez, was unfazed. The Sam Houston fourth grader almost seemed to wear a poker face as she looked sternly at the bat-tlefield populated by chess pieces.

“I’m trying to make her bishop go over here,” said Michael, a fourth grader.

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“I am trying to stop him from attacking my king,” said Izabel.

She and Michael are part of a 12-member team of chess players who are headed to the National Elementary (K-6) Champi-onship in Nashville, Ten-nessee, May 6 to 8. The tournament is organized by the United States Chess Federation.

Six students are going from Sam Houston Ele-mentary. Another six from Wilson Elementary will also make the trip with them.

Even as the students neared their departure date tomorrow for Nashville, they continued flexing their mental faculties with each move of the chess board. The ability to strategize impressed Christine Claudio, the sponsor from Sam Houston.

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HARLINGEN — Early voting fell short of ballots cast in the city’s last may-oral election.

A steady number of vot-ers went to the polls to cast early ballots from April 25 through yesterday for Saturday’s election.

Mayor Chris Boswell faces former City Commis-sioner Jerry Prepejchal, retired police Lt. Joe Rubio and businessman Kenneth Benton.

In the race for the Dis-trict 2 City Commission seat, incumbent Commis-sioner Tudor Uhlhorn faces former Commis-sioner Frank Puente.

On the last day of early voting, city and school officials kept the polls open until 8 p.m. to help more voters cast early ballots.

“It’s steady,” City Secre-tary Amanda Elizondo said of the turnout. “But it’s less than the last (mayoral election).”

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HARLINGEN — If one parade is good, 40 or more is even better.

Historic photos of Har-lingen parades is a new exhibit opening to the public Thursday at the D’Arte Centre Gallery.

Some of the 75 photos, which span the years from the 1920s through the 1990s, have not been on public display previously.

“They’re very different parades,” Downtown Manager Cheryl LaBerge said yesterday. “One was called the Fiesta Teresa and there’s something called the Life Begins at 40 Golf Tournament Parade that they used to have.

“For many years there was something called the Valley Mid-Winter Fair and they had a parade,” she added, “Those are a lot of the early ones. And then of course we have the Christmas, and Fourth of July parades.”

The “Good Morning Downtown” event is from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the gallery at 115 E. Jackson St. The exhibit runs until June 4 at gallery, which is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Entry to the exhibit is free.

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SAN BENITO — Skate boarders rejoice.

Your skate pad is almost ready for you.

Last night, commissioners received a short update on the progress of the skate pad by Public Works Director Adan Gonzalez, who has been watching the repairs closely.

Weather permitting, repairs could be done as early as next week, he informed commissioners.

They were pleased with the progress at the skate pad at Stookey Park.

A bigger skate park is in the works for the future.

Last month, when the decision was handed down about the skate pad, officials assured the public they would still try to find a way to make a full skate park happen.

Last month, engineers from LNV proposed overall plans for Stookey Park.

From the beginning, the engineering firm has been tasked with the plans for the park.

The skate pad will be located at Stookey Park adjacent to the old, troubled pool.

Parks and Recreation Director Art Garza said about $24,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funds have been allocated to pay for new equipment and to repair existing equipment as needed.

“The skating community needs a place where they can go and use their skateboards,” he said.

The skate pad, measuring 80 feet by 30 feet, hopefully will be done next week.

“The work that can be done will be done in-house,” Garza said. “We will also continue to find funding for the future skate park.”

HARLINGEN — Texas state sales tax reimbursements to the city of Harlingen for April were up a healthy 9.49 percent over the previous year, the Texas Comptroller’s Office reported yesterday.

The city received $1.8 million in sales tax revenue for the month, compared to $1.6 million one year ago.

To date in 2016, Harlingen sales tax revenues total $7.3 million.

Sales tax revenue reimbursements to Texas cities are an indicator of the health of a local economy.

Elsewhere in Cameron County, Brownsville received a 4.03 percent boost from April 2015, receiving $2.8 million in sales tax revenue from the state. Brownsville is up 2.87 percent this year ($12.3 million) over the same period in 2015.

San Benito’s revenues were up 6.08 percent and that city received $$350,000 in sales tax revenue for April.

South Padre Island showed an 8.46 percent gain, receiving $183,245 in sales taxes, and Port Isabel was up 25.85 percent and received $156,133.

Elsewhere, Combes revenues were up 14.75 percent and the city received $11,597; La Feria was up 8.48 percent ($96,683); Laguna Vista was up 4.58 percent ($12,555); Los Fresnos saw its sales tax revenues increase by 38.69 percent ($99,279); Los Indios saw its percentage of sales tax revenue drop 16.29 percent.

Palm Valley saw an increase of 3.03 percent ($4,111); Primera was up 24.55 percent ($10,368); Rancho Viejo was up 3.03 percent ($5,543); Rio Hondo was up 55.69 percent ($21,325); and Santa Rosa saw an increase of 131.02 percent ($11,455).

In Willacy County, Raymondville saw its sales tax revenue for April fall by 4.37 percent ($103,695), and Lyford saw an increase of 21.82 percent ($10,540).

In Hidalgo County, McAllen saw its sales tax revenue fall by 1.50 percent ($4.5 million), Mercedes saw an increase of 2.11 percent ($474,997), and Weslaco was down 2.91 percent ($929,872).