SOUTH PADRE ISLAND – The search for a city manager is on.

But first, the city must hire an executive search firm to help find a new leader to handle the Island’s city business.

“I think it’s a good process,” said SPI mayor Barry Patel. “We’ve done it before, and it went well.”

Patel said the last search for a city manager drew more than 90 applicants and many of them were very qualified.

“Hopefully we’ll have the same kind of response, and we’ll get somebody good,” Patel said.

During Wednesday’s city meeting, a committee of three council members was formed to work together to find the executive search firm.

Council members Dennis Stahl, Theresa Metty and Alex Avalos will be leading the search for the firm who will help find the next city manager.

The council also agreed on a salary range of $120,000 to $160,000 to bait qualified and potential applicants.

“If a rock star comes in, that’s enough to get their attention,” Stahl said.

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SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — Everyone knows Spring Break brings people and money to the Island.

But it also brings headaches and additional costs incurred by city departments.

This year, Spring Break cost the city nearly an additional half million dollars. The numbers were reported to the city council earlier this week.

Additional police and fire department services cost the city $90,000. Advertising Spring Break to attract the visitors was another $200,000.

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“The total expenditures is about $413,000 associated with Spring Break,” said Darla Jones, SPI interim city manager.

The city also had costs for the pre-empoyment drug screening, fuel, labor and other expenses.

“We should know the HOT (Hotel Occupancy Tax) numbers by the end of the month,” Jones said.

The city is waiting for the sales tax figures from the state comptrollers office that are due to the city in May.

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HARLINGEN – An early morning accident has left a neighborhood in north Harlingen without power.

The area of 13th Street from Rio Hondo Road to Matz Street has been blocked off and is currently without power.

Police say a driver slammed into a utility pole at the intersection of Rio Hondo Road and 13th Street causing the outage.

Minor injuries reported. Police said the roadways should reopen soon.

SAN BENITO — When he first arrived here, Superintendent Dr. Adrian Vega’s mission was clear.

It was to move the district forward in a positive and productive way.

Just recently, Vega has surpassed 100 days in office. A feat celebrated at the district level.

“I am grateful for the opportunity that I have been given by the board to serve this great district,” Vega said.

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“Working together with our school district staff, our students, our parents, and community and business members has been an exciting time.”

Since his arrival, Vega has participated in many district and community events.

During the past 100 days, he has regularly visited classrooms and campuses throughout the district.

The majority of the work with members of his leadership team has involved successfully launching the district’s five-year strategic plan, known as the “Re-Imagine 2021” Campaign.

First, Vega met with all campuses and departmental staff to obtain feedback on the state of the district. He polled teachers, parents, and staff to gain a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t.

Vega and members of his leadership team have also set time aside to take part in the board-approved efficiency

audit and curriculum audit.

“We are looking forward to completing our work on the district’s strategic plan,” Vega said.

“Regarding work on the audits, the audit teams will soon be completing their studies. This will provide us a better understanding of where we are as a district.”

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RIO HONDO — A 45-year-old Rio Hondo man remains in federal custody after he was accused of trying to distribute 26 pounds of cocaine.

Robert Garcia Jr. appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya III, and he was ordered to be held without bond until his next scheduled court date.

According to a criminal complaint filed against Garcia, he and Jorge Juarez Jimenez, a Mexican national, are accused of taking part in a smuggling operation that included the exchange of drugs in the parking lot of a Brownsville restaurant.

The complaint states the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit had received a tip of a possible smuggling attempt of drugs outside the restaurant.

The incident occurred April 19 when a white van pulled up next to a Honda Pilot that Garcia would be riding in, according to the complaint. The driver of the van got out of the vehicle, carrying two red bags, and walked up to Garcia’s vehicle and placed the bags inside, the complaint said.

The driver reportedly waved toward the restaurant, and Garcia and Juarez Jimenez walked out of the restaurant and got into the Honda Pilot and drove off, according to the complaint. They also checked the back seat prior to driving away.

A Cameron County sheriff’s deputy followed them and then stopped the Honda for a traffic infraction. The deputy received permission to search the vehicle, where he found 10 packages of cocaine, the complaint read.

Garcia and the other man were transported to the Sheriff’s Department to be interviewed. Garcia was later arrested. Juarez Jimenez was found to be in the country illegally and was also charged.

LOS FRESNOS — A 61-year-old pilot is in critical condition after his helicopter snagged a power line and caused him to crash off of FM 803 and Ebony Road outside Los Fresnos yesterday morning.

The male pilot was taken to Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen before being transported to the San Antonio Military Medical Center to be treated for burn injuries.

“It looks like he clipped a power line, causing him to lose control of the helicopter and crash into the field,” Los Fresnos Fire Chief Gene Daniels said. “He (was) in critical condition with burns on his upper body.”

A nearby resident heard the impact and called 9-1-1.

The crash caused a grass fire that was quickly put out by the fire department. One truck handled the helicopter, which had chemicals on board, and another handled the grass.

Nobody else was injured, but the damaged power line did need to be repaired by Magic Valley Electric Cooperative.

The helicopter was a cropduster contracted by the Texas Boll Weevil Eradication program, officials said.

The Cameron County Sheriff’s Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Los Fresnos Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene.

Authorities blocked off traffic around the area as lawmen investigated the crash site.

HARLINGEN — Harlingen is getting fit … and it’s showing.

The city and school district are a pair of big winners in the statewide It’s Time Texas Community Challenge.

The Harlingen school district won first-place among districts with enrollments of 10,000 to 39,999 students.

And the city of Harlingen took fifth-place among the state’s mid-sized cities.

To rack up contest points, city and district officials joined Harlingen residents in posting their fitness activities along with healthy selfies on the contest’s website.

The contest, which ran from Jan. 1 to March 31, was organized by It’s Time Texas, a nonprofit organization promoting healthier lifestyles to help curb diseases such diabetes.

The school district took part in 31 activities to help win its top recognition, spokeswoman Brianna Vela said.

Fitness pledges from Superintendent Arturo Cavazos and aquatics coordinator Sandra Flinn helped the district stack up big points.

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HARLINGEN — When Gerald Gathright began working for the Boys & Girls Club of Harlingen, the lone building on site was just a shell, with nothing inside.

That was 39 years ago.

The organization had only one basketball team. It now has 201, plus numerous other activities to support local youth.

Last night, local dignitaries converged on the Club at 1209 W. Washington Ave. to celebrate its 50th anniversary. They seemed to come from all directions: School Superintendent Art Cavazos, Mayor Chris Boswell, Kathy Preddy from the United Way, and Harlingen school board member George McShan, just to name a few.

Gathright, the director, was touched by the turnout and by the support from the city over the years.

“I think it’s a testament to the generosity of our community,” said Gathright.

He’s pointed out many times the club’s importance to local children. For many, it’s a home away from home.

“It keeps them safe from the dangers of being out in the street,” Gathright said.

Five satellite units serve different parts of the city between the main facility on Washington Ave. One of them is the LeMoyne Gardens Unit.

Zena Nazar, 13, is a resident of the Le Moyne Gardens residential area. She planned to read a speech about the role the Boys & Girls Club has played in her life.

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By FREDDY GONZALEZ

Staff Writer

SANTA ROSA – As a player, imagine going into a game expecting to lose — anticipating failure.

Now imagine that feeling linger for an entire season. Knowing that every swing you took, every strike you threw and every hit you received brought you one step closer to the only attainable goal within grasp – finishing the season.

For the Lady Warriors, those were the harsh realities of a 2015 season when the team went 13-14 overall and struggled to reach .500.

But what changed?

What made this Santa Rosa squad become the first team in school history to win a softball district championship?

Two words — loyalty and teamwork.

After head coach Erica Molina was replaced in the summer of 2015, the girls fought hard to bring her back, knowing that if they were going to do something unprecedented, they would do it with her at the helm. No one else.

In the end, they succeeded.

The first victory of their historic 2016 season was made without a bat or a glove, but rather, off the field, using the power of unity and teamwork.

“We wanted to prove to everyone that we needed her,” said senior Jazzlynn Leeandra Robles. “We had to fight very hard to get her back.”

It was a victory for girls, but for Molina as well.

The girls got their coach, and Molina got her team back.

But that was only the first step.

“At the beginning of the season I told them that I wanted them to win district so bad,” she said. “But at the end of the day what I want doesn’t matter. I told them ‘you can win the first ever district title if you do three things’ believe in yourselves, trust in each other and work hard.

“When I first took over two years ago I knew it was going to be a process and I knew that in our third year we were going to be a strong team, and everything came together.”

First came the 17-1 victory against district opponent Falfurrias, then a 6-1 win over Monte Alto. But it wasn’t until a 5-4 victory against District 32-3A rival Lyford that the team knew they had a shot to make history.

This year, the Lady Warriors are 15-5 overall and 8-0 in District 32-3A. And while the success they’ve had so far can be attributed to litany of things, there is no doubt that wining district was important on a number of levels.

For instance, this year marks the 10th year anniversary of the program’s existence and achieving something that never been done is a nice way celebrate it.

“Wining a district title in softball is something that’s never been done here before and I want them to build a tradition,” said Molina. “I want the girls to be excited for their own programs, not just the boys program.”

However the excitement has already caught on, and most players remember where they were when they first heard the news, that Lyford’s loss was a win for them.

“When I heard the news I was actually cleaning my room and I just threw up my hands and yelled ‘We’re district champs!’” said Robles. “My whole family was happy.”

“I was actually at the Lyford game, but I had to leave early because my little brother had a baseball game,” added sophomore Mariah Contreras. “But one of my friends parents texted me that they had lost and you don’t know how good that felt.

“It’s lifted up my spirits just to know that we finally accomplished what we worked hard for all season. And it felt really good.”

But the job isn’t finished.

The Lady Warriors’ new goal is to go undefeated in district action. With one more game left in the regular season schedule, it’s no surprise that it comes down to Friday’s game against Lyford.

“We go into our games with a lot of confidence now, last year it wasn’t like that,” said Contreras. “We know how to work together now and we know that we can rely on each other.”