The students at Rangerville Elementary in San Benito had a special visitor on campus this morning.

New York Giants defensive back Trevin Wade talked to the students and administrators about being fit and healthy.

Wade is part of the NFL’s “Fuel Up to Play 60” fitness program, which is aimed at getting kids to eat healthy and exercise an hour each day. This is Wade’s second visit to San Benito. In 2014 he took part in a similar program at Miller Jordan Middle School.

The students met him with banners and posters. He also visited with students in their classrooms.

Our Rio Grande Valley gives a hearty welcome to new University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Men’s Basketball Coach Lew Hill. Hill, who was in the Valley this week to meet and greet, just off a Final Four ride with his former team — the University of Oklahoma Sooners, where he was assistant coach — said he’s looking forward to being a part of our community.

We look forward to having him and learning from him and cheering on what he anticipates will be highly-charged, high-scoring new recruits to the Vaquero’s team.

“It takes a village. I mean the community, the university, the administration — everybody coming together as one. Then you work for the team and everybody is going for the same common goal, which is winning,” Hill said in a live online video chat on Thursday with Monitor Reporter Greg Luca.

During the 30-minute interview, Hill laid out his vision and strategy for taking this team where he believes it can go and for what he expects of us, the community, in return.

“Recruiting and scheduling (more home games) are the two top components to changing the culture,” he said. “We got to get more people in the stands.”

He’s right. How can others care about our team, or what to come and play for UTRGV and attend the university if our own community doesn’t come out en masse to support them?

Likewise, Hill promises one heck of a show. He says his favorite word is “fun” and he plans on entertaining.

“If you play exciting, try to score 100 (points) every game, running, dunking, shooting 3’s, that’s exciting to me,” he said. “People love that type of basketball.”

Yes we do. So bring it on. We’ll rally the fans. And we’re glad you’re here.

AIM Media Editorial Board

HARLINGEN — After a bobcat was found lying dead in an alleyway, city and federal officials say they have no idea where the body went.

After an email prompted an investigation, it was discovered that a bobcat had indeed been found dead in an alleyway Sunday.

The exact location of the alleyway is unclear and the cause of death is unknown.

Keep in mind, this occurred before resident Lisa Anderson said she saw what appeared to be a mountain lion at the bank of the Arroyo Colorado at Hugh Ramsey Nature Park on Monday.

Experts said they thought it was a large bobcat based on the photo taken by Anderson.

Police and animal control confirmed yesterday the body that was found Sunday was definitely a bobcat.

Senior animal control officer Shannon Harvill said police dispatch contacted her Sunday regarding the animal.

“We don’t pick up bodies, so we contacted Texas Parks and Wildlife to see if they wanted to remove or if they had any special procedures,” she said.

Capt. James Dunks with TPW said yesterday that game wardens did not remove the bobcat.

“We don’t pick up dead animals unless they are endangered, like the ocelot,” he confirmed.

In that event, TPW will contact the necessary authorities to dispose of the carcass.

When an animal control officer went back to the alley Monday, the body was gone.

Both entities concluded they had no idea where the body went, but did speculate.

Dunks said it’s possible another animal, like a dog, could have carried it off. Bobcats, he said, are about two times the size of an ordinary house cat and could easily be carried off by a large dog or other animal.

It’s possible a person could have scooped up the animal carcass.

If what Anderson saw on Monday was in fact a bobcat, then nature experts say there are likely to be more in the area.

“Bobcats are so common, they’re everywhere,” Dunks said.

On Monday at Hugh Ramsey Nature Park, Anderson saw a cat 30 to 40 feet away that caught her eye. It was bigger than her 75-pound German shepherd, she said.

“I could see the tail whisking back and forth, and I thought, that’s a long tail, that’s a big cat,” she recalled.

Anderson’s description of the cat would seem to be that of a mountain lion, and not a bobcat, a species more common in Hugh Ramsey Nature Park and the Harlingen Thicket.

However, Dr. Michael Tewes, regents professor and research scientist at Texas A&M-Kingsville, said he believes the photograph was that of a bobcat.

“After 35 years, I have perhaps a rare perspective on cat observations and biology,” Tewes said via email.

“The white on the back of the ears are diagnostic for separating those two felids. Also, the 6- to 8-inch tail of a bobcat can flick, and appear long,” he said. “More than once, folks have even interpreted house cats as cougars.”

Dr. Hilary Swarts, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who also is an expert on wildcats, said she believes it probably was a bobcat as well.

HARLINGEN — Within five minutes of meeting Matthew Canon, you realize you’ve met one of those larger-than-life characters who seem to get an intense rush out of just being alive.

Quite a statement considering he’s 17 years old, and he’s preparing to travel with his fellow Speech, Drama and Debate team members to a national tournament in May.

“I’m doing awesome,” said the Harlingen High School South senior. You might think he’d won the lottery, but for Matthew it’s just another joyous day for being alive. Plus he’s a bit turbo-charged about competing in both dramatic interpretation and humorous interpretation at the National Individual Events Tournament of Champions in Denver, Colorado.

“The reason I chose two is because Ms. Ince always says you don’t want to place all your eggs in one basket,” Matthew said. “This gives me a choice. If I don’t excel at one event, I always have one to fall back on. So I’m giving 110 percent at both events. If one doesn’t work out, I have one that I can go in and rock.”

Lee Ann Ince, coach and sponsor of the HHSS Speech, Drama and Debate Team, said she’s never had a student like Matthew, who is ranked extremely high in both the state and the nation.

“Matthew Canon is quite a story,” she said. “He’s never missed a tournament in four years, and he has over 3,000 points. You accumulate those through all of your years of high school in any type of speech and debate activity. I’ve never had a student with that many points.”

Matthew feels his strong drive has contributed to his success.

“I’m passionate about speech and debate,” he said. “It’s basically my dedication. It’s been a huge part of my life since my freshman year. I’ve been in theater since sixth grade. Once I came over here to HHSS, this speech, drama and debate opened so many doors for me. I’ve learned so many life lessons through this program.”

He feels a desire to help others, and he believes participation in speech, drama and debate is one way to do that. So he regularly encourages others to join.

His dramatic interpretation is based on Ross Mathews, an American television personality. Canon has been inspired by Mathews’ book, “Man Up! Tales of My Delusional Self-Confidence.”

“It’s his story about how he became successful and he gives advice to young people around the world,” Matthew said. “He shares his message for all individuals. Do what makes you happy in life. You have to believe in yourself 110 percent.”

This powerful belief is the only way a person can choose his or her most important dream and then pursue it, Matthew said.

“I’m a huge fan of Ross Mathews because he’s basically me, but an adult version and famous,” Matthew said. “He is a hoot. He is just awesome. I made so many connections with him inside the book.”

His humorous interpretation is about a boy discovered in a cave in West Virginia. He’s half human and half bat. He goes to live with a family in which the father is a veterinarian.

“The message is very important at the end,” Matthew said. “He just wants to be accepted. And that’s a trait that everyone can relate to.”

HARLINGEN — Dr. Ruth Westheimer, always seeking to help others, has even assisted a young girl’s maturity as an actress.

Dr. Ruth, a popular therapist and media personality, has never met Sawyer Warrenburg, 17. However, Sawyer seems to know Dr. Ruth very well, having studied her in depth to improve her performance in dramatic interpretation.

Sawyer’s performance as Dr. Ruth has evolved so much she will travel with three other members of the Harlingen High School South Speech, Drama and Debate Team in May to compete in the National Individual Events Tournament of Champions.

The students — James Gracia, 15, Enrique Cantu, 17, and Matthew Canon, 17 — are pretty jazzed about the trip to Denver for the competition. The students had to earn two bids at nationally recognized tournaments to qualify for this competition.

“I’m very excited, very happy that we got to earn this, that we got to work for this opportunity,” said James, a sophomore.

Their coach and sponsor, Lee Ann Ince, said she was also very excited about taking her four students to the competition.

“I am extremely proud of these students,” Ince said. “This accomplishment is a testament to their dedication and commitment to our program.”

He and Enrique, a senior, will compete in the duo interpretation event. They’re performing an adaptation from “50/50” a movie released in 2011 starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen.

“It’s about this man named Adam, he’s 27 years old,” James said. “He’s diagnosed with cancer, and he really gets to see who actually stays, who are his true friends and true family. It’s really a relationship tester.”

Adam’s friend Kyle turns out to be his stand up guy, sticking by him to the very last, and helping him deal with his illness through humor.

James and Enrique both believe they have a good chance at the tournament.

“I know it’s going to be very competitive,” James said. “But we’ve been practicing all year to come all this way, and hopefully we can come and then do good.”

Enrique said they did very well at the tournament of champions.

“Hopefully this year we can bring back some bigger medals,” he said.

Meanwhile, as James and Enrique work to portray the intense emotions of two fictitious characters, Sawyer continues to spend extended amounts of time with Dr. Ruth, reading, researching, and making note of her every move during recorded interviews.

Sawyer, a senior, believes her performance stands out because she’s portraying a real person. The portrayal of fictitious characters is sometimes overdone, she said.

“The fact this is about a real person, it’s just a nice heartwarming story and it’s not so overdramatic,” she said.

Dr. Ruth is popularly known as a sex therapist. Sawyer laughed and said, “I don’t get into all of that. It’s more about her as a person and where she came from. She was a survivor of the Nazis and she came to America totally alone.”

She’s come to admire Dr. Ruth’s sense of humor and her optimism about life, telling people not to take things so seriously and realize how great life is. Live every day like it’s your last.

“That’s just a really great thing about her,” she said enthusiastically.

Dramatic interpretation gives her the chance to tell the stories that are important to her.

“I really enjoy just being able to share my story with an audience,” she said.

Matthew Canon, 17, also likes telling a person’s story through dramatic interpretation.

“I personally am a huge fan of dramatic interpretation because you get to tell a person’s story,” he said. “And sometimes it’s a story that someone out there in the audience needs to listen to.”

The students will all return with stories to tell after the competition, and they’ll take those stories with them. They all conveyed the belief that the program had benefitted them all.

“This program and activity helps you in becoming more social and more outgoing as a person as well as a performer,” James said.

SOUTHPADREISLAND — There are some “cheaters” on the Island, and they apparently owe the city some money.

“We are leaving dollars on the table,” said Elena Jones, a resident and property manager. “I mean lots of dollars.”

This week, the City Council agreed to establish a permanent three-member “sub-committee” to establish policies to closely monitor and enforce the short-term rental ordinance.

It was intended to ensure owners of rental property pay hotel occupancy taxes.

The enforcement of that ordinance started in July of 2015.

Rental owners should be collecting 14.5 percent hotel tax on behalf of the state and the city. The city should receive 8.5 percent and the state 6 percent.

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hager says nobody wants to pay taxes and those who don’t are not only cheating the state, they also are cheating their community.

Jones said there are thousands of short-term rental condominiums on the Island.

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SOUTHPADREISLAND — After two years of service as city manager, Bill DiLibero is calling it quits.

Yesterday, DiLibero handed his letter of resignation to the city attorney, formally announcing he will be leaving his duties as city manager.

“As far as I am concerned, I think he worked hard and he’s a nice man,” City Councilman Dennis Stahl said. “I wish him the very best.”

The City Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday at 9 a.m. to accept DiLibero’s resignation.

There was no indication at Wednesday’s City Council meeting that DiLibero was going anywhere.

The last item on the agenda called for an executive session to discuss possible action on DiLibero’s evaluation as city manager.

Stahl said that after the executive session, Mayor Berry Patel made a motion to open contract discussion with DiLibero and the motion passed.

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HARLINGEN — The VA clinic here held a ceremony yesterday commemorating Vietnam War veterans.

The main lobby was filled to capacity with veterans, family members and friends.

Veterans received a Vietnam veteran commemorative lapel pin during a pinning ceremony.

The lapel pin was presented to them to recognize and honor them for serving during the Vietnam War.

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HARLINGEN — The 2016 Friends of Scouting Luncheon took place yesterday at the Jackson Square Event Center in Downtown Harlingen.

Supporters filled the event center and enjoyed lunch while listening to guest speakers consisting of former and current scouts who told of their experiences in scouting and how those experiences influenced their lives.

Keynote speaker Bruce Evans, who is president and chief operating officer for AEP Texas, said the values and leadership scouts learn are comparable to those that many companies look for in their workers.

Longtime scouting volunteer and Assistant Council Commissioner Dave Enos said the money raised through this event goes back into the maintenance of the facilities used by the scouts in the area.

Enos has been involved with the Boy Scouts for 68 years in various capacities.

Thirteen-year-old Ali Halloum attended the event with his mother Carmen. He said he was asked by the Rio Grande Council to speak at this event.

When asked how he felt about scouting he said, “It’s a part of life. It’s really big, it’s fantastic.”

“It’s more than merit badges and ranks. You can make great friends and have a good time.”

“It’s everything,” he added.

Through pledges and contributions along with money previously raised, the total funds raised amounted to $74,677, according Master of Ceremonies Frank Espinoza.