SAN BENITO — It was the game everybody marked on their calendars once the softball schedules were released and it didn’t disappoint. Everything everyone expected was present.

Playoff atmosphere, check.

Plenty of action, check.

Fireworks at the end, double check.

After 18 long years of donning the purple and gold, new Harlingen South head coach Elias Martinez returned to San Benito for the first time and saw his Lady Hawks fall 9-2 to the Lady Greyhounds on Tuesday evening.

The win pushed San Benito to 20-0 overall, 6-0 in District 32-6A. The loss, meanwhile, dropped Harlingen South to 14-5 overall and 3-3 in district action.

However, despite the victory, first-year San Benito head coach Kristy Leal was not pleased with her team’s defensive display.

“We strung a lot of runs in and hit the ball pretty well. However, defensively we were not very sound today and that’s not our play at all,” she said. “I think we lacked a little bit there, but it helps when you score runs because it picks up the errors you made.”

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HARLINGEN — Police Officer Ernesto Gonzalez was honored in a retirement ceremony yesterday for more than 28 years of service to the citizens of Harlingen.

Family, friends and co-workers were in attendance outside the police station as he drove up in his patrol car for the final time.

The ceremony began with the traditional THOR presentation, which stands for Tunnel Honoring Our Retiree.

In the ceremony, fellow officers form a tunnel of swords for the retiring officer to walk through.

Later, a plaque presentation and retirement badge ceremony were held in the Community Room at the police department.

Gonzalez was presented with two plaques — a Recognition of Service plaque and a plaque from the Harlingen Peace Officers & Law Enforcement Association.

A barbecue brisket dinner was held in his honor at the Jackson Square Events Center from 3 p.m.-5 p.m.

HARLINGEN — The month of February was a very good one for golf, and by extension, local golf courses.

The mild winter weather was a financial boon for Tony Butler Golf Course, the municipal course for the city of Harlingen. For the first time in 26 months, the facility hit its seven-year average for revenue, course officials said this week.

The golf facility posted $123,000 in revenue for February, which followed a strong January financially, said Eddie Medlin, director of golf, who man-ages the course.

“We beat last year’s numbers, when we did a little over $109,000,” Medlin said. “This Febru-ary we’re at $123,000, so we had a pretty solid month. There’s only one year in the past seven that we’ve had a better February.”

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HARLINGEN — The beauty of a yard, or even a golf course, is that with a little coaxing, it really tries to come back.

Several months ago, a handful of fairways at the Tony Butler Golf Course were damaged when a weedkiller application went awry in an effort to stamp out crabgrass and goose grass on the course. The only spot that’s still not in play due to the herbicide is a brownish-green landing area on the par-five 1st hole.

Eddie Medlin, the director of golf who runs the facility, said the grounds crew mixed two chemicals to apply to the fairways, a not uncommon practice. Medlin added that he and the superintendent have concluded there was a buildup of one of the chemicals inside the applicator, which threw off calculations on the proper mixture.

The herbicide killed the crabgrass and goose grass, but also sent some of the fairway Bermuda grass into a dormant spin.

As Medlin walked down the fairway on the first hole, he kneeled down to pull a sprig of Bermuda grass from a greenish-brown area that had been damaged by the herbicide but was now recovering.

The runner — those horizontal shoots Bermuda grass spreads out in all directions — was light green, a sign of new growth.

“Most of the coverage has come back very nicely, and we’re excited coming into the summer.”

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SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — Cameron County authorities are in contact with their counterparts in Mexico to determine if a missing 18-year-old spring breaker may have crossed the border into Mexico.

Justin Kirby Walker of Kendall County near San Antonio was last seen Saturday night leaving the Ultimate Music Fest at the Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark. Authorities have been searching for him ever since.

Cameron County Park Police Chief Horacio Zamora said investigators have been in contact with Mexican authorities to determine whether Walker was arrested across the border in Matamoros. As of yesterday, there was no such indication, he said.

Search patrols cleared the marshy areas near the Schlitterbahn Waterpark yesterday morning, as the investigation and search for Walker continued into a third day.

Zamora said the sand dunes behind the water park were cleared as well by search crews from the Cameron County Park Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol and the Cameron County Sheriff’s office.

Zamora said the Texas Rangers have started to interview Walker’s friends who accompanied him to the music fest.

“At this time we are moving the investigation into the leads we have and talking to other people who were with Walker at the campsite,” Zamora said.

Authorities said Walker had been staying with friends at a campsite inside Isla Blanca Park.

In addition to local and federal agencies, authorities said, volunteers have begun to aid in the search for the missing teenager. Authorities said a handful of volunteers combed the area near Schlitterbahn yesterday afternoon.

Search crews from the sheriff’s department actively searched for Walker yesterday along the water.

“The Cameron County Sheriff’s Department took their boat out into the water just to search the areas around Isla Blanca Park. They were out there Monday but had to bring the boat in due to the weather conditions,” Zamora said.

The South Padre Island Police Department is also assisting in the search. Zamora said the department’s newest drone has not been secured for the search and even if it was available, windy conditions would prevent it from working well.

Zamora believes there is a possibility Walker may be found alive and might have left the area with people he met at the music fest event.

“There’s always a possibility; he could have left with anybody. There are thousands of kids coming out to this event and there is always a possibility he made some friends and left with them,” Zamora said.

According to Zamora, with little to go on, investigators are weighing their options.

“We are looking at trying to get videos, information called in to our phone line, talking to people from the upper Valley that were in the same campsite,” Zamora said.

Anyone with information regarding Walker is urged to call the Cameron County Park Police Department at 956-761-5283.

LAGUNA VISTA — City officials expect a second Island causeway will have a positive impact on Laguna Vista.

“Based on the schematics we’ve reviewed, it appears the landing of the second access will be within the town limits of Laguna Vista, south of the natural gas lines on Holly Beach,” City Manager Rolando Vela said.

That presents opportunities for the town, he said.

“It will accelerate commercial development on Highway 100 and the development of those undeveloped areas in the SPI Golf Club,” he said.

“The second access causeway, when completed, will connect with FM 510 and with Buena Vista Drive. This ‘loop’ will generate more vehicular traffic on Highway 100 as well.”

Within the next 15 years, city officials envision the town to continue to have a small community image with commercial development on Highway 100 and residen-tial/commercial on the undeveloped areas at the golf club.

Mayor Susie Houston, who has been a major proponent of the project said a departure corridor off of the causeway onto the main land would have an impact.

“I would anticipate a commercial strip to accommodate businesses marketing products to people that are visiting and that in turn will bring about commercial opportunities and will help our sales taxes,” she said.

“That, in turn, will keep our real estate taxes low.”

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MARAMOROS — Two separate law enforcement-involved shootouts in Tamaulipas over the weekend left nine men dead, according to a pair of press releases from Tamaulipas police.

The first encounter — between state police and a group of armed civilians — occurred Saturday on the 15th kilometer of Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, Mexico, which is across the Rio Grande from Roma.

Authorities suddenly came under gunfire by an unspecified number of people from several vehicles, one release said. Police fired back, killing seven of the alleged assailants.

It is unclear if any of the police forces were killed or injured.

One of the deceased suspects, identified as Miguel Angel Lopez Zarate, hailed from Sinaloa, Mexico. The other, identified as Jose Luis Luna Garza, was a Paras, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, native.

The assailants who survived the incident fled into the nearby woods, leaving behind several guns and ammunition, the release said.

The second shootout happened in the city of Valle Hermoso, southwest of Matamoros, early Sunday, resulting in two deaths, according to a state press release.

State police were patrolling Calle 13 — between the colonias of Adolfo Lopez Mateos and Hidalgo — when they came under fire at about 12:30 a.m.

A gunfight ensued between police and a trio of suspects who were shooting out of a gray 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the release states.

Two of the three men died during the shootout. One victim was identified as Alexis Parajon Hernandez, a 45-year-old Cuban. The second man was Alfredo Olvera Mendoza, 26, from Matamoros, Mexico.

The third suspect fled and evaded arrest, leaving behind a truck full of guns, tactical gear and ammunition, among other things.

It is unclear if any of the police forces were killed or injured during the encounter.

SAN JUAN — Roughly 100 priests from across the Rio Grande Valley walked through the incense-filled air last night for Chrism Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle.

The annual service brought in a standing-room crowd of about 3,000 worshippers. Bishop Daniel E. Flores, who oversees the Diocese of Brownsville, led the Mass as priests, deacons and representatives of the diocesan community gathered.

Flores blessed the holy oils — the oil of the sick, the oil of catechumens and the sacred Chrism. These oils will be used for the coming year until next year’s service.

The Chrism oil is consecrated, with balsam added to the olive oil. It’s used for the sacrament of the baptism, confirmation and Holy Orders. The oil is also used to consecrate churches and altars. Flores blessed the other two oils.

When the priests entered the sanctuary, members from the community gathered close. Many held their phones to record the special event while others made signs.

A group from St. Anthony Catholic Church in Harlingen was there for the service and for their St. Anthony leader, Larry Klein.

Manuel Matamoros held up a sign that had “God” next to a heart, with “Bless You!!” underneath. Angelica Villeda said they’ve come to this Mass for the past three years. She said it’s really special for their group from Harlingen.

A giant sign was plastered onto the front of the upper deck, which read “Resurrection, Catholic Church.”

Some in attendance came from work, others dressed casually. Parents nursed babies, kids ran around and some even slept on the stairs to the upper deck. Screaming children provided an alternative soundtrack to Flores’ service.

There were four transitional deacons who will become new priests. Normally there’s only one or two — Brenda Nettles Riojas, diocesan relations director, said four is an especially high number.

The transitional deacons are Joshua Carlos, Ricardo Chavez-Flores, Joel Flores and Leonel Rodriguez.

All the priests gathered on stage after some brought up the oils for Flores to mix. Coupled with the choir, the group boomed as the audience joined in.

Soon after, Flores concluded the Mass and everyone turned to those nearby.

“Nice to meet you,” strangers said to each other.

Mothers and fathers hugged and kissed their children.

The Mass was over but the Valley’s holy year was just beginning.

HARLINGEN — Local resident Essie Morris pulled out an old black and white photo and pointed to the two children standing in front of a bridge.

It was the old FloydCreekBridge in Harris County, North Carolina.

But earlier this month, that bridge, now larger, received a new name — one in which makes Essie beam with pride.

The bridge now is known as the MiltonB.RobinsonJr.Bridge, in honor of Essie’s father.

Robinson’s service to his country and region involved creating the first black newspaper in western North Carolina, becoming a pastor and by teaching masonry to high school students.

In 2012 the Rutherford County Commission sent a petition to the North Carolina Department of Transportation asking for the bridge to be dedicated to and named the MiltonB.RobinsonBridge.

Signs on U.S. Highway 221 going both directions make the naming official following a dedication ceremony earlier this month which drew dozens to honor Robinson, who was born in 1913.

“It’s beautiful,” Essie said of the honor for her father.

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RAYMONDVILLE — The school district is opening its doors to a new kind of student.

District officials are teaming up with TexasStateTechnicalCollege to offer welding classes in this rural county where more than 600 employees lost their jobs in the last year.

“There’s people in need in Raymondville,” Benjamin Clinton, the district’s special projects director, said yesterday. “We’re meeting a need.”

TSTC will offer its Welding Fundamentals class to all residents from May 3 to July 7.

“I’ve got to give them a ton of credit for coming out here,” Clinton said of the college.

Upon completion of the class, students can test for their welder’s certification through the American Welding Society.

Workforce Solutions is trying to subsidize the class’ $825 fee, Clinton said.

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