HARLINGEN – Police have identified the man who was shot and left for dead in an irrigation canal over the weekend.

Investigators say Jose Filiberto Casillas, 33, of Houston appears to have been shot at least once.

Three people have been arraigned on charges in connection with the killing of Casillas.

Gregorio Ramirez, 33, of Primera, and Mayra Alejandra Camero, 22, of Brownsville are charged with murder, arson, tampering with evidence and engaging in organized criminal activity. His bond was set at $800,000. Her bond was set at $500,000.

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Jesus Antonio Ramirez, 30, of Primera was charged with a engaging in organized criminal activity, tampering with evidence and failing to report a felony. His bond was set at $195,000.

Police say the men are brothers.

The investigation started at 4 a.m. Friday when witnesses heard people arguing inside a late model Ford pickup truck in the parking lot of the Best Western Hotel at 4317 S. Expressway 77.

As the truck left witnesses say they heard a gunshot and saw a muzzle flash.

Four hours later, a Ford F-150 four-door truck was found burning on a canal bank off of Wilson Road, west of Bass Boulevard. The truck was similar to the one seen at the hotel.

Further evidence developed in the case Saturday night led investigators back to the irrigation canal Sunday morning where Casillas’ body was found in the canal.

What a mess in Cameron County, where an employee was arrested for theft and, an elected official was indicted and charged with several crimes.

Let me be clear, this letter is not meant to besmirch every county employee because the majority are good, hard-working employees.

It’s elected officials, like Tony Yzaguirre, who are arrested and permitted to return to work without a drop of shame. It wasn’t until an out-of-town District Judge kept him away from work. In the Saturday edition (2-20-16) of the Nuevo Heraldo, he and his attorney appear to be laughing.

In Cameron County where corruption is now the Lexicon, seeing elected officials getting charged and indicted has become the norm.

When is this going to stop, when are the taxpayers going to open up their eyes and quit voting for the same people over and over?

In this county, which is one of the poorest in the nation, not only is corruption permitted, it is demanded.

Frank Garcia, Harlingen

The numbers are in for the first week of early voting, and the trend seems to indicate higher than usual voter turnout in both the Democratic and Republican primaries.

A total of 10,333 people had voted as of Monday morning. Of that number, 8,296 were Democratic and 2,037 were Republican.

“It’s significantly higher than our regular presidential year participation,” said Remi Garza, county elections administrator. “The Democratic participation is keeping on pace with 2008 — which was one of the party’s higher points — and the Republicans are just over performing 2012’s turnout.”

Garza said the reason for the higher turnout could be because of the additional races on the ballot — county judge, Pct. 4 commissioner, County Courts-at-Law No. 4 and 5 — and because of the interest in the presidential race.

“There’s a lot of interest in the presidential race, specifically on the Republican ticket. There are a lot of issues surrounding that and people want to have their voices heard,” Garza said. “This is their chance to determine who the nominee is.”

In particular, Donald J. Trump and Ted Cruz may be driving turnout in the Republican primary, while in the Democratic primary, youths are excited about Bernie Sanders, said Mark J. Kaswan , assistant professor of political science at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

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HARLINGEN — The applause was long and loud for nurse Elizabeth Lugo and 41 other nurses who were being recognized for being certified dementia care practitioners.

“It’s very exciting because we are looking to improve the life of our residents,” Lugo, education specialist at Retama Manor, said yesterday. “We are providing a better quality of care for our residents.”

In response to the growing number of dementia diagnoses in the elderly, the Retama staff has developed an expertise in caring for the population that has lost memory, who often become agitated and are without appropriate care and experience a diminished quality of life.

Retama Manor Nursing Center has become a local “go to” skilled nursing facility specializing in dementia care.

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Judge Oscar De La Fuente Elementary students, staff, and administration recently welcomed Harlingen Family Dentistry to their school for a presentation on the importance of oral health.

Gail Thomason, public relations and community affairs director for Harlingen Family Dentistry, was the guest presenter.

Thomason explained how nutrition plays a role in dental health, analyzing the sugar content in various foods and discussing how many teaspoons of sugar we should consume daily according to the Surgeon General of the United States. The informational session included an instructional skit demonstrating how sugar and plaque destroy the health of the teeth.

Students also watched several videos demonstrating what happens during a dental visit and the proper way to brush and floss.

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“Ms. Thompson has been visiting our school for several years now. Her fantastic presentations greatly benefit our students,” explained Assistant Principal Scott J. Hausler.

A very special guest, Willy the Walrus, made his appearance for a “What did we learn today?” session. The session served to reinforce that having healthy teeth included brushing and flossing ones teeth, eating healthy and drinking plenty of water, and getting dental check-ups and cleanings twice a year.

Students were encouraged to participate in the question and answer session and were allowed to give Willy hugs at the conclusion of the presentation.

HARLINGEN — Most guys want to go to the Playboy Mansion. For most, it’s just a dream.

But for three local music artists it became a reality after they won a battle of the bands in Houston.

Their band, Punk-69, won its way to Beverly Hills for a red carpet Playboy Mansion party.

“It was like a dream come true,” said Jose Cisneros, 19, lead guitarist. “It’s another life there with actors and celebrities.”

Punk-69 is an alternative punk rock music group out of Harlingen. The three-man band consists of brothers Jose and Adrian Cisneros and their friend Rafael Lucio.

They have been playing songs and writing music together for three years and it’s setting them apart from many artists.

The band played at the House of Blues in Dallas last October and then was invited to Houston to play in the battle of the bands on Jan. 15.

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HARLINGEN — A recent feasibility study is clear.

An upscale hotel and convention center would become a Harlingen “centerpiece” and serve as the “foremost choice” for conferences in the Rio Grande Valley.

Currently, the city’s lack of a convention center causes groups to hold meetings outside of Harlingen.

New York-based HVS Consulting conducted the study that was updated three times since 2008, when community leaders began to work on the idea of a convention center.

Since 2008, the city has spent more than $49,000 on studies into the project’s feasibility, City Manager Dan Serna said yesterday.

“We’ve certainly done our homework,” Serna said. “The whole process to have professional consultants for these feasibility studies is to get accurate information so we can make informed decisions in respect to these projects.”

Now, the city plans to fund construction of the $14 million convention center in the Harlingen Heights business district.

“It’s going to be fantastic for the area,” Serna said. “Drawing events, drawing conferences to the area brings more folks and business to boost the local economy.”

As part of an agreement, San Antonio developer BC Lynd would build an upscale hotel adjacent to the convention center, which it would lease and operate.

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HARLINGEN — Three people have been arraigned on charges in connection with the killing of a man whose body was found in an irrigation canal.

The victim appears to have been shot at least once. Police have a possible identity, but they haven’t confirmed it.

Gregorio Ramirez, 33, of Primera was arraigned on first-degree murder, third-degree felony arson, third-degree felony tampering with evidence and a first-degree felony charge of engaging in organized criminal activity. His bond was set at $800,000.

Mayra Alejandra Camero, 22, of Brownsville was arraigned on first-degree murder, third-degree felony arson, third-degree felony tampering with evidence and a first degree felony charge of engaging in organized criminal activity. Her bond was set at $500,000.

Jesus Antonio Ramirez, 30, of Primera was charged with a second-degree felony charge of engaging in organized criminal activity, third-degree felony tampering with evidence and a Class A misdemeanor charge of failing to report a felony. His bond was set at $195,000.

The case started about 4 a.m. Friday when witnesses heard people arguing inside a late model Ford pickup truck in the parking lot of the Best Western Hotel at 4317 S. Expressway 77.

As the truck was leaving the lot, the witnesses heard a gunshot and saw a muzzle flash.

About four hours later, a pickup matching the description of the suspect vehicle was found burning on a canal bank in a farm field off of Wilson Road, just west of Bass Boulevard. It was a late model Ford F150 four-door truck.

An intensive investigation ensued involving Harlingen police, sheriff’s deputies and state and federal law enforcement officers, Police Chief Jeffry Adickes said.

That led to the arrest of the three people Saturday night.

Adickes said that further evidence developed in the case Saturday night led investigators back to the irrigation canal Sunday morning, when the body was found in the canal waters.

The victim had what appeared to be at least one gunshot wound.

No further information is being released by police as the investigation continues.

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Julian Alvarez of Harlingen to the Texas Workforce Commission.

Alvarez previously served as president and CEO of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, fostering relationships and coordinating programs to advance the regional economic development.

His term on the Workforce Commission is set to expire on Feb. 1, 2017.

The Texas Workforce Commission is charged with overseeing and providing workforce development services to employers and job seekers of Texas.

Alvarez also served as a Texas regional director for the U.S. Senate. He has served as a Texas Department of Public Safety state trooper and worked for Texas State Technical College as the director of college information.

He has served as a member for various boards including the Border Trade Alliance, the I-69 Alliance, Transportation Advocates of Texas and RGV Lead.

He currently is a board member for Teach for America and Texas Association of Sports Officials. Alvarez earned a bachelor of science in secondary education from Texas A&I University in Kingsville.