HARLINGEN — Police have arrested the treasurer of the Elk’s Lodge after she was accused of stealing money from the organization’s bank account.

Roberta Rogers Thomas, 45, has been arraigned on a state jail felony charge of theft. Her bond was set at $15,000.

On Nov. 2, officials with Harlingen Elks Lodge #1889 notified police they were concerned money had been stolen from the organization over the past several months.

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BROWNSVILLE — Although Cameron County Tax Assessor-Collector Tony Yzaguirre Jr. was ordered to stay away from the county tax office Thursday by a visiting state district judge, he’ll stay on the county payroll, officials said yesterday.

Cameron County Commissioners Court civil litigation attorney Juan Gonzalez said yesterday the order banning Yzaguirre from performing any of his duties by visiting state district judge Manuel Banales will not affect county residents.

On Jan. 6, Yzaguirre and three other county tax office employees, Pedro Garza Jr., Jose Mireles and Omar Sanchez Paz, were arrested as the result of a two-year investigation under the code name “Operation Dirty Deeds.”

The group was accused of taking bribes, engaging in organized criminal activity and other charges.

Thursday, as a condition of bond, Banales ordered Yzaguirre not communicate or supervise any of the employees from the tax office.

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RIO GRANDE CITY — With the lead cut to just one point going into the fourth quarter, Harlingen head coach Ashley Moncivaiz asked her team two very simple questions: “Do you want your season to be done? Do you want what happened last year?”

After Harlingen took a commanding 25-13 lead going in the half, Laredo United came out shooting in the third and outscored the Lady Cardinals 21-10, and ended the quarter down 35-34 with Illeana Rodriguez hitting a three pointer just before the buzzer.

However, Moncivaiz’s words didn’t fall on deaf ears as the Lady Cardinals rose to the challenge and came away with a 53-49 Class 6A area-round playoff victory Friday night at the Rio Grande City High School gymnasium.

“We started out really good working together and doing all the little things,” said Moncivaiz. “I think Elvira (Fraga) came in and provided a little spark off the bench.

“In the second (half), what can you do when No. 23 (Laredo United’s Natalia Trevino) is hitting from way beyond the three-point line? We just had to keep on grinding and attack the basket.”

Full story at RGVSports.com

LA FERIA — By now, the Harlingen South boys track team and head coach Ralph De La Rosa probably feel like they can handle whatever is thrown at them.

The Hawks claimed their second straight meet title in as many weeks Friday night, after winning the Jim Hudson Relays in La Feria.

For De La Rosa, winning back-to-back meets is something he’s never done in his 12 years at South and attributes the feat to the balance of his team.

“It really depends on who we go against. Today, it was our field event guys who stepped up,” De La Rosa said. “They carried us into the running events this week. We weren’t as clean in our relays like we were last week, but the field events gave us that momentum.”

South’s Abel Villarreal and Jimmy Morton finished first and second in the discus throw with marks of 140-9.5 and 138-4, respectively. Alec Garza took home gold in the long jump (19-8.75) to lead the Hawks.

Full story at RGVSports.com

EDINBURG — Accompanied by the classic sound of mariachis, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley announced a $1 million gift from PlainsCapital Corporation on Thursday. The money will go toward scholarships.

To commemorate the gift, which is the first to come from an entity outside the Valley, the university also renamed the Student Union Theater in the Edinburg campus as the PlainsCapital Bank Student Union Theater.

“This is huge for a couple of reasons. First of all, it provides scholarship money for our students, and if I had to list our greatest need, that’s it,” UTRGV President Guy Bailey said. “Secondly, this is a company that is based outside, based in Dallas … and they recognize the importance in the Valley and they are willing to invest in it.”

The $1 million will be devoted to endowed scholarships for three colleges — $160,000 for students in the college of sciences, $240,000 for the college of business and entrepreneurship, and $600,000 for the university’s school of medicine, which opens this fall.

“This school of medicine represents a dream come true for the Valley,” Bailey said. “The first legislation to form a school of medicine for the Rio Grande Valley was filed in 1947 … This is a dream come true and PlainsCapital is a partner helping that dream come true.”

This is the third major gift announced by the university so far this year, with the first two coming from Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and the second from local business owners Janet and Robert Vackar, who also attended Thursday’s event.

Having these scholarships available means the university is able to attract more talented students who would otherwise not afford going to college, Bailey said, and that UT-System funds can be used to fulfill other needs, such as hiring more faculty.

Because the money will directly affect students, university officials decided to honor the partnership by naming the nearly 500-seat student union theater after the banking company, Bailey said, which has 67 branches across Texas, including the Rio Grande Valley.

“We wanted to do something with significance,” said PlainsCapital Chairman Alan White. “I thought at the end there could be no better place for us to make a major contribution than to a university … We want to make an impact here.”

White said he was extremely proud to be able to contribute to area students. He also challenged everyone in the Valley to pay attention to the need for these types of scholarships and for jobs to be able to retain talent.

“The Rio Grande Valley needs them,” White said about Valley students. “We need them to be able to continue to grow… So the challenge is not only to make sure these kids get this education but the challenge is to make sure we can keep them here and make sure the valley continues to grow.”

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SAN BENITO — The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health has awarded a $25,000 grant to a local elementary school.

Angela G. Leal Elementary was among several schools around the state to receive funding.

The grants support the deployment of evidence-based, trauma-informed alternatives to exclusionary discipline models.

Research has found a strong link between untreated trauma and negative outcomes and behavioral issues in schools, the foundation stated.

With the grant, the elementary school plans to implement services geared toward parent involvement.

The funding will help provide seven parenting class sessions, said Counselor Noelia Sanchez.

Those sessions touch on topics such as basic parenting skills, understanding their children and discipline.

“If they complete all seven sessions, they receive $150 to be used however they want,” she said.

Some time ago, letters were sent to each parent of each student alerting them to the new service. The first 50 parents who replied got into the classes.

The grant also will help the school celebrate and reinforce the children’s positive behavior, with popcorn and movie parties.

Yesterday, the children who had a good record of behavior were able to participate in the party. Sanchez said the school holds these types of events four times a year.

This was the third one.

Sanchez said the grant has helped improve the relationship between school and parents.

“We’re seeing more parent participation,” she said. “Parents have really stepped up because before they weren’t as visible.”

With that visibility, Sanchez said parents can call if they need anything at anytime.

“That level of trust between school and parents has definitely grown,” she said.

There is a growing interest in widening the use of proactive, trauma-informed, equity-driven approaches that lead to more positive behavioral outcomes.

Examples of such interventions include, but are not limited to, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, Social Emotional Learning, and Restorative Discipline, the foundation stated.

“This is a new program area for us, but it is fully in keeping with our mission of advancing recovery and wellness,” said Octavio N. Martinez, Jr., executive director of the Hogg Foundation and associate vice president for diversity and community engagement at the University of Texas at Austin.

“These schools are doing the vital work of testing psychosocial interventions that are sensitive to the impacts of trauma and children’s unmet emotional needs.”

The Hogg Foundation advances recovery and wellness in Texas by funding mental health services, policy analysis, research and public education.

EDINBURG — Before University of Texas Rio Grande Valley President Guy Bailey can plot the course for the university’s future, he needs to know if the time is right for a football program.

UTRGV announced yesterday the initiation of a football feasibility study, confirming a report The Monitor had Wednesday afternoon. Former Texas coach Mack Brown will guide the committee that will lead the study, which is a part of the university’s overall strategic plan.

“Had we done our strategic planning later, we would have done (the study) later,” Bailey said. “What you don’t want to do is do your strategic planning for the university and omit something like this. You don’t want to do something like this independent of broader strategic plans. That explains the timing of it.

“There is certainly a lot of community interest and a lot of other interest,” Bailey added. “Are we ready for it? That’s what the feasibility study will tell us, I think. We’ll be guided a lot by that.”

Brown was the coach at the University of Texas from 1998-2013, winning a national championship in 2005 and competing in another in 2009. He retired in 2013 and is serving as a special assistant to the men’s athletics director and president at Texas.

Brown, 64, is also a college football analyst for ESPN.

“You want to establish a program, you want to have a competitive program, and so you need somebody who has been there,” Bailey said. “Do you know anybody with more credibility than Mack Brown? So that’s what we’re trying to do. If we lay this out, he’s a guy with enormous credibility about how to be competitive in football.”

A UTRGV news release Friday stated the committee for the study will consist of Brown, special advisors, faculty and staff, student leaders and community members. The committee will work with consultants chosen to conduct the feasibility study. Final recommendations will be presented to Bailey.

The university has not yet chosen committee members or the consulting group.

“The opportunity to build a college football program from the ground up is unique, and I’m excited to be involved in the process,” Brown said in the release. “I know there are many passionate football fans in the Rio Grande Valley, and I can’t think of a better place to launch a college football program.”

Brown was not available for further comment.

UTRGV athletics director Chris King said in July 2014: “I think everybody realizes who is involved with UTRGV that (football) is probably five or seven years down the road before we even look at the study.” That was true then.

However, because of the impressive growth of enrollment at the university — which stands at 28,500 and is projected to be 40,000-50,000 in 10 years — the study is being conducted now.

In mid-January, UTRGV purchased 52 acres of land north of its campus in Edinburg. The university looked at using the land to build athletic facilities, among other venues, according to Marty Baylor, UTRGV executive vice president of finance and administration.

“We had already looked at the idea of putting a stadium out there,” Baylor told The Monitor on Tuesday.

The NCAA requires teams competing in FBS football, the top level of college football, meet a minimum average of 15,000 in actual or paid attendance per home game at least once in a rolling two-year period. According to a report in The Monitor in July 2014, only Weslaco’s Bobby Lackey Stadium could currently hit that mark, though another possibility is the new soccer stadium being built in Edinburg that initially will hold seating for 9,500 but could also be a multipurpose facility.

Even if UTRGV met the requirement for an adequate facility, more than one women’s sport would have to be added to meet Title IX regulations.

Bailey told The Monitor in July 2014 that adding a football program requires “perfect timing.” Bailey has experience in dealing with the situation. The University of Texas-San Antonio commissioned its football feasibility study two months after Bailey departed as provost and executive vice president in 2005, but he was a part of initial discussions to launch the study.

UTSA’s study took nine months to complete and was conducted by Carr Sports Associates Inc. The next step after the study was a student referendum to gauge support for a fee increase, which is necessary to bringing a football program to UTRGV.

It took almost three years for UTSA to receive approval from the UT Board of Regents on adding a football program. UTSA had an enrollment of more than 28,400 students at the time.

“They’re a great model,” Bailey said. “It’s a model of exactly how it should be done and could be done. They have a very fine athletics director, Lynn Hickey, who is a good friend of mine, and Lynn did things in exactly the right way. There are other models out there, too, and I’m no expert on it, but that is certainly a very good one.”

Whichever models are used, the mission is simple: seeing if football can be viable in the Rio Grande Valley.

“It is important that this study take into account all factors, including support in the community, potential infrastructure and funding models, and NCAA requirements for football programs at both the FCS and FBS levels,” King said in the release.

King was not available for further comment.

UTRGV’s study consists of the following items:

1. Identify specific, detailed costs (including capital outlay), revenues and facilities associated with implementing and maintaining a successful Division FCS and FBS football program. Provide benchmarking data and financial documents from similar FCS programs and similar FBS football programs, including start-up costs, explanation of expenses, expense line-items for football and additional non-football expenses.

2. Identify possible expansion of athletic facilities in UTRGV’s Campus Master Plan, including a conceptual space allocation for football.

3. Assess initial and ongoing support from students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, sponsors, media and other South Texas constituencies. Provide benchmarking data from similar FCS programs and FBS football programs.

4. Outline gender equity issues to remain in compliance with Title IX requirements based upon current sports programs of the athletic department once a FCS or FBS football program is added.

5. Provide data and information to develop a strategic plan and timeline for implementing an FCS independent or conference affiliated football program, and action plans for moving expeditiously.

6. Provide professional assessment with input from coaches and leaders in the field of ability to attract high-potential coaches and student-athletes, and schedule opponents that appeal to South Texas football fans.

7. Identify additional institutional, academic and athletic support systems required to maintain a successful all-around athletic program that includes football.

8. Identify NCAA requirements for FCS and FBS and possible conference affiliation changes or legislation pertaining to conferences.

9. Identify other transitional issues.

LA FERIA — Car lovers won’t be disappointed with this year’s car show at the annual Fiesta de La Feria.

More the 150 cars are expected to participate in the event.

Event organizer John Ftacek said the car show has been getting better and better every year.

“We expect over 150 cars this year. I have a Model A 1931 and there will be all kinds of hot rods. You name, it’s going to be in,” Ftacek said.

This year marks the 23rd year the city hosts the annual event organized by a group of city volunteers.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 27. It starts with an opening ceremony from Mayor Victor Hernandez and prayer officiated by Father Franco from the Catholic church.

“It’s about 30 of us that meet every week to plan the fiesta,” Ftacek said. “We started in November and meet for lunch to plan monthly.”

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LOS FRESNOS — Ty Rhyner, a Rio Hondo resident, works year-round to make sure his livestock are ready for competition, and his work paid off Friday.

Rhyner was the grand champion winner of the heifer competition and the overall champion of the market sheep and reserve competition at the Cameron County Fair and Livestock Show in Los Fresnos.

“It feels great. I just enjoy coming to these shows, but when you do well, it shows that the hard work you put in year-round paid off in the end,” Rhyner said.

The hard work does not end for Rhyner as he has more shows to prepare for.

“It’s pretty much go, go, go the whole time,” Rhyner said. “It’s pretty hectic for me this time of year.”

Many people were in attendance to see the judging of the livestock, including Robert Lopez, a resident of Los Fresnos, who wanted to support his son Robert Jr. and his daughter Lorena.

“They’ve (presented in the livestock show) for a long time. It’s taught them to be real confident, and it keeps them busy,” Lopez said. “If you see how the kids here hold the animals — that takes practice. You have to practice all that.”

After Lopez’s children finished their shows, he said he planned to take them to the fair grounds for some family fun.

For the people not interested in the livestock show itself, the Heart of America Carnival has plenty to offer, according to the Los Fresnos PRCA Rodeo website.

All around the grounds, people will find drink and food booths, games, and rides. Festivities will last until midnight each day.

“We’re looking forward to it. In the evening, it’s beautiful. There are lights, people, kids, animals, a lot of things that are out there to see,” Lopez said. “We’ll get on a few rides, get some funnel cake, things like that.”

Today and Sunday, visitors can see the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) rodeo, which will feature seven events: saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, bareback riding, bull riding, protection bullfighting, women’s barrel racing, tie down roping and team roping.

A few concert performances will also be available.

Parking will cost $5. Admission into the carnival is free, but tickets are required to see the rodeo and concerts. The fairgrounds are located at 500 E. Ocean Blvd. in Los Fresnos.

To check pricing and availability, visit http://www.lfrodeo.com/p/tickets.

HARLINGEN — Now we know the contenders in the May 7 races for mayor, city commissioner and school board trustee.

Mayor Chris Boswell is facing some familiar challengers in his bid for re-election.

The election pits Boswell against Kenneth Benton and Joe Rubio Jr. — both former mayoral contenders defeated by Boswell — and Jerry Prepejchal Jr., a former Harlingen city commissioner.

Boswell was a three-term city commissioner when he defeated Benton, a consultant, in the race for mayor in 2007.

Three years later, Boswell easily won re-election in a three-way race with challengers Rubio, a retired police lieutenant and private investigator, and George Merrill, a pastor.

Prepejchal, who is retired, is a former city commissioner who lost his bid for re-election in 2012 against Basilio “Chino” Sanchez.

Yesterday was the last day to file for candidacy in the city elections.

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