HARLINGEN — Police need help finding a man wanted for evading arrest.
They say officers tried to stop Juan Jose Charles Jr., 41, on Saturday night at Bonita Park but Charles fled the scene and refused to stop.
Investigators say he eventually crashed into a car and building on the 1200 block of N. 7th St. and then fled on foot.
Police have issued an arrest warrant. Anyone with information on Charles is asked to contact the Harlingen Crime Stoppers at (956) 425-TIPS (8477).
I have had numerous complaints by veterans who are once again being sent to San Antonio for dental problems, and Corpus to the QVT.
I have a veteran friend who was sent to a dental office like the ones in third world countries.
Another cannot hear and has been waiting for the infamous vouchers in order to get the health worked on.
As far as I know, they have not killed any veterans recently due to voucher. However the voucher problem is risen up again.
Why are we sending Veterans to San Antonio? I thought the circus was in the past. The new guy, Perez, appears to be starting off on the wrong foot.
I had a bout with pneumonia a few weeks ago and I went to an outside provider. He gave me an antibiotic and a prescription for a particular antibiotic. I drove from Dr. Mackie’s office in McAllen to the VA Harlingen clinic. I gave the clerk and he told me they did not have that particular medication. I was concerned for my health.
I asked him if they could get the brand the doctor ordered.
No but he had a generic. I drove around and came by and picked it up and headed home. The instructions directed I take the tablet with a full glass of water, I did so.
I live about 7 minutes from the clinic, by the time I got home I could not breath but very little further more I could not stop coughing. Once home, no one was there and I could not drive. I entered my home and it was empty I drank more water but now it was coming out of my nose and breathing small gasps between coughs. I could not use the telephone due to my lack of talking. I knew I was getting ready to meet Jesus in person but it was going to kill my children.
I lost our brother Dennis Rendon Feb. 27, 3:45 p.m. I did not think my 94-year old mother could take my passing and I thought of the finality of death. In that second my wife came in and she saw me turning blue and said I will take you to the hospital.
All I could muster was “ambace.” I was trying to say “ambulance.” I laid back in my chair trying to calm down but I knew I was running out of breath.
Finally the gurney was headed toward me. I was hooked up to oxygen and being calmed by the ambulance EMS, they were great. It was an allergic reaction to the shot or the cheap VA medication. In the event of my death, it would have been administrative death.
If you veterans do not ask for help I cannot help you. One Veteran spoke to me about a Mrs. Sargent and how he has been waiting for a voucher or a call from her She has no business there.
I urge you veterans if you are disrespected, call me and I will get their AMA ID number and file a complaint. They don’t like that.
They prefer you say nothing and put up with their rudeness. Call me and we will see how fast Houston and Washington will get things moving again. Valley do not let the Veteran’s employees treat veterans that way.
The Veterans Administrations works for us. Let me say it again the doctors and nurses and police man work for the veterans remember that. I will help you If I can but you have to call me I do not have your number. The newspapers do have my number. By the way, see what the news media has to say about the wounded warriors.
Fred Rendon Jr.
Harlingen
HARLINGEN — Police arrested a man on Friday they say kidnapped a woman in November from the mall parking lot.
Rene Rubio, 27, of Santa Rosa was arraigned on a first degree felony charge for aggravated kidnapping. His bond was set at $350,000.
Officers say on Nov. 12 they were called to the 2000 block of Expressway 83 at 9:40 p.m. in reference to a subject with a gun.
They say a Harlingen woman told them she was in her car in the mall parking lot when a man entered the vehicle.
Police say the suspect was Rubio and that he placed an object (possibly a gun) to the woman’s head. He is accused of ordering her to drive to an ATM to remove money. The woman says Rubio also made her drive to several different locations in the area, before getting out of the car somewhere near Wilson Road.
The woman was not injured.
Investigators said all along they were certain Rubio was the suspect. A search warrant had been issued and he was found on Friday when he was arrested.
Early voting got underway tomorrow for the March 1 primary elections.
Here is a list of early voting locations in Cameron County:
The times and dates will vary during early voting.
Call the Cameron County Voter Registration and Elections Office for voting hours and dates at (956) 544-0809.
HARLINGEN — Don’t even think about walking anonymously into any of Harlingen’s elementary schools.
It’s not going to happen.
The elementary campuses, all 17 of them, already have locking systems. Soon they’ll all have new video surveillance systems aimed at hallways, breezeways, entrances, gyms, playgrounds — anywhere principals feel they should be placed.
Traci Gonzalez, principal at Dr. Rodriguez Elementary, said she and other principals were shown blueprints of their schools so they could indicate where they wanted cameras placed.
“The first thing we took into consideration was student safety,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve put mine in the hallways, so they view hallways, they can view entry and exit doors, cafeteria, gymnasium, the front of the building where we have pickup.”
The Harlingen School Board voted early last week to award a contract to Calence Physical Security Solutions. The contract agrees to pay the company $651,957 to install new video surveillance systems at all 17 of the district’s elementary schools. The district is paying for the system with extra money accrued through the recent 10-cent property tax increase. Voters narrowly approved the tax increase through the Tax Ratification Election, TRE, last fall.
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BROWNSVILLE — Paul White Jr. wiped away tears from his wife Angelica Medina’s face yesterday morning at the Cameron County Courthouse as Justice of the Peace Linda Salazar officiated their wedding.
Medina, 21, of Brownsville and White, 23, of Jacksonville, North Carolina, exchanged vows while Medina’s mother and siblings looked on, and while White’s parents viewed the ceremony via a live video stream online.
Salazar began the ceremony with some words of advice to the couple.
“Marriage is beautiful guys, but marriage is like playing cards and if you play your cards right you will have many years together,” Salazar said.
For Salazar, the Whites were the first of six couples who had requested to be married on Valentine’s Day.
“It is a very special day for couples. It’s about love and friendship, I try to do it every year,” Salazar said.
Medina and White first met through an online dating service in 2014, while they were living in Florida. After exchanging messages the two met for lunch the same day. Medina said from then on she knew White was the one for her and White reciprocated the affection.
“Her beautiful smile attracted me to her. She stood out from other girls,” White said.
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HARLINGEN — Valley Metro is seeing an uptick in travel and interest in its bus service from Willacy County following the recent closure of the Raymondville Walmart, officials say.
Tom Logan, director of Valley Metro, said he’s trying to get the word out in Willacy County that Valley Metro is an option for residents who can no longer shop near home.
Logan urged Willacy County residents who don’t have personal transportation available to call Valley Metro at 800-574-8322 to make a reservation.
“People call our 800 number and make a reservation a day in advance, and they tell us where to pick them up and where they want to go,” Logan said. To make a reservation, Logan says to call during working hours during the week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“If we have space, we book their trip and we provide that service the following day.”
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Eighth graders at the Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District exceeded their peers across the state of Texas and the nation on college readiness benchmark results recently released in the 2015-2016 Preliminary SAT (PSAT) 8 Benchmark.
The PSAT 8, one of a series of assessments administered by the College Board, measures how well eighth graders are mastering the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in college.
“Cultivating college readiness begins before high school,” stated Dr. Alicia Noyola, Chief Academic Officer for HCISD. “Our goal is to prepare students, in part by monitoring their progress throughout their education, so that all students succeed after graduation.”
The PSAT 8 provides students, parents, teachers, and administrators with the feedback needed to ensure that a rigorous curriculum is delivered and mastered by students. Based on student mastery in two areas, evidenced-based reading and math, results are correlated with the SAT, an assessment that predicts how well students will perform in college. Meeting benchmark standards in eighth grade demonstrates that students are on track to succeed in college.
HCISD students outperformed the state and the nation on the college readiness indicators, evidenced-based reading and math, gauged on the PSAT 8. According to the report, 52 percent of the HCISD students assessed are on track to succeed in college. In contrast, only 43 percent of Texas students and 41 percent of students nationwide are on track.
“As a community, we set a course with the vision of creating a system of world-class schools so that all students are provided with an excellent education, and these results affirm that HCISD is transforming learning for global achievement,” said Dr. Nolan Perez, President of the HCISD Board of Trustees.
In addition to outperforming the state and nation academically, HCISD tested a larger percentage of its students. While many schools administer the PSAT 8 to a select group of students, HCISD administered the assessment to 64 percent of enrolled students, 16 percent more than the state and 26 percent more than the nation.
“Earning a college degree opens doors and provides opportunities,” said Dr. Art Cavazos, HCISD Superintendent. “We are committed to assessing student learning to ensure that post-secondary readiness is achieved. The PSAT is one part of our comprehensive plan to build world-class schools.”
How does a school district go about creating world-class schools that cultivate college readiness in the 21st century?
“Plan the work and work the plan,” states Cavazos.
High-quality data drives instruction, helping students and teachers understand areas of strength and areas in need of improvement. Assessment data, such as the PSAT, is an integral part of the district’s plan to ensure that students graduate ready to succeed.
February … what does this month represent to most people? Probably Valentine’s Day, paper hearts, candy, and flowers.
But to parents of children born with congenital heart defects, it means a time to spread awareness of this birth defect. Feb. 7 to 14 is devoted to awareness of the number one birth defect found in babies. Feb. 12 was the day to wear purple to honor those who are heart angels, warriors, and survivors.
There are over 40 different identified types of heart defects. Some babies need surgery right after birth, some a few days, months, or years later, and some may not ever need surgery.
Symptoms of heart defects may include: pale gray or blue skin, rapid breathing, grunting, flared nostrils, feeding problems, or excessive sweating. If parents notice any of these things, they should bring it to the attention of their baby’s doctor.
Today, because of the advances in medical care, there are more adults living with CHD than children. Some adults who had heart surgery as babies, find out that they need surgery once again. Because most heart defects can never be fully repaired, it is very important that those who have had heart surgery be followed by an adult congenital heart specialist.
Please help spread awareness by wearing purple and telling others why you are wearing it.
Rita Scoggins Harlingen
