HARLINGEN — Grant Burbach stood at the podium defending his position on gun control, insisting there should be more restrictions.

“I think it’s too easy for the wrong people to own guns,” said Grant, 16, a sophomore at Harlingen High School. Background checks should include searches for nonviolent crimes such as stalking, which often escalate to violent crimes, he said.

“Do you think this will deter good people from actually getting guns?” fired back Irene Tyler, 15, a member of the school’s Speech, Drama and Debate Team like Grant.

A volley of heavy declarations and stinging challenges shot back and forth in rapid succession for 10 minutes before they concluded their practice session.

Irene and Grant were preparing to compete in the Harvard Invitational Meet next month along with five other students under the direction of their coach and sponsor, Tasha Kneis. Irene is competing in the Lincoln Douglas event, and Grant is competing in Congressional Debate. Others are competing in original oratory, extemporaneous speaking and dramatic performance.

Students are feeling the pressure.

“I am very excited to go to Harvard,” said Irene, a sophomore. “I haven’t gone on a big trip with the debate team. Everyone is working hard and it’s a bit nerve-wracking.”

Kneis, who also teaches speech, drama and debate, said she was proud of the students’ hard work.

“Oh, we’re really excited,” she said. “I think that their talent level is nationally competitive now, so we’re excited to give them that exposure. They know so much about issues happening around the world.”

Grant is the most recent example of the successes of Kneis and her students. He’d just placed 10th in the UIL State Congress Meet in Austin earlier this week.

His bill was called, “Should We Send Soldiers to Latin America to Promote Humanitarian Aid and Peace.”

“I got to give the first speech to introduce the bill and then debate it,” he said. “The questions, most of them poked holes in the speech.”

He had to fend off a barrage of questions from about 20 or 30 people in a mock congress.

He loves the Congressional Debate event because it’s the most “real-world example of debate,” he said.

“It’s one of the most pure forms of debate that we have,” he said.

Irene prefers the Lincoln-Douglas Debate event because it’s a one-on-one match.

“With Lincoln-Douglas, it’s a lot more focused, more in-depth about the topic,” she said.

Preparation involves intense research about the topic and learning enough to defend both sides of the argument.

“We also have to have evidence that would block other people’s cases and prepare for what someone else might say,” she said.

She had to have sources she could reference for each point she’d make in the event. Most of those sources were online, but they had to be reputable. She used the Violence Policy Center, NRA and the FBI websites, along with many others.

Not only has she thoroughly researched her topic, she’s also practiced defending it. She and her other teammates have been debating each other to hone their skills.

Irene said debate differs from arguing. The debater must understand a topic thoroughly enough to defend either side, even the one with which he or she disagrees. Irene comes from a conservative background and had difficulty learning to debate in favor of something she doesn’t agree with. She said debate forced her to reach beyond her comfort zone. As a result, she now understands the issue much better.

RAYMONDVILLE — Wal-Mart will close its Raymondville store, laying off 110 employees in Willacy County, reeling from last year’s prison closure that rocked the local economy.

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The store, one of Raymondville’s biggest sources of sales tax revenue since it opened in 2005, will close Jan. 28, said Catalina Ozuna, executive director of the Raymondville Economic Development Corporation.

“That’s going to hurt us a lot,” Ozuna said. “For us, it’s a big impact.”

Wal-Mart officials will close the Raymondville store because it is one of the least profitable in the Rio Grande Valley.

“They’re targeting the least profitable stores,” Ozuna said.

Of the 110 employees being laid off 55 work full-time.

Workforce Solutions was meeting with Raymondville EDC officials today, said Laura Cavazos, the agency’s spokeswoman.

“The unemployment rate was hit hard,” Cavazos said, citing the prison closure. “We want to make sure we give them the support they need.”

Cavazos said agency officials plan to meet with the store’s employees.

“We’ll give them all the tools they need to apply for unemployment benefits and apply for a new job,” Cavazos said. “Some may be willing to relocate, some not.”

Raymondville and Willacy County are reeling from last March’s closure of the Willacy County Correctional Center, which laid off 400 employees in this county struggling with a 13-percent jobless rate. Officials estimate about 200 laid-off prison workers live in the Willacy County area.

The prison’s closure plunged Willacy County into a financial crisis, slashing $2.7 million from the county’s $8.1 million general fund budget.

Walmart is also closing one of four stores located in Brownsville. That store is located at 7480 Padre Island Hwy. and will shut its doors Jan. 28.

Read Walmart statement on closings and list of stores

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RAYMONDVILLE — A new $503,000 nature center will feature an observation deck and boardwalk overlooking flocks of shore birds along the banks of the Laguna Madre.

After six years of planning, the Willacy County Natural Coastal Resource Center is expected to make Port Mansfield a destination for eco-tourism.

In a meeting yesterday, Willacy County commissioners voted to request construction bids to build the 1,500-square-foot nature center on county-owned land at Port Mansfield’s Laguna Point Recreation Center off Matagorda Street.

The nature center will feature an office and meeting room that will showcase nature events off the banks of the Laguna Madre.

“It’s a tremendous asset for Port Mansfield,” said John Sterling, vice president of the Port Mansfield Chamber of Commerce. “I’m hoping this will add a new incentive for people to come to Port Mansfield.”

The center will be built next to a popular, new $1.8 million park featuring a 500-foot fishing pier along Port Mansfield’s southern edge.

“It’s really to expose people to nature,” Sterling said of the project.

The center will feature an $80,000 observation deck and a $75,000 boardwalk, said Sally Velasquez, the county’s consultant.

Sterling said the observation deck will overlook the bay.

“From the platform, you’ll be able to see a lot more wildlife,” Sterling said as he stood at the site. “People like me come to see the wildlife. There’s so much here. There are all kinds of birds — all the shore birds.”

Officials plan to use the center to help students learn about the area’s native wildlife and habitat.

Sterling said construction is expected to run from March to September.

Commissioners launched the project after about six years of debate.

At first, officials planned to develop the center on four acres that businessman Joe Wetegrove wanted to donate about 1.5 miles east of Raymondville on State Highway 186.

But officials scrapped initial plans after they found Wetegrove had not donated the land but had transferred the property as a conservation easement, or land that would revert to him if the county did not use it to develop a nature center.

HARLINGEN – Tread cautiously. Danger is everywhere.

Parents have issued this stern warning to children throughout human history. Wives, husbands, brothers and sisters have given one another the same advice, as have close friends.

Living in a world of danger and wonder has always been a reality people faced everywhere. However, that danger didn’t prevent them from climbing a mountain, swimming in a river, or simply walking to the next town. And people armed themselves for protection.

And so it is today as they venture into cyberspace. The Harlingen school district is taking rigorous steps to protect its students from the dangers lurking on the Internet while at the same time using it as a valuable tool.

“We have parameters of acceptable sites that our students can access through our network, and that’s something that we’re constantly monitoring,” said Veronica Kortan, administrator for organizational development.

James Pearcy, director of technology, also monitors the sites visited by students. He said students are able to use a special email service offered by Microsoft that comes with filters.

Kortan said if her’s or Pearcy’s department spots a site that hasn’t been blocked, they review it closely for inappropriate content or communications with the student. Fortunately, the district has not discovered any inappropriate contact with the school’s students.

This success is especially significant this year when the district is in its final phase of the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) initiative, which means any classroom can become a BYOD class. However, there’s more to a classroom becoming BYOD than just connecting to the Internet.

“Our library media specialists have an entire packet that they cover with the teachers, because we’re really trying to nurture that digital learning environment,” she said. “But before we do that, we also want to make sure that we’re going to couple it with being responsible with our kids and making sure that we’re protecting them digitally.”

Kortan described some “digital citizenship lessons” the district covers with its students.

“We drive home the message that digital learning is something that we really want to embrace,” Kortan said. “But with that comes a lot of responsibility both with the teacher, the parent and the student.”

Kortan said the district often refers to a website called Common Sense Media for direction on how to protect students while using their digital devices.

“They have a wealth of information on how to keep students safe in a digital learning environment,” Kortan said.

Teachers in a digital classroom emphasize the importance of smart choices while online, she said.

“We have a pledge that we work on posting throughout our district so that they’re constantly reminded that they make choices, and they can make good choices when using their tools,” Kortan said.

As people have always armed themselves against danger everywhere, so it is in the modern age. Students, teachers and anyone else can protect themselves from people surfing the Internet with ulterior motives. With great vigilance, teachers and administrators keep a watchful eye on their students’ online activities as they explore the world just beyond their fingertips.

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HARLINGEN — Will you hurry up.

That’s one scenario possibly being played out by high school students trying to connect to the Internet with their digital devices. They have work to do and they need to access websites, but it’s taking way too long.

Who’s being difficult? The iPhone? The iPad?

None of the above, as it turns out.

The use of digital devices in class has become so popular there just aren’t enough access points to meet the demand. Harlingen High School and Harlingen High School South are BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) schools, so digital devices are gaining popularity as viable research tools. Students download Google Apps, online book apps, and online library resources, and they’re able to collaborate with experts throughout the world.

However, they’re only viable if they can access the Internet, and that has become a problem lately.

That’s about to change. James Pearcy, director of technology for the Harlingen school district, is installing more access points in both high schools so students can more easily log-on. He began the $620,000 project in December and expects to finish in February. It’s being paid for by the extra tax dollars collected through the recent tax ratification election.

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By TRAViS M. WHITEHEAD

Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — Will you hurry up.

That’s one scenario possibly being played out by high school students trying to connect to the Internet with their digital devices. They have work to do and they need to access websites, but it’s taking way too long.

Who’s being difficult? The iPhone? The iPad?

None of the above, as it turns out.

The use of digital devices in class has become so popular there just aren’t enough access points to meet the demand. Harlingen High School and Harlingen High School South are BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) schools, so digital devices are gaining popularity as viable research tools. Students download Google Apps, online book apps, and online library resources, and they’re able to collaborate with experts throughout the world.

However, they’re only viable if they can access the Internet, and that has become a problem lately.

That’s about to change. James Pearcy, director of technology for the Harlingen school district, is installing more access points in both high schools so students can more easily log-on. He began the $620,000 project in December and expects to finish in February. It’s being paid for by the extra tax dollars collected through the recent tax ratification election.

Pearcy said students, teachers and administrators have experienced difficulty because there has been only one access point for every four classrooms. As a result, there are times when up to 100 students are trying to connect to the Internet through one access point. With that kind of load, each student receives a diminished amount of power. Videos take longer to download, and some apps may not download fast enough.

Pearcy is addressing the problem with new cabling and access points.

“The project is actually adding one Wi-Fi access point to every single classroom on both the South campus and the Harlingen High School campus,” he said.

Internet access has become increasingly important in classrooms throughout the district, said Veronica Kortan, administrator for organizational development.

“We use it a lot to make sure that we’re going to stay connected to current events, and we use a lot of apps to enhance what we’re doing with the learning,” she said.

She appreciated Pearcy’s work with the upgrades.

“Sometimes the system will get a little sluggish when so many classrooms are participating in BYOD,” she said. “The infrastructure will make the ease of accessing those tools a lot easier and a lot quicker.”

Pearcy said the issue isn’t about power. In 2012 he talked about plans to upgrade the district’s infrastructure in preparation for what? Mobile devices that would eventually arrive in the classroom.

Fast forward to 2016. Pearcy has upgraded the infrastructure from six megabytes per second to 100 megabytes per second. Digital devices have poured into the classrooms as part of the district’s digital learning initiative. Students – and teachers – are using them in a broad range of activities.

Students use them for collaboration through cloud-based applications like document storage and sharing, Pearcy said. They’re also valuable for research through online textbook and subject resources, and they enhance project-based learning activities.

There’s plenty of power for these activities. The problem is accessing it.

“The power in the background is still big,” Pearcy said. “The power and everything, the connectivity, the bigger band width is there but it’s not being fully utilized because we’ve got a link in the chain that’s a bottleneck, which are the access points.”

Yesterday afternoon he was on-site at the Harlingen High School library where workers were installing access points. One stood on a ladder where he mounted a grid bracket into the ceiling. He would then install the access point onto the bracket.

Wait a minute. The libraries are getting them too? Apparently so.

“We are putting them in different places, four or five in large public areas,” he said.

Outside the library, a shiny new pipe ran along the eaves, carrying new fiber optic cables to the access points.

“They are going to the different wings, to the hallways, so the students can have digital access,” he said.

Soon, the new cabling and access points will bring students closer to the global community as they connect to numerous sources throughout the world. Their world will become at once smaller and then bigger, as far away places are at their fingertips.

MERCEDES — It appeared to be business as usual at Mercedes High School yesterday.

Kids were in class, others walking the halls, or chatting with cell phones in hand.

But 24 hours earlier, things were far from normal at the school.

A pair of 17-year-old seniors were pulled out of class and taken to Hidalgo County Jail where they are now sitting behind bars.

Roen Lerma, and Jose Cano, were both taken out of class Wednesday morning after authorities discovered what they believe were terroristic threats made against Mercedes High School.

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MERCEDES — It appeared to be business as usual at Mercedes High School yesterday.

Kids were in class, others walking the halls, or chatting with cell phones in hand.

But 24 hours earlier, things were far from normal at the school.

A pair of 17-year-old seniors were pulled out of class and taken to Hidalgo County Jail where they are now sitting behind bars.

Roen Lerma, and Jose Cano, were both taken out of class Wednesday morning after authorities discovered what they believe were terroristic threats made against Mercedes High School.

Lerma who goes by the name Decimatings on Twitter is holding machine guns on his profile picture and also has a demonic looking Taylor Swift photo on his account.

Lerma responded to Cano’s 7:16 a.m. Twitter message wishing for another 9/11 attack.

Lerma proceeded in saying on Twitter at 7:24 a.m. that Cano should come by the school and shoot it up.

Cano did not respond to Lerma’s message but did hit the like button.

A female student also liked the tweet, and responded at 7:25 a.m. saying to tell her when they were planning it, so she wouldn’t go to school that day.

The students were pulled out of class quickly Wednesday morning around 9:30 a.m. after Google representatives contacted the school with concern about the Tweets.

Cano attended the Mercedes Early College Academy with Lerma until he transferred back to the Mercedes High School earlier this school year.

Cano is said to be a normal-looking student, but very quiet, who sits in the back of the class and does not appear to talk to anyone.

One of his classmates in seventh period forensic science said students at school were stating the comments on Twitter were weird, unexpected and not right because it’s not a laughing matter to a lot of people.

The two students were arraigned and charged with Felony Three Terroristic Threats Wednesday afternoon by Municipal Judge Juan Ramon Alvarez and we’re given a $250,000 cash surety bond each.

“I hope that these youngsters understand and those parents understand that our authorities are not going to take this lightly,” said Dr. Daniel Trevino, Mercedes superintendent of schools.

Trevino said the students interacted together on their own personal time and with their own hardware devices.

Trevino said yesterday more security was put in place, but all-in-all it’s new business as usual at Mercedes school district again.

However, both schools will continue to have heightened security until further notice.

Trevino said the school district is in cordination with authorities both the Mercedes police as well as federal authorities because the allegations are being considered a Federal offense.

“We were fortunate that the threat was discovered and we were fortunate that we found the sources,” Trevino said. “It’s extremely serious whether the threat was going to be implemented or not.”

Yesterday, an automated voice recording was sent to all parents in the district notifying them about the incident at the school.

Trevino said the lives of the students and staff is a serious matter and knowing a threat exists in the district risks the lives of the 1,200 students, 100 staff and visitors at the school.

“We continue focusing on prevention and continue taking safety as a major priority for everyone,” Trevino said. “We follow the philosophy of prevention.”

Mercedes Police Chief Olga Maldonado said the Mercedes police resource officer sprang into action and immediately apprehended both individuals Wednesday without any incident.

Mercedes police are continuing the investigation and the case will eventually be sent to the district attorny’s office, which will decide on a court date.

“We take all threats seriously especially when they involve our children,” Maldonado said.

SANTA ROSA — Three men are listed in critical condition after the truck they were passengers in rolled over.

Another four of the 10 who were in the pickup are still on the loose.

Texas Department of Public Safety said the one vehicle accident occurred yesterday around 6:23 a.m. on F.M. 1425 south of S.H. 107 east of Santa Rosa.

The preliminary investigation revealed a 2002 brown Chevrolet Silverado pick-up occupied by 10 people including the driver was traveling southbound on F.M. 1425.

The Chevrolet was traveling at an unsafe speed upon the curve and lost control veering onto the eastside shoulder and into an open field, the DPS said.

Three of the men were taken to Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen first, then two were airlifted to San Antonio Military Medical Center.

The third man will remain at VBMC.

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