SAN BENITO — If you’re scared of guns, you should make it a point to educate yourself on them.

That’s what San Benito resident Ben Champion suggests people do.

“Get someone to teach you,” he said. “Go to someone who knows the safety aspect and start out small.”

Champion suggests working your way up and taking lessons on how to shoot and how to do it safely.

“Then you will have a safe understanding of what it is,” he said.

San Benito Assistant Police Chief Michael Galvan agrees.

“Even if they don’t own a gun, I highly recommend to everyone, learn about them,” he said. “Make an educated opinion rather than assumption.”

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SAN BENITO — If you’re scared of guns, you should make it a point to educate yourself on them.

That’s what San Benito resident Ben Champion suggests people do.

“Get someone to teach you,” he said. “Go to someone who knows the safety aspect and start out small.”

Champion suggests working your way up and taking lessons on how to shoot and how to do it safely.

“Then you will have a safe understanding of what it is,” he said.

San Benito Assistant Police Chief Michael Galvan agrees.

“Even if they don’t own a gun, I highly recommend to everyone, learn about them,” he said. “Make an educated opinion rather than assumption.”

National Rifle Association member and longtime gun owner, Champion said from a very young age the respect for guns was instilled in him by his father and grandfather.

“My dad gave me my first gun, a bb gun, when I was eight years old,” Champion said.

Sixty years later, Champion said he’s been shooting guns all his life and he personally checks his guns three, sometimes four times when using them.

It will take some time to get comfortable, but Champion said it’s doable.

“Baby steps,” he suggested.

In keeping with the goal to educate the public, yesterday, Galvan presented information to local business owners and operators regarding the new open carry law. That occurred during a meeting of the San Benito Rotary Club.

The new law, which went into effect Friday, the first day of the New Year, allows residents to openly carry licensed handguns in Texas.

People who openly carry guns are required to have them holstered on the shoulder or belt, Galvan said.

“It should stay in the holster,” Galvan said. “Don’t walk around with your hand on your gun.”

Those who currently have a concealed handgun license can now openly carry with no problem.

Retail and commercial businesses, however, can decide whether to opt out of open carry and concealed carry. They are required by law to post signs in accordance with the law in English and Spanish at each entrance clearly visible to the public.

The signs say: Pursuant to Section 30.07, Penal Code (trespass by license holder with an openly carried handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code (handgun licensing law), may not enter this property with a handgun that is carried openly.

Business owners also are required to post signage if they want to disallow concealed handguns in their businesses.

They have to post both signs in English and Spanish if they want to ban all guns in, Galvan said.

The new law bans guns at schools, courts and jails. Bars, polling places and sanctioned sporting events remain off limits, too.

Government meetings also can be designated gun-free with a notice.

The law still will ban handguns from certain public places including churches, hospitals, correctional facilities, and some places where alcohol is served or sold.

Gun holders who ignore those signs risk violating state trespassing laws and could face penalties and fines.

Galvan said one thing that concerns people about the new law is the role the police play in asking gun owners whether they have a license to carry or not.

“So now we have to have reason to ask,” he said. “They have to be causing a disturbance or breaking the law before we can ask to see that license.”

So, now anybody can walk around with a gun even if he or she is not licensed too and police are not allowed to ask.

“Because if we ask, we are violating their civil rights,” Galvan said. “It can be argued in court that I didn’t have probable cause to ask.”

Did you know?

* There are about 27 million people in the state of Texas and more than 20 million are registered gun owners.

* Between Sept. 1, 2014, and Aug. 31, 2015, about 170 gun licenses were issued in San Benito.

* Between Sep 1, 2014, and Aug. 31, 2015, about 1,701 gun licenses were issued in Cameron County.

HARLINGEN — At the city’s gateway, bushy native shrubs share the sprawling grounds with shaggy Mexican fan palms.

Soon, flowering trees like royal poinciana, wild olive and orchid trees will stand under the Interstate 69 overpass, lining the sides of Harrison and Tyler avenues.

Officials will fund the $353,000 project through a $250,000 grant that came with last year’s Governor’s Community Achievement Award and local money.

“For everyone driving in and out of Harlingen, it’s going to make a huge impact to see our city as a beautiful, clean community,” Mayor Chris Boswell said Wednesday at the City Commission meeting.

Officials are counting on the project to be the first to landscape the city’s busiest underpasses, said Melissa Boykin, executive director of Keep Harlingen Beautiful.

“We want this to be a catalyst for projects to follow,” Boykin said.

City leaders selected the Harrison and Tyler underpass because it has become the city’s gateway near the fast-growing Harlingen Heights shopping district anchored by Bass Pro Shops.

“We thought it would have the biggest impact,” Boykin said. “That little stretch is probably one of the biggest focal points coming in and out of Harlingen and that’s our shopping area.”

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HARLINGEN — At the city’s gateway, bushy native shrubs share the sprawling grounds with shaggy Mexican fan palms.

Soon, flowering trees like royal poinciana, wild olive and orchid trees will stand under the Interstate 69 overpass, lining the sides of Harrison and Tyler avenues.

Officials will fund the $353,000 project through a $250,000 grant that came with last year’s Governor’s Community Achievement Award and local money.

“For everyone driving in and out of Harlingen, it’s going to make a huge impact to see our city as a beautiful, clean community,” Mayor Chris Boswell said Wednesday at the City Commission meeting.

Officials are counting on the project to be the first to landscape the city’s busiest underpasses, said Melissa Boykin, executive director of Keep Harlingen Beautiful.

“We want this to be a catalyst for projects to follow,” Boykin said.

City leaders selected the Harrison and Tyler underpass because it has become the city’s gateway near the fast-growing Harlingen Heights shopping district anchored by Bass Pro Shops.

“We thought it would have the biggest impact,” Boykin said. “That little stretch is probably one of the biggest focal points coming in and out of Harlingen and that’s our shopping area.”

The landscape will feature about $43,500 worth of flowering, native trees and shrubs, said Javier Mendez, the city’s parks director.

“We wanted color,” Boykin said.

Officials want to give the 205-foot by 310-foot landscape the ambiance of a park.

“The center will be full and lush with plant material and then scale back to low ground cover,” Mendez said.

Officials selected native trees and shrubs because they are hardier and require less maintenance.

“We decided to go that route so the plants have the best chance of surviving and the flowers will attract birds and butterflies,” said Jeff Lyssy, the city’s parks superintendent.

Officials are trying to determine whether their budget will allow the purchase of artificial turf.

“We were real concerned about the maintenance,” Boykin said.

As part of the project, officials will install lighting under the overpass.

“The lighting will enhance the beautification of that area,” Boykin said. “It’s not the most well-lit area so that will make a huge difference there.”

Officials plan to begin work in about three months and complete the project about four months later.

BROWNSVILLE —Operations were once again halted at the Cameron County Tax Assessor-Collector Office in Brownsville yesterday after authorities ordered it be closed until further notice.

The order continued one day after Tax Assessor-Collector Tony Yzaguirre Jr, county tax investigator Pedro Garza, dealer/notary supervisor Omar Sanchez-Paz and Chief of Investigations Lt. Jose Mireles were arrested Wednesday morning as the result of a two-year investigation under the code name “Operation Dirty Deeds.”

Yzaguirre was charged with four counts of bribery, a second-degree felony; engaging in organized criminal activity, a first-degree felony; and official oppression, a class A misdemeanor.

County tax investigator Pedro Garza was charged with bribery, engaging in organized criminal activity and official oppression.

Dealer/notary supervisor Omar Sanchez-Paz was charged with engaging in organized criminal activity and abuse of official capacity, a class A misdemeanor.

Jose Mireles was charged with bribery, engaging in organized criminal activity and official oppression.

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BROWNSVILLE —Operations were once again halted at the Cameron County Tax Assessor-Collector Office in Brownsville yesterday after authorities ordered it be closed until further notice.

The order continued one day after Tax Assessor-Collector Tony Yzaguirre Jr, county tax investigator Pedro Garza, dealer/notary supervisor Omar Sanchez-Paz and Chief of Investigations Lt. Jose Mireles were arrested Wednesday morning as the result of a two-year investigation under the code name “Operation Dirty Deeds.”

Yzaguirre was charged with four counts of bribery, a second-degree felony; engaging in organized criminal activity, a first-degree felony; and official oppression, a class A misdemeanor.

County tax investigator Pedro Garza was charged with bribery, engaging in organized criminal activity and official oppression.

Dealer/notary supervisor Omar Sanchez-Paz was charged with engaging in organized criminal activity and abuse of official capacity, a class A misdemeanor.

Jose Mireles was charged with bribery, engaging in organized criminal activity and official oppression.

The men were arrested and booked at the Carrizalez-Rucker Detention Center where they were later released on a personal recognizance bond issued by Magistrate Alfredo Padilla.

On Thursday, Cameron County Judge Pete Sepulveda Jr. said it was his understanding under orders by the magistrate that Yzaguirre had to wait at least 72 hours before he could return to the office.

It is unknown if Yzaguirre has hired an attorney to represent him. The Cameron County District Attorney’s Office said no attorney had contacted the office on Yzaguirre’s behalf. Yzaguirre did not return telephone calls seeking comment.

Brownsville residents Maria Del Refugio Gonzalez and Juan Larraga were disappointed when they were turned away Thursday afternoon while trying to renew their registration sticker for their vehicle.

Gonzalez said the closure of the office caused a hassle for the couple who were unaware of Wednesday’s multi-agency investigation at the Cameron County Tax Assessor’s Office.

Sepulveda said the closure was ordered sometime before noon Thursday.

The area pertaining to property taxes had been open a few hours Wednesday morning because it was not the focus of the investigation by federal and state authorities, Sepulveda said. However, before noon it was ordered that the entire office be closed.

“The investigation was focused on the DMV side of the office so the property tax function was not implicated,” Sepulveda said.

The county judge said the public can pay their property taxes at other Cameron County tax offices in the county.

People who have issues dealing with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles will have to visit the H-E-B stores in Cameron County or the A.V. Lopez Supermarket on International Boulevard in Brownsville or AMEX Check Cashing on Price Road, also in Brownsville.

Sepulveda anticipates that the office could be back in operation sometime next week.

Cameron County Precinct 4 Commissioner Dan Sanchez said the arrests of employees from the county’s tax office raise public concern because allegations make it difficult for residents to trust public officials.

Although Sanchez said he didn’t pass judgment on whether the men were guilty of the charges he trusts the legal system to decide their fate.

“People are accused of crime everyday. I don’t know what the outcome of this is going to be, it could be that the case is dismissed,” said Sanchez, who is also running for Cameron County judge.

Brownsville resident Camilo Gonzalez said he called the tax assessor’s office Thursday to obtain information about taxes he’d paid but claimed he was hung up on six times.

“As a taxpayer we deserve the right to know what is going on with our taxpayer money and to get treated like crap and when I wanted to file a complaint, a young lady told me to call a judge and hung up again. That’s not right,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said after his third call to the tax assessor’s office, the woman on the other end of the line told him that his persistence was harassment.

Gonzalez said he would have liked to be referred to someone at the office who could help him in his quest for information.

Brownsville police spokesman J.J. Trevino said temporary closure of the tax assessor’s office didn’t mean that drivers traveling in vehicles with expired stickers would not receive citations.

Trevino said those who received citations for expired stickers can contest the citation in municipal court.

HARLINGEN — Welcome, you’ve been hacked.

“You’re done, you’re toast, I can’t help you,” said Victor Leal, Cybernation business owner and computer specialist.

He was talking to an audience of local business owners yesterday during the Downtown Harlingen morning coffee meeting about the next online virus to watch out for – Ransom ware.

“You get an email, you click on it and boom, your computer is infected,” Leal said. “The computer data is being encrypted in the background to hold the computer files for ransom.”

1 of 2

Leal told the group of business owners ransom ware takes over computer information and it can only be returned for a hefty price paid for with bit coins.

A bit coin is an international form of currency that is not recognized by any country.

Leal said when bit coin started, a single bit coin was worth one penny but now they are worth $350 each.

“I think a lot of people really tuned in,” Leal said. “I can look back at people and they look at me with horror in their eyes.”

The audience was quiet and concentrating on what Leal was saying.

A normal user typically is hacked by clicking unsuspecting links that are tied to computer viruses or computer hackers.

“I don’t care what they tell you, I don’t care what you buy,” Leal said. “The only way to get rid of ransom ware is to pay the ransom.”

He recommends a computer backup and good antivirus program to keep sensitive business information from being lost or stolen.

Downtown Harlingen hosts monthly meetings on the first Thursday of every month. They are open to the public and scheduled at different downtown business locations at 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. regularly.

“I think the information he (Leal) provided on cyber security was extremely riveting and helpful for a lot of the folks here,” said Cheryl LeBerge, downtown manager.

Every table at J&B’s Café was full. The guests at the meeting talked over coffee and pastries and met new business owners.

“The meeting was really nice,” said Carlos Perez, downtown Shabby Fufu store owner. “The story about the computers was scary.”

Perez said he and his wife need to be careful with what they are clicking on the computer.

Winners of the Christmas storefront decorating contest were announced at the meeting as well.

D’ Arte Centre came in third place, Shabby Fufu got the nod for second, and Twinkets & Friends was selected the winner.

HARLINGEN — Welcome, you’ve been hacked.

“You’re done, you’re toast, I can’t help you,” said Victor Leal, Cybernation business owner and computer specialist.

He was talking to an audience of local business owners yesterday during the Downtown Harlingen morning coffee meeting about the next online virus to watch out for – Ransom ware.

“You get an email, you click on it and boom, your computer is infected,” Leal said. “The computer data is being encrypted in the background to hold the computer files for ransom.”

1 of 2

Leal told the group of business owners ransom ware takes over computer information and it can only be returned for a hefty price paid for with bit coins.

A bit coin is an international form of currency that is not recognized by any country.

Leal said when bit coin started, a single bit coin was worth one penny but now they are worth $350 each.

“I think a lot of people really tuned in,” Leal said. “I can look back at people and they look at me with horror in their eyes.”

The audience was quiet and concentrating on what Leal was saying.

A normal user typically is hacked by clicking unsuspecting links that are tied to computer viruses or computer hackers.

“I don’t care what they tell you, I don’t care what you buy,” Leal said. “The only way to get rid of ransom ware is to pay the ransom.”

For the rest of this story and many other EXTRAS, go to our premium site, www.MyValleyStar.com.

Subscribe to it for only $6.99 per month or purchase a print subscription and receive the online version free, which includes an electronic version of the full newspaper and extra photo galleries, links and other information you can’t find anywhere else.

The Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge is starting off the new year with new activities for the public to participate in.

In addition to the usual birding tours and tram rides the park hosts every week, residents of the Rio Grande Valley interested in seeing the Bahia Grande can participate in leisurely biking tours.

“The tour is basically a way to give access to the Bahia Grande unit which is closed off to the public unless there are activities going on. We know biking is growing in Brownsville, so we wanted to give people a taste of what the Bahia Grande will be like once it’s open,” said Marion Mason, lead ranger at the park.

The 7.5 mile guided tours start Saturday, Jan. 16 and will continue each Saturday from 1-4 p.m. up until the end of March.

Riders will go along a caliche trail through coastal prairies and salt water bays.

The tour is meant to be ridden at a slow pace, Mason said.

“We’re gearing towards families because we’ll be going at a slow, leisurely pace. So this may not be for the hardcore biker wanting to ride miles and miles,” Mason said. “If they just want to get in and see an area not open to the public before, though, they’re welcome.”

Non-bikers will have their chance to see the Bahia Grande on Feb. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Vehicles will be permitted to drive into the area along a one-way seven mile road.

“It will go through the entire unit, and people will be able to stop and look at things along the way, whether it is the prairie, the bodies of water, or to look at the bird activity,” Mason said.

For many years, the Bahia Grande unit was privately owned and was not open to the public. It was then turned over to the Fish and Wildlife Services.

Ever since, the Bahia Grande has been undergoing a restoration phase to restore the waters that have been blocked off from the Laguna Madre, Mason said.

Because it will be open in the future, Mason encourages the public to see what the Valley was like before the land was developed.

“Unfortunately, here in the Valley, over 95 percent of the habitats have become something else. This is an area that, although used for cattle grazing, you don’t really get that impression because it still looks natural,” Mason said.

“It’s what the Valley used to be like before a lot of development came along and changed the habitat.”

HARLINGEN – The city will receive slightly more sales tax revenue this month from the Texas Comptroller’s Office than it did last year.

Harlingen will receive $1.713 million, an increase of 1.69 percent from last year’s $1.685 million.

The sales taxes received in January reflect sales in November.

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar is sending cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts $617.2 million in local sales tax allocations for January, a decrease of 0.1 percent from last year. Hegar said sales tax revenue for the state last month was $2.33 billion, down 1.1 percent compared to December 2014.

“As with the previous two months, December’s sales tax revenue was down largely due to spending reductions in oil and gas-related sectors,” Hegar said.

Considering the drop in revenue across the state and in many cities, Mayor Chris Boswell felt the increase was positive.

“Harlingen still remains in the black,” he said. “If you look at other cities, Mercedes and McAllen, they’ve seen a pretty significant drop.”

McAllen this month is receiving $4.922 million, a decrease of 8.16 percent from last year when it received $5.360 million. Mercedes saw a 15.18 percent decrease this month when it received $736,874.

Last year’s revenue totaled $868,797.

Compared to those numbers, Harlingen is in pretty good shape, Boswell said.

“Some of that is a reflection that not as many Mexican shoppers are coming because of the strength of the dollar in a world economy,” he said.

As of Thursday, one Mexican peso was worth 5.6 cents. That means almost 18 pesos are equivalent to $1.

“It’s caused Mexican shoppers to stay away,” he said. “In recent years we’ve had more Mexican shoppers with places like Bass Pro Shops.”

The city did see significant growth in 2015. Bert Ogden Toyota Scion opened in August at 8721 W. Expressway 83. Qualfon, a call center, opened its doors in May. Several new businesses opened in the downtown area, including Carlito’s Wine House, Armando’s Tuxedos and The Vanity Lash Hair and Waxing Studio.

San Benito and Raymondville both saw increases in their sales tax numbers:

– San Benito is receiving $332,924, a 12.32 percent increase from last year.

– Raymondville is receiving $106,636, a 0.98 percent increase from last year.

Other cities also posted sales tax increases and decreases.

– Brownsville is receiving about $3.009 million, a 2.18 percent increase from last year.

– Edinburg is receiving $1.548 million. That’s a 0.45 percent increase over last year’s $1.541.

– Weslaco posted a 4.88 percent decrease and will receive $872,148. A year ago, it received about $916,960.