TSTC Wind Energy Technology graduates Chase Woolery (left) and Adrian Gallegos are wind turbine technicians with Deriva Energy. (Courtesy: Texas State Technical College/TSTC)
TSTC Wind Energy Technology graduates Chase Woolery (left) and Adrian Gallegos are wind turbine technicians with Deriva Energy. (Courtesy: Texas State Technical College/TSTC)
HARLINGEN — Texas State Technical College Wind Energy Technology graduates Adrian Gallegos and Chase Woolery were elated when they were offered full-time wind turbine technician jobs at Deriva Energy in Rio Grande City last month. Deriva Energy is one of the nation’s leading independent power producers, owning and operating over six gigawatts of electric generation nationwide with 14 plants in Texas.
Recently Gallegos and Woolery joined four other Deriva Energy employees in a self-rescue training session at TSTC’s Harlingen campus. Carlos Garza, a training instructor for Tech Safety Lines, conducted the training for the new Deriva Energy technicians to ensure that they understand its safety protocols.
Chase Woolery during a self-rescue training session at TSTC’s Harlingen campus. (Courtesy: Texas State Technical College/TSTC)Adrian Gallegos during a self-rescue training session at TSTC’s Harlingen campus. (Courtesy: Texas State Technical College/TSTC)
“Height was the focal point of the training because wind technicians perform their jobs 300 feet in the air,” Garza said.
Gallegos earned a Wind Energy Technology certificate of completion from TSTC in 2023.
“It is important to be comfortable executing the safety procedures because we may have to do a self-rescue or help a teammate in a worst-case scenario,” the Harlingen resident said. “Doing the freefall with the hoist equipment took me back to when I was a student.”
Woolery, a native of Jamaica who now lives in Harlingen, received an Associate of Applied Science degree in Wind Energy Technology from TSTC in 2022. He said the safety training was a good refresher.
“Mr. Garza is a great trainer who made sure we grasped what he reviewed,” Woolery said. “His teachings are precise, and I enjoyed that.”
Carlos Garza, a training instructor for Tech Safety Lines, conducted the training for the new Deriva Energy technicians to ensure that they understand its safety protocols. (Courtesy: Texas State Technical College/TSTC)
Garza said Gallegos and Woolery showed a good prior understanding of the applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations.
“That’s a result of the education they received at TSTC,” Garza said.
TSTC’s Wind Energy Technology program offers an Associate of Applied Science degree and a certificate of completion at the Harlingen and Sweetwater campuses.
Registration for TSTC’s fall semester is underway. For more information, visit tstc.edu.
Comments this week addressed a need for greater civility, greater responsibility and greater storm insurance coverage in the Rio Grande Valley and other coastal areas. Other writers voiced their thoughts on the upcoming election, doubts about Donald Trump’s responsibility for the Capitol riot and doubts about his recent shooting injury.
As always, we welcome your thoughts on these and other topics, and thank those who have shared theirs.
Predictions for country
Most Americans are woefully unaware of the history of the world. They don’t really know much about American history and are not willing to learn.
A couple thousand years ago the Israelites decided they wanted a king. The good Lord presented some caveats. These were ignored; the Israelites selected Saul, and the results were depressing, until David.
“Joe Biden is turning our country into a banana republic, so I’m voting for that guy.” “I am your retribution!”
Germany following World War I went into rebuilding mode. Times were tough. There was a person who promised them the Third Reich. It was to be a super country. That person, who wrote Mein Kamp while in prison, got out and became leader of the German Workers Party. We know it as the National Socialist or Nazi Party. He used his devotees, the Brown Shirts, to take over Germany. He was now an autocrat and could do anything he wanted the government to do.
Enter the United States. I shall play Nostradamus. Donald Trump will be elected president of the United States. The Republican Party will become our very own Nazi Party. Trump already has the Supreme Court in his pocket. Trump will enjoy the same freedom do govern that Vladimir Putin enjoys in Russia. I suspect he will “push Ukraine under the bus,” and ally our country with Russia. Each seems to desire expansion.
To solve the immigration problem, he may try to annex Mexico. Solves the problem. Some people wanted to annex Canada early in our history. Did not work out well.
President Trump will reduce the middle class by burdening them with taxes needed because of the favoritism given to the new oligopolists. Social Security will be farmed out to his favorite oligopolists, and China will rule Asia.
Wilson’s suppression of free speech during World War I was mainly directed at anti-war activists, possibly because “War is a Racket,” a boon for the economy, good for the unemployment rate and a bonanza for America’s defense industry.
Wilson was a racist Democrat and an internationalist, an early 19th century word for a free-trade globalist. The communist policies of progressives and Democrats like Wilson in the early 20th century would be the beginning of America morphing into a communist nation.
But you can’t have a communist nation without, among other things, a heavy progressive or graduated income tax on the masses, and a central bank to manipulate interest rates and to control the money supply.
So beginning in February 1913 and likely into eternity, the 16th Amendment gave Congress the authority to extort income taxes from almost every American who works for a living. The Federal Reserve system was also created in 1913.
The Fed rapidly increasing interest rates led directly to the 1920-1921 depression and before the decade was over, the1929 Stock Market Crash. That was followed by the Fed’s tight monetary policies causing the Great Depression. And of course, catastrophic economic events like the Great Depression and the more recent COVID pandemic create pathways to implement or further expand communism.
The Great Depression was a golden opportunity for Franklin Roosevelt to rescue millions of unemployed and destitute Americans with his communistic New Deal programs. The COVID pandemic was another golden opportunity for the elites of America and the world to implement their inflationary Great (economic) Reset.
As Vladimir Lenin said, “The goal of Socialism is Communism.”
Natividad Rodriguez
Harlingen
Where are candidates?
Where do they go when they fly home to Texas? I am talking about the Congress people, which includes the Senate and House of Representatives from Washington, D.C.
The Democrats were complaining that they might lose the election if President Joe Biden continued to be the presidential nominee. Don’t they know that all the seats they are holding are local and that we elect them or send them packing?
I have given to both parties over the past 50 years and still do when I think they have good common sense and moral principles. But I haven’t seen a candidate for the jobs in Washington since 1996 in person. I hear about them holding fundraisers, rallies and meeting with the local officials from time to time, but not before the meetings. Are they afraid of the people in their state and districts to come out and press the flesh? Where has the idea of visiting with your constituents gotten to? Why have we allowed these professional politicians to get on X, TikTok and Facebook and do their thing? There are too many false statements being forced on us through the fake media to gag a maggot.
My opinion is, come and see me or drop out of the race. This means everyone.
Bill Williams
Palmview
Prove Trump behind Jan. 6
All of you haters out there: Give us proof that Donald Trump was behind the Jan. 6 riots! I don’t want to read more unproven accusations but real litigated proof that he was responsible for Jan. 6 or litigated proof that he told the governor of Georgia to “fabricate” thousands of votes! Until then, zip it!
Ernest Gorena
Brownsville
Mental disorder
In his letter to the editor on July 13, Mr. Jim Taylor tells us that when he was earning his MS degree, he learned that the teaching of psychology includes that when a person believes himself to be what he obviously is not or cannot be, that person has a mental disorder.
“Young, sane leaders… Young, sane leaders…”
Our thanks to Mr. Taylor for pointing this out. It confirms what Mary Trump, Donald Trump’s niece, and many other Americans suspected about the Donald: that he has a mental disorder. Because never in the history of our republic has a president had reason to believe that he would be immune from criminal prosecution or that he was above the law. And that Trump’s denial of reality is also included in the broader disorder of “dysrationalia,” which, according to Jim, is the inability to think and behave rationally despite having adequate intelligence.
So, now we know. Thanks again sir, for confirming our suspicions.
Italo J. Zarate
Brownsville
No protests for Ukraine
The Ukraine War is in its third year, and Russia continues its attacks. Hopefully, the aid by the U.S. and European countries will help Ukraine fight off the Russian invasion and prevent Russia from overrunning Europe. The U.S. finally allowed Ukraine to hit targets in Russian territory utilizing U.S. arms.
Russia has unleashed devastating attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, including power plants, water distribution systems, warehouses, businesses and housing. Approximately 12,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and more than 20,000 injured. Thousands of Ukrainian children have been kidnapped and sent to Russia.
Why aren’t people protesting against the killing and wounding of Ukrainian civilians? Aren’t the Christians of Ukraine just as important as the Muslims of Gaza? Or is there a bias involved? Isn’t it important for the U.S. to support Ukraine and prevent a much wider war in Europe? Do the protesters care about the U.S., or do the protesters just want to create chaos and promote anarchy? Are they an anti-democracy Fifth Column? Maybe protesters should go to the Ukraine and Gaza war zones to make a meaningful impact.
We must continue to support Ukraine with military aid and donations by citizens. I have contributed to a number of Ukrainian relief organizations.
Donald Moskowitz
Londonderry, N.H.
Doubts about Trump shooting
What if the man who shot Trump was not a bad shot? What if he was an expert shot, a marksman, and accomplished exactly what was intended? Think about it! Sympathy is a strong motivator State voter records show that Thomas Crooks was a registered Republican. The plot thickens.
Ned Sheats
Mission
Trump can protect self
Donald Trump expects to get 100% protection after he leaves office. It does not work that way. He himself told NATO: If you don’t pay your share, you get zero protection if your nation is attacked.
Trump can afford to pay a private company to protect him. He gets limited protection from the Secret Service after he leaves office, very limited. I compare it to a school crossing guard — very minimal.
“Keystone cops”
To hear that a 12-year-old man attempted to take Trump’s life during a rally, what comes to mind is John Wilkes Booth, who killed Abraham Lincoln; a low-class actor with no future in acting. I cannot recall the name of the Ronald Reagen shooter who wanted to impress Jody Foster, a female actress. A female follower of cult leader Charles Manson, who wanted to create a race riot in America, attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford, and now another 20-year-old kid in diapers tries to assassinate President Trump to make a name for himself and move his status from a loser to a hero.
We need to stop feeding violence to our society if we’re ever going to stop this violent trend in America.
Rafael Madrigal
Pharr
The price of pleasure
Boomer America long ago abandoned the republic. As evidence, far too many people today play bingo and eat barbeque while their communities circle down the toilet.
Many run off to national parks or retirement communities while their grandkids are being eaten alive by social media.
Others ignore the Constitution and their ancestors and pay fealty to a madman despot politician.
Still others watch daytime soaps and nighttime game shows, worshipping celebrities like they were homecoming kings and queens, soaking in misleading advertising and forgetting everything they ever learned in high school and college.
Yet others satisfy their need for afterlife security by going to church and basking in the love of pastors or priests while the neighbor walks past the chapel door flailing about in the arms of cartel chieftains and usurious bankers.
Every pleasure has a price, and boomers are not paying it.
Kimball Shinkoskey
Woods Cross, Utah
Letter attacked
In her July 1 letter with allegations about a leftist, autocratic, globalist dictator presidency, Imelda Coronado’s comments are 100% projection. She even throws in a dog whistle for the racists who hate Barack Obama. Her hero Donald Trump has promised he would be a dictator on Day One.
She criticizes Joe Biden for refusing to leave “addictive power,” while she supports Trump, who had his supporters violently attack our country’s Capitol to stay in power. Again proof of the projection Republicans repeat over and over where they have convinced the gullible.
She talks about cruelty against humanity by Democrats without mentioning any reason. Cruelty to humanity for example is when Trump tore children away from their parents for political purposes.
“Felon”
Ms. Coronado rants about “gagging-censoring media” while without doubt she is a devoted follower of the Fox right-wing propaganda channel. Fox has had to pay millions for spreading lies. Fox has done a great job of spreading lies and misinformation for a couple of decades, creating today’s division in America.
Yes, the free world is watching and they are horrified that we are even considering electing Trump. Vladimir Putin would love to invade a number of countries to reinstate the Soviet Union, our greatest enemy. Trump has already said he would let Putin do whatever the hell he wants.
In unbelievable projection, it is laughable that Ms. Coronado supports a well-documented pathological liar while fantasizing about Trump and his cult speaking the truth.
Finally, while injecting God in her comments, Ms. Coronado and the Trump cult support a narcissistic egomaniac who was convicted of sexual assault. What more proof of the hypocrisy and the projection do we need to keep this dictator wannabe out of the presidency?
Vote to sustain our democracy; vote for Democrats at every level.
Beto Conde
Rancho Viejo
Trump backed
Donald Trump, the human piñata, swings from side to side. Eager stick holders line up for a swing. “They know not what they do,” a great Book once said.
While the media put every single stumble of Republicans under intense magnification, they serve as a scrutiny umbrella for the Democrats.
Fraudulently-informed, low information, useful idiot water carriers, the “Goebbelists” are fighting hard to obfuscate discernable reality. Like Trump’s job numbers lie.
“Have the ladies and gentlemen of the jury come to a decision on this crook?” “Your Honor, the trial hasn’t started yet.”
Late in his term, a 1½-year COVID lockdown happened, so hordes of people were forced from work. Early in Joe Biden’s term, lockdowns lifted and people returned to work en masse. They want to blame Trump’s policies on the COVID job decreases, yet give Biden credit for the inevitable post-lockdown job numbers stabilizing. Can you believe how dishonest that is? That, and the other debunked hit-piece headlines spun from leftist echo chambers that stretch the realms of plausibility.
So they line up, rocks in hand, to “throw the first stone,” but do you vote for a persona or proven policies? This piñata president took endless sniper fire from media, biased federal judges and Congress, who constantly handcuffed his political objectives (border wall, etc.). These are bad actors acting in bad faith, fiercely driven to bastardized and bankrupt our nation’s cultural heritage and sovereignty. So to the useful idiots, is it worth throwing the baby out with the bathwater for 30 pieces of silver? Is victory against Trump worth it if it necessities destroying the country? “Protecting democracy” is constantly repeated, but how specifically does Trump leadership “destroy democracy” and how come it survived unharmed during his first term?
Jamey Honaker
Combes
Is killing rival an official act?
If the latest conspiracist theorists (including many in the Republican hierarchy) are proven right, that the Biden “crime family” is implicated in the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, can Ol’ Joe claim “presidential immunity” for an “official act” to rid the country of a man deemed by many to be unfit for the office of the presidency and an existential threat to our democracy, as justified by the Supreme Court’s latest ruling that the president himself can determine any act “official”?
“…and to faithfully execute my political enemies”
You know, the Seal Team Six scenario brought up in court arguments? How ’bout Dem apples? Sauce for the goose — or is that law meant only for a Republican administration? Just askin’.
P.V. Lee
Brownsville
Editor’s note: We welcome your letters and commentary. Submissions must include the writer’s full name, address and daytime telephone number for verification. Letters of 200 words or fewer will be given preference. Submissions may be edited for length, grammar and clarity. Letters may be mailed to P.O Box 3267, McAllen, Texas 78502-3267, or emailed to [email protected].
Gerardo and Daisy Alcazar of La Pale Frozen Fruit Bar in Brownsville pose with their product. (Courtesy: H-E-B)
Gerardo and Daisy Alcazar of La Pale Frozen Fruit Bar’s paletas comes in four different flavors. (Courtesy: H-E-B)
A Brownsville ice cream shop was named a finalist for H-E-B’s 11th annual Quest for Texas Best competition, which searches for the best state-made products.
La Pale Frozen Fruit Bar was announced top 10 finalist out of more than 470 submissions from entrepreneurs across 118 cities in Texas, a press release from H-E-B stated.
Gerardo and Daisy Alcazar opened their first shop in 2019, embracing a family tradition of making Mexican-style paletas made from natural fruits. They now have two shops in Brownsville.
La Pale also makes popsicles, ice cream and fresh fruit waters among other treats. Their mini paletas are dairy free, vegan, and gluten free, with sugar free and keto options available. Flavors include but are not limited to mango chamoy, lime, chamoy, strawberry, watermelon and mango.
The Brownsville ice cream shop joins finalists from Canton, Austin, Dallas, Utopia and Brooksire. To learn more about La Pale, visit https://lapaleicecream.com/
Finalists will present their products and share their stories in front of a panel of judges selected by H-E-B on Aug. 9 at Fair Park in Dallas. The judges will determine four winning products and award $25,000 to the Grand Prize winner, who will be named the “Texas Best” and earn placement on store shelves, the release stated.
The first place winner will be awarded $20,000, followed by $15,000 for the second place winner and $10,000 to the third place winner.
“Small businesses drive innovation and keep our communities vibrant, which is why we are dedicated to finding and supporting the best small businesses in Texas,” James Harris, senior director of Diversity & Inclusion and Supplier Diversity for H-E-B, said in the release.
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Gerardo and Daisy Alcazar of La Pale Frozen Fruit Bar in Brownsville pose with their paletas. (Courtesy: H-E-B)
Gerardo and Daisy Alcazar of La Pale Frozen Fruit Bar's paletas comes in four different flavors. (Courtesy: H-E-B)
Gerardo and Daisy Alcazar of La Pale Frozen Fruit Bar in Brownsville. (Courtesy: H-E-B)
Gerardo and Daisy Alcazar of La Pale Frozen Fruit Bar in Brownsville pose with their product. (Courtesy: H-E-B)
Gerardo and Daisy Alcazar of La Pale Frozen Fruit Bar's paletas comes in four different flavors. (Courtesy: H-E-B)
Since Quest for Texas Best’s launch in 2014, H-E-B said in the release that more than 1,000 unique food items, beverages and general merchandise have made it to store shelves.
“We are amazed year after year by the creative products submitted for the competition and look forward to making these inventive products available to our shoppers,” Harris said.
In 2022, two Valley families from McAllen and Brownsville were among the top 10 finalists during the competition’s ninth year.
LEFT: Annie Leal, of McAllen, is in the top 10 list for the H-E-B Quest for Texas Best competition by making a chamoy for her diabetic father that has no added sugar. RIGHT: Nadia Escalante and Manual Alvarez, who own The Sweet Blvd in Brownsville, made it to the top 10 by creating their own version of a Japanese cotton cake with a Texas twist. (Courtesy photos)
Annie Leal, of McAllen, made it into the top 10 list with a chamoy that has no added sugar. She developed the sweet and spicy recipe, named “I Love Chamoy,” while considering her father’s needs following his diabetes diagnosis.
Meanwhile, Nadia Escalante and Manual Alvarez, of Brownsville, created their own version of a Japanese cotton cake with a Texas twist. The couple also opened The Sweet Blvd. at 2200 Boca Chica Blvd #142.
Annie Leal and her father celebrate I Love Chamoy’s win in the H-E-B Quest for Texas Best contest Wednesday. (H-E-B Photo)
That year, Leal beat 500 entries from across the state after her sugar free chamoy won the grand prize.
This combo of images provided by the U.S. Department of State show Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, left, and Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of another infamous cartel leader, after they were arrested by U.S. authorities in Texas, the U.S. Justice Department said Thursday, July 25, 2024. (U.S. Department of State via AP)
By JUAN A. LOZANO
HOUSTON (AP) — The lawyer of a powerful Mexican drug cartel leader who is now in U.S. custody pushed back Sunday against claims that his client was tricked into flying into the country, saying he was “forcibly kidnapped” by the son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada had eluded authorities for decades and had never set foot in prison until a plane carrying him and Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of notorious drug kingpin “El Chapo,” landed at an airport in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, near El Paso, Texas, on Thursday. Both men, who face various U.S. drug charges, were arrested and remain jailed.
Frank Perez, Zambada’s attorney, said his client did not end up at the New Mexico airport of his own free will.
“My client neither surrendered nor negotiated any terms with the U.S. government,” Perez said in a statement. “Joaquín Guzmán López forcibly kidnapped my client. He was ambushed, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed by six men in military uniforms and Joaquin. His legs were tied, and a black bag was placed over his head.” Perez went on to say that Zambada, 76, was thrown in the back of a pickup truck, forced onto a plane and tied to the seat by Guzmán López.
Known as an astute operator skilled at corrupting officials, Zambada has a reputation for being able to negotiate with everyone, including rivals. He is charged in a number of U.S. cases, including in New York and California. Prosecutors brought a new indictment against him in New York in February, describing him as the “principal leader of the criminal enterprise responsible for importing enormous quantities of narcotics into the United States.”
Removing him from the criminal landscape could set off a turbulent internal war for control over the cartel, as has occurred with the arrest or killings of other kingpins. Experts say it could also open the door for a more violent, younger generation of Sinaloa traffickers to move up.
Perez declined to offer much more comment beyond his Sunday statement, saying only that his client had been traveling with a light security detail and was set up after being called to a meeting with Guzmán López.
Perez’s comments were first reported by the Los Angeles Times.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Justice Department did not immediately return an email seeking comment Sunday on Perez’s claims. Court records did not list an attorney for Guzmán López, whose father is serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison.
According to a U.S. law enforcement official familiar with the matter, Zambada was duped into flying into the U.S.
The cartel leader got on an airplane believing he was going somewhere else, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. The official did not provide details such as who persuaded Zambada to get on the plane or where exactly he thought he was going.
Zambada appeared in federal court in El Paso on Friday morning, where a judge read the charges against him and informed him of his rights. He is being held without bond and has pleaded not guilty to various drug trafficking charges, court records show. His next court hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Perez said.
Faith Anola, a TSTC LVN to RN Transition Nursing Program student, checks on some of the features programmed into Pediatric HAL during class. (Courtesy: Texas State Technical College/TSTC)
Faith Anola, a TSTC LVN to RN Transition Nursing Program student, checks on some of the features programmed into Pediatric HAL during class. (Courtesy: Texas State Technical College/TSTC)
SWEETWATER — His name is HAL.
Pediatric HAL S2225, the newest medical manikin in Texas State Technical College’s LVN to RN Transition Nursing Program, has several special features, including the ability to converse with students.
Students recently got to meet HAL and will begin training with him regularly this fall.
“It is unbelievable that they can make something like this,” Destiny Adams, a first-semester student, said after watching HAL in action. “For his face to swell up, for him to cry and for him to talk back to you is amazing.”
Adams said being able to train with HAL and the program’s pregnant manikin, VICTORIA S2200, will help her prepare for clinicals.
“I will be able to learn a lot … before I go out in the real world,” she said. “It is better to make mistakes in the lab than in the hospital.”
Jayce Martinez, also a first-semester student, agreed.
“This will be good practice for every student,” she said. “This will get us in the mindset that we are talking to someone.”
Since HAL is a pediatric patient, Martinez said she noticed a trait many children have with nurses.
“We have to be prepared to talk to children who will not respond immediately,” she said.
Lydia Onwonga noticed another of HAL’s characteristics.
“Just like a real child, he started to show different feelings, like not wanting to be touched,” she said.
The students were amazed that HAL can cry tears.
“When he started crying is when I realized that this was special,” Faith Anola said. “It made me a little sad that he did not feel well.”
According to Gaumard, the company that designed and manufactured the manikin, HAL is capable of simulating lifelike emotions through facial expressions, movement and speech.
According to onetonline.org, registered nursing jobs were forecast to increase 17% in Texas between 2020 and 2030. The median annual salary for registered nurses in Texas is $85,110, the website showed.
TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing at its Harlingen and Sweetwater campuses. A Vocational Nursing certificate of completion is offered at the Breckenridge, Harlingen and Sweetwater campuses.
Registration for TSTC’s fall semester is underway. For more information, visit tstc.edu.
The I-69E project for a boost with TxDOT committing $364 million toward improvements for U.S. 77 in Kenedy County. (Courtesy: TxDOT)
The Texas Department of Transportation is hosting a groundbreaking event to kick-off construction on the U.S. 77 interstate upgrades, which will be awarded over $300 million.
According to TxDOT, the goal is to turn U.S. 77 into an interstate, specifically Interstate 69 East, stretching from Corpus Christi to Brownsville.
The event for the ceremonial groundbreaking will be held Wednesday at 9 a.m. about 9.6 miles north of State Highway 186 off U.S. 77.
From the $364 million to be awarded to the project, $191 million of the funds will be used for the construction of main lanes and overpasses on U.S. 77.
The renovations will stretch from 1.46 miles north of Norias Road to 1.34 miles north of the Willacy and Kenedy County line.
“The projects, in general, in Kenedy County will have overpasses every 5 miles or so to allow turnarounds for emergency vehicles and to provide access to major ranches in the area,” said Pete Alvarez, district engineer for the TxDOT Pharr district in a news release.
In the fall of this year, the project will receive another $173 million to construct similar improvements from 9.6 miles to 1.46 miles north of Norias Road.
“Both of these projects have two lanes in each direction with shoulders, and in the future, they will have two-lane main lanes in each direction,” Alvarez said.
TxDOT also said the project will add approximately “16 lane miles” to I-69E.
The project is expected to take about three to four years to complete.
The marquee for the Edinburg Motorsports Park is seen from Highway 281 on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Edinburg. (Delcia Lopez | [email protected])
EDINBURG — A once-active participant of events at the Edinburg Motorsports Park is raising alarming concerns over driver and spectator safety at the popular track.
Luis Arévalo, whose family has often participated in races at the high octane track since the 1990s, said he’s concerned that officials who operate the track — and with the city of Edinburg — aren’t doing enough to address potentially deadly hazards at the track.
A retired first responder, Arévalo said he felt compelled to pull his sponsorships from the track after bringing his concerns to its operator’s attention to no avail.
“My concern is, basically, personal, and I’m gonna say it’s just safety. They’re not safe,” Arévalo told The Monitor.
Arévalo said his concerns center around allegedly subpar preparations for emergency response at the track.
He pointed to a recent incident where a young driver’s souped-up car flew down the track so fast that air got caught underneath the vehicle, sending it flying. When the car came back down to earth, the high octane fuel it carried erupted into flames which quickly engulfed the entire vehicle.
In a video of the crash posted to social media, spectators can be seen running toward the vehicle while yelling for help. It ultimately fell to those same bystanders to check on the driver and put out the conflagration with a handful of fire extinguishers.
The driver escaped with no injuries thanks to how well retrofitted the vehicle had been with a roll cage and other race gear, Arévalo, who was one of the bystanders who helped put the flames out that night, said.
However, it took half an hour for firefighters to respond to the track, which lies on the same property as the South Texas International Airport, the city-owned airport located 9 miles north of town.
During the same event, Arévalo alleges that another man went into cardiac arrest and, again, was forced to wait at least 30 minutes before receiving emergency transportation to a hospital.
The race track at the Edinburg Motorsports Park Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Edinburg. (Delcia Lopez | [email protected])
The man survived.
But that incident illustrates another of Arévalo’s concerns. The race track’s operators allegedly do not maintain sufficient equipment or staffing to respond to emergency medical situations, he said.
“That guy collapsed, hit his head on the guardrail,” Arévalo said.
But the one medic on scene had no “backboard, no C-collar” to use during his ministrations on the patient, Arévalo said.
Arévalo also expressed concern over how the facility stores and sells the specialized fuel that racers use to blast down the straightaway at speeds in excess of 200 mph.
While most car owners are accustomed to seeing unleaded fuel come in three octane options — ranging between 87 and 93 — at the average roadside gas station, racers at the Edinburg track often opt for the specialized racing fuel sold there.
Arévalo said it can be as high as 120 octane, making it much more flammable and explosive, and requiring specialized handling.
The retired first responder claims the track may be improperly storing and selling the fuel.
It was the cumulative weight of these concerns that prompted Arévalo to pull a financial sponsorship from the race track and its operators.
Since then, his relationship with the operators, who go by the same name as the track, Edinburg Motorsports Park, has become decidedly frosty.
Buildings are seen in a distance at the Edinburg Motorsports Park Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Edinburg. (Delcia Lopez | [email protected])
“We had a little mishap at the track and I got my attorney involved,” Arévalo said, referring to a verbal altercation that occurred between himself, his wife and one of the track operators.
Edinburg Motorsports Park did not return a message seeking comment for this story.
But the city has responded to Arévalo’s allegations.
In a statement issued Friday, July 19, the city clarified that though it owns the race track property, it does not operate the facility. The city also acknowledged that some concerns have been brought to its attention.
“Recently, a private citizen who is in a legal dispute with the operator alleged certain safety concerns regarding the facility,” the statement reads.
“Although the operator and the citizen are in a private legal dispute, the City takes safety allegations seriously and is actively reviewing them. We are committed to proactively ensuring that all valid safety concerns on City-owned property are addressed promptly and effectively,” it further reads.
Speaking after a city council meeting Tuesday night, July 16, Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza Jr. at first downplayed questions from The Monitor about a potential investigation into safety concerns at the track.
“I don’t know if I’d call it an investigation, I mean, ‘cause it’s not. It’s really us looking into some of the things that were brought up to city staff and I know they’re looking into it,” Garza said then.
But on Friday, the mayor echoed the city’s official statement regarding a potential legal conflict between Arévalo and the track’s operator.
If a legal dispute exists between Arévalo and the track operators it has not yet risen to the level of a lawsuit being filed. A search of Hidalgo County court records show no litigation between the two sides currently exists.
The marquee for the Edinburg Motorsports Park is seen from Highway 281 on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Edinburg. (Delcia Lopez | [email protected])
Regardless of who or why someone is sharing a concern, Garza assured that the city takes safety seriously.
“We’re working with the operator to make sure that if there are any safety issues that they are addressed,” Garza said.
For his part, Arévalo said he only got an attorney involved after what he claims is retaliation for bringing up his concerns in the first place.
Arévalo says one of the track operators, Rey Chavez, banned him from the facility once Arévalo pulled his sponsorship — worth north of $12,000 — unless the operator did something to “fix the track.”
Arévalo said his attorney reached out to “their attorney,” as well as Garza and City Manager Myra Ayala, but only to inform them that he is representing Arévalo, not because Arévalo has any intentions for a lawsuit.
“I’m not coming here to get the track shut down … I’m coming here so you guys know what’s going on. I have merit. I have proof it’s being done,” Arévalo said.
He’s also had several sit down sessions with city leaders over the past several months to explain the nature of his concerns and press Edinburg to address them before someone gets hurt.
“I’ve been in this medical industry for … 25 years, and I’ve seen how fast someone can bleed to death, I’ve seen how someone can burn to death, I’ve seen where burning cars where we can’t extricate the victim and they burn alive,” Arévalo said.
“That’s the attitude of ‘no pasa nada,’ and that’s the attitude that he has,” Arévalo said, referring to the race track operators.
“Haz que no pasa algo, that’s when the city is going to act,” he said, meaning that until something happens, that’s when the city will act.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published Friday, July 19, 2024.
TSTC students Antonio Martinez (left) and Christopher Sanchez, who are studying Mechatronics Technology and Precision Machining Technology, respectively, demonstrate some of the hands-on lab assignments that will be part of each program’s night classes. (Courtesy: Texas State Technical College/TSTC)
TSTC students Antonio Martinez (left) and Christopher Sanchez, who are studying Mechatronics Technology and Precision Machining Technology, respectively, demonstrate some of the hands-on lab assignments that will be part of each program’s night classes. (Courtesy: Texas State Technical College/TSTC)
HARLINGEN — For people who work during the day and are interested in pursuing a postsecondary education in an engineering-related field during evening hours, Texas State Technical College will make available night classes in Mechatronics Technology and Precision Machining Technology beginning with the fall semester.
“There is a big demand right now for mechatronics technicians at the job sites of our industry partners throughout the state,” said Carlos Reyes, TSTC’s Mechatronics Technology program team lead. “The hands-on education that our program will offer next fall will be the same for day and evening classes.”
In Mechatronics Technology, students can pursue an Associate of Applied Science degree. Reyes said the program’s night classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 9:50 p.m.
“The technical skills, knowledge and education that students will acquire can allow them to transition to a supervisory role at their place of employment,” he said.
In Precision Machining Technology, TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree and two certificates of completion. The program’s night classes will be taught weekly from 5 to 9 p.m., Monday to Friday, by Isaac Gonzalez.
“The jobs for machinists are growing across the state,” Gonzalez said. “Many companies want current employees to increase their skills and get acquainted with up-to-date technology. The night classes are ideal for them because the education will be fast-paced.”
TSTC student Christopher Sanchez demonstrates some of the hands-on lab assignments that will be part of the Precision Machining Technology program’s night classes. (Courtesy: Texas State Technical College/TSTC)TSTC student Antonio Martinez demonstrates some of the hands-on lab assignments that will be part of the Mechatronics Technology program’s night classes. (Courtesy: Texas State Technical College/TSTC)
The registration deadline for the new evening classes is Friday, Aug. 16. For more information, visit tstc.edu.
Pictured are melon, mango and watermelon Mexican ice cream. (Courtesy photo)
Pictured are melon, mango and watermelon Mexican ice cream. (Courtesy photo)
July is National Ice Cream Month and I thought it would be fun to explore the history of these frozen treats. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, there are 442 ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturers in the United States. Texas has 27 frozen dessert manufacturers. In Pennsylvania, they celebrate an ice cream trail of their 42 creameries for tourists and locals to enjoy.
But, how did frozen treats begin?
About 500 BC, during the reign of Cyrus the Great in Persia (now Iran), sweetened ice was crushed and mixed with fruits, spices and flavors, called sharbat. (The word sherbet is derived from this Arabic word.) About 100 years later, thin rice noodles were added to the treat, providing starch, and this treat is still popular today. The noodles are soaked in saffron and rose water, lime and ice are added, and a sour cherry syrup tops off the dish called Faloodeh.
Travelers and royalty from Greece and Rome heard about these treats and began creating their own versions. In Europe between the 15th and 17th centuries ice treats became very popular. Marco Polo saw ice cream in China and brought their technology back to Italy.
China has a long history with frozen dessert. Stories are told about King Tang of Shang, who had 94 ice men who went into the mountains to gather snow that was crushed and flavored with fruits and spices (about 618 AD). Eventually, cooks began freezing rice and milk together to create a treat that was closer to today’s ice cream. China played a major part in the development of ice cream when they discovered salt could greatly lower the freezing point of ice to less than zero degrees Celsius. In Mexico, long before Europeans brought ice cream to North America, the Teotihuacanos made frozen treats by bringing snow from the Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl volcanoes. The snow was mixed with seasonal fruits, honey, and nuts and enjoyed by emperors and those in power, especially for ceremonies.
As refrigeration improved, stalls and shops opened across Mexico selling Nieves de agua, or Nieve de garrafas which translates to Ice and the metal container used in the process. Unlike the development of ice cream in the states, where a company makes the ice cream or sherbet and sends it to shops already frozen, a person at each Neveria (shop or stall) in Mexico takes a wooden spoon to crush the fruit in a garrafa that sits inside a larger wooden bucket holding the ice and salt. In this way, many more flavors were developed due to the fruit in season in each area. They even added corn to the ice mixture to make the final product creamier! Eventually, Italian immigrants brought their influence with recipes for gelatos, but the wide variety of fruits in Mexico makes for a unique product.
If you are interested in more on the history and how to make iced treats, Fany Gerson wrote “Mexican Ice Cream,” published in 2017, which includes more than 50 recipes for this treat.
Additionally, this Saturday, July 27, you can taste the flavors of Mexico and celebrate National Ice Cream Month in a special South Texas tradition from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Farmers Market at Firemen’s Park in McAllen, under the large, covered space in the park, next to Town Lake at 201 N. 1st St. This is a traditional farmers market selling locally grown produce, herbs, and seasonal fruits, mushrooms, and grass fed meats, as well as homemade jams, salsas and artisan baked goods. And Master Gardeners are on hand to answer your gardening questions at the Welcome Desk.
Barbara Storz is a local horticulturist writing about plants that grow well in south Texas. You can find her at the Farmers Market in Firemen’s Park and on Facebook.
Students raise their hands during a class session. (Adobe Stock)
The start of the 2024-25 school year is rapidly approaching. In a little more than a month, children across the Rio Grande Valley will be returning to the classroom for another year of learning.
As they brace for the end of summer and prepare for the first day of school, children may feel anxious or stressed about fitting in, navigating schoolwork and being separated from their loved ones for a large part of their day.
But parents may be feeling the tension too.
Recognizing that school is vital to their children’s growth and development, parents may feel tremendous anxiety about helping ensure their kids realize their full potential, especially if their kids will be stepping into a classroom for the first time.
“It’s okay to feel nervous about your child spending less time at home and gaining new independence. Letting go can be difficult, but it’s a necessary process every parent must go through as their child grows up,” says Kim Davis, pediatric administrator, South Texas Health System Children’s. “Unfortunately, sometimes when a parent is anxious, it can cause the child to become anxious. So, it’s important to manage your own anxiety and take the necessary steps to help your children successfully transition from summer break to the classroom environment.”
So, to help parents prepare their children for a safe, healthy and happy start to the school year, South Texas Children’s offers the following advice for helping children prepare for the school year ahead:
Schedule a back-to-school checkup
A back-to-school checkup, or annual wellness exam, could be a child’s only visit with a doctor each year. During this visit, your child’s pediatrician will conduct a physical exam and discuss diet, exercise and any recommended health screenings. This appointment is crucial for recognizing and addressing physical, developmental or emotional concerns.
Talk about first-week butterflies
Reassure your child that being nervous is natural. Help your child cope with their jitters by letting them express their fears and sharing stories of your own first-day experiences as a child. Teach them to breathe deeply and slowly to calm their nerves. If they’re worried about who to sit with or talk to on the first day, help them plan a strategy and rehearse it so they’ll know what to do.
Take a campus tour
Before the first day of classes, take your child to visit the new school or classroom to help them feel comfortable. Since many kids get nervous about new situations, it can be helpful to show them the campus and give them the lay of the land before they head into a new situation.
Plan for safe travel to and from school
Whether they’ll be taking the bus, carpooling with friends or walking to school, make sure to practice any new routes and educate them on the rules associated with their mode of transportation.
Gather the supplies
Consult your school’s basic supplies list to make sure your child is ready for the first day with all the essentials.
Consider backpack safety
Choose an appropriate backpack for your use, preferably one with wide, padded should straps and a padded back; and organize your child’s backpack to use all compartments. Remember: your child’s backpack should never weigh more than 10-20% of your child’s body weight. Don’t forget to remind your child to always use both should straps to avoid muscle strain.
Develop a healthy sleep schedule
Getting enough sleep is critical for children to be successful in school. Insufficient sleep is linked with lower academic achievement and higher rates of absenteeism and tardiness. So, set a consistent bedtime for your child and stick to it every night. Start a week or two before the new school year starts to help them ease into the new routine.
Establish healthy eating habits
From a nutritious breakfast and healthy lunch to healthy snacks and healthier beverages like water during and after school, make sure to provide your child with healthy eating options.
Create a homework space and schedule
Find a space for your child to do homework and set it up with all the supplies they’ll need to complete their coursework. You can always have them read during the designated homework time now, so when school starts, they’re ready.
Don’t let the conversation end once school begins! Engaging in your child’s day-to-day routine once they start school helps establish the parent-school connection. Ask engaging questions like, “What questions did you ask today?”
By following those simple tips, you can help ease your child’s mind and set them up for the best start to the school year.
For more readiness tips, check out STHS Children’s recent Let’s Talk Children’s health webinar on the STHS Children’s Facebook page and the latest blog post on the South Texas Health System website.
