A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent and K-9 security dog keep watch at a checkpoint station, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013, in Falfurrias. (Eric Gay/AP Photo)
Border Patrol agents on Sunday found nearly 30 people hidden inside a white Freightliner tractor that was hauling a utility trailer.
The incident happened at the Falfurrias checkpoint that day at around 11:05 p.m. when Angel Mendez-Hernandez arrived there and told agents he was on his way to California to deliver merchandise, according to a criminal complaint.
He also claimed there was no one else inside the tractor or trailer.
Agents, however, referred him to secondary and a search of the Freightliner tractor resulted in the discovery of four cellphones and four people hidden inside the vehicle.
They then turned their attention to the utility trailer.
“While conducting a systematic search of the trailer (Border Patrol agents) discovered 25 individuals inside the trailer,” the complaint stated.
Mendez declined to speak with investigators after his arrest.
One of the people in the trailer, a Mexican citizen who crossed the Rio Grande on a small boat on July 18, told agents he feared for his life in the trailer because he was at the back and it was becoming difficult for him to breathe, according to the complaint.
Mendez was scheduled to make a first appearance Wednesday morning in Corpus Christi federal court in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Mitchel Neurock.
Members of Palm Valley Animal Society load pet creates which contain small dogs onto a plane bound for Illinois at the South Texas International Airport on Friday, June 28, 2024, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])
The proposed ordinance came about after several animal hoarding cases occurred within the city, overwhelming an animal care system that is already overburdened with an overpopulation of pets.
“After we’ve seen some high-profile hoarding cases … we did a survey around the state to look at what other cities do to hopefully stem and prevent this,” McAllen Deputy City Attorney Austin Stevenson said during a McAllen City Commission workshop on Monday.
“It’s not uncommon to see a cap on domesticated animals, so this would be a proposed cap on dogs and cats. And the number that we have on the current version of the ordinance is four,” Stevenson added.
Under the terms of the proposed ordinance, McAllen residents would be limited to a combined maximum of four adult cats and dogs, plus one litter of puppies or kittens, before they would need to apply for a permit.
The ordinance would not prohibit people from owning more pets; it would simply require them to obtain a permit in order to do so.
Additionally, anyone who applied for an excess pet permit would be required to allow city officials to inspect their residence at least once a year to ensure the animals are in a safe and suitable home.
Those who refuse to comply with the ordinance would be subject to penalties.
“(A) violation would be a class C misdemeanor, which we could enforce in municipal court,” Stevenson said.
“If a permit is revoked or denied, there would be an appeals process consistent with other appeals processes,” he added.
But some members of the city commission worried that the ordinance would create a sense that the city is penalizing pet owners and people who wish to foster animals.
“I don’t want to say it’s punitive, but it’s certainly a disincentive to have to be required to make an application and then pay $50 (for a permit) when our objective as we’re working with PVAS is to encourage more adoption,” District 2 McAllen Commissioner Joaquin “J.J.” Zamora said.
Zamora was speaking of the city’s more recent attitude toward animal control, which the department has been renamed “animal care services,” while McAllen’s partnership with Palm Valley Animal Society has also evolved.
The Palm Valley Animal Society on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])
In May, city leaders took a major step in that evolution when they approved an $820,000 expenditure to design a new animal shelter for the nonprofit.
“I share your concerns, commissioner. I think that what we’re looking at is adding a tool to the toolkit, which is to fend off the hoarding before it gets to the hoarding level,” Stevenson said.
District 5 Commissioner Victor “Seby” Haddad, who has served as a PVAS community partner, said limiting residents to just four animals before needing to apply for a permit may be too restrictive. He suggested raising the number to a combination of six dogs or cats.
He also suggested that foster animals not count toward the total pet limit, since their presence is temporary.
Finally, Haddad expressed concern over the proposed $50 fee to apply for a permit.
“I don’t agree with the fee. … I don’t think the residents should be charged anything. I think the time it takes to register and follow through on that aspect is enough,” Haddad said.
The deputy city attorney responded by saying that the proposed ordinance, as drafted, would give the city the ability to set whatever fee is chosen, including setting no fee at all.
Meanwhile, District 3 Commissioner Omar Quintanilla expressed concern over the lack of guidelines on how the home inspections would occur.
Ultimately, the council took no official action on the ordinance pending the hammering out of the commissioners’ concerns.
Speaking after Monday’s commission meeting, McAllen City Manager Roy Rodriguez said that the city’s recent hoarding cases weren’t the only reason behind the proposed ordinance.
McAllen City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez
But rather, as alluded to during the workshop, the city’s still-evolving animal control philosophy spurred the larger discussion.
Part of that new philosophy has been to begin addressing the lack of veterinary services in the Rio Grande Valley due to a shortage of available veterinarians. It’s an issue the city of McAllen hopes to tackle as part of its growing partnership with PVAS.
“We are considering that,” Rodriguez said when asked about the potential to implement spay/neuter regulations in the future.
“That’s part of the discussions that we’re having with Palm Valley Animal Society. That’s a big deal. That’s a big issue that we’re gonna have to deal with,” Rodriguez said.
Meanwhile, McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos, who quipped that his five dogs live a more pampered life than he does, said city officials just don’t want to see more hoarding cases in the future.
“If I have to get a permit, I’ll get a permit, but those are not the people we’re worried about,” Villalobos said of responsible pet owners after Monday’s meeting.
It was a sentiment he had shared earlier during the workshop.
“What happens with a responsible cat lady that has 20 cats and she’s perfect,” the mayor asked near the end of Monday’s discussion.
“She just needs a permit,” the city manager responded.
Jarmain Walton is seen inside Glizzey’s Food Trailer on Monday, July 22, 2024, in Harlingen. (Travis Whitehead | Valley Morning Star)
Glizzey’s Food Hut’s Jarmain Walton presents the final product: A Harlingen Jalapeno Popper Hot Dog. (Travis M. Whitehead | Valley Morning Star)
HARLINGEN — There’s a sort of monotony in the sameness of things.
That monotony can numb the senses of anyone working or passing a busy street corner where the smells of exhaust and the clanging of tools and the aromas of coffee and burgers and tacos continue day after day.
This is the kind of monotony that plays out in any modern city throughout the world, and that truth can be found very present at the intersection of Ed Carey and 77 Sunshine Strip.
There is the Starbucks we see and patronize each day, and the Taco Bell and the CVS and the McDonald’s.
But, on the parking lot of Take 5 Oil Change, something new and fabulous made its debut Monday afternoon.
It’s the Glizzey’s Food Trailer, a new brainchild of Jarmain Walton, who just last year opened Glizzey’s Food Hut on 3131 Wilson Road next to the Harlingen Sports Complex.
Glizzey’s quickly attracted the hungry and the curious who found Walton’s innovations with an American staple, the hot dog, quite intriguing and packed with flavor.
Customer Chris Villarreal last year described the Harlingen Jalapeno Popper as an “explosion of flavors.”
“It has just the right amount of spice and sweetness,” he said.
Fast forward almost a year later and Roger York, assistant manager at Take 5 Oil Change, had just enjoyed a loaded baked potato dog with Habanero mayo on the bun, green onions, cheddar cheese, sour cream, chives and a dog made of a one-quarter pound of 100% beef.
“It was delicious, zesty,” said York, adding he plans to try every listing on the menu to determine his favorite.
The Glizzey’s Food Trailer actually made its first appearance on Sunday afternoon at Drink Up, a local bar at 1226 Morgan Blvd. He moved with great zest and enthusiasm as he backed the red trailer into a space next to the bar and set up.
He was excited now to introduce his cousin, Latonia Lyons, who moved to the Valley from Ohio to become manager of Glizzey’s Food Hut.
“I am going to be taking care of the main spot on Wilson,” she said.
Jarmain Walton puts the finishing touches on his Harlingen Jalapeno Popper Hot Dog at Glizzey’s Food Hut. (Travis M. Whitehead | Valley Morning Star)
This is a new venture for Latonia, who goes by “Toni.” She works as an IT specialist doing cybersecurity. The very nature of the job allows her to perform her duties anyplace where the internet is accessible.
And …
“I am doing my food service course and working on my manager certification for food handler,” she said. “I’m doing it online.”
Inside Drink Up, a woman ordered a margarita while Spanish music filled the room. A Budweiser sign beamed from a wall and green and blue lights raced about the ceiling.
Alex Soto, the marketing director for Drink Up, said that several customers had called to say they would come by for a “Glizzey’s” hot dog Sunday night.
He has already patronized Glizzey’s on Wilson Road several times since it opened last year.
“I love the Harlingen Jalapeno Popper, that’s one of my favorites,” Soto said as he served up a Cape Cod with vodka and cranberry juice.
“They always do the secret menu items on Saturdays,” he said.
He found Walton’s Glizzey’s Food Trailer a welcome addition to the bar. Another food truck serves Cajun Seafood in the parking lot Tuesday through Saturday each week, so he wanted one to complete the week.
“We might be adding extra days,” he said.
Walton is a man who always thinks ahead. He began his Wilson location with hours through the afternoon until 5 p.m. and business was slow. He noticed too that many of his customers to the Food Hut on Wilson came in right about the time he was closing. So he has now changed the hours at the Wilson place to 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. And the Food Trailer? Take 5 has agreed for him to park there on that busy intersection Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
The arrangement seemed to be working out just fine.
By noon Monday, eleven customers had already purchased dogs at the Food Trailer, including several employees from the nearby Taco Bell.
Carl Daubatz, 27, stepped up and ordered a Chicago-style hot dog.
“I’ve had the Quesadilla and I had the Sonoran style hot dog,” he said, revealing he had already visited the Food Hut on Wilson.
That place is near his home, and when he arrived at work Monday and saw the Food Trailer, he was quite happy.
The word is out that Glizzey’s hot dogs are special and delicious, and people are becoming quite fond of them.
And Walton and his family are getting ready for them. He plans to have a second food truck next year.
Brownsville City Manager Helen Ramirez has been designated a “credentialed manager” by the International City/County Management Association, or IMCA.
The designation goes to those who have “significant experience as senior management executive in local government; have earned a degree, preferable in public administration or a related field; and demonstrated a commitment to high standards of integrity and to lifelong learning and professional development,” according to ICMA.
Ramirez, who was named city manager in January 2023, was already among 1,300 local government management professionals credentialed through ICMA’s Voluntary Credentialing Program. ICMA says its mission involves “advancing professional local government through leadership, management, innovation and ethics,” while identifying “leading practices to address the needs of local governments and professionals serving communities globally.”
Brownsville Mayor John Cowen Jr. said Ramirez attaining the credential “underscores her commitment to excellence in public service and her ability to effectively manage and lead.”
“Her ongoing initiatives and the quality of work she oversees for Brownsville continue to set a benchmark in municipal management,” he said.
Ramirez has more than 20 years experience in municipal government, urban planning and economic development, including 10 years of private-sector experience in engineering, urban planning and international business development. She was hired by the city as deputy city manager in 2019 and also simultaneously served briefly as head of the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation.
Ramirez earned a bachelor’s of science in city and regional planning from California Polytechnic State University, holds certification by the American Institute of Certified Planners, and is a founding member of the Texas City Manager Leadership Circle.
She is Brownsville’s first female city manager.
“I would like to thank the ICMA for positively advancing the local government profession, and this credential is not only a recognition of my professional journey in public service, but it reflects the hard work and dedication of our organization, made up of over 1,200 (city) employees,” she said.
Ramirez said her office strives on a daily basis to improve its practices and “raise the bar for our community.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from and contribute to the ICMA network of professionals who are equally dedicated to ethical public service and governance.”
Pedestrians walk along the newly paved trail Wednesday, April 12, 2023, on the trail expansion between Arroyo Park and Dixieland Park on the Arroyo Hike and Bike Trail in Harlingen. (Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald)
HARLINGEN — Amid some Parkwood homeowners’ opposition, city officials are planning alternative routes aimed at extending the Arroyo Hike and Bike Trail across its most remote, woody stretch.
For more than a year, the homeowners have been standing up against a city proposal to extend the trail’s third phase from McKelvey Park to the Hugh Ramsey Nature Park area, a 1.1-mile span they argue would run the 6-foot asphalt trail across parts of 22 residents’ backyards along the arroyo.
Launched last year, a $216,632 engineering study aimed at determining the span’s route continues.
“Phase 3 is still under design,” City Manager Gabriel Gonzalez said Tuesday. “We’re still working on some of the issues.”
Officials have not determined whether the project would cut into private property, he said.
The project’s third phase was proposed as the trail’s most scenic span, a 1.1-mile stretch from McKelvey Park to Hugh Ramsey Nature Park, a World Birding Center site.
“There may be one of two options,” Gonzalez said. “There are a lot of possibilities to get from McKelvey to Hugh Ramsey. Right now we’re trying to figure out which one is the least expensive.”
So far, officials haven’t estimated the project’s costs, Ana Hernandez, the city’s special projects director, said.
“That’s one of the outcomes of the planning effort,” she said.
Meanwhile, officials are applying to the Federal Highway Administration for a $13.1 million grant under the agency’s Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program to fund a proposed $11.5 million project that would extend the trail from Hugh Ramsey to FM 509, Hernandez, who oversees the city’s grant writing program, said.
“This is the first time the grant is being offered but we anticipate it’ll be extremely competitive,” she said. “The project includes planning, design and construction of a multi-use trail, shared-use paths, bike-pedestrian intersection improvements and trail-supported amenities.”
Since last year, Commissioner Michael Mezmar has stood strongly opposed to a project that would extend the trail across Parkwood residents’ backyards, arguing he’s “vehemently” against imposing the law of eminent domain to acquire private property along the span’s path.
Cyclists and walkers split the trail Friday, March 24, 2023, on a section of the Harlingen Arroyo Hike and Bike Trails in Arroyo Park. (Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald)
During City Hall meetings, Parkwood homeowner Tony Rodriguez has spoken out before commissioners, warning he would take legal action to try to stop the project he argued would encroach on parts of 22 residents’ backyards.
He claims the project would expose them to the threat of burglaries while destroying pristine natural habitat where he claims he’s documented an ocelot sighting.
For years, residents have been making the Arroyo Hike and Bike Trail one of the city’s most popular attractions.
Now, officials are planning to promote the city’s trail system as an outdoor destination.
In 2000, the city opened the Hike and Bike Trail’s first stretch, running 2.1 miles across winding banks, crossing three bridges, from McKelvey Park to Arroyo Park.
Last year, the project’s second phase extended the trail 1.6 miles, crossing three bridges on its way to Dixieland Park.
Now, the project’s third span is proposed to wind across the trail’s most remote areas, running along the arroyo’s narrower, woodier banks to Hugh Ramsey Nature Park, a site of the World Birding Center, which draws hundreds of eco-tourists every year.
Officials haven’t set the project’s timetable.
The project’s overall goal is to link the city’s parks while also connecting neighborhoods, schools and business areas.
As part of the master plan, officials envision a network of trails connecting the city’s parks and retail centers, linking Texas State Technical College to bicycle lanes while giving birders and nature buffs scenic sites along parts of the World Birding Center at Hugh Ramsey Nature Park.
Papas & Papas’ fajita papa costs about $12. It has grilled beef fajita, fiesta bell pepper mix, grilled onions, cheese, bacon, chives and sour cream. (Omar Zapata | The Monitor)
Free tortilla chips at Papas & Papas. (Omar Zapata | The Monitor)
For this week’s South Texas Flavor, I had the chance to explore the versatile world of potatoes by visiting Papas & Papas— and you guessed it. It’s about to get cheesy, buttery, creamy and whatever else you like in your Papa Asadas.
Papas & Papas, located at 2101 N. Cage Blvd., Suite 106, in Pharr specializes in papa asada or baked potatoes, whatever you may call it. I think there’s a difference between the two, but we’ll save that for another story.
The location might be easy to miss since it’s located just under the beauty that is the Pharr highway interchanges. I’ve seen it a few times and, as a papa connoisseur, it caught my attention.
Yes, it’s cheesy but I call myself a papa connoisseur. I literally love papa asadas, I am not kidding. There is just something so good about the basics of a hot potato, butter, cream, cheese and some kind of meat.
I have a mental list of good and bad papas I’ve tried across the Valley, and like to try them whenever I visit a new taqueria or BBQ place.
Papas & Papas’ menu offers 13 different papas. They range from fajita, BBQ brisket, carnitas, pastor to a buffalo papa, with chicken tenders tossed in a buffalo sauce topped with cheddar cheese, chives, bacon and ranch or blue cheese.
It also offers torta, chicken tenders, street corn and a brisket sandwich. OK, they only offer like four items without some kind of potato element, but no one is coming to try some chicken alfredo here.
A fajita papa at Papas & Papas. (Omar Zapata | The Monitor)
I went with one of their signature papas: the fajita papa that goes for about $12. It has grilled beef fajita, fiesta bell pepper mix, grilled onions, cheese, bacon, chives and sour cream.
I also wanted something more basic like the bistec papa which cost about $12. Reading the description, I noticed the papa came with all the “normal” fixings of a papa but had cilantro, guacamole and queso fresco. I might be wrong but that seems a bit different from what I’m used to. I chose to have it on the side but forgot to get the queso fresco on the side as well.
Tortilla chips with the two salsas offered at Papas & Papas. (Omar Zapata | The Monitor)
To top it off, I also ordered tacos de papa, which are six potato tacos topped with cabbage tomato salsa, red salsa, queso fresco and sour cream. It was about $12 as well.
Something I appreciate in a taqueria or general a Mexican restaurant is free tortilla chips and salsa. That probably hits home for many. Both are good and not too spicy.
The tacos de papa came out first, and at first glance, it was a bit overwhelming. I couldn’t even see the tacos that I ordered. After a messy bite, a sense of nostalgia hit me.
Six tacos de papa topped with cabbage, tomato salsa, red salsa, queso fresco and sour cream costs about $12 at Papas & Papas. (Omar Zapata | The Monitor)
While visiting Reynosa often with my parents as a child, they would get tacos de papa from street vendors. Maybe that’s when my potato love started. Sadly, over the years we visited less and less for obvious reasons.
Biting into that crunchy but soft taco de papa took me back to the flavors found at a red Coca-Cola table in Reynosa.
All the toppings on the tacos gave it an even more flavorful taste, especially the sour cream and queso fresco. I did like that two salsas were added on top of it but I will probably take one off next time I order the tacos.
Then came both papas.
The fajita papa, with the sweetness from the bell pepper mix and onions, gave it a unique but tasty flavor that I really enjoyed. The papa is packed with all of the mentioned items which makes every bite savory.
A bistec papa at Papas & Papas. (Omar Zapata | The Monitor)
The bistec papa also hit the spot but did not compare to the fajita papa I had. I did try some bites with the items ordered on the side and I wouldn’t have minded but It just wasn’t like a normal papa asada like from the countless taquerias in the Valley.
Overall, I left full and satisfied.
I am excited to go back to try some of their unique papas, such as papa roni, topped with pepperoni, bacon bits, mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce or the Papa Pastor with cilantro. onions, Mexican blend of cheese and pineapple. Pineapple? I know the pineapple on pizza argument is a heated one but what about pineapple in papa?
What are your tots on the matter? I’m not taking sides until I try it. Yeah, two potato puns to end this, fry and stop me.
Papas & Papas is open 11 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday through Saturday and also has a Harlingen location at 6704 W. Expressway 83.
The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office is advising the public of a road closure prompted by a gas leak caused by a traffic accident.
In a Facebook post, the sheriff’s office said the area surrounding Roosevelt Road and FM 493 is closed.
The sheriff office also said that gas services have been contacted for an emergency response and that businesses and residents have been asked to evacuate.
As deputies assist the Donna Fire Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety, the sheriff’s office urges the public to avoid the area until the gas leak has been fixed.
The Mission Economic Development Corporation and the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the city's first Olive Garden on Monday, July 22, 2024, in Mission. (Courtesy: City of Mission/Facebook)
The Mission Economic Development Corporation and the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the city’s first Olive Garden on Monday, July 22, 2024, in Mission. (Courtesy: City of Mission/Facebook)
Mission residents can now have a taste of Italy at home.
The Mission Economic Development Corporation and the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the restaurant on Monday.
“You can now enjoy a taste of Italy right here in our city,” the city posted to its Facebook.
Olive Garden is located at one of Mission’s famous spots, the old K-Mart site, which now houses a Burlington store and Murdock’s Ranch and Home Supply. The restaurant’s official address is 1405 E Expressway 83.
The Mission Economic Development Corporation and the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the city’s first Olive Garden on Monday, July 22, 2024, in Mission. (Courtesy: City of Mission/Facebook)
Last year, the city approved an economic incentive agreement for the restaurant’s construction, which began in October and met its expected completion date for July 2024.
In the initial announcement, Olive Garden agreed to donate $25,000 worth of food to the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley over a five-year period through the Darden Harvest Program.
Cameron County Commissioner David A. Garza makes his closing remarks Tuesday, March 22, 2022, during a ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony of South Texas Ecotourism Center in Laguna Vista to aid in the understanding and appreciation of ecosystems in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)
Cameron County Commissioner David A. Garza makes his closing remarks Tuesday, March 22, 2022, during a ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony of South Texas Ecotourism Center in Laguna Vista to aid in the understanding and appreciation of ecosystems in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)
The South Texas Ecotourism Center is inviting the public to participate in its “Moth Night & Creepy Critter Tours” event this Friday evening.
The event will take place at 501 W. State Highway 100 in Laguna Vista from 9 to 11 p.m.
“We will have screens with lights to attract moths and other night critters,” a news release read. “We will document the number and types of moths that night. We will be having tours in the evening and encourage everyone to bring their flashlights, blacklights, gloves and cameras,” a release stated.
The public is also invited to bring their own telescopes to stargaze and look at the carters of the moon.
The event will also have hands-on activities and refreshments.
“The South Texas Ecotourism Center becomes a wonderland at night with the twinkle of the spider and insect eyes, glowing scorpions and flowers with the black light and if it is a clear night you can even see the craters of the moon and stars from our telescopes,” the news release read.
“Moth Night & Creepy Critter Tours” is free of charge. For more information, call (956)772-0210.
A Mission man suspected in a homicide, and who told authorities he doesn’t remember how many times he stabbed his victim, was indicted on June 26 and is set to be arraigned by the end of July, according to court records.
Juan Jose Polanco, 54, called the police on himself after fatally stabbing Jose Candelario Moreno Jr. during an altercation, according to a probable cause affidavit.
At 2:43 a.m., Mission police arrived at Polanco’s residence located at 809 Nueces St. and spoke with Polanco and a witness named Roberto Villarreal, the affidavit said.
Officers found Moreno face down on the kitchen floor in a puddle of blood inside Polanco’s residence.
According to the document, Moreno’s body had a puncture wound to his upper left back and a second wound to his left rib area. A kitchen knife was found next to Moreno’s body in the puddle of blood.
Further investigation indicated that Moreno sustained multiple stab wounds.
Villarreal told investigators that Polanco showed up at his residence “in a panic” and was “emotional.” Polanco told Villarreal he had stabbed someone, according to the affidavit.
“Mr. Villarreal told Juan Jose Polanco … that he needed to call the police,” the affidavit stated. “Mr. Villarreal then loaned the defendant his cellular phone to call the Mission police department.”
Polanco agreed to an interview and told investigators that he didn’t remember how many times he stabbed Moreno during the physical altercation, the affidavit said.
He was arrested on Feb. 26 and remains jailed in the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center on a $1 million bond, according to jail records.
