WESLACO, Texas - The four county judges in the Rio Grande Valley have asked the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council to be part of a new water management plan for the region.

The Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Management Plan aims to advance regional water solutions for the Valley. The plan is being funded by the North American Development Bank with Halff brought in as lead organizer.

“We were recruited to participate in the RGV Water Management Plan advisory committee and the first meeting was held yesterday at the Rio Grande Valley Partnership,” said Manuel Cruz, executive director of LRGVDC, at the group’s July meeting.

“The project is being funded by NADBank. They hired a consultant, Halff Associates to create the plan; to develop a water management plan.”

NADBank has produced a brochure that explains the plan.

“The Water Management Plan for the Lower Rio Grande Valley is a coordinated regional effort to help communities, water providers, irrigation districts, groundwater districts, and elected officials to identify longterm sustainable water solutions,” the brochure states.

“Led by the county commissioners of Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties, in partnership with the North American Development Bank, the project will create a regional road map to strengthen water reliability, improve drought resistance, and enhance coordination across the four-county region.”

Editor's Note: Go to the Rio Grande Guardian website to read the full story.

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WESLACO, Texas - The four county judges in the Rio Grande Valley have asked the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council to be part of a new water management plan for the region.

The Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Management Plan aims to advance regional water solutions for the Valley. The plan is being funded by the North American Development Bank with Halff brought in as lead organizer.

“We were recruited to participate in the RGV Water Management Plan advisory committee and the first meeting was held yesterday at the Rio Grande Valley Partnership,” said Manuel 'Manny' Cruz, executive director of LRGVDC, at the group’s July meeting.

“The project is being funded by NADBank. They hired a consultant, Halff Associates to create the plan; to develop a water management plan.”

NADBank has produced a brochure that explains the plan.

“The Water Management Plan for the Lower Rio Grande Valley is a coordinated regional effort to help communities, water providers, irrigation districts, groundwater districts, and elected officials to identify longterm sustainable water solutions,” the brochure states

“Led by the county commissioners of Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties, in partnership with the North American Development Bank, the project will create a regional road map to strengthen water reliability, improve drought resistance, and enhance coordination across the four-county region.”

Editor's Note: Go to the Rio Grande Guardian's website to read the full story.

Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MCALLEN, Texas - McAllen Economic Development Corporation is being very strategic on the visits it is making to secure new opportunities for the region, the group’s chief operating officer has explained.

Ralph Garcia gave a very brief update on MEDC’s work at their quarterly stakeholders committee meeting on June 18.

“We have some projects on the Mexico side, but the majority are US-side projects,” Garcia said. “We continue to see new leads developing, and then also, as we're doing some of our visits, we're being very strategic on our visits that we're doing with companies that are existing in the market, to identify opportunities, and even particular projects they can be working on internally that we can try and attract to the region. So we're working very aggressively with that.”

This strategy worked well with Valeo. The French high-tech auto parts manufacturer has a plant in Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas. When it developed plans to build a $225 million plant in the United States, MEDC worked hard to ensure they landed the new project.

The two guest speakers at the stakeholders committee meeting were Juan Olaguibel, assistant city manager and superintendent of bridges for the City of McAllen and Jorge Torres, president of Interlink Trade Services. Olaguibel spoke largely about developments at Anzalduas International Bridge and Torres spoke largely about the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Because their presentations went long, with numerous questions asked by stakeholders, Garcia kept his report short.

Here is an audio recording of the report.

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A few months ago, an idea sparked in my heart: to honor Dr. Hector P. Garcia with a street designation in his hometown of Mercedes.

Tonight, I’m happy to share that the initiative has officially been approved.

This effort has been a true community project. What began as a proposal grew into meetings, letters of support, public input, a committee process, and ultimately a community conversation about how we honor one of our hometown heroes.

Dr. Hector P. Garcia was a World War II veteran, physician, civil rights leader, founder of the American GI Forum, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and a proud Mercedes High School graduate. His impact reached far beyond South Texas, but his story will always be connected to Mercedes.

I am grateful every member of the City Commission, my fellow sub committee members, the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Foundation, the Mercedes Memorial Library, everyone who participated in the public survey, and all those who supported this effort along the way.

This is a reminder that local government can do meaningful things when communities come together around a common purpose.

Now, we move on to the implementation phase and look forward to the day we officially unveil the designation and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Hector P. Garcia for generations to come.

Editor’s Note: The above guest column was penned by Skyler Howell, a member of the board of the Hector P. Garcia Memorial Foundation. The column first appeared on Howell’s social media pages.

Editor’s Note: Here, attached, is an audio recording of an interview the Rio Grande Guardian secured with Skyler Howell last month about his initiative:

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WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has responded to news that the New World screwworm has reached Texas.

She said she has sent a strike team to the South Texas border to assist.

The parasitic fly could put Texas’ $15 billion cattle industry in jeopardy.

The USDA tested a sample from La Pryor in Zavala County at the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, lowa. It was at the laboratory that the infestation of a three-week old calf, was confirmed, Rollins said during a press conference about the case.

No other cases have been confirmed thus far.

Here is an audio recording of a press call Rollins made to Texas media on the evening of June 3.

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WESLACO, Texas - The city of Rio Bravo in Tamaulipas has more than 250 illegal dumping sites, says an environmentalist with Rotary International.

Dr. Bricia ElAwar, chairwoman of the environmental committee for Rotary District 5330 in Riverside, California, has led efforts to clear the dumps.

She first visited the city 18 months ago and returned this past weekend with over 100 volunteers to help Mayor Miguel Ángel Almaraz Maldonado with his clean-up efforts.

“Mayor Almaraz has been doing amazing things. He has already cleaned up over 100 illegal dumps."

“The beautiful thing is he is working in the middle of a very dangerous city and he's doing amazing things. He can be example to mayors around the world, in terms of a government dealing with environmental challenges.”

On her first visit to Rio Bravo, ElAwar and her team cleaned up a lagoon so that butterflies, birds, fish could return. But, once the Rotary members left more trash was dumped there.

“I asked to the Rotarians to set up a meeting with the mayor. He said he would give us 15 minutes of his time but we stayed for one and a half hours. The mayor brought in eight new trucks to collect the trash.”

ElAwar continued: “These lagoons can be beautiful for ecologic biodiversity. It is a great habitat for birds and the Monarch butterfly. If we protect our natural resources, I think mankind can have hope. Right now, I feel like Rotarians believe in what we're doing, and I think some governments are starting to have conscience about protecting their own communities too.”

ElAwar said that for Rotarians, working on environmental issues goes “hand-in-hand” with efforts to secure world peace, having a humane migration policy, and fighting disease. “Everything is connected and working with the government is key,” she said.

Asked how her environmental group came about, ElAwar said: “During the pandemic, COVID 19, I had many sleepless nights. I kept thinking of my family in Mexico that I could not see. I decided to take action. I had previously been in so many countries, helping so many people around the world. I thought, why not help Mexico?

“I wanted to connect with people who are passionate about the river, people who care about their families, and I wanted to have a heart to heart conversation with governments in many (border) cities.”

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WESLACO, Texas - In an effort to educate and inform the public, the county judges from Hidalgo, Starr, Willacy and Cameron counties held a joint press conference about the New World screwworm.

The press conference took place Monday, May 18 at the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council offices in Weslaco.

The county judges present were Richard Cortez of Hidalgo, Eddie Treviño, Jr., of Cameron, Eloy Vera of Starr, and Aurelio ‘Keter’ Guerra of Willacy.

Joining them were experts and representatives from state agencies and partner organizations that will be on the front lines of the response should a case arise in Texas. Participating agencies included the Texas Animal Health Commission, the Department of State Health Services, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Farm Bureau, Texas Veterinary Medical Association, and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.

The New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) is a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, including livestock, pets, wildlife, and, in rare cases, humans. The parasite has recently spread north through Central America into Mexico and continues to move toward the southern United States.

The press conference provided information on how to recognize potential cases, the steps being taken to prepare for its possible arrival, and the coordinated response efforts that will be implemented if a case is detected.

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HARLINGEN, Texas - Doug Allison, a board member and regulatory counsel for US Desalination, has given an in-depth interview about plans for the largest water infrastructure project ever built in South Texas.

“We’re partnering with communities, agencies, and industry to ensure a reliable water future for generations to come,” Allison told Ron Whitlock Reports, following a news conference at the Hilton Garden Inn in Harlingen.

Allison said US Desalination has partnered with IDE Assets to form RGV Desal, LLC.

“RGV Desal, LLC. represents the largest water infrastructure project ever built in South Texas. Our advanced desalination plant uses state-of-the-art reverse osmosis and energy recovery systems to efficiently transform seawater into fresh drinking water,” Allison said.

Allison said there would be a regional impact, with a reliable supply for municipalities, industry, and agriculture. He said the plan, to be built on South Padre Island, would use cutting-edge reverse osmosis technology.

“By turning seawater into clean, reliable water, RGV Desal, LLC, will ensure water independence for families, farmers, and businesses across South Texas,” Allison said.

“RGV Desal, LLC, is a regional initiative (that aims to deliver) a drought-proof water supply for the Rio Grande Valley. Through advanced desalination, we convert seawater into clean, reliable water—supporting families, farms, and businesses across South Texas.”

Allison stressed there would be water independence, with a stable, drought-proof supply of water for decades ahead. He said the project would generate economic growth, thus supporting jobs and regional investment. And he said the project would be sustainable because it would harness renewable energy and advanced desalination technology.

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