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Operation Border Health/Preparedness to offer free health care service next week

Operation Border Health/Preparedness is around the corner, so get ready to receive a number of free health care services. Formerly known as Operation Lone Star, OPHP is scheduled to take place July 26 through 30 at all four Rio Grande Valley counties – Willacy, Cameron, Hidalgo and Starr. The Texas Department of State Health Services, TDSHS, is spearheading the initiative. In Hidalgo County:– PSJA Early College High School 805 West Ridge Road, San Juan. In 2021, a total of 4,756 people received 21,602 health services.

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PSJA North advances to championship bracket at state 7-on-7 tourney

PSJA North advances to 7-on-7 championship bracketBY BRYAN RAMOSSTAFF WRITERCOLLEGE STATION — The Rio Grande Valley qualified five teams for the State 7-on-7 Football Division I Tournament from Thursday through Saturday at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex, but only one squad advanced to today’s championship bracket — the PSJA North Raiders. Facing a must-win scenario in order to qualify for today’s championship bracket, the Raiders needed a victory against Round Rock Westwood to get there. A&M Consolidated went 3-0 during pool play to set up the championship bracket opening-round matchup against PSJA North. McALLEN ROWEThe Warriors dropped two games by one possession in pool play to miss out on the championship bracket. Brady went on to qualify for the state championship game, where it lost 35-19 against Miles.

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Three Valley teams punch ticket to state 7-on-7 tourney

Three Valley teams punch ticket to state 7-on-7 tourneyBY IVAN PALACIOSSTAFF WRITERMISSION — Since 1998, the Texas State 7-on-7 Organization has hosted an annual state tournament in College Station, giving high school athletes an opportunity to compete during the summer. “It’s really just reading the safeties,” Sharyland High receiver Alan Gonzalez said. Robinson came up big again during the final period, coming up with a game-sealing interception with 1:14 left, sending the Rattlers to the state tournament for the first time since 2014. San Benito’s victory snaps a 15-year drought without a state 7-on-7 appearance, advancing for the first time since 2007. The next 7-on-7 SQT in the RGV is set for June 11 in Weslaco, with 16 teams competing for two available bids to the state tournament during the RGV Mid Valley Classic.

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UTRGV’s Mendoza wins USA Boxing National Collegiate Championship

Noe Mendoza Jr., a Weslaco native and current UTRGV graduate student, has become a pioneer in the college boxing world since his days at Weslaco East High School. Five years later, Mendoza is pursuing his master’s degree in communications at UTRGV, where he launched the UTRGV Boxing Club earlier this year. His dedication to the sport resulted in winning the first USA Boxing Collegiate National Championship at 141 pounds last week in Lubbock at the 2021 USA Boxing Summer Festival. After two years without nationals due to the COVID-19 pandemic, USA Boxing held its first Summer Boxing Festival, which pitted the nation’s two collegiate organizations — the East coast based USIBA and the West coast based National College Boxing Association (NCBA) — against each other. He watched his father run Las Brisas Boxing Club, a gym named after their neighborhood which provides free boxing lessons to local kids in exchange for good grades on their report cards.

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Mission Veterans advances to State 7-on-7 Tournament Championship Bracket

COLLEGE STATION — Prior to Mission Veterans’ Pool G finale against Klein Collins at the State 7-on-7 Tournament at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex on Friday afternoon, the trash talk had already started. Trailing by two with under one minute to play, the Mission Veterans defense made a stand and gave the ball back to Reyna and company. Mission Veterans football head coach David Gilpin told his team he was proud of the passion, energy and commitment they showed all day in College Station. Mission Veterans, the lone RGV team playing in today’s Division I championship bracket, is set to clash against Midland Christian at 8:45 a.m. today. After dominating at the Mid-Valley State Qualifying Tournament last weekend to punch their tickets to state, Harlingen High and Harlingen South had their work cut out for them at the state tourney.

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Patriots, Tigers advance to 7-on-7 state tourney

MISSION — Twenty-four teams entered the Sharyland Snakepit 7-on-7 State Qualifying Tournament on Saturday with three spots at the 2021 7-on-7 State Tournament up for grabs. That gave the Patriots a spot in the state qualifying game against McAllen Rowe, which handled its business with three pool wins against McAllen Memorial, San Benito and Weslaco East. We’re going to state and we’re excited.”Reyna, who is entering his third year as a starter for Mission Veterans, quarterbacked the Patriots’ 2019 state qualifying 7-on-7 team. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing last year’s state tournament to be canceled, this is the Patriots’ second consecutive season heading to state. AT SHARYLAND HIGHThe Tigers ran past Laredo United South 32-20 in the state qualifying game to punch their ticket to state for the first time since 2018.

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Train honoring Bush returns to his Texas library for exhibit

Bush on December 6, 2018 in College Station, Texas. The 41st president will be laid to rest near his presidential library next to his wife Barbara and daughter Robin. Bush to his burial has returned to his presidential library in College Station where it will become a permanent exhibit. Union Pacific originally commissioned the locomotive for the opening of an exhibit on trains at the presidential library. During the locomotive's 2005 unveiling in College Station, Bush talked about his fondness for trains, recalling sleeping on them as a child during trips with his family.

CHAMPIONS AGAIN: Antonian boys race past Bishop Lynch, win second TAPPS state title in three years

The Antonian boys basketball team celebrates after winning their second TAPPS 6A State title in the last three seasons at A&M Consolidated High School on March 12, 2021. COLLEGE STATION – Early on in the first quarter of their TAPPS 6A State Championship game, the Antonian boys basketball team was in trouble. Bishop Lynch came out on fire and jumped out to a 17-6 lead with a little over 2 minutes left in the frame. The Apaches lost to JPII last season in the state championship, the only blemish on what has been a stellar, three-year run of dominance. So to be able to get the second one tonight, when we missed out on getting it last year, it’s just sweet.”

Several Texas college campuses to keep mask mandates after governor’s order

Graduates at a Texas A&M University's commencement ceremony at Reed Arena in College Station in December. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas TribuneNeed to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? Greg Abbott announced that he will lift the statewide mask mandate and other COVID-19 restrictions starting Wednesday. Austin Community College, Baylor University, Paris Junior College, Rice University, Southern Methodist University, Southwestern University, the Texas A&M University System, Trinity University, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at El Paso are keeping their current COVID-19 guidelines — which include mask mandates — in place. Disclosure: Baylor University, Lamar University, Rice University, Southern Methodist University, Texas Tech University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas at El Paso and University of Houston have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

AMBER Alert for missing 3-year-old from College Station discontinued

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – UPDATE: Officials have discontinued the AMBER Alert for 3-year-old Adeline Welch. (Previous Story)Police have issued an AMBER Alert for a 3-year-old girl abducted in College Station. She has a pink wheelchair with her name on the back. Nichols weighs 110 pounds, is 5 feet tall, has green eyes and an unknown tattoo on her upper left arm. College Station police say Nichols is driving a white 2006 Toyota Highlander with Texas license plate “MWS8187.” The SUV may have a pink wheelchair sticker that reads “Princess on Board.”Anyone with information is asked to call the College Station Police Department at 979-764-3600.

Aggies reach best-ever ranking of No. 2 in women's AP Top 25

2, its highest ranking ever in The Associated Press women's college basketball poll, a day after winning its first Southeastern Conference regular-season title. 5 South Carolina on Sunday to win the conference title and then moved up a spot in the Top 25. AdBaylor, South Carolina, Maryland, UCLA and Indiana were the next five. The Aggies snapped a seven-game losing streak to South Carolina on Sunday. ___More AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

No. 3 A&M beats No. 5 South Carolina 65-57 for SEC title

Aaliyah Wilson scored 17 points and N’dea Jones added 16 to lead Texas A&M to a 65-57 win over fifth-ranked South Carolina to give the Aggies their first regular-season Southeastern Conference title. Texas A&M (22-1, 13-1 SEC) snapped a seven-game skid against South Carolina and finished the season 13-0 at home after playing in front of a season-high 2,700 on Sunday. The Aggies outscored South Carolina (19-4, 14-2) 19-8 in the third quarter to take a commanding lead before the Gamecocks get back in it late. AdThe Aggies added a basket after that before South Carolina got its first field goal of the second half on a layup by Lele Grissett a few seconds later. A 5-0 run by Texas A&M, with another 3 by Nixon, came next to make it 52-37 and spur South Carolina Staley to call a timeout.

Gordon scores with 0.9 left; Texas A&M beats Auburn 68-66

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Andre Gordon scored 10 points including the game-winner with 0.9 seconds left as Texas A&M held off Auburn 68-66 on Saturday. Gordon drove the lane, pivoted and faked a shot before scoring off the glass. Emanuel Miller had 16 points and five rebounds for Texas A&M (6-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference), which bounced back from a 77-54 loss at LSU on Tuesday. Miller leads the Aggies in scoring and rebounds, and his 9.2 rebounds is first in the SEC. Auburn (6-4, 0-2) cut a nine-point deficit with 5:34 left and tied it 66-all with 14 seconds remaining.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn's reelection bid received a big cash assist from national Republicans late in campaign

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, visited College Station in October, as part of his statewide bus tour. Credit: Amna Ijaz/The Texas TribuneA super PAC supporting the reelection of U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, received a late infusion of big money ahead of the November election, including from the top super PAC aligned with Senate Republicans, according to a new post-election campaign finance filing. The pro-Cornyn super PAC also got $1 million from Houston beer distributor John Nau and $250,000 from Houston construction executive James D. Pitcock Jr. As Election Day neared, speculation simmered about whether Cornyn would need a last-minute boost from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign arm of Senate Republicans, or the Senate Leadership Fund. On Wednesday night, a Senate Leadership Fund spokesperson downplayed its donation to Texans for a Conservative Majority.

With a fresh six-year Senate term ahead of him, John Cornyn gently pushes back on Donald Trump

But Cornyn said this week that he hasn’t “seen anything that would change the outcome” of the race. “And I think it will probably be Joe Biden.”Meanwhile, Cornyn expressed disapproval of a pair of decisions Trump made related to national security. On Tuesday, Trump fired top election security official Chris Krebs, who led the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency at the Department of Homeland Security. Taken together, those comments amounted to an unusual amount of criticism of the president from Cornyn over a short period of time. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who is up for reelection in 2024, has supported Trump’s claims of electoral fraud.

This immunocompromised student fears his own college town during the pandemic

College Station resident Cass Deel, left, with his fiancée. Deel has been diagnosed with a pain disorder called complex regional pain syndrome, and he worries about an increased risk of contracting COVID-19. Credit: Courtesy of Cass Deel. During the pandemic, many Texas universities have implemented strict safety measures to protect students on campus and help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Cass Deel, an online-only graduate student at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, lives in College Station.

No. 5 Texas A&M pauses after 2 positive virus tests

5 Texas A&M paused in-person activities on Monday after a player and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a win at South Carolina. Coach Jimbo Fisher said the Aggies (5-1) would not do anything on campus Monday and would instead conduct all work through Zoom sessions. He said the team was undergoing additional testing and contact tracing on Monday to see if the coronavirus had spread. “We’re doing everything from a safety issue with our players and our staff to keep them as safe as possible.”Fisher said he hoped his team could return to campus on Tuesday. He was also confident on Monday that his team would be able to play on Saturday at Tennessee (2-4), but said he wouldn’t know for sure until they had completed testing and contact tracing.

Mond sets school record, leads No. 8 Texas A&M to 42-31 win over Arkansas

“An SEC win is always going to be a big win for us but we’re never going to be satisfied," he said. Reed made a 34-yard field goal in the third quarter to cut the Aggies' lead to 28-17 after missing two longer tries in the first half. Mond’s second TD pass was on a 6-yard reception by Wydermyer, which extended the lead to 21-7 about seven minutes before halftime. Tyson Morris got the Razorbacks within seven with a 1-yard touchdown catch later in the second quarter. The last time Mond was sacked was in the second quarter of the team's season-opener against Vanderbilt.

John Cornyn embarks on final reelection sprint as late Democratic spending crests in U.S. Senate race

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn at College Station on Wednesday as part of his statewide bus tour. Credit: Amna Ijaz/The Texas TribuneCOLLEGE STATION — U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, began the final push of his reelection campaign Wednesday, embarking on a statewide bus tour as a wave of late Democratic outside spending continued to rush into the race. While Cornyn has maintained varying single-digit leads in recent polls, the contest is reaching a volatile finish as Democratic outside groups make a late play to unseat him. While Cornyn traveled the state Wednesday, Hegar hosted a call with three Republicans who are supporting her this November after previously voting for Cornyn. Afterward, Cornyn supporters said they noticed the increased Democratic activity in the contest but were not concerned about his reelection overall.

Week 5 Preview: Top-25 matchups in SEC; ACC title rematch

including the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry, highlights the fifth week of the college football season. 4 Georgia on Saturday night as the second month of the season starts, but only the second week of SEC play. The first of three games that decide the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy might have sneaked up on college football fans. The Falcons will play six conference games to go along with Navy and Army. ___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

COVID-19 forces Texas A&M to keep fans out of Midnight Yell

Texas A&M University Head Yell Leader Keller Cox performs a yell as part of the first Midnight Yell Practice this season in Kyle Field, College Station, Texas early Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. (Sam Craft/Pool Photo via AP, Pool)COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M’s five Yell Leaders ran into an almost empty Kyle Field as Friday night crept into Saturday morning for their Midnight Yell. Texas A&M doesn’t have cheerleaders, but instead a group of five male Yell Leaders. The Yell Leaders worked with the university and athletics department for weeks to get clearance to hold the event without a crowd. At midnight, despite no fans being there to cheer, the five Yell Leaders bounced around energetically and smiled broadly toward the rows upon rows of empty seats.

Texas A&M can't remove Sul Ross statue without the Legislature's approval, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says

The Lawrence Sullivan Sul Ross statue on the campus of Texas A&M University. Shelby Knowles for The Texas TribuneOnly the Texas Legislature has the authority to permanently remove the Lawrence Sullivan Ross statue at Texas A&M University, Attorney General Ken Paxton said in an opinion released Friday. Those task forces will ultimately make a recommendation on how best to address concerns about Sul Ross and other monuments, Young said. A&M System Chancellor John Sharp previously opposed removing the statue, then later said that he supported the task forces' review. "While my personal opinion has not changed about the importance of Lawrence Sullivan Ross to Texas A&M, we Aggies must stand united against racism and love one another," Sharp's statement said.

Texas biotech facility in College Station tapped to mass-produce potential COVID-19 vaccine

The Texas A&M University System Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing has been tapped to mass-manufacture a vaccine candidate that is still undergoing testing. A biotech production facility in College Station could begin manufacturing a COVID-19 vaccine as early as next year. Novavax, which has never brought a vaccine to market, received the federal governments largest-yet vaccine contract of $1.6 billion earlier this month. John Sharp, chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, called the project a triple win: for the A&M System, for Fujifilm and for the nation. The A&M System facility was founded in 2012 as one of the U.S. governments three national biosecurity centers, intended to develop and produce drugs that would fight pandemics and bioterrorist threats.

Texas A&M System will provide free COVID-19 tests, but its a mixed bag for other schools

Allie Goulding/The Texas TribuneThe Texas A&M University System is expected to begin offering free on-campus COVID-19 testing for students, faculty and staff by the end of the week. The university system will send out about 15,000 mouth swab test kits each month to be distributed across its 11 university campuses. System officials have $16 million set aside for the COVID-19 testing program, said Laylan Copelin, system spokesperson. The University of Texas at Austin, one of Texas most populous schools, will charge for a COVID-19 test. Disclosure: Texas A&M System, University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas-Arlington, University of Texas at El Paso, and Texas Tech University have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporcate sponsors.

CLEAR Alert discontinued for missing 48-year-old man

BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas – UPDATE: A CLEAR issued for a missing man last seen in College Station was discontinued on Wednesday morning. ---(Original Story)The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office has issued a CLEAR Alert for a 48-year-old missing man last seen in College Station. The sheriff's office says it's looking for Brian Smith, who was last seen around 12:46 a.m. Tuesday in the 100 block of Oak Crest in College Station. Smith is 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighs 235 pounds, has brown hair, blue eyes and a black and gray beard. Anyone with information about Smith is asked to call the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office at 979-361-4900.

Silver Alert issued for College Station woman

COLLEGE STATION, Texas Police are searching for an elderly woman last seen in College Station. Ernestine Dangerfield, an 85-year-old woman who is diagnosed with a cognitive impairment, was last seen around 2 p.m. Saturday driving a gray 2015 Nissan Altima, with Texas license plate HMN1790, in the 1300 block of Harvey Road in College Station, according to a Silver Alert issued Saturday night. She is black, with brown hair, brown eyes and was last seen wearing a purple sweater and blue jeans. Law enforcement officials believe this senior citizens disappearance poses a credible threat to their own health and safety, the alert reads. Anyone with information regarding the missing woman should contact the College Station Police Department at 979-764-3600.

Silver Alert discontinued for College Station woman

COLLEGE STATION, Texas Police have discontinued a Silver Alert issued for an elderly woman that was missing in College Station. The Silver Alert was issued Saturday night for Ernestine Dangerfield, an 85-year-old woman who is diagnosed with a cognitive impairment, who was last seen driving a gray 2015 Nissan Altima in the 1300 block of Harvey Road in College Station, officials said. Authorities canceled the Silver Alert early Sunday morning. Silver Alert issued for College Station womanOriginal story:Police are searching for an elderly woman last seen in College Station. Anyone with information regarding the missing woman should contact the College Station Police Department at 979-764-3600.

Severe weather causes roof to partially collapse at iconic Dixie Chicken bar in College Station

COLLEGE STATION, Texas The roof at the iconic Dixie Chicken bar partially collapsed Wednesday night after severe weather moved through College Station. The Dixie Chicken is the most popular watering hole in the Northgate bar district and a longtime hangout for Texas A&M students. The Dixie Chicken was open and a few customers were inside, but no one was injured, the bar posted on social media. First, no one was injured, the Dixie Chicken posted on social media. The snake inside the Dixie Chicken was not harmed, never escaped and has been safely retrieved following the roof collapse.

U.S. aviation regulator proposes tracking most drones

A drone is used to survey a corn research field in College Station, Texas, U.S., May 23, 2018. Picture taken May 23, 2018. REUTERS/Adrees LatifWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. aviation regulator on Thursday proposed a rule that would allow for remote tracking of most drones in U.S airspace. The Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, said the proposed rule would require all drones operating in the United States to be compliant within three years. Amazon, known for its splashy drone delivery tests, also has won experimental certifications to test its drones.

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Meet 50 Cent! Rapper to visit San Antonio twice in October during tour of Texas Spec's stores

SAN ANTONIO - Get ready to "party like it's yo birthday" because 50 Cent is coming to the San Antonio area twice in October. He's making appearances at Spec's stores across Texas to promote his Le Chemin du Roi Champagne and Branson VSOP Cognac. He'll be at the Spec's on Bandera Road in San Antonio on Oct. 11. 130+ Stores, Clubs, Bowling Alleys, Restaurants and Hotels = I'm Coming to Texas Starting This Tuesday for a 3 Week #50TexasTakeover. First Stop Houston, then Austin, College Station, El Paso, San Antonio and then Dallas.