HIDALGO COUNTY

A Canadian woman has pleaded guilty in federal court in Washington to mailing a threatening letter containing the poison ricin to then-President Donald Trump at the White House.

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers were taken on a high-speed pursuit in Hidalgo County before apprehending 15 illegal immigrants last week.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Hidalgo County saw a decrease this week after having jumped by more than 24% last week. After ending last week with 133 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, Hidalgo County reported 119 COVID hospitalizations as of Tuesday. That number went down even further with the latest figures showing 112 COVID hospitalizations as of Friday, a 15% drop in a week. Also this week, Hidalgo County reported additional deaths due to COVID-19 — a Mission man and a Mission woman both over 70 years old. There were no additional deaths reported this week, keeping their total number of COVID-related deaths to 2,320.

Former Precinct 1 Hidalgo County commissioner Arturo “A.C.” Cuellar and Weslaco businessman Ricardo “Rick” Quintanilla were found guilty last fall of a combined 70 counts of bribery, money laundering and wire fraud in relation to the $38.5 million rehabilitation of Weslaco’s water treatment infrastructure.

The city of Pharr appointed former Hidalgo County District Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez Jr. to the position of deputy city attorney and prosecutor during a city commission meeting Monday.

The city of Pharr appointed the former Hidalgo County District Attorney to the position of deputy city attorney/prosecutor during a city commission meeting Monday. Ricardo Rodriguez Jr. and the Ricky Rod Law Group were unanimously approved during the meeting. “Mayor, commissioners, councilor and city manager, thank you very much for this opportunity to serve the city of Pharr,” Rodriguez said. “My name is Ricardo Rodriguez Jr., and I’ve been around for a while. Rodriguez’s uncle, Toribio “Terry” Palacios, defeated Juan Tijerina, a defense attorney, by nearly 30,000 votes in the Nov. 8 election and was sworn in as Hidalgo County District Attorney on Jan. 2.

A total of 133 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Hidalgo County, officials reported Friday. The hospitalizations were a 24.3% increase from earlier this week when the county reported there were 107 total patients hospitalized with COVID. As hospitalizations in Hidalgo County continue to increase, county health officials also reported 12 additional COVID-related deaths this week. Hidalgo County health officials also reported 1,448 new cases this week, including 576 confirmed and 872 probable cases. In Cameron County, three more of its residents died due to COVID-related complications, county officials reported on Friday.

A Hidalgo County grand jury on Tuesday indicted six of the seven suspects on a charge of murder for what police call a planned shooting outside a McAllen bar last year that left a 22-year-old Donna man dead. Police charged Viviana Gomez, 22, of Donna, with murder, but a search of court records didn’t show an indictment charging her with murder. The suspects are accused of shooting Ryan Michael Serna on Oct. 2 near the No Manches Wuey bar where the group had an altercation. Gomez, Mr. Gonzalez and Mr. Mendoza returned and waited for Mr. Serna to leave the bar and then followed him to the area where the shooting occurred,” the affidavit stated. Alejandro Gomez, Mendoza, Gonzalez, Reyes, Ojeda and Viviana Gomez remain jailed at the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center on $500,000, $210,000, $752,500, $421,000, $225,000 and $350,000 in bonds, respectively.

A Pharr woman was sentenced to prison on Tuesday after she admitted to trafficking cocaine from Hidalgo County to other states with her husband and others involved with the Texas Chicano Brotherhood.

A Pharr woman was sentenced to prison on Tuesday after she admitted to trafficking cocaine from Hidalgo County to other states with her husband and others involved with the Texas Chicano Brotherhood.

Texas A&M Forest Service firefighting resources are prepared to respond to wildfires as a cold front moves into the state this week.

Texas A&M Forest Service firefighting resources are prepared to respond to wildfires as a cold front moves into the state this week.

Another 10 Hidalgo County residents died due to COVID-related complications, the county’s health department reported Tuesday.

Another 10 Hidalgo County residents died due to COVID-related complications, the county’s health department reported Tuesday. Their deaths raise the county’s total number of COVID-related deaths to 4,064. COVID-19 hospitalizations throughout the county remained about the same as they were in the county’s last update on Friday. On Tuesday, the county reported 107 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, including 91 adults and 16 children. On Friday, the county reported there were 109 patients, including 88 adults and 21 children.

The competition consisted of the canine officers locating and identifying a bunch of drugs, medication and other things.

Two Hidalgo County school districts will consider this week pushing for legislative changes that could impact the funding formula of South Texas ISD and eliminate it as a taxing authority, potentially impacting some $30 million collected by that district annually.

A uniquely structured district, South Texas ISD taxes residents in Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties. Members of the South Texas Association of Schools, a group composed of South Texas districts, previously voted to propose those changes, Executive Director Jesus Chavez said Sunday. The Texas Legislature created what would become South Texas ISD in 1964. “South Texas ISD should be funded like other districts in Region 1,” the South Texas Association of Schools said in a news release. South Texas ISD taxes account for $4.2 million annually in Edinburg alone, he said.

A trial date has been scheduled for a man implicated in a far-reaching public corruption and fraud scheme out of western Hidalgo County.

A trial date has been scheduled for a man implicated in a far-reaching public corruption and fraud scheme out of western Hidalgo County. Mariano Garcia, 49, of Mission, will tentatively head to trial on Feb. 27 on one count of federal programs theft. The conspirators allegedly targeted the Mission City Council, the La Joya Independent School District, the Agua Special Utility District and others. In Garcia’s case, he is charged with participating in a scheme to defraud Agua SUD out of millions of dollars. PSI and Garcia claimed the upgrades would come at no cost to Agua SUD thanks to a state law that incentivizes cost-savings projects.

The Hidalgo County GOP has congratulated newly sworn-in Justice for the 13th Court of Appeals Aaron Peña. He served as Chairman of the Committee of Criminal Jurisprudence, the Chairman of the Select Committee on Emergency Preparedness and the Chairman of the Committee of Technology. Once Peña retired from the Texas House of Representatives, he served in the legal divisions of the Texas Department of Agriculture and the Texas General Land Office. According to a news release, Peña filed paperwork to start his candidacy to be a justice on Oct. 4, 2021. “Hopefully that momentum continues.”The Hidalgo GOP asks the community to reach out by calling 956-803-0111 or contact their Chairwoman at [email protected] for further information.

Family, friends and supporters packed into Memorial Event Center here trying to find a seat at one of the dozens of tables, or a spot with a decent view of the stage.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Rio Grande Valley increased to 108 which is a 185% increase health officials report.

A welfare check at a rural Weslaco residence ended in the homeowner being shot by law enforcement authorities, Hidalgo County Sheriff J.E. “Eddie” Guerra said on social media Friday.

AEP Texas and Hidalgo County reported nearly 7,000 customers without power overnight Thursday as the arctic blast blew through the Rio Grande Valley.

Also in Hidalgo County, three more residents died due to COVID-related complications, the county reported this week. This week, Hidalgo County also reported 1,117 new cases including 453 confirmed and 664 probable cases. The reported new cases of COVID in Hidalgo County is an increase from the total number of cases reported the previous week. Hidalgo County reported 844 new cases last week including 331 confirmed and 513 probable cases. Cameron County health officials reported 474 cases last week including 136 confirmed cases, 276 probable cases, and two self-reported cases.

The Hidalgo County Head Start Program Policy Council interviewed candidates for executive director last month and named Interim Executive Director Irma Peña to the permanent post at a rate of $140,000 a year.

The recount filed by Republican Adam Hinojosa for the three Rio Grande Valley counties in Texas Senate District 27 has failed to change the Election Day outcome that lifted Democrat Morgan LaMantia to the seat in Austin.

On Monday, Hidalgo County officials confirmed there was a 10th case of mpox in the county.

Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputies arrested a man from Rio Grande City on Wednesday after he allegedly kidnapped a Mission man and demanded ransom. Mateo Garza, 46, was charged with aggravated kidnapping after authorities managed to pull Garza over and rescued Martin Sanchez. According to a criminal complaint, deputies responded to 3505 Serenidad in Mission on Wednesday and spoke with Marcelo Sanchez, Martin’s brother. Marcelo said he spoke with Garza and agreed to pay the ransom in order to free his brother. The deputies subsequently managed to conduct a traffic stop on Garza’s vehicle and rescued Martin who said he had been beaten and held against his will.

For some local relief programs, a lack of staffing, political support and effective community outreach got in the way of spending federal funds to prevent evictions, a new report found. More than $30 million went unspent and had to be returned.

Hidalgo County is looking to contract a private company to provide security for the Willacy County Regional Detention Center.

Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Palmhurst attorney Horacio Pena to serve as judge of the new 476th state district court in Hidalgo County.

Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez warned President Joe Biden that ending Title 42 “may prove disastrous” for the county as it braces for a possible uptick in asylum seekers.

Monday, Nov. 21, marked Adoption Day in Hidalgo County, and the county observed the day by holding adoption hearings for nine children and their six forever families.

The Hidalgo County District Attorney’s office is moving to dismiss the charges against the remaining defendants who were accused of voting illegally in the 2017 Edinburg election as part of a larger voter fraud scheme that at one point included the former mayor.

The Hidalgo County GOP chair and her brother claim a lawsuit filed by a woman alleging a sexual harassment cover-up is a failed attempt to hurt their father’s political aspirations. Peña III resigned from former U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores’ campaign in September following multiple allegations of sexual harassment. Vaughan alleges Peña III forcefully kissed her and touched her thigh while driving her home from a July political function. Peña III and Peña-Garza allege they distanced themselves from Vaughan after she displayed “disturbing behavior” during various political events. The boundaries to this district were recently redrawn and more people in Hidalgo County voted for Vallejo.

Two more Hidalgo County school districts sued their insurers this month for Hurricane Hanna coverage. Both Donna and Weslaco independent school districts claim they’re owed millions of dollars that weren’t paid out by insurers for damages sustained in the 2020 storm. In May, Edinburg CISD sued a bundle of its insurance carriers, claiming that they failed to payout over $39 million for damages sustained during Hanna. They’re also both suing the same ten insurance carriers: Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s, London, Indian Harbor Insurance Company, QBE Specialty Insurance Company, Steadfast Insurance Company, General Security Indemnity Company of Arizona, United Specialty Insurance Company, Lexington Insurance Company, Safety Specialty Insurance Company, HDI Global Specialty SE and Old Republic Union Insurance Company. The carriers ultimately breached their contracts and violated the Texas Insurance Code, the suits claim.

But despite that, thousands of Latino names were plucked from voter lists across the counties that make up District 15. OLD VS. NEW MAPThe new District 15 map shifted in the north, west and south. Lawmakers made significant cuts to both Guadalupe County, which leans slightly Republican, and Hidalgo County, which is a Democratic stronghold. Historically, Hidalgo County is not the most engaged in the political process when compared to other counties that encompass District 15. De la Cruz ran a close campaign in 2020 against the former District 15 incumbent, U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez.

When U.S. Congressional District 15 flipped from Democrat to Republican on Tuesday, politicians were quick to credit a “red wave,” but the state lawmakers who crafted the new district last year played a crucial role in ensuring its new fate.

This week, county officials reported another six residents died due to COVID-19 while also reporting nearly 500 people tested positive for COVID. Three Hidalgo County residents died due to COVID-19. Hidalgo County reported 371 new cases this week including 99 confirmed cases and 272 probable cases. In Cameron County, three residents died due to COVID-related complications. Cameron County health officials also reported 97 new cases this week including 30 confirmed cases and 67 probable cases.

Hidalgo County commissioners approved one-year contracts to cover a void in ambulance services for rural areas in Precincts 1 and 3.

Hidalgo County commissioners will be considering changing the countywide trash collection program, but they’re inviting residents living in unincorporated parts of the county to participate in hearings and offer their input before taking action. Sanitation services are lacking in those regions, but there’s a proposal on the table by Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez, who won his reelection campaign Tuesday night. “What I propose is the development of a countywide sanitation program that will serve unincorporated Hidalgo County,” Cortez said in a news release Monday. “My proposal will provide weekly curbside garbage pickup, monthly brush removal and quarterly tire service at an affordable fee to all residents.”Unlike cities, Hidalgo County rural residents don’t have a single service provider. “In this modern age, we must recognize that every resident should have equal access to these basic services,” Cortez said.

This page will be updated throughout the course of election night with unofficial results from multiple sources. Make sure to check back here periodically.

Toribio “Terry” Palacios easily beat his Republican challenger Tuesday night to become Hidalgo County’s next district attorney. That’s what I’m going to do.”He also said that county races in Hidalgo County, which lean Democrat, are typically decided during the March primary. I appreciate them coming out again and supporting.”The newly elected district attorney was Edinburg’s longtime municipal judge and a defense attorney. Following his victory in the March primary, Palacios promised to transform the Hidalgo County DA’s Office. The idea is particularly pertinent given the overcrowding of the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center that has cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars over the last two decades.

Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez sailed smoothly to victory Tuesday night as the voters signaled their support for his second four-year term. With nearly 90% of Hidalgo County precincts reporting Tuesday night, Cortez secured 63.79% of the votes with 73,270 ballots cast in his favor compared to Flores’ 36.21% or 41,600 votes. Voters first elected Cortez as Hidalgo County judge in 2018. “The last 15 months have tested our community in ways most of us have never been tested before,” Cortez said at the time. For the first time since March 5, 2020, the county is again at a Level 3 status, the Hidalgo County Health and Human Services announced.

This page will be updated throughout the course of election night with unofficial results from multiple sources. Make sure to check back here periodically.

Hidalgo County is decreasing its emergency operational status as cases of COVID-19 continue to fall. The county announced Tuesday it is downgrading its emergency operational status from a Level 2 to a Level 3. When Hidalgo County health officials confirmed the first case of COVID in the county, Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez ordered the county to move to a Level 1 status, the maximum emergency status. The scaling back of its operational readiness level comes as the number of new cases and COVID-19 hospitalizations in the county continue to drop. On Tuesday, the county reported 100 new cases of COVID, which included 45 confirmed and 55 probable cases.

Hidalgo County released information it claims does not raise privacy or confidentiality concerns — a redacted executive summary of the $100,000 study — that revealed ERO Architects’ recommendations for the expansion of the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center. However, it did not release information on appraisal reports regarding the Willacy County jail. “These documents include factual information that are inextricably intertwined with material involving County officials’ and representatives’ advice, opinions, and recommendations regarding their decisional process related to actions the County is considering taking at the Hidalgo County jail. “Eddie” Guerra and Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez spoke candidly with The Monitor about the study and their thoughts on the expansion and the Willacy County jail lease in a story published Sunday. “The County asserts that the release of this information would reveal technical and/or operational details or particular vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure of the Hidalgo County jail,” the letter stated.

Editor’s note: This is the second in a three-part series covering the decades-old overcrowding problem at the Hidalgo County jail. A decade before the 2003 completion of the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center, two officials with the sheriff’s office told commissioners court the county was growing. And just like today, during the 1990s, Hidalgo County was housing inmates in other counties. A report from The Monitor on that same day said Hidalgo County had spent $8.2 million since 1995 in housing inmates in other counties. Hidalgo County Sheriff J.E.

Editor’s note: This is the second in a three-part series covering the decades-old overcrowding problem at the Hidalgo County jail. A decade before the 2003 completion of the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center, two officials with the sheriff’s office told commissioners court the county was growing. And just like today, during the 1990s, Hidalgo County was housing inmates in other counties. A report from The Monitor on that same day said Hidalgo County had spent $8.2 million since 1995 in housing inmates in other counties. Hidalgo County Sheriff J.E.

Cameron and Hidalgo County are reporting six more COVID-19 related deaths with 386 more cases reported.

Editor’s note: This is the first in a three-part series covering the decades-old overcrowding problem at the Hidalgo County jail. Since then, taxpayers have footed tens of millions of dollars in costs related to housing inmates outside Hidalgo County. Herrera said the county was working with a private jail in Brooks County and a jail in Starr County to add 124 beds, 78 and 46 beds respectively, to help Hidalgo County. Herrera also revealed Hidalgo County was planning to lease the Willacy County jail, which has 582 beds, as an interim measure and said he has been working with the commissioners court and Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez on proposals for expanding the current jail. 50-YEAR LEASEOn Tuesday, Hidalgo County inked a 50-year lease with Willacy County to use its jail to hold inmates.

A teacher in the Rio Grande Valley has been arrested a month after a 5-year-old boy died because he was left inside a vehicle on campus, according to media reports.

In Texas, married couples generally can claim only one such exemption, meant to provide some tax relief on properties considered “principal residences.” Homestead exemptions cannot typically be claimed on commercial properties, second homes or income properties.

Cheap regulated and unregulated medication is available over the counter at Mexican pharmacies, including abortion-inducing drugs that are strictly regulated in the U.S.

Two brothers are in jail in Hidalgo County accused of beating their stepfather to death for sexually abusing their 9-year-old sister.

In some voting locations where a party’s appointed polling judge didn’t show up, election officials allowed the other party’s judge to operate both parties’ voting machines in an effort to keep the polling place running.

Public health officials have played a crucial role in vaccination efforts and tracking the spread of the virus. But different needs from their communities and insufficient aid have complicated the work.

A petition addressed to Gov. Greg Abbott to release a teenage trio accused of murdering 42-year-old Gabriel Quintanilla is quickly gaining momentum online.

Two brothers are in jail in Hidalgo County accused of beating their stepfather to death for sexually abusing their 9-year-old sister.

It’s not an animal you would expect to see in Texas, but for residents in Hidalgo County, this animal sighting had some calling local authorities.

Amid the heated rhetoric around an increase in migrants, people on opposite ends of the Texas-Mexico border see the problems — and solutions — differently.

The executive order allows DPS troopers to reroute vehicles back to their origin point or a port of entry. Critics say citing the coronavirus as justification is hypocritical since the governor won't let local officials require masks in public.

Many local officials and business leaders along the border say that the rhetoric is misplaced and that the broader needs of their communities can often get lost.

Three medical professionals discuss what they have learned about where Texas is — and where it is going — in the COVID-19 pandemic.

A man is charged with manslaughter after Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputies said he fatally shot his 21-year-old cousin last week.

MCALLEN, Texas – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday that he’s hoping to increase the number of Texans getting COVID-19 vaccines after seeing a drop in people showing up for the shot. “We’re beginning to see a decrease in demand for vaccinations,” Abbott said at a news conference Thursday in border city of McAllen. “Seniors who contract COVID are the people who are most likely to either be hospitalized or lose their life because of COVID,” Abbott said. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 3.3 million Texans have completed their vaccinations.

Need to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? The first known case of a new and possibly more contagious coronavirus strain has been reported in Texas, in an adult male resident of Harris County who had no history of travel, according to the state health services department and Judge Lina Hidalgo. It does not cause a more severe disease and vaccines “are expected to be effective against it,” the health services department said of the variant. But “the fact that this person had no travel history suggests this variant is already circulating in Texas,” said Dr. John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the state’s health services department. The case is being investigated by the state health services department and Harris County Public Health.

HIDALGO COUNTY – More than 2,000 people in Hidalgo County have died as a result of COVID-19. They’re now a part of a photo collage on the billboards for the entire Rio Grande Valley to see and to remember. Three billboards in Hidalgo County memorialize hundreds of COVID-19 victims. The billboard is a... Posted by Hidalgo County on Monday, December 21, 2020Cortez is no stranger to coronavirus, having recently tested positive himself. Three billboards in Hidalgo County memorialize hundreds of COVID-19 victims.

Among these cases, nearly 3 in 10 people were charged only for the emergency order violation, the district attorney said. In the initial month of the virus’ spread in Texas, orders were coming out every few weeks or even days. Fines pile up, and cases are dismissedOutcomes for violating COVID-19 orders varied from community to community in the Valley. Daisy Alvarado was one of more than 340 people cited by Cameron County sheriff’s deputies for violating COVID-19 orders. The virus’ toll hasn’t changed Alvarez’s opinion that rules like the emergency orders need to be applied cautiously.

(Hidalgo County (Texas) Sheriff's Office, via AP)BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A Canadian woman accused of mailing packages containing the deadly poison ricin to the White House and several Texas law enforcement agencies has been indicted on new federal charges of making interstate threats and violating prohibitions on biological weapons. A grand jury in Brownsville, Texas, on Monday handed up sixteen counts against Pascale Ferrier, court records show. In September, Ferrier pleaded not guilty to making threats against President Donald Trump by mailing a package containing ricin to the White House after she was arrested at the U.S.-Canada border. Ferrier is also alleged to have sent ricin to six detention centers and law enforcement agencies in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. The package was intercepted before it reached the White House.

Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston received COVID-19 vaccine supply kits in December. El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said he’s concerned about community spread continuing as the vaccine begins to be administered. The pandemic has disproportionately affected El Paso and Hidalgo counties compared to areas of similar or larger sizes in Texas. As of Wednesday, there had been more than 91,000 cases recorded in El Paso County, the fourth-highest total in the state. This is an exciting time,” said Mielke, the University Medical Center of El Paso spokesperson.

The Edinburg High School senior defensive linemen who knocked a referee to the ground for ejecting him from the game was booked into jail Friday, Hidalgo County records show. Duron was tossed from the game Thursday night during the matchup between the Edinburg High School Bobcats and the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Bears. Unfortunately this type of blind-sided assault on an official while working on the field is not new to Texas Football,” the statement read. In 2015, two John Jay High School football players hit a referee in the middle of a play. READ MORE FROM KSAT.COM:Edinburg High School pulls out of football playoffs after player attacked refereeSouth Texas high school football player attacks referee after being ejected from game

HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas – Hidalgo County became the second Texas county keeping its polling locations open an extra hour, until 8 p.m. Central, after technical problems slowed voting early in the day. The county’s elections department said 10 of their locations experienced technical issues. "Making sure our voters have the opportunity to cast their ballot is our utmost priority," said Hidalgo County Elections Administrator Yvonne Ramón in a statement. “Extending the closure of the polls to 8 p.m. will provide that opportunity to the voters of Hidalgo County.”The elections department said the problems were due to “laptop check-in issues.” Although currently all 74 county polling locations are operating, several of them had to postpone opening this morning, according to the Texas Civil Rights Project. — Juan Pablo GarnhamRELATED:

EDINBURG, Texas – Hidalgo County health officials reported four new West Nile Virus cases and three new cases of Dengue Fever on Monday. In September, 18 Texas counties reported having a case of West Nile virus, including Bexar County, according to state data. According to Olivarez, the West Nile cases were found in the Mercedes, Weslaco and Edinburg areas. County officials said that additionally, three other cases were reported to Hidalgo County a week ago. To protect yourself against either West Nile or Dengue, you must protect yourselves against mosquitoes.

As daily case counts and hospitalizations across Texas tick upward, local health officials are cracking down on Halloween. If families still choose to go trick-or-treating, Austin health officials are asking that they only go with household members, keep 6 feet from others and use hand sanitizer between houses. “This year, we are encouraging families to make new traditions,” said Austin Public Health director Stephanie Hayden. “There’s some [parents] that are screaming and yelling about how can we keep their children from enjoying Halloween traditions, and there’s some that say thank you for keeping us safe,” Cortez said. It’s not quite the same, but it’s hopefully good enough to give him a little bit of a Halloween experience.”

The lawsuit alleges that injuries he sustained from an early morning arrest on April 12, and lack of care after his arrest, led to his death. The deputies named in the lawsuit are Steven Farias and Marco Guerrero, along with two unidentified deputies referred to as John Doe 1 and 2. Deputies approached Zuniga “and when they discovered he lived elsewhere they told him to go home.”A statement from Hidalgo County Sheriff J.E. A photograph provided in the lawsuit shows Zuniga prior to his release from the hospital on June 5. Photograph from a wrongful death lawsuit shows the condition of Jorge Zuniga immediately prior to his release from the hospital.

But he’s frustrated as he struggles through his online classes at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley when he should be sitting in the front row, he said, where he learns best. In fact, Rio Grande Valley cities consistently rank near the top of nationwide surveys of households without internet. The situation is similar throughout the Rio Grande Valley, which also includes Harlingen and McAllen, among other cities. She took a full load of classes online over the summer while working two jobs. Disclosure: University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas – Hidalgo County reported its first COVID-19 related pediatric death on Friday, according to county officials. The child’s death is one of the 20 deaths related to COVID-19 complications announced Friday. This brings the total number of cases in Hidalgo County to 21,806. To learn more about the COVID-19 numbers in Hidalgo County, click here. RELATED: Bexar County adds 150 new COVID-19 cases

MCALLEN, TX – Hidalgo County health officials reported a single-day high record of 64 deaths due to complications related to COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 531. Hidalgo County Health officials reported a single day high record of 64 deaths due to complications related to COVID-19 bringing the total number of fatalities to 531. For full release: https://t.co/Vpdb1K5DO7 pic.twitter.com/l4MWYRlJvs — Hidalgo County (@HidalgoCounty) July 29, 2020“I am saddened by the passing of our Hidalgo County residents. Read the county’s full announcement below:Related: Hidalgo County judge tries slowing coronavirus, but Gov. Greg Abbott has limited his optionsRelated: Hidalgo County: New order issued Monday includes shelter at home, curfew

Elisa Soliz, front right, sat with her sisters in Hidalgo County in May. Her oldest sister, Beatriz Gonzalez, front left, died from the new coronavirus later that month. Courtesy of Elisa Soliz(Audio unavailable. Elisa Soliz lost her sister to the new coronavirus in late May and says at least nine other family members have tested positive. The 63-year-old school bus driver lives in Hidalgo County in the Rio Grande Valley an area thats been devastated by the pandemic.

AUSTIN, Texas While some big cities in Texas are reporting signs that an alarming surge in cases of the coronavirus may be leveling off, officials in counties along the border with Mexico said Tuesday that the outlook there remains bleak. Greg Abbotts past mandates that do not allow local officials to set their own stay-at-home restrictions. Texas on Tuesday reported more than 9,300 confirmed new cases and 131 deaths, the states second deadliest day of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Texas is pressing ahead with plans for high school football this fall. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

MCALLEN, TX – Hidalgo County issued a new county order Monday mandating all individuals to stay at home and shelter in place as cases in Hidalgo County spike significantly. Additionally, the order mandates a curfew for all persons ages 18 and over from 10 p.m.-5 p.m., imposing essential travel limitations and requiring residents to wear facial coverings pursuant to the governor’s executive order issued July 2. The county reported 524 additional positive cases Monday and noted that 34 people died after contracting COVID-19, bringing the county’s death toll to 318. Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez said he offered his deepest sympathies and asked the community to do their part to mitigate the spread of the virus. Please continue to Shelter-at-Home, wear facial coverings and limit mass gatherings.”To date, Hidalgo county has reported 12,263 cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the outbreak.

As the Rio Grande Valley grapples with an onslaught of coronavirus infections and hospitalizations, Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez is pushing hard for residents to stay at home. But the emergency order he issued Monday mandating that people shelter in their residences, restricting travel and limiting gatherings remains an unenforceable recommendation, according to Gov. In the new Hidalgo emergency order, it also is “highly encouraged and recommended that all commercial businesses” cease their activities, unless they are essential, like activities related to health, safety or necessary supplies. “However, this order does not force businesses to shut down in the Rio Grande Valley.”Cortez did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday. U.S. Navy teams were deployed Sunday to the Rio Grande Valley, a region that includes Hidalgo County.

SAN ANTONIO – Officials in Hidalgo County on Tuesday put a hold on in-person instruction for students on the same day that more than 30 COVID-19 deaths were announced for the county. Dr. Ivan Melendez, the chief physician of the Hidalgo County Local Health Authority, has ordered that all school districts, both public and private, must keep campuses closed to students until after Sept. 27. The schools can provide virtual or remote learning until then, the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court said in a release. “I commend Dr. Melendez for putting the safety of our students, teachers and district staff first,” Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez said. San Antonio doctor, teacher, psychologist weigh inDue to the alarming increase in COVID-10 cases, deaths and hospitalizations, Texas Gov.

HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas – Hidalgo County, Starr County, and Valley Baptist Health System hospitals have now reached capacity due to the influx of COVID-19 cases in the area, according to a report from KRGV. The Valley Baptist Health System has reached its capacity as well with COVID-19 patients, according to a report from KRGV. KRGV reports the Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen had 141 COVID-19 related patients as of Friday afternoon, and Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville had 97. According to KRGV’s report, every hospital in the Valley is full and patients are being taken to other parts of Texas. As of Friday, the county announced a new daily high of COVID-19 cases with 1,334, totaling 14,212 cases total in the community.

More than a third of Texans speak a language other than English at home, according to census data. In Austin, city officials regularly post updates and infographics on Facebook and Twitter in Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese. A third of people in the capital city speak languages other than English at home, according to census data. Unlike Texas' Spanish speakers, who can depend on a handful of local Spanish-language TV news and radio stations, Burmese speakers have fewer options. Thats information officials should be communicating to their constituents, said Josephine Lopez Paul, lead organizer for Dallas Area Interfaith.

HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas – A Texas man is now behind bars after officials say he killed a puppy that wasn’t his “out of boredom.”According to the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, Claudio Gomez, 21, was arrested Wednesday after a concerned citizen reported seeing a video on Facebook of a man torturing a dog. Upon further investigation, officials reviewed the video, claiming it showed a man hanging a small puppy by its neck from a tree, resulting in its death. Media Release-Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 21-year-old, Claudio... Posted by Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office on Friday, February 14, 2020Deputies were able to find the address of where the video was recorded and met with Gomez, who admitted to hanging the dog out of boredom, authorities say. Gomez was arrested and taken to the county jail. The investigation is still ongoing and anyone with more information on the case is urged to contact the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at 956-383-8114.

HIDALGO COUNTY – The Border Patrol Rio Grande Valley Sector remains the busiest in the county with more than 14,000 apprehensions just last month. While on a ride along with the RGV Sector, Border Patrol agents spotted a group of immigrants who had crossed over the Rio Grande illegally to the United States. Border Patrol agent Marcelino Medina found a man who eventually walked out of the brush he was hiding in and surrendered to the agents. Often times, we refer that as potential threats in the mix … wanted for murder, MS-13 (gang) members (or) 18th Street gang members," Medina said. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the number of apprehensions along the Southwest border was more than 34,000 in June.