On Thursday, South Padre Island authorities, Texas game wardens, and police said two people were bitten by a shark and were injured, while two others sustained minor injuries. The bitten victims were taken to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, and residents of the Rio Grande Valley were advised to stay out of Gulf waters because of the risk of further attacks.

South Padre Island officials broke ground Friday on the Paul Jibber Terheggan Wind and Water Sports Park, a $2.3 million project that includes a raised access road, two elevated parking areas and gear‑drop zones for riders. Council Member Joe Ricco said the city hopes to open the park by April, though inclement weather could delay the schedule.

Lucinda “Sandy Feet” Wierenga, a long‑time South Padre Island resident and sand sculptor, said ICE agents seized her friend and handyman Alfredo Mendez on Oct. 15 while he was driving her husband’s car on the island and transported him to Harlingen for processing. The agents stopped him at a traffic light, tailgated his vehicle and even asked if he was her husband’s brother, despite his lack of a criminal record.

The iconic Coconut Jacks Bar and Grill, built by Amy and Jack Salander and opened on March 23, 1990 on South Padre Island overlooking Laguna Madre Bay, has been demolished after more than three decades of operation. The concrete structure now sits empty as a national‑franchise‑styled seafood restaurant is slated to be built on the site, ending the beloved local surf‑community hangout.