On Tuesday evening, local officials, healthcare workers and community leaders gathered in McAllen to celebrate the opening of Texas Oncology‑McAllen West, the newest clinic in the region’s cancer‑care network. Dr. Guillermo Lazo, a medical oncologist and hematologist, highlighted that the facility expands local treatment options, aiming to spare Valley residents from traveling far for exams and diagnoses.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Vannie Cook Children's Clinic celebrated its 25th anniversary with a luncheon at the Embassy Suites in McAllen on Wednesday. Clinic employees and volunteers were honored at the luncheon. People who have fought and beat cancer also spoke at the event in emotional testimonies. The Vannie Cook Children's Clinic in McAllen [...]

Liberate Ediciones, a McAllen nonprofit, announced the McAllen ArtWalk will resume in De Palmas District on the first Friday of each month through December, featuring nine businesses showing art, literature, photography and mixed media. It runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at venues from Business 83 to Pecan Boulevard, and the key point for Valley residents is that it includes popular spots like Ponte Creative Studio & Gallery and Nerve Coffee.

Mend Collaborative, the design firm hired by McAllen for a downtown‑revitalization study, unveiled a plan on Monday at city hall. The strategy divides the historic core into five zones—a commercial east‑Broadway sector, a mixed‑use residential area, a government hub, an entertainment‑cultural district, and a Main Street historic retail corridor—and proposes incentives and a possible historic‑district designation to unlock tax credits. Local business owners will see new development patterns and support programs.

Adan Alaniz EDINBURG – Adan Alaniz, 79, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, at his Edinburg home. Aristobal Alaniz McALLEN – Aristobal Alaniz Jr., 85, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, at his home. Lucia Alaniz EDINBURG – Lucia Alaniz, 91, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, at her Edinburg home. Paul…

Pablo Javier Almaguer was named director of the Colonias Program at the Texas A&M Higher Education Center in McAllen after Oscar Muñoz retired following a 31‑year tenure. He will build on a university‑DHR Health medical‑legal partnership that provides low‑income colonia residents with legal assistance and aims to expand rights‑education, training and trust‑building services, especially given community fears about ICE.

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A sex offender from Alaska was placed on probation Tuesday after he paid smugglers to bring a woman and her 14-year-old daughter across the Rio Grande. Douglas Price, 44, of Chugiak, Alaska, paid smugglers at least $5,000 to bring the woman and her daughter across the border in January. “I accept [...]

McAllen attorney Della Fay Perez was sentenced on Sept. 17 in a Dallas federal court to one month in prison and a year of supervised release for knowingly possessing information about bank fraud and failing to report it. She must surrender by 2 p.m. on Oct. 20, will pay a $100 special assessment, and will not be fined due to lack of assets.

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A businessman from McAllen pleaded not guilty to a conspiracy charge on Thursday after federal prosecutors linked him to a major drug shipment. Prosecutors linked Jose Luis Garcia Gonzalez Jr., 46, of McAllen to a couple from Bay City, Texas, that got caught with more than 345 pounds of cocaine. “Not [...]

McAllen Public Utilities is developing a brackish groundwater desalination plant to diversify the city’s water supply amid ongoing South Texas drought conditions, with production wells slated to go to bid in February. City Director Mark Vega said the project’s final cost is still uncertain, but if it exceeds current estimates residents could face a second rate increase after the $14‑per‑month hike that began in October.

Avan Ruben Mendoza, 21, was sentenced to 38 years in prison after pleading guilty to the 2022 murder of 22‑year‑old Ryan Michael Serna outside the No Manches Wuey bar at 211 S. 17th Street in McAllen, where the shooting occurred just before 2 a.m. on Oct. 2, 2022. The case follows earlier convictions of co‑defendants Alejandro Gomez (18 years) and Joel Gonzalez Jr. (38 years), while remaining suspects had their charges dropped for lack of evidence.

Man Julio Diaz, 38, was sentenced to life on Monday for July 10, 2023 shooting that killed McAllen lodge member Robert Wise. A jury convicted him of murder and two arson counts after less than an hour of deliberation; surveillance video captured the attack, which he posted online while claiming a “reptilian” conspiracy. The killing occurred at 118 N. 11th St. in McAllen, a concern for Rio Grande Valley residents.

On Saturday afternoon, the 2026 South Texas Regional Bands of America contest took place at Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen, featuring 24 high‑school marching bands from across the Rio Grande Valley, including Harlingen, Roma and Brownsville. Harlingen High School South’s 17‑year‑old bass clarinetist Angel Lopez Solis said the summer rehearsals paid off, and organizers highlighted the strong local turnout as a boost for students from lower‑income Valley communities.

Metro McAllen launched a one‑way bus line from downtown to the Hidalgo‑Reynosa International Bridge, starting late last month and running Monday‑Saturday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m., and Sundays at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. The $3 fare route, which carries about 90‑100 passengers daily, is popular with cross‑border commuters, students and medical‑appointment travelers, and city officials say it may become a two‑way service if demand continues.

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A bookie who collected nearly $3.8 million from high-rollers in South Texas pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge on Monday. Marco Antonio Cardenas, 48, of Mission — and other people who participated in the conspiracy — received nearly $3.8 million from March 2019 to March 2026. Cardenas collected nearly $2.9 [...]

McAllen officials presented the city’s budget on Monday, keeping the property‑tax rate at 44.89 cents per $100 of assessed value after earlier discussions about a possible increase. The unchanged rate is expected to generate about $675,000 less from existing property, while a median‑value homestead bill will rise roughly $16. Residents will also see a $70 million desalination plant slated to break ground next year and a 3 % cost‑of‑living adjustment for city employees.

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A woman accused of counting cash at a stash house was held without bond Tuesday. Leila Lizette Vallejo, 21, of Donna, Texas, allegedly recorded herself counting cash at a stash house in Mission. When federal agents searched the stash house, they found about $903,000 in cash — and videos of Vallejo [...]

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Drug Enforcement Administration announced Thursday that agents in McAllen seized over 2,000 pounds of methamphetamine hidden within a shipment of cabbage. "This major seizure is part of a Homeland Security Taskforce Investigation, conducted jointly with HSI, FBI, CBP, USB, and TXDPS," the DEA Houston office posted on social media. The [...]

The South Texas Book Festival, hosted by the McAllen Public Library, announced a rebrand as the South Texas International Book Festival for its edition in 2026, emphasizing a platform for cross‑border cultural exchange. The festival is scheduled for October 24, with kickoff events beginning September 19, including a local author showcase and a library‑wide “Read Around Town” series. Organizers note the program draws families from sister cities across the U.S.–Mexico border.

Attention Bidders McAllen Independent School District is accepting submittals on the following items: No.: Description: 2027-1007 Request for Offer (“RFO”) – Anchor Sponsorship Deadline: 09/18/2026 10:00 AM (CT) Location: Purchasing Services 2000 N. 23rd St., McAllen, Texas 78501 Interested respondent may obtain specifications and information at https://mcallenisd.ionwave.net/Login.aspx. The Distr