Amanda Puryear El, a 43‑year‑old poet from Pharr, talks about her turbulent upbringing, gang involvement and three expulsions from PSJA North while teaching at Buell Central High School’s DAEP. She has published 11 books, delivered a TEDx talk and was reappointed as Pharr’s first poet laureate for another year, a point of local pride.

Customs and Border Protection agents from the Field Operations Office seized just over $19 million in methamphetamine.

Vincent Andrew Gutiérrez, 32, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for downloading child pornography via BitTorrent, and ordered to pay 3,000 dólares in restitution and five years of supervised release. Judge Randy Crane convicted him after 412 images and four videos were found, warning the Rio Grande Valley community about the use of file‑sharing networks.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A Pharr man will spend 40 years in prison after being convicted of sexually abusing two children between the ages of 6 and 12, Hidalgo County District Attorney Torbio "Terry" Palacios announced Friday. Martin Hernandez Alvarado, 61, was found guilty of continuous sexual abuse of a child and indecency with a [...]

A Pharr man, 61‑year‑old Martin Hernandez Alvarado, was found guilty by a Hidalgo County jury on June 17 and sentenced by Judge Bobby Flores on Oct. 19 to 40 years in prison for continuous sexual abuse of a child and an additional 20 years for indecency with a child, to run concurrently. The case stemmed from allegations received by the Pharr Police Department on March 17, 2021, involving children aged 6 to 12. Residents will note the 40‑year prison term imposed.

Pharr, TX (KRGV) — The city of Pharr fixed a sewage overflow from a manhole in one neighborhood after people filed similar complaints on the city

Martín Hernández Alvarado, 61, was sentenced to 40 years for sexual offenses against minors. Learn the details of the case and the investigation.

A 61‑year‑old Pharr man, Martin Hernandez Alvarado, was sentenced Monday by State District Judge Bobby Flores after a jury found him guilty of continuous sexual abuse of a 6‑year‑old and a 12‑year‑old. The court imposed a 40‑year term for the continuous abuse and a concurrent 20‑year term for indecency with a child. The case stemmed from allegations received by Pharr police on March 17, 2021.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized cocaine valued at about $634,000 during a non‑intrusive inspection of a tractor‑trailer from Reynosa at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility on August 7. Physical inspection uncovered 18 packages weighing a total of 47.48 lb (21.54 kg) hidden in the vehicle, which was also impounded, and a Homeland Security Investigation team launched a criminal probe.

Grulla High School senior class president Miguel Sanchez excels academically as a certified phlebotomist with sights set on becoming a fetal surgeon.

Firefighters from Pharr, McAllen and Mission fought a large fire in a warehouse at block 1100 of Albrad Avenue in Pharr, starting at 8 p.m. on the indicated day. Two butane gas tanks exploded and, as a safety measure, a perimeter was established and vehicles and belongings were moved; a firefighter was taken to the hospital for dehydration.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- The Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District hosted a community outreach event on Wednesday to provide free health screenings. The free event was held at the Junior's Supermarket located in San Juan. At the event, guests were offered health screenings to check blood pressure and glucose levels. The event also provided the [...]

More than 1,100 volunteers are preparing for the 32nd annual Rio Reforestation event on Oct. 17, 2026, at the Milagro Tract in Pharr to plant native trees grown across the Rio Grande Valley.

Fire crews from Pharr, McAllen, and Mission are responding to an active fire at a medical supply warehouse on Albrad Avenue in Pharr, where propane tanks have exploded. One firefighter has been treated for dehydration.

Fire crews from Pharr, McAllen, and Mission are responding to an active fire at a medical supply warehouse on Albrad Avenue in Pharr, where propane tanks have exploded. One firefighter has been treated for dehydration.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- The Pharr Fire Department and crews from surrounding cities are battling a fire that broke out on Monday night. The fire broke out at the 1100 block of Albrad Ave. in Pharr. Fire crews from the Mission Fire Department and the McAllen Fire Department are at the scene assisting. One firefighter [...]

The Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 4-3 last week to end a board member’s ban from attending meetings in-person that’s lasted over a year. Trustee Cynthia Gutierrez has been prohibited from attending school board meetings in-person since June of 2025, when her fellow board members censured her and banned her…

Former UTSA defensive lineman Anthony Santoscoy, a Pharr alumnus, has returned to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to join the Vaqueros’ defensive line. Santoscoy said he is glad to be back home, wants to prove Valley players can compete, and coach Travis Bush praised his leadership and pride in the community.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- Road closures are in effect around downtown Pharr as the city prepares for its annual Avocado Festival. The closures began Thursday and have progressed as the Avocado Fest nears. Several major roads will be closed, including U.S. Business 83 and Cage Boulevard. Below is a map that shows additional roadways that [...]

Rattlers and Patriots Clash Two of the best teams are gunning for the top spot in their district. That is, simply, what we love to see in any sport. And that is certainly the case in tonight’s district matchup when the Mission Veterans Patriots host the Sharyland Rattlers at 7 p.m. What…

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A teen has been charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of a 26-year-old man in Pharr. Rafael Corpus Garcia Jr., 18, was charged with murder, a first-degree felony, and possession of marijuana on Friday. RELATED: 1 dead, 1 in custody after shooting in Pharr A judge set Garcia's [...]

Patriots travel to Pharr to face 4-1 PSJA Southwest With most Big 7 football programs on bye this week, a confident Mission Veterans Patriots squad (4-1, 1-0 DIST) goes on the road to face another team near the top of 5A-2 Region IV District 16 PSJA Southwest Javelinas (4-1, 0-1 DIST) tonight. …

An 18‑year‑old man was arrested Thursday morning after fatally shooting a 26‑year‑old in the abdomen during a family‑related disturbance in Pharr. Police responded at about 10:15 a.m. to the 1200 block of East Serenidad Drive, found the victim dead at a hospital, and later located the suspect unarmed near East Trenton Road and the expressway. He is scheduled for a first appearance Friday at 11 a.m. in Pharr Municipal Court.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A man is dead and a teen is in custody following a shooting in Pharr Thursday morning. At about 10:15 a.m., Pharr police say they responded to a family-related disturbance on the 1200 block of East Serenidad Drive. When police arrived, they say they found a 26-year-old man with a gunshot [...]