City officials and co‑founder Sean Downey announced the reopening of 5×5 Brewing Co. in Edinburg, with a new 8,000‑square‑foot facility near UTRGV backed by a $2.5 million investment. The brewery will feature an indoor tap room, kitchen, outdoor concert area and expanded production, aiming to serve the local community and veteran population.

On Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, job seekers filled the Brownsville Events Center for the Careers and Coffee expo, which hosted more than 75 employers. Organizers said about 3,500 people pre‑registered and roughly 1,200 checked in before noon, with recruiters from SpaceX and Snelling among the attendees. The fair was promoted by Greater Brownsville Economic Development Corp. marketing specialist Eryka Rodriguez as a chance to find good‑paying jobs.

County Administrator Pete Sepulveda Jr. told Cameron County commissioners that the bridge system posted about a $2.8 million revenue increase for July‑September 2026, leaving roughly $1.9 million as surplus. The Free Trade International Bridge at Los Indios generated nearly $1.7 million with about 157,000 crossings, and commercial trucking traffic now averages 400‑500 trucks per day, prompting a $9.2 million federal grant for a new truck‑parking lot.

The Mission Economic Development Corporation announced Monday that it has hired Altiva Management Group of Edinburg to run a search for a permanent chief executive officer. Applications open through Nov. 18, with a selection expected in January and the new CEO starting in March; the position offers a salary between $165,000 and $190,000 and oversees an $8.2 million annual budget for the city of about 89,000 residents.

The writer recounts an afternoon visit to Mariscos Lauro Villar, where the dining room was full and the staff served a menu of botanas, ensaladas, soups, cocktails and various seafood dishes. After scanning the options, the author chose the fried calamari as the sole entrée, noting its appeal among the many offerings. The account highlights that the restaurant offers fried calamari on its menu this afternoon.

The city of Mercedes hired Altiva Management Group of Edinburg to run the search for its next city manager, who oversees 163 employees and a $29.6 million budget. Applications are open until Nov. 13; interviews start in January and the new manager is expected to begin in late February, inheriting water and wastewater projects, street upgrades, park facilities and a retail center opening on Interstate 2.

First Stop Bagels opened a few weeks ago at 4113 South Sugar Road, introducing New York‑style hand‑rolled bagels to the Rio Grande Valley. Owners Jesus Alvarado and Melissa Blanco, who learned the craft at the New York Bagelfest, say the shop will give locals a fresh alternative to the region’s beloved breakfast tacos.

Garver Engineering, a civil‑engineering firm, is opening a $5 million, 25,000‑square‑foot office on the southeast corner of Ed Carey Drive and Hale Avenue in Harlingen, moving from its previous location at 1906 E. Tyler Ave. The firm expects to increase its Harlingen payroll from 49 to about 100 employees within five years, adding 50 new jobs, and Mayor Norma Sepulveda said the project will boost the economy and support the Rio Grande Valley.

Harlingen’s Economic Development Corporation announced Tuesday that a $97 million, five‑year‑planned project will convert a 71‑acre parcel in the medical district into a mixed‑use ‘live‑work‑play’ community with homes, offices, retail and restaurants. About $9 million in bonds will finance roughly $15 million for streets and utilities, a detail expected to increase property and sales tax revenue while adding new dining and shopping options for locals.

The Cannery Public Market opened in Brownsville on Thursday, marking the completion of a four‑year renovation of the 1940s dome‑topped building at 1700 E. Sixth St. City Manager Alan Guard and other officials highlighted its new spaces for the weekly Brownsville Farmers Market, a Food Bank hub, a commercial kitchen and outdoor cooking area, with a grand‑opening celebration scheduled for Saturday.

The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation revised its 2025‑2029 Strategic Plan after a June workshop, aligning it more closely with the city’s Downtown Renaissance Master Plan and clarifying its role as a connector for businesses. The amended plan retains its five overarching goals and adds a new focus area that links aspiring and existing entrepreneurs with education, mentorship and technical assistance, aiming to strengthen local entrepreneurship.

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.

A South Texas farm, which has used the H‑2A visa program for four years, announced it will expand its foreign‑worker workforce by more than 40% this season because it cannot find enough local labor. Elizabeth Rodriguez warns that the July wage‑rule changes and a recent court ruling could favor employers, and the farm’s plan to add over 40% H‑2A workers may further reduce job opportunities for Rio Grande Valley workers.

Brownsville city commissioners on Tuesday appointed most members of an Environmental Task Force to develop data‑center policies after a September 1 vote creating a temporary moratorium. The group, with seven voting community members and four non‑voting experts, must issue an initial report by December 2026 and a final one by March 2027. Rio Grande Valley residents will be interested in how the task force’s recommendations could shape local water use and land development.

City commissioners of Starbase voted unanimously on Monday to annex about 7,133 acres and voluntarily annex 444 acres that Brownsville recently disannexed, and they approved annexing State Highway 4, the road linking the SpaceX launch site to Brownsville. More than half of the landowners in the 7,133‑acre area signed the ordinance, expanding the city’s boundaries and placing the highway under city jurisdiction.

Austin‑based Saronic Technologies, which announced the $3.2 billion Port Alpha shipyard in Brownsville, received a Navy contract on Sept. 17 to build Landing Craft Utility (LCU) vessels, marking the first ships to be produced at the new facility. Production is slated to begin in 2028 with initial deliveries in 2029, and the LCUs will provide 170‑ton payload capacity and a range of about 1,200 nautical miles for amphibious, resupply and disaster‑response missions.

Lucio Moya, a Roma, Texas resident who has spent nine years in the Louisiana oilfield, is a finalist in the 13th H‑E‑B Quest for Texas Best competition with three barbecue rubs—Orange Pepper Piñín, Bruto! and Beef Blend. The contest, running since 2014 and offering up to $100,000 in prizes, highlights small Texas businesses, and Moya’s seasonings are sold online and at stores in the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas.

A Texas judge denied on Monday the Center for Biological Diversity’s injunction to block a land swap between SpaceX and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Lower Rio Grande Valley Refuge. The exchange would give SpaceX 727 acres of refuge land for 683 acres of private land near Laguna Madre Atascosa, and plaintiffs say it could transfer the land to SpaceX within weeks, limiting access to a wildlife area.

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.

Indian restaurant Leo’s Grill, originally opened in Port Isabel, launched a new takeout spot on September 14 at 1554 E. Seventh St. in Brownsville, directly across from Linear Park. Owners Leo and Latha Titus said the first week has been slow but steady, offering a variety of curries that require multiple pans, and they hope to meet the local demand for Indian cuisine.

Fluidstack has started construction of a 1,100‑acre data center on the Harlingen‑Rio Hondo corridor, with a $4 billion first phase near Gomez Road and FM 1595, after Cameron County issued a worksite permit late last week. Mayor Norma Sepulveda said the project involves a $27 million investment, including a $20 million city contribution and a $7 million drainage‑improvement plan, and she has requested a town‑hall meeting to address resident concerns.

Harlingen’s Economic Development Corporation is considering asking promoter Louie Guillen to repay the $5,000 sponsorship it provided after the three‑day Frontera Fest 2026 was cancelled the day before it was to begin on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Harlingen Sports Complex. Vendors and ticket‑buyers were left without refunds, and the city warned it could take legal action to recover the funds.

The Mission Economic Development Corporation appointed its financial officer, Joe Salazar, as acting chief executive officer effective Wednesday, two days before former CEO Teclo Garcia’s retirement on August 31 after more than 19 years of municipal service. Salazar, a Mission resident with 15 years of public‑sector finance experience, will oversee daily operations while the board searches for a permanent CEO, continuing the organization’s economic‑development projects and partnerships.

A developer, Fluidstack, has launched the $4 billion first phase of a 1,100‑acre data‑center project east of Valley International Airport between Harlingen and Rio Hondo. The company offered Harlingen $20 million for a storm‑water discharge permit and $7 million to widen the 90‑foot canal, while commissioners consider a town‑hall meeting. Rio Grande Valley residents will note the massive data‑center plan.