Emeritus UTRGV professor Eduardo Del Rio has released a new collection titled "The Lost Train and Other Stories," comprising ten short stories that explore Latino experiences with immigration, race, religion, misogyny and climate change. The book, written after he began the title story in 2019, imagines a future where immigration issues have intensified, a scenario that resonates with many Rio Grande Valley residents.

The Texas Historical Commission is hosting an Archaeology Fair at the Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historic Site in Port Isabel, Texas, as part of Texas Archaeology Month. Activities begin Friday at 3 p.m. with a presentation at the Lighthouse Boutique Hotel and continue with tours, talks, vendor booths and live shovel tests on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., giving residents a chance to explore local maritime history at no cost.

The American Association of University Professors‑American Federation of Teachers at UTRGV issued a statement saying academic freedom and shared governance are vital to the university’s mission and that Texas Senate Bill 37 endangers those principles. The union, representing 77 faculty members and led by President Professor Fuat Firat, warned the bill expands oversight of curricula and degree programs and called for dialogue with UTRGV administration after core‑curriculum review guidelines were released.

The Edinburg School District’s School Health Advisory Council met on Wednesday to approve a wellness policy that bans the sale and consumption of high‑energy drinks and other caffeinated foods on district property. Director of Health Services Diana Davila explained that staff will confiscate or discard such items and then call parents to provide information, emphasizing education rather than in‑school suspension. The measure aims to prevent illness among middle‑and high‑school students.

Chef Celia Galindo at Gourmet Central by Cel in Brownsville taught a new recipe to the Port Isabel ISD culinary arts team after the World Food Championships in Indianapolis asked team captain Gulmaro Alvarez to compete individually. The team, which won first place at the Texas Food Championships on Oct. 5 in Corpus Christi, is now preparing for the Indianapolis competition and hopes to finish in the top three.

About ten school‑district races will decide more than twenty board seats on the November 3 general election in Hidalgo County. Voters in Edinburg, Pharr‑San Juan‑Alamo, Weslaco and Donna districts will choose among incumbents and newcomers, with several open seats such as Edinburg Place 5 and Weslaco Place 4, making these contests especially relevant for local families.

Russell Elementary School in Brownsville ISD marked its 110th anniversary last Thursday with a morning assembly that gathered current and former students, teachers and staff. Superintendent Timothy Cuff highlighted the school’s recent A rating from the Texas Education Agency, noting it earned a 94 on the STAAR assessment, a point of pride for the community. The celebration also honored the tradition of the “Los Viejitos” dancers who appear in the BISD Children’s Parade during Charro Days.

The U.S. Small Business Administration awarded the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley a $5 million grant to boost manufacturing in the Rio Grande Valley through its Institute for Advanced Manufacturing. The grant will fund hands‑on training in robotics, automation, AI and digital manufacturing for small manufacturers across Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy, Brooks, Zapata and Starr counties. The program aims to train 250 workers and create 50 manufacturing jobs.

Students from Lee H. Means Elementary Fine Arts Academy are staging the musical “Trolls The Musical Jr.” at the Harlingen Performing Arts Academy. Fine‑arts coordinator Sandra Luna says rehearsals are going well and the production, which features 167 children, follows a storyline where Princess Marie Bergenette still intends to eat trolls despite a peace treaty. The show includes nine songs and extensive dancing.

Seventh‑grader Nathan Montelongo of De Zavala Middle School was named one of 30 finalists in the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge for his project to remove microplastics from river water. The competition, a national STEM contest, will bring him and his mother to Washington D.C. in late October, where he will present his work and compete for more than $100,000 in awards, including a $25,000 top prize.

The Texas Education Agency released in August the 2026 accountability ratings, showing that the Harlingen and San Benito school districts are improving their scores. Harlingen moves up to the "B" tier with eight "A" campuses and receives the Postsecondary Preparation Distinction; San Benito reaches the high end of the "C" tier with three "A" schools. The results reflect gains in STAAR testing, graduation rates, and college and career readiness.

Rebecca Castañeda, born and raised in Donna, Texas, was named interim superintendent and the sole finalist to fill the superintendent position of the Donna Independent School District. With 30 years of experience, 29 of which she has spent at DISD, she has held roles from bilingual teacher to executive director and recently deputy superintendent. Her appointment reflects her deep ties to the local community.

PossAble Dream Adult High School, operating on seven Rio Grande Valley campuses with offices in Pharr and Brownsville, offers adult learners high‑school diplomas and industry certificates by “grandfathering” prior credits and requiring three STARR end‑of‑course exams. Superintendent Darcia C. Cuellar reported enrollment above 100 and that 216 students graduated in August, including Rosa Angelica Ceballos of Brownsville, who praised the transcript verification process.

Harlingen ISD announced a new $21.2 million self‑insured health‑insurance policy that raises employee deductions to offset a $5.3 million shortfall. The board approved a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan with a Blue Essentials HMO and a Blue Choice PPO, effective Jan. 1, after a Sept. 16 meeting where Superintendent Veronica Kortan and Assistant Superintendent Ida Ambriz explained the changes to staff through Oct. 5.

The Valley Baptist Medical Center School of Vocational Nursing in Harlingen says enrollment for the January LVN class is low and that applicants must submit TEAS exam results by October 20. Program director Stephanie Hamby notes the test is the only requirement besides a high school diploma or GED, with a criminal background check needed. Rio Grande Valley residents should note the October 20 deadline to be considered for admission.

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.

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.

RGV LEAD and the Rio Grande Valley Builders Association signed a memorandum to launch the Architecture and Construction Supply Chain Initiative, which will connect students with the Valley's construction industry in the 2026‑27 academic year. The program includes site visits, internships and will begin in October, extending through May of the following year. The fact that most interests residents is the October start.

UTRGV political‑science professor Clyde Barrow has been on paid suspension since May 15 2025 after a dean’s letter placed him on leave, and he says his criticism of certain decisions led to the action. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression highlighted the case in July, while UTRGV’s chief legal officer said the investigation is ongoing and any discipline will follow university policy and law.

Cyndi Beltran has been appointed the inaugural chief of staff for the Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen, beginning this month. In the role she will support the leadership team, coordinate strategic initiatives and oversee executive events. Beltran brings a decade of experience at four Rio Grande Valley law firms and ten years with the Texas A&M School of Public Health.

Educators in Rio Grande Valley school districts say the statewide cellphone ban is yielding positive results after its first full year. Obed Leal, principal at Rivera Early College High School in Brownsville ISD, notes better student behavior and focus, while English teacher Kimberly Kizer reports that pupils now write notes by hand, boosting study skills and memorization. Deputy Superintendent José Valdez added that parents have welcomed the law.

The Dinsburg school board met on Tuesday and voted unanimously to issue a request for qualifications for an independent forensic audit, amid a $15 million deficit in the proposed next‑year budget. Board members Leticia “Letty” Garcia, David Torres and President Xavier Salinas also approved soliciting public bids for the sale of a 113.35‑acre property originally slated for low‑ and moderate‑income housing development.