Neighbors on the west side of Houston say a 12- to 15-foot python has been seen wandering near Briargrove Park and the West Belt Townhomes apartment complex since last Thursday. Management said a wildlife control company will come to the complex on Tuesday to look for and safely remove the reptile, noting that the city prohibits owning snakes longer than eight feet.

Gov. Greg Abbott said the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department commission would not be taking up the issue of a potential sale of Boca Chica State Park to Elon Musk’s SpaceX anytime soon, following a Texas Monthly news article saying as much. At a news conference Monday, Abbott said he knew very little about the [...]

Police in Escobares and Starr County are asking dove hunters near city limits to notify local authorities to avoid false security alarms amid increased border military presence.

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HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — As we head into the next several days, it looks like the Rio Grande Valley will be staying fairly consistent when it comes to high temperatures. With average highs in the upper 80's, some areas of the Upper Valley will likely see a few lower 90's for highs over the next [...]

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.

Harlingen city commissioners will consider a $7 million proposal to widen the 90‑foot canal that drains Valley International Airport, a project backed by data‑center developer Fluidstack, which also seeks permission to discharge its storm‑water runoff into the channel. The offer, presented at a Sept. 2 commission meeting and again on a Wednesday session, includes a $20 million pledge for other infrastructure. Rio Grande Valley residents will want to know that the canal widening and runoff discharge could affect the area around Gomez Road, FM 1595, near Rio Hondo.

The 2026 UIL Region 28 5A‑6A Marching Contest’s 84th Pigskin Jubilee took place Saturday evening at Bobby Morrow Stadium in San Benito, featuring marching bands from across the Rio Grande Valley. The Harlingen High School South band, directed by Ronnie Rios, performed “The Night Window” and earned a Division 1 rating that qualifies them for the area competition in Laredo on Oct. 31, while other schools displayed colorful uniforms and enthusiastic crowds.

A parking and mobility planner, Jon Forster of Fishbeck, presented the results of a study commissioned by South Padre Island’s City Council on Oct. 5. The analysis found a seasonal parking shortage and recommended a mix of paid parking and one or two parking structures, but Mayor Patrick McNulty said no action will be taken yet and public workshops will be held before any decision.

Comedian Gary Owen is headlining the No Hard Feelings Tour at the McAllen Performing Arts Center on Sunday, marking his first show in the Rio Grande Valley. Owen, who has appeared in films such as “Back on the Strip” and “Ride Along,” said he is part Mexican, loves tortillas, and is excited to try the local Mexican food.

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.

Governor Greg Abbott told a news conference on Monday that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission will not vote on a possible sale of Boca Chica State Park to SpaceX in the near future. Abbott said he knows little about the proposal, which Texas Monthly said would be discussed in a closed‑door session of the commission’s Nov. 5 meeting, and emphasized his commitment to adding more parkland across Texas.

Juan Samuel Olguin of Alamo and Michael Anthony Lopez of Pharr, both 19, were indicted on Oct. 8 for the capital murder of 40‑year‑old Hervey Marin De Leon in a July 16 shooting outside an H‑E‑B parking lot in San Juan. Police said the victim’s brother drove him for a drug transaction, Lopez shot him in the backseat, and he was taken to South Texas Health System McAllen while the suspects were detained.

Cameron County announced that the Los Indios International Bridge project received nearly $9.2 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s INFRA program to build a commercial truck‑parking facility near the bridge entrance on Rio Grande Avenue. The plan includes over 300 parking spaces, roadway upgrades, driver amenities and an automated weight station, which officials say will cut fatigue‑related accidents and boost freight efficiency in the Rio Grande Valley corridor.

Dr. Antolin Llorente testified Tuesday that Rogelio Martinez, 21, convicted of killing San Benito police Lt. Milton Reséndez, had more than 75 interactions with Child Protective Services starting at four months old. He also said Martinez was hospitalized at Edinburg’s DHR Health at age 12 for depression, received intermittent antipsychotic medication, and suffered brain damage from abuse, neglect and malnutrition, which the doctor said impaired his developing brain.

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.

Harlingen nonprofit Rosa de Esperanza provides free care packages, wigs, lift chairs, and counseling to help Rio Grande Valley women navigating breast cancer treatment.

Technical glitches in Texas’s voter‑registration system have created a backlog that may force Rio Grande Valley voters to use provisional ballots. The issue left nearly 5,000 registrations unprocessed across Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties, with about 3,000 still pending in Starr County. Officials say anyone who filed by the Oct. 5, 2026 deadline should be able to vote once their record is cleared.

The City of Brownsville is building an interactive digital map of the historic Old City Cemetery to help families locate lost burial plots and headstones online.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- Chief meteorologist Bryan Hale spoke with Lt. Erick Alaniz from the McAllen Fire Department about how weather can impact and endanger your life, depending on how we respond. The Valley is transitioning from hurricane season to cold front season. During this change, generators can see double duty, and space heaters are [...]