In the November 3, 2026 election, Hidalgo County voters will decide who will be district attorney, with Republican Lydia Elizondo facing incumbent Toribio "Terry" Palacios. Elizondo, with 28 years as an attorney, proposes a cold‑case unit and greater focus on domestic violence, while Palacios leads a team of 82 prosecutors; both are seeking support from residents of the Rio Grande Valley.

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.

The Hidalgo County Board of Commissioners approved on 22 de septiembre a budget of $439.7 million for 2026‑2027 that lowers the property tax rate and increases funding for police, firefighters, roads and a 5 % cost of living adjustment. The rate is $0.5691 per $100 of assessed value, a 1 % reduction, and $111 million is allocated to the Sheriff and $53.9 million to road work.

Kimberly Trujillo, a 24‑year‑old from Brownsville, served as a delegate at La Unión del Pueblo Entero’s biennial Cumbre de Miembros held in August, where members—nearly half under 45—voted immigration to be the organization’s top priority. Trujillo, who joined LUPE only two months earlier, advocated for the issue, and overall attendance rose from 99 in 2024 to 197 in 2026, reflecting growing youth involvement.

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.

On Tuesday the Mission City Council unanimously adopted the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, a 417‑page plan that co‑interim city manager Andy Garcia says meets Government Finance Officers Association standards and will be entered for a distinguished budget presentation award. Candidate Daniel Tijerina, also seeking Place 3 council seat, asked the council to show taxpayers the cost of services such as EMS, noting the city’s revenue is $183.66 million.

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.

Federal prosecutors announced that Jose Flores‑Flores, a Mexican national believed to be a Gulf Cartel hitman, was arrested near Mission, Texas, after Border Patrol agents detained him on July 10 along the Rio Grande. He faces federal charges under President Trump’s Executive Order 14157, which designates cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, and investigators reviewed his phone, finding graphic videos of dismemberment. Residents will note the arrest occurred in Mission.

The South Texas border towns of Brownsville and Edinburg were recently named as two of the four newest Texas arts districts in the state. In this episode of Border Report Live, host Sandra Sanchez speaks with Diane Milliken Garza, a commissioner with the Texas Commission on the Arts on the importance of these arts designations for attracting state funding and tourism to the region.

Gina Hinojosa, the Texas Democratic candidate for governor, toured the Rio Grande Valley this week, rallying in McAllen, meeting Harlingen’s homebuilders association, and speaking at a LUPE Votes phone‑bank in Brownsville. During the phone‑bank she took a call from a voter struggling with bills, pledged to help ease financial burdens, and named soaring electric bills, data‑center fees and camera costs as the top concerns for local residents.

Harlingen may raise its property‑tax rate from 0.5260 to 0.5310 cents per $100 valuation to fund a $2.7 million police‑union contract, park upgrades and a larger payroll. The change, discussed in Wednesday’s public hearing, also supports the fire‑fighters’ contract, a $300,000 health‑insurance increase and a $72 million general‑fund budget, projecting about $1.2 million extra revenue.

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.

The federal government filed a motion on September 3 seeking to dismiss a lawsuit that attorney Raed Gonzalez filed on February 18 on behalf of the Donna family after ICE agents raided their home on the morning of January 9. The complaint alleges Fourth and Fifth Amendment violations and names ICE, DHS and former officials as defendants. A status hearing is set for November 19 at 10 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Randy Crane.

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.

For the second time in two weeks, U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Monday said migrants were found in locked train rail cars in the South Texas border down of Del Rio.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Pharr International Bridge discovered more than $25 million worth of methamphetamine hidden in a shipment of vegetables. On Tuesday, Sept. 8, a tractor trailer traveling from Reynosa to Pharr was ordered to undergo a secondary inspection. That's when CBP officers say they found [...]

A new report from the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General found that some immigration detainees at the now-shuttered Alligator Alcatraz facility were confined to outdoor cages just slightly larger than phone booths for more than an hour at a time.

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 [...]

A comprehensive audit of the Mission Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) accounts and processes was ordered by the city council on September 8, to begin as soon as the city has a new internal auditor in place at the end of the month. The new auditor will be working with a new CEO, as MEDC’s…

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized more than $25 million in methamphetamine concealed inside a shipment of cabbage, tomatillo and cilantro at the Pharr International Bridge on Sept. 8. A tractor‑trailer coming from Reynosa, Mexico, was sent to secondary inspection, where a physical search uncovered 1,164 packages weighing a total of 2,815.30 pounds. The seized narcotics are valued at about $25.2 million.

Mayor Omar Ochoa of Edinburg announced on Facebook Thursday that the city has revised employee health‑insurance premiums after earlier quotes showed steep hikes. The updated rates, released before the enrollment period beginning Monday, Sept. 7, cap the largest increase at $90 a month, with some plans seeing virtually no change, down from previously reported increases of up to $400. The city said it will cover part of a $2 million cost gap.

Christian Joel Maldonado Pacheco, de 25 anos, foi apresentado à juíza Janet Leal na Detenção Carrizales‑Rucker, onde recebeu prisão preventiva sem fiança por quatro acusações de homicídio qualificado e três de abandono e risco a criança. Segundo o xerife Manuel Treviño, ele se entregou após ligar para o 9‑1‑1 por volta das 3 h de domingo, na rodovia 819, bloco 3200, fora de San Benito, e foi apreendido sem incidentes.

Edinburg police chief Jaime Ayala announced his retirement, effective Oct. 30, after five years leading the department. Ayala, who began his career as a volunteer reserve officer in Edinburg and spent 32 years with the Arlington Police Department, will return to North Texas to be with his family. He highlighted the city’s 2025 homicide‑free year and a 16 % drop in major crimes.