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On August 30, 49‑year‑old Jesus Maria Alaniz Jr. of Edinburg drove his red BMW into the entrance of the Hidalgo County courthouse around 11:35 p.m., sending the car airborne and igniting a fireball inside the building’s eatery. The courthouse reopened on September 4, but officials still lack a total repair cost estimate, having spent $72,743.36 so far from the county fund. The crash, linked to a DWI arrest, left the façade and main doors needing replacement.

Laura Lamb, a PhD student at UT Austin and Rio Grande Valley native, released this month the final issue of her four‑part “Wasteland Zine” series on South Texas underground music from 1998‑2008. The McAllen‑based Libérate Ediciones funded the project, which includes over 300 flyers, photos and band memorabilia, and Lamb is now beginning an oral‑history interview series with 16 prominent scene figures.

Brownsville ISD evacuated Pena Elementary on Friday morning after smoke from a brush fire near the school drifted onto the campus, moving students and staff to Garcia Middle School. The fire department was called to extinguish the brush fires on the development site, and the district provided lunch for all. Parents could pick up children early with a valid ID, and the early pickup did not affect attendance.

Jeremiah and Maria Luisa Yzaguirre, 47, of Harlingen, were sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit health fraud by billing Medicare roughly $14 million for power‑wheelchair parts and repairs that were never provided. Jeremiah received more than nine years in prison and Maria nearly seven years; they were ordered to pay $9,248,976 in restitution and a $25,000 fine. The scheme affected 37 Medicare beneficiaries.

City commissioners in Harlingen rejected Cameron County’s proposal to act as a middle‑man for a $7 million canal‑widening project serving Valley International Airport. Mayor Norma Sepulveda and Commissioner René Perez urged data‑center developer Fluidstack to hold a town‑hall meeting and said the improvements could be done without any taxpayer expense. The discussion took place at the Wednesday city‑council meeting.

Early voting began Monday in Hidalgo and Cameron counties, and the first four days produced a sharp rise in participation compared with 2022. Hidalgo County recorded 68,794 early‑vote ballots, a 69 % increase, while Cameron County logged 32,305 ballots, up 49 %; officials note the surge is driven by gubernatorial, Senate and congressional contests. The state total reached 2,249,055 ballots as of Thursday.

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.

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.

In Harlingen and nearby Brownsville, families are flocking to stores such as Bernie’s House of Fun on Dr. Hugh Emerson Road to buy costumes, fake blood and decorations for Halloween. Pastor Nathan Wendorf of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Treasure Hills said he has acquired about 8,000 pieces of candy and 600 mini water bottles to give to the thousands of trick‑or‑treaters expected this year.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — In today's episode of Tea Time: Fragrance Friday edition, Hosts Elette and Tawny Davis sit down with guest Alejandra Yanez to talk about perfumes they are using, trying, and what is popular in the Fragrance World. Elette talked about why she couldn't buy Brach's® Candy Corn limited-edition Perfume. We also talked [...]

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.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Valley Sports Central has your Thursday night highlights for week nine of high school football. Sports Director Megan Murray brings you highlights from McHi at PSJA Memorial. Sports Reporter Noah Gulley brings you highlights from La Joya at Edinburg and Sports Reporter Brett Holmes has highlights from Brownsville Porter at Lopez. Our [...]

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Thursday to celebrate the renovation of a mobile health clinic at Texas State Technical College in Harlingen. The UTHealth Houston Mobile Clinic has been part of the Harlingen community for over 30 years, serving students and families of all ages. "It's a place for this [...]

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (TX-15) stopped in McAllen on Thursday to cast her midterm election ballot. De La Cruz is running to keep her seat in U.S. House District 15 against Democratic nominee Bobby Pulido. The race for Texas’ 15th Congressional District is one of several competitive races in South Texas. [...]

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- The Rio Grande Valley is looking at an awesome three-day stretch of weather lasting through the weekend. High pressure will regain control of the forecast, keeping the sun shining, winds light, and temperatures near normal through Sunday. If you have outdoor activities planned this weekend, you have the green light to [...]

Nearly 26,000 ballots were cast in the first three days of early voting in Cameron County, with Elections Administrator Remi Garza comparing turnout levels to a presidential election year.

The Hidalgo County Precinct 1 Commissioner’s Office dispatched a crew to repair Abel Montes’ collapsed driveway in Mercedes after Channel 5 News contacted the office Thursday morning. Montes said the ground gave way while he was returning from Walmart, and the city claimed the drainage ditch belongs to it but the sinkhole is on private property, complicating responsibility for the repair.