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Progress times Vol. 47 - #18
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Sorry, We’re Closed Our office will be closed Dec. 24 thru Dec. 28 to give our staff time to celebrate the holiday season. There will not be an isuue Dec. 28 for the Progress Times, Sharyland Times or The Progress. Publications will resume Jan. 4, 2019.
INSIDE
Consquences of Drunk Driving
After two fatal wrecks in Hidalgo County in the last two weeks, officers across the RGV plan on targeting drunk driving in the next few weeks. Dave Hendricks has the details on recent events and the next steps, inside.
See Pg. 5
Communities Give Back for Christmas
City entities and school districts have been giving a lot back to their communities recently in light of the holiday season. See our featured stories about the charitable donations and how they have impacted the area before Christmas day.
See Pg. 11
SPORTS
Basketball Season Starts
Friday, December 21, 2018
Cancer-stricken firefighter back on the job tion of Firefighters (TSAFF) stated. According to NBC News article dated October 2017, cancer is the main cause of death among firefighters across the country with at least three active or retired firefighters being diagnosed with cancer per month. Salinas said he is the sixth firefighter in the Mission Fire Department to receive a cancer diagnosis in the last 12 years. “And three of those have passed away,” Salinas said. Besides battling cancer, Salinas and the city of Mission have been disputing with the city’s health insurance carrier-Texas Municipal League- who denied covering Salinas’ cancer treatment. Salinas said Tuesday that he is seeking $100,000 from the insurance carrier to assist in covering for four surgeries he underwent as part of his cancer treatment. At a February news conference, representatives with the TSAFF said Salinas was exposed to carcinogens as part of the hazards of his work as a firefighter that led to his cancer, and Chapter 607 of the Texas Government Code, known as the “presumptive statute,” ensures treatment of job-related illnesses. In a Monday news release, TSAFF announced that the Texas Department of Insurance appeals
By Jose De Leon III
Serving as a firefighter for the last 25 years has been a dream come true for Homer Salinas, a lieutenant with the Mission Fire Department. “I do it because I love it,” Salinas said. “This is what I want to do. We don’t do it because of the money, us firefighters do it because we love to help our fellow man.” For Salinas, this enthusiasm for his career has only increased over the years, even after he was diagnosed with kidney cancer in December 2017. He took a leave of absence shortly afterward and was placed on paid financial leave last March. After starting treatment at M.D. Anderson in Houston last year, Salinas said Tuesday he has been cancer free and back on the job since this past June. “I’m currently on desk duty due to an injury but I am happy to be back at work,” Salinas said. “I’m still receiving checkups at M.D. Anderson every three months and have one scheduled in February. They were aggressive with the cancer treatment because it is an aggressive form of cancer.” Studies show firefighters are at an increased risk for several cancers and numerous other illnesses caused by on-the-job exposure to hazardous materials. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has cited the higher risks of kidney cancer among firefighters, a news release from the Texas State Associa-
See FIREFIGHTER Pg. 5
Palmhurst Christmas celebration brings the community together By Jose De Leon III In celebration of the holidays season, the city of Palmhurst held two Christmas-themed events at their municipal park earlier this month. Last Saturday, Dec. 15, the city held “Christmas in the Park” at the Shary Municipal Park which invited the public to marvel at the city’s 30-foot tall Christmas tree. The tree was originally lit at their first “Christmas in the Park” event at the beginning of the month. Palmhurst police Chief Michael A. Vela said the city decided to hold two Christmas events this year following enthusiasm from the community in reaction to the city’s inaugural tree lighting event last year. “It’s an event we’d like to do annually to let the com-
munity know we’re here and they can have fun,” Vela said. “McAllen and every city has their own Christmas celebration and we wanted our city to also join in on that. This event is ours and the community can join in.” Attendees at the event enjoyed a screening of the movie “Elf” and food from several vendors and a performance from students at the Crescendo Music Institute. Vela said that when the city had their earlier “Christmas in the Park,” he was worried about a possible lack of attendance due to it being accidentally scheduled during the same time as the city of McAllen’s Holiday Parade. 100 families still showed up to the park that day, the same amount that arrived at Satur-
See PALMHURST Pg. 11
Elementary students perform “A Sombrero for Santa” at RV Park By Jamie Treviño The Winter Texans living at Split Rail RV Park got an early Christmas treat this year when elementary students visited and performed
With the basketball season starting, we have two stories featuring the Big 7 teams. Check out our sports section for the latest in the sport.
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a musical that celebrates the holiday and Mexican culture. Leal Elementary 4th and 5th grade choir students put on “A Sombrero for Santa,”
See SOMBRERO FOR SANTA Pg. 11
Judge delays former La Joya police chief’s trial on drug trafficking charges By Dave Hendricks The drug trafficking case against former La Joya police Chief Geovani Hernandez may head to trial in February. During a hearing on Wednesday morning, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane bumped jury selection from January to February. The delay will allow McAllen-based attorney David Acosta, who represents Hernandez, to review key information released by the government, including the names of a confidential informant and a cooperating defendant. “They’ve had months to conduct an investigation,” Acosta said, adding that prosecutors didn’t identify
the individuals and provide related documents until mid-December. “I’m asking for a fair chance.” Federal agents arrested Geovani V. Hernandez, 44, of McAllen — a well-known Hidalgo County lawman who mounted unsuccessful
See JUDGE DELAYS Pg. 12
Courtesy of Geovani Hernandez via YouTube.
Judge Keno Vasquez holds Courts in Schools program at Juarez-Lincoln High School By Jamie Treviño Aiming to educate students about the impact their decisions can have on their lives and families in the future, Judge Keno Vasquez
is bringing the courtroom to the classroom. Vasquez, the judge of the 398th State District Court for Hidalgo County, brought the Courts in Schools program to Juarez-Lincoln High School
in the La Joya Independent School District last Friday morning. The event included actual court proceedings that
See COURTS IN SCHOOLS Pg. 12
See Pg. 6 & 7
INDEX
Entertainment..........pg. 2 Lifestyle.......................pg. 3 Sports............................pg.6 Obituaries...............pg. 13 Classifieds.................pg.15
Progress Times photo by Jamie Treviño.
Progress Times photo by Jamie Treviño.
Some of the cast from Leal Elementary School’s “A Sombrero for Santa.”
Judge Keno Vasquez listens to Catarina Alvarado, an assistant public defender for Hidalgo County, and her client during the Courts in Schools proceeding at Juarez-Lincoln High School last Friday.