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Progress times Vol. 47 - #33
Friday, April 12, 2019
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Progress Times photo by Jose De Leon III.
Officials with the cities of Alton and Palmview at the red-ribbon cutting ceremony of Palmview’s emergency medical services in Alton Monday, April 8, 2019.
Palmview begins emergency medical services in Alton By Jose De Leon III
Palmview officially began serving the city of Alton this week in a move officials from both cities described as historic. On Monday, April 8, Palmview’s in-house emergency medical services be-
gan serving the city of Alton. As part of this agreement, Alton will house a Palmview EMS vehicle and a backup EMS vehicle in their fire station, both of which will be fully staffed with four crew members every day. Both cities celebrated this new agreement at a ceremo-
Western Hidalgo County nonprofit will provide Mission Boys & Girls Club with free meals By Dave Hendricks The Mission City Council on Monday approved an agreement with a western Hidalgo County nonprofit that will provide Boys & Girls Club members with free after-school meals. RGV Read and Feed — a nonprofit corporation owned by South Texas College Trustee Victoria “Vicky” Cantu, Peñitas City Councilman Alex Guajardo and his wife, Roxanna — will provide meals to Boys & Girls Club members. “We at least make sure that the kids get something nutritious,” Guajardo said, adding that RGV Read and Feed is excited to partner with the Boys & Girls Club. RGV Read and Feed already provides meals at La Joya Independent School District campuses, the La Joya Housing Authority and churches across western Hidalgo County. The Boys & Girls Club serves about 19,000 meals during the school year, according to city records. Another 48,000 meals are served over the summer months. “There’s no cost to the city for this nutrition service,” said Boys & Girls Club Director Juan Arevalo, who addressed the City Council on Monday. “Meals will be served to club members on a daily basis.” The Texas Department of Agriculture covers the cost through the Child and Adult
Care Food Program. Members of the City Council voted 3-1 to approve the agreement with RGV Read and Feed, following a recommendation from the Boys & Girls Club board. City Councilman Gus Martinez voted against the agreement. Concerned about the perception of a conflict of interest, Mayor Armando “Doc” O’caña, who works for the city of Peñitas, recused himself from the discussion and didn’t vote. The deal resulted from a do-over. Arevalo had originally recommended RGV Read and Feed on March 11. After reviewing three vendors from a list provided by the Department of Agriculture, the Boys & Girls Club determined that RGV Read and Feed provided the best service, said city Purchasing Director Eduardo Belmarez. The City Council, however, asked the Boys & Girls Club to solicit additional information, Belmarez said. Arevalo contacted seven participants in the Child and Adult Care Food Program on March 20, according to an email provided to members of the City Council. “I am sending you all this email to get some information on the services you provide to organizations like ours,” Arevalo wrote.
See FREE MEALS Pg. 4
Mission News
ny in Alton’s fire station on Monday. “What better way to make history than to save lives,” Palmview Mayor Pro-tem Joel Garcia said during the event. “That’s what it’s all about, to save lives and serve our communities. If one city can do it, two cities can do it
better together. We will take care of Alton the same way we’ve taken care of Palmview.” The agreement was finalized late last month during an Alton city council meeting where officials from Hidalgo County EMS-the city’s EMS provider for the
La Joya ISD principal arrested on felony drunken driving charge By Dave Hendricks A school district administrator with a history of drunken driving arrests found himself behind bars again last week. The Texas Department of Public Safety arrested Ronny L. Cabrera, 49, of McAllen — the principal of the La Joya school district College and Career Center — after a traffic stop on April 4. “Cabrera was displaying symptoms of intoxication,” according to an affidavit written by the state trooper, who indicated Cabrera had bloodshot eyes, unsteady balance and smelled of alcohol. “Cabrera was subsequently placed under arrest after a series of standardized sobriety tests.” The trooper charged Cabrera with driving while intoxicated, a third-degree felony. Cabrera couldn’t be reached for comment. Asked about the arrest, the La Joya Independent School District released a statement. “The District does not comment on any personnel matters,” according to the statement, “however La Joya ISD intends to adhere to any applicable policy requirements as we continue to strive to provide a safe learning environment for all.” Asked whether or not Cabrera remains the College and Career Center principal, a district spokeswoman didn’t respond. Driving while intoxicated is normally a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of 180 days in jail
INSIDE
The Texas Citrus Fiesta is still going, hoping to put on more events like the new TCF Fashion Show held this past weekend. Jamie Treviño has the latest on Mission news, inside.
See Pg. 5
previous seven years-criticized the agreement. Officials questioned the validity of the agreement, and if Palmview-which started its in-house service last yearwould be able to serve both cities. “The people criticizing us are the ones that couldn’t
make [Palmview] grow in the past,” Garcia said. “They had the opportunity to do what they needed to do and we got elected to make the city grow. Palmview has been stagnant for 20 years
See EMS SERVICES Pg. 9
Former Donna ISD police officer sentenced to nearly 11 years in prison for working with drug traffickers By Dave Hendricks
Ronny L. Cabrera La Joya ISD College and Career Center Principal
(Photo couresy of the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office)
and a $2,000 fine. Cabrera, though, had a history of drunken driving convictions, which made the charge a third-degree felony. In 1993, an Edinburg police officer arrested Cabrera on a drunken driving charge, according to Hidalgo County court records. Cabrera pleaded guilty and a judge sentenced him to time served. Officers arrested Cabrera on another drunken driving charge in 2005, but prosecutors dismissed the case “in the interest of justice,” according to Hidalgo County court records. Cabrera returned to court in 2015, when a Pharr police officer arrested him on another drunken driving charge. A judge sentenced Cabrera to 180 days in jail but suspended the sentence and placed him on probation for nine months. If convicted on the third-degree felony charge, Cabrera faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
A former Donna school district police officer who confessed to working with drug traffickers will spend nearly 11 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced former Donna Independent School District police Officer Juan Fernando Mata on Tuesday morning. “I have no one to blame but myself,” said Mata, 40, of Donna, who read a brief statement before sentencing. Alvarez sentenced Mata to 130 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release.
Juan Fernando Mata
Mata worked with members of “Los Mickys,” a rotating cast of criminals that targeted drug traffickers.
See DONNA ISD Pg. 9
MCISD board grapples with softball field naming process By Jamie Treviño The dispute over the naming of the MHS softball field had less to do with the name itself, and more to do with the process of approving the name. During this week’s regular called meeting, the Mission Consolidated Independent School District board of trustees discussed the naming of the Mission High School softball field. The item was previously brought up at the last board meeting. When the item was
La Joya ISD News We have some updates from the school district, including the upcoming negotiations for a new contract with poltically connected attorneys, and a visit from a locally-born actress to Bentsen Elementary School.
See Pg. 8
brought forward, board member Betty Mendoza made a motion to vote to name the field after former Coach Iris Iglesias. Board members Jerry Zamora and Patty O’caña-Olivarez stated that they had different ideas of what item was going to be presented at this week’s meeting following the last one. “Didn’t we say we were going to get a committee to go ahead and do that [vote]?”
See MCISD BOARD Pg. 11
INDEX Entertainment....pg. 2 Lifestyle...................pg. 3 Sports.......................pg. 6 Obituaries..............pg. 9 Classifieds.............pg.11