Friday, September 4, 2015
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Plans to expand Anzalduas Bridge move forward
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By Julie Silva he act of bringing commercial traffic to the Anzalduas Bridge has been met with roadblocks, but bridge officials believe an agreement signed last week will soon pave the way. McAllen Mayor Jim Darling, also president of the Anzalduas International Bridge Board, signed an agreement with the Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes in Mexico that provides for the financing of the project, which would allow empty commercial trucks to cross southbound into Mexico. For that to
happen, an additional lane and equipment are required on the Mexican side of the bridge. Originally, those empty trucks were supposed to be allowed on the bridge starting in January of this year, but that was stalled when officials determined additional infrastructure was needed on the Mexican side of the bridge. The agreement inked last week allows the Anzalduas board to finance up to $900,000 to complete the work. “It is vital to our area to continue to support not only our international crossings on this side of the river, but in Mexico where we have
had a long standing working relationship with our counterparts,” stated Darling in a news release. He later added, “The project will enhance maquiladora commerce. The resulting tolls will provide for the payment of the costs of this project.” McAllen, Mission and Hidalgo own the Anzalduas International Bridge. According to the agreement, 100 percent of the toll revenue will go toward reimbursing the bridge board for the construction. After that, the revenue will be split with 80 percent going toward the bridge board and 20 percent going toward
Mexico’s Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes. Once two planned northbound lanes are constructed on the U.S. side, both sides will keep 100 percent of their respective toll revenue. The addition of commercial traffic is expected to reduce wait times at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge. The northbound lanes are in the design phase and officials expect to start construction in January. “We have been working with Mexico to improve customer service to commercial truck traffic going south. It’s a win-win situation for Mexico and the
U.S.,” Mission Mayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas stated in the news release. Mexico officials have pushed the U.S. to construct a northbound inspection facility for commercial traffic at an estimated cost of $31 million, according to the city of McAllen. Tractor-trailer crossings bring in more revenue than passenger vehicles. However, according to the Hidalgo County Metropolitan Transportation Plan, the U.S. State Department delayed construction of an import facility until Jan. 1, 2015, or until the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge reached 15,000
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
northbound truck crossings a week. Pharr’s bridge currently carries 10,000 trucks per week, and the plan states Pharr’s bridge is not predicted to reach 15,000 for at least 20 years. The State Department also has not approved the facility for 2015. “It is so important to strengthen the support and cooperation between the Mexican government and Anzalduas International Bridge Board,” Hidalgo Mayor Martin Cepeda stated in the news release. “We need to continue to foster this friendship, cooperation and coordination to develop infrastructure and to facilitate border commerce.”
La Joya ISD maintains tax rate, gives raises
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By Julie Silva
UT System Chancellor William McRaven received a framed copy of the UTRGV mascot from UTRGV Student Government Association President Alberto Adame (holding the microphone) on the first day of class Monday at Salon Cassia in Brownsville. Looking on is UTRGV President Guy Bailey (far right). UTRGV photo by Paul Chouy
UTRGV opens doors, makes history
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By Lea Victoria Juarez
The Valley welcomed the opening of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on Monday, as the UTRGV ROTC Color Guard raised the U.S. and Texas flags during the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” In attendance were UT System Chancellor William McRaven, UTRGV President Guy Bailey, two System regents, and legislators and numerous other dignitaries. UTRGV photo by David Pike
onday marked the first day of classes for students at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. But on the same day two years ago, UTRGV President Guy Bailey was in a hospital room in Birmingham, Alabama, watching his wife live the last 36 hours of her life. He thought he had done everything he wanted to do, Bailey recalled at the flag raising ceremony at the Edinburg campus. A few weeks after the death of his wife Jan, his daughter sat him down and gave him some words of encouragement. “(She) said ‘Dad, you need to find something that you can be as passionate about as you were about Jan, something you can really put your heart into.’” A short time after that conversation, he received a call about becoming the president of the new university in South Texas. “I want to thank all of you for allowing me to be a part
of this,” Bailey said. “It has been one of the great honors of my life.” The road to the first day of class at UTRGV has not been without hiccups. Last week, about 1,500 students were displaced after the state board of regents didn’t approve several core curriculum courses. In June, the university still needed to hire professors and to assign about 2,000 professors to classes. And since the release of the colors, mascot and university name, members of the student body were vocal about their displeasure, even putting on protests and creating petitions. But Chancellor William McRaven, who came into the position eight months ago, said all things considered, the issues were minor. “There are always going to be some glitches in this. The response from the higher education board came in just this week on some of the core courses, but we’ll get through that,” McRaven said. “I think anytime you’re
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As University of Texas Rio Grande Valley #FirstClass students streamed past on the Edinburg Campus Monday morning, UT System Chancellor William McRaven talked with the media after a flag-raising ceremony to celebrate the official opening and first day of classes. UTRGV photo by David Pike
a Joya ISD board members approved a budget last week that includes a $1,200 increase for teachers as well as a raise for all employees. Auxiliary positions will receive a 75-cent-an-hour salary boost and nonteaching professionals will get a 2.5 percent raise. Trustee Esperanza “Espie” Ochoa was quick to point out the proposed budget does not include her push for stipends for teachers who have been with the district more than 20 years. “That is not totally out of the question yet,” said Alfredo Vela, assistant superintendent of finance. “It’s still something we’re studying … Is it out of the question? No. Is it in the numbers right now? No. We can look at it again.” Overall, Vela said the La Joya Independent School District’s tax rate is remaining at $1.31 per $100 property valuation, but he pointed out that local taxes make up less than 10 percent of the $361.8 million budget. Most of the revenue comes from state and federal resources. Even so, to balance the budget the district is dipping into its fund balance to come up with an additional $38.2 million. “There’s enough fund balance and/or revenues to cover all of the appropriations,” Vela assured. To make the numbers work, the district’s workers compensation rate was cut from 3 percent to 1.5 percent and its unemployment rate was cut from .3 percent to .15 percent. Vela said he’s confident the budgeted amounts would cover the necessary
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INSIDE
Closed Labor Day
INDEX
The Progress Times, Winter Texan Times and Sharyland Times offices will be closed for Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 7. The newspapers will be open for normal business hours Tuesday at 8 a.m.
Entertainment | pg. 2
Lifestyle | pg. 8
Diamondbacks ready for Pace
Fire unites family
Members of the Ornelas family were getting ready for a quinceñera when they got a call warning of a fire in their neighborhood. It was their home.
Coach Jason Wheeler hopes to see team take care of penalties that plagued them in the first game of the season last week.
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See story page 6
Opinion | pg. 4
Sports | pg. 6
Obituaries | pg. 9
Classifieds | pg. 11