RGC Rattler Varsity Boys 1st Place at the Sharyland Back to School Basketball Tournament
Hope Family Health Center provides services for patients who do not have insurance
who do not have insurance, they also informed the court that many of our
and ask for support to bring awareness to the community of the services which are available. The Hope Family Health Center provides services for
residents already take advantage of this services. The mission of Hope Family Health Center is to provide quality services to families living in the Rio Grande valley who do not have insurance and no other means of receiving health care services, thus proving a means of strengthening families,
foster personal dignity and empowering patients to take the necessary measure for his or her own well-being.
Patients have access to multiple services which include: Primary Medical Care, Counseling, Integrated Care, Peer Support, Nutrition, Telehealth.
For information the website at www.hopefamilyhealthcenter. org or call (956) 994-3319.
Maddie Gonzalez and Aleeah Alaniz selected as GeT Art Scholarship recipients
RGC Lions Club Board of Directors met to discuss new club
projects
Rio Grande City Lions Club Board of Directors met on Monday, August 19, 2024, to discuss their upcoming monthly meeting. Some of the topics up for discussion were primary school vision screenings, new club projects and membership recruitment.
The Rio Grande City Lions Club is a service-oriented organization that provides free vision screening for children in the primary grades, financial assistance for prescription glasses (for qualifying students), scholarships for a graduating senior from each of the four local High Schools and free vision screening for all during health fairs or events.
Congratulations to San Isidro ISD students Maddie Gonzalez and Aleeah Alaniz on being selected as GeT Art Scholarship recipients!
Congrats to the RGC Rattler Basketball Varsity boys for finishing in 1st place at the Sharyland Back to School Basketball Tournament in Mission. Boys finished the day 3-0 wins vs Mcallen Rowe, Roma and Mcallen Memorial. Special thanks to Roy Rios for making time to coach the boys. Rattler Family!!
Rio Grande City Lions Club Board of Directors: (pictured l-R) Susie Menchaca, Alberto Barrera, Juan Silva, Hortadelia Barrera, and Sergio Barrera (not pictured Maria Olivarez).
Public Hearing Notice
Starr County Self-Help Center Closure
Notice is hereby given that the Starr County Self-Help Center will hold a public hearing to discuss its upcoming closure on August 28, 2024, at 5:30 PM at La Casita, 10 Mayorga St., Rio Grande City, TX 78582.
Purpose:
To inform the community about the closure effective September 30, 2024
For More Information, Contact: Esmeralda Zarate, Director Starr County Self-Help Center (956) 488-2025
Esmeralda.zarate@co.starr.tx.us
Special Accommodations:
Please contact us 48 hours in advance for special accommodations. We look forward to your participation.
Aviso de Audiencia Pública
Cierre del Centro de Autoayuda del Condado de Starr
Se informa que el Centro de Autoayuda del Condado de Starr llevará a cabo una audiencia pública para discutir su próximo cierre el 28 de agosto de 2024, a las 5:30 PM en La Casita, 10 Mayorga St., Rio Grande City, TX 78582.
Propósito:
Informar a la comunidad sobre el cierre, efectivo el 30 de septiembre de 2024
Para Más Información, Contacte a:
Esmeralda Zarate, Directora
Centro de Autoayuda del Condado de Starr (956) 488-2025
Esmeralda.zarate@co.starr.tx.us
Adaptaciones Especiales:
Por favor, contáctenos 48 horas antes para adaptaciones especiales. Esperamos contar con su participación.
Woman’s Club Officers Installed
is ready to begin the new General Federation of Women’s Clubs’ 2024-26 administration with newly installed officers. Conducting the installation was Cammie Hyatt, at far right, incoming president of the South Texas District Federation.
Also in attendance at the meeting was Kathy Hajek, outgoing president of the district and incoming second vice-president of the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs.
were Lori Peterson Perez, president; Dalinda Guillen, first vice-president; Iselda M.
The GFWC Florence J. Scott Woman’s Club
Installed
(Tinita) Alvarez, second vice-president; Tissa Peterson, secretary; Sanjuanita
Olivares and Brianna Bazan, treasurers; Veronica P. Barrera, corresponding secretary; Elia Ramos, parliamentary advisor; and Agueda Garza, federation counselor.
Roma ISD officers
training has paid off and kicked in Grulla Gator Cross-Country Teams competed at the Zapata Invitational
ISD’s School Board and Administration applauded the quick thinking and action of three Roma ISD Police
Jaime Martinez, Noe C. Flores, and Leroy Rivera, who were on the scene of the July 2024 shark attack incident at South Padre Island. The officers were working beach patrol as part of a cooperative with South Padre Island PD to hire available members of Valley law enforcement to assist patrolling during crowded beach times. The Roma ISD officers arrived on the scene of the attack shortly after the victims were taken ashore. They delivered life-saving first aid and helped evacuate the victims off shore and onto medical vehicles. There is no doubt that their training has paid off and kicked in. The Gladiator Nation is super proud of them!!
Huge Congratulations to Grulla CrossCountry Teams!
The Grulla Gator team put in a stellar performance at the Zapata Invitational, with Sebastian Fernandez leading the way, finishing in an impressive 7th place overall, and Josue Resendez and Hugo Benitez placing 23rd and 33rd respectively.
The Lady Gators were equally remarkable, securing 2nd place as a team!
Special shoutouts to: Mariana Hernandez: 7th Place, Alani Solis:
Roma
Officers,
10th Place, Aylin Resendez:14th Place, Audrey Zarate:19th Place, Alina Hinojosa: 23rd Place, and Eyvanna Quiroz: 24th Place. On behalf of the Grulla High
School, we are so proud of all our athletes for their dedication and hard work. Keep pushing forward, Gators!
Rio Grande City Athletes Shine at TAAF Summer Games
Loving
Memory of Ricardo E. Recio
10,
† September 3, 2014 Mass will be celebrated on Sunday, September 1, 2024 at 9:00 a.m.
It’s been ten years since you were called home by our Lord and yet it seems like yesterday. The Lord gave us the strength to go forth even though we were going through the darkest time of our lives without you. We thank God for all the wonderful heartfelt memories which we will cherish forever. We know that you’re in heaven now with God, watching over us.
STARR COUNTY TOWN CRIER, AUGUST 28, 2024, PAGE 6
Overdoses are the leading injuryrelated cause of death in the United States and appear to have accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, 107,941 people died from drug overdoses, which equates to 296 overdoses each day.
An overdose occurs when a person has more of a drug (or combination of drugs) in their body than the body can cope with. All drugs can cause an overdose, including medication prescribed by a doctor. Overdoses can be both fatal and non-fatal.
Texas Leads the Way Against Noncitizen Voting
Ahead of the November 2024 Election, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson reminds Texans of measures the state takes to stop noncitizen voting.
“The State of Texas uses safeguards and checks against noncitizen voting, which is illegal under state law” said Secretary Nelson.
In 2021, Governor Abbott signed into law Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), which created additional election integrity measures including ongoing citizenship checks of Texas voter rolls and ID requirements for mail-in ballots. The law also increased penalties for false statements on a voter registration application.
time are removed from the voter roll. In the last three years since SB 1 was signed into law, thousands of noncitizens have been removed from the voter roll.
On August 31 of each year, International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) is recognized globally as a day to remember and grieve those that we have lost, take action to encourage support and recovery, and help end overdose be spreading awareness about drug overdose prevention. – held on August 31 every year – is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember without stigma those who have died and acknowledge the grief of family and friends left behind. For more information on overdose prevention and ways to create awareness, please visit Preventing Opioid Overdose | Overdose Prevention | CDC and Preventing Opioid Overdose | Overdose Prevention | CDC . Message from the Starr County Community Coalition
CITY
CITY OF RIO GRANDE
State and federal laws prohibit noncitizens from registering and voting in any Texas election. When registering to vote, Texans must attest to being a U.S. citizen. Providing false information on a voter registration form subjects applicants to criminal penalties, including jail time and a fine. It is a second-degree felony for a noncitizen to vote in Texas, under House Bill 1243 which Governor Greg Abbott signed into law last year.
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS ENGINEERING AND SURVEYING SERVICES
PUBLIC NOTICE
The City of Rio Grande City plans to apply for the upcoming 2025-2026 Texas Community Development Block Grant (TxCDBG) Program of the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). Accordingly, the City of Rio Grande City is seeking to contract with a qualified Engineering and Surveying Firm (individual/firm) to prepare all preliminary and final design plans and specifications, and to conduct and necessary interim and final inspections. These services are being solicited to assist the City of Rio Grande City in its application preparation and project implementation of a TxCDBG contract, if awarded, this grant will support project activities funded by TDA.
Please submit 6 copies of your proposal of services and a statement of qualifications for the proposed services to the following address: Attn: Angela Solis – City Secretary to 5332 E. US Highway 83, Rio Grande City, Texas 78582. Statement of Qualifications must be received by the City of Rio Grande City no later than 3:00 PM on September 6, 2024 to be considered.
The City of Rio Grande City reserves the right to negotiate with any and all individuals or firms that submit proposals, as per the Texas Professional Services Procurement Act and the Uniform Grant and Contract Management Standards. Section 3 Residents and Business Concerns, Minority Business Enterprises, Small Business Enterprises and Women Business Enterprises are encouraged to submit proposals.
City of Rio Grande City is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Servicios de traducción están disponibles por peticion.
CITY OF RIO GRANDE CITY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ADMINISTRATION/PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
The City of Rio Grande City plans to apply for the upcoming 2025-2026 Texas Community Development Block Grant (TxCDBG) Fund Program of the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). These services are being solicited to assist the City of Rio Grande City in its application and administration of the TxCDBG CD contract, if awarded, to support eligible activities associated with the program in the City. Accordingly, the City of Rio Grande City is seeking to contract with a qualified Professional Administrator or Service Provider (individual/firm) to prepare the application and/or administer the awarded contract.
Please submit 6 copies of your proposal of services and a statement of qualifications for the proposed services to the following address: Attn: Angela Solis – City Secretary to 5332 E. US Highway 83, Rio Grande City, Texas 78582. Proposals must be received by the City of Rio Grande City no later than 3:00 PM on September 6, 2024 to be considered.
The City of Rio Grande City reserves the right to negotiate with any and all individuals or firms that submit proposals, as per the Texas Professional Services Procurement Act and the Uniform Grant and Contract Management Standards. Section 3 Residents and Business Concerns, Minority Business Enterprises, Small Business Enterprises and Women Business Enterprises are encouraged to submit proposals. City of Rio Grande City is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Servicios de traducción están disponibles por peticion.
The Secretary of State’s Office regularly obtains data from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) on noncitizens and compares it to the statewide voter registration database. The Secretary’s Office also receives information from Texas courts about people who have been excused or disqualified from jury duty because of noncitizenship. The Secretary of State uses this data to identify potential noncitizens and sends these records to county voter registrars to investigate the voter’s eligibility. Those who are determined to be ineligible or who fail to respond within the allotted
County voter registrars are also required to review their voter registration records and send notices to any voter who the registrar reasonably believes is not eligible for registration, including due to noncitizenship.
Any Texan can challenge a voter’s registration due to lack of U.S. citizenship by filing a sworn statement with the county registrar. A challenge results in a hearing and cancellation of the voter’s registration if the voter cannot produce adequate proof of citizenship. If a registrar determines that a person on the voter rolls, including a noncitizen, is ineligible to vote, they must report it to the Attorney General and the Secretary of State within 72 hours.
Governor Abbott also signed Senate Bill 1113 into law in 2021,
which allows the Secretary to withhold funds from counties that fail to remove noncitizens from their voter rolls. Secretary Nelson said that her office “monitors each voter registrar’s list maintenance activity on an ongoing basis for compliance with their voter registration cancellation duties.” In June, Secretary Nelson sent two advisories reminding county election officials about their obligation to update voter registration rolls, including acting on information related to noncitizen registration. “Voting is a sacred right that must be preserved for citizens who qualify under our elections laws,” said Secretary Nelson. “My responsibility is to ensure free and fair elections and that only qualified voters participate.”
COVID-19 Cases Up Again; What You Should Know
COVID-19 cases are up again, with case numbers in Texas and nearby states leading the way, according to two public health measurements.
Texas is one of the states with the highest level of cases, “very high,” according to the August SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)
Wastewater Viral Activity monitoring reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The five-state region including Texas also ranks among the nation’s highest rate of positive COVID-19 tests in the most recent report. Nearly one in four COVID tests (24.1%) in the region including Texas is positive, indicating the person has the virus. This trend is slowly increasing and does not even account for people testing for COVID-19 at home, the results of which are not typically reported to the public health department. However, no totals come close to matching the height of the pandemic.
“The majority of the people we’re seeing with severe illness is the at-risk population: immunocompromised patients like people who have had any organ transplants, people with cancer, or anyone taking
medications that weaken their immune system,” said Rama Thyagarajan, MD, a member of the Texas Medical Association Committee on Infectious Diseases. For at-risk individuals, including those age 65 or older, CDC recommends contacting a physician or health care provider right away if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, even if the symptoms are mild.
The Austin infectious diseases physician and assistant professor at The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School says the situation presents a simple choice for everyone, regardless of their risk status: Do you want to be inconvenienced by getting sick?
“I don’t fit in any of those groups of high-risk individuals, but I don’t want to get any respiratory infection that is going to put me down for a week or more,” she said. “There is some unpredictability when you get a respiratory infection; we’re presuming because we’re younger and relatively healthy we’re only going to get a oneday symptom or a mild case. But you could be sick for a week or 10 days … or even end up with ‘long COVID.’”
(The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently created a definition of “long COVID” to help with testing and treatment.)
Dr. Thyagarajan said she would choose prevention over the inconvenience of missing work, or even a ballgame. She intentionally chooses to take steps to defend herself from getting sick or avoid spreading illness if she is sick, and she hopes others do the same.
To avoid spreading the disease, CDC continues to recommend:
• Stay home until you do not have a fever without using medication to reduce it, and your symptoms have improved for at least 24 hours.
• Take additional precautions for 5 days. Follow-up with athome COVID tests before meeting with vulnerable populations or large groups; stay away from others while sick; follow hygiene best-practices like washing hands often and covering coughs and sneezes; improve air circulation particularly around others; and wear a mask if around others.
Doctors suggest people ask their own physician what they recommend to avoid the COVID-19 virus.
The SARS CoV-2 virus mutates, so upticks in cases including the current dominant strains can occur despite the fact that many people are vaccinated. Vaccinated individuals are less likely to get severe illness compared with people who have never had COVID-19 vaccination or a COVID-19 infection.
Here are additional statistics including two COVID-19 activity measurements:
• Recent U.S. COVID-19 wastewater positivity (through August 3) was 9%. The southern U.S. region was second highest in positivity readings, led by the west. Texas’ positivity reading was 13.6%.
• In individuals’ COVID-19 tests the southern region including Texas leads the way with the most positive tests in the nation, at 24.1% test positivity in the most recent week reported (data through August 3).
The Texas Department of State Health Services reporting based on individuals’ COVID tests shows COVID-19 cases increased 20.3% in the most recent week reported.
• The number of people sick enough to stay in the hospital is up too, and people continue to die
from COVID-19 in increasing numbers as well, though there are far fewer COVID-associated deaths than the pandemic’s crisis period. More than half (58%) of Texas’ COVID-19 recent deaths were among people ages 80 and
older. TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 57,000 physician and medical student members. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.
New data tools provide insights on maternal and child health
Texans have new tools to understand conditions around maternal and child health in the state. The Texas Department of State Health Services has launched new public data dashboards on maternal health and infant health as part of its Texas Health Data suite of data products. The dashboards currently include information on maternal mortality and pregnancy risk factors like mental health, high blood pressure and smoking. The infant health section covers infant mortality, causes of death and preterm birth. The dashboards will be expanded over the coming months to add data on birth demographics, infant health practices, prenatal and postpartum care and severe maternal morbidity.
“These new dashboards are part of DSHS’s ongoing work to share the important public health data we
have more widely and in a more user-friendly format,” said DSHS Commissioner Jennifer Shuford, MD, MPH. “Our goal is to allow researchers, policy makers and the public to join us in using this data to improve health in Texas.” DSHS has published this data in static reports for years, but the dashboards bring it to life and make it interactive in a new way. They also provide new opportunities to add context and help people understand what the information really means.
In the past year, DSHS has launched interactive data dashboards on fentanyl trends and the number of Texans affected by seasonal respiratory viruses. The agency continues to develop new tools to highlight public health in the state, including one that will focus on the ongoing syphilis epidemic in Texas and the United States.
