LEFTOVER NEWS – HOT STUFF
Tue, 2015-04-28 20:26
News Staff
No, I didn’t take “leave” of my senses, although I can often feel them sinking fast. But my son and daughter-in-law were in town for five days, so I didn’t get all the writing done I had planned. I took a leave of work, shall we say. So, still on deck for next week: • An editorial allowing the eight city of Pharr candidates and city manager the opportunity to address comments made against them in previous negative ads they deemed as unfair and/or untrue and/or misleading. • San Juan streets. City meeting this Tuesday to see if the city will team up with the county’s precinct 2 to fund an approximate $50 million to $60 million roadimprovement project, of which the city would have to fund approximately 10 percent. Meanwhile, the approximate $1.3 million roadwork on Eldora, Sioux and part of Cesar Chavez is expected to still start work this year despite what the city decides about the larger road issue. The $1.3 million, of which the city pays approximately $300k, is part of an agreement already forged last year between the city and county. • Hospital District in Hidalgo County. Of the eight candidates running for Pharr city commission, two of them physicians, how many are for it vs. how many against if indeed it’s ever again placed on a county ballot? I’ve already interviewed the eight candidates. The results may surprise some people. • McAllen’s Anzalduas Bridge: what is the Mexican government doing to put a damper in the city’s plans to start moving truck traffic southbound and finally start getting a return on its investment? And since Mexico is presumably such “good friends” with the city, why the sudden, surprise move to stop the planned flow? • Lone Star National Bank: hit with a million-dollar fine by the feds for allegedly not doing enough to ensure that money isn’t laundered. But looking at the bigger picture, it’s not just Lone Star facing such headaches from the feds. Headline from the NY Times dated March 7, 2015: “Dollars can be a dirty word at banks on U.S.- Mexico border.” Disclaimer: LSNB is an advertiser in The Advance. • Pharr cop in trouble a second time for the alleged same offense: having sex with an under-aged girl (17). • Alamo road: re-named as a tie-in with the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. • Academy’s coming to the Pharr Town Center along with other businesses. How much money did the city give to the developer to attract Academy and develop the old El Centro Mall location? This question will be part of a larger Pharr election story next week. One slate, Pharr Forward, says the city’s giving away too much in the way of tax dollars to attract new businesses. The incumbent slate, Pharr First, says all the money spent thus far has been well worth it. • The San Juan election 2015. A lot of candidates this go-around, with some interesting sides taking shape. • More bad news for Donna ISD. Another teacher charged with improper relations with a student. Plus, we finally spoke to the board president, Albert Sandoval, to get a counter to the allegation by School Board Trustee Ernesto Lugo that it’s ridiculous for the district to settle a grievance with a former district employee to the tune of approximately $85,000 for shredding papers she had no authority to shred. And her actions ran counter to an FBI directive. Not so, says Sandoval. • Why does the Texas DPS have approximately eight state troopers lining old Military Highway between south ofSan Juan all the way east to Progreso on almost a daily basis? We’ll let you know what we found out. • The McAllen election: How’s the early voting going? • McAllen ISD: more about the bond election and whatever happened to those iPads?