Joe Martinez, Ed.D., is a Doctor of Curriculum & Technology, a U.S. Military Veteran, and a San Benito native. In previous commentaries, I suggested ways to enhance tourism and raise our city’s profile by highlighting our resacas and honoring local heroes like Freddy Fender, Bobby Morrow, and Dolly Vinsant with memorial statues. Therefore, I decided …

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NEWS Staff Report HARLINGEN, TX—The community is mourning the loss of a San Benito teen who was struck down by a motor vehicle late Sunday night. The young man, identified as 17-year-old San Benito High School Junior Cobretti Rae Rodriguez, was taken to the hospital by emergency medical services shortly after being hit by a …

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NEWS Staff Report BROWNSVILLE, TX – Out of Cameron County’s 237,794 registered voters, 48,451 (20.38%) cast ballots in Tuesday’s primaries, compared to less than 5% in the last election, according to numbers from the Office of the Cameron County Elections Administrator, Remi Garza. Cameron County, along with the rest of the Rio Grande Valley, which, …

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By JACQI LEYVA-HILLSpecial to the NEWS PORT ISABEL, TX—Navigation District commissioners convened on Thursday, February 26, for a regular board meeting that included updates on an Economic Development Administration (EDA) infrastructure grant project and a new grant application related to a proposed mobile travel lift for the port. The board received an update on the …

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Special to the NEWS WASHINGTON, D.C. —Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Roberto Garcia Villarreal, 59, of San Benito, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay a $50,000 criminal fine for his involvement in a long-running, violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency industry in the …

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By ALBERT VILLEGASSpecial to the NEWS Despite clear evidence that Rangerville Elementary School is operating at a financial loss due to declining enrollment over the past five years, heartfelt pleas from the community to keep the historic educational institution open were heard during a San Benito CISD Town Hall meeting on Wednesday. Now, San Benito …

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By JACQI LEYVA-HILLSpecial to the NEWS The future of one of the area’s most storied campuses, Rangerville Elementary School, will be discussed publicly next week, following SBCISD officials’ announcement of a community town hall to gather input from parents, staff, and residents. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in …

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By JACQI LEYVA-HILLSpecial to the NEWS After concrete pieces were observed breaking off the base of a bridge at a resaca crossing near Corral Street and frontage road, residents raised concerns, prompting an inspection and a response from state transportation officials, who say the structure remains safe. Cristina Garcia, Communications Director for the City of …

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Special to the NEWS BROWNSVILLE, TX—Six South Texas doctors, including one from San Benito, and their practices have agreed to pay $4,855,844 to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE for services that were not rendered or were not medically necessary, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. According to a …

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Special to the NEWS The San Benito Police Department’s (SBPD) K9, Ghost, is receiving a bullet and stab-resistant vest compliments of a charitable donation from the nonprofit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. Ghost’s vest was sponsored by Rebecca Perez of Colton, CA, and will be embroidered with the sentiment “This gift of protection, provided …

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