Willacy Commissioners approve ICE project expansion



RICK SHUEY Reporter Willacy County officials approved an expansion of the 2,000 bed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing center in a joint meeting of Commissioners Court and the Willacy County Local Government Corporation (LGC). The package refinances construction bonds for the facility built last summer to house up to 2,000 detainees, and adds new construction debt to increase the […]

Hurricane Dean expected to re-hit Mexico; Willacy & Kenedy could sustain flooding

Army troops in town to coordinate relief efforts

Hurricane Dean expected to re-hit Mexico; Willacy & Kenedy could sustain flooding ROBERT WILCOX Reporteræ NATIONAL GUARD units arrive at Raymondville High School to man a regional evacuation center. About 2,000 area residents could be evacuated by the troops as necessary. Hurricane Dean dodged a direct hit in the Rio Grande Valley as it continued a northwesterly path over the […]

1,000 more beds – 270 more jobs



EXPANDED ICE PROCESSING CENTER APPROVED Willacy County Judge Eliseo Barnhart, Sr. flanked by Commissioners Emilio Vera, Jr. and Eddie Chapa, the President and Secretary of the Willacy County Local Government Corporation, apply signatures and seal to documents needed to authorize a 50% expansion of the 2000 bed Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center.

Guerra-initiated bail reduction request for admitted baby-killer denied by J.P.

D.A. decides to give the boot to the AG's office

Willacy County District Attorney Juan Angel “Johnny” Guerra was turned down by a local justice of the peace yesterday in his request to reduce a $1,000,000 bond for a teenage mother who confessed to killing her newborn baby. In what is normally a public defender’s job, Guerra has offered to help 18-year-old Wendy Ybarra-Gill, with getting a $5,000 personal recognizance […]

Judge appoints special prosecutor for Willacy chief deputy’s criminal trial



Visiting Municipal Judge Jaime Garza has appointed a former federal prosecutor, Jack Lamar Wolfe, to prosecute the misdemeanor criminal case against Willacy County Chief Deputy David Martinez. Garza appointed Wolfe after he observed District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra’s “apparent hostility” against Martinez. Guerra could be called as a witness in the case and was directly responsible for the charges being […]

10-year-old boy locked in gun safe at wholesale club



WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) – Gun safes are supposed to keep children out, but a 10-year-old boy managed to lock himself in. Daniel Jancura was playing with a safe at a Sam’s Club on Monday when he became trapped inside for at least 15 minutes before firefighters and store employees could get him out. Daniel, his older brother and cousin came […]

Lasara ISD Receives Donation



THANK YOU BIG TIPPERS



Women of Willacy and Denim and Diamond $100 Club would like to thank the people that made our first fund raiser a huge success. A special thank you to Cruz and Sonya Tijerina, owners of Boot Co., for allowing us to hold our Celebrity Waiter Dinner at the Boot. Co. Restaurant. We would like to thank the staff and cooks […]

THANK YOU!



On behalf of the RGV Stars, I would like to recognize the following sponsors who made our trip to the ASA National Fast pitch tournament in Tulsa, OK a reality: We greatly appreciated your generous contribution and support. THANK YOU! Amaris Hernandez,RGV Stars team captain

Meatpacking remakes rural U.S. towns in new immigration frontier



DODGE CITY, Kansas (AP) – This is the home of gunslingers Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson, of cattle drives, buffalo hunters and the romance of the American West. But that’s the Dodge City of yesteryear. Today, downtown has Mexican restaurants and stores more reminiscent of shops south of the border than a Midwest town’s Main Street. The city of 25,176 […]