Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 94, No. 25, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 28, 2007 Page: 1 of 6
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THURSDAY
WEEKLY
EDITION
June 28, 2007
94th YEAR No. 25
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A Newspaper Serving the People of South Texas
Heavy rains soak county; trigger flooding in Roma
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First Lady bestows Preserve America honor
First Lady Laura Bush, pictured above at a recent ceremony in Washington. D.C.. recently designated
Rio Grande City as one of America's newest Preserve America Communities. Mrs Bush is Honorary
Chair of the Preserve America initiative, which is a White House undertaking to encourage community
efforts to preserve and maximize America's cultural and natural heritage assets. Rio Grande City
Mayor Kevin Hiles received a letter of designation and will receive a certificate of designation signed
by Mrs. Bush.
First Lady designates RGC a
Preserve America Community
•>
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Rio
Grande City was recently
honored when First Lady Laura
Bush, Honorary Chair of the
Preserve America initiative,
designated it as one of the
nation's newest Preserve
America Communities.
"Preserve America
^Communities demonstrate that
they are committed to
preserving America's heritage
while ensuring a future filled
with opportunities for learning
and enjoyment," Mrs. Bush said.
"This community designation
w program, combined with the
Preserve America Grant
Program, Preserve America
Presidential Awards, and other
federal support, provides strong
incentives for continued
preservation of our cultural and
natural heritage resources. I
commend you for your
commitment to preserving an
important part of our nation's
historic past for visitors,
neighbors, and. most
importantly, for children."
Kevin D. Hiles, mayor of Rio
Grande City, received a letter of
designation and will receive a
_ certificate of designation signed
►JP ^by Mrs Bush announcing Rio
Grande City is now a Preserve
America Community.
Communities designated
through the program receive
national recognition for their
efforts. Benefits include the
right to use the Preserve
America logo on signs and
promotional materials;
eligibility for Preserve America
Grants; notification to state
tourism offices; and listing in a
Web-based directory that
showcases Rio Grande City
preservation efforts and heritage
tourism destinations. Preserve
RGCPD involved in pursuit
of accused alien smuggler
The Rio Grande City Police
Department was one of several
law enforcement agencies
involved in pursuing an alleged
smuggler of undocumented
immigrants on Monday evening,
June 18, with the driver finally
being caught and arrested in
Palmview after a pursuit that
originated in Rio Grande City.
RGCPD Assistant Chief Noe
Castillo indicated that the driver
of the 1996 black Crown
Ex-RGCPD officer arrested;
charged with several offenses
A former Rio Grande City
Police Department officer was
arrested on Wednesday, June 13
by the RGCPD and charged with
several offenses, including
aggravated assault with a
weapon.
RGCPD Assistant Chief Noe
Castillo indicated that Nereo
Reyna "worked here just short of
a year, in fact three days short of
.1 year, until May 2006...He
worked with RGCPD from May
2005 until May 2006 and was
terminated then for violating
policy."
Castillo stated that Reyna
"was charged with impersonating
a public servant, aggravated
assault with a weapon, and
possession of a controlled
substance." He was arraigned the
following day (June 14) before
229th District Court Judge Alex
W. Gabert. who set bond at
$75,000 per charge for an overall
bond of $225,000.
Castillo explained, "On June
7. he assaulted a 15-year-old boy
(See OFFICER, Page 2)
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Heavy rains soaked all of Starr
County late last week,
especially on Friday night and
early Saturday morning, with
the Roma area experiencing
significant flooding.
The storms, which brought
the heaviest rains the county has
experienced in at least nine
months, dropped over seven
inches in some areas of
northwest Starr County. The
Rio Grande City area received
between 3 1/2 to 5 inches. A
heavy thunderstorm Sunday
afternoon dropped three to five
inches in northeast Starr County
just west of La Gloria.
A brief thundershower
Thursday afternoon dropped
more than one inch of rain in
most areas of Rio Grande City
in just under an hour. Between 6
and 7 p.m. Friday, a steady rain
began falling in Rio Grande
City and continued at a moderate
and frequently heavy pac.' until 3
a.m. Saturday. Friday night's
storms resulted in a Hash Hood
warning being issued for Starr
County.
County Judge Eloy Vera told
The Rio Grande Herald Tuesday
afternoon, "The flooding
problems were pretty severe in
the Roma-Escobares area. At
last count, there were 54 homes
that sustained damage. We're
estimating roughly $500,000 in
damage...Most of the homes
were in low-lying areas."
"We submitted a request on
Sunday to the Governor's Office
for a disaster declaration,"
explained the judge. "We were
notified today that they had
received our request."
Vera concluded. "The
rainstorm came over Roma and
Los Saenz and stayed there for
several hours. I've heard reports
of 8 to 11 inches."
A Roma city employee told
The Herald Tuesday morning,
"I've received reports on a few
collapsed septic tanks. I saw
flooding in areas where I haven't
seen it before. The police
cruisers couldn't get out of the
Police Department (parking area)
because it was flooded."
The employee added. "Several
car lots were under water. The
area around Pena Enterprises had
very high water. A few people
did get water in their houses."
The Rio Grande City Fire
Department recorded an overall
total of 4.07 inches over a four-
day period and registered the
following daily rainfall totals:
Thursday, June 21- 1.75
inches; Friday, June 22-
1.90 inches; Saturday, June
23- .25 inch: Sunday, June
24- .17 inch.
Dr. Roberto S. Margo of Rio
Grande City indicated Tuesday,
"We got 1.3 inches at the ranch
through Friday night, .50 inch
Saturday night, and 3.2 inches
in a heavy downpour Sunday
afternoon. We wound up with
five inches...The rain was most
definitely extremely beneficial at
the ranch."
Margo's ranch is located in
northern Starr County
approximately 35 miles north of
Rio Grande City.
Margo noted that two inches
fell at the clinic in Rio Grande
City Thursday afternoon and
evening, with an additional 2.5
inches falling Friday night and
early Saturday morning. A
combined .10 inch at the clinic
Saturday and Sunday afternoons
(See FLOODING, Page 2)
America Communities are also
featured in National Register
Travel Itineraries and in
"Teaching Historic Places"
curricular materials created by
the National Park Service.
In 2006, Preserve America
Grants totaling nearly $5 million
were awarded to 68 projects
around the country. Nearly $5
million will be awarded in 2007,
as well. President Bush's fiscal
year 2008 budget requests $10
million in grant funds for which
(See PRESERVE, Page 2)
Frankie Barrera honored
in recognition ceremony
Victoria that was the subject of
the pursuit was identified as
Gilberto Castro, 20, of
Brownsville. He was charged
with evading arrest, unlawful
transport, and reckless driving.
Castillo noted, "Two male
subjects, (who are >
undocumented immigrants, were
found in the trunk (of the
vehicle)...The two men in the
trunk were taken to the hospital
for observation."
The Assistant Chief stated.
"At approximately 10:45 p.m.
on Monday, June 18, (RGCPD)
officers attempted to execute a
traffic stop for a black Crown
Victoria '96 model. They
attempted to make the traffic
stop near Melrose on U.S. 83."
Castillo continued, "The
vehicle sped away, driving
through Sullivan City, La Joya,
Penitas and Palmview. In
Palmview. he attempted to get
off the expressway, but hit one
of the bridge pillars and several
subjects ran away from the
vehicle."
"He attempted to exit the
freeway on Showers Road in
Palmview." declared Castillo.
(See PURSUIT, Page 2)
At a recognition ceremony
held at the Fort Ringgold
Campus. Congressman Henry
Cuellar made a special
presentation to Frankie Barrera
(Rio Grande City High School
Senior) who has been accepted
to West Point Military Academy
in the state of New York.
Congressman Cuellar
congratulated Frankie for his
accomplishments and spoke on
what is expected of him.
"America must always be ready
to protect itself and this is what
this man will do," said Cuellar.
He also added that Texas has
been a great military state that
has produced great men such as
Sam Houston, General Ricardo
Sanchez. etc. Cuellar
emphasized to Frankie that he
was about to be part of a
tradition and legacy and that he
would become a role model for
other students. He also stressed
for him to leave his footprints to
open doors for his friends so that
they too could join him in the
allegiance to our country.
Frankie spoke of his life and
accomplishments which have
qualified him to receive the
honor of being accepted to such
a prestigious school. "Being in
the army is not about climbing
magical mountains and slaying
dragons and all that fancy fairy
tale stuff, it's about standing up
for what is right," said Barrera.
He credits his family, friends,
teachers and other people that
have contributed to his life for
having helped shaped him into
the young man that he has
become. "I look around in this
room and I see wonderful people
that have touched my life and
make me believe that there is
some higher form of being
governing the world. I am
surrounded by the greatest
people in the world and that's
enough for me to serve God and
Country."
The ceremony was very
enlightening for it made us
cognizant that in the community
many young adults have so
much pride in themselves and
their country. Serving as Master
of Ceremonies for this event was
Frankie's uncle MAJ Rosbel
Barrera who swells with pr.de
when talking about his nephew's
accomplishments.
Many community leaders,
classmates, teachers and family
(See BARRERA, Page 2)
Congressman honors West Point cadet candidate
U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar made a special presentation at the Fort Ringgold Campus recently to
Frankie Barrera. a 2007 graduate of Rio Grande City High School who has been accepted to the West
Point Military Academy. Cuellar congratulated Barrera for his achievements and predicted excellence
in his future. Pictured l-r are U.S. Army Major Rosbell Barrera (uncle). I rancisco "Frankie" Javier
Barrera (honoree). Retired Army Sgt. Guadalupe Barrera (father) and Arm^ Major Luis C Barrera
(uncle). Frankie is congratulated for a great job. (RGCCISD photo)
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Roberts, Kenneth. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 94, No. 25, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 28, 2007, newspaper, June 28, 2007; Edinburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth196071/m1/1/?q=music: accessed June 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.