Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 91, No. 31, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 29, 2004 Page: 1 of 8
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THURSDAY
WEEKLY
EDITION
Rio Grande
July 29, 2004
91st YEAR No. 31
HERALD
A Newspaper Serving the People of South Texas
RGCPD offers tips to protect vehicles against theft
tt 215
IIOACi BOOK BINDERY
127 RAIL ROAD
SPRINGPORT, Ml 49204
/.ONI-6
I ^ Technology Committee visits Valley facilities
The Rio Grande City High School Career & Technology Advisory Committee visited a couple of state-of-the-
art Career & Technology facilities throughout the Rio Grande Valley on June 9, 2004. New facilities such as
San Benito Veterans Memorial and the Joe Calvillo Career & Technology Complex gave RGC High School
j committee members a vision for the future. The new San Benito Veterans Memorial Academy which will
open its doors for the 2004-2005 school year was designed to look more like a university and will
accommodate 2000 students. Pictured left to right are Arturo Menchaca (RGCCISD Career & Technology
Director), Delia Weaver (San Benito Career & Technology Director), Ruben Saenz (Advisory Committee
Member), Rudy Montalvo (Advisory Committee Member), Cynthia Ybarra (Advisory Committee Member),
P 4) and Dalinda Gonzalez (Advisory Committee Member). Not pictured is Cynthia Fuenles (Career & Technology
i Secretary). (RGCCISD photo).
Roma, Grulla show increases
in July 2004 sales tax rebates
On Friday, July 9, State
Comptroller Carole Keeton
Strayhorn delivered monthly sales
tax rebates to 1126 cities and 122
ounties, with Roma and Grulla
recording substantial increases from
the June 2003 sales tax rebates
while Rio Grande City showed a
decrease.
The City of Rio Grande City's
July 2004 rebate check of
$ 191,949.82 is 6.14 percent lower
than the July 2003 rebate check of
$204,517.16. For the first seven
months of 2004, Rio Grande City
has received S1,464,875.40 in
rebate checks, an increase of 1.50
percent from the $1,443,174.23
received during the same reporting
period of 2003.
The City of Roma's July 2004
rebate check of $65,190.90 is
11.94 percent higher than the July
2003 rebate check of $58,236.85.
Thus far in 2004, Roma has
received $507,096.63 in rebate
checks, an increase of 4.53 percent
from the $485,081.55 received
during the same reporting period of
2003.
The City of Grulla received a
July 2004 rebate check of
$1002.41, an increase of 51.36
percent from the July 2003 rebate
check of $662.24. For 2004 to date,
Grulla has received $6611.10 in
rebate checks, an increase of 32.59
percent from the $4985.76 received
during the same reporting period of
2003.
On July 9, Comptroller
Strayhorn delivered $232.8 million
in monthly sales tax payments to
1126 Texas cities and 122 counties,
a 2.5 percent increase compared to
the $227.2 million allocated in July
2003.
July sales tax rebates include
local sales taxes collected in May
and reported to the Comptroller in
June. June state sales tax revenue is
also based mainly on sales that
occurred in May.
The sales tax rebates included
$214 million to Texas cities, 2.7
percent higher than the July 2003
payments of $208.5 million. For
the 2004 calendar year to date, city
sales tax allocations are running 8.0
percent higher than for the same
period in 2003.
Texas counties received July
2004 sales tax rebates of $18.8
(See REBATES, Page 6)
RGCCISD announces assistance
for Title I, Migrant students
The Rio Grande City CISD is
looking forward to the new student
registration and would like to
facilitate your assistance by asking
all parents (that qualify) to bring
their W-2 form or their last check
stub
Title I and Migrant
representatives will be at each
registration site to assist you. in
order for the program to assist you,
Klein family caravan
to visit Starr County
Republican "congressional
nominee Rebecca "Becky"
Armendariz Klein will be visiting
Starr County Sunday night and
Monday morning as part of her
four-day "La Familia" tour
throughout District 25.
Klein indicated, "We will be in
Rio Grande City on Monday
morning, Aug. 2 from 8 a.m. to 10
a.m. at Che's Restaurant...We
encourage everyone in the public to
attend."
Klein also will be present at IBC
Bank in Roma from 6 p.m. to 8
p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 1.
Klein's four-day "La Familia"
tour will begin in Austin on
Friday, July 30 during the noon
hour. The tour will conclude in
McAllen on Monday, Aug. 2
during the noon hour. The tour will
also make stops in Lockhart,
Gonzales, Karnes City, George
West, Freer and Hebbronville. Each
stop will offer free food and an
opportunity for open discussion
about the issues.
"We will be traveling throughout
the district in an R.V.," explained
Klein. "We will want to meet the
people of the district and hear the
people's concerns about various
issues. This tour symbolizes a real
commitment to the community on
my part. I want to be their voice in
Washington."
She commented, "I feel good
about how our campaign is going. I
think they (residents of District 25)
understand I want to work hard for
them. 1 feel they understand I can be
a uniter and not a divider."
Klein won the Republican
primary on March 9, thus
qualifying to oppose Congressman
Lloyd Doggctt in November.
(See CARAVAN, Page 6)
please bring this documentation to
the registration site.
Registration sites will be at Alto
Bonito Elementary on Aug. 5 and 6
from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and at
the Alternative School Cafeteria at
Fort Ringgold Aug. 11-12 from
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please call 716-6767 or 716-6768
if you have any questions regarding
the Migrant Program or the Title I
Program.
El Distrito escolar de Rio
Grande City anuncia
assistencia para los
estudiantes migrantes
Nos estamos preparando para el
nuevo ano escolar y en asistir todos
los ninos migrantes del distrito que
cualifiquen para esta ayuda.
Para cualificar para ayuda en este
programa todos los padres tendran
ques traer una forma de
comprobante de la forma W-2 y
tambien copia de su ultima cheque
de pago.
Representantes del Programa
Titulo I y el Programa Migrante
estaran en cada sitio de registracion
Sitios de registracion van hacer en
la escuela Alto Bonito los dias 5 s
6 de agosto de las 8:00 a.m-4:00
p.m. y tambien en la escuela
Alternativa en Fort Ringgold (en
seguida de la estacion de autobuses)
los dias II y 12 de agosto de las
8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Por favor de llamar al 716
6767/716-6768 si tienen preguntas
sobre el programa Migrante y del
Programa del Titulo I.
The Rio Grande City Police
Department indicates that there are a
number of simple, common sense
actions that individuals can take to
protect their vehicles from being
targeted by thieves.
Five vehicle thefts have taken
place in the immediate Rio Grande
City area since June 15, with the
most recent incident occurring on
July 13. Four of the thefts took
place at convenience stores-gas
stations, with the vehicles' engines
being left running while the vehicle
owners stepped inside the stores to
pay.
Some common sense prevention
steps, as explained by the Texas
Automobile Theft Prevention
Authority, are listed below as
possible:
* Take your keys. Nearly 20
percent of all vehicles stolen had
the keys in them.
* Lock your car.
Approximately 50 percent of all
vehicles stolen were left unlocked.
* Never hide a second set
of keys in your car. Extra keys
can easily be found if a thief takes
time to look.
* Park in welMighte^
areas. Over half of all vehicle
thefts occur at night.
* Never leave your car
running, even if you'll only
be gone for a minute. Vehicles
are commonly stolen al
convenience stores, gas stations.
ATM's, etc Many vehicles are
also stolen on cold mornings when
the owner leaves the vehicle
running to warm up. Leaving your
key in an unattended motor vehicle
is a crime in Texas.
* Don't leave valuables in
plain view. Don't make your car
a more desirable target and attract
thieves by leaving valuables in
plain sight.
* Completely close car
windows when parking. Don't
make it any easier for the thief to
enter your vehicle.
* Don't leave the
registration or title in your
car. A car thief will use these to
sell your stolen car. File the title al
your home or office, and carry
registration in your purse or wallet
* Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN). Stolen cars/parts
are more easily traced when vehicle
VIN numbers have been etched on
car windows and major parts
* Engrave expensive
accessories. Engrave personal
I D. numbers on car stereos,
cellular phones, etc., so the thiel
will have difficulty disposing of
them.
A vehicle is stolen every 25
seconds in the United Stales. Auto
theft is big business! If auto thef
were legalized and incorporated, it
would rank in the top 250 among
Fortune 500 companies.
The most stolen vehicle in Texas
is the General Motors pickup truck.
New vehicles are not the only
target for car thieves. Older model
vehicles are also very desirable
Thieves look for cars that can be
resold quickly or stripped for parts
In most cases, a vehicle's parts are
worth two to three times the value
of the vehicle.
(See VEHICLES, Page 6)
Bank incident to fall
under state jurisdiction
The federal government will not
be conducting the prosecution of a
Roma man in connection with an
incident near the Texas State Bank
Motor Bank in which the suspect
was seen possibly carrying a
weapon.
A spokesperson for the FBI office
in McAllen told The Rio Grande
Herald on Tuesday, "The case will
be prosecuted by the state through
the District Attorney's Office. It
will not be prosecuted by the U.S.
government. It will not be
prosecuted on the federal level, but
on the state level."
The Herald attempted on Tuesdav
to contact District Attorney
Heriberto Si I va concerning possible
state prosecution, but was unable to
reach him.
Roma resident Juan Pablo
Ramos, 24, was charged with two
counts of aggravated assault with a
deadly weapon and one count of
evading arrest in connection with
the July 7 incident He is accused of
ramming his vehicle into two law-
enforcement vehicles after being
seen possibly carrying a weapon
near the Texas Stale Motor Bank in
Rio Grande City.
A few days after the incident,
RGCPD Detective Roberto
Ramirez stated that on Wednesday,
July 7 at approximately 5:20 p.m.,
"officers responded to the Texas
State Bank Motor Bank concerning
a male subject armed with a weapon
of unknown type...The suspect was
knocking on the east side door of
ilie 'motor) bank. Employees saw
the subjec. with a weapon."
About the bank inc.dent, Ramirez
indicated, "No weapon was found."
He stated on July 13 that it had not
yet been determined the type of
weapon that was allegedly carried
by the suspect.
(See INCIDENT, Page 6)
Motorcyclist critically injured
in RGC highway mishap
A 44-year-old Rio Grande City
man remains in critical condition at
a Harlingen hospital as a result of
injuries he suffered Saturday
morning when the motorcycle he
was driving was struck by a pickup
truck on U.S. 83 near Wal-Mart.
The mishap occurred shortly after
10 a.m. on Saturday, July 24. The
driver of the motorcycle, Andrew
Clarke, was quickly airlifted to
Valley Baptist Medical Center in
Harlingen.
Rio Grande City Police
Department Sergeant Detective
Roberto Ramirez indicated Tuesday,
"As of Monday, he (Clarke) was
still in critical condition. He
sustained a number of internal
injuries to his body."
Ramirez declared. "At 10:02 a.m.
Saturday, RGCPD officers were
dispatched to the scene of an
accident in front of Wal-Mart The
accident involved a red Ford Ranger
pickup (truck) and a motorcycle."
"The pickup was facing
eastbound in the center lane and
tried to make a U-Turn to the left in
an effort to turn back to the west,"
stated Ramirez. "The motorcycle
was traveling westbound in the
inside (or left) westbound passenger
lane."
The detective explained, "The
pickup struck the motorcycle in the
left (inside) westbound passenger
lane...The pickup truck struck the
motorcycle with its front right
section (the passenger side)."
Ramirez indicated that
Maximiliano Pena. 77. of Rio
Grande City was the driver of the
Ford Ranger pickup. Pena was not
injured in the mishap.
Ramirez concluded,
"Investigation is continuing into
the circumstances of the accident."
Vill!c/ /
" '
->
!• ■■ . '
I.C.S. Science Fair Winners
Winners of the annual Middle School Science Fair at Immaculate Conception School are pictured with Father
Amador Garza, Principal Ruby T. Urbina. and science teacher Jeremy Peterson Eighth grade winners (front
row r-l) were Matthew Lopez, "Soil Testing," first place; Maria Montalvo, "Which Baby Wipe Removes Stains
the Fastest?" second place; and Ivette Garcia, "How do DifTerent t ypes of Music Affect Your Heartbeat?' Top
row r-l are seventh grade winners Orlando Ciuerra, "What Substance is Most Effective at Cleaning I eeth'*" first
place; Janinc Aldaba, "Does the Type of Music Affect IQ7" second place; and Dailen Garcia. "Which Tile
Cleaner Works the Best'.'" third place; and sixth grade winners Julieta Hinojosa, "How Docs Music Affec
Concentration?" first place, Heriberto Montalvo, "Human I ung Capacity," second place, and Mark Lopez
"How Does Caffeine Affect Your Heartbeat?" third place
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Roberts, Kenneth. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 91, No. 31, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 29, 2004, newspaper, July 29, 2004; Edinburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth196279/m1/1/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.