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Space

Launch preparations continue at SpaceX: LabPadre

STARBASE, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- Moving on to a busy slate of testing activity at Starbase, the action kicked off on Sunday with some chopstick movements at Pad 2. The arms first underwent some horizontal actuations, followed by some small vertical movements up and down the tow...

ValleyCentralJul 10, 2026

UTRGV, Harlingen CISD launch diabetes prevention initiative

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- The Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District is partnering with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in an effort to fight against diabetes in the region. The 'Live Longer by Design' initiative is a collaboration between both ins...

ValleyCentralJul 10, 2026

Boca Chica prevails: Feds reject SpaceX enthusiast’s name change proposal

Boca Chica Beach will remain Boca Chica Beach. That’s the decision of the Domestic Names Committee of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, which held a hearing in Washington D.C. Thursday regarding a Mississippi resident’s petition to officially change the name of at least some of...

MyRGVJul 9, 2026

Harlingen launches city employee pay study

HARLINGEN — For the first time in four years, commissioners are launching a study into the city’s 750 employees’ salaries, aiming to set their pay at the market level to better retain and recruit workers while cutting turnover. Now, City Manager Gabriel Gonzalez is planning to re...

MyRGVJul 9, 2026

Boca Chica Beach Name Preserved After Federal Committee Rejects Proposal

By DIANTÉ MARIGNY editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com Boca Chica Beach will keep its historic name after a federal committee unanimously rejected a proposal to rename the Cameron County landmark “Cyber Beach.” The U.S. Board on Geographic Names’ Domestic Names Committee voted July 9 ...

Port Isabel PressJul 9, 2026

Elected officials speak out against proposed Boca Chica Beach name change

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- Elected officials in Cameron County are speaking out against the proposal to rename Boca Chica Beach to Cyber Beach. State Rep. Erin Gamez of House District 38 addressed her concerns and opposition to the name change Wednesday evening in a soci...

ValleyCentralJul 9, 2026

Live coverage: SpaceX to launch Falcon 9 rocket on record-breaking 36th flight

File: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the first stage booster, 1067, stands at Launch Complex 39A on Aug. 27, 2025, ahead of the 30th flight of this booster. Image: SpaceX SpaceX is set to break another rocket reuse record Thursday morning when it launches its most-flown Falcon 9 b...

Spaceflight NowJul 9, 2026

Feds to vote Thursday on renaming Boca Chica Beach to Cyber Beach

State Rep. Erin Elizabeth Gámez A federal committee will consider renaming Boca Chica Beach, which is sometimes referred to as the People’s Beach, to Cyber Beach. State Representative Erin Gamez on Wednesday sent a letter to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names’ Domestic Names oppo...

MyRGVJul 9, 2026

What SpaceX's IPO may mean for Brownsville housing market

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Thousands of SpaceX employees became millionaires when the company issued its highly-anticipated initial public offering last month - and many of those employees call the Valley home. While their newfound wealth won't materialize overnight, it...

ValleyCentralJul 8, 2026

Starbase updates with the LabPadre Channel: July 6

STARBASE, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- In this week's Starship update, SpaceX is full speed ahead with construction of Starship infrastructure in three separate locations. Also, SpaceX is now testing for flights 13 and 14 concurrently. What's the latest progress with these campaigns?...

ValleyCentralJul 7, 2026

Valley event aims to encourage children's literacy skills

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- A new event in the Rio Grande Valley is giving kids a chance to turn big ideas into real businesses. Mija Media House and the RGV Hispanic Chamber of Commerce are collaborating to launch the Kids Mercadito event. The event is inspired by 'Raspa...

ValleyCentralJul 3, 2026

LabPadre provides the latest Starbase update

STARBASE, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- Moving on to the week's testing-related activities, on Monday, SpaceX utilized a rolling road closure to relocate the booster cryogenic proofing and puck-shucking stand from the build site to the Massey outpost. That evening, the Pad 2 deluge sy...

ValleyCentralJul 3, 2026

Quinta Mazatlán hosts contest for young photographers

Quinta Mazatlán is hosting a photo contest in an effort to get kids and teens outside. An urban nature sanctuary and World Birding Center, Quinta Mazatlán in McAllen wants Rio Grande Valley children to explore nature. That’s why they’re joining forces with Valley Land Fund to lau...

MyRGVJul 2, 2026

Hidalgo County WIC to close clinic, launch online benefit service July 1

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Hidalgo County WIC Program announced it will permanently close a Mission clinic and launch a new online benefit issuance service on Wednesday. The Mission I WIC Clinic is located at 211 South Schuerbach Road in Mission will permanently close...

ValleyCentralJun 30, 2026

The latest at Starbase with LabPadre: June 29

STARBASE, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- At the beginning of fire testing for Ship 40, the ship's static fire stand was brought to Mega Bay 2 for ship transfer and rollout to the Massey Outpost. When the door was reopened, we could see that Ship 40 was on the static fire stand. The shi...

ValleyCentralJun 30, 2026

Water saver: BPUB to launch ‘potable reuse project’

As a way of using water resources more efficiently in the face of growing water scarcity, the Brownsville Public Utilities Board is embarking on what’s been dubbed the “Indirect Potable Water Reuse Project.” BPUB says it’s a key initiative that will recycle treated wastewater eff...

MyRGVJun 29, 2026

Starbase selects first-ever police chief

STARBASE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Starbase selected the city’s first-ever police chief on Friday. During a meeting on Friday afternoon, the City Commission selected Glenn Bennett — a lieutenant at the Belton, Texas, police department — to head the Starbase Police Department. “I t...

ValleyCentralJun 26, 2026

LabPadre provides the latest SpaceX updates: June 25

STARBASE, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- Moving on to the week's testing-related activities, on Monday, SpaceX utilized a rolling road closure to relocate the booster cryogenic proofing and puck-shucking stand from the build site to the Massey outpost. That evening, the Pad 2 deluge sy...

ValleyCentralJun 26, 2026

Edinburg police ramp up patrols ahead of Fourth of July

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- The Edinburg Police Department has launched a safety initiative ahead of the Fourth of July festivities to eliminate the number of impaired drivers on the road. The initiative was funded by the Texas Department of Transportation, which will all...

ValleyCentralJun 23, 2026

PSJA partners with UTSA for new Film Studies Academy

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District, in partnership with the University of Texas San Antonio, is launching a new Film Studies Academy that will allow high school students to earn up to 18 college credit hours towards UTSA's Unde...

ValleyCentralJun 23, 2026

NASA, Boeing committed to Stariner-1 launch despite unclear timeline

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA’s Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, seen from a window on the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. Image: NASA. More than four months after NASA released a report classifying the 2024 Crew Flight Test of B...

Spaceflight NowJun 23, 2026

NASA, Boeing committed to Starliner-1 launch despite unclear timeline

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA’s Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, seen from a window on the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. Image: NASA. More than four months after NASA released a report classifying the 2024 Crew Flight Test of B...

Spaceflight NowJun 23, 2026

Live coverage: SpaceX to launch reentry capsule demo mission called ‘Starfall’

An artist’s interpretation of SpaceX’s Starfall reentry capsule. Graphic: SpaceX via FAA SpaceX plans to fly a demonstration of a new uncrewed reentry capsule named ‘Starfall’ on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station early Tuesday morning. The company has been...

Spaceflight NowJun 23, 2026

Activists react to Texas Supreme court ruling on SpaceX beach closures

A decision by the Texas Supreme Court involving the public’s constitutional right to beach access strips Texans of the means to enforce that right when a governmental entity is the one violating it. So says Save RGV, plaintiff in a lawsuit against Cameron County, the Texas Genera...

MyRGVJun 22, 2026

Donations made to RGV Food Bank to be matched this summer

The Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley is launching its new summer campaign to help provide meals for children during the summer months. The “Full Plates = Bright Summers” campaign is in full swing as the RGV Food Bank works to ensure that children are able to have meals at home ...

MyRGVJun 22, 2026

The latest Starbase update with LabPadre: June 22

STARBASE, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- The latest at Starbase will begin with this week's fabrication updates. On Friday afternoon, the first section of the Booster 21 methane stack was moved from Star Factory. Later that night, the article was taken into Megabay 2 as SpaceX prepares...

ValleyCentralJun 22, 2026

Vaqueros BBQ Sauce to hit H-E-B shelves

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's Vaquero BBQ sauce officially launched during the grand reopening of the H-E-B on Freddy Gonzalez in Edinburg on Saturday. The sauce will hit H-E-B shelves on July 22, according to UTRGV Athletics. The ...

ValleyCentralJun 22, 2026

Texas Supreme Court rejects attempt to block beach closures for SpaceX launches

Siding with SpaceX and the attorney general’s office, the Texas Supreme Court on Friday ruled that environmental groups did not have a right to sue to preserve public access to a beach that has been closed during rocket launches. The unanimous ruling said a trial judge properly d...

ValleyCentralJun 19, 2026

LabPadre provides the latest updates at Starbase: June 18

STARBASE, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- Booster 20 went through its first cryo test at the Massey Outpost on the 6th. The booster was given a full load of cryogenics and was detanked at the end of the test. A second shorter duration cryo test was performed later the following day. Thi...

ValleyCentralJun 19, 2026

Landmark $211M tax-break deal could trump SpaceX’s deal in South Texas

By Berenice Garcia | The Texas Tribune McALLEN — A South Texas community once cited as the poorest in Texas is courting an Austin-based defense technology startup that promises to bring 10,000 jobs over 10 years, more than SpaceX’s initial promise of 300 back in 2014. The Cameron...

MyRGVJun 18, 2026

'Mosquitoes are out like crazy': Weslaco, Cameron County launch spraying efforts

WESLACO, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Recent rainfall across the Rio Grande Valley has created ideal conditions for mosquitoes to thrive, prompting local governments to begin spraying operations. Officials are urging residents to eliminate standing water around their homes as mosquito...

ValleyCentralJun 18, 2026

Massive SpaceX tank causes traffic delays

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — If you were caught up in traffic Wednesday morning between Brownsville and any city heading north, there’s a reason for it. A Texas Department of Transportation spokesman said SpaceX is moving a massive tank from the Port of Brownsville to McGre...

ValleyCentralJun 17, 2026

Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 3 Block 2 BlueBird satellites for AST SpaceMobile

AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird satellites 8, 9, and 10 are encapsulated inside a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket payload fairing ahead of launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Image: AST SpaceMobile / SpaceX AST SpaceMobile is bouncing back from the loss of its BlueBird 7 satellite ...

Spaceflight NowJun 16, 2026

Rio Grande City man called police on himself after fatally shooting neighbor: Docs

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A criminal complaint obtained by ValleyCentral details what led to a deadly neighbor dispute in Rio Grande City over the weekend. Jose Luis Falcon was charged with murder, a first-degree felony, on Monday. A judge set bail at $2 million. Accordi...

ValleyCentralJun 16, 2026

How Black Civil War soldiers fought against the Confederacy in the Valley

Naomi Mitchell Carrier and Roseann Bacha-Garza dedicate the Texas Historical Marker honoring the 16,000 black troops who were sent to the RGV and fought in the last battle of the Civil War and remained to stabilize the border through 1867. SpaceX can be seen in the background of ...

MyRGVJun 15, 2026

McAllen launches new emergency notification system

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The city of McAllen announced Monday the launch of a new emergency notification system that will provide residents with real-time alerts via phone and email. The new alert system is powered by Everbridge and will deliver real-time alerts for eme...

ValleyCentralJun 15, 2026

Live coverage: SpaceX to launch its first Falcon 9 rocket since Nasdaq debut

File photo of a Falcon 9 fueled for launch at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Image: SpaceX. SpaceX is preparing to launch its first Falcon 9 rocket since making its public trading debut on the Nasdaq on Friday. The Starlink 17-54 mission, launching from Vandenberg Spa...

Spaceflight NowJun 14, 2026

The latest at Starbase with LabPadre: June 8

STARBASE, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- On Monday and Tuesday, both a booster and a ship transport stand were rolled out of the Sanchez site and taken up Highway 4. These stands were leaving Starbase and heading to the Port of Brownsville to be loaded onto SpaceX's newest barge to tra...

ValleyCentralJun 9, 2026

Report over bolstering UTRGV presence in Cameron County released

The “Task Force of the Future,” a collaboration between the city of Brownsville and University of Texas Rio Grande Valley launched last year to strengthen the university’s presence in Brownsville and Cameron County, has released its initial report, which features a number of “act...

MyRGVJun 8, 2026

Brownsville ISD students score $10K SpaceX scholarships

SpaceX awarded $10,000 scholarships to 10 Brownsville Independent School District students on Thursday, saying they will help the company realize its vision of human life among the stars. “SpaceX’s mission is to make life multi-planetary. We believe life is far more exciting when...

MyRGVJun 8, 2026

SpaceX to launch 2 Starshield satellites during Saturday night Starlink mission

File: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is seen in the launch position at Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base on Jan. 16, 2026, ahead of the launch of the NROL-105 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. Image: SpaceX SpaceX is preparing to launch a combinat...

Spaceflight NowJun 6, 2026

SpaceX awards $100K in scholarships to Brownsville ISD students

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — SpaceX awarded students from the Brownsville Independent School District with $100,000 in scholarships on Thursday. The partnership between SpaceX and Brownsville ISD awards 10 students with $10,000 scholarships each to help them pursue a higher...

ValleyCentralJun 4, 2026

BIG LIFT: Brownsville economic arm launches citywide grant program

The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation has launched a citywide grant program to help local small business owners spruce up their buildings’ exteriors. BCIC is calling the new initiative “BIG LIFT.” It makes available to eligible applicants one-time reimbursement grants...

MyRGVJun 4, 2026