Dina Arévalo
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Past articles by Dina:
Former employee sues Weslaco for sexual harassment
A former Weslaco city employee has filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming she was forced to resign after filing sexual harassment complaints against a supervisor. The suit was filed on Dec. 10, 2020, by Gloria Oliva, 50, who claims that the city’s finance director, Vidal Roman, made “unwanted sexual advances” toward her. She further … → Read More
Mercedes welcomes first woman assistant police chief
MERCEDES — Police here acknowledged one of their own Friday by elevating her to among the highest of ranks within the department. Blanca Sanchez, a Mercedes resident and 22-year veteran law enforcement officer, was officially named as the department’s assistant chief. It was a first in a town with a history of firsts. Sanchez has … → Read More
Donna sued in relation to candidate’s 2017 campaign event
The city of Donna has been sued in connection with a 2017 campaign event held at a city-owned property and hosted by a then-candidate for mayor. G&G Closed Circuit Events LLC filed the lawsuit in federal court in mid-September. The company alleges that the city, former mayoral candidate Ernesto Lugo and campaign worker, Marissa Ozuna, … → Read More
Choosing mayor pro-tem no easy task in Mercedes
With the city of Mercedes undergoing a spate of changes over the last few weeks — from turnover at the highest levels of city administration, to the welcoming of three newly elected officials — the Mercedes City Commission had one more change planned Tuesday: the appointment of a mayor pro-tem. But what is normally a … → Read More
Weslaco changes course, approves Mercedes prisoner contract
After initially moving to cancel a contract to house Mercedes prisoners at the Weslaco city jail, Weslaco officials have reversed course and approved a new one-year deal with the Queen City. The decision came by unanimous vote during a Weslaco City Commission meeting Tuesday evening. And it came after city staff expressed their renewed confidence … → Read More
Mercedes names Macias police chief
The city of Mercedes has elevated interim police chief Jose Macias to the position officially, announcing his selection as the new police chief in a news release Wednesday. “Mercedes City Manager Sergio Zavala, in his stewardship over city department heads & staff, has promoted Int. Police Chief Jose Macias as Police Chief for Mercedes, Texas,” … → Read More
Mercedes finalizes McAllen’s Pagan as interim city manager
The Mercedes City Commission finalized their choice for interim city manager during a special meeting Tuesday, affirming Kevin Pagan as their pick. Pagan, who currently serves as the McAllen city attorney, will begin working for Mercedes at the beginning of January, once his retirement from McAllen becomes effective. Mercedes has appointed him to serve a … → Read More
Mercedes looks to appoint McAllen’s Pagan as interim city manager
The city of Mercedes has tapped longtime McAllen City Attorney Kevin Pagan to serve as interim city manager. The move comes as Mercedes looks to fill a number of high-level positions vacated in the wake of a political shift in the Queen City. The Mercedes City Commission keyed in on Pagan during a special meeting … → Read More
Weslaco gives Mercedes 30-day extension on housing prisoners
After more than a year of receiving consistently late payments from their neighbor, the Weslaco City Commission in November voted to terminate its contract to house Mercedes prisoners at the Weslaco city jail. The Queen City had been housing its prisoners in Weslaco at a rate of $54 per prisoner per day after its own … → Read More
Records: Mercedes consistently late paying to house prisoners in Weslaco
More than a year since they began housing their prisoners at the Weslaco city jail, records show the city of Mercedes has consistently been late in paying their neighbor city for the service. It was late last summer that Mercedes contracted to house their prisoners in Weslaco, after their own police department building was deemed … → Read More
Fate of private border wall unclear
As two civil lawsuits against a group of private border wall builders continue to drag on in federal court, questions have arisen over who will ultimately control the land and the 3-mile long bollard fence that was constructed on it earlier this year. The fence, which was built mere feet from the banks of the … → Read More
Howell, Martinez win Mercedes runoff
MERCEDES — The citizens of Mercedes have elected two new city commissioners in Jacob Howell and Joe Martinez Tuesday. The wins are both firsts for the two men, who campaigned on increasing transparency and accountability in a city that has over the last year been the scene of political rancor, infighting and even litigation. “I’m … → Read More
Cooperation key to future flood mitigation success
As the Rio Grande Valley continues to recover from several major floods over the last few years, one Hidalgo County leader says regional thinking and interagency cooperation will be the key to making mitigation efforts successful now and in the future. That was the overarching message delivered by Precinct 1 Hidalgo County Commissioner David Fuentes … → Read More
Mercedes officer struck at outlet mall
A Mercedes police officer was struck by a vehicle at the Mercedes Premium Outlets, officials confirmed Tuesday afternoon. The unnamed officer was transported to a local hospital, according to Hidalgo County Sheriff J.E. “Eddie” Guerra, though there is no official word yet on the officer’s condition. Read the full story at themonitor.com. → Read More
Donna reappoints Villalobos as city attorney, maybe
Just moments after swearing in three newly elected officials and finalizing a shift in political control of the city of Donna, the city council voted to appoint a familiar face to the position of city attorney: Javier Villalobos. It was just last year that Villalobos ended an eight-year stint as the Donna city attorney. And … → Read More
COVID, witness further delay start of Weslaco bribery trial
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to stunt progress in the trial of three men accused of conspiring to defraud the city of Weslaco of millions of dollars, a new wrinkle has emerged that may further hamper the case: the potential inability for one witness to testify. At least one witness in the federal government’s case … → Read More
Attorneys seek another delay in Weslaco bribery case
A defense attorney in the federal Weslaco water plant bribery case has requested a 90-day continuance to the trial which had been slated to begin jury selection early next month. Attorney Carlos A. Garcia — who is representing former Hidalgo County Precinct 1 commissioner Arturo “A.C.” Cuellar in the government’s conspiracy case against Cuellar, Weslaco … → Read More
Weslaco voters approve term limits, hybrid commission
Voters in Weslaco overwhelmingly approved changes to their city commission after three charter amendment propositions passed by landslides Tuesday night. Among the changes are new term lengths, the imposition of term limits, and changing the commission from six single-member seats to a hybrid system composed of four single-member seats and two at-large seats. Meanwhile, in … → Read More
Opposing factions play blame game in Donna municipal election
Once political running mates, three members of the Donna City Council have become divided and are now running against each other, forging new alliances with new candidates as they vie for control of the voting majority. Three years ago, Rick Morales, Gus Gonzales and Arturo “Art” Castillo ran on a slate together, with Morales running … → Read More
Single-member districts, term limits up for vote in Weslaco
This election season, Weslaco residents have the opportunity to change the way their municipal government is shaped thanks to three referendums on the November ballot. “We’re asking residents to make a decision if they want to go to a single-member district hybrid with two at-large. We’re asking if they want to extend the terms from … → Read More