By AYLEEN CANIZALES & CATHERINE DONNELLY Special to the PRESS Pedro “Pete” Mota, lifetime sports enthusiast, was born and raised in Port Isabel, Texas. Graduating Port Isabel High School in 1958, his academics earned him salutatorian of his class. As a young man, he was an avid sportsman, playing football, basketball, fast pitch softball (before …

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Special to the PRESS SandCamp 2024 returns! The season will kick off on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12, with the sixth semi-annual Turtle Days Sea Turtle Arribada at Neptune Circle (Beach Access #16.), starting at 10 a.m. Buckets and shovels will be provided for all, but feel free to bring your own. We’ll show how …

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By CATHERINE DONNELLY editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com Election night on Saturday, May 4, was a nailbiter for some candidates who hosted various watch parties around the Laguna Madre area. Early voting seemed to be robust and many of the candidates campaigned hard to keep their seats or steal it from an opponent. For the Board of Trustees of …

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By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ JR.   The 2023-2024 Port Isabel Tarpons boys’ soccer team wrapped up their season with a 16-7-2 overall and 10-4 district record. The team finished second in the district standings behind district 32-4A champions (12-2) Jubilee Brownsville. The season marked the first time the Tarpons qualified for the playoffs since the 2019 season. …

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By AYLEEN CANIZALES Special to the PRESS The Laguna Madre Area came together to support the 3rd Annual Superintendent’s Fishing Tournament which took place on Saturday, April 27. The Point Isabel Independent School District (PI-ISD) hosted the event dedicated to raising funds for student scholarships and supporting students in pursuit of higher education. Theresa Ann …

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By LUCINDA WIERENGA Special to the PRESS The Holiday Sandcastle Village of South Padre Island has gone to the dogs – literally! The “dog days of summer” is a phrase that refers to the hot and humid days of summer, typically from July 3 to August 11.* As everyone knows, hot and humid comes around …

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By CATHERINE DONNELLY Special to the PRESS Olga Villareal, self-proclaimed Earth Warrior, is teaching the students of Derry Elementary how to take care of our planet. Villareal, dubbed Miss V, is a teacher aide with a huge impact on the world view of the youngest students in the Point Isabel Independent School District (PI-ISD). On …

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By CATHERINE DONNELLY Special to the PRESS The City of South Padre Island (SPI) recently finished renovating Beach Access #5 at Sea Island Circle, the first to feature updated and modern amenities. Access #22 at Fantasy Circle is scheduled to continue with renovations until November, according to SPI city officials. Access #5 added permanent open-air …

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By CATHERINE DONNELLY Special to the PRESS The Port Isabel City Commission approved its Fiscal Year 2023 Comprehensive Annual Report (CAFR), prepared by the Harlingen firm of Juarez CPA. One significance of the report is that it was completed on time and resulted in what is called a “clean opinion.” The city has now notched …

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By Steve Hathcock Counterfeiters working in Harlingen: Lead half-dollars are being passed in Harlingen and several places have reported receiving some of the counterfeit money. Three of the lead half dollars were given to Johnson’s Cafe during the past week and the manager of the café said that it was hard to tell them from …

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