Category: News

By JACQI LEYVA-HILL Special to the PRESS Port Isabel commissioners voted Aug. 25 to advertise a proposed 2026 property tax rate of $0.790416, matching the total rate used in 2025, after reviewing the city’s fiscal year 2027 budget and tax rate during a workshop. City Manager Jared Hockema told commissioners the current budget draft projects …

Continue reading

By DIANTÉ MARIGNY editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com Laguna Vista property owners could see a lower municipal tax rate under a proposal introduced by the Town Council that would cut the rate by approximately 5.5%. During its Aug. 19 meeting, the council introduced a Property Tax Relief Act that would reduce the town’s property tax rate by 2.5 cents, …

Continue reading

By DIANTÉ MARIGNY editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com Runners and walkers will light up the South Padre Island shoreline next month as Sea Turtle Inc.  hosts  its  fifth  annual Kemp’s Krawl Glow Run to raise money for sea  turtle rescue, rehabilitation and conservation. The nighttime beach run is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19, beginning at 6 p.m. at Barry’s …

Continue reading

Special to the PRESS DHR Health’s 20th annual Fishing for Hope Tournament reeled in more than half a million dollars for healthcare services benefiting uninsured and underserved families across the Rio Grande Valley. The Aug. 22 tournament, held at Jim’s Pier on South Padre Island, raised $524,130 for the Hope Family Health Center in McAllen. …

Continue reading

Moments in Time is a collection of recovered newspaper briefs and other publications, compiled by local historian, Steve Hathcock, offering a look back at the history of the Rio Grande Valley. Steve Hathcock is a local historian and a regular columnist for the Port Isabel South Padre Press. He has spent many years collecting and …

Continue reading

By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR. Special to the PRESS This past Friday, Aug. 21 the Port Isabel ECHS football team travel to Weslaco to take on the Panthers in its final scrimmage of the preseason. Unlike the previous week where Port Isabel edged out St. Joe and showcased an impressive passing game, the Tarpons struggled on …

Continue reading

By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR. Special to the PRESS The wait is finally over. After two-a-days in the grueling heat, the players and coaches are eager for the start of the regular football season. For the Port Isabel Tarpons, the new season begins with the same expectations-win district and make a playoff run. Port Isabel lost …

Continue reading

SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster descends toward the launch tower at Starbase, moments before being caught by the tower’s mechanical “chopstick” arms. The maneuver was first successfully completed during Starship’s fifth flight test in October 2024. By JACQI LEYVA-HILL Special to the PRESS A South Padre Island attorney is raising concerns about property damage that he says homeowners …

Continue reading

Special to the PRESS BROWNSVILLE—U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez recognized longtime South Texas public servant John Wood for more than five decades of civic leadership and public service, presenting him with a Congressional Record honoring his contributions to Brownsville and Cameron County. Wood previously served as a commissioner for the City of Brownsville and Cameron County, …

Continue reading

(Port Isabel QB Grayson Estes rolls out for a pass versus BSJA. Aug. 13, 2026. Photo by Constancio Martinez Jr) By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR. Special to the PRESS On Thursday, Aug. 13, the Port Isabel ECHS football team traveled to Brownsville to scrimmage the St. Joseph Academy Bloodhounds. The scrimmage was split into four controlled …

Continue reading