By JACQI LEYVA-HILL Special to the PRESS The City of South Padre Island’s Special Events Committee introduced its new tourism director and approved marketing funds for several upcoming events during its April 24 meeting at City Council Chambers. Kelly de Schaun, executive director of Visit South Padre Island’s Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), made her …

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By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR. Special to the PRESS This past weekend, May 1-2, a handful of select athletes from the Port Isabel Early College High School girls’ track team competed in UIL 4A Region IV Track & Field Meet. The meet was held at Kingsville A&M and featured hundreds male and female athletes from around …

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By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR. Special to the PRESS This past Saturday, May 2 the Port Isabel Sirens hosted the RGV Lady Pumas in full-contact football game. Entering the matchup, the undefeated Lady Pumas were coming off a BYE week, but in the prior week they had a big 26-19 win over Brownsville Sting. Meanwhile, the …

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Girl Scout Troop 2075 members pose with a newly installed Little Library at Butterfly Park on April 28. The community book exchange is open to the public for free use. Photo by Jacqi Leyva-Hill. By JACQI LEYVA-HILL Special to the PRESS Girl Scout Troop 2075 unveiled a new Little Library on April 28 at Butterfly …

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Present at the ceremony holding the shovels are from left to right: Duvie Woods –Planning & Development Assistant Director; Daniel Holland –Police Chief; Mike Hernandez –Council Member; Michael Carter –Mayor; Tomas Salazar and Jesse Aguilera, PSA Builders (Construction Contractor); Teresa Bryant–Mayor Pro Tem; Dr. Christopher Romero –Council Member; Neil Waters –Public Safety Director; Victor Treviño –City Manager (courtesy photo/Town of Laguna Vista) …

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Students launch handmade boats during the Owl’s Nest STEM Boat Build Challenge on April 18 in Port Isabel. Photo by Nicole Ekstrom. By JACQI LEYVA-HILL Special to the PRESS A group of local homeschool students turned classroom concepts into hands-on learning April 18 during the Owl’s Nest STEM Boat Build Challenge, launching boats made from …

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By DIANTÉ MARIGNY editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com   A major new desalination project proposed for the Texas Rio Grande Valley could reshape the region’s water future, bringing a drought-resistant supply to one of the fastest-growing and most water-stressed areas in the country. The project is expected to cost around $1 billion and will be privately funded through the …

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By DIANTÉ MARIGNY editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com At Point Isabel ISD’s April 2026 board meeting, trustees approved more than $1.2 million in construction payments and additional funding for ongoing renovations to the district’s central administration building, while also addressing a key infrastructure setback involving parking lot repairs and confirming that corrective work is underway with no added cost …

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(2026 Pony League Opening Day. April 24, 2026. Picture by Constancio Martinez Jr) By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR. Special to the PRESS This past Friday, April 24, the Laguna Madre Youth Center celebrated their 2026 Pony League Opening Day ceremony at the newly remodeled Laguna Sports Park. The much-anticipated event was previously postponed due to weather …

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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 …

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