By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR. Special to the PRESS   After going 4-6 in non-district, the PIECHS boys’ soccer team has regrouped for district play and are now atop of the district standings with a 5-1 district record. In last week’s early game, the La Feria Lions defeated the Tarpons 3-1, with the teams now even …

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By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR. Special to the PRESS On Friday, January 30, the Port Isabel Early College HS powerlifting teams traveled to Brownsville to compete in the IDEA Riverview Meet of Champions 2026 meet. The boy’s division featured 104 lifters from 14 teams competing teams. Although the boys’ team had two lifters that “bombed out” …

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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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By JACQI LEYVA-HILL Special to the PRESS At the Special Meeting held Monday night, January 26, the Laguna Vista Town Council began with positive community updates before moving into decisions that will shape several major city projects. Early in the meeting, council members welcomed the town’s new Library Director, Penny Perales, who expressed excitement about …

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By JACQI LEYVA-HILL Special to the PRESS As Laguna Vista prepares for the May 2, 2026 mayoral election, voters are weighing not only the candidates’ visions for the city’s future but also the unique path that brought the current mayor into office on various social media sites. Mayor Mike (Michael) Carter and challenger Darla Jones …

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By DIANTÉ MARIGNY editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com   Emergency response teams have been activated following a sudden drop in water temperatures that has caused a cold stun event among sea turtles in the Laguna Madre. Water temperatures fell below the critical threshold at 1 a.m. Tuesday, putting the turtles at risk. Sea turtles are cold-blooded, meaning their body …

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By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR. Special to the PRESS   This past Thursday, January 22 the Port Isabel Early College High School hosted their annual Noah LeBlanc Memorial Girls Invitational powerlifting meet. The meet had 14 different programs competing from throughout the RGV and featured a whopping 135 lifters. After coming in second place in the …

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By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR. Special to the PRESS On Friday, January 23 the (10-14) Port Isabel ECHS hosted the (12-5) Jubilee Brownsville Titans in a key district game. The Tarpons entered the matchup coming off a two-game win steak with wins over La Grulla (56-46) and Hidalgo (58-57). Similarly, the Titans were coming off a …

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By Steve Hathcock Special to the PRESS 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. …

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By JACQI LEYVA-HILL Special to the PRESS Community leaders and business members gathered Tuesday, January 27 at the Hilton Garden Inn Beach Resort for the South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce Public Affairs Luncheon, sponsored by Ruby Red Hospitality. The featured speaker, Texas State Representative Todd Hunter, delivered an in-depth legislative update focused on issues …

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