Good morning, Brownsville.

Brownsville residents can enjoy a fun-filled day on Saturday, April 12 at the local Chick-fil-A, which hosts an Easter egg hunt, crafts, games and photos with the Easter Cow, and join the city’s 2nd annual Easter Egg Hunt at 4 p.m. in three parks (one of which caters to children with special needs). The Sunrise Mall offers Easter Bunny photo sessions during regular hours, and the Brownsville Children’s Museum will hold an Easter celebration with crafts and surprises on April 19 at 1 p.m.

A fire behind a junkyard near Jorge Signs and Southmost Road in Brownsville burned at least 10 used vehicles, tires and auto parts and scorched half an acre of property this morning—firefighters used five emergency vehicles to control the blaze in one hour while no injuries were reported as the Fire Marshal’s Office investigates the cause.

Off-duty Border Patrol agent Alejandro De Luna, a veteran with 10 years of service, died in a crash with two vehicles Tuesday at 1:57 p.m. on West Street in McAllen—both vehicles were privately owned and police are still investigating the collision as plans for a ceremony in his honor are underway.

Alan Nicolas Rios pleaded not guilty to intoxication manslaughter and accident involving death charges in a 2023 crash in Hidalgo County that killed 36-year-old cyclist Amilcar Gomez — he is out on bond with an interlock device and faces up to 20 years if convicted.

A sculpture of Elon Musk was vandalized on private property near the Starbase in Cameron County — the property owner said he plans to install cameras to help stop more damage.

The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley will use a $2.1M grant from the National Science Foundation to expand its artificial intelligence research and improve student education—partnering with Georgia Institute of Technology to apply AI in monitoring highways and railroads.

UTRGV announced that federal authorities ended the SEVIS records of nine international students— the university said it alerted the affected students and will help them follow the law.

The move comes after the Department of Homeland Security began reviewing international students’ social media amid pro-Palestine protests.

The City of Brownsville will hold a General Municipal Election on Saturday, May 3 from 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. to fill vacancies for Commissioner At-Large B, Commissioner District 3 and Commissioner District 4.

Voting will occur in 52 precincts—polling locations are consolidated by the four City Electoral Districts.

Carlos Ealy, the assistant secretary for Mexican and Border Affairs, spoke at a reception for the Texas Port to the Stars FDI Summit held at RioPlex at the Westin Galleria in Houston.

He said the Rio Grande Valley will boost trade and build strong ties between the US and Mexico—helping the region grow.

Harlingen JV Softball Game at Los Fresnos

9:30-11:15 a.m. — Los Fresnos High School — Free entry — Cheer on the Los Fresnos JV softball team as they face off against Harlingen in a spirited non-conference game.

2025 HSSM 7-on-7 Football Championships

8 AM – 10 PM — Veterans Memorial Early College High School — $416.06 — The premier warm-up tournament for South Texas high schools ahead of the 2025 Texas 7-on-7 Championships!