Omar Zapata

Texas

Journalist at The Monitor (McAllen, TX)

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Articles

Mercedes ISD super placed on paid administrative leave following arrest

1 week ago | raymondville-chronicle.com | Omar Zapata

MERCEDES - The school board here voted Tuesday night to place Superintendent Benjamin Clinton on administrative leave with pay following his DWI arrest on Friday. Alicia Noyola has been named interim superintendent. After several hours in closed session, the board voted unanimously to place Clinton on administrative leave with pay. Noyola is the former Harlingen CISD superintendent, a position she […] This content is only available to online subscribers. Please login below, or Subscribe today!
Mercedes school board to discuss super’s employment after DWI arrest

2 weeks ago | raymondville-chronicle.com | Omar Zapata

The Mercedes school district’s board was expected on Tuesday to discuss the district’s superintendent’s employment following his arrest on a charge of driving while intoxicated. Superintendent Benjamin Clinton was arrested Friday. The school board was also slated to discuss the possibility of appointing an interim superintendent. “On Saturday, May 17, 2025, the District was made aware of the arrest of […] This content is only available to online subscribers. Please login below, or Subscribe today!
UTRGV chess wins fourth national title in seven years

1 month ago | myrgv.com | Omar Zapata

Only have a minute? Listen instead The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley chess team claimed its fourth national championship last Sunday at the President’s Cup at the University of Texas at Dallas, where UTRGV was named co-champions alongside Webster University. UTRGV previously won three consecutive national championships in 2018, 2019 and 2021 with no tournament held in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Nine UTRGV students’ visas revoked, university says

1 month ago | myrgv.com | Omar Zapata

Only have a minute? Listen instead The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley confirmed Thursday morning that nine of its international students have had their visas revoked, following a recent trend all over the nation in which the same is occurring without much warning or reason.
UTRGV expanding AI research, education with $2.8M grant

1 month ago | myrgv.com | Omar Zapata

Only have a minute? Listen instead Research and education at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley received a big boost with a $2.8 million grant for AI expansion and a new partnership with Georgia Institute of Technology’s AI Institute for Advances in Optimization. The grant is from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the ExpandAI Program with the project called AI Research and Innovation for Smart Environments (ARISE).
McAllen school board candidates sound off on priorities, school vouchers

2 months ago | myrgv.com | Omar Zapata

Only have a minute? Listen instead As McAllen ISD voters are set to vote on two board seats in May, the five candidates seeking those positions spoke with The Monitor about why they chose to run, their priorities and private school vouchers. Place 3 has Allena Cano and Robert Carreon running for the seat held by longtime board member Debbie Crane Aliseda who decided not to run for reelection.
Aggie Ring Day comes to McAllen for Valley’s A&M students

2 months ago | myrgv.com | Omar Zapata

Only have a minute? Listen instead McALLEN — While the Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen is about six hours away from College Station, that doesn’t stop traditions from coming down to South Texas. The satellite campus hosted Aggie Ring Day on Wednesday. It’s a ceremony that Aggies hold close to their maroon hearts, in McAllen for all Rio Grande Valley students. Students and their families filled the auditorium at the center to receive the symbolic Aggie ring.
Hidden gem: Mission spot highlights Valley flavors in specialty hamburgers

2 months ago | myrgv.com | Omar Zapata

Only have a minute? Listen instead MISSION — The Rio Grande Valley is full of hidden gems in the most random places, and my quest to find a good burger joint has taken me all the way to North Mission — to HamburgeLunas, which serves up mouthwatering burgers with a South Texas twist. HamburgeLunas is just down 107 from where I grew up in Alton, located at 10320 Mile 7 Road Suite 5.
STC offers helping hand to students, faculty and staff after storm

2 months ago | myrgv.com | Omar Zapata

Only have a minute? Listen instead With historic rainfall last week across the Valley, South Texas College is reaching out to students, faculty and staff to check on their status and see what hardships they’re facing to provide aid and get them resources. The college sent out a form, which can be found on their website and social media accounts, to determine what hardships people are facing such as transportation to classes, food, clothing or technology to help determine how STC can help.
Explainer: A look at the school voucher bills and Valley reactions

2 months ago | myrgv.com | Omar Zapata

Only have a minute? Listen instead Efforts to repeatedly pass school vouchers in the state — a program to use taxpayer dollars toward paying for student’s private education — is closer to reality than ever with the bill passing in the Texas Senate while legislators in the House of Representatives discuss a bill floated there. School vouchers have been Gov.