McAllen News, Edinburg TX News, public health, community programs, McAllen Public Library

Staff Report

McAllen, TX - The McAllen Public Library will host a health discussion on stress management April 16 at noon at the Palm View Branch Library, 3401 Jordan Road W.

The program, titled “Health Talk: Managing Stress,” will be presented in recognition of Stress Awareness Month and will include information on understanding and managing stress in daily life.

Program details

The session will be led by the National Alliance on Mental Illness South Texas Rio Grande Valley, according to the announcement. Organizers said the presentation will address mental health topics affecting the community and provide information about stress awareness.

Registration is required to attend the program.

Location details

The event will take place at the Palm View Branch Library, part of the McAllen Public Library system.

Source -- McAllen Public Library

By Weston Pawelek, Owner of Critter Control of Rio Grande Valley

Edinburg TX - Everyone wants to go someplace warm, like South Texas, during the cold winter months, and that goes beyond just people. Freezing temperatures from the North bring migratory bat species to the Rio Grande Valley every year. The problem is, once these bats choose a home, they often plan to stay there for good, even when northern temperatures warm back up. If a colony of bats has turned your attic, porch or chimney into their new home, they likely have no intention of leaving.

Bats in the Valley

This migration pattern, combined with the native bats that already lived in the Rio Grande Valley, causes an annual spike in the number of bats living in South Texas homes. To make matters worse for homeowners, many of these bats will begin giving birth in April. Because of their protected status, they cannot be removed from your home if they have newborn pups, so unless homeowners handle their home bat issues soon, they’ll be stuck living with a colony of bats in their homes all summer. You’ll need to wait until they can be humanely removed in the fall.

Be vigilant

The smartest thing you can do right now is be vigilant, looking out for the signs of bats in your home. If you start noticing strange, unfamiliar sounds or smells, it’s best not to ignore them and hope they’re something that’ll go away on their own; you’ll want to be sure if it’s a bat problem before it’s too late.

Due to their nocturnal schedule, you may not notice any obvious bat activity during the day, but if you see them closely flying around your home at dusk or in the evenings, they may be using your house as a habitat. Within the home, bats most commonly roost in attics, chimneys, hollow porch columns, and inside walls (often in homes with a spacious gap between a brick wall exterior and plywood interior). One of the most telling signs of a bat infestation is the buildup of their guano (droppings), which becomes quite pungent and noticeable quickly, especially if you have an average-size colony of five-to-ten bats living with you.

What to know

For many, having bats living in their home is a terrifying notion that they’d want to rectify immediately. But for some, it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal; they leave the bats alone and put off their removal for another time. This can be a crucial mistake for homeowners for several reasons:

1. Bats are carriers of rabies: though they prefer to avoid human interaction, they may bite or scratch you and your pets if they feel threatened. This necessitates a cautionary rabies shot, even if it turns out that particular bat was not a rabies carrier.

2. Bats spread diseases through their guano: in addition to the repugnant smell of bat guano, spores carrying diseases can make their way into your home’s ventilation systems and infect residents or pets. The buildup of their guano and urine can also stain and damage your walls, attic, and ceilings.

3. Summer maternity season: even if you don’t feel the need to rush to get the bats out of your home right away, you’ll likely want them out at some point in the near future. But starting in April, bats will begin giving birth (typically one pup per bat). This means, due to federal protections, you cannot remove them for four-to-five months while their newborn pups develop and gain the strength to fly on their own. You may not feel compelled to get them out right now, but you’ll likely want them out sometime before September; it’s imperative to act fast.

Best to call a pro

When it comes to removal, it’s best to leave the job to a professional. Direct handling of bats can have legal consequences if they aren’t in your actual living space, and the process never goes as easily as you think it will; it puts you, your family, and your pets in danger. Even if you could manage to safely get one out, there may also be more bats in your home than you realize. And even if you cleared your house of them all, you’ll still need to seal off the entrance from which they came, which can be quite difficult to identify and properly seal.

Seeking out a trained wildlife removal professional is the best way to ensure you comply with all laws and regulations, while ensuring that the problem is handled properly and your home is completely inspected and sealed, preventing any issues in the future.

There are countless bat colonies in South Texas homes right now, preparing to give birth next month. Don’t ignore the signs, hoping that it won’t happen to you.

McAllen News, Edinburg TX News, South Texas College, health care education, open house

Staff Report

McAllen, TX - South Texas College will host an Open House at its Health Science Professions campus for community members interested in pursuing careers in health care.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the STC Health Science Professions campus, Buildings A and B, 1101 Vermont Ave. in McAllen.

The event is free and open to the public.

Program highlights

The college will showcase 14 health science programs during the open house. Attendees will be able to participate in interactive, hands-on demonstrations, meet faculty and staff, and speak with current students about their experiences.

Programs featured include Nursing, Patient Care Technician, Emergency Medical Services, Health Information Technology, Pharmacy Technology, Physical Therapist Assistant and the upcoming Dental Hygiene program.

STC leadership, administrators, faculty, staff and students will be in attendance.

Community demand

According to the college, there is a growing demand for skilled health care professionals across the Rio Grande Valley and beyond.

The open house is intended to highlight essential careers in health science and inform the community about available academic requirements and career pathways.

Source -- South Texas College.

Chloe Pearson

Well-being often feels like a big goal with vague instructions. In reality, it’s shaped by small, repeatable choices that fit into real schedules and real lives. When simple habits stack up, they quietly improve energy, mood, and resilience without demanding a full lifestyle overhaul.

Key Takeaways

• Small, consistent habits tend to outperform dramatic overhauls.

• Physical, mental, and social health reinforce one another.

• Daily structure makes healthy choices easier to sustain.

• Progress comes from fit, not perfection.

Supporting Your Body With Simple Daily Habits

Physical well-being doesn’t begin with extreme routines; it starts with basic care. Gentle movement, regular meals, and adequate hydration support everything from focus to sleep quality. Even modest activity like walking after meals or stretching during breaks can reduce stiffness and lift mood. The goal is to support your body’s baseline needs so it can do its job without friction.

Sleep plays a quiet but central role here. Going to bed at roughly the same time each night helps regulate hormones that affect appetite, stress, and concentration. Instead of chasing the perfect number of hours, aim for consistency and a wind-down ritual that signals your brain to slow down.

Mental Fitness Through Ongoing Learning

Mental well-being grows when the mind stays engaged and curious. Lifelong learning keeps cognitive pathways active, encourages personal growth, and often boosts confidence by proving you can still master new skills. Earning a degree aligned with your career goals can make learning feel purposeful. If advancing professionally matters to you, check this out to strengthen skills in accounting, communications, management, or broader business fundamentals. Online education, in particular, offers flexibility, making it possible to learn and grow regardless of location, schedule, or career stage.

How Social Connections Quietly Support Health

Human connection is a health strategy hiding in plain sight. Regular conversations, shared meals, or brief check-ins can reduce stress and create a sense of belonging. These interactions don’t need to be deep or time-consuming to matter. Consistency is what turns casual contact into emotional support. This also includes setting boundaries. Protecting your time and energy allows you to show up more fully for others, which strengthens relationships instead of straining them.

Simple Habits That Compound Over Time

The most effective routines are the ones that don’t feel heroic. Here are some small actions that can fit naturally into an average day:

• Take short movement breaks every one to two hours.

• Drink water before reaching for caffeine.

• Eat one meal per day without screens. Step outside briefly for natural light.

• End the day by writing down one completed task.

Each of these is minor on its own. Together, they reinforce awareness, energy, and a sense of control.

Making Healthy Choices Easier to Follow

Consistency improves when decisions are simplified. The following steps help translate good intentions into daily action:

1. Choose one habit to focus on for two weeks.

2. Attach it to something you already do every day.

3. Remove obvious friction, such as clutter or poor timing.

4. Track completion in the simplest way possible.

5. Adjust the habit to fit your life, not the other way around.

This approach favors momentum over motivation, which tends to fluctuate.

Everyday Strategies and Their Effects

These habits illustrate how small inputs can lead to meaningful daily benefits.

Strategy Time Required Primary Benefit

Daily walking 10–20 minutes Improved mood and circulation

Consistent sleep

schedule None added Better focus and recovery

Short learning sessions 15 minutes Confidence and mental agility

Regular social check-ins 5–10 minutes Reduced stress and isolation

Practical Questions About Daily Well-Being

If you’re considering small health changes, these are common questions people ask before committing.

Is it better to change many habits at once or just one?

Focusing on one habit at a time usually leads to better follow-through. It allows your brain and schedule to adapt without overload. Once the habit feels automatic, adding another becomes much easier.

How long does it take to notice benefits from small changes?

Some effects, like improved mood after movement, can appear within days. Others, such as better sleep quality, may take a few weeks of consistency. The key is to watch for subtle improvements rather than dramatic shifts.

Do these strategies work if my schedule is unpredictable?

Yes, as long as the habits are flexible. Choosing actions that can scale up or down depending on the day makes them resilient. Consistency over time matters more than daily perfection.

Can mental well-being really improve without therapy?

For many people, everyday strategies like learning, social connection, and routine provide noticeable support. Therapy can be valuable, but it isn’t the only path to better mental health. These approaches often complement professional care when needed.

What if I stop and have to restart?

Restarting is part of the process, not a failure. Habits weaken under stress or change, and rebuilding them is normal. Each restart is usually faster because you already know what works.

How do I know which habit to start with?

Begin with the one that feels easiest and most relevant to your current challenges. Early success builds confidence and momentum. That confidence often spills into other areas of health.

Bringing It All Together

Everyday well-being is built from choices that fit into real life, not idealized routines. When physical care, mental engagement, and social connection reinforce one another, the result is steady, sustainable improvement. Start small, stay curious, and let consistency do the heavy lifting. Over time, these simple strategies create days that feel more balanced and resilient.

Chloe Pearson is a research specialist and freelance writer who volunteers with Consumer Health Labs. She is dedicated to providing consumers with reliable, evidence-based information to help them make informed decisions about their health.

Photo above: U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R- Edinburg, speaks at a Republican House Leadership press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 5, 2025. Mattie Neretin/CNP/Sipa USA via REUTERS

By Gabby Birenbaum, The Texas Tribune

The U.S. House passed a three-year extension of expired Affordable Care Act subsidies on Thursday, with a band of 17 Republicans — including Rep. Monica De La Cruz of Edinburg — joining with the chamber’s Democratic minority to approve the measure.

The issue of the ACA tax credits — which millions of Texans claimed last year to reduce the cost of their health insurance premiums — was at the center of last year’s government shutdown and is set to be a major campaign topic in the fall midterms. De La Cruz is the only House Republican from Texas whom national Democratic groups are targeting in 2026.

Rising health care costs

“Rising health care costs remain a concern for many in our South Texas communities,” De La Cruz said in a statement. “I have been committed to working with members on both sides of the aisle to find a bipartisan solution to expand options for families, lower health care costs, and require price transparency for prescription drug prices. While this is not what we initially wanted, today’s vote is in the best interest of South Texas families and the only option to bring certainty for those who rely on these credits.”

Twenty-two other Republicans from Texas voted against the extension, while two — Reps. Michael McCaul and Wesley Hunt — did not vote. All 12 Texas Democrats voted in favor. The bill, which reached the floor against the wishes of House Republican leadership, passed on a 230-196 vote.

Democrats in the chamber clapped and cheered after the vote — Houston Rep. Sylvia Garcia high-fived members and fellow Houston Rep. Al Green waved his cane in the air.

Bill faces tough road in the Senate

But the bill faces tough prospects in the Senate, where it would need support from 13 Republicans and every Democrat to reach the 60 votes required to pass. But the House passage may spur a bipartisan group of senators working on a subsidy deal to find a compromise.

The ACA tax credits became a hot-button issue after Democrats refused to fund the federal government last fall unless Republicans agreed to extend the subsidies. First expanded in 2021, the tax credits, paid to insurers to lower ACA enrollees’ monthly premiums, drove significant growth in Texas’ ACA population. Republicans have argued that they are rife with fraud and only serve to benefit insurance companies without addressing the underlying cost of health care.

Hundreds of thousands to reduce, lose insurance coverage

With the tax credits having expired at the end of last year, hundreds of thousands of Texans are expected to drop or downgrade coverage due to their increased premium costs.

South Texas, in particular, has benefited from the expanded tax credits; over 20% of residents are enrolled in the ACA in numerous counties in the region, including Duval, Hidalgo and Starr counties. De La Cruz’s district, in both its current and future redistricted iteration, includes much of Hidalgo County.

De la Cruz joined bipartisan group

De La Cruz, along with Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo and Vicente Gonzalez, D-Brownsville, had been part of a bipartisan group working on a framework to reform and extend the subsidies. The group released a bill in December that would extend the credits for two years while setting an income cap and guardrails aimed at preventing fraud.

But after GOP leadership declined to put a compromise bill on the floor, several moderate Republicans joined with Democrats on a pair of procedural “discharge” motions — in December and again on Wednesday — to force Thursday’s vote.

De La Cruz’s yes vote neuters a key Democratic argument for her eventual midterm opponent. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Democrats running against De La Cruz have criticized her over the ACA in the past, and Democrats have sought to make health care a defining issue in battleground districts around the country.

This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.

Staff Report

Edinburg, TX - The Hidalgo County Health & Human Services Department announced that no-cost COVID-19 molecular testing at the Hidalgo County Public Health Laboratory will conclude Jan. 31, 2026.

Switch to low-cost testing

Beginning Feb. 1, the laboratory will transition to offering low-cost testing services, including COVID-19 testing, flu and strep tests, diabetes screenings and other laboratory services. Officials said fees will vary depending on the type of test.

County officials advised employees and members of the public seeking pricing information or appointments to contact the laboratory directly.

Where to go

The Hidalgo County Public Health Laboratory is located at 1211 S. 28th Ave. in Edinburg.

Source -- Hidalgo County Health & Human Services Department.

Photo above: South Texas College Kinesiology program leadership are encouraging students, staff and faculty to take advantage of existing health and wellness services, especially as the college gets set for the opening of a new Kinesiology and Wellness Center at its Pecan Campus. STC Photo

Joey Gomez, South Texas College Communications

McAllen TX – South Texas College is preparing for its transition into a new wellness era. Kinesiology program leadership are encouraging students, staff and faculty to take advantage of existing health and wellness services, especially as the college gets set for the opening of a new Kinesiology and Wellness Center at its Pecan Campus.

The new center is expected to further expand fitness and instructional opportunities by welcoming an $8 million, 16,715 square-foot facility that is scheduled for completion in 2026. The facility will include classrooms, offices, multipurpose and exercise rooms, dojo, spin studio and additional support spaces.

Once complete, the building will serve as a centralized hub for wellness, physical activity and kinesiology instruction.

While anticipation grows for the new facility, STC leadership in the Kinesiology program say the current Wellness Center at the campus Pecan Plaza remains fully operational and free for all students, staff and faculty.

“We’re still here, and we want people to know that,” said Ivan Figueroa, STC’s new Kinesiology instructional facilities coordinator who began with the college in October. “A lot of people should remember that our services remain here for them. Everything we offer now is available to all students, faculty and staff at no cost.”

The existing Wellness Center located at 2501 Pecan Blvd., about a block away from the Pecan campus, includes weight-training equipment, a fully functioning dance studio, a spinning room and a dojo space where users can release stress through guided or independent activity.

Access only requires a valid STC identification card.

Figueroa said expanded hours are currently being finalized, with plans to better accommodate early-morning and evening schedules. The center is expected to reopen with the start of the spring semester in January.

“People pay a lot for gym memberships, but they don’t need to if they are part of the STC system,” Figueroa said. “This is a free, no judgment space. We welcome everyone.”

When the new Kinesiology Center opens, Figueroa said services will remain consistent but significantly enhanced.

“The biggest difference will be scale,” he said. “Everything will be bigger, newer and more modern. The equipment and services people see now will carry over with added opportunities as we grow.”

The new building will also support academic pathways within STC’s Kinesiology program, which focuses on fitness, exercise testing, personal training and exercise science, with plans to expand into additional career tracks including physical therapy.

Figueroa brings a background in sports, education and wellness into his role. A former STC student, he completed his core coursework in Kinesiology before transferring to Texas Tech University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management.

He later worked in Houston, interning with Rice University’s football program and serving in multiple roles at a performance training facility.

After returning to the Rio Grande Valley, Figueroa worked in professional sports operations and later as a special education teaching assistant, experiences he said strengthened his commitment to education and service.

“You’re always a student,” Figueroa said. “Education never leaves you. You’re always learning something new, and that’s what matters most. So, don’t be afraid to walk in, ask questions and see what we have to offer. We’re here to help, and this space is for you.”

For more information on STC’s Kinesiology and wellness services, visit southtexascollege.edu/academics/kinesiology/.