Rio Grande Guardian's Podcast

Executives: At Saronic, our welders have the opportunity to become engineers

PORT ISABEL, Texas - Saronic Technologies, the Austin-based defense technology startup that is considering building a shipyard at the Port of Brownsville, places a big emphasis on developing a young workforce.  So says Chris Johnson, director for the company’s shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana. “Saronic is really, really good at is bringing on younger talent and training it,” Johnson said, during a presentation he and three of his colleagues made to Point Isabel ISD. By way of an example, Johnson told the story of the shipyard in Franklin. “Louisiana has long had a problem with young graduates in STEM, specifically engineering, electrical, and mechanical. Many different types of engineers have to leave Louisiana…  because there aren't good jobs for those professionals. But we're helping reduce what they call the brain drain, where young professionals leave because there's not enough jobs for them. Saronic has done a really good job of addressing that in Franklin. I suspect we'll do it here again in Brownsville, given that chance.” Johnson said there is a “buzz around Saronic” because “our culture is different.” Doug Lambert, a co-founder and COO of Saronic, agreed. “We've up skilled that workforce (in Louisiana). We have welders who are becoming engineers. We have pipe fitters who are growing in their careers. And that's something that's incredibly important to Saronic. We have a robust kind of jobs skill training pipeline that we've been prototyping here in Louisiana, and could potentially bring here to Brownsville, Texas.” Lambert said the company thinks about manufacturing differently to most.  “These are not dirty jobs. We think about them in a way that is incredibly, incredibly tech-forward and people-forward and process-forward. So we tend to invest in our employees. We like to up-skill and create new opportunities that folks otherwise wouldn't have gotten in the area. And that really is reflected in how we build out infrastructure,” Lambert said.  Editor's Note: To read the full story go to the RGG Business Journal website.  Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

La Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos anula los aranceles de la IEEPA, abriendo caminos inciertos

MCALLEN, Texas - Durante un seminario web el 4 de marzo, el presidente de Interlink Trade Services, Jorge Torres, explicó que la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos declaró ilegales los aranceles impuestos bajo la Ley de Poderes Económicos de Emergencia Internacional (IEEPA), lo que abre la puerta a posibles reembolsos estimados en unos $133 millones, aunque aún no se ha establecido un mecanismo claro para su devolución.  Torres advirtió que la eliminación de los aranceles de la IEEPA fue seguida por la implementación de la Sección 122, que introduce un recargo inicial del 10 % que podría aumentar al 15 % y que se mantendrá temporal hasta finales de julio, mientras la Casa Blanca evalúa otras herramientas, como las Secciones 232 y 301, para mantener la presión comercial. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

Hinojosa writes to Valley irrigation districts

EDINBURG, Texas - State Sen. Juan Hinojosa has urged Valley irrigation districts to work on plans to line their canals.  And he welcomed new funding from NADBank, saying it augments the money the Legislature has committed through the Texas Water Development Board. “We (the Legislature) set aside a billion dollars for grants, not for loans, just straight out grants. And the staff of the Water Development Board recommended that $100 million of their billion dollars be set aside for just the Rio Grande Valley irrigation districts. And the reason for that is that they want the canals to be lined,” Hinojosa said. “About 85% of the water that's used here in the Rio Grande Valley goes through canals and irrigation districts. And of that 85%, we lose probably half of it to seepage and evaporation.” Lining the Valley's canals will save hundreds of millions of dollars, Hinojosa said. “We need to move forward and try and find ways to improve our canal system so that we can conserve water, save water, and not waste it through seepage and evaporation.” Hinojosa continued: “Our biggest challenge is that many of these water districts and irrigation districts on their own cannot afford to pay back some of the loans or some of the interest. And they need to consolidate, or they need to unite, or form some kind of coalition so that they can increase their resources and ability to be able to qualify for some of these grants that are very much needed here in the Valley.” Editor's Note: Go to the Rio Grande Guardian website to read the full story. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

Cornyn makes final campaign swing through the Valley

EDINBURG, TEXAS - U.S. Sen. John Cornyn made his last campaign swing through the Rio Grande Valley in the company of the National Border Patrol Council.   “The Border Patrol Council, they have become like brothers and sisters,” Cornyn said, as he acknowledged the council’s endorsement.   “It was heartbreaking to see how our professional law enforcement, who dedicate their lives to this nation, were abandoned by the administration during the previous four years, by the Biden administration.   “I continue to do everything that I can make sure that our brave men and women in the Border Patrol can actually use their training and their skills to do the job and not be diverted providing shelter, clothing, transportation, while being overrun by a tsunami of humanity and which has overwhelmed many of our border communities.”   Cornyn continued: “In Texas, we believe in supporting our men and women in uniform, no matter what color that uniform is, because the alternative is chaos and anarchy.    “And it's shocking to me to see in Washington, DC, and other places, where people say, well, we shouldn't enforce our laws, and we shouldn't support our law enforcement officials who are doing nothing more than their duty enforcing laws that Congress has passed, and the President has signed into law.   “So, what we've seen depicted on our TV sets in places like Minnesota are tragic, but they're also shameful, and accusing law enforcement of being the problem rather than the solution is just exactly wrong.”   Cornyn also spoke about the 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty. He gave a shoutout to Bret Erickson of the Texas International Fresh Produce Association, who was there to endorse him.    “We worked with (U.S. Rep.) Monica De La Cruz to work on this 1944 Water Treaty with Mexico. I still remember being in Mexico City many years ago, when I was attorney general. We were still talking about that water treaty with Mexico hoarding water, denying it to our farmers and ranchers here in the United States. And we have said enough is enough.   “Thank goodness, President Trump and (Agriculture) Secretary (Brooke) Rollins and Congress have come together to make sure that we get regular disbursements of that water so it will not only support our folks in the Ag sector but also provide for the economy and the prosperity the Rio Grande Valley deserves.”   Editor's Note: To read the full story go to the Rio Grande Guardian website. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

U.S. Senate candidates make final campaign swing through the Valley

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - The top Democrats running for U.S. Senate have made their final campaign swings through the Rio Grande Valley ahead of the Primary Election on March 3. U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett had an event at Brownsville Public Library.  Texas state Rep. James Talarico appeared on stage with other Democratic candidates at the Edinburg Municipal Auditorium.  Here is an audio recording of part of Crockett’s speech. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.