The Monitor

Mexican charter flights to boost business in Weslaco, says EDC chief

Aircraft mechanic Luis Castillo walks out of a hangar Tuesday morning, Jan. 31, 2012, at the Mid-Valley Airport in Weslaco. Helivan, a charter flight company out of Mexico City, will begin offering flights from Tampico, Tamps., to Weslaco in February.

WESLACO — Economic Development Corp. Director Hernan Gonzalez was beaming as he showed city commissioners a photo of an 18-passenger aircraft and its owners during a presentation Jan. 17. That plane, and possibly another that carries 50,...... Full story

New Chamber of Commerce comes to Rio Grande City

Cecilia Olivarez, left, Veronica Alaniz and Roel Reyes are among a group that have started the Rio Grande City Greater Chamber of Commerce.

RIO GRANDE CITY — The new Greater Chamber of Commerce Rio Grande City is starting the new year with a full plate. The six board members hit the ground running after their first official meeting in September. The Chamber worked on the annual...... Full story

Leaving a job? Take your 401(k) with you

NEW YORK — Don’t forget to take your 401(k) on the way out. As the job market picks up, one of the most important loose ends to tend to when changing jobs is your workplace retirement account. The actions you take — or fail to...... Full story

Applying Herself: Avon saleswoman climbs ladder, brings family along

Silvia Tamayo, center, talks with Isabel Chavez while looking through a catalog of Avon products at her store Monday, Dec. 19, 2011, in McAllen. Tamayo sells and recruits sales representatives for Avon products.

McALLEN — Silvia Tamayo couldn’t find a job in McAllen. After marrying a U.S. citizen, the Reynosa native found herself north of the border, sharing a one-room apartment with her husband and two children. The family had one...... Full story

Pharr program aims to keep businesses happy, in town

Victor de Leon, spokesman for Workforce Solutions, speaks to the business networking professionals gathered Dec. 27 at the Brook Ridge retirement community in Pharr.

PHARR — Luis Bazan, Pharr’s Chamber of Commerce president, spent three days last fall in Arizona learning about how to build and keep businesses. Now, Bazan wants to take those lessons back to Pharr in the form of the city’s first...... Full story

Uninsured turn to daily deal sites for health care

This screen shot shows eyewear coupons for the New York City area offered by Groupon.com. Daily deal sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial, best known for discounts at local restaurants and spas, are helping some people fill holes in health insurance coverage. (AP Photo/Groupon.com)

NEW YORK — The last time Mark Stella went to the dentist he didn’t need an insurance card. Instead, he pulled out a Groupon. Stella, a small business owner, canceled his health insurance plan more than three years ago when his premium...... Full story

US stocks leap on first day of new year

In this Dec. 20, 2011 file photo, traders John Panin, center, and Robert Charmay, right, work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. World stock markets rose Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012, as market confidence grew after the release of manufacturing data that showed improvement in Europe. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks opened sharply higher Tuesday in the first trading of 2012 after positive economic reports from around the globe. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped more than 260 points. The gains gave the market a head start on the...... Full story

FROZEN YOGURT CRAZE: Local entrepreneur has faith in product

MCALLEN,TX,DEC.29,2011- Orange Leaf yogurt in McAllen. Photo by Delcia Lopez/dlopez@themonitor.com

McALLEN – A family laughed and hummed to themselves, spooning more dessert into their mouths Wednesday, as Sabita Ramchandani walked into her Orange Leaf frozen yogurt store at 601 Trenton Road on Wednesday. Carrying a bulging bank deposit...... Full story

Valley bridges count fewer Mexico-bound travelers — again

Traffic continues to flow in the southbound lanes on the Hidalgo-Reynosa bridge late Wednesday afternoon, Dec.14, 2011, in Hidalgo.

HIDALGO — Across the Rio Grande Valley, most international bridges counted fewer people headed to Mexico this year. It’s a familiar story for bridge managers, who have watched drug-related violence, the stagnant economy and post-9/11...... Full story

What's Your Fancy? New boutique opens in downtown Rio Grande City

Angels on display at Casa Victorianna along Hwy 83 near downtown December 1, 2011 in Rio Grande City.

RIO GRANDE CITY – The spelling of Casa Victorianna might seem strange to some, but it looks perfect to the store’s owner. Leticia Garza named her boutique after her two granddaughters, Victoria, 6, and Anna, 5. The name also...... Full story

Hard to digest: Spain's long lunches under threat

Workers eat lunch at a bar in the old city of Pamplona northern Spain, Thursday Oct. 27, 2011. Amid sting of crisis, Spanish firms mull scrapping something sacred: the two-hour lunch break. As Europe's economic crisis bites hard and the eurozone's fourth largest economy considers its own myriad woes, low productivity is one of them. One thing that would help is to scrap Spain's traditional productivity-sucking black hole at midday, say economists and advocates of a more European 9-to-5-style schedule. These reform-seekers say people would be more rested and motivated and perform better if they could clock out earlier and get home to do things like exercise or raise their kids in person.

MADRID — Day after day, Spanish chef Jesus Lopez serves up treats like a steaming stew of red beans with spicy chorizo sausage and bacon chunks. And that’s just the first course. Next comes hake au gratin on a bed of spinach, and...... Full story

4 pitfalls of holiday perks for credit cards

NEW YORK — It seems like the most wonderful time of year for credit card rewards. With the holiday season fast approaching, card issuers are dangling big sign-on bonuses and richer rewards that they say will help consumers offset their...... Full story

Haven't booked a holiday flight yet? Smart move

Holiday travelers pass through airport security Nov. 22, 2010, at Los Angeles International Airport.

NEW YORK — The cheapest fares for Thanksgiving and Christmas aren’t going to the travelers who booked months in advance. Experts say they’ll go to those who can take advantage of some last-minute deals. In previous years, the rule...... Full story

Ugly end to historic October on Wall Street

Specialist Peter Elkin watches his monitors as he works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Monday, Oct. 31, 2011. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

NEW YORK (AP) -- October is somewhat cursed for the stock market - the Crash of 1929, Black Monday in 1987, a slow-motion meltdown in 2008. This time, the demons made a last gasp, but Wall Street still managed to break the jinx.Stocks had their best...... Full story

Stocks turn mixed after Thursday's big rally

In this Oct. 27, 2011 photo, specialist Jennifer Klesaris, right, works at her post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011.  The euphoric rally in share prices fed by a European deal to cut Greece's debt and prevent larger countries from falling down the same hole slowed on Friday, Oct. 28, as investors began to recognize the significant challenges that still face the continent. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Stocks edged between small gains and losses Friday afternoon as traders scrutinized a plan to contain Europe's debt crisis that sent the market soaring a day earlier.The Dow Jones industrial average was down one point to 12,207 with half an hour...... Full story

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