June 23 - State Representative Juan Escobar, D-Kingsville, was recently named Legislator of the Year by the Vietnam Veterans of America Texas State Council. The VVA could not have picked a more deserving honoree.

July 3 - Leslie Gower, a licensed professional counselor from McAllen, is a member of the Hidalgo County, State, and National Credentials Committee of the Democratic Party. Below is a letter she wrote in response to an op-ed by Juan Maldonado, the former Hidalgo County Democratic Party chairman, that ran earlier this week in the Guardian.