Careers & Coffee 2026 runs Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Brownsville Events Center on Paredes Line Road (FM 1847). Entry is free, and the organizer's page says registration is required.

The listing from the Greater Brownsville EDC promises more than 10,000 job opportunities, résumé help, time with employers and a free professional headshot. This year's employer list isn't posted yet, so check the page again before you go.

Get the details and the registration link

🚓 National Night Out in Harlingen, Tonight

The Harlingen Police Department hosts National Night Out tonight, Tuesday, Oct. 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Lon C. Hill Park, 1217 Fair Park Blvd. The department's flyer calls it a free community event with food, games and music. Questions go to Officer Benito Bravo at (956) 367-1545.

See the city's post

🗳️ Early Voting Is Open Through Friday, Oct. 30

Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election started Monday in Hidalgo and Cameron counties, and it runs through Friday, Oct. 30. Each county posts its early voting hours and polling places on its elections page. Cameron County notes that locations and times can change, so check the day you go.

Hidalgo County elections, (956) 318-2570 · Cameron County polling places

🎖️ Veterans Luncheon and Resource Fair in Brownsville, Wednesday, Oct. 21

Serving Those Who Served Us, a veterans appreciation luncheon and resource fair, runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1801 Veterans Blvd., Brownsville. The event page says you must register for lunch. It doesn't name the organizer or list a price, so register ahead and ask any questions there.

Register for the luncheon

🎡 This Weekend

Starting Fri., Oct. 23, McAllen: The McAllen Fall Festival opens its carnival midway at Expressway 83 and Ware Road. Gate entry and parking are free, and unlimited-ride wristbands are $35 per person. It opens at 5:30 p.m. every day except Tuesdays, through Nov. 8. See the listing

Sat., Oct. 24, McAllen: The South Texas International Book Festival fills the McAllen Main Library, 4001 N. 23rd St., from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's free, kids and teens can take home a free book, and Reyna Grande and Katherine Center are among the authors on the schedule. Read our festival guide

Sat., Oct. 24, Weslaco: Estero Llano Grande State Park leads a two-hour birding tour at 8:30 a.m., open to all ages and skill levels. If Thursday works better, the park's ranger-driven electric tram tour leaves at 9 a.m. on Oct. 22; reservations are required at (956) 565-3919. The park's events page doesn't list a cost for either one. See the park's events

🍎 Valley Courage: The Mercedes Teacher Who Gets Students Job-Ready

Monica Escamilla has taught at Mercedes High School for 12 years, and she graduated from there herself. Earlier this month, CBS 4 surprised her with the first Golden Apple Award of this school year.

Assistant Principal Diana Adame told the station that Escamilla is the yearbook sponsor, the P-Tech lead teacher and the head of the career and technical education department. One student said she was nervous when she got her job and didn't know what to wear or what to do. Escamilla taught her what to say and told her to put her down as a reference.

"I do all this for my students," Escamilla told CBS 4.

Reported by Marco Ramirez for ValleyCentral. Read the original story

Know a Valley neighbor who did something brave? A caregiver, a teacher, a first responder, a business owner who reopened after losing everything. Furry friends count too. Hit reply and tell us who they are and what they did, or post it in our Facebook group.

By sending a story, you confirm it's true and that it's yours to share, or that the person in it (or their family) is okay with it. It may appear in our newsletter, on our website and on our social media. We may edit for length, and we'll leave out anything private. See our Terms

😄 Smile for the Road

Somewhere in the Valley this week, a grandmother is asking her grandson if he printed his résumé yet. He has not.

📅 Plan Ahead

Sat., Nov. 7, Mission: The Texas Butterfly Festival holds its free Community Day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the National Butterfly Center. The full festival runs Nov. 7-10. See the festival's page

📨 Pass It On

Forward this email to a neighbor who'd use it, or send them to the956rundown.com/signup. It's free.

And come hang out with your Valley neighbors in our free Facebook group. That's where the weekend picks land first, every Thursday morning.

💬 Quote of the Week

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."

Colossians 3:23, ESV

🏪 For Valley Business Owners: Three Founding Spots

We asked Google's AI 12 times where to get a haircut in Harlingen. It never named one local barbershop we were checking. Every answer sent people to other shops.

If you own a business, The 956 Rundown can put your name in front of Valley families every Tuesday. Banner Partner founding rates start at $40 a week and stay yours as long as you renew. Full Founding Partners ($250 a month, three spots) also get a feature story and a quarterly email to our list carrying their own coupon code, so they can count who comes in. Banner and Full Founding Partners get an AI Visibility Snapshot (valued at $500).

See the three founding spots

If sponsoring isn't for you yet, your business may already be in our free directory. Find it and tap Claim to add your hours and photos. If it isn't there yet, you can add it free from the same page.

🙏 The Sunday Word

CBN News reports that 550 people were baptized this month in the cold sea off Bridlington, in the north of England, by the organizer's count. Paul wrote about what that water pictures.

"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:4, ESV)

Read the full Sunday Word from Pastor Reyes Castillo

More from Pastor Reyes: his books, including Called by Name and Freedom Code, are at thewayofthewarrior.org/books. Tap a cover to hear a one-minute message about why each one was written.

See you Thursday with the weekend picks.

Reyes

P.S. If you know someone who's job hunting, forward this email to them. Careers & Coffee is Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Brownsville, and it's free.