HARLINGEN, Texas - Cameron County Drainage District No. 5 is partnering with the City of Harlingen to improve drainage.

The first drainage project is the widening of the North Main Drain that the drainage district owns.

The City and CCDD5 held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to kickoff the project.

At the event, CCDD5 President Steve Jennings gave the Rio Grande Guardian an exclusive interview. He said that his home has flooded four times in the four decades he has lived there. He said that is sort of inevitable when the land is flat and rises only one foot every mile. Jennings said CCDD5 plans to widen drains and build more detention ponds.

Jennings thanked the City of Harlingen for using its manpower and equipment to make drainage improvements on property the drainage district owns.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Ron Whitlock Reports secured an audio interview with Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda. Here it is.

Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Jesse Acevedo just completed a pipefitting course at Texas Southmost College.

In an interview with Ron Whitlock of Ron Whitlock Reports he said he would recommend the program to anyone because pipefitters are in big demand and the wages are good.

Acevedo is about to start work for Bechtel at the Port of Brownsville. The company is building a liquefied natural gas export terminal for NextDecade.

Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

PALMVIEW, Texas - U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz spoke about congressional redistricting and Mexico’s water debt to the U.S. at a top GOP dinner in Palmview.

The event - titled the Lincoln-Reagan Dinner - was hosted by Hidalgo County Republican Party and held at the Stallion Event Center. De La Cruz introduced the keynote speaker, U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton.

De La Cruz recalled a time she met President Trump and the two were looking at a map of Texas and the Gulf of America.

“He turns to me and he says, well, Congresswoman, where are you from? I hear you're from South Texas, but where exactly? And we’re looking at the Gulf of America. And I said, Sir, I am from right here, Mr. President. And I point right there to the very most southern tip of Texas. And he looks at me and says, well, you barely got in though, didn't you?” De La Cruz recalled.

She said she responded: “I’m proud to be here. I'm proud to be in Texas.”

The Edinburg Republican knew she would not have much time with the president and so she had to make the most of it.

“There’s a clock. You’ve only got 30 seconds. You’d better say something good, and you better say something fast. And so I turned to the President. I said, Mr. President, I have urgent news. He says, What's that? Take a deep breath. Mexico is screwing us. President Trump, Mexico is screwing us with water. And he goes, Mexico's screwing us. He goes, James, get over here. Why is Mexico screwing us? Tell him. Tell him.”

De La Cruz said Trump told her that Mexico will deliver on its water treaty obligations.

“And you know what? He kept his promise. We've got water from Mexico. We're holding back money from the Mexican government, and we are getting South Texas farmers the water that they need and they deserve. And I'm so grateful for President Trump for listening to what we needed in South Texas and actually doing it.”

De La Cruz then spoke about successes she has had with the federal budget.

“We've been able to bring $1 billion right here to the Rio Grande Valley, (and) $280 million in a carve out from the disaster emergency fund. That has never been done before. And no other district got that money,” De La Cruz said.

Editor's Note: To read the full story go the Rio Grande Guardian website.

Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.