By Brandi Villarreal

Public Service Announcement: It’s OK to ask for help with your mental health, by Vidal Ruiz and Nygel Hudson Williams

December in Mexico is filled with color, faith and celebration. From the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe to Las Posadas and Christmas Eve, these beloved holidays appear deeply Catholic – yet their origins reach far back into the Indigenous and early colonial past, including the lands that would one day become Texas. Long before the Spanish missions and presidios appeared north of the Rio Grande, Indigenous peoples such as the Coahuiltecan, Caddo and Karankawa held midwinter ceremonies that honored the turning of the seasons and the renewal of life. These gatherings often included feasting, music and offerings to the…

The last thing most people want to see after they have been drinking is the police. But it’s a different story when the police are buying. A dozen citizens tossed back a few drinks in the name of public service on Sept. 24. The service was to help Corpus Christi police cadets train for the Standard Field Sobriety Test. About a dozen participants volunteered for police to get them intoxicated above the legal limit for the purpose of cadets’ training and performing their annual Standard Field Sobriety Test. Participants in the Citizens Police Academy can volunteer for this event. Anyone…

The Coastal Bend Food Bank and KIII-TV are once again teaming up for the Annual Share Your Christmas Food Drive on Wednesday, Dec. 10, to ensure families across the Coastal Bend have food on their tables this holiday season. From 5 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. donations will be accepted at the Coastal Bend Food Bank located at 5442 Bear Lane and KIII-TV studios located at 5002 S. Padre Island Drive. Now in its 38th year, this community tradition collects nonperishable food and monetary donations that provide meals to families across its eleven-county service area each holiday season.  As the cost…