Palestine, TX Economic Development News

Fun Things to Do this Christmas in Palestine, Texas: Mark Your Calendar

Monday, December 04, 2023

This Christmas, in Palestine, Texas, there are a wide variety of holiday events and activities to enjoy. There are family-friendly options that tap into Christmas magic and opportunities for adults to celebrate, too. Not only can you get caught up in the spirit of the season, but you can also support your Texas neighbors and local entrepreneurs in the process. Mark your calendars to have enough space for these Christmas activities.The Polar Express™ Train Ride in Palestine, TexasTake a magical journey to the North Pole on a train departing from the Palestine Depot. From November 17 through December 27, families...

Economic potential poised to take flight in Palestine

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

The value of a municipal airport to a city goes well beyond air service. The economic impact brought to a community from the visitors, businesses and reputation can deliver continued growth and development from different avenues, many unseen by residents.“I compare our airport’s value to Lake Palestine,” said Jeff Jeffcoat, owner of Jeffcoat Consulting and recently named Palestine Municipal Airport (KPSN) airport manager. “The lake was created for flood control and water management, but most residents and visitors appreciate it for the bass fishing and water skiing. The airport is the same. It may have been built for other purposes,...

Etex Communications: Providing Long-Term, Top-Quality Telecommunications for Palestine

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Etex Communications (Etex), a company serving Palestine, provides state-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure for East Texas. Through fiber optics technology, Etex provides reliable internet to businesses within Palestine’s service area.With support from the City of Palestine and Palestine Economic Development Corporation (PEDC), Etex moved into the city in 2020. Matt Faggione, Director of Business Operations at Etex Communications, shares, “The city of Palestine and Anderson County did a study and invited providers to Palestine. We were in attendance at that meeting and were subsequently asked for a proposal of what we would need to bring Etex’s fiber to Palestine. We came up...

TVCC Workforce Education Survey Will Help Shape Curriculum to Community Needs

Friday, July 14, 2023

Trinity Valley Community College (TVCC), a higher education institution that serves Palestine, is offering a survey to business owners, business employees, school employees, and community members. Designed to help shape education to regional needs, the survey will shed light on workforce demands and trends within TVCC’s respective communities. Currently, TVCC’s programming is robust, offering programs in areas like agriculture, ranch management, business management, computer science, cyber security, cloud computing, CDL truck driving, nursing, robotics, GED training, welding, and more. Kelley Townsend, Associate Vice President of Workforce Education at TVCC, states that community feedback on existing programming and potential programming...

Texas Smashes Total Jobs Record For 20 Months In A Row, Leads Nation In Jobs Growth

Friday, June 16, 2023

Governor Greg Abbott today celebrated the strength of the growing Texas workforce and the state’s robust jobs economy following the release of May employment data showing Texas again smashing all previous records for total jobs, total Texans employed, and total Texas labor force. Texas has now added more than 2.1 million jobs under Governor Abbott’s leadership. “Texas’ robust economy stands apart as a model for the nation,” said Governor Abbott. “Not only are more Texans working than ever before, Texas leads the nation for jobs added over the last 12 months. Texas has also smashed the record for...

Shoe Sensation opens its doors in Palestine next week

Saturday, September 09, 2023

Shoe Sensation is stocking shelves with new shoes and getting ready to open their doors for a soft opening Friday, Sept. 15. The new store is 8,000 square feet of wall-to-wall shoes located next to Burke’s in the Palestine Mall shopping center, 1930 TX-256 Loop Suite 253 in Palestine.Shoe Sensation carries all the top names in footwear, including Hey Dude, Under Armour, Adidas, New Balance, Fila, Puma, Sketchers, Birkenstocks and more. Everything but Nikes and Jordans.Read the complete article here.

Front Line: Water Supply Increasingly Affecting Location Decisions

Friday, August 25, 2023

Abundant access to water, for manufacturing and other purposes, has long ranked near the top of companies’ site selection criteria — especially in drought-prone regions. Recent weather and climate trends have made it even more of a vital concern. Industries that withdraw large volumes of groundwater include manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, energy generation, engineering, and construction. Those withdrawals sometimes deplete local, public water supplies. Read the complete article here.

Governor Abbott Lauds Role Of Small Businesses In Texas’ Historic Budget Surplus

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Governor Abbott today celebrated Texas’ record-shattering jobs economy and the role small businesses play in keeping Texas a national economic leader at the Governor’s Small Business Summit in McAllen. Read the complete article here.

Carnegie Library reopens

Thursday, July 27, 2023

The Palestine Public Library held its grand opening at the Carnegie Building Wednesday with a ribbon cutting and comments from city and library leaders. Attendees praised the library’s move back into the historic structure, which sat vacant since the early 1980s when the library moved to the Alamo School building on Cedar Street. After two more moves, the Palestine Public Library has finally returned to its permanent location at 502 N. Queen St., where it offers all the modern conveniences of a new building, including technology and accessibility in a safer structure. Read the complete article here.

Workforce Takes Center Stage in Business Development and Expansion

Thursday, July 27, 2023

Across the country and within all industries, workforce development is a top issue for business development, expansion, and attraction.Because of its importance, states, regions, and other localities are taking a workforce and talent-based approach to business expansion and attraction. Additionally, business and industry alliances and collaboratives are often taking the lead on industry-specific talent and workforce development and attraction initiatives.Read the complete article here.

Federal and state funding will provide $4.5 billion for rural Texans needing high-speed internet

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Texas stands to receive more than $3 billion in federal funding to build out broadband internet across the state. It’s the largest single chunk of money for broadband provided to any state and it’s among the fruits of the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will allocate $42.5 billion in funding to get every household in the U.S. broadband internet by 2030. Read the complete article here.