LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) -A thinning layer of humid gulf air, possibly with low cloud early Monday morning, will be capped by very warm desert air just above. The desert air will influence our weather enough to raise temperatures to around 100. The limiting factor on how high the temperature gets will be how much the sun is dimmed by cirrus clouds high above. A cooler airmass from the Great Plains will bring a slight chance of a shower Monday night followed by cooler and dry high 80′s Tuesday afternoon. The cooler air will last for several days. 

Former NASA astronaut José Hernández is coming to the AT&T Discovery District in Dallas for the April 8 total solar eclipse.

Hernández’s life story was featured in the 2023 Amazon Prime film A Million Miles Away, starring actor Michael Peña. Hernández was a Mexican American son of immigrant farmworkers in California and went on to become an engineer and astronaut.

The AT&T Discovery District in downtown Dallas will host a free eclipse watch party, where Hernández will speak about his career and answer children’s questions about science and technology.

Hernández was born in French Camp, Calif., and his family is from Michoacán, Mexico. After multiple attempts, Hernández joined the Johnson Space Center in Houston in 2001.

After being turned down 11 times over three years for astronaut training by NASA, Hernández was selected in May 2004.

Hernández worked on various assignments until his selection in 2008 as a mission specialist on the STS-128 mission, which launched on Aug. 28, 2009. While in orbit, Hernández became the first person to use the Spanish language in space while tweeting.

The STS-128 mission ended its journey on Sept. 11, 2009, at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

The 2023 movie was based on Hernández’s 2012 autobiography, Reaching for the Stars: The Inspiring Story of a Migrant Farmworker Turned Astronaut. He currently serves as a regent of the University of California.

For those who join Hernández, there will be a first-come, first-served giveaway of 4,000 eclipse glasses.

Special eclipse-themed food and drink menus will be available at the Exchange Hall and Cowboy Chow restaurants.

The free event will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, April 8. Hernández will deliver remarks at 12:15 p.m. at the AT&T Discovery District, 308 S. Akard St., in Dallas. For additional details, visit the AT&T Discovery District website.

LAREDO, Tx. (KGNS) - Billions of dollars are going to U.S. Customs and Border Protection as part of a new government spending bill; however, for the first time since the Trump administration, none of it will go towards the construction of a border wall.

U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar stated that over 61 billion dollars in the discretionary funds will be used to hire over 22,000 Border Patrol agents and give pay raises to existing agents in the agency.

Congressman Cuellar said the funds will also go to other departments under the Department of Homeland Security.

“We are going to give Border Patrol overtime, plus a lot of benefits for them, money for CBP, men and women in blue, support staff for both of them,” said Cuellar. “Monies for detention and deportation, ICE. I convinced my Republican friends it is better to use that type of money. There was 600 million dollars still remaining from the Trump wall, instead of saying them put it back to the wall - like they’ve done year after year, I was able to convince them to use it for technology.”

Cuellar said he has been in talks with officials from the City of Laredo and Webb County about possibly building a river road from Zapata to Maverick County.

LAREDO, TX. (KGNS) - Friday, Mar. 29 isn’t just known as Good Friday, it’s also a day to pay tribute to those who fought in the Vietnam War.

As part of National Vietnam War Veterans Day, several hometown heroes gathered at a Laredo restaurant wearing red to remember those who served in the war and the roughly 1500 Americans who are still missing in action, 28 of which are from Laredo.

Jesus Segovia is one of the nine million Americans who served in the war and has been an advocate for helping other Vietnam vets.

Despite the controversies surrounding the war, Segovia said that he is still proud to have served his country.

“You bring back memories you know, It was a hard, it’s hard,” said Segovia. “I spent 13 months over there, my family doesn’t, we don’t talk much about it. Slowly you know, you say a little thing here, some of my friends really went through some bad experiences and what can I say, we all did something for our country, and we are proud to have served.”

Segovia adds that the U.S. is still searching for those Americans who never returned home.

Their names are written on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C.

LAREDO, TX. (KGNS) - As we get ready to start April, the month is known as Autism Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness on the developmental disorder.

The Laredo non-profit organization, Families for Autism Support and Awareness was formed back in 1999 by Veronica Orduno after she wanted to reach out to other parents in our community and educate them about the disorder.

Before Autism Awareness Month Starts, Families for Autism Support and Awareness is hosting a pop-up shop event.

Roughly 25 vendors will set up at the Firefighters Union Hall selling goodies, clothes, and jewelry while also supporting a good cause.

The Families for Autism Support and Awareness will also be selling merchandise for the whole community.

The event will take place on Saturday, Mar. 30 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Laredo Firefighters Union Hall located at 5219 Tesoro Plaza.

For more information call 956-220-9318.

LAREDO, Tx (KGNS) - In observance of Good Friday and the Easter holiday, several City of Laredo and Webb County offices will be closed.

Both UISD and LISD will be off on Friday, Mar. 29 as well as Monday, April 1.

Classes and school offices will resume normal operations on Tuesday, April 2.

Both the City of Laredo and Webb County Offices will also be closed on Friday and Monday but some services will remain active.

On the city side, there will be regular garbage pick-up on Friday, but for those who have trash pick-up on Monday, that will be moved to Wednesday, April 3.

There will be no lawn-clipping or branch collection on either day and the City of Laredo Landfill will be open Friday but not on Monday.

El Metro services will run as normal and the 311-call center will remain active.

On the county side, all emergency service will be available.

Both entities will re-open offices on Tuesday.

LAREDO, Tx. (KGNS) - A woman is injured following a car crash on I-35 Thursday.

The collision happened on the northbound lane right in front of Mall Del Norte just after the noon hour.

Video footage shows two vehicles damaged on the side of the road and first responders at the scene.

Laredo Police officers were seen directing traffic while crews cleared the scene.

The woman was treated at the scene but was not taken to the hospital.

No word on the cause of the crash.

LAREDO, Tx. (KGNS) - The countdown to the solar eclipse is underway and even though many young stargazers are preparing to witness the astronomical event, class will still be in session for Laredo-area schools.

During the day of the eclipse, LISD officials say that they will provide educational opportunities to students both in and outside of the classroom.

Participating students will need to have a permission slip signed by a parent or legal guardian that allows them to view the solar eclipse using NASA approved sunglasses.

Dr. Oscar Perez, the LISD Executive Director for Health and Safety said that teachers will be monitoring the students to make sure they are viewing the eclipse in a safe manner.

“We do ask our parents to obviously send our students to school because we will have opportunities on site,” said Perez. “Now again the danger and the risk lies when individuals are looking up at the sun at this particular point in time. We are expecting that you know the times between 12:09 p.m. and 2:51 p.m. on April 8 is the time that we have to be extremely careful, and we have to monitor, actively monitor that time period.”

For those students who are unable to participate outside, the district said students will be able to watch the livestream from the classrooms.

Meanwhile, KGNS reached out to UISD who have not announced its plans for the eclipse at this time.