EDINBURG – Officials with the U.S. Department of Commerce on Friday officially extended the deadline until October 31 to complete the U.S. Census, prompting Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez to strongly urge residents who have not done so to complete the once-a-decade form. “We have been given a second chance,” Judge Cortez said. “The response rate for households in Hidalgo County appears to be lower this year than a decade ago – and that’s bad news for us.” As of Friday, Hidalgo County had a response rate of 54.1 percent. Ten years ago, the county’s response rate was 55.9 percent. The ...