Kevin O’Connor Kommentary August 11

College Station ISD School Board’s Review Of Its School Advisory Health Council Focuses On Student’s Use Of Cell Phones

The College Station ISD school board’s annual review of its School Advisory Health Council (SHAC) focused on student’s use of cell phones. CSISD athletic director Kevin Starnes, who is the administration’s representative on the SHAC, said the council wanted the district to “continue to look at and evaluate cell phone policies to limit distractions/off-task behavior during instructional times”. Starnes said the SHAC made two other recommendations. One was “For CSISD, recommend to have a plan to ensure safety of students arriving/leaving school on bikes”. The other was “that CSISD develop, distribute in the employee handbook, and enforce a policy to limit the screening of paid video advertising presented by any faculty, staff, or substitute member of the district CSISD during school hours or in the classroom.” The conversation also included superintendent Tim Harkrider and several school board members. Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the April 16, 2024 CSISD board meeting. Click below to hear some comments from the April 16, 2024 CSISD board meeting. Listen to “College Station ISD school board's review of its School Advisory Health Council focuses on student's use of cell phones” on Spreaker.

Bryan ISD School Board Agrees To Flip Locations Of The District’s Special Education Services And Alternative High School

Bryan ISD school board members approve the staff’s recommendation to flip the locations of the district’s special education services and M.C. Harris alternative high school. Special education is returning to the former Hammond-Oliver annex from the former Milam elementary building. And the M.C. Harris alternative school will move from the former Hammond-Oliver annex to the former Milam campus. BISD’s auxiliary services director Ron Clary said the switch can be done in time for employees to complete their move in this July before the next school year starts in August. BISD board members during Monday night’s meeting (April 15) awarded a $350,000 dollar construction contract to do what was described as “facility updates” on both campuses. The five board members attending the meeting also expressed no opposition to the staff’s estimates of spending another $138,000 on new furniture, $119,000 in new technology, $7,000 in safety improvements, and $20,000 in moving expenses. Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the April 15, 2024 Bryan ISD school board meeting. Click below to hear some of the comments from the April 15, 2024 Bryan ISD school board meeting.  

Bryan Police Makes Arrests In Three Reports Of Aggravated Assaults With A Deadly Weapon

A woman tells Bryan police that she did not regret shooting her husband after learning he was seeing another woman. The BPD arrest report also says the shooter told the other woman she wanted to shoot her too. And the shooter called 9-1-1 to report what she did. BPD social media says the husband, who was initially treated at the scene by an officer, is out of the hospital after being treated for a gunshot wound that went through his leg. The shooting took place Tuesday morning (April 16) at a home on Woodbend Drive, near Navarro school and the Bryan regional athletic complex. 34 year old Stephanie Arevalo was taken to jail on a charge of family violence aggravated assault with a weapon that caused serious bodily injury. She remained in jail as of April 17th in lieu of a $30,000 dollar bond. A workout by a group of men at Tiffany Park in Bryan around 5:30 in the morning on Tuesday (April 16) was interrupted when a stranger got into an altercation with one of the men. Arrest reports from Bryan police say when a member of the workout group pushed the stranger away, the stranger pulled out a small Cuisinart knife. After the stranger made multiple attempts to stab the victim, the victim said he was able to talk the stranger down and they went their separate ways. Officers found the stranger behind Bowen elementary school, next to the park. 37 year old Guy Lawrence of College Station was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He remained in jail as of April 17th in lieu of a $30,000 dollar bond. Two road construction workers tell Bryan police that they were threatened by a motorist with a gun after they did not allow the motorist to go the wrong way through a construction zone. The BPD arrest report says the motorist turned around and left, but not before a third co-worker took a picture of the vehicle and got the license plate. That led officers to finding and arresting the driver. 26 year old Guy Friedrichs of Bryan, who denied all allegations, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Friederichs, who was arrested Monday (April 15th), remains in jail as of April 17th in lieu of bonds totaling $60,000 dollars.