Texas A&M Faculty Senate Learns Merit Pay Money Held In Reserves Has Been Released

Texas A&M has 6,000 students who are registered with the disability services center who require special accommodations. Director Kristie Orr told faculty senate members at this month’s meeting that a west campus building is being remodeled to add student testing spaces. What was formerly an open access computer lab on the first floor of the business library and collaborative comments, will have two private rooms and three large areas that will seat 123 students. Testing space in the student services building holds 96, requiring at times to do testing in conference rooms and even space in the memorial student center. Orr also explained a new responsibility for some faculty members, that of being a liaison between affected students and the center’s case workers who each monitor between 500 and 600 students. She said the liaison is something that came from A&M’s president. And the center is moving to a new data management system on or around May 16. Click HERE to read and download presentation materials that were used at the April 14, 2025 Texas A&M faculty senate meeting. Orr and faculty senate speaker Angie Hill Price also responded to questions regarding an increase in the number of failing students who are asking for accommodations the closer it gets to finals week. Click below to hear comments from the April 14, 2025 faculty senate meeting. Listen to “Texas A&M disability resources center getting more testing space for students who need accommodations” on Spreaker.

A March hail storm damaged 29 vehicles owned by Brazos County. County commissioners at their April 15th meeting, approved a budget amendment transferring $130,000 dollars that in part will cover insurance deductibles. Estimated damages per vehicle ranged from $2,000 to more than $11,000 dollars. Click HERE to read and download the budget amendment that was approved at the April 15, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting. Before the unanimous vote, commissioner Fred Brown said the county could avoid paying $1,000 dollar deductibles on each vehicle. The county’s insurance risk manager, Leslie Contreras, said the deductible is based on the county’s policy, which includes deductibles. Contreras also said the county pays the repair bills, then sends claims to their insurance carrier to be reimbursed minus the deductible. She says that keeps the county’s insurance premiums from increasing. Click below to hear comments from the April 15, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting. Listen to “Brazos County commissioners discuss insurance deductibles following hail damage to county vehicles” on Spreaker.

A Brazos County grand jury has indicted a College Station man for sexual assault of a 14 year old. The indictment, which was filed Monday (April 21), came ten years and one month after the assault happened. The College Station police arrest report says after the March 2015 assault, DNA tests were done. Those tests were completed in March 2018, but “for an unknown reason the case was never reopened” until March 2025 when DNA from an unrelated investigation matched the sexual assault. That led to the new charge against 35 year old Kenton Lister, who has been in the Brazos County jail since October 2024 awaiting four trials on felony charges. Lister is waiting trial for evading arrest in August 2023, family violence aggravated assault and continuous violence against family members in January 2024, burglary of a habitation in July 2024, and burglary of a habitation, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and violating a protection order in October 2024. Lister, who is in jail for the 18th time since January 2008, is held as of April 21 in lieu of bonds totaling $545,000 dollars.