Bryan ISD School Board Recognizes Two On Campus Lifesaving Rescues

Formal Installation Of Mark Welsh As Texas A&M’s 27th President

The formal installation of Mark Welsh as Texas A&M’s 27th president took place Friday morning (October 25). Welsh said when he was first asked to do an investiture ceremony, he “gave it a pretty flat no”. Then he learned it was a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages and he said “Aggies value tradition.” Welsh also said the ceremony is more about the university, adding the president’s job is an opportunity and a challenge to earn the trust of A&M’s faculty, the confidence of the staff, the respect of current and former students, and the support of the A&M system leadership, the board of regents, and the legislature. Welsh said “accepting that challenge publicly holds me accountable. And I do believe in accountability.” Welsh recognized his parents. His father was an Aggie who fought in World War two, Korea, and Vietnam. His mother raised seven children while working as an elementary school teacher. Introducing Welsh was his daughter, Liz Beechinor, A&M class of 2010. Symbols of the investiture, the university mace and a medallion, were presented by A&M system chancellor John Sharp. Congressman Michael McCaul, whose wife and three of their children are A&M graduates, presented Welsh with a congressional resolution. Also speaking were A&M system board of regents chairman Bill Mahomes, A&M faculty senate speaker Angie Hill Price, university staff council chairwoman Kat McLelland, and provost Alan Sams. Click below to hear comments from Mark Welsh and the introduction from his daughter Liz Beechinor. Listen to “Comments from Mark Welsh and his daughter at the investiture of Texas A&M’s 27th president” on Spreaker. Click below to hear additional comments from the investiture ceremony. Listen to “More comments from the investiture of Mark Welsh as Texas A&M’s 27th president” on Spreaker. A collection of images from the investiture ceremony are screen shots from the live webstream provided by Texas A&M:

Brazos County Election News Includes A Reminder To Not Walk Out Of A Voting Center With Your Ballot

A message to Brazos County voters is to not walk out of a voting center with your ballot. Brazos County elections administrator Trudy Hancock says if you go outside still holding your ballot, state law does not allow you to re-enter to drop off the ballot. And you can not vote a second time. Hancock also says there are two other steps for your vote to count. After making your selections, the ballot has to be printed. Then the ballot has to be scanned before it is placed in the ballot box. Early voting in Brazos County continues through the weekend and through next week. Hours are Saturday (October 26) from seven until seven, Sunday (October 27) from ten until four, and next Monday through Friday (October 28-November 1) from seven until seven. Brazos County commissioners Wanda Watson and Nancy Berry shared observations about voting center activity at the end of Tuesday’s meeting (October 22). Click below to hear comments from Wanda Watson and Nancy Berry:   News release from Brazos County elections administrator Trudy Hancock: The Brazos County Elections Administration would like to remind all voters to please place your printed ballots in the boxes before you exit a polling location. Voting in Brazos County is a multi-step process. After marking selections at the voting both, the voter must then print the ballot. They then take that printed ballot to a separate machine to scan their ballot. This is where the ballot is counted before it drops into the ballot box. Placing the paper ballot in the scanner before exiting the polling location is a critical step. Without it, none of the other steps are valid. Your Brazos County elections administrator, Trudy Hancock, and her staff want to make sure every voice is heard and every vote counts. Please do not leave your polling place with your paper ballot. It is not a receipt. It is your vote.

Bryan Police Remove Gambling Machines Following Citizen Complaints

Bryan police credits citizen complaints for an undercover operation that led to removing 34 gambling machines at eight convenience stores. A BPD news release says those machines contained a combined $64,000 dollars. Who gets to keep the money will be decided in the courts. No arrests have been made as BPD’s investigation continues. A spokesman tells WTAW News they are still determining ownership of the convenience stores and the owners of the machines. News release from Bryan police: On 10/23/2024, The Bryan Police Department’s Directed Deployment Team (DDT) executed eight (8) evidentiary search warrants throughout the City of Bryan in reference to illegal gambling machines inside local convenient stores. Based on citizen complaints received, the DDT began an investigation. In order to verify that offenses were being committed, undercover officers were utilized inside the stores where criminal cases were made for the offense of “Gambling.” During the undercover operations, officers learned of additional gambling locations at other convenience stores. Those officers also verified that the offense of “gambling” was being committed at those stores as well. All eight (8) search warrants accused the suspects of the offense of “Keeping a Gambling Place” and ordered the removal of the gambling machines and the pay-out machines and the contents there within. A total of twenty-six (26) “8-liner” machines along with 8 “pay-out” machines were seized. A total of $64, 446.00 in US Currency was removed from the machines. A property hearing will be held at a later date in reference to the monies seized. Multiple units within the Bryan Police Department assisted in this operation along with the Texas Comptroller’s Office. No arrest were made, however, this investigation is still active and ongoing at this time. The possession of an “8-liner” machine itself is not illegal. However, the legal issue arises when these machines are used for gambling purposes, specifically when they are set to payout monetary rewards. This is where the offense of “Keeping a Gambling Place” comes into play. “Gambling place” means any real estate, building, room, tent, vehicle, boat, or other property whatsoever, one of the uses of which is the making or settling of bets, bookmaking, or the conducting of a lottery or the playing of gambling devices.