A&M Homeland Security Update

College Station ISD And Bryan ISD Explain Why Schools Were Closed Wednesday

College Station and Bryan ISD school officials decided Tuesday afternoon to cancel classes Wednesday (January 22). It was the second consecutive day classes were cancelled due to winter weather. Both districts announced classes would resume on Thursday. Both districts also announced enough days were built into the school calendar that there will be no makeup days. That includes CSISD’s Pebble Creek elementary, which was closed two days in December after flooding inside the building. The announcement from CSISD communications director Austin Dunson pointed out that a significant number of employees do not live in the district. Dunson told WTAW News employees drive up to 60 minutes each way. Dunson said they considered but decided against a later start time in CSISD. But a delayed start would not have alleviated the need to staff classrooms, bus routes, and lunchrooms, as many of those employees would have needed to report to work while road conditions may be unsafe. Click below to hear College Station ISD’s Austin Dunson, visiting with WTAW’s Bill Oliver: Listen to “College Station ISD And Bryan ISD explain why schools were closed Wednesday” on Spreaker. College Station ISD statement issued January 21, 2025: Due to icy road conditions in certain areas in and around the B/CS area, all CSISD schools will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 22. This decision was made out of an abundance of caution, considering a significant portion of our employees live outside of CSISD boundaries. With freezing temperatures expected tonight through late Wednesday morning, we are anticipating icy road conditions to make travel difficult for those employees traveling from outside the district, impacting our ability to adequately staff bus routes and classrooms. A delayed start would not alleviate these challenges, as many of these employees would need to report to work while road conditions may be unsafe. We will resume normal school operations on Thursday, Jan. 23. Please stay safe and warm! Bryan ISD statement issued January 21, 2025: In light of current winter weather alerts and potentially hazardous road conditions, out of an abundance of caution, all Bryan ISD schools and facilities will be closed on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. All Bryan ISD extracurricular activities will be canceled. Classes will resume on Thursday, January 23rd, following our regular schedule. Stay warm and safe! Due to surplus minutes included in our daily schedule, we will not be required to make up this missed day of school.

Brazos County Commissioners Applaud The 2024 Accomplishments Of The Veteran Services Office

The performance in the first full year of Brazos County’s veteran services officer (VSO) was applauded by county commissioners. VSO Pam Robertson said in 2024, the office served 4,849 veterans from Brazos and other counties. Robertson said there are 21,357 veterans in the Brazos Valley. Brazos County has 9,327 and there are 4,000 Texas A&M students. Accomplishments during 2024 included the Brazos County office generated almost $1 million dollars a month in disability payments and more than $3.6 million dollars in retroactive pay to veterans. That led newly elected county commissioner and retired Army general Bentley Nettles to tell Robertson “you set a pretty high standard for year one. What are you going to do year two?” Robertson replied “hopefully those numbers will double.” Robertson said they are hosting a veterans resource fair and claims clinic at the Brazos Center on February 17th. Click HERE to read and download presentation materials at the January 14, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting. Click below to hear the presentation and reaction at the January 14, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting. Listen to “Brazos County commissioners applaud the 2024 accomplishments of the Veteran Services Office” on Spreaker.

College Station City Council Approves Rezoning For Aggieland Pregnancy Outreach

Aggieland Pregnancy Outreach (APO) is another step closer to a new facility. That’s after the College Station city council at its last meeting (January 9) rezoned a vacant fraternity house at Deacon Drive and Fraternity Row. There were no public speakers. The only council member to comment was Bob Yancy, who said “It’s a wonderful project and I wish them luck.” According to city documents, APO will provide housing for residents with a common kitchen, restrooms, living rooms, and overall gathering space. A part of the building will also have office space. Click HERE to read and download background information from the city of College Station. Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the January 9, 2025 College Station city council meeting. Click below to hear comments from the January 9, 2025 College Station city council meeting.