Kevin O’Connor Kommentary January 31

Groundbreaking Of Brazos County’s Medical Examiner’s Office

Construction is officially underway on Brazos County’s medical examiner’s office. Speakers at Tuesday’s groundbreaking (December 17) were Brazos County judge Duane Peters, district attorney Jarvis Parsons, former College Station mayor Karl Mooney…who pursued a local office following delays in the out of town autopsy of his wife Laura, and the dean of Texas A&M’s college of medicine, Dr. Amy Waer. Weather permitting, the office is scheduled to open in April of 2026. The $34 million dollar, single story building will serve a 100 mile radius of the Brazos Valley. Click below to listen to speakers at the December 17, 2024 groundbreaking of the Brazos County medical examiner’s office building. Listen to “Groundbreaking of the Brazos County medical examiner's office” on Spreaker.

Texas A&M Begins The Process Of Selecting A New Vice President Of Student Affairs

The process is underway at Texas A&M to select a new vice president of student affairs (VPSA). This follows the retirement announcement of Joe Ramirez that is effective January 1, 2025. President Mark Welsh e-mailed employees at the division of student affairs announcing a search committee will be chaired by vice provost Tim Scott. Welsh said he will be meeting with the committee at the end of this week to relay their charge. Welsh also announced appointing an interim VPSA. It is the second time student affairs associate vice president Tom Reber will have that role as part of his 40 year career at A&M. The president’s chief of staff, Susan Ballabina, brought up Reber’s appointment during her monthly visit on WTAW’s The Infomaniacs. Click below to hear comments from Susan Ballabina during her visit with Chelsea Reber (Tom Reber’s daughter) on WTAW’s The Infomaniacs:   Courtesy of Texas A&M, the e-mail sent by president Mark Welsh to employees of the division of student affairs: Division of Student Affairs Employees, Before we head out for the holiday break, I want to share an update on leadership for the Division of Student affairs following the retirement of Brigadier General (Ret.) Joe Ramirez ’79 on Jan. 1, 2025. Tom Reber has agreed to step in as Interim Vice President for Student Affairs while we conduct a national search for a permanent Vice President. With more than 40 years of service at Texas A&M University, including the Department of Recreational Sports and the Vice President’s Office where he currently serves as Executive Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Chief of Staff, Tom possesses a wealth of knowledge about the Division of Student Affairs and he — like so many of you — truly cares about job #1: preparing our students to chase their dreams. I’m grateful for Tom’s leadership during this time of transition. Regarding the national search for a permanent Vice President for Student Affairs, a search committee, chaired by Dr. Tim Scott, has been formed. I’ll meet with the committee at the end of this week to relay their charge and will plan to keep you all updated as the search progresses. Thank you for all you do to contribute to the Aggie student experience each and every day. Our 80,000-student body is in good hands thanks to your tireless efforts. Thanks and Gig ’em!

Traffic Violation Leads To The Capture Of A Man On The Brazos County Crime Stoppers Ten Most Wanted List

A member of the Brazos County Crime Stoppers ten most wanted list returns to jail for the 12th time in six years. That’s after a College Station police officer stopped a car whose insurance could not be confirmed. A passenger in the car, 23 year old Jukorey Luna-Johnson, is accused of violating probation in crimes dating back to 2018. That list includes two DWI’s, two robberies, two family violence assaults resulting in bodily injury, and misdemeanor theft. The CSPD arrest report says Johnson is also accused of new charges of giving a fake name and birth date. Online jail records show Johnson is being held without bond on the probation violations from the robbery convictions. Bonds on the other charges totals $55,400 dollars.