Kevin O’Connor Kommentary May 28

Flooding Rains In The Brazos Valley

Flooding rains continued in the Brazos Valley into Thursday (May 2). Brazos County’s emergency management coordinator (EMC) says the Navasota River is expected to reach major flood stage sometime between Friday and Saturday. The Brazos River is not expected to reach flood stage. EMC Michele Meade also reported as of Thursday afternoon, flooding has closed the following Brazos County roads…Sulphur Springs Road over Peach Creek, Democrat Road over the Navasota River, Weedon Loop over Wickson Creek, Elmo Weedon over Wickson Creek, Long Trussel over the Navasota River, and Edge School House Road over Little Cedar Creek. That contributed to the governor expanding his disaster declaration to 59 counties. The expanded area includes Brazos, Burleson, Robertson, Milam, and Washington counties. The original declaration included Grimes, Madison, Leon, Walker, and Montgomery counties. Click HERE to read and download the governor’s updated disaster declaration that now includes 88 counties. Thursday just before noon, the TxDOT Bryan district office announced Highway 30 was closed in Grimes and Walker counties due to high water. And Thursday afternoon, the Robertson County sheriff’s office announced Highway 7 was closed at the Navasota River bridge. The closure of Highway 30 in Grimes County blocked access to Twin Oaks Landfill. That meant the city of College Station could not complete its regularly scheduled trash pickup. A city statement says weather permitting, collection routes that were not completed Thursday will be collected on Friday. Multiple school districts cancelled classes on Thursday, including Madisonville, Normangee, Iola, North Zulch, Leon, Centerville, Buffalo, and Anderson-Shiro. Sam Houston State University-Huntsville and TWC were closed Thursday. As of 10:30 a.m. Thursday, SHSU-COM was open at this time. Visit shsu.edu/katsafe for updates. The mayor of Huntsville issued a disaster declaration for the city due to severe weather on Thursday and last weekend that has included flooding, damaging winds, and tornado activity that has resulted in downed trees and multiple days of power outages among other things. A reminder of the message “turn around, don’t drown” took place Thursday morning outside the office building where Bryan Broadcasting is located. To the north of Crystal Park Plaza/Guaranty Bank building, a vehicle went into the flooded drainage ditch. The driver got out safely and there were no passengers. The National Weather Service reported 2.62 inches at Easterwood Airport as of 1 p.m. Thursday. As of 10:30 a.m. Thursday, here is a list of rainfall reports from WTAW listeners. Text your amount to 979-695-1620. After the rain ended on Thursday afternoon: 4.5 inches off Highway 30 near Bird Pond Road in the College Station area 4.28 inches in the Cross community in northern Grimes County 4.1 inches in the Carter’s Crossing area of southeast College Station 3.9 inches in the Blackjack community east of Hearne 3.7 inches on Forsthoff Road south of Kurten 3.5 inches east of Chappell Hill 3 inches NNW of Easterwood Airport 2.95 inches in the Pebble Creek neighborhood of College Station 2.62 inches at Easterwood Airport Before the rain ended Thursday afternoon: (8 a.m. Thursday) 5.5 inches at Camp Creek in Robertson County (10 a.m. Thursday) 4.5 inches three miles north of Anderson (6 a.m. Thursday) 2.5 inches Highway 30 near the former Smitty K’s building (6 a.m. Thursday) 2 inches Tiffany Park neighborhood in Bryan (7 a.m. Thursday) 1.8 inches at FM 1179 and Riverstone in Bryan (7 a.m. Thursday) 1 inch Greens Prairie & Wellborn Roads in College Station From WTAW’s Facebook page:

Bryan Police Arrest A North Zulch Man For Five Property Crimes That Happened The Same Day

A North Zulch man arrested last week on a charge of stealing a utility vehicle from Bryan’s St. Joseph’s regional hospital is now accused of four more property crimes. BPD arrest reports say all five incidents happened on April 23rd. 24 year old Skylar Salyers is also accused of driving the U-T-V to the Walmart on Briarcrest at three in the morning, entering the store, and taking $917 dollars in merchandise. A second shoplifting accuses him of taking $210 dollars of merchandise during business hours at the H-E-B on Villa Maria. Other BPD arrest reports say Salyers rummaged through a pickup parked at the hospital and attempted to hotwire a pickup truck parked outside an apartment complex at Broadmoor and Villa Maria. Salyers remained jailed as of May 2nd in lieu of bonds totaling $42,000 dollars.

College Station ISD School Board Members Explain Filling Two Vacant Administrator Positions The Week After Restructuring Some Educator Positions

The College Station ISD school board held a special meeting Wednesday (May 1) to fill two vacant administrative positions. Unanimous votes were made by the four members who were present, after a parent’s comments about the central office last week announcing the restructuring of educator positions. Board members explained their reasons for hiring a new assistant special education services and a new assistant transportation director. CSISD’s new assistant special education director is Pebble Creek elementary principal Blaire Grande. The new assistant transportation director, Caroll Lester, reunites her with three colleagues from Willis ISD. They are her supervisor, CSISD’s new transportation director Shannon Calltharp, chief of staff Sara Goolsby, and superintendent Tim Harkrider. Click below to hear comments from the May 1, 2024 College Station ISD school board meeting: Listen to “College Station ISD school board members explain filling vacant administrator positions the week after restructuring some educator positions” on Spreaker. News release from College Station ISD: The CSISD Board of Trustees approved Blaire Grande, principal at Pebble Creek Elementary, as the new assistant director of special services and 504, and Caroll Lester as the new assistant director of transportation during its special workshop on May 1. Both are filling vacant positions. Grande is completing her 17th year in education. Her career began as a life skills teacher in North Lauderdale, Florida. She also served as an exceptional student education specialist in Florida before coming to CSISD in 2012 as a special education teacher at South Knoll Elementary. She was promoted to assistant principal at Spring Creek Elementary in 2016 and named principal at Pebble Creek Elementary in 2018. Grande earned her Bachelor of Education in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas A&M University and her Master of Education in Administration and Leadership from Sam Houston State University. “Special education is what I studied in college and what I did as a teacher, so it really is at the root of my heart,” said Grande. “I’m excited to serve the district in this position where I can serve and support all of our special education students and teachers.” Lester joins CSISD from Willis ISD with more than 25 years of experience in transportation. Over the years she has served as a driver, administrative assistant, special needs coordinator and student management coordinator. She has specialized experience in the various aspects of transportation including route coordination, communication, budgeting and staffing. “It’s always been a passion of mine to provide a safe, positive environment on school buses for all students to prepare them for a successful day of learning, then get them home safely to their families,” said Lester. “I’m excited to continue that work in College Station ISD.”