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Blinn College Vocational Nursing Director to Serve on Healthcare Workforce Advisory Board

The head of the Vocational Nursing Program at Blinn College has been tapped for serve on the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Healthcare Workforce Advisory Board. Dr. Michelle Marburger is the Program Director for Vocational Nursing at the Blinn College District, and is one of 13 appointees to the board. The TWC Advisory Board is a statewide panel created to address healthcare workforce shortages and strengthen partnerships between healthcare providers and higher education institutions. “I am honored to serve on the Texas Healthcare Workforce Advisory Board and contribute to statewide efforts that strengthen and advance Texas’s healthcare workforce,” Marburger said. “I am committed to leveraging my experience in nursing education to support innovative, data-informed solutions and foster collaboration among healthcare providers, workforce partners, and educational institutions.” Marburger has been with Blinn since 1998. She became a full-time faculty member in 2002 and the Program Director in 2005. She also serves as the president of the Texas Association of Vocational Nurse Educators Board of Directors. She has extensive nursing and leadership experience across acute care, home health, long-term care, and education, including service to the Brenham and La Grange areas. Michelle Trubenstein, Dean of Health Sciences at Blinn, said Marburger’s experience as a nurse educator and program leader will make her a valuable voice on the advisory board. “Dr. Marburger will bring a breadth and depth of information and perspective to this board,” Trubenstein said. “I am excited that she was selected to serve.” TWC Executive Director Steve Pier said the new advisory board reflects the state’s commitment to developing solutions that meet local healthcare workforce needs. “The Healthcare Workforce Advisory Board marks a significant milestone in our commitment to strengthening the Texas healthcare workforce,” he said. “Bringing together leaders from education, hospital systems, and community health centers will help us provide localized, data-driven strategies to support the professionals who care for our communities.” To address challenges facing the healthcare industry, the advisory board will develop a collaboration toolkit and resource guide. These tools are designed to facilitate local partnerships between healthcare providers, workforce boards, and institutions of higher education. The partnerships will help communities more effectively identify and address healthcare workforce needs, said Pier. Blinn’s Vocational Nursing Program consists of classroom, laboratory, and clinical experiences. Clinical rotations are held at hospitals and other healthcare facilities throughout the area. Program graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination of Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) and the Nursing Jurisprudence Examination, and are considered licensed vocational nurses after passing both exams. Over the last three years, almost 98% of program graduates have found jobs in the profession. The application for spring 2027 admission to the Vocational Nursing at Blinn College opens on Sept. 17. Applications for fall 2027 open on March 4, 2027. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu/vocational-nursing.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott Announced Texas Instruments to Receive $33.6 Million Grant From Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced today that a Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund (TSIF) grant of $33.6 million has been extended to Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) for expanded capacity and technology investments at their 300mm semiconductor wafer fab in Richardson (RFAB). The project is expected to total $700 million in capital investment. “Texas is where the integrated circuit was born and where the future is forged,” said Governor Abbott. “Texas Instruments is a global trailblazer, and this expansion of their historic, long-term investment in our great state advances Texas’ leadership in semiconductor manufacturing. Texas has the innovation, the infrastructure, and the talent to manufacture the technologies that will change the future of the world.” Texas Instruments, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Dallas, is the birthplace of the world’s first commercial silicon transistor in 1954, followed by Jack Kilby’s invention of the integrated circuit in 1958. Today, TI is the largest foundational semiconductor manufacturer in the U.S., producing analog and embedded processing chips that are critical for satellites, vehicles, smartphones, and nearly every other electronic device. TI’s continued investment in RFAB will expand capacity, enable process technologies, and enhance the facilities’ capabilities to manufacture TI’s broad product portfolio on 300mm wafers, the largest and most advanced diameter size for silicon wafers. “As the largest analog and embedded processing semiconductor manufacturer in the U.S., Texas Instruments is proud to call Texas home,” said TI Senior Vice President, Technology and Manufacturing Group, Mohammad Yunus. “This award recognizes the investment we have made in our Richardson semiconductor manufacturing factory and reinforces our commitment to producing the foundational technology that is vital for nearly every electronic device, now and for decades to come.” “Texas has long been the leader in innovation, and investments like this ensure we remain the leader for generations to come,” said Senator Bob Hall. “Texas Instruments helped shape the modern world by pioneering semiconductor technology right here in North Texas, and this expansion reinforces our state’s critical role in strengthening America’s supply chain, national security, and technological leadership. I appreciate Governor Abbott’s continued commitment to investing in Texas manufacturing and creating an environment where companies like Texas Instruments can continue to grow, innovate, and create high-quality jobs.”

College Station City Council Meets to Discuss Housing Density, Rezoning, and Expenditures of Approximately $1.2-Million

The College Station City Council will convene Thursday night. Highlights for items on the agenda are housing density, rezoning, spending, and real estate. The board will discuss the possible incentives that come with an increase in housing density in the city. The City’s Housing Action Plan focuses on affordable housing, but its strategies include increasing the housing supply in hopes of stabilizing or even lowering prices. The Council will consider a request to rezone approximately 7 acres on Harvey Mitchell Parkway South near the Earl Rudder Freeway. The tract sits on the south side of Harvey Mitchell between Dartmouth Street and Highway 6. The applicant seeks to change the land use designation from General Commercial to Urban Residential. The spending agenda includes approximately $1.2-million dollars for the following projects: $500,000 for annual pavement striping and marking services $141,240 for roofing at Fire Station 1, the Bachmann Park Community Center, and the Wolf Pen Creek green room $160,743 for a sponsorship agreement for the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) Championship at Dell Diamond July 23-27, 2026 $275,000 for apparel $145,583 for relocation and improvement to overhead power lines related to the Big 6 construction project One of the items on the executive session agenda is a discussion of real estate at Post Oak Mall and 28 acres in the Midtown Business Park. We’ll have more for you on Friday morning about the outcomes of the meeting. You can view the agenda by clicking HERE.