Texas A&M’s New President Now on the Job

College Station Police Make An Arrest On A Felony Animal Cruelty Charge

An eight year old Shih Tzu is recovering from multiple fractures in his jaw and multiple fractured teeth. College Station police make an arrest this week (October 9) on a felony animal cruelty charge from the July 12th incident. The dog, named Bryant, is the emotional support animal of a woman who was involved in a relationship with the man who was arrested. The CSPD officer who wrote the arrest report said 27 year old Aaron Henry admitted throwing Bryant to the ground. The officer wrote Henry “mimicked what he did and used one hand in a motion resembling spiking a football”. Henry told officers he threw the dog as the result of “multiple stressors” in his life and not because the dog provoked him. The dog’s owner, who had been staying with Henry after being displaced by Hurricane Beryl, was not present at the time Bryant was injured. The arrest report says the day after Bryant was injured (July 13), the owner took him to the Texas A&M small animal hospital. Because Bryant would not allow his mouth to be opened, an appointment was made for July 16th. On that day, Bryant was sedated and his mouth was wired shut. Bryant had a second surgery on September 25th. The arrest report says vet bills and associated expenses totaled almost $9,000 dollars. Henry is out of jail after posting a $10,000 dollar bond.

Bryan City Council Gives More Time To Finish The Midtown Park Movie, Bowling, And Restaurant Complex

For the second time, the Bryan city council gives more time to finish construction of the Midtown Park entertainment complex that began with a movie theater, bowling, and restaurant. The council with no public discussion, approved a second amendment to an economic development agreement at their October regular meeting. Click HERE to read and download the original development agreement. Click HERE to read and download the first amendment. Click HERE To read and download the second amendment that was approved at the October 8, 2024 Bryan city council meeting. Mayor Bobby Gutierrez, visiting on WTAW’s The Infomaniacs, says the developer is getting more time because it took longer for the city to get within its budget, a $3 million dollar boardwalk at Midtown Park lake. Gutierrez says there are things at the back of the movie/bowling/restaurant building that can not be completed until the boardwalk is finished. The first delay was to add indoor and outdoor pickleball, an amphitheater, and an outdoor games area connecting to the boardwalk. That will increase the minimum appraised value of the property from $19 to $24 million dollars. The second amendment extended the completion date from December 31, 2024 until September 1, 2025. The second amendment also says the developer is spending a minimum $37 million dollars to build the complex. Click below to hear comments from Bobby Gutierrez, visiting with Scott DeLucia on WTAW’s The Infomaniacs on October 9, 2024.  

Texas A&M System Board Of Regents Committee Receives An Update On The Flagship Campus’s Future Aplin Center

A special meeting of the Texas A&M system board of regents building committee included an update on what is the second most expensive capital project at the flagship campus. Vice chancellor for business affairs Phillip Ray says the Aplin Center, that began at $50 million dollars, is now a $250 million dollar project. Ray said when Arch Aplin III, A&M class of 1980 and the founder of Buc-ee’s convenience stores announced a $50 million dollar gift in June 2022, it was a public-private partnership. Since then, the A&M system took over the project. Ray said an architect was hired three weeks ago and interviews were conducted two weeks ago with potential construction managers. The center, among other things, will host programs in in hospitality, retail studies, and food product development that includes viticulture, fermentation processes, coffee, and food science. The meeting was the first following the completion of remodeling the regents offices on the west side of the A&M memorial student center. Click below to hear comments from Phillip Ray during the October 4, 2024 Texas A&M system board of regents building committee meeting.