U.S. Rep. Bill Flores on WTAW

What Began As Hurricane Beryl Moves Through The Brazos Valley

What began as Hurricane Beryl cleared Brazos County Monday after 2 p.m. The National Weather Service reports losing a couple of hours of data at Easterwood Airport. With that in mind, the weather service reported a peak wind gust was 59 miles per hour at 11:20 a.m. and rainfall in the College Station area ranged from one point two to two and a half inches. The storm resulted in thousands losing power. BTU’s outage map as of Monday afternoon indicated restoration efforts were underway after almost 6,000 lost service at some point. College Station Utilities outage website was not available. Thanks to WTAW listeners reporting traffic issues. One involved a semi that was blown over on Highway 105 between Navasota and Brenham. DPS reports no one was injured after the westbound semi landed in the eastbound lanes. Another listener reported Bird Pond Road was blocked by a fallen tree. That roadway has since been cleared. Sam Houston State University locations will be closed Tuesday (7/9) to assess and remedy the impacts of heavy rain and wind damage, which downed some trees. College of Osteopathic Medicine employees and students will receive separate communication from their supervisor. Use caution and do NOT drive into flooded roadways. Monitor shsu.edu/katsafe/ for operational updates. Original story July 7, 2024: As a safety precaution related to tropical storm Beryl and its impact on the Brazos Valley, all Bryan ISD offices and campuses will be closed on Monday, July 8. This includes all student activities. Decisions related to Tuesday, July 9 are forthcoming. In anticipation of inclement weather in our area and for the safety of our students, staff and community, all CSISD campuses and facilities will be closed Monday, July 8. All summer classes, camps and activities are canceled. All Blinn College campuses are closed and all classes are canceled Monday, July 8th. The College will re-open for regular operations on Tuesday, July 9th. As of Sunday afternoon, city of College Station offices will be open Monday, and solid waste collection will operate on the usual schedule. However, all Parks and Recreation camps and recreation programs have been canceled. As of Sunday evening, the city of Bryan reports the following changes at the city’s parks and recreation department for Monday, July 8: • Canceled: aquatic programs, Camp HERO, co-ed softball, and the Neal recreation center summer camp. • Closed: Bryan Aquatic Center, Henderson Harbor, and Sadie Thomas Pool. The George H.W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum will be closed on Monday July 8, 2024. If you have already purchased tickets, they can be used another day or can be refunded. All Sam Houston State University locations will close Monday (July 8) out of an abundance of caution as Beryl approaches the Texas coast. Face-to-face classes are cancelled. Only essential personnel should report; check with your supervisor if you are uncertain. Brazos County judge Duane Peters on Sunday afternoon (July 7) issued a disaster declaration. Click HERE to read and download the disaster declaration.

College Station ISD Board Members Express No Opposition To Adding Four Transportation Department Supervisors

College Station ISD board express no opposition to adding four transportation department supervisors. That’s after hearing a presentation from CSISD’s new assistant superintendent of operations. Josh Symank says the undisclosed cost of creating four positions will come from savings from paying overtime to bus drivers…which amounted to almost $520,000 dollars over the last two years. Symank reported during that two year period, one bus driver made $40,000 dollars in overtime. A second bus driver made $38,000 in overtime. And a third driver made $24,000 in overtime. One of the new positions will supervise bus drivers. A second position will be in charge of coordinating CSISD athletic and campus field trips. Symank said twice last year, CSISD high school sports teams had transportation issues that affected post season performance. A third position will oversee transporting special education students. The fourth position will manage student discipline referrals. Symank said that’s after parents were not notified during the 2023-2024 school year about 250 discipline referrals. Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the June 18, 2024 College Station ISD school board meeting. Click below to hear comments from Josh Symank during the June 18, 2024 College Station ISD Listen to “College Station ISD board members express no opposition to adding four transportation department supervisors” on Spreaker.

Bryan Police Investigating A Drowning And Illegal Fireworks During First Friday

Bryan police on Monday afternoon released the identity of a Louisiana man who drowned at Lake Bryan Sunday afternoon. A BPD news release states officers responded to the report of a person who went underwater and did not come back up after falling off an inner tube. Two hours later, the body was located of 52 year old James Andre Roots of Shreveport, Louisiana. Bryan firefighters and Texas parks and wildlife game wardens assisted in the search. Original story: There was a drowning Sunday afternoon (July 7) at Lake Bryan. A Bryan police spokesman tells WTAW News that no information has been released about the victim or the circumstances because they are still trying to find family members. The body was recovered about two hours after authorities were notified. Bryan police officers who were downtown for First Friday (July 5) heard fireworks. What was an illegal discharge in the area of Main and 26th resulted in injuries to two people that did not require medical attention. No arrests have been made from what BPD classified as a deadly conduct incident.