Texas A&M University System regents announced new rules and guidelines for on-campus micromobility vehicles, including no phone use and new training requirements. The update comes as regents continue their push to address student crashes on campus during their Nov. 12 meeting, prioritizing student and pedestrian safety.

The overview: Both Texas A&M and the city of College Station have discussed rules and regulations related to micromobility. COO and Senior Vice President of Operations Peter Lange said he saw an increase in ownership of micromobility vehicles among students.

Lange said the rise in use and ownership of electric scooters is where he feels the university should be most concerned.

The specifics: According to the presentation, the new rules will prohibit electric scooters and other electric micromobility vehicles on campus sidewalks.

• No use of hand-held devices while riding, or headphones, earbuds or any noise-cancelling devices

• One rider per device, unless the device is specifically designed to carry more than one passenger

Stay tuned: Lange said the implementation of the new rules will begin for the spring 2027 semester.

To address ongoing issues with rusting and deterioration, the city of Bryan has updated its rules to discontinue the use of metal benches in city cemeteries.

The gist: According to a news release, Bryan City Council approved an ordinance in July to change the rules for the material of cemetery benches. The agenda material states multiple reasons for the removal, including:

• Safety: Unstable foundations, rusted or deteriorated metal benches with sharp edges.

• Maintenance: Additional fixed objects increase mowing and landscaping labor, complicate grave-digging and monument installation and require more pest control efforts.

• Infrastructure protection: Benches and anchoring methods can damage underground utilities, light poles, or trash receptacles.

Any new benches in the cemeteries must be constructed of natural stone such as granite, marble or limestone.

Major takeaways: The city is giving owners of the metal benches until next July to remove or dispose of the benches. If owners do not dispose of the benches themselves, the city will remove all benches not in compliance with the new ordinance.

Brazos County Precinct 2 Commissioner-Elect Kyle Greenwood and local rural fire departments have launched a holiday food drive to collect nonperishable items for the Brazos Valley Food Bank.

About the project: The “Fill the Firehouse: Firefighters Fighting Hunger” campaign runs through Dec. 1, with donations accepted at participating fire stations and at mobile collection events planned throughout the precinct.

Residents can drop off nonperishable food items at these local ESDs:

• ESD 3, Station 1: 7265 Mesco Drive, Bryan

• ESD 3, Station 2: 5725 Elmo Weedon Road, College Station

What else: Greenwood said the drive is an opportunity for residents to support neighbors facing food insecurity while recognizing the role local firefighters play in the community.

At the end of the campaign, donations will be delivered to the Food for Families food drive at the Brazos Center on Dec. 2. The food collected will benefit the Brazos Valley Food Bank.

Amid this November's blue wave, Texas voters largely rejected local tax and bond propositions, sometimes shooting down hundreds of millions of dollars in proposed funding as taxpayers and local governments alike feel the strain of inflation.

The big picture: Across Community Impact's coverage areas, residents voted against funding increases for educator salaries, school facilities, homelessness programs, judicial centers and a sports arena.

Austin voters approved a $295 million libraries and parks bond on Nov. 3. Meanwhile, 15 other tax and bond packages across the the Austin, Houston, Bryan-College Station and Dallas-Fort Worth metro areas were rejected by voters, previous Community Impact reporting shows.

Quote of note: "This was an affordability election all around," said Shannon Halbrook, who leads fiscal policy research for the progressive think tank Every Texan. "Voters were thinking about the affordability crisis in this election. It explains why they voted for such a dramatic change in state leadership, and I think it explains why voters were also reluctant to approve these [tax rate elections] and bonds, which essentially represent tax increases."