The next generation of Texas first responders will soon train together in Bryan before they ever meet on a disaster scene.

The big picture: The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service is set to open the new $25.3 million Public Service Training Complex at the Texas A&M-RELLIS campus in May.

This 86-acre facility is designed to solve a decades-old issue: Public safety agencies training separately but being expected to work together seamlessly during crises.

How it works: The PSTC consolidates multiple programs to focus on realistic, multiagency scenarios, emphasizing integrated response and unified command. Unlike traditional academies, this complex allows law enforcement, utility workers, and fire apparatus to interact within a simulated environment, including an urban grid and configurable structures that mirror real communities.

How we got here: The complex addresses the overwhelming demand for training and expands Texas’ ability to prepare for large-scale emergencies by simulating the full lifecycle of disaster response, from staging to disaster simulations. Ultimately, the PSTC's impact will be seen in better-prepared officers, safer disaster response and faster recovery after emergencies.

Casa Monarca Mexican Cantina in downtown Bryan marked its first anniversary on April 11. Owners marked the occasion with a ribbon-cutting celebration with the Bryan/College Station Chamber of Commerce on April 10. The celebration highlighted a year of serving the community with a focus on family, culture and traditional Mexican cuisine.

What they offer: The restaurant serves a variety of Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes and has built a local following over its first year in business.

Casa Monarca also used the celebration to raise funds for the Down Syndrome Association of Brazos Valley.

Before you go: Casa Monarca is located in downtown Bryan between The Village and Brazos Glassworks.

• 206 West 26th Street, Bryan

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents unanimously voted April 13 to approve Susan Ballabina as the sole finalist to become the next president of Texas A&M University, officials announced in a Texas A&M news release.

What's happening: Ballabina currently serves as executive vice chancellor for the university system, overseeing systemwide operations and strategic initiatives, according to the release. She brings more than 30 years of experience within the A&M system and has previously held leadership roles, including chief of staff to the university president and deputy vice chancellor for Texas A&M AgriLife.

University System Chancellor Glenn Hegar said both Ballabina's experience and familiarity with the university position her well to lead Texas A&M as it approaches its 150th anniversary. He referred to Ballabina as a "proven leader."

What's next: Before Ballabina can officially take office, she is subject to a state-required 21-day waiting period.

Texas retailers can resume selling smokable hemp products after a Travis County judge temporarily blocked some of the state’s sweeping new regulations on the hemp industry.

The background: On March 31, the state health department enacted rules changing how THC content is measured in consumable hemp, which industry experts said effectively outlawed most smokable hemp products.

The Texas Hemp Business Council, a federal hemp industry group, and several local hemp companies sued the state April 8, arguing that the state health department does not have the authority to reclassify legal THC levels. State officials have defended the rules, saying they are in line with a September executive order by Gov. Greg Abbott, who at the time called for stricter oversight of the multibillion-dollar hemp industry.

The latest: Travis County District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble sided with the hemp industry in an April 10 ruling, directing the state not to enforce the new THC testing requirement and a restriction on the transportation of hemp products between states. An additional hearing is scheduled for April 23.