The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents voted Jerry R. Strawser to serve as the university’s new interim provost and executive vice president, the university announced Aug. 27.

The gist: According to a Texas A&M news release, Strawser is a professor at Mays Business School. He is also an Aggie grad.

Texas A&M President Susan Ballabina said Strawser has the expertise and pedigree needed for the role.

“I am confident that he will continue to support our research, teaching and service mission and provide trusted guidance and leadership as he begins his interim appointment next week,” Ballabina said.

What else: Strawser helped grow the business school, according to the university, by creating two Master of Business Administration programs and raising more than $149 million for the Mays Business School as dean.

Stay tuned: Ballabina said she is excited for Strawser to take the role and described it as important to the university. His time as interim provost and executive vice president is expected to begin Sept. 1.

College Station ISD trustees approved a $2.1 million insurance renewal and an agreement related to state attendance credits during the district’s Aug. 25 meeting.

What you need to know: The district’s 2026-27 insurance renewal will cost $2.1 million. This amount is roughly $333,487 less than the expiring policy despite an increase in the amount of property covered.

The new policy covers property, general liability, auto, school leaders, underground storage tanks and crime and fidelity. The district also added active-assailant coverage.

In similar news: Trustees also approved an agreement allowing the district to use state funding to offset potential recapture obligations for the 2026-27 school year.

Based on current estimates, however, CSISD is not expected to owe a recapture payment for the 2026-27 school year. The final determination will depend on the district’s actual enrollment, attendance, property values, tax rate and tax collections.

District officials said they chose a “netting” option, which allows state aid to offset the amount of local revenue subject to the attendance-credit calculation.

 Upgrading the park and lake experience, Lake Bryan has announced the opening of new bathrooms for residents after being out of commission for more than a month.

The overview: According to the Lake Bryan website, the new restrooms near the pavilion were demolished and visitors were having to use restrooms near the boat ramp.

After being demolished in July, Bryan Texas Utilities released a video showcasing the new bathroom facilities.

The restrooms were added to "enhance the experience” and are funded by park usage fees and will not be covered under BTU customers. Instead, usage fees will fully cover the capital improvement project for five years.

The takeaway: BTU said the new restrooms will be much easier to maintain, so residents can notify staff if there are any current or future problems. The new facilities are officially open to the public so lakegoers near the pavilion can have a more convenient trip to the restroom.

• Opened Aug. 27

• 4107 Lake Atlas Drive, Bryan

Bryan and College Station are jointly encouraging residents to conserve water as recent triple-digit temperatures have driven a rapid increase in water demand across both cities.

The gist: The cities of Bryan and College Station said in an Aug. 26 news release that there are currently no water-use restrictions in place in either city. Conservation efforts now could help prevent the need for mandatory restrictions if demand continues to rise, they said in the release.

According to the cities, when water demand approaches a system’s production capacity, water towers have less ability to maintain adequate levels and less room to respond to emergencies such as water line breaks, large fires or equipment malfunctions.

Mapping it out:

• Limit outdoor watering to twice per week
• Avoid watering during the hottest part of the day
• Check irrigation systems for leaks and make sure sprinklers are not watering sidewalks, driveways or streets
• Turn off sprinklers around rainy days
• Follow weekly irrigation recommendations from Brazos Valley WaterSmart
• The cities also encouraged residents to report suspected water leaks

Democrat Gina Hinojosa, an Austin state representative, and Libertarian Pat Dixon, a professional engineer, are challenging Republican incumbent Greg Abbott in the Nov. 3 election. Abbott is seeking a fourth term in the governor's mansion.

The big picture: As Texas’ top elected official, the governor signs and vetoes legislation, serves as commander-in-chief of the state military and appoints members of state agencies or advisory boards. Community Impact asked the three gubernatorial candidates for their perspectives on data centers, education, the cost of living and other topics.

The background: Abbott beat 10 Republican challengers in the March primary election, while Hinojosa beat eight other Democratic candidates to advance to the November election. Dixon was selected as the Texas Libertarian Party's candidate during an April nominating convention.

Looking ahead: Early voting runs from Oct. 19-30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.