Brazos Matters

Bast Schellhorn, Program Specialist, Texas A&M Cybersecurity Center discusses FBI crime statistics, his educational & professional background, common day-to-day cybersecurity risks, apartment internet, VPNs, password complexity, social media safety, concerns about AI & deepfakes, phishing emails & text messages, Defcon, and software & security updates.

College Station Police Chief Billy Couch discusses his history with the CSPD, the evolution of the Northgate district over that time, the introductions of high-rises in the district, the changing customer base, common crimes, CSPD's approach to policing Northgate, conditional use permits for new bars in the city, issues in other areas of the city, and police department staffing & recruiting.

Dr. Carly McCord, Founding and Executive Director at the Texas A&M Telehealth Institute & Dr. Mikaela Spooner, a Psychologist at the Texas A&M Telehealth Institute and the lead provider at FarmHope discuss their Professional backgrounds, Texas A&M Telehealth institute, the Farm Hope program, stressors felt by ag & rural communities, implications of long commutes on healthcare access & use, telehealth as a solution, other Farm Hope services outside of mental health care, response to this past summer's flood, technology resources available to those without.

Sydney Fox, Public Engagement Specialist & Blake Knox, Transportation Engineer with the TXDOT Bryan District Office discuss the scope of the SH 6 widening project, how long work is expected to last, the influence of public feedback, how they're planning to mitigate impact on businesses and commuters, new shared use paths, upgrades to the Briarcrest & William J Bryan overpasses, a new diverging diamond intersection at University Drive, and updates to the northbound Texas Avenue exit.

Claire St. Amant, True crime journalist, podcast host, author discusses her professional background, why she is visiting Texas A&M's Campus, What she plans to teach A&M Journalism students, her thoughts on the future of the journalism profession, and the evolution from traditional media to podcasts.

Cameron House, Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor discusses dating app trends among different age ranges, how the apps have changed how people meet potential partners, the conflict of interest of companies working to make the apps addictive, how young people view & approach dating in a post-app world, encouraging caution, the effects on mental health, advice for using & getting off of apps, and meeting people with common interests & shared experiences.

Brazos Valley radio veterans Roger WWW Garrett, Harold Presley, Scott Delucia, Tucker "Frito" Young, and Katy Dempsey discuss what local radio done well means to them, examples of specific community outreach they've participated in over the years, their current listening habits, how morning show teams historically have been created, how have audiences and their expectations changed or stayed the same over time, the use of AI in radio, the state of entry-level job opportunities in radio, and advice from the radio vets to Tucker and Katy.

Mariano Castillo, Professor of Practice of Journalism at Texas A&M and Avery Foster, Texas A&M Journalism student discuss the origins of the South Texas journalism project, covering a story about industrial air pollution in Laredo, student involvement in this project, how their 48 hours in Laredo went, reception by locals and public officials, future plans and goals including potentially serving news deserts in South Texas & the Brazos Valley.

With his 80th birthday approaching, Dave South discusses his childhood in Wichita Falls, Texas, his beginnings in radio, baseball and play-by-play broadcasting, notable games worked while at Texas A&M, what his life looks like after retirement in 2020, and his KAMU-FM show.

Monica Martinez, Executive Director of Emergency Management & Dion Delao, Emergency Management Specialist & Meteorologist at Texas A&M University's Office of Emergency Management discuss their background and professional history, the benefits of having a meteorologist on staff, Code Maroon, coordinating closures with cities, school districts and the county, weather thresholds for alerts, best practices for receiving alerts, and how to prepare for emergencies.