Latest news with #AbileneChristianUniversity
Forbes
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Ex-Titan Jack Gibbens Brings More Than A Nickname To Patriots
Former Tennessee Titans linebacker Jack Gibbens signed a one-year contract with head coach Mike ... More Vrabel's New England Patriots in March. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) An old nickname could be back in circulation for Jack Gibbens. 'Dr. Gibby.' The New England Patriots linebacker acquired it from past and present head coach Mike Vrabel as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans in 2022. 'I guess it was my rookie year. He just started calling me 'Dr. Gibby,'' Gibbens told reporters during his Thursday press conference at Gillette Stadium. 'Like in rookie minicamp and stuff, he likes to ask a lot of questions, quiz people. And I answered a few right and he started calling me 'Doctor.' I had to let him know that I didn't study medicine in school, but yeah, he let me know it was a joke.' Gibbens, 26, held a 4.0 GPA as a double major in accounting and financial management at Abilene Christian University. Twice a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American, he went on to earn his master's degree in accounting as a graduate student at the University of Minnesota. Earning a 53-man NFL roster spot was up next for the former All-Big Ten honorable mention. After clearing waivers at the end of his rookie preseason, Gibbens made his way on the practice squad before being promoted to the active roster as fall turned to winter. The 6-foot-3, 242-pound off-the-ball linebacker went on to appear in 29 games during his run in Nashville, starting 20. He had a hand in 167 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one interception across 1,078 snaps on defense as well as 466 snaps on special teams. 'It's kind of been a crazy journey for me,' Gibbens said. 'Coming in as an undrafted guy, had to kind of fight and scratch for every opportunity I got. And I got the opportunity to get on the field a little bit in Tennessee, felt like I had some success, and last year was kind of a rocky year for me with some stuff happening kind of outside of my control.' On the heels of a breakout 2023 season under Vrabel, Gibbens' 2024 under new Titans head coach Brian Callahan ended in November due to ankle surgery. In the weeks prior to being carted off and placed on injured reserve, he tallied a team-high 14 tackles against the Patriots and split a sack on rookie quarterback Drake Maye. 'Then I got my opportunity, felt like I was playing good and then go down with an injury. So that's kind of been the story of my career,' added Gibbens. 'But just trying to stay resilient, keep working hard and just continue to fight and earn any opportunities that I can get, and then make the most of them when I get them.' After not being tendered by Tennessee as a restricted free agent in March, Gibbens visited Foxborough. A one-year contract followed. It brings a $1.1 million base salary and a cap charge of $1.365 million, per It also brings connections. Defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, defensive line coach Clint McMillan, inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr, cornerbacks coach Justin Hamilton and safeties coach Scott Booker are among the Titans ties with the 2025 Patriots. 'The big reason I wanted to come here was just familiarity with this coaching staff,' Gibbens said. 'With the type of football they want to play here, I feel like it aligns with who I am and the type of player and person I want to be. I wanted to get back in that environment.' Time will tell whether the old nickname from Vrabel spreads. 'Not many other people have caught onto it, but yeah, he still calls me 'Doc' every now and then,' Gibbens said.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Water ‘scalping' begins at Lake Fort Phantom Hill
ABILENE, Texas ()- The City of Abilene began the process of pumping in water, or 'scalping', from the Clear Fork of the Brazos into Lake Fort Phantom Hill on Thursday afternoon. This comes just one day after the City had issued a statement that repairs were underway on the scalping pipeline, due to a failure when the process initially began on April 21st. With those repairs complete, local fishermen made their way out for a full day lakeside. Local Fisherman Gayland Kidd told KTAB/KRBC that he had to reevaluate which area he would cast in once he realized water was being pumped in. 'Oh I come out to do some Crappie fishing, and I noticed the pump was running, so I'm gonna change my tactics here a little bit…It'll bring catfish in here, it'll bring white bass, hybrid it'll bring everything in here,' Kidd said. During his interview with KTAB/KRBC, Kidd received a call from his fishing buddy who was waiting for him at the Lake Fort Phantom Hill boat dock, ready to cast a line as well, and they weren't the only ones coming out to reel in some Crappie. Abilene Christian University Juniors Holt Wilkinson and Barrett Clark celebrating their last days of school with a trip to the lake. Local lakes surge, but Abilene's water levels remain low 'We just finished finals, so we gotta get out here and hope we can catch some Crappie. We were here yesterday, and the Crappie were spawning in about 4 feet of water…we had no idea they had started scalping from the Brazos…it'll be interesting to see because we're headed out just right next to where they're scalping the water I'll be interested to see if it changes the fishing or not,' Wilkinson and Clark said. 'Scalping water' is a process by which localities like Abilene can be allowed to use existing pump stations to bring excess water off of the Brazos to fill up local bodies of water. That process can only begin after the localities are given permission by the state, when the river has enough water to spare. 'Possum Kingdom is in good shape, they don't need the water so I'm glad they'll let us have it,' said Kidd. Following the storms that have passed through the state in the past few days, the Brazos filled to an acceptable level to begin scalping. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Donation of 500 bed frames kicks off Abilene's Community Bed Initiative
ABILENE, Texas () – What started as a donation to Global Samaritan has evolved into a new initiative, providing hundreds of Abilene residents with everything they need for a restful night's sleep, setting them up for future success. According to Global Samaritan Executive Director Andrew Kelly, having a good night's sleep sets us up for success the next day. 'When we talk about insecurities, most people don't really think about the need for bed. We talk about food insecurity; people need food. They need three meals a day, that kind of thing. People just don't think about how important sleep is,' Kelly shared. Getting enough sleep helps students improve their academic performance and allows individuals to have a productive day at work. However, Kelly points out that those experiencing financial and personal challenges often struggle to access the funds necessary to purchase a bed. 'Global Samaritan has worked hard to invest in our community. We partner with a lot of nonprofits here in town and try to help meet their needs as they reach out directly to the clients that they serve. One of the things that we've received over the last several years is a lot of calls for beds, and that's something that we haven't typically been able to fill,' explained Kelly. Big Country volunteers fill 2 shipping containers with supplies for Zambia Earlier this year, Global Samaritan Resources received a donation of 500 bed frames from Abilene Christian University (ACU), which had surplus furniture after dorm renovations. This donation initiated the 'Community Bed Initiative.' Global Samaritan is partnering with the Community Foundation of Abilene to gather mattresses that match the bed frames. They aim to connect with non-profits that will benefit from mattress and bed frame donations. 'When we received a call from ACU offering us these beds, we decided to begin partnering and networking with the Community Foundation. Working with other nonprofits to help them meet those needs without it cutting into their budgets. From the frame, the mattress, sheets, pillows, all of it,' Kelly shared. Abilene non-profits celebrate 20th support crate sent to Ukraine amid 'crisis fatigue' After researching and calling various non-profits in the Abilene area, Kelly discovered that last year, roughly more than 350 beds were distributed to people through various organizations. Although they have acquired many mattresses for the bed frames, they still need about 200 more mattresses. However, they are glad to have met the needs that arose in 2024 and hope to go beyond. 'So far, we've been able to pull about 350 beds from Abilene Christian University. They've been amazing in this process. We've had volunteer organizations, student groups from ACU, and several men's groups from around town help us. It's a lot of work, but we've pulled about 350 beds, and there's still more to keep pulling. There are other options, and we hope to be able to maybe reach out to other places and see where we can get more beds because this is an ongoing need in our community,' explained Kelly. Michelle Parrish, the grant director of the Community Foundation of Abilene, stated that these mattresses and bed frames will be donated to various nonprofit organizations that support children, survivors of domestic violence, Veterans, and individuals who were previously unhoused. She expressed pride in being part of a program that is making a positive impact on the lives of Abilene residents. 'Global Samaritan has been willing to take on the project to raise funds to purchase the mattresses so that when someone is in need, they don't just get a frame, they get a complete bedding set. So, they can start setting up their home, start creating stability for themselves, and set up a house,' added Parrish. Abilene non-profit provides aid to Hurricane Helene victims Parrish works daily with non-profits and understands the need for beds in the Abilene community. 'Beds are difficult to come by, they're costly and they're difficult to gather all of the pieces that you need getting into a new apartment. Perhaps you're leaving our local domestic violence shelter, Noah Project, and you're setting up your own home. You may not have the money to purchase all of the furniture that's going to be required to fill your new space. So, I'm just so excited that there are many nonprofits that will benefit from Global's coordination of this program,' shared Parrish. Global Samaritan is currently seeking monetary donations to purchase additional mattresses and bed sheets. Visit the website or check out its for more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Remarkable Women: Liberty-Grace Bland, a heart for Abilene & the arts
ABILENE, Texas () – The sound of the Abilene Philharmonic is cherished by many Big Country residents, including Executive Director Liberty-Grace Bland. Though she's relatively new to the role, her deep connection to the community has been evident from the start. Bland first came to Abilene as a student at Abilene Christian University, and it was then that she fell in love with the city's unique spirit. 'Abilene pulls together as a community so much and it's really the heartbeat of our community. That is just really inspiring to me, and it makes me want to play my part and to make a difference in any level and way of impact that I can make,' Bland said. After graduating, she left at the age of 20 to study at Oral Roberts University and then traveled to Jerusalem. But when it was time to return, she felt called to come back and serve in Abilene. She started at the Chamber of Commerce, later transitioning to a role with the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health at its Abilene location, an experience she considers one of the highlights of her career. 'The number one thing I loved was getting to make a difference in the lives of women and girls, and specifically those from underprivileged neighborhoods in our community,' Bland said. 'I loved it because the Laura Bush Institute was so collaborative, and we got to partner with other organizations in our community and help come alongside them on the good work that they were doing.' Now, Bland serves as the Executive Director of the Abilene Philharmonic, but her mission to make a positive impact on the Key City remains unchanged. 'I grew up going to the symphony and always been something that I loved. After a lot of consideration and prayer, I decided that it was a good next step and it would be a great place for me to be able to make an impact,' Bland said. 'I just never want to lose sight of the purpose. I feel like seeing people for who they really are and seeing the best in them is so important. If I can be that bright spot in just one person's day each day, I know that I'm making an impact.' Outside of her professional role, Bland volunteers with Big Country CASA, helping children navigate difficult times — something she found invaluable during her own upbringing. 'My parents are divorced and so obviously I know what it feels like to be going through some seasons that are hard and as a child, sometimes you're not equipped with the emotional level to deal with the things that you're having to deal with,' Bland said. 'Sometimes what people need the most in their life is somebody present and willing to show up with them when they're in the trenches. That inspired me because I've received that on an individual level. If I can pay that forward and give that to someone else, that's really fulfilling.' Her advice to young professionals is simple: show up for every opportunity, no matter how intimidating or nerve-wracking it may seem. Throughout March, four women will be recognized on BigCountryHomepage for their remarkable efforts in the community. The winner of this year's Remarkable Women contest will be announced on April 1, 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Companies are coming to Texas to develop a new generation of nuclear reactors
The West Texas city of Abilene is better known for country music and rodeos than advanced nuclear physics. But that's where scientists are entering the final stretch of a race to boot up the next generation of American atomic energy. Amid a flurry of nuclear startups around the country, Abilene-based Natura Resources is one of just two companies with permits from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to construct a so-called 'advanced' reactor. It will build its small, one megawatt molten salt reactor beneath a newly-completed laboratory at Abilene Christian University, in an underground trench 25 feet deep and 80 feet long, covered by a concrete lid and serviced by a 40-ton construction crane. The other company, California-based Kairos Power, is building its 35 megawatt test reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the 80-year capital of American nuclear power science. Both target completion in 2027 and hope to usher in a new chapter of the energy age. 'A company and school no one has heard of has gotten to the forefront of advanced nuclear,' said Rusty Towell, a nuclear physicist at Abilene Christian University and lead developer of Natura's reactor. 'This is going to bless the world.' The U.S. Department of Energy has been working for years to resuscitate the American nuclear sector, advancing the development of new reactors to meet the enormous incoming electrical demands of big new industrial facilities, from data centers and Bitcoin mines to chemical plants and desalination facilities. Leaders in Texas, the nation's largest energy producer and consumer, have declared intentions to court the growing nuclear sector and settle it in state. The project at Abilene Christian University is just one of several early advanced reactor deployments already planned here. Dow Chemical plans to place small reactors made by X-energy at its Seadrift complex on the Gulf Coast. Last month, Natura announced plans to power oilfield infrastructure in the Permian Basin. And in February, Texas A&M University announced that four companies, including Natura and Kairos, would build small, 250 megawatt commercial-scale reactors at a massive new 'proving grounds' near its campus in College Station. 'We need energy in Texas, we need a lot of it and we need it fast,' said state Sen. Charles Perry, chair of the Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs. 'The companies that are coming here are going to need a different type of energy long term.' During this year's biennial legislative session, state lawmakers are hoping to make billions of dollars of public financing available for new nuclear projects, and to pass other bills in support of the sector. 'If we do what we're asked to do from industry groups out here, if we do what we think we should do and we know we should do, we could actually put a stake in the ground that Texas is the proving ground for these energies,' Perry said, speaking this month in the state Capitol at a nuclear power forum hosted by PowerHouse Texas, a nonprofit that promotes energy innovation. But, he added, 'Texas is going to have to decide: At what level of risk is it prudent for taxpayer dollars to be risked?' The first new reactors might be commercially ready within five years, he said; most are 10 to 20 years away. Dozens of proposed new reactor designs promise improved efficiency and safety over traditional models with less hazardous waste. While existing nuclear reactors use cooling systems filled with water, so-called 'advanced' reactor designs use alternatives like molten salt or metal. It enables them, in theory, to operate at a higher temperature and lower pressure, increasing the energy output while decreasing the risks of leaks or explosions. Before it can be built, each design is extensively reviewed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in a yearslong process to ensure they meet safety requirements. 'We understand how much work we're facing and getting that done means finding every appropriate efficiency in our reviews,' said Scott Burnell, public affairs officer for the NRC. The commission is also reviewing a permit application by Washington-based TerraPower, founded by Bill Gates in 2006, to build a full commercial nuclear power plant in Wyoming. It expects to receive a construction permit application for the X-energy reactor at Dow in Texas this year, Burnell said. After construction, the companies will require a separate permit to operate their projects. None have sought an operating license for an advanced nuclear reactor, but Natura plans to file its application this year. For Towell, an Abilene native and the son of two ACU faculty members, this moment was a decade in the making. In 2015 he founded the NEXT Lab at ACU for advanced nuclear testing, got a $3 million donation from a wealthy West Texas oilman in 2017, entered into partnership with the Energy Department in 2019 and formed the company Natura in 2020. Construction finished in 2023 on NEXT's shimmering new facility. And in 2024, the NRC issued a permit to build the first advanced reactor at an American university. Towell, a former instructor at the U.S. Naval Nuclear Power School, said these new projects represent the first major advancement in American nuclear power technology in 70 years. While layers and layers of safety systems have been added, the basic reactor design has remained unchanged. It uses a cooling system of circulating water to avoid overheating, melting down and releasing its radioactive contents into the atmosphere. The system operates at extremely high pressure to keep the water in liquid state far above its boiling point. If circulation stops due to power loss or malfunction, a buildup of pressure can cause an explosion, as it did at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan in 2011. In contrast, new 'advanced' reactor designs use alternatives to water for cooling, like liquid metal or special gases. Natura's design, like many others, uses molten salt. It's not table salt but fluoride salt, a corrosive, crystalline substance that melts around 750 degrees Fahrenheit and remains liquid until 2,600 degrees under regular pressure. As a result, the reactor can operate at extremely high temperatures without high pressure. If the system ruptures, it won't jettison a plume of steam, but instead leak a molten sludge that hardens in place. 'It doesn't poof into the air and drift around the world,' Towell said. 'It drips down to a catch pan and freezes to a solid.' Rather than solid fuel rods, Natura's design also uses a liquid uranium fuel that is dissolved into the molten coolant. According to Towell, a former research fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory, that decreases the amount of radioactive waste produced by the reactor and makes it easier to recycle. The Kairos reactor design uses molten salt coolant with hundreds of thousands of uranium fuel 'pebbles,' while the X-energy design uses fuel pebbles with a gas coolant. Critically, many new reactor designs are also small and modular. Instead of massive, custom construction projects, they are meant to be built in factories with assembly line efficiency and then shipped out on truck trailers and installed on site. That will allow large industrial facilities or data centers to operate their own power sources independent from public electrical grids. Natura president Doug Robison, a retired oil company executive who worked 13 years as an ExxonMobil landman, said small reactors could run oilfield infrastructure in the Permian Basin, from pumpjacks to compressor stations. 'By powering the oil and gas industry, which uses a tremendous amount of power for their operations, we're helping alleviate the grid pressure,' he said. He also wants to power new treatment plants for the enormous quantities of wastewater produced each day in the Permian Basin. In January, Natura announced a partnership with the state-funded Texas Produced Water Consortium at Texas Tech University aimed at using small reactors to purify oilfield wastewater, most of which is currently pumped underground for disposal. The new reactor projects fit into plans by state leaders to establish Texas as a global leader of advanced nuclear reactor technology. In 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott directed the state's Public Utility Commission to study the question and produce a report. 'Texas is well-positioned to lead the country in the development of ANRs,' said the 78-page report, issued late last year. 'Texas can lead by cutting red tape and establishing incentives to accelerate advanced nuclear deployment, overcome regulator hurdles and attract investment.' The report made several recommendations, and state lawmakers this year have already filed bills to enact several of them, including the creation of a Texas Advanced Nuclear Authority and a nuclear permitting officer. Most significantly, the report also recommended two new public funds to support nuclear energy deployment, including one modeled after the Texas Energy Fund, which was created in 2023 and made $5 billion in financing available for new gas power plants. 'When I talk to folks, it always gets back to the funding,' said Thomas Gleeson, chair of the Public Utility Commission, during the PowerHouse forum. 'All of those issues are somewhat ancillary to: How are we going to fund this?' Gleeson said developers will expect the state to put up at least $100 million per project through public-private partnerships in order to help reduce financial risk. 'Given the load growth in this state that we're projecting, if you want clean air and you want a reliable grid, you have to be in favor of nuclear,' he said. Critics of the plan oppose the use of public money on private projects and worry about safety. 'We don't use tax dollars to fund a bunch of experimental and pie-in-the-sky designs that should be the responsibility of private industry,' said John Umphress, a retired Austin Energy program specialist who is evaluating the nuclear efforts on contract for the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen. 'Nobody has really penciled out the cost because there's still a lot of proof of concept that's going to have to be pursued before these things get built.' Umphress raised concerns over materials in development to withstand the astronomical temperatures and extremely corrosive qualities of molten salt coolants. He also noted that the U.S. still lacks a permanent repository for nuclear waste following decades of unsuccessful efforts. Most waste today is stored on site in specialized interim facilities at nuclear power plants, which wouldn't be possible if small reactors were deployed to individual industrial projects. 'That's the big issue that we still haven't solved, but it's not stopping some of these developers from pushing forward with their designs,' he said. 'They're hoping the federal government will take ownership of the waste and be responsible for its storage and disposal.' During the PowerHouse forum, officials expressed hope that the private sector would develop a solution after new reactor projects create demand for waste disposal. Those reactor projects are still many years away. So far, the NRC has only authorized advanced reactor construction for university research. Next it will issue permits for larger commercial reactors before they can be deployed. Perhaps the largest early deployment of commercial advanced reactors is set to take place at Texas A&M University. In February, the school announced that four companies had committed to install their commercial reactor designs at a new 2,400-acre 'Energy Proving Ground' near its College Station campus. The site is an old Army air base, currently home to vehicle crash test facilities and an advanced warfare development complex. The university will build infrastructure there and help streamline permitting for the reactor projects, said Joe Elabd, vice chancellor for research at the Texas A&M System. The university is requesting $200 million in state appropriations to help develop the site, he said. 'We're providing a little bit more of a plug-and-play site for these companies, as opposed to them going to a true greenfield and having to do everything for themselves,' he said. Reactors on the site will be connected to Texas' electrical girdle, Elabd said. A&M began seeking proposals from companies to build at the site last August, and a panel of university experts selected the four finalists, which include Natura and Kairos. A Kairos spokesperson, Christopher Ortiz, said the company is building a manufacturing facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which will produce the reactors deployed to Texas A&M. He said the company is currently working to identify sites for future commercial reactors, evaluating factors like workforce availability, existing infrastructure and community support. 'The Texas A&M site presents a unique opportunity to site multiple commercial power plants in one location, which makes it particularly attractive,' he said. The site will also include Terrestrial Energy, a Canadian company. And it will include Aalo Atomics, a 2-year-old investor-funded startup that is currently building a 40,000-square-foot reactor factory in Austin, which it plans to unveil in April. More than modular reactors, Aalo plans to produce entire modular power plants, called Aalo Pods, including several reactors, a turbine and a generator, which are designed to be installed at data centers. 'It's made in the factory, shipped to the site and assembled like LEGOs,' said Aalo CEO Matt Loszak. He estimated five to 10 years for deployment at the A&M site but said that depended on continued financial support from investors. Aalo is developing its reactor design at the Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory, a 70-year-old national nuclear research center. But Loszak, a former software engineer from Canada, decided to locate his factory in Texas, he said, to be close to massive incoming energy demands and to take advantage of the state's business-friendly approach to regulation. 'Politicians here are really pro-nuclear, they want to see nuclear get built, and that's not the case in other places across the country,' he said. 'From a regulatory and permitting perspective, it's a great place to build stuff.' Disclosure: Dow Chemical, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. We can't wait to welcome you to the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Step inside the conversations shaping the future of education, the economy, health care, energy, technology, public safety, culture, the arts and so much more. Hear from our CEO, Sonal Shah, on TribFest 2025. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
