Kingsville Daily Brief: Campus Fire, NAS Upgrade, Break-Ins

Campus fire closes student union at Texas A&M University-Kingsville

The Memorial Student Union Building at Texas A&M University-Kingsville is closed until further notice after an early-morning fire this week. Officials say the blaze started around 3:30 a.m. Sunday and was contained quickly, but left damage on the west side of the second floor.

Inspectors are still determining the cause and full extent of the damage. Until repairs are made, the welcome center and admissions have moved to Eckhardt Hall, while student business services and financial aid are operating from the dining hall complex. Retail dining, catering, and the bookstore inside the union are shut down for now, and food trucks are being brought in to help keep students and staff fed.

NAS Kingsville opens new fire truck bays after decades

Naval Air Station Kingsville celebrated a long-awaited safety upgrade with the opening of new fire truck bays at its on-base station. It is the first major expansion of the facility in about 60 years.

The old bays dated back to the mid-1960s and could not comfortably fit modern fire engines, forcing crews to store one truck in a separate building. The new construction allows all frontline vehicles to be housed under one roof, which base leaders say should streamline response times and improve daily training for firefighters who protect both pilots and nearby neighborhoods.

Police investigate string of break-ins at Kingsville shops

Kingsville police are tracking a series of break-ins that have hit at least three local businesses since early January. The pattern began at a convenience store on Santa Gertrudis Street, where the same shop was burglarized on back-to-back nights, Jan. 3 and 4, during the overnight hours.

In one break-in, suspects tried to pull cash from an ATM, damaging the machine but failing to remove the money. Cigarettes, beer, and other items were taken, and the store has had to replace broken glass doors more than once. Business owners say the costs are adding up while officers work to identify suspects and connect the cases.

Sources

• https://www.kristv.com/news/local-news/in-your-neighborhood/kleberg-county/kingsville/student-union-building-at-tamu-kingsville-closed-after-fire
• https://www.kristv.com/news/local-news/in-your-neighborhood/kleberg-county/kingsville/naval-air-station-kingsville-celebrates-new-fire-truck-bays-after-60-years
• https://www.kristv.com/news/local-news/in-your-neighborhood/kleberg-county/kingsville/kingsville-pd-tracking-a-chain-of-break-ins-on-local-businesses