In Bryan, Stephen Alspaugh is sworn in as council member in chambers. Alspaugh was picked among five candidates for the Ward 4 council seat. In the short term, Alspaugh expects to lean on fellow council members and city staff while he learns the inner workings of the city. He will officially begin Jan. 1. He has been at Bryan High School since 2005, and has been principal since 2008. He was assistant principal before then. He has more than 20 years of classroom experience and has worked in rural and urban settings during his educational career. At Bryan schools, he has served on the Community Advocates for Healthy Families, the District Wellness Committee, the District Levy Committee and the Business Advisory Committee. His responsibilities at Bryan High School have included interviewing and hiring of staff, budgets, staff professional development, overseeing fundraisers and developing building initiatives.