WTAW - Interviews

This podcast contains comments from the May 27, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Brazos County commissioners continue to negotiate with two companies over issues in the expansion of the juvenile detention center that began in 2018.

Formal action was taken to extend what is called a "tolling agreement", which county judge Duane Peters and the commission's general counsel Bruce Erratt says allow talks to continue without any of the parties filing a lawsuit.

Negotiations over mechanical, plumbing, and electrical issues began in December 2023. Erratt said what began as a three page list of issues is now about...

This podcast contains comments from the June 4, 2025 Bryan city council workshop meeting from the executive director of the Destination Bryan tourism office, John Friebele.

Each June, the director of the Destination Bryan tourism office gives an update to the city council.

Executive director John Friebele noted the upcoming fifth anniversary of the agency, which oversees 18 events, is a partner with more than 40 other events, and keeps a lists of more than 540 events each year.

During the 2024 fiscal year, there were 4.8 million visitors to Bryan, generating direct spending of $184.7 million dollars and creating 2,200 tourism related...

Maddie Green, Recreation Coordinator, visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about the Walk with a Doc program, senior socials, and more during her appearance on The Infomaniacs.

Brazos County State Senator Charles Schwertner visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about his overall feelings about this legislative session, property taxes, school funding, water rights, the likeliness of a special session, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the June 10, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Brazos County commissioners approve a request to hire an outside legal firm in a federal lawsuit filed by an inmate at the county jail.

The commission's general counsel, Bruce Erratt, said the inmate claims he is wrongfully being held on a parole violation.

Erratt said hiring an outside firm saves the time and travel of sending a county employee to and from federal court in Houston.

The inmate, 59 year old Richard Stepp of Bryan, has been held since September of 2023. 

This podcast contains comments from the June 4, 2025 Bryan city council meeting.

The Bryan city council at its June meeting, awarded a $7.1 million dollar construction contract to rebuild Mumford Road north of FM 2818 and add a traffic signal at that intersection.

What is now a narrow rural roadway will become a 38 foot wide street with a center turning lane that will serve new and future manufacturing facilities.

Project funding includes a federal grant and a split of the remainder from the city and the Bryan/Brazos County economic development foundation.

The contract price...

This podcast contains comments from the June 9, 2025 Texas A&M faculty senate meeting from senate speaker Andrew Klein.

The Texas A&M faculty senate meets for the first time since the Texas legislature sent to the governor, a bill that ends the independence of the organization.

Senate Bill 37, which is at the governor's desk as of June 11,, gives the board of regents policy control of the faculty senate, and members are appointed by the president as well as faculty members.

Click HERE to read and download Senate Bill 37 as sent to the governor.
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College Station Mayor John Nichols visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about impact fees, housing density, a master plan steering committee, increasing bicyclist and pedestrian traffic, considering the extension of an economic development agreement that gives FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies more time on an expansion, Thursday night's council meeting, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the June 3, 2025 Bryan city council workshop meeting.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Bryan city council agrees to pay a private company to provide school crossing guards at 20 sites around Bryan ISD.

The unanimous vote at the June 4th meeting came after councilman Ray Arrington questioned city manager Kean Register about the status of a decision made three years ago to start transferring that cost to the school district.

Register and mayor Bobby Gutierrez said they are working with BISD officials.

Councilwoman Marca Ewers-Shurtleff, who is a...

This podcast contains comments from the June 3, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Brazos County commissioners pause on pursuing the construction of a new central warehouse and office building.

Three commissioners attending the June 3rd meeting accepted staff recommendations to not solicit proposals from potential architects and construction managers for the complex that would be built on county owned land south of downtown Bryan off Finfeather Road on Ashford Hills Drive.

Commissioner Fred Brown said he was glad to see this go away because money had not been budgeted for the construction. The commission's chief of...

This podcast contains comments from the May 29, 2025 Texas A&M system board of regents meeting.

The May meeting of the Texas A&M system board of regents was the last one of the academic year for the one member who does not get to vote. 

But the student regent for the 2024-2025 academic year says his input was welcomed.

Cage Sawyers of Van Alstyne, north of Dallas, thanked the board for allowing him to contribute.

Sawyers, who graduated last month from the Texas A&M law school, said his A&M story g...

This podcast contains comments from the June 2, 2025 Bryan ISD school board meeting and the June 6, 2025 College Station ISD school board meeting.

Bryan and College Station ISD school board members and administrators continue their criticism of state lawmakers for not giving enough money to public education.

At the Bryan ISD board meeting last Monday (June 2), the district's departing chief financial officer Kevin Beesaw said "It's going to be difficult with this bill as passed to get much better than last year. There's going to be some major cuts." Beesaw also said "you're going to have to start...

This podcast contains comments from the May 29, 2025 Texas A&M system board of regents meeting.

The third phase of renovating Texas A&M's Heldenfels building was approved at the last board of regents meeting.

The A&M system's chief facilities officer, Brett McCully, the $12 million dollar project on the fourth floor will provide 12 labs, a help desk, and some office space for multiple departments.

Construction will take place this summer and fall, with substantial completion scheduled for next January.

Click HERE to read and download what was approved at the May 29, 2025 Texas...

This podcast includes comments from the June 3, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Brazos County commissioners decide to postpone a vote to extend a contract with its consultant that is managing the bond issue for road projects that voters approved in November 2022.

Before three commissioners attending Tuesday's meeting (June 3) made that decision, new commissioner Fred Brown said he was ready to vote against the extension because he has not seen the original contract and he is opposed to the east loop highway that is one of the bond projects.

Brown was not present at the commission's...

This podcast is a visit with WTAW's Scott DeLucia and state representative Trey Wharton, whose district includes Brazos, Walker, Madison, Robertson, Grimes, and Washington counties.

This podcast is an interview with Patrick McIntyre of the College Station Utilities electric division and WTAW's Scott DeLucia.

This podcast contains comments from the June 4, 2025 Bryan city council meeting.

The Bryan city council hears a proposal to remove sections of the Texas Avenue median.

Public works director Jayson Barfknecht says the proposal, which was developed in talks with the district engineer of the Texas department of transportation (TxDOT) office in Bryan, targets seven locations.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the June 4, 2025 Bryan city council meeting.

Barfknecht said he is now working with a consultant hired by the city to confirm the locations can have medians removed...

Destination Bryan tourism office public relations and communications manager Lina Adams visits with WTAW's Bill Oliver about events in June 2025 and an invitation to visit the destinationbryan.com website to learn about what is taking place this summer.

Bryan Mayor Pro Tem James Edge visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about this week's city council meeting, the Kimbell Feed Building in Downtown Bryan, development at Midtown Park, the future use of Edible Field, incentives the city could offer, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

State Representative Paul Dyson of Bryan (R-TX) visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about the signing of HB 2 and funding public education, his legislation waiting for the governor's signature, impact fees, STAAR tests, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the May 27, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Brazos County commissioners give the green light to accept proposals from construction companies interested in what is projected to be a $17 million dollar remodeling and renovation of the administration building.

Audience members asked two questions before the unanimous vote during the May 27th meeting.

The commission's project director, Trevor Lansdown, says this is taking care of space needs that are different from the new office building being built across Texas Avenue from the courthouse.

The project, which has taken one year...

Jeanelle Johnson, Emergency Management Coordinator, and Bryan Firefighter Chris Lamb visit with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about hurricane season preparedness, creating an evacuation plan, preparing for sheltering in place during an emergency, and more during their appearance on The Infomaniacs.

Jan Porter, A&M Garden Club President, visits with WTAW's Chelsea Reber about National Garden Week, their local displays, upcoming events, and more.

This podcast contains comments during the May 20, 2025 College Station ISD school board meeting from assistant superintendent Josh Symank.

On the Tuesday before Memorial Day (May 20), the College Station ISD school board received an update on construction projects around the district.

This web story does not include construction at high school stadiums in CSISD, which was the subject of a prior story.

Comments from assistant superintendent Josh Symank included wanting to be aggressive as possible to complete new construction and repairs faster than scheduled. One obstacle has been stormy weather, which Symank said he hopes...

Anne Black, Executive Director of OPAS, visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about OPAS Season 53.

This podcast contains comments from the May 29, 2025 Texas A&M system board of regents business meeting from chairman Bob Albritton.

In March 1996, the Texas A&M and the University of Texas systems created an investment corporation that goes by the acronym UTIMCO. 

For the first time, the A&M system will be getting its full share of revenue from The University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Management Company. 

That's according to A&M system board of regents chairman Bob Albritton from comments he made at their May 29, 2025 business meeting.

Albritton says th...

WTAW's Chelsea Reber visits with Sheree Boegner, Interim President/CEO, and Kat Gammon, Vice President Community Impact, about this year's Community Impact Grants.

Theresa Mangapora, BVFB Executive Director, visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about the fight against Summer Hunger, how you can help, visiting the Food Bank, and so much more during her appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the May 29, 2025 Texas A&M system board of regents business meeting.

The May 29, 2025 business meeting of the Texas A&M system board of regents was the first since the governor reappointed two members, named one new member, and reorganized board leadership.

For the first time in at least 15 years, board members publicly expressed their goals and expectations for the next two years.

About 30 minutes was taken by the board's new chairman, Bob Albritton of Fort Worth, the board's new vice chair, Jay Graham of Houston, newly appointed regent Kelley...

Jeremiah Cook, Assistant Director of Tourism, visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about tourism statistics, summer sports events, a need for volunteers, a new brand book, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

State Representative Trey Wharton of Huntsville (R-TX) visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about the most important legislation he is monitoring, Operation Safe Shield, the end of the session, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the May 27, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Seven highway projects associated with Brazos County voters passing a bond issue in November 2022 were part of an update at this week's commission meeting (May 27).

Click HERE to read and download the 38 page report that was presented at the May 27, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Most of John Polster's presentation dealt with the future east loop highway. He said the current proposed alignment would affect two homes and 81 parcels of land. Polster said they are considering options to reduce the amount of land that...

State Representative Paul Dyson of Bryan (R-TX) visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about the last days of the session, bills that are still being worked on, legislation he worked on during his freshman campaign, how to go about changing the governor's mind before he signs legislation, impact fees, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

Meagan Brown, Division Manager of Customer Solutions at BTU, visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about planning for demand based on weather, summer predictions, BTU's new location, payment options, the Power Share program, Lake Bryan, and more during her appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the May 27, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Brazos County commissioners decline a $500,000 grant from the Texas General Land Office (GLO).

The grant, requiring no local match, was to pay for a drainage project on three streets in the Benchley community.

County staff told commissioners that road and bridge employees can start next week replacing culverts and repaving streets. The county's cost of materials was estimated at $50,000 dollars.

County engineer Prathana Banerji said this was basically an "everyday bread and butter type work that our guys are familiar doing".<...

College Station Mayor John Nichols visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about impact fees, legislation that would impact the city's housing occupancy ordinance, the possible relocation of the Brazos Valley Bombers, upcoming events, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

Brazos County State Senator Charles Schwertner visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about wrapping up the legislative session, renaming part of SH 6, de-annexation, legislation that could impact College Station's housing occupancy ordinance, higher education legislation, tort reform, funding for Easterwood Airport, water issues, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.