WTAW - Interviews

This podcast contains comments from the April 21, 2025 Brazos County IGC meeting, the April 22, 2025 A&M system board of regents building committee meeting, and the April 23, 2025 visit with Bryan mayor Bobby Gutierrez on WTAW's The Infomaniacs.

Activity at the Texas A&M system's RELLIS campus was a subject at four meetings this week.

System vice chancellor of research Joe Elabd shared at Monday's Brazos County intergovernmental committee (IGC) meeting (April 21) information about the future construction of small nuclear power plants at RELLIS. Elabd said the power plants could create 5,000 permanent private sector jobs. That does not count construction jobs.

Elabd also said the system on Thursday (April 24) is dedicating its Ballistic Aero-Optics and Materials facility. Nicknamed "BAM", the system says it is the nation’s biggest and most advanced enclosed range for testing hypersonic flight, lasers and other technologies with military applications. A system news release says U.S. scientists and engineering researchers will begin using the BAM for experimental testing in the race against China and Russia to develop the world’s most advanced laser and hypersonic weapons technology, including the types of materials that can withstand hypervelocity impacts. Testing will also have applications for space exploration and other civilian advancements.

On Tuesday (April 22), leaders with the system and the flagship university gathered with officials from Bryan and College Station and the Greater Brazos Partnership economic development agency for an event recognizing their relationship with a national company, Plug and Play, which has been hired to recruit aerospace and defense companies to RELLIS and the surrounding area. Bryan mayor Bobby Gutierrez said during a visit on WTAW's The Infomaniacs that Plug and Play will be recruiting private industry that can take advantage of the RELLIS presence of the Army Futures Command and the Bush Combat and Development Center among other facilities.

Also on Tuesday, the A&M system board of regents approved the purchase of more than 867 acres of land to expand the RELLIS campus along Goodson Bend Road. Dr. Elabd told the IGC attendees that the land "will help us meet the demand" for future private sector partners. 

After the vote, during a separate meeting of the regents building committee, a question was asked if the new land is the site for the new RELLIS water tower. The system's chief facilities officer, Brett McCully, said the water tower will be built on existing land as part of the system's semiconductor research institute. Dr. Elabd told the IGC the semiconductor research institute is expected to open in the first quarter of 2028.

A member of the regents building committee also asked about the status of a privately owned data center that is being built on the RELLIS campus. A system administrator said "the data center is moving forward".

More information about the data center was provided at a Bryan city council special meeting on Tuesday (April 22). The council amended its economic incentive agreement with the data center owner. Over a ten year period, the city will receive $23 million dollars and will give up $13 million in property tax breaks on the center's second building. The agreement calls for the construction of a 230,000 square foot building that will eventually employ 100.

Click HERE to read and download background information on the tax abatement agreement that was approved at the April 22, 2025 Bryan city council meeting.

Click HERE to read and download the tax abatement agreement that was approved at the April 22, 2025 Bryan city council meeting.

This podcast contains comments from the April 22, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Public speakers at Tuesday's meeting (April 22) of the Brazos County commission asked for assistance with a community garden and controlling feral cats.

Because the requests were not part of the meeting agenda, by state law commissioners were not able to respond.

The community garden request came from a third year doctoral student at Texas A&M who was also a probation officer for 26 years. Stephanie Smith said she has the support of the judge who supervises Brazos County's specialty drug court to allow court participants to supervise a proposed garden on county owned land south of downtown Bryan along South College.

Sabrina Brown asked commissioners to work with the city of Bryan to develop a trap, neuter, and release program to control the population of feral cats. Brown also said there is a petition drive on the Reddit websites for Bryan and College Station.

This podcast contains comments from the April 21, 2025 Bryan ISD school board meeting.

Three years ago...as the pandemic came to an end...the Bryan ISD school board spent almost $800,000 dollars with a company that specializes in managing student behavior.

A summary of what has been done and some of the results of the behavior plan were shared at Monday night's (April 21) board meeting.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the April 21, 2025 Bryan ISD school board meeting.

School leadership director Linda Montoya said student attendance has increased each year, student office referrals dropped 42 percent the last three years, out of classroom referrals have gone down 49 percent compared to this time last year, and student out of placement referrals fell 32 percent since May of 2023.

The report, which also included measures being taken against bullying, was part of a board discussion of a silent protest outside the administration building two weeks ago calling for action against students who bully classmates. School board president David Stasny said federal law prohibits public release of student disciplinary action. Deputy superintendent Brian Merrell was among central office administrators who recommended parents and community members use BISD's "Be Safe" app to report bullying and other incidents.

Brazos County State Senator Charles Schwertner visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about school vouchers, the Texas Lottery, making gambling legal, the impeachment process of the attorney general, the budget, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the April 14, 2025 Texas A&M faculty senate meeting.

Texas A&M has 6,000 students who are registered with the disability services center as requiring special accommodations.

Director Kristie Orr told faculty senate members at this month's meeting that a west campus building is being remodeled to add student testing spaces.What was formerly an open access computer lab on the first floor of the business library and collaborative comments, will have two private rooms and three large areas that will seat 123 students.

Testing space in the student services building holds 96, requiring at times to do testing in conference rooms and even space in the memorial student center.

Orr also explained a new responsibility for some faculty members, that of being a liaison between affected students and the center's case workers who each monitor between 500 and 600 students. She said the liaison is something that came from A&M's president.

And the center is moving to a new data management system on or around May 16.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials that were used at the April 14, 2025 Texas A&M faculty senate meeting.

Orr and faculty senate speaker Angie Hill Price also responded to questions regarding an increase in the number of failing students who are asking for accommodations the closer it gets to finals week.

This podcast contains comments from the April 15, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

A March hail storm damaged 29 vehicles owned by Brazos County.County commissioners at their April 15th meeting, approved a budget amendment transferring $130,000 dollars that in part will cover insurance deductibles.

Estimated damages per vehicle ranged from $2,000 to more than $11,000 dollars.

Click HERE to read and download the budget amendment that was approved at the April 15, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Before the unanimous vote, commissioner Fred Brown said the county could avoid paying $1,000 dollar deductibles on each vehicle.

The county's insurance risk manager, Leslie Contreras, said the deductible is based on the county's policy, which includes deductibles.

Contreras also said the county pays the repair bills, then sends claims to their insurance carrier to be reimbursed minus the deductible. 

She says that keeps the county's insurance premiums from increasing.

WTAW's Chelsea Reber visits with Peggi Ondrasek, President/CEO of United Way of the Brazos Valley, and Kyle Salmon and JJ Ramirez from Save Our Streets Ministries.

College Station Councilwoman Melissa McIlhaney visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about her decision to run for city council, her experience so far on council, the former Macy's store building, the no-more-than-four unrelated housing ordinance, code enforcement, impact fees, and more during her appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the April 15, 2025 College Station ISD school board meeting.

College Station ISD school board members will consider at their May meeting, adding ten minutes to the class day. 

The proposal that was made by administrators at the board's April workshop meeting.

Superintendent Tim Harkrider said the recommendation was made in part to allow students from Consolidated and College Station High Schools to take classes together at CSISD's new career and technology education (CTE) center. Phase two of the complex is projected to be completed for the start of the 2026-2027 school year. Phase two includes space for ag mechanics, auto tech, construction, cosmetology, welding, a multipurpose arena, and offices.

Ten additional minutes per day equals four additional days over the course of a school year. 
Harkrider's proposal to turn those four days into teacher planning and work days will also be considered at the May board meeting.

The superintendent also asked the board to consider in May, amending the calendar for the 2025-26 school year to add the ten minutes.

This podcast contains comments from the April 7, 2025 Bryan ISD school board meeting.

For the second consecutive year, the Bryan ISD school district's food service fund has too much money. 

Instead of return excess funds to the state, BISD school board members agreed at its April 7th meeting to spend $361,000 dollars on new equipment. 

The district's retired food service director, Sundy Fryrear, said most of the money will go toward replacing equipment at the Johnson elementary kitchen.

That includes replacing fire suppression and exhaust systems that are original to when Johnson was built in 1974 and replacing its more than 30 year old serving line.

The purchase also includes at Bryan High School, a reach-in freezer and a heated cabinet and at Houston elementary, replacing a food steamer.