WTAW - Interviews

This podcast contains comments from the January 23, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

Nearly $1 million dollars will be spent to design improvements at College Station's Thomas Park.

An amended contract approved by the city council included two timetables.

Capital projects director Jennifer Cain they are coordinating the park design with the ongoing reconstruction of Lincoln Avenue.

Cain also said they are also coordinating park improvements with the future reconstruction of streets bordering the park.

Voters in November 2022 approved $3 million dollars of bond money. Another $1.9 million was previously budgeted in the city's parks capital fund.

After the design contract, almost $4 million dollars remains to build what is currently estimated to be $6 million dollars of park improvements. 

Councilmembers were told they have the options of phasing the improvements and/or using additional funding sources.

Click HERE to read and download what was approved at the January 23, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials at the January 23, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

Zyreshia Jackson with the city of Bryan's community development office visits with Scott DeLucia on WTAW's The Infomaniacs about public participation as the city develops its next community development plan serving low and moderate income residents.

According to a city of Bryan news release, the 2025-29 Consolidated Plan will guide the allocation of federal funds for housing, community development, and services.

Learn about the plan and share your feedback at one of two upcoming public meetings.

The first public meeting is Tuesday, February 18, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Clara B. Mounce Public Library. A presentation will kick off the meeting, with light refreshments available.

The second public meeting is Thursday, February 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Neal Recreation Center.

Residents can also provide feedback through an online survey that continues through March 7. Visit bryantx.gov/ConsolidatedPlan to learn more and to take the survey.

This podcast is state representative Paul Dyson's visit with Scott DeLucia on WTAW's The Infomaniacs.

After the visit, the Texas House speaker announced committee assignments. Dyson was named to the energy resources and the judiciary and civil jurisprudence committees.

This podcast is a visit with Baylor Scott & White Health College Station region president Jason Jennings and WTAW's Bill Oliver.

Baylor Scott & White Health (BSW) opens its new medical plaza building in College Station.

The new building is home to a variety of comprehensive medical services that includes a sleep center, outpatient rehabilitation services, a laboratory, an ambulatory surgery center, pulmonary medicine, infectious diseases, nephrology, allergy/immunology, ophthalmology, optometry and neurosurgery. 

The three story building reflects BSW's College Station experiencing a nearly 30% increase in hospital and clinic visits, over a 10% rise in deliveries and more than 8% increase in emergency room visits over the past five years. 

This podcast contains comments from the February 4, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

For the first time, Brazos County has a policy covering the operation of more than 1,200 security cameras installed at more than 100 county buildings.

Commissioners unanimously adopted a ten page document that was developed over the last eight months by an employee committee.

Click HERE to read and download the security camera policy that was approved at the February 4, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

The county's risk manager, Leslie Contreras, says the purpose of the security cameras is to deter violence and property damage and is not meant to monitor county employees.

Contreras said 250 county employees have had access to control the cameras. Those employees will have to reapply and the committee will review those applications to recommend who will have access and at what level of access.

Also answering commission questions were the commission's general counsel Bruce Erratt and county budget officer Nina Payne.

Bryan Mayor Pro Tem James Edge visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about the local delegation's trip to Austin, how Trump's administration could impact RELLIS, the Bryan Business Council, public meetings about the city's comprehensive plan, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs on The Infomaniacs.

Brazos County Senator Charles Schwertner visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about visiting with the local delegation, education issues, Senate-passed legislation, rising insurance costs, what he wants to do with the rainy day fund, voting issues, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the February 10, 2025 Texas A&M faculty senate meeting.

Texas A&M faculty senate members hear how university officials are dealing with President Trump's actions affecting higher education.

Both the university's chief academic officer, provost Alan Sams, and the university's federal relations director, Michael Hardy, said they are not expecting any reversal of decisions made by officials in the Trump administration.

That includes reducing a reimbursement rate from National Institute of Health grants from 52.5 to 15 percent, something that is the subject of a lawsuit filed by attorney generals in 22 states. Texas is not part of that lawsuit.

University officials are also gathering information about the Trump administration's decision to shut down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), actions involving Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and an executive order involving DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion).

Sams, Hardy, and faculty senate speaker Angie Hill Price all asked faculty members to share information they receive with the university community as a whole.

Sherri Echols visits with WTAW's Chelsea Reber about a new veterans resource fair and claims clinic.

WTAW's Chelsea Reber visits with UWBV President/CEO Peggi Ondrasek and Carl Orozco from Bryan-College Station Habitat for Humanity.