WTAW - Interviews

United Way of the Brazos Valley president Peggi Ondrasek and development manager Maggie Gray visit with WTAW's Bill Oliver about preparing for the start of the next community campaign and administering the regional state employee charitable campaign.

The visit also includes an invitation to participate in UWBV's campaign kickoff event Friday night, August 23rd, at the College Station Hilton.

Click HERE to be directed to the UWBV website for more information on all three activities.

This podcast is a visit with Bryan police officer Seth Waller and WTAW's Bill Oliver.

School begins Tuesday (August 13) in Bryan ISD and on Wednesday in College Station ISD. 

Motorists should plan on longer commutes with the start of school. 

Reminders from Bryan police officer Seth Waller begins with staying off cell phones.

Motorists are also told to slow down when approaching speed zones around schools, obey school bus flashing lights, and give school crossing guards enough time to return to the sidewalk after directing students across the street.

This podcast contains comments from the August 8, 2024 College Station city council meeting.

The College Station city council gives the green light to proceed with a nearly $21 million dollar repurposing what was supposed to be a baseball field complex.

Due to bad soil quality off Rock Prairie Road at Texas Independence Park, the council unanimously supported a new master plan that parks and recreation director Kelsey Heiden described as having more passive uses.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials associated with the master plan that was approved at the August 8, 2024 College Station city council meeting.

The park will include College Station's first 18 hole disc golf course. 

Incorporated into the park will be walking and bike trails.

There will also be a fishing pond, green space for pickup games, and what Heiden describes as a destination play experience.

The council directed staff to solicit proposals to finalize designs that were developed by an outside company and by Texas A&M students with public input.

Yet to be decided are funding sources and the construction schedule for the various features.

The council approving the master plan comes as construction is wrapping up on a restroom building.

Bryan Woods, College Station City Manager, visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about the challenges and rewards of his position, Texas Independence Park, ambulance and fire truck usage, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

Tom Turbiville, BVVM Board Member, visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about submitting a new name for the Wall of Honor, frequently asked questions, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

College Station Mayor John Nichols visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about selling bonds, the impact on the city budget, the upcoming affordable housing presentation, opportunities for ROOs, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

Scot Walker, Vice President of The Association of Former Students, visits with WTAW's Chelsea Reber about changes coming to Aggie Ring Day events this fall.

Texas A&M's chief marketing and communications officer, who is in his tenth month on the job, shared with the board of regents the university's upcoming marketing campaign.

During a regents workshop meeting on August 1, Ethan Braden said A&M's upcoming national campaign begins on television with a commercial during the Aggies football opener against Notre Dame.

The script of the 60 second commercial is:

"At Texas A&M University, what do we stand for?
We stand for leadership, respect, and excellence.
We stand for loyalty. Integrity. And selfless service.
At Texas A&M, we stand for four straight hours.
And we always stand ready.
We stand up for others, stand in when others won’t, never stand by, and we won’t stand still.
Texas Aggies have always ‘stood where duty required us to stand’.
We stand for something bigger than ourselves and we stand stronger together.
At Texas A&M University, we know what we stand for.
Come stand with us.
At Texas A&M University, we know what we stand for. 
Come stand with us."

Braden also says 30 people across the campus are developing A&M's brand platform that will launch next February.

He also shared research with the regents that the words or phrases that immediately come to mind when one thinks of A&M, are "football", nothing, "aggies", "sports", and "agriculture".

One of Braden's targets is the 40 percent of adults in the United States who have either not heard of A&M or have no opinion about the university.

He wants to increase the national and international opinion that A&M "educates the next generation of ethical leaders", "has affordable tuition cost", "has an extensive campus infrastructure", "has high quality faculty", "innovates with teaching and learning", "promotes diversity and inclusion", and "conducts research that helps society".

Braden said the goal "over the next 7 months (August - February) (is to) define and sustain a coordinated campaign for Texas A&M University to bridge the gap between now and the launch of a new brand platform and marketing campaign. Align all areas of the university to create marketing harmony, leveraging the current purpose, values message, and a tighter expression of the visual image."

What Braden calls A&M's "value campaign" should:

● Advance the awareness, recognition, visibility, and reputation of Texas A&M, within and beyond Texas.

● Strengthen the university’s readiness to launch a bold new brand campaign in early 2025.

● Leverage existing core messages and content that is impactful but familiar - remind people about the core values and purpose of the university.

● Reinforce Texas A&M’s position as a national (and eventually global) brand within and outside of higher education that is recognized and respected.

There were no comments from board of regents members or system administrators during or after Braden's presentation.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials shared during the August 1, 2024 Texas A&M system board of regents workshop meeting.

This podcast is a visit with Brazos Valley Food Bank director Theresa Mangapora and WTAW's Scott DeLucia that aired August 1, 2024 on The Infomaniacs.

Wednesday (August 7) is the Brazos Valley Food Bank's 31st Feast of Caring fundraiser. 

Food Bank director Theresa Mangapora, visiting on WTAW's The Infomaniacs, says celebrity servers will greet you with the meal of beans and rice along with sausage, salad, and dessert.

Mangapora says the food bank is serving more people since the pandemic due to the end of government related pandemic assistance followed by skyrocketing inflation.

Wednesday's event takes place from 11 until one at the Brazos Center.

This podcast contains comments from the July 31, 2024 Texas A&M system board of regents building committee meeting.

More construction on the RELLIS campus is scheduled to start in September.

That's after the Texas A&M system board of regents during its quarterly business meeting on August 1st approved spending more than $13 million dollars to extend streets and utilities south and east of the runways.

Click HERE to read and download project information that was approved during the August 1, 2024 board of regents meeting.

Before the regents unanimous vote, came a unanimous recommendation from the board's building committee. But before the committee's vote, system administrators were asked about getting financial assistance from the city of Bryan and other third party utility providers.

Regent Michael Plank of Houston said "We've got an awful lot going on at RELLIS. We're gonna have an awful lot of utilities involved out there. A lot of money being invested. So the question is, what's the benefit to the city and do we have any kind of reimbursement programs of any kind?"

The system's chief financial officer, Billy Hamilton, says the new streets and utilities are to benefit two system agencies.

One involves keeping heavy truck traffic associated with a new Texas Department of Emergency Management building off RELLIS Parkway. 

And the extension will also serve a new AgriLife Research reproductive sciences building and eventually "the business end of (the) Rosenthal" meat center.

Construction is scheduled one year to complete, weather permitting.

The project location is Avenue D from Bryan Street to Goodson Bend Road, 7th Street from Flightline Road to Bryan Road, and Flightline Road from the Innovative Proving
Grounds to the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service Training Props site.

The project scope includes new concrete roadways, site drainage, domestic water, natural gas, sanitary sewer, street lighting, electrical, and communications utilities.In addition, a new campus entry will be constructed where Avenue D empties onto Goodson Bend Road, and a new Remote Switching Unit building will be installed near the intersection of Avenue D and 7th Street.