WTAW - Interviews

Captain Luis Villanueva visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about the Building Hope campaign, plans for the new Center of Hope, who the new facilities will serve, how to get involved, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the May 13, 2024 College Station city council meeting.

College Station city council members express no opposition to adding three baseball fields at Veterans Park.

This follows construction coming to a halt at Texas Independence Park...originally named Southeast Park off Rock Prairie Road...due to soil conditions.

The council was told soil testing continues on the Veterans Park property by a company that is not the one who conducted tests at Texas Independence Park, where construction was stopped after the city spent more than $5 million in infrastructure. 

Staff told the council the infrastructure that was built at Texas Independence Park will be used.

At Veterans Park, the council was told that if additional fields are built near the University Drive entrance, it would three or four years before construction is completed.

The council was also told that staff is in communication with youth baseball officials about alternative sites for games that will be displaced by ballfield renovations at Bachmann Park.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the May 13, 2024 College Station city council meeting.

Councilman Bob Yancy visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about adding baseball fields to Veterans Park, possible legal action regarding the soil testing at Texas Independence Park, Wellborn water, future legislation impacting the city, facility fees, affordable housing, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the May 14, 2024 Bryan city council meeting.

This December, construction is projected to start on a $4.5 million dollar playground at Bryan's Midtown Park. 

An update was given during the May regular meeting of the Bryan city council.

Deputy city manager Hugh Walker was the first to bring up proposals for the focal point signature playground...a multi story sculpture incorporating a slide among other things that Walker described as the playground's "Iconic piece".

Playground consultant Drew Cain brought up that the multi story sculpture will be custom made.

Bryan mayor Bobby Gutierrez, who lives next to Sue Haswell Park, brought up the popularity of a similar feature to what will be built for Midtown Park's signature playground.

Bryan council members were shown artists drawings of five animals...three birds, a beaver, and a catfish. 

During a visit on WTAW's The Infomaniacs, councilman James Edge says no decision has been made whether the sculpture will be an animal, a rocket, or something else.

The playground consultant also talked about using the playground area, which is not flat, having equipment that takes advantage of elevation changes.

The signature playground at Midtown Park is projected to open in August of 2025. 

$2 million dollars of the cost is covered by a private grant. The remaining $2.5 million comes from the city of Bryan.


Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the May 14, 2024 Bryan city council meeting.

Councilman James Edge visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about Police Chief Eric Buske's retirement, progress at the Phillips Event Center, Bryan's Midtown Park's signature playground, restroom buildings at the park, a call for lifeguards, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the May 14, 2024 Brazos County commission meeting.

A review by Brazos County commissioners of the May 4th election started with a review of election security.

The conversation ended with stories about voters whose votes were not counted. Elections administrator Trudy Hancock says people leave with their ballots instead of inserting them into scanners.

Hancock says election workers try to spot voters before they walk out. And voters get a message on the screen after they make their choices to place ballots in the scanner.

Hancock told commissioners that no discrepancies were found in the partial manual recounts of two elections that were held May 4th. And she also explained the process of how partial manual recounts are done.

One of the May 4th elections involved using voting centers to take ballots regarding the bond propositions from College Station and Navasota ISD's and the referendum from emergency services district two.

The other election, selecting board members to the Wellborn special utility district, was done at the SUD's office.

College Station Mayor John Nichols visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about pickleball courts, air conditioned restroom buildings at parks, development of Southeast Park, tonight's street maintenance open house, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the May 13, 2024 College Station city council meeting.

In April, the College Station city council added a civil fine for those found guilty of violating the city's ordinance restricting housing to no more than four unrelated occupants.

On Monday (May 13), the council approved adding the civil fine to those found guilty of violating the city's new ROO, or restricted occupancy overlay district, which caps the maximum number of unrelated residents at two.

Before the council's vote, were comments from two Texas A&M representatives asking the council to delay their vote.

Student government representative Ben Crockett and A&M vice president of student affairs Joe Ramirez both asked to wait until students returned in August.Six council members approved adding the civil fine to the ROO regulations.

Click HERE to read and download what was approved during the May 13, 2024 College Station city council meeting.Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the May 13, 2024 council meeting.

Elizabeth Cunha, who shared her opposition, decided against voting and abstained.

Also during the discussion prior to the vote, councilman Bob Yancy asked Ramirez the status of plans to build more on-campus. Ramirez says recommendations will be presented soon to the president and other administrators. 

Not brought up during the council meeting, was the A&M system board of regents approval last week (May 7) of an updated five year capital projects plan that does not include new on campus housing projects.

This podcast is a recording of the dedication of the state historical marker for Boonville Cemetery that was held on May 13, 2024.

After 177 years of operation, the Boonville Cemetery along Boonville Road in Bryan east of the freeway closed in 2012.

Now part of Brazos County's Boonville Heritage Park, a state historical marker was dedicated on Monday (May 13).

Research for the marker that was done by the late Mary Ann Cusimano was shared by Vicki Smith-Dicky and Henry Mayo of the Brazos County historical commission.

Dicky said that former county commissioner Billy Beard and district judges Tom McDonald and Bradley Smith developed a plan in 1982 to save the cemetery...the last piece of Boonville's existence as the first county seat of Brazos County.

Mayo also pointed out the base of the marker includes a dedication to Cusimano, the first time that has been done in Brazos County. 

Mayo said the sun dried brick that forms the marker base came from the former Ursuline Convent that dates back to 1901.

Accepting the state marker, county judge Duane Peters recalled growing up driving by the cemetery when Boonville Road was the only way to get into Bryan.

The Boonville cemetery contains 374 gravesites dating back to 1846.

Click HERE to read and download the dedication program.

This podcast contains comments from the May 7, 2024 Brazos County commission meeting.

The Brazos County Expo Complex, which opened in 2007, is in need of at least $10 million dollars of deferred maintenance.

A presentation to county commissioners Tuesday (May 7) by the county's project manager included priority one recommendations from an outside consultant.

The list given by Trevor Lansdown addressed the exhibit hall and the parking lot. Yet to be done, is evaluating the condition of the rest of the complex.

Lansdown's summary included replacing exhibit hall's roof, which was not included in the $10 million dollar estimate.

Inside the building, consultants recommended adding water valves to allow plumbing repairs to specific areas without shutting down water service to the entire expo complex.

Another recommendation was adding stairs to access the overhead heating and air conditioning units and electrical panels. Lansdown said current access is by using a scissor lift.

Commissioners were also told the exhibit hall floor, the parking lot, and perimeter fences needed attention.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the May 7, 2024 Brazos County commission meeting.