WTAW - Interviews

College Station Mayor John Nichols visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about Texas A&M's off campus housing efforts, middle housing, feedback about Southeast Park, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

United Way of the Brazos Valley president Peggi Goss and the community relations director for UWBV partner agency Twin City Mission, Ron Crozier, visit with WTAW's Bill Oliver on October 30, 2023.

This podcast is a visit with A&M Methodist Church communications director Alisha Bynum and WTAW's Mikaylee Supak.

February 2023 marked the 100th anniversary of organizing A&M United Methodist Church, which is located in College Station's Northgate district.

On November 1, you are invited to a community dinner and the dedication of a state historical marker.

The dinner starts at 5:15, followed by the dedication at six.

Click HERE to be directed to the A&M United Methodist Church website.

Susan Ballabina, Texas A&M's new Chief of Staff, visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about her new role, community engagement, President Welsh's assessment of the reorganization plan, next spring's capacity study, an off campus student housing office, Rock the Red Kettle, and more during her appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the October 27, 2023 Bryan ISD school board meeting.

With about one week to go in the Texas legislature's third special session, a stalemate continues over additional funding of pre-kindergarten through 12th grade schools.

No date has been set in the Texas House for a committee to consider the senate's private school voucher bill...SB 1...that meets the governor's special session call.

And no date has been set for a House bill...HB 1...that considers money for private and public schools.

Additional funding for public schools is not part of the governor's call for the third special session.

November 7 is the last day of the third special session. The governor has said if he doesn't get state funding for private schools, he will call a fourth special session.

The governor's decisions were addressed during this week's Bryan ISD school board meeting by a more than 30 year member of the board, David Stasny. He said "there is a lot of obvious hypocrisy going on about the whole voucher thing."

Stasny also said "what is even to me more outrageous is the governor basically saying you're not gonna get what we all know public schools need unless I get my way on something else. And that's unbelievably outrageous."

Before Stasny's comments, Bryan ISD assistant superintendent Kevin Beesaw presented an update from the third special session, its impact on Bryan ISD, and prior financial decisions taken by the BISD board.


Beesaw and superintendent Ginger Carrabine also had comments about the state's review of BISD's business operations, where the district in August received a 100 score based on data from the 2021-2022 school year.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the October 23, 2023 Bryan ISD school board meeting.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Cunha visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about College Station receiving the designation as a music friendly Texas community, middle housing, the no-more-than-four unrelated ordinance, Southeast Park, youth baseball fields, and more during her appearance on The Infomaniacs.

Bryan Councilman Kevin Boriskie visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about passing the budget, future development in Downtown Bryan, building and construction prices, upcoming holiday events, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

Bryan Mayor Bobby Gutierrez visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about Texas Municipal League, recruiting new development, the border crisis, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from College Station mayor John Nichols.

College Station city council members at their October 12 meeting appointed 13 people to a housing action plan.

The committee has a year to develop what is described as "a unified vision for the future and reflect the community's vision for housing action and initiatives."

While the final vote to appoint members was unanimous, there was a tie to select the last person. Mayor John Nichols changed his nominee to break the tie.

As for the composition of the committee, Nichols said on WTAW's The Infomaniacs that it's a "diverse group, (with) citizens, attorneys, a school board member, as well as a (Texas A&M) student."

Click HERE to read and download additional information from the October 12, 2023 College Station city council agenda.

Click HERE to be directed to a city of College Station blog post about the housing action plan committee.

The council appointed Charles Barr, Blanche Brick, Tiona Broussard, Fred Dupriest, Katherine Fisher, Mike Holmgreen, Blake Jennings, Geralyn Nolan, Delia Perez-Nunez, Carla Robinson, Diana Wood, Jodi Warner, and Suzanne Droleskey. Warner was named chair with Brick as vice chair.

This podcast is a visit with Brazos County tax assessor-collector Kristy Roe and WTAW's Bill Oliver.

The Brazos County tax office is still composing property tax statements.

Tax assessor-collector Kristy Roe says as of October 23rd, the data verification process for more than 147,000 accounts is underway.

Once the data is verified, then the statements will go to the printer.

Roe says at the earliest, the first of 120,000 statements will be in the mail by the end of this week (Friday, October 27).

Roe says before the data verification began, there were delays due to changes made by the legislature and in getting numbers from the appraisal district.