WTAW - Interviews

College Station Mayor John Nichols visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about the Texas Municipal League conference, an agreement with Brazos County about EMS services, the noise ordinance in the Northgate district, the plan for more youth baseball fields, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

THis podcast is a visit with Texas A&M system associate vice chancellor for research David Staack and WTAW's Bill Oliver.

Texas A&M is hosting a two day summit on computer semiconductors Wednesday and Thursday (October 3-4, 2023).

A&M system associate vice chancellor for research David Staack says this is a step towards getting a piece of 52 billion dollars in federal money to fund semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing.

A co-host of this week's summit is the newly created Texas A&M semiconductor institute. Staack says this is a coordinated effort of the A&M system's 11 universities and eight agencies that in part deals with workforce development.

The A&M system, which is also a co-host of the summit, says leaders, researchers and stakeholders in the semiconductor industry will be participating.

The summit, according to the system, will feature discussions surrounding the future of the semiconductor industry, with a focus on manufacturing demands, industry growth, research and development, and industry trends.

The event will include guided tours of the RELLIS Campus, the Zachry Engineering Education Complex, and the Cyclotron Institute at Texas A&M University. The tours will an inside look at the state-of-the-art resources supporting semiconductor research and education.

Other participants include representatives from Samsung, Global Wafers, Texas Instruments, along with representatives from Gov. Greg Abbott’s office and Texas Rep. Greg Bonnen, chair of the House Appropriations Committee.

This podcast is a visit with United Way of the Brazos Valley (UWBV) president Peggi Goss, Blake Jennings of UWBV partner agency On-Ramp, and WTAW's Bill Oliver.

This podcast is a visit with Bryan police sergeant Broddrick Bailey and WTAW's Bill Oliver.

Black spray paint causes an estimated $7,500 dollars of damage in northeast Bryan.

15 residential victims and six commercial business victims in the Austin's Colony area filed reports with Bryan police on Sunday.

BPD Sgt. Broddrick Bailey says the graffiti damaged homes, commercial business buildings, and vehicles is in the neighborhood behind the Premiere Cinemas building.

Bailey says it appears to be "random scribblings" and not the work of any gang activity.

Investigators are interested in collecting from additional neighborhood video from Sunday between midnight and six a.m.

Bailey says to call police when you see something suspicious.

This podcast contains comments from the September 28, 2023 College Station city council meeting.

The College Station city council casts four unanimous votes involving the Northgate district.

That includes three recommendations from police chief Billy Couch that involves operational changes that take effect following the Texas A&M home football game against Alabama.

Taking the most time in council discussion, was removing outdoor seating in front of six bars on College Main.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials about removing outdoor seating from the September 28, 2023 College Station city council meeting.

Another change is expanding the noise ordinance to overnight hours...from 10:01 p.m. until 6:59 a.m.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials about expanding the noise ordinance from the September 28, 2023 College Station city council meeting.

The council approved banning charitable organizations with an itinerant vendor's permit from setting up on any city property, including Northgate, something which is currently the case for remaining permit holders.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials about banning charitable organizations setting up on city property from the September 28, 2023 College Station city council meeting.

And the council without discussion, rejected two bids that were received for a rehabilitation project on the Northgate promenade is being delayed. City staff recommended postponing the project because it would not have been completed before the start the new school year at Texas A&M and would have interfered with Aggie home football games and two city events.

Click HERE to read and download the specifications of the Northgate promenade project that was put on hold by the city council.

Click HERE to read and download background information on delaying the Northgate promenade rehabilitation project.


No date has been set to request another round of bids.

This podcast contains comments from the September 25, 2023 Bryan ISD school board meeting.

The principals of the three high schools in Bryan ISD presented campus improvement plans during the September 25, 2023 school board meeting.

Click HERE to read and download the Bryan High School campus improvement plan that was presented during the September 25, 2023 BISD school board meeting.

Click HERE to read and download the Rudder High School campus improvement plan that was presented during the September 25, 2023 BISD school board meeting.

Click HERE to read and download the Bryan Collegiate High School campus improvement plan that was presented during the September 25, 2023 BISD school board meeting.

Board members asked the principals questions that dealt with improving student attendance, which is a goal at Bryan High and Bryan Collegiate High.

Bryan ISD school board president Julie Harlin asked Bryan High principal Lane Buban about addressing Bryan High students who are tardy between classes when they have to go from one end of campus to the other.

Bryan ISD's newest board member, Leo Gonzalez, brought up serving the Hispanic student population at Rudder High School with principal Rachel Layton.

Gonzalez asked Bryan Collegiate principal Tommy Roberts how they work with parents who speak only Spanish.

Roberts and Buban were also asked as teachers and as parents if there was too much testing.

Harlei Struck, Community Outreach Specialist for the College Station Fire Department, visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about Fire Prevention Week, cooking fires, and more during her appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the September 25, 2023 Bryan ISD school board meeting.

Bryan ISD school board members this week recognized the source of a $1 million dollar grant for district wide security improvements.

Assistant superintendent Kevin Beesaw said the legislature was the reason for waiting until September to officially thanked the Don and Donna Adam Family Foundation for the gift that was made in January.

Board member David Stasny said the gift was a life saver, adding that "a lot of people out there in the world that are listening to this may be thinking 'Well why we would even need that because surely the legislature would fund this.' And the answer is, absolutely, unfortunately, woefully, inadequate. It was not."

Representing the foundation were two of the Adam's grandchildren.

The foundation's chief administrative officer, Madison Januse, thanked the school board "for the importance you place on school safety and security. Our grandparents, who founded the foundation, have always had a passion for helping this community."

Foundation representative Colten Adam said "Following the tragedy at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, our grandparents felt called to do something to protect our most precious possessions, our children."

Last week, the College Station ISD school board thanked the Adam foundation for its $1 million dollar gift.

This podcast contains comments from the September 26, 2023 Brazos County commission meeting.

Next week is National 4-H week. A proclamation was issued during Tuesday's Brazos County commission meeting.

Accepting the proclamation, 4-H agent Matt Pfeiffer reported that Brazos County had 768 4-H members at the end of last year, along with 162 volunteers.

Pfeiffer also announced that 4-H members are doing a community service project this weekend at Lick Creek Park in College Station.

Also present and introducing themselves, were members of the Brazos County 4-H council.

Click HERE to read and download the proclamation that was approved at the September 26, 2023 Brazos County commission meeting.

Bryan Councilwoman Marca Ewers-Shurtleff visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about her first year on council, RELLIS, property taxes, annexation opportunities, the border crisis, medians, Bryan ISD, upcoming events, and more during her appearance on The Infomaniacs.