WTAW - Interviews

This podcast is a visit with College Station police officer David Simmons and WTAW's Bill Oliver about the response to a bomb threat at College Station High School on August 22, 2023.

College Station High School was evacuated Tuesday around 11 a.m. due to a bomb threat.

College Station police officer David Simmons says an anonymous threat that was received at the police department was relayed to CSHS and College Station ISD.

Simmons says the response included CSPD's SWAT team and Texas A&M police department's K-9 bomb sniffing dogs.

An estimated 30 to 40 buses were sent to CSHS from CSISD and Texas A&M transportation services to remove 2,200 people if necessary.

CSISD notified parents of CSHS students that they were allowed inside the gym at 12:30 p.m. after that area was declared safe.

At 1:20 p.m., CSISD notified parents that the all clear was announced, lunch was being served, and dismissal would take place at the normal time.

This podcast is a visit with United Way of the Brazos Valley president Peggi Goss, UWBV board member Kyle Salmon of SOS Ministries, and WTAW's Bill Oliver.

This podcast contains comments from the August 16, 2023 meeting of the Texas A&M system board of regents.

Those caught by Texas A&M police (UPD) with less than two ounces of marijuana will not be immediately arrested.

UPD chief Michael Johnson told the board of regents that the new policy was the result of the Brazos County county attorney's office not prosecuting all of their arrests.

Johnson says going forward, an arrest will be made after the county attorney decides that they will prosecute.

Supporters of the new policy includes regents Jay Graham of Houston and John Bellinger of San Antonio and system chancellor John Sharp.

This podcast contains comments from the August 14, 2023 Texas A&M faculty senate meeting.

Members of the Texas A&M faculty senate are told that a "rogue e-mail" led to the suspension of an A&M professor after giving a lecture at the University of Texas medical branch in Galveston (UTMB) earlier this year.

The two week suspension of Joy Alonzo came after A&M officials were told UTMB had censured her.

Faculty senate member Trevor Hale, who is president of the Texas council of faculty senates, learned that UTMB does not have a censure policy.Hale said they don't know the source of what he called a rogue e-mail.

Hale said "It was a large class. There was an announcement in Blackboard (a technology app used in education). The Texas Tribune picked it up because it looked very official with formal censure in big block letters."

Hale also said "There is no policy, tribunal, committee, for anything from formal censure from UTMB in any way, shape, or form. Somebody went rogue. We responded to it. More story to come out."

Additionally, A&M faculty senate speaker Tracy Hammond said the UTMB faculty senate president told her that UTMB does not have a faculty censure policy.

Hammond provided to WTAW News, letters from UTMB that were sent to the A&M faculty senate.

Click HERE to read a letter sent by the UTMB interim president to the UTMB faculty senate chairman regarding academic freedom at UTMB.

Click HERE to read an e-mail sent by the UTMB faculty senate president stating that UTMB does not have a faculty censure policy.

The suspension was lifted following an A&M investigation, something that was supported earlier this month by lawyers with the A&M system.

Congressman Michael McCaul, whose district includes Brazos, Grimes, Madison, Burleson, and Washington counties, visited with Scott DeLucia on The Infomaniacs on August 18, 2023.

Topics include an update on the CHIPS Act, Texas A&M's involvement in the development of computer chips, observations two years after the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, the future of more federal money going to Ukraine, observations about criminal charges against Hunter Biden and Donald Trump, his opposition to eminent domain for the Texas Central high speed train project, and efforts to increase passenger air service to Easterwood Airport.

College Station city councilman William Wright visited with Scott DeLucia on WTAW's The Infomaniacs on August 18, 2023.

Topics included lengths of council meetings, resident engagement, mitigating issues involving Texas A&M students, conditions of local streets, affordable housing, the reaction to a Texas A&M board of regents member criticizing College Station police, and the upcoming opening of the city's new tourism office building south of city hall.

BTU (Bryan Texas Utilities) public information officer Meagan Brown visits with Scott DeLucia on WTAW's The Infomaniacs August 17, 2023.

Topics include providing electricity during the current heat wave, BTU selling electricity to the power grid, BTU's new "round up" program, how to go about installing solar energy panels, and an explanation of BTU's tree trimming program.

This podcast contains comments from the August 10, 2023 College Station city council meeting.

The College Station city council is moving forward with a consultant's study on a possible recreation center.During a discussion at the council's August 10 meeting,

Mayor John Nichols and councilman Mark Smith expressed support for the study.

Three councilmembers who expressed no interest or opposition to a recreation center were Linda Harvell, William Wright, and Bob Yancy.

Councilmembers Elizabeth Cunha and Dennis Maloney expressed interest in a large, air-conditioned facility.

Cunha also wanted a review of the utilization of the city's Lincoln Recreation Center.

One of the public speakers who lives in the Lincoln center neighborhood wanted to return that facility for neighborhood activities.

The council also heard from the owners of three private gyms who opposed a city recreation center.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the August 10, 2023 College Station city council meeting.

Bryan mayor Bobby Gutierrez visited with Scott DeLucia on WTAW's The Infomaniacs August 16, 2023.

Topics include property tax valuation, development on Bryan's west side near the RELLIS campus, maintaining infrastructure, water consumption, and an upcoming appearance of congressman Michael McCaul to Bryan and College Station.

This podcast contains comments from an August 1, 2023 committee meeting of the Texas A&M system board of regents.

A new member of the Texas A&M system board of regents reacts to hearing that Aggie athletics is getting more revenue...but not enough to cover increased expenses.

Comments from Sam Torn of Houston were made during an A&M budget presentation that was part of the regents August 1st committee meeting.

After hearing the 12th Man foundation gave the athletic department $4 million dollars, Torn says Aggie athletics should be given a mandate to live within its budget.

The university's chief operating officer, Greg Hartman, says the football ticket renewal rate is 93 percent, one of the highest rates ever, along with an increase in the sale of student sport passes.

The athletic department is also getting more money from the Southeastern Conference and the university's rights holder, Learfield.While Torn was appointed earlier this year to the board of regents, he is no stranger to A&M athletics.

His biography on the regents website states the 1970 A&M graduate and 2020 distinguished alumnus is a former chairman and trustee of the 12th Man Foundation, chaired the Campaign for Kyle Field, served as the Co-Chair for the Kyle Field Redevelopment Committee and coordinated the redevelopment of Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park, the Davis Player Development Center, the R.C. Slocum Nutrition Center and the Klein Family Locker Room.