WTAW - Interviews

This podcast contains some comments from some public speakers during the June 13, 2023 Bryan city council meeting.

A proposed ban on public transit buses on some Bryan streets was removed the agenda of Tuesday's Bryan city council agenda.

That did not keep 11 speakers from telling the council to not consider the ban in the future.

Click HERE to read and download the proposed bus ban that was withdrawn from the agenda of the June 15, 2023 Bryan city council meeting.

WTAW News has asked the city of Bryan the reason for the proposed ban.

A city spokeswoman told WTAW News that city staff removed the item from the agenda to "rework the proposed amendment to accommodate unintended concerns that were brought forward."The proposed bus ban would apply to portions of six specific streets along with any Bryan street with a cul-de-sac or dead ends.

The proposal called for no buses on (1) Main Street from West 28th Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Street, (2) Holick Lane from Sulphur Springs Road to East North Avenue, (3) North Rosemary Drive from South Texas Avenue to East 29th Street, (4) Esther Boulevard from Twin Boulevard to East 29th Street, (5) Carter Creek Parkway from East 29th Street to Coulter Drive, and (6) College View Drive from South Texas Avenue to South College Avenue.

The public speakers opposing the bus ban included four administrators at the Brazos Transit District, the director and an employee at the Brazos Valley Center for Independent Living, a member of the Bryan ISD school board, and a consulting engineer working for the transit district.

Jamie Cox, General Manager of Legends Event Center, visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about available space at the center, improved parking, food centric events, open gym times, upcoming summer sports camps, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

College Station Mayor John Nichols visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about the sewer trunkline project, the EMS agreement with Bryan, middle housing zoning, the future relationship with the Brazos Transit District, Juneteenth, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the June 13, 2023 College Station city council meeting.

For the second time in less than three weeks, College Station city council members and city management exchange comments with homeowners in a south Bryan neighborhood who are in the path of a proposed College Station sewer trunkline.

Monday night's 60 minute conversation included nine public speakers living in Beverley Estates who continue to say the construction will result in losing access to their homes and will kill mature oak trees.

City manager Bryan Woods told the homeowners that "we wouldn't do something that we thought would put somebody in danger" "or if affects them (the homeowners) negatively".

Councilmembers Bob Yancy and Linda Harvell said they have lived through similar construction at their homes and without long term damage.

Yancy said "the facts don't justify that fear and anxiety" that has been expressed by opposing homeowners.

One of the homeowners, Jennifer Weber, said their business property in Bryan continues to sustain damage from a College Station waterline project that started in 2003.

Yancy also said he will not be voting for building the sewer line along Rosemary Drive. Then he told the opposing homeowners he wanted assistance in paying the additional cost of $3.8 million dollars "that you guys are asking us (the council) to spend unnecessarily to go around you."

The council was told that results of a $15,000 dollar tree survey and a $50,000 dollar soil study should be ready in four to six weeks.

This podcast is a visit with College Station ISD school board president Jeff Horak and local reporters following the June 12, 2023 CSISD board of trustees meeting about the selection of a lone finalist for CSISD superintendent.

College Station ISD school board members name their lone finalist for superintendent.

Dr. Tim Harkrider has spent the last ten years as superintendent in Willis.

Before CSISD board members unanimously approved the selection, they received an endorsement during public comments from Willis ISD board member Cliff Williams.

Harkrider's hiring becomes official following a state mandated 21 day waiting period.

This is the first CSISD superintendent who was not an internal promotion since 2006.

CSISD board president Jeff Horak said there were no CSISD employees among the 48 applicants for the position. 15 made the initial cut. Horak said that was followed by six interviews and two being interviewed a second time.

News release from College Station ISD:

The College Station ISD Board of Trustees named Dr. Tim Harkrider the district’s Lone Finalist for the position of Superintendent of Schools today.

Harkrider has been the superintendent in Willis ISD for the past 10 years and is tabbed to replace Mike Martindale, who recently retired.

By state law, a finalist for the superintendent position must complete a 21-day waiting period before officially being named the superintendent of schools.

Harkrider was named Texas Association of School Boards Region 6 Superintendent of the Year in 2018, and was one of five finalists in the state competition.

In addition, he earned the 2019-2020 Empowered Superintendent award from the K-12 Chief Technology Officer Council for his work to advance meaningful use of technology in classrooms.

Under Harkrider’s leadership, WIllis ISD has made gains academically and increased index scores in more than 50% of the areas rated by the TEA each year since 2016.

Harkrider has led Willis ISD through a tremendous amount of growth with the passage of bond packages in 2015 ($109.5 million), 2020 ($100.15 million), and 2022 ($143 million).

Before being named Superintendent, Harkrider served as the Willis High School Principal from 2012 to 2013.

Before that, he spent five years as the campus principal at Reagan Middle School and a year as principal at Dickinson Elementary, both in Grand Prairie ISD.

Harkrider started his career in education as a teacher and baseball coach, serving stints in Mt. Enterprise ISD, Union Grove ISD, Pine Tree ISD, Kilgore ISD, and White Settlement ISD.

After earning All-Southwest Conference honors in 1992 and 1993 as a shortstop for the University of Texas baseball team, Harkrider was selected in the 8th round of the Major League Baseball draft in 1993. He spent four years playing professional baseball before an injury ended his career.

He earned his Bachelor of Science from Stephen F. Austin State University, his Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Texas at Arlington, and his Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership from Sam Houston State University.

Harkrider and his wife, Toni, have three children: Dylan (25), Reece (21), and Meredith (13).

This podcast is a visit with College Station ISD's lone finalist for superintendent, Tim Harkrider, and local reporters following the June 12, 2023 CSISD board of trustees meeting.

College Station ISD school board members name their lone finalist for superintendent.

Dr. Tim Harkrider has spent the last ten years as superintendent in Willis.

Before CSISD board members unanimously approved the selection, they received an endorsement during public comments from Willis ISD board member Cliff Williams.

Harkrider's hiring becomes official following a state mandated 21 day waiting period.

This is the first CSISD superintendent who was not an internal promotion since 2006.

CSISD board president Jeff Horak said there were no CSISD employees among the 48 applicants for the position. 15 made the initial cut. Horak said that was followed by six interviews and two being interviewed a second time.

News release from College Station ISD:

The College Station ISD Board of Trustees named Dr. Tim Harkrider the district’s Lone Finalist for the position of Superintendent of Schools today.

Harkrider has been the superintendent in Willis ISD for the past 10 years and is tabbed to replace Mike Martindale, who recently retired.

By state law, a finalist for the superintendent position must complete a 21-day waiting period before officially being named the superintendent of schools.

Harkrider was named Texas Association of School Boards Region 6 Superintendent of the Year in 2018, and was one of five finalists in the state competition.

In addition, he earned the 2019-2020 Empowered Superintendent award from the K-12 Chief Technology Officer Council for his work to advance meaningful use of technology in classrooms.

Under Harkrider’s leadership, WIllis ISD has made gains academically and increased index scores in more than 50% of the areas rated by the TEA each year since 2016.

Harkrider has led Willis ISD through a tremendous amount of growth with the passage of bond packages in 2015 ($109.5 million), 2020 ($100.15 million), and 2022 ($143 million).

Before being named Superintendent, Harkrider served as the Willis High School Principal from 2012 to 2013.

Before that, he spent five years as the campus principal at Reagan Middle School and a year as principal at Dickinson Elementary, both in Grand Prairie ISD.

Harkrider started his career in education as a teacher and baseball coach, serving stints in Mt. Enterprise ISD, Union Grove ISD, Pine Tree ISD, Kilgore ISD, and White Settlement ISD.

After earning All-Southwest Conference honors in 1992 and 1993 as a shortstop for the University of Texas baseball team, Harkrider was selected in the 8th round of the Major League Baseball draft in 1993. He spent four years playing professional baseball before an injury ended his career.

He earned his Bachelor of Science from Stephen F. Austin State University, his Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Texas at Arlington, and his Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership from Sam Houston State University.

Harkrider and his wife, Toni, have three children: Dylan (25), Reece (21), and Meredith (13).

Stephanie Ddughdhnemimnier, Director of the Chappell Hill Historical Society, visits with WTAW's Chelsea Reber about the third annual Brazos Valley Museum Trail.

This podcast contains comments from the June 5, 2023 Bryan ISD school board meeting.

The video scoreboard at Merrill Green Stadium is being replaced.

Bryan ISD school board members awarded a $158,000 dollar contract during Monday's meeting following years of repairs.

Assistant superintendent Kevin Beesaw said the video board, which had outdated technology from 2008, was being repaired by someone from Ohio.

About 80 percent of the funding comes from insurance, after the scoreboard was damaged by severe weather.

The remaining funding will come from BISD's general fund.

Administrators also said they will be working on advertising sponsorships.

There was no opposition to board member David Stasny's suggestion to operate the video board only during stadium events. That's after the current board was on during non-event hours.

City Manager Bryan Woods visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about the sewer line project, the four unrelated ordinance, action taken against Texas A&M students, the preferred access agreement with Texas A&M, the former Macy's store building, crime and safety in the Northgate district, raised medians, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

Meagan Brown, BTU's Public Information Officer, visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about stocking Lake Bryan with more fish, what people need to know about fishing at Lake Bryan, the current legislative session, the upcoming American Public Power Association conference, the electric vehicle industry, burying utilities on Texas Avenue, and more during her appearance on The Infomaniacs.