WTAW - Interviews

This podcast is a visit with College Station fire marshal Cameron Giordano and WTAW's Bill Oliver.

Anyone who was around College Station's Bachmann Park on Wednesday (May 20) or last Sunday (May 17) is asked to contact the College Station police or fire departments. 

A CSFD news release says that is because someone set multiple fires during park hours.

Fire Marshal Cameron Giordano says fires were set in a bathroom of one of the new baseball concession buildings, the bathroom building between the skate park and tennis courts, and a trash can between the pool building and the skate park.

When calling the College Station Fire Marshal’s office at 979-764-3778, refer to CSFD case number 2026-004443.

When calling the College Station Police Department at 979-764-3600, refer to CSPD case number 2026-004124.

This podcast contains comments from former College Station mayor Karl Mooney at the May 18, 2026 College Station city council meeting.

A former College Station mayor pitches the city council on the new Brazos Valley YMCA operating a future city owned recreation center.

Karl Mooney, who chairs the local Y board, was among the public speakers during the council's May 18th update on a recreation center feasibility study.

In addition to sharing the benefits for YMCA members, Mooney also updated the council on current operations without a permanent home.

Mooney brought up the YMCA hosting 11 weeks of summer camps at Allen Academy in Bryan.

The only direction the council gave after more than one hour of discussion, was to work towards a bond election for a recreation center in November 2027.

This podcast contains comments from the May 18, 2026 Bryan ISD school board meeting.

Bryan ISD school board members learn that two weeks after approving a new online learning option starting with the 2026-27 school year, it has drawn the interest of almost 150 students.

BISD's director of advanced academics Christina Richardson reported at Monday's meeting (May 18) that most of the applications are from secondary students and that 40 of the applications are from outside the district.

Richardson also says BISD has partnered with Blinn College to offer an online dual credit option.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the May 18, 2026 Bryan ISD school board meeting.

City of College Station Assistant Director of Public Communications Bobbie Lehrmann visits with WTAW’s The Infomaniacs on Friday, May 22, 2026, to talk about upcoming events, summer schedules, and more.

This podcast contains comments from the May 21, 2026 meeting of the Texas A&M system board of regents committee on academics and student affairs.

The Texas A&M system board of regents wants more money put into student mental health services.Three regents made statements to that affect during a meeting of their committee on academics and student affairs (CASA) Thursday (May 21) in Kingsville.

Three of the system universities vice president of student affairs made presentations to the regents.

One of the three was Texas A&M's Bill Kibler.

Among his remarks, was announcing the ninth Aggie student this academic year to die from suicide. That compared with five the previous year and three from two years ago.

Not including the Galveston and Qatar campuses, 78,741 students are served by a counseling staff of 47. Kibler says 12 more providers need to be hired to meet a nationally considered minimum ratio of one provider for each 1,500 students.

Kibler said during the 2025 fiscal year, more than 17 percent of student medical visits resulted in a mental health diagnosis.

A&M provides an app called TELUS, which according to the A&M website connects students with free, confidential professional counseling available 24/7 via app, telephone and web. Kibler says during the 2025 fiscal year there were 39,468 unique digital users of the TELUS app and 25,926 repeat users.

All new students are required by state law to complete mental health and suicide awareness training during their first semester. Kibler said 24,583 students were trained this year.

A&M faculty and staff also undergo mental health awareness and suicide prevention training. 454 were trained this year.

Kibler said A&M needs a new student health center to replace the one that has been in operation since 1972, when enrollment was 16,000. And he said there are no facilities for health care/mental services on west campus, which serves over 20,000 students each day.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials during the May 21, 2026 board of regents meeting of the committee on academic and student affairs (CASA).

This podcast contains comments from the May 20, 2026 Grimes County commission meeting.

Wednesday's (May 20) regular meeting of the Grimes County commission included another executive session that continued discussing economic incentives for the proposed SpaceX complex at Gibbons Creek lake.

After returning to open session, county judge Joe Fauth said they directed their outside lawyer to resume talking with SpaceX.

Then Fauth said announced they will hold a special meeting next Wednesday (May 27). 

Click HERE to read and download agenda for the May 27, 2026 special meeting of the Grimes County commission.

The ongoing Space X negotiations is one of three agenda items and one of two involving possible incentives.

Wednesday's agenda also includes possible incentives for a prospect either locating, staying or expanding at the Navasota industrial park. The prospect is identified only as a manufacturer of "heat-transfer equipment and thermal-management systems for cooling, refrigeration, and industrial processing applications."

The third agenda item is addressing undisclosed personnel matters.

Bryan city councilman Paul Torres visits with WTAW’s The Infomaniacs on Thursday, May 21, 2026. Topics include Midtown Park, the season opener for the new Bryan Yard Dogs collegiate baseball team playing at Travis Field Stadium, and economic development efforts.

Brazos County commissioner Wanda Watson visits with WTAW’s The Infomaniacs on Thursday, May 21, 2026. Topics included participating in a commissioner court leadership academy trip to Washington, D.C.

This podcast contains comments from the May 19, 2026 College Station ISD board meeting.

The May meeting of the College Station ISD school board included an update on construction projects around the district funded by bond issues passed by voters in 2023 and 2024.

The report from CSISD assistant superintendent Josh Symank included responding to complaints about the mismatched color of brick at multiple campuses. Symank said the same color of brick from the same manufacturer was ordered for projects at Consolidated and College Station High Schools and at Rock Prairie elementary. Symank says the new brick will receive an acid wash to come closer to the original brick that has changed color over time.

Symank shared a 33 page presentation that includes photos of construction at multiple locations.

Click HERE to read and download the construction update that was presented at the May 19, 2026 CSISD board meeting.

The report includes projects at Consolidated and College Station High Schools, Rock Prairie elementary, phase two of CSISD's career and technical education center, and stadium improvements at Consolidated and College Station High Schools.

This podcast contains comments from the May 18, 2026 College Station city council meeting.

Construction could start before the end of this year on improvements at College Station's Thomas Park that were approved by voters in a November 2022 bond issue.

That's after the College Station city council on Monday (May 18) selected a company to assist with pre construction services.

Capital projects director Jennifer Cain said she hopes to return to the council in late summer or early fall with a construction contract.

The Thomas Park bond issue includes money for a new restroom building, pavilion, playgrounds, lighted walking paths, resurfacing the existing basketball courts to accommodate both basketball and four-square play, reconfiguring the existing tennis courts to allow three pickleball courts and one tennis court, and improving the drainage inside the park.

This contract and the future construction contract also includes replacing asphalt streets with concrete around and near the park on portions of Puryear Drive, James Parkway, and Francis Drive. This will be paid from the city's streets, parks, water, and wastewater capital improvement accounts.

Click HERE to read and download the contract and background information from the city of College Station.