WTAW - Interviews

This podcast contains comments from the May 5, 2026 Brazos County commission meeting.

Brazos County commissioners are questioned about nearly doubling the budget to maintain the downtown Bryan parking garage.

The county took over control from the Brazos Transit District in April of 2025.

Before commissioners approved a budget amendment at its May 5th meeting, public speaker Cathie Viens questioned adding $20,000 dollars on top of the original maintenance budget of $23,000 dollars.County budget officer Nina Payne said repairs were needed that could not be delayed until the start of the next fiscal year.

Viens also questioned if more money will be requested for garage maintenance. Payne said "I will not promise that this will be the last budget amendment for this next year."

Click HERE to read and download the budget amendment that was approved at the May 5, 2026 Brazos County commission meeting.

College Station city councilman Scott Shafer visits with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia on The Infomaniacs on Friday, May 15, 2026. Topics include bicycling, parking issues south of the Texas A&M campus where Shafer lives, the selection of new A&M president Susan Ballabina (where Shafer works at A&M's executive director of campus and community enrichment), the city's involvement with a private developer in the city's new ballfield complex, and a preview in the next council meeting of updates on a new public works complex and a city owned recreation center.

This podcast contains comments from the May 5, 2026 Brazos County commission meeting.

Since January of 2025, Brazos County commissioners have regularly talked about and on occasion made changes to the county's credit card policy.

At the commission's May 5th business meeting, approval was given to several changes requested by the purchasing office.

Click HERE to read and download the amended credit card policy that was approved at the May 5, 2026 Brazos County commission meeting.

The amended policy says "To facilitate a more efficient credit card approval process, only credit cards requested by a department in excess of $10,000 will be required to obtain Court approval. Those requested at $10,000 or below could be approved by Purchasing. A summary of credit cards will be provided to the Court periodically. To accommodate the payment of utilities or other fees without incurring late fees and to avoid the payment of a deposit, Purchasing, Auditor and Treasurer requests permission to obtain a credit card for these payments. A process of expanding credit card limits during an emergency or when one is imminent is added."

Before the four to nothing vote, a public speaker asked that the policy required automatic termination of employees who misuse county credit cards. Commissioners made no change to the current policy which says employees may face termination.

During the same meeting, purchasing agent Charles Wendt gave his first report on the county's new credit card providing a rebate back to the county. In August of 2025, Brazos County commissioners decided to change credit card providers, in part to take advantage of rebates.

Wendt thanked county employees for their quick payment of credit card charges totaling $62,286.14 during the last six months that resulted in the county receiving a rebate of $1,124.80.

Bryan police department officer Seth Waller visits with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia and Bill Oliver on The Infomaniacs on Wednesday, May 14, 2026. Topics include recruiting for BPD's Junior Citizen Police Academy, discussing body cameras and other technologies, and BPD's interaction with residents.

This podcast contains comments from the May 13, 2026 Grimes County commission meeting.

For the second consecutive week, Grimes County commissioners receive public comments about possible economic incentives related to the proposed Space X project at Gibbons Creek lake.

Some of the 20 speakers at a special meeting Wednesday morning (May 13) included supporters of what could be a $174 billion dollar semiconductor manufacturing and advanced computing fabrication facility.

Other speakers who did not declare a position asked the commission to tie tax abatements to Space X meeting a variety of requirements.

Commissioners also heard from opponents.

And the speakers included the wife of the Grimes County judge. Sherry Fauth drew applause after saying among other things that she had not made up her mind about Space X, but she trusts the commission "to act in our best interest rather than keyboard warriors who are relying on second hand information drawn from data centers."

Following public speakers, commissioners and their lawyers met in private to continue discussing possible incentives. 

After executive session, county judge Joe Fauth concluded the meeting by saying their outside counsel was instructed "to maintain negotiations with Space X."

Grimes County commissioners previously scheduled a June 3rd meeting to consider possible action on a tax abatement agreement.

This podcast is a visit with the Bryan/College Station chamber of commerce's community liaison Royce Hickman and WTAW's Will Welch on The Infomaniacs May 12, 2026.

More than 30 local businesspeople and government officials are in Washington D.C. as part of annual trip organized by the Bryan/College Station chamber of commerce.

The decades long tradition includes making contact with all members of the Texas congressional delegation, both U.S. Senators, and the chairs of key committees.

The chamber's community liaison, Royce Hickman, says this is an effective way to share local issues that includes transportation, health care, education, and economic development.

This podcast is the May 13, 2026 announcement that Bryan Broadcasting vice president and general manager Ben Downs will be the sixth recipient of the Texas Association of Broadcasters lifetime achievement award.

The sixth recipient of the Texas Association of Broadcasters (TAB) lifetime achievement award in the 73 year history of the organization is Bryan Broadcasting vice president and general manager Ben Downs.

The surprise announcement came Wednesday morning (May 13) from TAB president Oscar Rodriguez during a Zoom call at a Bryan Broadcasting staff meeting.

The award will be presented in August during the TAB annual convention and trade show.

This podcast is a recording of the dedication program of a law enforcement memorial outside the Bryan police department on May 12, 2026.

National Police Week was the setting Tuesday morning (May 12) in front of the Bryan police department for the unveiling of a new memorial.

Police chief Dean Swartzlander thanked Eagle Scout candidate Roman Smith for his project that includes a statue remembering fallen officers.

Smith, a ninth grade student at Bryan High School, dedicated his project to his godfather. Bryan Heber was a Beaumont police officer who died in the line of duty in July of 2011.

In addition to the statue, there are three benches...one for Smith's godfather and benches remembering fallen Bryan police officers Mark Hiatt and Jim Do that are now at the local law enforcement training grounds.

And Smith raised enough money to complete the memorial to also present a check to the Mark Hiatt scholarship fund with the Bryan police officers association.

This podcast contains comments from the May 5, 2026 Bryan city council workshop meeting.

May's workshop meeting of the Bryan city council included discussing the city's ordinance on non-consent tows. That's when the Bryan police department calls on a towing company to move a vehicle in violation of a parking or another traffic regulation.

Councilman James Edge asked police chief Dean Swartzlander to consider increasing the tow charge which is regulated by the council. Swartzlander told Edge that a study had already been requested by towing companies and the council will consider an undisclosed increase at its June meeting.

The charge for non-consent tows followed the council allowing a tow company that missed the deadline to apply to be on the police department's rotation to do non-consent tows. 

City manager Andrew Nelson told the council that they will be considering proposed changes in the process of the annual application.

Click HERE to read and download background information from the May 5, 2026 Bryan city council meeting about allowing a towing company to apply after missing the deadline.

This podcast contains audio from the May 5, 2026 Brazos County commission meeting.

There will be another local event marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Brazos County commissioners at its May 5th meeting unanimously agreed to give permission to plant a tree at Boonville Heritage Park.

The request was made by the chairman of the county's historical commission, Henry Mayo.

Background information from the county says this is part of the Sons of the American Revolution's National Liberty Tree effort.

In addition to the tree, Mayo said in an e-mail to commissioners that there are plans to have a small plaque, probably a flat, granite stone engraved to explain the significance of the tree.

The tree planting will take place closer to July 4th. A specific date and time have not been set.