WTAW - Interviews

This podcast is a visit with city of Bryan deputy city manager Hugh Walker and WTAW's Bill Oliver.

The city of Bryan's Travis Field stadium, which has had a $700,000 dollar renovation, will be ready for the May 21st opener for the first season of the new Yard Dogs collegiate baseball team.

Bryan deputy city manager Hugh Walker says the stadium's third base party deck has been replaced, the first base party deck has been removed to allow for more seating, and there is a new sound system.

On the field, there is a new infield, new pitching mound, and new backstop padding.

In addition to the Yard Dogs 30 home game schedule, the stadium is available for rentals during the spring and summer for the first time in decades.

Bryan mayor Bobby Gutierrez visits with Scott DeLucia on WTAW's The Infomaniacs May 6, 2026 about economic development activity, the development of new energy projects, and the status of the condition of an apartment complex.

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

Less than a month after the city of Bryan announced city manager Andrew Nelson went on medical leave where he would undergo brain surgery, he is back at work.

And his return was noted by city council members at the end of the May 5th regular meeting.

Leading off was Kevin Boriskie, followed by Marca Ewers-Shurtleff, James Edge, and mayor Bobby Gutierrez.

Nelson said he is feeling stronger every day following his surgery.

This podcast contains comments from the May 4, 2026 Bryan ISD school board meeting.

Bryan ISD school board members decide to offer online classes starting in the next school year.

Unanimous approval was given at Monday night's meeting (May 4) to hire an outside company to teach third through 12th grade students in what administrators are calling a "virtual academy".

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials shown at the May 4, 2026 Bryan ISD school board meeting.

Click HERE to read and download the agreement with the private company that will be teaching online classes in Bryan ISD.

BISD will pay the third party company hired to do the online instruction a base rate of about $2,900 dollars per student.

Board members were told the online option was approved by state lawmakers last year. But the Texas Education Agency has yet to publish rules that impacts more than 200 public school districts that will be offering online classes.

The more than one hour of discussion before the BISD board's vote also included UIL participation of online students, particularly students from outside BISD.

Administrators told board members there is a goal of online students participating in on-campus activities and those students deciding to switch to taking classes on-campus.

And board members were told that there will be a reorganization of BISD's central office administrators to accommodate the new option.

This podcast contains comments from the April 23, 2026 College Station city council meeting.

The College Station city council receives its annual update on street maintenance done by the public works department.

At the April 23rd meeting, public works director Emily Fisher reminded the council that street maintenance reflects what they find from visual inspections done by city staff.

This year, some of the $6.5 million dollars in the maintenance budget is going towards streets in the McCulloch, Shenandoah, and Bridal Gate neighborhoods.

The update also included projects through the 2029 fiscal year.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the April 23, 2026 College Station city council meeting.

United Way of the Brazos Valley (UWBV) president Lizette Hawkins and UWBV board member Rob Mwandia, known professionally as "DJ Rob", visit with WTAW's Bill Oliver about UWBV's crawfish boil fundraiser that is taking place May 5, 2026 at Yesterday's Bar and Grill in Bryan.

This podcast contains comments from the April 14, 2026 Bryan city council meeting.

The Bryan city council at its April meeting unanimously approved six rezoning requests.

One of three that was not initiated by city staff, gives permission for the owners of the Made Well Ministries non profit agency to continue operating on property just inside the Eastside historical district. 

Homeowners in the historic district who spoke in opposition included the district's president, Tamara Garza, who also serves on the city's historical preservation commission. She said it appeared Made Well sidestepped the process by asking for forgiveness instead of initially seeking permission. 

The council's approval followed comments about the unique location of Made Well being between historic homes and the downtown area and how the land use supports the city's Blueprint 2040 comprehensive plan.

Click HERE to read and download background information from the city about the Made Well Ministries rezoning.

Click HERE to read and download city staff information about the Made Well Ministries rezoning.

The council also approved rezoning to allow for an assisted living business at the northeast corner of Cavitt and Oak.

Click HERE to read and download background information about the rezoning at Cavitt and Oak.

Approval was also given for commercial development along the east side of the freeway across Colson Road from Aggieland R-V park.

Click HERE to read and download background information from the city about rezoning on Colson Road east of the freeway.

The council also approved three rezoning requests initiated by city staff. One rezones 21 properties to residential. 

17 of the properties on Todd Street, which is the first block east of Texas and north of Villa Maria, already has homes. Three lots are vacant and the remaining property is a church.

Click HERE to read and download background information about rezoning on Todd Street.

Click HERE to read and download city staff information about the Todd Street rezoning.

Another city initiated rezoning involves commercial space across Villa Maria from the Tejas Center.Click HERE to read and download city staff information about rezoning on Villa Maria.

The third city initiated rezoning is in the area of West 28th and Commerce.

Click HERE to read and download background information from the city about rezoning in the area of West 28th and Commerce.

This podcast is a visit with the chairman of the Brazos County historical commission, Henry Mayo, and WTAW's Bill Oliver.

The Brazos County historical commission has had a committee working the last five years on the local recognition of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the declaration of independence.

Historical commission chairman Henry Mayo says what he remembers at the time of the nation's bicentennial drives his passion for celebrating what is the nation's semiquincentennial.

The Brazos Valley African American Museum's website is hosting a calendar listing and is still accepting local events associated with the 250th that are taking place before, during, and after July fourth.

Click HERE to be directed to the Brazos County historical commission's America250 calendar.

The local committee is also promoting what Mayo calls "purposeful patriotism", such as flying U.S. and America 250 flags, banners, buntings, garden flags, and wearing of red, white & blue and patriotic-themed clothing.

And the committee is hoping to get the attention of local churches, A&M and all facilities with bells, so on July fourth they can make plans to "Let Freedom Ring" at this special time". 

Ringing bells at 1:00 p.m. local (Central) time on July fourth will coincide with the ringing of bells simultaneously "From Sea to Shining Sea".

City of College Station code enforcement supervisor Tommy Shilling visited with Scott DeLucia on WTAW's The Infomaniacs May 1, 2026. Topics includes the spring move out by Texas A&M students and how to report violations.

This podcast contains comments from the April 28, 2026 Texas A&M system board of regents budget meeting.

The formal appointment of Texas A&M's next president is scheduled to take place the day after the state mandated 21 day waiting period.

Next Wednesday (May 5) is when the board of regents has scheduled a special meeting to authorize the chancellor to negotiate a contract with Susan Ballabina.

Her selection was endorsed at this week's regents budget meetings by interim president Tommy Williams.

Williams was thanked for his service as interim by the regents vice chairman, Jay Graham of Bryan.Williams has served as interim president since last September.

Click HERE to read and download the agenda for the May 5, 2026 special meeting of the board of regents.