WTAW - Interviews

Bryan/College Station library system youth services librarians Mackenzie Kubacak of Ringer Library and Jenny Stadler of Mounce library visits with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia on The Infomaniacs on Thursday, April 2, 2026, to talk about to preview the Brazos Valley Children’s Literary Festival being held on April 11, and more.

This podcast contains comments from the March 26, 2026 College Station city council meeting.

The College Station city council unanimously approves changing the design of about one-half mile of rebuilding Rock Prairie Road between Town Lake and Fitch.

Project manager Raquel Gonzales says moving the road by nine feet to avoid acquiring additional right of way, relocating a natural gas line, and bypassing a pond will not result in motorists dealing with a jog.

City documents say the cost of the design change is $92,406 dollars and will add 90 days to finish the design.

But that is compared with keeping the original design, which city documents says requires buying property and relocating natural gas lines.

Acquiring the land would take between one and two and a half years and at a cost of $174,000 dollars.

Relocating the natural gas lines has an estimated cost between $500,000 and $1 million dollars and take one and a half years.

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

This podcast is a report from Nathan Wood of the Brazos County public defender's office to county commissioners on March 24, 2026.

Now in its fourth year of operation, the head of the Brazos County public defenders office shared an activity report at the last county commission meeting, representing two new groups of clients.

Nathan Wood brought up two new divisions that started in the 2026 fiscal year last October first...defenders who represent juveniles and clients with mental health issues.

During the first quarter of FY 2026, the public defender's office had two lawyers who are each handling 129 felony criminal cases and three lawyers who are each handling 89 misdemeanor cases. Wood compared that workload with those of other defense lawyers who are assigned cases by Brazos County judges.

This podcast is a visit with Eagle Scout candidate Roman Smith, his mother Chanika Smith, and Bryan police officer Seth Waller, all visiting with WTAW's Bill Oliver.

A Bryan High School freshman is raising money for an Eagle Scout project recognizing law enforcement.

15 year old Roman Smith has received permission from Bryan police to place a statue outside BPD headquarters in downtown Bryan.

And Roman has enlisted Navasota sculptor J. Payne Lara, who has created statues for the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial, to create a statue of his godfather. Beaumont police officer Bryan Hebert died in the line of duty in July of 2011.

Additionally, Smith and fellow members of Boy Scout troop 159 at the Bryan American Legion have built benches to be used by officers training at the local law enforcement academy next to Twin Oaks Landfill.

Fundraising continues for the statue through Roman Smith's GoFundMe account. 

And he has organized a pancake dinner the evening of Tuesday, April 21st, at the Bryan American Legion.

Click HERE to be directed to Roman Smith's Facebook page with more information about the April 21st pancake dinner fundraiser.

Click HERE to be directed to Roman Smith's GoFundMe page.

This podcast contains comments from Brazos County budget officer Nina Payne during the March 24, 2026 county commission meeting.

The Brazos County auditor and budget officer are sponsoring their first citizens budget workshop academy.

Budget officer Nina Payne announced at the end of the last county commission meeting (March 24) that 50 people can enroll in the free presentation that is scheduled for the evening of April 23rd in the commission meeting room.

Click HERE to be directed to the online registration form on the Brazos County website.

College Station Mayor John Nichols visits with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia on The Infomaniacs on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, to talk about activities of the firefighter's union, the city's water and electric departments, and upcoming events.

This podcast contains comments from the March 26, 2026 College Station city council meeting.

The College Station city council learns that a $146,000 dollar contract to design new wayfinding signs at Veterans Park includes more services.

Click HERE to read and download the contract that was approved at the March 26, 2026 College Station council meeting.

At the council's last meeting (March 26), multiple questions about the contract from city councilman David White were answered by the city's project manager, Melissa Thomas and mayor John Nichols.

In addition to designing 26 to 30 signs, the contract also calls for determining where the signs will be placed, testing the soil at those locations, testing the materials used in the signs, and covering an administrative fee of $35,000 dollars.

This podcast contains comments from the March 26, 2026 College Station city council meeting.

A College Station city councilman opens the door to the idea of possible merger talks with nearby water providers.

Bob Yancy raised the subject during the last council meeting (March 26) during discussion before a unanimous vote to award a $28 million dollar contract to drill three water wells.

Click HERE to read and download background information about the water well construction contract.

At the end of the council meeting, Yancy gets support to discuss at a future meeting, the possible merger of water providers.

The water well construction contract also includes more than two miles of water lines between the three new wells and the line that will go to the city's existing distribution line.

The $28 million construction contract is part of an overall project budget of more than $70 million dollars.

The project began last year and must be completed by August of 2028.

This podcast contains comments from the March 26, 2026 College Station city council meeting.

The College Station city council unanimously approves rezoning the site of the former Applebee's restaurant on Texas north of University in order to build a new Hampton Inn hotel.

No timeline was given for construction. And a representative of the developer says the nearby Hampton will be rebranded.

Click HERE to read and download background information associated with the rezoning.

City of College Station’s Raney Whitwell of the city’s community development office joined WTAW’s Scott DeLucia on The Infomaniacs on Friday, March 27, 2026, to talk about the annual city survey, and more.