WTAW - Interviews

This podcast contains comments from the February 5, 2026 meeting of the Texas A&M system board of regents building committee.

For more than 30 years, Texas A&M's cyclotron institute has been testing electronics for how it stands up to radiation.

A $28 million dollar expansion requested by the institute's director and recommended by A&M's interim president was approved at February's board of regents meeting.

An A&M system document says the cyclotron is the world's leading provider of testing the radiation resilience of space electronics.

Institute director Sherry Yennello, who shared with the regents building committee the 60 year history of the cyclotron, said it is used by A&M researchers, the military, and private sector companies that includes Space X and Texas Instruments.

Two state grants covers most of the cost of the expansion, which is in the design phase.

$13 million is coming from the governor's semiconductor fund and $10 million is from the Texas Space Commission.

Click HERE to read and download background information about the Texas A&M cyclotron institute expansion.

This podcast contains comments from the February 17, 2026 College Station ISD school board meeting.

College Station ISD school board members get requests to add a third athletic trainer and a second choir director at Consolidated and College Station High schools.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials on the request at the February 17, 2026 meeting to add athletic trainers.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials on the request at the February 17, 2026 to add choir directors.

CSISD athletics director Kevin Starnes says two athletic trainers at each high school last fall worked 12 to 16 hour days administering a total of 4,800 treatments for injured athletes.

CSISD fine arts director Eric Eaks says they are the only one in their 15 district region with one choir director at each high school. 

College Station High has 138 choir students and Consolidated High has 146 students.

Superintendent Tim Harkrider supports the additions, as does at least three board members. No official action was taken.

College Station City Councilman Mark Smith visits with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia to review this week’s council retreat and discuss next week’s council meeting and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs on Friday, February 20, 2026.

This podcast contains comments from the February 19, 2026 Bryan city council meeting.

In November 2025, Bryan city council members expressed no opposition to spending around $700,000 dollars to catch up on maintaining Travis Field stadium after the Brazos Valley Bombers left the facility.

Deputy city manager Hugh Walker updated the council at its February 10th meeting on what's been done since the city took control of the stadium on January first. 

That included replacing the turf and purchased a pitching mound, screens for batting practice, batting case shell, breakaway bases, field turf groomer, and backstop padding and netting.

Then the council unanimously approved spending another $181,000 dollars. $91,000 will be spent on power washing on painting, $71,000 will demolish party decks and build a new deck on the third base side, along with concrete work and electrical improvements. And $18,900 will be spent on repairing dugouts and roofing.

The contract calls for the work to be completed by April 12th.

Click HERE to read and download background information on the contract that was approved at the February 10, 2026 Bryan city council meeting.

Click HERE to read and download the contract that was approved at the February 10, 2026 Bryan council meeting.

Brazos County Commissioner Fred Brown visits with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia to discuss budgets, expansions, the health department, local concerns, online presence, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs on Thursday, February 19, 2026.

The city of Bryan's new Parks, Recreation & Facilities Director Mike Riggens visits with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia to discuss the growth of new and existing parks, indoor and outdoor sports facilities, pickleball courts, park and facility safety, potential aquatic center upgrades, Travis Park renovations, the Bryan YardDogs minor league baseball team, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs on Thursday, February 19, 2026.

This podcast contains comments from the February 5, 2026 meeting of the Texas A&M system board of regents building committee.

The largest university poultry science program in the country is at Texas A&M.At this month's board of regents meeting, approval was given to proceed with a new $36 million dollar complex.

The new complex, which is in the design phase, will replace the 40 year old center at Harvey Mitchell Parkway and Luther West.

Click HERE to read and download background information on the project that was approved at the February 5, 2026 board of regents meeting.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials at the February 5, 2026 meeting of the board of regents building committee.

During the regents meeting of their building committee, the university's chief facilities officer, Les Williams, says the project includes instructional and research space.

And the dean of A&M's agriculture college Jeffrey Savell said the new facility will match the quality of the students in the poultry science program.

This podcast contains comments from the February 17, 2026 College Station ISD school board meeting.

College Station ISD school board members are told that the application period for out of district transfer students will be extended past the original deadline of next week.

Superintendent Tim Harkrider said during Tuesday's regular meeting (February 17) that they have received 15 applications.

In response to an inquiry from board member and retired CSISD superintendent Mike Martindale, Harkrider said not everyone knows about the opportunity to attend next year at Creek View elementary and Cypress Grove intermediate school. Harkrider said he met last week with realtors in Bryan who were not aware.

The superintendent also said the first year of the program is the most difficult to recruit students, adding it will be easier in the future as word spreads about the district.

Harkrider said administrators will make a big push in May and June to recruit out of district transfers.

Click HERE to be directed to College Station ISD's webpage for out of district transfer student applications.

College Station Mayor John Nichols visits with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia to discuss incentivizing more density in the community and the impact it could have on crime rates, whether the city is a sports tourism city or a university city, landing place for the city, economic development, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.

This podcast contains comments from the February 10, 2026 Bryan city council workshop meeting.

The Bryan city council at its February workshop meeting directed staff to formalize recommendations to limit some downtown parking and how to enforce the future restrictions.

Portions of a three block area along Main Street and Bryan Avenue would be limited to two hour parking weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

This would affect 245 spaces out of more than 2,200, not including the downtown parking garage.

City staff is working on the future acquisition of license plate readers that can be used by code enforcement officers to monitor violations.

The areas of limited parking would be located in front of store fronts to allow for the circulation of retail customers.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the February 10, 2026 Bryan city council workshop meeting.