WTAW - Interviews

This podcast contains comments from the August 28, 2025 Texas A&M system board of regents research committee meeting.

Last week's meetings of the Texas A&M system board of regents included the second meeting of the regents new research committee.

The system's research vice chancellor Joe Elabd said during the 2024 fiscal year, Texas A&M generated $1.4 billion dollars in research expenditures as part of its "research one" status and five of the system's regional universities who have a "research two" status combined for $177 million in research expenditures.

Committee chairman John Bellinger of San Antonio said there is going to be more R-1 and R-2 universities in the system.

Bellinger also said "we don't want to go backwards in College Station (at the A&M flagship)", adding "College Station gives us the brand, gives us the mark of excellence. And we have to have that to be able to proliferate research throughout the other campuses."

Regents board chairman Bob Albritton of Ft. Worth said "there is a lot more that we can accomplish and I think there are things we are leaving on the table that we should not be leaving on the table".

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the August 28, 2025 board of regents research committee meeting.

This podcast contains comments from the August 28, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

The time school zones are in effect in College Station have been extended.

The city council approved the request by College Station ISD because the school board decided to extend the school day by ten minutes.

The city's senior traffic engineer, Randell Smith, said the request was made after it was noticed the after school speed zone ended while parents were still waiting in line to pick up their children.

Smith said there was no cost to reprogram school zone flashing signals. The cost to change signs where there are no signals was $1,480 dollars.

Click HERE to read and download what was approved at the August 28, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

College Station Mayor John Nichols visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about tax rates, impact fees, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

The new President/CEO of United Way of the Brazos Valley, Lizett Hawkins, visits with WTAW's Chelsea Reber.

This podcast is a visit with Brazos Central Appraisal District chief appraiser Dana Horton and WTAW's Bill Oliver.

The development of fiscal year 2026 budgets by the Brazos County commission and the College Station and Bryan city councils has included the surprise of resetting proposed tax rates due to reduced valuation numbers coming from the Brazos Central appraisal district (BCAD). 

Chief appraiser Dana Horton says the larger amount of decreased values is the result of resolving more lawsuits filed by the owners of mostly commercial properties.

She estimates 80 percent of those property owners are fighting how the appraisal district determined equity in the valuation process.

Horton says the increase in cases being resolved follows moving those lawsuits to the 472nd district court that was created in November 2023.

Horton says BCAD is still working through 300 active lawsuits, and she expects the number of lawsuits to continue increasing.

The chief appraiser says she has met with representatives of the elected bodies and she will be notifying them of the status of future appeals.

There is also an increase in appeals of residential properties, from around 10,000 a few years ago to 18,000 last year to 22,500 this year. Horton says most of the residential appeals are resolved at the informal hearing level.

This podcast contains comments from the August 26, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting from district extension agent Eric Zimmerman and new Brazos County 4-H agent Antoinette Morris.

Brazos County commissioners were introduced to a new 4-H agent at their August 26th meeting.

Antoinette Morris is a Texas A&M graduate who interned at the Brazos and Harris County extension offices.

The district extension agent that serves Brazos County, Eric Zimmerman, told commissioners a search is underway for a second 4-H agent for Brazos County.

Zimmerman also said last year, Brazos County had the sixth largest 4-H enrollment in Texas with 700 members.

This podcast is a visit with Molly Watson of the Brazos Valley Gives fundraiser and WTAW's Scott DeLucia during the September 2, 2025 The Infomaniacs show.

The registration deadline is approaching for non profits to participate in the annual Brazos Valley Gives fundraising event.

The seventh annual fundraiser sponsored by the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley is a month long coordinated event that last year generated almost $1.3 million dollars for 198 agencies.

Click HERE for more information.

News release from the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley:

The Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley’s 7th annual Brazos Valley Gives is officially set for Tuesday, October 21, 2025 when nonprofits from throughout the 7-county region will engage donors to “give where you live.

”Registration is now open for all Brazos Valley 501(c)(3) nonprofits to register to participate in Brazos Valley Gives --- brazosvalleygives.org.

The deadline to register is Friday, September 5. Nonprofits pay a $150 registration fee; nonprofits that have an endowment at the Community Foundation are eligible for a discounted fee of $50.

This registration fee is used for administrative-related giving day expenses to include the marketing/promotion of the event regionally.

Register at brazosvalleygives.org.

Brazos Valley Gives is a month-long community giving effort that culminates in 18 hours of online giving on the third Tuesday of October.

Giving together as one community to raise money and awareness for local nonprofits.

Nonprofits are an important part of our community and provide important quality of life needs throughout the Brazos Valley.

Brazos Valley Gives provides citizens and businesses an easy platform to support the mission and “good works” of local nonprofits that serve the Brazos Valley.

Nonprofits from throughout the 7-county Brazos Valley region are invited to participate.

Brazos Valley Gives empowers individual donors and business leaders to come together to support causes close to their hearts.

This day of giving where you live is championed by the Community Foundation, and all donations pass through directly to the donor’s charity(ies) of choice.

This year’s goal for Brazos Valley Gives is $1M+ with 200 nonprofits participating!

Last year, donors rallied to raise $1,285,814 to support the good works of 198 nonprofits.

Over the past 6 years, the Community Foundation’s Annual Brazos Valley Gives Day has raised more than $6M for 320 nonprofits, including over $284,000 in sponsorship prizes.

Let’s all join as we strengthen nonprofits, empower donors and build community throughout the Brazos Valley.

This podcast contains comments from the August 29, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

College Station voters could be considering in as soon as the November 2027 election, a $65 to $80 million dollar bond issue to build a recreation center.

A majority of College Station council members at Thursday's meeting (August 28) were in favor of finalizing a location and what would a center offer.The consensus followed a review of 250 pages of consultant's reports on the project.

The consultants recommended three locations...Wolf Pen Creek, the former Macy's store that is owned by the city, and Central Park. The consultant said the reason College Station's Midtown area was not considered as a site was because a YMCA study showed that location was favored by less than 40 percent of those who were surveyed.

The consultants price tag was based on a center that included athletic and fitness space, indoor swimming, and program space.

To recover 98 percent of more than $3 million dollars of annual operating costs, consultants say there would have to be more than 6,400 annual members paying between $24 and $77 dollars a month...with the rate depending on the member's age and whether they live in College Station.

Click HERE to read and download part one of the consultant's detailed report about a proposed College Station recreation center.

Click HERE to read and download part two of the consultant's detailed report about a proposed College Station recreation center.

Click HERE to read and download part three of the consultant's detailed report about a proposed College Station recreation center.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the August 28, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

This podcast contains comments from the August 28, 2025 Texas A&M system board of regents building committee meeting.

The Texas A&M system board of regents approves proceeding with the flagship campus's new home of the university's visitors center, prospective student center, and new academic programs.

Funding for the $250 million dollar Aplin Center included a $50 million dollar gift in June 2022 from Arch Aplin III, the founder of Buc-ee's convenience stores.

Construction will start in September and is slated to open in February 2028.

The three story building on the former site of parking lot 100 at John Kimbrough and Olsen will house A&M's food and nutrition sciences, retail, and hospitality programs.

Click HERE To read and download background information about the Aplin Center.

Colin Killian, Director of Public Communications, visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about the recreation center study, the Amazon drone facility, approving the budget and proposed tax rate, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.