WTAW - Interviews

City of College Station chief of staff Ross Brady visits with Scott DeLucia on WTAW's The Infomaniacs August 8, 2025. Topics includes the responsibilities of the city's chief of staff, monitoring what is happening in the state legislature, and the city's proposed fiscal year 2026 budget.

This podcast contains comments from the August 4, 2025 Bryan ISD school board meeting.

Bryan ISD school board members approve changes in its student code of conduct that reflects new state laws.

Administrators shared those changes before the board's unanimous vote at Monday's (August 4) board meeting.

Click HERE to read and download a summary that was presented at the August 4, 2025 Bryan ISD school board meeting.

Click HERE to read and download the updated student code of conduct that was approved by the BISD board.

The new state laws includes changes in student discipline.Out of school suspension may not exceed three days.In school suspension (ISS) is no longer subject to any time limit. However, the principal/appropriate administrator shall review the ISS placement of a student at least once every 10 school days to evaluate the educational progress of the student and to determine if continued ISS is appropriate.

The punishment has increased for students who are caught for a first time offense of possessing an electronic cigarette. State law says administrators can either place the student in a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP) or place the student on in school suspension for a minimum of ten days.

Parents of students placed in BISD's DAEP or who are expelled may request a behavioral agreement. That could result in reducing the disciplinary term, but not the placement type. And any reduction is at the discretion of the administration and requires full compliance.

And the amended student code adds the new state law banning students from having cell phones and other electronic devices turned on and on their person during the school day. Consequences for the first offense is the student receives a warning and a staff member issues a discipline referral. For the student's second and third offense, the phone or other device is taken from the student, the student can pick up the device after school, and the student receives a discipline referral. For the student's fourth and fifth offense, the device is taken, a parent can pick up the device after school, and the student receives a discipline referral. The sixth offense adds the consequence of the student completing after school detention. The seventh offense adds the student going to in school suspension. Subsequent violations are subject to the student code of conduct for repeated offenses.

The new state law banning students using electronic devices during the school day does not apply to employees. Presentation materials at Monday's BISD board meeting says unacceptable use of devices by employees includes personal messaging, calls, or browsing during instruction, usage that distracts from supervision, instruction, or student engagement, and filming or photographing students without parent consent unless it is aligned with district media guidelines.

State Representative Paul Dyson of Bryan (R-TX) visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about a possible quorum on Friday, options to continue to special session, ongoing discussions in Austin, redistricting, THC regulations, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

Zyreshia Jackson, Community & Economic Development Specialist, visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about an arts and culture development grant, who should apply, how to apply, and more during her appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the executive director of the Bryan/College Station metropolitan planning organization, Dan Rudge, visiting with WTAW's Bill Oliver on August 6, 2025.

One of Brazos County's governmental boards dealing with transportation issues has a rare meeting where there are public speakers. 

The policy board of the Bryan/College Station metropolitan planning organization (MPO) heard Wednesday (August 6) from four opponents of the east loop highway who want the project removed from the MPO's major thoroughfare plan.

MPO executive director Dan Rudge says once a board member asks to place the request on a future agenda, that starts a process that takes about one year to complete.

Rudge says federal law prohibits consideration of removing one project. Federal law requires a county wide study, which will be the first for the MPO since 2017.

Over the next year, Rudge says there will be public hearings to provide additional comments.

This podcast contains comments from the July 29, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

More time is taken than usual by Brazos County commissioners addressing what in the past has been a routine agenda item. 

During the commission's July 29th meeting, a public speaker asked why the commission would consider a developer's incomplete subdivision plat application.

County engineer Prathana Banerji, who receives those applications, told commissioners that she had all the required documentation to support a completed application.

Acting county judge Kyle Kacal told Banerji that "all the I's need to be dotted, all the T's need to be crossed, all the boxes need to be checked. And it needs to be clear for the citizens to see in our conquest to be transparent and open."

Commissioner Wanda Watson suggested to Banerji that she tell future applicants "because this (application) is incomplete, I cannot submit it to the (commission) agenda (and) it's going to be delayed. That is a carrot or an encouragement for that person to complete the application."

That led to a unanimous vote to delay action at the July 29th meeting.

The plat application, which was completed, was unanimously approved at the commission's August 5th meeting without comment.

This podcast contains comments from the August 5, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

A tribute to a 54 year Brazos County employee who recently died was part of this week's (August 5) Brazos County commission business meeting.

Ruth McLeod spent most of her career as an elections employee in the county clerk's office.

Before retiring, commissioners in 2017 named the elections office building for Mrs. McLeod, who died last week at the age of 92.

County clerk Karen McQueen said McLeod worked for six county judges and 25 county commissioners between June 1, 1966 and September 30, 2020.

McQueen described McLeod as "a pillar" and "a treasure" in Brazos County "who loved elections" and wanted to be the first to proofread election returns "because she liked to get the printout to see who was winning and who losing before anybody else".

The photo associated with this podcast is Ruth McLeod with Brazos County judge Duane Peters from the September 26, 2017 county commission meeting where the elections office building was named for Mrs. McLeod.

This podcast contains comments from the August 5, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Brazos County commissioners adopted a resolution at this week's meeting (August 5) to name the training room at the juvenile detention center for a 32 year employee who recently died.

The resolution for Joel Hein, who retired as deputy director of community services, said in part that he "forged many relationships with this community and loved working with those community partners such as the Reality Education for Driver’s Program (RED), the Art for Life Program, the Federal Prison Let’s Talk Program, and many volunteers, mentors and interns".

Click HERE to read and download the resolution that was adopted and read at the August 5, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

This podcast is a visit with WTAW listener Greg Janda and WTAW's Bill Oliver recorded August 4, 2025.

WTAW listeners riding their horses last Saturday (August 2) wanted to thank a group of motorcyclists for their courtesy. 

Greg Janda said as he and his wife were riding along Old Reliance Road between Bryan and south of Kurten, they heard the rumble of the approaching motorcycles.

Janda said one of the motorcyclists tapped their horn to alert the rest of the group. 

Then the motorcyclists passed the horses without hardly making a sound.

Janda said the motorcyclists actions was "absolutely awesome (and) that's the type of kind of motorcyclist guys that I know of. They're great guys."

This podcast contains comments from the July 29, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Parking lot repairs are coming to the Brazos Center. 

Brazos County commissioners unanimously approved the request to solicit bids from outside companies after commissioner Fred Brown questioned why county employees were not doing the repairs.

County engineer Prathana Banerji said they have the people and the expertise. But they don't have the equipment for repaving.

A public speaker who also questioned why the county was hiring an outside firm also brought up developing the fiscal year 2026 county budget. Acting county judge Kyle Kacal said "all departments will be under review and looking to do the county's business economically as the will of this court."

In addition to seeking bids, commissioners also named the committee that will review the bids.