WTAW - Interviews

This podcast contains comments from the June 2, 2025 Bryan ISD school board meeting and the June 6, 2025 College Station ISD school board meeting.

Bryan and College Station ISD school board members and administrators continue their criticism of state lawmakers for not giving enough money to public education.

At the Bryan ISD board meeting last Monday (June 2), the district's departing chief financial officer Kevin Beesaw said "It's going to be difficult with this bill as passed to get much better than last year. There's going to be some major cuts." Beesaw also said "you're going to have to start looking at schools, programs, class sizes", adding "We've already done some of those tweaks and things, but we maybe have to start looking at more drastic" things. BISD's incoming chief financial officer, Norma Friddle, said "The thing we're all shocked in every single school district is the amount of people excluded from the compensation package." Friddle said state funded pay raises left out among others, teachers with less than three years experience and all registered nurses and certified counselors.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the June 2, 2025 Bryan ISD school board meeting.

During a special meeting of the CSISD board last Friday (June 6), board members shared their opinion that the governor and a majority of lawmakers favor private schools. Joshua Benn said "The governor has become a master at the concept of lies, damn lies, and statistics." Darin Paine added "What our governor pushed and what these legislators have done has not favored public education. And I think it's a complete disservice and a disgrace to try and present it as such." 

There was no opposition among CSISD board members to what superintendent Tim Harkrider recommended was an aggressive pay raise to retain employees, and to give comparable pay raises to CSISD employees were who state lawmakers left out during the recently completed legislative session.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the June 6, 2025 College Station ISD school board meeting.

This podcast contains comments from the May 29, 2025 Texas A&M system board of regents meeting.

The third phase of renovating Texas A&M's Heldenfels building was approved at the last board of regents meeting.

The A&M system's chief facilities officer, Brett McCully, the $12 million dollar project on the fourth floor will provide 12 labs, a help desk, and some office space for multiple departments.

Construction will take place this summer and fall, with substantial completion scheduled for next January.

Click HERE to read and download what was approved at the May 29, 2025 Texas A&M system board of regents meeting.

This podcast includes comments from the June 3, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Brazos County commissioners decide to postpone a vote to extend a contract with its consultant that is managing the bond issue for road projects that voters approved in November 2022.

Before three commissioners attending Tuesday's meeting (June 3) made that decision, new commissioner Fred Brown said he was ready to vote against the extension because he has not seen the original contract and he is opposed to the east loop highway that is one of the bond projects.

Brown was not present at the commission's May 27th meeting when the consulting company owner presented an update on seven projects, one of which was the east loop.

Seven public speakers who oppose the east loop also spoke against the contract extension.

County engineer Prathana Banerji asked for the contract extension. She said the consultant was hired because county staff does not have the expertise to work on bond funded projects associated with the Texas department of transportation...which includes the future widening of Harvey Road and Leonard Road.

Brown agreed with Chuck Konderla's request to table a decision. Also voting to table was Wanda Watson.

Click HERE to read and download the contract extension that was tabled at the June 3, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

This podcast is a visit with WTAW's Scott DeLucia and state representative Trey Wharton, whose district includes Brazos, Walker, Madison, Robertson, Grimes, and Washington counties.

This podcast is an interview with Patrick McIntyre of the College Station Utilities electric division and WTAW's Scott DeLucia.

This podcast contains comments from the June 4, 2025 Bryan city council meeting.

The Bryan city council hears a proposal to remove sections of the Texas Avenue median.

Public works director Jayson Barfknecht says the proposal, which was developed in talks with the district engineer of the Texas department of transportation (TxDOT) office in Bryan, targets seven locations.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the June 4, 2025 Bryan city council meeting.

Barfknecht said he is now working with a consultant hired by the city to confirm the locations can have medians removed without negatively impacting traffic.

Barfknecht also says the consultant has been asked to determine if a median crossing Texas at the intersection of Brookside and Garden Acres can be removed without adding traffic signals.

The other proposed locations are Texas at Hensel, the intersection with Broadmoor and North Avenue, and the intersections with Mary Lake, Wayside, Dodge, and 32nd Street.

The proposal comes at a time when TxDOT is preparing to do the fourth phase of the median project, which involves landscaping on the medians. That drew concerns from two councilmembers. Jared Salvato wondered if landscaping could survive in the medians. And Marca Ewers-Shurtleff said the city is under pressure to conserve water due to the proposal to export water outside the Brazos Valley.

The fifth and final phase of the median project is scheduled to start in 2027. That includes turnarounds at intersections called loons and a shared use path. Barfknecht said TxDOT is still acquiring right of way.

And a member of a citizen group opposed to medians, Karen Hall, told councilmembers that she was very encouraged by the update.

Destination Bryan tourism office public relations and communications manager Lina Adams visits with WTAW's Bill Oliver about events in June 2025 and an invitation to visit the destinationbryan.com website to learn about what is taking place this summer.

Bryan Mayor Pro Tem James Edge visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about this week's city council meeting, the Kimbell Feed Building in Downtown Bryan, development at Midtown Park, the future use of Edible Field, incentives the city could offer, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

State Representative Paul Dyson of Bryan (R-TX) visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about the signing of HB 2 and funding public education, his legislation waiting for the governor's signature, impact fees, STAAR tests, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the May 27, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Brazos County commissioners give the green light to accept proposals from construction companies interested in what is projected to be a $17 million dollar remodeling and renovation of the administration building.

Audience members asked two questions before the unanimous vote during the May 27th meeting.

The commission's project director, Trevor Lansdown, says this is taking care of space needs that are different from the new office building being built across Texas Avenue from the courthouse.

The project, which has taken one year to design, will add a second floor in the rarely used former church sanctuary.The exterior will be replaced to stop water entering the building, which has led to environmental concerns.

County judge Duane Peters and the commission's general counsel, Bruce Erratt, responded to a question of why no citizens were on the committee that will recommend a construction company. Peters said those who are on the review committee are affected by the project. Erratt says citizens are added from time to time.