WTAW - Interviews

Bryan Mayor Bobby Gutierrez visits with WTAW's Chelsea Reber about his visit to Army Futures Command in Austin, water rights, the William Joel Bryan Parkway project delay, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

Brazos County State Senator Charles Schwertner visits with WTAW's Chelsea Reber about the final stretch of the session, work the House still has to accomplish, the budget conference committee, property taxes, school funding, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast contains comments from the April 24, 2025 meeting of the state prison board (officially known as the Texas board of criminal justice).

The April meeting of the Texas prison board included a presentation on what staff is doing to reduce the amount of contraband getting to inmates.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the April 24, 2025 state prison board meeting.

Prison board chairman Eric Nichols of Austin, a former federal and state prosecutor, says addressing what he said is "the scourge, the scourge, the scourge of contraband that affects our system" "is kind of a whack-a-mole aspect of this process. In other words, cutting off one source of supply only to see those who want to inject this crud into our system find another way of getting it in."

The state prison system's inspector general, Lance Coleman, says prices that inmates are paying are rising.Coleman said prepaid cell phones that retail for $49 dollars are being purchased by inmates for $1,000 dollars. Prices inside prisons for androids and iPhones are $3,500 dollars.A carton of menthol cigarettes that retails for $116 goes for $2,500 dollars.A $15 dollar vape pen goes for $500 on the inside, and a prescription pill that retails between $1 and $3 each goes for $50 to $80 apiece inside a prison.

Coleman also shared the results of investigations at two prisons, one of which led to the arrest of a prison employee. That led the prison board's vice chair, former state district judge and former Dallas County district attorney Faith Johnson to tell Coleman to "arrest as many people as possible" "because we don't want it (contraband) and we want them to stop it, and we will no longer tolerate it. It's been going long enough. And we do not agree with it. And we want them prosecuted. And you got our permission to continue to do what you're doing."

On this week's United Way of the Brazos Valley update, Peggi Ondrasek is joined by Rhonda Watson and Madison Little of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Brazos Valley.

Kohl Vega, Athletics Supervisor, visits with WTAW's Chelsea Reber about youth summer camps, adult leagues, renting fields, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

State Representative Trey Wharton of Huntsville (R-TX) visits with WTAW's Chelsea Reber about passing Operation Safe Shield, using AI in political advertising, public school funding, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast is a visit with Lina Adams of the Destination Bryan tourism office and WTAW's Bill Oliver about the May First Friday activities in downtown Bryan and the May 16th pre-party for the Troubadour Festival at the Palace Theater in downtown Bryan.

This podcast comments from the April 24, 2025 College Station city council meeting and the April 30, 2025 visit with mayor John Nichols and WTAW's Chelsea Reber on The Infomaniacs.

The College Station city council agrees with staff recommendations to form committees to assist with two capital projects.

One of the eight member groups will assist with the design of three new ballfields at Veterans Park.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials about the baseball field committee.

The second committee will assist with the second phase of a study on the possibility of building a recreation center.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials about the committee assisting with the study of possibly building a recreation center.

Mitchell Isbell, Director of Business Development, Events & Marketing for Legends Event Center, visits with WTAW's Chelsea Reber about summer programming, sports camps, basketball tournaments, the Texas A&M Coaches Night, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

State Representative Paul Dyson of Bryan (R-TX) visits with WTAW's Chelsea Reber about questioning Brian Harrison's legislation in a committee hearing, using AI in political advertising, a nuclear verdict bill, public school funding, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.