Brazos County Senator Charles Schwertner visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about Winter Storm Uri in 2021, Texas' future for energy, SB 21 regarding bitcoin, SB 26 which establishes pay raises for teachers, the House's committee assignments, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

Texas A&M employees are invited to complete an online "engagement survey".

Vice president Joe Pettibon told members of the A&M faculty senate that the survey is an extension of the president's strategic plan.

Three goals that were shared with the faculty senate about the survey were to (1) evaluate and analyze employee engagement as well as the degree to which faculty and staff feel enabled to perform their roles with the university, (2) leverage survey results to create targeted action plans in areas identified as opportunities for growth, and (3) enhance faculty and staff engagement and empower them to perform their roles more effectively.

While the survey is being administered by a outside consultant hired by the university, Pettibon address concerns that some might not participate for fear of retribution.

The survey, which is expected to take 15 to 20 minutes to complete, will have approximately 70 questions on a Likert scale and up to four open ended questions.

The survey is available through February 28 to employees hired on or before January 15th who are faculty at Texas A&M, Texas A&M at Galveston, and Texas A&M Health Science Center (regardless of funding source) and staff who have a Texas A&M, Texas A&M at Galveston, and Texas A&M Health Science Center adloc.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the February 10, 2025 Texas A&M faculty senate meeting.

A&M president Mark Welsh posted on his website January 24, a message that included this survey. Welsh wrote: "In February, we will be initiating an employee engagement survey led through our Division of Planning, Assessment and Strategy in partnership with an external consultant, Korn Ferry. Using questions benchmarked against peer institutions in higher education, yet tailored to our university community and what it has to offer, this is an opportunity for you to provide candid, confidential feedback. I want to hear from you on what’s working well and what’s not working as well. Employees are the backbone of Texas A&M, and we want to make sure this is a place where you feel valued."

This podcast contains comments from the February 13, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

The College Station city council directs staff to act as quickly as possible to resolve health and safety issues at two apartment complexes.

Key City Capital was identified as the owner of The Dominik and Holleman Oaks apartments.

The College Station council was told Key City since June 2022 has been issued a combined 230 summons regarding apartment conditions. Key City has paid fines totaling $20,668 and owes the city another $28,385. 

The summons and fines are for leaking raw sewage at The Dominik and not making repairs to a fire damaged building at Holleman Oaks.

The council and staff also identified Key City as the owner of the Canyon Village apartments in Bryan, where notice was given that water was going to be cut off until a past due bill of $18,000 dollars was paid last week.

The Dominik and Holleman Oaks were singled out during a staff presentation about code compliance issues at older College Station multi-family structures.

No representatives of the ownership of The Dominik and Holleman Oaks apartment complexes were at the College Station council meeting.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the February 13, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

This podcast contains comments from the February 4, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

Administrators at the Brazos Transit District (BTD) respond to complaints from recent Brazos County commission meetings. 

After meeting in private with two commissioners, vice president Jo Marlow showed photos during the commission's February 4th meeting of large buses where there were enough on board that some riders were standing.

BTD's deputy CEO, Wendy Weedon, says the average life span of a large diesel bus is 12 years, versus five years for a smaller bus that is gasoline powered.

Weedon said the only difference in the cost of operating a large diesel bus versus a smaller bus that is powered by a gasoline engine, is paying more for the driver of the large bus because they are required to have a commercial license.

Weedon said the larger buses were needed to accommodate riders using mobility devices.

In response to a question about spending BTD money on ride sharing, Weedon says she has seen local ride sharing companies charge as much as $200 dollars during large events.

County commissioners were also given presentation materials about BTD's transition in Brazos County as a large urban transit provider as determined by the federal government. That resulted in county commissioners and the city councils in College Station and Bryan to split the cost to make up the reduction in federal funding.

Commissioners were also told about the transition of the county taking ownership of the Roy Kelly parking garage located south of the courthouse.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials that were shown at the February 4, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.

College Station assistant city manager Jennifer Prochazka visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about code violations at some older apartment complexes, the progress of studying the future development in the Northgate district, a discussion of the city purchasing and selling property, the takeaways from presentations to the city council from the police chief and the fire chief, and an update on the revised development of the city's Texas Independence Park.

State representative Trey Wharton of Huntsville, whose district includes a portion of Brazos County, visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about his assignments to the House insurance and corrections committees.

This podcast contains comments from the January 23, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

Nearly $1 million dollars will be spent to design improvements at College Station's Thomas Park.

An amended contract approved by the city council included two timetables.

Capital projects director Jennifer Cain they are coordinating the park design with the ongoing reconstruction of Lincoln Avenue.

Cain also said they are also coordinating park improvements with the future reconstruction of streets bordering the park.

Voters in November 2022 approved $3 million dollars of bond money. Another $1.9 million was previously budgeted in the city's parks capital fund.

After the design contract, almost $4 million dollars remains to build what is currently estimated to be $6 million dollars of park improvements. 

Councilmembers were told they have the options of phasing the improvements and/or using additional funding sources.

Click HERE to read and download what was approved at the January 23, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials at the January 23, 2025 College Station city council meeting.

Zyreshia Jackson with the city of Bryan's community development office visits with Scott DeLucia on WTAW's The Infomaniacs about public participation as the city develops its next community development plan serving low and moderate income residents.

According to a city of Bryan news release, the 2025-29 Consolidated Plan will guide the allocation of federal funds for housing, community development, and services.

Learn about the plan and share your feedback at one of two upcoming public meetings.

The first public meeting is Tuesday, February 18, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Clara B. Mounce Public Library. A presentation will kick off the meeting, with light refreshments available.

The second public meeting is Thursday, February 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Neal Recreation Center.

Residents can also provide feedback through an online survey that continues through March 7. Visit bryantx.gov/ConsolidatedPlan to learn more and to take the survey.

This podcast is state representative Paul Dyson's visit with Scott DeLucia on WTAW's The Infomaniacs.

After the visit, the Texas House speaker announced committee assignments. Dyson was named to the energy resources and the judiciary and civil jurisprudence committees.

This podcast is a visit with Baylor Scott & White Health College Station region president Jason Jennings and WTAW's Bill Oliver.

Baylor Scott & White Health (BSW) opens its new medical plaza building in College Station.

The new building is home to a variety of comprehensive medical services that includes a sleep center, outpatient rehabilitation services, a laboratory, an ambulatory surgery center, pulmonary medicine, infectious diseases, nephrology, allergy/immunology, ophthalmology, optometry and neurosurgery. 

The three story building reflects BSW's College Station experiencing a nearly 30% increase in hospital and clinic visits, over a 10% rise in deliveries and more than 8% increase in emergency room visits over the past five years.