WTAW - Interviews

This podcast is a visit with the chairman of the Brazos County historical commission, Henry Mayo, and WTAW's Bill Oliver.The Brazos County historical commission has had a committee working the last five years on the local recognition of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the declaration of independence.Historical commission chairman Henry Mayo says what he remembers at the time of the nation's bicentennial drives his passion for celebrating what is the nation's semiquincentennial.The Brazos Valley African American Museum's website is hosting a calendar listing and is still accepting local events associated with the 250th that are taking place before, during, and after July fourth.Click HERE to be directed to the Brazos County historical commission's America250 calendar.The local committee is also promoting what Mayo calls "purposeful patriotism", such as flying U.S. and America 250 flags, banners, buntings, garden flags, and wearing of red, white & blue and patriotic-themed clothing.And the committee is hoping to get the attention of local churches, A&M and all facilities with bells, so on July fourth they can make plans to "Let Freedom Ring" at this special time". Ringing bells at 1:00 p.m. local (Central) time on July fourth will coincide with the ringing of bells simultaneously "From Sea to Shining Sea".

This podcast contains comments from the April 28, 2026 Texas A&M system board of regents budget meeting.The formal appointment of Texas A&M's next president is scheduled to take place the day after the state mandated 21 day waiting period.Next Wednesday (May 5) is when the board of regents has scheduled a special meeting to authorize the chancellor to negotiate a contract with Susan Ballabina.Her selection was endorsed at this week's regents budget meetings by interim president Tommy Williams.Williams was thanked for his service as interim by the regents vice chairman, Jay Graham of Bryan.Williams has served as interim president since last September.Click HERE to read and download the agenda for the May 5, 2026 special meeting of the board of regents.

Retired Texas A&M head football coach and athletic director Jackie Sherill visits with Scott DeLucia on WTAW's The Infomaniacs April 30, 2026 about the start of the Bryan Youth Sports Association's first football camp for fourth through sixth graders and the future of division one college athletics.

This podcast contains comments from the April 28, 2026 Texas A&M system board of regents meeting from Texas A&M interim president Tommy Williams and regents Jay Graham of Bryan and David Baggett of Houston.The Texas A&M system board of regents hear from the presidents of the system's 12 universities about their proposals for the 2027 fiscal year.No action was taken after the presentations that were made in College Station on Tuesday (April 28).Texas A&M interim president Tommy Williams spent nearly 40 minutes with the regents. More than one-third of the time was about capital projects.First, Williams brought up asking the legislature in 2027 to approve the first increase in A&M's student health fee since 1995, from $70 to $100 dollars. Williams said the revenue would in part go towards building a new health center. The Beutel health center opened in 1973 with a vision of serving up to 22,000 students; a number that was surpassed in 1975. When the student health fee was last increased, student headcount was 41,790. The projected Fall 2026 enrollment is over 76,000. Williams says student health clinic visits have increased 21 percent since 2013.Williams brought up proposed projects where design plans will start in FY 2027: College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Housing Facility, Reynolds Medical Sciences Building, upgrades to HVAC systems (heating/ventilation/air conditioning), and multiple infrastructure projects.Williams also listed seven projects that the regents will be asked to proceed with construction during FY 2027: Biology Teaching and Research Building, West Campus Learning Commons, Mays Business School Building 3, and the Poultry Science Center.Williams also brought up unfunded west campus projects which includes a student services and library building, the first of a three phase housing complex, and another parking garage.And Williams listed long term strategic projects that includes expanding the Allen Building, a power supply for a west campus data center, renovating the interior of the Academic Building, renovating the third and fourth floors of the Reynolds laboratory building, and an architecture building.The interim president's budget presentation also included increasing personnel spending by six percent or $93.9 million dollars. Williams said that's a reflection of having 12,000 staff and 4,200 faculty and his intent for A&M to "become the employer of choice in the Brazos Valley".Williams was one of the A&M system presidents who proposed a three percent pay raise based on employee performance. After some other presidents proposed increases of one or two percent, that led the chairman of the regents finance committee to propose all universities receive enough money to provide a three percent increase. The additional expense that Baggett estimated at $3 million dollars drew no opposition from other board members or the system chancellor.Click HERE to read and download presentation materials about the proposed 2027 fiscal year budget at Texas A&M.

This podcast contains comments from College Station ISD facilities director Paul Buckner at the April 21, 2026 CSISD board meeting.There are still unfinished projects in College Station ISD funded by voter approved bond issues in 2021 and 2023.At the April CSISD board meeting, approval was given to rankings recommended by facilities director Paul Buckner that will eventually lead to replacing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing equipment around the district.Buckner says there are six firms who are interested in among other things, adding LED lighting, replacing equipment used in heating and air conditioning systems, and adding equipment to control temperatures and the humidity in computer server rooms.Following the board's unanimous vote, which followed no board comments, Buckner said another round of rankings will be done, then the board will take action to negotiate a contract.Click HERE to read and download a memo from CSISD facilities director Paul Buckner.Click HERE to read and download a memo from CSISD assistant superintendent Josh Symank.

This podcast contains comments from the April 21, 2026 Brazos County commission meeting.Brazos County's elections administrator reviews the March primary election at the last county commission meeting (April 21).Click HERE to read and download statistics from the March 2026 primary election that were given at the April 21, 2026 Brazos County commission meeting.Among other things, Trudy Hancock said 45 voters walked away from voting without placing their ballots in the machine which counts ballots. She suspects those voters were women who placed ballots in their large purses. She also told commissioners election workers will increase their effort in future elections to watch people leaving voting locations to ensure ballots are placed in counting machines.Hancock finished her update by questioning why residents are going to commissioners about complaints instead of contacting her. Hancock specifically brought up commissioners being asked to look into 200 ghost voters, deceased residents who remain on voter rolls, and ballots without numbers. She went on to say that she has "never given a list of the ghost voters or the deceased nor have I been given proper documentation to review for these asks. If there is a true concern, why are these asks and questions not being directed to the person who can review and answer those questions. Why are they asking made of the court who has no means of answering these questions posed?" She told commissioners she wanted "to assure the (commissioners) court that we follow the strictest policies, procedures, and best practices when it comes to our voter rolls and those that vote in our elections."Hancock says they have started sending mail ballots for the runoff. The last day to request a mail ballot is May 15th.

This podcast contains comments from the April 21, 2026 Brazos County commission meeting.Brazos County commissioners reluctantly approve tripling the payment for transporting the deceased to medical examiners offices in Austin and San Antonio, from $500 to $1,500 for reach round trip.The county's purchasing agent, Charles Wendt, says the local funeral home that has had the contract was the only one interested in continuing the service...but only if their price increased for the first time in several years.Commissioners were told the purchasing office is rebidding the service and contacting providers again who are local as well as out of town.The price increase comes about two months before the opening of Brazos County's new medical examiners office.Click HERE to read and download the amended contract that was approved at the April 21, 2026 Brazos County commission meeting.

This podcast contains comments from the April 23, 2026 College Station city council meeting.The College Station city council joins the planning and zoning commission (P&Z) in unanimously approving rezoning land for a large housing development that drew vocal opposition from neighboring subdivisions.Click HERE to read and download background information about the zoning change that was approved at the April 23, 2026 College Station city council meeting.This was the second time a homebuilder had sought rezoning on land south of Greens Prairie Road, surrounded by Greens Prairie Reserve, Sweetwater, Sweetwater Forest, Castlegate, and Castlegate II subdivisions.In November 2025, the council and P&Z defeated a proposal where around 1,800 homes could have been built.What was approved Thursday (April 23), could result in almost 900 homes, although councilman Bob Yancy estimated a number closer to 600 because of the land that would be needed for streets and green space that the city requires.Ten opponents who live or have an interest in Greens Prairie Reserve told the council they believed this subdivision would be composed of homes that would be rented instead of owner occupied. Just before the council vote, a representative of the homebuilder shared a letter stating they will file a restrictive covenant limiting the number of new homes that can owned by a single entity to be rented. That led multiple council members to say they hope the homebuilder lives up to that decision.Councilwoman Melissa McIlhaney brought up the additional steps the homebuilder will have to clear with city staff before first home can be built.Councilman Yancy also told opponents that traffic concerns at the bottleneck intersection of Greens Prairie, Arrington, and Fitch are being addressed by the Texas Department of Transportation with what Yancy described as "a fancy, overcapacitized" project that currently in design at Fitch and Arrington to "help that terrible chokepoint in our traffic."Yancy also said a sewer line to serve the new development is on its way. And Yancy hopes the city and Brazos County will work together to address drainage issues caused by the additional homes.

OPAS Executive Director Anne Black visits with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia on The Infomaniacs on Friday, April 24, 2026, to talk about upcoming shows, special events, and more.

City of Bryan parks and recreation supervisor Emberly Smith visits with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia on The Infomaniacs on Thursday, April 23, 2026, to discuss the Family Campout before the city again cancelled the event due to recent rainfall. Other topics included summer hiring and other upcoming events.

This podcast is a visit with the executive director of the OPAS performing arts series at Texas A&M Anne Black and WTAW's Bill Oliver.Season 54 of the OPAS performing arts series at Texas A&M has the theme of "True Colors".The season opens September 13th with a production honoring the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks titled "Behind The Lines: A 9/11 Story".That is followed on September 18th with a concert by Aiden Ross, the Texas A&M student from College Station who won season 28 of The Voice.Click HERE to be directed to the OPAS website for more information about the 13 events during the 2026-2027 season.News release from OPAS:Filled with vibrant music, colorful characters in musical favorites and a spectrum of honest storytelling, the 2026-27 OPAS season, themed “True Colors,” illuminates a kaleidoscope of performing arts events selected to enlighten, entertain and inspire audiences of the Brazos Valley.Beginning in September, OPAS will present a season filled with a slate of entertaining Broadway musicals, concerts and theatrical experiences no fan of live entertainment should miss. The lineup of performances to be presented from September 2026 to March 2027 includes five events on the Ann Cobb Wiatt Main Stage series, three events on the Intimate Gatherings series, two on the Singular Sensations series, two Family Time events and one very special concert event by current Texas A&M University student Aiden Ross, winner of the NBC television show – The Voice Season 28.OPAS Executive Director Anne Black states, “This season really came together beautifully…and colorfully! We’ve got the bright lights of Neil Diamond’s life in A Beautiful Noise, the neon signs of two diners with Waitress and Mystic Pizza and of course, the colorful characters of Clue. And for families, who can resist The Cat in the (red and white) Hat or those vibrant furry creatures created by the enormously imaginative Jim Henson in Fraggle Rock?” Anne concludes, “It’s been a pleasure putting together this season with our wonderful committee of volunteers and I can’t wait for everyone to experience these performances in Rudder beginning in the fall.”Of special note, the September 18th Aiden Ross concert, entitled “Homecoming,” will be performed on a Friday night before a Saturday football game in Kyle Field. Anne explains, “We’re really trying something different. We hope that traveling Aggies arriving to town for the game against Kentucky will join us on Friday night.” Immediately following the concert in Rudder, patrons can stroll across the street in plenty of time for Midnight Yell. Whoop!The OPAS Program Advisory Committee, a team of community and TAMU student volunteers, worked with Anne and OPAS staff to select the performances for the 2026-27 season. This year’s committee was chaired by Janét Falcone, and included Gary Pfrehm, Kara Holmgreen, Mike Ashfield, Zou Cherry, Tracy Corrier, Merrilee Prochaska and students Katie Rice, Reagan Carlton, Laci Hartgroves, Alex Lawson and Maya Morris.Season ticket packages may be ordered beginning on June 2 at the MSC Box Office (979-845-1234) and online at OPAStickets.org. Most season ticket packages offer savings opportunities ranging from 10-15% off regular ticket prices in select seating zones. Season ticket package buyers are assigned seats before single ticket buyers. Single tickets will go on sale in August.Single tickets to the Aiden Ross concert will go on sale July 24. All events will be performed in the Rudder Theatre Complex at Texas A&M University in College Station.The full 2026-27 schedule of performances follows.Ann Cobb Wiatt Main Stage SeriesA BEAUTIFUL NOISE – The Neil Diamond Musical November 10 & 11, 2026 • 7:30 PM • Rudder AuditoriumWAITRESS January 19 & 20, 2027 • 7:30 PM • Rudder AuditoriumSHUCKED January 26 & 27, 2027 • 7:30 PM • Rudder AuditoriumCLUE February 16 & 17, 2027 • 7:30 PM • Rudder AuditoriumMYSTIC PIZZA March 22 & 23, 2027 • 7:30 PM • Rudder AuditoriumIntimate Gatherings SeriesBEHIND THE LINES: A 9/11 STORY September 13, 2026 • 7:30 PM • Rudder TheatreCHURCHILL & ROOSEVELT: The Christmas That Saved the World November 5, 2026 • 7:30 PM • Rudder TheatreBOTH SIDES NOW: The Music & Lives of Joni Mitchell & Leonard Cohen March 9, 2027 • 7:30 PM • Rudder TheatreSingular Sensations SeriesTHE PHIL COLLINS STORY October 7, 2026 • 7:30 PM • Rudder AuditoriumKODO ONE EARTH TOUR: LUMINANCE February 24, 2027 • 7:30 PM • Rudder AuditoriumFamily TimeOPAS Family Programming Supported by OPAS Encore!JIM HENSON’S FRAGGLE ROCK: BACK TO THE ROCK LIVE October 30, 2026 • 7:30 PM & October 31, 2026 • 11:00 AM • Rudder AuditoriumDR. SEUSS’S THE CAT IN THE HAT – LIVE ON STAGE! February 20, 2027 • 11:00 AM & 4:00 PM • Rudder AuditoriumSpecial EventAIDEN ROSS: HOMECOMING Winner of The Voice Season 28 September 18, 2026 • 7:30 PM • Rudder AuditoriumOPAS programs are made possible in part through Hotel Tax Revenue funded from the City of College Station through the Arts Center of Brazos Valley. For more information about all the events coming to the new OPAS season including descriptions and videos, please visit www.OPAStickets.org.