What’s This?

According to the Texas Railroad Commission, there were permits issued for 696 new oil wells in the state during the month of September. That brings the total of new wells for the year to 5,780, which is not yet to the 2025 total of 8,434 new wells. More than half of the new drills in September were in the state’s Midland drilling district. Got a news tip? e-mail us at news@wtaw.com, text us at (979) 695-1620, or reach out on Facebook or Twitter/X.

The City of College Station wants to know which stores you’d like to see come to the area. Grow College Station is hosting their quarterly Shape College Station survey, and this go ’round, you can have your say in what shopping destinations you think are missing. Options on the survey include Dick’s Sporting Goods, an Apple Store, IKEA, a LEGO Store, Pottery Barn, The Container Store, and Micro Center! And of course there’s Trader Joe’s. Anytime someone mentions a new place on Facebook and Nextdoor, the overwhelming response is always Trader Joe’s. You can also write in your favorites. The survey is literally one click. It’s open through November 30th. Share your picks at GrowCollegeStation.com, then see what everyone else has to say. According to Grow College Station, the City’s economic development team uses survey responses to have conversations with retailers, developers, and site selectors. When a brand weighs a new market, evidence of local demand is part of the business case and resident input helps the City make that case with real numbers instead of assumptions. “Every time a resident drives to Houston or Austin to shop, that’s convenience and revenue leaving College Station,” said Michael Ostrowski, chief development officer for the City of College Station. “Retailers are paying attention to College Station right now, and the strongest thing we can bring to the table is proof that our residents want them here. Shape College Station turns what people talk about around the dinner table into useable data.” The City doesn’t decide which businesses open in College Station — retailers make those calls based on their own market analysis — but resident input helps shape recruitment priorities and gives Grow College Station a clearer picture of where demand exists. Strong local retail keeps shopping dollars in College Station, supports sales tax revenue that funds city services, and adds to the quality of life that helps the city attract and keep talent. College Station’s retail landscape continues to grow, including the recent openings of Sprouts and Aerie. Tecovas will be opening soon at Century Square and there’s the recently announced Bass Pro Shops that will be going in near Costco. Grow College Station will compile responses after the survey closes at the end of November and share results in December on GrowCollegeStation.com and the City’s social media channels. Shape College Station poses a new question each quarter about the restaurants, shops and attractions residents want to see. In their last survey, they asked which restaurants residents would like to see. The top answer: Waffle House. The top 10 were (in order): Waffle House In-N-Out Burger Hat Creek Burger Company Grimaldi’s Pizzeria The Cheesecake Factory Pappadeaux Seafood P. Terry’s Burger Stand Pappasito’s Cantina Culver’s P.F. Chang’s About Grow College Station: Grow College Station is the City of College Station’s official economic development and strategic growth platform, coordinating and accelerating long-term economic diversification for the community. Grow College Station connects site selectors, industry leaders and business partners to the tools, opportunities and civic leadership needed to grow — supporting a diversified, resilient economy where talent stays, businesses scale and growth is intentional. For more on College Station’s growth and development opportunities, visit GrowCollegeStation.com. Got a news tip? e-mail us at news@wtaw.com, text us at (979) 695-1620, or reach out on Facebook or Twitter/X.

New name to reflect the institution’s role in collection stewardship, academic collaboration, education and public engagement Press release 10/07/2026: BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Oct. 7, 2026 – The Texas A&M University Art Galleries, which encompasses the J. Wayne Stark Galleries and the Forsyth Galleries, will become the Texas A&M University Art Museum, reflecting the institution’s role in collection stewardship, academic collaboration, education and public engagement. The transition comes from a need to reflect the work of the museum’s current leadership and professional staff in the ongoing work they do to acquire, preserve and interpret the university’s expanding art collections. It will also represent existing collaborations between the museum staff and university faculty who utilize the teaching collections for research, classroom education and programming. While the name change establishes a unified identity for the department, the Stark and Forsyth gallery spaces will retain their current, individual names and locations within the Memorial Student Center on the Texas A&M University campus. “The transition to the Texas A&M University Art Museum reflects the depth and breadth of the work our staff already undertake as museum professionals,” John Spriggins, director of the Texas A&M University Art Museum, said. “Our role extends well beyond presenting exhibitions—we are stewards of significant collections, partners in teaching and research and facilitators of meaningful engagement with art. The new name more accurately represents our responsibility to preserve, interpret and make these collections accessible while supporting the academic mission of Texas A&M University.” Dedicated in 1992, the Stark collections were named for J. Wayne Stark ‘39, founding director of the Memorial Student Center and key player in the formation of OPAS and the MSC Visual Arts Committee. Stark was instrumental in fusing academics with civic awareness by bringing museum-quality art to campus during his 33 years at Texas A&M, which became the impetus of the current collections. Alongside the Stark Galleries collections is the Forsyth Galleries, which houses the collections of Bill ’35 and Irma Runyon. Consisting of late 19th and early 20th century glass and American paintings, the Forsyth was established in 1989. It houses one of the world’s leading collections of English cameo glass. “By merging the Stark, a gallery dedicated to contemporary Texas and regional art, with the Forsyth’s collection of exceptional 19th and 20th century European and American fine and decorative arts, we create a dynamic space where the community gains access to not only a broader spectrum of artistic voices, but also new opportunities for dialogue and inspiration,” Elizabeth Appleby, assistant director of the Texas A&M University Art Museum and curator of the Forsyth Galleries, said. “This will allow us to celebrate local creativity alongside historical masterpieces, offering visitors a richer understanding of both our cultural heritage and our present-day artistic landscape.” Together, the collections provide opportunities for both the campus and community to encounter art across multiple periods, mediums, cultures and disciplines. The Texas A&M University Art Museum will continue its work through rotating exhibitions, collaborations with university and external partners and educational programming to reflect Texas A&M University’s commitment to transformational education and community engagement. “Art has the power to create connections across disciplines, generations and communities,” Spriggins said. “As the Texas A&M University Art Museum, we have an opportunity to make the university’s collections and exhibitions more accessible to everyone while creating meaningful opportunities for students, faculty, staff and the broader community to learn, engage and be inspired. Our goal is to make the museum a destination where people can encounter art, exchange ideas and see themselves as part of the cultural life of Texas A&M and the Brazos Valley.” For more information about exhibitions, programming and events, visit uart.tamu.edu. Admission is always free and open to the public. Got a news tip? e-mail us at news@wtaw.com, text us at (979) 695-1620, or reach out on Facebook or Twitter/X.