Bryan ISD School Board Approves Spending Excess Child Nutrition Money On A “Fancy Forklift”

Bryan City Council Awards Two Construction Contracts Associated With The Lake At Midtown Park

January’s meeting of the Bryan city council included awarding $6 million dollars in contracts for two more additions at Midtown Park involving the park’s lake. Construction will be starting soon on a boardwalk and to build two water wells that will feed the lake. Weather permitting, the boardwalk could open this August and the water wells could start operating by the end of 2025. A nearly $4.5 million dollar contract for a boardwalk and a support structure called a bulkhead follows the council last April rejecting more than $9 million dollars in bids. A contract for just over $1.5 million dollars was awarded to build two water wells that will feed the lake to keep the water level constant. The cost is over the budgeted estimate of $950,000 dollars. City engineer Paul Kaspar said they are still working on getting state permits to fill the lake. Click HERE to read and download presentation materials shown at the January 14, 2025 Bryan city council meeting. Click HERE to read and download background information about the construction contract for the Midtown Park boardwalk. Click HERE to read and download background information about the construction contract for Midtown Park water wells. Click HERE to read and download a map showing the location of the Midtown Park water wells. Click below to hear comments from the January 14, 2025 Bryan city council meeting. Listen to “Bryan city council awards two construction contracts associated with the lake at Midtown Park” on Spreaker.

Texas A&M Faculty Senate Members Speak Out Against An A&M System Ban On Professional Trips To China

January’s meeting of the Texas A&M faculty senate included comments opposing a Texas A&M system ban on professional trips to China. A system spokesman told WTAW News the ban was in compliance with a governor’s executive order. Faculty senate member Adam Kolasinski said the way he reads the executive order, “I don’t see anything saying that all professional travel to China is gone. What I see is a prohibition on any sort of funding from China.” Kolasinski also said “I have noticed this happens a lot with A&M lawyers. They like to prohibit things that don’t have to be prohibited and this (the ban) seems to be an example of that.” Faculty senate member Frank Sottile said he is “mad as hell” about the ban. Sottile said a colleague who is “pissed off” is being recruited by another university. And Sottile said a prospect for a vacant position at A&M withdrew their name. Faculty senate members were told the system ban does not include personal travel to China. Click below to hear comments from the January 13, 2025 Texas A&M faculty senate meeting:  

Brazos County District Court Criminal Convictions On Drug Charges

A Bryan man admits for the eighth time in Brazos County district court to possessing or selling drugs. On Tuesday (January 14), 46 year old Christopher Nicks was sentenced to 28 years in prison after pleading guilty to the first degree felony of possessing with the intent to deliver cocaine in June of 2021. Nicks criminal history, according to online court records, includes three felony and four misdemeanor guilty pleas in drug cases dating back to 1996. A 49 year old Bryan woman who has served time in the Brazos County jail four times in 23 years is headed to a state prison. District court records show Paula Hebb was sentenced last week (January 10) to violating probation after being convicted in April 2022 to possessing methamphetamine. Probation violations included failing to complete 100 hours of community service and failing to submit to drug and alcohol testing 12 times. A plea agreement with the district attorney’s office reduced prison time from ten to three years. The Brazos County district attorney’s office and a Magnolia man reach a plea agreement on drug possession charges following a high speed chase in February of 2022. The department of public safety arrest report said speeds reached 117 miles per hour before stopping. The trooper found more than one pound of Xanax, one pound of marijuana, almost one pound of amphetamine pills, and 60 THC cartridges. On January 6th, 29 year old German Ramirez Jr. was sentenced to a total of six years in prison. The punishment covers guilty pleas for evading arrest, manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, and possessing marijuana.