Councilman Mark Smith visits with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia about his career with the City of College Station, development in the Northgate district, upcoming public meetings about Northgate, receiving no proposals for the former Macy’s store building, Post Oak Mall rejuvenation, water, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs on Friday, January 17, 2025.
Listen to “College Station Councilman Mark Smith on The Infomaniacs” on Spreaker.
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:
Bryan ISD school board members approve the administration’s recommendation to not return child nutrition money to the state. Assistant superintendent Kevin Beesaw said the Texas department of agriculture approved the district’s request to spend almost $62,000 dollars in excess funds to purchase what he described as a “fancy forklift” to be used in BISD’s new auxiliary services building. Nutrition director Sandra Baxter said the district’s 18 year old forklift will be used in another BISD warehouse building. Click below to hear comments from the Bryan ISD school board’s January 13, 2025 meeting: Listen to “Bryan ISD school board approves spending excess child nutrition money on a "fancy forklift"” on Spreaker.
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.
Bryan Broadcasting Corporation