Funeral arrangements are pending following the death of Burleson County sheriff Gene Hermes.
A news release says Hermes died following a valiant fight with cancer.
He was in his second term as sheriff as part of along career with the sheriff’s office.
The day after Susan Ballabina was named president of Texas A&M by the board of regents, she and the chancellor signed her contract. A copy of the five year contract provided by the system office to WTAW News says her base salary starts at $1.25 million dollars a year. She is getting deferred compensation of $150,000 a year. And after her annual job review with the regents, Ballabina is eligible for an annual merit retention bonus of up to 25 percent of her base salary. Other clauses in the nine page contract addresses other benefits and clauses regarding reassignment and termination, how Ballabina can serve on other governing boards with the regents approval, and the option to extend the contract at any time. Click HERE to read and download the contract provided to WTAW News by the A&M system office.
For decades, a group of Bryan/College Station chamber of commerce members and local government leaders spend the better part of a week lobbying federal lawmakers in Washington D.C. More than 30 people made this week’s trip to present the chamber’s legislative action plan, which addresses local issues that includes transportation, health care, education, and economic development. Chamber president Glen Brewer said the delegation received updates from lawmakers and the White House liaison to Congress. And those who made the trip split up and contacted both of Texas U.S. senators, all members of the state’s congressional delegation, and the chairs of committees controlling issues that are local priorities. Click below to hear Glen Brewer’s recap of the chamber’s trip to Washington D.C. with WTAW’s Bill Oliver. Listen to “Bryan/College Station chamber of commerce delegation makes its annual trip to Washington D.C. to lobby federal lawmakers” on Spreaker.
A second Bryan man is headed to prison for a murder in November 2022 where there was an exchange of gunfire during an attempted armed robbery. The Brazos County district attorney’s office says 26 year old Preston Thurmon testified that he and his accomplice took guns into a house and there was gunfire as they were attempting to steal money. The DA’s news release says a jury took less than 20 minutes to find Thurmon guilty. Then the jury sentenced Thurmon to 65 years. Another jury in July 2025 convicted 24 year old Armando Mejia and he was sentenced to 22 years and ordered to pay a fine of $5,900 dollars. News release from the Brazos County district attorney’s office about the Preston Thurmon trial: Preston Thurmon, 26, was sentenced to 65 years in prison on Friday, May 8 by a Brazos County Jury. The same jury convicted Thurmon of murder on Thursday, May 7 following less than 20 minutes of deliberation. On November 30, 2022, Thurmon and his co-defendant, Armando Mejia, went to a home on Cavitt Ave in Bryan around 10:00 in the morning to steal drugs and money. While holding the victim, Da-vid Lopez, at gunpoint and demanding property, the two were confronted by the victim’s brother, who shot Mejia in the leg. Both Thurmon and Mejia returned fire after shooting the victim one time in the chest. They fled the scene and left the area in Thurmon’s vehicle. Detectives with the Bryan Police Department were able to track the defendants’ movements with surveillance camera footage in the area of the murder, including video of both Thurmon and Mejia in the convenience store near the murder an hour prior. In that video, detectives were able to identify an image on Thurmon’s sweatshirt by looking through social media. On January 11, 2023, officers executed a search warrant at Thurmon’s home, where they found the sweat-shirt Thurmon wore at the time of the murder. They also collected Thurmon’s phone, which contained evidence linking him to the crime. Thurmon was taken into custody on that day. During an interview with detectives, as well as on the stand during his trial, Thurmon confessed to going to the home with Mejia in order to commit robbery of a person living there. He also admitted that both he and Mejia took guns to the house as part of the robbery and that the victim was shot while they were attempting to get money from him and get away. Statement from assistant Brazos County district attorneys Kara Comte and Caleb Beacham: “The defendant took a human life over money and marijuana, and this sentence reflects the devastating and irreversible impact of that decision. This level of violence in Brazos County will not be tolerated.”
Bryan Broadcasting Corporation