Lina Adams of the Destination Bryan tourism office visits with WTAW’s Bill Oliver about downtown Bryan’s First Friday activities being rescheduled to July 11th due to the July 4th holiday.
She also previews the July 4th fireworks and drone show on the RELLIS campus where the agency and WTAW are co-sponsors.
Listen to “Destination Bryan tourism office July 2025 update” on Spreaker.
Bryan police is investigating the drowning death of a four year old boy. This began Tuesday night (July 9) as a search for Jermaine Mills. 75 minutes after responding to a 9-1-1 call made by family members, the youngster was found unresponsive in a pool that was described as being in a condition where visibility into the water was limited. Lifesaving measures began when the child was found and continued until he was pronounced deceased. News release from Bryan police: On June 9th, 2026, at approximately 6:00 p.m., the Bryan Police Department responded to the 2300 block of Jaguar Drive for a missing 4-year-old. The 4-year-old was last seen by family near the pool approximately 30 minutes prior to placing the 911 call. Multiple BPD officers and community members assisted in searching for the child. At approximately 7:14 p.m., the 4-year-old was located in the pool unresponsive. Immediate life-saving measures were performed, before the child was transported to the hospital for emergency medical care. Conditions of the pool made visibility into the water limited. Unfortunately, the child passed away at the hospital. The Bryan Police Department would like to remind our community to never leave children unattended near water. Whether you’re at a pool, lake, splash pad, or any other body of water, constant supervision is essential. Stay alert and avoid distractions such as cell phones, conversations, or other activities that may take your attention away from children. If a child is not a strong swimmer, please have them in a properly fitted life jacket or approved flotation device for their size. Keep gates locked or secured where children cannot access the water. This investigation is ongoing at this time.
For the second time in three months, Bryan ISD school board members discuss behind closed doors safety and security issues. On June 1, as what happened on March 23rd, there were no public statements about corrective action plans related to intruder detection inspections. The June 1st executive session was one of two held by the BISD board. After the second private discussion, board president Joel Bryan introduced what turned out to be a unanimous motion to sell a BISD building on Highway 21 just east of Texas Avenue at Calhoun Street. The owner of neighboring commercial property is buying the BISD building and land for $375,000 dollars. Click below to hear comments from the June 1, 2026 Bryan ISD school board meeting where approval was given to sell district property. Listen to “Bryan ISD school board sells property and has another private discussion about correcting unidentified security issues” on Spreaker.
A Brazos County district court jury takes less than 90 minutes to convict and sentence a suburban Houston man for theft of an elderly person with two or more prior convictions. The jury gave the maximum punishment of life in prison to 56 year old Lonnie Birt Donaldson Sr. of Rosharon. According to the district attorney’s office, Donaldson previously went to prison in 2007 for theft of an elderly person, in 2000 for engaging in organized criminal activity, and in 2005 he did time in a state jail for theft. Donaldson was found guilty of taking $2,300 dollars from an elderly Bryan resident to fix his roof but never showing up to do the repairs. News release from the Brazos County district attorney’s office: On June 2, 2026, a Brazos County jury found Lonnie Birt Donaldson, Sr. guilty of Theft from an Elderly Individual with Two or More Prior Convictions. Because Donaldson had a long history of theft convictions, the jury sentenced him to life in prison the following day. The crime took place on August 18, 2024. Donaldson went to the home of an elderly Bryan resident and offered to fix his roof for an unusually low price. The homeowner believed him and paid Donaldson $1,300 in cash as a down payment. A few days later, Donaldson returned to the house and asked for another $1,000 to do extra work on the roof. Donaldson took the $2,300 in cash and vanished. He never bought any roofing supplies, never delivered materials to the home, and never did any work on the house. The victim never saw him again. Det. Kenneth Moore of the Bryan Police Department investigated the case. He discovered that Donaldson’s roofing business did not actually exist. The company had no bank account and no other customers. Detective Moore concluded that Donaldson was running a scam and never planned to complete the job. During the trial, the jury also heard from Brazos County District Attorney Investigator Kindale Pittman. Investigator Pittman, a fingerprint expert, proved that Donaldson was the same man convicted of multiple past crimes across Burleson, Milam, and Brazos Counties. Donaldson’s criminal record stretches back more than 25 years. In 2000, he was sentenced to prison for four years for Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity–Theft. In 2005, he was sentenced to state jail for theft. In 2007, he received an eight-year prison sentence for Theft from an Elderly Person, plus a 12-year sentence for Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance. Because of this extensive criminal history, his punishment is statutorily enhanced to a minimum of 25 years up to life in prison. In closing arguments, prosecutors reminded the jury that Donaldson had spent nearly 30 years preying on innocent victims across three different counties. They asked the jury for a sentence that would permanently stop him from stealing from anyone else. The jury took less than 25 minutes to find Donaldson guilty, and less than an hour to sentence him to life in prison. Statement from Brazos County assistant district attorneys Robert Vetter and Tiffany Larsen: “This defendant used lies to steal the hard-earned money of our most vulnerable citizens for decades. This life sentence ensures he can never target an innocent victim again. Our office remains committed to protecting our seniors from fraud.”
Bryan Broadcasting Corporation