Kevin O’Connor Kommentary August 31

City Of Bryan’s Tourism Office Announces Record Hotel Revenue And Hotel Rates

The city of Bryan’s tourism office announces two months of record hotel revenue. Destination Bryan director John Friebele says October revenue was $4.28 million dollars, and in November was $4.42 million. The average daily rate for Bryan hotels also hit a record at $143 dollars a night. Friebele says the average rate for the Texas A&M-Texas football weekend was $410 dollars a night. Year over year, hotel demand in Bryan rose almost 15%. News release from the Destination Bryan tourism office: Bryan, Texas, achieved record-breaking hotel revenues in November 2024 at $4.42 million, showcasing the area’s growing appeal as a prime destination for both leisure and business travelers. The hospitality sector in Bryan has witnessed a significant uptick in occupancy rates and average daily rates, reflecting the city’s robust tourism and economic development efforts. Demand was up 14.8% year over year and was the highest average daily rate on record in Bryan at $143.00 per night. Prior to November 2024, October 2024 was the highest month on record at $4.28 million and October 2023 was the next highest at $4.14 million in revenue. These figures only reflect Hotel revenue and do not reflect short-term rentals. Click below to hear Destination Bryan tourism office director John Friebele’s visit with WTAW’s Bill Oliver. Listen to “City of Bryan's tourism office announces record hotel revenue and hotel rates” on Spreaker.

College Station City Council Asked To Oppose Medians On Wellborn Road

The week after public comments closed to the Texas department of transportation’s (TxDOT) plan to widen Wellborn Road in south College Station, the city council is asked to oppose plans for medians. The council could not respond to comments from Karen Hall of Bryan because the item was not on the agenda of the December 12th meeting. Karen Hall of Bryan said all you have to do is see what has happened with the Texas Avenue median in Bryan. Hall said more than 100 people told TxDOT during a public meeting last month to remove medians from the plan. She closed by telling the council “When you annexed Wellborn (in 2011), you promised to protect those residents. Please keep your promise. Stand with your citizens.” TxDOT’s plans for the three mile project between Fitch and Greens Prairie Road calls for a four lane highway with a median, a traffic signal at McCullough Road, curbs and gutter, and a shared use path on the east side of the roadway. Click below to hear comments from Karen Hall during the December 12, 2024 College Station city council meeting.  

Bryan Man Accused Of Burglarizing The Same Vehicle On Two Consecutive Days

The owner of a Jeep that was burglarized twice earlier this month on consecutive days tells Bryan police he leaves the vehicle unlocked because it has a softtop with windows that can be unzipped. After the first burglary on December 4th, the owner installed a camera. After the second burglary on December 5th, the victim submitted surveillance video to BPD. The BPD arrest report says two officers who watched the video recognized the suspect. That led to the arrest of 18 year old Trelyn Nutall of Bryan for those burglaries, a third vehicle burglary on December 5th, and engaging in organized criminal activity. The arrest report says nothing was taken in the first burglary. In the second burglary, the victim reported losing a necklace that was given to him by his grandmother before she passed away. As of December 24th, Nutall remains jailed in lieu of bonds totaling $16,000 dollars.