Thuesen Sentenced to Death

A man was arrested for driving while intoxicated after police said he drove to a convenience store to buy more alcohol and later recorded breath-alcohol concentrations more twice the legal limit. According to arrest records from the Bryan Police Department, officers were called to the Shell/Texas Market at 457 North Harvey Mitchell Parkway shortly before 5:00am on Tuesday, August 18, 2026 after a caller reported a suspected intoxicated driver. The caller said the man entered the store and tried to put his debit card into the wall instead of the card reader. When officers arrived, they found 22-year-old Stephen Cooper Johns, of Corpus Christi, at the gas pump. They say he was swaying, had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. When asked why he had gone to the store, Johns reportedly said he was there to get more alcohol. Johns admitted to consuming more than 17 Shiner beers. He failed a field sobriety test and breath tests showed alcohol concentrations of 0.192 and 0.198. Johns was booked for Driving While Intoxicated with a BAC of 0.15 or greater. He was released on $8,000 bond.

Four candidates have been announced for the College Station ISD School Board election in November. The following candidates filed their paperwork by the August 17, 2026 deadline in order to be included on the ballot. The ballot order was determined by drawing on August 18th (* indicates incumbent): At Large Place 6 Michelle Gallagher Kim Ege* At Large Place 7 Heather Simmen* Karen Strope You can click on each candidate’s name which will redirect you to the CSISD website to learn more about the candidate. Voter registration deadline is October 5, 2026. Early voting will take place October 19-30, 2026. Election day is November 3, 2026. Got a news tip? e-mail us at news@wtaw.com, text us at (979) 695-1620, or reach us on Facebook or Twitter/X.

The Bryan City Council will be holding a public hearing next week on the proposed 2027 fiscal year budget. The hearing will take place on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 at 5:30pm in the City of Bryan Municipal Office Building at 300 S. Texas Avenue, Bryan, Texas 77803. The public can review the city’s proposed budget online at www.bryantx.gov/fiscal-services/#budget. Paper versions are available for viewing at the Clara B. Mounce Library or in the City Secretary’s office. The budget will raise more total property taxes than last year’s budget by $3,092,366 or 4.68%, and of that amount $2,118,102 is tax revenue from new property added to the tax roll this year. Members of the public are encouraged to provide input through any means available and/or to attend the public hearing. Public comments will be heard on the 25th. You can submit written comments by email at akenney@bryantx.gov, by fax at (979) 209-5095, or by mail to: 300 S. Texas Avenue, Bryan, Texas 77803. Written comments will be included with information provided to the City Council for their consideration. Got a news tip? e-mail us at news@wtaw.com, text us at (979) 695-1620, or reach us on Facebook or Twitter/X.