United Way of the Brazos Valley (UWBV) president Lizette Hawkins and UWBV board member Rob Mwandia, known professionally as “DJ Rob”, visit with WTAW’s Bill Oliver about UWBV’s crawfish boil fundraiser that is taking place May 5, 2026 at Yesterday’s Bar and Grill in Bryan.
Bryan ISD school board members approve administrator recommendations to hire three new principals. The unanimous votes at the end of Monday night’s meeting (June 15) followed no public comments from board members or administrators. All three selections are promotions from assistant principal positions in BISD. Whitney Foreman is the new principal at Rayburn Intermediate. She was most recently assistant principal at Houston Elementary. Click HERE to read and download BISD’s news release of Whitney Foreman. Jacklyn Nacianceno is the new principal at Bonham Elementary. She was most recently assistant principal at Johnson Elementary. Click HERE to read and download BISD’s news release of Jacklyn Nacianceno. Dee Darnell is the new principal at Jones Elementary. she was most recently an assistant principal at Jones. Click HERE to read and download BISD’s news release of Dee Darnell. News releases from BISD did not say if the hirings were the result of retirements or other personnel actions. Click below to hear the motions hiring the principals at the end of the June 15, 2026 Bryan ISD school board meeting. Listen to “Bryan ISD school board members approve administrator recommendations to hire three new principals” on Spreaker.
Brazos County commissioners unanimously vote to end a six year relationship with an outside consultant who was behind the successful November 2022 bond issue that generated $100 million dollars for road projects. During the commission’s June 9th meeting, commissioner Fred Brown’s enthusiastic motion that ended with a “yee-haw” to close out what was a six year contract with Innovative Transportation Solutions was unanimously approved. Click below to hear Fred Brown’s motion at the June 9, 2026 Brazos County commission meeting. As of June 16, Brazos County’s website does not include a copy of the termination notice. Agenda information from the June 9th meeting stated “Approval of cancellation of contract 20-094 Transportation Planning Services with Innovative Transportation Solutions effective July 31, 2026 and authorize the County Judge to send the notice of termination per the terms of the agreement. TxDOT will assist the County Engineer with managing the existing consultant agreements and their ongoing work related to the expenditure of general obligation bond funds.” Multiple references to ITS were made by affected landowners who were successful in getting the commission in July 2025 to stop development of an east loop highway, which was one of eight projects to receive partial funding by the bond issue. That was followed in November 2025 by commissioners reducing the scope of their relationship with ITS. In addition to the proposed east loop, funding from the 2022 bond issue was promoted to go towards an interchange at Wellborn Road and George Bush Drive, widening Harvey Road between the freeway and FM 158, widening Leonard Road between Highway 47 and Harvey Mitchell Parkway, intersection improvements on Fitch between Arrington Road and the freeway, interchange improvements at Highways 21 and 47, and various improvements to roads maintained by Brazos County. Click HERE to read and download the original contract with Innovative Transportation services was signed in 2020. Click HERE to read and download the first amendment to the contract was signed in 2024. Click HERE to read and download the second amendment to the Brazos County contract with Innovative Transportation Services that was approved at the November 18, 2025 county commission meeting.
For the first time since 2013, there is a new leader at Bryan Texas Utilities (BTU). A news release from the Bryan based electric provider has announced the retirement of general manager Gary Miller. Taking over Monday (June 15) as interim GM is BTU’s executive director of business and customer services Doug Lyles. Miller will serve in a transitional role until his retirement on September 18th. Miller has been with BTU for 21 years, the last 14 as general manager. Lyles is in his 16th year with BTU. Click HERE to be directed to the WTAW News story when Miller was named general manager in February 2013. Click HERE to download the BTU news release and the news release is below. The City of Bryan and Bryan Texas Utilities (BTU) would like to announce the upcoming retirement of BTU General Manager, Gary Miller, after more than two decades of distinguished service. Miller will retire on September 18, 2026 concluding a career marked by steady growth, operational excellence, and a commitment to providing reliable public power at reasonable rates. Under Miller’s leadership, BTU earned national recognition through numerous industry achievement awards, while Miller himself received individual honors for his contributions to the public power industry. “Gary has distinguished himself in providing reliable service while helping BTU grow and thrive,” said City of Bryan City Manager, Andrew Nelson. “Among Miller’s many accomplishments, his leadership during Winter Storm Uri stands out as a defining moment. Under his guidance, BTU successfully navigated one of the most severe events in ERCOT history, earning praise from state leaders for the utility’s response and resilience.” To ensure a smooth transition, the City of Bryan has appointed Doug Lyles as Interim General Manager, effective June 15, 2026. Lyles will oversee BTU’s day-to-day operations, while Miller will assist with the transition through his retirement date. Lyles brings 16 years of experience with BTU and extensive knowledge of the electric utility industry. During his tenure, he served as Division Manager of Fiscal Services, Financial Planning Manager, Chief Risk Officer, and most recently Executive Director of Business and Customer Operations. As a Certified Public Accountant, Lyles has played a key role in strengthening partnerships between BTU and the City’s financial leadership while supporting the utility’s long-term strategic goals. “Doug understands BTU and the City of Bryan’s mission, values, and commitment to serving our customers,” Nelson said. “His experience and collaborative approach position him well to guide the utility through this transition and continue the success that BTU, the City of Bryan, and this community have achieved.” City officials expressed gratitude for Miller’s years of service and confidence in BTU’s future under Lyles’ leadership. “Gary leaves a wonderful legacy of service to Bryan and BTU,” City of Bryan Mayor, Bobby Gutierrez said. “We congratulate him on a well-deserved retirement and thank him for his contributions to our community. We are also excited to congratulate Doug on his appointment and look forward to BTU’s continued success.”
Bryan Broadcasting Corporation