This week’s United Way of the Brazos Valley update features partner agency Health For All.
The visit with agency director Liz Dickey includes a reference to an online fundraiser. Click HERE for more information from the Health For All website.
Listen to “United Way Update with Health For All” on Spreaker.
Brazos County’s county clerk decides to retire after 45 years in the office. Karen McQueen said her decision to withdraw her re-election bid on the last day of the filing period followed “family considerations and a lot of thought and prayer”. When she finishes her current term at the end of 2026, that will complete more than 25 years as county clerk. She was appointed March 1, 2001 after starting with the office on May 8, 1981. The chairman of the Brazos County Republican party notified WTAW News that because McQueen withdrew on the last day of the filing period and at the time she was the only candidate, by state law the filing period for Brazos County county clerk was extended until December 15th. Click HERE to read and download the public notice extending the deadline to file for Brazos County county clerk. After McQueen withdrew, her chief deputy, Ashlie Peters-Bowman, filed for the position. According to the Brazos County website, the county clerk’s office is the record keeper of the county, which include birth certificates, brand registrations, DD-214 military discharge forms, death certificates, marriage licenses, probate and civil filings, and real estate property records. Click below to hear Karen McQueen’s visit with WTAW’s Bill Oliver about her decision to not seek re-election and memories of her 45 years in the county clerk’s office. Listen to “Brazos County's county clerk withdraws her re-election bid on the last day of the filing period” on Spreaker.
A plan by Bryan ISD administrators to collect more state money from students attending the district’s alternative campus gets unanimous support from the school board. Associate superintendent Barbara Ybarra says currently, if a student at M.C. Harris is not in the building by 10 a.m., the district doesn’t get state money. If the state approves BISD’s application to implement what is called an Optional Flexible School Day Program, then the district gets state money after students at M.C. Harris complete their courses. The program would allow those students to take courses in person and/or online and on different days and times. Dr. Ybarra said another goal of the program is to improve graduation rates for students who are at risk of dropping out of school, have already dropped out, or are falling behind in core subject courses. BISD board members were told the four year graduation rate for the class of 2023 at M.C. Harris was 78.7 percent, compared with the district wide rate of 92.6 percent. And the dropout rate during the 2022-2023 school year at M.C. Harris was 8.5 percent, compared with the district wide rate of 1.3 percent. Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the December 1, 2025 Bryan ISD school board meeting. Click below to hear comments from the December 1, 2025 Bryan ISD school board meeting. Listen to “Bryan ISD school board approves applying to the state to allow flexible attendance options for students at the district's alternative school” on Spreaker.
A 50 year old College Station man admits in Brazos County district court to sex crimes against children that took place in 2017 and in 2022. Appearing in court last Friday (December 5), Omar Valenzuela was sentenced to a total of 30 years for three felonies and a misdemeanor charge of violating a protection order. As part of a plea agreement with the district attorney’s office, Valenzuela is also required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Valenzuela was sentenced to 20 years for indecent sexual contact with a child that took place in January and June of 2022. After completing that punishment, Valenzuela will start a 10 year sentence for indecent exposure with a child that took place in September of 2017.
Bryan Broadcasting Corporation