Woman Arrested After Attempting to Run Over A Crowd With Her Vehicle

College Station City Council Hears Proposed FY2027 Budget

The College Station City Council met for just over 30 minutes Monday night to hear a presentation of the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2027. The $567.3 million budget is broken down into two major categories: $394.8 million for daily operations and maintenance (everyday city services) and $181.6 million for capital improvements (building for the future). $169 million will go towards new projects, including: $55 million for a new public works facility $5 million for improvements in the Northgate entertainment district $36 million dedicated to Midtown (including phase two of Texas Independence Park) $12 million for neighborhood parks Mary Ellen Leonard, Director of Fiscal Services for the City of College Station, made the presentation to the council and says a property tax increase will be required, but the exact rate is dependent on the Brazos County Appraisal District’s values, which have yet to be determined. According to the presentation, there will be no rate increase for metered electric, water, and wastewater services, although there will be increases on your bill. Roadway and drainage maintenance fees will increase by 3% and solid waste will go up 5%. Leonard estimates that residents will experience an increase of about $1.88 per month. The budget includes adding six new police officers, a cost of living adjustment for public safety personnel of 3%, annual step increases, and no increase in healthcare premiums for city employees. The city council will host budget workshops July 13-15 in advance of a public hearing on the budget scheduled for July 23 at 6:00pm in council chambers. If approved, the final tax rate and budget adoption will take place on August 27, and the new fiscal year would begin on October 1, 2026. For more information, visit http://www.CSTX.gov/budget

TxDOT Seeks Input On Its 10 Year Transportation Plan

Help shape the future of Texas roadways by sharing your thoughts on TxDOT’s new 10-year transportation plan. From neighborhood sidewalks to projects that transform daily commutes, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) wants to hear what investments matter most. As Texas continues to experience rapid population and economic growth, your feedback will help prioritize funding over the next decade. TxDOT is developing a draft of the 2027 Unified Transportation Program (UTP) that includes more than $95 billion for projects across the state over the next decade. The plan focuses on making further progress on existing, high-priority projects already in development. “Hearing from Texans and our transportation partners is vital to help this plan improve Texans’ connectivity to communities, jobs and family, as well as enhance safety, quality of life and innovation throughout the state,” said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. “The UTP remains strong and healthy, with a robust portfolio of projects that continues to advance statewide priorities.” Public feedback is vital to the development of the program. The comment period opened Friday, July 3, and closes Monday, Aug. 3, at 4 p.m. (CDT). Texans can submit comments through multiple options at TxDOT.gov, including an online form available in English, Arabic, Cantonese, Hindi, Mandarin, Spanish and Vietnamese. The public is invited to participate and provide comments during the draft 2027 UTP virtual public hearing on Wednesday, July 29, at 2 p.m. (CDT). Participants may join by phone at (800) 717-1738 or online at TxDOT.gov, where a recording of the meeting will also be available. The Texas Transportation Commission is set to vote on the UTP at its August commission meeting.

More Information About Texas Opioid Fund Council Grants Going To Burleson County And Texas A&M’s Health Science Center

WTAW News has received more information about grant money coming to two Brazos Valley recipients from the Texas Opioid Abatement Fund. $750,000 dollars is going to Burleson County’s health resource center to hire additional people to work in local schools with students and their families. The retired health center director, Albert Ramirez, says the additional people will reduce their reliance on out of town agencies. And the health center’s new director, Shawn Edwards, says one of the biggest goals of the additional staff is to help those with substance abuse issues achieve recovery goals. The state opioid grant fund also awarded eight grants to Texas A&M’s health science center. Six of the eight grants, totaling almost $4 million dollars, will be spent by the pharmacy college to support communities around the state to address the opioid crisis. Click below to hear comments from Albert Ramirez and Shawn Edwards of the Burleson Health Resource Center, visiting with WTAW’s Bill Oliver. Original story June 26, 2026: The Texas A&M health science center and Burleson County are among the latest recipients of grant money collected through opioid drug settlement agreements with a state agency. A list from the Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council says ten locations of the health science center around the state are getting a combined $5,820,291 for what is described as “treatment and coordination of care” services. Burleson County is getting $749,975 for what is described as “recovery support services”. WTAW News has requested specific details about the grant money will be spent. The Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council, whose activities are administered by the state comptroller’s office, was formed according to its website “to ensure that money recovered through the joint efforts of the state and its political subdivisions through a statewide opioid settlement agreement is allocated fairly and spent to remediate the opioid crisis using efficient, cost-effective methods.” Click HERE to read and download the statewide list of grant recipients as printed from the Texas Opioid Abatement Council website. The comptroller’s office provided WTAW News with the nine locations of the health science center (HSC) grants. The list includes what are described as HSC “presence” in Galveston, Houston, Kingsville, McAllen, Killeen, and services in five “regional healthcare partnerships” (RHP) around the state. They are RHP regions 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20. Click HERE to read and download a map of Texas regional healthcare partnerships (RHP), courtesy of the Texas comptroller’s office.