City of College Station

Last August, the City of College Station dedicated First Down Park as a tribute to the legendary Red Cashion, who passed away in February 2019. The park features a football-shaped centerpiece and plaques and benches containing quotes from the Cashions and prominent authors that encourage guests to consider their own legacies.

The Atlantic hurricane season is underway, and NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center has predicted an above-normal season. Despite the risks, adequate preparation significantly increases your chances of staying safe and protecting your property. As Texas Flood Awareness Week ends, here are four steps to help ensure you’re hurricane ready.

Most City of College Station offices and facilities will be closed Monday for Memorial Day. Sanitation and recycling collections will operate on the regular schedule.

Welcome to our live blog from the College Station City Council’s meeting on Thursday, May 27. The meeting starts about 5 p.m. and is streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19.

College Station may not have a beach or fancy waterpark, but we’re one of the best-kept secrets for sports tourism. The Parks & Recreation Department will host 12 sports events from May 29-Aug. 29, attracting an estimated 32,000 visitors to the area. The diverse array of events includes youth soccer, girls’ fast-pitch softball, 7-on-7 football, and senior softball.

The College Station City Council meets Thursday at 5 p.m. at city hall. Public attendance is allowed on a limited basis. The meeting is streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19. Here are five items to watch.

Do you have a flood insurance policy? As part of Texas Flood Awareness Week, the City of College Station reminds residents to be prepared. Purchasing flood insurance is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your home and possessions in the event of a flood. Don’t be left out in the rain.

College Station is once again a hot market for retailers looking to establish a location. In this episode of the All Up In Your Business podcast, Communications Director Jay Socol and Economic Development Manager Aubrey Nettles talk about the vacancies where they're seeing the most interest, some confirmed (and nearly confirmed) successes, and even the context behind some chronically vacant properties that many in College Station wonder about. He even asked her about Pappadeaux.

If you’ve delayed sprinkler repairs or just want to find ways to save money with your landscaping this summer, you won’t want to miss this weekend’s Greater Brazos Valley Builders Association Home & Garden Expo at the Brazos County Expo. The hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Stealing traffic and street signs with catchy names to decorate a dorm room is just a harmless prank, right? Wrong. Stealing signs is a serious crime that endangers others — and it's happening at an alarming rate in College Station.

With Adamson Lagoon and Cindy Hallaran pool set to open Memorial Day weekend, the Parks & Recreation Department has released its new swim attire policy with guidelines for what you can — and can’t — wear for a safe and enjoyable experience.

Understanding a $380 million city budget is much more complex than just trying to decipher the numbers. If only the city had a more straightforward way to allow citizens to wrestle with allocating limited funds to almost limitless needs — and see how that feedback looks. Thanks to a new online tool called Balancing Act, we do.

During National Water Safety Month, the City of College Station Parks & Recreation Department reminds you to be careful around swimming pools, ponds, rivers, lakes, and oceans. Here are four simple ways to be safer in the water.

Welcome to our live blog from the College Station City Council meeting on Thursday, May 13. Public attendance is being allowed on a limited basis for the first time since March 9, 2020. The meeting starts after 5 p.m. and is streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19.

Do you have an off-and-on relationship with fitness? The College Station Parks & Recreation Department can help you stay on course with upbeat exercise programs and opportunities at the Lincoln Recreation Center.

The College Station City Council meets Thursday at 5 p.m. at city hall. The meeting is streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19. Here are five items to watch.

If you’re looking for a town’s unique personality, local restaurants and shops probably top your list, and College Station has plenty. But what about a place to take fun social media photos or keepsake images you and your family will treasure forever?

Mosquito dunks are an effective, easy to use, and environmentally friendly way to keep dangerous mosquitoes from breeding around your home. The City of College Station’s Mosquito Abatement Program provides free mosquito dunks while supplies last.

Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation ahead of Travel and Tourism week announcing that the leisure and hospitality sector added 23,100 jobs to the state economy in March. Tourism is a powerful economic resource, and we’re delighted to celebrate that impact through National Travel and Tourism Week.

Holleman Drive east of Wellborn Road will be closed from 8 a.m. on Saturday to 8 p.m. on Sunday as crews work on a water line as part of the Texas Department of Transportation’s intersection improvement project.

Whether you're a beginner toting your first pair of binoculars or an expert searching for your nemesis bird, Lick Creek Park ranks among the region's most outstanding birding destinations. If you've been considering joining the ranks of the 47 million American birders, the Lick Creek Nature Center has two appealing options to get you started.

College Station’s rich and dynamic history has seen it grow from a quiet little college town into a burgeoning mid-sized city of 125,000. A pair of well-researched books explore many of the people and events that helped shape College Station and guide its swift evolution into one of the nation’s best places to live.

When local softball enthusiastic Greg Hutchinson created the Budweiser Softball Festival with 24 teams in 1986, no one could have guessed it would grow into the largest regular-season USSSA adult slow-pitch tournament in the nation. A total of 163 adult slow-pitch softball teams will participate in the Annual Summer Budweiser Softball Festival Friday through Sunday at Veterans Park & Athletic Complex, Stephen C. Beachy Central Park, and Bryan Regional Athletic Complex.

Just because tornadoes are relatively rare in our area doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be vigilant and well-prepared. Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms, and we should always stand ready to handle whatever comes our way.

Learning to be a capable swimmer is an essential life skill and should be a priority for your entire family. The City of College Station’s Aquatics Division is devoted to teaching people to swim correctly, safely, and confidently. Here are six things you should know about swim lessons.

Welcome to our live blog from the College Station City Council’s workshop and regular meetings on Thursday, April 22. The meetings are streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19. The workshop starts after 5 p.m., followed by the regular meeting at 6.

College Station’s Century Square is more than a lively entertainment district – it’s also a veritable foodie paradise with unique restaurants that delight even the most finicky taste buds. If you haven’t explored the district, make plans to attend the Dine Around Century Square event on March 15.

The College Station City Council will meet Thursday at city hall for its workshop (after 5 p.m.) and regular (6 p.m.) meetings. The meetings are streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19. Here are five items to watch.

The United States Congress and the City of College Station recognize National Lineman Appreciation Day each year as a way to honor the hard-working folks who protect public safety and energize our economy by keeping the power on, often in hazardous conditions.

The College Station City Council voted 5-2 Monday night to allow property owners in single-family neighborhoods to request a zoning overlay that restricts occupancy to no more than two unrelated people. The city's existing restriction of no more than four unrelated remains for areas without the overlay.

The College Station City Council meets Monday at 4 p.m. at city hall to consider a Restricted Occupancy Overlay (ROO). The ordinance would allow single-family neighborhoods to request a zoning overlay to restrict home occupancy to no more than two unrelated people. The meeting will be streamed live from city hall on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19.

For 19 years, the Starlight Music Series has attracted music lovers for free, family-friendly entertainment under the stars at the beautiful Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater. The 2021 Series begins May 8, followed by shows on May 22 and June 12.

With summer approaching, it’s time to start planning for outdoor adventures and other riveting ways to keep your kids active and engaged. The College Station Parks & Recreation Department can help with plenty of summer camps to fill your youngster’s days with fun and excitement.

Known as The Traveling Fool, Bob Bales is a Houston-based travel writer who enjoys discovering people and places that may not be considered typical tourist destinations. In February, Visit College Station invited Bales to explore our community for a few days to uncover some of what makes College Station unique. He learned a lot, and so did we.

While Thursday's hailstorm certainly wasn’t a large-scale disaster, it did enough damage to set opportunists and scammers in motion. Check out roofing contractors with the Better Business Bureau and make sure they're registered with the City of College Station and get the required permits.

Starting Thursday, all traffic is closed on Barron Road from the Highway 6 southbound frontage road to Springbrook Estates Drive. The closure will be in place for 2-3 weeks while crews replace a water line and repair the roadway. The city originally planned to have one lane open during the project, but safety concerns led to a complete closure.

When the city developed the first phase of Wolf Pen Creek Park in the early 1990s, it never envisioned that 30 years later, open spaces would provide a safe venue for events and gatherings during a global pandemic. The 63-acre park's beautiful trail system has become a favorite place to enjoy the fresh air and get much-needed exercise.

Welcome to our live blog from the College Station City Council’s meeting on Thursday, April 8. No workshop is scheduled, and the regular meeting starts at 6 p.m. The meetings are streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19.

On Wednesday, Costco Wholesale filed a site plan with the City of College Station for a 160,534 square foot facility to be located along Earl Rudder Freeway (SH-6) in Midtown.

The College Station City Council meets Thursday at 6 p.m. for its regular meeting at city hall. The meetings are streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19. Here are five items to watch.

Earlier this week, we dropped a podcast episode that reviewed what's new in, and what's coming to, College Station. We teased an announcement that was expected later in the month — a development on 19 acres of city-owned land in College Station's Midtown. Turns out later in the month is now: Costco Wholesale has filed a site plan for that location.

Eastbound Barron Road will be closed Wednesday through Friday at Highway 6 as a water line is replaced. No water outages in the area are expected.

The Texas Department of Transportation’s contractor begins work this week on upgrades to the intersection of Wellborn Road and Holleman Drive. During the first phase, the northbound outside lane will be closed daily from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. through mid-May.

Area residents are invited to participate in the spring household hazardous waste collection event on Saturday, April 24, from 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Texas A&M University General Services Building parking lot. The entrance is on Harvey Road east of Veterans Park and Athletic Complex.

Our first podcast episode of 2021 covers a lot. So much, in fact, that we ditched the studio and did an actual tour of some of the fastest-growing areas of College Station to talk about what's new and what's coming.

Thousands of moms, dads, siblings, and others arrive in College Station on Friday to kick off Texas A&M’s century-old Family Weekend tradition. Here's four fun ideas to help make your visit even more memorable.

Next Sunday's inaugural Homegrown at Northgate, a farmers and artisan market, is part of an effort to create more family-friendly events in College Station's most renowned entertainment district. The event will be from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Patricia Street Promenade. Admission is free.

With summer approaching, the College Station Tsunami Swim Team is gearing up for another season of competition, building strength, and gaining confidence. Registration runs through June 30, and practice starts May 3. Here are five indisputable reasons to become a Tsunami.

The Heart of Aggieland Visitor's Pass Program gives our visitors great deals while strengthening our economy. Everybody wins!

City of College Station offices and facilities will be closed Friday in observance of Good Friday. Sanitation and recycling collections will operate on their regular schedules.

While the Parks and Recreation Department can’t provide the sprawling field and social interaction of a traditional Easter egg hunt this year, we can offer eggs and fun with a free, drive-thru Easter Egg-stravaganza from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, April 1, at the Meyer Senior and Community Center.

Welcome to our live blog from the College Station City Council’s workshop and regular meetings on Thursday, March 25. The meetings are streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19. The workshop starts after 5 p.m., followed by the regular meeting at 6.

The College Station City Council meets Thursday at city hall for its workshop (after 5 p.m.) and regular (6 p.m.) meetings. The meetings are streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19. Here are five things to watch.

Welcome to our live blog from the College Station City Council’s special meeting on Monday, March 22. The meetings are streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19. The meeting starts at 4 p.m.

Westbound lanes on Barron Road remain closed as a water line repair continues near State Highway 6.  The closure will eventually switch to the eastbound lanes. 

The College Station City Council gathers Monday at 4 p.m. for a special meeting at city hall. The meetings are streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19. Here are five items to watch.

As spring approaches, we’re all looking forward to warmer weather, the return of monarch butterflies, and blooming flowers to color our landscapes. The knowledgeable docents at the Lick Creek Nature Center have put together a self-guided Yaupon Loop Guided Nature Hike brochure to enhance your wildlife experience.

College Station Utilities now has a clearer picture of the additional costs incurred for providing electricity to customers during Winter Storm Uri. The estimated total is expected to be more than $48 million. Like other Texas electric utilities, College Station was forced to purchase several days of replacement power at inflated Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) market-based prices. The replacement power costs were $13.6 million.

What better way to celebrate spring break than to explore the beautiful parks near your own backyard? With College Station’s 54 developed parks covering more than 1,864 acres, we have plenty of space and activities to discover. Allow us to suggest five free adventures.

Welcome to our live blog from the College Station City Council’s workshop and regular meetings on Thursday, March 11. The meetings are streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19. The workshop will start after 4:30 p.m., followed by the regular meeting at 6.

The College Station City Council meets at city hall on Thursday for its workshop (after 4:30 p.m.) and regular (6 p.m.) meetings. The meetings are streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19. Here are five items to watch.

College Station Water Services will conduct routine smoke testing next week to evaluate the condition of wastewater lines in the area bounded by Holleman Drive, Wellborn Road, George Bush Drive, and Texas Avenue. The testing will occur between 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. from Monday through Friday. It’s not actually smoke, so it isn’t hazardous.

The College Station Municipal Court has received the Municipal Traffic Safety Initiative Award from the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center for the 11th straight year. College Station, La Porte, Conroe, and Mesquite were the only four Texas municipal courts to receive the award in the medium-volume category, which includes cities with populations between 30,000 and 149,999. Only 17 courts from cities of any size were recognized.

Throughout March, The Parks & Recreation Department is giving away free bags with information on how you can help save the monarch butterfly. We’re even throwing in activity sheets, Butterfly Retreat seed packets, coloring sheets, and more. If you have a bit of a spare garden space to plant native milkweed and other nectar-producing plants, we encourage you to become part of this worthwhile community effort.

In the mid-1990s, Lillian “Jean” Clark Robinson, the Lincoln Recreation Center’s former supervisor, commissioned a mural in the original gymnasium to honor iconic black leaders. The faces and stories illustrated in the simple mural serve to inspire us all.

Old, abandoned tires are a common sight along roadways, vacant lots, and various other places. What can you do with your scrap tires? The best options are recycling and reusing -- and it beats getting a citation from Code Enforcement.

Welcome to our live blog from the College Station City Council’s workshop and regular meetings on Thursday, Feb. 25. The meetings are streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19. The workshop will start after 5 p.m., followed by the regular meeting at 6.

The College Station City Council meets at city hall on Thursday for its workshop (after 5 p.m.) and regular (6 p.m.) meetings. The meetings are streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19. Here are five items to watch.

The 27th Meeting Planners Showcase set for March 11 at the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center allows meeting and event planners to establish relationships with local businesses to make their events successful. The showcase is free to the public, starts about 10 a.m., and wraps up at 1 p.m. Preregistration is required by March 4.

The City of College Station’s Planning and Development Services is waiving required permit fees for residential or commercial repairs related to this week’s winter storm. To receive the waiver when applying through the city’s online permitting system (eTRAKIT), select “2021 Winter Storm Repair" as the permit type, then the appropriate subtype for the repair. The permit fee waiver will be in effect for permit applications through March 7. Work not related to storm damage does not qualify.

Due to the impacts of the winter storm, city offices and facilities will remain closed to the public. Solid waste and recycling collections are suspended until road conditions improve.

With sustained freezing temperatures in our forecast, it's time for a quick chemistry lesson. Water expands when freezing, so any water left in pipes such as sprinkler systems can freeze, expand, and — POW! — create a big, messy water leak. With that in mind, College Station Water Services has some precautions to help protect your water pipes and irrigation system.

The College Station City Council meets at city hall on Thursday for its workshop (after 5 p.m.) and regular (6 p.m.) meetings. The meetings are streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19. Here are five items to watch.

College Station welcomes 120 youth football teams to Veterans Park and Athletic Complex this weekend for the Texas Youth Football All Star Showcase. The tournament includes 3,500 football and 250 cheer athletes from Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Arizona.

Take a look back at some of the positive things that happened in the City of College Station in January, including the naming of the basketball court at Castlegate Park "Alex Caruso Court," the reopening of the Fun for All Playground, a CSPD officer rescuing a man from a burning car, and the naming of two assistant fire chiefs.

In September, the Centers for Disease Control issued a temporary eviction moratorium, allowing some property owners to pause evictions for nonpayment of rent in certain circumstances. The moratorium remains in effect through March 31. If you are unable to pay rent, you might wonder what this means for you. Do you have to pay your rent?

Whatever your political opinions are, we can all agree on one thing — voting is essential. In parts of the country, a concept called ranked-choice voting has captured the imagination of some as a way to eliminate costly run-off elections. Could ranked-choice voting happen in College Station?

The City of College Station is conducting a series of virtual meetings and an online poll throughout February to collect public input on a proposed Restricted Occupancy Overlay (ROO) ordinance. The meetings will be via Zoom on Monday (Feb. 8), Feb. 16, and Feb. 22. The online poll goes live Monday evening and closes Feb. 26.

With spring on the horizon and Easter approaching, the Parks & Recreation Department has devised a way to help the Easter Bunny during the COVID-19 pandemic — a socially distant, candy-filled egg hunt. From March 22-27, we’ll bring the hunt to you with Egg Scramble. We offer two personal egg hunts for all ages, and you may purchase as many 25-egg bundles as you like for $15 each.

The City of College Station has limited federal funds available for another round of rental assistance for residents who have been economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program can provide up to six months of rent assistance, including past due rent.

The generosity of donors, families, and business leaders made College Station's Fun for All inclusive playground happen. You can help complete the third and final phase of the project through the Kroger Community Rewards program -- and it costs you nothing! If you are a Kroger Plus Shopper, the program donates a percentage of your Kroger expenditures to the playground.

Welcome to our live blog from the College Station City Council’s workshop and regular meetings on Thursday, Jan. 28. The meetings are streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19. The workshop will start after 5 p.m., followed by the regular meeting at 6.

Like most of you, my 2020 experiences were often difficult ones. You know who increased the difficulty even more? The College Station families who welcomed more than 1,600 babies during a year like no other. As if going on safari for toilet paper and hand sanitizer wasn’t enough. As has become tradition, it’s time to examine the 1,640 names we registered in 2020.

The College Station City Council meets at city hall on Thursday for its workshop (after 5 p.m.) and regular (6 p.m.) meetings. Here are five items to watch.

Don't use hand-held communication devices for texting or making calls while driving in College Station. It's against the law and could result in fines up to $500.

Our CPR blended learning format is for ages 12+ and combines online learning and in-person skills with instruction like what you receive in traditional classes. But blended learning reduces the time needed for class and allows you to finish the online learning at your own pace. After completing both portions, you’re issued a two-year certificate from the American Red Cross.

City of College Station offices and facilities will be closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Sanitation and recycling collections will operate on their normal schedules. Electric, water or wastewater outages can be reported to 855-528-4CSU (4278). Please have your account number ready. Payments due to the Municipal Court on Monday must be paid by close of business on Tuesday.

The recent rise in local COVID-19 cases has led the Parks and Recreation Department to delay the reopening of senior programs at the Lincoln Recreation Center and Meyer Senior and Community Center. Limited programs had been scheduled to resume on Jan. 19. We'll re-evaluate the program every two weeks starting on Jan. 25.

Registration is underway for Friday Night Lights 7v7, which focuses on fast-paced, competitive play for teams preparing for their school’s next season. Age groups are grades 3-4, grades 5-6, and grades 7-8. Registration closes Feb. 28 and the season runs March 5-April 30.

Welcome to our live blog from the College Station City Council’s workshop and regular meetings on Thursday, Jan. 14. The meetings are streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19. The workshop begins after 5 p.m., followed by the regular meeting at 6.

Take a look back at some of the positive things that happened in the City of College Station in December, including additional funds received for the small business assistance program, the city’s 2020 employee of the year, and being named a Bicycle Friendly Community. Now that’s something completely positive!

In this episode of the “Actually…” series, City Traffic Engineer Troy Rother explains how the city determines speed limits on our roadways.

The College Station City Council meets at city hall on Thursday for its workshop (after 5 p.m.) and regular (6 p.m.) meetings. The meetings will be streamed live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and at cstx.gov/cstv19. Here are five items to watch.

Take a look back on the city's best-performing blog posts, podcasts, and videos of 2020. Happy New Year!

As we bring in the new year, we offer a sampling of the Public Communication Office’s best photography work of 2020. Special thanks to our tireless multimedia coordinators Rachel Mayor and Kendra Gilts, along with our talented newcomer, Public Communications Assistant Jennifer Kingsbury, for their hard work in documenting city events and activities throughout the year.

In September 2018, city employee Harold "Dendy" Brown was struck by a car while collecting a container on his solid waste route. Some 25 months later, Dendy returned to work in the Solid Waste Division after enduring 11 surgeries. This film tells the story of his courageous comeback.

During national turmoil in 1963, Dr. King gave his immortal “I Have A Dream” speech that created an expectation of positive change. We invite you to join us at the Lincoln Recreation Center for Dream Works in Action as we embark on another year of commemorating King’s life and legacy throughout January. Participation is free.

On Dec. 28, Brazos County Judge Duane Peters received notification from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services (DSHS) that Trauma Service Area N (in which Brazos County is located) has surpassed the limit set forth by Gov. Abbott in Executive Order GA-32.