Brazos County commissioners approved the purchase of a commercial property near the county jail at its June 9 meeting, despite concerns from residents and one commissioner about the property’s cost and the county’s plans for the site.

About the project: Commissioners voted to approve a contract with Mesquite Properties Joint Venture to purchase a property at 108 San Jacinto Lane in Bryan for $2.4 million.

A purchase has not been made. The vote allows the county to make an offer to purchase the property.

What they're saying: During the conversation portion of the agenda item, County Judge Duane Peters said the acquisition is intended to prepare for future growth and potential jail expansion.

“If you don’t plan ahead for things, when the time comes, it may not be available at all,” Peters said.

Some community members questioned both the price and the level of public information provided before the vote. One resident said she was concerned over costs to taxpayers and another said agenda materials did not explain why the property is being purchased.

A mural depicting all of Bryan’s sister cities around the world was unveiled at the Clara B. Mounce Public Library on June 3.

What’s new: The Bryan-College Station Public Library System said the mural shows five different animals that represent each city and its culture.

• Jaguar: Salamanca, Mexico

• Deer: Bastogne, Belgium

• Blue Jay: Bryan, Texas

• Owl: Toruń, Poland

• Crane: Greifswald, Germany

Artist Enrico Pense designed the mural as a way to celebrate “peace, international friendship, cultural exchange and shared values, breaking language barriers with a contemporary, narrative visual design,” according to a June 4 news release by the city of Bryan.

Check it out: The mural is located on the west exterior of the library facing Carangie Alley and the railroad. It is now among one of the many other murals located in Historical Downtown Bryan.

Three more U.S. cases of the New World screwworm were confirmed June 8, federal officials said. Four animals in Texas and a dog living in New Mexico have been infested with the flesh-eating parasite.

The background: The screwworm was largely eradicated in the U.S. in 1966, and the pest had not been seen in Texas in decades. The number of confirmed cases has slowly increased since the first detection June 3.

The parasite feeds on living animals, posing a particular threat to livestock and wildlife. The Texas economy could take a more than $1.8 billion hit due to a widespread screwworm outbreak, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated in 2024.

What they're saying: “These developments obviously represent a serious threat to our livestock and wildlife, but they haven't caught us off guard,” USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said during a June 8 news conference in Kerrville. “We have been tracking this pest for a long time. We have fought it before, and we will do so again.”

In 2023, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 2127, a sweeping regulatory measure designed to prevent cities and counties from adopting local ordinances that conflict with various sections of state law. Three years later, there is confusion about what local governments can and cannot do under the law.

The background: At the time, some legislators and other proponents of the bill said it would ensure consistency among Texas cities, citing ordinances passed by “liberal blue cities” that they said made it hard to run a business. Opponents of HB 2127, including some local leaders, said the law would prevent cities from addressing residents’ needs while undermining local worker safety provisions and nondiscrimination ordinances.

What's happening: During a June 4 hearing, the law’s critics said it has had a “chilling effect” on some local actions, while those who support the law expressed concerns that cities have not removed ordinances that are preempted by the state.

Ahead of the 2027 state legislative session, lawmakers are considering whether changes are needed to clarify or better enforce the law.