Brazos County completed a study on the competitiveness of its employee compensation and benefits, finding the county is overall competitive with its offerings but will seek improvements where needed.

At a glance: The county announced the study in May. According to previous reporting by Community Impact, the study was being conducted by a consulting firm to provide a more competitive and consistent pay structure.

The study found that Brazos County pays 83% of its employees at or above the market midpoint. For those in the bottom 17%, the county will make adjustments to help salaries move closer to the competitive point.

Zooming in: Along with what it means to current employees, the county found positives for:

• Prospective employees: competitive salaries and commitment to keeping up with standards across the board
• Taxpayers: fiscal responsibility backed by data, research and county accountability

• Objective data
• Organizational needs
• Employee performance
• Responsible use of public funds

College Station City Council is set to review and decide June 25 on an agreement for new body cameras, tasers, digital storage and associated reporting systems for its police department.

According to agenda material, the council is deciding whether to sign a 10-year agreement with Axon Enterprise Inc., an Arizona-based public safety technologies company. The agenda also includes hearings on various construction projects and purchases throughout the city.

What’s happening: While the city of College Station has not made any recent decisions on body cameras, it approved a grant application for Flock AI cameras in April following community pushback.

According to Axon’s website, the company uses AI technology to “make public safety faster, smarter and more effective.” Axon also states its AI solutions “boost efficiency, speed up decision-making, and make your job easier, all while keeping you ahead of emerging public safety challenges and threats.”

Work on State Hwy. 6 throughout the Bryan-College Station area, which has been dubbed the ‘Big 6,’ is expected to last through 2030. In the meantime, officials and locals are preparing for life during the construction.

What you need to know: The roughly $670 million Big 6 project will expand and add to the State Hwy. 6 corridor that runs through Bryan and College Station to make up for past growth and the area's future growth.

However, questions remain about how it will affect growing traffic counts in the area and the local economy—particularly for businesses along the corridor.

Why it matters: The need for the expansion has been long-standing, stemming from the significant growth the area has experienced in recent years—in both population and traffic patterns.

Looking ahead: Construction began in December 2025 and is expected to continue through 2030, according to TxDOT documents.

In the long term, the project will be carried out in three separate phases, some of which could overlap.

Discount retailer dd's DISCOUNTS will be hosting its grand opening on June 27. It is taking over the former JOANN Fabrics and Crafts location, which closed roughly a year ago.

Hiring signage is still posted.

What they offer: Part of the Ross Stores family brand, shoppers can find deep discounts on clothes for the whole family, toys and home decor among other goods.

The first dd's DISCOUNTS opened in 2004 and now has more than 350 locations nationwide, according to its website and Brilliant Maps, respectively.

Before you go: According to a June 11 Facebook post by the company, the Bryan dd's DISCOUNT will be open starting June 27.

• Opening June 27
• 725 E. Villa Maria Road, Bryan