College tuition inflation rates historically increase two times faster than the inflation rate of the dollar, according to Simple Tuition Services 2013. With rates such as these, students may struggle to pay for college.

Baylor’s tuition was $18,430 a year with fees in 2003, and in 2008, the tuition was, with fees, $26,234. Baylor University’s current tuition is roughly $36,137 per semester, with estimated fees attached. Some simply cannot afford to pay.

This is the case for Jarod, a Baylor student whose name has been changed to protect his identity; Jarod said the situation has caused him and his family some embarrassment and stress, and he wishes to keep the details private.

Jarod said his time at Baylor was enjoyable until his family could no longer pay for the rising cost of attendance. If he didn’t have the financial problems, Hill said he would want to work through graduate school at Baylor.

“I love Baylor immensely,” he said. “But both my parents lost their jobs at the same time. With loans already attached to my first two semesters at Baylor, I couldn’t continue.”

Other schools in the Waco area cost less — in time and money.

Students at McLennan Community College pay by the semester hour, meaning their cost for classes is more dependent on the hours within the class. This differs from the structure of some private universities, where the cost is already determined, with or without extra classes. Specific classes with specific requirements such as laboratories will require fees, and students will plan accodingly. For 2013, the cost per hour at McLennan Community College is $106 for McLennan County residents, $124 for Texas residents, and $181 for out-of-state residents.

According to MCC’s 2012-2013 financial aid form, the cost of attendance for an academic year will likely cost no more than their current average at $16,062. For some, this savings is appealing. But some question whether other schools promise the same probability of success after graduation. Time spent in the classroom at MCC is shorter since MCC encourages two or three years of schooling to receive an associate’s degree, where as a student’s time at Baylor can take four or more. Although the two degree’s differ, one being an associate’s degree and the other a bachelor’s, the end result is still enough for some to get better work than without.

Houston junior Tumi Akingbade went to McLennan Community College after going to Baylor briefly. After discovering the difference in cost, Akingbade’s temporary decision became more attractive.

“Compared to my freshman year at Baylor, the difference is jaw dropping,” Akingbade said. “My school fees run about $2,500, including books. They didn’t really promise me much because I figured I would be back at Baylor by now, but I’ve had nothing but a good experience at McLennan Community College.”

Texas State Technical College, a two-year technical school system, costs $5,235 for 12 months (based on a 15-hour semesters) for Texas residents. Students are prompted to receive hands-on learning with the costs of student loans down when compared to university prices. Even the TSTC website slogan says, “Get In. Get Out. Get Hired.”

Kasey Neilson, a TSTC senior, said she couldn’t afford to take out loans for her pursuit of a dental degree. Her family wanted to prevent accumulation of debt after graduation. Neilson backs up her decision with appreciation for the program and the knowledge of her instructors.

“Being a technical school, we do most of our work hands-on with our instructor to prepare us for our work environment,” Nielson said. “They told me I should finish and be ready to graduate in a full two years. I started in January of 2012, and I will be graduating August 2013.”

At the time of publication, a Baylor official could not be reached for comment regarding students who transfer to community colleges.

MCC and Baylor started a program to help prospective Baylor students work towards a degree while attending classes at MCC and Baylor.

“I decided to join Baylor@MCC because it was my path into Baylor,” Denton sophomore Brittany Ladd said on Baylor’s MCC@Baylor website. “The Lord really had His hands on my attending both schools and I am so thankful.”

With many different financial decisions available, students can consider other financial options towards education.

An investigator carries a piece of debris amid the destroyed fertilizer plant in West, Texas, Thursday, May 2, 2013. Investigators face a slew of challenges in figuring out what caused the explosion at the fertilizer plant that killed 14 people and destroyed part of the small Texas town. (AP Photo/LM Otero, Pool)

WEST, Texas — Investigators working to figure out what caused a massive, deadly fertilizer plant explosion in Texas have talked to more than 370 people and received more than 200 tips as they continue to search for a breakthrough.

Two weeks after the April 17 blast that killed at least 14 people, agents compare their work to solving a puzzle or completing an archaeological dig.

“We’re trying to find the critical piece,” said Chris Connealy, the state fire marshal, on Thursday.

Their work is complex for several reasons: the magnitude of the blast at West Fertilizer, which knocked out windows and rooftops all over the tiny town of West and registered as a small earthquake; the deaths of 10 first responders and two others who volunteered to help; and the spread of debris as far as two miles away.

Agents are using digital mapping of the plant, rakes, shovels and front-end loaders to sift through dirt and rubble over an approximately 15-acre site. Possible bits of evidence are being cataloged and tested.

Investigators in dark blue uniforms and light blue helmets raked through piles of dirt and lifted debris. Many of them had worked almost every day since the blast. Small skid-steer loaders carried away piles of dirt that already had been examined.

On a cool, windy day, the faint smell of fertilizer filled the air, and officials said the air quality was continuously being monitored. Remnants of burned-out cars and trash littered the sides of the plant site.

Some of the remaining wall from a plant building had been raised at the site, as officials also are trying to reconstruct as much of the plant as possible as part of their investigation. A specialist from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will later design a model of what the plant looked like at the time of the explosion, so that authorities can test several scenarios of what happened, said Assistant State Fire Marshal Kelly Kistner and Robert Champion, ATF’s Dallas special agent in charge.

Authorities have not yet begun to fully investigate the approximately 90-foot-wide crater left by the blast, Kistner said. On Thursday, teams were sifting through dirt at the former site of an administrative building next to the crater.

Chemical tests so far have only revealed fertilizer at the site, Kistner said. He said he didn’t know yet what specific chemicals were found or how much ammonium nitrate was on site during the blast.

Two months before the explosion, it reported the capacity to store as much as 270 tons of ammonium nitrate, though how much was actually on site when the blast occurred is unknown. In addition to mapping the site, agents have spoken to the plant’s owner and are reviewing documents to find out how much ammonium nitrate was there, Kistner said. They have previously ruled out a rail car carrying ammonium nitrate.

“This is planting season. This is fertilizing season,” Kistner said. “This is a busy, busy time for this facility right here. So they were constantly turning product, tons a day, out of this facility.”

Officials would not reveal all of the technology they are using, but said the process could continue after a previously set May 10 target date. They also continue to investigate the possibility that the blast was a criminal act.

“Nothing has been ruled out at this point,” Champion said.

Officials defended the amount of time they were taking to finish the investigation, saying they owed it to the victims of the blast to take their time, and criticized speculation about the blast. Kistner criticized speculation about the explosion as uninformed.

“It’s not becoming a distraction to the investigation, but I think it’s a distraction to the public and to the people, and the families of the people, who lost their lives here,” Kistner said. Because you’ve got a lot of people running around trying to tell people what happened, but they’re not down here to have the facts and the evidence to know what happened.”

Six lawsuits have been filed in local county court against Adair Grain, which owns and operated West Fertilizer. Those suing include people injured in the blast and insurance companies representing businesses that were damaged.

Kistner said the owners of the plant have cooperated with investigators, but declined to say what documents they had turned over.

On the night of July 19, 2012, when Baylor’s regents approved construction for the $250 million Baylor Stadium, all the stars were aligned.

On May 11, 2012, Baylor approved a new strategic vision “Pro Futuris,” a vision that, in broad strokes, called for growth. The 2011-2012 sports season, what ESPN.com called “one of the greatest combined athletic seasons in NCAA history,” brought Baylor into the national spotlight.

With a new president, new vision and a new public identity, Baylor had changed and one of Pro Futuris’ new goals to “form stronger, more strategic community partnerships to improve the quality of life for Central Texans” spoke volumes: It was time for Waco to change and grow alongside Baylor.

Parts of the Waco community have mixed views, however, on whether the $250 million dollar stadium will be the economic boon that its supporters hope for.

Dr. Michael Parrish, professor of history, spoke about Waco recovering from historic economic issues.

He said the Great Depression was the back-breaker for the growth of a promising downtown Waco. After that, the famous tornado of 1953 further injured the vibrancy of downtown, Parrish said, and the flight of the middle class to the surrounding suburban areas was the death-blow.

Today, Waco’s major industries include L-3 Integrated Systems’ manufacturing, Providence Health Center and Baylor.

Baylor is very important to the Waco economy, Parrish added. But is it enough to support Waco’s job market?

“The problem is attracting major businesses from the outside and providing high-paying jobs,” Parrish said. “Too many of the businesses in Waco and McLennan County are manufacturing and processing operations that don’t necessarily provide high-paying jobs. The average annual per capita income has risen by about 20 percent over the last 15 years, from about $29,000 to about $34,000, but that’s still well below the state and national averages.”

According to the new stadium’s official website, Baylor is hopeful for the stadium to allieviate that problem.

“Baylor Stadium will be a catalyst for economic development along the Brazos River and will continue progress underway throughout downtown Waco,” said a statement on the Baylor Stadium’s website. “The stadium will be the largest project in Central Texas history and has the potential to transform the city.”

In an email statement to the Lariat, Dr. Bonny Cain, superintendent of Waco ISD, expressed the same outlook on how the new stadium might affect the surrounding community.

“Baylor University is such a blessing to our community,” Cain said. “The new bear stadium will have an incredibly positive effect on our quality of life and on the local businesses. Each game day will attract people from throughout the state and country who will fill up our hotels, shop, eat at restaurants and buy gas. The flurry of game weekends will cause an uplifting energy that only good college towns can generate.”

Dale Caffey, Waco ISD director of communications, said in the same email statement that the new stadium would enhance Waco’s image as a progressive and growing city.

“The stadium will provide a perfect bookend to the northern entry of Waco,” Caffey said. “Soon, the first thing travelers from the north will see is a picturesque riverside college football venue. From the south, the first thing travelers already see is a spectacular hospital to the left and a majestic, state-of-the-art University High School to the right. When it comes to attracting new residents, first impressions mean a lot.”

Parrish said he shares the enthusiasm of the Baylor and Waco officials for the stadium, but also pointed out that projects with the same goal of economic development have been proposed before.

In the 1960s, ’70s and especially ’80s, numerous efforts, reports, studies and consultations came from city leaders, business leaders and investors, Parrish said.

The idea was to take advantage of the potential of the Bosque and Brazos River Corridor, which runs straight through the downtown.

“But the results of all of those efforts have been very mixed and very limited, and in the opinions of many, very disappointing,” Parrish said.

Despite this, Parrish said he hopes the new Baylor Stadium will create an economic chain reaction.

“As far as I can tell, the stadium can’t hurt and indeed should help significantly,” Parrish said. “Is it the cure-all? I have no idea. I certainly hope so.”

According to Clint Peters, the director of the city of Waco planning services, Baylor has taken the initiative with Baylor Stadium.

“With the construction of the stadium, it’s Baylor that’s had to work out the costs of planning. They have to engineer the site, they have to work with the core engineers, and it’s been a lot of work,” Peters said.

Peters said the project involved not only Waco and Baylor but also the Texas Department of Transportation, TXU Energy and private contractors.

“It’s a huge project, with a lot of partnerships and coordination in a short time period,” Peters said.

For Waco, he said, the costs of construction didn’t come from raised taxes, but from Tax Increment Financing. For Waco, Tax Increment Financing is an accumulation of money from increasing property taxes in specific TIF zones.

“The TIF is not an extra tax,” Peters said. “It’s money that has been funneled off for a long period of time for a specific area of land. Any money that is made from raising the value of that area gets set aside, and is used to encourage and to incentivize more development.”

Not everyone feels fully confident in what the stadium will do. Some who reside near the stadium site express concerns and doubts about how the stadium will affect the surrounding community.

“This is the edge of what you would consider a bad neighborhood, once they get to those apartments down there,” said Anthony Newman, a resident of a neighborhood near the site of the new stadium. “This area hasn’t been concerned about that for a while, so I don’t see them putting too much of an onus on parking and things of that nature.”

Newman also said he does not believe that the new stadium will improve the economic prospects for locals.

“They’re not going to hire people from this area to go work at that stadium,” Newman said. “I don’t believe that, either. I believe it’ll be more student jobs and things of that nature, but as far as local? No.”

In a Waco Tribune-Herald article on Dec. 12, 2012, it was reported that a meeting was held by residents of Olive Heights Association, who live near the site of the new stadium.

Residents voiced concerns, saying that they felt Baylor had not been communicative enough with them about its plans for the area around the stadium.

The article also stated that McLennan County Commissioner Lester Gibson said that Wells Fargo bought 156 lots in the Olive Heights area.

Gibson later found that the properties were bought for Baylor, the article added.

Karl McNair, director of real estate services for Baylor, confirmed to the Waco Tribune-Herald lots purchased through Wells Fargo, but McNair said Baylor had not yet drawn up a plan for how it will use the properties.

According to McNair and Peters, Baylor has hired consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhoff, who had officials present at the meeting of the Olive Heights group, to prepare a traffic-management plan for the area.

Peters said the plan for areas surrounding the stadium could change and are not finalized.

“There haven’t been any decisions made, especially with things that have to do with Olive Heights,” Peters said. “Baylor says it has no plans for using the properties for parking, but we are still in the planning phase. We have a democratic process with public hearings. Baylor is still within its rights to present a different plan.”

One local organization seeks to tackle the problem of modern day slavery one race at a time.

The27project will hold its first-ever Waco Jog for Justice at 7 a.m. Saturday starting in Heritage Square. Proceeds from the Waco race will go to Educate Nica, an organization that provides education and care to children in Nicaragua vulnerable to the slave trade.

There will be three options: the 1 Mile Fun-Run, the 5k race, and the 27k — a distance of 18.6 miles. Anyone interested in participating can still register before the race at www.the27project.org or pick up a packet at Outdoor Waco from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday. Stacey Compton, founder of the27project, said she chose to donate to Educate Nica because of its emphasis on education. Educate Nica is currently the only organization the27project donates to, but Compton said she hopes to sponsor other organizations in the future.

“Educate Nica and organizations like it are really looking to empower people in their own country,” Compton said. Media volunteer Lisa Pane said as of Tuesday, 257 people have registered to participate in the races.

“We’re hoping to have about 300 people,” Pane said. “It’s not too late to get involved if someone wants to sign up.”

Other local organizations attending include: Jesus Said Love, the Family Abuse Center, Christian Women’s Job Corps and Grace Alliance. Compton said each of the local organizations receives a small amount of money from the race. “We may feel like there’s not much we can do in Central Texas about human trafficking, but it’s great that we can donate to organizations out there willing to do this,” Pane said.

Compton started the27project in 2011 after an 11-month mission trip to 11 countries. “I got to see how poverty was a huge leeway into trafficking,” Compton said. Compton said she invites local organizations to the event so participants can find ways to become involved at the local level and to encourage local organizations to work together. “We want to bridge the gap between awareness and action,” Compton said.

“When people see the number 27 million, they have a tendency to shut down and not do anything. It’s important for people to understand if you influence your inner circle, you influence the world as a whole.”

The27project is planning two more Jog for Justice events this fall: in Charlotte, N.C., and Memphis, Tenn.

Dr. Dianne Sawyer (Courtesy Photo)

For some people, volunteering your time can mean volunteering your profession. Dianne Sawyer, a medical consultant at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center and a retired OBGYN, volunteers at Cameron Park Zoo once a week.

However, she’s not feeding or cleaning up after animals. Sawyer is a part of a special training initiative for a 14-year-old female orangutan called May.

May was given a breeding recommendation by the Species Survival Plan program under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

It is hoped that May will conceive within the next two years, according to Terri Cox, the curator of exhibits and programs at Cameron Park Zoo.

“Zoo animals’ birth plans are managed with all of our animals,” Cox said. “Then, when we are ready for animals to breed, we can really prepare them to give the babies the best chance we can.”

May is being trained to be a proactive mother. May’s training began at the end of last year. Her training covers a broad spectrum.

She is being taught to bring the baby to the front of the enclosure, to give the baby to keepers, sit for a breast pump and to hold the baby up in case zoo keepers need to supplement the baby with bottles, Cox said.

“We want her to be very comfortable with all the aspects of maternal care,” Cox said. “And so we start now getting her used to all these procedures because it is better before she gets pregnant and she has all those other changes going on.”

Sawyer’s involvement is more specialized. In 2010, she retired from her OBGYN practice after 23 years. She said that changes in government involvement in medicine and the increased distance between the hospital to her home, which affected her reaction time to patients, contributed to this move.

Since her retirement, she has kept busy. Sawyer took up a medical consulting job at the Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center. She has also been involved as a zoo medical volunteer.

This was the first time she has volunteered her skills as an OBGYN at the zoo. She performed successful sonograms on a gibbon and a chameleon.

Sawyer remembers the morning of the gibbon sonogram.

She had Cox bring the gibbon out of the zoo to receive the sonogram.

“About six o’clock in the morning, we took them over to where the ultrasound machine was,” Sawyer said. “Terri had the gibbon all wrapped up in a baby blanket. The security guard that was letting them in was kind of looking, like, ‘that’s an ugly baby.’”

For May, it will be a little different. Orangutans are bigger and stronger than gibbons. Sawyer is working to get May used to sitting and going through a regular sonogram. They want her to be awake during it.

“We haven’t actually given her a true sonogram yet,” Sawyer said. “What we’ve been doing is using a syringe cap and getting her used to the feel of having the gel on her abdomen and also training her to stay still long enough so we could do the sonogram.”

Sawyer will be an active part of the birthing plan team. During the pregnancy, she will monitor the growth and health of the baby. Sawyer said that the process will not be without its difficulties.

“Most of the time with women early in their pregnancy, their bladder is full so it acts as a window,” Sawyer said. “We really can’t convey that to May to keep her bladder full.”

Therefore, the first six to eight weeks of the pregnancy will not be monitored in this way. Once the amniotic sac, the place where the fetus develops, is full, Sawyer will be able to chart the baby’s progress. She will also be present at the birth of May’s baby.

Sawyer has been involved at Cameron Park Zoo since its opening in 1993. She has rotated on and off the board of directors for nearly 20 years and volunteered to clean cages and feed animals.

“I’ve always enjoyed zoos,” Sawyer said. “I think they are such an asset for the community. It’s something great for the whole family to do. I just enjoy working with them.”

Willie Nelson performs at The Backyard Live Oak Amphitheater in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, April 28, 2013. The concert was an early birthday celebration for Nelson, who turns 80 on Tuesday, and it was a benefit for the volunteer fire department in West, Texas, which is nearby where Nelson grew up in Abbott, Texas. A fertilizer plant exploded April 17 killing at least 14 people, including emergency responders, and hurting about 200 others. (AP Photo/Austin American-Statesman, Jay Janner)

WEST — Musicians are working to help a Texas town decimated in a deadly fertilizer plant explosion.

Officials with the Texas Thunder Festival on Monday announced next month’s performances will benefit emergency responders and schools in West, where 14 people were killed in a blast on April 17.

Performers include the Randy Rogers Band, Wade Bowen, the Casey Donahew Band, the Josh Abbott Band and Stoney LaRue. The festival will be held May 17-19 in Gardendale, near Odessa.

Ten first responders were among those killed in the explosion that left about 200 people hurt. Two others killed fighting the fire were posthumously memorialized as first responders.

Country great Willie Nelson performed Sunday in the Austin area to benefit the West Volunteer Fire Department. Nelson grew up in nearby Abbott.

A shooting at a smoke shop left one teen dead and another injured Monday morning.

Waco police officers responding to reports of a shooting at Eddies Smoke Shop on Waco Drive found two individuals — Dhaodrique Eastland, 17, and another 19-year-old victim both from Waco — with gunshot wounds to the upper torso and forearm, respectively.

Both were rushed to the hospital, where Eastland was pronounced dead.

At the time of publication, the condition of the other victim was not known.

According to Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton of the Waco PD, no arrests have been made and there is no definite suspect.

“All we know is it’s a black male suspect that fled on foot,” Swanton said.

This is the first reported murder in Waco this year, and is part of a general downward trend in crime in Waco, according to WPD statistics.

The murder rate in 2012 was down to six from 11 in 2011, and 2010 saw only five — one of the lowest years on record.

According to Swanton, however, the murder rate is not easily predicted or affected.

“Murder is one of those that you just don’t have a whole lot of control over,” Swanton said.

The Firefighter’s Memorial Service was held in the Ferrell Center on Thursday, Apr. 25, 2013.
Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor

Twelve flag-draped caskets stood next to twelve smiling portraits of the first responders who died in last week’s explosion in West.

In front of each stood a uniformed figure. Some old and some young, some with the decorations of rank and office and some unadorned. Periodically a column of similar figures would march in front and raise a hand slowly in a salute. With a quick step to the side, the first responders change places and continue their vigil — a vigil they held from early Thursday morning until the service concluded Thursday evening.

The memorial service, which was attended by President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, packed the Ferrell Center to capacity of around 10,000 people. Many of those who filled the actual arena were first responders themselves. They came in from all over the country — some coming from as far as Vancouver and Calgary, Canada ­— to honor their fallen brothers. Each one wore a black band around their badge to mourn their loss.

Aaron Abbie, a firefighter from Tool — northeast of Corsicana — said he attended the service out of a sense of camaraderie with the fallen first responders. So did his captain, Stephen James, and Billy Perez, director of the Fairfield ambulance service.

“Every man or woman that’s here, we’re all a family. We all support one another,” Abbie said. Abbie said he felt sad, but privileged to attend.

“I hope they know that they are part of this family, too,” Abbie said of the families of the victims and residents of the stricken town, which has already started the slow rebuilding process.

Perez, who echoed Abbie’s statement about camaraderie, said, “Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the victims.”

Many showed up early that morning to share their support with the grieving families and the residents of the devastated town. When officials opened the doors at 10 a.m., the line already stretched from the Ferrell Center beyond Bagby Avenue.

The procession began at 11 a.m.. Uniformed first responders marched beside kilted pipers and drummers underneath an archway made by two ladder trucks raising an American flag. Emergency vehicles joined the procession as they crossed LaSalle Avenue, moving down University Parks Drive into the Ferrell Center.

The Ferrell Center filled to capacity by 1:24 p.m., the crowd of first responders and other attendees far outnumbering the 2,849 residents of West. Many more gathered to watch at different locations around campus.

Additional chairs were placed on the floor, directly in front of the stage area, where families of the victims and residents of West, as well as some emergency personnel, were seated.

As the victims’ families began to file in past the caskets, a soft rain fell on the roof of the Ferrell Center. They were a group as different as the citizens of West themselves. There were suits, pearl snaps, cowboy hats and T-shirts, modern blouses and gingham dresses. More than once, one of the mourners would pass the casket of a loved one and, seeing the smiling portrait of one who would never come home, collapse. Each time, two firefighters would step forward and catch the person before they could fall before gently taking them to their seats.

In addition to the president and first lady, Sen. John Cornyn, Gov. Rick Perry, Baylor President Ken Starr, congressman Bill Flores and former congressman Chet Edwards were in attendance

Perry called the victims an inspiration, but also said their stories were heartbreaking.

“These were volunteers … ordinary people blessed with extraordinary courage,” he said.

The president, who arrived after a fly-over tour of the accident site on his way from Dallas, pledged his support to West in the wake of the accident that tore apart the small Texas town.

“You are not alone. You are not forgotten,” he said of the families of the victims, who have had to cope with the destruction of many buildings in addition to the death of loved ones. In a speech often interrupted by applause ,he praised the faith and dedication of the residents of West, and emphasized the bonds that drew together not just the area but the nation.

“We may not all live here in Texas but we’re neighbors, too,” Obama said. “We’re Americans, too. And we stand with you and we will not forget, and we’ll be there even after the cameras leave and after the attention turns elsewhere.”

Obama praised the courage of the firefighters, many of whom were described as always ready to help others when a call went out, and also the citizens of the town. He also praised members of the surrounding communities and others who reacted to help in the wake of the blast.

“That’s the thing about this tragedy. This small town’s family is bigger now.” And though there will be hard days ahead, he predicted, the love of the community will keep West going.

“Today I see in the people of West … that what makes West special isn’t going to go away,” he said. America needs small towns like West where “there’s always someone to call,” he said.

Video eulogies in which families and friends of the twelve victims spoke moved many in the audience to fond laughter and tears.

After the speeches, the last alarm, a ceremony to honor firefighters fallen in the line of duty, was sounded using a ceremonial bell. Each name was read, punctuated by the ringing of the bell. Afterward, the bell rang in the 5-5-5 alarm, calling the fallen one last time to duty.

As the last toll died, somewhere in the crowd on the arena floor, a lone bugler struck up “Taps.”

After the blowing of “Taps,” flags and firefighter helmets were presented to the families of the victims. The Honor Guard who conducted the ceremony reverently lifted flags, saluted and presented helmets to family members sitting in the front row. The ceremony proceeded solemnly, slowly and silently.

After the last flag was presented, the voice of a dispatcher crackled over the loudspeaker. She called each firefighter and EMT in turn, and when none responded she proclaimed their duty done.

After a period of silence, broken only by the quiet weeping of the bereaved, a lone piper mounted the stage. His kilted companions had slowly moved to surround the first responders and grieving families. Suddenly his pipes sprang to life with a mournful drone, and he began the first strains of “Amazing Grace.” After the first verse, the entire drum and pipe core sprang to life, enveloping those on the floor in a warm, humming ring of sound. The drums throbbed as the voices of the pipes rose and fell. Here and there in the crowd, a few snatches of the verses were sung softly.

As the families received the items, hands from the rows behind them reached forward, a wall of support for the grieving families. They were engulfed in embraces from those behind. As the memorial continued, some didn’t let go, but remained stretched forward, holding their neighbors.

“We all cried at the helmet presenting,” Abbie said of himself and colleagues.

Abbie said he was proud to be a firefighter.

“And also kind of sad at the same time,” James finished. Abbie lost his own father, a member of the military, when he was five years old. He remembers being handed his own father’s flag.

“It’s something they won’t forget,” he said.

Eventually everyone filtered out, leaving only a few grieving family members and the twelve caskets, draped in twelve flags.

Media vehicles camp out around the Ferrell Center for tomorrow’s memorial service on Wednesday, Apr. 24, 2013.
Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor

The White House has announced several changes to today’s memorial service that will honor the 10 firefighters killed April 17 in the West fertilizer explosion.

Doors will now open at 11 a.m. and close at 1:45 p.m. or whenever the Ferrell Center reaches capacity, which is 10,284 people. In a statement released Wednesday night, the university said it expects more than 4,000 uniformed first responders to attend and are planning for a capacity crowd.

Before the service, some 300 fire trucks and firefighters from across the United States will form a processional on University Parks Drive from Gurley Lane to Bagby Avenue and turn into the Ferrell Center parking lot. The fire trucks will depart at 10:30 a.m. and the firefighters will begin marching at 11 a.m.

Those wishing to watch the processional are urged to line the west side of University Parks Drive.

Seating for the service is on a first-come, first-served basis and attendees should expect heightened security.

Attendees are encouraged to limit personal items as there will be airport-style security. Bags, sharp objects, umbrellas, liquid, firearms and signs are prohibited, but cameras and cellphones are allowed.

Earlier today the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation confirmed the list of speakers at the service.

In addition to President Barack Obama, Chief Ronald J. Siarnicki, executive director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation; Chief Ernest Mitchell Jr., United States fire administrator; Bill Gardner, first vice president of the State Firemen and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas; Gov. Rick Perry; Baylor President Ken Starr; and Sen. John Cornyn will be speaking.

Parking will be restricted at the Ferrell Center.

Additional parking will be on Cottonwood Street off of University Parks Drive and in lots C and D of Floyd Casey Stadium. A shuttle will run from Floyd Casey, starting at 10 a.m.

Students unable to attend can view the ceremony in Waco Hall, the Bill Daniel Student Center, the Student Life Center and athletic venues at the Turner Riverfront Athletic Complex.

Additionally, the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation will be live streaming the service at www.firehero.org/westtexas.

Obama has also ordered that all flags on state and federal property be flown at half staff on today in memory of all those who died in the West explosion.

Almost 90 animals were displaced by the explosions in West. Local animal shelters, including the Humane Society of Central Texas, have agreed to keep the dogs at no cost until the owners are able to claim them. (Courtesy Photo)

Several West residents are continuing the search for missing loved ones after last week’s deadly explosion, and for some people those loved ones included four-legged friends.

Following the explosion on April 17 almost 90 animals, mainly dogs and cats, were brought to the Humane Society of Central Texas, according to executive director Don Bland. Chickens, lizards and rabbits were also among those rescued. At the time of publication half of the lost animals have been reclaimed.

“The reunions have been really nice to witness,” Bland said. “These people are just elated when they find their animals. For some of them, these animals are their kids.”

However, not everyone who has come to the humane society in search of their pet has left with positive news.

“One lady from West came looking for her five cats,” Bland said. “None of them have been found yet.”

But the search is continuing. Bland said animals are being picked up by the humane society everyday and that has led to more reclaiming by West residents. However, many West residents still displaced by the explosion can’t take their pets with them.

“We just had someone come in and identify their animal but they don’t have housing,” Bland said. “We will keep her pet here until she can find housing.”

The continued boarding of animals for West residents is free, Bland said. He said normally the city of Waco charges a fine for animals picked up by animal control and after 72 hours, if an animal is unclaimed, it is placed in a kennel for adoption.

Those fines, according the city of Waco’s website, include $15 a day for boarding and $12 for rabies vaccination.

For animals picked up in West, those fees and time constraints will be waived.

The efforts by the humane society to reunite owners with their pets was only possible through a partnership with several other animal care groups in Central Texas.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Texas, located in Dallas, took overflow animals from Waco to make room for incoming West animals and the La Vega Veterinary Clinic also took animals on Wednesday night following the explosion, Bland said.

“After the incident Wednesday night, we got on the phone and we called a lot of rescue groups and the SPCA of Texas picked up 65 dogs on Thursday from us,” Bland said.

According to SPCA customer care specialist Gabrielle Smith, it was an extraordinary measure by the SPCA.

“We don’t have a transfer partnership with them,” Smith said. “We don’t automatically deploy when a shelter has overflow, but we had the available space and we decided to go.”

According to Smith, these measures are rare and reserved for disaster situations like in 2008 when Hurricane Ike passed through South Texas. The SPCA rescued more than 100 cats and dogs at that time, Smith said.

“We’re always willing to help and we take in as many as we can keep,” Smith said. The animals that have been taken to the SPCA of Texas will not be euthanized for time and space purposes, Smith said, and all animals that pass health screenings will be placed for adoption.

The willingness to help the animal population following the tragedy in West has not been reserved to organizations, according to Bland, who said numerous donations have been made to the humane society in monetary and supply form.

“We just received a package from UPS with several kitty litters,” Bland said. An anonymous donor sent the package, which is only a small representation of the generosity demonstrated since the explosion in West. Donated supplies are being given to West owners who come to claim their pets.

For those searching for lost pets, the humane society’s website, humanesocietycentraltexas.org, and the organizations Facebook page have links to pet images. The humane society is working under special hours for West residents. For more information, call 254-754-1454.