By Meredith Pratt | Staff Writer, Video by Sarah Gill | Broadcast Reporter Waco Parks and Recreation officials are now estimating that the Waco suspension bridge reconstruction project will be pushed back until April and will take at least 18 months to complete. The large-scale reconstruction project originally was set to begin in late November or early December 2019, with updates to the bridge’s deck and 100-year-old cables set as the central focus of the reconstruction effort. Tom Balk, senior park planner for the city of Waco, is one of the key advocates and organizers of the suspension bridge project.…
Author: Meredith Pratt
Meredith Pratt | Staff Writer, Video by Igor Stepczynski | Broadcast Reporter Before serving in her current position as president of Baylor University, Dr. Linda Livingstone spent several memorable years as a student athlete at Oklahoma State University. On Feb. 7, Livingstone will be inducted into the OSU Hall of Fame along with three other alumni. Hosted by the OSU Alumni Association, this induction ceremony recognizes alumni for their significant professional successes and societal contributions. Livingstone was also recognized in 2013 when she was inducted into OSU’s Spears School of Business Hall of Fame. Graduating from the school of business…
By Meredith Pratt | Staff WriterWaco is experiencing a period of significant growth. Following the trend of expansion in 2020 is local restaurant Shorty’s Pizza Shack, better known to students simply as “Shorty’s.” Surrounded by apartment complexes and student housing, the restaurant had few options for expansion. However, after leasing surrounding storefronts and removing a house next door, their plans to expand can now proceed. General manager Chris Salazar said that construction is expected to begin around mid-March, and the added space will “alleviate busy nights” and help “business run smoother” overall. While no visible changes will be made to…
By Meredith Pratt | Staff WriterOn Jan. 16, the U.S. Senate passed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). This new trade deal will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which has been in effect since 1994. The deal was signed in late 2018 by President Donald Trump, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. Since then, it has been ratified in Mexico and now the United States. The agreement vote will be held in Canada on Jan 29. The agreement passed the U.S. Senate in an 89-10 vote, with 2020 Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders being…
By Meredith Pratt | Staff Writer, Video by Sarah Gill | Broadcast Reporter Several students returned from winter break in early January to discover they had belongings missing. As a result, they are taking extra precautions to ensure the safety of themselves and their valuables going forward. Dallas senior Trevor Freeman and his roommates returned to Waco to find that their house had been broken into through a vent located in the back. The vent of the house leads up to their attic. Freeman said he believes the suspect then entered the living area through a hole above the refrigerator…
By Meredith Pratt | Staff WriterDue to the ever-changing construction sites along Interstate 35, students returning to Baylor for the spring semester will need to become familiar with the closures near campus in order to find alternate routes and plan their travels accordingly. Kenneth Roberts, public information officer for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), is responsible for maintaining public awareness about the status of construction and its effect on Waco traffic for the duration of the project. “The I-35 Reconstruction Project through Waco is a fast-moving undertaking,” Roberts said. “It is important that student motorists and pedestrians stay abreast…