Browsing: Waco Updates

The Cove, a nonprofit organization that addresses youth homelessness, celebrated its sixth birthday with a fundraiser tailgate Thursday evening at its facility at 524 West Waco Drive. According to The Cove’s press release, the tailgate was a way to celebrate the accomplishment of serving nearly 500 teenagers experiencing homelessness in the Heart of Texas Region.

Residents of the Row finally moved in after construction delays postponed the move-in date by almost a month. Final inspections were completed Tuesday and tenants began unloading their cars and moving into their units around 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Waco High School was put on lockdown and evacuated Tuesday afternoon to the BASE Extraco Events Center after an active shooter was falsely reported on campus. Waco Police tweeted at 2:21 p.m. that the department was aware of the situation and on the scene. Eighteen minutes later, Waco PD sent out another tweet saying there is no indication of an active shooter, but the department was still clearing the building to ensure the safety of students and staff.

Museum visitors were able to step into the past and ground coffee beans and herbs, including lavender and mint, the way it was done at the end of the 19th century. In addition to hands-on activities, the village has a garden, which visitors can help tend to or plant seeds in.

“The blood that’s donated here at Carter BloodCare stays local,” Shipley said. “So you’re potentially helping a family member, friend, neighbor or anyone in your community that might need blood. That’s who you’re giving for.”

The Texas “trigger law,” set to make abortion illegal in the state 30 days after the U.S. Supreme Court’s judgment overturning Roe v. Wade, will take effect Thursday. This law is called The Texas Human Life Protection Act.

Waco and Baylor’s history and age have allowed them to undoubtedly pick up a ghost story or two. Dr. Beth Barr, professor of history and associate dean of graduate studies, and Dr. Cindy Little, parapsychological researcher, discussed their favorite Waco and Baylor ghost stories.

Diana Barrett, public relations director and volunteer coordinator for The Salvation Army in Waco, said the organization’s community kitchen is a place where any person can receive free meals — 365 days a year, including holidays. The kitchen serves breakfast and dinner every day, and it serves lunch on Mondays and Tuesdays since a local cafe serves on other days.

Every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., a hub of people can be seen in a parking lot across from the Waco courthouse at the Waco Downtown Farmers Market, which has made a name for itself over the past 10 years. The farmers market is located at 500 Washington Ave. It operates year-round and has totaled $1.5 million in sales.

Mexican and Waco culture collaborated to bring local coffee shop Lalo’s Coffee & Pastries to life. Commonly known as “Lalo’s,” the shop has brought Wacoans a little piece of Mexico — and others a little piece of home.

Pivovar is the name of Waco’s Czech-inspired location, serving as a hotel, brewery, bakery, beer garden and beer spa. The head chef and general manager, Jeremy Eaton, said that it’s considered upscale without the aspect of snobbiness.

“We’re going to have to rebuild our reproductive rights and protections from the ground up with legislation, and the only way we can do that is get a pro-choice legislature everywhere,” Cheryl Foster, Waco community member and former Planned Parenthood volunteer, said. “So, Nov. 8 is our first opportunity to stop this nonsense.”

McLennan County contains a greater rate of food insecurity than any surrounding county, according to Dr. Sara Alexander, professor of anthropology with an adjunct position in the environmental science department. Her class, applied anthropology, has begun a research project in order to provide World Hunger Relief Inc. with the necessary information to establish new programs and evaluate current ones to alleviate this problem within the local community.

“It was already difficult for low-income families to find affordable housing, and in the last couple of years, housing costs have skyrocketed,” Alexander said. “The cost of building, property taxes, insurance — all of that has gone up, which affects the rental payments that people are paying, so the options for affordable housing are limited.”

Baylor Scott & White Health’s Faith in Action Initiatives is accepting the aid of nonprofits and donations in sending medical supplies to Ukraine. Faith in Action is the humanitarian aid and medical admissions arm for Baylor Scott & White Health. According to the Baylor Scott & White Health website, Faith in Action Initiatives was started “to maximize its [Baylor Scott & White] impact locally and worldwide.”