Baylor News
Dr. John Gordon Melton has studied many religious themes ranging from new and alternative religions to occultism.
Since the early ’90s, however, one nontraditional topic in particular has sparked his interests — vampires.
At sundown on May 8, 1916, Lucy Fryer, the wife of a well-known cotton farmer, was found beaten to death in the doorway of her house. Shortly after, police took her husband’s 17-year-old African-American farmhand, Jesse Washington, into custody.
Goblins, ghouls and ghosts will soon fill the streets as Halloween approaches, but with high pedestrian traffic and escalated occurrences of drunk driving, the real fright this October may just be something as simple as someone behind the wheel.
There’s a definite something about that time of year for last harvests. When the greens are all gold, save the winter grass at pasture. And heartier vegetables, namely of the squash variety, grace the kitchen in pies and casseroles. The time of year signifies a bounty unique to its own. It’s not at all like the first harvest in mid- to late June — plump and sweet and bright.
Waco News
State News
Texas voters turned out in historic numbers Tuesday, delivering victories for State Rep. James Talarico and forcing a runoff between Attorney General Ken Paxton and incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the state’s U.S. Senate contest that claimed national attention. The total early-voting turnout of more than 2.5 million marks the highest ever for a midterm primary election. The results also kicked off the 2026 midterm cycle.
INTERNATIONAL
The Iran war is now in its 46th day. Iran responded by restricting access to Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil, and moving to toll vessels transiting the strait. Waco drivers are already feeling it. The local average hit $3.38 a gallon last week, up 21 cents in seven days and 75 cents year-over-year, according to AAA data.
Gas prices in Texas have surged more than 70 cents per gallon since the U.S. went to war with Iran three weeks ago. The near-total shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz has driven oil prices up more than 40%, pushing the national average to its highest point since 2023 and sending diesel past $5 for the first time in three years.
The largest U.S. military operation in the Middle East in decades unfolded as American and Israeli forces struck Iran Saturday, killing its supreme leader and triggering retaliatory strikes from the Gulf to Israel. The White House said the campaign is aimed at dismantling Iran’s military and toppling its government.
Dr. Joshua Alley, assistant professor of political science, said part of the Trump administration’s interest in Greenland has to do with America’s national security strategy.
