Baylor News
The number of people sick with whooping cough in Texas is on track to reach the highest level in more than 50 years, state health officials said Tuesday.
“It’s a big concern, particularly because of the impact it can have on young children,” said Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Two infants — both too young to be vaccinated — have died from whooping cough this year in Texas. Six people in the state died from the illness last year.
Members of a former Baptist church in Houston donated $1 million to Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary for scholarships.
First Baptist Church Spring Branch of Houston presented Truett Theological Seminary with the gift Aug. 26, establishing the First Baptist Church Spring Branch of Houston, George W. Truett Theological Seminary Endowed Scholarship Fund.
As part of Baylor’s annual Oso Safe Campus Safety and Awareness Day, students will have the chance to enjoy a Dr Pepper float, and then watch as a dorm room is set on fire.
The Waco Fire Department will place at 4:15 p.m. Today in a mock dorm room in front of the Bill Daniel Student Center on Fifth Street and,., intentionally set it on fire as part of this year’s fire safety lesson.
The entire Campus Safety and Awareness Day event will begin at 3 p.m. in the Barfield Drawing room. This “live burn” is the third one in a row on Baylor’s campus which started in the fall of 2011.
Local police arrested four men Wednesday near Baylor campus after searching two homes in connection to an extensive marijuana drug ring.
After three months of following leads and working with Drug Enforcement Administration officers, McGregor Police and Lorena Police served two warrants with the cooperation of the Baylor Police Department. While McGregor and DEA officers handled the the first search warrant Wednesday morning, Baylor police officers handled the second search warrant later that day, said Baylor Police Chief Jim Doak.
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.
