Baylor News
Lyon is a Baylor alumnus and has been part of the faculty at Baylor since 1975, starting out as a professor of sociology up until 1998 when he became dean of the Graduate School and has been in that position since. When he retires at the end of this academic year, he will have completed 50 years at Baylor. During his tenure as dean, he has witnessed the transformation and contributed to the growth of the graduate school.
Given the upcoming general election in the United States, Self said now is the time that students can learn about the importance of voting on a smaller scale at school, so that their voice can be heard both on campus as well as at the local, state and federal levels.
According to a press release issued by Cierra Shipley, a spokesperson for Waco PD, Odiong was arrested on July 16 by the Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The arrest stemmed from a charge of possession of child pornography.
While being known for her role in the popular show “Good Luck Charlie,” Leigh-Allyn Baker has also been in the spotlight for speaking up about current social and political issues.
Waco News
The attorney for Bryce Ashley Reed, a former West paramedic who was charged in May for illegal firearm possession, filed for an extension in the plea bargaining deadline, according to an operations clerk at the United States District Courts office in Waco.
Reed, who is out on bail, has a current trial date scheduled for Oct. 15 but Oct. 10 is the final date for Reed and his attorney to enter a plea deal for federal prosecutors to consider.
Many children in McLennan County will go home from school Fridays and not eat a meal until Monday morning at school breakfast. Pack of Hope, a local non-profit organization, is fighting to put an end to such a situation.
“There are over 26,300 children in McLennan County who are eligible for free and reduced lunch,” said Jane Bounds, president and co-founder of Pack of Hope. She said most of these students go all weekend without food.
Texas Planned Parenthood abortion providers and affiliates have filed a joint lawsuit in federal court to block two provisions of a recently passed bill, Texas House Bill 2, which would place certain restrictions on abortion clinics, effective Oct. 29. The case will be heard on Oct. 21.
“We are challenging the provisions of the bill that will have the most immediate and far-reaching impact on women in our community and in our state,” said Natalie Kelinske, media representative for Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas and Waco.
Neighborhoods without a source of healthy food deserve a second look.
That’s the thinking behind a research project Dr. Andy Hogue, director of civic education and community service program, is heading up with his African-American politics class and the Texas Hunger Initiative.
In August, the city of Waco bid adieu to two HEB grocery stores tucked in neighborhoods on either side of Interstate 35.
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.
