Baylor News
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers began an official Baylor chapter in May and is now working to create a community for Hispanic engineers at Baylor.
“The hope was to bring people together to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, but also for students to know that the Latinx Faculty and Staff Association is here to support them as they are navigating their way through college,” Diaz-Espinoza said.
In 1894, when a young Baylor student was sexually assaulted in the university president’s backyard, she was referred to as “that Brazilian girl.” Today, the name Antônia Teixeira is a symbol of resilience in the face of the institutional oppression which Baylor played a regrettable role in, according to a lecture in the Baylor Libraries Author Series.
“Baylor is such a large part of the city of Waco,” Hoffman said. “I think it’s important as Baylor students, but also just as well-informed and decent people, to broaden your perspective a bit and stretch outside of the ‘Baylor bubble’ whenever possible.”
Waco News
Five months after the West fertilizer plant explosion, the Long-Term Recovery Board has begun the distribution of funds for residents affected by the blast.
At a press conference Thursday in West, Ronnie Sykora, a Long-Term Recovery Center Board member, said the roughly $3.5 million collected from donations will be dispersed after petitioners are assigned caseworkers and necessary paperwork is filed, such as copies of medical bills, insurance claims and contractor estimates.
Sykora said West residents have an estimated $30 million in needs.
The Army Corps of Engineers closed six Lake Waco parks Tuesday as a result of Monday’s gridlock in Congress that resulted in a partial government shutdown.
Midway Park, Speegleville Park, Airport Park, Koehne Park, Bosque Park and Twin Bridges Park all closed indefinitely, said Randy Cephus, the deputy public affairs officer for the Fort Worth District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
With no Baylor football game to attend this weekend, students can spend their Saturday night at Common Grounds sipping coffee, listening to music and helping fight cancer.
Common Grounds will feature six local artists, including three Baylor students, at 8 p.m. to help Braden James Guess, a University of Texas at Austin sophomore.
The city of Waco is counting on area non-profits to help tally up the number of the people they assist.
The Heart of Texas Homelessness Management Information System is a database that local nonprofit assistance providers are using to keep their services data-informed.
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.
