Baylor News

Waco News

A project under way at the Waco Police Department could better arm responding officers with crucial information before arriving at a crime scene, upping the odds that a suspect will be caught quickly and improving safety for officers and residents, authorities say.

Administrators in the department are evaluating the costs and benefits of creating a Real Time Crime Center. The centers have been established in several metropolitan cities through the years, including Boston, New York, Houston and Austin.

Texas A&M students who want more religious freedoms, or who don’t support a Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Resource Center, have many hurdles to clear before they can pocket their dollars.

The Texas A&M student senate late Wednesday voted 35-28 to pass a bill aimed at letting students opt out of funding the center, or other university services, based on religious grounds. Instead, students could keep the money that would traditionally go to organizations to which they object.

One recent Wendy’s customer wanted a lot more than a Baconator.

At 11 p.m. Tuesday night, the suspect, described as a man wearing dark clothing, a hoodie and apparently holding a gun, entered the Wendy’s on 5th st. near Baylor and demanded money from the manager. Shortly later he left with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to Sgt. Patrick Swanton of the Waco Police Department.

A recent outbreak of rabies is putting local pets and their owners in danger.

So far, seven cases, two in Waco, one in Woodway and four in Gatesville, have been confirmed in the area since the year began. The most recent case was confirmed Monday in a skunk found in Woodway, and one bite was confirmed last week.

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.