Baylor News

“I think in high school, a lot of girls’ experiences with dance was competitive culture. We really try to encourage a positive environment here. We want to build each other up as a team and encourage each other in our walks with Christ,” Sexton said.

Parking Services confirmed the overselling of permits to Lot 30 on 7th Street and James Ave., but is taking steps to minimize fallout from the error.
Director of Parking and Transportation Services Matt Penney said that the new system glitched while distributing permits, causing the oversell.

Waco News

Who thought something as small as a mosquito could cause such a big problem?

A recent outbreak of the West Nile virus has occurred in the Waco-McLennan area, resulting in 32 confirmed cases and one confirmed death, according to the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District’s website.

Extraco Events Center will host the 17th Annual Margarita & Salsa Festival for an evening of fun and music Aug. 25.

President and CEO of the Extraco Events Center, Wes Allison, said this event usually draws about 10,000 people to Waco for the festival.

Construction is under way on the new Baylor Stadium after a $35 million contribution from the Waco City Council passed unanimously.
The first vote took place July 17. Both votes unanimously supported contributing the TIF funds which includes the public contribution.
The Waco City Council voted Aug. 7 during a public hearing to provide the Tax Increment Financing Zone funds to the stadium project, which was the second of two required votes.

On June 19, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bill H.R. 2578, the Conservation and Economic Growth Act, which could turn the Waco Mammoth Site into the Waco Mammoth National Monument. Now the bill only needs to pass the Senate to become official.

State News

President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting, with the execution scheduled for 1 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Central Texas military installation, roughly an hour from Baylor’s campus.

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.