Baylor News
Dr. Jay Banner is moving from Longhorn to Bear territory next year following his Robert Foster Cherry Award win.
The Black Student Union will be hosting the 37th annual Black Heritage Banquet at 6 p.m. on Feb. 22 in the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation. Tickets are available through the Baylor ticket office, costing $10 for students and $20 for others. However, spots are limited, so get yours soon!
Over seven years after the hit-and-run death of Baylor student David Grotberg, a jury found Tammy Renee Blankenship guilty of both manslaughter and failure to stop and render aid Thursday evening. The jury spent nearly seven hours deliberating.
Since Tuesday, the trial of Tammy Renee Blankenship has been slowed down by multiple debates between the two legal teams. With defense testimony wrapping up Wednesday afternoon, Judge Susan Kelly of the 54th District Court recessed the court until Thursday, when closing arguments will proceed and a verdict may be reached.
Waco News
On a street once controlled by drug dealers and prostitutes, at a theater once used to show pornographic films, Mission Waco is working to create a haven where all people — regardless of social status, race or culture — can come together in community.
Downtown parking will be restructured in accordance with the downtown economic revitalization plan. That plan includes the possibility of paid parking.
For those at the Waco Police Department, the wait is finally over. After six weeks of treatment at the University of California-Davis, K-9 officer Torro, a Belgian Malinois dog, is coming home.
There won’t be classrooms or homework, but for seven Baylor students, education won’t end during spring break. Members of International Justice Mission, along with other students, will travel to Houston to learn how to combat human trafficking. Participants will work with legal experts and community agencies to learn more about this growing social injustice.
State News
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.