Baylor News

Waco News

On Friday several alumni of the Waco State Home joined author Sherry Matthews and shared their often-heartbreaking stories about growing up in the facility, as chronicled in Matthews’ new book.

In the new book “We Were Not Orphans: Stories from the Waco State Home,” author Sherry Matthews delves into the history of the children’s home and exposes a fettered past of physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

It only takes one courageous person to make a change. That may be one of the most indelible lessons from Sherry Matthews’ new book, “We Were not Orphans: Stories from the Waco State Home,” which collects the oral histories of more than 50 Waco State Home alumni.

The Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce hosted an economic forum Thursday centered on real estate development and how infrastructural developments along Interstate 35-South, as well as the general performance of the economy, affects jobs and boosts the real estate market.

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.