Baylor News
Olivia Moses, assistant director of student productions, said demand is high, and purchasing tickets through the Waco Hall Ticket Office website provides the greatest chance at securing them. There are six shows in total taking place Feb. 15-17 and Feb. 22-24, but tickets should be purchased immediately upon release as they tend to sell out quickly.
As winter brings cold and freezing temperatures to Waco, faculty and staff are taking part in keeping campus cats warm and fed — and students can too.
Since the introduction of Baylor’s new digital ID card at the beginning of the spring semester, 60% of on-campus students have signed up for and begun taking advantage of the service. However, off-campus students, faculty and staff will have to wait for it to be extended to them.
Dr. Kristen Padilla, director of the center, said she has seen the Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities grow and transform over the last 10 years. According to its website, the center is hosting two events in January — one for students and one for faculty and staff members.
Waco News
The Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce is invested in small business development as much as it is in downtown revitalization and marketing initiatives. The chamber actively supports private and government sponsored business development firms.
Imagine Waco has taken recent steps to revitalize the Greater Downtown Waco area, including plans to make it more sustainable.
An armed robber struck a Dairy Queen employee with a pistol while the employee was taking out the restaurant’s trash Wednesday night and then proceeded to rob the restaurant, according to the Waco Police Department.
Three weeks ago, officer Chip Weiser of the Waco Police Department made a startling discovery. His partner of four years was fatally ill.
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.
