Baylor News
Baylor’s Society of Automotive Engineers will compete in a five day-long competition in Oregon with teams from all across the country May 7 through May 12. Throughout the entire year, this organization has worked to design and build a car from scratch.
The private school voucher program allows eligible families to be able to use state funds toward either private school tuition or homeschooling expenses, expanding school choice across the state. Applications are open now and will close March 17.
Baylor’s history is captured in its alumni and their stories, and Sarah Erwin is no exception. The 100-year-old alumna created a network of friends and family through the Baylor community, starting when she attended Baylor for her undergrad during World War II.
When Giancarlo Guerrero graduated from the Baylor School of Music in 1991, he did not start his career in the professional music world. He had no idea that 34 years later he would be conducting the string players in the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show for Bad Bunny’s musical performance.
Waco News
With flu season underway, Dr. Sharon Stern, medical director at the Baylor Health Center, shared what students, faculty and staff should know about this semester’s outbreak.
Waco High School was put on lockdown and evacuated Tuesday afternoon to the BASE Extraco Events Center after an active shooter was falsely reported on campus. Waco Police tweeted at 2:21 p.m. that the department was aware of the situation and on the scene. Eighteen minutes later, Waco PD sent out another tweet saying there is no indication of an active shooter, but the department was still clearing the building to ensure the safety of students and staff.
Museum visitors were able to step into the past and ground coffee beans and herbs, including lavender and mint, the way it was done at the end of the 19th century. In addition to hands-on activities, the village has a garden, which visitors can help tend to or plant seeds in.
The Brazos Riverfront Development Project, originally dubbed the “Brazos Promenade” project, is part of an effort by the City of Waco to revitalize the area near the Brazos River by bringing shops, businesses and apartments to downtown Waco.
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.
