Baylor News
For many Waco residents, finding an affordable place to live is becoming increasingly difficult as housing prices rise faster than incomes and the supply of affordable homes remains limited, but one nonprofit is working to fight this crisis.
Zeta hosted its fall philanthropy event in Waco Hall on Thursday night to support breast cancer research and awareness. The event featured 20 contestants, with Kappa Omega Tau’s Joshua Brown taking home the crown. Filled with audience engagement and humor, the event went beyond competition as participants and attendees shared their personal connections to the cause.
Nationally observed from Sep. 15 to Oct. 15, Baylor’s adoption of Hispanic Heritage Month aims to highlight multicultural student organizations celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of Hispanic and LatinX communities. Hispanic Heritage Month coincides with independence anniversaries of several Latin American countries throughout the two months and hopes to foster more meaningful dialogue through various initiatives.
Baylor’s updated Annual Fire Safety and Security Report shows increases in reported motor vehicle thefts, rapes, liquor law citations and stalking in 2025, but university officials say understanding what those numbers represent is essential to reading the report.
Waco News
Previously a national security correspondent, Sid Balman Jr. has written a new novel that shifts from his focus on foreign conflict to a tragedy closer to home: “The Mural.”
Women of Waco’s inaugural networking conference, Level Up 2026, aims at providing women with a support network that fosters more inclusive workplaces and a community of women to thrive in professional careers.
After nearly 30 years of serving the city, former Assistant City Manager and Chief of Police Ryan Holt as officially been appointed as the city manager of Waco. Citing the importance of collective impact, Holt hopes to engage through thoughtful, strategic ways to move the city forward, including deepening ties with Baylor.
Jan. 19 is a day of remembrance and celebration across the nation of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and at Indian Spring Park, Wacoans held their own celebration. The city’s annual Peace March has been held for over 20 years and is led by local chapters of Zeta Phi Beta and Phi Beta Sigma with a purpose to keep King’s dream and spirit alive.
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.
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.
