Baylor News
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.
Five years after a historic winter storm crippled Texas’ power grid, even a few inches of snow can spark anxiety across the state. But as icy roads returned to Waco this week, Baylor students and engineering experts say the system, and Texans themselves, may be better prepared than before.
As Baylor’s spring semester starts settling in, Baylor students say their emotional well-being is based on two main forces: the strength of Baylor’s community and the pressure of academic demands.
A two-week program is seeking underprivileged high schoolers in the Waco area to participate in a rigorous liberal arts model, aiming to change the narrative about who has access to education.
Waco News
Gov. Greg Abbott lifts state-wide mask mandate and opens businesses and public facilities to 100% capacity restrictions effective March 10.
Guest housing experienced power outages, rolling blackout and busted pipes during the unexpected winter storm. Now, two weeks after the storm, the housing staff is still working to fix damages.
Community recovery efforts have been in full force since last week when Winter Storm Uri wreaked havoc on businesses and residents. City staff, nonprofits and local residents have all pitched in to do their part.
A decline in church attendance requires hope and new formats for services.
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.
National
Politics
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.
