Baylor News
While most of Baylor’s defense will be new this upcoming season, the linebacker room will be bringing back key players from a year ago. The linebackers look to be a consistent presence on a brand new defense.
Fifth-year offensive lineman Kaden Sieracki and junior Koltin Sieracki got a glimpse of playing on the same line, just like in high school. As the only returning offensive linemen, their bond has helped the transfer-heavy unit.
Textbook prices keep climbing, but buying a hard copy isn’t the only way Baylor students are accessing course materials. From Follett Fees to Canvas and library course reserves, students are finding ways to get what they need for class without always purchasing a new book.
The Baylor Line’s claim to fame has always been that it is a “tradition like no other.” College football fans gave Baylor another reason to make that claim, as the Line was named the best walk-out tradition in college football after receiving the most votes in USA Today Sports’ 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards
Waco News
The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District notified Baylor Wednesday of an active tuberculosis case in the greater Waco community. University officials said there is no ongoing risk of exposure to the Baylor community.
This March, Cameron Park Zoo introduced four new camels and two new ostriches to the zoo community. The staff hopes to encourage hands-on care and compassion for these animals to inspire a heart for conservation and animal activism in younger generations of zoo-goers.
Jim Jaska has been the mayor of Ross, Texas, for 40 years. But in four decades at the helm of the 250-person community just north of Waco, he’s never seen a situation like this: plans for a $10 billion data center are underway right in the little town’s backyard, threatening its rural identity — and he wasn’t told anything about it.
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.
Covid-19
“Since July 1st, Baylor’s campus has had nine positives out of 48 tests,” Stern said. “And in the last month alone, we have had seven positives out of 29 tests, which is almost a 25% positivity rate.”
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.
