With Waco city backing, TSTC students will spend three semesters scaling up prototypes for FRANK, short for Fecal Removal and Nastiness Killer.
Sam Shaw
Sam Shaw covers government and growth for the Bridge. Previously, he spend the past two years at the Longview News-Journal, where he covered county government, school board and environmental justice issues. His work on the emerging lithium extraction industry in Northeast Texas has won statewide attention. Before Longview, he wrote for several publications in his native Colorado and reported news features for the High Country News. Sam earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a master’s in journalism from Goldsmiths University in London.
Interactive: New map makes Waco’s congressional district more competitive
McLennan County Democratic and Republican leaders, as well as District 17 Congressman Pete Sessions, R-Waco, agreed that the new district configuration will make it more competitive.
“Without question there has been a change and this change is rather dramatic,” Sessions said Friday.
KWBU public radio in danger of going silent after 25 years serving Waco
KWBU has launched a last-ditch fundraising campaign to save the station, aiming to raise $500,000 and 1,500 new members by Dec. 31 to replace lost Baylor and federal funding. Station membership is now around 1,000.
Waco City Manager Bradley Ford announces he will resign
The council was unanimous in praise of Ford, who plans to leave in February 2026 for family reasons. Ford said his all-in approach to the job “ran in conflict to being a great husband and a great dad.”
Fun for every body: $25M Alice Martinez Rodriguez Park goes big on accessibility
The city’s biggest park investment ever will be accessible to people of all ages and ability levels. “This will be a new standard for how we develop and build parks from an accessibility standpoint,” said Parks Director Jonathan Cook.
Waco faces tough tradeoffs as city tax revenues stall
The city council votes Sept. 2 on a $650 million budget that boosts pay and street repair but cuts park and library spending
A study says privatizing Cameron Park Zoo could save millions. City officials are taking it slow
A city consultant says new exhibits, 30 more employees needed to keep the zoo on target for growth
County angles for grant to develop Tradinghouse Lake park
A $1.1 million project could add RV spots, ADA playground, walking trails to county’s sole park
Downtown’s future could be taller, denser and more walkable. Your input is wanted
A new draft document offers the most detailed picture yet of how the redevelopment will transform the use, look and feel of downtown.
Waco construction worker was detained by ICE. His employer says he has legal status to work.
Noe Guerrero, a Waco construction worker and father of three, was seized by ICE on Thursday for allegedly failing to carry immigration documents.

