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WACO, Texas (KWTX) - Waco ISD held its first Comic Fest to improve youth literacy.

Waco ISD teacher Matt Menefee and another faculty member came up with the idea after noticing lower reading levels in their students. Menefee said comic books are a great way to get people to start reading.

“It’s that combination of the picture and the words,” Menefee said. “It bridges the gap between a movie and a regular book because there’s something that draws you in and a good graphic novel will draw you in.”

Third-grader August Wheeler was excited to let Comic Fest fuel his love of reading.

“I love reading,” August said. “I have a whole thing of books and graphic novels. They’re my favorite.”

Traditional books can sometimes be difficult for August to visualize.

“Books have no pictures,” August said. “It’s sometimes hard for me to picture them.”

August’s dad and University High School teacher Colton Wheeler, thinks graphic novels can help kids like his visualize stories.

“It’ll help build their imagination by giving them a place to start with the graphics and the visuals.”

Comic Fest featured panel discussions with comic book artists and authors. New York Times best-selling author Kazu Kibuishi spoke about his graphic novel series Amulet.

WISD plans to hold more literacy events in the future.

“As long as we get one kid who’s not reading to read, I’m going to be pretty happy,” Menefee said.

Copyright 2025 KWTX. All rights reserved.

What is the best internet provider in Waco?

Looking for the best internet service provider in Waco, Texas? CNET’s broadband experts have reviewed providers in the region to help you find the best plan for your needs. When it comes to fast and reliable internet service in Waco, CNET's top pick is Spectrum. It offers unlimited data and decent first-year pricing to go with fast speeds. There's no contract requirement either. Your next best bets are Astound Broadband and Nextlink.

Astound offers some of the most affordable broadband in Waco with a plan that starts at 300 megabits per second at just $30 a month, including equipment. Need speed? AT&T Fiber offers symmetrical speeds up to 5 gigabits per second -- the fastest plan in the area.

Best internet in Waco

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Waco

The best internet deals and top promotions in Waco depend on the discounts available during that period. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.

Waco internet providers, such as Nextlink and Astound Broadband, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including AT&T and T-Mobile, run the same standard pricing year-round.

For a more extensive list of promos, our guide on the best internet deals has you covered.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What's a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Note that these are only guidelines -- and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Waco

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, the providers' sites and mapping information from FCC.gov.

But it doesn't end there. We use the FCC's website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP's service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of the time of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to "yes" on all three are the ones we recommend. When it comes to selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds, and also consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

Internet providers in Waco FAQ

What is the best internet service provider in Waco?

Spectrum is the best internet provider in Waco, due to its wide coverage and simple service details. Speeds range from 100Mbps to 1,000Mbps, and unlimited data is included in the monthly cost.

Is fiber internet available in Waco?

Yes. However, just two fiber providers exist in Waco -- AT&T Fiber and Pavlov Media -- and less than half the households in the area will be serviceable for fiber connectivity, according to the FCC.

What is the cheapest internet provider in Waco?

The cheapest internet provider in Waco is Astound Broadband and Spectrum, which cost $30 per month. However, Astound Broadband is the faster option at 300Mbps versus the 100Mbps that Spectrum provides.

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - A Waco man who sexually abused a 7-year-old family member for at least a year was sentenced to 35 years in prison Friday.

Travis Jordan Blizzard, 31, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and was sentenced to two concurrent 35-year prison terms in accordance with a plea agreement with the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office.

Blizzard had been indicted on a continuous sexual abuse of a child charge, which carries a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison with no parole up to life in prison with no parole.

As part of the plea bargain, prosecutors amended the charge to aggravated sexual assault of a child, which also carries a potential life prison term but gives Blizzard the opportunity to seek parole after he is given credit for serving half his 35-year term.

According to arrest records, the child reported Blizzard sexually assaulted her in May 2023 then apologized and told her not to tell anyone.

The child reported during a forensic interview that Blizzard sexually abused her multiple times a month over the last year at an apartment on South 13th Street in Waco, according to an arrest affidavit.

Blizzard also sent several messages to a parent of the child during the investigation, including a picture of himself crying when he was told not to contact the family, the affidavit says. Investigators wrote they believe he sent the messages to “alter the course of the investigation.”

Blizzard’s attorney, Jason P. Darling, said he and his client are glad to resolve the case.

“We were able to get the continuous allegation dropped and are glad we resolved this case without a trial,” Darling said. “The possibility of parole helped get this case pled.”

Copyright 2025 KWTX. All rights reserved.

Plea deal struck as jury deliberated

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - A 32-year-old Waco man charged with sexually abusing a teenager in an escalating series of assaults in McLennan and Falls counties took the decision out of a jury’s hands Wednesday by pleading guilty.

Jurors in Waco’s 19th State District Court had been deliberating about five hours when Joseph Juilo Scott reached a plea bargain with the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office that landed him on deferred probation for seven years.

The jury of nine women and three men told court officials about 5 p.m. the panel was deadlocked 7-5 in favor of guilt.

Judge Thomas West instructed the jury to continue deliberating, which it was doing when the plea bargain was reached.

In deferred probation cases there is no final judgement of guilt if a defendant successfully completes the terms of probation.

Despite no finding of guilt, Scott, who pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a child, is required by statute to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Prosecutors Tara Avants and Luke McCowan said in a joint statement that they will seek the maximum 20-year sentence against Scott if he violates any terms of his probation.

“After considering an inevitable hung jury, and consulting with our victim and her family, we made the decision to reach a plea bargain agreement in this case. We are grateful this incredibly brave victim came forward, but in the end, hearing this defendant admit his guilt was most important for her to have closure.”

Avants said prosecutors also took into consideration that the victim had been waiting for her day in court for four years, adding that Scott’s wavier of appeal and being on intensive sex offender probation for seven years was best for the victim’s family.

Scott, who is in a long-term relationship with the victim’s cousin, is the father of four children with a fifth on the way.

Also under the plea agreement, Falls County officials will refuse the related pending sexual assault charge there.

Scott’s attorney, Jonathan Sibley, said that he is happy for Scott and his family and happy that he gets to be home with them tonight.

“I know his family and his children mean everything to him and this deal will allow him to move forward and close this chapter of his life and spend time doing what he’s best at, being a father. With the jury deadlocked, this ensures he will avoid a felony conviction and that this matter is permanently behind him.”

In defense testimony late Tuesday and Wednesday Sibley called members of his wife’s family with whom he and his wife and the victim lived in Chilton and Bellmead at various times in 2021.

Sibley also called a former Chilton High School student, who told jurors that the victim in the case falsely accused him of touching her improperly while the girl was in junior high.

Members of Scott’s wife’s family testified that the woman, who is now 20, is a known liar, but they could come up with no explanation for why she would make up the allegations against Scott.

“It’s a story,” Sibley said in jury summations Wednesday. “It’s a story. I think that sums up this case pretty well.”

Sibley said the woman reported the sexual abuse allegations after she got into trouble at home for watching pornographic videos on her phone.

The woman told jurors Tuesday Scott started groping her breasts and buttocks when she was 14 and living with her great-grandmother in Chilton.

“It just felt weird and I got uncomfortable,” she said. “I just thought, ‘Why is he touching my boobs?’”

About a month later, Scott grabbed her head and forced her to perform a sex act on him, she said.

Scott and her cousin moved from her great-grandmother’s home, but Scott left his dogs there and returned daily to care for them, she said. She was watching TV one day when Scott came in, removed her pants and sexually assaulted her, she said. She said she kicked him but could not fight off his assault.

Scott sexually assaulted her again in July 2021 while Scott’s infant child was asleep in the same room, she said.

The assault occurred when she was living with her aunt in Bellmead, she testified.

Chanise Shaw, the mother of Scott’s children, testified Thursday they have been together 13 years and said Scott is a devoted husband and protective father.

She said it was not possible for Scott to have assaulted the woman at the homes in Chilton and Bellmead because the homes were always full of family members, who would have been alerted to such incidents.

Avants, who is prosecuted Scott with McCowan, asked her if she and Scott ever had sexual relations at those homes without the knowledge of others in the home. She said they have.

In summations, McCowan told jurors the woman has no reason and nothing to gain from fabricating the allegations against Scott.

Sibley said she lied to get out of trouble and those lies turned into “a snowball of lies that’s been rolling down this hill for four years now.”

Avants said in summations that attacking the victim “is the oldest defense in the book” and told jurors that if they believe the woman, they must convict Scott.

Copyright 2025 KWTX. All rights reserved.

Concert by chart-topping vocal powerhouse coincides with Family Weekend, Baylor-Samford football game

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Lauren Daigle, a two-time GRAMMY®, seven-time Billboard Music, four-time American Music and 12-time GMA Dove Award winner, is set to perform in concert at Baylor University’s Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12.

Daigle’s concert kicks off Baylor’s Family Weekend Sept. 12-13, which includes Saturday’s Baylor-Samford football game.

Lauren Daigle Ticket Information

Ticket Presale: Presale for Bear Foundation members and Baylor parents will begin Wednesday, April 9, at 10 a.m. CT. Parents will receive an email with presale information late Tuesday afternoon and Bear Foundation members should look for an email around 9 a.m. CT Wednesday.

Public On Sale: Friday, April 11, at 10 a.m. CT at baylor.edu/fosterevents.

Since her GRAMMY® Award-winning, two-time platinum album Look Up Child (2018) – featuring the unforgettable six-time platinum-certified anthem “You Say” – Lauren Daigle’s music has been an unstoppable force on the charts. When Look Up Child debuted at No. 3 on the Top 200 Albums chart, Daigle became the first female artist ever to break into the Top 10 on both Billboard’s Pop and Christian Album charts – a history-making moment that stunned fans and critics alike.

With her recent self-titled album, nominated for yet another GRAMMY®, and its lead single, “Thank God I Do,” Daigle scored her sixth Billboard No. 1, pushing her to over a billion streams. She has sold out world tours with performances on four continents and recently wowed more than 100 million U.S. viewers with her rendition of “America the Beautiful” (with Trombone Shorty) at Super Bowl LIX, held in her home state of Louisiana. In March, she performed before a packed house (also Baylor Night) at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Her status as a once-in-a-generation vocal powerhouse is undeniable.

Yet for Daigle, success is about something greater: giving back. In 2018, she launched The Price Fund, a foundation with a mission close to her heart – serving at-risk youth, children, and the elderly. Thanks to her dedication, The Price Fund has distributed nearly $3.5 million to nonprofits worldwide, making waves of change wherever it touches.

Don’t miss Lauren Daigle in concert at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, at Foster Pavilion in Waco, Texas. For more information or to purchase concert tickets, visit baylor.edu/fosterevents.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.