NASA built this plane in Waco ✈️

Good morning, Waco. This is The Waco Buzz. H-E-B has Halloween stuff out, which feels aggressive in August, but if it means we're getting closer to football, cooler weather, and sitting outside without immediately sweating through your shirt, I'm in.

In today's edition:
✈ NASA's Newest Plane Was Built in Waco
📅 3 Events to Circle This Coming Week
🏡 Home of the Week: 12010 Kenai Circle
📝 Good Life: Grad Student in Waco
🎮 Introducing Waco Buzz Games

Let's get to it!

- Sam Harper

August is winding down, and if a new vehicle has been on your radar, this might be a good time to take a look.

Chevy of West has financing offers on select 2026 models for well-qualified buyers through GM Financial, and inventory is moving.

They keep things straightforward, there's no pressure, and they'll treat you like a neighbor. They’ve also got more than 2,000 5-star Google reviews if you want a second opinion.

👉View current inventory at Chevyofwest.com or come by this week.*

Look up over north Waco on a clear day and you'll probably catch a plane way bigger than anything you'd expect to see flying over Waco. That's L3Harris. There's a decent chance someone on your street works there.

Here's the part most Wacoans don't know: this spring, the L3Harris team finished turning a Boeing 777 into NASA's newest flying science lab, replacing the agency's old DC-8. It left Waco five weeks ahead of schedule. Next year it starts flying missions to study ocean health and natural disasters from the air.

That's on top of 40 years of delivering aircraft to customers worldwide from the TSTC Airport, dating back to a C-141 that landed there in 1986. The Waco site currently upgrades and supports the Air Force's Compass Call fleet, provides P-8 and C-130 maintenance, and opened a new hangar last year to build the OA-1K Skyraider II.

By the company's own count, that makes L3Harris one of the top 10 manufacturers in Texas, and one of the region's largest employers. It's a 1.2 million-square-foot operation running alongside an 8,000-foot runway, north of downtown off I-35.

They're hiring, too. 60 open jobs in Waco right now, some with $10,000 to $20,000 sign-on bonuses, plus training partnerships with Baylor, MCC and TSTC so locals don't have to leave town for the work.

Sean Ling, Vice President and General Manager, Modernization and Modifications, L3Harris, runs the Waco site. He told the Greater Waco Chamber his team's "commitment to excellence powers our military's ability to execute critical missions" around the world. Next time a big plane circles in overhead, that's probably it: 40 years of global work happening a few miles from your house.

🥃 Science of Spirits
Saturday, Aug 29 | 6-9 PM | Bledsoe-Miller STEAM Center

Transformation Waco's new fundraiser pairs spirit tastings with bites from Waco restaurants and a look at the science of fermentation and distillation. General admission is $100 ($90 for members), designated driver tickets are $50. 21+ Grab a ticket here.

🧱 Brick Convention (LEGO Fan Expo)
Saturday-Sunday, Aug 29-30 | 10 AM-1 PM & 2-5 PM | BASE at Extraco Events Center, 4601 Bosque Blvd

Two sessions each day, tickets $15 online or $20 at the door, kids 2 and under free. A cut of proceeds goes to Build Smiles Foundation. Get tickets here.

🤠 50th Anniversary Dinner at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame
Saturday, Aug 29 | 5:30-9:30 PM | Texas Ranger Hall of Fame & Museum, 100 Texas Ranger Trl

A 50th anniversary celebration with dinner from George's, a cash bar and a silent auction. Dress code is "Western Chic," so dust off the boots. Individual tickets are $125, or a table of 8 for $1,000. Get tickets here.

Welcome to Home of the Week, where we show you a Waco-area house, give you a few clues, and let you guess what it costs.

Today’s home is in Woodway, and the backyard might be the best part. The backyard has a little bit of everything: a waterfall, splash pad and fire pit.

Highlights include:

👉 Take your best guess at the list price, then peek at the answer here.

Ready to explore this home in person?
Connect with Lezlie Roark for your private tour.

Good Life in Waco is a series about how real Wacoans build their lives: money, health, and the relationships that make it matter.

Waco: "I came here for school and just stayed."

Job: "Graduate research assistant, fully funded PhD program."

Money journey: “After my undergrad degree, I worked as a special education teacher and made about $40K while saving for my master’s. During my master’s, I lived off my savings and a $900/month stipend. When I came to Waco, I started making $30K a year.”

Housing: “I split the cost of a $1,450/month condo with my housemate. During this season of life, it’s great to not have to worry about home maintenance or repairs.”

Car: “I inherited a 2004 minivan from my parents. It has over 200,000 miles and I’m hoping it lasts until I finish my PhD!”

Debt: “No debt! I lived at home and paid for undergrad with scholarships. After I graduated, I stayed home, worked as a teacher, and saved basically everything so I could move out and not take loans for my master’s. Now I’m in a fully funded PhD program.”

Budgeting: "Google Sheets. I've recorded every transaction since January 2023."

Where she learned about money: “My parents! They taught me to keep three envelopes: one for tithe, one for saving, and one for spending. Later, my dad taught me about investing in a Roth IRA. I'm currently learning about HSAs from my dad and making a plan for when my income increases after graduation so I don't allow lifestyle inflation to take over.”

Coffee budget: “When I realized how much money I was spending on coffee, I started having my friends over instead. It went from over $50 a month to about $16 a month.”

What wealth means: “To me, wealth is the enormous community I have here. They are a lot more important to me than any specific income. I know that no matter what, my community has my back.”

Best health decision: "Drinking water as soon as I wake up, and blocking the internet on my phone. My laptop stays at work, so there's no noise between 8 PM and 10 AM."

Best meal: “I just had spicy beef ramen at Hokkaido and I am obsessed. It was $20 after tip.”

👉 Got a Waco money story worth sharing? Share it anonymously.

Last Saturday, I made a kayak game. You paddle down the Brazos, dodge logs and bridges, and try not to get eaten by the Brazos alligator. I figured it would be a fun little thing to send out in the newsletter.

This weekend, I wanted to give Waco its own little corner of the internet where you can kill five minutes, see how well you actually know this city, and immediately send your score to someone who needs to be humbled.

So now there’s Waco Buzz Games.

Play a new crossword every Friday, take on the five-letter Wacodle, see how many shots you can make in 30 seconds, or go back to the original river run.

👉 Play Waco Buzz Games

Thanks for reading The Waco Buzz today. If you found something helpful, share it with your relative who always carries extra mints with them, just to be safe.

Whenever you’re ready, here are three ways to get more involved:

1. Dinner Club: Meet five other locals (recent movers and lifelong Wacoans) over dinner on August 26. You’ll make new friends regardless of stage of life and help make Waco a smaller town.

2.Want to reach Waco? This newsletter lands in 15,600+ local inboxes every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. There are nine ways to partner with us, and one of them is probably a fit. See all nine ways to partner here.

3. Have an event you want to promote? Get it featured leading up to the event. Reserve yours here.