Friday Forum with The Waco Bridge

July 18 News Wrap Up + Waco Indie Founder Louis Hunter

By J.B. Smith,

Published July 18, 2025 at 10:20 AM CDT

In this episode, J.B. Smith - Editor in Chief of the Waco Bridge and KWBU's Molly-Jo Tilton will be taking a look at ongoing effects of the Hill Country flooding.

They'll also talk about some local schools moving, a new head football coach for Robinson High and more.

Plus, Molly-Jo is joined by Waco Indie's Founder and Operations Director Louis Hunter to talk about this year's festival.

You can find links to some of the information from today's show below:

Here's a list of verified flood relief organizations to support, compiled by KUT.
You can find timelines and sign up for updates on the I-35 construction project at My35 Waco South.
You can find information about the Waco Indie Film Fest at wacoindie.com.
- You can find a list of KWBU short film staff picks here.

This weekly show is produced by KWBU in partnership with the Waco Bridge.

Partnerships like this are only possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this programming valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.

Friday Forum with The Waco Bridge

J.B. Smith

Before joining The Waco Bridge in February as editor-in-chief, J.B. Smith had 33 years of Texas journalism experience, most of it as local government reporter and managing editor at the Tribune-Herald. He has won numerous statewide awards for enterprise journalism, including a series on migrant deaths on the Mexico border. A Sulphur Springs native and Southwestern University graduate, he is grateful for the opportunity to build a nonprofit newsroom in his adopted hometown of Waco.

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Molly-Jo Tilton

Molly-Jo_Tilton@Baylor.edu

Molly-Jo, or MJ as her friends know her, joined KWBU in 2024 as the station's Multimedia Reporter. Originally from San Antonio, Tx, she grew up on local TV journalism and knew that when she decided to pursue journalism as a career, she wanted to find a local beat. Molly-Jo graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in May 2024 with a Bachelor's in Journalism. While there she served as the Audio Editor for UT's student paper, The Daily Texan, and worked with The Drag Audio. She also interned for The Texas Standard, where her feature on a San Antonio nonprofit earned her a statewide award for health reporting (and becoming the first intern to do so). When she is not scoping out stories, MJ enjoys reading a good book, hiking or learning new crafts.

See stories by Molly-Jo Tilton