Friday Forum with The Waco Bridge

February 6 News Roundup + Justin Hamel interview

By Molly-Jo Tilton,

Published February 11, 2026 at 9:34 AM CST

This week, co-hosts Molly-Jo Tilton and JB Smith will be looking at the TEA’s response to recent ICE walkouts, recap Connally ISD’s takeover progress and the fate of Mart’s wind turbines.

Plus, Molly-Jo sits down with the Waco Bridge’s Justin Hamel to talk about his new multimedia project, “Becoming Mariachis”.

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

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Friday Forum with The Waco Bridge

Molly-Jo Tilton

Molly-Jo Tilton joined KWBU in 2024 as the station's Multimedia Reporter. She covers all things Waco for KWBU, from City Council to the local arts scene. Her work has appeared on The Texas Standard and NPR's All Things Considered.

See stories by Molly-Jo Tilton

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.

See stories by J.B. Smith