By Malcolm Butler
The nation’s favorite beaver may be coming to Lincoln Parish.
Or, at least the Lincoln Parish Journal believes so.
Yes. The nation’s No. 1 travel center known for its BBQ sandwiches, Beaver Nuggets and bathrooms could be calling our parish home very soon.
The City of Ruston sent out its agenda for Monday night’s City Council Meeting this morning, and an item line has caught our attention. It has led us to strongly believe that the world-famous beaver in his red baseball cap could soon be residing in Ruston.
Again, this is purely speculative, but it has some merit behind it.
Unless your head has been buried in the north Louisiana red clay for the past year or so, the B-word has been whispered around these parts.
It’s coming. It’s not coming. It’s coming. It’s not coming.
Well … we think it’s coming, but understand, we have no confirmed sources. Yet.
The Lincoln Parish Journal just reached out to Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker just minutes ago to ask about our speculation based on the agenda. Mayor Walker had “no comment.”
In the agenda for the monthly city council meeting, the item of note states:
C. Authorize City to enter into a cooperate endeavor agreement with CSMS Management, LLC and authorize all actions contemplated in the cooperate endeavor agreement
Do a quick google search of CSMS Management, LLC and you will see the owner’s name is Arch Aplin III.
Arch also goes by Beaver.
Yes. The Beaver Aplin that is the main man behind the Buc-ee’s empire. Seems like an awfully big coincidence to not be true.
However, it appears as though the Ruston City Council still has to vote on it Monday night.
And with the tremendous tax implications that a Buc-ee’s franchise would have on our parish, it is not far fetched to believe a few other local government entities may also have to vote on it.
The LPJ hasn’t yet received the agendas for Tuesday night’s Lincoln Parish School Board and Lincoln Parish Policy Jury meetings. We will wait and see as those are usually sent a day in advance of the meetings. * (At 2:50 p.m., the LPJ received the agenda for Tuesday’s Lincoln Parish Police Jury meeting and Item No. 3 states “Authorize the Parish of Lincoln Through the Lincoln Parish Police Jury to Enter Into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with CSMS Management, L.L.C. and Authorize all Actions Contemplated in the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement in Connection with an Economic Development Project)
The possible location of the Ruston Buc-ee’s has been rumored along the north side of Interstate 20 off of Tarbutton Road across from Ruston Junior High School. Plenty of land for such an endeavor and everything that could come along with it.
According to www.buc-ees.com there are currently 44 of the Beaver-based travel centers scattered throughout the United States, including Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina. The majority (34) reside in the state of Texas.
Thus, if the LPJ’s speculation is right this would be the first Buc-ee’s in the state of Louisiana.
It would be another feather in Ruston’s cap. And what a huge impact it could have on Lincoln Parish.
The Lincoln Parish Journal will be covering Monday night’s City Council meeting and will have further updates on this story.
