by Wesley Harris
The Ruston Christmas Parade has been moved to Thursday, December 11 at 6:00 p.m.
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The railroad crossing on Trenton Street in Ruston will be repaired this weekend, so U.S. 167 southbound will be closed from Friday evening through Sunday. To detour around the road work, take Monroe Street or the Bonner Street bridge. Truck traffic will detour west on Alabama and south on Tech Drive to West California Avenue.
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Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker told a University Hills neighborhood meeting recently that the new Fire Station #2 on West California Avenue is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2026. The new facility replaces one near Louisiana Tech built in 1949. Walker said the new station will allow better distribution of emergency response equipment throughout the city. The old dilapidated structure, which is not large enough to house many modern fire trucks, will be demolished but the City will retain the property.
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Students have complained about the parking situation on the Louisiana Tech campus for over 50 years. Today, just like then, there’s plenty of parking, just not at the front door of each student’s next class. But by Fall Quarter 2026, Tech hopes to quell the complaints with the addition of a two-level deck across the railroad tracks from George T. Madison (GTM) Hall and Wyly Tower. The new facility is centrally located so maybe that will satisfy those who hate to walk.
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Board & Bottle on Park Avenue has been rebranded as “The Local.”
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The replacement of the Cooktown Road/La. 544 bridge over Interstate 20 is anticipated to take 3.5 to 4 years. The current bridge will not be removed until the new replacement is opened.
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Last year, hundreds of visitors toured the Lincoln Parish Museum to view a special exhibit of Barbie dolls. Barbie Week returns again this year from December 9-13. A pink Barbie Phone Booth will be on site for selfies and a limited number of pink “Barbie Takes Over Lincoln Parish Museum” t-shirts are available. The Museum is also celebrating its 50th birthday this week! Exhibit hours are December 9, 5:30-7:00pm; Dec. 10-12, 10:30am-5:00pm; and Dec. 13, 10:00am-2:00pm.
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Shop local as much as you can this Christmas! And get those packages and cards into the mail early!
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