by Wesley Harris
Busy beavers out at the Buc-ee’s construction site this week. The first walls for the building went up Monday morning.
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The burn ban for Lincoln Parish has been lifted.
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Deputy Rob Sasser is retiring from the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office and will soon assume the role of director of Lincoln Parish Animal Control under the parish police jury. Rob has dealt with animals all his life and has a degree in animal science from Louisiana Tech.
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A new drug store is in the works at the old Phil Waltz Pharmacy location on Trenton Street. More when we know more.
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Curious about all the dirt work in the creek bottom behind the Willis-Knighton Medical Plaza. Once the 90,000 square foot building is completed, it will consolidate all existing Willis-Knighton Ruston clinics and offer primary care, pediatrics, OB/GYN, orthopedics, and cardiology. The building will also house lab, X-ray, and Work Kare and allow for additional services in the future. But what’s happening down the hill behind the building?
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Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker told a neighborhood meeting Sunday that the City hopes by 2027 to take over portions of three state highways so they can be improved and modified to accommodate needs such as sidewalks and bike lanes. He mentioned Tech Drive/Cooktown (currently state highway 544) from U.S. 80 to Kentucky, W. Barnett Springs (Hwy 3012) from Tech Drive to Tarbutton Road, and W. Alabama (Hwy 150) from downtown to Maple Street. Once the City acquires the roads, sidewalks would be considered for pedestrian safety and bike lanes as a transportation option in those high-traffic neighborhoods.
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The mayor also told the neighborhood group the replacement of the Tech Drive/Cooktown bridge over Interstate 20 is running six months ahead of schedule. The contractor believes one year can be lopped off the project’s timeframe, finishing it in three years rather than the four-year maximum given by the state Department of Transportation.
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Have you seen the five-story high-rise apartment building and parking deck under construction across West California Avenue from Louisiana Tech? The private apartment complex will cater to international students attending local universities.
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