This is great news!

We need something there to increase the tax base. A handful of antique shops and a failed cheese shop doesn't fund a great deal for the schools.

Speaking of Buc'ees, I was talking to a long-time Lorenian (sp?). He mentioned to me that several years ago, pre-Temple location, Buc'ees actually approached the city council about building their location in town, but some of those on the council did not want it in Lorena.

I have no way of confirming this.

PartyBear said:

---

I saw on KXXV that a Roadster travel center (a Buccees light type of place or really a Travel Centers of Amerca type place) and a Bojangles (a Carolina based fast food chain) are going in on 35 in Lorena. The first chains to hit there (other than local based Bush's). Just passing new developments along. The sprawl continues.

---

It's nearly complete

It's located near the new hydroponic farm structure that will grow lettuce and reportedly create 250 jobs.

Coke Bear said:

---

Speaking of Buc'ees, I was talking to a long-time Lorenian (sp?). He mentioned to me that several years ago, pre-Temple location, Buc'ees actually approached the city council about building their location in town, but some of those on the council did not want it in Lorena.

I have no way of confirming this.

---

Can confirm part of that, but I believe that this was prior to the water situation being worked out, which was the deal-breaker.

Y

FrankFallonCalling said:

---

Coke Bear said:

---

Speaking of Buc'ees, I was talking to a long-time Lorenian (sp?). He mentioned to me that several years ago, pre-Temple location, Buc'ees actually approached the city council about building their location in town, but some of those on the council did not want it in Lorena.

I have no way of confirming this.

---

Can confirm part of that, but I believe that this was prior to the water situation being worked out, which was the deal-breaker.

---

And the water situation should have been worked out long before that. Both Robinson and Lorena have been blessed/cursed in times past with some super incompetent members.

Lorena also has an industrial lettuce farm being constructed just off of I-35. Exciting stuff
https://www.kcentv.com/article/tech/science/environment/bright-farms-breaks-ground-in-lorena-tx/500-7fb42eae-1f21-47e0-a09d-3d30854f1e9f

Should be a couple of big economic development projects for Waco announced prior to the end of the month. Significant capital investment.

Greenboy232 said:

---

Bojangles is for folks who want an alternative to Popeyes or KFC, but who still want diarrhea.

---

Maybe so, but their blueberry biscuits are good!

SmallMan1209 said:

---

Lorena also has an industrial lettuce farm being constructed just off of I-35. Exciting stuff
https://www.kcentv.com/article/tech/science/environment/bright-farms-breaks-ground-in-lorena-tx/500-7fb42eae-1f21-47e0-a09d-3d30854f1e9f

---

Conventional wisdom is that lettuce is the placeholder crop in anticipation of another one being legalized.

Love me some hydroponic lettuce though.

Greenboy232 said:

---

Bojangles is for folks who want an alternative to Popeyes or KFC, but who still want diarrhea.

---

Will probably never eat there, but you get stars from me for good jokes all day long.

FrankFallonCalling said:

---

SmallMan1209 said:

---

Lorena also has an industrial lettuce farm being constructed just off of I-35. Exciting stuff
https://www.kcentv.com/article/tech/science/environment/bright-farms-breaks-ground-in-lorena-tx/500-7fb42eae-1f21-47e0-a09d-3d30854f1e9f

---

Conventional wisdom is that lettuce is the placeholder crop in anticipation of another one being legalized.

Love me some hydroponic lettuce though.

---

Jazz Cabbage?

... and Bremond is booming!

- KKM

Lund Vernquist said:

---

It's located near the new hydroponic farm structure that will grow lettuce and reportedly create 250 jobs.

---

Oh THAT hydroponic farm...

The homebuilding company I work for is excited to start building in a new subdivision in Lorena. It's our introduction to McLennan County after a decade in the Temple to Cove market.

Is this the one off of Rosenthal?

SmallMan1209 said:

---

Is this the one off of Rosenthal?

---

Yes it is.

PartyBear said:

---

I saw on KXXV that a Roadster travel center (a Buccees light type of place or really a Travel Centers of Amerca type place) and a Bojangles (a Carolina based fast food chain) are going in on 35 in Lorena. The first chains to hit there (other than local based Bush's). Just passing new developments along. The sprawl continues.

---

Sonic was open a few months ago.. did they shut down?

Limited IQ Redneck in PU said:

---

PartyBear said:

---

I saw on KXXV that a Roadster travel center (a Buccees light type of place or really a Travel Centers of Amerca type place) and a Bojangles (a Carolina based fast food chain) are going in on 35 in Lorena. The first chains to hit there (other than local based Bush's). Just passing new developments along. The sprawl continues.

---

Sonic was open a few months ago.. did they shut down?

---

Sonic is still there.

Coke Bear said:

---

Limited IQ Redneck in PU said:

---

PartyBear said:

---

I saw on KXXV that a Roadster travel center (a Buccees light type of place or really a Travel Centers of Amerca type place) and a Bojangles (a Carolina based fast food chain) are going in on 35 in Lorena. The first chains to hit there (other than local based Bush's). Just passing new developments along. The sprawl continues.

---

Sonic was open a few months ago.. did they shut down?

---

Sonic is still there.

---

Hot take:
Sonic is the bottom of the heap of fast food joints right next to Taco Smell.

I read somewhere that this place has a rule (city law) attached to it that trucks can only stay 4 hours at a time and not overnight. If true that will limit the amount of traffic it actually gets when truckers don't bother to stop because they need a place to park all night.

It will create about 250 jobs.

The whole Lorena Primary sex abuse scandal, insane lack of due diligence by the (still employed) principal, and the looney-toons mayor going OFF on two economic board candidates at a city council meeting because one's wife was interviewed on the news about needing more transparency from Lorena ISD in the wake of said sex abuse…has been WILD to follow.

The Lorena Mayor/school board/city council has become some seriously shady under-the-rug sweepers.

SteamedHams said:

---

The whole Lorena Primary sex abuse scandal, insane lack of due diligence by the (still employed) principal, and the looney-toons mayor going OFF on two economic board candidates at a city council meeting because one's wife was interviewed on the news about needing more transparency from Lorena ISD in the wake of said sex abuse…has been WILD to follow.

The Lorena Mayor/school board/city council has become some seriously shady under-the-rug sweepers.

---

It's late and I'll try to comment more later.

Because my wife works at the Primary and this is the free board, I'll guard my words carefully. (I was burned on the Premium board when someone posted something there to X.)

I've reserve my comments to the fact that you don't have all the info concerning the abuse.

The principal has NEVER been charged for failure to report. The school board didn't fire her. They could have thrown her under the bus and backed over her looking for a scapegoat, but they didn't.

Coke Bear said:

---

SteamedHams said:

---

The whole Lorena Primary sex abuse scandal, insane lack of due diligence by the (still employed) principal, and the looney-toons mayor going OFF on two economic board candidates at a city council meeting because one's wife was interviewed on the news about needing more transparency from Lorena ISD in the wake of said sex abuse…has been WILD to follow.

The Lorena Mayor/school board/city council has become some seriously shady under-the-rug sweepers.

---

It's late and I'll try to comment more later.

Because my wife works at the Primary and this is the free board, I'll guard my words carefully. (I was burned on the Premium board when someone posted something there to X.)

I've reserve my comments to the fact that you don't have all the info concerning the abuse.

The principal has NEVER been charged for failure to report. The school board didn't fire her. They could have thrown her under the bus and backed over her looking for a scapegoat, but they didn't.

---

Just know that I appreciate your proximity to the situation and bear your discretion in mind.

I am sure you have read through the lawsuit, but even the judge determined that: "This lack of executive action from Jewell as a principal of an elementary school, whose job it is to ensure the education, safety, and health of her students, shocks the conscience" the whole report linked below makes my stomach turn. So, Jewell will have her day in court.

https://texasscorecard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/lorena-isd-order-on-dismissal-5-20-24.pdf

PartyBear said:

---

I saw on KXXV that a Roadster travel center (a Buccees light type of place or really a Travel Centers of Amerca type place) and a Bojangles (a Carolina based fast food chain) are going in on 35 in Lorena. The first chains to hit there (other than local based Bush's). Just passing new developments along. The sprawl continues.

---

Was driving up 35 last night and didn't recognize the exit. Saw the Brookshire Bros but noticed the gigantic Roadster travel center across. It's totally changed the entire area.

I'm guessing you are joking. I drive by there frequently and never noticed its construction. When I posted this I thought it had not started construction yet. But noticed it yesterday because I was looking for it. I was surprised how small it is. I was actually expecting something much larger scale. I thought Roadsters were generally significantly larger than this one. There is one between Belton and Georgetown that is significantly larger I think.

PartyBear said:

---

I'm guessing you are joking. I drive by there frequently and never noticed its construction. When I posted this I thought it had not started construction yet. But noticed it yesterday because I was looking for it. I was surprised how small it is. I was actually expecting something much larger scale. I thought Roadsters were generally significantly larger than this one. There is one between Belton and Georgetown that is significantly larger I think.

---

Nope not joking. Came up at night. Saw the small red brookshire lights. Typically that's all there is. Then noticed the MUCH larger station across the highway. I mean it's not a Buccee's but probably the largest in Lorena.

Perhaps it cannot be seen entirely from the actual interstate. What I saw looked pretty small except again my vantage point was 35. I wasn't expecting something Buccee's size. But something 1/2 the size. Something like the size of the typical Travel Center of America truck stop.

Yea it isn't any Loves or Flying J. It's more of a QT or a nice Circle K/Cefco

Lorena has always been a "good ole boys" type city and district. Sweeping all sort of things under the rugs. They want business to move there but don't want to upgrade the water system. They want more residents but again the water. Then they are very specific about what type of residents and don't want any sort of apartments or townhomes or even low/mid end priced houses.

The district has always been the same with sweeping things under the rug. Like this primary school scandal. The principal may still have a job but I think this lawsuit will ruin her.

cowboycwr said:

---

Lorena has always been a "good ole boys" type city and district. Sweeping all sort of things under the rugs. They want business to move there but don't want to upgrade the water system. They want more residents but again the water. Then they are very specific about what type of residents and don't want any sort of apartments or townhomes or even low/mid end priced houses.

The district has always been the same with sweeping things under the rug. Like this primary school scandal. The principal may still have a job but I think this lawsuit will ruin her.

---

I would agree that Lorena has been reluctant to spend money on infrastructure because the rural residents and land owners have been reluctant to support higher taxation to pay for those kind of improvements.

But Lorena doesn't sweep anything under the rug nor does it need to do so. When I grew up in Lorena, the community knew what I was up to before my mother did.

Lorena is a great community with great people. It is not an economically or culturally progressive people, but that doesn't mean they are bad people.

Yogi said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Lorena has always been a "good ole boys" type city and district. Sweeping all sort of things under the rugs. They want business to move there but don't want to upgrade the water system. They want more residents but again the water. Then they are very specific about what type of residents and don't want any sort of apartments or townhomes or even low/mid end priced houses.

The district has always been the same with sweeping things under the rug. Like this primary school scandal. The principal may still have a job but I think this lawsuit will ruin her.

---

I would agree that Lorena has been reluctant to spend money on infrastructure because the rural residents and land owners have been reluctant to support higher taxation to pay for those kind of improvements.

But Lorena doesn't sweep anything under the rug nor does it need to do so. When I grew up in Lorena, the community knew what I was up to before my mother did.

Lorena is a great community with great people. It is not an economically or culturally progressive people, but that doesn't mean they are bad people.

---

You are talking about the community. I am talking about the school district (and a little about the city government) in terms of them sweeping things under the rug.

See the current lawsuit against them. When TEA steps in and starts getting involved (which they have) you know things are bad.

There are also a bunch of other examples that could be named