News

Apr 17, 2024

Business Beat:: RaceTrac plans first Longview convenience store

Jo Lee Ferguson wishes she kept her maiden name - Hammer - because it was perfect for a reporter. She’s a local girl who loves writing about her hometown. She and LNJ Managing Editor Randy Ferguson

Jo Lee Ferguson wishes she kept her maiden name - Hammer - because it was perfect for a reporter. She’s a local girl who loves writing about her hometown. She and LNJ Managing Editor Randy Ferguson have two children and a crazy husky.

A long vacant gas station on Estes Parkway at the Interstate 20 access road appears to be on its way out.

City of Longview building permits show that the RaceTrac convenience store company has filed an application for a development permit for the north corner of Estes Parkway at the North Access Road. The building permit information says a "new travel center" would be built at that site.

RaceTrac is based in Atlanta, Ga., and has 550 stores in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee and Texas. This would be Longview's first RaceTrac location.

A long-vacant and dilapidated Texaco station sits there now.

RaceTrac did not immediately respond to a request for additional information.

Instructor Khloe Ursin works with Natalie Lopez during a summer class at Kidz Bizniz Academy.

Youth with an entrepreneurial spirit will be highlighted during the first Kidz Bizniz Back 2 School Expo set 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 12 at Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Center.

Founded by Sherol Allen, the nonprofit Kidz Bizniz Academy launched earlier this year and saw Allen and her board members conduct "how to" classes each month this summer, including jewelry making, T-shirt making and crochet.

"I started it because I have a passion for youth and children," she said, recalling growing up in a place where recreation centers hosted pottery, woodworking and other classes during the summers.

Allen said she works for Wellness Pointe, providing youth various prevention programs for youth in local schools. She also owns Strictly Business Web Design and Queenz Baskets, featuring birthday and holiday baskets, among others.

Allen said as of this past week that the expo had 42 registered vendors including 15 children who will be selling everything from girls clothing to charms for Croc-style shoes. Registration ends Aug. 5. For information, visit www.kidzbizniz.com.

Allen is assisted by board members Tyronda Jones, Kristen Ray, Ashley Hall, Shaeketa Taylor and Laquasha Carpenter.

"Our goal is to encourage young entrepreneurs, to teach them life skills...." Allen said. "We just want to encourage children to use their skills and ideas to create businesses and hobbies and income."

The second quarter of the year saw home prices flatten out in the Longview compared with a year ago.

The median price was $240,000, the same as the second quarter of 2022. Sales dropped 23.6% compared to the second quarter of 2022, to 198 homes sold. The number of listings grew, though, to 185, a 6.9% increase.

— Business Beat appears Wednesday. If you have items for the column, email to [email protected]; mail to Business Section, Longview News-Journal, P.O. box 1792, Longview, TX 75606; or call (903) 237-7744.

Jo Lee Ferguson wishes she kept her maiden name - Hammer - because it was perfect for a reporter. She’s a local girl who loves writing about her hometown. She and LNJ Managing Editor Randy Ferguson have two children and a crazy husky.

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