Truth is Chip and Joanna Gaines are collaborating with the Texas-based ice cream brand on five new Magnolia-inspired flavors. The unveiling is scheduled for next weekend, during the annual eruption known as Spring at the Silos. Hopefully the street work surrounding the silos for months will run its course March 10-12. Nobody wants bumpy roads to ruin the event.

Well, certainly it was an attempt at humor that deserved a detour.

New Blue Bell flavors to be introduced next weekend include Wacotown Vanilla, Jo’s Lemon Pie, S’mores at the Silos, Magnolia Press Chocolate Cake and Chip’s Salted Caramel Truffle, according to a press release.

“Chip and Joanna were involved not only in the naming of the flavors, but also in the process of creating the flavors,” Magnolia spokesperson John Marsicano said in an email response to questions.

For now, they’re available exclusively in silos, but Marsicano hinted at a wider rollout.

“Stay tuned for additional information in the coming months,” he wrote.

Baylor University men’s basketball head coach Scott Drew is writing a book called “The Road to JOY,” which traces the team’s national championship last season. It will be published by Chip and Joanna Gaines’ start-up, Magnolia Publications, and a May release seems likely.

The Gaineses made the move in partnership with industry heavyweight HarperCollins. The Magnolia imprint will focus on “incredible voices and talent,” whose works cross multiple genres, according to a press release.

“If a project is determined to be a good fit for Magnolia Publications’ imprint, that book will be awarded to the Harper Division most qualified to bring that particular book to market,” said Matt Baugher, senior vice president for the development of authors and partnerships, in the press release. “Harper and Magnolia will edit the content and promote the releases as they are released.”

It should come as no surprise that the Gaines picked Scott Drew and the Baylor Bears to start Magnolia Publications. Both are Baylor graduates and occasionally attend games. Chip spent considerable time on television during the Bears’ win over Kansas about two weeks ago at Ferrell Center, with cameras often seeing him cheering and cheering on fellow fans.

Chip wrote the foreword to Drew’s “The Road to JOY”.

News at the gas pump isn’t getting better, according to AAA Texas.

The average price for regular unleaded in Waco jumped 14 cents in the week ending Thursday to $3.29 a gallon. The national average rose 19 cents, to $3.73, while the state standard rose 17 cents, to $3.38, AAA reported.

“Oil prices soared to 11-year highs due to volatility in global crude markets caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” the AAA spokesperson said. in Texas, Daniel Armbruster, in a press release. “The demand for gasoline will only increase as spring approaches and more people travel.”

Dan Rettinger, a halfpipe guy from Malibu, Calif., who studies entrepreneurship and marketing at Baylor University, opened a business called Local Skate Rats. He is looking for a permanent location locally and has enlisted the help of commercial real estate agent Gregg Glime.

Rettinger said he was interested in a building on Speight Avenue near Barefoot Campus Outfitter, Fuego Tortilla Grill and Freight Bar. He said in an email that he hopes to sign a lease in June and open in June or July.

His website features clothes for sale, including hoodies, caps, and t-shirts.

“Growing up, I always loved drawing and designing things,” Rettinger said. “As a student, it’s hard to gain relevant experience in apparel design and corporate branding. Starting Local Skate Rats was initially a way for me to flesh out my Resume with skills that could help me land a big design job for a major surf or skateboard brand.”

He says on his website that he grew up around surfing and extreme sports, and that “constantly jumping the Malibu high school fence and skating the halfpipe with my buddies helped create the Local Skate Rats brand.”

“After moving to Waco, Texas, I quickly embraced more of the skate and wake board culture,” he said. “I quickly discovered that skateboarding and surfing isn’t just about the ocean or the skate park – it’s about networking and sharing the same passions and discovering your culture where you are.”

Kris Collins, the industrial recruiter for the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, recently announced that another German company, Messer, will open a plant in McGregor to produce gases for industrial and medical use.

She has made three trips to Germany since 2013, Collins said by email. His first trip was with a delegation from the State of Texas, organized by the Texas Economic Development Corp. The next two were made through a partnership involving the Transatlantic Business & Investment Council and Team Texas, a marketing committee of the Texas Economic Development Corp.

She said most visits have focused on the Frankfurt area and surrounding areas. The trips included two- to three-day meetings with company representatives at Hannover Messe, a major international industry trade show, and off-site meetings with companies interested in establishing a presence in the United States.

Waco is reaping the benefits of Collins’ journey, landing Vossloh Fastening Systems/Woco Tech, ZinkPower Waco, Uzin Utz North America, Knauf Insulation and now Messer. Collins said relationships with companies vary, but she thinks they’re most impressed with personal testimonials from German companies that are already doing business here.