Texarkana Gazette
AHS students flourish in Educators Rising Program
TEXARKANA, Ark. — A select group of Arkansas High School students are flourishing in the Educators Rising Program, which takes them to Trice Academy of the Performing Arts for an apprenticeship. Monica Mclelland, the teacher that presides over the...
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Arkansas’ population growth slows in 2025
Arkansas’ population grew last year at its slowest pace since the start of the covid-19 pandemic, estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show. The state’s population rose by 0.6%, topping 3.1 million for the first time, in 2025, down from a...
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Show Your Love Health Fair
Darlene Taylor shows an attendee how to draw using virtual reality goggles as a form of art therapy during the Show Your Love Health Fair held at the Terry Lee Rogers Recreation Center on Saturday in Texarkana, Ark. See related photos online at...
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Taking the plunge for Special Olympics
TEXARKANA, Ark. — The Polar Plunge on Saturday at Big Dam Waterpark raised $1,400 for Special Olympics Arkansas, according to Camie Powell, the agency’s director of marketing and partnerships. The participating teams were Texarkana Funeral Home, Alpha...
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Car seat checks part of weekend health fair
A demonstration doll sits in a car seat on a table as Deanna O’malley, left, and Heather Smith of Arkansas Children’s Hospital eat lunch during a break in car seat safety training Friday at Terry Lee Rogers Recreation Center in Texarkana, Ark....
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Airport to receive $11M in federal funding for construction project
TEXARKANA, Ark. — Texarkana Regional Airport now has what Executive Director Paul Mehrlich described as the final piece to a more than $60 million infrastructure project that could land big planes and more jobs. On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman...
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Pleasant Grove makes school history with 17 athletics signees
Christal Browning takes a photo of son Spencer, center, and grandparents Joann and Charles Hale at a signing day celebration Wednesday at Pleasant Grove High School in Texarkana, Texas. Spencer was recruited to play baseball at the University of...
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Trump signs bill to end partial government shutdown, setting the stage for the next fight
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a roughly $1.2 trillion government funding bill Tuesday that ends the partial federal shutdown that began over the weekend and sets the stage for an intense debate in Congress over Homeland Security...
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TASD holds town hall to vie for millage increase
TEXARKANA, Ark. — Texarkana Arkansas School District held a town hall meeting at its administration center on Thursday evening to present information about the potential millage increase and answer questions. Superintendent Dr. Lloyd Jackson led the...
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Cold weather advisory issued for the region
TEXARKANA — A cold weather advisory has been issued from midnight Friday to noon Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. The advisory includes Bowie and Cass counties in Northeast Texas, Miller, Little River, Sevier, Hempstead and Howard...
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Freezing fog could cause problems on roads this morning
TEXARKANA — Conditions are favorable for more freezing fog Wednesday night through Thursday morning across portions of the region, according to the National Weather Service. Freezing fog is when cold water droplets freeze instantly on contact with...
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Here Comes the Sun
The sun rises behind ice-glazed trees and power lines Tuesday in Texarkana, Texas. The day’s high temperature was expected to be above freezing for the first time since the preceding Saturday, when Winter Storm Fern covered the Twin Cities in freezing...
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Extreme cold warning in effect through today
TEXARKANA —The precipitation is over, but the extreme cold warning remains in effect until noon Tuesday. Temperatures in Southwest Arkansas and Northeast Texas could be dangerously cold with lows Tuesday morning in the single digits, according to the...
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Thousands remain without power
Electricity companies reported more than 5,000 customers without power Sunday afternoon after Winter Storm Fern dumped the last of its wintry mix over the Texarkana area. As of 2:30 p.m. SWEPCO reported more than 2,800 outages in a service area that...
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Envelope program aims to smooth traffic stops
LITTLE ROCK —Arkansas law enforcement officers are hopeful two new programs will result in safer traffic stops for both police and motorists. The Blue Envelope Program and the Green Envelope Program, both passed during the 2025 regular session of the...
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Vance touts the administration’s record against abortion
Vice President JD Vance on Friday encouraged anti-abortion activists to “take heart in how far we’ve come” on the quest to limit the practice, listing the Trump administration’s accomplishments including an expansion of a ban on U.S. foreign aid for...
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By the numbers
Dawn Parker, of Community Healthcare, speaks with Samonte Evans on Thursday at Mission Texarkana in Texarkana, Texas. Evans discussed his plans for staying warm during the winter storm expected to slam the area starting Friday. He said if needed, he...
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Frozen precipitation remains biggest threat for Texarkana region over the weekend
TEXARKANA — The line between snow and a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain is moving north, according to recent forecasts and frozen precipitation could have serious impacts on power lines and roads. “We’re still looking at mainly wintry...
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Lifeshare marks Mardi Gras with blood drive
TEXARKANA, Texas — A low blood supply is prompting Lifeshare Blood Center to host a two-day blood drive in Texarkana this week, encouraging residents to donate to help maintain inventory. Lifeshare officials said the blood donations have slowed down...
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Bridging the Gaps hosts 10th annual MLK Day Parade
As communities across the country on Monday hosted parades, panels and service projects for the 40th federal observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the political climate for some is more fraught with tensions than festive with reflection on the...
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‘James Madison’s nightmare’: Trump is leaning on arcane laws to advance immigration agenda
MINNEAPOLIS — To silence unrest in Minnesota, Donald Trump is threatening to reach all the way back to the early 19th century. On social media last week week, Trump proposed invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807 to deploy military troops into the Twin...
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President in the Spotlight
President Donald Trump arrives Friday at a dedication ceremony for a portion of Southern Boulevard, which the Town of Palm Beach Council recently voted to rename “President Donald J. Trump Boulevard” at his Mar-a-lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla. The...
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‘Remarkable accomplishment’
TEXARKANA, Texas — A Dekalb High School student set his sights toward the highest academic institution and landed right where he wanted to be. Ewan Poole, a 12th-grader at DHS, was recently accepted to Brown University. Poole received a financial aid...
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Event focuses on local homelessness
TEXARKANA, Ark. — Conversations surrounding poverty and homelessness were the topic of discussion during the Bridging the Gaps of Arkansas monthly coalition meeting Tuesday. Guest speaker Vashil Fernandez of the Texarkana Homeless Coalition told...
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Vision board party recognizes resilience, promotes togetherness
TEXARKANA, Ark. — Just days into the new year, community members gathered Saturday downtown for a vision board party under the theme Inferno Bloom: The Garden After the Fire to reflect on resilience and new beginnings after hardships. The event was at...
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About 200 A&M courses could change due to new restrictions on teaching gender, race
Faculty at Texas A&M University were told this week that roughly 200 courses in the College of Arts and Sciences could be affected by a new system policy restricting classroom discussions of race and gender, the implementation of which has already led...
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From Facebook post to front-yard fix
TEXARKANA, AR — What began as a Facebook post from a local business owner quickly turned into a community-led cleanup effort to remove large piles of trash from a local resident’s yard. The trash had been accumulating for months in the yard, drawing...
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Community celebrates Three Kings Day
TEXARKANA, Ark. — Members of the local Hispanic community will continue the Christmas season with the celebration of a traditional holiday this week. Dia de Reyes, Three Kings Day or Epiphany as it is also called, is the feast day celebrating the...
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Congress poised to weigh in on next moves
WASHINGTON — What the United States does next in Venezuela and in the Western Hemisphere more broadly are questions that loom large as the 119th Congress returns to work this week for its second session. On the heels of the U.S. military’s abduction...
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U.S. operation ousts Maduro
CARACAS, Venezuela — Hours after an audacious military operation that plucked leader Nicolás Maduro from power and removed him from the country, President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States would run Venezuela at least temporarily and...
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Swiss investigators believe sparkling candles atop wine bottles ignited fire
CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland — Investigators said Friday that they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited a fatal fire at a Swiss ski resort when they came too close to the ceiling of a bar crowded with New Year’s Eve...
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Welcome to the world, Ivy Fae
Savanna Lewis and Alex Jones are all smiles as they cradle their first child, Ivy Fae Jones, on Thursday afternoon at CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital in Texarkana, Texas. Ivy was delivered at 1:31 a.m. Thursday by Dr. Michael Carozza — making her the...
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Trying to catch them all
TEXARKANA, Texas — Catching them all can be done through a phone or a game, but Pokémon players Brandon and Oriana Fairbanks focus on the game’s original form, cards. The couple have been collecting Pokémon cards for around eight years, and a recent...
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Trainers give tips for making fitness goals
TEXARKANA — As the new year approaches, gyms across the country prepare for the January rush, and local fitness professionals are encouraging residents to set goals that they can maintain beyond New Year’s Day. Courtney “C3” Wright has been a fitness...
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Researchers study maternal, infant health under Texas’ abortion laws
DALLAS — In the more than four years since the state of Texas significantly restricted access to abortion, medical researchers have been studying the health effects of that policy change. A growing body of research indicates that the state’s abortion...
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JAPAN OPENS WAR ON U.S.; HAWAII, MANILA ATTACKED
Further extra will be issued by the Gazette later in the day if developments in the Far Eastern situation warrant. Also, Radio Station KCMC will continue to broadcast bulletins on the Japanese attack throughout Sunday night. DEC. 7, 1941 — WASHINGTON...
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Teaching little bro the moves
C.J. Akins, left, observes younger brother Clayton Leavitt, 10, as he runs a ladder drill Friday on the practice football field at Texas High School in Texarkana. The siblings were working out with brother Carson Akins. All three brothers play...
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Mexican tradition keeps story of Jesus alive at local church
TEXARKANA, Ark. — St. Edward Catholic Church has concluded its yearly posada, a Mexican tradition of reenacting Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging on the final moments of Mary’s pregnancy. Posadas are celebrated throughout Mexico and in most Mexican...
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Christmas True Crime: Part One
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article contains accounts of murders and other violence, including harm to children. Even the most shocking crimes can happen at any time — and that includes the holiday season. In fact, there is a long, tragic history of...
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Food bank estimates 1,200 families served at local giveaway
TEXARKANA, Texas — More than 100 volunteers gathered Monday to help a regional food bank distribute groceries to families in need. East Texas Food Bank said it had enough food to serve approximately 1,200 families. The food distribution was at...
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UA Cossatot receives nearly $50K to boost workforce development
LOCKESBURG, Ark. — An area college has received a nearly $50,000 grant to fortify its workforce training. The $49,150 grant from the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund will enhance the Industrial Maintenance Program at Cossatot Community College of the...
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Motion filed in capital murder trial
TEXARKANA, Texas — First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp has filed a motion requesting the court allow the state’s expert to evaluate capital murder defendant Clyde Allen Stephens if incompetency is raised as a defense. Stephens, 34, of...
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Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas receives innovation fund grant
Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas has been named a Workforce Innovation Fund grantee during the 2025 Texas Workforce Commission Annual Conference. The Workforce Innovation Fund supports new and forward-thinking workforce development projects...
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Nonprofit gifts bikes to Westlawn third-graders in late teen’s memory
TEXARKANA — The Be Like CJ Foundation surprised third-graders with new bicycles Wednesday at Westlawn Elementary School. The organization donated over 100 bikes to students. Cedrick Sr. and Marie Harris, founders of the nonprofit, distributed the...
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Downtown Dazzle
Reliance Mechanical Contractors’ gingerbread house float moves through downtown Texarkana during the 41st annual Main Street Texarkana Christmas Paradezplease see more photos on Page 2A and online at texarkanagazette.com.
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Ex-deputy charged with K9 fund theft
MILLER COUNTY, Ark. — A former Miller County Sheriff’s Office deputy has been arrested on a theft of property charge related to unaccounted funds in the office’s K9 account. Shane Johnston was booked into the Miller County Detention Center on Monday...
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Our Lady of Guadalupe
Alex Martinez Vasquez, Patricia Martinez Vasquez and other members of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church dance group perform in front of the church Saturday morning after the special Our Lady of Guadalupe mass. See extended coverage on Page 4A of today’s...
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Pedestrian hit, killed by train west of downtown
TEXARKANA, Texas — A man is dead after being struck by a train Saturday afternoon just west of downtown Texarkana. The incident happened at West Fifth and Lelia streets, according to Texarkana Texas Police Department. The victim, who has yet to be...
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TISD foundation gives teachers over $80,000
TEXARKANA, Texas — Texarkana Independent School District teachers got an early holiday surprise as administrators and education foundation members surprised them with celebrations. The education foundation’s grant patrol started bright and early with...
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Students give supplies to homeless downtown
TEXARKANA, Ark. — Over 100 students from school districts in Texas and Arkansas worked together to bring cold weather supplies and hygiene items to people who reside in homeless shelters in downtown Texarkana. The morning kicked off with students from...
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Cities proclaim Texarkana military-friendly
TEXARKANA — The cities of Texarkana, Arkansas, and Texarkana, Texas, have issued a joint proclamation recognizing Texarkana as a Military Friendly Community. This designation reflects the region’s long-standing commitment to supporting active-duty...
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County judge candidates share their visions
TEXARKANA, Ark. — Three county judge hopefuls laid out their vision for Miller County during a forum Monday at Lifehouse Outreach Center. The race to succeed Cathy Hardin Harrison, is running for Arkansas Secretary of State, has attracted seven...
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Airport sees downturn in Thanksgiving travel
TEXARKANA, Ark. — Texarkana Regional Airport experienced a downturn in passengers during the traditionally busy Thanksgiving holiday. For the few days before and after Nov. 27, the Federal Aviation Administration noted 1,416 passengers at the airport,...
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CHECK IT OUT
TEXARKANA — Texarkana Public Library has completed an overhaul of its computer systems, including the launch of an improved website. The updated technology is “a new, integrated system that runs the whole library,” TPL Executive Director Olivia...
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Hoopfest Drive
Texas High junior guard/forward Adam Orr (23) drives past Captain Shreve senior guard Jacob Richardson (1) in the first quarter of their Red River Hoopfest game Friday at Texas High School in Texarkana.
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27th Bramlett Beans and Cornbread
Trey Bramlett, 2, holds a plate with a slice of cornbread as he walks to the dining room during the 27th annual Bramlett Beans and Cornbread Fundraiser on Thursday, at Texarkana Convention Center. The fundraiser was started in 1998 by Trey’s...
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Local caterer Say Grace provides holiday meals to families in need
TEXARKANA, Texas — A Texarkana prepared meals and catering company is stepping up to help families in need this holiday season by providing meals and support. Say Grace catering has been serving the Texarkana community since 2017. The company has...
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Building community one gift at a time
Owen Dyer smiles as he is greeted by Santa Claus and a Texarkana Texas Police Department officer during Shop With a Cop and Firefighter on Tuesday at Target. The annual event paired law enforcement and first responders with children for a morning of...
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Defendants in court today in Carroll Street shooting death
TEXARKANA, Texas — Two men charged with murder in the May shooting death of Jaylan Betts have pretrial hearings Tuesday in Bowie County’s 5th District Court. Betts, 21, died from a gunshot to the head inside an apartment on Carroll Street. Benjamin...
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Cold weather, hot tunes
Smash Mouth frontman Zach Goode performs the group’s 1997 hit “Walkin’ on the Sun” during the stop of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City U.S. Holiday Train on Sunday evening at West Fourth Street, just south of Texarkana Public Library. The...
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PRESIDENT ASSASSINATED; CASTRO SYMPATHIZER HELD
DALLAS, Tex., NOV. 23,1963 — (AP) — The gunman who slew the President of the United States was calculating. He had to be. For the shots that killed the President and wounded Texas’ Gov. John B. Connally came from a preselected spot, with a clear view...
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Liberty-eylau senior dances in Macy’s parade
TEXARKANA, Texas — A Liberty-eylau High School Dazzlers dance team member performed during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on Thursday after a rigorous audition and preparation process. Twelfthgrader Brooklyn Hines danced in front of a crowd of...
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Arkansas High alum serve scores for holiday
Dennis Johnson Sr. removes a tray of chicken from a grill in the parking lot of David Boone Ministries on Wednesday in Texarkana, Ark. Johnson and other members of the Arkansas High School Class of 1987 cooked chicken, stuffing, chicken spaghetti,...
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Turkey drive helps families prep for holiday
TEXARKANA, Ark. — A local nonprofit has been helping families prepare for the holidays over the past weekend by giving away turkeys. We Are Washington hosted a turkey drive on Saturday, Nov. 22, drawing a line of cars as volunteers loaded turkeys...
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TASD floats the idea of year-round school
TEXARKANA, Ark. — Texarkana Arkansas School District is starting conversations with parents and community members about changing the academic calendar. In a video posted Friday on the district’s social media, Superintendent Dr. Lloyd Jackson...
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A $100,000 robot police dog is raising ethical concerns
Spot, the four-legged robot from Boston Dynamics Inc., is perhaps best known for its viral dance routines to songs like “Uptown Funk.” But beyond its playful antics, Spot’s ability to climb stairs and open doors signals a potentially controversial role...
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TAMUT hosts soccer championship
University of Louisiana-xavier midfielder Juliana Kottbauer (6) and Louisiana State University-shreveport midfielder Halee Hernandez (8) battle for the ball during the title match of the Red River Athletic Conference Soccer Championship on Wednesday on...
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‘Like we were family’
ATLANTA, Texas — Volunteers rallied together Tuesday to help a veteran couple renovate a home in Cass County. More than 70 Home Depot volunteers, along with members of Communities Unlimited, Restoration of Hope and other local organizations, joined...
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Ministry offers help to veterans with PTSD
TEXARKANA, Texas — Ben’s Heart Ministry offers healing and hope for veterans facing post-traumatic stress disorder. For many veterans, the battles don’t end when they return home. Ben’s Heart Ministry, a nonprofit founded by Suzy Kroll in honor of her...
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Special education enforcement would be left up to states under Trump plan
In its quest to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, the Trump administration wants to let states police themselves when it comes to educating students with disabilities, a move many teachers and parents fear will strip away crucial federal...
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Parade gives salute to military veterans
Buddy Timmons sits outside the downtown federal building and watches the procession during the Veterans Day Parade on Saturday in downtown Texarkana. Timmons served in munitions transportation in the Army from 1958 to 1962. “We didn’t call it deployed...
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Tour spotlights history of Municipal Auditorium
TEXARKANA, Ark. — The historic Municipal Auditorium was the subject of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program’s latest “Sandwiching in History” tour on Friday. Visitors got a good look at the auditorium as on its stage AHPP’S Song Johnson...
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