Texarkana Gazette
Walk down memory lane
Graduating seniors smile at the applause of students and teachers during a processional Monday at Pleasant Grove Middle School in Texarkana, Texas. The middle school was the first stop of the graduate walk, when the high school’s 218 seniors visit the...
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Thousands flock to National Mall for an America-themed prayer rally
WASHINGTON — Thousands of people streamed onto the National Mall for a daylong prayer rally Sunday billed as a “rededication of our country as One Nation under God.” Against the backdrop of the Washington Monument, worship music blared from a stage...
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New library study pods offer quiet and privacy
TEXARKANA, Texas — Texarkana Public Library has added a modern option for patrons who want an especially quiet, private space in which to work: soundproof study pods that can be reserved for up to two hours at a time. The library recently made...
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New historical marker dedicated downtown
TEXARKANA, Texas — A new historical marker downtown commemorates an obscure 19th-century exploration of the Red River in Louisiana and Northeast Texas. Cty officials and the historian who brought fresh attention to that event took part in a dedication...
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Demand for Pokémon cards still growing
TEXARKANA — Collectors and players of the Pokémon card game continue to collect them all while battling for rare cards and against scalpers. Some payers, like Brandon Fairbanks, began their collection at a young age, with the original 151 cards. “I...
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Senators seek support for lithium projects
Arkansas Sens. Tom Cotton and John Boozman joined Texas Sen. Ted Cruz this week in asking the Defense Department to back lithium development in the Smackover Formation, a massive brine deposit in South Arkansas and East Texas. In a letter sent Tuesday...
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Nash police chief: Two killed in domestic dispute at local plant
NASH, Texas — Two people are dead after a domestic dispute Tuesday in the parking lot of Texarkana Aluminum on Alumax Drive. Nash Police Chief Kelly Dial said three individuals were found in the parking lot of the plant at 6:37 a.m. after reports of...
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Texas-side council hears from data center opponents
TEXARKANA, Texas — Residents opposed to construction of a digital data center in the area did not mince words on Monday as they told the City Council about their concerns. Though the council has no control over a recently announced data center...
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ICED OUT
SPRINGDALE — A mother from Honduras said she is terrified to leave the home where she lives with her four children. A lifelong Springdale man said his hometown has become more welcoming and diverse during his 75 years. A woman from El Salvador...
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New Texarkana nonprofit makes debut by hosting Battle of Badges
TEXARKANA, Texas — The fourth Battle of the Badges on Saturday was the first official event of a new community organization. Ark-la-tex First Responders, which received its accreditation as a nonprofit earlier this year, was organized by FCI Texarkana...
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TAMUT holds largest commencement ceremony yet
TEXARKANA, Texas — Texas A&M University-texarkana held its largest commencement ceremony yet on Friday morning at the Patterson Student Center. The Spring 2026 class, per the university’s recent press release, is the largest in TAMUT’S history, with...
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Cruz pegs Red River Army Depot as critical to nation’s war efforts
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas speaks on drone production and the modernization of the Army on Thursday at Red River Army Depot in Hooks, Texas. The depot will play a pivotal role in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles to support the warfighter,...
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Chamber hosts Women in Business event
NASH, Texas — The Texarkana Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Women in Business event, bringing together local professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders for a day focused on leadership, growth and shared experience. The event at The...
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Data center opponents speak at TAC meeting
BOWIE COUNTY, Texas — About two dozen area residents who question or oppose a recently announced data center development plan voiced their concerns Tuesday at Texamericas Center, asking whether the potential economic gains are worth the potential...
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Arkansas Middle School holds field day
Seventh-grader Wesley Latham sprints toward the finish line in a heat of the boys 100-yard dash at field day Monday at Arkansas Middle School in Texarkana, Ark. Athletics coordinator Venture Watson said more than 900 students in grades six through...
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President flexes executive power with unprecedented flouting of court rulings
When a federal judge shot down a Trump administration policy of holding immigrants without bond last December, it seemed like a serious blow to the president’s mass deportation effort. Instead, a top Justice Department official insisted the ruling...
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Hope High School student is Arkansas recipient of national leadership award
HOPE, Ark. — A Hope High School student has been awarded the Billy Michal Student Leadership Award presented by the National Association of Student Councils. Jair Arroyo, a 17-year-old junior, is the Arkansas recipient of the award, which is presented...
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Sling Fit awarded $10,000 first prize at annual Pitch It Texarkana
TEXARKANA, Ark. — Entrepreneurs from across the region took the stage Thursday at Crossties Event Venue to present their business ideas at the fifth annual Pitch It Texarkana competition. Hosted by The Assembly Line, the competition brought together...
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Remembering Graycen
Flowers decorate a table at a memorial for Graycen Vargo on Thursday evening at Texas A&M University-texarkana. Vargo collapsed while competing April 24 at the Red River Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships at Xavier University in New...
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Employees claim wages not coming as they should
TEXARKANA, Texas — Magnolia Assisted Living and Memory Care employees protested outside the facility Wednesday morning over what they say are inconsistencies in their paychecks. Over the past few months, nine employees have resigned and two more have...
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Annual Hawkins, Wilbur awardees honored
TEXARKANA, Texas — Leadership Texarkana honored several community leaders Tuesday during its annual Lunch with Leaders, including presenting its top distinction, the Idalee Hawkins Leader of the Year Award, to Eric Cain. The Hawkins Award, given...
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Saving lives
TEXARKANA, Texas — An effort to combat opioid overdoses in the area is under way with the installation of free naloxone vending machines. A naloxone machine has been installed in the lobby at Randy Sams’ Outreach Shelter in Texarkana and at East...
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Two bodies discovered after Queen City fire
QUEEN CITY, Texas — Two people were found dead after an early-morning fire at a truck stop on U.S. Highway 59. Approximately 5 a.m. Sunday, Cass County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a fire at Punj Truck Stop and Indian Restaurant in the 22200 block...
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Strike King tournament crowns champion
Rickey Morris, of Calera, Okla., hugs his family after winning the $100,000 first prize at the National Professional Fishing League’s Strike King Stop 2 tournament Saturday on Millwood Lake in Ashdown, Ark. Morris totaled 48 pounds over three days of...
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Trump dispatches Witkoff and Kushner for new talks with Iran
ISLAMABAD — President Donald Trump is sending his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan to meet with Iran’s foreign minister, the White House said Friday, as officials in the South Asian nation pushed to revive ceasefire talks between the...
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Pro anglers descend on Millwood Lake
Trucks and boat trailers fill the Yarborough Landing parking, above, on Day 1 of the National Professional Fishing League’s Strike King NPFL Stop 2 tournament Thursday at Millwood Lake. The tournament has attracted nearly 120 professional bass anglers...
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Iran fires on three ships in Strait of Hormuz as U.S. maintains blockade, diplomacy stalls
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and seized two of them on Wednesday, intensifying its assault on shipping in the key waterway. The attacks came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire...
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Food truck sells traditional Salvadorian food
TEXARKANA, Texas — La Unica Pupuseria offers traditional and non-traditional Salvadorian pupusas. The food truck, La Unica Pupuseria, which translates to The Only Pupuseria, has been open for more than three years now and is owned by Yesenia Salas,...
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Patterson Place expected to open in June
Patterson Place, which will serve as a commercial/ short-term rental space, should open by the end of June, owner Dr. Kevin Hayes said. The Beauty BAR txk will expand into an adjacent, first-floor commercial space, according to Hayes. Two other...
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President threatens to blockade Strait after Iran talks fail
ISLAMABAD — President Donald Trump on Sunday said the U.S. Navy would “immediately” begin a blockade to stop ships from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, after historic U.s.-iran ceasefire talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement or next...
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Waggin’ Wiener Run benefits Texarkana Animal League
TEXARKANA, Ark. — Dachshunds and their fellow small-breed competitors made for a doggone good time Saturday at the Waggin’ Wiener Run, drawing hundreds for an afternoon of lighthearted competition and community fundraising. Held at Hopkins Icehouse,...
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‘Site-neutral billing’
Patients receiving care at some Trinity Clinics in Texarkana are balking at unexpected hospital facility bills following their treatment. Texarkana resident and Medicare recipient Ronnie Voltz went to an outpatient Trinity Clinic for carpal tunnel...
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State of The Cities
NASH, Texas — The city’s newest gathering place welcomed municipal and business leaders Wednesday to review accomplishments over the past two years and outline plans for economic growth. The annual State of the Cities conference, organized by...
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Many in region struggle with math
TEXARKANA — Many adults in Bowie County, Texas, and Miller County, Arkansas, struggle with math, according to the local Literacy Council. About 40% of the counties’ populations struggle with using, talking about and interpreting mathematical concepts...
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Risky rescue of downed crew relied on dozens of aircraft and subterfuge
WASHINGTON — The United States relied on dozens of aircraft, hundreds of personnel, secret CIA technology and a dose of subterfuge to rescue a two-man fighter jet crew downed deep inside Iran, a risky mission that President Donald Trump and his top...
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President Trump issues a fiery new threat against Iran
TEHRAN, Iran — U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday made expletive-laden new threats to escalate strikes on Iran and its infrastructure if it doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz by his deadline, after American forces rescued an aviator whose Iran-downed...
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EYES ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Zander Ames peers through a custom fidget spinner at his home Monday in Texarkana, Texas. Ames created the gadget on his 3D printer. He and friends Davis Meador, Davis Early and Coleman Craig have formed Build Bros TXK, a burgeoning 3D printing business.
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LIGHTS UP ,LET’S GO
Tex Owens takes in the scenes as he, father Alan, mother Bethanie and older brother Tuff stand in line to enter the 81st Four States Fair on opening day Friday in Texarkana, Ark. Unlimited ride bands for Friday through Sunday, April 5, are available...
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Over the moon
Tyson Marshall, from left, Julian Ozuna and Nathan Hernandez huddle around their laptop as they prepare their VEX GO wheeled robot for a lunar obstacle course as part of the Gifted and Talented Academy’s Artemis project Thursday at Westlawn Elementary...
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Astronauts bound for moon on NASA’S first lunar voyage in decades
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Four astronauts embarked on a high-stakes flight around the moon Wednesday, humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century and the thrilling leadoff in NASA’S push toward a landing in two years. Carrying three...
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Photography project coming to Texarkana
TEXARKANA — A photographer is on a cross-country journey to document the lives of everyday working Americans will stop in Texarkana. Aaron Patton’s trip is a nonprofit project aimed at capturing the nation’s identity. Patton is a professional...
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TC, TAMUT, RRAD share $5M grant
TEXARKANA, Texas — Texarkana College’s Board of Trustees heard a presentation on Monday regarding a large grant the college is receiving along with other local partners. TC, Texas A&M University-texarkana and Red River Army Depot are receiving funds...
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Fair brings in new company to amp up experience
TEXARKANA, Ark. — The 81st Four States Fair & Rodeo will be a novel carnival experience, organizers say. The Lights Up, Let's Go show opens Friday at Four States Fairgrounds, 3700 E. 50th St., with a new partner for the midway, North American Midway...
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No Kings Rally held downtown
TEXARKANA — Arklatex United organized a No Kings Rally downtown Saturday near the Confederate Mothers Monument. “We’ve had a couple of No Kings protests here in Texarkana that have been successful. We keep gathering newer and newer people, new faces,...
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L-E hosts district tennis meet
Liberty-eylau’s Emily Garrett lines up for a forehand as she and teammate Kadence Perry take on the Atlanta team of Colt Engle and Adrianna Davis in the mixed doubles final of the Region II District 14-3A tennis meet Friday at Liberty-eylau High School...
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Energyx touts lithium tech at local plant
BOWIE COUNTY, Texas — Energy Exploration Technologies Inc., known as Energyx, on Thursday unveiled its lithium extraction demonstration plant at Texamericas Center. The event marked the public debut of the company’s “Project Lonestar” site, where...
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Morriss robotics teams prepare for national, world-level competitions
TEXARKANA, Texas — Two robotics teams from Martha and Josh Morriss Mathematics and Engineering Elementary School are preparing for further competitions. Girl Greatness 2.0 and Mystery Cowboys have been continuously tinkering with their technological...
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‘Sightseeing with Sandy’
DALLAS — What began as a storytelling journey shared between a mother and daughter has grown into an interactive experience designed to bring families together. Local authors and Texarkana natives Shambrekia Wise and her daughter, Sandiya Badmus,...
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Group’s tea parties support nonprofits
TEXARKANA, Texas — A group of local women is transforming fellowship into philanthropy to support nonprofits across the Texarkana area. Women of Texarkana Tea Party, founded by Katina Levingston, is a community-driven organization that brings women...
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MAN ON THE STREET
TEXARKANA — Gasoline prices have soared since the start of the Iran war Feb. 28. On Sunday, the nationwide average price of gas reached $3.94, up more than a dollar from just a month earlier, according to an Associated Press report. The average price...
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Randy Sams annual 2 Pianos fundraiser will benefit local homeless
TEXARKANA, Texas — Randy Sams Outreach Shelter is gearing up to host its ‘2 Pianos Downtown’ fundraiser, an event that supports services for people experiencing homelessness. “2 Pianos Downtown,” the largest annual fundraiser for the organization,...
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Hoop Hereos claim the state basketball title at Special Olympics tourney
BENTON, Ark. — The Hoop Heroes are bringing home a state title. The Texarkana Resources for the Disabled basketball team won the Special Olympics state championship on Friday. In the semifinals, the team defeated the CB Kings, 33-32, to advance to...
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Liberty-eylau ISD announces five teachers of the year
TEXARKANA, Texas — Liberty-eylau Independent School District surprised five teachers on Wednesday afternoon by announcing them as teachers of the year. Each teacher received a bouquet and a certificate to commemorate the honor. The teachers of the...
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Texarkana rallies for Hoop Heroes
TEXARKANA, Ark. — Texarkana Resources for the Disabled honored its Hoop Heroes basketball team Wednesday with a parade celebrating the athletes’ advancement to the Special Olympics state competition. Community members lined East 19th Street to cheer...
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FLOWER POWER
WASHINGTON, Ark. — Thousands of blooming jonquils, historic building tours and live entertainment will welcome visitors to the 58th annual Jonquil Festival this weekend at Historic Washington State Park. The two-day festival, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5...
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War rages on multiple fronts as Israeli attacks in Lebanon grow
BEIRUT, Lebanon — The war in the Middle East raged on multiple fronts Monday, as the U.S. and Israel pummeled military targets in Iran's capital, Israel stepped up its campaign against Iran-backed militants in Lebanon and Iran retaliated with a drone...
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‘Rescuing’ baby animals can do more harm than good
TEXARKANA — Spring and early summer are the most common time for wild animals to be born. Game wardens and wildlife rescues also start receiving a lot of calls from well-meaning people who have found a baby animal in the wild and want to “rescue”...
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Iran war enters third week
Plumes of smoke rise Saturday after debris from an intercepted Iranian drone struck an oil facility, according to authorities, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. Iran urged people Saturday to evacuate the Middle East’s busiest port and two others in...
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Texarkana Regional Airport opens relief area for service animals
Oakley, center, and Astrid take in the sights in the newly opened service animal relief area Friday at Texarkana Regional Airport. The dogs were there with paw pal Bones and a crew from Muttworks in the Barklatex to test out the room, which is on the...
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Iran’s supreme leader resolves to keep fighting in first public remarks
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s secretive new leader issued his first public statements Thursday, resolving to keep fighting, promising more pain for Gulf Arab states and threatening to open “other fronts” in a war that has already disrupted world...
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Pentagon tells Congress first week of Iran war cost $11.3B
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran fired on commercial ships Wednesday and targeted Dubai International Airport, escalating a campaign of bottling up the oil-rich Persian Gulf as global energy concerns mounted and American and Israeli airstrikes...
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Local winterguard teams perform at Four States competition
TEXARKANA, Texas — Six local teams as well as several regional teams performed at the Four States Performing Arts Association Winterguard Competition on Saturday. The junior varsity and varsity teams for Arkansas High School, Pleasant Grove High...
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Local foundation awards nearly $8K in teacher grants
TEXARKANA, Texas — The Liberty-eylau Independent School District Education Foundation awarded nearly $8,000 in teacher grants Monday for projects ranging from phonics programs to adaptive learning tools for students receiving in-home...
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Texas judge orders Camp Mystic to preserve grounds hit by deadly flood
AUSTIN — A Texas judge on Wednesday ordered Camp Mystic to preserve damaged cabins and other parts of the grounds hit by last year’s catastrophic floods that swept away and killed 25 girls and two counselors. The order follows a lawsuit by the family...
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‘Made for more’
TEXARKANA, Texas — Texas A&M University-texarkana softball player Lauren Cox remains in the classroom and on the field as she undergoes treatment for a rare type of ovarian cancer. During her sophomore wife, Heather, who is TAMUT’S year, 20-year-old...
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Service celebrates Jesse Jackson’s legacy
Former President Barack Obama speaks Friday during the Public Homegoing Service for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at the House of Hope in Chicago. From former presidents to an NBA Hall of Famer to prominent pastors, stories of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.'s...
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Education Foundation distributes nearly $107K in grants to PG educators
TEXARKANA, Texas — Several teachers at Pleasant Grove Independent School received grants Thursday from the district’s Education Foundation. The foundation distributed over $106,000 to 16 teachers and administrators. Education Foundation members,...
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