In most high schools, it takes a lot for a student to be universally liked by their peers; it’s rare to find someone who everyone genuinely enjoys being around. But for Zephaniah Black, a junior student-athlete at Arkansas High School, popularity hasn’t been much of a challenge.

In 2013, at age 25, Jessica Pickens discovered that she carried the BRCA 1 gene, which gave her a 65% chance of a fatal breast cancer diagnosis. A busy mother of two, she closed her eyes, hoping to forget about the threat. For the next few years, she concentrated on raising her children, Karson and Quinnleigh, all the while praying for a quiet, unannounced deliverance from a cancerous fate. Yet with each fond memory the Pickens family made, the latent terror of breast cancer crept into Jessica’s idle thoughts.

Norm Lewis, an American actor and baritone singer, will take the stage alongside the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra at the Perot Theatre on Saturday, November 9th at 7 p.m. to present Blockbuster Broadway with Norm Lewis. The performance will feature musical numbers from Norm’s vast repertoire of beloved Broadway hits.

The annual Four States Living Magazine Fabulous 40 & Under issue has been a staple of the community for 18 years. Each September, 40 young people from Texarkana and the surrounding area are recognized for their outstanding achievements and community service, and this year is no exception. The 2024 honorees are innovative entrepreneurs, dedicated professionals, selfless public servants, and volunteers extraordinaire. Their stories of perseverance, hard work, and creativity serve to inspire readers of all ages. 

Books have always been a source of joy for 9-year-old Carter Wilcox. Now, he is on a mission to share that joy with as many children as he can. 

As a student at William Jefferson Clinton Primary School in Hope, Arkansas, Carter looks forward to the Scholastic Book Fair every year.

Historically, the presence of women in STEM fields has been disproportionately low. However, according to the US Census Bureau, the number of women in engineering has been steadily increasing over the past few decades, allowing for diversity in perspectives and skills across the field. Adding her name to the influx of women engineers is Texarkana’s own Taehlor Lafferty. 

Nineteen-year-old Logan Wilson returned home in June from the Para Trap Grand Prix in Hillsdale, Michigan, wearing a gold medal around his neck. 

“Trap” refers to the Olympic shooting sport, in which athletes shoot “clays” in the sky. Logan has been competitively shooting since he was a child.

Many assumptions are made about twins, the biggest perhaps being that they are just alike in every way. Teenagers, BSA Scouts, and twins Cooper and Olivia Kimmel have always challenged these stereotypes, pushed boundaries, and carved their own paths.

We recently spoke with Olivia George, the reigning Miss Louisiana, who hails from right here in Texarkana, and asked her a few questions about herself and pageant life.

Bright lights and ecstatic crowds rhythmically stomping around the dance hall: this is just what makes playing music so special for 16-year-old Anthony Price. 

Anthony, a junior at Texas High School, has always had a passion for music. He started drum lessons at 11 years old and went on to pick up the guitar and singing, but his love of music began even earlier, under the influence of his grandfather. 

Cooking professionally was always a dream for entrepreneurial pizza chef Tyler Traut. After losing his job to COVID shutdowns, Tyler ran head-first into that dream, not knowing that it would become something much bigger and more meaningful than he had ever imagined. 

“Food has always been a happy place in my home,” he said. “I have always cooked and gotten a lot of satisfaction from the joy of serving food to others.”

During his youth at Pleasant Grove, Jonathan Weaver used to do his own play-by-play commentary while watching his beloved Arkansas Razorbacks and Texas Rangers. “I quickly knew that I didn’t want to be on-camera but wanted to create the visuals from behind the scenes,” Jonathan said from his ESPN office in Connecticut. “I took PGTV as an elective as soon as I could in high school.”

“Only God and I know where I come from and the challenges I faced to be here,” said Irma Zuniga, who left her home and family when she immigrated to the U.S. from Honduras.

Looking for work, Irma arrived in Texarkana in 2010. She took a job at Osaka Japanese Steak House, where she worked for more than 10 years. But, a mom of two, Irma dreamed of being her own boss and showing her children the power of determination.

Bannon Price, a long-time resident of Ashdown, Arkansas, will soon pack his bags and head northeast for freshman year at Harvard University. Bannon recently graduated as valedictorian of his class at Ashdown High School but said that he still couldn’t believe his eyes when he was accepted in March to the prestigious Ivy League. 

“It was all so surreal,” he said. “I screamed, cried, and ran to my mom and hugged her. More than anything I was shocked.”

On November 6th, 2023, 19-year-old Jani Nix (then Gailey) wasn’t answering her mother’s phone calls. While this is a typical experience for many parents of young adults, Tonya Satterfield was worried.

“Normally I’d text her, and if she wouldn’t respond, because of all the things that had happened, I’d call her,” Tonya said. “And I told her that if she ever lets her phone die, I’m gonna get her.” They had an understanding: after all that Jani had experienced, if Tonya called, she was to answer.

When the Dierolfs purchased a game ranch in New Boston, Texas, the couple did not have in mind the life and business they would create there. “Tony bought [the ranch] for personal use to hunt,” Tiffany said. In meeting exotic animal dealers, Tony realized that they could pivot and make one of Tiffany’s long-time dreams come true.

Jason Butler paused for a second to reflect on his experience and then said, “The beautiful thing about life is that you can wake up tomorrow and start over brand new.” Nobody understands that sentiment more than him. Several wrong turns put Jason on a path that took him to places he never should have been. However, through faith, a passion for service, and hard work, he was able to reroute those wrong turns and navigate a new journey of purpose. 

Remote work became a widespread phenomenon in 2020, but Terri and Rick Morgan took the opportunity to the next level. They sold their Texarkana-based plumbing company and traded it for what many think of as another type of pipe dream: working remotely and living full-time on the open road in a recreational vehicle.

Leaders are not born; they are built from years of work, education, life influences, and choices. The importance of finding a leader of strong character and dedication to students was paramount in the selection of Texas A&M University–Texarkana’s fifth president. Dr. Ross Alexander is completing his first academic year as president. A family man raised with a strong midwestern work ethic, Ross leads in this role with dedication and community-mindedness.

Kirstyn Snyder, a junior at Arkansas High and member of the softball team, has been deaf since birth. She communicates with her family, none of whom are deaf, in various ways. 

“Some of my family learned a little sign,” she explained. “My mom signs a little. My two siblings sign a little, too. Most of the time, I usually just text it out on my phone.” 

Kirstyn owes her love of softball to her father. “I’ve been playing for 14 years now,” she said. “It started when my father helped and taught me how, and I’ve been in love with it ever since.”