Four States Living Magazine

Last school year, 12-year-old Charlie Jack Horton noticed something troubling among his classmates at Texas Middle School. “I would see a bunch of kids that didn’t have backpacks, and so they would carry all their stuff—their folders, binders, Chromebooks,” he said. “They would carry them around to every class, and stuff would get lost. I thought that, if they had a backpack, then it would lower the chance of stuff getting lost and help with moving from class to class.”

Family movie nights, loud gatherings, and little feet pattering down the hall were always part of Heather and Adam Balmain’s shared vision of family. They are now able to live out these dreams with their three sons, whom they adopted through the foster care system.

Local Klancy Johnson-Barlow met her husband, Scotty, while he was visiting family in Texarkana. When the two were introduced, they hit it off immediately. “Of course I noticed how tall and handsome he was,” Klancy said. “I was even more impressed by his wit, sense of humor, and plethora of knowledge.”

For some, the biggest holiday conundrum is deciding on the appropriate time to put up the tree and bring out the Christmas decorations. Olivia and Caleb Coleman, Texarkana natives and new parents to twin girls, have been facing much bigger challenges as the holiday season approaches.

Most schools offer baseball, but few schools are as successful with it as Liberty-Eylau High School. In 2024, the team won the state championship. Senior Maddax Moore is an excellent team member as well as an excellent student.

“He was an integral part of winning the state championship,” said Ashley McCarter, a counselor at Liberty-Eylau. He and the team spent many days after school practicing until late in the evening, preparing for each of their games. 

For John Veon the duck blind is where great ideas are born, where someone can witness overhead a sky full of dreams. He spent his childhood trapping insects in our backyard and rolling his red wagon to the neighborhood pond to fish. Since he was young, John has had a natural tendency to obsess over different organisms and their environment.

The members of the Junior League of Texarkana invite you to kick off the holiday season with a weekend full of sparkle, tradition, and community spirit at the 38th Annual Mistletoe Market! This well-known holiday tradition is not just an opportunity to shop for unique gifts; it’s also a chance to make a meaningful impact in the community.

There was a time when Dr. Dallas Bailes, chief medical officer of Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital, spent his days playing music in Hollywood, California. However, Dallas eventually realized that being a rock star wasn’t the most reliable career path, and it was then that he turned his attention toward a field besides music. That field was medicine.

Music is sometimes aimed to challenge its listeners—to test them with an idea, style, or subject matter. Other times, music aims to unite its listeners—to be skillful in delivery and undeniable in its intent to bring people together. While both approaches are valid, Texarkana-raised musician Jed Harrelson aspires to unite.

From a young age, Beth Little has been passionate about caring for living creatures. As a young person, she took care of friends’ pets in her parents garage and then spent time before and after school working at a veterinary office. After high school, Beth began working with Dr. Randall Murray, a local veterinarian. When he decided to open his own practice in 1989, he took Beth with him, and together they opened Westridge Animal Hospital.

On September 7th, 2022, a baby girl named Khloe was born to Skylar and Jordon Anson of Nash, Texas. Mother Skylar noted that her pregnancy itself was rather uneventful and even what she deemed “easy.” However, as soon as Khloe was delivered, “easy” was entirely out of the equation. 

Highschoolers have a lot on their plates, and it’s no different for senior Julian Tobey, who balances football, schoolwork, and being an Eagle Scout. While his ability to balance all his responsibilities is incredible, it’s not the most impressive thing about him. His most impressive trait is being a leader.

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