Author: Jeff Easterling

It’s that time of year again! The 49th Annual Hope Watermelon Festival—affectionately dubbed “Melonpalooza”—returns to Hope Fair Park from Thursday, August 7 through Saturday, August 9, 2025. This beloved hometown tradition promises three days full of food, fun, music, and melons with something for every age and interest.

Getting out for a good time this weekend is easy with a quick look at where the best entertainment will be on this list, thanks to our community partners at Tony Langford Roofing and Whiskey River Country Club.

Get out and have some fun this weekend, our community partners at Whiskey River Country Club and Tony Langford Roofing have a list here of where the best bands are playing July 11 & 12.

A missing teenager at the center of an Amber Alert out of Brownwood, Texas, has been safely recovered thanks to the quick action of the Hooks Police Department.

It’s rodeo time in New Boston, and the whole community is invited to join the action! The New Boston Round Up Club is proud to host the Southeast Oklahoma Junior Rodeo Association (SOJRA) Rodeo on Friday and Saturday, July 18–19, 2025 at the New Boston Round Up Club Arena, located at 1154 Daniels Chapel Road.

The much‑anticipated 49th Annual Hope Watermelon Festival, affectionately renamed Melonpalooza this year, returns to Hope Fair Park from August 7–9 for three jam‑packed days of watermelon-themed fun, delicious local food, family entertainment, and community spirit.

Thanks to our community sponsors at Tony Langford Roofing and Whiskey River Country Club here is a rundown of all of the best entertainment for the weekend of July 4 & 5. Get out and have some fun this holiday weekend!

CHRISTUS Health announced that it has reached a temporary contract extension with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX), ensuring that CHRISTUS hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and physicians remain in-network for patients through July 31.

A heartbreaking and controversial situation has unfolded in Texarkana this week as a local single mother was arrested for child endangerment after a house fire broke out while her two young sons, ages 10 and 7, were left home alone.

A large plume of dust from the Sahara Desert has made its way across the Atlantic, through the Gulf of America and pushing northward through Texas and Oklahoma over the next several days.

Police are investigating a double shooting that left two people injured Saturday night after a teenager allegedly attempted to sneak a firearm into a party.

A piece of Bowie County’s rich history was formally recognized this morning as community members gathered for the dedication of an official Texas Historical Commission marker honoring the Bowie County “Arkadelphia Rosenwald School.”

Thanks to our community sponsors at Tony Langford Roofing and Whiskey River Country Club here is a rundown of all of the best entertainment in town the weekend of June 27 & 28.

Get ready to kick off July in true Southern style! The Texarkana Catfish & Mudbug Music Festival is set to take over Front Street Festival Plaza in downtown Texarkana, Arkansas, on Saturday, July 5, with a full day of food, music, and family fun.

The Bowie County Sheriff’s Office has identified a suspect in the double homicide that occurred last week on a private road near Simms, Texas. Sheriff Jeff Neal confirmed today that 34-year-old Clyde Allen Stephens II has been charged with Capital Murder in connection with the deaths of Charles Beckham and Donna Culpepper.

A day of fun, food, and fellowship is set for Thursday, July 3, as the community comes together for the Bridging Generations: Old School Meets New School BBQ & Bingo Bash. The event will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Crossties Event Center in downtown Texarkana, Arkansas.

This morning on Texarkana Talks, we welcomed back a familiar friend of the show, Tom Ornberg, the Veterans Service Officer for Miller County, Arkansas. A 24-year U.S. Air Force veteran and longtime advocate for our veterans community, Tom has been a regular guest on the program, always bringing timely information and resources for local vets and their families.

This weekend is going to be a scorcher! It will be one of those weekends you hope for a rain shower, but if you get one the humidity will choke you out! Still, the good times and fun is waiting. Here’s a rundown of live music thanks to our community partners at Tony Langford Roofing and Whiskey River Country.

Get ready for a star-studded evening as Texarkana rolls out the red carpet for the 2025 Celebration of Champions on Friday, June 20, 2025, at the Hilton Garden Inn & Convention Center. The community is invited to join an unforgettable night filled with inspiration, recognition, and NFL greatness — and the best part? Admission is free with RSVP.

As the countdown to a new school year begins, the United Way of Greater Texarkana, Inc. is once again rallying the community to ensure every student starts the year equipped and ready to learn. The organization officially kicked off its annual “Stuff the Bus” campaign, a much-loved initiative focused on collecting school supplies for local children in need.

The Texarkana Texas Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying a woman involved in an unusual assault incident at a local fast-food restaurant last week.

he Kiwanis Club of Texarkana celebrated another impactful year of community service and philanthropy during its 2025 Annual Banquet, held on Tuesday, June 17 at the Truman Arnold Student Center on the Texarkana College campus.

The Texarkana Area Veterans Council is calling on the community to rally like never before for this year’s Veterans Day Parade, set for Saturday, November 8, 2025. Organizers say they want to make it the biggest and most memorable Veterans Day Parade in Texarkana history — and they’re hoping to pack the streets with more spectators than participants for the first time in years.

The Kiwanis Club of Texarkana proudly hosted its first-ever K.I.D.S. Camp (Kids Improving Diabetes Safety) from June 9–13, 2025, at Camp Preston Hunt, marking a meaningful milestone in the organization’s long-standing mission to uplift and support youth in the community.

The spirit of freedom, unity, and community pride will take center stage this weekend as the 5th Annual Texarkana Juneteenth Parade rolls through town on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at the Four States Fairgrounds.

A 38-year-old man is behind bars after an armed robbery at a local convenience store Saturday night turned into a brief foot chase — ending with a run-in he didn’t see coming.

A great “Father’s Day” weekend is in store for Texarkana! Thanks to our community partners at Tony Langford Roofing and Whiskey River Country Club, here is a rundown of the best entertainment in town this weekend.

It is time for the much-anticipated annual Runnin’ WJ Barrel Races, one of the largest and most prestigious equine events in the country. Set against the backdrop of the Four States Fairgrounds, this iconic competition promises three days of non-stop excitement as riders from across the United States converge on Texarkana for a weekend showcase of skill, speed, and camaraderie.

A demonstration organized in protest of what supporters describe as growing authoritarian actions from the federal government is scheduled to take place this Saturday in downtown Texarkana.

A late-night crash involving an 18-wheeler caused major disruptions in Texarkana after the truck veered off the road, took down a major electrical transmission pole, and left a third of the city without power for a period of time.