Grief and Gratitude

Grief and Gratitude

Around 3:15 a.m. on the morning of October 17th, 2024, George Carpenter awoke in his second-story bedroom to a distant beeping sound. He roused his wife, Julia. “What’s that noise?” he asked groggily. Julia got out of bed and shuffled downstairs toward the sound. When she reached the end of the staircase, she saw smoke coming from under a buffet: the photo album she’d recently put there was inexplicably on fire. She shouted for George as she picked up the burning book, intending to toss it outside. But when she opened the door, the influx of oxygen caused flames to erupt all around her. She screamed more loudly.

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Everything is Coming Up Bananas

Everything is Coming Up Bananas

In the film A League of Their Own, Hollywood icon Tom Hanks (playing Jimmy Dugan) tells his players, “There’s no crying in baseball!” The character might have felt differently if he had ever been to a Savannah Bananas baseball game, where fans have been known to laugh so hard that tears flow. Former Texas High baseball player Zack Phillips can attest to that, having witnessed the fun and excitement during his rookie season with the Savannah team.

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Seven for Christmas

Seven for Christmas

Anni and Travis Bishop are hometown folks with a meet-cute story straight out of a Hallmark movie. Nobody wants to be stuck on a broken amusement park ride, but that is where Anni and Travis found true love. She graduated from TASD. He went to school in Hooks. When mutual friends decided to take a daytrip to Six Flags, they both tagged along. Fate must have given them the idea of getting on that ride together. When it broke, Anni and Travis sat at the top of Six Flags for over an hour, talking about the things that mattered most to each of them. By the end of the day, they were both thinking, “That’s the kind of person I want to marry.” They fell in love.

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A Quintessential Family

A Quintessential Family

Like many local parents, Michelle and Steven Seals balance their energy between work responsibilities, domestic duties, and their kids’ extra-curricular activities. They plan vacations and often spend time with extended family members. However, unlike most local parents, the Sealses navigate all of those things as a family of eight. Their 7th grader, Brady, and their 10-year-old quintuplets—Mia, Tessa, Gracie, Rayleigh, and Brant—keep them constantly on-the-go.

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Health Hub Heroines

Health Hub Heroines

In the heart of the Ark-La-Tex is a mother-daughter duo working tirelessly to improve the lives of others. Bobbie Jo Ashcraft and her adult daughter, Abby, spend countless hours each week leading the Joy Project Network’s Health Hub. The JPN Health Hub provides medical supplies to families in need. The recipients are primarily disabled children, though anyone in need is eligible to receive supplies.

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FSLM Student Profile December 2024

FSLM Student Profile December 2024

For most people, live theater is a way to entertain themselves and get a few good laughs in. But for Anna Jo Briggs, an actress at Silvermoon Theatre and junior at Maud High School, theater is a way of life.

“I went and watched my kindergarten teacher perform in Charlotte’s Web, and I was hooked,” she explained. “After that, my mom signed me up for a week-long camp at Silvermoon, and I enjoyed it so much.”

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Surviving & Thriving

Surviving & Thriving

Despite the rainy weather, 17-year-old Carter Beck was looking forward to a fun weekend with friends at Lake Hamilton. The previous night, the teen had enjoyed the Pleasant Grove prom and casino night, and he was already packed up and ready for the trip. After a breakfast of pancakes and peanut butter, Carter picked up his friend Drew Walters, and the boys headed out, full of excitement. The date was May 5th, 2024.

A few hours later, Carter’s entire world would be turned upside down.

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Leading the League

Leading the League

Join The Junior League of Texarkana, Inc. for a magical weekend of sugarplum dreams at this year’s enchanting Mistletoe Market. The 37th annual holiday market, themed “Night at the Nutcracker,” will take place November 22–24, 2024, at the Holiday Inn Texarkana Arkansas Convention Center. This cherished holiday tradition is not just an opportunity to shop for unique gifts—it’s a chance to make a meaningful impact in the local community!

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