Texarkana Texas hosted their annual 5K Turkey Trot this past Thanksgiving day and the turnout was fruitful! 

This past Thanksgiving day, Texarkana’s Community Healthcore Foundation hosted its 10th annual 5k Turkey Trot. This event is hosted every year in hopes of raising support and funding for the foundation. 

According to TXK Today, “All proceeds raised from the event go towards supporting Community Healthcore Foundation, a non-profit agency that is responsible for providing mental health services, intellectual and developmental disability programming, substance use disorder treatment, and assistance to homeless veterans in 9 counties across Northeast Texas, including Bowie, Cass, and Red River Counties.”

The run was at Spring Lake Park and started at 8:30 am and ended around 10 am with about 350 participants in total this year. Students of the school district, parents, teachers, and many more got together on Thanksgiving Day to give back to their community. 

This year was unique since it was the 10th annual 5k Trot, demonstrating that the Turkey Trot has continued to be successful and reliable for the past decade when it comes to supporting community health core, despite the pandemic and other events.

Every year the 5k Turkey Trot updates about where it will be hosted and other various details will be available on the Community Healthcore Foundation website as well as their event page on their Facebook page as well.

Here is a link to the event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/794313118735313/?active_tab=discussion

The Scholastic Book Fair at Highland Park Elementary School in Texarkana was an absolute blast! The gymnasium was transformed into a vibrant literary wonderland, with colorful banners and book-themed decorations adorning every corner. There was a vast selection of books at the fair to suit the tastes of all readers, from exciting adventures to touching stories. Seeing the community come together and hear parents and teachers have animated discussions about their favorite childhood tales was heartwarming.

The fair not only instilled a sense of wonder and curiosity in our young readers here in Texarkana but also encouraged them to explore different genres and authors. The diverse selection of books ensured that every child found something that resonated with them, sparking a lifelong passion for reading. Starting with Kindergarten getting the first round pick, each grade level came one by one to explore the fair.

Beyond the books, the fair also featured engaging activities and interactive booths like arts and crafts and puzzles. Students also could be seen participating in storytelling sessions, where animated librarians brought stories to life with their theatrical performances.

The fair’s impact extended well beyond the confines of the school. The love for reading was contagious, as students eagerly recommended their favorite books to friends, creating a ripple effect that spread throughout the school. The Scholastic Book Fair at Highland Park Elementary united the community, ignited imaginations, and left a legacy of literacy that will continue to flourish for generations to come.

Dr. Lancaster is a new hire at Texas A&M University- Texarkana. This semester he currently teaches English 1301 and English 1302 first-level English classes as well as Integrated Reading and Writing. Dr. Lancaster says “His hope is to position his [students] to succeed” no matter what level of writer they are. He says teaching is about  “…knowing their potential and helping them activate their writing skills to further their writing.”

Dr. Lancaster has taught English to a variety of students ranging from elementary school to higher education learning. He believes no matter what age, with proper help, you can achieve your goal of writing. Stating, “I like to create good writers…no matter what level you start, you can improve.” 

His background is literature, but he says “It’s not just reading and writing, but also speaking and listening.” Which in his eyes falls under the broad umbrella of communication. He said, “Whether we realize it [or not] somebody influenced the way we read and write.” He said he realized that in K-12 our education back then was focused on structured writing for certain standardized testing and “writing according to a form” and how that is so much different from what you learn coming into a University. 

Being a great teacher and mentor over the years has gained Dr. Lancaster not only experience but also the lasting effect he has had on his students. He said when one of his students first reached out to him, “[He was very surprised at the effect a teacher could have on a student.” From then on have had several other students reach out to him. Dr. Lancaster had so many positive things to say about the staff and university but overall he says he is  “very happy to be here” and Texas A&M University- Texarkana is happy to have him.

Brittany Robles attends Texarkana A&M University and is not your “typical” college student. At 30 years old she decided to enroll in school in 2020 majoring in mass communications after taking time off from doing hair for 10+ years. She wanted to work again but found it difficult to obtain a job without a degree. She said jokingly “…I’m never [getting rejected for a job] again!”. Brittany highlights the challenges she faces in her personal life such as being a mother in a family of 7, working for the Texarkana Magazine, owning businesses, and being a surrogate all while going to school. When asked how she handles it all, she said “People are my passion” and gives us an inside look at how she helps change lives around her every day.

Brittany shares with us how she initially studied hair and fashion design at an art institute. even though hair was not her passion, she knew making people satisfied and confident was. This also bleeds through to her careers with her personal businesses and a job doing marketing and sales for the Texarkana Magazine as she stated “ That’s the part of the job [that] I love…once I get those relationships formed with my accounts and clients…they are able to become my friends and I love really being able to create the vision that they have for their business.”. 

Some of the most important people to Brittany are her children. One of her sons has dysgraphia and dyslexia and it makes it harder for him to learn certain things, she states that she assures him “…he is going to be so successful” no matter what circumstances. Brittany is a mother who does nothing but pour into and uplift their children!

Speaking of children, Brittany not only takes care of her own family but also other couple’s kids as well. Brittany was recently a surrogate, which she said was “a calling from God.”. She shared a heartfelt testimony about the couple she carried for and the profound impact it has had on her life, and to this day they still keep in touch with one another. Brittany’s passion for people is very touching; she’s an advocate, a nurturer, and a true friend. She will continue to change the lives of many people she comes into contact with.