Author Archives: Laney Davis

ArkLaTeXmas!

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Laney Davis

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It is time to enjoy your friends and family amongst the beautiful Christmas spirit atmosphere. There are many opportunities in and around the Ark-La-Tex to enjoy the Christmas season.

December 7 on Main Street in Downtown Texarkana starting at 4 there will be music, food, and shopping. There will also be an opportunity to see and pet camels and the Express Clydesdales. Starting at 7, the 31st Annual Christmas parade “A Magical Christmas” will kick off. Before the parade, there will also be the “Festival of Trees Competition” on Front Street, and the winner will be announced before the parade begins. As well as Christmas lights filling the streets of downtown there will also be horse drawn carriage rides throughout December.

Starting November 25 through December 31st, Tuesday through Sundays, Marshall, Texas, will host the “Wonderland of Lights”. They will offer beautiful lights, outdoor ice-skating, a carousel, Santa’s Workshop and Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen, carriage rides, and train rides. On December 5, there will be a Jingle Bell run. The “Wonderland of Lights” will not be open on Mondays or Christmas Eve.

For more opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Christmas lights you can visit Hot Springs, Arkansas. Hot Springs will hold a Christmas parade on December 7 starting at 6:30. You can also stopover at Garvan Woodland Gardens for the Holiday Lights exhibit. Enjoy over 4 million bulbs across the 17 acre garden.

The Shreveport-Bossier area will offer a firework show with included activities on December 5. There will be a beautiful 40 foot tall Christmas tree at the Boardwalk offered all of December. If you still would like to appreciate some Christmas lights view the “Holiday Trail of Lights” November 14 through December 24.

Lastly, Ashdown, Arkansas, will be offering their Christmas Parade, “A Christmas Story,” December 5 starting at 6. The Kansas City Southern Holiday Express is making its way to Ashdown on December 4 and will arrive at 4.

These are a few ideas of what is going on in the Ark-La-Tex this holiday season. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

For more information on the events provided:

http://www.mainstreettexarkana.org/2015-christmas-parade-a-magical-christmas/

http://www.marshalltexas.net/public/warrants/wonderland-of-lights

http://www.hotsprings.org/events/event/1612/

http://965kvki.com/check-out-all-the-holiday-events-in-shreveport-bossier-this-christmas/

http://kkyr.com/the-kcs-holiday-express-is-coming-to-town-with-santa-claus/

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo

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Laney Davis

Most people in December are dreaming of a beautiful Christmas tree, presents filling up the house, and the smell of pies and cakes coming out of the oven. This may seem familiar to you. As for cowboys and cowgirls in December, they dream of something a little different. Cowboys and cowgirls dream of Vegas lights, gold buckles, and the smell of arena dirt.

Starting December 3 through December 12, there will be 10 rodeo performances in Las Vegas, Nevada. This grand rodeo is called the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association holds over 600 rodeos throughout the year, and only the top 15 competitors in each event at the end of the rodeo season can qualify for the WNFR. The PRCA has been producing rodeos since the 1920’s making it the oldest rodeo association. The PRCA is also the largest rodeo association.

At the WNFR there will be 8 events: Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, Bull Riding, Tie-down Roping, Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Barrel Racing, and the crowning of Miss Rodeo America. The cowboys and cowgirls competing come into the competition ranked first to fifteenth by their money earnings from this year. As they compete each night they have the opportunity to earn more money placing them higher in the rankings.

The cowboy and cowgirls can earn many titles at the WNFR. Each night they have to opportunity to win the round with either the fastest time or the highest score. They can also win the “average” and a gold buckle at the end of the 10 day rodeo stretch by having the best cumulative scores or times. They can also win the biggest title of all, World Champion, by earning the most money throughout the whole rodeo season including the money that they won at the WNFR.

There are many ways to be a part of the impressive rodeo. Much like professional football or baseball there are fantasy leagues you can compete in. You can also go to Las Vegas and enjoy the rodeo live and meet the professional cowboys and cowgirls. Lastly, you can watch from the comfort of your couch in awe of these professional athletes.

For more information on the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo visit:

http://nfrexperience.com

or

http://prorodeo.com

Final Advice for Finals Week

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Laney Davis

Success! The Fall semester is ending, and the sweet smell of Winter Break is upon us. Like most students, I am sure that your coffee in take level has tripled in the past month, and your ability to study for two tests in one night has perfected. Whether your preferred method of achieving an A is cram studying, spacing your studying out, or not studying at all, hopefully these tips will help you achieve victory over the Fall semester’s finals week.

My first tip to potential studiers is to find the best place for you to study. Many students do not study in their room because it can be distracting. How many times have you started studying and ended up in bed watching Netflix? The best place for students to study is somewhere quiet with no distractions. If the library freaks you out then go somewhere less intimidating like Starbucks.

Second, study groups can be a really great method of studying. That is, if your groups’ intent is to be productive. It can be an easy way to get distracted and off topic if you are in a group that does not have the same drive or desire for success. One of my favorite things to do in a group is split up material. You spend less time researching and more time studying the material.

My third tip is to get some sleep! If you have a minute of time to rest do not take it for granted. Sleep deprivation can make your stress worsen and ability to focus fuzzy.

My last tip is not to not put studying off on the back burner. All students make jokes about procrastination. Unless you want to be pulling “all nighters” every night of finals week, do not postpone opening your books. The more time you put in with your head in the books and not watching Netflix is another minute that you can sleep or spend time with friends.

As a senior I have indeed learned some of these tips the hard way. Not all of these tips may help you, but hopefully it will help ease the stress of the 2015 Fall semester ending. For more tips or questions feel free to leave a comment below. “Happy finals week and may the odds be ever in your favor!”

From Studio to Center Stage

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Laney Davis

What’s the buzz on Chris Stapleton? After going through my Facebook Newsfeed and watching the 49th Annual Country Music Awards, the new up and coming star Chris Stapleton is all the rage.

Stapleton started his career over 15 years ago on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. Since he began his career he has not only focused on singing, but he has written songs for other artists as well. He has written 5 number one hits for well known Nashville Country Stars such as: George Strait and Luke Bryan. Stapleton has also aided in songwriting with Adele and Jason Aldean.

Stapleton graced the country music industry with his voice in 2013 and signed with a record company called Mercury Nashville. He came out with his 2015 Album “Traveler” in May. This album lead him to “Album of the Year”, “New Artist of the Year”, and “Male Vocalist of the Year” this year at the CMA Awards held on November 4, 2015.

Chris Stapleton’s performance of the country classic “Tennessee Whiskey” along side pop artist Justin Timberlake wowed the audience. Stapleton’s deep, raspy voice empowers the viewers with qualities much like Hank Williams Jr. and Jamey Johnson. Many country music listeners view Stapleton’s voice as a change for Country Music.

Chris Stapleton and Justin Timberlake perform Tennessee Whiskey

Pink in the Park for the Cure

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Laney Davis

On the chilly morning of October 17, 2015, the Four States Fairground and Midway were packed with cancer survivors, volunteers, and supporters of the Komen Race for the Cure. There were hundreds of people dressed in pink in support of the breast cancer awareness fundraiser.

The Midway began to fill at five in the morning with volunteers who set up booths along the edge of the park. The booths handed out free prizes to everyone competing in one of the three races.

There were activities for all ages during registration while the competitors waited for the races to start. Breakfast was offered for the VIP guests and cancer survivors. Many of the activities involved honoring cancer patients and cancer survivors. The Agriculture Learning Center was also opened to the public giving away free pink ice cream.

The 5k race started at 9 A.M. with many competitors running and walking. Many families opted to walk in the Family Fun Stroll, a much shorter and relaxed race. When the races were finished the closing ceremonies commenced.

At 10 A.M. the winning race competitors were awarded with medals and prizes. Once the final awards were given out, breast cancer survivors were lined up and the last ceremony started. Music blared and crowds danced in celebration for the triumph of the survivors. Many people spoke and the survivors were honored with roses. The fundraiser was a success, and Susan G Komen has already begun to plan for next year.

Campus Police at the Ready

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Laney Davis

The bell above the door rang as Police Chief Gann pushed through. He had a slight grin on his face, bags under his eyes, and a badge on his chest. The hallway smelled of printer ink and coffee, and one could hear faint laughter in another room. His deep, stern voice rumbled through out the empty building. Officer Gann welcomed me into his office.

He tapped his pencil on the table as he went into detail about the crime rate on campus. “It’s very low. We probably have one actual crime a month. Last year we had maybe two or three thefts. Alcohol offenses, marijuana offenses, and minor thefts are what we mainly deal with. Most of the thefts that we have occur, happen at the dorm. Most of it is because kids leave things lying around. They do not lock stuff up like they should.”

The school has a security system now. There are surveillance cameras set up in every hallway of the dorm and in the main buildings. They can watch everything that is happening at their main headquarters in the Central Plant. They are attentive and thoroughly spying to ensure the safety of every person on campus.

campus

“It’s kind of hard to do something and get away with it,” Officer Gann jokes, “I like to think that part of that is due to us.”

The campus policemen are diligently working round the clock to guarantee the safety of every person on campus. Due to the low crime rate on campus, the officers do not always have much on their day-to-day agenda. The day shift and the night shift are very different from each other though. There is nothing set in stone for a day-to-day routine. The night shift officers are commanded to check every building and every door. To maintain protection all doors are locked. After all of this is done, they start making their rounds to the dorm where most of the activity occurs.

The daily routine for the “day shift officer” is much different. The officers have to be much more flexible. There is more traffic on campus then. “For the day shift guys,” Officer Gann pauses, “everybody is here so it is not so much checking doors. They unlock them for people who do not have keys. Of course they give rides (on campus police golf carts) back and forth to cars. They constantly check the dorms, and see if there is anything going on that needs their presence. You never know what is going to happen.” Officer Gann firmly states.

The officers at Texas A&M Texarkana are well trained. They have served at least 10 years for the city of Texarkana. Police Chief Officer Gann will not hire anybody that has not served as a cop before. They have already been through the Academy. In fact, every two years the campus policemen have to go back for at least 40 hours of retraining. Texas A&M Texarkana’s campus policemen are always ready for anything.

Not only are the policemen physically ready for anything on campus, but they also have certified federal military equipment ready for use. “We have a military hummer, a police car, police radios, golf carts, and, of course, guns. The department has purchased everything except for the hummer. We got it from the federal government. It is old military surplus that the military did not destroy,” Officer Gann explains.“ The government does not use it anymore, so they loan it out. The police department had to fill out federal paperwork to receive the hummer and pick it up in Louisiana. Texas A&M Texarkana is allowed by the government to keep it as long as they want. Since the school has acquired this bullet-proof and fully armored military vehicle, it has undergone a new paint job to enhance the school’s pride.

police

The campus policemen at Texas A&M-Texarkana will do whatever it takes to maintain the well-being of students and faculty on campus. Police Chief Gann recommends everyone be aware of where they are and what they are doing at all times. If anything is to happen at Texas A&M-Texarkana, the campus police will be fully prepared.

Behind the Bucking Chutes

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Laney Davis

The smell of cotton candy and rough stock animals filled the air, sounds of classic rock vibrated the bleachers, and hearts pounded awaiting the start of the rodeo. Four States Fair and Rodeo (FSFR) held their 71st annual rodeo September 16-19.

FSFR hosted four nights of rodeo. The rodeo was sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association and Women’s Pro Rodeo Association. Competitors came from all over the United States to win the first place title in their event. The performance was action packed with cowboys and cowgirls competing in rough stock event s and timed events.

This rodeo is different each year. Not only are there different competitors, but there is a new specialty act. This year the FSFR hired Troy “The Wild Child” Lerwill as the rodeo clown. Lerwill is a 6-time PRCA Comedy Act of the Year. He keeps the crowd laughing and entertained the while the rodeo is going on. Toward the end of the rodeo, he and another person perform a skit with a dirt bike, and Lerwill jumps a horse trailer and dually truck. Lerwill does not just keep the crowd laughing. He keeps them on their toes as well.

To make the rodeo even more special each year, there are two young ladies crowned with the titles Miss Four States Fair and Rodeo Queen and Miss Teen Four States Fair and Rodeo Queen. At the last performance of the rodeo on Saturday night the young women are presented with their new titles and crowns. They will represent the fair and rodeo locally and nationally as ambassadors for the 2016 year.

Now the Ferris wheel is down and the rodeo dirt is being hauled out of the arena. Another successful Four States Fair and Rodeo is in the history books.

FEATURE: TAMUT-PD Blue

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Laney Davis

“I had a guy, one time, on the loop. He was riding a motorcycle extremely fast. He was driving at a very high-speed rate, and I was going the opposite way. Of course, my radar got him, and I turned around in the median and went back after him. He was drunk. I don’t know how he got on the motorcycle, much less drove it. I wasn’t even caught up to him. He was going that fast. He slowed down to make that curve, but he didn’t slow down enough.”

Edward Emilia, a middle aged native New Yorker, began his journey serving the United States right out of high school as a Marine. He believed that it was the right thing to do. He had military in his blood. His every life decision came naturally for him. Emilia served for four years and came to Texarkana to go to college where his family was. Texarkana and Texarkana College did not offer the opportunities that he was hoping for, his degree in Architectural Engineering did not work out, and he was struggling to find a job in the area.

At that time he was dating his present day wife, Tina, a Texarkana local. Emilia fortunately found a job working for the prison system down in South Texas. Emilia always has a positive outlook on life and thanks each bump in the road for it. His luck with job hunting and college gave him an inner competition of always staying optimistic and seeing the best in every situation.

He stayed at the prison for three years and even dealt with a national prison riot. Thankfully he was not injured. The ways of military were imbedded in him. Since he grew up around it, it was all he knew. “You come with a sense of duty and wanting to help people,” Emilia says, “They fall hand in hand.”

After his three-year milestone working for the prison, he found a job closer to home working for the city of Texarkana as a police officer. He has served for the city of Texarkana for over 29 years. After all of the crime he has dealt with over the span of his career, Emilia enforces that everyone must stay positive and keep a positive outlook in life, or it will get to you.

Emilia states that his family has been behind him every step of the way, and he could not do it without his wife, Tina, and his two daughters. He and his wife have been married for 30 years. His job working for the prison and for the city kept him away more than he bargained for. While serving the city, he was on the streets for nine years and seven years as a CID and Detective. Over a span of 29 years, he has seen a lot of crime and has had many close calls.

He loves his career path and having the opportunity to change lives. ”He slowed down to make the curve, but he didn’t slow down enough. He actually crashed his bike. Five or six years later, I was in bi state and guy came up to me. He shook my hand and thanked me. He said I had actually saved his life. It was the man who wrecked his bike. He had seen my lights in his mirror and began to slow down. If I wouldn’t have been there he could’ve died if he was going faster. Now he is totally off of alcohol.”

Emilia had decided it was time to retire until he heard about his current job. “When I retire, I don’t want to put another badge back on.” He was very hesitant about working here, but the benefits of Texarkana A&M sold it for him. He is still in culture shock after working as a campus police officer for over a year and a half.

Ed describes himself as a people person. His career path has actually changed his everyday habits and responses. He loves humor and has become more self-aware, open minded, and outgoing toward others.

Emilia loves his job working for Texas A&M. He says most of his job is customer service, and less crime. The first and primary thing is to protect life and property. Texas A&M has a very low crime rate. He gives a lot of advice to students on campus, and states that he always wants students to stay optimistic no matter what they are going through. If he can give some advice that works, that gives him an inner sense of peace. He knows one day a student will come to him with a story that will impact his life, and he is waiting. Emilia plans on retiring in 8 years and after being in the military, working for a prison, and serving for the city of Texarkana, he says this will be a breeze.

“Cops, for the most part — we do our jobs and go home, and we’re not there for the public to give us praise. We don’t thrive on it. Having a positive or negative outlook on life is up to the individual. I don’t let the negative get me down. I went through that period. The negative will eat you up. The positive will end up equaling out.”

 

Rodeo on the Road

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Laney Davis

Hands waving in the cool, Fall breeze and children’s laughter filled the air Saturday the 12th on the streets of Downtown Texarkana. The 71st annual rodeo came to town and to kick it off they held their famous Four States Fair and Rodeo parade.

Early that morning the parade route was being set by the police and people were putting final touches on their floats. The parade started on Broad Street and intertwined throughout Texas Boulevard, Third Street, ending on State Line Avenue. There were over 100 entries in the parade — drill teams, school bands, cheerleaders, businesses, radio stations, rodeo queens, and even the newly crowned Miss Four States Fair and Rodeo Queen waving to the crowd on the packed side walks.

As with the previous annual parades, you could follow it on local cable TV and even on Facebook though Texarkana Today. Behind the cameras was a table full of judges commentating and judging the parade. Around noon the parade ended and the President of Four States Fair and Rodeo President pronounced it a success.

Cut from the Herd

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Laney Davis

Cowboys and cowgirls were cutting it up this weekend in Sulphur Springs, Texas. The National Cutting Horse Association is a sport created from America’s Western heritage. August 28 and 29, cowboys and cowgirls from all over the Four States region came to compete at a weekend horse show. The competitors range from non-professionals, amateurs, and professionals.

The competing rider guides a horse to a herd of cattle. Horse and rider have two minutes and 30 seconds to show off their athletic ability and knowledge. The judge will then evaluate how well the horse can separate a cow from the herd and keep the cow away from the herd. The competitor is allowed to use two to three cows to display the talent of their horse.

Cowboys and cowgirls compete all over the world in cutting. The horses begin their training at two years old and begin to show off their skills in front of judges at the age of three.

This two day event is action packed with numerous classes of competition. Brett Davis, a National Cutting Horse Association Hall of Famer, rode down to the herd of cattle both days. Davis has been training horses and competing in Cutting since he was 18 years old. Having 34 years of experience under his belt as a professional, he says everyday he is living the dream. This weekend Davis won 7 different classes and placed in many more.

Amongst the professionals competing in the sport of cutting are Non-professionals. Ashley Davis, a non-professional, has been competing in Cutting throughout middle school, high school, and college. She competed in three classes this weekend doing better each time she rode down to the herd. Davis came home with one title, placing twice in her classes.

Western Sports, the organization that put on the horse show, had many contestants file the entry fees. After two long days of judging horses, Western Sports handed out numerous titles and prizes. Brett Davis and Ashley Davis are already looking forward to the next horse show.