Texarkana has been named the Reader's Digest Nicest Place winner for two states, although Columbiana, Ohio, has been picked as the national winner.
The Twin Cities were named the winner of the Reader's Digest "The Nicest Place in America" for Texas and Arkansas. The annual contest held voting in July, and Texarkana was the finalist for both states it sits in.
Reader's Digest collected more than 1,000 stories for submission for the contest. Texarkana's nomination was credited to David Orr, director of planning and community development for Texarkana, Texas.
A panel of eight judges, including Bruce Kelley, editor-in-chief for Reader's Digest, and Sarah Friar, CEO of Nextdoor, chose the winners for each state, as well as a national winner.
Highlighting the Texarkana story as the Twice As Nice city was the annual Dine on the Line dinner, which was held recently, where, "more than 1,000 people come to eat, talk, and have a unique experience of passing salt across state lines," Orr's nomination letter stated.
"In most places, a dividing line acts to separate people. In this border town, the line brings folks together," Reader's Digest stated.
The magazine said Columbiana is a place where no one gets left behind. It will be featured in the Reader's Digest November edition.