Texarkana Gazette

Her

HER | Retiring city manager has helped transform Texarkana landscape In decades of work in city government, Shirley Jaster has seen major changes -and been one. Jaster is the first woman to serve as city manager in Texarkana, Texas, and as she prepares to retire at the end of April, she is reflective about the city's progress, her role in it and the legacy she is leaving for future leaders, especially other women. It's a habit her late mother impressed upon her. by Karl Richter Published Apr. 9 2021 @ 8:24pm

HER | How to care for spring flowering bulbs Bright yellow daffodils, colorful tulips and fragrant hyacinths brighten our spring gardens. Give them the care they need to extend their spring display and keep them coming back for years. Hybrid tulips and hyacinths are short-lived stars of the spring garden. They bloom profusely the first spring, but the number of flowers declines each year. by Melinda Myers | contributing writer Published Apr. 9 2021 @ 8:21pm

HER | Bring some green to the Red Dirt sale: Plant sale to be held May 1 The Miller County Red Dirt Master Gardeners will hold their annual plant sale May 1. Published Apr. 9 2021 @ 8:17pm

HER | Love in every stitch: 'I am a fabri-holic,' Bettie Huntley says Now a grandmother and great-grandmother herself, Bettie has been quilting for about 25 years and had 10 of her quilts featured in the recent 19th annual Regional Celebration of African American Artists Exhibit. by Christy Busby Worsham Published Apr. 9 2021 @ 8:14pm

HER | Know Your Neighbor: Local woman into interactions and lifelong learning Austin native Emily Bellew moved to Texarkana in the 1990s to live closer to her grandparents. She liked going to school and learning all she could. by Katie Stone | contributing writer Published Apr. 9 2021 @ 7:57pm

HER | Local food trailer goes mostly vegan: Here's why Dixie Hernandez has made a lot of changes to her Lot 1621 menu, making it about 90% vegan since opening in May 2020. by Christy Busby Worsham Published Apr. 9 2021 @ 7:54pm

HER | A+ Educator: Liliana Luna's success is an ongoing story From moving to the United States as a child to now being a pillar of the administration team at Texarkana Independent School District, Liliana Luna has had quite the educational journey. by Andrew Bell Published Apr. 9 2021 @ 7:50pm

HER | Women play key leadership roles at Hooks schools While many rural school districts have administrative staffs led largely by men - think male authority figures - Hooks Independent School District has found success doing just the opposite. Leadership in the Hooks district is largely women-centric. by Andrew Bell Published Apr. 9 2021 @ 7:47pm

HER | The making of the Ahern house: A bit of 1906 frozen in time Imagine, if you will, a younger Texarkana at the turn of the 20th century. Known as the "Gateway to the Southwest" there were nine railway lines employing about 2,000 men with a combined monthly payroll of more than $200,000. Every day 36 passenger trains and an average of 158 freight trains came in and out of the Twin Cities that had been in existence fewer than 40 years. Roger O'Dwyer had immigrated to Texarkana in the 1880s and was a partner in the O'Dwyer and O'Reilly Dry Goods Co. on the Arkansas side of town. He wrote to his childhood friend, Patrick J. Ahern, back home in Ireland about this booming town he had settled in and invited Ahern to join him here. by Kate Stow - Contributing Writer Published Apr. 9 2021 @ 7:36pm

HER | Florals and psychedelic: Fun fashion It is time to ditch those quarantine pajamas and get ready for spring! by Katie Stone | contributing writer Published Apr. 9 2021 @ 7:22pm

HER | Three women commit to developmentally challenged programs Caring for an individual with a developmentally challenged diagnosis, such as autism, can affect families and friends in different ways, according to the Autism Society of America. It can put a strain on relationships, finances, work and other aspects of life. by Katie Stone | contributing writer Published Apr. 9 2021 @ 7:06pm

HER | Q&A: Special book club now in the works I am always looking for ways to further the Opportunities, Inc., mission and enrich our clients' lives. by Christy Busby Worsham Published Mar. 12 2021 @ 10:33pm

HER | Lent reminds us we were made for something better than what we are and what we do in this earthly life When this issue of HER hits your doorstep or the racks, we will be embarking on the fourth week of the season of Lent. Lent is a 46-day period of self-examination, involving prayer, fasting, self-denial, alms giving, and penitence, practiced first by early Christians, then kept in practice over the centuries by various liturgical churches. It began Feb. 17 and ends on the Saturday before Easter. (Sundays are considered Little Easters, so Lent observers may forgo their Lenten observation on the six Sundays between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday.) In recent times, some of my evangelical brothers and sisters have found Lenten observances attractive and have adopted its disciplines. by Rev. Ethel M. Channon | contributing writer Published Mar. 12 2021 @ 5:15pm

HER | Due it Right: Extension agent steps into new regional post Carla Due, a Miller County extension agent for more than 30 years, has taught people how to improve their lives in many ways; it's a labor of love on her part. by Christy Busby Worsham Published Mar. 12 2021 @ 5:12pm

HER | Peek inside Carla Due's Recipe Box Creamy Fruit Whip Published Mar. 12 2021 @ 5:09pm

HER | Know Your Neighbor: After bout with cancer, Redwater woman sees her life in full bloom For Elizabeth Lofton, being strong through adversity is something she is particularly good at. This Louisiana girl moved to Maud, Texas, in 1997 to get her children out of the big city of Shreveport and into a smaller town. by Katie Stone | contributing writer Published Mar. 12 2021 @ 5:01pm

HER | ZZ tops low light, low maintenance houseplants Don't let a lack of brightly lit windows stop you from gardening indoors. Include some low maintenance, low light houseplants and maintenance strategies to boost your success. Low maintenance gardening starts with proper plant selection. Match the plant to the growing conditions and your gardening style. by Melinda Myers | contributing writer Published Mar. 12 2021 @ 4:57pm

HER | Living a Seedy Life: It sow easy to fall in love with the pos-seed-bilities My addiction/obsession began innocently enough. by Christy Busby Worsham Published Mar. 12 2021 @ 4:51pm

HER | Spring brings opportunity to lighten up a bit Bright colors and pastels are popping up in home decor as spring approaches to refresh our spirits and spaces, local designers say. by Christy Busby Worsham Published Mar. 12 2021 @ 4:31pm

HER | Ashdown woman heads state school board association This year's president of the Arkansas School Boards Association is Rosa Bowman, a member of the Ashdown School Board. ASBA is a nonprofit, membership organization that provides leadership, training and advocacy to state school boards. by Andrew Bell Published Mar. 12 2021 @ 4:14pm

HER | Katie Jo's memory lives on in Simms In April 2021, Amy Pope should be celebrating her daughter's 18th birthday. But unfortunately, Katie Jo Vaughn died Nov. 8, 2020 at age 17. by Katie Stone | contributing writer Published Mar. 12 2021 @ 4:12pm

HER | Former model recalls her trend-setting days in Paris A recent Women's Wear Daily article told a story that many Texarkanians may not know in connection to our own Carol Collins-Miles and her years as a fashion model for French designer Hubert de Givenchy. by Aaron Brand Published Mar. 12 2021 @ 4:03pm

HER | Merle Norman: All about cosmetics, skincare and the one-on-one attention Customers in need of a new skincare routine or makeup tips for a special event can enjoy one-on-one attention while shopping at the local Merle Norman store. Owner Lynn Baird and her husband purchased the store at 2844 Richmond Road a couple of years ago from her mother, Marion Williams, who was ready to retire. by Lori Dunn Published Mar. 12 2021 @ 3:46pm