[Texarkana-Boom Town]

Grandy's is a good restaurant. I especially like their chicken fried steak and country gravy. I used to go to Shoney's for breakfast but, ours has been closed since about 1999. The Kettle also had one hell of a breakfast buffet as well.

Grandy's is good.....we used to go there almost every Sunday after church. The Kettle is still open???

The Texarkana Gazette is an interesting newspaper. I like how they have articles about the small events that would normally not get press anywhere else. They even had an article about my cousin who acheived her lifelong dream of getting her degree.

[Texarkana-Boom Town]

Of course, "Smokey and the Bandit" was the best reference.

you are so right. I was telling my co-worker about Texarkana and the first thing she said was "that's the place from Smokey and the Bandit"

[Texarkana-Boom Town]

Hey Enique, I went to google and found that Texarkana's median home price is $82,977.

ok...thanks.

[Texarkana-Boom Town]

All of the school districts in town are doing some kind of expansion. Pleasant Grove is growing the fastest because that's where a lot of the residential growth is occuring. It's not just the school districts that are growing but Texas A&M University will be building there new campus as well. Construction will begin this spring and completion is scheduled for fall 2009. It will eventually serve as many as 12,000 students. Also the School of Engineering will start construction soon.

where's Texas A&M going to build their new campus?

What's the median home price in Texarkana? I've always wanted to know, because I had alot of family wanting to move to Georgia, but resisted when they saw how much the homes were.

[Texarkana-Boom Town]

That reminds me of another issue unique to border towns. Bigboyz05, could you explain the tax situation in Texarkana? Arkansas has a grocery tax and Texas doesn't, but according to the latest information I saw, Arkansas with a lower state sales tax rate. I've asked a friend from Texarkana about it, but not recently. Are exceptions made for it being a border city?

The last time I was there (in December) the TX side sales tax was 8.25%. I was told the ARK side sales tax was up to 10%.

With all the population growth, what is being planned about building new schools? I saw that Texas High was expanding, but what about the other schools?

[Texarkana-Boom Town]

the Texas side is dry. It's interesting when you travel down State Line Avenue. The Texas side is lined with churches, while the ARK side is lined with liquor stores.

[Texarkana-Boom Town]

hwy 549 is nice. I would like to see it completed to Shreveport. Don't know when thats gonna happen though.

I just returned from Texarkana a few days ago. I didn't see much in town, but I did see the new Louisiana Boarkwalk in Shreveport.

[Texarkana-Boom Town]

Wadley is one of the hospitals there....there are billboards in town that say, "Take me to Wadley" lol but in reality, no one really wants to go to Wadley.

really?? I thought that Wadley was ok.

I remember when they were the only hospital in Texarkana to deliver babies.

[Texarkana-Boom Town]

I know in the early 90's these kids call themselves forming a gang called the Rat Pack of all things, lol! Anyway, they tried to act like hard "gangstas" but they mainly sold marijuana and drove around blasting their Tupac and Snoop Doggy Dogg cd's. The cops pretty much shut down their little "gang" although one of the members is currently in prison for robbing Family Dollar Store. Althoug we've had years where crime shot up we pretty much have low crime. Last year we just had 2 murders. I was watching television a few days ago and they said that Shreveport, LA had a higher murder rate last year than either Fort Worth or San Francisco, cities more than twice it's size! that's insane!

I rememer the "Rat Pack". When I was younger, my family and I used come to Texarkana for the Four States Fair every year. One time, and I'm guessing the early 90's, there was a rumor going around that the Rat Pack was going to have an intitation at the fair. Needless to say, we didnt go.

There's a website that I need to find that breaks down crime rates per city. Even though Shreveport is a smaller city, their murder rate is higher than Fort Worth and San Francisco is because of the population.

btw...........I like this forum!

[Texarkana-Boom Town]

have any of you heard of a town about 14 miles south of Texarkana called Fouke?

I have!!! Hwy 71 runs right through it.

So they are going to widen I-30. That's good b/c at the rate the city's growing, it's needed. I don't think that it's seen any major construction since it was built.

When did Burhman-Pharr close????

[Texarkana-Boom Town]

...and it's about time!!!

Since I have alot of family in Texarkana, I visit about three times a year. I even lived there for a few years, so I'm familiar with the area.

I was REALLY impressed with the 549 loop. Now if they could finish I-49 from Shreveport it would be great. It would make my trip alot better.

I remember when Texarkana seemed like it was at a growth standstill, my family would complain that the ARK side would be neglected while all the growth would seem to be around the mall on the Texas side.

Downtown needed a major revitalization, maybe except for an occasional parade, it would seem so dead. I remember when they still had a few department stores.