fgazette.com Community news site for Union Parish Louisiana

By: Glynn Harris The book calls them “lubber” grasshoppers. Around here, we know them by another name, “graveyard” grasshoppers.  These oversized grasshoppers are not our friends as, according to the book, “they are voracious plant eaters that can quickly strip and destroy gardens, vegetable crops and ornamental landscaping.”  You’ll know one when you see it; they’re oversized, much larger than …

By: Tuffy Fields We have recently witnessed the change of the names of international bodies of water. This is not new. When I moved to Arabia I looked out on what was known as the Persian Gulf. The name comes from the ancient civilization of Persia which in modern times is Iran. The Saudis changed the name of the gulf …

By: Jim Brown Why don’t more people show up to vote on Election Day? In elections all over America, fewer voters are turning out at the polls than ever before. The New York Times ran an op-ed piece decrying this national trend, and suggesting that voting be mandatory, just like jury duty. So how big is the problem, and how …

Antioch Baptist Church  3501 Hwy 828  Farmerville  318-368-3591  Early Worship – 8:30 a.m.  Sunday School – 9:45 a.m.  Morning Worship – 10:45 a.m.  Bethel Temple Pentecostal Church  2144 Hwy 33 N.  Marion  Sunday School -11 a.m.  Sunday Worship -12 p.m.  318-608-6766  Canaan Baptist Church  502 Canaan Church Rd.  Spearsville  Sunday School -10am  Sunday Worship -11am  870-312-3440  Bro. Brian Williams  Conway …

 Tyler Bridges NOLA.com   Meta data center in northeast LA transforms local government: ‘Coming into the modern world’  Cecil Reddick dealt with the typical constituent requests after he was elected to the Richland Parish Police Jury in rural northeast Louisiana: repair roads, upgrade drainage and demolish dams built by beavers that were now flooding roadside ditches.  Then, in late 2024, Gov. Jeff …

 Johnny Dollar editor@fgazette.com   Carson McKoin faces sentencing Dec.2; jury acquitted him on a separate firearm count  MONROE- A federal jury convicted Carson McKoin, 23, of Monroe, of assaulting, resisting or impeding federal wildlife agents after he fired a shotgun toward an approaching patrol boat during a duck hunt at the Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge.  The jury returned its verdict Aug. …

By: Glynn Harris I’ve done a bit of snooping around the Louisiana High School Athletic Association records and quite frankly, I’m a tad disappointed. Louisiana athletic teams have picked a wide array of mascots to represent their teams, but there is one that is sorely missing.  There are dozens of Tigers; an equal number of Bulldogs; bunches of Lions, Bears, …

By: Tuffy Fields Character and integrity are two of the most important qualities a person can possess. They shape how individuals think, act, and interact with others in everyday life. While skills, intelligence, and achievements can contribute to success, character and integrity determine the kind of person someone truly is. These qualities build trust, strengthen relationships, and guide people in …