News

 By Sarah Hamilton Union Parish High School The Union Parish High School FFA chapter recently competed in the FFA National Chapter Award competition.  The National Chapter Award evaluates a portfolio built by FFA members to showcase the outstanding leadership and citizenship displayed by its members.  During the 2022-2023 school year, UPHS FFA members completed 15 community service projects and leadership …

By Luke BrittEditor If the 2023 election season is any indication, parish voters are happy with any elected official who isn’t a member of the Union Parish Police Jury. Voters re-elected incumbents Sheriff Dusty Gates and Sen. Stewart Cathey to another four years in their respective offices, while Clerk of Court Dodi Eubanks, Tax Assessor Lance Futch and Rep. Chris …

Baby, It’s Cold Outside! When the temperature drops, older adults run a higher risk of health problems and injuries related to the weather, including hypothermia, frostbite, and falls in ice and snow. Like most things in life, it is better to be prepared. Here are a few precautions everyone should take, especially older adults, during the winter. Hypothermia Hypothermia occurs …

Three people had to be transported by helicopter to area hospitals following a head-on collision in Farmerville Tuesday morning. Farmerville police responded at about 8:45 am to a report of a vehicle crash on Highway 15 between James Avenue and Camp Road and arrived few minutes later to find a 2012 gray Chevy Impala facing south in the northbound lane …

By Luke Britt/Editor A tax renewal for the Farmerville Fire Department that has been renewed every ten years for 40 years will be among the items on the October 14 ballot. The 6 mill property tax, which generates about $222,000 annually for the fire department, has been renewed every 10 years since it was first passed in 1984, which may …

By Luke Britt/Editor The Union Parish Police Jury, in a special meeting on Tuesday, voted to bring back to Union Parish more than $2 million that currently is invested with the Louisiana Asset Management Pool (LAMP). Also on Tuesday, the jury acted on the following: Voted to approve the 2023 Tax Roll as submitted by the parish Tax Assessor. Approved …

By Luke Britt/Editor At its regular monthly meeting Monday the Farmerville Town Council approved the hiring of an Oklahoma engineering firm to install a $350,000 strainer system on the water lines that feed the Foster Farms poultry plant. The Council agreed to hire the PEPM Group of Tulsa, OK to manage the project at the recommendation of Foster Farms, Mayor …

By Luke Britt/Editor For the third year in a row, the Town of Marion has received an unmodified, or clean, audit and during Tuesday’s monthly Town Council meeting the town’s auditor praised the council for maintaining  “financial stability.” After presenting the 2022 audit at Tuesday’s meeting, Jeffrey Maxwell of Maxwell CPA, LLC told the Council that, “I think Marion is …

The federally-funded, $4.8 million watershed project should alleviate much of the flooding that occurs in Farmerville during heavy rains like those shown above from 2020. Planning, approval process will be lengthy, construction won’t begin for more than a year By Luke Britt/Editor The long-awaited Farmerville flood mitigation project first approved by the state in 2018 showed signs of progress this …

By Luke Britt/Editor An increase in assets with only a minimal increase in expenses left Union Parish in a slightly better financial position at the end of 2022 than it was at the end of the 2021, according to the Union Parish Police Jury’s annual audit.  The audit, completed in mid-August, found no major issues with the jury’s financial reports, …