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 Mike Martindale  710 KEEL   Louisiana voters could soon see stricter identification rules at the polls if Senate Bill 319 becomes law. Right now, the Louisiana Secretary of State says voters can cast a ballot by showing photo identification or by completing a voter identification affidavit if they do not have photo ID. Senate Bill 319, filed by Sen. Thomas Pressly, …

 Union Parish Sheriff’s Office  STAFF REPORT   A West Monroe man was arrested in Union Parish on multiple felony drug charges following a traffic stop on Saturday, February 14, 2026.  During the stop, a partnering law enforcement agency requested assistance from the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit. A UPSO deputy responded and conducted an open-air sniff around the exterior of …

 UPSO  STAFF REPORT   March 3, 2026 at 8:07 AM  Sheriff Dusty Gates is pleased to announce the following promotions and transfers, effective 3/2/2026:  Det. Sgt. Cade Nolan has been promoted to the rank of Captain and will command the Criminal Investigations Division (CID). 

 Louisiana State Police  STAFF REPORT   Winn Parish – On March 1, 2026, at approximately 9:09 a.m., Louisiana State Police Troop E responded to a fatal crash on U.S. Highway 167 near Dodson. This crash claimed the life of 44-year-old Miguel Angel Bello-Castillo of Farmerville.  The initial investigation revealed that a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze, driven by Bello-Castillo, was traveling south on …

 Union Parish Sheriff’s Office  STAFF REPORT   MARION MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER AFTER KNIFE ATTACK  The Union Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Marion man following a violent domestic incident with a knife near Marion.  On 2/14/2026, UPSO deputies were dispatched to a residence in the Conway community of Marion in reference to a reported domestic disturbance involving a knife. …

Union Parish Sheriff’s OfficeSTAFF REPORT ARKANSAS WOMANARRESTED IN CHILD SEXABUSE INVESTIGATIONThe Union Parish Sheriff’s Officehas arrested an Arkansas woman onmultiple felony charges followingan investigation into the sexual andphysical abuse of a juvenile in UnionParish.In November 2025, Union ParishSheriff’s Office received a complaintalleging sexual abuse and physicalabuse involving a minor child. UPSOCriminal Investigations Division (CID)investigators immediately initiated aninvestigation.

Union Parish Sheriff’s OfficeSTAFF REPORT FENTANYL DISTRIBUTIONINVESTIGATION YIELDSARREST OF MARION MANThe Union Parish Sheriff’s Officehas arrested a Marion man followinga lengthy narcotics investigationconducted by agents with the Sheriff’sOffice Narcotics Division.On February 5, 2026, deputieslocated and arrested John RomanWomble, 36, of Marion, in connectionwith multiple outstanding arrestwarrants. The warrants stem fromseparate investigations in 2025involving the distribution of illegalcontrolled dangerous substances withinUnion …

 BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana’s 2026 U.S. Senate race is accelerating into a marquee Republican primary, with incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy facing a growing field of challengers ahead of the state’s newly restored partisan primary elections.  Among the Republicans seeking the seat is Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming, a physician, military veteran, and former U.S. congressman who has positioned his …

 Meta’s Hyperion AI data center will sprawl to four times the size of Manhattan’s Central Park  Meta has quietly purchased roughly 1,400 acres—an area almost twice the size of Manhattan’s Central Park—adjacent to its already-mammoth 2,250- acre Hyperion AI data center site in Richland Parish, La., Fortune has learned. The combined land parcels for the campus will bring the project …

HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH  “Trafficking in persons,” “human trafficking,” and “modern slavery” are umbrella terms—often used interchangeably—to refer to a crime whereby traffickers exploit and profit at the expense of adults or children by compelling them to perform labor or engage in commercial sex. When a person younger than 18 is used to perform a commercial sex act, it is …